HOUSE BILL REPORT

SHB 1510

BYHouse Committee on Local Government (originally sponsored by Representatives Fox, Ferguson, Haugen, Bumgarner and Spanel)

Amending provisions for annexation by water and sewer districts.

House Committe on Local Government

Majority Report:  The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  (14)

      Signed by Representatives Haugen, Chair; Cooper, Vice Chair; Beck, Bumgarner, Butterfield, Dorn, Ferguson, Hine, Jones, Nealey, Nelson, Nutley, Rayburn and Zellinsky.

House Staff:Steve Lundin (786-7127)

AS PASSED HOUSE FEBRUARY 16, 1988

BACKGROUND:

A sewer district or water district is authorized to annex territory that adjoins the district or is in close proximity to the district.

The procedure for annexing territory involves:  (1) the filing of a petition requesting the annexation, that has been signed by at least twenty percent of the voters residing in the area proposed to be annexed; (2) acceptance of the annexation by the district board of commissioners; (3) approval by the county legislative authority; and (4) approval of a ballot proposition providing for the election by a simple majority of the voters voting on the proposition who reside in the area proposed to be annexed.  If no registered voters reside in the area provision is made for the petition to be signed by the owners of at least fifty percent of the area proposed to be annexed, and for such property owners who are voters of the county in which the property is located to vote on the ballot proposition.

SUMMARY:

A sewer district or water district is authorized to annex territory anywhere in the same county or counties in which it is located, and may annex territory adjacent to it or in the near vicinity to it that is located in another county.

Fiscal Note:      Not Requested.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:    Joe Daniels, Washington Association of Water/Wastewater Districts; Jim Miller, Federal Way Water and Sewer Districts; and Dan Caldwell, Water District No. 7.

House Committee - Testified Against:      None Presented.

House Committee - Testimony For:    This will allow a single set of commissioners to act for non- contiguous areas that are not in close proximity to each other. This will reduce the proliferation of special districts.  An area eight miles from a sewer district on Orcas Island needs sewers and would be annexed to the other district under this proposal.

House Committee - Testimony Against:      None Presented.