HomeMy WebLinkAboutPublic Works October 24 20001
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WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
Public Works and Capital Projects Committee
October 24, 2000
The meeting was called to order at 1:30 p.m. by Committee Chair Barbara
Brenner in the Council Chambers, 311 Grand Avenue, Bellingham, Washington.
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Also Present: Absent:
Marlene Dawson None
Dan McShane
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COMMITTEE DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL
1. ORDINANCE AMENDING THE WHATCOM COUNTY COMPREHENSIVE
PLAN’S SIX-YEAR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM, CAPITAL
FACILITIES CHAPTER AND TRANSPORTATION CHAPTER (AB2000-
347)
Matt Aamot, Senior Planner, stated he was available for questions.
Brenner requested that certain points have a text review this next year. She
would abstain from voting because she has some problems, but not enough
problems to hold it up. On packet page 90, policy 4G-1, bullet point four, parts of
the language was removed. The County should still include a ratio. She questioned
whether the level of service (LOS) at level C was realistic. She was not sure it was
realistic. Aamot stated that was a revision that resulted from an amendment to
state law in 1998. The state said the County Comprehensive Plan had to revise its
level of service to be consistent with the state Highway Plan, which has a LOS level
of C for rural state routes. The state is working on revising the whole thing.
Brenner asked that the ratio be included. Aamot stated the staff didn't
include it is because it doesn’t exist in the state plan. The first three bullet points
were for County roads, which is why the ratio is included. He would make sure the
state uses the same ratio.
Brenner referenced packet page 91, policy 6A-5. She had the same concern,
and questioned whether the changes were also made to reflect state law. Aamot
stated they were.
Brenner referenced packet page 96. She requested a text review on the
Parks section of the Comprehensive Plan. The definition of capital facilities, in the
first paragraph, should not include parks. Parks are either land or buildings. The
definition of specific the specific capital facilities doesn't have the parks sectioned
out because the plan deals with the land and buildings.
She referenced packet page 96, section B. The plan doesn’t include state
and federal land in the inventory or the type of open space that allows for public
Public Works and Capital Projects Committee, 10/24/2000, Page 1
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access. The plan does include roads. If the County is talking about providing a
certain level of parkland per citizen of Whatcom County, they need to talk about all
parkland that is available, not just what the County owns.
Dawson asked if it was part of the GMA to incorporate all of that parkland.
Aamot stated the level of service was determined to be 9.6 acres per thousand,
based on County parkland.
Brenner questioned where the amount of 9.6 came from. Aamot stated it
was adopted in the 1997 Comprehensive Plan. It is not mandated by the state.
The County has the discretion to set that level of service. At that time, the County
looked at the parkland that it had, plus proposed projects, and added those two
numbers together for the total of parkland that the County would have in six years.
That is how the County set the level of service. For other buildings, the staff just
took the number that existed and divided it by the population.
McShane stated there are a couple of issues coming up about the move to
put money aside to study state DNR land. Many people indicated it should be
parkland instead of DNR trust land. There may be a desire of the County to
participate in that. There is a concept of having a corridor of parkland for
recreational purposes primarily and nature preservation, from Lake Whatcom and
Lookout Mountain to the Samish Bay. The movement is gaining steam. How they
tie in is something to think about.
Brenner suggested that they also look at the area where Trillium put a gate
on the road to DNR land. The gate looks as if it was welded off twice. Explore the
possibility of Trillium gifting the road to the County, and giving the easement back
to Trillium. Trillium could fence off their property and people could still get to the
DNR land.
McShane stated that in looking at this parkland level of service, look at how
to measure something the County is participating in with state and federal land. If
the County is participating in some manner in opening up space for County
residents to use, it wouldn't be reflected in that park ratio number. It might be
something to think about in the future regarding parkland.
Aamot stated they are setting minimum levels of service. The County can
certainly go beyond that level in certain cases. There isn't anything that would
prevent the County from pursuing those options.
Brenner stated they need to include federal land, state land, and open
space/open space land in the inventory.
Brenner referenced packet page 97, section D. She didn't know why the first
two words of the paragraph are included. She suggested, “At least aA six-year
road plan….” Aamot stated the wording is out of the Growth Management Act
(GMA). They have to have a six-year plan, but could have more than that, such as
a ten-year plan.
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Public Works and Capital Projects Committee, 10/24/2000, Page 2
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Brenner requested clarification on the "additional considerations" referenced
in the last sentence of that section. Aamot stated that in I-695 is increasing tax
revenue that has to be done by a vote. That provision is currently in front of the
Supreme Court. Right now, the County Council can raise taxes and revenue. If I-
695 is upheld, that avenue wouldn't be available. Some of the projects wouldn’t
depend on a public vote. The legislature adopted the $30 license into law.
Brenner referenced packet page 104, at the top of the page. She questioned
whether there are any state or federal park trails in Whatcom County. She would
like to have those included. Aamot questioned whether they could be included next
year.
Brenner referenced packet page 108 regarding maintenance and operations.
She questioned whether the square footage levels of service for County facilities are
becoming out of date. It seems they might need less square footage per person,
given the new technology. She asked why those numbers were chosen instead and
if they can reduce that numbers. Aamot stated they took the square footage that
existed and divided it by the population to maintain the status quo. The courts are
trying to move toward electronic record-keeping, which might reduce the space
they need. Mr. Desler has proposed providing a comprehensive need analysis of
how much space they will need over a ten- to 20-year period. They could
undertake a reassessment as part of that process.
Desler stated it would be a significant component of looking at future
operations. Efficiencies are gained from technological advances. If the Council
approves of the review, the administration would work with the Public Works
Committee.
Brenner referenced packet page 110 regarding the County's future office
space needs. She questioned the level of service of .71 square feet per person.
The next page talks about consolidating services to the Smith Road and
Northwest Road location. They are talking about a significant amount of money.
She questioned what the County would do with the buildings it vacates. Desler
stated this document serves as a placeholder. The administration proposes a
deliberate master planning process for all of the buildings. It would turn many of
these assumptions on their heads. The administration would actively seek the
involvement of the committee to review where they are going as a County. They
would look forward ten, fifteen, and twenty years to make the assumptions that the
Council approves, build a series of detailed plans, move ahead with the specific
planning for buildings in the future, and start to close other buildings they don’t
need. Significant implementation associated with these issues is not in the budget
for 2001 because they need to go through the master planning process with the
Council's approval.
Brenner asked if the building referenced on page 111 is the Civic Center, and
if it is already approved. Aamot stated that was correct.
Public Works and Capital Projects Committee, 10/24/2000, Page 3
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Brenner referenced packet page 113. She questioned whether adding up all
the proposed departments to go out there would total 63,000 square feet, or if
some space would be vacant. They were talking about certain departments that
were planning to consolidating out there. She questioned whether those
departments would take up the entire 63,000 feet. Aamot stated they would. It
has all been allocated. There is a brief summary on page 98.
Brenner referenced packet page 115 regarding the Sheriff's Office
consolidation at Smith Road and Northwest Road. She questioned whether
prisoners would be held there. Desler stated there are not any plans for that.
Brenner stated that she wanted to address impacts on the corner at Smith
and Northwest roads when the County consolidates. Desler stated there are no
specific plans to address construction at Smith and Northwest roads until it
completes the master planning process. It would take some months to complete,
and may not be done next year.
Brenner referenced page 122 regarding the jail bond. Whatever they do, the
County should include the private sector to be able to bid, especially if they want a
minimum-security facility. Desler stated it isn’t tied down so directly. There are a
number of ways to finance a building. One way is to secure private financing with a
lease and purchase agreement for a number of years.
Brenner asked if this language could include a private sector proposal.
Desler stated it could. It would all come out of the master planning process, with a
more specific jail planning process that would need to occur.
Brenner asked about packet page 128 regarding future ferry needs. She
asked if the average person takes a ferry an average of 513 times per year. Aamot
stated he thought so. That is the level of service in the Comprehensive Plan.
Brenner asked that the sentence be reworded to be clearer. Aamot stated
they would incorporate that change next year.
McShane moved to recommend approval.
Motion carried 2-0 with Brenner abstaining.
Aamot stated they sent it to the state Department of Community, Trade, and
Economic Development. It has to be there 60 days before the County Council could
move for final adoption. It would be ready during the next meeting.
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COMMITTEE DISCUSSION
1. DISCUSSION REGARDING PARK ROAD (AB2000-378)
Public Works and Capital Projects Committee, 10/24/2000, Page 4
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Bruce Mills, Assistant Director of Engineering, stated the project has taken a
long time to pull together. A lot of it has to do with the permitting that has to
occur. There are wetlands out there. Therefore, the County needs permits from
the Army Corps of Engineers and Department of Ecology (DOE). The County has to
get permits for the job from several different agencies. The state agencies include
the DOE and the Department of Fish and Wildlife. They also have to get a permit
from the federal agency of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, related to the
wetlands on the project site. The County also has to purchase rights-of-way from
all the citizens so it can widen the road. One of the right-of-way parcels is also
owned by a state agency, the state Department of Natural Resources. It takes time
to obtain any easements or rights-of-way from the Department of Natural
Resources. At this point in time, they feel confident that they will be on schedule to
start construction next spring. This will be a two-year project to complete because
the summers are short out there. The state Department of Fish and Wildlife will
allow the County to do certain types of work only after the first of July.
Brenner questioned the window of work with the state Department of Fish
and Wildlife. Mills stated it is usually July 1 to October 15. Park Road will also get
a chip-seal surface on it. That limits when the County can chip seal the road with
County workers. Past Labor Day, the weather becomes iffy. There will be an area
around Mirror Lake where they will have to close the road completely to do blasting
and culvert work. The County won't be able to do that work until school is out and
it will have to have the road open by the time school starts. Those constraints
make this a two-year project.
Dawson questioned which permits they are waiting on. Mills stated they are
waiting on permits from the Army Corps of Engineers and the state Department of
Ecology. The County is supposed to have those permits in hand by the end of this
year. The County is in a negotiation mode with those two agencies to try and do
reasonable things that would take care of the project needs without giving away the
farm.
Brenner stated she spoke to Muffy Walker, who is the representative from
the federal Corps of Engineers and is the project manager for this. Ms. Walker said
this was held up at the Corps of Engineers because she couldn't get to it, not
because County staff didn't get it in expeditiously. It took her a long time to get to
it. Ms. Walker said she also felt the permit would be issued in the next three or
four weeks, but it would be done for sure this winter.
Mills stated he was confident that the County would get the permits in time
and get the rights-of-way. The County has two parcels left to get on the western
half of the project. On the eastern half of the project, the County has to get a few
more, but they are very large parcels.
Brenner stated she drove out there a couple of weeks ago. She asked if the
County is to purchase rights-of-way on the mountain and cutting into the mountain.
Mills stated no.
Public Works and Capital Projects Committee, 10/24/2000, Page 5
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Brenner questioned how they are going to engineer the road. Mills stated it
is a very challenging project, which is why it is going to be very expensive, even
though it is only 2.8 miles long. It would cost over $3 million to do. All the
widening has to take place away from the mountain. It has a high bank in areas.
There are 170,000 tons of gravel that need to come in to build the embankments.
They are steepening the slopes of the embankments so they can't put a guardrail
on it to avoid infringing on the wetlands.
Brenner stated there was a location that is a straight up and down. She
questioned what they do in a case like that. Mills stated the hillside is not the most
stable thing out there. They can't go to the north, toward the mountain. They are
going to have to strip the sod out and bench up with gravel.
Brenner stated she spoke the Mt. Baker School Superintendent Jerry Hunter.
Mr. Hunter told here that there are two alternative routes that the buses could
take. She would like the buses to take those alternate routes to give the County
extra time. Mills stated he spoke with them.
McShane stated the County road plan ranks the road projects. He
questioned whether the road at the top of the list as Yew Street Road. Mills stated
that was correct. Park Road is number two on the list.
Brenner questioned whether they spend $1 million per mile on many of the
roads. Mills stated that is a close estimate. This cost is not terribly out of line,
other than the fact that it will be built narrower than they would other County
roads. The County is going to create 11-foot lanes and three-foot shoulders.
Normally the County would build 11- or 12-foot wide lanes. On some other roads,
such as East Smith road, they are working with 12-foot lanes and eight-foot
shoulders. That isn't needed on Park Road. It only has a traffic count of 500 to
600 cars per day.
Rita Foley, South Lake Whatcom, stated she has lived there for 33 years.
She traveled that 2.8-mile stretch of road many times, and has never seen a car.
Trucks use the road. A bus went into the ditch because the driver was a novice
driver. Those buses that come down the roads speed on South Bay Drive, Highway
9, and Park Road. She talked to Muffy Walker. Ms. Walker told her that the permit
was not issued because of a concern about the wetlands and marshlands. The
diversion runs straight down that valley and into Lake Whatcom. People are always
yelling about clean water, but do nothing about it. Now, the County is going to
cover up these wetlands and marshlands, and mitigate them. One can't mitigate
wetlands and marshlands. They are a natural phenomenon. If the County touches
those marshlands and wetlands, she would get an injunction from the court and do
whatever it takes to stop it. The road is going to sink, no matter what they do.
Stewart Mountain is on the north side of the road. It is 3,000 feet high. She lives
at the base of it. It runs from Highway 9 to Bellingham. It is a complete aquifer.
That means water runs on top of it and underneath it. Water runs underneath Park
Road and Blue Canyon Road. They can't shut off Stewart Mountain. The next best
thing for the County to do is raise the road and re-surface it every ten years. It
Public Works and Capital Projects Committee, 10/24/2000, Page 6
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would save the County $2.5 million and do the same job. All people have to do is
begin driving the speed limit. The speed limit on Park Road is 35 miles per hour. If
someone goes 35 miles per hour, there won't be any problems. Instead, people
speed on the road. Her neighbors on South Bay Drive have had the same problem.
Brenner stated she spoke to the sheriff deputy about the bus accident. The
deputy told her it was a substitute driver, but he also said it would be impossible to
discount the condition of the road.
Foley stated the condition of the road at this time is not good because it
hasn't been repaired. Every ten years, the road is raised and resurfaced, and
everyone gets along fine. Now, people want to cover up the wetlands and
marshlands. If that is allowed to happen, then they are not interested in clean
water and a clean Lake Whatcom. The diversion feeds the lake. It runs right
through those wetlands and marshlands. It helps clean up the diversion, which is
the middle fork of the Nooksack River, which is a silt river to start with. Using the
middle fork of the Nooksack as the diversion was dumb engineering, but people
thought that would be where the most water would come through. She asked
Muffy Walker this morning if a permit had been issued. Ms. Walker responded that
it hadn't.
Brenner stated Ms. Walker told her that the County would have the permit
before the end of the winter. Foley stated Ms. Walker is very worried about the
wetlands and marshlands.
If they care about Lake Whatcom and the diversion, people had better leave
the wetlands and marshlands alone. The fill that goes into the bank would be very
destructive to the wetlands and marshlands. By the time they are done, the
mountain would still have running water under the road, and it is going to sink
again in ten years. Blue Canyon Road sinks down a bit because the water runs
underneath it, and the County fills it up. They can't stop it. They are having
trouble with the diversion already. It fills up with silt. Without the wetlands and
marshlands to clean up the diversion, silt would come in to the south end of Lake
Whatcom. Tell the buses to slow down.
Brenner stated that even the best driver would have a hard time with a 8 1/2
foot wide bus and a 9-foot wide lane. Foley stated the driver won't have a problem
if he or she goes the speed limit.
Brenner questioned whether the speed limit should be slower than 35 miles
per hour. Foley stated there is a limit to 25 miles per hour in some places, but
people don't slow down.
Margaret Loomis, 3110 South Bay Vista, stated it is unfair to say that they
are not concerned about clean water because they are concerned about having the
road reconstructed. The councilmembers have more concerns than clean water, as
she does. She has concerns about the safety of the children, which is paramount.
She is in favor of both, but not only one. She also spoke with many officials about
Public Works and Capital Projects Committee, 10/24/2000, Page 7
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this issue. She was not certain what Muffy Walker is telling Ms. Foley. Ms. Walker
told her something entirely different. Ms. Walker told her that when she received
the permit request from the county in 1999, she has not had an opportunity to look
at it. She is aware of it and sees no real problem with it. Park Road is number
three on her list. Ms. Walker manages over 100 projects and has not had the
opportunity to do anything on this project. Ms. Walker didn't indicate that she
would not give a permit, but that she would instead look at it late November or
early December. That coincides with what Councilmember Brenner said. If Ms.
Walker is telling other members of the public something else, they will need to get
to the bottom of it.
(Clerk's Note: end of tape one, side A.)
Loomis continued to state someone is working closely on the wetland
mitigation. The Department of Ecology would not issue a permit unless it sees that
everything has been taken care of. The road needs repair. There is a drop-off on
the side of the road. If the bus had been going in the direction of the school, it
would have gone off the drop-off and there would have been some real injuries.
Luckily the bus was going the other way and only went into the ditch. The school
district does not hire substandard drivers. The drivers are sent on a substandard
road. An eight-foot bus on a nine-foot lane doesn't provide anyone the possibility
of human error. Humans do make errors. There wasn’t a substandard driver.
Regarding the speeding, drivers do speed on that road. They pass her on the
bend all the time. They do that almost everywhere in the county. It is a fact of life
they need to live with and need to address. To ask people to slow down is a great
thing, but people don't pay attention to the signs sometimes. Speeding is not a
good reason not to repair the road.
Mike Brennan, Mt. Baker School District Board Chair, stated that Park Road
and the transportation difficulties have been a issue of significant concern of the
school district and the school board, which has talked about this on numerous
occasions. The school board recognizes that the County's processes have been
moving along through the various hoops. The area has a specific group of
transportation responsibilities for kids and families. They had a near miss recently
that brought it clearly to their attention. It is not the intent of the school district,
school board, or anyone else from their standpoint to support or encourage any
kind of environmental damage or degradation. However, they do have a formal
responsibility to transport children to the district in a safe and comfortable manner.
They also have a responsibility back to the parents. The school board will work
with the County in any way, encourage whomever needs to be encouraged, and
support the Council's efforts to keep Park Road at the top of the priority list. Get
the road in a condition that is much safer for their transportation responsibilities.
Jerry Hunter, Mt. Baker School District Superintendent, stated the substitute
bus driver is not substandard. The substitute driver is not the issue. In July 1997
he spoke to the Council about the condition of Park Road and described it as the
worst road he had ever driven in Whatcom County. In October 1997 he wrote a
Public Works and Capital Projects Committee, 10/24/2000, Page 8
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letter to Jeff Monsen about a bus that went off the road on October 1, 1997. In
July 1999 he wrote a letter to the County Council regarding the six-year road plan.
In July 2000 he spoke to the County Council about the six-year road plan. The
issue was a substandard road. During the time he has been the superintendent of
the school district, the buses have made approximately 16,000 trips on direction or
the other on Park Road. The drivers need a tribute because of their skill with which
they handle the buses in a safe manner on that road. Their buses now have a
speed limit of 25 miles per hour, under his directive. That will remain so until he
rescinds the directive. He hoped that is when Park Road is improved. The fact that
the drivers have had two incidents in four years does not mitigate the concern. The
road is an accident waiting happen. He had not heard from Ms. Foley or any other
individual about speeding. The school district's Director of Transportation said he
had never received a complaint about buses speeding on that road, and he does
hear those types of complaints from time to time. He takes immediate follow-up
action with those drivers. He takes the speed limit and safety very seriously.
There are alternate routes to get from Glenhaven to the Mt. Baker School
District in Deming or Acme. Going from Glenhaven, through Bellingham, through
Deming, to get to Acme would be costly to the school district in terms of time and
money. If that's what it takes, that is what they would do. He hoped there would
be alternatives to those kinds of routes. He was at the scene of the bus accident
earlier in the month. He is not an expert in traffic accident investigation, but it did
not appear that the bus had been speeding. There was no damage to the bus. The
bus tipped to its side. If the bus had been speeding around that corner, over 35
miles per hour, he believed there would have been more damage to the bus. He
appreciated all the work the County departments have done to secure a solution.
The interests of clean water and clean environment can be balanced with the safety
of children and the public. This is a solvable problem. There is a solution that will
protect the environment and children. He encouraged the Council and Public Works
Department to continue moving forward to get the permits and easements needed
and a plan that would provide a road that is safer than it currently is.
Dawson asked if the buses are taking a different route now. Hunter stated
they are not. There is no plan to alter the routes.
Brenner stated she had asked about putting a weight limit on the road. She
was concerned about the safety of the kids on the buses. Mills stated the benefit of
a weight limit would be that it keeps the truck traffic and larger vehicles off the
narrow lanes of Park Road. It would increase the safety of the traveling public.
Trucks also tend to create more damage to roads. An argument against the weight
limit is that the average number of accidents is two to three per year. Fortunately,
none have been fatalities. Few accidents actually involved injuries. Most common
type of accident is people failing to negotiate the curves. The project would make
curves less sharp. Another argument against the weight limit is that it takes trucks
off the road such school buses, Sanitary Service garbage trucks, logging trucks, and
delivery services. Re-routing school buses would be particularly onerous. It is
already a long route. Some of the people in Glenhaven have to go as far as
Kendall. There may be a state law that limits the time a child rides on a school bus
Public Works and Capital Projects Committee, 10/24/2000, Page 9
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one way. There may be a maximum amount of time, such as one hour. An
alternative would be to Skagit County on Prairie Road or else up through
Bellingham. It would be a significant distance longer.
Brenner stated there are weight limits on other roads. She questioned what
the people on those roads do about delivery and utility trucks. Mills stated the
weight limits are necessarily related to the roads, but to the bridges on the roads.
If there are weight restrictions, they would allow vehicles with half of a load.
Brenner questioned whether they could do the same kind of thing. Mills
stated there are different possibilities to do out there.
Brenner stated some parts of the county don’t have any garbage pickup
service. If they did a weight limit, it means the residents don’t get curbside pick up
and recycling. She questioned whether there are other areas that don’t have
curbside solid waste pick up and recycling. Mills stated he didn't know the answer
to that question.
Brenner stated the average number of accidents per year sounds small, but
there is also a small amount of traffic per year. She questioned the percentage of
accidents to total traffic. Mills stated it is an average percentage of accidents.
Many people naturally slow down because of the natural limitations.
McShane asked if the Corps of Engineers is staffing up at all. The issue is the
length of time it takes for the permits. Mills stated the County applied for the
permit more than a year ago.
Hunter stated that state law regulations in the Washington Administrative
Code (WAC) does limit the time on a school bus to 60 minutes for a child with
disabilities. He asked for exceptions to be written into a weight limit ordinance for
special circumstances. Mills stated that could be negotiated. The weight isn't the
issue at this location. The issue is whether or not they want to get the vehicles off
the road. Even with half of a load, they are still there.
Brenner questioned the school district alternative if there is a weight limit on
the road. Hunter stated they would continue on the route until a parent brings up
the issue. The school district has a responsibility to abide by state and federal laws
regarding handicapped education. Theoretically, the school district would have to
create a program at a site nearer that would not violate the 60-minute rule. If they
have to take an alternate route, they may be able to get to Glenhaven to Harmony
School in 60 minutes, but he couldn't guarantee it.
Brenner questioned whether another option would be specialized
transportation for those students. Hunter stated it depends on the number of
students. They do have specialized transportation vehicles. They transport
approximately four students.
Dawson asked what the school district does on snow days.
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Frank Cain, Mt. Baker School District Director of Maintenance and
Transportation, stated they follow the same rules that regular commercial vehicles
follow, and it goes by the tire weight and size. School buses do not weight what
their bulk and size indicate in comparison to commercial trucks. They weigh a lot
less. It goes by tonnage weight on the road when the County or state institutes
restrictions. They do have permission from the state Department of Transportation
and the County to allow more than what is allowed for a commercial vehicle.
Foley stated there is an alternative. Build a school in Glenhaven.
Mills stated they could look at the speed limit. This may be a place for an
emergency speed limit change for all vehicles, or just the trucks, until the road is
improved. There are a few places in the county that have different speed limits for
cars and trucks.
Of the 17 accidents that occurred, 15 accidents involved passenger cars.
Hunter stated that if the speed limit was lowered from 35 to 25 miles per
hour, it would increase the length of time on the trip by about two minutes and four
seconds going one way.
Brenner stated that lowering the speed limit is a good idea. The reason the
councilmembers have been contacted was because of the concern for children on
the school buses. If it is dangerous, it is dangerous. She was sympathetic to how
much longer it might take. None of the arguments against a weight limit have
changed her mind. She wanted a weight restriction on Park Road. She wouldn't
mind it if the small, specialized transportation buses used the road. She had a
problem with the larger buses using the road until they get the road fixed. She
moved to recommend to the full Council that the Public Works Department staff
bring forward a proposal for a speed reduction in the 2.8-mile area.
Dawson stated she would support a speed reduction, but not a weight limit.
Motion carried unanimously.
Brenner moved to put a weight restriction or a size restriction on the road.
She was more concerned about the size of the vehicles, and would like a restriction
on the use of the road by larger vehicles. An alternative is to make Park Road a
one-way road full-time. Mills stated that would be tough to do.
Brenner restated the motion to recommend to the full Council that the Public
Works Department staff bring forward a proposal for a weight restriction on Park
Road until or unless the road is repaired. The proposal would contain several
options such as flexibility on different types of vehicles. There should be a broader
discussion on this. If it is as dangerous as people say, the County would have a
major liability if something happens to one of those school buses. The County has
a moral responsibility to ensure that the buses are as safe as possible.
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Dawson stated they've addressed the concerns by reducing the speed limit.
The weight restriction creates an encumbrance on the school district. She believes
in local control. The local school community, if they wish, could alter their bus
route. She would leave it to the school district board and parents in the community
to make that decision. She wouldn't want to force it on them.
Brenner stated it is dangerous for other traffic that includes big trucks. The
big trucks are causing damage to the road, and it is an expensive road to repair.
She questioned when they stop subsidizing certain activities on the road. That is
what they are doing.
Motion failed 1-2 with Brenner in favor.
Barbara Tanis, 517 Hilltop Drive, Sedro Woolley, asked if the Council could
look into a one-way situation only when the buses are on the road to allow a larger
margin on each side.
Brenner stated there would be no way to enforce it. She thanked the Public
Works Department for their work on this project. She also agreed with Rita Foley's
concern. In a perfect world, they would never have built Park Road. She wanted to
balance safety and water quality. She questioned whether there could be a
guardrail until the work is done. Mills stated he could look into that or temporary
barricades as a possibility.
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The meeting adjourned at 2:53 p.m.
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Jill Nixon, Minutes Transcription
ATTEST: WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON
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Dana Brown-Davis, Council Clerk Barbara Brenner, Committee Chair