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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPublic Works May 21 2024Whatcom County Council1lic Works & Health Committee COUNTY COURTHOUSE 311 Grand Avenue, Ste #105 Bellingham, WA 98225-4038 (360) 778-5010 Committee Minutes ® Final Tuesday, May 21, 2024 1 PM Hybrid Meeting HYBRID MEETING - ADJOURNS BY 1:40 P.M. (PARTICIPATE IN -PERSON, SEE REMOTE JOIN INSTRUCTIONS AT www.whatcomcounty.us/joinvirtualcouncil, OR CALL 360.778.5010) COUNCH.MEMBERS Kaylee Galloway Jon Scanlon Mark Stremler CLERK OF THE COUNCIL Dana Brown -Davis, C.M.C. Council Public Works & Health Committee Minutes - Final May 21, 2024 Committee Call To Order Roll Call Committee Chair Jon Scanlon called the meeting to order at 1 p.m. in a hybrid meeting. Present: 3 - Kaylee Galloway, Jon Scanlon, and Mark Stremler Also Present: Barry Buchanan, Todd Donovan, and Ben Elenbaas Announcements Committee Discussion 1. AB2024 32n Discussion of Maintenance & Operations, the Central Shop facility and the Lummi Island Ferry Replacement The following staff updated the Councilmembers on the topics listed in the memo (on file): • Elizabeth Kosa, Public Works Department Director • Roland Middleton, Public Works Department Kosa introduced the discussion. Cultural Resources Coordination Middleton stated they had a cultural resource issue in Point Roberts. Tetra Tech has started to work on a drainage study and action plan and there are a lot of areas there that have lowland flooding and problems. Public Works crews went up to address one of those issues which is in an identified cultural resource area and they excavated without the necessary archaeological oversight. So, Public Works is working with the State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation and the Lummi Nation Tribal Historic Preservation Office to develop a remedy program. The remedy takes several months and will be very expensive (potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars). Part of the solution is to have better training and timely reviews and Public Works has reached the point where they will need to hire an in-house archaeologist. They are working very closely with the Lummi Nation who has been very kind in their processing of this. Council will be seeing a supplemental budget request to bring on an archaeological firm to make a presentation to the Lummi Nation and to the State to take care of this remediation. He answered how they would ensure that an in-house archaeologist would have a working relationship with the Tribe so that something like this does not happen again. Whatcom County page t Council Public Works & Health Committee Minutes - Final May 21, 2024 Committee Kosa answered whether this position would be training those out in the field. She spoke about the person's role and stated they would be a step in the process for approval to do the work (processing permits) and there would be a training piece as well. Middleton spoke about what the in-house archaeologist would do. He stated the Additional Service Request (ASR) is to do training but also to have someone readily available for monitoring and doing reports. They will still need archaeological firms to assist with very large projects, but this staff person would be able to help with the scope of work and oversight. He answered whether there is any coordination with First Nations communities north of the border to understand whether or not there may be any implications for them, and stated they leave a lot of that up to the Lummi Nation and the State. Central Shop Stormwater Project Kosa stated in around 2010 they acquired an industrial stormwater permit through the Department of Ecology (DOE) and then started doing testing of their stormwater. The results of those initial tests were not favorable and Public Works was found to be out of compliance with the permit in the areas of turbidity and (later) in heavy metal counts. In working with the DOE, they have increased their mitigation efforts (filter socks, regular sweeping, monthly cleaning of catch basins) and it has improved the numbers but not to the level they were hoping to achieve. She described how they work and troubleshoot with the DOE and stated that after they tried the aforementioned mitigation measures, they then tried a retention pond to try to cut down on turbidity. The numbers did come down in that area, but they still need to do more work around the entire site of the Central Shop. The DOE wants to see further action so Public Works has proposed increased paving in unpaved areas between the buildings, installing a large bioretention pond in the lot southwest of the facility, and increased treatment before it exits the facility as well. She stated they are waiting for approval from the DOE on that plan, and the cost estimate for the concept design is upwards of $1.5 million. She answered whether the pond that got put in to the west has helped only some and stated that is correct. She answered whether there are stormwater issues at the Northwest Annex site and whether the two sites are close enough where mitigation on either site could help with construction. She stated she has been told that they will be able to mitigate both sides with what they have, but they are not willing yet to let the piece of property on Whatcom County Page 2 Council Public Works & Health Committee Minutes - Final May 21, 2024 Committee the west side of the Central Shop to be used for anything but mitigation yet. Central Shop Underground Fuel Tanks Kosa stated there are three single -wall, 40-60-year-old fuel oil tanks underground, two of which (gasoline tanks) were fully decommissioned and one of which (diesel) is in the process. Once that happens, Public Works will no longer be in the business of operating underground fuel oil tanks. She answered where they are located and stated they are at the Central Shop just south of the above -ground tank. A leak was detected in one of the gasoline tanks in 2020 and that tank was decommissioned a year later. In 2023 Council approved a contract (AB2023-812) with Sound Earth Strategies, LLC to investigate the extent of the problem and to create a scope of work for that remediation. The process is taking so long because they are seeing contamination migrating more. They have roughly estimated the cost to be about $1 million and they have reached out to legal to see if there is an insurance option coverage for the failure of the tank. She answered what funds this and the cultural remediation would come from, assuming insurance does not cover them, and stated it would be the Road Fund. Middleton answered whether there is any indication that the contamination has migrated beyond County property, and stated he thinks they will be able to capture it but they will see. Kosa answered whether they looked into removal of the tanks and stated the tanks will most likely be removed as well as the contaminated soil in the space. She answered how much it will cost the Road Fund and stated the stormwater project was around $1.5 million and the fuel oil tanks around $1 million. She answered whether these expenditures will have an impact on any planned projects in the next few years and stated they could. She answered whether the cost includes a replacement system for the fuel oil tanks, and stated the two above -ground tanks should be sufficient. Ferry Replacement Kosa stated they are getting preliminary numbers for the cost of the overall oroiect that are significantly higher than the last time they discussed it. i ✓ V ✓ V ✓ They have tasked a consultant with preparing a report on costs and potential ways to reduce costs without jeopardizing their grant funding, and they will bring a full report to Council. She discussed with Councilmembers that it would be something like a redesign (to make the boat cheaper) that might jeopardize grant funding, and how much higher the potential cost would be. She stated the cost was $50.3 million and preliminarily they are saying $80 Whatcom County Page 3 Council Public Works & Health Committee Minutes - Final May 21, 2024 Committee million. Donovan stated this same thing is going to happen with the jail and it is just the nature of construction costs. Kosa answered whether they are exploring other options such as a foot passenger ferry, State funding, or partnering with other counties. She stated they are looking at other options but want to continue to move forward with this project, provided they can have reasonable funding to do so. She will give a more well-informed report to Council after they get the report from the consultant. This agenda item was DISCUSSED. Items Added by Revision Other Business Ad ournment There were no agenda items added by revision. There was no other business. The meeting adjourned at 1:29 p.m. ATTEST- 110""1111"Itts®® WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL w® C t"J®®x a WHATCOM COUNTY, WA ° x r Jon Scanlon -via email 5/29/2024 ® Darla Bro'V vis qil Cle* Jon Scanlon, Committee Chair SHE Kristi Felbinger, Minutes Transcription Whatcom Comity Page 4