BILL REQ. #:  Z-1085.1 

Read first time 01/19/2004.   Referred to Committee on Transportation.

     AN ACT Relating to county road construction projects reporting requirements; and amending RCW 36.77.065 and 36.81.130.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 36.77.065 and 2001 c 108 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
     The board may cause any county road to be constructed or improved by day labor as provided in this section.
     (1) As used in this section, "county road construction budget" means the aggregate total of those costs as defined by the budgeting, accounting, and reporting system for counties and cities and other local governments authorized under RCW 43.09.200 and 43.09.230 as prescribed in the state auditor's budget, accounting, and reporting manual's (BARS) road and street construction accounts ((541.00 through 541.90 in effect April 1, 1975)): PROVIDED, That such costs shall not include those costs assigned to the ((preliminary engineering account 541.11,)) right of way account((s 541.20 through 541.25)), ancillary operations account ((541.80)), and ((ferries account 541.81)) that portion of the engineering account that is preliminary engineering in the budget, accounting, and reporting manual.
     (2) For counties with a population that equals or exceeds fifty thousand people, the total amount of day labor construction programs one county may perform annually shall total no more than the amounts determined in the following manner:
     (a) Any county with a total annual county road construction budget of four million dollars or more may accumulate a day labor road construction budget equal to no more than eight hundred thousand dollars or fifteen percent of the county's total annual county road construction budget, whichever is greater.
     (b) Any county with a total annual county road construction budget of one million five hundred thousand dollars or more and less than four million dollars may accumulate a day labor road construction budget equal to not more than five hundred twenty-five thousand dollars or twenty percent of the county's total annual county road construction budget, whichever is greater.
     (c) Any county with a total annual county road construction budget of five hundred thousand dollars or more and less than one million five hundred thousand dollars may accumulate a day labor road construction budget equal to two hundred fifty thousand dollars or thirty-five percent of the county's total annual county road construction budget, whichever is greater.
     (d) Any county with a total annual county road construction budget less than five hundred thousand dollars may accumulate a day labor road construction budget equal to two hundred fifty thousand dollars: PROVIDED, That any county with a total annual road construction budget of less than five hundred thousand dollars may, by resolution of the board at the time the county road construction budget is adopted, elect to construct or improve county roads by day labor in an amount not to exceed thirty-five thousand dollars on any one project, including labor, equipment, and materials; such election to be in lieu of the two hundred fifty thousand dollar limit provided for in this section, except that any project means a complete project and the division of any project into units of work or classes of work so as to permit construction by day labor is not authorized.
     (3) For counties with a population of less than fifty thousand people, the total amount of day labor construction programs one county may perform annually may total no more than the amounts determined in the following manner:
     (a) A county with a total annual county road construction budget of four million dollars or more may accumulate a day labor road construction budget equal to not more than eight hundred eighty thousand dollars or twenty-five percent of the county's total annual county road construction budget, whichever is greater;
     (b) A county with a total annual county road construction budget of one million five hundred thousand dollars or more and less than four million dollars may accumulate a day labor road construction budget equal to not more than five hundred seventy-seven thousand dollars or thirty percent of the county's total annual county road construction budget, whichever is greater;
     (c) A county with a total annual county road construction budget of five hundred thousand dollars or more and less than one million five hundred thousand dollars may accumulate a day labor road construction budget equal to two hundred seventy-five thousand dollars or forty-five percent of the county's total annual county road construction budget, whichever is greater;
     (d) A county with a total annual county road construction budget less than five hundred thousand dollars may accumulate a day labor road construction budget equal to two hundred seventy-five thousand dollars. However, such a county may, by resolution of the board at the time the county road construction budget is adopted, elect instead to construct or improve county roads by day labor in an amount not to exceed thirty-eight thousand five hundred dollars on any one project, including labor, equipment, and materials. That election is in lieu of the two hundred seventy-five thousand dollar limit provided for in this section. As used in this section, "any project" means a complete project, and a county may not divide a project into units of work or classes of work so as to permit construction by day labor.
     (4) Any county that adopts a county road construction budget unreasonably exceeding that county's actual road construction expenditures for the same budget year which has the effect of permitting the county to exceed the day labor amounts established in this section is in violation of the county road administration board's standards of good practice under RCW 36.78.020 and is in violation of this section. Any county, whose expenditure for day labor for road construction projects unreasonably exceeds the limits specified in this section, is in violation of the county road administration board's standards of good practice under RCW 36.78.020 and is in violation of this section.
     (5) Notwithstanding any other provision in this section, whenever the construction work or improvement is the installation of electrical traffic control devices, highway illumination equipment, electrical equipment, wires, or equipment to convey electrical current, in an amount exceeding ten thousand dollars for any one project including labor, equipment, and materials, such work shall be performed by contract as in this chapter provided. This section means a complete project and does not permit the construction of any project by day labor by division of the project into units of work or classes of work.

Sec. 2   RCW 36.81.130 and 1991 c 363 s 86 are each amended to read as follows:
     The laying out, construction, and maintenance of all county roads shall hereafter be in accordance with the following procedure:
     On or before the first Monday in October of each year each county road engineer shall file with the county legislative authority a recommended plan for the laying out, construction, ((maintenance,)) and ((special)) maintenance of county roads for the ensuing fiscal year. Such recommended plan need not be limited to but shall include the following items: Recommended projects, including capital expenditures for ferries, docks, and related facilities, and their priority; the estimated cost of all work, including labor and materials for each project recommended; a statement as to whether such work is to be done by the county forces or by publicly advertised contract; a list of all recommended ((repairs to and)) purchases of road equipment, together with the estimated costs thereof. Amounts to be expended for maintenance ((and special maintenance)) shall be recommended, but details of these proposed expenditures shall not be made. The recommended plan shall conform as nearly as practicable to the county's long range road program.
     After filing of the road engineer's recommended plan, the county legislative authority shall consider the same. Revisions and changes may be made until a plan which is agreeable to a majority of the members of the county legislative authority has been adopted: PROVIDED, That such revisions shall conform as nearly as practicable to the county's long range road program. Any appropriations contained in the county road budget shall be void unless the county's road plan was adopted prior to such appropriation.
     The final road plan for the fiscal year shall not thereafter be changed except by unanimous vote of the county legislative authority.