READ FIRST TIME 02/11/09.   

     AN ACT Relating to the authority of a watershed management partnership to exercise powers of its forming governments; and adding a new section to chapter 39.34 RCW.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   A new section is added to chapter 39.34 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) As limited in subsection (3) of this section, a watershed management partnership formed or qualified under the authority of RCW 39.34.200 and 39.34.210, including the separate legal entity established by such a partnership under RCW 39.34.030(3)(b) to conduct the cooperative undertaking of the partnership under the same statutory authority, may exercise the power of eminent domain as provided in chapter 8.12 RCW.
     (2) The eminent domain authority granted under subsection (1) of this section may be exercised only for those utility purposes for which the watershed partnership was formed and is limited solely to providing water services to its customers.
     (3) Subsection (1) of this section applies only to a watershed management partnership that:
     (a) Was formed or qualified before July 1, 2006, under the authority of RCW 39.34.200 and 39.34.210;
     (b) Is not engaged in planning or in implementing a plan for a water resource inventory area under the terms of chapter 90.82 RCW;
     (c) Is composed entirely of cities and water-sewer districts authorized to exercise the power of eminent domain in the manner provided by chapter 8.12 RCW; and
     (d) Is governed by a board of directors consisting entirely of elected officials from the cities and water-sewer districts that constitute the watershed management partnership.
     (4) A watershed management partnership exercising authority under this section shall:
     (a) Comply with the notice requirements of RCW 8.25.290;
     (b) Provide notice to the city, town, or county with jurisdiction over the subject property by certified mail thirty days prior to the partnership board authorizing condemnation; and
     (c) With any city that is not a member of the watershed management partnership and that has water or sewer service areas within one-half mile of Lake Tapps or water or sewer service areas within five miles upstream from Lake Tapps along the White river, enter into an interlocal agreement to allow eminent domain within that city prior to exercising eminent domain authority under this section.
     (5) The legislature is currently unaware of any information suggesting that the expected use by the watershed management partnership of the Lake Tapps water supply will have a significantly adverse effect on surrounding communities. However, if the watershed management partnership's Lake Tapps water supply operations result in a negative impact to the water supplies of a city that is not a member of the watershed management partnership and the city has water or sewer service areas within one-half mile of Lake Tapps or water or sewer service areas within five miles upstream from Lake Tapps along the White river, the city claiming a negative impact under this subsection must notify the watershed management partnership of their claim and give the partnership at least sixty days to resolve the claimed impact. If the watershed management partnership fails to resolve the claimed negative impact or disputes that the negative impact exists, the city claiming the negative impact under this subsection may pursue existing legal remedies in accordance with state and federal law. If a court determines that a negative impact has occurred as provided under this subsection, the watershed management partnership shall implement a remedy acceptable to the claiming city. If the affected city or cities and the watershed management partnership cannot agree on the terms required under this subsection, the court shall establish the terms for the remedy required under this subsection.