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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-24-2008 CITY OF AUBURN CITY OF * * TRANSPORTATION, TRANSIT AND TRAILS COMMITTEE September 24, 2008 WASHINGTON 1. CALL TO ORDER Chairman Roger Thordarson called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m. in the Council Conference Room, located on the first floor of Auburn City Hall, 25 West Main Street, Auburn, Washington. Committee members present were: Dirk Bidleman, John Calnan, Jim Chambers, Angie McCarr, Lonnie Tealer, and Michael Pratum. Also present during the meeting were: Community Jay Bennett, Development and Public Works Director for the City of Pacific, Public Works Director Dennis Dowdy, Transportation Planner/Grants Manager Chris Hankins, Transportation Planner/Grants Manager Tiffin Goodman, and Public Works Department Secretary Jennifer Rigsby. II. CONSENT AGENDA A. APPROVAL OF MINUTES It was moved by Member Calnan, seconded by Member Chambers that the Committee approves the Transportation, Transit, and Trails Committee Meeting minutes for date, August 27, 2008. Motion carried. III. DISCUSSION AND INFORMATION A. STEWART ROAD/LAKE TAPPS CORRIDOR DISCUSSION Director powdy introduced Jay Bennett, Community Development and Public Works Director for the City of Pacific to the Committee and the Committee Members gave a brief description of their individual transportation concerns to Director Bennett. Director powdy provided the Committee with background information regarding the Stewart Road/Lake Tapps Corridor Project. There are three cities involved, Auburn, Pacific, and Sumner, working to increase Pierce County support for the project. Dowdy explained the three cities have done what was required of them to move the project forward and currently Pierce County representatives have not expressed further urgency in regard to the project. Director powdy responded to questions from Member Chambers regarding the availability of Federal Funds. Director Bennett gave the Committee a synopsis of the current status of the Stewart Road/Lake Tapps Corridor Project. Bennett reported the construction on Stewart Road will not be completed next year. Grant funds were received to complete the Interurban Trail and the Cities of Auburn and Pacific are working on starting construction on 3`d Street, through the park, and connecting to the Interurban Trail. Chairman Thordarson stated there will still be difficulty traveling east to west on the trail network. Director Bennett answered there are funds for completion of the east/west trail included in the Stewart Road Project. Member Calnan asked about the construction on 3rd Street. Director Bennett answered there would be no parking on the north side 3`d Street and there would be a dedicated bicycle lane. Director Bennett continued, stating the Stewart Road/Lake Tapps Corridor Project is divided into four phases. Using a vicinity map, Bennett reviewed the location, brief scope of work, and status of each phase with the Committee. Once of the reasons the project is not moving forward is that the estimated cost of construction for phase one of the project went from 5.5 million to 14.6 million dollars. There is an agreement with Pierce County that states the City of Pacific is responsible for 64% of the cost and the County 35%. The funds needed for the Transportation Transit and Trails Committee Seqtember 24, 2008 project to proceed are unavailable and Pierce County is unwilling to renegotiate the terms of the agreement. Director powdy reviewed the traffic count data, compiled by the Cities of Auburn, Pacific, and Sumner. The three City coalition believes the data justifies the need for Pierce County to accept more responsibility for the project cost based on the origin & destination of drivers using the corridor, the majority of who originate in Pierce County. Dowdy said Mayor Lewis has attempted to schedule a meeting with Pierce County Councilmember Shawn Bunney regarding the traffic data and has not been successful in doing so. The Mayors of Pacific, Sumner, and Auburn are pursuing the issue and have found Pierce County unwilling to review and consider the traffic count data. Member Tealer asked what would happen to the federal funding if the project did not move forward. Dowdy answered the funds would be most likely withdrawn by the Transportation Improvement Board to finance other projects under construction that are encountering cost over runs. Director Bennett responded to questions from the Committee regarding the steps being taken to communicate with Transportation Improvement Board the status of the project and what measures are being taken to move forward. The Committee discussed the distribution businesses that use Stewart Road. The Committee discussed how they could lend their support and contribute to the effort to move the project toward construction. Director powdy recommended contacting the media and starting a letter campaign directed toward Pierce County and State Legislators. Director Bennett recommended attending the Pierce County Public Meeting on their Transportation Plan Update, scheduled for the beginning of October. Bennett also offered to contact the Pacific Economic Development Group to rally support. The Committee continued discussion about attending the Pierce County Public Meeting and gathering support from the Lakeland Hills and Lake Tapps Communities. Member Pratum recommended drafting a letter in support of the Stewart Road Project and soliciting members of the affected communities to sign. Staff will draft the letter to go to the Pierce County hearing and circulate to the committee. The Committee intends to now form the Stewart Road Subcommittee of the City of Auburn Transportation, Transit, and Trails Committee and act on the recommendations discussed. The subcommittee for support of Stewart Road agreed to meet Wednesday, October 1 st from 1 to 3PM in the Council Conference Room to plan for testimony before future Pierce County forums. IV. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business to come before the Transportation, Transit, and Trails Committee, the meeting was adjourned at 10:09 a.m. Approved this day of , 2008. Roger Thordarson Jennifer Rigsby Chairman Public Works Department Secretary Page 2