Brief Description: Providing for withdrawal from and addition to a public utility district.

Sponsors: Representatives Grant and Mastin.

Hearing Date: 2/5/04

Staff: Kiki Keizer (786-7109).

Background:

Current law authorizes the creation of a county-wide public utility district (PUD). The territorial limits of a county-wide PUD are co-extensive with those of the county and include all of the cities within that county that do not already own or operate all utilities that a PUD is authorized to provide.

When a county-wide PUD is first formed in a county with three legislative authority districts, one PUD commissioner is chosen from each of the three legislative authority districts.

The PUD commissioners may change the boundaries of the PUD, subject to certain legal requirements. The boundaries may not be changed more often than once in four years.

Summary of Bill:

In a county with a federal nuclear reservation within its boundaries, voting precincts are included in a PUD if they receive at least one utility service (electricity, water, or sewer) from the PUD. Voting precincts in this area are withdrawn from a PUD if a city provides all of these services for the voting precinct.

In order to determine which voting districts would be affected by this act, the city and the PUD must provide lists of customers affected by this act within ten days of the effective date of the act. The county auditor would then have ten days to determine which voting precincts would have to be included or withdrawn from the PUD. The PUD would then have ten days to revise the boundaries of the PUD.

Taxes or assessments levied or assessed before the withdrawal of certain precincts would remain as liens, as would those levies or assessments made to pay or secure an obligation of the PUD duly incurred or issued before the withdrawal.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Not requested.

Effective Date: The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect immediately.