The board may cause any county
road to be constructed or improved by use of county forces as
provided in this section.
(1) As used in this section:
(a) "County forces" means regular employees of a county; and
(b) "Road construction project costs" means the aggregate
total of those costs as defined by the budgeting, accounting, and
reporting system for counties and cities and other local
governments authorized under RCW 43.09.200 and 43.09.230 as
prescribed in the state auditor's budget, accounting, and
reporting manual's (BARS) road and street construction accounts:
PROVIDED, That such costs shall not include those costs assigned
to the right-of-way account, ancillary operations account,
preliminary engineering account, and construction engineering
account in the budget, accounting, and reporting manual.
(2) For counties with a population that equals or exceeds
four hundred thousand people, the total amount of road
construction project costs one county may perform annually with
county forces shall be no more than the total of the following
amounts:
(a) Three million two hundred fifty thousand dollars; and
(b) The previous year's county motor vehicle fuel tax
distribution factor, as provided for in RCW 46.68.124(5),
multiplied by the amount listed in (a) of this subsection.
(3) For counties with a population that equals or exceeds
one hundred fifty thousand, but is less than four hundred
thousand people, the total amount of road construction project
costs one county may perform annually with county forces shall be
no more than the total of the following amounts:
(a) One million seven hundred fifty thousand dollars; and
(b) The previous year's county motor vehicle fuel tax
distribution factor, as provided for in RCW 46.68.124(5),
multiplied by the amount listed in (a) of this subsection.
(4) For counties with a population that equals or exceeds
thirty thousand, but is less than one hundred fifty thousand
people, the total amount of road construction project costs one
county may perform annually with county forces shall be no more
than the total of the following amounts:
(a) One million one hundred fifty thousand dollars; this
amount shall increase to one million two hundred fifty thousand
dollars effective January 1, 2012; and
(b) The previous year's county motor vehicle fuel tax
distribution factor, as provided for in RCW 46.68.124(5),
multiplied by the amount listed in (a) of this subsection.
(5) For counties with a population that is less than thirty
thousand people, the total amount of road construction project
costs one county may perform annually with county forces shall be
no more than the total of the following amounts:
(a) Seven hundred thousand dollars; this amount shall
increase to eight hundred thousand dollars effective January 1,
2012; and
(b) The previous year's county motor vehicle fuel tax
distribution factor, as provided for in RCW 46.68.124(5),
multiplied by the amount listed in (a) of this subsection.
(6) Any county whose expenditure for county forces for road
construction projects exceeds the limits specified in this
section, is in violation of the county road administration
board's standards of good practice under RCW 36.78.020 and is in
violation of this section.
(7) Notwithstanding any other provision in this section,
whenever the construction work or improvement is the installation
of electrical traffic control devices, highway illumination
equipment, electrical equipment, wires, or equipment to convey
electrical current, in an amount exceeding ten thousand dollars
for any one project including labor, equipment, and materials,
such work shall be performed by contract as in this chapter
provided. This section means a complete project and does not
permit the construction of any project by county forces by
division of the project into units of work or classes of work.
[2009 c 29 § 1; 2005 c 162 § 1; 2001 c 108 § 1; 1980 c 40 § 1.]
NOTES:
Effective date -- 1980 c 40: "This act shall take effect on January 1, 1981." [1980 c 40 § 3.]