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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPublic Works May 20 201410 2 P 3M 41] 5F11 6M 7P] 8M 90 10r?] 111] 120 13P] 14M 150 161N 17M 180 19r?] 20M 21M 22r?] 230 241a 25F?] 260 27F71 28M 29M 300 31M 32M 33M 34M 350 36M 37M 380 390 40M 41(] 420 43F?1 44M 450 46M 47F?] 481a 49M 500 51P] 521a 530 54P] WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL Public Works, Health, and Safety Committee May 20, 2014 CALL TO ORDER Committee Chair Barbara Brenner called the meeting to order at 1:34 p.m. in the Council Chambers, 311 Grand Avenue, Bellingham, Washington. ROLL CALL (1 :34:34 PM) Present: Barbara Brenner, Ken Mann and Pete Kremen. Absent: None. Also Present: Barry Buchanan and Rud Browne. SPECIAL PRESENTATION 1. PRESENTATION BY PUGET SOUND ENERGY ON INFRASTRUCTURE UPDATES PLANNED FOR WHATCOM COUNTY (AB2014 -204) Lynn Murphy, Puget Sound Energy, submitted and read from a presentation (on file). Kremen asked if residents in the unincorporated areas are included in the city totals. Murphy stated they are. Browne asked if there is an alternative service provider to Puget Sound Energy in Whatcom County. Murphy stated that Whatcom County residents are served only by Puget Sound Energy. There can be net metering and independent generation facilities. The cities of Sumas and Blaine manage their own electric infrastructure and service. The Public Utility District (PUD) does not service residential customers. PSE has two business customers, Alcoa and British Petroleum (BP). She continued the presentation on the statewide energy resources. Browne stated he would like to know how much energy is generated in Whatcom County specifically. Murphy continued the presentation on the wind energy farms that PSE owns. Mann asked if PSE is going to include in their study electric car owners who charge their cars conventionally, without a rapid charger. Murphy stated they may be included in the data. Kremen asked if the study includes plug -in hybrid cars. Murphy stated she didn't know. She continued the presentation on clean transportation efforts from Waste Management. Brenner asked if PSE works with Comcast on community alerts. Murphy stated they work with the State, not Comcast, on its alert system. Public Works, Health, and Safety Committee, 5/20/2014, Page 1 117 Browne stated make sure that PSE uses alert system technology that everyone can 20 readily access. 3M 417 Kremen stated that is up to the service provider. 5 P 6M Murphy continued the presentation on PSE social media efforts. 7F?1 8M Brenner stated PSE can share its alerts and social media information directly with 9M counties so they can add it to their own websites. 10r?] 110 Browne asked how a private agency such as PSE has an incentive to provide energy 12M efficiency. 13F?1 14M Dom Amor, Puget Sound Energy Community Engagement Manager for Whidbey 150 Island and Snohomish, Skagit, and Whatcom counties, stated the funding for energy 161] efficiency programs is contributed by all rate payers. A portion of all electric use goes to 170 that effort. Those funds are used for energy efficiency programs. 18F?] 191] Kit Maret, Puget Sound Energy, submitted and read from a presentation (on file). 200 211N Brenner asked if they are working on new lines underground for major arterials. 221] Maret stated it depends on the municipality. There is a shared cost, and it's heavily 230 regulated. Tariffs with the State dictate how it's paid for. 24F?1 25M Brenner asked if underground lines are more cost - effective. Maret stated they 26M aren't. It's inexpensive to repair overhead lines compared to underground repairs. It can 271] be five to ten times more expensive, not including restoration issues. 28F?1 291] Browne asked if underground lines would be maintenance free. Maret stated that's 301] not correct. Underground lines are subject to water, roots, animals, and other maintenance 31M issues. There are few outages when no trees are around. She continued the presentation. 32(] 331] (2:35:13 PM) 340 35M Browne asked if the Nooksack diversion is connected to Lake Whatcom. Maret stated 36M it is not. 370 381] Browne asked the line loss per mile for transmission lines. 39F?] 400 (Inaudible) stated transmission lines have less loss than distribution lines. It is 41M about three to five percent. 42F?] 430 Browne asked what uses are allowed and not allowed under transmission lines. 44M Maret stated it depends on the easement and safety codes. Buildings are not allowed. 45F?1 460 Browne asked if there are problems with illegal connections and wire theft. Murphy 47M stated she can research the question and provide information. It's not as large an issue as 48M copper theft. 49F?1 50M Browne asked if copper is stolen from PSE. Murphy stated it is. It is a chronic 51M problem. 521] 530 Kremen stated thieves steal it from wherever they can get it. 54(] Public Works, Health, and Safety Committee, 5/20/2014, Page 2 p 11] Browne asked about shared use of poles for internet access in rural areas. Maret 20 stated they have contracts with all internet providers to share poles via a lease agreement. 3M The applications have to be reviewed for engineering. 41a 5M Browne asked about a shared trench policy. Maret stated they have a policy to share 6M trenches. 7P1 80 Amor stated public improvements from a jurisdiction are opportunities to relocate 90 lines underground. A schedule 74 is a tariff that PSE provides as a contractual agreement, 10M and PSE will subsidize part of the cost. 110 121M Kremen stated he's had concerns for several years about the cost of electricity to 13M residents and businesses. When relocating to this area, businesses consider the cost of 140 electricity. Whatcom County has some of the highest rates in the state. That takes a toll 151M on residents and businesses. It's a factor in the county's ability to attract business. He's 161N aware of a recent request by PSE to lower rates. However, the cost of living is higher and 170 wages are lower than average in Whatcom County. PSE should reduce the amount it 181N charges its customers. Morgan stated the rates charged are uniform across PSE's territory. 191N PSE tries to encourage customers to reduce their bills. The rate structure is complicated. 200 Recently approved is a decoupling mechanism that will keep rates more stable. It will 211N benefit customers. They hope to see those benefits as temperatures fluctuate. 22P] 230 Browne stated he would like a presentation from PSE regarding disaster 241N preparedness. 25M 261] 271N COMMITTEE DISCUSSION 28F?1 290 I. DISCUSSION REGARDING A CITIZEN PROPOSAL TO INSTALL A CROSSWALK 301] AT THE INTERSECTION OF LAKEWAY DRIVE AND PARKSTONE LANE 31M (AB2014 -203) (2:49 :30 PM) 32P] 331] Brenner stated they got a letter from Whatcom Transportation Authority (WTA) 340 supporting it. Her biggest concern is that they want to get people out of cars and to use 35M public transportation, but they can't cross from one side of the road to the other. A 36M crosswalk is really important. 370 38P] Mann stated the residents of a major subdivision live on one side of the road, but 391N they have to cross the road to get their mail. It's a hazard. The traffic is continuous and 400 fast. He asked if a crosswalk can be more dangerous because of a false sense of security 41M for pedestrians, or if that is a misplaced concern. 42P] 430 Mike Donahue, Public Works Department, stated just painting crosswalks can make 44M them more dangerous. The Public Works Department doesn't recommend just signs and 45M paint because it becomes more dangerous. 460 47M Brenner stated the flashing light gets people's attention. Donahue stated installing a 48M crosswalk has to be justified because the situation meets warrants for traffic control. 491] 500 Kremen stated he is inclined to support the request to find some safe way for 51M pedestrians to cross Lakeway Drive. According to WTA, people need a way to cross in order 52M to use the public transit system. This is a situation in which it may be appropriate to 530 consider going against the guidelines and being as creative as possible to find a solution for 54M pedestrians to cross without walking an extra half mile. He encourages the department to Public Works, Health, and Safety Committee, 5/20/2014, Page 3 P1 11a see how the County can best provide a crosswalk in that neighborhood. However, don't 20 create a situation that becomes more dangerous. 3M 41a Brenner stated the Council has leeway to consider other factors besides warrants and 5M guidelines. 6M 7P1 Mann asked if the price estimate provided was for a flashing amber crosswalk. 80 Donahue stated that is correct. 90 10M Brenner stated that none of the flashing amber crosswalks in Bellingham are at 110 intersections. 12P] 13M Jack Louws, County Executive, asked the pedestrian count in that area. 14R? 150 Donahue submitted a handout (on file) on the pedestrian counts. They tried to count 161N bicycles and pedestrians, and there weren't many. 170 181N Kremen stated more people would use it if there were a crosswalk. 19P] 200 Mark Greenburg, Parkstone Homeowners Association President, stated the bigger 211N issue is the number of cars that cross during rush hour. It's extremely difficult to cross. 221N They need a warning to cars that people want to cross the road, whatever that technology 230 is. Given the distance between the traffic light at Birch and the crosswalk at The Firs and 241N the population density living on both sides of Lakeway, the situation is untenable. There is 25M no guidance to an individual seeking to identify him or herself as someone who wants to 261a cross the street. They are asking to do that. 27F?l 28M Browne stated there is a bus stop that has poor visual clearance. He asked about 291a any studies of before and after use and about a less expensive option for people to carry 30M flags across. Donahue stated he's not seen much change between before and after studies. 31M A crosswalk with flags is not very successful. This road carries 15,000 cars per day at a 35 32M mile per hour speed limit on two full lanes plus a six or eight foot shoulder. That's a lot of 33M pavement to cross. If the direction from Council is to design a crosswalk, it should be a full 340 design, not just a painted crosswalk and flags. The full design may possibly need an island 35M refuge in the middle. It is the first or second busiest road in Whatcom County. Many of the 361N drivers are driving faster than 35 miles per hour. There have been no accidents in relation 370 to pedestrians and bicyclists from The Firs to Birch. 38P] 391N Brenner stated there are not accidents because people aren't crossing. The absence 400 of evidence is not evidence of absence. 41P] 42M Kremen stated he would like to look at it seriously and see if there is an opportunity 430 for pedestrians to get across Lakeway Drive safely in a way that would work for everyone. 44F?] 45M Greenburg stated the road is much narrower at Parkstone, so the option of an island 460 refuge can be abandoned. 470 48M Kaylee Engles stated she lived near a crosswalk that used the flag feature. Often 490 flags were stolen or ignored. A crosswalk should instead have a flashing light. 500 51M Eileen Kadesh, Parkstone Community Association Vice - President, submitted handouts 52M (on file) and stated pedestrians are good for the environment and Lake Whatcom water 530 quality, get people out of their houses and cars, and should have priority over cars. They 541a need some kind of safe pedestrian travel. There are three parks in close vicinity. There are 55M many reasons for the neighborhood residents to cross the street. Creating a false sense of Public Works, Health, and Safety Committee, 5/20/2014, Page 4 P1 1m 2M 3M 41a 5M 6M 7R] 8M 9M 10M 11F?] 121M 13M 14M 15M 161N 170 181N 191N 20F?] 211N 221N 230 24F?] 25M 260 271N 28F?1 290 301N 31F?1 321a 330 340 351N 360 37M 38[N 390 40M 411N 42F?] 43F?1 44F?] 45r?1 460 47F?] 48r?1 490 50F?] 51F?1 520 security shouldn't be an excuse for not providing needed services. There is adequate site distance at the intersection of Parkstone and Lakeway for a safe crosswalk. They realize cost is an issue. They ask the County to come up with some ideas. Brenner asked the speed limit in Kirkland's Pedflag areas. Kadesh stated it's been done in both 25 and 35 mile per hour speed zones. Brenner moved to request the Public Works Department to bring the Council ideas on how to develop a crosswalk, include price estimates, and include ideas mentioned by the proponents. Kremen stated the motion should be for Public Works Department staff to come up with what they consider to be the best viable crosswalk proposal for that general location. Bring the Council the top three or four proposals to consider implementing, as long as one of those proposals is the Kirkland PedFlag model. Donahue asked the general location they're interested in. Kremen stated the location is as close as possible, if not exactly as requested by the community. Brenner stated crosswalks are better between intersections, not at intersections. Donahue stated they would also provide cost estimates and their general position on painted crosswalks with flags. The motion carried by the following vote: Ayes: Brenner, Mann and Kremen (3) Nays: None (0) OTHER BUSINESS There was no other business. ADJOURN The meeting adjourned at 3:17 p.m. ATTEST: , Council Clerk -, Minutes TranscriptionM WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON Barbara Brenner, Committee Chair Public Works, Health, and Safety Committee, 5/20/2014, Page 5