S-4432

AN ACT Relating to lake management districts; amending RCW 36.61.010, 36.61.020, and 36.61.270; and repealing RCW 36.61.115.

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

Sec. 1. RCW 36.61.010 and 1987 c 432 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

The legislature finds that the environmental, recreational, and aesthetic values of many of the state's lakes are threatened by eutrophication and other deterioration and that existing governmental authorities are unable to adequately improve and maintain the quality of the state's lakes.

It is the purpose of this chapter to establish a governmental mechanism by which property owners can embark on a program of lake improvement and maintenance for their and the general public's benefit, health, and welfare. Public property, including state property, shall be considered the same as private property in this chapter, except liens for special assessments and liens for rates and charges shall not extend to public property. Special assessments or rates and charges imposed on public property may not exceed the special assessments or rates and charges imposed on adjacent private property. Lake bottom property shall not be considered to be benefited, shall not be subject to special assessments or rates and charges, and shall not receive voting rights under this chapter.

Sec. 2. RCW 36.61.020 and 1987 c 432 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

Any county may create lake management districts to finance the improvement and maintenance of lakes located within or partially within the boundaries of the county. All or a portion of a lake and the adjacent land areas may be included within one or more lake management districts. More than one lake, or portions of lakes, and the adjacent land areas may be included in a single lake management district. ((~~A lake management district may be created for a period of up to ten years.~~))

Special assessments or rates and charges may be imposed on the property included within a lake management district to finance lake improvement and maintenance activities, including: (1) The control or removal of aquatic plants and vegetation; (2) water quality; (3) the control of water levels; (4) storm water diversion and treatment; (5) agricultural waste control; (6) studying lake water quality problems and solutions; (7) cleaning and maintaining ditches and streams entering or leaving the lake; and (8) the related administrative, engineering, legal, and operational costs, including the costs of creating the lake management district.

Special assessments or rates and charges may be imposed annually on all the land in a lake management district for the duration of the lake management district without a related issuance of lake management district bonds or revenue bonds. Special assessments also may be imposed in the manner of special assessments in a local improvement district with each landowner being given the choice of paying the entire special assessment in one payment, or to paying installments, with lake management district bonds being issued to obtain moneys not derived by the initial full payment of the special assessments, and the installments covering all of the costs related to issuing, selling, and redeeming the lake management district bonds.

Sec. 3. RCW 36.61.270 and 1987 c 432 s 11 are each amended to read as follows:

Whenever rates and charges are to be imposed in a lake management district or whenever a previously approved schedule of rates and charges is to be adjusted, the county legislative authority shall prepare a roll of rates and charges that includes those matters required to be included in a special assessment roll and shall hold a public hearing on the proposed roll of rates and charges as provided under RCW 36.61.120 through 36.61.150 for a special assessment roll. The county legislative authority shall have full jurisdiction and authority to fix, alter, regulate, and control the rates and charges imposed by a lake management district and may classify the rates or charges by any reasonable factor or factors, including benefit, use, front footage, acreage, the extent of improvements on the property, the type of improvements on the property, uses to which the property is put, service to be provided, and any other reasonable factor or factors. The flexibility to establish rates and charges includes the authority to reduce rates and charges on property owned by low-income persons.

Except as provided in this section, the collection of rates and charges, lien status of unpaid rates and charges, and method of foreclosing on such liens shall be subject to the provisions of chapter 36.94 RCW. Public property, including state property, shall be subject to the rates and charges to the same extent that private property is subject to them, except that liens may not be foreclosed on the public property, and the procedure for imposing such rates and charges on state property shall conform with the procedure provided for in chapter 79.44 RCW concerning the imposition of special assessments upon state property. The total amount of rates and charges cannot exceed the cost of lake improvement or maintenance activities proposed to be financed by such rates and charges, as specified in the resolution of intention. Revenue bonds exclusively payable from the rates and charges may be issued by the county under chapter 39.46 RCW.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. RCW 36.61.115 and 1987 c 432 s 9 are each repealed.