NORTH BEND – Two bills that could pave the way for the city to resolve its water rights issues were approved by the state Legislature last week in the waning hours of that group’s first special session. Both bills have been delivered to Gov. Gary Locke and are expected to be signed into law in the upcoming days.

House bills 1336 and 1338 are expected to make it easier for the city of North Bend to gain the proper permits that would allow it to tap into its large resource of water and put an end to a four-year building moratorium that has left new construction dollars in the city’s coffers near nonexistent.

“We’re very excited,” said Mayor Joan Simpson. “This doesn’t resolve all the problems but it removes a lot of the roadblocks. It’s a major win for the city of North Bend, the region and the state.”

That moratorium was imposed in 1999 when it was discovered that for years city officials had been using the wrong calculations to determine how much water was allocated from the 1965 state issuance of water rights. With no new issuance of additional water rights excepted from the state at the time, the city was forced to halt new construction projects that required water.

Under the new legislation, which was part of a package proposed by Rep. Kelli Linville, D-Bellingham, as part of her 10- year battle to reform the state’s water laws, the city of North Bend will be able to purchase water from other municipalities.

For the complete story, pick up a copy of this week’s Valley Record