HOUSE BILL REPORT

HB 1510

BYRepresentatives Fox, Ferguson, Haugen, Bumgarner and Spanel

Amending provisions for annexation by water and sewer districts.

House Committe on Local Government

Majority Report:  The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  (14)

      Signed by Representatives Haugen, Chair; Cooper, Vice Chair; Beck, Bumgarner, Butterfield, Dorn, Ferguson, Hine, Jones, Nealey, Nelson, Nutley, Rayburn and Zellinsky.

House Staff:Steve Lundin (786-7127)

AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT FEBRUARY 4, 1988

BACKGROUND:

A sewer district or water district is authorized to annex territory that adjoins the district or is in close proximity to the district.

The procedure for annexing territory involves:  (1) the filing of a petition requesting the annexation, that has been signed by at least twenty percent of the voters residing in the area proposed to be annexed; (2) acceptance of the annexation by the district board of commissioners; (3) approval by the county legislative authority; and (4) approval of a ballot proposition providing for the election by a simple majority of the voters voting on the proposition who reside in the area proposed to be annexed.  If no registered voters reside in the area provision is made for the petition to be signed by the owners of at least fifty percent of the area proposed to be annexed, and for such property owners who are voters of the county in which the property is located to vote on the ballot proposition.

SUMMARY:

SUBSTITUTE BILL:  A sewer district or water district is authorized to annex territory anywhere in the same county or counties in which it is located, and may annex territory adjacent to it or in the near vicinity to it that is located in another county.

SUBSTITUTE BILL COMPARED TO ORIGINAL:  The ability to annex territory located in another county was added.

Fiscal Note:      Not Requested.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:    Joe Daniels, Washington Association of Water/Wastewater Districts; Jim Miller, Federal Way Water and Sewer Districts; and Dan Caldwell, Water District No. 7.

House Committee - Testified Against:      None Presented.

House Committee - Testimony For:    This will allow a single set of commissioners to act for non- contiguous areas that are not in close proximity to each other. This will reduce the proliferation of special districts.  An area eight miles from a sewer district on Orcas Island needs sewers and would be annexed to the other district under this proposal.

House Committee - Testimony Against:      None Presented.