LGN - Local Governments Competing w/ Private Sector

Stan Bowman, the Executive Director of AIA Washington has been working with local chapters in the state on an issue concerning local government competing with the private sector, and is hopeful that others may have successfully dealt with similar issues. Please see his email below and let me know if anyone has resources that would be helpful to AIA Washington.

Thank you,

Brooks

 

AIA|WA Practice Resource Group,

 

At the last Architects & Engineers Legislative Council Meeting, the group discussed concerns with Snohomish County offering services to local governments which are in direct competition to private sector businesses.

 

The next steps are to pull together a meeting of larger stakeholders, meet with the county elected officials (especially the County Executive Aaron Reardon) and discuss the concerns of the county's actions.

 

This is not the first instance of a local government competing with private services. We have had problems in King County and with some of the Educational Service Districts. The immediate focus will be on the specific services offered by Snohomish county.

 

We will also be evaluating the state law allowing for interlocal agreements under which authority these services are being offered. The law was originally intended to allow governments to cooperate on projects of joint concern (such as repaving a road that goes on city and county jurisdictional control under a single contract). However, as some local governments have grown their staff, they are using these agreements to market their services to other cities in an effort to maintain their staff size and not to just facilitate a more effective project.

 

Thanks for taking a look at this. I would appreciate your insights. Also, if you come across any similar proposals from other local governments, please let me know.

 

Stan

 

Stan L. Bowman, Hon. AIA/WA
Executive Director
American Institute of Architects Washington Council

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