Home » FNC Highlight Reel: Three Topics

FNC Highlight Reel: Three Topics

by Kirby Lindsay, posted 31 October 2014

 

Hung Huynhof, of WSDOT, spoke at the October 2014 FNC meeting on the upcoming painting of the Aurora Bridge.  Photo by K. Lindsay
Hung Huynhof, of WSDOT, spoke at the October 2014 FNC meeting on the upcoming painting of the Aurora Bridge. Photo by K. Lindsay

At the latest Fremont Neighborhood Council (FNC) meeting, held on October 27th, Acting Board President, Toby Thaler, presented an agenda packed with discussion topics.  Three specific items dominated the hour-and-a-half meeting, held at Doric Lodge #92.

Aurora Bridge Painting

Hung Huynh, of the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), reported on plans to repaint, and repair, the historic railing along the outside of the structure of the George Washington Memorial Bridge (more commonly known as Aurora.)  This project also includes painting the steel along the underside of the bridge, the stringers and floor beams, but not the safety fence up above, or the newer railing along the road side of the pedestrian walkway.

The project also includes repairing damage caused by age, and wear & tear.  WSDOT will sand blast the rust eating away at the railing and some of the undercarriage, replace angles on the underside, and toppers and any other pieces that have gone missing from the railing.

Starting in summer of 2015, the historic railing (inside the safety fence) of the Aurora Bridge will get cleaned up and repainted.  Photo by K. Lindsay, May '11
Starting in summer of 2015, the historic railing (inside the safety fence) of the Aurora Bridge will get cleaned up and repainted. Photo by K. Lindsay, May ’11

Painting the railing will be done at night, so the majority of lane closures will happen at night but there will be 24-hour closure of one sidewalk on one side of the bridge.  The below deck work will be done in the daytime, and will require surface street road closures, particularly as they install and remove the containment system (the tarps and plastic strung beneath the bridge, as seen during the Fremont Bridge painting project.)

The work will take place between from the summer of 2015 to the summer of 2017, weather depending, and cost $40 million dollars.  This will not include replacement of the light posts along the Aurora Bridge deck, a project of Seattle City Light.

When asked about plans for mitigating traffic impacts, considering the massive afternoon traffic back-ups already caused by the Viaduct/Tunnel project and the Mercer Street overpass work, both south of the Aurora Bridge, Huynh only said that they are coordinating the projects.

A containment system, like the one used on the Fremont Bridge, will be rigged up under the Aurora Bridge during painting in 2015.  Photo by Adrian Laney, Sep '14
A containment system, like the one used on the Fremont Bridge, will be rigged up under the Aurora Bridge during painting in 2015. Photo by Adrian Laney, Sep ’14

Revising A Legal Contract

Tim Croll, of Seattle Public Utilities (SPU,) came to talk with the FNC about a contract drawn up between the organization and four other private parties following litigation.  The group sued over the remodel, and location, of the North Seattle Transfer Station, being rebuilt now.  All parties agreed to an immediate $30,000 settlement (due to expire soon,) to be spent on community projects that mitigate the impacts of the Transfer Station, and another $30,000 to be spent within three years after the new Station is built.

The litigants asked to roll over the first payment, into the second.  At this time, the parties involved still don’t know what they want to spend the money on.  SPU has said they will be fine doing a lump payment of $60,000, within three years after the project completes.

Croll came actually to ask about another part of the settlement.  The FNC asked for monitoring of the speed of the garbage trucks as they transit the neighborhood.  For three years, using technology already on these trucks, SPU compiled data on the speeds and could show that one truck, once, exceeded 30 miles-per-hour.  The speed for all the trucks stayed in the 20s the rest of the time.

Tim Croll, from SPU, spoke at the October 2014 FNC meeting.  Photo by K. Lindsay
Tim Croll, from SPU, spoke at the October 2014 FNC meeting. Photo by K. Lindsay

Croll asked if monitoring can end.  The technology will stay available, but the staffers keeping track and compiling the information could work on other projects.  The FNC Board deferred a final decision until all plaintiffs could be consulted, but the fact that the trucks will still be tracked even without regular reports for the public, seemed to satisfy attendees.

After Croll left, the group discussed community projects that could be funded by the $60,000.  Matt Gasparich raised the question of public art, particularly doing more signal box art with Urban ArtWorks – like the five boxes already decorated around Fremont.  It was agreed that all the money does not need to be spent on one project – the signal box art costs about $1,000 a box – but the FNC does need to have a meeting for all plaintiffs to discuss and agree on a plan.

501(c)3 Status For FNC?

Thaler led a discussion on whether the FNC should file for 501(c)3 status with the IRS.  This would make it easier for donors to give money towards projects overseen by the organization, and make the FNC more eligible for grants.  Currently, the FNC is incorporated under state law as a non-profit but 501(c)3 status allows donors to write-off money given on their income tax forms.

501(c)3 status would, however, require more paperwork for the all-volunteer organization, and require more oversight on spending.  It would require filing a regular tax return with the IRS.  One meeting attendee, who said that he works for a small non-profit, said that they keep a C.P.A. on retainer but file minimal paperwork.

One of the signal boxes decorated through an Urban ArtWorks program, commissioned by the B.F. Day PTSA.  Photo by K. Lindsay, Jun '14
One of the signal boxes decorated through an Urban ArtWorks program, commissioned by the B.F. Day PTSA. Photo by K. Lindsay, Jun ’14

The FNC Board agreed that they need to further review this idea, with someone of experience, hopefully in November.  What started the discussion of 501(c)3 status is the 46th Street Mural project, which needs donations to fund further maintenance.  The FNC Board considered a request for a $500 donation to the Mural, and they agreed to give, and the money will eventually go to local artist Deborah Bell who paints out tags occasionally graffitied on the mural.  More money is needed, so please consider giving.

To find out about what else is going on at the FNC, attend the next meeting, on Novmeber 24th at 7p at Doric Lodge #92.  These meetings are open to the public, and while focused on residential concerns of Fremont, they are open to the general public.  Thaler did mention his own intention to search out any potential FNC members interested in serving on the Board – and electing a new President.  Thaler is already ready to give up the job.  Attend a future meeting just to find out if he manages it!

 

 


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©2014 Kirby Lindsay.  This column is protected by intellectual property laws, including U.S. copyright laws.  Reproduction, adaptation or distribution without permission is prohibited.

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