H-2481.1  _______________________________________________

                          HOUSE BILL 2245

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State of Washington      55th Legislature     1997 Regular Session

By Representatives Reams and Thompson

Read first time 03/06/97.  Referred to Committee on Government Reform & Land Use.

Creating a water authority in certain counties.

    AN ACT Relating to a water authority; and adding a new section to chapter 35.21 RCW.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 35.21 RCW to read as follows:

    A water authority may be created in any county with a population of one million or more to prepare a comprehensive plan for the development of water resources outside of the largest city in that county and to develop water supply facilities to supply, treat, store, and deliver water through trunk lines to cities, towns, and water-sewer districts that locally distribute water outside of the largest city in that county.  The water authority shall be created if resolutions authorizing a water authority and defining its jurisdiction are adopted by at least a majority of the cities and towns located within the defined area, which cities and towns include at least seventy-five percent of the total city and town population within the defined area, and are adopted by at least a majority of the water-sewer districts that supply water within the defined area.

    The water authority shall be composed of nine members, six of whom must be elected officials of the cities and towns located within the defined area and three of whom must be commissioners of water-sewer districts located within the defined area that distribute water within the defined area.  The elected officials of the cities and towns in the defined area shall select the city and town officials who are members of the water authority, but at least one elected official of the largest city within the defined area must be a member of the water authority.  The commissioners of the water-sewer districts that supply water in the defined area shall select the commissioners who are members of the water authority, but one commissioner of the water-sewer district with the greatest number of water connections in the defined area must be one of the members of the water authority.

    Cities, towns, and water-sewer districts may provide money and staff to the water authority to carry out its purposes.

    The meetings of the water authority and any committee of the water authority are subject to chapter 42.30 RCW.

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