RCW 35.21.278 Contracts with community service organizations for public improvements—Limitations.

(1) Without regard to competitive bidding laws for public works, a county, city, town, school district, metropolitan park district, park and recreation district, port district, or park and recreation service area may contract with a chamber of commerce, a service organization, a community, youth, or athletic association, or other similar association located and providing service in the immediate neighborhood, for drawing design plans, making improvements to a park, school playground, public square, or port habitat site, installing equipment or artworks, or providing maintenance services for a facility or facilities as a community or neighborhood project, or environmental stewardship project, and may reimburse the contracting association its expense. The contracting association may use volunteers in the project and provide the volunteers with clothing or tools; meals or refreshments; accident/injury insurance coverage; and reimbursement of their expenses. The consideration to be received by the public entity through the value of the improvements, artworks, equipment, or maintenance shall have a value at least equal to three times that of the payment to the contracting association. All payments made by a public entity under the authority of this section for all such contracts in any one year shall not exceed twenty-five thousand dollars or two dollars per resident within the boundaries of the public entity, whichever is greater.

(2) A county, city, town, school district, metropolitan park district, park and recreation district, or park and recreation service area may ratify an agreement, which qualifies under subsection (1) of this section and was made before June 9, 1988.

(3) Without regard to competitive bidding laws for public works, a school district, institution of higher education, or other governmental entity that includes training programs for students may contract with a community service organization, nonprofit organization, or other similar entity, to build tiny houses for low-income housing, if the students participating in the building of the tiny houses are in:

(a) Training in a community and technical college construction or construction management program;

(b) A career and technical education program;

(c) A state recognized apprenticeship preparation program; or

(d) Training under a construction career exploration program for high school students administered by a nonprofit organization.

[ 2019 c 352 § 7; 2012 c 218 § 1; 1988 c 233 § 1.]

NOTES:

Finding—2019 c 352: See note following RCW 58.17.040.