HOUSE BILL REPORT

SHB 63

BYHouse Committee on Local Government (originally sponsored by Representatives Unsoeld, Haugen, Cooper, Madsen, Nutley, Belcher and May)

Revising provisions on lake management districts.

House Committe on Local Government

Majority Report:     The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  (12)

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

House Staff:Steve Lundin (786-7127)

AS PASSED HOUSE MARCH 2, 1987

BACKGROUND:

Legislation was enacted in 1985 authorizing the creation of lake management districts, which are mechanisms within which special assessments are imposed on real property to finance lake improvement and maintenance programs, such as the removal of weeds.

SUMMARY:

The laws relating to lake management districts are altered as follows:

(1)  Rates and charges could be imposed in a lake management district in addition to, or in lieu of, special assessments.  The county legislative authority is granted the authority to reduce rates and charges for low income persons.  Revenue bonds may be issued payable from these rates and charges.  Special procedures to notify the state are provided if state property would be subject to the rates and charges.

(2)  Rates and charges, or special assessments, imposed upon state lands cannot consider the extent of the public use of these lands.

(3)  The signature requirement to initiate the creation of a lake management district is altered from the greater of ten landowners or 25 percent of the landowners, to the owners of 15 percent or more of the acreage in the proposed district.

(4)  The voting scheme to authorize the creation of a district is altered from weighted voting based on acreage and lake front footage, to one vote for each dollar of special assessment or rate and charge proposed to be imposed on his or her property.

(5)  A special assessment, or rate and charge, may not be increased to an amount greater than 110 percent of the estimated amount used as the basis for voting to create the district.

(6)  It is clarified that a variety of factors, including land uses, can be used to measure benefits if special assessments are imposed.

EFFECT OF SENATE AMENDMENT(S):  The composition of special assessments or charges on public property could reflect the public use of such property.

Fiscal Note:    Not Requested.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:     Karen Fraser, Thurston County Commissioner; Rose Maurer, resident of Lawrence Lake; and William Fosdick, resident of Lawrence Lake.

House Committee - Testified Against: Randy Ellison, Department of Game.

House Committee - Testimony For:     We need more flexibility to measure and impose charges on property to fit the particular circumstances of each lake.  This establishes a fairer method of voting.

House Committee - Testimony Against: The Department of Game does not have the funds to pay large assessments on rates and charges.

VOTE ON FINAL PASSAGE:

     Yeas 95; Nays 0; Absent 0; Excused 3

Excused:   Representatives Fuhrman, Locke and Padden