Why won’t you stay dead, Item 4a?

At the January 12, 2012 meeting (Agenda), the City Council discusses its Legislative Agenda for the coming year. Back in those days, the Council would devote a lengthy discussion to County, State and Federal legislation and go over each item individually. According to the Minutes

Councilmember Scott moved to delete 4a, consideration of Des Moines as a site for a future passenger-only ferry; Councilmember Pina, second. The motion passed, 5-1. Councilmember Burrage voted no.

2:23:14 City Manager Tony Piasecki
Your honor the next item I see that we probably ought to talk about removing is 4A. We talked about deleting that last year decided to leave it in there for just ‘what the heck’.

(laughter from Mayor Kaplan)

But I don’t see anywhere in the future short middle or distant that that is something that’s going to be coming to Puget Sound. The state is having enough trouble just keeping the current afloat, pun intended, and the county had created a ferry district and 1they got rid of it because they needed the property tax for other purposes. I just don’t know if you want to keep that in there as a policy.

Mayor Dave Kaplan
They sure did get our property tax extra property tax on that didn’t they?

Piasecki
Uh huh.

Kaplan
Is there a motion to delete item 4A?

Councilmember Carmen Scott
I so move.

Kaplan
Motion made by council member Scott, seconded by mayor Pro Tem Pina. All in favor raise your hand say aye.

Opposed?

Councilmember Jeanette Burrage
Aye.

Kaplan
Passes five to one.

(Crosstalk between Councilmember Melissa Musser and Mayor Pro Tem Matt Pina. Both voted in favour of the motion.)

Councilmember Melissa Musser
Why are we taking it out?

Mayor Pro Tem Matt Pina
Because there’s no hope in it happening.

Musser
Is there anything under Federal where we… all good this all the Federal, no yeah?

Piasecki
I saw nothing in Federal that I would recommend changing it.

Background

Why is Mayor Pro Tem Pina so sure? Here’s why. At the time, Councilmember Susan White was spearheading an effort to bring a POF to Des Moines. And in 2007-2008 the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) was doing the same, thorough analysis of POFs they did in 2020. The PSRC is uber-pro-growth and uber-pro-transportation. They approved funding on the Third Runway! They would loooooooooooooooooooooooove to recommend such a plan.

Unfortunately, the data says that, even with 40% ridership (which is what our consultant agrees is what we can reasonably expect), the annual operating cost would be $1,900,000 and the one-way fee for Des Moines to Seattle would need to be $51.10 just to break even. And that was in 2008!

 

 

 


1Actually, King County resurrected the very nice King County Water Taxi Service. But Des Moines ranked too low in their 2015 expansion study to qualify. Their recommendation was to find ways to get commuters to the Light Rail–hence their support for the Metro 635 Shuttle.

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