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Public Works updates: unbudgeted pickup replacement, Spirit Lake DEIS comments, STP request, and chip-seal striping explained
Summary
Cowlitz County Public Works presented several operational items: an unbudgeted early replacement request for a failed 2018 F-150 (estimated $40,000), posted comment deadlines for the Spirit Lake DEIS (Oct. 30) and a federal STP RFI (Aug. 20), and an explanation of chip-seal striping practice.
Susan Eugenas, county engineer, briefed commissioners on multiple Public Works items, including a vehicle replacement, two federal/state comment opportunities, and street striping after chip sealing.
Vehicle replacement: Eugenas said pickup truck #5919, a 2018 F-150 with about 145,000 miles and a failed engine, is a road-supervisor vehicle and would normally be replaced in the 2026 cycle. Staff requested early replacement with a Ford Maverick and estimated the cost for the vehicle and equipment (lights, fittings) at about $40,000. Commissioners expressed general support during the meeting; no formal budget amendment was recorded.
Spirit Lake outflow project: staff said the U.S. Army Corps’ draft environmental impact statement for the Spirit Lake outflow safety improvement project (document sans appendices) was released and that comments are due Oct. 30; staff planned to prepare a summary and recommend a county comment letter for board consideration.
Surface Transportation Program (STP) input: Eugenas said the U.S. Department of Transportation issued a request for information on the surface transportation authorization that expires in September 2026 and asked local governments for feedback to improve program delivery. Comments are due Aug. 20; staff said they will prepare recommended responses on STP priorities for board review.
Chip-seal striping: Eugenas described the adhesive reflective strips used when striping before chip seal. She said crews lay adhesive-backed strips (yellow centerlines, white fog lines) perpendicular to the road, oil and chip-seal over them, and then broom the road within about a week to 10 days. The plastic cover on the reflective tab helps the oil adhere until contractors sweep the road; the covers are removed by sweeping and the reflective element remains. She said the strips can be damaged later by plows or vehicles and that crews stripe around them.
Eugenas also reminded commissioners about an upcoming local roundtable on Mount St. Helens impacts hosted by Representative Glusenkamp Perez; staff proposed that a commissioner or staff attend the Tuesday 2:30–3:30 p.m. event in Longview and the board indicated support for attendance.
Staff will return with a recommended comment letter on the Spirit Lake DEIS and the STP RFI and with budget details if the board wants a formal vehicle-replacement appropriation.
