Note: Some of the information on this archival Web page may no longer be current.
Focus - February 1998
INQUIRY OF THE WEEK
Looking for more revenue to fund city and county transportation improvements? This week's "Inquiry of the Week":
Can Counties levy a local option fuel tax for local transportation improvements?
[Previous inquiries of the week]
UNDERSTANDING THE CPI
The continually growing number of uses and users of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) has generated an increasing number of questions about the CPI. Although the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has provided extensive material to the public describing the CPI, much of this material has been quite technical. BLS has developed a pamphlet, Understanding the Consumer Price Index: Answers to Some Questions, to (1) answer frequently asked questions about the CPI, (2) familiarize users of the CPI with some of the most important of the new procedures introduced with the 1998 CPI Revision, and (3) help users of the CPI better understand and use it.
USING THE CPI IN ESCALATION CLAUSES
The BLS's Consumer Price Index home page also offers information on how to use the CPI for escalation clauses in collective bargaining agreements.
WEB SIGHTINGS
Looking for Consumer Price Index information on the Web? Look no further:
- Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI
home page - This site provides news releases, data, and publications relating
to the Consumer Price Index.
- Region IX & X News Releases - Current area CPI data and information from
the Bureau of Labor Statistics' San Francisco Regional Office.
- Historical CPI - All Urban
Consumers - Consumer Price Index - All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) for the
U.S., Seattle and Portland, from 1980 to the present (Updated January 15,
1997).
- Historical CPI - Urban Wage and Clerical Workers - Consumer Price Index - Urban Wage and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) for the U.S., Seattle and Portland, from 1980 to the present (Updated January 15, 1997).
MILEAGE REIMBURSEMENT RATE
The mileage reimbursement rate for 1998, as announced by the Internal Revenue Service in its Revenue Procedure 97-58, is 32.5 cents per mile. Any reimbursement above this rate will be considered taxable income.
NEW NATIONAL EFFORT TO FOSTER CITY-COUNTY
COOPERATION
In a new and unprecedented partnership the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the National Association of Counties have joined together to launch the first organized effort to promote cooperation between cities and counties around the theme of sustainable communities. The new Joint Center for Sustainable Communities will provide a forum for cities and counties to work together to develop long-term policies and programs that will lead to job growth, environmental stewardship and social equity. The Joint Center will help local elected officials build sustainable communities by promoting community leadership initiatives, providing technical assistance and training, and conducting community policy and educational forums.
NEW RECORDS RETENTION SCHEDULE
The new Local Government General Records Retention Schedule and Records Management Manual, from the Office of the Secretary of State, Division of Archives and Records Management, is now available on our Web site.
PUBLIC DISCLOSURE OF OPEN POLICE FILES
In November the State Supreme Court ruled (in a 5-4 decision) that the entire contents of an active and open criminal investigation file are categorically exempt from public disclosure regardless of the nature of the contents of the files. See Newman v. King County, 133 Wn.2d 565 (November 1997) which provides a broad interpretation of the RCW 42.17.310(1)(d) public records exemption.
See our Public Records Disclosure page for more information on public disclosure issues generally.
YEAR 2000 CHALLENGE
Along with businesses and governments around the world, the state of Washington is racing the clock against the year 2000. The Washington State Department of Information Services has established the Washington State Year 2000 Program Information Resource Center on the Web to assist state and local governments in meeting this challenge. The site includes a calendar of upcoming year 2000 events, news, links to related sites and a page devoted to tools, methods and resources.
For more on the year 2000 issue see our Information Services page.
SKATEBOARD FACILITIES INFORMATION
The results of the Skateboard Facilities Survey (Fall 1997) conducted by the Association of Washington Cities are now available on our Web site. The report presents detailed descriptions of skateboard parks in twelve Washington cities including the designer, facility costs, construction type, known injuries and a city contact person. MRSC has also collected general information on Washington cities with skateboard parks.
USE OF CREDIT CARDS
RCW 43.09.2855 authorizes local governments, including counties, cities and towns to use credit cards for official government purchases and acquisitions. Local governments are required to adopt a system for: (1) the distribution of the credit cards; (2) the authorization and control of the use of credit card funds; (3) the credit limits available on the credit cards; (4) payment of the bills; and (5) any other rule necessary to implement or administer the system. For more information see our Use of Credit Cards - Sample Ordinances and Policies compilation.
TRAVEL EXPENSE REIMBURSEMENT
Want to know how your travel authorization and expense reimbursement policies compare with policies in other local governments? Take a look at our compilation on Reimbursement for Travel Expenses - Sample Policies and Procedures.
1998 TIIAP GRANTS
The U.S. Department of Commerce is now accepting applications for the 1998 round of the Telecommunications and Information Infrastructure Assistance Program (TIIAP). TIIAP provides seed money for innovative, practical projects that extend the benefits of advanced telecommunications and information technology to rural and urban underserved Americans. Priorities in the 1998 grant round include funding projects which will serve as nationally significant demonstrations of how telecommunications and information technologies can be used to extend valuable services and opportunities to all Americans, especially the underserved. For fiscal year 1998, approximately $17 million in grant funds will be awarded. The deadline for submitting applications is March 12, 1998.
REFERENDUM 47 LEVY INCREASE
We have had calls from cities, counties, and financial advisors, wanting to know the percentage increase in the regular property tax levy that cities and counties took under Referendum 47, not counting new construction or any change in the state-assessed utility value. If your city or county used the model resolution (ordinance) you got from the assessor to implement Section 209 of Referendum 47, the percentage amount you put in that resolution is what we want. If you do not know this amount, please pass the word along to someone in your city or county who does. Note, we do not want information on any change in your tax rate. You can e-mail this information to tsanders@mrsc.org. If it is not obvious from your e-mail address, please include your name.
As we receive this information, we will put it in Referendum 47 - Cities or Referendum 47 - Counties.
AMENDMENTS TO SEPA REGULATIONS
In November, the Department of Ecology extensively amended its SEPA regulations contained in chapter 197-11 WAC. The amendments integrate Growth Management Act requirements with those of SEPA and alter certain SEPA procedures to conform to 1995 regulatory reform legislation (chapter 347, Laws of 1995). As a result of these amendments, local governments are required to amend their local SEPA procedures to be consistent with the amended regulations within 180 days of the effective date of the amendments. The amendments were effective on November 10, 1997. The Department of Ecology's home page contains the revised SEPA rules and provides "Interim Guidance" regarding the regulatory changes, as well as an updated, draft model SEPA ordinance.
GET MRSC WEB SITE UPDATES BY E-MAIL
You can get a monthly e-mail notifying you of selected updates to MRSC's Web site by subscribing to the mrscweb mailing list (listserv). Simply type: subscribe mrscweb your name in the body of the message, and press "send" (leave the subject line blank). You may have your name removed from the list at any time by following the directions in the welcome message you will receive after subscribing.
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.
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