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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPublic Works October 11 20051 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 DISCLAIMER: This document contains the Whatcom County Council or Committee minutes, as approved. However, unless an attested signature page is attached, they are not the final approved minutes. WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL Public Works and Safety Committee October 11, 2005 Committee Chair Barbara Brenner called the meeting to order at 12:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers, 311 Grand Avenue, Bellingham, Washington. Present: Sam Crawford L. Ward Nelson Also Present: Dan McShane Absent: None COMMITTEE DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL 1. REQUEST AUTHORIZATION FOR THE EXECUTIVE TO ENTER INTO AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN WHATCOM COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS AND REUSE WORKS TO FACILITATE A REDUCTION IN THE VOLUME OF WHITE GOODS IN THE WASTE STREAM AND SUBSEQUENT REFURBISHMENT OF THOSE ITEMS FOR REUSE, IN THE AMOUNT OF $25,000 (AB2005 -350) Brenner stated there were questions about whether this would unfairly compete with the private sector. She asked if Mr. Jager has spoken with Lehmann's. Duane Jager, ReUse Works Executive Director, stated he met with Terry Lehmann yesterday. Mr. Lehmann did not see any competition issue. His program sells appliances that are very low end. Their audiences have been poorer folks. He talked to Mr. Lehmann about sending their take -backs to his program so Lehmann's customers can get a tax deduction for donating appliances to his non - profit. It is a financial incentive to not waste. The contract is to reduce waste from the waste stream. No one in the private sector is doing that currently. Brenner stated she supports the program. There was a concern about older appliances using more energy and not being energy efficient. Jager stated there is a concern. There might be an incentive for folks to buy energy efficient products and donate their appliances to the program. Crawford stated both Lehmann's and DeWaard and Bode told him they did not need to put money into this system. They felt the market to repair and reissue appliances was being met. They did not understand the need for the vocational training aspect of the program. He asked why the County would spend $25,000 on a program that meets needs that are already being met. Jager stated his program Public Works and Safety Committee, 10/11/2005, Page 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 DISCLAIMER: This document contains the Whatcom County Council or Committee minutes, as approved. However, unless an attested signature page is attached, they are not the final approved minutes. provides jobs for welfare folks. That need is not being addressed. Bellingham Technical College places their students in this program as interns. The Technical College is looking for their students to have another work experience in their facility. Regarding the waste stream, there are 27,000 appliances thrown away directly to the recycling company. There is a need to reduce that waste stream. All the private sector folks in the waste stream have a contracts with the County to reduce waste. This program is similar to any other private sector entity provide a public purpose. However, their public purpose is better because it is waste reduction. This request for proposals (RFP) was issued to the private sector. Any private sector business had an opportunity to respond to the goals of the Public Works Department, to reduce waste. He responded to the RFP. This grant will help them continue this activity through a self- sufficient model. Government and foundation money is going away. If non - profits are to exist, they have to be entrepreneurial. That's what they are doing. They are creating a model to sustain itself without public dollars in the long run. Crawford asked what Parberry does with the appliances they get. Jager stated Parberry sets aside appliances with reuse potential and sends the appliances to his program. His program gets appliances higher grade appliances, and the rest go to Parberry for recycling. Parberry sells their stuff as scrap metal by the pound. Brenner stated she doesn't feel comfortable that two private businesses understand the educational needs of people coming off welfare in terms of gaining skills and creating a resume. There is a gap between getting someone feeling okay about being in the workforce rather than jumping right into the workforce without training. The private sector looks at the work history of potential employees. This is one way for some people to have a work history, learn work skills, and learn a work ethic. It's a wonderful idea. McShane stated the Solid Waste Advisory Committee made this concept of reducing this particular waste a priority. This is a private sector company, even though it's a non - profit. This is about more than just solid waste reduction. There is a societal benefit to get people into the workforce. He commends Mr. Jager for his efforts. Jager stated the grant is about waste reduction. Now, no one is doing this because it is not profitable. These appliance dealers make more money on a new machine. Start having an economy that sells reused appliances in the community. A study shows that Bellingham businesses sell fewer used appliances. Crawford stated one area he is concerned about is illegal dumping of appliances. He asked the solution to that problem. Jager stated that in Europe, manufacturers are ultimately responsible for the disposal of their products. That also encourages the use of interchangeable parts. As long as taxpayers are subsidizing waste for the manufacturers, they will not avoid the problem of illegal dumping. Public Works and Safety Committee, 10/11/2005, Page 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 DISCLAIMER: This document contains the Whatcom County Council or Committee minutes, as approved. However, unless an attested signature page is attached, they are not the final approved minutes. Crawford asked if it is very challenging to solve at a local level. Jager stated it is. Once they start charging for disposal and recycling, there is a disincentive for poorer people. Crawford stated money is budgeted for projects like this. He looks forward to a hearty endorsement next year from the appliance dealers that this is a good option that works for the private sector. He puts a lot of stock in what local businesses can do. Often, government ignores the private sector. He appreciates that those dealers expressed their concern to him. It's encouraging that Mr. Jager discussed it with the dealers. Jager stated that if they can show new purchasers that the vendor is doing something responsible with their take back appliances, it will be a great marketing niche for the dealers. He would like to support local businesses increase their market share by having good environmental practices. Brenner stated she doubts if the dealers understood what Mr. Jager just explained. They should not cringe when it comes to non - profits. They are great operations. Brenner moved to recommend approval to the full Council. Motion carried 2 -0 with Nelson absent. COMMITTEE DISCUSSION 1. DISCUSSION REGARDING REPEATED SPEEDING AND AUTO ACCIDENTS AT DEWEY ROAD AND BAKERVIEW (AB2005 -385) Gail Hanna, 4183 Dewey Road, submitted information (on file) about the intersection of Ross Road, Dewey Road, and Bakerview Road. She indicated the location on a map. There is no right -of -way for traffic in any direction. Cars accelerate to about 50 miles per hour (mph) at Bakerview Road through that intersection. Her family had to fix their fence seven times last year. The broken fence sets their animals loose, for which they are responsible. One concern is there is only one stop sign. People speed at 50 or 60 mph. Now, semi - trucks divert to Dewey Road. It's a very narrow road. She has four grandkids living on this road. They can't cross the street to other family or get the mail. The kids can't play in the front yard because cars have crashed in the front yard. Residents have talked to the County about this problem. Traffic was monitored from her driveway. The Sheriff's Office has written many tickets for high speed driving. She would like a three -way stop sign and the semi - trucks discouraged from using the road. Establish a clear right -of -way. Public Works and Safety Committee, 10/11/2005, Page 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 DISCLAIMER: This document contains the Whatcom County Council or Committee minutes, as approved. However, unless an attested signature page is attached, they are not the final approved minutes. Brenner stated they must focus on what the County can do. She agrees that trucks should not use the road. Crawford stated the County can establish a maximum weight limit on the road to discourage the semi - trucks from using the road. Brenner stated they need to stripe the roads there at the intersection. It also needs a three -way stop sign. There is a lot of property damage going on there in addition to the accidents. Hanna stated a very expensive horse that belongs to her was injured in the last accident. Kendra Schlenbaker, 1169 Dewey Lane, stated she has to be careful turning into her driveway. She has young children. It's only a matter of time until someone runs them over. Now, she cannot cross the street to her family's farm. She has to drive across the street. Install stop signs at the location. It might not solve all the problems, but people will learn to stop and will slow down. R.J. Breakey, 4150 Dewey Road, stated he is the one who always has to fix his fences. People drive through the fence and yard and then go on their way. This year, there has only been one serious accident. They've been lucky. There is a big difference when high school starts. The students have difficulty getting around the corners. After school is out, the kids drive recklessly on the road. Stop signs will help. Joe Rutan, County Road Engineer, stated he agrees with everything the residents have said. Traffic is much more dangerous because of the high school being nearby. This is in the Bellingham urban growth area (UGA) and is zoned urban residential, four units per acre (UR -4). It is a favorite shortcut. The traffic has doubled in 14 years. Fifteen percent of the people using the road speed on the road. The accident collision history is what is reported to the Sheriff's Office. It's not a complete accident case history. There will be a lot of accidents that aren't reported where people leave the road and hit the fences. When that happens, residents should get the Sheriff involved. Brenner stated the slope is part of the problem. The photographs of the road don't show the slope. The photo also doesn't show that there is no striping in the intersection. Rutan stated the Council can decide to install stop signs. It's his job to bring forward the information to the Council to make those decisions. Brenner stated she's brought forward requests for stop signs before, but she's been told that they don't recommend it. Rutan stated staff may not recommend that stop signs be installed. His job is to interpret the data and Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices, by which they are required to abide, according to federal law. This location does not meet any warrants for stop signs. One of the worst uses of stop signs is for speed control. Enforcement is the immediate issue. He's Public Works and Safety Committee, 10/11/2005, Page 4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 DISCLAIMER: This document contains the Whatcom County Council or Committee minutes, as approved. However, unless an attested signature page is attached, they are not the final approved minutes. contacted the Sheriff for more enforcement. Another issue is geometrics. This is a classic example of where geometry of the road and traffic calming techniques would be appropriate. Because the data doesn't support the installation of a stop sign, then people may have rear end accidents and people won't know why they are stopping. It trains people to ignore the stop signs. His job is to bring this information forward and then do what the Council tells him. Brenner stated she went through a red light at Bakerview and Northwest the first time it was up. She wasn't used to it being there. She doesn't like that reason that people will learn to ignore stop signs. Rutan stated his job is to analyze the data and compare it to the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices, the federal guideline, and give the Council that information. Brenner stated she understands. However, that is the same reason that has been brought to the Council many times. At that intersection, they need striping to show who has the right -of -way. She uses the intersection regularly. Striping and stop signs won't create more problems. They will solve problems. Rutan stated they can do striping immediately that will help. Crawford stated they don't have a problem just at that intersection. There is a stretch of road with problems. The issue is bigger than the intersection. This is a problem road. It is the most confusing intersection in Whatcom County. Intuitively, he agrees that there should be multiple stop signs. The argument that there are heavy traffic times, but at the other times stop signs would be confusing doesn't carry weight with him. He could say that about most rural stop signs in the county. Have a multi- faceted solution. Talk about the curve in addition to the intersection. He asked if they could redesign the intersection. He asked if the County could purchase property at the intersection to make it clearer. Also re- stripe the road and install stop signs. In addition, there is a driveway that has �Y4- crushed gravel that gets onto the road. There are many accidents there. Work with the homeowner to install an apron in the driveway. (Clerk's Note: End of tape one, side A.) Crawford continued to state that the corner is difficult for semi - trucks to navigate. Use the weight limit to divert trucks off the road. Rutan stated there is a systemic problem in the area. It's in the UGA. If they were to do a road improvement project, they would have to build curb, gutter and sidewalk. It's a confusing intersection. Beyond enforcement, an issue is liability. If someone says there is a stop sign without any warrants to justify the stop sign and there is an accident, it becomes a liability issue. That's the case that lawyers will bring forward. Public Works and Safety Committee, 10/11/2005, Page 5 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 DISCLAIMER: This document contains the Whatcom County Council or Committee minutes, as approved. However, unless an attested signature page is attached, they are not the final approved minutes. Brenner stated they could find a way to make the backup wording fit what they want to do. Everyone knows it's a bad intersection. There is just as much liability when people are having these accidents when dangerous roads aren't identified. She's concerned about putting comments like that on the public record. It might be the most dangerous intersection in Whatcom County. If there is striping with the stop signs, people will understand the intersection. Rutan stated he's not trying to make an argument. He's simply trying to bring information to the Council to make a decision. If instructed by the Council, he will put up the stop signs. Brenner stated she is concerned about hearing these repeated comments. It doesn't do any good. She's concerned about creating liability from comments like that. Nelson stated he appreciates hearing the information from staff. It's important for the councilmembers to hear the information. He asked about the location of a driveway in the area. It would be confusing to put up a stop sign that creates a driveway in the middle of the intersection. He agrees with straightening the curve. He asked why they didn't end Dewey Road and continue Bakerview Road. Rutan stated he would discuss that question with the City of Bellingham this afternoon. This is within their traffic model area. He would like to realign the curves, put in clear zone recovery zones, and put in pedestrian facilities. He would like to install roundabouts and see how they work. It would deal with the intersection, clear up right -of -way, and slow people down. Nelson stated the intersection is confusing because the name of the main thoroughfare is changed from Bakerview Road to Dewey Road. Continue the priority road as the main thoroughfare. Crawford stated he recalls a discussion in the past that there could be a McLeod Road realignment where a new neighborhood is. If that is the case, they could vacate the upper portion of Dewey Road. Create a signalized intersection further down with a better road that gets them to Bakerview Road more quickly and directly. They wouldn't need this road. Rutan stated there are plans to do that when the property develops. Brenner stated there is one driveway in the intersection. She asked who owns it. Hanna stated she owns it. If there are stop signs installed at the intersection, she can move her driveway. The County staff said that the County will not take up the liability of putting up the stop sign until there are more accidents. McShane stated he appreciates the presentation by residents and staff. These are not local access roads. Recently, the County closed another road because people were using it as a short cut. This road is heavily used for other than local access. Because the road is in the UGA, the challenge is to what to do with the area ultimately. He would like the Public Works Department to come up Public Works and Safety Committee, 10/11/2005, Page 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 DISCLAIMER: This document contains the Whatcom County Council or Committee minutes, as approved. However, unless an attested signature page is attached, they are not the final approved minutes. with interim solutions. Be creative with solutions without spending a lot of money, even if they have to block off the road. Treat this road as a local access road. Do things to make sure it is used only as a local access road. Hanna stated a roundabout would encourage people to come down the road. Brenner stated a roundabout is for the future. The area is zoned for urban development in the future. It would be a future solution. There is a problem now. Stop signs and striping are not costly. McShane stated the problem is that it's an inviting route to take. People are trying to avoid a congested area. This problem occurs in many areas in the county. People tend to drive at increased speeds on those alternate routes. Do what the County can to discourage traffic from taking that route. Rutan stated that when the City of Bellingham moves into its second phase of the Sunset Drive construction from Woburn to McLeod, this route will become an even more desirable route. He suggests striping, raised pavement markers, and illuminated posts for an immediate action. This whole area is an excellent project for the six -year transportation program. Think hard about how this is going to work with the new McLeod Road connection and the new Sunset Drive project. This route will take people around that construction. Brenner stated all the side roads in the county would be impacted when they start construction on the main roads in preparation for the 2010 Olympics. In the meantime, they can do a short term solution. If Ms. Hanna is willing to move the driveway, she doesn't have a problem with putting in stop signs. Crawford stated it may be wise to do re- striping, raised bumps, and reflectors. Look at the curve at the top of the hill, also. Then, do modeling on the effect of closing Dewey Road at Mt. Baker Highway. Schedule this in two weeks to discuss the effect of closing Dewey Road. Rutan stated he can get that information. Crawford stated that if proposed, it will be a big deal. Councilmember McShane's suggestion to shut down the road is counter - intuitive, but make sure they've considered all options. Brenner asked if the County can close the road if the model shows it's possible. Rutan stated it can. They've considered realigning that intersection to make it more uniform. Brenner stated she didn't think they could do that in a UGA with urban zoning. Rutan stated any capital improvement projects in the UGA have to be paid by the City if the City annexes the area with the improvements, based on a depreciating rate. Residents should contact the Sheriff each time there is an accident. Make sure the accidents are getting recorded properly. Public Works and Safety Committee, 10/11/2005, Page 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 DISCLAIMER: This document contains the Whatcom County Council or Committee minutes, as approved. However, unless an attested signature page is attached, they are not the final approved minutes. Rodney Vandersypen, Engineering Technician, stated that if no one remains at the accident, the residents can submit a personal accident report to the Sheriff, so the deputy doesn't have to respond, but the report is made. Hanna stated they've made a report every time someone goes through the fence. Rutan stated he will work with the residents and Sheriff to make sure the reports are made. They won't be able to stripe the road this time of the year, but he can begin with raised pavement markings and illuminated guideposts. He will install these measures for the area, not just the intersection. When he develops the six -year transportation program, he will include this project. This project is similar to the Lincoln Street project. They need to do a traffic study to develop a project. Crawford asked if the County could hire someone to paint striping on the road if they really want. Rutan stated they may be able to. He will work with the Sheriff on emphasis patrols also. The location of the high school is an issue. They can contact the driver's education teacher at the high school to make sure this is discussed. Crawford asked to continue this for two weeks. Mr. Rutan will go forward with the projects he mentioned and discuss the impacts of closing Dewey Road, with the City. Brenner stated she would like to have a draft ordinance to install stop signs at this intersection. The stop signs are a short -term solution. The weight load restriction is an idea. Hanna stated the County should try the stop signs first. If that doesn't work, then talk about closing the road, which is more drastic. McShane stated he would like to see a variety of options from staff. He's not convinced yet about putting up stop signs. From a safety perspective, it may be worse for those who drive the road. He's comfortable considering drastic measures. 2. DISCUSSION REGARDING A NEW FEDERAL LAW THAT ALLOWS COMMUNITIES TO SILENCE TRAIN HORNS (A62005 -341) Joe Rutan, County Road Engineer, stated Ken Thomas with RH2 Engineering has prepared a report. Ken Thomas, RH2 Engineering, stated his report is in the Council packet. The federal regulations allow silencing train whistles in a quiet zone that is a minimum of a half -mile in length. Certain criteria have to be met. In this location, the two missing quadrants of the crossing must be gated so there is no physical Public Works and Safety Committee, 10/11/2005, Page 8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 DISCLAIMER: This document contains the Whatcom County Council or Committee minutes, as approved. However, unless an attested signature page is attached, they are not the final approved minutes. way for a vehicle to go around the end of the gates to get onto the crossing. A preliminary study has to prove that eliminating the whistle doesn't make the crossing more dangerous. That process is in his report. Brenner asked if Yacht Club Road is regulated. She's not clear on the risk index. Thomas stated the risk index is a federal regulation. He didn't look up the specific number for this location. He was asked to explain the process to determine a quiet zone. Brenner stated she thought there may be places where they can do things that will not result in something more risky. If the risk is greater, the area has to have supplemental security measures (SSM's). She asked if Yacht Club Road would need SSM's. If not, it will dramatically lower the cost of doing this. Thomas stated the estimate in his report is the minimum requirement. The minimum is a four - gate crossing. They wouldn't know if any other SSM's are necessary unless they go through the risk analysis process. If the Council is interested in pursuing this, do it incrementally. First, evaluate whether this is a crossing where they could do it economically. By not blowing whistles, the risk index is increased by 66 percent. The addition of crossing gates brings that percentage up some, but he doesn't know if it brings it up to the national average of risk. Crawford asked if there is any difference in the sound of the crossing gate as opposed to the whistle. Thomas stated he doesn't know. The whistle is federally regulated. Brenner asked if they can use funding options to offset costs of doing something like this. Thomas stated the word from the Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC) is that they do not believe removing train whistles is a safety measure. Therefore this request cannot be funded through them. Crawford asked if the neighborhood is in favor of the quiet zone. It looks like only two of the residents prefer the train whistle. Rutan stated that is correct. That information is only given for the residents who responded. Brenner asked where this has been done in other areas and how funding was set up. (Clerk's Note: End of tape one, side 8.) Thomas stated the City of Yakima has a quiet zone that predates the federal regulation. In response to that type of action, the railway administration created the federal legislation that sets for the process. Brenner asked if anyone has done this. Thomas stated no one has in the state of Washington. Public Works and Safety Committee, 10/11/2005, Page 9 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 DISCLAIMER: This document contains the Whatcom County Council or Committee minutes, as approved. However, unless an attested signature page is attached, they are not the final approved minutes. Crawford asked how the train engineers know they are in a quiet zone. Thomas stated there is a railroad -side marker. Rutan stated legislation just prevents the whistle requirement, but it doesn't prevent the engineer from using the whistle if needed. Michael Newlight, 897 Chuckanut Shore Road, Bellingham, stated there are warning lights and gates at the crossing currently, but they only cover one lane. Those gates could be lengthened to cover both lanes. The road at that point is very narrow. Brenner stated there's more to it than that. Newlight stated the sound of the crossing bells is not an issue. The train whistles start one -half to one - quarter mile from the crossing and at times continue after the crossing. Regarding the risk threshold, Yacht Club Road is a very short road. People aren't speeding along the road. Traffic is very slow. It services a dead -end road that serves about two dozen residences. Because of the nature of the traffic, the crossing doesn't have a high risk. Residents are generally in favor of making it a quiet zone. Brenner stated it looks like they would have to spend about $200,000 before doing the risk analysis. Thomas stated that cost is not spent before the risk analysis. They would need to go through the quiet zone risk index analysis first. They could do that analysis for $10,000 to $15,000. Brenner asked if they would also need some kind of ordinance to proceed. She asked if the County needs to create an ordinance about how it would respond to these requests in general. Thomas stated a public process is included. Rutan stated this will open the door to a lot of these requests. The County will have to have policies on how to deal with these requests. He will need direction for staff. Depending on the outcome of the risk analysis, he will need a funding source to process these requests. It's difficult to get permits, especially when railroads are involved. Crawford stated that if the people in the neighborhood want to pay for it, there isn't a public benefit for all in Whatcom County. In fact, safety is decreased. However, he wants to provide a vehicle by which neighborhoods can pay for it and do it. It seems the Council needs to solve that issue first. The County road fund should not pay for this when it actually reduces safety. However, let residents do this if they want to pay for it. Rutan stated the other issue is capacity to do the project. That is the bigger issue. He'd have to also have money for staffing and to manage consultants. He agrees with Councilmember Crawford about allowing a process that for which the neighborhood is willing to pay. Public Works and Safety Committee, 10/11/2005, Page 10 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 DISCLAIMER: This document contains the Whatcom County Council or Committee minutes, as approved. However, unless an attested signature page is attached, they are not the final approved minutes. Brenner asked if staff can come up with a formula for figuring this out. Rutan stated they will have a consultant do the risk index analysis. Then, negotiate with the railroad to develop a project. Then, design, estimate, and bid a project. Brenner asked if the risk analysis would show whether there must be supplemental safety measures. Rutan stated it would. Crawford asked if it would be appropriate for the residents to raise some seed money to move forward. It will take some money to find out the viability of this project. Brenner stated this is a new concept. It would be good to have something generic in place if the County is approached. The County should fund its own generic concept on policy. She agrees that the benefit is local and the people in the area need to pay for it. However, the process should be the County's and would benefit many areas. Rutan stated paying the costs for changing crossings would be something for a local improvement district. After doing enough of these requests, the County will have experience about what will work and what won't work. Crawford stated he wants to enable the residents to proceed, making sure they pay the entire cost. He asked how to go forward with that. Rutan stated they should have policy level discussions. Talk about setting up local improvement districts. The administration may have to continue hiring a consultant to continue working on this. Newlight stated that if people don't want to wait for a train, a whistle wouldn't prevent those people from driving around the gate. Lengthening the gate so people can't drive around it will improve safety. He agrees that they need to create a policy for procedure. Noise pollution is a new, important issue. It is an emerging issue that will have to be addressed. In terms of cost, it's better to address it sooner rather than later. Brenner asked if the gates are no longer up to code. Rutan stated he believes the railway will install four -way gates now. In almost all cases, it's the view of the railway companies that the railroads were there first, before the roads. Their railroads are not crossing the roads. According to the rail companies, the roads are crossing their railroads. Brenner asked if a new State law determines that the existing rail crossings don't meet code. Rutan stated the existing rail crossings do not meet current building standards. That is common, even in road construction. Most County roads don't meet current standards. Newlight stated the Revised Code of Washington (RCW) is cited in a letter from Mr. McEachran on this issue. Public Works and Safety Committee, 10/11/2005, Page 11 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 DISCLAIMER: This document contains the Whatcom County Council or Committee minutes, as approved. However, unless an attested signature page is attached, they are not the final approved minutes. Brenner asked if the County is supposed to upgrade its gates. Rutan stated it would if doing a road construction project on a road that crosses a state railroad. Newlight stated the point was brought up that they are reducing safety by eliminating the whistle. If they are going to upgrade the crossing so they can eliminate the whistle, it would increase safety. It prevents anyone from getting on the road, whether or not they hear the whistle. Crawford stated that isn't the case, according to the railroad. Thomas stated the minimum improvement is a four -way gate. That still leaves a 66 percent decrease in safety. Crawford stated it seems intuitive that the four -way gate makes the crossing safer. However, the federal government wants that whistle to blow. Rutan stated the federal position is that the lack of a whistle decreases safety, even with the improved crossing. Brenner asked if the people in the area would be willing to fund the project. Crawford stated the Council needs to figure out the process before asking the neighborhood that question. Rutan stated the internal process staff would develop would match steps one through 12 on Council packet page 111. Brenner stated the committee would like staff to move forward with developing a draft policy for processing these requests. The committee concurred. Rutan stated the administration would discuss a policy. He appreciates that the Council understands this will be the first of many such requests. This will be a popular request once one is done. Tim Volwiler, 857 Chuckanut Drive, Bellingham, stated a local improvement district is a good model. Also, this area is such a low traffic area. There won't be major risk problems coming back from the federal government. People don't speed through the area. The neighbors will be able to afford the project. It's a low risk area. Brenner stated it's up to the railroad and federal government. They are the ones who will decide what needs to be done to mitigate the risk. She agrees with Mr. Volwiler, but it really doesn't matter what they think. At the very least, even if they don't need any supplemental safety measures, the cost will be $217,500. Public Works and Safety Committee, 10/11/2005, Page 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 DISCLAIMER: This document contains the Whatcom County Council or Committee minutes, as approved. However, unless an attested signature page is attached, they are not the final approved minutes. Crawford stated that amount doesn't include County administrative costs. Volwiler stated noise pollution is a coming issue. That has an external cost that no one figures on. It is part of a quality of life that isn't budgeted. This is his priority from the County government. He pays his taxes like everyone else. He would like staff to spend a little time working on it. Brenner stated that's why they are going to set up a generic policy. Rutan stated the County has already spent about $5,000 on this issue, which will be considered a part of the generic policy. The $217,500 estimate is the minimum amount specific to this area. Volwiler stated the residents will be more alert and safe drivers if they don't get woken up too early in the morning. Brenner stated she agreed, but the railroads where there first. They have to do this the way the federal legislation says to do it. It's something the County will work on. OTHER BUSINESS There was no other business. ADJOURN The meeting adjourned at 2:37 p.m. Jill Nixon, Minutes Transcription ATTEST: Dana Brown - Davis, Council Clerk WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON Barbara Brenner, Committee Chair Public Works and Safety Committee, 10/11/2005, Page 13