AWC Legislative Bulletin - Volume 30, No. 6
February 9, 2007  (Plain Text Version)

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In this issue:
What You Need to Know Now
From the Director: Legislature Moves Along – More Temperate Tone
City Legislative Action Conference (CLAC)
Energy & Telecommunications
Environment & Water
General Local Government
Infrastructure, Transportation & Economic Development
Land Use & Housing
Law & Justice
Municipal Finance
Personnel & Labor Relations
Online Legislative Advocacy Tools
AWC Legislative Contacts & Officers

Infrastructure, Transportation & Economic Development

AWC Priority
Transportation Benefit Districts (TBDs) (HB 1858/SB 5767)

The House version of the bill was heard last week in the House Transportation Committee. As introduced, this bill will do the following:

  • Allow councilmanic authority to impose the first $20 of the maximum $100 Vehicle License Fee if a TBD is jurisdiction-wide; and
  • Allow councilmanic impact fees if a TBD is jurisdiction-wide. Provisions prohibiting a district and a city to impose the same fee are included (a no double dipping requirement).

The original accountability measures in state law remain in effect. Any TBD must have an identified plan (project list) or program affiliated with the use of the funds. In addition, the plan or program must also be adopted within a regional transportation planning organization plan as well.

If enacted, this bill will provide cities with the opportunity to reinstate transportation funds lost due to I-776. Please use this link for more information on TBDs and your projected losses due to I-776. If you wish to estimate potential revenues, use the assumption that there are approximately the same number of vehicles as city residents. Older, more densely populated cities have approximately .8 vehicles per city resident.

AWC would like to thank Daryl Grigsby of Kirkland and Thayer Rorabaugh of Vancouver for testifying in support of this legislation.

AWC Priority
Local Infrastructure Financing Tool (LIFT) (HB 1277/SB 5115)

HB 1277 was heard this week in the House Community and Economic Development and Trade Committee on February 7 and is scheduled to pass out of committee on February 11. This bill:

  • Increases the competitive portion from $2.5 million to $5.0 million;
  • Repeals the one per county prohibition on using this authority;
  • Eliminates an assessed value per square foot requirement; and
  • Provides several technical changes that will make the authority more flexible.

We are anticipating several technical amendments to the bill and a request to increase the funding in the competitive portion of the bill. AWC would like to thank Ellie Chambers from Puyallup, Therese Holm of Bellingham, and Gerald Baugh of Vancouver for testifying on behalf of all cities in support of the bill.

AWC Priority
Funding for Jobs, Economic Development, and Local Capital Projects (HB 1790, SB 5762)

HB 1790 will be heard in the House Community & Economic Development & Trade Committee at 1:30 pm on February 12. (A substitute version will be presented that will be similar to SB 5762.) Effective, July 1, 2009, this bill would accomplish the following:

  • Eliminate the 2009-2011, $50 million Public Works Trust Fund diversion to the Job Development Fund;
  • Provide ongoing funding for the Community Economic Revitalization Board (CERB) at $50 million/biennium;
  • Replace the current laundry list of private investment (industries) eligible for CERB assistance with recommendations by the State Economic Development Commission;
  • Add as part of the CERB prioritization process that jobs must pay at least the average countywide hourly wage or offer health insurance to employees and identify if investments accomplish projected population and employment growth or other GMA requirements; and
  • Eliminate the Job Development Fund program.

The funding source is 3.3% of the state Real Estate Excise Tax (REET), beginning July 1, 2009. In addition, effective this biennium, the bill would harmonize the 1st and 2nd Quarter REET for cities and counties.

AWC would like to thank Ellie Chambers of Puyallup for testifying on behalf of all cities in support of the bill.

AWC Priority
Changing Alternative Public Works Provisions (SB 5489/SHB 1506)

SB 5489 will be heard in the Senate Government Operations and Elections Committee at 10 am on February 12. Its companion, SHB 1506, has already passed out of the State Government and Tribal Affairs Committee without any new amendments.

This is the renewal and modification of the current General Contractor-Construction Manager (GC-CM) and Design Build (DB) public works authority. The Senate bill that is on the legislative website should be considered a work in progress and the substitute bill (identical to SHB 1506) will be the bill presented in Committee. Please see last week’s Bulletin for more details on this proposal.

AWC will testify in general support of the bill, but will seek to make bridge structures that are under $10 million in cost eligible to use the Design Build authority.

Distribution of City Hardship Assistance Program Funds for Street Maintenance (HB 1482/SB 5483)

This bill would simply move any remaining City Hardship Assistance Program funding to the Small City Pavement Preservation and Sidewalk Account. We expect both the House and Senate bills to pass out of committees without opposition.

Transportation Bills to be Heard Next Week

The following bills will be heard either in the House or Senate Transportation Committees next week:

  • HB 1867, increasing penalties in safety corridors. This would allow the Washington State Traffic Safety Commission (WSTSC) to designate a traffic safety corridor based on greater-than-average crash statistics for similar corridors. Persons committing an infraction on a designated corridor will pay twice the normal fine on that corridor. Funds will be used for the WSTSC’s corridor traffic safety program.
  • HB 1655, doubling the amount of monetary penalties for traffic infractions on high accident (state highway) corridors.
  • SB 5363, adding speed violations on arterial highways to the traffic safety camera law. As the title indicates, arterial highways would be included with the already-eligible categories of stoplights, railroad crossings, and school speed zones.
  • SB 5083, authorizing the use of automated traffic safety cameras in state highway work zones.

Joint Legislative Community Development Fund Committee (SHB 1441)

SHB 1441 would create the Community Development Fund in the state treasury to make competitive grant awards to local governments and nonprofits for qualifying capacity-building, technical assistance and capitol projects. The bill would create a six-member Joint Legislative Community Development Fund Committee to implement the competitive grant process beginning in the 2009-11 biennium. The substitute bill removed designation and funding for pilot projects during the 2007-09 biennium.

AWC supports SHB 1441, which is scheduled for a hearing in the House Capitol Budget Committee at 1:30 pm on Friday, February 16. Our expectation is that this bill, or one similar to it, will fold into the discussion for economic development, infrastructure funding, as well as investing in projects at the community level.

Funding State and Municipal Parks (HB 1770)

This bill will be heard in the House Capital Budget Committee on at 1:30 pm on February 13. It would provide $125 million in bonds for state parks and $125 million in bonds for municipal parks.

Excluding Common Rodent Traps from the Definition of "Body Gripping Trap" (SB 5722)

This proposal would allow moles to be trapped. Cities that manage golf courses and other recreational facilities have been pursuing this legislation for several sessions.