Bill to help Pasco PFD with proposed aquatics facility passes House

Legislation to help Pasco put a proposed aquatic facility before the voters has passed out of the state House and is headed to a Senate committee.

Substitute House Bill 1321 fixes state law to give the Pasco Public Facilities District and other city districts across the state authorization to finance, build and operate water parks.

However, some tweaks were made last month to the original bill focusing on “a city or town bordered by both the Columbia and Snake rivers,” and requiring that the project not compete with “reasonably comparable private facilities” within those same boundaries.

That means the Pasco board’s proposal can only be for an aquatic facility.

If Pasco wants an attached recreational center with fitness equipment and community event space, those costs will be the city’s responsibility.

Two of the sponsors, Reps. Bill Jenkin and Terry Nealey, said that portion of the bill is specific to Pasco. Some business owners had concerns that a new Pasco PFD-supported facility would compete with long-established private gyms and event centers.

While the legislation gives authority to the Pasco district, it also would take away the Tri-Cities Regional Public Facilities District’s ability to fund a recreational facility.

Chelsea Hager, a governmental affairs consultant working on Pasco’s behalf, explained that the regional public facilities district statute was put in place in 2009 in part so that the three cities could collaborate on an aquatic center.

But after years of planning, a 2013 effort by the Tri-Cities Regional Public Facilities District was shot down by voters in Kennewick and Richland. Pasco was the only city to come in above 50 percent in favor of the ballot measure for a $35 million regional water park.

Hager said that, while the bill strikes language about the recreational facility, it still allows the regional board to pursue other projects as defined under “regional center.” That includes a convention center, a conference center, a special events center or any combination, along with related parking facilities.

“We’re not seeking to eliminate the Tri-Cities Regional Public Facilities District,” Hager told the Herald. “We simply understood that if it didn’t work, we might as well clean up the statute at the same time.”

Jenkin, R-Prosser, and Nealey, R-Dayton, added that since the previous effort was unsuccessful in a vote of all three cities, they’re trying to move legislation to make it happen for Pasco.

“I don’t like taxes, but I certainly like our kids having something to do,” Jenkin told the Herald, referring to the sales tax increase that would be needed to build and operate the facility.

Sherry Appleton, D-Poulsbo, and Mia Gregerson, D-SeaTac, also sponsored the bill.

The substitute bill was passed by the House on a vote of 86-12 on Wednesday. Reps. Larry Haler, R-Richland, and Mary Dye, R-Pomeroy, voted against the bill.

It now goes before the Senate’s Local Government Committee for a hearing Thursday.

If the law is not changed, the Pasco PFD board’s vision of a large indoor and outdoor aquatic facility would dry up, because currently only county and regional PFDs are authorized for recreational centers.

But if the legislation makes it to Gov. Jay Inslee’s desk and gets a signature, the Pasco board would have to decide its next move. Even though the PFD would incur the bonded debt, the Pasco City Council must greenlight the aquatics project and put it on the ballot.

Pasco voters would need to approve an increase in the city sales tax to support the aquatics facility and pay for the debt service. The amount has not yet been determined, since the project is still in the proposal phase.

Brian Malley, executive director of Benton-Franklin Council of Governments, said a successful two-tenths of a percent ballot measure for any of the three city PFDs would use completely the full taxing authority the Regional PFD could consider, and thus disband the district.

The Benton-Franklin Council of Governments serves as the lead agency for the Tri-Cities Regional Public Facilities District.

“The Regional PFD board has taken the stance that they were going to allow the city of Kennewick and the city of Pasco to pursue their two ballot measures, and wait and see how those shake out,” Malley said.

He added that the regional board has been in a holding pattern for six months.

Pasco officials have said it could be 2018 before voters see the project on the ballot.

If the city wants to build an attached recreational center with a gym and community rooms, it could be funded by a city general obligation bond, which also requires voter approval.

“We hope to be able to create a regional facility that would attract visitors, as well as provide recreation for our youth,” said Stan Strebel, Pasco’s deputy city manager.

This story was originally published March 3, 2017 at 8:32 PM with the headline "Bill to help Pasco PFD with proposed aquatics facility passes House."