Note: Some of the information on this archival Web page may no longer be current.
Focus - August 1998
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Inquiry of the Week
This week's "Inquiry of the Week":
[Previous inquiries of the week]
Referendum 47 News
The Washington State Supreme Court, in Belas v. Kiga, finds the "value-averaging" provision of Referendum 47 unconstitutional. more ...
APWA Proposed Division I-99 Amendments
Kristina Nelson, Chairperson of the Division I-99 Subcommittee of the APWA Construction Standards Committee, reports that the Subcommittee has completed its initial review of Division I-99. These draft amendments are available for downloading off the WSDOT/TransAid and MRSC Public Works page and will also be mailed to local agencies. The committee is interested in any comments you may have on the proposed revisions. It is the intent of the committee, in conjunction with WSDOT and TransAid, to issue an amendment for the entire Division I-99 to reflect the changes made. Please send comments to Kristina B. Nelson at knelson@cityoftacoma.org.
DOE Revises Stormwater Construction Permit Requirements
Starting this month, all construction projects involving five acres or more of public property will need to do more to prevent water pollution. Previously, municipalities under 100,000 in population did not need to obtain stormwater construction permits. Now all cities and counties must take additional steps to keep water clean and critical fish habitat unharmed during construction projects. DOE Press Release and Regs...
New Water Rights Web Page
Take a look at our new Water Rights Web page. The page includes an introduction to water rights issues, a set of frequently asked questions (prepared by DOE), and a section on water law basics.
Jet Ski Ban Upheld
On July 9 the Washington Supreme Court upheld San Juan County's precedent-setting ban on jet skis, rejecting an industry challenge. San Juan County Ordinance No. 3-1996 bans the use of "personal water craft" on all marine waters of the County. more ...
Travel Expense Reimbursement Policies
The best way to deal with travel expense reimbursement issues is to adopt a policy specifying in advance such matters as method of reimbursement, allowable expenses, use of personal vehicles, mileage rates, and record keeping requirements. MRSC's compilation on "Reimbursement for Travel Expenses" contains sample city and county policies that can help you in drafting or improving your own policy.
Web Sightings
As you plan summer vacations and day outings or address local park issues, check out some of these park and recreation Web sites:
- National Park Service - Info on visiting
national parks, historic preservation and cultural resources, education programs,
and more. Take a look at parks
in Washington.
- National Recreation and Park Association
- A rich site with public policy news, Parks & Recreation magazine, information
center, and much more.
- Rails-to-Trails Conservancy - Extensive
information on public trails from former rail lines and connecting corridors.
US Trail Information Center has summaries of trails by state (Washington State
trail information).
- Urban Parks Online - An interactive site of information, ideas, and models on urban parks.
Kirkland's Accessible Web Site
The City of Kirkland is the first city government in the U.S. whose Web site has been evaluated and acknowledged by the National Center for Accessible Media to be designed accessibly! Visit Kirkland's Accessibility Features Page to learn more.
Electric Energy Restructuring
The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) offers a page on their Web site containing a wealth of information on the changing structure of the electric power industry. This is a great place for policy makers to learn more about energy restructuring issues. Visit EIA's home page for more energy-related links.
Our Video Collection
Did you know that MRSC's Library has an extensive video collection? While you won't find the latest Hollywood blockbusters here, you may find a good training video or one that you can use at your next council retreat.
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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.