SENATE BILL REPORT

                  SSB 5219

                As Passed Senate, March 5, 1999

Title:  An act relating to annexations by less than county‑wide port districts in areas having no registered voters.

Brief Description:  Allowing port district annexations.

Sponsors:  Senate Committee on State & Local Government (originally sponsored by Senators Swecker, Zarelli, T. Sheldon and Snyder).

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  State & Local Government:  1/28/99, 2/10/99 [DPS].

Passed Senate, 3/5/99, 44-2.

SENATE COMMITTEE  ON STATE & LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Majority Report:  That Substitute Senate Bill No. 5219 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.

  Signed by Senators Gardner, Vice Chair; Haugen, Horn, Kline and McCaslin.

Staff:  Sharon Swanson (786-7445)

Background:  Port districts are allowed to annex territory.  However, unlike water-sewer districts, no procedure exists for the annexation of territory where no registered voters reside.

Summary of Bill:  A port district that is less than county-wide may petition for annexation of an area that is contiguous to its boundaries, is not located within the boundaries of any other port district, and contains no registered voters.  Petitions must be written, contain a full legal description of the land, be filed with the Port District Commission (commission), and signed by the owners of not less than 75 percent of the property value in the area to be annexed. Annexation for industrial development or other port district purposes requires a majority vote of the commission and the written consent of all owners of the property to be annexed.  The commission determines a date, time, and location for a hearing on the petition and provides public notice of that hearing.  The commission has the discretion to annex all or any portion of the proposed area described in the petition.  No property within the territory annexed may be taxed or assessed for the payment of any outstanding indebtedness of the port district as it existed before the annexation, unless another law requires the tax or assessment.

This legislation expires on December 31, 2003.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

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

Testimony For:  Port districts would like to pursue industrial development and there is currently no way for them to do so in areas that do not contain voters.  This bill would allow port districts to annex in these areas.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  PRO:  Senator Swecker, prime sponsor; Scott Taylor, Washington Public Ports Assn.; Heidi Pehl, Port of Chehalis.

House Amendment(s):  The sunset measure is removed and the definition of which ports are authorized to have this authority is changed to a port district that is less than county-wide, that is located in a county with a population of less than 90,000, and located in the I-5 corridor.