Sequim public works outlines transportation and parks condition, funding and near-term projects

Public works staff presented a 45-minute briefing to the Sequim City Council on April 14 about the city’s transportation and parks systems, how condition assessments inform maintenance and capital planning, and the funding sources the city uses to carry out projects.

The presentation summarized current asset inventories, condition measurement methods, planned pilots and immediate capital priorities. Paul (Public Works presenter) told the council the department manages the city’s largest operating and capital budgets and oversees multiple service areas including streets, water, sewer, engineering and parks. “There really isn't a formal agenda. The purpose of tonight is to have a dialogue about a specific topics. For tonight's meeting, we're going to be talking about transportation and parks,” Paul said.

The briefing matters because streets, sidewalks and parks account for most of Sequim’s public infrastructure spending and are funded largely through a mix of local revenues, developer fees and competitive state and federal grants. Staff emphasized that grant awards are often short‑term and that larger reconstruction projects depend on successful grant applications or other one‑time funding.

City engineer Nick Dossi walked through transportation classifications and condition assessments, explaining the city uses a pavement condition index (PCI) and annual average daily traffic (AADT) to prioritize work. “We as a city currently maintain five classifications for streets: arterial, collector, local, neighborhood and alleys,” Dossi said. He described how PCI scores (0–100) map to maintenance categories: routine maintenance (85–100), preventative maintenance (70–85), rehabilitation (50–70) and full replacement (below 50). Priest Road was cited as a recent low‑scoring segment slated for full replacement using grant funds.

Staff gave inventory numbers and maintenance facts: about 22 lane miles of roadway (122 directional miles of travel), 62.1 miles of sidewalks, 1.7 miles of shared‑use pathways in addition to 5 miles of the Olympic Discovery Trail, 12.2 miles of bike lanes, roughly 674 street lights (about four known outages at the time of the presentation), and 569 recorded pedestrian crossings (about 200 marked). The transportation maintenance and operating program totals about $1.2 million, with 85 percent supported by the general fund and the balance largely from the local Transportation Benefit District (TBD). The TBD collects 0.2 percent sales tax within city limits and yields roughly $1 million annually, staff said.

Staff also reviewed condition‑assessment inputs: consultant PCI inspections, citizen reports, crew observations and asset‑management software (Cartograph) that will feed operations, maintenance and capital planning. A chip‑seal pilot is planned for 2026 to extend pavement life, and street crews currently repair about 40 pavement patches a year. On ADA compliance, staff described a recently completed ADA transition plan for the public right‑of‑way and a separate ADA analysis contract for parks and facilities; the city plans to replace 61 curb ramps and is packaging some work to lower costs by doing more in house.

Parks manager Hannah Merrill summarized park inventory and usage: Sequim has roughly 34 acres of parks and open space (about 16 acres per 1,000 residents, above national guidelines), and crews perform frequent mowing, pruning, trash pickup, playground and restroom maintenance, event setup/cleanup and irrigation repairs. The parks maintenance and operating budget is about $700,000 (general fund). Identified parks capital needs total approximately $21 million in unfunded projects; grant funding historically pays for parkland acquisition, while construction projects often require mixes of REET, impact fees, general fund contributions and grants.

Staff listed 2025 transportation projects with secured or expected awards, including three pavement rehabilitations (about $1.9 million), a $1.2 million intersection project, a curb ramp program (~$55,000 listed in the presentation), Johnson Creek crossing design work and the completion of the transportation master plan. Staff said roughly 74 percent of the 2025 transportation program is expected to be grant‑funded. They also noted concern that a multi‑jurisdictional RAISE grant previously awarded is under administrative review and that funds for some pipeline projects may be delayed or frozen pending federal guidance.

Council members asked clarifying questions about project timing, the brownfield road realignment tied to a developer fee‑in‑lieu, winter‑weather impacts on pavement longevity and ongoing grant application timelines. Staff said some projects could be two to five years out depending on funding and right‑of‑way needs, but that staff are preparing a shorter, more actionable three‑year CIP window for planning and grant matching.

Staff closed by asking council to provide direction for topics they want emphasized in future water and sewer presentations and noted upcoming master planning for several parks (Gearhart, Keeler, Dr. James Standard, McChord) and capital items including the Margaret Kerner playground and resurfacing of pickleball courts.

The council did not take action during the briefing; staff said they will fold the presented plans and condition data into the formal CIP and budget process later in the year.