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<br />Kittitas County Courthouse · 205 West 5th Avenue, STE 108 · Ellensburg, WA 98926 <br />(509) 962-7508 ·FAX (509) 962-7679 <br /> <br /> Kittitas County, Washington <br /> BOARD OF COUNTY <br />COMMISSIONERS <br /> District One <br />Cory Wright <br />District Two <br />Laura Osiadacz <br />District Three <br />Brett Wachsmith <br /> <br /> <br />September 6, 2022 <br /> <br /> <br />Ms. Sage Park, Director <br />Washington State Department of Ecology South-Central Region <br />1250 West Alder Street <br />Union Gap, WA 98903-0009 <br /> <br />RE: Assistance <br /> <br />Dear Ms. Park: <br /> <br />Recently, our Public Works Director contacted our office conveying appreciation for assistance <br />received from a Washington Department of Ecology employee: Ms. Iris Aguilera. Public Works <br />is completing a much-needed rehabilitation of the Thorp Bridge crossing the Yakima River. The <br />metal bridge is being repainted and the previous paint appears to meet hazardous waste standards <br />for disposal. The county’s engineering consultant failed to advise the county of the necessity to <br />coordinate with the Department of Ecology relative to transport authorization of the <br />contaminated old paint. Public Works Construction Manager Darren Case contacted Ms. <br />Aguilera and the two worked in rapid fashion securing necessary transit authorizations. <br /> <br />The fast work of Ms. Aguilera enables the county’s contractor to keep moving rapidly towards <br />project completion. The project is currently six weeks ahead of schedule and we anticipate <br />reopening Thorp Highway ahead of schedule. The vintage bridge provides the only river <br />crossing for numerous miles. Emergency responders are forced to travel south to Ellensburg and <br />then back up to Thorp – adding 20 minutes to all response times. While our Public Works <br />Director immediately sent a thank you electronic message to Ms. Aguilera for her timely <br />assistance, The Kittitas County Board of County Commissioners desires noticing you of her <br />performance. We believe your stewardship of the South-Central Region creates a highly <br />cooperative work environment for the county. Please convey our appreciation to Iris on behalf <br />of South-Central Region. <br /> <br />Sincerely, <br /> <br /> <br />Laura Osiadacz, <br />Chair, Kittitas County Board of County Commissioners <br /> <br />C: Mark R. Cook, Public Works Director <br />