On July 12, 2012, Van Ness Feldman GordonDerr client Cascade Water Alliance  successfully converted to a municipal corporation (a Joint Municipal Utility Services Authority) from a non-profit Watershed Partnership. 

Cascade, formed originally as a non-profit watershed management partnership, realized it lacked authorities of other utilities and had many areas of confusion, such as how to handle public purchasing.  As a result, Cascade led a statewide effort to create more effective ways for entities to form to provide essential public services.  The process led to the Joint Municipal Utility Services Act, enacted by the Washington Legislature in 2011. 

The 2011 Act establishes an improved interlocal mechanism for cooperation among local government utilities that provide water, wastewater, stormwater and/or flood control services.  The Act authorizes cities, towns, counties, and special purpose districts voluntarily to form an intergovernmental municipal corporation (“Authority”) that can provide services to those local utilities and their customers. 

Cascade is very proud to be the first such entity and Van Ness Feldman GordonDerr is proud to have been of assistance in this transition.