Z-0507.1  _______________________________________________

                         SENATE BILL 5856

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      56th Legislature     1999 Regular Session

By Senator Jacobsen; by request of Parks and Recreation Commission

Read first time 02/12/1999.  Referred to Committee on Natural Resources, Parks & Recreation.

Charging fees for the state parks and recreation commission.

    AN ACT Relating to fees charged by the state parks and recreation commission; and amending RCW 43.51.060.

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

    Sec. 1.  RCW 43.51.060 and 1995 c 211 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:

    The commission may:

    (1) Make rules ((and regulations)) for the proper administration of its duties;

    (2) Accept any grants of funds made with or without a matching requirement by the United States, or any agency thereof, for purposes in keeping with the purposes of this chapter; accept gifts, bequests, devises and endowments for purposes in keeping with such purposes; enter into cooperative agreements with and provide for private nonprofit groups to use state park property and facilities to raise money to contribute gifts, grants, and support to the commission for the purposes of this chapter.  The commission may assist the nonprofit group in a cooperative effort by providing necessary agency personnel and services, if available.  However, none of the moneys raised may inure to the benefit of the nonprofit group, except in furtherance of its purposes to benefit the commission as provided in this chapter.  The agency and the private nonprofit group shall agree on the nature of any project to be supported by such gift or grant prior to the use of any agency property or facilities for raising money.  Any such gifts may be in the form of recreational facilities developed or built in part or in whole for public use on agency property, provided that the facility is consistent with the purposes of the agency;

    (3) Require certification by the commission of all parks and recreation workers employed in state aided or state controlled programs;

    (4) Act jointly, when advisable, with the United States, any other state agencies, institutions, departments, boards, or commissions in order to carry out the objectives and responsibilities of this chapter;

    (5) Grant franchises and easements for any legitimate purpose on parks or parkways, for such terms and subject to such conditions and considerations as the commission shall specify;

    (6) Charge such fees for services, utilities, and use of facilities as the commission shall deem proper.  Pursuant to RCW 43.135.055, the commission may increase fees in excess of the fiscal growth factor as the commission deems necessary to correspond with market rates for comparable services or to recover some or all of the costs of providing the service;

    (7) Enter into agreements whereby individuals or companies may rent undeveloped parks or parkway land for grazing, agricultural, or mineral development purposes upon such terms and conditions as the commission shall deem proper, for a term not to exceed ten years;

    (8) Determine the qualifications of and employ a director of parks and recreation who shall receive a salary as fixed by the governor in accordance with the provisions of RCW 43.03.040, and upon his recommendation, a supervisor of recreation, and determine the qualifications and salary of and employ such other persons as may be needed to carry out the provisions hereof; and

    (9) Without being limited to the powers hereinbefore enumerated, the commission shall have such other powers as in the judgment of a majority of its members are deemed necessary to effectuate the purposes of this chapter:  PROVIDED, That the commission shall not have power to supervise directly any local park or recreation district, and no funds shall be made available for such purpose.

                            --- END ---