HOUSE BILL REPORT

                 ESB 5044

             As Reported By House Committee On:

                    Agriculture & Ecology

Title:  An act relating to air pollution control authority boards of directors.

Brief Description:  Changing the membership of air pollution control authority boards of directors.

Sponsors:  Senator Brown.

Brief History:

  Committee Activity:

Agriculture & Ecology:  3/30/99, 4/2/99 [DPA].

            Brief Summary of Engrossed Bill

            (As Amended by House Committee)

$Changing the membership of air pollution control authority boards of directors.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE & ECOLOGY

Majority Report:  Do pass as amended.  Signed by 14 members:  Representatives G. Chandler, Republican Co-Chair; Linville, Democratic Co-Chair; Cooper, Democratic Vice Chair; Koster, Republican Vice Chair; Anderson; B. Chandler; Delvin; Fortunato; Grant; Reardon; Schoesler; Stensen; Sump and Wood.

Staff:  Carole Richmond (786-7114).

Background:

The governing body of a local air authority is composed of members that are selected by locally elected officials.  A "city selection committee," that includes the mayor of each incorporated city or town within the county, is used to appoint city representatives.

For a single-county authority two members are appointed by a city selection committee, one of which must represent the city with the largest population within the county.  Two additional members are appointed by the board of county commissioners.  A fifth member is selected by the other appointees.  Multiple-county air pollution control authorities have a slightly different process for appointing their members.

Summary of Amended Bill:

The process for selecting members for a single-county air pollution control authority in a county east of the Cascades with a population greater than 350,000 is modified.   Appointments are made as follows:  the legislative authority of the most populous city in the county appoints a member to represent the city; the city selection committee appoints two members, each of whom must be a resident of any city in the county other than the most populous city in the county; and the legislative authority of the county appoints two members, at least one of whom must be a resident of an unincorporated, rural area of the county.  

Amended Bill Compared to Engrossed Bill:   Reinstates the second member appointed by the city selection committee and requires that one of the representatives of the county be a resident of an unincorporated, rural area of the county.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date of Amended Bill:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  This bill addresses problems in representation.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Senator Brown, prime sponsor; and Bob Mack, city of Spokane.