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4.3 POLICIES TO SUPPORT A GUOD <br />STATE OF REPAIR <br />The following policies are recommended to enhance <br />Kittitas County's ability to preserve its existing <br />system over the course of this Plan. Many of these <br />policies have been applied in other jurisdictions. <br />PRIORITIZE SYSTEM MAINTENANCE OVER <br />SYSTEM EXPANSION <br />The cost-effective preservation of the existing and <br />future transportation system should be a funding <br />priority ahead of expanding the system. This Plan <br />recommends continuing the current maintenance <br />schedule to ensure the network stays in good repair <br />IDENTIFY NEW SOURCES OF FUNDING THAT <br />CAN PAY FOR MAINTENANCE AND <br />PRESERVATION <br />The County should look for ways to increase the <br />amount of annual funding available for system <br />maintenance and preservation activities. In <br />considering new sources of funding, those that can <br />fund maintenance and system preservation activities <br />should be prioritized. <br />MAINTAIN THE COUNTY`S TRANSPORTATION <br />SYSTEM AT LOWEST LIFECYCLE COST <br />To maximize the County's funding resources, <br />transportation assets should be replaced or <br />rehabilitated at the point of lowest cost in the <br />lifecycle of the asset. <br />ENHANCE THE PAVEMENT MANAGEMENT <br />SYSTEM TO CONSIDER MORE COMPREHENSIVE <br />A comprehensive asset management system for all <br />road assets is a key strategy for being able to <br />accomplish the goal of lowest life -cycle cost for <br />these assets. The County's Pavement Management <br />system is an excellent step in the right direction, <br />although the system could be expanded to monitor <br />the condition of a comprehensive list of roadway <br />assets, such as guardrail, signs, and concrete <br />barriers. A comprehensive asset management <br />system includes the following elements: <br />• Setting level of service goals <br />• Developing and maintaining a complete <br />inventory of assets <br />Regularly collecting asset condition and <br />usage data <br />• Tracking costs <br />Developing a method for evaluating risk <br />• Developing a method for evaluating when <br />and how to replace or refurbish the asset <br />Adopting performance measures that <br />provide information to best manage the <br />resources used to manage the asset. <br />Once all of these elements of a system are in place <br />to manage an asset, County staff can justify and <br />allocate the resources needed to effectively preserve <br />the assets. <br />MAINTAIN A RESERVE FUND TO ADDRESS <br />i UNFUNDED PROGRAMMATIC AND <br />j UNANTICIPATED EVENTS <br />In recent years, the County has seen an uptick in <br />system failures related to weather, environmental <br />regulations, and aging infrastructure. While the <br />County currently has a reserve fund to address <br />unanticipated events, it is swiftly being depleted. <br />The County should prioritize maintaining their <br />reserve fund at no less than $4.5-5 million dollars to <br />ensure that they have the resources to counteract <br />emergency situations. The types of expenditures <br />that might be covered by this sort of account <br />include: <br />• Bridge Repairs <br />• Culvert Replacement <br />Guardrail Infill <br />• ADA Compliant Needs <br />* Slope/Wall Stabilization <br />• Hazardous Tree Removal <br />Increase in Regulatory Mandates <br />• Emergency Funding <br />P a g <br />