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April 7, 2010
SAMMAMISH REVIEW
Wetlands are not for dogs By J.B. Wogan
In late March, the city’s Parks Department erected wood fencing, about six feet tall, to protect some of Beaver Lake Park’s wetlands. Parks Director Jessi Richardson said dog owners were letting their dogs run off leash into the wetlands and park users had been calling to complain about it. “That’s not exactly the best thing for the wetland,” she said, adding that it was unfortunate that the city had to put up a fence in the middle of a park. The cost of installing the fencing was $140 and the cost of the signs was $90. Richardson said she hoped the fencing and new signage would be an effective deterrent against dogs and their owners. Reporter J.B. Wogan can be reached at 392-6434, ext. 247, or jbwogan@isspress.com. To comment on this story, visit www.SammamishReview.com.
Photo by J.B. Wogan
The hybrids are expected to reduce gas costs to the city.
City’s hybrids are working well By J.B. Wogan
Photo by J.B. Wogan
Carol Chamberlin (not pictured) walks by the new wetland fencing at Beaver Lake Park. Chamberlin has two golden retrievers, Molly, 2, and Maddie, 11.
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The city’s first set of gaselectric vehicles are now in Sammamish. So far, they appear to be functioning well and getting high gas mileage, according to Deputy City Manager Pete Butkus. The hybrids are supposed to get 34 miles per gallon in the city and 31 miles per gallon on the highway. Butkus said the hybrids
Sammamish owns are stripped-down government models, so they don’t have the fancy screen that diagrams the vehicle’s energy sources at a given moment. Butkus pointed to a gauge in one of the vehicles, which said that this particular hybrid was averaging about 35.1 miles per gallon. Another vehicle’s gauge showed 30.6 miles per gallon. Butkus said employees received training before taking the vehicles on the road and learned how to tailor driving techniques to maximize fuel efficiency. The Sammamish City Council approved the purchase of five Ford Escape Hybrids for $155,893 in October 2009. Federal stimulus funding, stemming from the Energy Efficiency Block Grant, accounted for $60,000 of the overall purchase. The purchase came after a consultant reviewed the city fleet and said five vehicles had toohigh maintenance costs, according to Butkus. Four of those vehicles dated back to 1999, and one was from 2002. Butkus said the city had to replace them, regardless of whether the federal stimulus funding was available. He added that the city was likely to continue purchasing hybrid vehicles, as well as some small electric vehicles, in the future. When and how many would depend on the city’s fleet replacement schedule, he said. Reporter J.B. Wogan can be reached at 392-6434, ext. 247, or jbwogan@isspress.com. To comment on this story, visit www.SammamishReview.com.