HOUSE BILL REPORT

EHB 1220

BYRepresentatives Nealey, Haugen, Ferguson and Miller

Revising provisions for contract projects by water and sewer districts.

House Committe on Local Government

Majority Report:  Do pass with amendments.  (13)

      Signed by Representatives Haugen, Chair; Cooper, Vice Chair; Ferguson, Ranking Republican Member; Horn, Nealey, Nelson, Nutley, Phillips, Raiter, Rayburn, Wolfe, Wood and Zellinsky.

House Staff:Steve Lundin (786-7127)

AS PASSED HOUSE MARCH 13, 1989

BACKGROUND:

Sewer districts and water districts may award contracts for construction projects that have an estimated value of less than $25,000 by using a small works roster process.  A small works roster comprises all responsible contractors who request to be on the list.  The list must be revised once a year.  Uniform procedures may be established to pre-qualify contractors on this list.  A procedure must be used to secure telephone or written quotations from the contractors on the small works roster list to assure that a competitive price is established.  Contracts are awarded to the lowest responsible bidder.

Contracts for construction projects of a value of $25,000 or more must be let through a formal competitive bidding procedure involving the publication of a notice that requests the filing of sealed bids by a specific time, keeping plans and specifications on file for public inspection, requiring bid proposal deposits to be included with each bid that is submitted, and publicly opening the sealed bids at the indicated time.

SUMMARY:

The maximum dollar value of a construction project that a sewer district or water district may award with a small works roster process is increased from less than $25,000 to less than $50,000.

Fiscal Note:      Not Requested.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:    Joe Daniels, Washington State Water and Waste Water Districts; Jim Miller, Federal Way Water and Sewer Districts; Steve Sandelius; George Blomberg, Water District No. 75.

House Committee - Testified Against:      Duke DuCharme, Utility Contractors Association of Washington; Duke Schaub, Associated General Contractors.

House Committee - Testimony For:    Small works rosters are good procedures to use to award contracts.  The controversial portion of the bill was eliminated.

House Committee - Testimony Against:      Only the bid should be considered when awarding contracts. Hanky-panky can occur otherwise.