Chelan County Commissioners keep watch on proposed Olympia Bills

WENATCHEE – The February 9 meeting of the Chelan County Commission was highlighted by the overview and commentary of several House and Senate bills that may affect the county and local cities in both positive and negative ways.

SB5368 is in regards to the annexation of unincorporated territory by state code cities currently under Urban Growth Area (UGA) boundaries. The annexation must be coordinated between the city and the county it lies within and includes safeguards for continued upkeep of infrastructure, fair evaluation of potential loss or gain to residential properties and potential for revenue sharing agreements. It requires the formation of interlocal agreements. If the bill passes, cities will become eligible for the annexation sales tax credit. The bill was referred to the Senate Ways & Means Committee February 12.

The Washington State Association of Counties (WSAC)*, representing 39 Washington counties, has issued pro or con advice on many of the bills. See the WSAC website for more information (WSAC.ORG).

Commissioner Keith Overbay went through some of the proposed bills and had comments regarding a few specified bills, admitting he would take an entire day to analyze and comment on all of them.

HB1412, said Overbay, “Would cause a revenue hit” on counties and is opposed by WSAC. The bill specifically allows non-payment of fines and/or restitution if “the offender does not have the current or likely future ability to make full or partial restitution.”

Overbay, a retired Washington State Patrol officer, explained the proposal to the other two commissioners Tiffany Gering and Bob Bugert. If passed, “At any time, the court may determine that the offender is not required to pay, or may relieve the offender of the required fine to pay,” thus causing an obvious loss of court revenues to be distributed to county and city entities from convicted offenders.

HB1099 is also opposed by WSAC as it mandates actions by counties cannot be approved unless within guidelines of greenhouse gas emissions regulations.       

The bill demands future regulations be, “…  supported by scientifically credible projections and scenarios that indicate their adoption is likely to result in reductions of greenhouse gas emissions or per capita vehicle miles traveled.”

The proposal also requires actions taken must “substantially reduce the adverse impacts of climate change on people, property, and ecological systems through goals, policies, and programs consistent with the best available science and scientifically credible climate projections and impact scenarios that moderate or avoid harm, enhance the resiliency of natural and human systems, and enhance beneficial opportunities.”

Because of the rural nature of most of Washington state, the bill is considered to be mainly one for urban areas to consider and not practical for non-urban entities, where much greater mileage is incurred by necessary vehicular traffic, according to minority party (GOP) comments.

Another bill possibly causing angst in rural areas is the call for an addition to “community oversight” in HB1203.

“All local jurisdictions must establish a community oversight board by January 1, 2025. … To receive complaints from community members regarding the conduct of law enforcement officers and civilian employees of the law enforcement agency.” The bill is aimed at any city or county law enforcement agency with at least 15 members on staff.

“Upon complaint of any person or on its own initiative, to investigate incidents that occur between members of the public and law enforcement officers or civilian employees of the law enforcement agency, including incidents involving: The use of force by a law enforcement officer; death of or serious injury to any person held in custody; serious abuse of authority or misconduct by a law enforcement officer; allegedly discriminatory stops or other profiling activity; adversarial interactions between law enforcement officers and community members at public assemblies; and other adverse incidents related to the conduct of law enforcement officers or civilian employees of the law enforcement agency.”

The bill was referred to the House Appropriations Committee on February 9.

Continue reading NCW Media weekly publications for updates on these and other bills currently circulating in the State House and Senate.

Author Gary Bégin can be emailed: Gary@ncwmedia.net. Comments are subjected to reprinting in all NCW Media publications as Letters to the Editor.

*Created in 1906, the Washington State Association of Counties (WSAC) is a voluntary, non-profit association serving all of Washington’s 39 counties. WSAC members include elected county commissioners, council members and executives from all of Washington’s 39 counties.