This past January I had the pleasure of attending WPPA 2025 Port Day in Olympia and observing WPPA Staff and members engage their state legislative delegations and other elected officials to advance the interests of ports all over Washington.
This past January I had the pleasure of attending WPPA 2025 Port Day in Olympia and observing WPPA Staff and members engage their state legislative delegations and other elected officials to advance the interests of ports all over Washington.
The 68th Washington State Legislature (the “Legislature”) passed legislation in the summer of 2024 that will require Homeowners’ Associations and Condominium Associations to operate in compliance with the Washington Uniform Common Interest Ownership Act (“WUCOIA”) – RCW Chapter 64.90 – beginning January 1, 2028.
Does your port own buildings that are 20,000 square feet or larger? If so, between June 2026 and June 2028, your port will likely have to comply with Building Performance Standards (“BPS”) in the Clean Building Act, Chapter 19.27A RCW
Last month, at the Annual Meeting, WPPA honored an impressive list of new WPPA Life Members at Friday morning’s Awards Breakfast. Among the awardees was long-time WPPA General Counsel and author of Knowing the Waters – Frank Chmelik.
December is a month of making lists - holiday present lists, new year’s resolution lists, and the like. In keeping with the theme of making lists, this month’s column is an annual legal checklist of items that your ports should review annually.
Simply put, a water right is a legal right to use a certain amount of water for a beneficial purpose. The Washington Department of Ecology (“Ecology”) is responsible for managing the state's water resources and administers the permit systems for water rights for surface and ground water.
In May 2024, Ecology filed a Petition for Adjudication (the “Petition”) in the Whatcom County Superior Court to adjudicate all claims of a water right in WRIA 1 (“Adjudication”).
On June 24, 2024, the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) issued a final rule on how special purpose district governments, including Washington ports, must make their website content and mobile apps readily accessible and usable by individuals with disabilities.
Earlier this year, the Washington Legislature passed SHB 1105, which updates the Open Public Meeting Act (“OPMA”) and requires public agencies to provide notice for public comment that includes the first and last date and time by which such public comment must be submitted in certain situations.
