12/10/03 Special Minutes
YELM CITY COUNCIL
ELECTED OFFICIALS AND SECOND DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVES
SPECIAL MEETING
Wednesday, December 10, 2003
Mayor Rivas opened the meeting at 5:35 p.m. and introduced guests and staff including:
Yelm City Council Members: Don Miller, John Thompson,
Bob Isom and Ron Harding and (incoming councilman) Joe Baker
Yelm Community Schools: Dr. Alan Burke, Superintendent; Denise
Hendrickson, School Board Member
Former YCS Superintendents: Glen Nutter and Chuck Hall
City of Roy: Mayor Raymond Bourne
Port of Olympia: Commissioner Steve Pottle
Thurston Regional Planning Council: Executive Director Lon Wyrick
Yelm Chamber of Commerce: President Glen Cunningham
Legislative District 2: Senator Marilyn Rasmussen and
Representatives Roger Bush and Tom Campbell
9th Congressional District: Sean Eagen for Congressman Adam Smith
Thurston County Board of Commissioners: Diane Oberquell
Senator Marilyn Rasmussen, 2nd Legislative District, acknowledged Yelm's traffic
problems and stressed the importance of the transportation budget's ten year investment
plan. She also pointed out the limited funding availability from fuel taxes and
recommended working to include projects on regional transportation lists. All 2nd District
elected officials have been involved in the cross-base highway.
Representative Roger Bush, 2nd Legislative District, expressed his appreciation for this
opportunity to meet with local residents. He stressed the importance of building a
coalition of interested individuals and groups to take an active role in pursuing funding
for local projects. He feels that Yelm is not getting its share of projects funded through
the local regional group. He voted for the Municipal Water Bill and direct petition
annexation.
Representative Tom Campbell, 2nd Legislative District, supports getting the best value
for each dollar spent. Failing an attempt to move through a $23 million dollar funding
request for the Y -2/Y -3 corridor, he encouraged focusing on an incremental approach to
project funding. He is involved with Health Care and expressed concern with Medical
Malpractice issues.
Sean Eagen, Representing Congressman Adam Smith, 9th Congressional District,
highlighted and provided information about three goals: 1) a ban on internet taxes, 2)
preservation of military bases and their economic impact on local and state economies
and 3) transportation. He indicated that federal assistance for InterCity Transit is limited
to capital expenditures and spoke of Smith's work supporting a cross base highway. He
stressed the importance of strong local support and encouraged application for all
available federal grants.
Thurston County Commissioner Diane Oberquell restated her continued support for
Yelm and projects that are beneficial to Yelm.
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Mayor Rivas thanked speakers and accepted audience comments. Dr. Alan Burke, Yelm
Community Schools, appreciated the work elected officials are doing but pointed out that
projects addressed in 2nd District legislative correspondence were all in Pierce County
projects, not local projects. Lon Wyrick, Thurston Regional Planning Council provided
information on the projects and level of support TRPC provides to Yelm.
Mayor Rivas reported that Yelm has been responsible and pro-active in meeting
requirements of the Washington State Growth Management Act (GMA). Yelm has
successfully provided the waste collection infrastructure to meet the required 20 year
growth predictions. This project includes a 100%) reuse component and is currently
operating at 20% of capacity. Additionally, Yelm has undertaken an aggressive water
conservation program and capital projects and water system improvements. However,
under current regulations Yelm will have insufficient water rights to comply with the GMA
and existing infrastructure will not be used to growth capacity leaving Yelm's debt
payment ability under-funded. He urged legislators support for changes that would
permit a water rights credit for reclaimed water.
Grant Beck, Yelm Community Development Director, addressed transportation issues
reporting that traffic through the city has been growing at a much faster rate than the
City's population. A recently completed traffic count demonstrated that trips per day have
increased from 1999 levels of 17,500 to 26,000 in 2003.
Mayor Rivas and Grant Beck also pointed out that SR 510/507 provides the only 1-5
alternate between Centralia and Tacoma. This fact becomes very apparent locally when
past flooding incidents or accidents on 1-5 resulted in traffic being rerouted through Yelm.
Yelm declared a traffic emergency 14 years ago in the early 1990s. Since then Yelm has
worked to identify a preferred route, prepared environmental documents, and taken lead
in attempting to obtain funding for the project with the support of WSDOT, Thurston
County and Thurston Regional Planning Council.
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Attest:
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