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KITTITAS COUNTY <br />DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS <br />PUBLIC WORKS — BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS <br />STUDY SESSION STAFF REPORT <br />STUDY SESSION DATE: December 9, 2019 <br />TOPIC: ELN Environmental Assessment Advanced Design Memorandum <br />ACTION REQUESTED: Support Staff Action <br />LEAD STAFF: <br />Mark R. Cook <br />RECOMMENDATION: <br />Support staff's action issuing a memorandum requesting advanced design authorization <br />from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) completing the environmental <br />assessment (EA) for Bowers Field (ELN). <br />BRIEFING SUVLNIARY: <br />• The EA supporting ELN capital improvements is stalled pending resolution of <br />wetland and flooding issues <br />• During the past several months, staff has worked with Century West Engineering <br />(CW) and the FAA mapping the path towards finalizing the EA <br />• Staff recently issued a Task Order to CW authorizing the development of a <br />memorandum stating the case for advanced design authorization from the FAA <br />(Exhibit 1) <br />• The memorandum was recently completed and transmitted to the FAA (Exhibit 2) <br />BACKGROUND: <br />During most of 2018 and all of 2019 staff and CW have been working towards <br />completing the EA process with FAA supporting pending ELN capital improvements. <br />Runway 11129 flooding appears to be mitigatable but has associated floodplain and <br />wetland issues tied to proposed site improvements. Preliminary wetland delineations <br />suggest significant wetlands associated with proposed capital improvement actions. <br />Wetland impacts will likely trigger an individual permit from the United States Corps of <br />Engineers Spokane District. <br />DISCUSSION: <br />FAA regional environmental staff is suggesting general impacts to wetlands and <br />floodplains are likely insufficiently defined at the present time supporting an <br />environmental determination of project impact. Responding to this observation, staff <br />issued a Task Order to CW preparing a memorandum laying out the argument for FAA <br />authorization of advanced design. Advanced design to 60 percent is being sought to <br />finalize the environmental determination supporting ELN- capital improvements. <br />Page 1 of 4 <br />PUBLIC WORKS BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS WORK SESSION STAFF REPORT <br />