Drafter
Clerk 12/04/2015
Title
AN ORDINANCE relating to the formation of the Snoqualmie Valley watershed improvement district, an irrigation district; and declaring an emergency.
Body
STATEMENT OF FACTS:
1. Chapter 87.03 RCW authorizes the formation of an irrigation district for the purpose of irrigation of land.
2. In accordance with statutory requirements, a petition to form an irrigation district, to be known as the Snoqualmie Valley watershed improvement district was filed with the King County council on June 30, 2015, along with the required cash bond.
3. Ordinance 18120, which accepted the filed petition as revised, established boundaries for the proposed district and ordered an election to determine formation of the proposed district and directors for the district if formed.
4. Ordinance 18120 set the election for November 24, 2015, to determine formation of the proposed district and district directors if formed.
5. In accordance with RCW 87.03.040, the council is required on the second Monday after the election to canvass the returns and if two-thirds of the votes cast are in favor of the district, to enter an order declaring the district duly organized.
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:
SECTION 1. Findings:
A. This ordinance must be enacted as an emergency ordinance in order to allow the district to immediately begin operations so as to begin a work program and obtain funding for its work program for 2016.
B. For the election, ballots were mailed to property owners of record for 13,305 acres of land.
C. The council has canvassed the returns and of the 2,666 votes cast, 2,494 were in favor of formation of the district, and 172 were not in favor of formation of the district. Of the votes cast 93.5 percent were in favor of the formation of the district.
D. Under RCW 87.03.040, if at least two-thirds of the votes cast are in favor of the formation of the district, the council by order is to declare the district duly organized. This minimum threshold has been met and exceeded for the Snoqualmie Valley watershed improvement district.
SECTION 2. In accordance with RCW 87.03.040, the council hereby issues its order declaring the Snoqualmie Valley watershed improvement district to be duly organized and declaring the directors, identified in section 3 of this ordinance, as duly elected directors of the Snoqualmie Valley watershed improvement district.
SECTION 3. A. The five people receiving the highest number of votes in the election for the position of director are:
1. Siri Erickson-Brown: 2,474 votes
2. Jason Roetcisoender: 2,418 votes
3. Gary Remlinger: 1,828 votes
4. Patrick McGlothlin: 1,774 votes
5. David Andrews: 1,196 votes
B. Each of the directors owns land and lives within the boundaries of the Snoqualmie Valley watershed improvement district.
SECTION 4. Attachment A to this ordinance is the parcel list for the purposes of the department of assessments.
SECTION 5. The clerk of the council shall provide a certified copy of this ordinance to the departments of assessments and elections.
SECTION 6. The county council finds as a fact and declares that an emergency exists and that this ordinance is necessary for the immediate preservation of public peace,
health or safety or for the support of county government and its existing public institutions.