(1) Except as provided in subsection (4) of this section, a completed environmental checklist (or a copy), in the form provided in WAC 197-11-960, shall be filed at the same time as an application for a permit, license, certificate or other approval not specifically exempted in this chapter, except that a checklist is not needed if the town and applicant agree that an EIS is required, SEPA compliance has been completed, or SEPA compliance has been initiated by another agency. The town shall use the environmental checklist to determine the lead agency, and if the town is the lead agency, for determining the responsible official and for making the threshold determinations.

(2) For private proposals, the town will require the applicant to complete the environmental checklist, providing assistance as necessary. For town proposals, the department initiating the proposal shall complete the environmental checklist for that proposal.

(3) The town may require that it, and not the private applicant, will complete, at the applicant’s expense, all or part of the environmental checklist for a private proposal, if either of the following occurs:

(4) For projects submitted as planned actions under WAC 197-11-164, the town shall use its existing environmental checklist form or may modify the environmental checklist form as provided in WAC 197-11-315. The modified environmental checklist form may be prepared and adopted along with or as part of a planned action ordinance; or developed after the ordinance is adopted. In either case, a proposed modified environmental checklist form must be sent to the Department of Ecology to allow at least a 30-day review prior to use. (Ord. 581 § 2, 2016)