Two projects are currently in the design phase for improving traffic flow in Kingston. A proposed holding lot at the southwest corner of Lindvog Road NE and Highway 104 would serve to keep large volumes of ferry traffic off Kingston streets at peak travel times. The realignment of Highway 104 includes the construction of roundabouts and move ferry-bound traffic and tollbooths from Main Street to 1st Street. Photo caption: A model from Perteet Engineer shows how a holding lot at Lindvog Road would work with ferry traffic
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Lindvog Road holding lot
On August 6, officials from the Port of Kingston and their consultants at Perteet Engineering presented a feasibility study for a future ferry traffic holding lot at Lindvog Road and Highway 104 to a working group including the County Commissioners’ Office, representatives from the Washington State Department of Transportation, Washington State Ferries, Senator Christine Rolfes’ office and Kitsap County Public Works. The properties are owned by WSDOT and Kitsap County.
Technology would be used to assign lanes to vehicles and send them on to the toll booths as space opens in the ferry dock holding lot and boats are loaded. License plate readers could also be used to notify ferry workers if a car skipped the line. The holding lot will keep traffic from backing up through the downtown corridor, which currently causes gridlock and prevents access for local traffic and vehicles wanting to stop at local businesses on busy travel days.
Now that a conceptual plan is in place, project partners will pursue funding for construction.
Highway 104 realignment
Planning for the realignment of Highway 104 from Main Street to 1st Street is also moving forward. The design and right-of-way acquisition phases are funded. Money for the construction phase has not yet been allocated, although it is on contingency lists with the state. The county and WSDOT are also applying for a grant from the state Transportation Improvement Board.
To watch a recording of the August 6 meeting, click here. To learn more about the Lindvog holding lot, visit the Port of Kingston website and scroll down to Port Capital Projects. Information on the Highway 104 realignment can also be found on the WSDOT project page.
To help combat public health and economic impacts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government provided Kitsap County with $14.8 million through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. These funds are primarily to cover costs of the public health response through October of this year, but County Commissioners also committed more than $2 million of these funds for local small business assistance, rent and mortgage relief for individuals and to support local food banks.
Kitsap County partnered with the Kitsap Economic Development Alliance to distribute $880,000 for rent relief to small businesses with more than three employees. Awards of up to $5,000 per business are available. For more information, visit https://www.kitsapcaressmallbiz.com/.
The County also distributed funds to each of the six chambers of commerce to help local businesses navigate the various federal, state and local relief options and support the purchase of personal protection equipment for employees.
Funds are also being distributed, in coordination with Kitsap Community Resources, to provide rent and mortgage assistance for low-income households hardest hit by the pandemic.
Kitsap County residents interested in this program can visit Kitsap Community Resources at https://www.kcr.org/ or call (360) 473-2035.
COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on the economies throughout the world, and Kitsap County is not immune to its impacts While property tax income has not declined, sales tax and gas tax revenues have dropped significantly. As a result, departments countywide have been asked to cut 5 percent from their 2020 budgets and 10 percent in 2021 budget requests. Most decisions made in this fiscal year will be carried over to next year and allow them to meet that 10 percent, with some exceptions.
The major source of departmental budget cuts so far are services supported through the general fund. Property taxes, along with retail sales tax, make up two-thirds of the annual revenue in the general fund. Property tax revenue didn’t decline during the first half of the year. Property tax payments for the second half of the year are due in October and will indicate whether the pandemic has had an impact.
The sharp decline in the general fund so far is due to the loss of retail sales tax revenue. If current conditions continue, lost revenue in 2021 is forecast to be $10 million. County departments are looking at ways to make substantial cuts to their budgets while maintaining the same levels of service. Many services are available online and departments continue to implement new ways of doing business while improving access for the public. To see a comprehensive listing of county online services and check what offices are open, click here, call Kitsap1 at 360-337-5777 or email info@kitsap1.com.
Kitsap County implemented a hiring freeze to reduce costs through the end of the year and help close the projected $5 million budget shortfall. Other cuts were made to travel, training and supplies. Additional short-term savings have come from a decline in the number of contracted attorneys needed in Public Defense due to a lighter caseload in the courts. Unfortunately, there were also some employee layoffs.
Some cuts this year are temporary and not sustainable. They can be accomplished now because COVID-19 restrictions prevent us from offering all in-person services. Many front counter staff have been redeployed to other departments or are supporting the county’s Emergency Operations Center that is responding to the pandemic and receiving state and federal funding to pay staff.
Lessons learned from the last recession are helping guide decisions for weathering this economic downturn. Budget cuts are difficult for everyone and there are tough decisions yet to be made by department directors and elected officials. Budget hearings with the Board of County Commissioners begin in mid-September, with the final 2021 budget adoption in December.
Visit the Department of Administrative Services budget website for more information.
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Kitsap County partnered with the Kitsap Public Facilities District, Evergreen Mountain Biking Alliance and local stakeholders to shape the future of the nearly 3,500-acre Port Gamble Forest Heritage Park. Through an upcoming master planning process, the public will have the opportunity to take part in efforts to protect this county treasure and identify other areas that will be developed for recreational use.
The long-awaited construction of a mountain bike ride park south of Port Gamble and a trailhead on Stottlemeyer Road will get underway soon, along with the design and permitting of the northern portions of the Sound-to-Olympics (STO) regional trail connecting the town Port Gamble to the ride park and points south. The STO is a 10-foot wide shared-use path that will ultimately connect Kingston to the Hood Canal Bridge.
The master plan and construction work should conclude by the end of 2021 with the design and permitting of the STO concluding mid-2022. The Kitsap Public Facilities District awarded a $415,170 grant for preliminary engineering. A federal Surface Transportation Program grant for nearly $2 million was recently awarded for construction of 3.4 miles of the path but $668,000 to $1.08 million will still be needed to complete all segments. The project is on the contingency list for another federal STP grant and future additional funding from the Public Facilities District.
To view management, land-use and site plans for the Port Gamble Forest Heritage Park, click here.
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 Kitsap Transit is continuing to press ahead on all fronts to launch Southworth fast-ferry service in 2020. There are many moving parts, summarized below.
Vessels: The shipyard under contract to build the bow-loading vessels experienced workforce and supply-chain disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, delivery of Kitsap Transit's new vessels is delayed. The first of the two bow-loaders, the M/V Enetai, is now expected to arrive sometime in September, while the delivery of the second vessel, M/V Commander, is yet to be determined. On August 21, the Enetai had its first fit test at the state ferry dock at Southworth. It worked perfectly!
West Seattle Bridge: The sudden closure of the West Seattle Bridge for at least two years due needed repairs has sparked discussions about increasing King County water taxi service to downtown Seattle. Kitsap Transit is assessing alternatives to the already congested passenger-only ferry terminal there.
In March, Kitsap Transit conducted a community-wide survey seeking input on several aspects of future fast-ferry and bus service to and from the Southworth ferry terminal. More than 1,200 people responded. View survey highlights here.
It is encouraging to see that some survey respondents plan to ride a Kitsap Transit bus to the Southworth ferry terminal, while many more expect to drive there. The terminal requires improvements to the passenger queuing area and the drop-off/pick-up lanes to accommodate future bus operations.
Kitsap Transit is working with Washington State Ferries on short-term upgrades to address vehicle and bus flow at the terminal, as well as applying for a federal grant for an additional ferry slip that will improve service reliability and allow for scheduling to better meet rider preferences.
Kitsap Transit looks forward to fast-ferry service getting underway when all the components necessary for a successful launch are in place.
Kitsap Counts in the 2020 U.S. Census
If you, your extended family or friends haven’t already responded to the 2020 U.S. Census, go to 2020census.gov to respond online or by mailing back the paper questionnaire you received. It can also be completed by phone at 844-468-2020. Households can respond in one of 13 languages.
Getting a complete and accurate census count is critically important. Census counters are now visiting households who have not yet responded to the census. These census takers have completed training on social distancing and safety protocols. Here is information on how to identify them.
Why is the census so important? The results are used to determine how much funding local communities receive for key public services such as emergency services, education, veteran support and transportation infrastructure - and how many seats each state gets in Congress. State and local officials also use census counts to draw boundaries for congressional, state legislative and school districts.
Kitsap’s response rate is 73.9 percent, which puts us in fifth place across the state. Washington state is currently third in the country with our census response rate of 70.8 percent, behind only Wisconsin and Minnesota. The many organizations in Kitsap County that joined together to form the Kitsap Complete Count Committee are actively working with hard-to-reach communities to improve that percentage before time runs out. Kitsap counts – be counted!
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