The bill seeks to improve collaboration between cities and counties in Washington State regarding road construction and maintenance, particularly for rural areas. It introduces a new section that highlights the role of county resources, such as road construction crews, in assisting cities with various road-related tasks. The bill amends existing laws, specifically RCW 35.22.620 and RCW 35.23.352, to clarify definitions and limitations on public works projects, including the percentage of work that can be performed by city employees versus contracted work. Notably, it specifies that public works related to roadway striping and paving performed by counties for first-class cities will not count towards the 10 percent limitation on work done by city employees.

Additionally, the bill amends RCW 35.77.030 to permit county commissioners to utilize funds from the county road fund for the construction, repair, and maintenance of city or town streets, along with related engineering and administrative services. It mandates that all construction work exceeding ten thousand dollars must be conducted by contract, with exceptions for emergencies or when competitive bids are unavailable or exceed the cost of using county personnel. The bill also introduces language allowing construction work to be performed by "regularly employed county personnel" and emphasizes that no street construction project should be divided into smaller parts to evade competitive bidding requirements, thereby promoting transparency and fairness in the bidding process.

Statutes affected:
Original Bill: 35.77.030
Substitute Bill: 35.77.030