RCW 36.78.020
"Standards of good practice" shall mean general and uniform practices formulated and adopted by the board relating to the administration of county roads and the safe and efficient movement of people and goods over county roads, which shall apply to engineering, design procedures, maintenance, traffic control, safety, planning, programming, road classification, road inventories, budgeting and accounting procedures, management practices, equipment policies, personnel policies, and effective use of transportation-related information technology.
Certificate of Good Practice
Annually, each county engineer and either the chair of the board of county commissioners or the county executive must certify that the county has operated in compliance with the Standards of Good Practice. Based upon this certification, CRAB issues Certificates of Good Practice to the State Treasurer, which allows disbursement of gas tax revenues to the individual counties in the following year (WAC 136-04-050).
CRAB Standards
- Maintenance Management
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Requires counties to adopt a documented managed approach to maintenance of all county roads by December 31, 2007. Develops the mind set and standards for improved management of the largest expenditure in each county, with the outcome focused on efficient delivery of those services.
- Vacancy in the Position of County Engineer
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Assures that the Legislative Authority of each county hires, or contracts with, a licensed professional civil engineer to supervise, under the direction of the Legislative Authority, all activities related to the county roads of the county.
- Priority Programming Procedures
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Requires counties to use a documented prioritization scheme, with specified parameters, to set its road construction programs, assuring that the dedicated fuel tax funds are expended in accordance with their constitutional and statutory purposes, and in an efficient, explainable and supportable manner.
- Six-Year Programs
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Assures the development of a statutorily required six-year program forecast, appropriately considering both priorities and fiscal capabilities. Assures that citizens can affect and see the county needs and priorities over a period of time, providing a sound foundation for effective annual programming decisions.
- Annual Road Program, Construction Report, and County Forces Construction
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Requires full disclosure of actual practice in annual construction activities, assuring both compliance with applicable laws and clear accountability to the citizens.
- Inspection of Bridges on County Roads
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Requires compliance with federal mandates for bridge inspection. Assures statewide ability to receive federal funds, as well as safety for the users of these critical transportation links.
- Pavement Management System
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Requires counties to implement a pavement management system in order to be eligible for the County Arterial Preservation Program (CAPP), assuring that paved county arterial roads data is available to evaluate regional or statewide arterial preservation and rehabilitation needs.
- Relationship between County Engineer and County Legislative Authority
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Clarifies respective roles and accountability of both the lead professional and their respective councils or boards. Requires several policies that provide clarity between those respective roles as well as for citizens doing business with the county.
- County Forces Construction
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Requires clearly defined and documented actions and records to implement projects accomplished with county forces, assuring compliance with legislative direction and clear accountability.
- Traffic Law Enforcement Expenditures
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Clarifies conditions under which counties are eligible to receive funds from the rural arterial trust account (RATA). Chapter 136-150 WAC describes how the RATA provisions will be implemented by the county road administration board. This chapter is specific to WAC 136-150-020, 136-150-021, 136-150-022, and 136-150-030 relating to road levy, road levy diversion, and traffic law.
- Accommodation of Utilities on County Roads
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Requires consistency, practicability and accountability in permitting for secondary users of county road rights of way, the utilities critical to assure quality of life in our communities. Helps assure appropriate installations in accordance with good design and safety practices.
- Maintenance of County Road Log
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Requires counties to maintain a complete inventory of all county roads, assuring the capability to evaluate and compare the transportation needs and capabilities across the state, thus providing a high level of accountability both by individual county and statewide.
- County Accident Reports
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Requires not only that such reports be filed in compliance with state law, but with the information added by the county, assures that reports are reviewed and allows the collection and comparison of accident trends and summaries to determine what and where a focus needs to occur to help prevent injuries and fatalities among road users.