Regional Coordination   at work
  Puget Sound Regional Council Executive Board                 psrc.org
 
              April 27, 2006

The Executive Board adopted findings and actions related to the Puget Sound Regional Council's resolution to add the third runway at Sea-Tac Airport to the region's long-range transportation plan.

Adopted in 1996, Resolution A-96-02 outlined 31 action items to help mitigate the effects of the third runway. After ten years of progress on this issue, PSRC has found that 21 of the action items are complete and the remaining ten are ongoing and being well addressed by implementing agencies. Thus the Puget Sound Regional Council will be discontinuing its Annual Air Transportation Progress Workshop. PSRC staff will continue to work with the Port of Seattle, the Washington State Department of Transportation Aviation and Rail Divisions, as well as Highline School District to monitor progress on the remaining ten items. The Executive Board will be briefed annually on progress.

For more information, please contact Stephen Kiehl at 206-464-6715 or skiehl@psrc.org.

The Executive Board approved updates to the 2006 Policy Framework for PSRC's funding.

Updates to the framework reflect new federal direction and information from the Regional Project Evaluation Committee and the Transportation Operators Committee. The updates would:

  • Determine PSRC's annual level of funding
  • Increase the number of application submittals to the regional competition
  • Update funding estimates
  • Reflect changes to Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality funding eligibility due to the region's recently achieved attainment status for ozone.

    For more information, contact Karen Richter at 206-464-6343 or krichter@psrc.org.

    The Executive Board reviewed the results of the triennial compensation and benefits study and adopted the recommendations within.

    The study was conducted by HR Novations and looked at the salaries for about 80 percent of PSRC's positions and compared them to 20 comparable organizations and surveys. The base salary survey results showed that PSRC compensation is within 15 percent of survey averages and is externally competitive. The Board did add two new bands to the pay-band program in order to create a more definitive career path for the accounting, planner, GIS and administrative assistant positions. This action has no budget effect. The Board also adjusted vacation accrual for the most senior positions, with a budget impact of $17,800. The entire study results are available from the Information Center at 206-464-7532, infoctr@psrc.org.

    For more information, please contact Mark Gulbranson at 206-464-7524 or mgulbranson@psrc.org.

    In other business, the Executive Board:

  • Approved a routine amendment to the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) updating information for projects in Auburn, Bellevue, Burien, Federal Way, Kent, Tukwila and Snohomish County.
  • Certified comprehensive plan updates for Mill Creek and University Place.
  • Authorized the change in project status from candidate to approved for two Destination 2030 projects: Redmond's Bear Creek Trail and Sound Transit's South Everett Freeway Station.