HomeMy WebLinkAboutPublic Works May 23 20061
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WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
Public Works and Safety Committee
May 23, 2006
Committee Chair Barbara Brenner called the meeting to order at 1:30 p.m. in the
Council Chambers, 311 Grand Avenue, Bellingham, Washington.
Present:
Sam Crawford
Also Present:
None
COMMITTEE DISCUSSION
Absent:
L. Ward Nelson
1. DISCUSSION REGARDING A REQUEST TO HAVE A DUAL SPEED TRAFFIC
COUNTER PLACED NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF GLENHAVEN DRIVE AND
LAKESIDE DRIVE (AB2006 -226)
Joe Rutan, Public Works Department, stated the last traffic count in that area was
done in 2003. The annual County count begins this week. The administration will look into
the situation in this area.
Jeffrey Banks, Glenhaven Lakes Club Board Member Vice - President, stated the
volume of traffic is on Glenhaven Lakeside Drive. He submitted a map (on file).
Crawford asked what this will do. Banks stated a security plan for 2005 -2006 was to
measure pedestrian safety on their throughways. There isn't a road shoulder on which
people can walk at this time. They are concerned about the high rate of drunk driving the
Sheriff has reported on that stretch of Glenhaven Drive. Speeds have been countered by a
State representative who lives on that corner. His name is Gary Brock, and he
recommended a County counter in that area.
Rutan stated a dual traffic counter gauges the speed and vehicle type. In 2003, on
Glenhaven Drive, west of Cain Lake, there was an average of 85th percentile speed of 28
miles per hour, with a posted speed limit of 25 miles per hour. That means that 85 percent
of all vehicles traveling are doing 28 miles per hour or less.
Brenner asked if Mr. Brock works for the State Patrol. Banks stated he does.
Conflict of interest prevents Mr. Brock from requesting a count from the State.
Rutan stated it is time for this count to be done anyway. The staff will look at other
roads in the area also.
Brenner asked how long Mr. Banks lived there. Banks stated he lived there since
1996.
Brenner asked if there has been a large increase in speeding since then. Banks
stated he has estimated 60 miles per hour on three occasions since the April 25 County
Council meeting. The pedestrians walking from Glenhaven Grocery don't have any
shoulders on which to walk. A large number of pets have died on that drive. They are
Public Works and Safety Committee, 5/23/2006, Page 1
trying to prevent a human fatality. The Sheriff's Office has patrolled Glenhaven Drive a
number of times since April 25. The residents are grateful of that.
Crawford asked if those extremely excessive speeds are mostly at night. Banks
stated they are any time from 8:00 a.m. to dusk, since fishing season opened.
Crawford asked if the data is gathered 24 hours per day. Rutan stated it is. They
will put the counter out for about two weeks. He will talk to Mr. Banks about any
maintenance planned that would affect the counts.
OTHER BUSINESS
Crawford asked about the High Bridge project.
Joe Rutan, Public Works Department, stated they are trying to get open by the end
of September. A center column was recently poured. There are two center columns. They
are rejecting one of the center columns. They are not happy with the consolidation of the
concrete. They are struggling with the contractor now on how that affects the schedule. He
hopes it doesn't delay the schedule, but it must be done.
Crawford asked about the 35- mile - per -hour limit on H Street Road from Blaine to
Lynden. He asked about increasing that speed in certain areas. It is slow in an area of
wide -open, flat farmland. Rutan stated there could be areas where the speed could be
higher. The area is rolling hills, and there are stretches with vertical sight distance issues
that require a speed limit of 35 miles per hour. Therefore, the speed limit on the road
would have to go back and forth between 35 miles per hour and a higher speed. For safety
purposes and continuity, he has decided to keep it all at 35 miles per hour. He struggled
with that decision.
Crawford stated the limit can be changed to 40 or 45 miles per hour. It's absurd to
drive 35 miles per hour in some stretches of that road, especially in daytime.
Brenner stated people are able to see lights of oncoming headlights during the night.
Rutan stated there are driveways on the road that can't be seen. It was a tough call. He
may take a look at it again.
Crawford asked why the residents on the road aren't asking that the speed be
increased. Rutan stated those are the people who also have to pull out onto the road.
Brenner asked about Birch Bay's Lincoln Road. She asked why they hear from Birch
Bay residents about how suddenly Lincoln Road is being bumped back another year. Rutan
stated the draft transportation improvement plan was sent out to agencies for review,
before coming to the Council.
Brenner stated it's important that the Council also get a copy, so the
councilmembers can address questions from the public. She asked why they can't contract
out that work. Rutan stated it is contracted out right now. Rutan stated Lincoln Road was
scheduled for 2009 last year. The Executive wanted it moved up to 2008. He said he would
need one more engineer and dedicated Human Resources staff to deal with retention issues.
Since that time, he did not get another engineer and has lost two more engineers.
Public Works and Safety Committee, 5/23/2006, Page 2
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Brenner asked why they can't contract out that work. Rutan stated almost
everything is contracted out now. He is concerned now about managing everything that is
under contract. He has been able to do projects by using other people's capacity. For
Lincoln Road, he made the Lincoln Road alternatives analysis a condition of the Sea Grass
development.
Brenner asked if there is a State law that prevents the County from contracting
things out. Rutan stated that a project engineer can design two projects that are done in-
house or manage three projects that are consulted out. Everything that is contracted out
must be managed. The County must follow its purchasing codes. They can hire a
consultant to manage the contractors.
Brenner asked if hiring someone would put Lincoln Road back on track for 2008.
Rutan stated it would not. If he got his extra staff now, it's too late. The project engineer
that he will hire will not design the project. The project engineer will manage the
consultant. There is a lot of oversight with a consultant. Staff is proposing to hire a
consultant to manage the contracted projects. He was asked last year what he needed to
move up the project. He told the administration that he needed staff to do it. It is now a
year later, and he still, hasn't gotten that staff.
Brenner stated she was told last year that much of the work, such as inspection and
approval, had to go through County staff to get things done. Rutan stated they can hire
consultants to do that.
Brenner stated that wasn't the answer she got last year. Rutan stated that now,
staff is proposing to consult everything out. It still requires a certain amount of oversight
and management because public funds are involved.
ADJOURN
The meeting adjourned at 1:53 p.m.
Jill Nixon, Minutes Transcription
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WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON
Clerk Barbara Brenner, Committee Chair
Public Works and Safety Committee, 5/23/2006, Page 3