FINAL BILL REPORT

HB 1278

                                  C 133 L 88

BYRepresentative Winsley

Authorizing continued superior court jurisdiction over weed control in certain lakes.

House Committe on Local Government

Senate Committee on Environment & Natural Resources

SYNOPSIS AS ENACTED

BACKGROUND:

Legislation was enacted in 1985 authorizing counties, cities and towns to create lake management districts to finance the lake improvement projects, including weed removal.  A lake management district is created by an affirmative vote of the owners of property within the district who will make the payments for such purposes, with a property owner having one vote for each projected dollar of charge that will be imposed on his or her property.

This 1985 legislation removed the previous authority of lake weed removal projects from being financed under a system of assessments imposed by the superior court of the county in which the lake is located.  The ability was retained for maintaining lake levels under this superior court established process.  This superior court process is initiated by petition of 10 property owners on a lake.  The superior court assumes jurisdiction over the proposal if it finds that the proposal will be beneficial to property around the lake and imposes assessments on the property for this purpose.  The court retains continuing jurisdiction over the proposal.

The old superior court process was used for weed control projects on several lakes in Pierce County.

SUMMARY:

The authority is continued for a superior court to retain jurisdiction over weed removal projects on any lake where the court initially had assumed such jurisdiction prior to July 28, 1985 (the effective date of the legislation removing the authority of superior courts to assume such jurisdiction).

VOTES ON FINAL PASSAGE:

      House 97   0

      Senate    42     5 (Senate amended)

      House 93   0 (House concurred)

EFFECTIVE:June 9, 1988