H-469                _______________________________________________

                                                   HOUSE BILL NO. 1053

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                               51st Legislature                              1989 Regular Session

By Representatives Haugen, Ferguson and Wolfe

Read first time 1/13/89 and referred to Committee on Local Government.

AN ACT Relating to sewer districts on islands; and amending RCW 56.24.070.

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

        Sec. 1.  Section 1, chapter 11, Laws of 1967 ex. sess. as last amended by section 13, chapter 162, Laws of 1988 and RCW 56.24.070 are each amended to read as follows:

          Territory adjoining or in close proximity to a district may be annexed to and become a part of the district.  In addition, any nonadjoining territory ((in a county of the fifth class or smaller composed entirely of islands)) on an island may be annexed to and become part of a district operating ((within)) on the ((county)) island.  All annexations shall be accomplished in the following manner:  Twenty percent of the number of registered voters residing in the territory proposed to be annexed who voted at the last election may file a petition with the district commissioners and cause the question to be submitted to the electors of the territory whether the territory will be annexed and become a part of the district.  If the commissioners concur in the petition, they shall file it with the county election officer, who shall, within ten days, examine the signatures thereon and certify to the sufficiency or insufficiency thereof; and for such purpose the county election officer shall have access to all registration books in the possession of the officers of any city or town in the proposed district.  If the petition contains a sufficient number of signatures, the election officer shall transmit it, together with a certificate of sufficiency attached thereto to the sewer commissioners of the district.  If there are no electors residing in the territory to be annexed, the petition may be signed by such a number as appear of record to own at least a majority of the acreage in the territory, and the petition shall disclose the total number of acres of land in the territory and the names of all record owners of land therein.  If the commissioners are satisfied as to the sufficiency of the petition and concur therein, they shall send it, together with their certificate of concurrence attached thereto to the county legislative authority.

          The county legislative authority, upon receipt of a petition certified to contain a sufficient number of signatures of electors, or upon receipt of a petition signed by such a number as own at least a majority of the acreage, together with a certificate of concurrence signed by the sewer commissioners, at a regular or special meeting shall cause to be published once a week for at least two weeks in a newspaper in general circulation throughout the territory proposed to be annexed a notice that the petition has been filed, stating the time of the meeting at which it shall be presented, and setting forth the boundaries of the territory proposed to be annexed.