HOUSE BILL REPORT

HB 1633

BYRepresentatives Appelwick and Sanders

Exempting contracts for neighborhood improvement projects from bidding and prevailing wage requirements.

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 (7867127)

AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT FEBRUARY 4,1988

BACKGROUND:

Various local governments are authorized to provide park and recreation facilities, including cities, towns, counties, metropolitan park districts, park and recreation districts, and park and recreation service areas.

Many local governments are required to award contracts for public works projects through an open, competitive, sealed bidding procedure, if the value of the project exceeds a certain value.

SUMMARY:

SUBSTITUTE BILL:  Cities, towns, metropolitan park districts, school districts, park and recreation districts, and park and recreation service areas are authorized to contract with service groups to make various park and recreation improvements, or to maintain such facilities, without conforming with competitive bidding requirements if the value of the improvements or maintenance is at least three times the value of any consideration that is paid.  Volunteers may be used.

Annual contractual payments for such projects cannot exceed the greater of $25,000 or $2 per resident of the local government.

These local governments can ratify an agreement concerning this type of neighborhood project that was made on or after January 1, 1988.

SUBSTITUTE BILL COMPARED TO ORIGINAL:  Language was dropped exempting these governments from paying the prevailing wage. School districts and park and recreation service areas were added.  The minimum required value of the improvements was increased to three times the value of any consideration paid, instead of two times the value.  The per capita amount of such work that could be done in any year was reduced by one dollar.

Fiscal Note:      Not Requested.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:    Representative Appelwick, Prime Sponsor; and Stan Finkelstein, Association of Washington Cities.

House Committee - Testified Against:      Bob Dilger, Washington State Building and Construction Trades Council.

House Committee - Testimony For:    This allows neighborhood volunteer projects, such as done by little leagues and scouting organizations.  This is particularly important for smaller communities.

House Committee - Testimony Against:      None presented against substitute bill.