SENATE BILL REPORT
ESSB 5238
As Passed Senate, March 9, 2001
Title: An act relating to the board of commissioners of a water‑sewer district.
Brief Description: Modifying the board of commissioners of a water‑sewer district.
Sponsors: Senate Committee on State & Local Government (originally sponsored by Senators Patterson, Johnson, McCaslin, Haugen and Fairley).
Brief History:
Committee Activity: State & Local Government: 1/25/01, 2/1/01 [DPS].
Passed Senate: 3/9/01, 49-0.
SENATE COMMITTEE ON STATE & LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Majority Report: That Substitute Senate Bill No. 5238 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.
Signed by Senators Patterson, Chair; Fairley, Vice Chair; Hale, Haugen, Horn, Kline and McCaslin.
Staff: Aaron Jennings (786‑7445)
Background: A sewer district with a three-member board may expand from three to five members in two ways: by submitting a proposition to the voters; or if the sewer district has more than 10,000 customers, by a resolution passed by the board.
Summary of Bill: In a sewer district of more than 25,000 customers, the sewer district board may expand from five members to seven members. The sewer district board may increase its membership either through a simple resolution by the majority of the commissioners or the board may submit the resolution to increase the membership to the county auditor to be voted on at a special election and will pass with a majority vote.
Sewer districts board membership may be decreased from seven to five members or five to three members. If the board passes a resolution to decrease its membership, it must submit the resolution to the county auditor to be voted on at a special election. The decrease in membership requires a majority vote to pass the election.
The water-sewer district commissioners association=s statutory authority is removed.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Not requested.
Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.
Testimony For: This bill would help facilitate the merger of two particular sewer districts.
Testimony Against: None.
Testified: Joe Daniels, WA Assn. of Sewer/Water Districts (pro).