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Posts categorized under Department Updates Archives - Page 2 of 3 - Building Connections

Coming Soon: Tree Public Notices & Tree Tracking Data Maps

March 1, 2024

SDCI is developing two new maps to help you understand what commercial tree work is happening in your neighborhood. The maps will include tree-related information collected from issued permits. Tree Public Notice Map: This interactive map will display all SDCI tree public notices for reportable work or tree removal. Tree Tracking Data Map: This map will display tree tracking data gathered from issued permits since the new ordinance went into effect on July 30, 2023.

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Seattle City Light Adopts New Standard for Solar Panel Inverters

March 1, 2024

Beginning this year, all proposed inverter-based Distributed Energy Resources (DER) must use inverters certified under Underwriters Laboratories (UL) 1741 Supplement B (Standard for Safety Inverters, Converters, Controllers and Interconnection System Equipment for Use with Distributed Energy Resources, Supplement B and labeled as UL1741-SB) and Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 1547-2018 (Standard for Interconnection Interoperability of Distributed Energy Resources with Associated Electric Power Systems Interfaces).

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Seattle Tree Service Providers: New Single Registration for SDCI and SDOT

February 28, 2024

Hiring tree service providers knowledgeable in the City’s regulations ensures that your provider knows and understands the City’s regulations and policies for proper tree care and protection. Tree service providers are required to be registered with the City to do certain tree work on private property (registry administered by the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections (SDCI)) and in the public rights-of-way (registry administered by the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT)). These two departments previously managed separate application and monitoring processes for their respective tree service provider registries. We are happy to announce that the City of Seattle launched a single registration process for SDCI and SDOT Tree Service Providers on February 22, 2024. The new registration process helps create a more streamlined and efficient experience for tree service providers and a more automated and efficient process for staff.

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Coming Soon: Seattle Tree Service Providers May Submit a Single Application to Register with SDCI & SDOT

February 1, 2024

The City of Seattle is committed to protecting our urban canopy. Trees add value to your property and the surrounding community. Canopy cover is one important measure of the health of the urban forest. Urban trees provide numerous ecological, economic, and social benefits, including wildlife habitat, neighborhood livability, and improved public health outcomes. Hiring tree service providers knowledgeable in the City’s regulations ensures that your provider knows and understands the City’s regulations and policies for proper tree care. Tree service providers are required to be registered with the City to do certain tree work on private property (registry administered by SDCI) and in the public rights-of-way (registry administered by the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT)). These two departments currently manage separate application and monitoring processes for their respective tree service provider registries. In late February, the tree service provider registration application processes for SDCI and SDOT are being combined into a single application. This single application will help create a more streamlined and efficient experience for tree service providers and a more automated and efficient process for City staff.

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Reminder: SDCI Opens Information Desk

February 1, 2024

SDCI is pleased to announce it has opened an information desk on the 4th floor of the Seattle Municipal Tower at 700 5th Avenue. The fastest way to get help is still through our Virtual Application Services Center (ASC). The information desk serves customers who need technical or language assistance to use the Virtual ASC. The SDCI information desk is staffed by a single person who will provide assistance with customer questions. If needed, they will connect customers with an SDCI expert via our online services. Customers can also visit the information desk for help with making an in-person payment. 

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SDCI Opens Information Desk

January 2, 2024

SDCI is pleased to announce it has opened an information desk on the 4th floor of the Seattle Municipal Tower at 700 5th Avenue. The fastest way to get help is still through our Virtual Application Services Center (ASC). The information desk serves customers who need technical or language assistance to use the Virtual ASC. The SDCI information desk is staffed by a single person who will provide assistance with customer questions. If needed, they will connect customers with an SDCI expert via our online services. Customers can also visit the information desk for help with making an in-person payment. 

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Parcel Data Viewer Retired

January 2, 2024

SDCI has officially retired the Parcel Data Viewer tool. We retired the Parcel Data Viewer tool because it was critically out of date. In attempting to repair the data sources, our IT partners determined that updating the tool was not feasible due to its age and structure.

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2024 Fee Changes

December 27, 2023

On January 1, 2024, SDCI will be implementing an inflationary increase of 2% to most fees. These fee increases will result in an SDCI base hourly rate of $257/hour and a land use hourly rate of $439/hour. While most permitting fees will see these increases, electrical, refrigeration, and furnace fees will not be increasing in 2024 following a series of reductions SDCI has made to these fees over the past three years.

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Comment Opportunity for Updated Tree Requirements Tip

December 27, 2023

The Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections (SDCI) recently updated several of our Tips related to the Tree Protection Code (SMC 25.11) to provide additional clarification on our current tree regulations. In particular, SDCI substantially updated Tip 242A, Tree Requirements Associated with Development, to include information related to the basic tree protection area and the allowance to remove Tier 2 trees in certain instances. Tips are one tool the department uses to explain complex codes to the public and help customers understand the regulations. Tips also give guidance on how applicants should show compliance with codes in a permit application.

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Retiring Parcel Data Viewer

December 1, 2023

We are planning to retire the Parcel Data Viewer tool in mid-December, however all of the data displayed on that tool may be found using the King County Parcel Viewer and SDCI’s GIS mapping tool.

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