SENATE BILL REPORT
HB 3045
As Reported By Senate Committee On:
Ways & Means, February 26, 2004
Title: An act relating to public lands.
Brief Description: Directing the board of natural resources to exchange certain common school trust land.
Sponsors: Representatives Veloria, Skinner, Dunshee, Kenney, Campbell, Haigh, McDermott, Hankins, Miloscia, Kirby, Lovick, Sullivan, G. Simpson, Rockefeller, Cooper, Santos, Cairnes, Benson, Eickmeyer, Murray, Jarrett, Mastin, Grant, Anderson, Cody, Upthegrove, Chase, Morrell, Tom and O'Brien.
Brief History:
Committee Activity: Ways & Means: 2/18/04, 2/26/04 [DPA].
SENATE COMMITTEE ON WAYS & MEANS
Majority Report: Do pass as amended.
Signed by Senators Zarelli, Chair; Hewitt, Vice Chair; Parlette, Vice Chair; Carlson, Doumit, Fairley, Fraser, Hale, Honeyford, Johnson, Pflug, Prentice, Rasmussen, Regala, Roach, Sheahan and B. Sheldon.
Staff: Richard Ramsey (786-7412)
Background: The State Board for Community and Technical Colleges oversees 34 institutions, including South Seattle Community College. Community and technical colleges own and lease a variety of facilities related to their education mission.
At statehood, the federal government granted the state lands to support basic functions of government. These include lands for common schools, higher education, a state capitol, and lands for charitable, educational, penal and reformatory institutions purposes. These lands are managed by the Department of Natural Resources. The Board of Natural Resources provides policy direction to the department. There are approximately 1.75 million acres of common school trust lands and approximately 70,000 acres of charitable, educational, penal and reformatory institutions trust lands. Income from these trust lands is appropriated in the capital budget, the former for common school construction and the latter for capital programs/facilities of the Department of Social and Health Services and the Department of Corrections.
In 1985, legislation required the Board of Natural Resources to exchange common school trust lands on which three community and technical colleges were located with charitable, educational, penal and reformatory institutions trust lands (CEP&RI), so that the community and technical colleges could use the CEP&RI trust lands at no cost.
Summary of Amended Bill: By December 31, 2004, the Board of Natural Resources must exchange the "Hat and Boots" parcel adjacent to the Duwamish Training Center branch of South Seattle Community College, which is currently common school trust land, with land of equal value in the charitable, educational, penal and reformatory institutions (CEP&RI) trust. After the exchange, which will make the "Hat and Boots" parcel CEP&RI trust land, the Board of Natural Resources must lease this parcel to the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges for $1 per year. Access to the facilities at the Duwamish training center branch of South Seattle Community College will be available to apprenticeship programs regardless of union affiliation.
Amended Bill Compared to Original Bill: The amendment makes three changes to the underlying bill: (1) removes the language from the code, (2) requires the Board of Natural Resources to complete the exchange by December 31, 2004, and (3) provides that access to the facilities at the Duwamish training center branch of South Seattle Community College will be available to apprenticeship programs regardless of union affiliation.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Available.
Effective Date: The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect immediately.
Testimony For: Building workforce training capability in this location is a benefit to the public and employers.
Concerns: While it may be possible to sell forest lands acquired by the common school trust in the exchange, it will take several years before any revenue from replacement commercial properties is realized.
DNR has four times attempted to auction this property and sold four acres to DOT. It will be a challenge to find CEP&RI lands to benefit the common school trust in exchange.
Testimony Against: None.
Testified: PRO: Representative Velma Veloria, prime sponsor, Representative Phyllis G. Kenney, Jim Wakefield, South Seattle Community College, John Vicklund, Washington Manufacturing Services, Mike Hudson, AWB; CONCERNS: Brenda Hood, OSPI, Howard Thronson, DNR.