AWC Legislative Bulletin - Volume 30, No. 15
April 13, 2007  (Plain Text Version)

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In this issue:
What You Need to Know Now
From the Director: Legislature Moving Toward Adjournment - So Far, A Good Session for Cities
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

Environment & Water

AWC Priority
Clean Up and Protection of the Puget Sound (E2SSB 5372)

This AWC-supported bill has now passed the House with strong bi-partisan support (86-12). The bill has been sent back to the Senate for concurrence, which is expected to happen quickly.

Once signed by the Governor, this bill will trigger a reshuffling of state, local and federal efforts to identify and address issues and actions that are negatively impacting the health of the Puget Sound. A new state agency will replace the current Puget Sound Action Team and there will be a renewed and more concentrated effort to engage local "stakeholders" in taking action to help this clean-up effort.

All cities in the 12 counties bordering the Sound will be called upon to share in this effort.

AWC will develop and distribute some background materials in the coming months. For more information, please contact Dave Williams, davew@awcnet.org.

AWC Priority
Residential Yard Waste Burning in Small Cities (SSB 6081)

SSB 6081 has been moved to the House Rules Committee. AWC appreciates House leadership’s efforts to attempt to keep this bill moving forward this session.

AWC would like to thank interested cities for contacting their legislators encouraging that the bill be moved from the Appropriations Committee to Rules. We became aware that a possible amended version of the bill was being prepared for consideration and were provided a copy for review on the morning of April 12. While it contains language extending the option to continue yard waste burning until July 2008, it also contains some provisions that would disallow access to Department of Ecology (Ecology) and Department of Community, Trade & Economic Development grants if a city elects to allow yard waste burning. Late in the day on April 12, both the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Linda Evans Parlette (R-Wenatchee) and AWC staff shared our objections to this approach.

While the fate of this bill will not be known until session ends, AWC will continue trying to reach some agreement on this issue. We greatly appreciate that Ecology reduced their fiscal note to a dollar amount that qualified the bill to be moved to Rules and that they supported AWC’s and the Washington State Association of County’s request to House democratic leadership that this bill be re-referred to the Rules Committee, thus keeping it "alive" for further consideration. Ecology Director Jay Manning has been and continues to be an advocate for addressing the concerns of smaller rural cities on this matter.

We will update impacted cities on the status of this bill on Monday, April 16, at which time we will let cities know whether or not calls to legislators will be helpful.

A fact sheet, including a list of cities that benefit from this bill as currently drafted, can be found online at www.awcnet.org/documents/BurnBanSmallCitiesFactSheet032607.pdf.

For more information, please contact Tim Gugerty, timg@awcnet.org.