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MRSC PUBLICATIONS › NEWS › Municipal Research News - March 1994
 

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Municipal Research News

Resources for Washington’s Cities and Towns
March 1994

Articles

Youth Centers - A Design for Keeping Youths "Off the Streets"

Escalating youth violence is quickly becoming an issue in a growing number of Washington cities. Traditionally, many communities have chosen to deal with youth violence through increased policing efforts - particularly through accelerated citations and ar- rests. However, this approach tends to have only a short-term effect and often falls short of providing a lasting solution.

Sociologists feel that the breakdown of the family and a weakening of traditional community support systems are contributing factors to the recent increase in youth violence. Because they do not have the sup- port of the family or community, many of today's youths have become alienated and lack a needed sense of belonging and connection. Many do not feel valued by their families or communities and a growing num- ber do not feel protected or safe. These negative feelings can then produce the problems of low self-esteem, frustration, and anger, all of which can lead to instances of violent behavior.

Recent research on youth violence suggests that the most effective method of combatting this problem may be through programs which offer "intervention, prevention, and suppression." The most successful programs are usually based upon a high degree of community collaboration, including an active part- nership among elected city officials, police, schools, businesses, private citizens and, most importantly, the youths.

One approach being used in some communities to help counteract youth violence is the development of youth center programs, particularly late night youth center programs. These centers provide a place where young people, usually between the ages of 13 to 20, can go and "hang-out" with other kids their age in a safe environment. Three such programs are high- lighted in this article; two are offered by the city of Seattle and one is from the city of Mountlake Terrace.

Seattle Late Night

The Seattle "Late Night" program was developed in 1990 by Mr. Reco Bembry from the Seattle De- partment of Parks and Recreation. Using ideas of his own, as well as the suggestions of Seattle teens, he developed a program which provides a fun, struc- tured, safe environment for high risk Seattle youths. The program targets young people who are most prone to harmful behavior and shows them the possi- bility of having a positive future. The goal of this program is to "save the lives of our youth by pro- viding positive alternatives to drugs, gangs and other undesirable activities, and to grant opportunities for success." The "Late Night" program provides a variety of activities including educational services such as tutoring, computer and teen parenting pro- grams; inter-cultural activities such as ethnic dance and bead making; and athletic activities such as bas-ketball, football, gymnastics and other sports. But most importantly it provides the teens with a positive alternative to life on the streets as well as a group of people who genuinely care about them and listen to them. This "family" is composed of dedicated volunteers, city park and recreation staff, and Seattle Police Guild members who supply each center with two police officers each night, and, of course, the young people themselves.

Seattle "Late Night" is offered on Friday and Saturday nights from 8:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. The program started at one location in Seattle and has now expanded to include five different facilities, three community centers and two schools. This program has been used as a model by several other cities within Washington state as well as in other states. If you have any questions about Seattle "Late Night," contact Mr. Reco Bembryat (206) 684-7136.

Together for Teens-Seattle

A sEcond program offered by the city of Seattle is "Together for Teens-Seattle." "TFT-Seattle" was originally a summer project developed by the Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation to provide all interested teens with meaningful programs and services for the summer of 1993. The summer program was developed for Seattle teens using suggestions made by them in a symposium held by "TFT-Seattle." One need expressed by the teens in Seattle was for a safe place to go and relax; a place which was not inundated with programs designed for young children or adults. They particularly wanted a center which was staffed with kids their own age as well as with caring adults. In other words, they wanted a place they could truly call their own which offered programs of their choosing. The result was the opening of three teen centers located in three community centers in Seattle in the summer of 1993, open five days of the week, including weekends. These teen centers provided a safe place for teens to "chill" with teen-supported workshops and classes, field trips and special events, and sports activities. (One of these centers also offered the "Late Night" program on Friday and Saturday nights.)

"TFT-Seattle" has been so well-received that it has continued to operate and has been expanded to include other programs designed for teens. These additional programs consist of "Club Late Night," a musical entertainment show; "Late Nite TV," a television teen talk show; and "Yo, Hott Shotts," an entrepreneurial program which offers job training and skills to teenagers. If you would like more information about these teen programs call Liza Behrendt at "Together for Teens" (206) 684-7097.

Mountlake Terrace Neutral Zone

The City of Mountlake Terrace's "Neutral Zone" program is designed primarily to serve the high risk youth in the community. It is not a traditional recreation program designed for any and all youths. The "Neutral Zone" came about through the work of the Mountlake Terrace Community Action Resource Team (CART), a multi-agency, cross-disciplinary coalition formed to seek solutions to youth problems in Mountlake Terrace. CART was determined to address the underlying problems facing youths rather than reacting solely to their symptomatic behavior.

The Mountlake Terrace Police and Parks and Recreation Departments, together with the local School District, were the lead agencies in formulating and implementing the program. However, the program has also been supported by a variety of other people and agencies including the county and state governments, private youth-serving agencies, as well as many professional and lay volunteers.

The "Neutral Zone" operates on Fridays and Saturdays from 10:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. in a school cafeteria and gymnasium in Mountlake Terrace and is open to youths 10 to 18 years of age. Initial announcements about the program were made at the schools and through flyers circulated throughout the community. Police and other youth-serving agency personnel also helped to spread the word. Since the program has been underway, participants have learned about the program through word of mouth or occasional newspaper articles.

The program depends upon local funding sources, donations, and lots of dedicated volunteers for its operation. Programming includes sports and games, socializing, career counseling, referral to support services, general counseling and informational programs. Food is donated by the community or purchased with donated funds. Adult supervision is provided by adult volunteers from the community, police officers, and paid staff. There are few rules and the adults try to be as unobtrusive as possible.

The "Neutral Zone" has been well-received by the youths of Mountlake Terrace. The teenagers enjoy havinga place to "hang out," and appreciate having a place where they are accepted "as they are." As the youths, volunteers and staff have worked together and begun to know one another, a bond of acceptance and trust has developed. This has led to increased cooperation and involvement by the youths to make the program successful. Attendance has increased steadily from 15 youths the first night in 1992 to its present attendance of approximately 225 to 275 every Friday and Saturday night. Although it's difficult to prove a definite connection, the Mountlake Terrace Police Department reports that there is a decrease in juvenile crime on those nights the "Neutral Zone" is in operation.

The "Neutral Zone" demonstrates that a lot can be accomplished with little money, strong community support, and a youth program based on acceptance, support, encouragement, and clear expectations with firm but fair limits. Those who have helped to make this program a success are eager to share it with other interested communities. For more information, contact Ms. Ardie Smith from the Mountlake Terrace Police Department at (206) 670-8260.

The key to the success of these programs seems to be in their non-traditional approach to program development. They are designed to reach out to all youths with the idea of dealing with the reality of the youths' lives; not what the adults want their lives and behavior to be. They are based on acceptance of all youths; they separate the behavior from the worth of the person. These programs encourage youth empowerment and provide opportunities for young people to practice appropriate behavior in a supportive environment. And most importantly, the success of these programs depends upon the collaborative efforts, cooperation and support of all segments of the community.

Other Youth Centers

We are aware of a few other youth/teen centers underway in other cities in Washington. The city of Bellevue has "Ground Zero," a joint project of the Bellevue Parks Department and the Bellevue Boys & Girls Clubs; the contact person is Ms. Penney Murphy (206) 637-7927. The city of Redmond has "The Nightlife Program" funded by the Parks and Recreation Department; the contact person is Ms. Kate Becker (206) 556-2330. The city of Monroe Police Department is sponsoring a program for high risk kids; the contact persons are Commander Abell or Commander Wakefield (206) 794-6300. The city of Kent started "Project Lighthouse," a joint project of Kent School District, the city of Kent, Kent Youth & Family Services, and King County Anti-Gang Unit; the contact person is Ms. Julie Stangle (206) 859-3599.

If your city has a youth/teen center program, we would like to hear about it. Please send MRSC your program descriptions so that we can share your ideas with other interested cities in Washington.

Article written by Connie Elliot, MRSC
Research Assistant

Much of the information provided in the above article was taken from the program descriptions contributed by the cities of Seattle and Mountlake Terrace. If you would like to receive copies of these publications, please contact the MRSC Library.

Opening for Public Policy Consultant

MRSC has a position opening for a Public Policy Consultant. As a member of a multi-discipline consulting team, the consultant will provide professional consultation and information services to Washington city officials and staff; and perform assigned inquiry and publication research on a wide variety of subjects relating to municipal administration and policy development. Requires minimumof three years of applicable experience in local government, as a policy analyst, budget analyst, management assistant, deputy city clerk, or related position; Bachelor's Degree from an accredited institution with major in public administration, business administration, political science, or a closely related field. A Master's Degree in public administration, political science, or related field may be substituted for one year's experience. Salary in mid-thirty range dependent upon qualifications, plus excellent benefit package. Letter of interest plus resume due April 15, 1994. Contact Roy Peterson or Sandy Stallsworth at 1-800-933-MRSC for detailed position description.

The Year in Review

1993...It Was A Very Good Year...new programs, new services, and new publications

Inquiry Service. 1993 was another record year of inquiry responses: consultants responded to 6,769 formal inquiries. The fast pace continues into 1994. MRSC has experienced an increase of 30 percent for the last four months compared to the same period last year. A new monthly record was set in February 1994 with a total of 781 inquiries. During these busy times, please allow some lead time for MRSC to respond by the date you need the information. If your request is urgent, please let us know. We also have voice mail, fax (206) 827-5002, and E-mail via MRSC Online, our electronic bulletin board. MRSC also has an E-mail address on the Internet: <MRSC@WLN.COM>.

BBS. MRSC continues to seek new features to add to our electronic bulletin board. You now have access to the 1990 U.S. census data for Washington State and the U.S. Statistical Abstract through the [Door] feature on MRSC Online. Also included in the [Door] is an index to the Proceedings of the Municipal Attorneys Association published in MRSC's Legal Notes; a list of contracts on file at MRSC; a list of ordinances; and access to the library catalog.

The next step in BBS development will be the addition of full text of ordinances which you may copy by downloading. We would like to encourage any city or town to share electronic copies with MRSC, either on disk or uploaded onto MRSC Online. A regular column was added to the newsletter covering new BBS developments. For more about our bulletin board see MRSC ONLINE on page 7.

Field Work Program. MRSC's board of directors approved the development of a field work program to begin in the summer of 1994 on a pilot basis. The intent of this program is to provide needed field consultation services at a cost that can be afforded by the benefitting cities through the use of a pool of volunteers. Please see MRSC Launches Field Work Program on page 4.

Publications. MRSC continues to provide handbooks and other manuals designed to serve as information tools and basic educational primers to run municipal governments. In addition to our regularly issued publications, new titles added include:

  • Ask MRSC, a summary of answers to the most common questions posed to MRSC.

  • Initiative and Referendum Powers, which reviews the powers of initiative and referendum andincludes information on how to adopt these powers.

  • Municipal Cooperation Guide, which provides an overview of the methods available to cooperate with other governmental units.

Publications in progress include Contracting for Professional Services, intended to provide guidance and suggested format for the development of a professional consultant selection; Innovative Approaches to Level of Service Standards, Appearance of Fairness Doctrine, Municipal Debt Financing, and The Open Public Meetings Act.

Thanks are due to everyone for helping us to complete the new Officials of Washington Cities Directory. Copies have been distributed to each city. Up to three additional copies are available free of charge. If a city wishes to request more than three copies, there is a charge of $15 per additional directory.

Voice Mail. A voice mail system was installed last fall. The intent is to improve access. If a consultant or staff member is not immediately available, you may leave a message up to five minutes in length. Tips on using our voice mail: Speak slowly, you have plenty of time to leave your message; leave your name, which city you are with, your position, and phone number. Please enunciate your name carefully. Since our system is new and we are trying to improve our service to you, please let us know if you encounter difficulties with our phone system.

Library Use. Municipalities have a unique service not available to other governments. I creasingly we receive requests from noncity persons to use library materials. MRSC has evaluated and clari fied its library access policies to ensure that the cities and towns who pay for the program do not subsidize others who wish to use the library. Please see Library Use Charges for Nonmunicipal Users on page 11.

MRSC to Launch New Field Service Program

Cities and towns occasionally need on-site consulting assistance to supplement MRSC's Inquiry Assistance Program. Recognizing this need, MRSC is initiating a "Field Services Program" this summer to provide affordable expert assistance. Initially, the program will start in one region of the state as a test before going statewide.

A pool of volunteers will be recruited with expertise and experience in a variety of professional disciplines. MRSC will try to match volunteer skills with the specific needs of cities and towns. Municipalities will be expected to reimburse volunteers for their direct expenses, such as travel, lodging and meals.

The volunteer pool will consist of retired professionals, professionals in transition, private consultants who wish to donate their services, and possibly staff borrowed from other cities.

In the coming months MRSC will conduct a "market research" program to identify the specific services that cities and towns expect from a field services program.

If you have comments regarding this new program, or wish to offer your services as a volunteer, pleasEcontact either Rich Yukubousky or Roy Peterson at 1-800-933-MRSC.

MRSC Needs Outstanding Talent

As a non-profit corporation, the Municipal Research & Services Center is governed by a 16 member board of directors. Several board members will be retiring during the next two years after long-term dedicated service to the Center. We are looking for the very best people to provide policy oversight of your programs.

Candidates for the board must have absolute integrity, a passion for local government, and a commitment to MRSC's mission: "working together for excellence in local government." A majority of the Center's board have had distinguished careers in state and local government as elected or appointed officials. They are joined by prominent representatives from the business and academic worlds.

Board directors receive no salary or compensation. However, the Center does reimburse for expenses to attend three to four regular board meetings per year as well as expenses for board committees. Directors may serve up to three consecutive two year terms.

Send a letter of recommendation by April 15 if you know an outstanding individual who would make a great Center board member. Credentials will be reviewed by a Nominating Committee of the board. Board elections are scheduled in June. If you would like more information, please contact MRSC's Executive Director, Rich Yukubousky at (206) 827-4334.

Ask MRSC

This column contains summaries of recent inquiries answered by MRSC consultants.

Auditor - May a city hire a private auditor?

Yes, but it might not prove to be cost effective. RCW 43.09.230 specifies that the annual reports shall be certified by the Office of the State Auditor. Also, RCW 43.09.260 gives the Office of the State Auditor the power to examine all the financial affairs of every public office and officer. Therefore, even if a private auditor has examined the city's financial records and declared them satisfactory, the state examiner has the right to do a full-scale audit and charge the city the full amount for the audit services.

Executive Session - May the salary of an individual city employee be discussed in executive session?

Yes, this may be done as a part of a performance review of an employee. One of the reasons that a city or town council may hold an executive session is to consider the job performance of an employee. RCW 42.30.110(1)(g).

However, there are several limitations on this authority which are also in the statute. Specifical-ly, any final action setting the salary of an individual employee must be taken at an open meeting. Also, any discussion of wages which are to be generally applied within the city must occur in a meeting open to the public. For example, a discussion of whether to grant a general three percent salary increase to all city employees must be in an open meeting.

Jail Costs - Is there legislation that allows a city to seek reimbursement for jail costs from a person convicted of a misdemeanor or gross misdemeanor?

Yes. This legislation was enacted in 1993 in RCW 10.64.130. It provides that a court may require a person convicted of a misdemeanor or gross misdemeanor to pay up to $50 a day to help pay for the costs of incarceration. This does not apply to indigent defendants. The funds are to be remitted to the city or county and used for criminal justice purposes.

Mileage - What is the allowable IRS mileage reimbursement rate for 1994?

The IRS has announced that the rate that may be used to reimburse employees for business use of their cars has increased from 28› a mile to 29› a mile for 1994. A city or town does not have to use this amount and may reimburse at a lower rate. If the city or town reimburses at more than 29› a mile, then the amount over 29› a mile would be a taxable benefit to the employee.

Records Copying Fee - Must records of a city be copied for free for nonprofit organizations?

No. The public records law allows a city to recover a reasonable charge for providing copies of public records to any person. This applies to nonprofit corporations as well as private citizens or businesses. The charge may not exceed the amount necessary to reimburse the agency for its actual costs and may not include staff time needed to retrieve the documents.

Residency - Must a person who is appointed to fill a vacancy on the council in a code city be a resident of the city for at least one year preceding his or her appointment?

Yes. There is a statute which applies to all code cities, RCW 35A.12.033, which indicates that no person is eligible to hold an elective office of the city unless the person has been a resident of the city for one year preceding his or her election. The statute does not specifically mention appointees to elective office but the same requirement should apply. Therefore, no person may be appointed to fill a councilmanic vacancy in a code city unless that person has been a resident of the city for one year prior to their appointment.

Retainage - Should sales tax be included in the calculation of retainage for a public works project? (Correction from earlier response.)

No. RCW 60.28.010 provides that there shall be reserved by the public body a percentage from the "moneys earned" by the contractor on the project. "Moneys earned" on the contract do not include sales tax. Therefore, the city should retain only the statutory percentage of the contract price and not any percentage of sales tax.

Sidewalk Liability - Are cities usually liable for accidents that occur on sidewalks because of ice and snow?

No. Normally a city or town is not liable for an accident that occurs due to a slip on a sidewalk because of ice or snow. The general rule is that the natural and ordinary accumulation of snow and ice on a sidewalk does not create municipal liability for injuries which may occur because of the hazardous condition. There could be an unusual circumstance in which the city by its actions somehow increased the risk to pedestrians and this might involve potential city liability but this would not be typical. Also, some cities have enacted local ordinances which specify that it is the duty of the abutting property owner to clear the sidewalk of ice and snow but this is not required in order to relieve the city of potential liability in most situations.

Special Meeting - Is a council workshop a special meeting?

Unless the workshop is regularly-scheduled to occur at a fixed time every month (in which case it is a regular meeting), it would be a special meeting and the special meeting notice requirements do apply. The fact that it is labeled a workshop (or retreat or study session) does not change the fact that when a majority of the council is present to discuss city business, it is a special meeting that is occurring.

Tape Recordings - How long must a tape recording of a council meeting be kept before the tape may be reused for another meeting?

Basically, a tape recording of a routine council meeting must only be kept for 90 days after the formal minutes of the meeting have been approved by the council. The tape can then be used to tape another meeting or discarded. It is a public record during the ninety days.

Veto Power - Does the mayor in a mayor-council, noncharter code city have a veto power just over ordinances or does the power extend to resolutions and motions also?

The veto power of the mayor in a mayor-council, noncharter code city is limited only to ordinances. The mayor may not veto a resolution or a motion. RCW 35A.12.100.

Volunteers - May police officers volunteer their time and work for the city as volunteers?

This issue involves the application of the Fair Labor Standards Act, which applies to all cities and towns in which the police department employs five or more paid employees during the work week. The FLSA provides that a police officer may not volunteer his or her time to the city if the service they are performing is police work. If they are performing police duties then they must be paid for the work. A person cannot be both a paid employee of the city and an unpaid volunteer performing the same type of work. The hours worked as a volunteer would also count toward determining if overtime is required to be paid the police officer.

However, a police officer could volunteer and perform work for the city so long as the duties of the volunteer position are entirely different from those of a police officer. For example, a police officer could volunteer to work as a referee at basketball games for a city basketball league and compensation would not be required under the FLSA.

MRSC Online News

We have added many new features to MRSC Online, MRSC's electronic bulletin board, in the past few months. You may now search several new databases including U.S. census data, and additional municipal codes, and post and reply to help wanted ads. We have also added the capability to search the databases with any communications software, and are encouraging you to share your successful municipal government experiences with other city officials.

New Databases

You may now search 1990 U.S. Census Data, on CD ROM (Compact Disc Read-Only Memory). Four discs are available: STF1A (Summary Tape File) - Pacific region - 100% data, STF1C - U.S. summary - 100% data, STF3A - Washington State - sample data, and STF3C1 - U.S. - sample data. For more complete information on what each disc contains, see the table of contents on the disc.

You may now also access the 1993 Statistical Abstract of the United States on MRSC Online. This CD ROM has 1,500 tables and charts from over 250 sources. View or search text and tables with the software. Thesubjects covered include: population, geography and environment, state and local government finances and employment, energy, and congressional district profiles. As with the other databases, you may print or send data to a file.

Enter, and reply to, Help Wanted, equipment for sale, or any other advertisement that you think would be of interest to officials in other cities in the new classified ads program. Please make any suggestions for other categories of ads.

We have posted the 1994-95 Officials of Washington Cities Directory online. We only update the printed directory every two years, but if you notify MRSC of changes, we can keep the online version more current than the printed version.

You may now search the index to the proceedings of the Washington State Association of Municipal Attorneys' Meetings (Legal Notes). At this point, we do not have the complete text of the papers online, but you may request copies from the MRSC library. In the future, we plan to have the authors submit electronic copies of their paper so that we can make them available for download.

The Ask MRSC database which you may search by keyword contains the newly published Ask MRSC (Report No. 29, November 1993); we will add new questions regularly from the "Municipal Research News" column of the same name. The Interlocal Agreements and Contracts database contains summaries of agreements and contracts held by the MRSC library. If you find an item of interest, call the library for a copy.

We have received three additional municipal codes in electronic format from Code Publishing: Hoquiam, Pacific County, and Whatcom County. See the complete list of available codes online. We continue to explore the possibility of putting some of the Book Publishing codes online as well.

Communications Software

You may now search the MRSC Online databases using any communications software whether DOS or Macintosh-based, including over a local area network. When you register for MRSC Online, we provide those with IBM-compatible computers with software that is "doorway" compatible enabling you to search the database using the normal navigation and function keys. If you use the Macintosh communications software provided by MRSC, or use other communications software that is not "doorway" compatible (perhaps because you access a modem over a local area network), you can now search the databases as well.

We have "remapped" the necessary navigation and function keys so that if, for example, your software uses <Pg Dn> to call the download function rather than to move down the page, you can use a substitute keystroke. For a list of the keystrokes to substitute in each database, see the "Substitute keystrokes" bulletin in the computer discussion area of MRSC Online, or download "keys.sub" from the file area. If you have any questions about substituting keystrokes, please call Fred Ward at MRSC.

Events Calendar

We have been posting all those events of which we are aware that may be of interest to city and town officials. If you do not see an event listed, please let us know by leaving a message online or by giving us a call.

Bulletins

We are now posting the Consumer Price Index online. We have also updated the property taxes and sales taxes bulletin for 1993. Please let us know if you are interested in seeing other types of information posted online.

Ordinances

Please contact Lynne De Merritt, MRSC Technical Services Librarian, if your city is able to provide MRSC with ordinances in electronic format (either on disk or via upload on the BBS.) We would like to establish regular channels for receiving ordinances from as many cities as possible in electronic format so that you will have a wide variety of ordinances to download.

Share Your Successes!

We encourage you to share ways in which your city has saved money, descriptions of innovative services that you are providing, successful ways that you have found to communicate with your citizens, and new phenomena that you see evolving in your city.

Please let others know what has worked, and what hasn't worked for you. Many of your colleagues work in small communities, and would greatly appreciate hearing about your experiences. You may help save them time and money, and to improve the quality of services that they provide to their citizens.

Please see the instructions online or in your users' guide for entering a message. You may also prepare your message in advance, and then upload it into the message editor. If you would like assistance in sending a message for the first time, do not hesitate to call Fred Ward at MRSC who will walk you through the process with humor and with patience.

We welcome your comments and suggestions about MRSC Online. Please leave us a message online by choosing C from the main menu, or by calling Fred Ward at MRSC. If you would like an application mailed to you, please call Korki Hale at MRSC. The annual subscription fee is $15.

Update on 1994 State-shared Revenues

by Judith Cox, MRSC Finance Consultant

Compared to the forecasts made in Budget Suggestions for 1994, the estimates for 1994 gas tax and liquor-related revenues have decreased; those for the motor vehicle excise tax and criminal justice revenues have remained the same; and the actual distributions for sales tax equalization have increased compared to the estimate.

Gas Taxes. Those of you who read our newsletter last March may remember that we reported gasohol usage was having a dampening effect on gas tax revenues in 1993. Use of oxygenated fuels is mandated in certain counties during the winter months. Most fuel dealers were choosing to comply with the new clear air regula tions by supplying gasohol. Suppliers of the alcohol portion of gasohol were receiving a partial exemption from and credit toward their state gas taxes, which lowered receipts.

During the 1993 legislative session, the Department of Transportation thought that it had "fixed" the problem with a bill that removed the exemptions and credits for all but small suppliers, and forecast higher gas tax revenues. Well, guess what? There now are many small suppliers, and gas tax revenues have not increased as expected.

A bill that is being considered during the current legislative session would close this loophole, but if it passes it might well be subject to approval by the voters under Initiative 601. The current forecast assumes that thestatus quo will continue. The new forecast for the unrestricted portion is $15.78 per capita. The estimate for the restricted (4.61 percent) portion is $7.38. This is a reduction of a little less than 3 percent.

Liquor Board Profits and Liquor Excise Taxes. These revenue sources are affected to differing extents by liquor sales revenues, which are a function of volumes sold and prices. Since the July 1993 forecast, volumes sold of all alcoholic beverages—distilled spirits, wine, and beer have decreased. The Liquor Control Board attributes part of this decrease to the increase in prices due to the increased taxes assessed as part of the state health care reform act. But volumes sold may also have decreased because of the Boeing layoffs and alcohol awareness programs. If this sounds a little lame to you, it does to us also. But the Board has checked with the 18 other states that have liquor control boards, and they are experiencing the same phenomenon.

The average price per item has also decreased. Consumers may be "trading down" to cheaper items. In addi tion, wholesalers have been holding prices steady or lowering them in an attempt to hang on to their share of a declining market.

The bad news for liquor board profits is that the 1994 estimate has been lowered from $7.00 per capita to $6.06, a decline of about 13 percent. The forecast for liquor excise taxes has decreased to $3.21 from $3.47.

Sales and Use Tax Equalization. There is some good news for those cities and towns that will receive sales and use tax equalization payments. The equalization number for the first half cent of the sales and use tax is $53.74.

Because of strong sales tax growth in cities and towns during the latter part of the year, this number is considerably higher than the forecast of $52.06 in Budget Suggestions for 1994, and the revised forecast of $53.20 that we provided on October 8, 1993. Every jurisdiction which earned a per capita sales tax of less than $53.74 for the first half cent will receive an equalization payment in 1994 that makes up the difference.

The Department of Revenue multiplied this difference by your April 1, 1993 population. And if your city or town levies both half cents of the sales tax, the department doubled your payment. The amount that you will receive in 1994, certified by the Department of Revenue, is shown on the table on page 9.

Remember that the quarterly transfers from the State Treasurer will almost certainly not be equal amounts, so don't multiply your January transfer by four to get a yearly total. Use the accompanying table for that information.

If there are any funds left after the distributions on this list are made (and there almost certainly will be), then the money remaining in the pot is shared on a per capita basis with all cities and towns—even those who do not qualify for ordinary equalization payments.

Sales Tax Equalization

Total Certified for 1994

Albion - $63,434.97
Algona - 54,791.11
Almira - 5,654.22
Asotin - 38,630.07
Bainbridge Island - 839,435.23
Beaux Arts Village - 19,777.73
Benton City - 101,079.99
Black Diamond - 80,571.06
Bonney Lake - 510,767.01
Brewster - 148.78
Bridgeport - 128,940.83
Brier - 563,566.36
Buckley - 175,929.39
Bucoda - 46,853.50
Burien - 522,743.94
Carbonado - 48,681.86
Carnation - 28,981.23
Cashmere - 83,522.48
Castle Rock - 44,401.21
Cathlamet - 1,225.12
Cheney - 210,457.01
Chewelah - 78,520.65
Clyde Hill - 243,364.62
Colfax - 34,503.41
College Place - 556,776.33
Colton - 28,263.38
Conconully - 12,465.13
Concrete - 19,947.57
Connell - 86,315.02
Cosmopolis - 15,903.77
Coulee Dam - 79,912.00
Coupeville - 13,174.50
Creston - 18,953.83
Cusick - 12,381.28
Darrington - 43,664.61
Davenport - 31,334.71
Dayton - 115,474.61
Deer Park - 27,755.90
Des Moines - 1,255,188.84
Dupont - 40,392.40
Duvall - 78,366.84
Edmonds - 851,166.37
Electric City - 78,697.53
Elma - 47,562.38
Elmer City - 29,443.58
Endicott - 30,715.50
Entiat - 30,310.39
Ephrata - 140,586.75
Everson - 37,561.53
Fairfield - 21,112.12
Farmington - 10,265.09
Federal Way - 741,355.31
Ferndale - 130,954.47
Fircrest - 489,237.37
Forks - 67,205.88
Garfield - 40,854.38
George - 15,970.37
Gold Bar - 97,293.81
Goldendale - 60,016.80
Grandview - 357,387.11
Granger - 184,685.97
Granite Falls - 19,756.62
Hamilton - 18,757.94
Harrah - 32,532.42
Harrington - 31,827.04
Hartline - 13,775.28
Hatton - 5,743.39
Hoquiam - 509,837.64
Hunts Point - 31,795.18
Ilwaco - 9,883.99
Index - 7,652.35
Ione - 26,318.00
Kahlotus - 16,066.59
Kettle Falls - 43,649.08
Kittitas - 78,210.61
Krupp - 5,756.93
LaCross - 3,028.80
Lake Forest Park - 113,438.78
Lake Stevens - 193,205.16
Lamont - 7,470.84
Latah - 7,626.40
Lyman - 7,436.23
Mabton - 136,863.10
Malden - 20,264.64
Mansfield - 28,716.62
Marcus - 14,162.67
Mattawa - 84,206.98
McCleary - 108,267.18
Medical Lake - 295,442.79
Medina - 37,769.12
Mercer Island - 943,424.40
Mesa - 3,232.37
Metaline - 16,843.83
Metaline Falls - 6,466.84
Mill Creek - 362,669.71
Montesano - 40,579.61
Mossyrock - 7,675.41
Mountlake Terrace - 1,355,941.19
Moxee - 55,266.73
Mukilteo - 396,595.10
Napavine - 67,225.25
Nespelem - 10,329.59
Newport - 26,359.15
Nooksack - 42,893.55
Normandy Park - 549,978.23
North Bonneville - 34,293.09
Northport - 17,900.48
Oak Harbor - 669,894.55
Oakesdale - 29,110.41
Oakville - 41,259.25
Odessa - 11,659.74
Orting - 141,635.37
Pacific - 404,976.11
Palouse - 64,914.58
Pateros - 23,638.07
Pe Ell - 21,850.70
Pomeroy - 47,496.45
Prescott - 13,633.10
Pullman - 1,076,676.58
Rainier - 88,778.05
Raymond - 89,383.81
Reardan - 29,673.18
Richland - 306,695.86
Ridgefield - 86,961.68
Riverside - 19,601.49
Rock Island - 34,233.03
Rockford - 22,635.60
Rosalia - 37,386.49
Roslyn - 36,451.83
Royal City - 58,794.80
Ruston - 33,001.33
Selah - 148,079.12
Soap Lake - 77,546.00
South Bend - 69,127.11
South Cle Elum - 22,785.96
South Prairie - 25,496.89
Sprague - 22,134.82
Springdale - 8,912.44
Starbuck - 7,099.92
Steilacoom - 85,707.70
St. John - 686.64
Sultan - 117,608.51
Tekoa - 43,822.52
Tenino - 52,505.76
Tieton - 46,418.38
Toledo - 19,556.25
Toppenish - 415,275.25
Uniontown - 17,406.34
Vader - 42,938.11
Waitsburg - 69,827.35
Walla Walla - 468,301.65
Wapato - 200,119.66
Warden - 109,622.95
Washougal - 68,335.41
Washtucna - 15,564.13
Waterville - 30,524.41
Waverly - 4,298.13
West Richland - 303,023.26
White Salmon - 40,528.36
Wilbur - 34,905.23
Wilkeson - 28,868.71
Wilson Creek - 17,866.04
Winlock - 40,262.76
Woodway - 63,488.10
Yacolt - 23,295.22
Yarrow Point - 66,545.58
Zillah - 81,307.53
Total - $21,951,906.32

From the Library...

  • An analysis of current funding mechanisms for bicycle and pedestrian programs at the federal, state, and local levels : national bicycling and walking study : FHWA case study no. 5. Federal Highway Admin istration. Apr. 1993. [S 2.4000 A655 1993]

  • Designing America : creating urban identity : a primer on improving U.S. cities for a changing future using the project approach to the design and financing of the spaces between buildings, by Joel B. Goldsteen and Cecil D. Elliott. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1994. [PL 10.0000 D484 1994]

  • The dimensions of parking [3d ed]. Washington, D.C.: Urban Land Institute, 1993. [T 5.0000 D555 1993]

  • A guide to federal environmental requirements for small governments, compiled by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Regional Operations and State/Local Relations. [EN 0.0009 G856 1993]

  • ISTEA and the role of the local elected official, by Lisa Wormser. National League of Cities, 1993.Issues & Options, Vol. 1, No. 10. [UT 2.2000 N35]

  • Land use strategies for more livable places, prepared by The Local Government Commission; written by Steve Weissman, Judy Corbett. Sacramento, Calif.: Local Government Commission, June 1992. [PL 8.6200 L355 1992]

  • Loading the dice : zoning gaming facilities, by Michelle Gregory. (Zoning News, January 1994) Chicago: American Planning Association. [PL 0.0000 A6z 1/94]

  • Local officials guide to the 1992 Cable Act written and edited by Arnold & Porter; National League of Cities. [FR 4.0000 L655 1993 c.1]

  • Preparing your own design guidelines : a handbook for Seattle's neighborhoods. City of Seattle, Planning Department; Department of Construction and Land Use; prepared by Caroline Tobin, Paul Fischburg, Laura Lewis Design, Ruth Dight. [PL 10.4000 S42 P755 1993]

  • Public private cooperation. Colorado Association of Commerce and Industry and Colorado Municipal League. Jan. 1994. [F 8.8000 P886 1994]

  • Smart firms in small towns, by Stuart Rosenfeld with Philip Shapira and J. Trent Williams. Washington, D.C.: The Aspen Institute, 1992. [ED 5.3300 S645 1992]

  • Treat it right : a local official's guide to small town wastewater treatment. Washington, D.C.: National Association of Towns and Townships, 1989. 52 p. [US 6.0000 T755 1989]

  • Zapp : the lightning of empowerment : how to improve productivity, quality, and employee satisfaction, by William C. Byham. New York:

New Policy: Library Use Fee for Nonmunicipal Users

The increasing number of requests for library service from counties, special districts, consultants, good government groups, students and citizens has necessitated a review of our library use policies.

MRSC recognizes that cities and towns cannot be expected to subsidize the information retrieval costs of other governments. Therefore, a fee based system was proposed and adopted by MRSC's governing board to recover costs for library service provided to nonmunicipal governments and others who might have a legitimate need to use MRSC's unique library resources. User fees for nonmunicipal library users went into effect on March 15, 1994.

Requests for library service by noncity persons are currently considered on a case-by-case basis. To insure that cities and towns, who pay for the program, receive priority, and to balance demands for service with staff resources, the following library access policies have been put into place:

  • The MRSC library is intended for use of official business by elected and appointed officers of cities and towns. Cities and towns have collectively agreed to use a portion of their motor vehicle excise tax to pay for this service.

  • Library stacks are not open for nonstaff use. While the library can accommodate unscheduled visits by city and town officials, advance scheduling is preferred to insure that staff can provide the highest quality services.

  • Use of the library by individuals who are not employed by Washington cities and towns can only be by prior arrangement—and then only during periods when such visits do not conflict with work being performed for city and town officials. Nonmunicipal officials will be charged fees for library services.

  • Library services will be provided without charge to consultants engaged in official business on behalf of cities and towns, provided that such consultants have written documentation that they are conducting official business for a Washington city or town. A copy of a contract with a city or town, or a letter from a city or town official constitutes written documentation.

  • Fees will be charged for library services to all parties not covered by MRSC's contract with Washington cities and towns to insure sufficient resources to provide the necessary staff support.

The following fee schedule has been adopted for the use of the MRSC Library. The fees are based on full cost recovery so that cities and towns do not subsidize other users and are competitive with those chargedby other institutions. MRSC may waive fees on a case by case basis for organizations and agencies where there is a mutual interest or a benefit to MRSC's program.

Fee Schedule for Nonmunicipal Library Users
(Effective March 15, 1994)

Library Loans: - $7 per item

BBS Access to Library Bibliographic Information: - $150 per year

Onsite Library Use: - $20 per visit covers staff time to select and reshelve materials.

Document Delivery:

  • Photocopies - $.25 a page, $2 minimum
  • One-day rush - $15 surcharge
  • Two-day rush - $7.50 surcharge
  • Normal deadlines - within three to five working days
  • Fax - $1.00/page (within Washington)
  • Delivery - Actual cost of whatever service is used
  • Invoice fee - $2 (not applied to prepaid orders)

Research by Library Staff: - $65 per hour

On-line Searching: - $65 per hour for staff time plus search charges. Charges for conducting online searches would cover the actual cost of the online search plus staff time.

MRSC will accept prepayment (cash or check) or invoice the user. If invoiced, MRSC will charge an additional $2 processing fee.

Resource Sharing

The Washington Cities' Information Partnership

The materials listed below are some of the recent additions provided by Washington Municipalities. Please contact MRSC's library if you would like a copy of any items listed.

Special thanks go to cities participating in the Information Partnership Program whose support we very much appreciate. Requests were made to the Partnership contacts for current: consultant services contracts, attorney services contracts, intergovernmental agreements, equipment rental information, franchise agreements, and fixed asset inventory system information.

Response to our requests has been impressive. The contracts and ordinances received have been indexed. Other items are listed in the library's online catalog. The indexes and the catalog may be viewed through the [Door] feature of MRSC's electronic bulletin board system, MRSC Online. We are now exploring ways to get copies of these documents in full text-electronic format so they may be downloaded at your computer.

If your city or town has a publication, new service, or procedure that can be shared with others, please send the information to MRSC.

From:

Auburn—Fixed asset inventory system information: Packet of various pages containing fixed asset information. [F 2.2210 A9 F5]

Beaux Arts Village—Comprehensive plan for the town of Beaux Arts Village, Revised Feb. 1992. [PL 6.4000 B42 C65 1992**]

Bellevue—City of Bellevue Development Standards for Park and Recreation Department, Public Works and Utilities Department, Storm and Surface Water Utility, December 1988. [PW 2.1000 B44 D45 1988]--Vehicle Use Guidelines Public Works Department, January 1993. [PE 6.7000 B44 V4**]--Cross-training Department of Public Works, March 1992. [PE 3.0500 B44 C7**]--Public Works work schedule policy,May 1993. [PE 6.1000 B44 P8**]--1994 compensation plan. [PE 7.5000 B44 C65 1994]

Bothell—City of Bothell 1993 compensation study update, Department of Customer & Employee Resources, November 1993. [PE 7.5000 B67 C55 1993**]

Brier—City of Brier draft comprehensive plan, Dec. 1993. [PL 6.4000 B75 C55 1993]

Camas—List of fixed asset appraisal and inventory vendors with recommendation and software program use information. [F 2.2210**]--Invitation to submit a proposal for a comprehensive fixed asset appraisal for City of Camas. [F 2.2210**]

Federal Way—Transportation Improvement Program - Final, updated 1994-2013. [S 1.3300**]

Hunts Point—Town of Hunts Point comprehensive plan, Jan. 1994. [PL 6.4000 H8 T65 1994**]

Kent—1993 Human services needs assessment, Kent Planning Department. [H 6.1000 K44 H85 1993]

Mercer Island—Neighborhood street policy [Mercer Island], October 1993. [PR 7.7000**]

Mountlake Terrace—Mountlake Terrace neutral zone: a non-traditional gang/crime prevention, late-night program for high-risk kids. Mountlake Terrace Community Action Resource Team, February 1993. [P 5.0000 M67 M65 1993]

Olympia—Draft Olympia comprehensive plan for Olympia and the Olympia growth area. [PL 6.4000 O46 D75 1994]--Strategies for affordable housing: Olympia comprehensive plan. [HO 7.1000 O46 S85 1993**]

SeaTac—City of SeaTac Finance Department policies and procedures, 1990- . [F 1.1025 S4 PJ]

Tumwater—Equipment rental information - Rental & Reserve Assignment, Purchase, Repair, Replacement, Configuration and Utilization, Policy & Procedure 93-02. [PP 4.0000**]

Vancouver—Neighborhood dispute resolution program [Vancouver], 1992- . [PS 8.1000 V35 E8 1992**]--Vancouver neighborhoods.Information packet on Vancouver neighborhoods and neighborhood programs. [PL 5.2100 V35 V35**]

Winthrop—Town of Winthrop Final Comprehensive Plan, November 1993. [PL 6.4000 W58 T65 1993]

New Ordinances Received by MRSC

The Center's library prepares a monthly list of recently enacted ordinances received from cities and towns which is also posted on MRSC Online. If you would like a copy of these ordinances call Lois Weed at the MRSC Library, (206) 827-4334.

Credit Cards - SeaTac Ordinance No. 93-1037 amends municipal code relating to use of credit cards for city purposes. Passed 9-93. (F 1.1150)

Impact Fees - Stanwood Ordinance No. 886 adopts a schedule of impact fees for public streets and roads, for public parks, open spaces and recreational facilities, and for fire protection facilities. Passed 12-93. (PL 2.1420)

Impact Fees - School - Stanwood Ordinance No. 891 enables the collection of impact fees on residential development for common school facilities, provides for administrative procedures including refund mechanisms and appeals, creates a school impact fee account, and adopts a formula for calculationof fees as authorized by the GMA of 1990. Passed 12-93. (PL 7.4300)

Impact Fee - Transportation - SeaTac Ordinance No. 94-1002 establishes a transportation impact fee service area, imposing impact fees therein to finance part of the costs of improvements to serve new development, providing for the disposition of such impact fees, and establishing an appeal process. Passed 1-94. (S 1.2320)

Investment Policy - Bainbridge Island Ordinance No. 93-16 establishes a formal investment policy and adds a new chapter to municipal code. Passed 12-93. (F 5.7100)

Mobile Equipment Policy - Anacortes Resolution No. 1282 adopts a mobile equipment policy; covers equipment purchasing policies, appropriate grade fuel; take home policy; pool cars; commercial drivers licenses; insurance; and annual update. Passed 9-93. (PP 4.3100)

Parking Regulations - Display of Merchandise - SeaTac Ordinance No. 93-1039 adds a new section to municipal code, parking restrictions, and a new chapter, display of merchandise prohibited, relating to use of city right-of-ways. Passed 10-93. (T 3.9000)

Personnel Rules - Kirkland Ordinance No. 3399 amends provisions of the personnel ordinance relating to exclusions from personnel ordinance; promotions and restrictions on hiring of immediate family members; disciplinary actions; grievance procedures; vacation leave; use of sick leave; holidays; military leave, family, and medical leave, and bereavement leave; acceptance of gifts or favors; and management leave. Passed 12-93. (PE 6.0500)

Right-of-Way Use Permits - Woodinville Ordinance No. 68 requires a permit, prescribing conditions for the issuance thereof, and setting fees for the underground utilities, paving, sidewalks, curb and gutters, parking, landscaping, etc., by private individuals, contractors, corporations, and/or developers on public and/or private property. Passed 8-93. (S 5.0000)

Sales - Flea Market - Soap Lake Ordinance No. 802 amends the business license ordinance by adding new section entitled flea markets. Passed 4-93. (LR 79.3000)

Special Events - Bellevue Ordinance No. 4622 adopts the Special Events Code and adds a new Chapter 14.5 to the Bellevue City Code. Passed 12-93. (S 5.0500)