The Executive Board of the King County Flood Control District gave unanimous approval on Monday to the district’s proposed 2015 budget of $55.6 million to pay for work underway along the Green River, Cedar River, White River and the Snoqualmie River basins.
The district is funded by a property tax of 13 cents per $1,000 assessed valuation.
Last year, the district began a comprehensive look at each river corridor. This year the budget continues that commitment by allocating money to implement these corridor plans.
“This is a budget that prioritizes and funds the district’s ambitious work program for the coming year,” said Flood District Chair Reagan Dunn. “We are committed to protecting King County residents, businesses and infrastructure from flooding events and this budget continues to reflect that commitment.”
The projects include the gravel removal in the Cedar River, which is being led by the city of Renton. This $5.3 million project will remove approximately 125,000 cubic yards of accumulated sediment from the river channel in 2015.
By doing this important work sites like the Boeing 737 production facility at the Renton Municipal Airport will be protected from flooding events.
The city of Kent and the Green River Valley is also benefitting from this budget as ongoing projects in and around the city will continue. Projects such as the Briscoe-Desimone levee improvements and the Russell Road upper levee improvements – which will reconstruct the existing system of levee and revetments along the right (east) bank of the Green River between South 212th Street and South 231st Way.
The levee work will provide long-term flood protection and improve riparian and aquatic habitat. It will safeguard countless businesses, homes and infrastructure in the Green River Valley a vitally important economic hub within King County and the region.
“As flooding becomes a rising threat in our region, implementing an efficient budget is critical to protecting our communities,” said Supervisor Pete von Reichbauer. “I will be monitoring the projects that will be completed through this budget to prepare King County in the event of a flood.”
Along with approving the budget, the Executive Committee also sent to the full Board of Supervisors the 2015, work program, six-year capital improvement program, oversight budget, water resource inventory area funding, flood reduction fund grant funding, and sub-regional opportunity fund project list.
The full King County Flood Control District’s Board of Supervisors is scheduled to act on the Budget at its Nov. 3 meeting.
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