FINAL BILL REPORT

SHB 1217

                                  C 308 L 89

BYHouse Committee on Local Government (originally sponsored by Representatives Cooper, Ferguson, Haugen and Hine)

Revising provisions for water and sewer districts.

House Committe on Local Government

Senate Committee on Governmental Operations

SYNOPSIS AS ENACTED

BACKGROUND:

Sewer districts and water districts are authorized to acquire property necessary for their purposes, and may provide sewer or water facilities.

A sewer district or water district is permitted to annex territory adjoining or in close proximity to the district.  A sewer district or water district located in a fifth class or smaller county that is composed entirely of islands may annex any non-adjoining territory.

Two or more sewer districts, or water districts, are permitted to consolidate or merge if they are adjacent or in close proximity to each other.

The board of commissioners of a sewer district, or a water district, may sell district property if the property is determined not to be needed by a unanimous vote of the elected members of the board.  A notice of intention to sell such property must be made.  However, notice need not be made for sewer district personal property worth less than $500 or for water district personal property worth less than $250.  Property sold by a sewer district without notice may not be purchased by a commissioner or an employee of the district, nor by relatives of a commissioner or employee.

General laws prohibit a local government official from entering into a sales contract with the local government.

Real property owned by a sewer district, or water district, may not be sold for less than 90 percent of its value established by a written appraisal within six months of sale.

SUMMARY:

Sewer districts and water districts are authorized to construct, acquire, and own buildings and other necessary facilities.

A sewer district, or water district, may annex any territory located in the same county or counties in which the district is located or any other territory that is adjoining or in close proximity to the district.

Any two or more sewer districts, or two or more water districts, may merge or consolidate.

Boundary review board objectives are amended to allow non- contiguous annexations, mergers or consolidations by sewer districts or water districts.

The voting requirement for determinations of whether district property is not needed, and therefore may be sold, is altered from a unanimous vote of the elected members of a sewer district or water district board of commissioners to a majority vote of the board members.  The maximum value of water district personal property, that may be sold without the provision of a notice of intention to sell, is raised from less than $250 to less than $500.

Language is deleted that prohibited sewer district or water district commissioners or employees from acquiring district property that is sold without the making of a formal notice of intention to sell.

A sewer district or water district is permitted to sell real property for less than 90 percent of its value if the real property is valued at less than $500.

Water districts are permitted to contract to manage other water systems.

VOTES ON FINAL PASSAGE:

      House 96   1

      Senate    39     5 (Senate amended)

      House             (House refused to concur)

      Senate    45     0 (Senate receded)

EFFECTIVE:July 23, 1989