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› Focus - March 2000
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Focus - March 2000
Inquiry of the Week
Can a library charge user fees for services provided to non-residents?
[Previous inquiries of the week]
I-695 Ruled Unconstitutional
Judge Robert H. Alsdorf of the King County Superior Court ruled today (3/14/00) that all sections of Initiative 695 are unconstitutional. In his ruling, Judge Alsdorf prohibited (enjoined) enforcement by the state and local governments of section 2 of the initiative, the voter approval requirement. He declined to prohibit operation of section 1, which establishes the $30 motor vehicle license tab fee, and section 3, which repeals the motor vehicle excise tax and numerous other related statutes, citing the disruptive effect that would have before a state supreme court ruling. The judge's decision will, of course, be appealed to the state supreme court, and a decision from that court will not likely be issued until this summer or fall. We recommend contacting your legal counsel for more information on the legal effect of Judge Alsdorf's decision.Thanks for Your Support!
Legislature Passes MRC Funding Bill
We want to thank all city and county officials who supported MRSC efforts to replace
the funds that were lost as a result of Initiative 695. Motor vehicle excise tax
funds provided 84 percent of the support for MRSC programs and services. On March
1 the legislature passed legislation to continue funding for the Municipal Research
Council. SSB
6357 now goes to the governor. More
…
Proposed Definition of the Practice of Law
The Washington State Bar Association has recently proposed a new general rule to the state Supreme Court for the purpose of defining the practice of law. The new rule, known as GR 22, allows regulation of the practice of law in a manner intended to protect the public from unqualified and unlicensed practitioners. Any comments on the proposed rule should be sent to: Lisa Bausch, Capital Case Manager, Washington Supreme Court, PO Box 40929, Olympia, WA 98504-0929. The deadline for comment is close of business on April 28, 2000Washington IAC 2000 Application Workshops
The Interagency Committee for Outdoor Recreation is holding grant application workshops at four locations around the state - March 21 in Medical Lake, March 22 in Union Gap, March 23 in Seattle, and March 24 in Camas. These workshops are designed to answer questions about IAC grant application processes for the following programs:
- Boating Facilities Program
- National Recreational Trails Program
- Nonhighway & Off-Road Vehicle Activities Program
- Washington Wildlife & Recreation Program
- Youth Athletic Facility Account Grant Program.
For more information, contact the IAC at (360) 902-2000 or E-mail CecieV@iac.wa.gov.
Thurston County Tests Internet Voting System
The Thurston County Auditor's Office conducted the nation's first ever county-wide Internet voting test election during the presidential primary on February 29.You can listen to a report about the Internet voting test on KUOW's Web site. To listen, you need the latest version of RealPlayer.
List Your Business in the MRSC Vendor/
Consultant Directory
Reach a wide audience of local government officials by listing your service or
product in the MRSC Vendor/Consultant Directory on this Web site. More than 60,000
users visit our site each month. You may include a brief description of your business
along with a link to your Web site. More...
New Web Page
Our new Public Libraries Web page has lots of great information about city and county libraries in Washington State.Preemployment Inquiries
WAC 162-12-140, the primary regulation dealing with preemployment inquiries, was officially amended on January 21, 2000. Cities and counties should review this WAC when drafting employment notices, application forms, interview questions or preparing for face-to-face interviews.Telecommunications News Notes
Be sure to visit the News Notes section of our Telecommunications page for the latest news and information on telecommunications issues affecting Washington cities and counties.King County Council Meetings on the Web
A new feature on King County's Web site will allow citizens to hear a live broadcast of council and committee meetings over the Web. More …Model Ordinances for Local Resource Protection
Communities looking for model ways to protect local natural resources from the dangers of rapid growth and development have a new resource in a Web site developed by the U.S. EPA's Office of Water. The site, "Model Ordinances to Protect Local Resources," provides examples from local governments around the country that have implemented policies in their communities.Housing Heats Up in Metropolitan Areas
A recent Brookings Institution study (
95kb) of housing construction in America's 39 largest metropolitan areas finds
that although most new homes are built in the suburbs, new housing permits more
than doubled in large cities between 1991 and 1998. In addition to Seattle, other
cities experiencing hot housing construction markets are Portland, Boston, San
Francisco, Orlando, Columbus (OH), Tampa, New York, San Antonio, Phoenix, Houston,
and Dallas.
Grading America's Cities
Researchers and writers at Governing Magazine, and the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University, recently released the results of their study of city management in 35 of America's largest cities. The Web report, "Grading the Cities - A Management Report Card," is a companion piece to a special issue, "Grading the States," which appeared in Governing in February of 2000.Taxation of E-Commerce
The National League of Cities tracks the internet taxation issue on its Web site. NLC's "Electronic Commerce" Web page offers policy statements, opinion, reports and news.Urban Areas Driving Economic Growth
A study from the U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) and the National Association of Counties (NACO) finds that cities and counties within metropolitan areas are driving the robust U.S. Economy, and that many metro areas outpace states in Economic growth. For more information, see the USCM press release.Web Sightings - Workplace Safety
This month we're featuring Web sites with information about workplace safety, including the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSHA) and Washington State's WISHA:- U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA Web site
- Includes information on proposed new ergonomics standards, the OSHA
Handbook plus much more.
- Washington Department of Labor and
Industries, WISHA Services - The searchable WISHA Web site offers FAQs,
safety and health topics, ergonomics, and regulation and policy information,
including a handy Guide
to WISHA.
- Cornell
Legal Information Institute's Workplace safety law Web site - Provides
an overview of workplace safety as well as links to federal and state statutes,
regulations, and judicial decisions.
- Workindex.com's Government Safety and Health Standards - This gateway to human resources solutions offers an extensive list of links to sites in the U.S. and other countries. One of them is the National Clearinghouse for Worker Safety and Health Training.