H-3316.1  _______________________________________________

                          HOUSE BILL 2543

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      56th Legislature     2000 Regular Session

By Representatives Keiser, Schual‑Berke, Poulsen, Mitchell, Miloscia, Constantine, Haigh and Santos

Read first time 01/17/2000.  Referred to Committee on Judiciary.

Creating noise abatement arbitration panels for port districts.

    AN ACT Relating to a legal process to abate aircraft noise; and adding a new section to chapter 53.54 RCW.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 53.54 RCW to read as follows:

    (1) The superior court of a county containing all or the largest portion of a port district providing aircraft noise abatement under this chapter shall create a noise abatement arbitration panel to arbitrate disputes between the port and property owners over programs the port district offers as part of its aircraft noise abatement efforts.  The arbitration panel shall be composed of seven members, appointed as follows:  (a) Two members shall be appointed by the joint action of the members of the house of representatives and senate whose legislative districts include territory located within the noise impact area served by one or more noise abatement programs; (b) three members shall be appointed by the port commission from a list of citizens nominated by the separate action of each council of a city or town, and the county legislative authority of any county, with territory located within the noise impact area served by one or more noise abatement programs; and (c) two members appointed by the port commission on its own.

    (2) Any property owner disputing the extent of the program, or amount that a port district offers under a program, may request the panel to arbitrate the dispute.  The arbitration panel shall make periodic reports to the superior court.  The determination by the arbitration panel shall be binding on the port district and enforceable in the superior court and shall constitute an offer from the port district to the property owner.  The panel shall meet at least once every three months to arbitrate disputes.  Each dispute that is arbitrated shall be completed within sixty days of commencing the arbitration.  The expenses of the panel shall be paid by the port district, including paying each member one hundred dollars per day and related expenses for such work.

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