BILL REQ. #:  H-1021.1 

Read first time 01/22/09.   Referred to Committee on Local Government & Housing.

     AN ACT Relating to municipal participation in financing the construction of water or sewer facilities; and amending RCW 35.91.020.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 35.91.020 and 2006 c 88 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1)(a) Except as provided under subsection (2) of this section, the governing body of any city, town, county, water-sewer district, or drainage district, hereinafter referred to as a "municipality" may contract with owners of real estate for the construction of storm, sanitary, or combination sewers, pumping stations, and disposal plants, water mains, hydrants, reservoirs, or appurtenances, hereinafter called "water or sewer facilities," within their boundaries or (except for counties) within ten miles from their corporate limits connecting with the public water or sewerage system to serve the area in which the real estate of such owners is located, and to provide for a period of not to exceed fifteen years for the reimbursement of such owners and their assigns by any owner of real estate who did not contribute to the original cost of such water or sewer facilities and who subsequently tap onto or use the same of a fair pro rata share of the cost of the construction of said water or sewer facilities, including not only those directly connected thereto, but also users connected to laterals or branches connecting thereto, subject to such reasonable rules and regulations as the governing body of such municipality may provide or contract, and notwithstanding the provisions of any other law.
     (b) If authorized by ordinance or contract, a municipality may participate in financing the development of water or sewer facilities development projects authorized by, and in accordance with, (a) of this subsection. Unless otherwise provided by ordinance or contract:
     (i) Municipalities that contribute to the financing of water or sewer facilities projects under this section have the same rights to reimbursement as owners of real estate who make contributions as authorized under this section; and
     (ii) If the projects are jointly financed by a combination of municipal funding and private funding by real estate owners, the amount of reimbursement received by each participant in the financing must be a pro rata share.
     (c) A municipality seeking reimbursement from an owner of real estate under this section is limited to the dollar amount authorized under this chapter and may not collect any additional reimbursement, assessment, charge, or fee related to the construction of, or connection to, water or sewer facilities constructed under this section.
     (2)(a) The contract may provide for an extension of the fifteen-year reimbursement period for a time not to exceed the duration of any moratorium, phasing ordinance, concurrency designation, or other governmental action that prevents making applications for, or the approval of, any new development within the benefit area for a period of six months or more.
     (b) Upon the extension of the reimbursement period pursuant to (a) of this subsection, the contract must specify the duration of the contract extension and must be filed and recorded with the county auditor. Property owners who are subject to the reimbursement obligations under subsection (1) of this section shall be notified by the contracting municipality of the extension filed under this subsection.
     (3) Each contract shall include a provision requiring that every two years from the date the contract is executed a property owner entitled to reimbursement under this section provide the contracting municipality with information regarding the current contract name, address, and telephone number of the person, company, or partnership that originally entered into the contract. If the property owner fails to comply with the notification requirements of this subsection within sixty days of the specified time, then the contracting municipality may collect any reimbursement funds owed to the property owner under the contract. Such funds must be deposited in the capital fund of the municipality.
     (4) To the extent it may require in the performance of such contract, such municipality may install said water or sewer facilities in and along the county streets in the area to be served as hereinabove provided, subject to such reasonable requirements as to the manner of occupancy of such streets as the county may by resolution provide. The provisions of such contract shall not be effective as to any owner of real estate not a party thereto unless such contract has been recorded in the office of the county auditor of the county in which the real estate of such owner is located prior to the time such owner taps into or connects to said water or sewer facilities.