Laserfiche WebLink
5. Explain how this infrastructure project has been coordinated, or will be coordinated with other <br />jurisdictions, such as counties, cities, statelfederal agencies, and with economic development <br />organizations during planning, design, financing, construction and/or operation phases. <br />The Utility District has been in ongoing conversations and consultation with ECOLOGY both with <br />the Water Resources and Water Quality departments. Because the Snoqualmie Pass area spans two <br />counties, King County and Kittitas County, the Utility District communicates with staff from both <br />counties. The next meeting with Kittitas County is scheduled for November 6, 2019. <br />In addition to communicating with County staff, the Utility District has reached out to the <br />Department of Fish and Wildlife, Washington Department of Transportation, the Confederated Tribes <br />and Bands of the Yakama Nation, and the Bureau of Reclamation. <br />There is no organized local economic development agency in the unincorporated service area of the <br />Utility District. Instead, the Utility District is in infrequent contact with the economic development <br />departments of both King County and Kittitas County and in frequent contact with commercial <br />customers such as the ski resorts. <br />The current General Manager is making inroads into all county and state -level agencies and met with <br />an informal technical team at the Infrastructure Assistance Coordinating Council (IACC) conference <br />in Wenatchee in October 2019. The team consisted of: Mr. Hastings, one representative from HLA <br />Engineering and Land Surveying, Inc., two representatives from Department of Health, one <br />representative from ECOLOGY, and one representative from United States Department of <br />Agriculture. During the team meeting, the Utility District was able to provide the concept of the <br />Phase 1 project and receive comments and recommendations from the agencies present. <br />6. Explain how the infrastructure project will help meet the economic development goals of your community <br />and/or region. If this project is not done, will the anticipated private development still take place? <br />The current water system capacity is nearly exhausted and in 2018 the Utility District self-imposed a <br />water moratorium due to water right limitations. After the Utility District was able to implement <br />several conservation improvements, the moratorium was lifted in September 2019, making 100 ERU <br />connections available for sale. Kittitas County has approved three developments totaling over 590 <br />residences. The 100 additional ERUs are expected to be exhausted in 2020 and will not provide <br />guaranteed service to the current planned developments in this unincorporated area. Though the <br />service area spans two counties, all growth is confined to areas solely in Kittitas County at this time. <br />Phase 1 treats wastewater to standards adequate to allow the effluent from the wastewater treatment <br />plant to be discharged to Coal Creek. When fully constructed, in subsequent phases, the W WTF will <br />eliminate the use of the spray field located on forest service land. The water being discharged to Coal <br />Creek allows the Utility District to gain foreign water right credits adequate to support their service <br />area development through full buildout. <br />Phase 1 is anticipated to allow an additional 1,000 ERUs to the system. The Utility District <br />conservatively estimates that commercial demand will consume six to seven ERUs for every 100 <br />residential connections. The construction of Phase 1 effectively doubles the domestic water capacity <br />of the Utility District and will allow expansion of existing economic operations, promote continued <br />residential development, and encourage new commercial development to provide services supporting <br />an invigorated and growing community. Water demand increases, based on conversations with the <br />ski resorts, over the next 5 to 7 years will likely be 40% - 50% above current levels with a minimum <br />of 30% of the increase dedicated to snowmaking. <br />11 <br />