Public Works outlines busy summer construction program; CRAB funds, overlays and right-of-way explained

Susan (Public Works) and other Public Works staff updated the Board of Commissioners on CRAB (County Road Administration Board) reporting, RAP funds, a stormwater e-signature form and an extensive 2025 construction program.

Susan said the county is submitting the CRAB annual certification for the Rural Arterial Preservation (RAP) program and that the new paperless system allowed electronic certification. "This information is all provided by the other offices," she said, describing the form as reporting county valuation, highest possible levy and levy adopted. Staff confirmed CRAB/RAP funding typically yields about $1 million to $2 million per biennium for the county, allocated by lane mile and population.

The board saw a list of construction projects the department expects to advertise or is already under way. Key items staff reported: - Guardrail and delineators repair project, estimated at about $460,000, currently underway in south county and expected to require an additional fall round. - Tootle wastewater treatment plant upgrades, bid and awarded and coming to the board for execution next week: a $1,450,000 ARPA-funded project. - Annual overlay (maintenance/contractor work) estimated at about $2,100,000; advertisement pending WSDOT permits for affected sections. - Giant Creek culvert (FEMA-funded, under $1 million) and several culvert replacements and bridge projects including Tower Road bridge (property acquisitions, permits) and Pleasant Hill bridge (FEMA funds; plan to do most construction outside the fish window and install major elements in winter).

Susan described a lengthy permitting and scheduling environment that includes WSDOT specifications (the county missed a WSDOT spec cutoff and had to convert from 2024 specs to 2025 specs for the South Cloverdale project), coordination with US Army Corps 408 permit needs for Dyke Road, and fish-window timing constraints for in-water work. For South Cloverdale the remaining issue is fish handling/spec language.

Staff explained right-of-way acquisition practice: county appraisals establish compensation per square foot, tree and fence values and temporary easement compensation; acquisition agents present offers and state law allows property owners to obtain an independent appraisal (county offers to pay up to $750 for an independent appraisal). If negotiations fail, staff explained, Public Works would present a recommendation to commissioners to begin eminent-domain proceedings; the board asked about current negotiations and staff said most acquisitions are progressing without court action.

Temporary bridge inventory and reuse were discussed: the county has a 20-foot temporary bridge (modular sections) that has been used on multiple projects and can be redeployed; moving such bridges requires a crane and lowboy transport.

On permits and interagency coordination: Susan said the Ecology stormwater electronic signature and an associated delegation letter will appear on next week's agenda to confirm the Public Works director as the responsible official for electronic signatures. Commissioners agreed to sign the e-signature paperwork so the director can sign required Ecology documents.

Why this matters: the county's road and water infrastructure program includes multi-million-dollar projects and federal/state funding streams; permitting, right-of-way and interagency coordination affect schedule and cost.

Staff will return with bid documents and bring several awarded contracts for execution at future meetings. No formal vote was recorded on the construction program at this meeting.