Miscellaneous news and updates from the April 8 meeting of the Maple Valley City Council
The council unanimously approved a four-year interlocal agreement with King County for surface water related technical services. Among the services provided will be monitoring of Lake Wilderness, Lucerne Lake and Pipe Lake. Volunteers measure water and rainfall levels, water clarity and temperature on a weekly basis.
Council heard a presentation by associate planner John Strandberg on the proposed non-motorized transportation plan. Among the stated goals of the plan were to continue to create a pedestrian and bicycle friendly community. The current plan was adopted in 2004 and was intended to cover ten years of growth. The updated plan will include recommendations on how to implement ideas presented within the plan, something that was absent in the 2004 plan. The plan includes 100 projects that would connect various parts of the city via walking paths and are prioritized based on several factors including safety and improved connectivity. A public hearing will be held on the plan at the May 6 council meeting.
City finance director Shawn Hunstock and parks and recreation director Greg Brown presented to council about the possibility of creating a Metropolitan Park District as a funding source to address the city’s need for improved and additional parks and ballfields. Council members had asked city staff for more information on MPDs after the parks commission presented its recommendations for the future of parks and fields on March 4. A MPD is a junior taxing district, like the fire district or hospital district, and would have limits on how much it could levy in taxes. The flexibility of MPDs appealed to several council members. For example, MPDs can be created for a specific project or for general parks and recreation purposes, and can be created on a city or regional level. The creation of an MPD would have to be voted on by residents and would require a simple majority to pass. At the conclusion of the presentation the council asked staff to continue to explore other options for funding parks and fields.
The dock at Lake Wilderness Park is slated to be replaced this year with funds allocated in the 2013 budget for the project. Council unanimously approved a contract with Reid Middleton to design the new dock. The dock, which was constructed in 1972, will be replaced by a similar dock that will extend 20 feet further. A boat rental pier will also be designed and its construction will be approved if the budget allows. Deputy Mayor Laise Jonas expressed concern about the stability of a portion of the dock in light of the upcoming fishing derby on April 26 and 27 and was assured by city staff that the section in question, the finger dock closest to the shore, will be stabilized prior to the derby.
The final agenda item to get approval for the evening was a contract for stormwater infrastructure cleaning that was awarded to Jenkins Pipeline Services, LLP. Council unanimously approved the awarding of the two-year contract.
City Manager David Johnston updated the council on the status of SB 5417 regarding the annexation process that would enable the city to annex the donut hole property during his report. The bill has advanced from the House Rules Committee and is now eligible for a vote on the House floor. An amendment to the bill was adopted by the committee slightly changing the language of the bill. The amendment would mean that if the bill is voted on and passed by the House that it would have to go through the additional step of a concurrency committee before it would go to the desk of Gov. Inslee to be signed.
