HomeMy WebLinkAboutord1993-058WIIATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL AGENDA BILL
NO. 93 -361
CLEARANCES
Initial
Date
Date Received in Council Office:
Agenda date
Assigned to:
';inator: Superior Court
Division Head:
9/1/93
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�SEP 9 1993
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WHATCOM CI� /� UN
COUNCIL
9/14/93
Council Introduction
9/28/93
Council
Dept. Head:
Prosecutor:
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Purchasing /Budget:
Executive:
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SUBJECT:
An ordinance authorizing the appointment of a Family Court Commissioner in the Superior Court.
ATTACHMENTS:
RCW 26.12.150
SUMMARY STATEMENT.
Please complete sections of box as appropriate & explain the item below.
Related County contract #:
Should Clerk schedule a hearing? NO / X / YES / / Requested date:
Amount budgeted for this item/ project: $ 30,000
Is it or will it be within budget? YES / X / NO / / lease explain below
Budget line item number(s): 3100.6650.904 Change in commissioner's title only; no increase in service.
The authority to make a standing appointment of a Family Court Commissioner would save the manhours necessary
to draft, sign, docket, microfilm and file ad hoc pro tern appointments. Hourly pro tem services are routinely budgeted
r 'paid out of the Court's professional services portion of its budget - the hourly pay for a family court commissioner
�,-Ad be the same and paid out of the same line item. To the extent that disputes may be resolved in the family court
(reconciliation) forum, those matters will not need to be added to the overcrowded domestic relations case schedules
or a judge or commissioner taken out of regularly- scheduled courtroom assignments to conduct Family Court matters
which may not be co- mingled with other domestic matters.
ORIGINATOR'S RECOMMENDED ACTION.•
Pass the ordinance authorizing the appointment of a Family Court Commissioner.
COMMITTEE ACT /ON TAKEN:
COUNCIL ACT /ON TAKEN:
9/14/93: Introduction
9/28/93• Council adopted the ordinance. 7 -0.
Related File Numbers: Ordinance or Resolution Number (this item only): ord93 -058
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INTRODUCED BY: Consent
PROPOSED BY: Superior Court
DATE: 9/14/93
ORDINANCE NO. 93 -058
AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING
A
FAMILY COURT COMMISSIONER
WHEREAS,* the Superior Court of each Washington county is limited by the
Washington constitution to three constitutional court commissioners, requiring that the court
enter numerous orders appointing pro tempore court commissioners to hear family law
matters otherwise scheduled for hearing before an ill, vacationing or absent constitutional
court commissioner, and,
WHEREAS, Section 26.12.050, Revised Code of Washington, allows the Superior
Court to appoint, in addition to the constitutional commissioner positions, a Family Court
Commissioner to hear family law matters, including those family law matters normally
heard by a constitutional court commissioner, and,
WHEREAS, pending Title 26 dissolution cases may be required to enter a
reconciliation process by referral to Family Court, before the family court commissioner,
which family court commissioner services were heretofore provided by pro tempore
appointments of District Court Judges or Commissioners, and whereas the primary
workloads of those elected and permanently appointed judicial officers is such that their
respective court schedules do not afford the time required to conduct any statutorily- required
Family Court reconciliation services, and,
WHEREAS, the ongoing appointment of an individual to serve as a "Family Court
Commissioner," rather than numerous limited- duration appointments as a " Commissioner Pro
Tempore, " is merely a change in title resulting in no additional compensation costs,
NOW BE IT ORDAINED by the Whatcom County Council that the Superior Court
is authorized to appoint a Family Court Commissioner and to designate the duties to be
performed by the individual appointed, and
NOW BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED by the Whatcom County Council that the
compensation paid to the Family Court Commissioner shall be the same paid to a judge pro
tempore or commissioner pro tempore.
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PASSED this 28th day of September , 1993.
ATTEST:.
Clerk of the Council
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
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Civil Deputy Prosecuting Attorney
WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
WHATCOM COUNTY WASHINGTON
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Chairpe on
(,� APPROVED ( ) VETOED
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Shirley Van Zanten, ICounty E&Ative
Date: — g
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