05/01/1994 01:10 PM Senate FIN

  HB 427:             An  Act  relating  to  compensation  for                 
                      members    of    the    Local   Boundary                 
                      Commission.                                              
                                                                               
                      Representative Harley Olberg, sponsor of                 
                      HB  427,  testified  in support  of  the                 
                      bill.  Senator Kelly  proposed Amendment                 
                      1  which  limited  the  number  of  paid                 
                      meeting  days to  40.   Amendment 1  was                 
                      ADOPTED.    SCSHB 427(FIN)  was REPORTED                 
                      out of committee with a "do pass," and a                 
                      fiscal  note  for   the  Department   of                 
                      Community & Regional Affairs for $14.8.                  
                                                                               
  HOUSE BILL NO. 427:                                                          
                                                                               
       An  Act  relating to  compensation  for members  of the                 
       Local Boundary Commission.                                              
                                                                               
  Co-chair  Pearce  announced  that  HB  427  was  before  the                 
  committee and invited Representative  Harley Olberg to speak                 
  to the bill.                                                                 
                                                                               
  REPRESENTATIVE  OLBERG  admitted that  the  fiscal note  was                 
  troublesome in view of declining revenues and low oil prices                 
  but he felt  this legislation was  long overdue.  The  local                 
  boundary commission met 18  times a year (9 in-person  and 9                 
  by teleconference),  and last year handled  seven petitions.                 
  This year  12 petitions had  already been scheduled  with an                 
  outlook of  increased activity.   He felt  with this  modest                 
                                                                               
                                                                               
  compensation, competent people would stay involved.                          
                                                                               
  SENATOR  KELLY  asked  if  there would  be  an  objection to                 
  limiting   the   number   of   days   the   Commission  met.                 
  Representative Olberg said  that there were 18  meetings per                 
  year and  5 members  on the  Commission.   At present,  they                 
  receive  travel and per  diem.  Although  it was  one of the                 
  five  constitutional mandated boards, it was  not one of the                 
  28  that  was presently  compensated.   He  said he  was not                 
  opposed  to  limiting the  number  of days  except  that the                 
  volume of work was  on the increase.  Co-chair  Frank voiced                 
  his  opinion that $100  a day  would probably  not encourage                 
  extra meetings.                                                              
                                                                               
  Senator Kelly questioned whether  they could be  compensated                 
  for a  "full day",  if they  spent part  of the  day on  the                 
  telephone.     Representative   Olberg   said   there   were                 
  regulations in  place that  could provide  for partial  days                 
  including teleconference meetings, because when they were at                 
  home on the phone, they did not collect travel and per diem.                 
  Senator  Rieger  said  he  was  in support  of  compensating                 
  members for meetings.  He agreed  that there was an increase                 
  of  work  for  this   Commission  and  it  deserved  to   be                 
  compensated for time and effort.                                             
                                                                               
  Senator Kerttula commented that he  hoped enough money would                 
  be  raised  to cover  costs for  these  kinds of  boards and                 
  commissions.                                                                 
                                                                               
  Senator Kelly  MOVED  conceptual amendment  1  that  limited                 
  meeting  days to 40 full days.  Co-chair Pearce called for a                 
  show of hands  and the motion  carried on a  vote of 4  to 3                 
  (Co-chair Pearce, Senators  Sharp, Jacko, and Kelly  were in                 
  support,  Co-chair Frank,  Senator Rieger and  Kerttula were                 
  opposed).                                                                    
                                                                               
  Senator  Kerttula  MOVED for  passage  of SCSHB  427(FIN) as                 
  amended from committee with  individual recommendations.  No                 
  objection being heard,  SCSHB 427(FIN)  was REPORTED out  of                 
  committee  with  a "do  pass,"  and  a fiscal  note  for the                 
  Department of  Commerce and Regional Affairs for $14.8.  Co-                 
  chair Frank, Senators Sharp and Jacko signed "do pass."  Co-                 
  chair Pearce signed "do pass either  way."  Senator Kerttula                 
  signed "no recommendation."   Senator Kelly signed  "do pass                 
  as amended."   Senator  Rieger signed "do  pass without  the                 
  amendment."