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AN ORDINANCE relating to the surface water management fees charged to unincorporated parcels; and amending Ordinance 7590, Section 9, as amended and K.C.C. 9.08.080.
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STATEMENT OF FACTS:
1. The water and land resources division of the department of natural resources and parks provides essential public services that protect human health, the environment and the quality of life in our region.
2. King County charges property owners within its surface water management service area, which is unincorporated King County, a graduated annual service charge based on six nonresidential rate classes tied to relative amount of impervious surface and one uniform rate class for all residential parcels. RCW 36.89.080 authorizes counties to impose surface water management service charges and sets forth factors that may be considered, including the income level of persons who own and reside at parcels to which the charges apply.
3. The service charge was established in 1986 by Ordinance 7590. Ordinance 7590 included an exemption from the charge for persons approved by the department of assessments for the senior citizen or disabled persons property tax exemption under RCW 84.36.381.
4. A new low-income discount program for the service charge would assist persons who have not been approved for the senior citizen or disabled persons exemption.
5. The 2019-2020 budget for the surface water management program assumes implementation of a new low-income discount program.
6. The low-income discount program would establish a fifty percent discount based on income equal to or less than two hundred percent of the federal poverty level.
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:
SECTION 1. Ordinance 7590, Section 9, as amended, and K.C.C. 9.08.080 are hereby amended to read as follows:
A. Any person billed for service charges may file a request for rate adjustment with the division within three years of the date from which the bill was sent. However, filing of suc...

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