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Home My WebLink AboutUpdate Documents - BOCC (002)Grant County Board Of County Commissioners Please Sign In For The Record Interlocal Agreement Work Session —Moses Lake Bridge PUBLIC HEARING Crossing DATE March 30,2026 TIME 12:00 PM Please Print Your Name Clearly NAME REPRESENTING CONTACT INFO: PHONE/E-MAIL JAM �lPFJ'Y�- GY�� C- M�c�a,ii� wtie� � �c pt�� 4- d» - ire �'�v ec) � ; l—. �.F i"�l L A 501-7 SO— 8"5Ci� Ml.c,�-. .�EREW-4 l7AJ�S �•r�i �b �tituss(c�e Ste`>-9�-8t95 / la�isF�°.fy,�.t�l.cczu p5 Cvo E> � S�I,� ��I �?01Gy �/ b /�cu-fin �'ux+.rt v �j )LL U lb kayktk�w 4w-j� U ��Nh � !�IYy(,C https:flgrantcountywa.sharepoint.com/teams/BOCC/Shared Documents/General/Templates/Public Hearings/0 Sign In Sheet, Open Record.docx Grans County Board Of County Commissioners Please Sign In For The Record Interlocal Agreement Work Session —Moses Lake Bridge PUBLIC HEARING Crossing DATE March 30, 2026 TIME 12:00 PM Please Print Your Name Clearly NAME REPRESENTING CONTACT INFO: PHONE/E-MAIL 0 ro ev", kLt,4 via https://grantcountywa.sharepoint.comlteamsIBOCC/Shared Documents/GenerallTemplatesIPublic Hearings/0 Sign In Sheet, Open Record.docx Moses Lake City Council Dustin Swartz., Mayor I Don Myers, Deputy Mayor I Mark Fancher, Council Member I Joel Graves, Council Member David Skaug, Council Member I Victor Lon-ibardi, Council Member I Jeremy Davis, Council Member Special Meeting Agenda Grant County Commissioner Chambers, 35 C St NW, Ephrata, WA 98823 or remote access* Monday,, March 30, 2026 1. Call to Order - Noon 2, Interlocal Agreement for Bridge Environmental Impact Statement Discussion 3.2027 Comprehensive Plan Coordination 4. County and City Updates 5. Adjournment Link to online agendas: Instructions for attending the meeting remotely: Option 1 Online: March 301ink, Event Number: 940 4827 7440 Event Password: 26229323 Option 2: Audio only: United States: +1-253-205-0468, Meeting ID: 940 4827 7440 Password: 26229323 International Numbers: httvs://�rantcountvwa-zoom.us/u/awal�iWal MOSES LAKE BRIDGE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT This MOSES LAKE BRIDGE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT (the "Agreement") is made pursuant to RCW 39.34 et seq. between the following parties: • The City of Moses Lake, a Washington municipal corporation (the "City"); and • Grant County, a Washington municipal corporation (the "County"); The City and the County are individually a "Party" and collectively the "Parties;" WHEREAS, the Parties are in the process of investigating the feasibility of the construction of an additional bridge across Moses Lake (the "Project"); WHEREAS, such a Project would allow vehicles to travel between Interstate 90 and State Route 17 on the north end of the City, without the need to travel through the City's center; WHEREAS, the Project location is likely to be outside of the City's jurisdictional boundary and inside of the County's jurisdictional boundary; WHEREAS, likely lake crossing locations directly impact the City of Moses Lake, including freight mobility, commuter traffic, and emergency response routes; WHEREAS, the Parties recognize the continued importance of cooperating on the Project because it would improve emergency responses and support commerce and economic growth opportunities for each of the Parties, and cooperation would result in cost efficiencies; WHEREAS, a strategic next step is to proceed with the public process of producing an Environmental Impact Statement to study and evaluate lake crossing locations and their potential impacts; and WHEREAS, given the direct impact on the Moses Lake community, the City of Moses Lake is willing to serve as Lead Agency in conducting the EIS, including obtaining grant funding, contracting directly with consultants to perform the work, engaging the public, and working with the various regulatory agencies and other affected stakeholders; NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual obligations and benefits herein, the Parties agree as follows: 1. Purpose and Scope of Work. The purpose of this Agreement is to formalize a commitment to the Project wherein the Parties agree to work cooperatively with each other regarding the Project. This cooperation will include, without limitation, mutually determining a preferred lake crossing location by conducting and approving Environmental Impact Statement (hereinafter, "EIS") under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and devoting staff time thereto. 2. Grant Applications. The City of Moses Lake will be designated as the "Lead Agency", with Grant County being the "Non -Lead Agency." The Lead Agency will submit applications for grant funding to pay for the EIS. 2.1 Grant Application Support. The Non -Lead Agency shall promptly provide letters of support for applications, grant submission information, Project approvals, data, and any other documents or support necessary for the Lead Agency's application process for grants. The Non - Lead Agency shall fund its respective costs for this grant application support. 3. Grant Administration and Project Management. If grants are awarded for the EIS, the Lead Agency shall be the recipient of the EIS project grants, administer all EIS project grants on behalf of itself and the Non -Lead Agency, and ensure funds are used in accordance with all program requirements as set forth in the grant contract(s). The Lead Agency shall be the contact for all communications and billings with the agency(ies) funding the EIS project grant(s). The Lead Agency will be responsible for management of the EIS process. 3.1 Grant Coordination. The Parties will reasonably cooperate in administering any EIS project grants. 3.2 Public Process. The Parties shall partner to develop a public information and notification program related to EIS activities. The Parties shall coordinate communications pertaining to the Project to the public. 4. Reporting. The Moses Lake City Manager or designee will provide periodic (at least twice yearly) progress reports to the elected officials of each Jurisdiction. 5. Scopinq Phase of the EIS. During the Scoping phase of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), the Parties shall collaboratively define and agree upon the project's scope, identifying the specific range of reasonable lake crossing alternatives and environmental elements to be analyzed. 6. Final Approval of the Environmental Impact Statement. Upon completion of the EIS, the governing boards both Parties (i.e., the City Council and the Board of County Commissioners) will meet to mutually agree upon the preferred location of the lake crossing. Upon mutual agreeance, both Parties will adopt the EIS and formally accept the preferred lake crossing location. In the event the Parties do not agree on the preferred lake crossing location, Grant County (i.e., the Non -Lead Agency) will determine the preferred location, provided that the crossing location alternatives are located in unincorporated Grant County on both sides of the Lake. Any notice under this Agreement shall be sent, postage pre -paid, by regular mail, or delivered personally. Any notice so posted shall be deemed received two (2) business days after the date of mailing. Notices shall be mailed or delivered to the following persons at the following addresses: GRANT COUNTY Ephrata, WA 98823 CITY OF MOSES LAKE City Manager 401 S. Balsam Street P.O. Box 1579 Moses Lake, WA 98837 7. Independent Governments — No Liability. Each Party is and shall remain an independent government. This Agreement does not create a partnership or other similar arrangement. The Parties shall not be liable for the acts or omissions of the other Party or its VA respective public officials, employees, or agents. No agent, employee or representative of any Party shall be deemed to be an agent, employee, or representative of any other Party for any purpose, and the employees of a Party are not entitled to any of the benefits the other Party provides to its employees. Pursuant to RCW 39.34.030(3)(b), this Agreement does not create a separate legal or administrative entity other than specifically provided in this Agreement. 8. Liabi�y. Each Party shall be responsible for the wrongful or negligent actions of its respective public officials, employees, or agents while engaged in the performance of duties under this Agreement as their respective liability shall appear under the laws of the State of Washington and/or Federal Law and this agreement is not intended to diminish or expand such liability. 9. Term of Agreement. The term of this Agreement shall commence upon execution by the Parties and shall continue until the purpose set forth herein are achieved (i.e., lake crossing EIS completion and adoption) unless otherwise terminated by mutual agreement evidenced by a writing signed by the Parties. As Lead Agency and administrator of this Agreement, the City may terminate this Agreement for convenience by providing sixty (60) day's prior written notice to the Non -Lead Agency. 10. Amendment. No modification or amendment of this Agreement may be made except by a written document signed by the Parties. 11. Counterparts and Electronic Transmission. This Agreement may be signed in counterparts. Electronic transmission of any signed original document and retransmission of any signed electronic transmission shall be the same as delivery of an original document. 12. Governing Law. This Agreement and the rights of the Parties hereto shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Washington, and the Parties agree that in any such action, jurisdiction and venue shall lie exclusively in Kittitas County, Washington. 13. No Third -Party Beneficiaries. There are no third -party beneficiaries to this Agreement. 14. Interpretation. Each Party has participated in drafting this Agreement and has had this Agreement reviewed by legal counsel. Therefore, any language therein shall not be construed against any Party on the basis of which Party drafted the particular language. 15. Entire Agreement. This Agreement contains all of the understandings between the Parties. Each Party represents that no promises, representations, or commitments have been made by others as a basis for this Agreement which have not been reduced to writing herein. No oral promises or representations shall be binding upon any Party, whether made in the past or to be made in the future, unless such promises or representations are reduced to writing in the form of a written modification to this Agreement executed by both Parties. 16. Fill This Agreement shall be filed with the Grant County Auditor pursuant to RCW 39.34.040. CITY OF MOSES LAKE GRANT COUNTY 3 By: By: Its: Its: _ Date: Date: PA memo; else OW All iie�OPPORATO k R Ec�- -- ---.M Summary �� In partnership with Grant County/ MOW Washington, we are requesting $1.52 million in federal funding to pay for Ins A the con-)pIetion of a comprehensiverJ Environmental Impact Statement ►�% (EIS) for the proposed Lake Crossing project. This critical phase is a key hurdle to unlocking a transformative infrastructure project that will �;;�;,a� RPAD 4. alleviate regional congestion, W U, improve emergency response times, OMae one ;alley i �� 4d advance national priorities, and ___M,%D 3 %V er bolster regional freight movement and economic development. Mae MAI Moses Lake is a beautiful, natural resource and an incredible asset to the region. However, Moses Lake is also a complex, multi -fingered lake that severs the City of Moses Lake in multiple locations. Moses Lake's only east -west crossing is Interstate 90 at the south end of the Lake. When a shut -down occurs on 1-90, it virtually paralyzes transportation for much of the City. Without the 1-90 crossing, east -west movement is forced north almost to Ephrata or South toward Warden. Both detour options add almost an hour to travel time for freight and passenger vehicles. In addition, the single north -south Stratford Road lake crossing over "the fill" is frequently backed up and highly congested where it intersects at Broadway (a state highway), threatening the ability to respond to emergencies and hindering traffic and the ability to get around. This bottle neck creates a single point of failure for a City that has become a hub for the region's retail and family wage jobs. To add to the pressure, manufacturing jobs and more freight are coming to Moses Lake, most of which will come to the east side of the Lake, including at and around the Port of Lake at the north end of town. Meanwhile, Moses Lake's fastest growing residential area is on the west side of the Lake. Rather than force traffic through the congested and bottlenecked lake crossing on Stratford Road, a new lake crossing is needed to connect workers to jobs. In conclusion, a second crossing is not just a local preference —it is a requirement for the resiliency of the national clean -energy economy,, national defense,, and the safety and prosperity of the growing region. Federal Funding is Requested The City is requesting $1.52 million to help pay for a $1.9 million Environmental impact Statement (EIS) to find the best location for the new bridge. An EIS is the mandatory first step under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). county -city Partnership The most viable locations for a bridge crossing that will meet the purpose of this request are in the Mae Valley area of the City. All of these locations on both sides of the Lake are in unincorporated Grant County, so cooperation with the County is essential. The City and the County are finalizing an interlocal agreement that will give the City of Moses Lake project lead status and therefore enable the City to be the recipient of the federal funding. - t-A NQ 6 if V f yin Port of MosesiLake `a; e:nl. Lounty CL i t International ,, n 0 f r.....w Aitpc.7rt cp RD ROAD 7 - F_ /► °� 4-- 4-J ru 1 ROAD 5 f 1 it LO I ROAD 4 ■ � CIA CL w u, 0 Z 01 1 V le ! �! yes Ke ' ROAD J " rDowntown Moses Lake o (U 1 Mae I MAE VALLEY RD R G . fl N 1 R 1 r te 9� . �►. CONCEPTUAL BRIDGE LOCATIONS -FOR ILLUSTRATIVE PURPOSES ONLY " POSSIBLE BRIDGE LINKS STREETS DOWNTOWN PORT OF MOSES LAKE s: Esri, T0i11 oni, Garmi , NOAA, USGS, (c) 0 0 41000 8.000 12,000 16,000 20,000 N contributors, and the GIS Us��a Feet Moses Lake Crossing This map vets produced by the City of Moses Lake for visual reference only. The accuracy of all information should be confirmed with city staff. 2 25 2026 Path- \\th1s-server\g1s\Masters\PR0 PROJECTS\Public Map Pioducts\Public Mal) Products.aprx