Washington Revised Code Title 35. Cities and Towns § 35.56.040. Conditions precedent to passage of ordinance--Protests

Upon the introduction of an ordinance providing for such fill, if the city council or commission desires to proceed, it shall fix a time, not less than ten days, in which protests against said fill may be filed in the office of the city clerk. Thereupon it shall be the duty of the clerk of said city to publish in the official newspaper of said city in at least two consecutive issues thereof before the time fixed for the filing of protests, a notice of the time fixed for the filing of protests together with a copy of the proposed ordinance as introduced.

Protests against the proposed fill to be effective must be filed by the owners of more than half of the area of land situated within the proposed filling district exclusive of streets, alleys and public places on or before the date fixed for such filing. If an effective protest is filed the council shall not proceed further unless two-thirds of the members of the city council vote to proceed with the work; if the city is operating under a commission form of government composed of three commissioners, the commission shall not proceed further except by a unanimous affirmative vote of all the members thereof, if the commission is composed of five members, at least four affirmative votes thereof shall be necessary before proceeding.

If no effective protest is filed or if an effective protest is filed and two-thirds of the councilmembers vote to proceed with the work or in cases where cities are operating under the commission form of government, the commissioners vote unanimously or four out of five commissioners vote to proceed with the work, the city council or commission shall at such meeting or in a succeeding meeting proceed to pass the proposed ordinance for the work, with such amendments and modifications as to the said city council or commission of said city may seem proper. The local improvement district shall be called “filling district No. ․․․.”