Vashon-Maury Island Surface Water Fee Accountability Committee
Background
| King County organizes fee revenue into two budgets -- one for annual programmatic, operating expenses and the other for capital or longer-term expenses. Thanks to earlier comments from Vashon citizens, the operating budget provides substantial allocations for groundwater activities. Collection of surface water management fees began on Vashon along with unincorporated eastern King County in 2000. Close to $1 million is collected from island property owners each year. |
At the end of 2003, King County staff from the Water and Land Resources Division met with Council Member Constantine's Office and a group of Vashon-Maury citizens to facilitate more public participation and feedback on environmental, drainage and water quality projects funded by surface water management fees. The group decided to establish an ad hoc committee that would meet three times a year.
The Vashon Surface Water Fee Accountability Committee is being led by two island residents familiar to many stakeholders involved in environmental and land use issues: John Gerstle, Chair of the Vashon-Maury Groundwater Protection Committee and Yvonne Kuperberg, Chair of the Land Use Committee.
The committee's first order of business includes developing a rolling list of capital budget priorities. To support this task, King County worked with consultants to conduct a comprehensive reconnaissance of surface water-related needs on the island. The results of this effort are compiled in a report being released for public review and comment. King County staff has worked with the consultants to prioritize this list and has asked for input from Vashon-Maury Island residents.
 Rural Drainage Program 2003 Accountability Report to the King County Council
The Rural Drainage Program 2003 Accountability Report to the King County Council desribes the expenditures and accomplishments of King County's Surface Water Management Program on Vashon-Maury Island, the Enumclaw Plateau, and Snoqualmie Valley.
Vashon-Maury Island Reconnaissance Report
The Vashon-Maury Island Reconnaissance Report lists priority drainage and water quality projects, acquisitions, studies and programs that would all be funded over time by surface water management fees dedicated to the capital budget. The document is available electronically at the above link or on paper from the Vashon Library.
Dialogue
For more information about the accountability committee, please
contact Susan Oxholm at 206-296-1984 or Susan.Oxholm@kingcounty.gov.
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