This chapter on King County’s Capital Improvement Program Plan (CIP) is provided here to give an overview of the program. The complete CIP is published as a separate document. Please see the 2000 Adopted Capital Improvement Program Book for further details.

The 2000 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) plans for capital outlay of approximately $766 million over the next year. With approximately $280.3 million proposed from Transit revenues, $241.4 million from Wastewater Treatment revenues, $60.7 million from Roads and $183.6 million from other County revenue sources. When completed, this capital program will provide the necessary infrastructure for the services that King County offers, including transit, roads, public safety, parks, wastewater treatment, surface water management, solid waste disposal, and public health.

The Capital Improvement Program Budget is divided into six program categories. The Law, Safety, and Justice Program includes capital improvements to facilities housing the operation of the King County Superior Court, King County District Courts, the King County Prosecuting Attorney, the Departments of Adult Detention, Youth Services and the King County Sheriff. The Mental and Physical Health Program includes capital improvements to Harborview Medical Center, health clinics, and alcoholism and drug treatment facilities. The General Government Services Program includes capital improvements for King County facilities, as well as technological improvements. The Physical Environment and Resource Management Program includes CIP projects for solid waste, surface water management and wastewater treatment facilities. The Culture and Recreation Program includes capital improvements, acquisition and new development efforts for the County Park System and the County’s 1%-for-Art Program. Finally, the Transportation Program includes CIP projects for the Transit System, County streets and roads, and the King County International Airport.

Artworks included in the 2000 Capital Improvement Program are presented to the County Executive and County Council through the "1% Percent for Art Annual Plan", which is transmitted separately to both the County Executive and County Council.

The 2000-2005 King County Capital Improvement Program becomes the capital facilities component to the King County Comprehensive Plan and occurs as an amendment to the King County Comprehensive Plan. The 2000-2005 King County Capital Improvement Program, when adopted by the County Council, will satisfy the Growth Management Act requirement to provide a six-year plan that will finance capital facilities within projected funding capacities and clearly identify sources of public money for those capital facilities.

Statutory capital facilities planning requirements are codified in RCW 36.70A.070(3). This section of the Growth Management Act (GMA) calls for the following elements to be contained in a capital facilities plan: 1) an inventory of capital facilities; 2) a forecast of future needs for capital facilities; 3) the proposed locations and capacities of capital facilities; and 4) a six-year financing plan.

The 1994 King County Comprehensive Plan (KCCP), Technical Appendix I-A, contains a summary of the inventory, forecast, and proposed locations and capacities information on public capital facilities in King County. The information is provided for facilities and services provided by King County and those provided by other agencies and utilities, such as drinking water supply and natural gas. Technical Appendix I-A is adopted by reference as part of the capital facility plan element of the KCCP. The capital facility plan element also adopts the 2000 King County Capital Improvement Program (CIP) as the document satisfying the six-year financing plan required by the GMA.

It should be noted that the total inventory, forecast, and proposed locations and capacities of capital facilities are contained in documents referred to as "functional plans." Authorized by the King County Comprehensive Plan, functional plans are detailed plans for facilities and services and action plans and programs for governmental activities. Some functional plans are operational or programmatic and guide daily management decisions. Others include specific details of facility design and location; these plans must be consistent with the KCCP. A complete listing of functional plans is contained in Technical Appendix II-K of the KCCP.

King County is updating the King County Comprehensive Plan (KCCP) in compliance with the state Growth Management Act, RCW 36.70A.130. This update is the first significant revision to the KCCP since its adoption in 1994, in accordance with K.C.C. Title 20. Proposed revisions to the KCCP will be reviewed to ensure that they remove barriers to making growth management work in King County, improve usability of the plan, eliminate inconsistencies in the plan, and improve information flow to the public on growth management issues.

The King County Office of Regional Policy and Planning will begin work on the 2000 Update in early 1999. A Scope-of-Work Motion will be transmitted to the Council on March 1, 1999. Following an extensive public outreach program and publication of a Public Review Draft in the Fall of 1999, the Executive will transmit a Recommended 2000 Update of the King County Comprehensive Plan to the County Council on March 1, 2000.

The Executive Recommended 2000 Update to the King County Comprehensive Plan will be organized to correspond to the themes of the Smart Growth Initiative, Shaping Tomorrow: Livable Communities, Rural Legacy, Transportation, and the Environment.

The plan will address several critical issues, including King County’s changing role as a regional government with significant responsibilities as a local service provider; the need to effectively integrate land use and transportation planning; and the protection of Chinook salmon and Bull trout in accordance with the Endangered Species Act.

An environmental review of substantive revisions to the KCCP is required by the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA). This review will assess impacts to elements of the environment including but not limited to: air, water, plants/animals, noise, transportation, relationship to existing land use plans, environmental health, and recreation. The analysis will focus on environmental impacts resulting from changes to the transportation system, greater emphasis on protection of the rural and natural resource areas, and better direction of growth in the urban areas.

The State Growth Management Act requires that all proposed amendments to a comprehensive plan be assessed as one annual package, to ensure that the cumulative effects of all proposals are considered concurrently. There are three options for environmental review of the 2000 Update, the selection of which will be dependent on the extent of potential impacts of the proposed amendments: a full Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), a Supplemental EIS (SEIS), or addendum to the EIS of the previous plan.

The EIS includes a public scoping process and analysis of alternatives to the preferred proposal. The SEIS is prepared in much the same way as an EIS with the exception that scoping is optional. Actions, alternatives, or impacts included within the original EIS, or subsequent addenda, are not required to be part of the SEIS, unless they constitute a substantive new action. An addendum

recognizes the environmental impacts of the proposal but analyzes the impacts based on information contained in previous environmental documents.

Under all options, environmental review will include analysis of how proposed revisions to the KCCP may effect Chinook and other salmon populations within unincorporated King County. The proposed listing of the Chinook salmon (and Bull trout), as threatened, will necessitate this level of assessment. The information will provide a framework for future potential ESA-driven analysis of King County land-use policies.

The environmental review will also specifically provide analysis of proposed revisions to the KCCP that will be directly applicable to the subsequent environmental analysis of the Transportation Needs Report (TNR), the Six-Year Transit Development Plan and other proposed policy changes in the Transportation Chapter of the KCCP. The TNR will update and coordinate project-level transportation improvement recommendations for King County, all cities in King County and the Washington State Department of Transportation. The Six-Year Transit Development Plan will address the distribution of transit facilities and services and direct the development of the Transit Capital Improvement Program. The Transportation Chapter of the KCCP will address new freight mobility policies, the Regional Arterial Network and transportation funding issues.

Following approval of the Scope of Work Motion by the Council by April 30, 1999, as required by K.C.C. Title 20, the appropriate environmental review option will be determined. The SEPA environmental document will be issued with the Public Review Draft 2000 Update in the fall, 1999.

Please see the budget pages for the Office of Regional Policy and Planning, the Departments of Natural Resources, Development and Environmental Services and Transportation for further details.

The 2000 goals and objectives for the 2000-2005 CIP Program Plan include the following:

• to preserve and enhance the many values of the County's natural drainage system including water quality, fish and wildlife habitat, and to construct drainage and erosion control facilities;
• to ensure continued operation and reliability of existing wastewater treatment assets, enhance regional water quality, and ensure sufficient capacity to meet wastewater treatment needs;
• to address transportation networks and growth impact needs, and provide cities a vehicle to accelerate roads development in areas which will ultimately be annexed by those cities;
• to maintain the structural integrity and efficiency of the general government and other special purpose buildings and facilities owned by King County by constructing, maintaining and equipping facilities appropriately, enhance handicapped access to buildings, and configure space for effective service delivery;
• to provide County employees the appropriate tools through technological upgrades to manage functions efficiently and effectively;
• to enhance recreational opportunities and the County open space system through acquisition of land and the development and rehabilitation of facilities; and
• to maintain the solid waste disposal system's ability to meet the volume demands on it, to ensure that these facilities are operated in an environmentally responsible manner, and to provide for the ongoing maintenance and monitoring of the various landfills and for their eventual closure.

In response to the Council proviso, the Roads capital program and operating budget was structured last Spring to make $3.8 million available over 5 years to the North Highline and West Hill. This funding supported pedestrian, school pathway, traffic safety and other neighborhood road enhancements. The 2000-2005 Roads capital program has identified a total of $17.2 million for the North Highline and West Hill older urban unincorporated areas. This increase of $13.4 million reflects the Executives commitment under Growth Management and the Comprehensive Plan to improve the livability of urban areas.

The deteriorated condition of the local sewer system serving the Skyway-West Hill area has allowed excessive amounts of ground water (infiltration/inflow) to enter King County’s wastewater conveyance and treatment system. Since 1997 King County’s Wastewater Treatment Division has invested approximately $300,000 evaluating that local system and undertaking initial infrastructure improvements. Because excessive infiltration/inflow (I/I) drives up "downstream" sewage conveyance and treatment costs, and impacts water quality in Puget Sound this kind of regional investment in local systems is warranted.

The executive’s strategy for Regional Wastewater Services (RWSP) contemplates extensive investment (initially $31million) in the evaluation, rehabilitation and replacement of local sewers for the purpose of reducing I/I. Older sewers tend to have greater I/I. Sewer systems like the one serving the Skyway-West Hill area would therefore be a high priority for additional investment after adoption of the RWSP.

Judicial Administration, Department of Youth Services and District and Superior Court Facilities: The PAO will be relocating from the Key Tower to the King County Administration Building and will require moving assistance and tenant improvements. DYS needs to complete the replacement of carpeting begun in 1999. Due to funding restrictions in 1999, only the most critical areas were able to be carpeted; the 2000 capital completes this essential, health/safety project. Superior Courtrooms [2-4] at DYS will be refurbished in 2000.

King County Sheriff: The general government 2000 capital program includes several projects on behalf of the Sheriff’s Office. The acquisition of the Barclay-Dean Building, via a lease/purchase arrangement, along with funding for tenant improvements, will end a ten year search for an appropriate facility to accommodate and consolidate the Evidence Storage, Latent Lab. and PMU sections of the Sheriff’s Office. The Sheriff’s Offices in the Courthouse have not undergone any significant renovation or upgrading for 20-30 years. Finally, the Burien Precinct requires its emergency generator [system] to be updated as it is the only legitimate back-up system for the Sheriff’s emergency communication capabilities.

The following table displays major projects proposed in the 2000 Executive Adopted Budget. Please see separate 2000 Executive Adopted CIP Book for more information.

This program includes necessary improvements at Harborview as well as improvements to the County’s clinics and alcohol and drug treatment facilities. Harborview’s $4 million in project(s), reflect the medical center’s priorities to correct life/safety issues, address clinical and patient needs and improve operational efficiency. At Cedar Hills, three projects are being combined to effect several critical repairs: Electrical, safety/lighting improvements; floor covering replacements and fire code compliance work. The Jail Health section of Public Health, which is an integral part of KCCF-DAD, has requested the upgrading of its radiology equipment. This should result in transport savings and jail health efficiencies since patients/inmates will not have to be transported to Harborview for regular and routine radiology procedures. Public Health will receive funding to insure the timely completion of their Facilities Master Plan following the recent completion of their Public Health Operational Master Plan.

The following table displays major projects proposed in the 2000 Budget. Please see separate 2000 Executive Adopted CIP Book for more information.

The Major Maintenance Reserve Program has been modified in 2000 to include two new facilities: the Issaquah District Court and the King Street Center.

The following table displays major projects proposed in the 2000 Executive’s Adopted Budget. Please see separate 2000 Executive Adopted Capital Improvement Program Budget Book for more information.

Solid Waste Ongoing Capital Improvements: Solid Waste projects are developed in order to comply with legal requirements such as the King County Board of Health Code (Title 10), Washington State Minimum Functional Standards for Solid Waste Handling (WAC 173-3-4), and Department of Labor and Industries mandates. The recommendations of planning documents such as the Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Plan and the Cedar Hills Site Development Plan are considered. The timing and implementation of these projects are dictated by regulatory mandates, the nature of the projects, and the planning documents. The timing of new area and transfer station development and construction are based on facility conditions, tonnage disposal, and waste capacity projections.

The following table displays major projects proposed in the 2000 Executive Adopted Budget. Please see separate 2000 Executive Adopted Capital Improvement Program Budget Book for more information.

Surface Water Management (SWM): The Surface Water Management Capital Improvement Program is an integral part of the SWM Strategic Plan. The goals and objectives of the 1991 strategic plan (revised and updated in 1994-95) are to minimize uncontrolled stormwater runoff and sedimentation; to preserve and enhance the County's natural drainage system including water quality, open space, fish and wildlife habitat; and to construct drainage and erosion control facilities. These goals and objectives are being carried out through two programs: the River Management Program, focused on the County’s major river systems and the SWM Program, focused primarily in urban areas.

The 2000-2005 Capital Budget of approximately $15.6 million remains committed to the vision described in the Surface Water Management Program Status Report, Proposed by Council Motion 9420. Of the $6.01 million budgeted for 2000, $455,000 is funded by current SWM charge revenue. The remaining $5.56 million includes $3.74 million from the 1999 Bond Sale; $1.35 million from cities; $121,000 of 329 and 318 fund balance; and $353,000 from ALEG bonds.

In 2000, the First year of the six year program, there is $1 million in projects proposed for older unincorporated urban areas (OUUAs), including slough restoration, slope stabilization, channel work, and a variety of other small CIP projects.

The projects selected for funding reflect the highest priority needs across the service area and include both small and large-scale projects that provide benefits for flood control, habitat restoration, and water quality in the face of an increasingly urban environment. Capital improvement projects within each basin are prioritized to ensure that projects designed to solve the most critical problems are funded. Projects which solve emergency health and safety problems are given the highest priority funding.

The SWM Division's overall goal for CIP financing is to balance program needs for expansion with attainable financing. This is especially critical given the outlook for future annexations and incorporations. Originally, the major concern was that the SWM service charge area would shrink due to annexations/incorporations and the corresponding loss in revenue would adversely affect SWM's ability to pay debt service on future bond issues. This condition was changed by the State Legislature and SWM can now assess service area charges based on past financing. This has helped SWM proceed with the expanded capital improvement program.

The following table displays major projects proposed in the 2000 Executive’s Adopted Budget. Please see the separate 2000 Adopted Capital Improvement Program Budget Book for more information.

Wastewater Treatment: The Wastewater Treatment Division’s Capital Improvement Program for 1999 – 2005 is based on compliance with current regulatory standards for secondary treatment and combined sewer overflows (CSOs). The objectives of the program are to:

• Ensure continued operation and reliability of existing wastewater treatment assets;
• Enhance regional water quality in compliance with federal, state and local regulations;
• Ensure sufficient capacity to meet the regional service area long-term needs.
  
  The financial plan period 1999 – 2005 will be highlighted by the completion of the current projects that comprise the fourth stage of the Comprehensive Plan and the expected commencement of various new projects associated with the Regional Wastewater Services Plan (RWSP). The amounts included for planning purposes are based on current estimates for the Executive’s preferred plan presented in April 1998.

The 1999 – 2002 capital appropriation request is approximately $75 million greater than a similar request for the period 1998 – 2001. Much of this increase is attributable to revised cost estimates for the South Interceptor due to changes in its alignment, the initiation of the West Point Cogeneration project, increased costs associated with the Henderson/MLK CSO project, and the cost of engineering studies for the assumption of operations of the Vashon Treatment Plant and Community Septic Systems. These increases are offset in part by cost savings from the deferred implementation of the RWSP, as well as cost savings in the hydrogen sulfide control program.

This spring the National Marine Fisheries Service listed the Puget Sound Chinook Salmon as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. In anticipation of this listing, WTD embarked on a series of studies to aid in formulating a plan for the recovery of this species. These studies include the Habitat Conservation Plan, Lakes Study, Green/Duwamish River Study, and Marine Outfall Study. Expenditures within the 2000 CIP for these studies are forecasted to be $10,873,000.

The following table displays major projects proposed in the 2000 Executive Adopted Budget. Please see separate 2000 Executive Adopted Capital Improvement Program Budget Book for more information.

Updated: June 28, 2000