HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Committees - Public Works Committee - 01/11/2016Special Public Works Committee Minutes
January 11, 2016
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Item 1 – Call to Order: The meeting was called to order at 5:11 p.m. by Committee Chair,
Dennis Higgins.
Item 2 – Roll Call: Committee Chair, Dennis Higgins and Committee members Dana Ralph and
Brenda Fincher were present.
Item 3 – Changes to the Agenda: There were no items added to the agenda.
Item 4 – Information Only/Sound Transit 3 Candidate Projects:
Lacey Jane Wolfe, Senior Transportation Planner introduced Chelsea Levy, Sound Transit
government relations officer and Eric Chipps, Sr. Transportation Planner together they gave a
status update on Sound Transit 2 (ST2) and the Sound Transit 3 (ST3) Candidate Projects.
Several candidate projects could be significant for Kent. S ome of these are deferred projects
from ST 2 that will be implemented more quickly if they are included in a successful ST3
package.
Sound Transit 2 Project Status:
Extension of Link Light rail from South 200th to Kent-Des Moines Road
Expanded south Sounder service (4 additional trips)
Kent Station access (450-stall parking garage at Kent Sounder Station, with the option to
include pedestrian and bicycle improvements)
Extension of Link light rail from Kent-Des Moines Road to South 272nd
South Sounder station platform extensions (in order to accommodate 8-car train sets)
The Link extension to Ken-Des Moines Road is currently in progress. Kent staff continues to
meet regularly with Sound Transit to collaborate on project details. This project is scheduled to
be completed by 2023.
The next steps for the ST3 process will continue on the following schedule:
March 2016 – Board drafts system plan
April 2016 – Board conducts public outreach and makes revisions
June 2016 – Board finalizes and adopts the plan and each county approves the plan
November 2016 – Public vote
Council Chair Higgins questioned the extension of the taxing district for Sound Transit. Why
don’t people that live in Maple Valley and Covington (for example) have to pay when they are
traveling through Kent to get to the train? It was noted by Levy that if jurisdictions want to join
the taxing district they have to approach Sound Transit.
Information Only/No Motion Required
Item 5 –Information Only/76th Ave S Drainage:
Alex Murillo, P.E., Environmental Engineering Supervisor noted that there has been a lot of
attention on 76th Avenue and other streets near Mill Creek. Murillo went through his slides
which showed illustrations of the Green River and Valley Creek Systems, noting that they are
separate from our system. He went on to state that d rainage improvements to reduce flood
risks in the Mill Creek watershed will require a number of projects. Some of these
Special Public Works Committee Minutes
January 11, 2016
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improvements have already been completed, which include the South 228th Street Dra inage
Bypass, the 64th Ave South Channel Culvert Replacements, and culvert cleaning projects.
Future drainage improvements include work on the Green River Natural Resources Area, culvert
replacements along 76th Avenue South, the Mill Creek Channel Reestab lishment project, the
James Street Stormwater Pump Station, and the Upper Mill Creek Dam Improvements. Murillo
provided the Committee an update on all of these projects.
Information Only/No Motion Required
Item 6 – Information Only/James Street Pump Station:
Chad Bieren, P.E., City Engineer updated the committee on the project status. Bieren mentioned
that Alex Murillo covered the downtown area of Kent very well in his presentation. Bieren stated
that the James Street Stormwater Pump Station is located just north of James Street near
Woodford Ave North and is in the final phase of design we are planning to go out for bid in 2016.
Committee member Ralph asked about the logistics of the project and asked why divert all the
traffic to 94th. Staff will look at other possibilities.
Information Only/No Motion Required
Item 7 – Information Only/Pothole Update:
Bill Thomas, Street Superintendent, updated the committee on the deteriorated condition of the
city’s pavement and the affect potholes have on maintenance practices. Thomas stated that in
2015 they filled 2,224 potholes. Thomas said that you can find out about where they are
working on filling potholes by Tweeting, checking on Facebook, Instagram contact (253)856-
5600 or the Kent Website at www.Kentwa.gov (in the “I want to..” tab click “Click “Report a
pothole”).
Information Only/No Motion Required
Item 8 – Information Only/Railroad Quiet Zone:
City Engineer Chad Bieren gave a brief description of the quiet zone project and of updates since
the visit from Federal Rail Administration. Staff is doing additional research in house and taking
a closer look at regulations. There seems to be some latitude on what we need to get done on
the railroads before we get the quiet zone in place. We need to define what we have to do,
should do, and what other agencies would like us to do. The hope is to get it established quicker
than the schedule.
Bieren stated that at the next meeting with Union Pacific, which is scheduled for January 27,
staff will be discussing five separate issues. The recommendation for the next meeting is to have
a flip book of each intersection with options and staff recommendations.
Information Only/No Motion Required
The meeting was adjourned at 6:18 p.m.
Cheryl Viseth
Council Committee Recorder