City Hall  
601 4th Avenue E  
Olympia, WA 98501  
Meeting Minutes - Final  
Contact: Gary Franks  
360.753.8164  
Utility Advisory Committee  
Thursday, March 5, 2026  
5:30 PM  
City Hall, Room 207  
1.A.  
1.B.  
CALL TO ORDER  
ROLL CALL  
8 - Committee member Kristin Lamson, Chair Melissa Kover, Committee  
member Dennis Bloom, Committee member Dani Clark, Vice Chair  
Ben Gossett, Committee member Scott Hancock, Committee  
Present:  
member Donald Krug and Committee member Kathryn Walton-Elliott  
1.C.  
STAFF PRESENT  
Water Resources Director/UAC Staff Liaison Gary Franks  
Water Resources Engineering and Planning Supervisor Susan Clark  
Environmental Habitat Planner Kym Foley  
Administrative Specialist Lindsay Walker  
Thurston County Regional Planning Council Senior Planner Paul Brewster  
2.  
3.  
APPROVAL OF AGENDA  
The agenda was approved.  
APPROVAL OF MINUTES  
26-0161  
Approval of February 5, 2026 UAC Meeting Minutes  
The minutes were approved as amended. The titles for Melissa Kover and  
Ben Gossett need to be updated to Chair and Vice Chair rather than  
committee members. Staff will make this change.  
4.  
5.  
PUBLIC COMMENT - No public comment  
ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM UAC AND STAFF  
Chair Kover participated in interviews of two potential UAC members at the March 4th  
meeting of the Community Livability and and Public Safety (CLPS) committee. CLPS  
will appoint a new UAC member by April.  
UAC Member Lamson mentioned walking tours on Saturday March 7th hosted by the  
State of Washington Department of Ecology. The tours are about the future of the  
Capital Lake area as it becomes an estuary.  
UAC Staff Liaison Franks provided further clarification about the use of the tribal  
acknowledgment for City meetings. The UAC agreed to follow the tribes guidance and  
only use the acknowledgement for special occasions/meetings with the tribe.  
6.  
BUSINESS ITEMS  
26-0162  
Regional Stormwater Roadway Retrofit Study  
Kym Foley introduced Paul Brewster with the Thurston County Regional Planning  
Council. The UAC and staff held a discussion and asked some clarifying questions.  
The UAC thanked staff for the briefing.  
Information only; no action required.  
26-0163  
Finalize 2026-2027 UAC Work Plan  
Committee member Walton-Elliott asked about her suggestion from the February  
UAC meeting regarding the City State of the Utilities. This business item is regarding  
state of deferred capital projects. Staff explained they planned to include this topic  
under the Consultant Financial Rate Study business items. UAC members expressed  
interest in adding this as a business item on the work plan before the Capital Facilities  
Plan (CFP) item in the fall. They would like to understand the implications of deferred  
CFP projects. Staff agreed and will discuss timing/when to add this item to the  
timeline of the UAC work plan. They will be sure to include it before the September  
2026 CFP business item.  
Committee member Lamson moved, seconded by Committee member Clark  
approved the 2026-2027 UAC Work Plan as amended and to forward it to  
CLPS.  
7.  
ADJOURNMENT  
Chair Kover adjourned the meeting at 7:27 p.m.