The Courthouse Journal A Joint Publication of the Washington State Association of Counties & Washington Association of County Officials August 18, 2000 Number 18 COST ALLOCATION PLAN AND INDIRECT COST RATE TRAINING The Washington Association of County Officials (WACO), the Washington Association of Prosecuting Attorneys (WAPA), and the WAPA Support Enforcement Project (WAPA-SEP) have scheduled training on Cost Allocation Plans and Indirect Cost Training for Ellensburg on Tuesday, September 6 and in Olympia on Wednesday, September 7. The purpose of this training is to assist county personnel, including county auditors and financial analysts, who are responsible for developing indirect cost rate proposals for their counties. Cost allocation plans are required by federal law in order to recover the indirect costs of federally funded activities. The workshop will focus on indirect cost rate methodology, applicable regulations and methods and procedures that counties can apply. Workshop participants will have an opportunity to apply the cost principles and methodology to determine a provisional rate that meets federal guidelines. Glen David Halverson, MBA, CPA, will conduct the seminar. Mr. Halverson is president of Cost Evaluation Services and was formerly with the federal Office of Cost Allocation. He has provided training and consultation to state and local governments including Yakima and Pierce Counties and the WA State Office of Financial Management (OFM). The offices of county clerks, prosecuting attorneys, and court commissioners are reimbursed for services they perform that are related to the enforcement of IV-D child support cases. To be reimbursed for the costs of county government that support the offices but are not directly charged to the office, counties are required to prepare an indirect costs proposal and file it with the DSHS Division of Child Support before October 1. Please call WACO for specific information regarding registration and times and locations. ************************************** I-722 RAISES MANY QUESTIONS - FEW ANSWERS (by Fred Saeger, WACO) This is the fourth article in a series, addressing some of the questions and issues that will be faced by county officials if I-722 passes in November. I-722 includes many provisions, so I will discuss different aspects each week. A copy of I-722 was included in the mailing of The Courthouse Journal, which was sent out on July 21. If you need another copy, you can contact the WACO office or get one directly from the Secretary of State's web site at . Also, the Office of Financial Management (OFM) has a preliminary analysis of the fiscal impacts of I-722 online at OFM expects to have a final set of impact statements by early September at the latest. Some of the questions we are addressing in this series will be issues faced by local officials before the judicial process can resolve issues raised by this measure. Section 3 is entitled "Limiting Taxes by Exempting Increases in Property Tax Valuations Above 2% Per Year." This is the section which raises the most questions. Subsection 3(1) is quoted as follows: "As long as the sale of property is subject to the real estate excise tax in chapter 82.46 RCW and unless otherwise exempt from property taxes, a person shall be exempt from any legal obligation to pay the portion of property taxes attributable to any increase in value of property (other than for new construction or manufacture) over its 1999 valuation level, plus the lesser of 2% per year or inflation." Which properties are subject to the exemption from taxation on full market value increases in excess of two percent or inflation? The language limits the exemption to property subject to the Real Estate Excise Tax (REET) under 82.46 RCW. RCW 82.46 is the chapter which authorizes cities and counties to levy a local real estate excise tax. This is not the State real estate excise tax chapter, which is RCW 82.45. There are five counties and 19 cities/towns that do not levy the local option REET. This would mean that in unincorporated areas of Columbia, Pend Oreille, Skamania, Wahkiakum and Walla Walla Counties, property owners are not afforded the limit that is in I-722. Since some cities and towns in each of those counties do levy the real estate excise tax under RCW 82.46, city dwellers get the benefit, but not those outside the city limits. For example, in Pend Oreille County the cities of Ione and Newport levy the tax, but Cusick, Metaline, Metaline Falls, and the county do not. If it is concluded that some properties will be given this treatment and others will not, it is likely that assessors will have to be prepared to deal with citizens who will contest their valuations under the uniformity provision of the state constitution. The uniformity provisions of the state constitution state that all real property is one class and all property shall be valued and taxed uniformly by class. This language appears to exclude personal property, because personal property is not subject to any real estate excise tax. "Property" is defined in the same section as "real and personal property." One part seems to exclude personal property, but another part included personal property so it is not clear if personal property is covered by this limit in I-722. In a recent E-mail, Tim Eyman states that I-722 "Limits property tax INCREASES to a maximum 2% per year (2% or inflation, whichever is less) on both commercial AND residential property (I-722 treats all property, regardless of use or ownership, equally)." Does I-722 limit increases in assessed value for tax purposes or provide an exemption from taxes? While this appears at first to be an academic question, it has very real implications. Taxpayers will be treated differently depending on the final interpretation. EXEMPTION VIEW Since I-722 uses the word "exemption," and it says the individual is "exempt from any legal obligation to pay the portion of tax attributable to any increase in value of property,..." this language could be interpreted to mean the assessor calculates the levies based upon the full valuation, and for properties that values increased more than inflation or 2%. The treasurer would only bill a lessor amount and forgive the taxpayer the taxes that are "attributable to" any increase in value greater than inflation or 2%. This may be an attempt to justify this departure from uniformity as an "exemption," something tried in defense of Referendum 47, but the court pointed out the word "exemption," was never used. If you accept that this is an exemption, and this "exemption" does not violate the uniformity provision, then different questions are raised; can a portion of taxes for the State school levy or special levies, bond funds, etc., which were voted in a specific dollar amount, be partially exempted? There are other constitutional provisions besides uniformity, e.g., forgiveness of taxes and impairment of contracts, which takes us into a totally different area of constitutional questions. For example, Article XI, Section 9 of the Washington State Constitution reads as follows: "No county, nor the inhabitants thereof, nor the property therein, shall be released or discharged from its or their proportionate share of taxes to be levied for state purposes, nor shall commutation for such taxes be authorized in any form whatever." VALUE CAP VIEW Most folks view this language to be a value cap. The assessors would still place market value on all property on a parcel-by-parcel basis, but only use the limited value (1999 assessed value plus inflation or 2% whichever is less) to calculate the levies and bill taxes. Taxing districts would still receive the full amount requested, because a tax shift would result from property with rapidly increasing values to property where values are subject to slow growth or no growth. The best example is property owned by senior citizens who qualify for the senior citizen tax relief and currently have their values frozen. Since the levy rate would be slightly larger, seniors would pay an increased tax because their assessed value is now a larger percentage of the total assessed value used for tax collections. Remember, if it is determined that I-722 is to apply to 2001 collections (see article August 4), then whatever this limit is, assessors have about six weeks to fully implement this limitation. That is impossible in nearly all counties, even if it is clear what this language means. Any thoughts, ideas, or suggestions on I-722 will be appreciated and I will be more than happy to share thoughts and suggestions with readers of The Courthouse Journal in future weeks. I can be reached at the following numbers: phone/360-753-7319; fax/360-664- 2812; or e-mail at . Note: The purpose of these articles over the next several weeks is to stimulate discussion on the potential impacts of I-722 and get county officials to start thinking about how these issues might be dealt with. No one should take these articles as being hard and fast conclusions, just the thoughts of an individual who has spent a lot of time working on property tax issues. ************************************** JACKIE WHITE TO JOIN WSAC STAFF The Washington State Association of Counties announced this week that Jackie White will be joining the staff as the policy director for transportation and planning. Jackie brings a wealth of experience to the job. She has been a lobbyist in Olympia for over 14 years and before that she was the Budget Director for the Department of Revenue. White was a lobbyist for WSAC from 1987-1989 on health and human service issues. Some of you may remember her from her previous name of Jackie McFadden. Jackie has also worked for the Department of Health and the Association of Washington Cities. More recently she was an independent lobbyist covering issues for cities and counties. Her most recent position was the Director of Government Relations for Community Transit in Snohomish County. Jackie has lobbied a wide range of issues for cities and counties including planning, transportation, water as well as health and human services. Jackie's first day on the job will be September 5th. It's great to have Jackie back in the county family and we are all looking forward to working with her. ************************************** GOOD THINGS ************************************** King County's Community Service Center Workers were the proud recipients of the Team Award for Sustained Exemplary Achievement in Public Service from the Evergreen Chapter of the American Society of Public Administrators, on May 31. With the goal of being more accessible to citizens, King County has opened six King County Community Service Centers throughout the county over the last five years. The centers are open from noon to 8:00 p.m. and are at Cottage Lake, Fall City, Lake Wilderness, Northshore, Sammamish, and on Vashon Island. Information and services are available for a variety of agencies including the Sheriff's office, the Departments of Development and Environmental Services, Information and Administrative Services and Natural Resources. Additionally, cross training has occurred so that services from the Assessor's Office and the Department of Finance could be provided. Citizens can pay taxes, get a marriage or pet license, a building permit, transit schedules, look on-line for jobs or other county information and be helped by friendly, knowledgeable staff all from an accessible location. The first center, as a pilot, was created in an unprecedented way, with no budget. Various County agencies chipped in to make these two centers a reality. Space, computers, phones, remodeling, office supplies, and staff were all donated by different County agencies and the first center was opened in Maple Valley in 1995. It was a huge success! Citizens from as far as Woodinville and Vashon Island came to the center for services. Hours of operation from noon to 8:00 p.m. significantly increased access to county services. In 1996, a second center was opened in Northshore, again with no additional budget. Instead, resources were pulled from various agencies interested in seeing the program succeed. Given the success of the centers and their positive reception in the community, a modest budget was approved in 1997 for an additional four centers: Fall City, Sammammish, Vashon Island, and Woodinville. Each center has various department partners. Three full-time employees, who rotate their work location to cover all six sites, five days per week, staff the centers. In 1999, the Community Service Centers serviced over 11,200 service requests, with over 9000 citizens visiting centers located locally within their community. ************************************** TRANSPORTATION ************************************** BLUE RIBBON COMMISSION ON TRANSPORTATION HOLDS PUBLIC HEARINGS The Blue Ribbon Commission on Transportation (BRCT) is continuing to seek comments on the draft "accords and options" it released in June. Public hearings are scheduled for Thursday, September 7, 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Bellevue Regional Library and Thursday, September 14, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Yakima County Courthouse. Snohomish County Councilmember Gary Nelson, chair of the WSAC Transportation Subcommittee, is organizing a panel of WSAC members to attend the Bellevue public hearing. Interested commissioners and councilmembers may contact Councilmember Nelson at 425-388-3494 or nelson.council@co.snohomish.wa.us. In addition, several BRCT members are scheduled to attend the WSAC Eastern District fall conference September 28 in Pullman to hear county comments and concerns regarding the draft options. The BRCT's deadline for public comments is October 1,2000, so the commission will not take comments at the WSAC Western District conference in mid-October. However, Western Washington commissioners are encouraged to bring their issues to the Eastern conference on September 28. WSAC also is preparing formal written comments. These will be finalized and sent to the BRCT following review by the Legislative Steering Committee at its September 8 meeting. WSAC members can receive the draft comments via email by contacting Sophia Byrd at 360-753-1886 or sbyrd@wacounties.org. ************************************** TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS RECOGNIZED FOR INNOVATION AND EFFICIENCY Four transportation projects were awarded the 2000 Project Excellence Award for their innovation, efficiency and public involvement efforts. The awards are given annually by Washington State Department of Transportation Highways & Local Programs Service Center (H&LP) to recognize federally funded projects that exemplify the best projects in Washington State. The awards will be presented at the fall conferences of the American Public Works Association and Washington State Association of Counties. You can see pictures of these award- winning projects at: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/TA/PaandI/Awards/excellence.html The four winners are: Best County Project: Clark County, Heisson Bridge Crossing the east fork of the Lewis River, the original Heisson Bridge was built in 1925. It was a narrow, structurally deficient and functionally obsolete structure and could no longer serve the demands placed on it. The center of the bridge was also damaged several times when it was hit by debris in the river during floods. The new bridge is a concrete arch structure, with architecture that compliments its community. Clark County plans to preserve the old bridge for pedestrians and cyclists. Funding sources included $2 million in federal funds and $500,000 in local funds. Contact: Bill Pierce - 360.905.2215 (Vancouver). Best Enhancement Project: Pend Oreille County, Tiger Gateway Located near the junction of SR 20 and SR 31, the Tiger Store was built in 1912 and is the "gateway" to the North Pend Oreille Scenic Byway. SR 31 is also the easternmost port of entry between the United States and Canada and is part of the International Selkirk Loop. The Tiger Gateway project moved the building onto a new foundation that provided more right-of-way and improved sight distance from SR 20 and SR 31. New wood floors were installed; new insulation, wiring and a heating system was installed and the roof was repaired. Public restrooms and a parking lot were also added to this icon of the past. The Tiger Store is now a rest area/visitor information center that promotes the arts and history of the area. Funding sources included $165,000 in federal funds and $58,000 in local funds. Contact: Brent Rasmussen - 509.324.6080 (Spokane). Best Special Project: Kitsap Transit, Georges' Corner Park and Ride The increasing congestion in the Kingston area was not only an inconvenience for ferry passengers and local traffic, it was also a safety hazard at the ferry dock. A park-and-ride was needed to reduce the number of vehicles in the area during ferry dockings. Located in a semi-rural area with a natural pond surrounded by alders and firs, the park-and-ride includes 300 parking stalls, bike lockers, security lighting, bus shelters, benches and trash receptacles. It is an excellent example of intergovernmental cooperation. Kitsap Transit, the lead agency, worked with Kitsap County Department of Public Works, WSDOT Highways and Local Programs and Washington State Ferries. Funding sources included $775,000 in federal funds and $325,000 in local funds. Contact: Mike Horton - 360.357.2666 (Tumwater). Best City Project: City of Bellingham, Samish Way Overpass The Samish Way overpass is located at Exit No. 252 on I-5 in Bellingham. The existing two-lane bridge did not have the capacity to carry the increasing traffic on Samish Way, which congested nearby intersections. The existing bridge was removed and replaced with a new five-lane structure, that includes bike lanes and sidewalks. Other aspects of the project include: raising profiles of Samish Way, I-5 southbound off-ramp and 36th Street; constructing turn lanes; widening side streets; realigning approaches and modifying signals and channelization. Funding sources included $2.5 million in federal funds and $3.4 million in local funds. Contact: Terry Paananen - 206-440-4734 (Seattle). ************************************** WSDOT RECOMMENDS WAYS TO IMPROVE PEDESTRIAN SAFETY The pedestrian/motor vehicle collision rate has been on the rise in Washington State. Contributing factors include: insufficient or inaccessible facilities (e.g. sidewalks, crosswalks) for pedestrians; lack of motorist and pedestrian regard for rules-of-the-road; minimal enforcement of pedestrian/motorist laws; urban sprawl land use patterns; and lack of public understanding of the importance of "walkability" in vibrant communities. For these reasons, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), in partnership with the Washington Traffic Safety Commission (WTSC), formed a Pedestrian Safety Team to identify ways to reduce pedestrian collisions. The team included city, county, and state representatives from transportation engineering and planning, enforcement, transit, and licensing. Over an eight-month period, the team interviewed customers and toured various road designs. They identified three top causes of pedestrian collisions: Lack of driver and pedestrian safety education Inadequate improvement dollars for pedestrian issues Cities are designed for fast movement of vehicles, not people The team then developed strategies to overcome these causes which include enforcement, education, engineering, and land-use recommendations, as well as transit-related strategies. Two strategies recommended enhancing pedestrian design standards in the WSDOT Design Manual and the Local Agency Guidelines. Collectively, or partially, the strategies can be incorporated by local agencies to help create safer and more convenient walkways in Washington communities. For more information on the Pedestrian Safety Team's findings visit the web site at: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/hlrd/PedestrianPages/ReducePedestrianCollisions.pdf or contact Julie Matlick, Pedestrian Specialist, at (360) 705-7505 or matlicj@wsdot.wa.gov. ************************************** WSAC SUPPORTS NATIONAL TRANSIT WEEK As it has in years past, WSAC is joining the Washington State Transit Association (WSTA), local transit providers and numerous other local, state and national organizations in supporting the nationwide "Try Transit Week," which this year is September 10-16. In honor of "Try Transit Week" Governor Gary Locke is expected to sign an official proclamation recognizing transit providers and transit riders. "Try Transit Week" provides an opportunity for local governments to raise public awareness of the benefits of public transportation options in their communities and to honor regular users of these services. Counties wishing to join in special "Try Transit Week" programs and activities can access an online resource kit at www.apta.com, or contact their local transit provider or Joy Rogers at WSTA for more information on ways to promote transit services. Joy can be reached at 360-786-9734 or joy@watransit.com. King County Councilmember Maggi Fimia also is making available to interested counties an eight-minute informational video titled "Ridin' the Bus: Who Uses the Bus and Why." The video tells the stories of various bus users in an interview format. To obtain a copy, contact Councilmember Fimia's office at 206-296-1001 or email doug.hodson@metrokc.gov. ************************************** LAW & JUSTICE ************************************** SHERIFFS, COUNTIES AND CITIES LAUNCH STUDY OF "REGIONAL JAILS" Jail capacity and bed space have become critical issues in the state of Washington. The Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC), in conjunction with a steering committee representing county, city, and state government, is conducting a study regarding the feasibility of shared capacity through the use of regional jails. The first step in the study is assessing the level of knowledge and interest regarding regional jails among local officials, and to that end county commissioners, councilmembers, executives, prosecutors and sheriffs soon will receive a letter and survey from WASPC. Your response to this short survey is encouraged. If you do not receive a survey, and you are interested in responding, please contact WSAC staff Sophia Byrd at 360-753- 1886 or sbyrd@wacounties.org. The study will examine various models for shared-capacity jails currently used in the United States, and depending on the findings, may include recommendations for a model that would work in Washington. The study was not required by the Legislature. It is a cooperative local-state effort to help identify a mechanism to relieve overcrowding in county and city jails. A $75,000 grant from the Washington State Law and Justice Advisory Council is funding the 11-month study. Jim LaMunyon, a former State Patrol officer, has been hired as the project manager. WSAC members are represented on the steering committee by Cowlitz County Commissioner Jeff Rasmussen and WSAC staff Sophia Byrd. ************************************** HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES ************************************** TACOMA-PIERCE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT GETS DOE GRANT FOR RATS After much citizen concern over the elimination of the Health Department's Compliance Program which responded to complaints about rats, Pierce County is getting a $50,000 state grant from the Department of Ecology to help deal with illegal dumping and rat infestations. The money will not restore the program that was cut by the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department. The department may have to reconsider the budget cuts if it's not able to adequately handle complaints about garbage, rats and other so-called public health nuisances, said Pierce County Councilman Wendell Brown, who also serves on the Board of Health. Historically - and according to Pierce County Codes - the health department has been charged with handling problems such illegal dumping, rats and other related problems. The health department spent about $420,000 a year on the compliance program, which employed four full-time inspectors. But the program was cut when Initiative 695 eliminated the motor vehicle excise tax. The Legislature restored about 90 percent of the lost funding, but the health department chose to restore only about one-fourth of the compliance program budget. The health department is still fielding about 200 complaints a month and the health department only does field investigations on about 10 percent of the cases they used to. Those cases where the public health risk is low such as complaints involving small amounts of garbage or isolated reports of rats, staff now offer advice on how to solve the problem but don't investigate the complaint. The reduction in the compliance program has resulted in increased complaints to the county and cities. The $50,000 grant from DOE will be used to explore a new approach to illegal dumping. Instead of focussing on enforcement, the new program will investigate ways that community groups can organize to clean up their own neighborhoods. The money will be matched with $33,000 from Pierce County's solid waste program. The two departments will begin a public education campaign to discourage illegal dumping, map dumping "hot spots" across the county and work with property owners to solve the problems. The program also will include Yellow Page and classified ads urging people to make sure contractors hired to haul away garbage prove they legally disposed of the trash. The grant money will be focussed on unincorporated areas of Pierce County where illegal dumping is the worst. There is no law requiring residents in unincorporated Pierce County to pay for garbage collection. ************************************** NEWS FROM MRSC ************************************** MRSC INITIATIVE 745 WEB PAGE UP & RUNNING MRSC has posted information on its Web site, under Current Issues, to provide basic information and links to other Web sites with relevant information on Initiative 745 which asks voters "Shall 90% of transportation funds, including transit taxes, be spent for roads; transportation agency performance audits required; and road construction and maintenance be sales tax-exempt?" Contents of the Web page includes: What is the Initiative?-- MRSC Information -- State and Local Government Association Links -- State Agencies Links -- Links to Organizations Registered with the Public Disclosure Commission --Links to Other Organizations Expressing Opinions - - News Articles and Editorials. ************************************** NEW MRSC STORM AND SURFACE WATER MANAGEMENT WEB PAGE Municipal Research has posted a series of Web pages related to storm and surface water management. The pages cover issues of water quality, federal & state storm water regulations, local government storm and surface water management plans, best management practices, erosion and sediment control, sewer and storm water conservation and efficiency loans, storm and surface water utilities, and public education. You can view the pages at http://www.mrsc.org/environment/water/water-s/SW-main.htm. Stormwater is also listed under the environment and public works subject headings. It is a fact that urbanization has affected natural drainage systems and water quality. Land development has altered the natural hydrological cycle by removing vegetation cover, changing the soil structure, modifying natural surface drainage patterns, and adding impervious surfaces such as roads and parking lots. Negative impacts of development on water quality include water pollution, flooding, and the destruction of native wildlife habitats. Some agricultural practices also have negative impacts on natural drainage systems. Storm water management, both quality and quantity, is needed to mitigate the adverse impacts runoff can cause. The listing of salmon under the Environmental Species Act requires that streams and wetlands be protected. Local governments in the Puget Sound Basin and jurisdictions subject to the federal National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Storm Water Program are required to have storm water management programs. All local governments with salmon habitats are encouraged to develop storm water management plans. Those seeking Endangered Species Act 4(d) rule exemptions will be required to meet National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) stormwater requirements. MRSC has listed Washington county and city examples of stormwater and surface water programs, including educational materials. If your county has information that would be useful to link to our Web page, please contact Lynne De Merritt (ldemerritt@mrsc.org) or John Carpita at (jcarpita@mrsc.org) or call 206-625-1300. ************************************** COMING EVENTS ************************************** August 28 Washington State Association of County Assessors' (WSACA) Annual Conference, Red Lion Hotel at the Quay, Vancouver. Through September 1. ************************************** COURTHOUSE RAMBLINGS ************************************** Former Adams County Auditor Leon Long, who now serves as the county public works director, has resigned his current position to become the new Risk Manager for Spokane County. ************************************** JOBS ************************************** KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON - HEALTH SERVICES ADMINISTRATOR, Department of Community and Human Services Mental Health, Chemical Abuse and Dependency Services. Annual Salary: $56,795 - $71,717, job announcement #001B0548, closes 9/11/00. Responsible for overall management of Cedar Hills Addiction Treatment Facility, including all patient care services, administrative matters and facility and equipment issues. Ensure compliance with all Federal, State and County rules and regulation. Develop program goals and objectives, new program initiatives and policies and procedures. Identify grant and other outside funding resources to complement existing funding mechanisms. Develop and monitor yearly budget. Where to apply: Required forms and materials must be sent to: Linda Nordness, 821 2nd Ave., Suite 610, Seattle, WA 98104. Application materials must be received by 4:30 p.m. on the closing date. (Postmarks not accepted) Contact Linda Nordness at 206 296-5233 for further inquiries. Please Note: Applications not received at the location specified above may not be processed. ****** KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON - PROGRAMMER ANALYST II, Department of Community and Human Services Mental Health, Chemical Abuse and Dependency Services Division. Annual Salary Range: $43,550.16 - $55,403.28, job announcement #001B0546, closes 8/28/00. The position will provide operations and application development support for the Mental Health Chemical Abuse and Dependency Services Division by supporting ongoing applications development and operations, including program design, development and testing to meet documented specifications and MHCADS/IS standards. Where to Apply: Required forms and materials must be sent to: Diep Nguyen, IS Coordinator, King County Mental Health Chemical Abuse and Dependency Services Division, Exchange Building, 821 2nd Avenue, Suite 600, Seattle, WA 98104. Applications materials must be received by 4:30 p.m. on the closing date. (Postmarks are not accepted) Contact Diep Nguyen at 206 205-1325 for further inquiries. Please Note: Applications not received at the location specified above may not be processed. ****** KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON - PROGRAM ANALYST II, Department Community and Human Services Mental Health, Chemical Abuse & Dependency Services Division, Hourly Rate Range: $19.9547 - $25.3787, job announcement #001B0547, closes 8/28/00. Provides program development and direction for publicly funded Chemical Dependency Treatment; services through planning, policy analysis and development, conduct provider selection, contract development and negotiations; perform contract compliance monitoring, including clinical review of records; collect and analyze need, utilization and outcome data; and perform quality improvement activities. Where to Apply: Required forms and materials must be sent to: Karen Spoelman, 821 2nd Ave., Suite 610, Seattle, WA 98104. Applications materials must be received by 4:30 p.m. on the closing date. (Postmarks are not accepted) Contact Karen Spoelman, Cross Systems & Treatment Services Coordinator at 206 205-1345 for further inquiries. Please Note: Applications not received at the location specified above may not be processed. ****** ADMINISTRATOR OF A REGIONAL SUPPORT NETWORK managed care organization serving Adams, Grant and Okanogan counties. Supervise contracts for outpatient, inpatient an residential public mental health services. Office located in East Wenatchee. Clinical or administration Masters degree required. Five years of public mental health management experience required. Salary range $45,410 to $59,336 DOQ. Send r‚sum‚ and three references c/o Human Resources, PO Box 37, Ephrata, WA 98823. Open until filled. Equal Opportunity Employer. ****** ACCOUNTANT FOR MASON COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS - $3,334 - $3,956/month. Reports directly to the Public Works Director, performs all activities in the areas of cost accounting and analysis, budgeting, payroll, statistical compilation and other assigned accounting functions. Minimum requirements: Bachelor's degree in accounting or related field and two years of progressively responsible professional experience in governmental cost accounting, budgeting, grant accounting and payroll; basic data processing and data base accounting applications (preferably with Excel and IBM AS 400). Combination of education and experience will be considered. Closes 8/25/00 at 5 p.m. Application required and available at Mason County Human Resources, 411 North Fifth Street, Shelton, WA 98584, or call (360) 427- 7265. ****** HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES ASSISTANT DIRECTOR. WHATCOM COUNTY HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT, Bellingham, WA, seeks an Assistant Director to fill a new position created to develop and oversee the integration of internal services, such as financial services, facilities, information technology, fleet, general reception, records management, employment processes, safety programs, employee and labor relations, union negotiations, and public information. Acts on behalf of the Director, as assigned. This position requires a Master's degree in accounting, finance, business, public administration, public health or a closely related field AND five years of progressively responsible experience in financial management, budgeting, records management, grant administration and database design, integration and maintenance INCLUDING 3 years of management/supervisory experience OR and equivalent combination of education, training & experience that provides the required skills, knowledge and abilities. Certification as a CPA is preferred. Hiring range: $55,092 - $61,884 / year, DOQ. Application period closes 8/31/00. For required application contact Whatcom County Human Resources, 311 Grand Avenue, Suite 107, Bellingham, WA, or call (360) 676-6802. For detailed job announcement visit our website at www.co.whatcom.wa.us or call the jobline at (360) 738-4550. Equal Opportunity Employer ****** SALMON RECOVERY COORDINATOR - MASON COUNTY COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT - $18.01 - $18.96/hr. Responsible for salmon recovery analysis, development and policies. Minimum Qualifications: Bachelor's degree in planning, environmental science, natural science or related field and 2 to 4 years related experience. Must possess valid WSDL. This is a grant-funded position, however, additional funds will be sought to extend term. Closes 9/8/00 at 5 p.m. Applications available at Mason County Human Resources, 411 N. Fifth Street, Shelton, WA 98584 or call job line (360) 427-7265. ****** INFORMATION SERVICES SUPERVISOR, WHATCOM COUNTY INFORMATION SERVICES, Bellingham, WA. Hiring Range $3,880 - $4,192/month. Requires a bachelor's degree in computer science or related field AND 4 years of current, increasingly responsible experience in computer operations, programming & systems analysis in IBM AS/400, including 2 years supervisory experience, OR equivalent. Requires AS/400 operations and programming experience. Experience with JD Edwards World software and accounting background for use in programming applications are preferred. Application period closes 8/28/00. For required application contact Whatcom County Human Resources, 311 Grand Avenue, Suite 107, Bellingham, WA, or call (360) 676-6802. For detailed job announcement visit our website at www.co.whatcom.wa.us or call the jobline at (360) 738-4550. Equal Opportunity Employer. ****** Douglas County Transportation and Land Services has an opening for a DESIGNER/DRAFTSPERSON in the East Wenatchee office. Salary range is $2,613 - $2,968 depending on qualifications, attractive benefits package. Requirements include but are not limited to a completed application and resume, a valid Washington State driver's license, and experience using AutoCad and Eagle Point Software. Applications and job descriptions available at Douglas County Transportation and Land Services, 470 Ninth Street N. E., East Wenatchee, WA 98802 (509) 884-7173, Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. or at the county shops in East Wenatchee, Waterville and Mansfield, or visit us on the Internet at www.douglascountywa.net. Application deadline is September 8; 5:00 p.m. Douglas County does not discriminate on the basis of disability in the admission or access to, treatment or employment in its programs or activities. ADA accommodations available upon request. E.O.E. **** END ****