AN ORDINANCE relating to the financing of the West Seattle Bridge Immediate Response project; creating a fund for depositing proceeds of taxable limited tax general obligation bonds in 2021; authorizing the loan of funds in the amount of $50,000,000 from the Construction and Inspections Fund and $20,000,000 from the REET II Capital Projects Fund to the 2021 LTGO Taxable Bond Fund for early phases of work on the bridge repair and replacement project; amending Ordinance 126000, which adopted the 2020 Budget, including the 2020-2025 Capital Improvement Program (CIP); changing appropriations to the Seattle Department of Transportation; and revising project allocations and spending plans for certain projects in the 2020-2025 CIP.
Agenda Item 21 Council Bill 119858 An ordinance relating to the financing of the West Seattle Bridge Immediate Response Project creating a fund for depositing proceeds of taxable limited tax general obligation bonds in 2021. The committee recommends the bill passes amended. Thank you, Madam Clerk. This is agenda item 21. In the previous conversation, we had a conversation about agenda item 20 and 22. As I mentioned, we will vote on items 20 and 22 separately and in the order that they were published on the agenda. So we have this minor interruption of item 21 to have a conversation about this particular item before we take up the second scooter related bill. So item 21 and Councilmember Peterson, you are chair of the committee and are recognized in order to address this item. And you? Council President Yes. So Council 119858 is for the West Seattle Bridge and it's authorizing to enter fund loans. That state needs to have sufficient funding to conduct the preliminary work on the bridge. The total $70 million. The loans will be repaid with a bond sale in 2021. So obviously lots of choices that will be coming up later in terms of repair replace that this money is needed now just to do the shoring up work. And I want to thank Councilor Herbold for her leadership on this issue as well. Thank you so much, Councilmember Peterson. Councilmember Herbold, would you like to make some remarks? I would very much just want to really uplift how important this funding is and for what it's actually going to be used for. Not only is it going to be used for the stabilization work that and the monitoring that has to be done regardless of whether or not there's a decision to repair or replace the bridge. But it's also being the funds are also going to be used for repairs and enhancements to the lower bridge, which we're also reliant on in this time during the the closure of the upper level bridge for priority transit, use of freight use and emergency vehicle use. In addition, this funding is going to be used for the traffic and mobility mitigation projects, including the West Seattle. The Reconnect with Seattle Project. That DOT is circulating a draft set of recommendations for all of the communities that are most impacted by the closure of the bridge with a really strong equity focus on on focusing on making important transportation investments to mitigate the impacts of having all of these vehicles going through their neighborhoods as part of the detour routes, specifically in neighborhoods that have suffered for lack of from lack of investment over overpass years. The funding is also being used for the planning and design of a long term replacement. Again, we're working on designing a long term replacement because even if we choose repair, there will be a need for a replacement some time in the future. And so it makes a lot of sense, I think, to to do that design work on the on the front end. Also included in the in the funding package is a preliminary to your work plan with an emphasis on broad community engagement efforts. And it includes emergency repairs, bridge stabilization, work monitoring, planning and design, repairs and enhancements to the Spokane bridges, as I mentioned earlier, and traffic and mobility mitigation projects that is all contained in this two year work plan. I also want to thank Chair Peterson for his work in stewarding this legislation, my colleagues, for their consideration of passage of the legislation. The West Seattle community, as well as the South Park, Georgetown and SODO communities have been deeply impacted by the closure of the bridge through at least the end of next year. Many have lost the access to the rest of the city in the region and others are seeing increased traffic in the southern portion of the peninsula, near access points in Highland Park and south Dulwich. While South Park has seen increased traffic as as has Georgetown as well, looking forward to continue to work with Massdot and the technical advisory panel and the Community Task Force on that cost benefit analysis to inform that decision in early October on whether to repair or replace the bridge. This is this is all really important work not just for folks on the peninsula, but for the region. This is a major a major thoroughfare that serves the entire region and is really important for for for freight and and other other other economic development needs for for our entire region. It's really, I think, important to emphasize that this is the decisions we make are broader than the needs of just West Seattle. Thank you. Thank you, Councilmember Herbold, for those remarks. Are there any other comments on the bill? I just want to say thank you to Chair Peterson for the Transportation Utilities Committee and of course, to you, Councilmember Herbold, for your ongoing work and advocacy on addressing the regional impacts of the West Seattle Bridge Safety Project. And I know that there were there will be a lot of tough decisions coming before us about the bridge and financing and addressing the long term needs and impacts of that of that failing in structure, infrastructure. And really do appreciate your all's attention to the details and ongoing advocacy on behalf of not just District one and portions of District two, but for the entire region. And I just think that's absolutely worth emphasizing one more time. So thanks again for all of your work. Looking forward to supporting this particular council Bill. Okay. If there are no other comments on the bill, I would ask that the clerk. I will ask the clerk. Please call the roll on the passage of the bill. Revolt. Councilmember her goal. She's working on it. We're just a. Yes. Thank you. Whereas I. Lewis. Yes. Burrell's as. Musharraf? Yes. Peterson Yes. So. Arndt Yes. Strauss Yes. Council President Gonzalez. I. Mean, in favor and oppose. The bill passes and the chair will sign it. Will the court please affix my signature to the legislation on my behalf? Item 22 This item has already been read into the record and we have also addressed the substance of this bill and had debate.