Committee approves interlocal agreement with Kent to maintain Rock Creek Bridge

The King County Council’s Local Services and Land Use Committee voted 4‑0 on Feb. 19 to forward ordinance 2024‑0263 to the full Council with a due‑pass recommendation. The ordinance authorizes an interlocal agreement (ILA) between King County and the City of Kent to define inspection, maintenance and cost‑sharing responsibilities for the Rock Creek Bridge, which spans both jurisdictions.

Nick Bowman of Council Central Staff told the committee the City of Kent completed replacement of three undersized roadway culverts with the Rock Creek Bridge in 2023; roughly three‑quarters of the bridge is in Kent and the remaining quarter is in unincorporated King County. Bowman said state law requires joint maintenance for bridges that cross jurisdictions.

Under the proposed ILA, the City of Kent would serve as lead agency for bridge inspections and studies and would assume responsibility for preparing plans and specifications, conducting inspections and major maintenance of the bridge structure and maintaining bridge records. The city would pay 100% of inspections and studies, 100% of routine and major structural maintenance, 100% of certain accessory repairs and vegetation maintenance, and 77% of bridge deck overlay costs and associated local grant match amounts. The city would also reimburse the county for the actual cost of overlay on the portion of Summit‑Landersburg Road that lies within Kent city limits.

King County’s responsibilities under the draft agreement include regular surface maintenance such as sweeping, debris removal, pavement markings and snow removal; maintaining and repairing bridge accessories within county jurisdiction; acting as lead agency for overlay of Summit‑Landersburg Road; and paying 23% of bridge deck overlay costs and 23% of any required local grant match. Bowman said the county’s fiscal note estimates the county cost as de minimis and provided context that routine surface maintenance is roughly $1,000 per road mile and the bridge is about 60 feet.

Section 5 of the ILA sets the agreement’s effective date as the date of mutual signing; the executive’s transmitted draft had language that intended the agreement to continue in perpetuity, but state law requires a stated duration. Amendment 1, which the committee adopted and which the sponsor moved as part of the motion, replaces the transmitted attachment A with a revised attachment A to add language on duration and to correct technical/typographical issues so the agreement complies with state requirements. The ILA further establishes an informal dispute resolution step, escalation to the county roads director and the city public works director, and, if needed, nonbinding mediation with costs split equally.

Councilmember Dunn sponsored the ordinance and also moved Amendment 1. Clerk Stedman called the roll for the amendment and for the ordinance; the vote on both the amendment and the ordinance was recorded as 4 ayes, 0 nos. Chair Sarah Perry said the item will be placed on the full Council consent agenda unless others object.

The packet and staff report contain the full text of the proposed ILA and the revised attachment A; Council staff indicated the materials are available upon request.