Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Right Of Way Cleanup topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
City proposes amendment to contract with Dignified Work Day for WSDOT right‑of‑way cleanup
Summary
Code enforcement and procurement staff briefed the committee on a proposed contract amendment to use Dignified Work Day Career Path Services to supplement city cleanup crews on Washington State DOT rights‑of‑way, with costs recovered through the WSDOT interlocal agreement.
Code enforcement and procurement staff briefed the committee on a proposed amendment to an existing contract to supplement city cleanup crews on Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) rights‑of‑way using Dignified Work Day Career Path Services.
Jason Ruffing (code enforcement) said the amendment would assign a supplemental crew to routes on DOT property — principally downtown corridors and adjacent parcels — and that the subcontractor would invoice the city, with the city recovering costs through an interlocal with WSDOT. Ruffing described the supplemental crew as part of a coordinated response to recurring encampment and refuse conditions along state rights‑of‑way.
Staffing and operations: Ruffing and another public‑works speaker said the city’s crews now operate three crews (one downtown crew and two larger neighborhood crews) and that Dignified Work Day would allow the downtown crew to focus on responsive work while the supplemental crew handles longer DOT routes. Ruffing said the city’s downtown crews average about 10,000 pounds of refuse removed per month (city crew figures only) and that the Dignified Work Day contract is intended to improve responsiveness and coverage.
Why it matters: The contract amendment focuses resources on state rights‑of‑way and hot‑spot cleanup, with funding recovered through the WSDOT interlocal. Council members asked about geographic coverage, crew responsibilities, and whether the supplemental contract helps neighborhood cleanup workloads as well as downtown routes.
Follow‑up: Staff said they would provide more detail on tasking and the geographic scope of the contract on request and that the supplemental contract will be used alongside existing city crews to increase coverage.
