Public Works Committee

TUMWATER PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE MINUTES OF VIRTUAL MEETING JANUARY 9, 2025 Page 1 CONVENE: 8:01 a.m. PRESENT: Chair Eileen Swarthout and Councilmembers Michael Althauser AND Angela Jefferson. Staff: City Administrator Lisa Parks, City Attorney Karen Kirkpatrick, Assistant City Attorney David Abbott, Finance Director Troy Niemeyer, Water Resources and Sustainability Director Dan Smith, Engineering Services Manager Bill Lindauer, Community Engagement Specialist Marnie McGrath, Water Resources Specialist Grant Gilmore, Water Resources Specialist Dave Kangiser, and Administrative Assistant Bonnie Hale. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE - NOVEMBER 21, 2024 & DECEMBER 5, 2024: MOTION: Councilmember Jefferson moved, seconded by Councilmember Althauser, to approve the November 21, 2024 minutes as published. A voice vote approved the motion unanimously. MOTION: Councilmember Jefferson moved, seconded by Councilmember Althauser, to approve the December 5, 2024 minutes as published. A voice vote approved the motion unanimously. RIGHT OF ENTRY Specialist Kangiser reported the proposed agreement with Dana Day AGREEMENT WITH supports actions for the Barnes Lake Management District. Ms. Day’s DANA DAY FOR THE property is located on the eastern side of Barnes Lake at 231 Lark Street, BARNES LAKE south of Michael T. Simmons Elementary School. Ms. Day’s property MANAGEMENT provides for boat access for the contractor to complete vegetation DISTRICT: maintenance on the lake, as well as providing staff access to conduct monthly water quality monitoring. No other access points to the lake are available for boats. In exchange for the right of entry agreement, the Barnes Lake Management District agreed to pay the assessment fee for Ms. Day’s property and a lake front fee of approximately $300 annually with an annual escalator of 5%. Staff recommends the committee place the Right of Entry Agreement with Dana Day for her Lark Street property on the January 21, 2025 Council consent calendar with a recommendation for the Mayor to sign. Councilmember Jefferson inquired as to the length of the agreement. Specialist Kangiser said the agreement is for a period of four years. TUMWATER PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE MINUTES OF VIRTUAL MEETING JANUARY 9, 2025 Page 2 MOTION: Councilmember Althauser moved, seconded by Councilmember Jefferson, to place the Right of Entry Agreement with Dana Day for her Lark Street property on the January 21, 2025 Council consent calendar with a recommendation for the Mayor to sign. A voice vote approved the motion unanimously. MEMORANDUM OF Director Smith reported the amendment is only for an extension of time UNDERSTANDING for the City to continue working with the LOTT Clean Water Alliance to (MOU) BETWEEN determine the overall conditions of properties under consideration as part THE CITY OF of a purchase and sale agreement. The City extended the agreement TUMWATER (CITY) earlier to enable some additional time to complete due diligence of the AND LOTT CLEAN properties. Staff anticipates that over the next three months, WATER ALLIANCE conversations will continue with LOTT Clean Water Alliance officials to (LOTT) REGARDING review any remaining concerns by the City. A recent environmental site A PURCHASE AND survey did not reveal any new findings of significant concerns. Staff SALE AGREEMENT anticipates continuing to move forward as both organizations continue FOR PROPERTIES working on existing considerations surrounding site access and the IN THE DESCHUTES deposition of some additional structures. The amendment extends the VALLEY agreement to June 2025 to negotiate final details. AMENDMENT 2: Staff recommends the committee place the MOU between the City and LOTT regarding a Purchase and Sale Agreement for Properties in the Deschutes Valley on the January 21, 2025 City Council consent calendar with a recommendation to approve and authorize the Mayor to sign. It was noted that the agreement reflected an end date of December 2025. Director Smith explained that the agreement was previously amended to reflect an expiration date of December 31, 2024, which will be corrected within the document. MOTION: Councilmember Jefferson moved, seconded by Councilmember Althauser, to place the MOU between the City and LOTT regarding a Purchase and Sale Agreement for Properties in the Deschutes Valley on the January 21, 2025 City Council consent calendar, with a recommendation to approve and authorize the Mayor to sign. A voice vote approved the motion unanimously. INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT (ILA) Specialist Gilmore presented the proposed five-year contract for the WITH THE CITIES Regional Environmental Education Program (REEP) between the Cities OF OLYMPIA AND of Lacey and Olympia, Thurston County, and the City of Tumwater. The LACEY, AND contract supports the NPDES (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination THURSTON System) permit requirements for Phase 2 permitees for education and COUNTY outreach component, behavior change component, and several other IMPLEMENTING A initiatives to address engagement with community members and REGIONAL businesses. TUMWATER PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE MINUTES OF VIRTUAL MEETING JANUARY 9, 2025 Page 3 ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION The budget for the program includes a request for an increase to PROGRAM (REEP): accommodate inflation. The annual budget is $120,000. The percentage allocation is based on population. The population count for each jurisdiction is from the last census data. The City of Tumwater is responsible for 12% of the budget equating to $14,400 annually. The City receives numerous benefits from the program as a regional partner. To date, the work has been effective. Staff requests placing the ILA with the Cities of Olympia and Lacey, and Thurston County Implementing a REEP on the January 21, 2025, City Council consent calendar with a recommendation to approve and authorize the Mayor to sign. Councilmember Jefferson asked about the sources of increased costs caused by inflation. Specialist Gilmore advised that the increases in costs are primarily for consultant fees. The partners contract with several consultants to assist in web development and web support activities. Other cost increases are attributed to the increase in printing costs for the Stream Team quarterly newsletter, as well as moving toward the use of more sustainable materials that typically cost more. The program provides many incentives to reward Stream Team volunteers, which also contributes to other costs. Councilmember Jefferson recommended staff provide information on the increase in costs because of increasing concerns surrounding inflation and higher costs. Specialist Gilmore added that in 2024, the REEP program hosted 89 events throughout the South Sound region with 3,408 in-person engagements with community members featuring stewardship and volunteer programs and second Saturday restoration events at South Road Park educating the community on how stormwater pollution affect critical areas and steps community members can take to help offset the impacts. The new launch of the behavior change program surrounding habitat at home and Naturescape for natural yard care will be reintroduced after a pause caused by the COVID pandemic. Additionally, many hands-on science surveys are sponsored with amphibian and macro invertebrate surveys. The City of Tumwater has a close relationship with the school district and staff engages with students, as well as establishing a coalition with teachers to carry the Stream Team into the curriculum and share information with students within the framework of teaching. All alignment within the program is growing stronger and more impactful in outreach to the community. Councilmember Jefferson recommended forwarding the request as a Council Consideration item to enable a presentation to the community TUMWATER PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE MINUTES OF VIRTUAL MEETING JANUARY 9, 2025 Page 4 highlighting the benefits of the program. Director Smith recommended scheduling the proposed agreement on the consent calendar items as initially recommended and scheduling future a presentation to the Council on the work plan and recent accomplishments. Specialist Gilmore noted that the Stream Team is celebrating its 37th anniversary. Stream Team has become much more effective with the advent of different technologies and the numerous relationships created by the different programs. Councilmember Althauser recalled his experience as a high school student volunteering with the Stream Team. The Stream Team was featured on national news when a two-headed salmon hatched locally survived its alevin stage of life. MOTION: Councilmember Jefferson moved, seconded by Councilmember Althauser, to place the ILA with the Cities of Olympia and Lacey, and Thurston County Implementing a REEP on the January 21, 2025, City Council consent calendar with a recommendation to approve and authorize the Mayor to sign. The item will be scheduled for a future Council work session. A voice vote approved the motion unanimously. ADJOURNMENT: With there being no further business, Chair Swarthout adjourned the meeting at 8:25 a.m. Prepared by Valerie L. Gow, Recording Secretary/President Puget Sound Meeting Services, psmsoly@earthlink.net