HomeMy WebLinkAbout1870Resolution No. 1870
(Amending or Repealing Resolutions)
Briscoe-Des1mone Levee
Passed-2/11/2013
The date ["Beginning July 1, 1998"] has led to confus1on This date will be deleted from cover sheets of
ord1nance/resolut1on rev1s1on pages Th1s cover sheet w1ll be deleted on electronic pages only, no other
deletions or changes have been made to the document-6/21/2012
RESOLUTION NO.
A RESOLUTION of the City Council of the
city of Kent, Washington, endorsing the K1ng
County Flood Control D1stnct Execut1ve
Committee's decision to recommend repa1r and
reconstruction of the Bnscoe-Des1mone levee to
the King County Flood Control D1stnct Board of
Supervisors m accordance w1th the proJect proposal
developed by the c1ty of Kent.
RECITALS
A. The King County Flood Control District ("District") was established in
April, 2007 by ord1nance 15728 of the Metropolitan King County Council to
protect public health and safety, reg1onal econom1c centers, public and
pnvate properties and transportation corridors. The District is an
independent special purpose d1stnct and w1ll be mstrumental m addressmg
the backlog of mamtenance and repa1rs to levees and revetments,
acquiring repet1t1ve loss properties and other at-nsk floodplain properties,
and 1mprovmg countywide flood warning and flood pred1ct1on capac1ty.
B. The District has been considering a levee repair and reconstruction
project m the c1ty of Kent at the "Bnscoe-Des1mone" levee along the east
bank of the Green R1ver between S. 200th St. and S. 180th St. These
needed levee Improvements are urgent and cnt1cal. Th1s levee protects a
large industnal and commemal area of Kent, Tukwila, and Renton, and
four reaches do not meet minimum federal levee safety standards. The City
takes the safety of 1ts res1dents and businesses extremely senously, and
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Resolution
that is the pnmary reason why th1s work must be conducted immediately.
There are approximately 100,000 JObs in the lower Green R1ver Valley, and
they, along w1th others throughout the reg1on, would be impacted by a
flood event.
C. The City and King County have developed two separate approaches
to repairing and reconstructing this section of levee. The County's proposal
to repa1r the four def1c1ent reaches of th1s levee contemplates a wider levee
setback and 1s over four t1mes more expens1ve than the City's proposal
(approximately $71 million) due to the amount of real estate that must be
purchased and number of busmesses that must be removed. The County's
cost est1mate is based on a conceptual plan, wh1ch may result 1n s1gnif1cant
fluctuations 1n the cost estimates as the proJect proceeds. Additionally, the
County has not developed a plan to acqu1re that fundmg. The City has
developed detailed geotechnical and hydraulic stud1es along with 30%
des1gn plans for 1ts levee repair and reconstruction proposal. The City's
cost estimate to complete the improvements needed to bnng th1s levee up
to federal standards is $17 million, includmg $1 million in new riverbank
vegetat1on for salmon habitat.
D. There are three federally listed endangered salmon speCies wh1ch
live 1n the lower Green River and rely on the nverbank hab1tat for their
survival. The City proposal allows for stream bank planting of nat1ve trees
and shrubs wh1ch w1ll improve the habitat for these fisheries Without
detnmentally affecting the flood protection prov1ded by the setback
floodwall.
E. There is a $7 million state grant for th1s proJect which IS set to
expire in approximately five months, along with $14 million in Distnct
budgeted funds for this levee between 2013 -2015.
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Resolution
F. Because of the d1screpanc1es between the two plans, the District
h1red a qual1f1ed, neutral th1rd party, Dr. Robert B. Gilbert, PhD, P.E., DGE,
from the Un1vers1ty of Texas at Aust1n, to analyze and review both plans.
Dr. Gilbert is a nationally recogmzed expert on levee floodwall des1gn
requirements, known for h1s extensive work analyzing floodwall 1ssues and
failures caused by Hurncanes Katrina and Gustav and for his subsequent
involvement as part of a nat1onal team to develop new national des1gn
standards for floodwall design and construction. Dr. Gilbert found that both
proposals met the most current nat1onal design standards. His
overwhelmmg conclusion IS that the City's proposal IS the most cost
effective means to Improve the def1c1ent reaches of the levee to meet
federal standards as part of the long term goal of improving flood
protection throughout the Green R1ver Valley.
G. On Thursday, February 7, 2013, the District's Execut1ve Comm1ttee
met to select a proJect proposal, and at this meeting, the Execut1ve
Committee recommended to the Flood Control D1stnct Board of Supervisors
that Kent's approach w1th technical recommendations from Dr. Robert B.
Gilbert, PhD, P.E., DGE, 1s the preferred proposal.
NOW THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF KENT,
WASHINGTON, DOES HEREBY RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:
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Resolution
RESOLUTION
SECTION 1. -Findings. The Kent City Counc1l finds as follows:
a) The needed Bnscoe-Desimone Levee improvements are urgent
and cntical.
b) The City's proposed setback floodwall is significantly less
expens1ve and can be implemented more qu1ckly than Kmg
County's setback levee proposal.
c) The City of Kent has a feasible plan to complete the work at the
Bnscoe-Des1mone levee that takes advantage of ex1stmg state
and D1stnct funding.
d) The City's design method has been approved by Dr. Robert B.
Gilbert, PhD, P.E., DGE, the D1stnct's consultant expert on
levees.
e) The short term flood protection prov1ded by the City's setback
floodwall 1s comparable to the County's setback levee.
f) The benefits to f1sh prov1ded by the City's setback flood wall are
comparable to the County's setback levee.
g) The comparisons made by Dr. Gilbert, and the decision of the
D1stnct's Execut1ve Committee to recommend Kent's Briscoe-
Deslmone Levee repa1r and reconstruction proposal to the D1stnct
Board of Superv1sors, are appropriate and correct.
SECTION 2. -The City Council endorses the District Executive
Committee's dec1s1on and concurs that the repa1rs to the Bnscoe-Des1mone
levee, as recommended by the city of Kent Public Works Department, are
the appropnate and correct approach to repair and reconstruct this port1on
of the Green R1ver levee.
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Resolution
SECTION 3. -The Kent City Council 1s interested 1n providing at
least one Councilmember in the Reg1onal Systemwide Improvement
Framework (SWIF) process to ensure meanmgful representation on behalf
of Kent's broad economic development and safety interests.
SECTION 4. -The Kent City Council desires to work with the King
County Flood Control District on a long-term flood control plan that may
include the removal of the setback flood wall at a later date as long as the
future plan ma1nta1ns accred1tat1on.
SECTION 5. -Effective Date. This resolution shall take effect and
be in force 1mmed1ately upon 1ts passage.
PASSED at a regular open public meeting by the City Council of the
City of Kent, Washington, th1s //~ day of Fd,..CAt::~-ry , 2013.
//~ CONCURRED in by the Mayor of the City of Kent this / L day of
hbrU:Z..rf:J , 2013.
ATTEST:
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Resolution
I hereby certify that th1s is a true and correct copy of Resolution No.
/lf7{) passed by the City Council of the City of Kent, Washmgton, the
// ~ day othkvary 2013.
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Resolution