Note: Some of the information on this archival Web page may no longer be current.
Focus - May 1999
Distressed Counties Must Act Immediately to Take Advantage of New Law
Chapter 311, Laws of 1999 authorizes the "distressed counties" as defined under Chapter 366, Laws of 1997, (Referendum 49) to impose an additional .04% sales and use tax for financing public facilities. This brings the total sales and use tax limit up to .08% effective August 1st, 1999 for most of the counties currently imposing the tax.
In order to take advantage of this new authorization, each county eligible for the August 1st implementation must begin immediately to introduce and pass a new ordinance imposing the .08% tax. The ordinance must be sent to the Department of Revenue to the attention of Jim Harden by June 15th, 1999, in order that the tax can take effect on August 1st as authorized by the new law.
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Inquiry of the Week
This week's "Inquiry of the Week":
Did the 1999 legislature make changes to the statutes on conflicts of interest?
[Previous inquiries of the week]
Court Upholds Tacoma's 6% Utility Tax on Paging Services
The Court of Appeals in Western Telepage, Inc. v. City of Tacoma ruled that the statutory definition of "telephone business" is broad enough to include paging services and upheld Tacoma's ordinance imposing a 6% utility tax on such services. If your city is interested in this revenue source we advise a review of your current code provisions to see if any amendments are needed to clarify the issue before you contact paging companies to begin collection of this tax.
New Restrictions on Purchase of Commercial Paper
Cities and counties that are currently investing in, or planning to invest in, commercial paper need to be aware of a new State Investment Board policy that puts restrictions on these purchases. Although this policy was passed on February 18, 1999, it got its first real exposure at the Washington Municipal Treasurers Association Conference in Chelan in early April.
New Shoreline Management Act Regulations Proposed
The Department of Ecology has proposed a comprehensive overhaul of its Shoreline Management Act regulations governing local shoreline master programs. The proposed regulations are designed to make it easier to integrate shoreline and growth management plans, make shoreline master programs more effective in managing shoreline and environmental resources, and to implement the shoreline management component of the Governor's Salmon Recovery Strategy. The public comment period on the proposed regulations is now open and will close June 21, 1999. The proposed regulations are viewable through the State Register or through the Department of Ecology's Web page.
AWC's Small Cities Y2K Technical Assistance Program
Does your city need help with Year 2000 issues? If your population is under 10,000, you're eligible to receive a $300 grant as part of a two-day Year 2000 consultation. In addition to the grant, AWC will also pay to have your embedded chips inventory checked for compliance. AWC still has 10 grants left.
The Utility Connection
The Utility Connection provides a rich collection of links to 3,213 municipal and investor-owned electric, gas, water and wastewater utilities, utility associations, utility financial resources, and related state & federal regulatory and information sites. Pass this one on to your municipal utility staff.
New Rural Land Use & Development Page
MRSC's new Rural Land Use & Development Web page has information on rural land use and development issues in Washington. The focus is on planning for rural areas that are not designated for long-term resource uses such as agriculture, timber production or mineral extraction.
Web Sightings - Rural Land Use & Development Links
This month we're highlighting Web sites that address rural land use and Economic development programs:
- National Association of Counties, Rural Development Clearinghouse - Provides information on issues important to rural communities, including success stories, information resources and funding sources.
- United States Department of Agriculture, Rural Development - Information on rural development including business, housing and community facility, and utility programs and National Rural Development Partnership.
- W. K. Kellogg Collection of Rural Community Development Resources - Includes an annotated bibliography of high quality rural community development materials.
- Rural Economic Policy Program of the Aspen Institute - Fosters collaborative learning, leadership, and innovation to advance rural community and Economic development.
Track State Legislation
The Washington State Legislature's home page includes links to bill information, legislative calendars, House and Senate member directories (with E-mail addresses), committees, and other useful information.
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.
AWC's 1999 Municipal Achievement Awards
AWC's Annual Municipal Achievement Awards Competition honors community excellence and encourages the application of proven successful programs in other Washington communities.
Get MRSC Web Site Updates by E-mail
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Unlike most listservs, mrscweb is not a discussion list to which all subscribers may post messages, but a free subscription to a monthly notice updating you on major changes and additions to the MRSC Web site. If you have questions about this listserv, please contact Terri Sanders, MRSC Information Services Technician, at tsanders@mrsc.org.