AN ACT Relating to local infrastructure project areas; and amending RCW 39.108.010, 39.108.070, 39.108.120, 39.108.130, 39.108.140, and 39.108.150.

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

Sec. 1.  RCW 39.108.010 and 2011 c 318 s 201 are each amended to read as follows:

The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.

(1) "Assessed value" means the valuation of taxable real property as placed on the last completed assessment roll.

(2) "Eligible county" means any county that borders Puget Sound, that has a population of six hundred thousand or more, and that has an established program for transfer of development rights.

(3) "Employment" means total employment in a county or city, as applicable, estimated by the office of financial management.

(4) "Exchange rate" means an increment of development beyond what base zoning allows that is assigned to a development right by a sponsoring city for use in a receiving area.

(5) "Local infrastructure project area" means the geographic area identified by a sponsoring city under RCW 39.108.120.

(6) "Local infrastructure project financing" means the use of local property tax allocation revenue distributed to the sponsoring city to pay or finance public improvement costs within the local infrastructure project area in accordance with RCW 39.108.150.

(7) "Local property tax allocation revenue" means those tax revenues derived from the receipt of regular property taxes levied on the property tax allocation revenue value and used for local infrastructure project financing.

(8) "Participating taxing district" means a taxing district that:

(a) Has a local infrastructure project area wholly or partially within the taxing district's geographic boundaries; and

(b) Levies, or has levied on behalf of the taxing district, regular property taxes as defined in this section.

(9) "Population" means the population of a city or county, as applicable, estimated by the office of financial management.

(10) "Property tax allocation revenue base value" means the assessed value of real property located within a local infrastructure project area, less the property tax allocation revenue value.

(11)(a)(i) "Property tax allocation revenue value" means an amount equal to the sponsoring city ratio multiplied by seventy-five percent of any increase in the assessed value of real property in a local infrastructure project area resulting from((:

(A)))the placement on the assessment roll of new construction of entire buildings, improvements to property that are additions or remodels that add new square footage to buildings, or both, ((on the assessment roll,)) where the new construction and improvements are initiated after the local infrastructure project area is created by the sponsoring city((;

(C) The cost of rehabilitation of historic property, when the cost is treated as new construction for purposes of chapter 84.55 RCW as provided in RCW 84.26.070, and the rehabilitation is initiated after the local infrastructure project area is created by the sponsoring city)).

(ii) Increases in the assessed value of real property resulting from (a)(i)(((A) through (C))) of this subsection are included in the property tax allocation revenue value in the initial year. These same amounts are also included in the property tax allocation revenue value in subsequent years unless the property becomes exempt from property taxation.

(b) "Property tax allocation revenue value" includes an amount equal to the sponsoring city ratio multiplied by seventy-five percent of any increase in the assessed value of new construction consisting of an entire building in the years following the initial year, unless the building becomes exempt from property taxation.

(c) Except as provided in (b) of this subsection, "property tax allocation revenue value" does not include any increase in the assessed value of real property after the initial year.

(d) There is no property tax allocation revenue value if the assessed value of real property in a local infrastructure project area has not increased as a result of any of the reasons specified in (a)(i)(((A) through (C))) of this subsection.

(e) For purposes of this subsection((,)):

(iii) "Initial year" means((:

(i))), for new construction and improvements to property added to the assessment roll, the year during which the new construction and improvements are initially placed on the assessment roll((;

(iii) For the cost of rehabilitation of historic property, when the cost is treated as new construction for purposes of chapter 84.55 RCW, the year when such cost is treated as new construction for purposes of levying taxes for collection in the following year)).

(12)(a) "Public improvements" means:

(i) Infrastructure improvements within the local infrastructure project area that include:

(A) Street, road, bridge, and rail construction and maintenance;

(B) Water and sewer system construction and improvements;

(C) Sidewalks, streetlights, landscaping, and streetscaping;

(D) Parking, terminal, and dock facilities;

(E) Park and ride facilities of a transit authority and other facilities that support transportation efficient development;

(F) Park facilities, recreational areas, bicycle paths, and environmental remediation;

(G) Storm water and drainage management systems;

(H) Electric, gas, fiber, and other utility infrastructures; ((and))

(ii) Expenditures for facilities and improvements that support affordable housing;

(iii) Providing maintenance and security for common or public areas in the local infrastructure project area; or

(iv) Historic preservation activities authorized under RCW 35.21.395.

(b) Public improvements do not include the acquisition by a sponsoring city of transferable development rights.

(13) "Real property" has the same meaning as in RCW 84.04.090 and also includes any privately owned improvements located on publicly owned land that are subject to property taxation.

(14)(a) "Regular property taxes" means regular property taxes as defined in RCW 84.04.140, except: (i) Regular property taxes levied by port districts or public utility districts specifically for the purpose of making required payments of principal and interest on general indebtedness; (ii) regular property taxes levied by the state for the support of common schools under RCW 84.52.065; ((and)) (iii) regular property taxes authorized by RCW 84.55.050 that are limited to a specific purpose; and (iv) regular property tax levies made for a specific statutory purpose such as levies under RCW 36.82.040 and chapter 84.34 RCW.

(b) "Regular property taxes" do not include:

(i) Excess property tax levies that are exempt from the aggregate limits for junior and senior taxing districts as provided in RCW 84.52.043; and

(ii) Property taxes that are specifically excluded through an interlocal agreement between the sponsoring local government and a participating taxing district as set forth in RCW 39.104.060(3).

(15) "Receiving areas," for purposes of this chapter, are those designated lands within local infrastructure project areas in which transferable development rights from sending areas may be used.

(16) "Receiving city" means any incorporated city with population plus employment equal to twenty-two thousand five hundred or greater within an eligible county.

(17) "Receiving city allocated share" means the total number of transferable development rights from agricultural and forest land of long-term commercial significance and rural zoned lands designated under RCW 39.108.050 within the eligible counties allocated to a receiving city under RCW 39.108.070 (1) and (2).

(18) "Sending areas" means those lands within an eligible county that meet conservation criteria as described in RCW 39.108.030 and 39.108.050.

(19) "Sponsoring city" means a receiving city that accepts all or a portion of its receiving city allocated share, adopts a plan for development of infrastructure within one or more proposed local infrastructure project areas in accordance with RCW 39.108.080, and creates one or more local infrastructure project areas, as specified in RCW 39.108.070(4). For the purposes of this subsection and subsection (20) of this section, a receiving city is deemed to have accepted transferable development rights on the date on which a sponsoring city has issued the first building permit for a project for which transferable development rights have been purchased and applied by the property owner, or the date when a sponsoring city has purchased development rights.

(20) "Sponsoring city allocated share" means the total number of transferable development rights a sponsoring city agrees to accept, under RCW 39.108.070(4), from agricultural and forest land of long-term commercial significance and rural zoned lands designated under RCW 39.108.050 within the eligible counties, plus the total number of transferable development rights transferred to the sponsoring city from another receiving city under RCW 39.108.070(5).

(21) "Sponsoring city ratio" means the ratio of the sponsoring city specified portion to the sponsoring city allocated share.

(22) "Sponsoring city specified portion" means the portion of a sponsoring city allocated share which may be used within one or more local infrastructure project areas, as set forth in the sponsoring city's plan for development of infrastructure under RCW 39.108.080.

(23) "Taxing district" means a city or county that levies or has levied on behalf of the taxing district, regular property taxes upon real property located within a local infrastructure project area.

(24) "Transfer of development rights" includes methods for protecting land from development by voluntarily removing the development rights from a sending area and transferring them to one or more receiving areas for the purpose of increasing development density or intensity.

(25) "Transferable development rights" means a right to develop one or more residential units in a sending area that can be sold and transferred.

Sec. 2.  RCW 39.108.070 and 2011 c 318 s 305 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The Puget Sound regional council must allocate among receiving cities the total number of development rights reported by eligible counties under RCW 39.108.060. Each receiving city allocated share must be determined by the Puget Sound regional council, in consultation with eligible counties and receiving cities, based on growth targets, determined by established growth management processes, and other relevant factors as determined by the Puget Sound regional council in conjunction with the counties and receiving cities.

(2) The Puget Sound regional council must report to each receiving city its receiving city allocated share on or before March 1, 2012.

(3) The Puget Sound regional council must report each receiving city allocated share to the department of commerce on or before March 1, 2012.

(4) A receiving city may become a sponsoring city by accepting all or a portion of its receiving city allocated share, adopting a plan in accordance with RCW 39.108.080, and creating one or more local infrastructure project areas to pay or finance costs of public improvements.

(5) A receiving city may, by interlocal agreement, transfer all or a portion of its receiving city allocated share to another sponsoring city. The transferred portion of the receiving city allocated share must be included in the other sponsoring city allocated share.

Sec. 3.  RCW 39.108.120 and 2011 c 318 s 601 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Before adopting an ordinance or resolution creating one or more local infrastructure project areas, a sponsoring city must:

(a) Provide notice to the county assessor, county treasurer, and county within the proposed local infrastructure project area of the sponsoring city's intent to create one or more local infrastructure project areas. This notice must be provided at least one hundred eighty days in advance of the public hearing as required by (b) of this subsection;

(b) Hold a public hearing on the proposed formation of the local infrastructure project area; and

(c) Together with the county in which the sponsoring city is located, adopt the department of commerce transfer of development rights interlocal terms and conditions rule or enter into an interlocal agreement with the county or counties in which any local infrastructure project area is located, except that any city located in a county with a population of one million or more must enter into an interlocal agreement with that county in which the local infrastructure project area is located. An interlocal agreement between any city located in a county with a population of one million or more and a county in which the local infrastructure project area is located under this subsection must describe the boundaries and size of the local infrastructure project area consistent with the limitations in RCW 39.108.130, include exchange rates, identify potential priority sending site areas, if any, and describe and define the roles and responsibilities of the parties with respect to the transfer of development rights and public improvements to be financed with local infrastructure project financing in the local infrastructure project areas, as determined by the parties.

(2) A sponsoring city may create one or more local infrastructure project areas by ordinance or resolution that:

(a) Describes the proposed public improvements, identified in the plan under RCW 39.108.080, to be financed in each local infrastructure project area;

(b) Describes the boundaries of each local infrastructure project area, subject to the limitations in RCW 39.108.130; and

(c) Provides the date when the use of local property tax allocation revenues will commence and a list of the participating taxing districts.

(3) The sponsoring city must deliver a certified copy of the adopted ordinance or resolution to the county assessor, county treasurer, and each other participating taxing district within which the local infrastructure project area is located.

Sec. 4.  RCW 39.108.130 and 2011 c 318 s 602 are each amended to read as follows:

The designation of any local infrastructure project area is subject to the following limitations:

(1) A local infrastructure project area is limited to contiguous tracts, lots, pieces, or parcels of land without the creation of islands of territory not included in the local infrastructure project area;

(2) The public improvements to be financed with local infrastructure project financing must be located in the local infrastructure project area and must, in the determination of the sponsoring city, further the intent of this chapter;

(3) Local infrastructure project areas created by a sponsoring city may not comprise an area containing more than twenty-five percent of the total assessed value of taxable property within the sponsoring city at the time the local infrastructure project areas are created;

(4) The boundaries of each local infrastructure project area may not overlap and may not be changed during the time period that local infrastructure project financing is used within the local infrastructure project area, as provided under this chapter; and

(5) All local infrastructure project areas created by the sponsoring city must comprise, in the aggregate, an area that the sponsoring city determines (a) is sufficient to use the sponsoring city specified portion, unless the sponsoring city satisfies its sponsoring city allocated share under RCW 39.108.090(1)(b)(ii), and (b) is no larger than ((reasonably)) necessary to use the sponsoring city specified portion in projected future developments.

Sec. 5.  RCW 39.108.140 and 2011 c 318 s 603 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Participating taxing districts must allow the use of all of their local property tax allocation revenues for local infrastructure project financing.

Sec. 6.  RCW 39.108.150 and 2011 c 318 s 701 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Commencing in the second calendar year following the ((creation of a local infrastructure project area by a sponsoring city))date on which the sponsoring city certifies to the county treasurer that the local property tax threshold level 1 is met, the county treasurer must distribute receipts from regular taxes imposed on real property located in the local infrastructure project area as follows:

(a) Each participating taxing district and the sponsoring city must receive that portion of its regular property taxes produced by the rate of tax levied by or for the taxing district on the property tax allocation revenue base value for that local infrastructure project area in the taxing district; and

(b) The sponsoring city must receive an additional portion of the regular property taxes levied by it and by or for each participating taxing district upon the property tax allocation revenue value within the local infrastructure project area. However, if there is no property tax allocation revenue value, the sponsoring city may not receive any additional regular property taxes under this subsection (1)(b). The sponsoring city may agree to receive less than the full amount of the additional portion of regular property taxes under this subsection (1)(b) as long as bond debt service, reserve, and other bond covenant requirements are satisfied, in which case the balance of these tax receipts must be allocated to the participating taxing districts that levied regular property taxes, or have regular property taxes levied for them, in the local infrastructure project area for collection that year in proportion to their regular tax levy rates for collection that year. The sponsoring city may request that the treasurer transfer this additional portion of the property taxes to its designated agent. The portion of the tax receipts distributed to the sponsoring local government or its agent under this subsection (1)(b) may only be expended to pay or finance public improvement costs within the local infrastructure project area.

(2) The county assessor must determine the property tax allocation revenue value and property tax allocation revenue base value. This section does not authorize revaluations of real property by the assessor for property taxation that are not made in accordance with the assessor's revaluation plan under chapter 84.41 RCW or under other authorized revaluation procedures.

(3)(a) The distribution of local property tax allocation revenue to the sponsoring city must cease on the date that is the earlier of:

(i) The date when local property tax allocation revenues are no longer used or obligated to pay the costs of the public improvements; or

(ii) The final termination date as determined under (b) of this subsection.

(b) The final termination date is determined as follows:

(i) Except as provided otherwise in this subsection (3)(b), if the sponsoring city certifies to the county treasurer that the local property tax threshold level 1 is met, the final termination date is ten years after the date of the first distribution of local property tax allocation revenues under subsection (1) of this section;

(ii) If the sponsoring city certifies to the county treasurer that the local property tax threshold level 2 is met at least six months prior to the final termination date under (b)(i) of this subsection (3), the final termination date is fifteen years after the date of the first distribution of local property tax allocation revenues under subsection (1) of this section;

(iii) If the sponsoring city certifies to the county treasurer that the local property tax threshold level 3 is met at least six months prior to the final termination date under (b)(ii) of this subsection (3), the final termination date is twenty years after the date of the first distribution of local property tax allocation revenues under subsection (1) of this section;

(iv) If the sponsoring city certifies to the county treasurer that the local property tax threshold level 4 is met at least six months prior to the final termination date under (b)(iii) of this subsection (3), the final termination date is twenty-five years after the date of the first distribution of local property tax allocation revenues under subsection (1) of this section.

(4) For purposes of this section:

(a) The "local property tax threshold level 1" is met when the sponsoring city has either:

(i) Issued building permits for development within the local infrastructure project area that, on an aggregate basis, uses at least twenty-five percent of the sponsoring city specified portion; or

(ii) Acquired transferable development rights equal to at least twenty-five percent of the sponsoring city specified portion for use in the local infrastructure project area or for extinguishment.

(b) The "local property tax threshold level 2" is met when the sponsoring city has either:

(i) Issued building permits for development within the local infrastructure project area that, on an aggregate basis, uses at least fifty percent of the sponsoring city specified portion; or

(ii) Acquired transferable development rights equal to at least fifty percent of the sponsoring city specified portion for use in the local infrastructure project area or for extinguishment.

(c) The "local property tax threshold level 3" is met when the sponsoring city has either:

(i) Issued building permits for development within the local infrastructure project area that, on an aggregate basis, uses at least seventy-five percent of the sponsoring city specified portion; or

(ii) Acquired transferable development rights equal to at least seventy-five percent of the sponsoring city specified portion for use in the local infrastructure project area or for extinguishment.

(d) The "local property tax threshold level 4" is met when the sponsoring city has either:

(i) Issued building permits for development within the local infrastructure project area that, on an aggregate basis, uses at least one hundred percent of the sponsoring city specified portion; or

(ii) Acquired transferable development rights equal to at least one hundred percent of the sponsoring city specified portion for use in the local infrastructure project area or for extinguishment.

(5) Any excess local property tax allocation revenues, and earnings on the revenues, remaining at the time the distribution of local property tax allocation revenue terminates must be returned to the county treasurer and distributed to the participating taxing districts that imposed regular property taxes, or had regular property taxes imposed for it, in the local infrastructure project area for collection that year, in proportion to the rates of their regular property tax levies for collection that year.

(6) The allocation to local infrastructure project financing of that portion of the sponsoring city's and each participating taxing district's regular property taxes levied upon the property tax allocation revenue value within that local infrastructure project area is declared to be a public purpose of and benefit to the sponsoring city and each participating taxing district.

(7) The distribution of local property tax allocation revenues under this section may not affect or be deemed to affect the rate of taxes levied by or within any sponsoring local government and participating taxing district or the consistency of any such levies with the uniformity requirement of Article VII, section 1 of the state Constitution.

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