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MRSC FOCUS › Focus - October 2000
 

Note: Some of the information on this archival Web page may no longer be current.

Focus - October 2000

Inquiry of the Week

This week's "Inquiry of the Week":

May a councilmember join in calling for a special meeting by means of e-mail or fax?

[Previous inquiries of the week]

I-695 Declared Unconstitutional by State Supreme Court

The Washington State Supreme Court issued an 8-1 decision on October 26th declaring Initiative 695 unconstitutional. The decision in Amalgamated Transit Union Local 587 v. The State of Washington upheld the March 2000 decision of the King County Superior Court in most every respect. Justice Richard Sanders issued the dissenting opinion.

King County Releases Unfunded Mandates
Report

In a recently released report on unfunded legislative mandates, the King County Budget Office identifies the extent of unfunded state mandates imposed on the county after July 1, 1995. The report includes background information on the statutory prohibition against unfunded mandates and a discussion of the standard for determining whether the state is obligated to reimburse an unfunded mandate. The report includes a list of unfunded mandates by department, RCW citations, total costs, state revenues and the total unfunded amounts.

Court Rules Some Preemployment Drug Testing Unconstitutional

In a decision issued on October 2nd, Division I of the Court of Appeals ruled in Robinson v. City of Seattle that Seattle's preemployment drug testing program was unconstitutional because it allowed testing of applicants for employment positions that were not directly and genuinely involved in the safety of the public.

New Discussion Forum Topic – Community Involvement

In "The Purpose of Community Involvement," Carolyn Browne, Principal, Carolyn Browne Associates, outlines the objectives of a community involvement program. Carolyn will also be moderating a discussion about this subject on MRSC's Discussion Forum. Join the discussion and share your community involvement success stories, as well as those public processes that didn't quite produce what you anticipated.

Minimum Wage Increases to $6.72, Effective January 1, 2001

The Washington State Department of Labor and Industries has recently announced that the hourly minimum wage will increase from $6.50 to $6.72, effective January 1, 2001. More from L & I's Web site.

Consumer Price Index Revisions

On September 28, the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that a number of consumer price indices were being revised for January, 2000, through August, 2000, to correct for the effects of a software error. The data for these months in the CPI-U and CPI-W tables on our Finance page have been changed to reflect the correction of this error. More from the BLS Web site.

Whatcom County Tests Online Property Tax Payment System

Whatcom county has partnered with EzGov.com, an Atlanta-based e-government services company, to test a new online property tax payment system. The system allows residents to research their property tax accounts and make property tax payments online via electronic check. The county has a separate automated phone system for residents who want to pay by credit card.

Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act

President Clinton recently signed into law S.2869, the "Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000." The new law, which applies to local governments, states that "no government shall impose or implement land use regulations in a manner that imposes a substantial burden on the religious exercise of a person, including a religious assembly or institution" unless the government can show a compelling interest and use of the "least restrictive means" to further that interest. Whether the new law will protect religious institutions from local land use regulations to a greater extent than does the state constitution remains to be seen. See Open Door Baptist v. Clark County, 140 Wn.2d 143, 995 P.2d 33 (2000).

Seattle's Public-Private Partnership Review Process

Public-private partnerships are an increasingly popular mechanism for accomplishing various public projects. Seattle's new "public-private partnership review process" establishes a set of standards for the review of partnerships between the city and private entities. Developed by a citizen task force, the review process is designed to provide a timely and intensive review of proposed partnerships by the public and elected officials. More from Seattle's Web site.

Annexation Agreements - Revenue Sharing

MRSC has a new collection of revenue sharing agreements between cities and counties that address transition of public service provision and compensation to counties, on a transitional basis, for lost revenues due to annexations.

NLIHC Releases Annual Rental Housing Affordability Study

The National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) recently released "Out of Reach 2000: The Growing Gap Between Housing Costs and Income of Poor People in the United States." The annual report found that in no single jurisdiction in the United States can a minimum wage worker afford the Fair Market Rent for homes in their communities.

Online Journal and Newsletter Links

Have you seen our collection of links to online journals and newsletters? We've got links to over 100 online journals and newsletters that cover issues of interest to Washington city and county officials. The collection includes professional journals, state league publications, and Washington State and federal government publications. We also link to Washington city and county newsletter and press release pages. If we missed your favorite online journal or newsletter, tell us about it!

Right of Way Legislation Now Codified

ESSB 6676, the legislation concerning installation of telecommunications infrastructure in the public rights of way, is now codified as new Chapter 35.99 RCW.

National Marine Fisheries 4(d) Rule Workshops

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is hosting several 4(d) rule workshops for local jurisdictions and interested citizens throughout the state between September 25 and November 14. The rules, which protect salmon listed under the Endangered Species Act, go into effect on January 6, 2001. For listed steelhead populations, the rules went into effect on September 8, 2000, pursuant to a court order . Please see the NMFS Web site for more information on workshop locations and dates. Registration is required.

Web Sightings - Finance and Taxes

This month we're featuring finance Web sites, including several that address taxes:

Washington City/County History Quiz

This city got its name from a British-born steel tycoon who came to the Northwest in the 1880s seeking new development opportunities. He built the Moss Bay Iron and Steel Works on the shores of Lake Washington in hopes of tapping the rich mineral resources of Snoqualmie Pass. But the stock market crash in 1893 closed the mill. Other early industries included wool milling and ship building. The first wool mill in Washington opened here in 1892, producing products for Alaska Gold Rush and later for the U.S. Army in World War I. The earliest ship-building industry included construction of ferries to serve Lake Washington. By 1940 the shipyard was building ships for the U.S. Navy including more than 25 warships during World War II. What city is it? And the answer is ~drum roll~ …

Selected New MRSC Library Materials

Browse through a selected list of new MRSC Library materials (listed by subject). The list includes new library books, videos, articles, government publications, and more.

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