Sequim advances Transportation Improvement Program; council directs staff to schedule public hearing

City engineer Nick Doste presented Sequim's Transportation Improvement Program at the June 12 meeting, highlighted recent project completions and asked council to authorize a public hearing and a resolution to adopt the updated TIP.

Key points from the presentation: Doste described the TIP as a dynamic document aligned with the comprehensive plan and noted recent completions including the North Sequim Avenue pedestrian/bike project and overlay. "This is a dynamic document," Doste said, and the updated TIP separates pavement work into two categories: arterials/collectors (to be sized for federal match opportunities) and local streets (city-funded preservation work such as chip seal and dig-outs). The split is intended to let the city pursue federal or other grant matches for larger corridor projects while using city funds to address local neighborhood pavement needs.

Priority projects and funding strategy: Doste called out the North Third Avenue complete-streets project (a Safe Streets for All/other federal funding candidate), the West Brownfield Road alignment (a developer "fee in lieu" funding opportunity), and a citywide ADA ramp replacement program that used a TIB match in a prior year. He said the Brownfield fee-in-lieu money must be spent within five years and described a plan to use it to purchase right-of-way and to leverage it as match for larger grants.

Council action: Councilor moved and seconded a motion directing staff to prepare a resolution and schedule a public hearing on the TIP; the motion passed without objection. Staff will return with the resolution, public-hearing date and associated project documents.

Context and next steps: Doste said the TIP will continue to evolve as the updated transportation master plan and grants cycles advance. Staff stated they will follow the adopted public process for the resolution and public hearing and will pursue grant matches for collector/arterial projects while using city pavement funds to improve neighborhood local streets.

Ending: The council vote directed staff to prepare the resolution and schedule a public hearing; no council discussion changed the TIP priorities as presented.