News Briefs for Dec. 5, 2019

Camas secures $3.3 million for roundabout construction

The city of Camas has received a $3.3 million grant from the Washington State Transportation Improvement Board (TIB) for the construction of a roundabout at the intersection of Northeast Lake Road and Northeast Everett Street (state Route 500). The grant allows the city to substitute funding that would have otherwise come entirely from low-interest loans.

“We are extremely grateful to the Transportation Improvement Board for recognizing the importance of the Lake-Everett intersection to all who live, work and play in Camas and the surrounding areas,” said Camas project manager Jim Hodges.

The TIB grant was obtained through the Urban Arterial Program and will fulfill a significant portion of the project’s approximate $7 million to $8 million total cost estimate. The remainder of construction will be funded by low-interest loans from the Washington State Public Works Board (PWB) that were awarded to the City in 2018 and 2019.

“The city of Camas is fortunate to have several agencies at the state level that want to see Washington communities succeed,” said Hodges. “They are always easy to work with and their partnership makes a difference in everything we do.”

TIB grant awards were announced on November 22. Camas is one of five street and sidewalk improvement grant recipients in Clark County and 138 statewide totaling more than $100 million. This is the second TIB grant awarded to Camas in three years. The city previously received a $2.2 million grant for the Northwest Larkspur Road project completed in July.

The Lake-Everett project is part of a larger, long-range city transportation system plan for the SR-500 corridor. As part of the 2012 Transportation Planning process, the city prioritized Lake-Everett improvements to alleviate increased traffic caused by community and regional growth and to improve safety and mobility for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians.

Construction on the Lake-Everett traffic roundabout is anticipated to begin in spring 2020.

Republican women’s group honors Camas councilwoman

At its final meeting of the year, Clark County Republican Women (CCRW) elected new officers for 2020 and honored several women with awards, including newly elected Camas City Councilwoman Shannon Roberts, who received the group’s “Campaign Champion” award.

Former state representative Liz Pike, also of Camas, was elected president of the CCRW group.

“I’m honored to lead Clark County Republican Women,” Pike said. “2020 will be a critical year for our organization as we gear up to re-elect President Trump. CCRW will also host a Campaign School in the spring to help local candidates win at the ballot box. As we fulfill our mission to promote Republican women to elective office, we will continue to be a unifying force for all Republicans in 2020.”

CCRW celebrated its 70th anniversary in 2019 and is currently one of the largest Republican Women’s organizations in Washington state. Republican men are also encouraged to join as association members. For more information, visit ClarkCount yRepublicanWomen.org.