HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Committees - Public Works Committee - 11/20/2017
PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE Minutes City of Kent, WA
Summary Minutes
Date: November 20, 2017
Time: 4:00 p.m.
Place: Chambers East
1. Call to Order: The meeting was called to order at 4:03 p.m. by Committee
member Higgins.
2. Roll Call: Committee members, Dennis Higgins, Dana Ralph and Brenda
Fincher were present. Council member Higgins chaired the meeting.
Absent: N/A
3. Changes to the Agenda: No changes to the agenda
4. Approval of Minutes, Dated November 6, 2017
Committee member Fincher MOVED to approve the Minutes of November 6,
2017. The motion was SECONDED by Committee member Ralph and PASSED
3 - 0.
5. Acceptance of National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
(NPDES) Storm Water Grant - Recommend
Laura Haren, Environmental Conservation Analyst (NPDES) Noted that the permit
allows the city to discharge stormwater to streams, rivers, and lakes as long as the
conditions of the permit are met. Public Works has been working to ensure that the
city implements stormwater management practices consistent with permit
requirements.
Haren noted that the City has been offered a $50,000.00 grant from the Department
of Ecology through its Local Government Stormwater Grants Program. Grant funds are
offered to assist the city in the implementation of the Phase II municipal stormwater
NPDES permit.
The funds can be used for data collection, updating stormwater regulations, source
control, public education and outreach, illegal discharges into the City’s stormwater
system, and other activities consistent with the NPDES permit program.
Committee member Ralph MOVED to recommend council authorize the Mayor
to sign the Washington State Department of Ecology Municipal Stormwater
Capacity Grant in the amount of $50,000 for the National Pollutant Discharge
Elimination System (NPDES) Program, subject to final terms and conditions
acceptable to the City Attorney and Public Works Director. The motion was
SECONDED by Committee member Fincher. The motion PASSED 3 - 0.
6. Renaming South 238th Street to Oberto Drive - Recommend
Chad Bieren, Deputy Public Works Director / City Engineer noted that Oberto, a Kent
business, requested that Mayor Cooke consider renaming South 238th Street from
West Valley Highway to the eastern terminus near SR 167 to honor Oberto’s 100th
Anniversary. Mayor Cooke believes renaming the street would be a fitting tribute to
commemorate Oberto’s contribution to the City and its 100 year anniversary.
Bieren noted that there are only a few businesses along 238th Street and all but one
business has been notified and has no problem with the name change. Staff will
continue to try to reach the Public Storage on S 238th Street to notify them of the
change.
Committee member Fincher MOVED to authorize council to Adopt Resolution
No. ___, renaming South 238th Street to Oberto Drive. The motion was
SECONDED by Committee member Ralph . The motion PASSED 3 - 0.
7. Information Only/Mill Creek Reestablishment - Update
Toby Hallock, Enviromental Engineer showed current pictures of Upper Mill Creek as
well as pictures of 76th Avenue and Kennebeck which are affected by excess sediment.
Hallock went over the permitting requirements for the project and what it includes;
removing accumulated sediment from Mill Creek in order to restore the original
channel capacity of the creek along with required mitigation. The project will help
reduce flood risk and drainage issues throughout the Kent Valley. Sediment removal
from the creek creates environmental impacts to wetlands and fish habitat requiring a
permit from the US Army Corps of Engineers.
In order to help mitigate environmental impacts, the project will also include planting
native vegetation along the creek where possible, construction of wetland mitigation
sites, and construction of sediment capture devices. We have consultants assisting with
permit requirements, mitigation plans, and sediment capture design among other
elements required by the permitting agencies. We have been working with the Corps
and other permitting agencies to keep the permit process moving.
8. Information Only/Reith Road & 253rd Analyses - Update
Kelly Peterson, Transportation Manager noted that at the September 18, 2017, Public
Works Committee Meeting, Mr. Tommy Mirante and Ms. Annette Pratt, Chair of the
West Hill Neighborhood Council, expressed concern about traffic safety at the
intersection of S. 253rd St and Reith Road.
The Public Works Committee requested staff analyze accident data to determine how
this intersection compares to the rest of the city with regards to accident frequency.
Staff reviewed five years of accident data from the Kent Police Department. Based on
frequency of accidents, the top 10 list of intersections has been developed and is
shown below. Accidents were only included if a police report was filed.
For the five years of data (2012 through 2017) eight accidents within two blocks of
the S 253rd St and Reith Road intersection were documented. To put this into context
the lowest number of accidents in the same time period for the top ten list was 71
accidents.
Annette Pratt noted that she appreciates what has been done. However, her concern
is more the traffic counts with Light Rail coming to the West Hill and the Meeker
Street Improvements. Kelly Peterson said that staff is in the process of updating our
TMP and that we will analyze potential impacts as part of that work.
9. Information Only/Meet Me on Meeker Design and Construction
Standards
Hayley Bonsteel, Senior Long Range Planner gave an update on the Meet Me on
Meeker draft design and construction standards. The proposed standards have
undergone extensive revisions since the first draft was presented in September. Staff
have worked collaboratively to resolve all comments and address internal and external
stakeholder needs.
The standards have been simplified and amended for the best balance of feasibility
with aspiration. The standards show a cross section that generally represents the “full
build” goal for Meeker, so that any major redevelopment will contribute to the Meet
Me on Meeker vision; only the areas between Washington Avenue and the underpass
(where there is a truly restrained existing condition with no chance of redevelopment
in the coming decades) show a reduced cross section representing the best
connectivity that can reasonably be expected given right of way constraints.
Prioritization has been developed to help guide case-by-case decisions on how to
implement the cross section while preserving the essence of the project.
The final draft represents staff’s best efforts to maximize the project goals for the
lowest possible future cost and have striven for a final product that truly balances the
needs for economic revitalization through increased investment with the fiscal realities
of construction and maintenance costs. For example, the pedestrian connector zones
were originally designed with individual pavers; these have been revised to a more
affordable cement concrete option. Additionally, lower maintenance installation
methods are recommended based on lessons learned from projects elsewhere in the
region.
The standards now also reflect the switch to historic streetscape elements at 4th
Avenue as well as the “transition zone” choices as per the Kent Downtown
Partnership’s comment letter, presented at the November 6th Public Works
Committee meeting.
Staff and consultants will be available at the November 20, Public Works Committee
meeting to share the final draft and answer questions.
10. Information Only/Quiet Zone
Chad Bieren, Deputy Public Works Director / City Engineer noted that the railroad
Quiet Zone Diagnostic visit with the Union Pacific (UP) and Burlington Northern Santa
Fe (BNSF) railroads were completed on November 14th and 15th, respectively. The field
visit for UP was consistent with past diagnostics. Were as the field visit with BNSF
included requests for extension improvements and was complicated by irresponsible
pedestrian behavior that was witnessed by diagnostic the team. Chair Higgins noted
that the interest in moving forward with the Quiet Zone remains and those
sentiments were echoed by Ralph and Fincher.
11. Information Only/ 132nd Street Walking Path
Tim LaPorte, Public Works Director noted that staff received notice from the
Transportation Improvement Board that they will provide 80% of the funding for the
132nd Avenue SE project from James Street to 248th Ave SE; the city will provide the
remaining 20% match of $160,000. The project is expected to be completed in a year.
13. Information Only/Public Works Accomplishments
Director LaPorte thanked Chair Higgins and the Committee for their support and
reviewed major accomplishments and milestones reached in 2017.
Adjournment: At 5:29 p.m., Committee Chair Higgins declared the meeting
adjourned.
Cheryl Viseth, Committee Secretary