Last update: 05/09/2012

Campus update archive

Capitol Building dome and roof inspection postponed

The inspection of the exterior of the Capitol Building that involves workers rappelling off the top of the dome has been postponed. The project was scheduled to begin Nov. 2.

The purpose of the project is to determine where rainwater is infiltrating the building’s exterior causing leaks on the inside. The work will be rescheduled for later this month.

Campus cedar tree comes down Oct. 29

A dead, 70-foot tall Port Orford cedar tree near the Tivoli Fountain will be removed on Oct. 29.

The nearly 90-year-old tree has been in decline for two years, losing all remaining green branches this summer.

The tree was infected with Phytophthora, a root disease that affects Port Orford cedars throughout its native range of southwest Oregon and northwest California. The fungus is in the soil but affects select species, and is not impacting the nearby Norway maples or fir tree.

Alliance Property Service of Lakewood will remove the tree and grind the stump. Work is scheduled to begin around 9 a.m. and should be completed by mid-afternoon, but is weather dependent.

The tree trunk will be cut into the longest practical lengths, moved to a location for drying and retained by the state for future use, which is yet to be determined. Smaller debris will be made available to the local Kiwanis Club for donation to the needy for use as fire wood, or removed from the site by the contractor.

The Port Orford cedar, also known as Oregon cedar or Lawson cypress, is a valuable timber tree, especially in Japan. The wood is light, strong, fine-grained, aromatic and insect resistant.

The 2009 West Campus Landscape Master Plan calls for planting a Garry Oak tree, a Puget Sound native, as a replacement species for the cedar, with an understory planting of three Serviceberry trees. The Department of Enterprise Services, which maintains the Capitol Campus, will plant the four replacement trees as soon as possible following the cedar’s removal.

Food bank benefits from bumper crop of campus produce

The Thurston County Food Bank received more than 11,000 pounds of fresh produce from this year’s harvest of the east Capitol Campus planter beds, more than double the amount from last year. The Olympia Kiwanis Club grows the food for donation to the food bank.

Nearly 300 individuals donated time for the planting and harvesting. The volunteers include students from Lincoln, Pioneer and Madison elementary schools; Olympia High School Key Club; GRuB, a local food-growing volunteer organization; The Evergreen State College; and state employees working alongside Kiwanis and food bank staff.

In the coming weeks, the Kiwanis will begin planting garlic for harvest next year, and there are tentative plans to bring more beds into cultivation to further expand the harvest.

Newhouse sewer repairs underway, tree trimming scheduled

Sewer repair work at the Newhouse Building is underway. Construction crews are working more than13 feet below the surface to replace old broken clay pipes with new long-life connections.

Without this work, Newhouse occupants were at risk of a sewer blockage and backup inside the building.

While planning the sewer work, the project team determined that a nearby Douglas fir tree, on the west side of the Newhouse Building, was “topped” many years ago. Topping the tree stimulated rapid growth in the upper-most branches, contributing to the potential of it toppling in high winds. DES will use the services of an arborist to selectively prune the top of the fir and greatly reduce the safety hazard posed by this otherwise healthy tree.

Both the sewer repair and tree work are scheduled for completion in advance of the special legislative session on Nov. 28. All of the building’s restrooms will remain closed for the duration of the project.

Natural Resources Building south exterior walkway closed for repairs

To protect public safety, the walkway along the south side of the Natural Resources Building, beneath the colonnade, is closed indefinitely after a contractor hired to repair the roof discovered water damage on the exterior of the building, which could cause materials to fall below.

Employees and visitors to the building should use the main entrance to the rotunda on the southwest side of the building.

The contractor is working with staff at the Department of Enterprise Services (DES) to identify repair options. The length of closure is undetermined at this time. DES, which maintains the buildings and grounds of the Capitol Campus, will continue to provide regular updates during the repair.

The Natural Resources Building is located at 111 Washington St. SE in Olympia.

Six campus trees set for removal from Oct. 1

General Administration will remove six trees from the Capitol Campus on Oct. 1 because they pose a public safety risk.

Two sweet gum trees will be removed from the grounds next to the Old Capitol Building across the street from Sylvester Park in downtown Olympia. The trees, which are about 20 years old and 50 feet tall, lost large limbs during windstorms, opening wounds in the trunk that will cause their likely death.

GA wants to remove the trees before other limbs can fall on nearby streets and sidewalks. The Old Capitol Building is the headquarters for the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

J&L Tree Service of Aberdeen, the company hired to do the work, will also remove four big-leaf maples in Centennial Park, the small park on Union Avenue between Washington and Franklin streets in Olympia. These trees, which are about 50 to 60 feet tall, are dying and could fall on nearby power lines.

Removal of the six trees will begin around 8 a.m. and should be done by mid-afternoon.

The cost is about $2,700, which includes removal, chipping and stump grinding. Any large pieces of wood left after the work will be offered to the Kiwanis Club as firewood for distribution to the needy.

Experts try graffiti removal at campus monuments

Vandals damaged the POW-MIA memorial and Winged Victory and Medal of Honor monuments on Aug. 20 by applying multiple hues of paint.

GA grounds staff were able to clean off the green, white and blue paint without any perceptible residue left behind, but the red paint left some pink streaks on the memorial and monuments.

On Sept. 30, a conservator from Architectural Resources Group, Inc., a Portland-based company with expertise in the maintenance and repair of historic structures, will be on campus to use a specialized cleaning product and processes in an effort to remove all shadows of color. The work will take most of the day.

More information about the POW-MIA memorial and Winged Victory and Medal of Honor monuments is available at: http://www.ga.wa.gov/Visitor/memorialart.htm

GA becomes part of Department of Enterprise Services Oct. 1

Beginning Oct. 1, General Administration will become part of the new Washington Department of Enterprise Services.

All of GA’s current services will transfer to the new agency. The change is part of the consolidation of all or portions of five central-service agencies. All of the Department of Printing will also become part of the new agency.

Portions of the departments of Information Services, Personnel and the Office of Financial Management will be part of Enterprise Services as well.

Joyce Turner is the director for Enterprise Services.

Many of General Administration’s employees will also be located in the new agency’s headquarters at 1500 Jefferson Street, Olympia. However, several services – Fleet Operations, Surplus, Consolidated Mail Services, Visitor Services and Parking Services – will remain at their current locations.

A new DES Internet site will be available on Oct. 3. A link to it and other contact information will be provided then.

Thanks for working with GA all these 57 years …

Rates revised for use of Capitol Campus

Adjustments in the rate structure for use of the public areas of the state Capitol Campus are now in effect.

After a little more than a year of testing the rates under the campus use program, General Administration has revised them so that charges are more easily understood and applied.

The changes:

  • Eliminate base service charges for all events and activities.
  • Implement a single campus use charge for private and commercial activities.
  • Reduce some support charges.

In addition, charges for services in support of activities will better align with the actual service delivery costs that General Administration incurs. The charges vary depending on the activity and level of service needed. Some services typically required include turning off sprinklers for outside events, cleanup and trash removal and barricading streets for bus arrivals.

There will continue to be no permit charges for free-speech activities.

This change expands upon the General Administration campus use rate schedule that took effect in 2010 for events and activities held at the Capitol Campus.

General Administration maintains the campus and manages events there.

All of the requirements and guidelines are available at: http://www.ga.wa.gov/Visitor/schedule-event.htm

More information
Tony Aitken, Manager
Visitor Services
(360) 902-8885
tony.aitken@des.wa.gov

Visit the Capitol: http://www.ga.wa.gov/visitor/index.html

Campus event marks tenth anniversary of 9/11

A ceremony will be held on the Capitol Campus to honor firefighters and law enforcement officers killed and who have died as a result of their service on September 11, 2001.

The 10th Anniversary Remembrance Ceremony will be held on September 11, 2011, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., at the Washington State Law Enforcement Memorial. The memorial is located on the west Capitol Campus overlooking Capitol Lake in Olympia.

The event will include speakers, a multi-agency honor guard and a 21-gun salute.

Behind the Badge Foundation is sponsoring the event. The Foundation is a non-profit, volunteer organization that honors and supports Washington's fallen and critically injured officers, their families and agencies. It also maintains the Washington State Law Enforcement Memorial.

GA on the web: www.ga.wa.gov

Testing makes steam plumes visible on campus

Steam plumes, some rising up to 100 feet or more, may be seen above the Capitol Campus through August 29.

The steam will be coming from the Capitol Campus powerhouse, which is located along the eastern shore of Capitol Lake. The powerhouse burns natural gas to produce steam and chilled water for heating and cooling campus buildings.

The plumes will result from the powerhouse boilers being run at maximum capacity for short intervals while General Administration and contractors test and calibrate new digital controls. The excess steam produced during the testing must be vented through pipes in the building roof.

The digital controls will improve the efficiency of the three powerhouse boilers and better integrate with the computer system that controls heating, cooling and security access in campus buildings.

The calibration and testing will be done August 25 and 26 and again on August 29.

Procurement office moves to new location August 29

The Office of State Procurement, which manages statewide contracts, will move into the new 1500 Jefferson Street building on August 29 as part of General Administration’s overall transition to the new Department of Enterprise Services.

Effective August 29, State Procurement will have new phone numbers. You can find the master list of staff with their current and future phone numbers here.

Please note: The main customer service number will remain as (360) 902-7400 for the time being.

The mailing address for State Procurement will remain the same: PO Box 41017 Olympia, WA 98504-1017.

Be assured that staff will continue to check voicemail and email to respond to your needs as quickly as possible. The move will not affect services.

GA and several other central-service agencies are consolidating to form Enterprise Services, effective October 1, 2011. However, the purchasing authorities will not immediately change. A group lead by the Governor’s Office is reviewing the current procurement rules and regulations and will recommend any needed changes due to the consolidation.

Surplus warehouse changes hours

The state Surplus warehouse has changed its operating hours and will no longer be open on Mondays. The changes are noted below:

  • Public. The public warehouse store is open from 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. Lot sales are from 9 to 11 a.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays.
  • Previews. Online sales previews and pick-ups are from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday.
  • Priority. Hours for priority customers are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. Priority customers include state and public agencies, and tax-exempt nonprofit organizations.

The warehouse location is 7511 New Market St., Tumwater.

You can check out GA Surplus offerings on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

GA on the web: www.ga.wa.gov

Project cuts cooling to west campus buildings

The air conditioning will be turned off in all west Capitol Campus buildings on Aug. 20, 21 and 27, so General Administration can finish installing a new high-voltage power line at the campus powerhouse.

The work will also require shutting of the electricity to the Temple of Justice on Aug. 20-21 and the General Administration Building on Aug. 21.

All desktop computers, copiers, refrigerators and other appliances will be temporarily without power during the outage. The fire alarms and other critical building systems will remain operational.

Tenants of the Temple of Justice and General Administration Building should shut off all computers, copy machines and other equipment at the close of business on Aug. 19. This is a good opportunity to clean refrigerators in anticipation of the outage.

The new high-voltage electrical line to the powerhouse will serve as a back up to the existing line. It is being installed so GA can continue to operate the powerhouse if an accident knocks out the main line. The powerhouse produces steam and chilled water for heating and cooling nearly all campus buildings.

The air conditioning will be turned back on by about 6 p.m. on Aug. 21, but some buildings may be slightly warmer than normal at the start of the work day.

GA on the web: www.ga.wa.gov

Pavement striping closes campus streets August 4

A contractor hired by General Administration will be striping some west Capitol Campus streets beginning at 9 p.m. on August 4.

The following streets will be closed to traffic during the work:

  • North Diagonal.
  • South Diagonal.
  • Water Street between Sid Snyder and 15th avenues.
  • Sid Snyder Avenue between Water and Cherry streets.
  • A small section of the parking lot on the south side of the Legislative Building, near the O’Brien Building.

The work should take only a few hours and all west campus streets will be open by 6 a.m. on August 5.

Ivy removal will close Pleasant Lane August 9

A section of Pleasant Lane, the short street on the western edge of the Capitol Campus, will be closed from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on August 9 for ivy removal near the east side of the Governor’s Mansion. The work will not affect parking on the south side of the Legislative Building.

GA on the web: www.ga.wa.gov

Reminder: Events mark centennial of capitol’s design

Celebration activities note creative spirit of Wilder and White

Just a reminder that activities begin Aug. 3 and continue through Aug. 7 to mark the “Wilder & White Capitol Design Centennial.”

Walter Wilder and Harry White won a design competition that drew 32 entries from Washington and across the country. Their audacious and grand plan was for a Capitol Group that included the Legislative Building, Temple of Justice and other buildings clustered on the West Campus.

The Wilder & White centennial celebration will include:

  • Aug. 3. Official centennial program at 5:30 p.m., on the plaza behind the Temple of Justice near the Law Enforcement Memorial, overlooking the lake and Olympia waterfront. Invited speakers are Secretary of State Sam Reed, UW Architecture Professor Emeritus Norm Johnston (author of “Washington’s Audacious State Capitol and Its Builders”), former Secretary of State Ralph Munro, and Senator Karen Fraser. Program is open to all and free. Event will be followed by a fund-raising barbeque and silent auction at the Temple of Justice, benefitting the Capitol Furnishings Preservation Committee.
  • Aug. 5. Live music at the Port of Olympia, beginning at 7 p.m. Free. State Capital Museum’s outdoor film series at the Lord Mansion starts with “Night at the Opera” by Marx Brothers. $2 suggested admission. Bring a blanket. Sponsored by the Olympia Downtown Association.
  • Aug. 6. Family Activity Afternoon from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the State Capital Museum, 211 SW 21st Ave. Includes a stone-carving demonstration, games and hands-on activities, dress-up and photos in period costumes. Free with museum admission.
  • Aug. 7. A Capitol Campus Celebration from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., culminating in a special performance by the Olympia Symphony Orchestra at 5 p.m. on the main Capitol lawn. Free. Activities include vintage autos, displays, music, special tours of the Capitol and the grounds, open house at the Temple of Justice hosted by Justice Gerry Alexander, and children’s games. Bring a picnic basket and a blanket.
  • Ongoing activities include the State Capital Museum’s Summer Lecture Series featuring State Capital topics at noon on Aug. 1. Suggested donation $2. For more information, visit http://washingtonhistory.org/scmoc/event-programs.aspx

The Hands-On Children’s Museum adjacent to the main campus will have activities throughout the week, and their Free First Friday on Aug. 5 will include paper bridge-making and a talk about architecture. They will have kids’ activities at the centennial celebration, including hat- and bonnet-making.

The “four corners” offices in the Capitol will host special displays featuring State Capitol themes. The Governor’s Office will tell the story of Olympia as the Capital City. The Secretary of State will host a slide-show of archival photos of the construction of the Wilder and White-designed buildings. The Lieutenant Governor will have a display on the Capitol’s historic furnishings and the Treasurer will display some of the designs not chosen in the 1911 competition.

Check out all the history and other details at: www.wilderandwhite.com

No hot water in Campus buildings on July 9

There will be no domestic hot water available in most Capitol Campus buildings on July 9 because a contractor hired by General Administration will be installing some new equipment at the powerhouse.

The hot water outage will not affect the Natural Resources and Transportation buildings.

The powerhouse supplies steam and chilled water to campus buildings, which is used for heating, cooling and domestic hot water.

A more limited steam outage is scheduled for July 16.

GA on the Web: www.ga.wa.gov

City work affects campus parking, traffic flow on July 7

The City of Olympia on July 7 will apply pavement sealant to Columbia Street between 4th and 11th avenues. This work will disrupt parking and circulation in the area of the GA Building and the GA and Columbia Street garages.

Tenants in the GA Building and the 1063 Capitol Way Building will be affected by the street closure. The project impacts include:

  • Access to and from Columbia Street at both garages and the GA north parking lot will be closed.
  • The mid-level of the GA Garage will be inaccessible and parking customers will need to find an alternative location. (The Mansion parking lot is available.)
  • Diagonal parking on the west side of the GA Building will be closed because the area will be converted to two-way traffic for the north GA parking lot. Assigned parking in the north GA parking lot will not be changed. ADA employees who park on the west side of the GA Building can park in visitor ADA stalls on the north side of the lot for the day.
  • The Columbia Street Garage will be open, but there will be no access from Columbia Street. The only garage exits will be on 10th Avenue or through the alley behind Wagner’s Bakery.
  • Patrons of the Hands-On Children’s Museum who normally park on the west side of the GA Building will have to park elsewhere. Visitor parking is available along the North Diagonal.

The closure of Columbia Street is expected to last for only a few hours.

REMINDER: Campus parking fees increase July 1

Changes do not apply to employees who park in zone or reserved stalls

Beginning July 1, 2011, General Administration will raise parking fees on the Capitol Campus for visitors, persons who work on campus but are not state employees, director permits, agency fleet vehicles and agency annual parking passes.

The fee increase does not apply to state employees who park in zone or reserved stalls on the campus. General Administration manages about 6,000 parking stalls on the Capitol Campus. Some parking is reserved for visitors, but most is used by state employees.

The fee increase is necessary to help the General Administration parking program cover its costs for administration, enforcement, garage maintenance and debt service. The department adopted new rates for zoned and metered parking in January 2008 and is now adjusting rates for other parking services.

The fee increase will be as follows:

 

Current parking fee New fee starting July 1, 2011
Visitor (meters) – 50 cents per hour $1.50 per hour
Agency fleet vehicles – $50 per month $75 per month
Non-state personnel – $50 per month $75 per month
Agency annual passes – $120 per year $200 per year
Directors Permit – $120 per year $200 per year

Walkway work will be noisy

A construction crew will begin work June 29 to remove and replace the pedestrian walkway that connects Pleasant Lane to the mansion parking lot. This new walkway was found to be substandard and is being replaced under warranty. The work is scheduled for completion by July 8.

During reconstruction, vehicle traffic will not be blocked. Pedestrians will be asked to use the southern crosswalk. The work is expected to be noisy at times.