Drafter
Clerk 07/14/2005
Title
AN ORDINANCE authorizing interlocal agreements between King County and King County cities and utilities in two King County groundwater management areas for the purpose of cooperatively funding and implementing groundwater science, policy, plan implementation and outreach activities in the Issaquah Creek Valley and Redmond Bear Creek groundwater management areas.
Body
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:
SECTION 1. Findings:
A. The Washington state Department of Ecology has identified and designated 5 groundwater management areas ("management areas") within King County.
B. With King County acting as lead agency, groundwater management plans ("management plans") for four of the management areas were completed and were certified by the state Department of Ecology in 2000.
C. Under the provisions of RCW 90.44.420 affected local governments are charged with adopting regulations, ordinances and/or programs for implementing those provisions of the management plan which are within their respective jurisdictional authorities.
D. In Ordinance 14214, codified as K.C.C. 9.14, the King County council formally authorized the county's groundwater protection program and provided for the creation of four groundwater protection committees ("committees").
E. These committees have identified their top priorities for implementation of their respective management plans and for groundwater protection generally within the management areas.
F. King County and a number of cities and utilities within the management areas have recognized that they have roles and responsibilities in addressing ground water issues and concerns and wish to work together to address and implement the committee's priorities and to protect groundwater in general (collectively, "the parties"). The parties are in agreement that King County's services will be utilized to conduct specific groundwater protection activities, including increased monitoring, enhanced coordination among the parties and improved policies and regulations.
G. The parties intend that by working cooperatively to conduct the activities provided for in this agreement they will be taking important steps on behalf of the public to protect the quantity and quality of groundwater in their respective management areas, which may be threatened by contaminant sources and increasing water supply demand.
H. The county, cities, and public utilities are authorized to enter into an interlocal agreement pursuant to chapter 39.34 RCW, the Interlocal Cooperation Act.
SECTION 2. The King County executive is hereby authorized to negotiate final versions of, and to enter into, interlocal agreements with the participating cities and utilities in the Issaquah Creek Valley and Redmond Bear Creek groundwater management areas, in substantially the same form as attached to this ordinance, for the purposes of cooperatively implementing and funding groundwater management area-specific services including scientific research, monitoring and mapping, groundwater
protection policy development, continued operation of the groundwater protection committees and groundwater-related education and outreach.