Parks and Public Works presents 2024 accomplishments and 2025 priorities: water upgrades, tree planting, storm response and ASR pilot

The Parks and Public Works Committee heard a divisionwide update on 2024 accomplishments and 2025 priorities across water, urban forestry and stormwater, parks and streets, fleet and facilities, and wastewater operations.

Water division superintendent Matt Hedger highlighted main replacements and emergency repairs, automation upgrades and water‑use reductions. Hedger said the crew replaced a downtown main and repaired a major transmission main on Reinegg Road that released roughly 1.4 million gallons and took more than 12 hours to isolate and repair. Irrigation efficiency work led by a staff member reduced seasonal irrigation use by about 30%, which Hedger said equates to roughly 7,600,000 gallons saved compared with the prior year. The division also automated a downtown pressure‑reducing valve (PRV) and replaced an aging pump at the winery booster station; Hedger said the department lost about 45,000,000 gallons to leaks in 2024 and is prioritizing leak detection and repairs.

Jason Battles, urban forestry and stormwater superintendent, said the city received a state grant for 300 street trees downtown and completed 144 plantings in 2024. Battles described the Green Snoqualmie volunteer partnership, which logged hundreds of volunteer hours and resulted in nearly 1,200 trees and shrubs planted across the city last year; staff report planting 113 trees recently on three local streets. Stormwater work in 2024 included removing trees from storm ponds to meet maintenance standards and responding to a winter windstorm that felled more than 100 trees. Battles described a recent illicit‑discharge response to an oil sheen in a pond: staff deployed absorbent booms, involved the Department of Ecology, and the agency estimated the spill at about two gallons; staff blocked catch basins and reported no oil entered the MS4.

Parks and streets work in 2024 included replacing deteriorating split‑rail fences, rebuilding access steps at K Bog Trail and upgrading restroom floors. The streets division completed early season snow response and began installation of wayfinding signs (96 signs) and alley refurbishments. For 2025 the division plans to continue deferred maintenance, repair the walking trail around Bogut Community Park and reimplement monthly in‑house street sweeping.

Don Harris, fleet and facilities superintendent, said the division manages roughly $13.8 million in assets, 125 vehicles and five municipal buildings (about 60,000 square feet). Facilities work in 2024 included communication upgrades at the fire station and new employee office space. Harris said the city has begun preventive fuel‑polishing maintenance on generators to remove algae build‑up and plans additional equipment purchases budgeted for 2025.

Wastewater superintendent Tom Holmes summarized treatment and maintenance: in 2024 the department produced roughly 54,600,000 gallons of reclaimed water and about 2,000 wet tons of biosolids that are shipped to a beneficial‑use farm (Natural Selection Farms) in Eastern Washington. Holmes said the division cleaned 15,000 feet of sewer main in 2024 and aims to clean 44,000 feet in 2025 (about one third of the system) to meet industry recommendations of cleaning every 3–5 years. He also said crews will trial root‑treatment chemicals to reduce root intrusions into pipes.

Public comment at the end of the presentation was limited to committee praise for staff and questions about grant funding and grease issues in the sewer system; staff said the pretreatment ordinance requires commercial grease interceptors where appropriate. The director reiterated staffing needs: if the utility rate adjustment is approved, the department plans to hire an additional administrator and a wastewater operator to support 24/7 plant operations. The committee adjourned after a motion to end the meeting.