County files CRAB reports and briefs commissioners on recent flooding; Ringer Loop remains closed

Josh Fredericks, Kittitas County Public Works Director, presented the county’s annual submissions to the County Road Administration Board (CRAB): the annual certification and priority planning packet, the fish passage certificate (reported as zero for the past year), and the certification of diversion and road-fund expenditures for traffic law enforcement. He said the packet reflects roughly $370,000 in county law enforcement-related road expenditures and asked for the usual signatures (county chair, county engineer, and, where required, auditor and sheriff).

Separately, during other business Fredericks briefed the board on recent flooding tied to the March 20–21 runoff window. He reported water across roadways in several locations, including near Bender Road and the Black Horse area, and said staff observed flooding in eastern areas to compare model expectations with observed conditions. He noted the county closed a gate at Ringer Loop because flooding routinely impacts that spot; "I believe the gate is still closed," he said.

Fredericks said overall the county’s roads "fared fairly well," but staff continue to monitor flood-prone sites and will coordinate with contractors as needed. He asked colleagues to check an SBA inquiry forwarded shortly before the meeting for potential recovery assistance follow-up. The board moved briefly into executive session for legal counsel and agency enforcement matters and later announced a return from executive session with no action taken.