Drafter
Clerk 03/02/2011
title
AN ORDINANCE authorizing the King County executive to execute an interlocal agreement with the city of Seattle for the city's contribution to the construction of a new South Park Bridge; and declaring an emergency.
body
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:
SECTION 1. Findings:
A. The South Park Bridge has provided access for residents of the South Park neighborhood and for commercial and industrial freight traffic within the Duwamish manufacturing and industrial area for the past eighty-one years.
B. The South Park Bridge came to the end of its useful life and was closed to the public on June 30, 2010.
C. The South Park Bridge is located on 14th/16th Avenue South across the Duwamish river. The south half of the bridge is located in King County. The north half of the bridge is located in the city of Tukwila. The northern and southern surface roadway approaches to the bridge and the South Park neighborhood immediately adjacent to the bridge are located within the city of Seattle.
D. King County is responsible for the operation and maintenance of all county roads, bridges and rights-of-way located within the county until and unless they are annexed by other jurisdictions.
E. King County and the city of Tukwila previously entered into an agreement, executed January 3, 2003, in which the city of Tukwila granted the county authority to make any decisions related to the operation, maintenance and management of the bridge to the same extent as if the entire bridge were part of the county road system.
F. King County has been awarded funding for a replacement bridge, including grant funds and funds from a broad group of partners.
G. The South Park Bridge is partially located adjacent to the city of Seattle's South Park neighborhood in an unincorporated area of King County that may be considered for annexation by the city of Seattle.
H. The bridge replacement provides a clear benefit to the county, the city and the industrial areas of the Duwamish Manufacturing/Industrial Center, as designated by the Puget Sound Regional Council, by reducing traffic congestion in and around other county and city roadways.
I. The city supported the county's efforts to replace the bridge, including the successful application for a $34,000,000 Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER II) grant.
J. The bridge replacement project will improve safety for drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians while providing benefits to air quality and waterway restoration.
K. The city has included the South Park Bridge replacement project in the city's 2011-2016 Capital Improvement Program and intends to appropriate the funds for the project in the city's 2013 and 2014 annual budgets.
L. Chapter 39.34 RCW authorizes the county and the city to enter into an interlocal cooperation agreement such as Attachment A to this ordinance.
M. The county has advertised for bids for the project construction contract and is prepared to open bids on March 8, 2011. Opening bids on this date is essential to allow the county to award a contract in late March, allowing the construction contract to take advantage of the Duwamish river "fish window" for construction activities in 2011. A delay in the bid opening could potentially result in a delay in construction of a year. Enactment of this ordinance as an emergency is necessary to allow immediate execution of the agreement with the city of Seattle ensuring that the county may in a timely manner open bids and award the project construction contract.
SECTION 2. The King County executive is authorized to execute an interlocal agreement with the city of Seattle, substantially in the form of Attachment A to this ordinance.
SECTION 3. For the reasons described in section 1 of this ordinance, the county council finds as a fact and declares that an emergency exists and that this ordinance is
necessary for the immediate preservation of public peace, health or safety or for the support of county government and its existing public institutions.