Link to the Joint Public Hearing Agenda Packet and information HERE
What is the Interlocal Agreement for Annexation
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The City of Chehalis and Lewis County are entering into an interlocal agreement to annex unincorporated territory that is part of the Urban Growth Area (UGA).
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A resolution was passed by Chehalis (Resolution No. 04‑2025) that commences negotiations with Lewis County for this interlocal agreement to annex unincorporated territory in the UGA.
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The goal is to establish, via the interlocal agreement, the territory to be annexed, and the process by which annexation occurs (including timing, services, boundaries, etc.).
Legal / Statutory Requirements
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Under Washington State law (RCW 35A.14.472), annexation of unincorporated territory via interlocal agreement between a county and a “code city” requires certain steps.
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Among those steps:
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Defining the boundaries of the territory to be annexed and deciding an effective date.
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Holding a public hearing before execution of the agreement.
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Providing public notice of availability of the agreement at least once a week for four weeks prior to the hearing in newspapers of circulation in both the city and the area to be annexed; also posting the notice on the legislative body’s website.
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Ensuring that the public has an opportunity to be heard at the hearing.
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Public Comment / Public Hearing Period (What’s Known, and What's Required)
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What’s required by law: As mentioned above, notice of the interlocal agreement’s availability must happen for four weeks, with weekly notices in newspapers in both the city and the proposed annexed area, plus posting online. Then, a public hearing must be held, where people can give testimony.
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Notice will be sent to the Daily Chronicle and posted at the Chehalis City Hall Building, the Community Development office, the Chehalis Post Office, and both the City of Chehalis website (ci.chehalis.wa.us) and the Lewis County BOCC Legal Notices website (https://lewiscountywa.gov/offices/commissioners/bocc-legal-notices/).
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