Effective public-private partnership secures state grant
OLYMPIA- One of the lesser known roles of state legislators is that of constituent-advocate and consensus builder. State Representative Jeff Morris’ (D-Mount Vernon) office serves as a liaison between constituents and state agencies, as well as organizations and individuals seeking state grants.
“While it’s not one of the more publicized parts of the job, it is one of the aspects that I find most rewarding” said Rep. Morris.
Citizens of Bellingham will soon enjoy a safer and smoother drive in areas surrounding the Fred Meyer store, thanks to a public-private partnership established largely through the efforts of Rep. Morris.
Due to residential and commercial growth, coupled with activity from the Port of Bellingham regional airport, traffic around the Fred Meyer store near I-5 at the Bakerview interchange has become severely congested in recent years.
Back in May, Rep. Morris was approached by representatives from the Bellingham Fred Meyer.
“It was very clear that there was a problem, the challenge was in putting together a team that could find a solution” said Rep. Morris.
After the initial meeting, Rep. Morris organized several individual and joint meetings with officials from Fred Meyer, the City of Bellingham, Whatcom County, Port of Bellingham, and the Washington State Department of Transportation.
The public-private partnership found that the Port of Bellingham, Whatcom County, and the City of Bellingham had all included the overpass improvement project in their long term plans. Upon learning this information, Fred Meyer stepped up to provide the additional funds necessary for the project to be eligible for the state grant.
Rep. Morris, along with the group of stakeholders, presented an application to the Transportation Improvement Board (TIB). Just last week, the TIB awarded $1.5 million to the West Bakerview Overpass project under the Urban Corridor Program funds. Residents can expect work to begin on the project in 2014.
“Due to an effective collaboration between the public and private sectors, our citizens will enjoy a less congested drive through the Bakerview area” said Rep Morris. Chris Comeau, City of Bellingham Transportation Planner, added that the project is a “…fantastic example of how we can all work together in a coordinated fashion and really succeed”.