MCP&PSG 3-27-07 WEEKLY DISCUSSION & COFFEE 6:45AM MANCHESTER FAMILY INN

Attending were Keri Desjardin, Ron and Joyce Rada, Paul Gilligan, Joe and Mary Ann Blazevich, Bud and Wanda Larsen, Travis Baker and guests Bill Zupancic and Jim Rogers, Transportation Planners Kitsap County Public Works.  Excused were Peggy Warren on vacation, and Bob Parks who is ill.  The group forwarded a get well card to Bob signed for those in attendance.  Anyone else wishing to Bob good wishes can reach him at P. O. Box 430 Manchester, WA 98353.

Two recent Kitsap County Sheriff's Office news releases were passed around for review.  One release pertained to suspects apprehended following an interrupted burglary.  The other related to a child airlifted to Harborview Medical following an explosion.  We have invited Sheriff Steve Boyer to attend a meeting in the near future to bring us up to date on current procedures and how we can help the Dept. in increasing awareness of the citizens. 

A very special thank you to Joe and Mary Blazevich for once again upgrading the groups correspondence and meeting notes files.  This is a big job as well as very time consuming.  They have done an excellent job in putting group information in to an understandable filing system.  Terrific job!

Jim Rogers and Bill Zupanic gave us some background information on their positions with Public Works and how those positions relate to the upcoming revisions to the Manchester Community Plan 2007.   Unfortunately due to a glitz our offices have not been kept current on communications sent out to other interested party's for the Transportation segment of the 2007 Plan, we will receive this information shortly.  The meeting tentatively scheduled for April 5 has been cancelled, Jim will be sending a notice to all committee members asking for a recommendation for the date for the next meeting.  The Commissioners Chambers will be used for any such meetings, the Manchester Library is booked pretty solid at this time.    

A proposal for inclusion in the Manchester Plan 2007 and submitted by Ray Pardo was read.  Ray listed 3 excellent Recommendations, as follows:

1)  For the plan, define pedestrian corridors that should be upgraded to paved shoulders as soon as possible Colchester-Main-Beach-Alaska and California in the North-South direction and Main-Mariner and Chester in the East-West direction.  The plan should strongly encourage the Dept. of Public Works to include these modifications into near term stormwater improvements and road resurfacing projects.  The paved shoulder on one side of each road should be designated as no parking.  (For example, Madrone is so narrow, we will have to wait until the stormwater run-off is put underground, but all the East-West roads should be upgraded to at least a 6' paved shoulder today).

    2)  Define Colchester-Man-Beach for a traffic calming corridor, with diagonal parking recommended along the whole length of Colchester from Spruce to Main (this designation alone would force the Fuel Depot to reconsider the current route.)

    3)  Prohibit truck traffic in Manchester from 6PM through 7AM (you would probably have to include the other roads like Hemlock that go through to Alaska in this).

    The first recommendation is to assure County priority to pedestrian safety on all "through roads" in Manchester

The second recommendation is a new and architecturally well-defined method of making people drive slowly and take care in commercial areas where people are crossing streets or pulling out of parking spaces.

The third recommendations are to reduce noise in essentially residential Manchester.

Rogers asked that we present him with a document including these recommendations, as well as other Transportation concerns in Manchester in order that he may publish it to all interested Transportation Committee participants.  We have asked Ray Pardo to assist in putting together a Transportation Concerns list.  The question of how decisions are made within the Department was asked.  Decisions on which criteria to follow (averaging 15 to 20) are priority and by each incident.  Maintaining existing projects is the number one priority.    Safety is the first need, and the department trys to take the politics out of the projects.  Any priority moves up the ladder in relation to funding available.   No funding is available this year for new projects.    Where does source income come from?  It comes from impact fees, state and Federal grants, other grants, etc.  TIP (Transportation Improvement Programs)  relates to the Departments criteria and goals.

We should have word on the outcome of the Monday Commissioners meeting where the proposed All Ports Resolutions were to be reviewed and hopefully acted on.   

Bud was unable to attend the meeting due to another commitment.  He will be talking to Phil Best shortly and we will report next week.

Submitted:     Wanda Larsen