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A RESOLUTION related to the provision of services to the King County transportation district by King County; requesting the county prepare, negotiate, and execute with the district an implementation plan and interlocal agreement for transportation improvement planning and implementation, and stating the intent of the district to reimburse the county fully from available funds for the reasonable cost of services provided to the district.
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BE IT RESOLOVED BY THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF THE KING COUNTY TRANSPORTATION DISTRICT:
SECTION 1. Findings:
A. The King County transportation district has approved a resolution imposing a one-tenth of one percent sales and use tax to raise revenue to pay for transportation improvements, authorized by chapter 36.73 RCW, and intended to further the King County transportation district transportation plan, with moneys from the tax to be collected beginning in 2027.
B. The district seeks to ensure that revenues collected through the sales and use tax are used in a manner that improves safety, mobility, and the long-term condition of the county roadway system and that any future revenues collected through future funding measures directed to the needs of the Metro transit department are used in a manner that improves the safety, mobility, and reliability of the public transportation system.
C. Strategic planning and transparent prioritization of county roadway investments and, if applicable, investments in the public transportation system are essential to ensure the effective and accountable use of public moneys.
D. Currently, the district has no employees and no moneys and therefore it is not feasible for the district to undertake the planning and implementation of transportation improvements without external assistance.
E. King County has the authority, experience, and expertise to acquire, construct, operate, improve, provide, maintain, and preserve public transportation facilities, services, programs, and roads.
F. The district can achieve cost savings and efficiency benefits that are in the public's interest by having King County provide such services.
SECTION 2. It is the intent of the district to authorize the reimbursement of King County from the moneys that become available to the district for the reasonable, necessary, and directly attributable costs of services performed by the county related to the planning and implementation of county roadway infrastructure improvements and, if applicable, investments in the public transportation system.
SECTION 3. It is the intent of the district that the expenditure of sales and use tax proceeds be guided by adopted plans and programs, including but not limited to, the Strategic Plan for Roads Services, as approved by Motion 14190, or approved successor plan, the Transportation Needs Report, as adopted by Ordinance 19881, and the annual six-year capital improvement program, as required by RCW 36.81.121.
SECTION 4. It is the intent of the district that sales and use tax proceeds be used for county roadway operations, projects, and programs, including but not limited to:
A. Maintaining current level of service;
B. Improving maintenance level of service including regular maintenance and cleanup of county rights-of-way including, but not limited to, in the unincorporated areas of White Center and Vashon Island;
C. Planning, engineering, project management, and capital support;
D. Road hazard and repair response
E. Traffic safety, intersection, and collision reduction projects, including, but not limited to:
1. Traffic safety improvements, including installation of roundabouts at key intersections, along Issaquah-Hobart Road;
2. Traffic safety improvements near the Skyway resource center and future community center;
3. Traffic safety and accessibility improvements in downtown Skyway including to and from the library, day care center, fire station, Skyway park, and bus stops;
4. Installation of lighting to enhance visibility on high-traffic county roadways;
5. Assessment and enhancement of safety measures within school zones, including, but not limited to, unincorporated roads adjacent to Camelot elementary school located on S 298th street; and
6. Traffic safety improvements in the unincorporated area of White Center;
F. Bridge replacements and maintenance;
G. Restoring roadway drainage systems and level of service;
H. Roadway drainage systems preservation, including, but not limited to, prioritizing ditching and vegetation maintenance;
I. Roadway repaving;
J. Roadway reconstruction;
K. Facilities rehabilitation and replacement including, but not limited to, ensuring the health and safety of employees;
L. Removing barriers to access, including, but not limited to, improvements to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, such as sidewalks, including near the Skyway resource center and future community center;
M. Safeguarding roads vulnerable to climate impacts, including but not limited to:
1. Raising the roadway surface elevation of NE 165th Street to reduce flood frequency and duration;
2. Climate resiliency projects on Vashon Island; and
3. Prioritizing flood resiliency projects on county roadways adjacent to cities, including, but not limited to:
a. West Snoqualmie Valley Road;
b. NE 124th Street;
c. Woodinville-Duvall Road; and
d. NE Tolt Hill Road;
N. Unplanned capital repairs from natural disasters or other emergencies;
O. Multimodal investments, including, but not limited to:
1. The 16th Ave S Street Alignment along E Marginal Way to Dallas Ave S project;
2. Installation of a protected bicycle lane along Rainier Ave S between the city of Seattle and the city of Renton; and
3. Multimodal improvements to Rainier Avenue in Skyway including sidewalks and bike lanes; and
P. Implementation of the King County traffic safety action plan.
SECTION 5. It is the intent of the district that, for county roadway capital projects and programs exceeding a reasonable cost threshold and funded with sales and use tax revenues, good faith efforts be made to achieve a goal of having no less than twenty percent of all apprentice labor hours be performed by pre-apprentice graduates from a Washington State Apprenticeship Training Council-approved pre-apprenticeship program.
SECTION 6. A. King County is requested to prepare and submit to the district and to the King County council, by October 1, 2026, a proposed implementation plan and interlocal agreement that would provide services to the district related to the planning and implementation of county roadway infrastructure improvements. The requested implementation plan and interlocal agreement should include sufficient detail to allow the district to evaluate the necessity, timing, and effectiveness of proposed expenditures, and shall include, at a minimum:
1. A description of district and county obligations to effectively and efficiently plan and implement county roadway infrastructure improvements;
2. A detailed spending plan for the county roadway programs and projects as described in sections 3 and 4 of this resolution. The spending plan shall include, but not be limited to:
a. estimated funding allocations by project and program category;
b. identification of whether the proposed expenditures supplement or replace existing funding; and
c. preliminary cost estimates and anticipated funding allocations by project and program category, proposed for the 2026-2027 biennium, and a projection of anticipated future investments;
3. A framework for determining appropriations for the county roadway programs and projects as described in sections 3 and 4 of this resolution in future biennia;
4. Performance metrics to track financial accountability, project delivery, transportation system outcomes, and timelines for achieving performance targets;
5. Processes to achieve a goal that no less than twenty percent of apprentice labor hours on county roadway capital projects and programs exceeding a reasonable cost threshold and funded by sales and use tax revenues be performed by graduates from a Washington State Apprenticeship and Training Council-approved pre-apprenticeship program.
6. A description of methods and processes that will be used to track apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship utilization across county roadway capital projects and programs funded by sales and use tax revenues;
7. Regular financial and performance reporting transmitted to, and reviewed by, the King County transportation district and the King County council, including:
a. quarterly reports on expenditures and project status;
b. an annual summary evaluation report on the programs and projects supported by the district's revenue;
c. a midterm summary evaluation report on the programs and projects supported by the district's revenues through 2032; and
d. final summary evaluation report on the programs and projects supported by the district's revenues to be delivered in the penultimate year of the sales and use tax authorization period to be used by the district in their evaluation of a potential reauthorization of the sales and use tax; and
8. Reimbursement by the district to the county for services as authorized by section 2 of this resolution and consistent with this section.
B. The requested implementation plan and interlocal agreement should also include information about the funding needs of the Metro transit department, similar to the information provided in response to Ordinance 20023, Section 116, Proviso P7, as amended, to inform a future district imposed funding measure for the public transportation system, specifically how funding would be spent to help implement the Metro Connects long-range plan, guided by the King County Metro Service Guidelines, as adopted by Ordinance 19367.
C. The district intends to consider authorizing the requested implementation plan and interlocal agreement by resolution at a meeting to be held in October 2026.