State, feds agree on Capitol earthquake repairs

Associated Press

OLYMPIA — As Gov. Gary Locke and lawmakers prepare to move out of the quake-damaged Capitol, state and federal officials on Friday agreed to joint financing of $5.1 million in repairs.

The regional Federal Emergency Management Agency, headed by former legislative leader John Pennington, and Locke’s general administration director, Rob Fukai, said the federal government will provide 75 percent of the money and the state quake-relief fund the rest.

State officials characterized the $5.1 million as the first installment on work they estimate will cost $10 million. FEMA initially said the repairs should cost only $3.7 million. The state also wants the federal government to pay about $5 million for repairs on other state buildings in Olympia.

Steve Valandra, spokesman for the state Department of General Administration, said the state hopes to have a final decision by next month on the facets of the project that are still under review.

The 6.8-magnitude Nisqually Quake damaged the 75-year-old Capitol on Feb. 28, 2001. The 30 million-pound dome twisted in place and some supporting columns were damaged. Inside the heavily used building, ceilings, walls and columns were damaged.

The governor and Legislature were evicted last winter so emergency repairs could be made, and the state and federal governments have been negotiating ever since on how much Uncle Sam will pay.

Complicating the decision: The state already was planning a major $100 million renovation of the building.

"In addition to sorting out the pre-existing damage caused by the ‘49 and ‘65 earthquakes, the FEMA-state partnership had to sort out renovation projects that had already been scheduled," Pennington said.

FEMA also refused the Locke administration’s initial efforts to require all union labor on the project, saying the restriction violates federal law. The state backed down.

The main Capitol work is to upgrade the building’s electrical and telecommunications wiring, plumbing and heating.

The combined project — quake repairs and the rehab — begins June 1 and is expected to take 30 months.

Locke’s office already has begun packing some records and will move into the adjacent Insurance Building in mid-May, spokesman Pearse Edwards said. The state insurance commissioner has moved out, leaving Locke the entire second floor of the building. The governor’s budget and policy advisers already are housed in the building.

Secretary of State Sam Reed, Treasurer Michael Murphy and Auditor Brian Sonntag already have moved out of the Capitol.

The Legislature adjourned last week and won’t be able to convene in its normal chambers until 2005. The Senate is taking over the state library about a block away from the Capitol. Two modular buildings are being set up in the library parking lot for the House chamber and offices.

Despite an uproar by senators who don’t want to share relatively cramped private dining space with the House, that’s exactly what will happen. Brad Hendrickson, deputy secretary of the Senate, said the protest won’t cause a change of plans for a joint cafeteria-style dining room in the new Senate building.