Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout10/17/2005 Joint Public Meeting 2 9 JOINT PUBLIC MEETING ON INITIATIVE 912 OCTOBER 17, 2005 7:00 P.M. YAKIMA CONVENTION CENTER 10 NORTH 8 STREET 1. Call to Order County Commissioner Mike Leita called the meeting to order 2. Roll Call Yakima County Commissioners: Mike Leita, Presiding, and Ron Gamache Staff: Diana Soules, Elections Manager; and Gary Ekstedt, Assistant Public Services Director /Road Engineer Yakima City Council: Mayor Paul George (after 8:13 p.m.), Ron Bonlender, Neil McClure, Mary Place, Bernard Sims (after 8:13 p.m.), and Susan Whitman Absent: Dave Edler (excused) Staff: City Manager Zais; Acting City Clerk Watkins; Chris Waarvick, Director of Public Works; and Debbie Moore, Executive Assistant to the City Manager Selah City Council: Mayor Bob Jones, and Mayor Pro Tem Allen Schmid 3. Legal Review of Hearing City Attorney, Ray Paolella, gave an overview of the framework for the hearing. The purpose is to receive information about Initiative 912 and to provide the public opportunity to speak both for and against it. State law provides that public funds and facilities may not be used as part of an election campaign; however, the Legislature provided through the Public Disclosure Act that elected officials are permitted to consider impacts of an initiative and take a position if they choose to, either as a collective decision or individually. First, if an elected body is inclined to take a position, there must be a public hearing at which members of the public and elected officials will receive information about the initiative and be given an opportunity to speak equally for and against. Once that occurs, elected officials may collectively take a position for or against the initiative. In addition, individuals may also take a stand on an issue at an open conference or if they are asked. Many respond, however, that they should not be giving an opinion while they are being compensated or using any public facility or vehicle. 4. Initiative 912 Introduction Diana Soules, Yakima County Elections Manager, presented the initiative as it appears on the ballot. She advised that the full measure of the initiative is in the voter's pamphlet and encouraged everyone to read it. 2 91 ADJOURNED MEETING..- OCTOBER 17, 2005 INITIATIVE 912 5. Transportation Partnership Washington State Department of Transportation South Central Region Administrator, Don Whitehouse, gave an overview of what the gas tax covers. As a state employee he cannot oppose or support the initiative. He explained that the Department of Transportation (DOT) is not supported by the general fund, but only by the gas tax and permit and license fees. Based on the 18 Amendment, they can only spend those funds for highway purposes. • We are currently paying 31 cents a gallon in tax at the pump • The 3 cents implemented in July funds 274 projects ($7 billion);including area projects: - Snoqualmie Pass - 40 and Fruitvale Avenues - Valley Mall interchange - Selah • The nickel gas tax that started in 2003 funds 160 projects; including area projects: -SR 24 project - Vantage truck lane - Toppenish widening - Several projects in Tri -Cites • 11 cents go to Cities and Counties for more lane miles • Remaining 12 cents = 4 cents to pay bonds, 4 cents on maintenance and operation across the state (striping, patching, snow plowing, incidence response), and 4 cents for preservation, safety improvements and congestion relief. • One cent of gas tax generates $30 million in revenue • Until recently, for every tax dollar paid, the east side of the state received $1.25 in return. It is now closer to $1.00 return per $1.00 paid. • We're the 10 highest state for gas tax, but we fund highways with just the gas tax while other states use other funds to pay for their highway systems. • The DOT goes through many audits: State Auditor, Transportation Performance Audit Board, fiscal audits, the Federal Highway Administration and Joint Legislative Audit Review Committee. 6. Priority Projects in the Upper Yakima Valley Trent Marquis, TRANS - Action Committee Chair, described the committee and its goals. They have identified top transportation priorities, and held public hearings. They support increased transportation funding. They believe the projects will encourage tourism, reduce congestion, improve recreational opportunities, revitalize the upper valley, create a healthy business environment, improve access to developed areas, and expedite truck movement. Mr. Marquis showed conceptual views of their 25 to 50 year plans that include a beltway around the community of Yakima. They also hope to beautify from the Firing Center to the Gap and out to Naches. 2 292- ADJOURNED MEETING — OCTOBER 17, 2005 INITIATIVE 912 7. Local Projects /Maintenance • Selah Projects Mayor Bob Jones of Selah spoke about how it is critical to get their project done to eliminate congestion problems they are currently experiencing. For the past 30 years they have been unable to come up with enough money to even maintain the residential streets. These taxes allotted $7.3 million to take the truck traffic off of Valley View to ease the congestion problem. Without this outside help, Selah's economy will suffer. • Yakima Projects City of.Yakima Senior Engineer, Bob Desgrosellier, presented projects funded by the gas tax; the 40 Avenue /Fruitvale /US 12 intersection and the Railroad Grade Separation project. • Yakima County Projects Yakima County Assistant Public Services Director /Road Engineer, Gary Ekstedt, spoke about the purchasing power of the gas tax receipts and where the money goes. The money primarily goes into the actual construction of individual projects. • Local O &M Funds Yakima Public Works Director, Chris Waarvick, spoke about the everyday maintenance aspect. Yakima cites and county receive $1.2 million annually from the new gas tax. He spoke of the magnitude of maintenance with 258 miles of neighborhood roads and 92 miles of classified streets. 8. Open Public Hearing Commissioner Leita opened the public hearing. • 1 -912 Proponents Jerry Mellen, of "No New Gas Taxes ", claimed this initiative is a common sense issue, and simply stated is poor legislation that was poorly constructed and rushed through the Legislature at the last moment in an attempt to get something approved by special interest groups. They have raised 420,000 signatures to get the initiative on the ballot. They obtained the second largest amount of signatures in the state from Yakima County. He said we are dealing with a fragile economy and this bill is inflationary. He claimed that today's government is addicted to money and it is time for people to say "no ". It is their message for the Legislature to go back and do it right by creating a bill the people can live with. • I -912 Opponents Jim Armstrong of- "Keep Washington Rolling ", said he couldn't believe he was standing up supporting taxes as he's a fiscal conservative and a business person. But he supports this legislation because it is important to 3 2 9 3 ADJOURNED MEETING — OCTOBER 17, 2005 INITIATIVE 912 our economy. As a region, we do well with the gas taxes and have made out like bandits by receiving $1.25 per $1.00 spent in the past. Our dollar is staying in our area. He spoke about the gas tax being a user fee with those who use the roads paying more. He said the average person will pay just over $4 per month per vehicle and that contributes to critical projects vital to our quality of life and our economy. • Public Comments Sandra Swanson with Yakima's So Tired Of Paying Committee, said this is not an issue of where the new tax money is going but where does the current money go. Their committee supports outside performance audits. She suggested those audits be paid by the auditors keeping a percentage of the money they save. She said her group is saying they want proof the money is needed. She spoke against the bike lanes on Tieton Drive saying they are not used. She also spoke against the State Ferry system. Larry Mattson said, although he is a DOT employee, he was speaking instead as a concerned citizen. He spoke highly about the Yakima community. He also - encouraged people to go to the Department of Transportation website and read about their accountability, also to read the voters' pamphlet and get informed. He raised the issue of responsibility, how the roads we drive on today were paid for by our parents and grandparents. We inherited the investment that was built over time and we have an obligation to maintain them and invest for our future generations. With no further citizens coming forward to speak, Commissioner Leita opened the public hearing up for questions and answers. Don Whitehouse was asked to clarify a comment made by Sandra Swanson about the DOT running tow trucks now instead of private companies. Mr. Whitehouse explained they only have incident response vehicles equipped for emergency use. About half of the traffic backups on the west side of the state are caused by accidents. The DOT vehicles go to the accident scene, control traffic, and call emergency vehicles. They are not tow vehicles. Their only role is to get traffic moving again. Mr. Whitehouse also clarified that bike lanes are federally mandated and come from arterial funds from the federal government. Trent Marquis spoke again comparing the cost of a latte to what a citizen would be paying for an interchange. He pointed out how Representatives Skinner and Clements, and Senator Deccio have worked hard back in Washington D.C. to get us this money. He spoke passionately in support of the gas tax and against the initiative. 4 2 9.4 ADJOURNED MEETING — OCTOBER 17, 2005 INITIATIVE 912 Barbara Harrer, Mayor of Harrah, spoke about the street needs of the many small towns in the state. Many of them are farm to market streets and the small town people cannot keep them up. There is a small town pavement project that did street paving for 157 small towns. That program was eliminated, then re- enacted in the last legislature by Senator Mulliken, but has been put on hold again until a decision is made on this initiative. • George Pechtel related how much the cost to fill his gas tank has increased over the years and yet he definitely supports the nine cent tax increase. He described what he learned about the road needs and the lack of funds while he was on the Capital Facilities Committee. He pointed out how much more expensive repairs will be if we delay the work. Mr. Pechtel also spoke about the need to maintain the roads in order to have something to hand off to the next generation. Jerry Mellen spoke again to clarify that Initiative 912 does not eliminate the Department of Transportation. He said their budget is $4 billion (a biennium), or $2 billion a year. Then he said that $4 billion was raised by the transportation bill and were not affected by 1 -912. He claimed that was $8 billion in transportation. He said his group is not saying "don't spend money on roads ", they're just saying to do it right. He then referred to the viaduct in Seattle as a fiasco and used a major chunk of this money. He told the members on the dais that their constituency is going to pass 1 -912 by a large amount and they are watching what the elected officials are doing. Commissioner Leita asked Mr. Mellon what "doing it right" means. Mr. Mellon said the additional funds need to be prioritized and the funds dedicated to those projects. He claimed that many of the projects would go ahead whether this initiative passes or not. He claimed this was a "trust me" bill as no money was dedicated to any particular project. He said the 18 Amendment says the money must go to the highway system and that the DOT is stretching it when putting it toward the viaduct and building a seawall. Don Whitehouse (DOT) clarified that the money is project specific. The Legislature chose 274 projects and there is a line item budge. The money can only be used for those projects and the amounts cannot exceed the budgeted amount. With regard to the viaduct issue, the State has an obligation to maintain the bridges of the state and replace structures, in kind. Although the City of Seattle wants more than the structure replaced (they would like to put it underground and replace their seawall that is in trouble), the Legislature is only going to pay for the state component, $2 billion. Putting it underground and replacing the seawall would have to be paid for by the City of Seattle, it is not part of this tax package. He also addressed the issue of prioritizing. He said he sits on 5 2 9,5; ADJOURNED MEETING - OCTOBER 17, 2005 INITIATIVE 912 the Statewide Committee Transportation Improvement Board. After a meeting, he comes back to Yakima feeling like we live in the best place in the world considering the problems on the west side of the state. If they doled out the tax dollars strictly on priority, the east side wouldn't get a penny. The west side streets are a disaster and he is glad they don't just go by where the greatest needs are based on vehicle traffic. Mary Place spoke on behalf of the Association of Washington Cities who - represent 281 cities across the State of Washington. As a Board they voted in opposition to the initiative because it gravely affects all 39 counties and all 281 cities. In 1956 president Eisenhower began the interstate highway system. It had a contentious beginning but it was important to move the military around to protect our borders. It is one of the largest public works programs in the country putting people to work and strengthening our economy. Kim Owen, Mayor Pro Tem of the City of Union Gap but speaking only as a citizen, spoke about the criticality of the south end interchange project and the need for it in order to development Main Street. Dave Earling with the Cascadia Discovery Institute, a think tank dealing with transportation issues with emphasis on the northwestern area of the state, said they are a grass roots organization that wants to start a statewide system looking at transportation issues. They have a three - pronged mission; to create a 50 -year common vision that all in the state could agree to; continue to seek ongoing advocacy for accountability and, encourage increased funding in transportation with traditional and innovative funding. He said he wasn't there to take a position on 1 -912. He emphasized how education effort is very important. He also encouraged people to go to the DOT website noting that Under Secretary Doug McDonald has been completely transparent and they have turned around internal practices and now walk their talk. He stressed the importance of providing an education forum so people understand the facts before making a decision. Ken Huntzinger, a retired DOT engineer, said he was very proud of the DOT staff and management when he worked there and he hasn't seen any reason to change that. Having worked there gives him the opportunity to watch how the department administers its funds and constructs it projects and he is pleased with what he sees. He said he was surprised that no one had mentioned that, if this gas tax is rolled back, the Legislature in their frustration, may finally have to come to the point of authorizing toll roads in Washington State. He has always 6 296 ADJOURNED MEETING — OCTOBER 17, 2005 INITIATIVE 912 opposed toll roads and doesn't think it's the way to finance highway construction. It creates two separate bureaucracies of management for operating the highway system; DOT as well as a transportation authority. This would cause parallel salaries. The transportation authority can basically set the price of a toll at the cost to operate the road. Then we • would not only be paying a gas tax, but also the tolls. He hopes that people who oppose the gas tax think long and hard about whether they are willing to pay a toll as an alternative. Mayor Paul George, Yakima, noted that the Chamber of Commerce took a rare step and endorsed the transportation package passed by the Legislature. 9. Close Public Hearing Commissioner Leita closed the public hearing at 8:51 p.m. 10. Council /Commission Discussion Commissioner Leita told how he built roads under contract for the State Department for 22 years. Our transportation system is very complex because of the state we live in. The State Department of Transportation maintains and operates a complex ferry system through salt and fresh water, has the complexity of many bridges including the floating bridges, mountain passes, and difficult terrain and geology to work with. All the easy stuff is gone. If we are going to expand our road system, it will cost proportionately more. He said he is willing to make an investment in our community and the State of Washington Council Member Place commended several legislators for their work for us. We asked for these things and it is only fair that we support them. This initiative does not support our community. She encouraged people to vote no on 1 -912. Mayor Bob Jones, Selah, commended the work of the TRANS - Action committee. Commissioner Gamache noted that Yakima County is an agricultural community and we bring a lot of product across the mountains so truck traffic is critical, therefore, he feels strongly about keeping the funding. Council Member Bonlender said he felt the proponents of 1 -912 have a very weak argument. He felt that the nine cent tax as a percentage of the actual price of gas is miniscule considering the payoff is a rock solid investment with great dividends. He is strongly against 1 -912. Yakima Mayor George commented that he will stand behind the Legislature and will vote no on 1 -912. Mary Skinner, State Representative for the 14 District, said she voted for the transportation package because she believes in her community. We need jobs and economic development is part of that infrastructure. 7