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O Consent Agenda
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Jefferson County
Board of Commissioners
Agenda Request
To: Board of Commissioners
Philip Morley, County Administrator
From: Monte Reinders, P.E.
Public Works Director/ ounty Engineer
Agenda Date: February 18, 2014
Subject: Request for State Match - Upper Hoh Road
Federal Lands Access Program Grant
Statement of Issue: Request for state grant match for the Federal Lands Access
Program grant for the Upper Hoh Road.
Analysis /Strategic Goals /Pro's ft Con's: In 2013 Jefferson County was awarded
$11,300,000 through the Federal Lands Access Program to address infrastructure
issues on the Upper Hoh Road. The Western Federal Lands division of Federal
Highways will administer the projects, which were identified through an earlier
Engineering Assessment completed by them. The federal grant requires a 13.5%
match. The County is requesting in the letters attached for signature that the State
provide half of the match ($762,750). The other half will be provided by the National
Park Service.
Fiscal Impact /Cost Benefit Analysis: There is no impact to the County budget
associated with this request.
Recommendation: Please sign the attached request letters to Representative Van De
Wege, Representative Tharinger, and Senator Hargrove and return them to Public
Works. Public Works will mail them.
Department Contact: Monte Reinders, Public Works Director 385 -9242
Revii6ld 9y:
Philip Mo y Adhninistrator Date
Jefferson
Townsend,
February 18, 2014
Representative Steve Tharinger
368 John L. O'Brien Building
P.O. Box 40600
Olympia, WA 98504 -0600
Dear Representative Tharinger:
For many decades Jefferson County has worked diligently to maintain the Upper Hoh Road which serves as the main
western entrance into Olympic National Park and the only access to the Hoh Rain Forest. From 200,000 to 300,000
visitors per year enter the Park through this scenic route along the Upper Hoh River. Unfortunately, the road has washed
out numerous times over the years due to severe winter storms causing an extreme burden on the County road budget.
Last year we received the good news that Jefferson County had been chosen for an $11,300,000 federal budget
authorization for the improvements along the Upper Hoh Road under the Washington Federal Lands Access Program
(FLAP). The approved project scope includes improving several of the most significant infrastructure problems identified
in the Upper Hoh Road Engineering Assessment recently completed by the Western Federal Lands division of FHWA.
The authorization requires a 13.5% local match.
This approval was made after multiple parties came together as the "Upper Hoh Road Interagency Working Group" to
sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in 2011 that recognizes the challenges of managing the Upper Hoh Road
and lists goals and objectives for bringing additional resources to the problem. The MOU partners include Olympic
National Park, FHWA, Washington State Department of Transportation (W SDOT), and Jefferson County. The parties
have agreed that the management challenges of Upper Hoh Road require interagency coordination in order to provide
continued access to the Hoh Rain Forest, protect Hoh River resources, foster cooperative relationships, and to share
technical expertise.
As great as the news of this authorization is, even the local match creates a significant burden on Jefferson County.
In order to fully utilize the $11,300,000 grant, we are asking that the legislature appropriate $762,750.00 to serve as a state
investment in the local match. This would represent one half of the local grant match obligation for this project. As a
party to the MOU, the State of Washington has been of great assistance in getting us this far. An appropriation for the
local match would allow us to move forward with these projects with confidence.
Thank you for your consideration of this request. We look forward to a successful project. Working together we can keep
this road open to the hundreds of thousands of people who visit our community each year.
If you have any questions please feel free to contact the Jefferson County Public Works Director, Monte Reinders at (360)
385 -9242.
Sincerely,
Tnhn Anctin C hnir nn Phil Tnhnenn MP.hPi MP.!,"
Phone (360) 385 -9100 Fax (360) 385 -9382 jeffhoccCa)c o.jefferson.wa.us
Jefferson
Townsend,
February 18, 2014
Representative Kevin Van De Wege
434A Legislative Building
P.O. Box 40600
Olympia, WA 98504 -0600
Dear Representative Van De Wege:
For many decades Jefferson County has worked diligently to maintain the Upper Hoh Road which serves as the main
western entrance into Olympic National Park and the only access to the Hoh Rain Forest. From 200,000 to 300,000
visitors per year enter the Park through this scenic route along the Upper Hoh River. Unfortunately, the road has washed
out numerous times over the years due to severe winter storms causing an extreme burden on the County road budget.
Last year we received the good news that Jefferson County had been chosen for an $11,300,000 federal budget
authorization for the improvements along the Upper Hoh Road under the Washington Federal Lands Access Program
(FLAP). The approved project scope includes improving several of the most significant infrastructure problems identified
in the Upper Hoh Road Engineering Assessment recently completed by the Western Federal Lands division of FHWA.
The authorization requires a 13.5% local match.
This approval was made after multiple parties came together as the "Upper Hob Road Interagency Working Group" to
sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in 2011 that recognizes the challenges of managing the Upper Hoh Road
and lists goals and objectives for bringing additional resources to the problem. The MOU partners include Olympic
National Park, FHWA, Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), and Jefferson County. The parties
have agreed that the management challenges of Upper Hoh Road require interagency coordination in order to provide
continued access to the Hoh Rain Forest, protect Hoh River resources, foster cooperative relationships, and to share
technical expertise.
As great as the news of this authorization is, even the local match creates a significant burden on Jefferson County.
In order to fully utilize the $11,300,000 grant, we are asking that the legislature appropriate $762,750.00 to serve as a state
investment in the local match. This would represent one half of the local grant match obligation for this project. As a
party to the MOU, the State of Washington has been of great assistance in getting us this far. An appropriation for the
local match would allow us to move forward with these projects with confidence.
Thank you for your consideration of this request. We look forward to a successful project. Working together we can keep
this road open to the hundreds of thousands of people who visit our community each year.
If you have any questions please feel free to contact the Jefferson County Public Works Director, Monte Reinders at (360)
385 -9242.
Sincerely,
John Austin, Chairman Phil Johnson, Member David Sullivan, Member
Phone (360) 385 -9100 Fax (360) 385 -9382 jeffbocc@co.jefferson.wa.us
Jefferson
Townsend,
February 18, 2014
Senator Jim Hargrove
411 Legislative Building
P.O. Box 40424
Olympia, WA 98504 -0424
Dear Senator Hargrove
For many decades Jefferson County has worked diligently to maintain the Upper Hoh Road which serves as the main
western entrance into Olympic National Park and the only access to the Hoh Rain Forest. From 200,000 to 300,000
visitors per year enter the Park through this scenic route along the Upper Hoh River. Unfortunately, the road has washed
out numerous times over the years due to severe winter storms causing an extreme burden on the County road budget.
Last year we received the good news that Jefferson County had been chosen for an $11,300,000 federal budget
authorization for the improvements along the Upper Hoh Road under the Washington Federal Lands Access Program
(FLAP). The approved project scope includes improving several of the most significant infrastructure problems identified
in the Upper Hoh Road Engineering Assessment recently completed by the Western Federal Lands division of FHWA.
The authorization requires a 13.5% local match.
This approval was made after multiple parties came together as the "Upper Hoh Road Interagency Working Group" to
sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in 2011 that recognizes the challenges of managing the Upper Hoh Road
and lists goals and objectives for bringing additional resources to the problem. The MOU partners include Olympic
National Park, FHWA, Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), and Jefferson County. The parties
have agreed that the management challenges of Upper Hoh Road require interagency coordination in order to provide
continued access to the Hoh Rain Forest, protect Hoh River resources, foster cooperative relationships, and to share
technical expertise.
As great as the news of this authorization is, even the local match creates a significant burden on Jefferson County.
In order to fully utilize the $11,300,000 grant, we are asking that the legislature appropriate $762,750.00 to serve as a state
investment in the local match. This would represent one half of the local grant match obligation for this project. As a
party to the MOU, the State of Washington has been of great assistance in getting us this far. An appropriation for the
local match would allow us to move forward with these projects with confidence.
Thank you for your consideration of this request. We look forward to a successful project. Working together we can keep
this road open to the hundreds of thousands of people who visit our community each year.
If you have any questions please feel free to contact the Jefferson County Public Works Director, Monte Reinders at (360)
385 -9242.
Sincerely,
John Austin, Chairman Phil Johnson, Member David Sullivan, Member
Phone (360) 385 -9100 Fax (360) 385 -9382 jeffbocc& o.jefferson.wa.us