Title
A MOTION authorizing the chair of the council to enter into a contract for a governance study of the North Highline unincorporated area.
Body
WHEREAS, the North Highline area is one of the ten largest urban unincorporated areas in King County, and
WHEREAS, the state Growth Management Act and the countywide planning policies envision that urban unincorporated areas be annexed or incorporated into cities by 2012, and
WHEREAS, the cities of Seattle and Burien have conducted studies to determine the fiscal impacts of annexing the North Highline area but no city has yet formally identified the North Highline area for potential annexation, and
WHEREAS, a potential alternative to annexation of an urban unincorporated area is incorporation as a new city, and
WHEREAS, the North Highline unincorporated area council has established the North Highline Governance Study Group to study issues related to annexation and incorporation, and
WHEREAS, the North Highline community and the council would benefit from a study regarding the feasibility of incorporation of the area, and
WHEREAS, the King County council set aside funding in the 2004 adopted King County budget to conduct an incorporation study for the North Highline area, and
WHEREAS, a competitive procurement process has been conducted, resulting in three proposals from firms qualified to undertake such a study, and
WHEREAS, the North Highline Governance Study Group and staff from the King County council evaluated the proposals and selected Nesbitt Planning & Management, Incorporated as the preferred consultant, and
WHEREAS, the contract for the North Highline incorporation study will not exceed seventy-five thousand dollars, and
WHEREAS, these funds have been set aside in the council's 2004 budget for carryover to 2005 for the specific purpose of funding this study, and
WHEREAS, Motion 10651, Section III, as amended, and OR 1-020 requires the council to authorize the council chair to sign...

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