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Council hears first readings on major water and bridge projects; firefighting training funding remains uncertain
Summary
Council members heard first readings for major sewer-storage, water-plant conveyance and bridge projects and discussed the timing and mix of state and federal funding for a planned firefighting training facility.
The Everett City Council received first readings on several capital funding ordinances on Jan. 22 and heard an update on the joint firefighting training facility.
Ryan South of Public Works summarized three plan-and-systems ordinances at first reading. The Port Gardner storage facility, which repurposes the former Kimberly-Clark wastewater plant, adds $111,000,000 in funding for construction and is the centerpiece of the city’s combined-sewer overflow reduction program tied to an agreed order with the Washington State Department of Ecology. South said the project will be constructed under a project labor agreement as a pilot for the city.
South described a separate ordinance adding $20,100,000 for combined-conveyance improvements at the Water Pollution Control Facility to protect plant processes from extreme wet-weather combined sewer flows. A third ordinance accounts for an additional $850,000 in federal congressionally directed spending for the Edgewater Creek bridge replacement.
Council member Ryan raised questions about the joint firefighting training facility and whether the city should wait for state funding before allocating additional local funds. Bob Leonard of Parks and Facilities said the city had considered delaying the item but kept it on the schedule because state funding was still possible and advancing design work increases the city’s competitiveness for federal grants. Chief DeMarco and staff said the city is ranked first for approximately $7,000,000 in state Defense Communities funding and expects the remainder of the about $20,000,000 project cost to come from a federal Defense Communities Infrastructure Program grant if awarded.
Those capital funding ordinances were introduced at first reading and will return for subsequent readings; no final council votes on the ordinances occurred on Jan. 22. Council did approve unrelated consent items and minutes earlier in the meeting by roll call.
