[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6305222,"mediaKeyId","2449681-1bf659082a4a393416d83a942ce14e03","parentId",2449681,"title","Interstate-5 bridge replacement plan draws questions on light rail, tolls and local costs","audioSeconds",1446,"startMs",886000,"endMs",2332000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2449681-1bf659082a4a393416d83a942ce14e03&start=886&end=2332","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2449681-1bf659082a4a393416d83a942ce14e03/thumbnail_886000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6305222/La-Center/Clark-County/Washington/Interstate-5-bridge-replacement-plan-draws-questions-on-light-rail-tolls-and-local-costs","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6305222-2de6b798a08ceada0035af74ce121d5b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771160685&Signature=aHWgO5CuG~RFwkXmDcSsxQpcWmG~2Nl~uYH430AbvAiLFxzWzQrE3RHvakcE65XL9YDIjXLn0DminDC46mB~XykQa7oivnOoroyMoLK2IcvFqbRE5TswSPvyhrMHgIALABuf-GdPmjx6dXKNsFU8Gibg10X~CTMUVBgvX8I3Vw8L0UlEeMNzrjqpkT7uYsYsiQ0sFUk-CBc6LlQAUp9AEjBFeg-kr4xbsL6kGhg3PfvGK9IZsioPULmC5GXNQRiDlOje9bMjggsu-wsgTN39Gi287tHw83auqBIFsn~Gl9m3c2crrPEYmbvT5THwRF5fsmjJRFYXNY~ix8eXaPiDVg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","La Center, WA","date","2025-02-28T22:09:33.313Z","article","Frank Green of the Interstate Bridge Replacement team and a colleague described the program to the La Center City Council on Wednesday, outlining a multimodal plan that would replace aging I‑5 spans, add active‑transportation facilities and extend light rail into Vancouver.

The presentation said the program targets work across about five miles of the I‑5 corridor, includes a proposed 1.9‑mile extension of Portland’s MAX light rail with three new stations, and would be delivered as many contracts rather than a single job. Frank Green, introduced as an assistant program administrator on the IVR team, said the program is advancing environmental review and design work and that officials are “targeting an ‘in‑water’ construction window in 2027.”

Why it matters: the project would change regional transit and freight access, rely heavily on federal grants already awarded, and — if light rail remains part of the locally preferred alternative — create long‑term operations and maintenance (O&M) obligations that local agencies may need to fund. Those funding decisions could affect local taxes, tolling patterns and transit service.

Program staff showed recent funding awards and targets. The presenters said roughly $5.5 billion in federal and state commitments has been identified so far and that officials were pursuing roughly another $1 billion. Green told the council two large federal awards shown on slides include approximately $600 million and $1.5 billion; staff said a federal Capital Investment Grant (CIG) is the vehicle planned to cover a large portion of the transit capital cost. Green said the light‑rail portion’s cost range is roughly $1.3 billion to about $2.0 billion, with estimates around $1.8 billion used for planning.

Council members and residents used the presentation to press staff on two central issues: how the public opinion work was done and who would pay O&M. Green said an opinion poll of about 1,000 people produced support numbers the team reported for Portland, Vancouver and Clark County, and he acknowledged the pollor’s methodology could be clarified. “The statistical information is on our website,” Green told the council when asked for polling details, and said the team would provide the sampling breakdown on request.

On O&M, the IVR team described tolling and other funding options under consideration. Green quoted draft toll ranges included in the Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement: “The toll rates that we’ve studied right now in our draft supplemental EIS… are between a dollar fifty and $3.50,” charged in both directions, with higher rates at peak times and lower rates off‑peak. He said state law constrains toll revenue use and that toll revenue is intended primarily to support construction financing and the long‑term operation and maintenance of the tolled facility.

Council members said they were concerned La Center residents could face new taxes or share O&M burdens for a project whose transit benefits they said would be concentrated in Vancouver and Portland. One councilor noted South‑Clark County residents had rejected rail plans in prior votes and asked whether tolls and an expanded sales tax were still on the table; Green said multiple funding sources remain under discussion and that some partners had expressed interest in keeping a full set of funding options available for study.

Security and ridership were also discussed. Staff said light‑rail ridership fell after the pandemic and is recovering slowly; Paige Schlup, listed as a colleague on the IVR team, said operations and maintenance planning will affect vehicle and bus service frequency. Councilors asked how stations would be secured; Green and Schlup said security approaches would be developed with transit operators and local police and that TriMet and C‑TRAN use combinations of transit security personnel and police in other service areas.

Several residents and council members asked about alternatives — wider bridge-only designs or different lane counts — and whether changes to the locally preferred alternative would risk existing grant commitments. Green said the benefit‑cost analyses used in federal grant applications included the multimodal package, and that major changes could affect funding and schedule. He also said some grants have timing constraints and that delays could increase program costs.

The council asked the city to host a community poll, and the mayor said the city would add a public survey to its website so residents could give the council direction ahead of a C‑TRAN board decision in March. Green and Schlup offered to return to present additional elements if the council asked.

Ending: Councilors said they want the city poll results to guide the council’s public position and asked staff to forward the IVR team’s polling methodology and the federal grant conditions cited in the presentation.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Regular City Council Meeting 02 26 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Frank Green of the Interstate Bridge Replacement team and a colleague described the program to the La Center City Council on Wednesday, outlining a multimodal plan that would replace aging I‑5 spans, add active‑transportation facilities and extend light rail into Vancouver.","taxTitle","La Center, Clark County, Washington","taxId",73809,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6305202,"La Center council approves consent agenda",15,817000,832000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2449681-1bf659082a4a393416d83a942ce14e03&start=817&end=832","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2449681-1bf659082a4a393416d83a942ce14e03/thumbnail_817000.jpg","/articles/6305202/La-Center/Clark-County/Washington/La-Center-council-approves-consent-agenda","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6305202-cc0839e222c48e2c60c500aaa7fe0711/orig.mp4?Expires=1771160685&Signature=M7b8UgIeBK4uvTt0599YaXS6qqpdAl~BiHnsCwfNpW15iZHcoW69w-PfRpIKWh4av42dkPAjUVCfzhTk-J~dCaVNOvfYDG4I6lbFj6kLko2tK4qkTm7znPC9pFqyaJRR4fkkozD8yRqJ3tRnknoVumLXYp2NgtoaUVlI7veppn6nDu6MDXlaVOVkr3RMz3FFynIJ3ohWFgyjZCLbAOEwXes3moNuAZz5eFl~D4IIpIAz8AgGUgjGXH0pJTjTnwq3o4qbtDX0Nby3dg~ZiHmbiQQp3s22SAQupXgbH8M8SVHhtXorOc7g3gJMl10soHdMYO83fan1qgkuSV1KeuHoIw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The La Center City Council moved and seconded approval of the consent agenda at the start of the Feb. 20 meeting and voted to approve. The clerk recorded the motion as passed; no items were removed from the consent agenda for separate consideration.

Ending: The council proceeded to scheduled presentations after approving the consent agenda.","The council unanimously approved the consent agenda for the Feb. 20 meeting. No items were pulled for separate discussion.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6305206,"Clark County deputies report full La Center precinct staffing and rising traffic enforcement",117,3576000,3693000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2449681-1bf659082a4a393416d83a942ce14e03&start=3576&end=3693","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2449681-1bf659082a4a393416d83a942ce14e03/thumbnail_3576000.jpg","/articles/6305206/La-Center/Clark-County/Washington/Clark-County-deputies-report-full-La-Center-precinct-staffing-and-rising-traffic-enforcement","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6305206-3340510263ecba0bd1a0e93f3674e3f0/orig.mp4?Expires=1771160685&Signature=JLJUEIeaxh6yJP7jMGM50Bc7llNYp8bzxpsybCPXEzwOayop4u~9sURZ00MJFoGpjidcEMit131osXeiMYattPzTwoEjVHHe-lbR5WAyxTZADzflcVfDDee-JVar9UQoPbhrYNDIBrtaCEdrarNhhcw44WMYb5xT1wOA~xjzpuQrQBVCYTbz56gQlgtD~oNarXzwCRTmhzxqGhRXMNO4o0Ugra-JKgeUmLYY0vjt2ynAcCwNvRQnyPuP6qelJKE653RqayL21h~CdYLFbJGGwnmMUvhaP-zmCfqZvR3it~cQxldiBbPWvX-NlfDaVo5UMJJlkWJ6DWGLg-f2P31Prw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Commander Phil Sample told the council the La Center precinct is near full staffing and listed recent statistics and notable incidents.

Sample introduced a newly hired deputy, Travis Scott, and said a support specialist would be in place within days. He reported January figures that showed community‑initiated calls rose to 128 and deputy‑initiated contacts were 80, for a total of 208 calls in the month cited; he contrasted those numbers with prior years to show increased proactive enforcement as staffing returned.

Nut graf: the precinct’s increased presence produced more stops and more traffic enforcement actions, Sample said, and he described a mix of routine and reportable incidents — domestic disturbances that remained verbal and did not move to mandatory arrest, malicious mischief (including BB gun damage to a vehicle), theft reports that lacked leads, a school fight and a casino trespass handled by deputies.

Sample clarified the difference between domestic disturbance and domestic violence: when officers determine a physical assault has occurred, Washington law requires officers to identify a primary aggressor and arrest under mandatory‑arrest protocols. He told the council some traffic stops do not generate formal reports but still represent active enforcement.

Sample also cautioned residents about phone and courier scams, giving examples of frauds reported elsewhere in which victims were persuaded to withdraw large sums to “protect” accounts. “Be very leery,” he said, and encouraged residents to bring suspicious messages to the precinct for verification.

Ending: Council members thanked Sample and welcomed the new deputy. Sample said the precinct will continue public outreach and urged residents to use official dispatch channels so calls are routed correctly and documented.","Commander Phil Sample updated the council on precinct staffing, statistics for January and notable calls; staff said community‑initiated calls increased and traffic enforcement activity is rising as patrol presence grows.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6305211,"Council authorizes up to $80,000 in reallocated funds for community center upgrades",459,6353000,6812000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2449681-1bf659082a4a393416d83a942ce14e03&start=6353&end=6812","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2449681-1bf659082a4a393416d83a942ce14e03/thumbnail_6353000.jpg","/articles/6305211/La-Center/Clark-County/Washington/Council-authorizes-up-to-80000-in-reallocated-funds-for-community-center-upgrades","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6305211-a13d1252be4388eedfdfcc159be744e1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771160685&Signature=MHoPQpjYWKmGZ54BUdTas9ZhPQOvLwIpw7bRHXV9TzBPjGOr8lrP1XnuF3YX~URkSQTw~xUc~dUFJ7gxVMxts8S-V9We5IuPTqYKIFgTVjddVfB9mDyDM1PdQyxXKKAAKUlJf9t7D5WC9fwjXnf3zaq6oIIn6AXw6NCS8ml4h5U5~gjpBOugeJEr1NdMRvz2Fb~RwCDmLXeUFOYWqb45Lhhr5B7pn2GTf0naFB3P0Pled5ykYs6-wYFNyUpzA0BFjbjyATx5ExuVHevGFcTpZkm~RC8SlXpgZXHil6Kt3mbaUTB52K4-xZBTzSJAnaFY58t44ig0retlE0rYn9N0NQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City staff asked the council to authorize a change order and a transfer of already‑budgeted capital funds to expand work at the community center while a contractor is on site.

Tracy Coleman, presenting the staff request, said the city had secured a Washington State Department of Commerce grant for the center and had incurred higher‑than‑expected asbestos removal and structural engineering costs. The city also received lower bids than budgeted on a separate city‑hall roof project. Coleman said the combination of grant dollars and the bid savings left an opportunity to add targeted upgrades without increasing the city’s total capital budget.

Coleman asked the council to authorize up to $80,000 in additional spending to pay for items that include window replacement throughout the building, a kitchen floor replacement, additional exterior outlets, new siding and gutters, HVAC upgrades (including separate kitchen cooling), and metal back doors for improved security. She said using the existing contractor while work is underway would be more cost effective than re‑bidding the additional work later.

Nut graf: the council approved reallocating available capital funds — not a new tax or levy — so the work can be done now while a contractor is on site. Coleman said the money would be moved from an unspent portion of the city hall roof budget.

Councilor Sean (surname not given) moved the authorization; a second followed. The council voted and the motion passed. The city clerk recorded the outcome as “Motion passes.” Coleman said the improvements would modernize the building envelope and add power for outdoor events and sports activities.

Ending: Coleman asked the community to hold final visual inspection until a public ribbon‑cutting; the council agreed and thanked staff for managing the bid savings to fund local improvements.","The council voted to authorize up to $80,000 in already‑budgeted capital funds to add exterior outlets, replace windows and siding, upgrade HVAC and complete other security and accessibility work at the community center; work will use a current contractor where cost‑effective.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6305216,"La Center schools superintendent says district is 'strong'; highlights levy pass and CTE expansion",946,4150000,5096000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2449681-1bf659082a4a393416d83a942ce14e03&start=4150&end=5096","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2449681-1bf659082a4a393416d83a942ce14e03/thumbnail_4150000.jpg","/articles/6305216/La-Center/Clark-County/Washington/La-Center-schools-superintendent-says-district-is-strong-highlights-levy-pass-and-CTE-expansion","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6305216-75075bf15bdd691f7eb60a68a28637a2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771160685&Signature=S1b1CBHZfpPGr~uR6h50InBjIdAM~i297bmgGUZ7BJF0rTnDP1ZubflTW-N9UL8CvZBg4e6mrQnpzk0tprRoelvUM6R0GFiscVz89HwO-wAufSwQqIEnDTdrhGj7OQdygXzzUPgadTV78h5nPKsIvrxxuYQbzJZ2tKLVNrrrUSZcHgYxDFdudY5eRknL2wG920WzyyftZlPMBE2nOIcBfZarD5H364wC1BAI5GuCMFz7exDyKbxm3qEUD2p87vTCTtQNmaR3DQ5nIK65zHudYcVc2RzoI3PAHKFfCdrtGfj1tXxok9soHV-8TcxsO1g3n-mTto23rWTbwqnX-aBMPw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Peter Rosenkrantz, La Center School District superintendent, told the council the district’s twice‑annual state‑of‑the‑district report showed steady programs and community support.

Rosenkrantz highlighted athletics and academics: the high school wrestling team placed first and seventh in state team standings for individuals, and spring sports were beginning. He noted the district’s recent replacement levy passed with a 59.4% yes vote and described the levy as a replacement that did not raise the rate but increased the amount to account for growth.

Nut graf: Rosenkrantz framed district priorities around student learning, family engagement and career opportunities. He said the district is expanding career and technical education (CTE) offerings — including baking, culinary and construction courses — and is pursuing partnerships with local industry to give students work‑ready skills and dual‑credit options.

Rosenkrantz described instructional priorities: continued emphasis on early reading, a focus on math and science, and a new push to raise writing proficiency so students are “on grade level for writing by grade 10.” He said the district offers Advanced Placement and dual‑credit courses and is working to increase hands‑on opportunities that pair academic credit with practical skills.

On safety and emergency planning, Rosenkrantz said the district recently held a tabletop exercise that involved school staff, police, fire and Clark County to work through a simulated chemical spill and coordinate communication and student movement. He told the council the exercise helped refine command and family‑reunification procedures.

Rosenkrantz also urged family volunteerism, noting volunteers who read with students and a small corps of math volunteers who support classroom fluency. He stressed parent engagement as important to literacy and numeracy outcomes.

Ending: Rosenkrantz closed by saying the district is focused on families and students and thanked the community for supporting the levy; he invited council members to upcoming school events and performances.","Superintendent Peter Rosenkrantz told the council the district achieved a 59.4% levy pass rate, expanded CTE and dual‑credit offerings, and is focusing next on writing instruction and family engagement.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Interstate-5 bridge replacement plan draws questions on light rail, tolls and local costs

La Center council approves consent agenda

Clark County deputies report full La Center precinct staffing and rising traffic enforcement

Council authorizes up to $80,000 in reallocated funds for community center upgrades

La Center schools superintendent says district is 'strong'; highlights levy pass and CTE expansion