READ FIRST TIME 02/19/09.   

     AN ACT Relating to calculating construction projects by county forces; and amending RCW 36.77.065 and 36.77.070.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 36.77.065 and 2005 c 162 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
     The board may cause any county road to be constructed or improved by ((day labor)) use of county forces as provided in this section.
     (1) As used in this section((,)):
     (a) "County forces" means regular employees of a county; and
     (b) "((county)) Road construction ((budget)) project costs" 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: PROVIDED, That such costs shall not include those costs assigned to the right-of-way account, ancillary operations account, ((and that portion of the engineering account that is)) preliminary engineering account, and construction engineering account in the budget, accounting, and reporting manual.
     (2) For counties with a population that equals or exceeds ((fifty)) four hundred thousand people, the total amount of ((day labor)) road construction ((programs)) project costs one county may perform annually with county forces shall ((total)) be no more than the total of the following 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)) Three million two hundred fifty thousand dollars; and
     (b) The previous year's county motor vehicle fuel tax distribution factor, as provided for in RCW 46.68.124(5), multiplied by the amount listed in (a) of this subsection.
     (3) For counties with a population ((of)) that equals or exceeds one hundred fifty thousand, but is less than ((fifty)) four hundred thousand people, the total amount of ((day labor)) road construction ((programs)) project costs one county may perform annually ((may total)) with county forces shall be no more than the total of the following 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.)) One million seven hundred fifty thousand dollars; and
     (b) The previous year's county motor vehicle fuel tax distribution factor, as provided for in RCW 46.68.124(5), multiplied by the amount listed in (a) of this subsection.
     (4) For counties with a population that equals or exceeds thirty thousand, but is less than one hundred fifty thousand people, the total amount of road construction project costs one county may perform annually with county forces shall be no more than the total of the following amounts:
     (a) One million one hundred fifty thousand dollars; this amount shall increase to one million two hundred fifty thousand dollars effective January 1, 2012; and
     (b) The previous year's county motor vehicle fuel tax distribution factor, as provided for in RCW 46.68.124(5), multiplied by the amount listed in (a) of this subsection.
     (5) For counties with a population that is less than thirty thousand people, the total amount of road construction project costs one county may perform annually with county forces shall be no more than the total of the following amounts:
     (a) Seven hundred thousand dollars; this amount shall increase to eight hundred thousand dollars effective January 1, 2012; and
     (b) The previous year's county motor vehicle fuel tax distribution factor, as provided for in RCW 46.68.124(5), multiplied by the amount listed in (a) of this subsection.
     (6) Any county((,)) whose expenditure for ((day labor)) county forces 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))) (7) 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)) county forces by division of the project into units of work or classes of work.

Sec. 2   RCW 36.77.070 and 1983 c 3 s 81 are each amended to read as follows:
     If the board determines that any construction should be performed by ((day labor)) county forces, and the estimated cost of the work exceeds ((twenty-five hundred)) ten thousand dollars, it shall cause to be published in one issue of a newspaper of general circulation in the county, a brief description of the work to be done and the county road engineer's estimate of the cost thereof. At the completion of such construction, the board shall cause to be published in one issue of such a newspaper a similar brief description of the work together with an accurate statement of the true and complete cost of performing such construction by ((day labor)) county forces.
     Failure to make the required publication shall subject each county commissioner to a fine of one hundred dollars for which he shall be liable individually and upon his official bond and the prosecuting attorney shall prosecute for violation of the provisions of this section and RCW 36.77.065.