King County Councilwoman Julia Patterson updated Des Moines City Council members on Sept. 13 about the proposed transportation funding issue on the Nov. 6 general election ballot.

"The roads and transit plan calls for the most comprehensive transportation investment in the central Puget Sound region in over 50 years," Patterson said.

The $18 billion, 20-year plan calls for 50 miles of new light rail, additional carpool lanes, repairs on bridges that are vulnerable to earthquakes and building new bridges, interchanges and bike lanes.

Sound Transit and the Regional Transportation Investment District, comprised of King, Pierce and Snohomish counties, developed the funding package.

Patterson, who also serves on the Sound Transit board of directors, pointed out that nothing this comprehensive has been done since the construction of Interstate 5.

"It targets the roads and transit investments in the most congested corridors in our region," she said.

"There's been over two years of public involvement and feedback on projects that are in this plan and there is over five years of work with state and local officials."

If postponed for just one year, the cost of the construction package will increase by half a billion dollars, she cautioned.

Des Moines lawmakers did not act to endorse the funding package last week.

In other business, a public hearing was held on proposed changes to the city building code that would allow alternative design methods for five-story wood-frame buildings.

The code changes would apply only to new construction in the Pacific Ridge area, Mayor Bob Sheckler emphasized.

However, wording in the background section of the proposal indicates changes also would apply to construction in downtown Des Moines.

Councilman Dave Kaplan pointed out that since the current building code does not allow five-story buildings downtown, 0no construction there would be subject to the proposed change.

Council members Dan Sherman and Carmen Scott said the wording should be revised to reflect that the changes would apply only to Pacific Ridge.

The council decided to discuss the ordinance again on Sept. 27.

Lawmakers did pass an ordinance to reduce the "private recreation area" in multi-family housing units at Pacific Ridge.

That means the deck size per dwelling unit would be reduced from 60 to 40 square feet.