BILL REQ. #: S-4498.2
State of Washington | 62nd Legislature | 2012 Regular Session |
READ FIRST TIME 02/07/12.
AN ACT Relating to the executive committee of Washington state ferry users; amending RCW 47.60.310 and 47.60.315; and creating a new section.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1 It is the intent of the legislature that the
existing system for citizen involvement in Washington state ferry
system decisions is expanded to allow for a more deliberative and
transparent process.
Sec. 2 RCW 47.60.310 and 2010 c 8 s 10020 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The department is further directed to conduct such review by
soliciting and obtaining expressions from local community groups in
order to be properly informed as to problems being experienced within
the area served by the Washington state ferries. In order that local
representation may be established, the department shall give prior
notice of the review to the ferry advisory committees.
(2) The legislative authorities of San Juan, Skagit, Clallam, and
Jefferson counties shall each appoint a committee to consist of at
least five members to serve as an advisory committee to the department
or its designated representative in such review. The legislative
authorities of other counties that contain ferry terminals shall
appoint ferry advisory committees consisting of at least three members
for each terminal area in each county, except for Vashon Island, which
shall have one committee, and its members shall be appointed by the
Vashon/Maury Island community council. At least one person appointed
to each ferry advisory committee shall be representative of an
established ferry user group or of frequent users of the ferry system.
Each member shall reside in the vicinity of the terminal that the
advisory committee represents.
(3) The members of the San Juan, Clallam, and Jefferson county
ferry advisory committees shall be appointed for four-year terms. The
initial terms shall commence on July 1, 1982, and end on June 30, 1986.
Any vacancy shall be filled for the remainder of the unexpired term by
the appointing authority. At least one person appointed to the
advisory committee shall be representative of an established ferry-user
group or of frequent users of the ferry system, and at least one shall
be representative of persons or firms using or depending upon the ferry
system for commerce((, and one member shall be representative of a
local government planning body or its staff)). Every member shall be
a resident of the county upon whose advisory committee he or she
sits((, and not more than three members shall at the time of their
appointment be members of the same major political party)).
(4) The members of each terminal area committee shall be appointed
for four-year terms. The initial terms of the members of each terminal
area committee shall be staggered as follows: All terms shall commence
September 1, 1988, with one member's term expiring August 31, 1990, one
member's term expiring August 31, 1991, and the remaining member's term
expiring August 31, 1992. Any vacancy shall be filled for the
remainder of the unexpired term by the appointing authority. ((Not
more than two members of any terminal area committee may be from the
same political party at the time of their appointment, and in a county
having more than one committee, the overall party representation shall
be as nearly equal as possible.))
(5) The ((chair[s])) chairs, or the chairs' designees, of the
((several)) terminal area committees and ferry advisory committees
constitute an executive committee of ((the)) Washington state ferry
users. The executive committee shall meet at least twice each year
with representatives of the marine division of the department to review
ferry system issues.
(6) The committees to be appointed by the county legislative
authorities shall serve without fee or compensation.
Sec. 3 RCW 47.60.315 and 2011 1st sp.s. c 16 s 3 are each amended
to read as follows:
(1) The commission shall adopt fares and pricing policies by rule,
under chapter 34.05 RCW, according to the following schedule:
(a) Each year the department shall provide the commission a report
of its review of fares and pricing policies, with recommendations for
the revision of fares and pricing policies for the ensuing year;
(b) By September 1st of each year, beginning in 2008, the
commission shall adopt by rule fares and pricing policies for the
ensuing year.
(2) The commission may adopt by rule fares that are effective for
more or less than one year for the purposes of transitioning to the
fare schedule in subsection (1) of this section.
(3) The commission may increase ferry fares included in the
schedule of charges adopted under this section by a percentage that
exceeds the fiscal growth factor.
(4) The chief executive officer of the ferry system may authorize
the use of promotional, discounted, and special event fares to the
general public and commercial enterprises for the purpose of maximizing
capacity use and the revenues collected by the ferry system. The
department shall report to the commission a summary of the promotional,
discounted, and special event fares offered during each fiscal year and
the financial results from these activities.
(5) Fare revenues and other revenues deposited in the Puget Sound
ferry operations account created in RCW 47.60.530 may not be used to
support the Puget Sound capital construction account created in RCW
47.60.505, unless the support for capital is separately identified in
the fare.
(6) The commission may not raise fares until the fare rules contain
pricing policies developed under RCW 47.60.290, or September 1, 2009,
whichever is later.
(7) The commission shall impose a vessel replacement surcharge of
twenty-five cents on every one-way and round-trip ferry fare sold,
including multiride and monthly pass fares. This surcharge must be
clearly indicated to ferry passengers and drivers and, if possible, on
the fare media itself.
(8) The commission may create a ferry tariff review committee to
review fare policy, fares, capital planning, and route specific costs
and revenues. The department shall work with the review committee to
provide information to inform recommendations to the commission and the
legislature. Recommendations presented to the commission by the review
committee must be considered before raising fares. The commission, in
consultation with the executive committee of Washington state ferry
users, shall determine the membership and rules of the review
committee.