A much larger, and more demanding, say-so in operating the state-government steering wheel is in the works for state Rep. Derek Stanford. The House Democratic Caucus recently selected Stanford, D-Bothell (1st Legislative District), to vice-chair the crucial House Capital Budget Committee. His new responsibilities commence with the Monday morning, Jan. 14, opening gavel of the 2013 legislative session.
“I’m looking forward to helping tackle fresh challenges facing our Capital Budget Committee, as well as other matters awaiting us in Olympia,” said Stanford. “This committee manages significant investment-decisions for Washington’s several-billion-dollar construction budget. As you can imagine, these decisions go a long way toward shaping job-creation and economic-development policies in our King and Snohomish county communities, and in other cities and towns all across our state.”
Although Stanford will be leaving his position as vice chair of the House Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee, he retains his vote on that panel. Stanford will also keep his seat on the pivotal House Business & Financial Services Committee.
Stanford, recently re-elected to serve his second term in office, said the Capital Budget Committee looks at money-saving strategies in the construction and repair of public buildings, as well as land-acquisitions and transfers. The committee also keeps a close eye on the state’s public, capital-budget dollars that are given or lent to local governments or nonprofit organizations for infrastructure, housing, and cultural and heritage facilities.
He wasn’t a member of the Capital Budget Committee in his first term of office. Still, Stanford did win committee-support last year for funding to assist with a substantial construction project in the 1st Legislative District. Stanford worked to secure $800,000 in a supplemental capital-budget item to help pay the bill for building a new Scriber Creek Pedestrian Bridge in Brier. The Scriber Creek Pedestrian Bridge was damaged in the December 2007 flood. “Those devastating flood waters a few years back eroded the creek bank,” he said. “In fact, the bank actually took such a severe battering that two of the four pilings supporting the bridge were exposed.”
Nicole Gaudette, City Planner with the City of Brier, said that “rebuilding the Scriber Creek Bridge will protect salmon-bearing waters, critical infrastructure, a pedestrian pathway, and the public health. The state’s partnership in funding this Scriber Creek Bridge project is crucial to its success. Our City of Brier looks forward to being able to repair damages that the 2007 winter floods caused to the bridge and the surrounding area. This work will ensure stability to the sewer line that the bridge carries, thus preventing future damage to Scriber Creek and its ecosystem.”
The Scriber Creek Pedestrian Bridge not only provides a major trail link in Brier, it also carries a sewer pipe over Scriber Creek, which as Gaudette noted is a salmon-bearing waterway. As an emergency measure after the flood, a rock wall was installed to protect the exposed pilings and prevent the bridge from falling. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife officials have declared that the rock wall can serve only as an emergency provision, which means that it must be removed fairly soon to prevent further damage to fish habitat.