2025-04-14-minutes-public-works-study-session

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other Springwood Ranch landowners. Implementing the grant will also require interlocal agreements with those landowners. While Kittitas County now owns most of the irrigated land, realizing its potential will require addressing maintenance deferred by the previous owner. Staff have developed a targeted proposal to begin addressing this deferred maintenance, which includes: 1) Adding irrigation and rehabbing fields in a gated pipe -irrigated field, increasing irrigated acreage from 55 to 89.5 acres. 2) Repairing an existing pivot system to make it operational again, expanding the ranch's irrigation capacity. 3) Enhancing the 125-acre pivot field to support pasture grass, improving both the agricultural output and land quality. All these improvements exceed our current budget. The current agricultural tenant does not use two hay storage barns on County -owned land and is open to leasing them to others, as long as the tenant approves how the barns will be secured from cattle. DISCUSSION: Springwood Ranch is a valuable asset with significant long-term potential but realizing that potential requires strategic investments. The proposed improvements will generate additional revenue from the current agricultural lease. While this income will not cover all the costs upfront, these investments are a first step toward addressing long-standing capital needs. Investing in the irrigation infrastructure, in particular, will enhance water management, support long-term agricultural uses, and improve wildfire and weed management. There are some uncertainties surrounding the 125-acre pivot field and its upgrades. However, prioritizing the 90-acre gated pipe field and the pivot repairs will allow us to make immediate improvements while better understanding the full scope of the pivot upgrades. Addressing the barn's structural integrity is also a priority, as safety concerns need to be resolved to protect both people and the property. Staff recommend focusing first on upgrading the 90-acre field and repairing the pivot system, while deferring improvements to the 125-acre field until there is more certainty regarding the pivot's condition and the barn's requirements. This phased approach helps manage risk, though it may limit potential cost savings. FISCAL IMPACTS: Proceeding with the staff recommendation to upgrade the gated pipe field and repair the pivot system would result in an unbudgeted upfront cost of $26,000. ATTACHMENTS: Exhibit A Map; Exhibit B: Budget Summary Page 2 of 4 Public Works "Work Session Staff Report", 2025