On the Mayor's Mind: Assessing and prioritizing assets

Mayor Chris Roberts, Shoreline

By Chris Roberts, Mayor of Shoreline

The National League of Cities recognized May 15-19 as Infrastructure Week. “Infrastructure Week is a national week of education and advocacy that brings together American businesses, workers, elected leaders, and everyday citizens around one message: It’s #TimeToBuild.”

Across the nation, the American Society of Civil Engineers rated American’s infrastructure a D+, based on the physical condition and needed investment. They rated 16 categories of infrastructure, from aviation to ports and from public parks to wastewater systems. They concluded that the nation has a $2.0 trillion investment gap.

In Washington, ASCE rated our state better than the national average. Among their recommendations for the state was to identify sustainable sources of funding to maintain our infrastructure and to identify and implement maintenance to the extent possible.

The Shoreline City Council is doing its job of assessing and prioritizing its assets. On Monday, May 22, the Council is scheduled to adopt its annual Transportation Improvement Plan. The TIP identifies over $360 million of transportation projects (both funded and unfunded projects) that would make our streets safer for all users.

On May 15, the Council began its review of policies surrounding updates to the City’s surface water master plan. Over the past few years the City undertook basin planning efforts to assess the condition of the surface water system and identify priorities for maintenance to prevent flooding after storm events.

The Parks Board and the Council are also in the final stages of developing its six-year master plan for Shoreline’s parks system. The draft plan is now available and open for comment. The draft plan was developed through surveys, community meetings, open houses, and comment cards, about what Shoreline residents and park users wanted in our parks and recreation and cultural service offerings.

I am hopeful that the state and federal government will remain partners with Shoreline to help address the infrastructure needs in our city. I am a strong advocate for the state’s Public Works Assistance Account, which provides low interest loans to cities and other districts to maintain our infrastructure. We have also been appreciative of the federal grants we received to complete improvements to our section of Aurora Avenue.

Even with these plans, we know there is ongoing work to maintain our community assets. If you spot a pothole, or see standing water on the road, please report it. The City uses SeeClickFix as a mobile tool that any resident can use to report issues in your neighborhood.