S-3575.1          _______________________________________________

                                 SENATE BILL 6306

                  _______________________________________________

State of Washington              52nd Legislature             1992 Regular Session

By Senator Snyder

Read first time 01/24/92.  Referred to Committee on Transportation.Funding the Puget Island ferry.

     AN ACT Relating to the Puget Island ferry; and amending RCW 47.56.720.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

     Sec. 1.  RCW 47.56.720 and 1987 c 368 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

     (1) The legislature finds that the ferry operated by Wahkiakum county between Puget Island and Westport on the Columbia river provides service which is primarily local in nature with secondary benefits to the state highway system in providing a bypass for state route 4 and providing the only crossing of the Columbia river between the Astoria-Megler bridge and the Longview bridge.

     (2) The department is hereby authorized to enter into a continuing agreement with Wahkiakum county pursuant to which the department shall pay to Wahkiakum county from moneys appropriated for such purpose ((the sum of one thousand dollars per month)) amounts not to exceed eighty percent of the operating and maintenance deficit with a maximum not to exceed the amount appropriated for that biennium to be used in the operation and maintenance of the Puget Island ferry, commencing July 1, ((1971)) 1992.

     Subject to the provisions of subsection (4) of this section, the department is authorized to include in the continuing agreement a provision to reimburse Wahkiakum county for eighty percent of the deficit incurred during each previous fiscal year in the operation and maintenance of the ferry((, commencing with the fiscal year ending June 30, 1987.  The state's eighty percent share of the annual operating and maintenance deficit shall include the one thousand dollars per month authorized in this subsection)).

     (3) The annual deficit, if any, incurred in the operation and maintenance of the ferry shall be determined by Wahkiakum county subject to the approval of the department.  If eighty percent of the deficit for the preceding fiscal year exceeds the total amount paid to the county for that year, the additional amount shall be paid to the county by the department upon the receipt of a properly executed voucher.  The total of all payments to the county in any biennium shall not exceed the amount appropriated for that biennium.  The fares established by the county shall be comparable to those used for similar runs on the state ferry system.

     (4) Whenever, subsequent to June 9, 1977, state route 4 between Cathlamet and Longview is closed to traffic pursuant to chapter 47.48 RCW due to actual or potential slide conditions and there is no suitable, reasonably short alternate state route provided, Wahkiakum county is authorized to operate the Puget Island ferry on a toll-free basis during the entire period of such closure.  The state's share of the ferry operations and maintenance deficit during such period shall be one hundred percent.

     (5) Whenever state route 4 between Cathlamet and Longview is closed to traffic, as mentioned in subsection (4) hereof, the state of Washington shall provide temporary rest room facilities at the Washington ferry landing terminal.