City Business: City Votes to Secure Cushman Trail Funds

The had a light agenda Monday night after the city last week.

Councilman Jim Franich served as the mayor pro tem as Mayor Chuck Hunter recovered at home following a recent ankle surgery.

Here's a recap of the meeting:

PRESENTATIONS:

• Outstanding Wastewater Treatment Plant Award: The Gig Harbor Wastewater Treatment Plant team received the Special Recognition Award from the Washington Department of Ecology. Wastewater Treatment Plant Supervisor Darrell Winans and his staff were commended for five consecutive years of outstanding performance.

NEW BUSINESS:

• Cushman Trail Federal TCSP Grant: The council voted 7-0 to secure a $650,000 federal grant that will help pay for extending Cushman Trail up toward Borgen Boulevard, despite their having reservations over the high price tag for the project in the current economic climate. The Federal Highway Administration (FHA) award only covers a portion of the cost, but, because the FHA's offer expires this month, the council needed to vote to accept it or lose the funds altogether. The city originally sought just over $2 million in federal and state funding to complete the final mile of the trail from 96th Street to Borgen Boulevard, a project estimated to cost $2.4 million. The vote Monday night essentially buys the city time to weigh its options for addressing the shortfall in grant funding. Among the alternatives is a scaled-down $1.3 million project that would extend the trail only to Burnham Drive.

• Interim Ordinance Implementing FEMA Option #3 - Permit-by-Permit Demonstration of Compliance under the Endangered Species Act: A new requirement was added to the permitting process for some potential real estate projects last night. Under a temporary six-month ordinance approved by the council, developments in flood-related areas of Gig Harbor will have to include an assessment of compliance with the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Although council members were critical of the added layer of regulation, taking no action was not an option. The emergency ordinance puts the city in compliance with new federal regulations, effective Sept. 22, relating to FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program. Failure to adopt it could impact the city’s eligibility in the flood program and potentially for federal grant money, Planning Commissioner Tom Dolan told the council. Gig Harbor only has a limited number of parcels in FEMA-designated flood areas, mostly along Gig Harbor bay. The ordinance is intended to be a stopgap until the city’s new Shoreline Master Program goes into effect next year, at which point that new plan should largely cover a checklist of ESA requirements under FEMA’s flood insurance program. A public hearing on the issue is scheduled to take place on Nov. 14.