Tumwater committee approves REAP interlocal agreement; staff to present program details at future work session

The Tumwater Public Works Committee voted Jan. 9 to place a five-year interlocal agreement for the REAP regional environmental education program on the Jan. 21 City Council consent calendar and recommended the mayor sign the agreement. Staff also agreed to provide a more comprehensive presentation about REAP and Stream Team programming at a future work session.

Grant, a city staff member who presented the item, described the proposed five-year agreement among the cities of Olympia, Lacey, Thurston County and Tumwater as supporting municipal stormwater permit requirements for NPDES Phase II permittees and funding regional education, outreach and behavior-change activities. Grant said the proposed annual REAP budget is $120,000 and that Tumwater’s share, based on census-derived population allocations, is 12%—about $14,400 per year.

Grant said the requested increase in the budget responds to inflation and higher costs for consultants, web development and web support, higher printing costs for the quarterly Stream Team newsletter and a switch to 100% recycled materials and inks. He told the committee some costs cover volunteer incentives and materials for outreach and that the program has wide regional reach; last year the REAP/Stream Team effort hosted 89 events and recorded 3,408 in-person engagements across the South Sound region. Grant also said the Stream Team program is marking its 35th anniversary this year and staff are planning to relaunch a Habitat at Home / NatureScapes behavior-change program.

Council members asked for a breakdown of the increased costs; Grant traced the rise primarily to consultant fees, web support and higher printing/materials costs. Committee members suggested staff bring a fuller presentation to council so councilors and the public can see where the funds are spent; staff proposed moving the interlocal agreement forward on consent and returning with a more comprehensive work-session presentation on program activities, accomplishments and the 2025 work plan.

A motion to place the interlocal agreement on the Jan. 21 City Council consent calendar with a recommendation to approve and authorize the mayor to sign was moved and seconded; committee members voted “aye.” Staff said the item will be scheduled for consent and the more detailed presentation will be offered at a future work session.