A bill sponsored by state Rep. Peter Abbarno, R-Centralia, passed out of the Washington state House of Representatives on Thursday, Feb. 13, with unanimous support.
HB 1039 would allow some cities to provide urban governmental services to tribal lands outside of the cities’ urban growth boundaries.
Urban government services are defined in Washington state law as “services that are typically provided in cities” and include things like public transit, sewer systems and storm drains.
The services would be provided through an agreement between a city and a tribe with lands bordering the cities boundaries. The law is only applicable to cities and tribal lands in counties with a population of 500,000 people or more and that border the Columbia River. That description fits only Clark County.
“This bill is about partnership, progress and responsible growth,” Abbarno stated in a news release from the House Republicans. “By allowing cities and tribal governments to work together, we are creating more efficient, locally driven solutions that benefit residents, businesses and communities alike.”
Abbarno said the bill was created with La Center and the Cowlitz Tribe in mind, which explains some of the restrictions around which cities and tribes can create the agreements.
The biggest obstacle to a city providing urban services within tribal lands is the urban growth boundary, which is currently used to prevent urban sprawl and protect agricultural lands, Abbarno said. Growth and development that would make land unsuitable to agriculture is now allowed outside the boundary.
As a result, Abbarno’s bill would make tribal lands an exception to the normal urban growth boundary restrictions with respect to urban governmental services.
“The overwhelming support for this bill underscores the importance of city-tribal collaboration,” Abbarno noted. “I appreciate my colleagues’ commitment to advancing this legislation, and I look forward to working with the Senate to ensure it becomes law.”
