H-1803.1  _______________________________________________

                          HOUSE BILL 2162

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State of Washington      57th Legislature     2001 Regular Session

By Representatives Murray and Ericksen

Read first time 02/20/2001.  Referred to Committee on Natural Resources.

Requiring a report to the legislature addressing alternative methods for the determination of water-dependent rent for marina lessees.

    AN ACT Relating to studying methods for calculating water-dependent lease rates for marinas on state-owned aquatic lands; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  (1) The legislature finds that the current method for determining water-dependent rental rates for aquatic land leases for marinas may not be achieving the management goals in RCW 79.90.455.  The current method for setting rental rates for marinas, as well as alternatives to the current methods, should be evaluated in light of achieving management goals for aquatic lands leases.

    (2) The department of natural resources shall study and prepare a report to the legislature on alternatives to the current method for determination of water-dependent rent for marina lessees, as set forth in RCW 79.90.480.

    (3) The report shall be prepared with the assistance of appropriate outside economic expertise, and with marina owner and other stakeholder involvement.  Affected marina owners and stakeholders shall participate with the department of natural resources by providing information necessary to complete this study.  This information must include gross income and expenses from each marina with details on the sources of income and cause of expense.  For each method, the report must:

    (a) Describe each method and the costs and benefits of each;

    (b) Compare each with the current method of calculating rents;

    (c) Provide the private industry perspective;

    (d) Describe the public perspective;

    (e) Analyze the impact on state lease revenue;

    (f) Evaluate the impacts of water-dependent rates on economic development in economically distressed counties;

    (g) Evaluate the liabilities associated with marinas; and

    (h) Evaluate the ease and cost of administration.

    (4) The report shall be presented to the legislature by September 1, 2001, with the recommendations of the department of natural resources clearly identified.  The department's recommendations must include draft legislation as necessary for implementation of its recommendations.

    (5) In order to facilitate the participation of affected stakeholders in the preparation of the report to the legislature, the department of natural resources shall form a marina rent committee.

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