CITY OF SHORELINE
SHORELINE CITY COUNCIL
Monday, August 7, 2017 Council Chambers - Shoreline City Hall
7:00 p.m. 17500 Midvale Avenue North
PRESENT: Mayor Roberts, Deputy Mayor Winstead,
Councilmembers McGlashan, Scully, Hall, McConnell, and Salomon
ABSENT: None
1. CALL TO ORDER
At 7:00 p.m., the meeting was called to order by Mayor Roberts who presided.
2. FLAG SALUTE/ROLL CALL
Mayor Roberts led the flag salute. Upon roll call by the City Clerk, all Councilmembers were present.
(a) Proclamation of Celebrate Shoreline
Mayor Roberts read a proclamation declaring August 10 - 26, 2017 as Celebrate Shoreline, and presented the proclamation to the citizens of Shoreline commemorating the City’s incorporation in 1995. The City Council accepted the proclamation on behalf of Shoreline residents.
3. REPORT OF CITY MANAGER
Debbie Tarry, City Manager, provided reports and updates on various City meetings, projects and events.
Jill Marilley, American Public Works Association President, presented the City Council with an Accreditation Plaque for the Public Works Department. She said the Accreditation demonstrates excellence, adherence to best practices, cost efficiencies, and good risk management practices. She noted that Shoreline was in full compliance, and is the 108th city across the nation and the 8th city in Washington State to achieve the Accreditation.
Mayor Roberts applauded the Public Works Department on the Accreditation and thanked all City Staff involved in making it happen.
4. COUNCIL REPORTS
Councilmember McGlashan reported that he and Councilmember McConnell attended the SeaShore Transportation Forum Meeting, and shared that the Washington State Transportation Commission presented on the Road Usage Charge Assessment Program. He said they are looking for participants to join the pilot program.
5. PUBLIC COMMENT
Janet Way, Shoreline Preservation Society, shared she recently found out about plans for a new utility yard at Hamlin Park that requires the elimination of four acres of urban forest. She said it is a bad idea. She anticipates the Station Subarea rezone is going to negatively impact the Ridgecrest Neighborhood, and said now the removal of trees is too much. She requested that an environmental impact study and public process be conducted.
Lance Young, Interurban Trail Tree Preservation Society, talked about street tree management, and said preserving trees and planting new ones are the best ways to remove carbon from the air. He provided examples of how trees can be used to nurture a clean and safe environment, and made recommendations to the City’s tree code.
Pam Cross, Shoreline resident, asked why trees located on Shoreline School District property are dead or dying, and why the District is not being held to the landscaping agreement. She submitted photographs of the trees and her comments for the record.
Bill Franklin, Shoreline resident, commented that Darnell Park is a small pocket park that needs attention and said it may have been forgotten. He noted its proximity to the methadone clinic on Aurora and said individuals from the clinic use the park. He stressed the importance of maintaining and keeping the park safe.
Ellen Sullivan, North City Business District, announced the 11th Annual North City Jazz Walk will take place on August 15, 2017, and extended an invitation to the Councilmembers to attend.
6. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA
The agenda was approved by unanimous consent.
7. CONSENT CALENDAR
Upon motion by Deputy Mayor Winstead and seconded by Councilmember McConnell and unanimously carried, 7-0, the following Consent Calendar items were approved:
(a) Approving Minutes of Regular Meeting of June 19, 2017
8. ACTION ITEMS
(a) Public Hearing and Discussing Ordinance No. 787 Amending the City's Commute
Trip Reduction Plan
Kendra Dedinsky, Traffic Engineer, explained State law requires local governments experiencing the greatest automobile related air pollution and traffic congestion to develop a Commute Trip Reduction (CTR) Plan and update it at least once every four years. She reviewed the CTR Efficiency Act’s major goals are to improve transportation system efficiency, conserve energy, and improve air quality. She said City staff worked with King County on the 2015-2019 CTR Implementation Plan Update and it includes extending the Plan until 2019, and updating its goals to include the following: Greenhouse Gas emissions of 16.8 pounds of CO2 per employee per day; Non Drive Alone Trips of 40%; and Vehicle Miles Traveled at 8.5. She said the Bicycle System Implementation Plan, the 145th Street Multimodal Corridor Study, and collaborating on the development and implementation of Sound Transit’s, King County Metro’s, and Community Transit’s Long Range Plans all support the CTR. She said the Ordinance is scheduled for adoption on September 11, 2017.
Mayor Roberts opened the Public Hearing, and seeing there was not anyone wanting to comment he closed the Hearing.
Councilmember Hall reminded the Council of the City’s Climate Action Plan adopted to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. He said he is fine with the Plan as presented but would like for it to be more aggressive with each update.
9. STUDY ITEMS
(a) Discussing the 2017 Surface Water Master Plan
Uki Dele, Surface Water Manager, introduced Nathan Foged, Brown and Caldwell Consultant, and John Ghiladucci, FCS Group Utility Rate and Fee Consultant. She recalled the Council discussed components of the Draft Surface Water Master Plan on July 17, 2017, and reviewed the goals for this evening’s presentation.
Mr. Foged reviewed the project timeline; minimum, proactive, and optimum management strategy approaches; and projects and program breakdowns by category and timing needs. Mr. Ghiladucci reviewed the revenue analysis components that determine the amount of revenue needed to fund the selected management strategy. He said it includes consideration of operating costs, capital costs, and financial policies and targets. He reviewed key assumptions built into fees, and displayed a table showing 2017 to 2023 study rates for each management strategy and how Shoreline rates would compare to other jurisdictions.
Ms. Dele stated that staff is recommending the proactive management strategy for the next six years. She said it addresses the highest priority projects captured in Level of Service 1. She then reviewed the next steps in the process.
Councilmember McGlashan said he agrees with staff’s recommendation, and although he would like to get to the optimum management strategy approach, the proactive approach includes a lot of good projects without a huge increase to ratepayers.
Councilmember Hall expressed concern about the size of the rate increase. He said it is pushing the rate above the median rate in the region.
Mayor Roberts asked about the commercial rate increase. Mr. Foged responded the rate will increase proportionally with the single family residential rates.
Councilmember Scully said he is not concerned about the higher rates because there is a lot of catching up required from the mess the City inherited from the County. He said he is inclined to support the proactive management strategy.
Mayor Roberts said he is supportive of the proactive management strategy and once the major projects are addressed, the rate can be reviewed again, and adjusted accordingly if needed.
Ms. Dele said Council’s feedback will be used to develop the final rates which will be incorporated into the budget process, and the adoption of the Master Plan prior to end of the year.
(b) Discussing the Shoreline Municipal Code as it Relates to Right-of-Way Tree Policies and Regulations
Eric Friedli, Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Services (PRCS) Director, explained the PRCS Director manages City-owned trees and they are governed by Shoreline Municipal Code 12.30 Public Tree Management and 12.30.040 Right-of-way Street Trees. He said in 2016 a staff member was dedicated to the tree maintenance program and funding was increased to support general tree and natural area maintenance. He stated that staff also responds to requests for trees that are blocking signs and intersections, and that some street tree maintenance is contracted for approximately $30,000 annually. He said the Division spends $70,000 annually on the removal of hazardous trees, and approximately 35 trees are removed a year. He displayed a chart showing the workflow for tree maintenance. He shared that the impact on city infrastructure and damage to sidewalks are the biggest challenges with right-of-way trees, and said the focus now is on planting the right tree in the right location. He displayed pictures of sidewalk adjustments made to preserve trees. He then reviewed the tree management mechanism for property owners, talked about opportunities to plant more trees in the right-of-way, and presented the right-of-way tree list approved by the PRCS/Tree Board.
Councilmember Salomon expressed concern about taking down existing trees and talked about the effects of the tree removal on 155th Street and Meridian. He said it is not just the number of trees being removed that is important, but also the quality of the trees, the environmental impact, and the aesthetics. He said people in Shoreline love great big trees and he is concerned about the direction the City has chosen in this regard and hopes Council shares his concern. He said he understands there is a need to find ways to make sidewalks safe for pedestrians, but the default solution should not be to cut trees down. Mr. Friedli responded that he is not aware of any plans calling for extensive tree removal. He said careful deliberation is made between maintaining the integrity of city infrastructure and tree removal before a tree is removed. He shared that staff understands they need to minimize tree removals.
Deputy Mayor Winstead shared that she lives near Meridian and knows that the removal of trees is an issue. She said there is a battle with keeping infrastructure safe and preserving trees, and that there is a thoughtful process that goes in to it. She stressed safety is key when considering the removal of a tree.
Councilmember Hall agreed with Councilmember Salomon that trees should only be cut if they have to and not because they are not on the approved tree list. He encouraged staff to plant more spindly trees and to look for acceptable native trees to add to the tree list approved by the PRCS/Tree Board. Councilmember Scully agreed and said where possible the trees should be saved. He said he would like to expand the tree list to include native trees and noted that Lake Forest Park's list is a good place to start. He said he wants to revisit the list. Mr. Friedli noted that the Lake Forest Park list is not a street tree list, and said he will take Council’s recommendation back to the PRCS/Tree Board to add native trees to the list.
Councilmember McConnell said trees are important to the Community but admitted having the wrong tree in a particular place can be hazardous. She said just because a tree is on the list does not mean it is appropriate to be planted in a particular place. She commended staff for putting the right tree in the right location.
Councilmember Salomon said he understands the need for safety, but he is not sure he buys into the concept of putting the right tree in the right place because it implies by default the wrong tree was planted. He asked about the standards staff are using to determine whether a tree needs to be cut. He shared that he prefers a grinder be used to patch sidewalks, and that everything reasonable be done before deciding to cut a tree. Mr. Friedli explained the evaluation process, and said it is done on a case by case basis.
Mayor Roberts asked what the City’s tree replacement process is and how long the special use permit requires a tree to be maintained. Mr. Friedli responded it is generally a one to one replacement process and that trees entered into the City’s asset management system are monitored for three years. Mayor Roberts agreed that native trees should be added to the street tree list, and recommended that they be drought tolerant.
(c) Discussing Ordinance No. 794 Amending the 2017 Final Budget, Including General Fund and the 2017 Budgeted Positions and FTE List of the 2017 Final Budget
Rachael Markle, Planning & Community Development Director; Tricia Juhnke, City Engineer; John Norris, Assistant City Manager; and Rick Kirkwood, Budget Supervisor, provided the staff report. Ms. Markle explained that staff is requesting four new positons, an Administrative Assistant II; Senior Planner; Plans Examiner, and Development Review Engineer. She said the positions would be fully supported by permit revenue and are needed to meet increased 2017 Development demands for the Sound Transit Lynnwood Link Project, Shoreline School District Projects, the North City Post Office Site Redevelopment, Shoreline Community College Dormitory, and to maintain current workloads. She reviewed the anticipated permit revenue and projects that will support the positions.
Councilmember Salomon suggested using the financial sustainability tool to determine if budget changes will increase the City’s future deficit, to confirm taxpayer dollars will not be used to fund these positions, and that the 10 Year Financial Sustainability Forecast Model will not be negatively impacted. He asked if anticipated permit revenue can fund permanent positions. Mr. Kirkwood responded that the anticipated fee revenue will cover the cost of the positions and the additional permit review component. Ms. Markle responded that permit revenue is anticipated through 2021, but has not been forecasted for six years. Mr. Kirkwood said staff anticipates economic activity to continue in Shoreline and that staffing levels are reviewed each year. Councilmember Salomon requested that staff notify Council when permit revenue no longer support staffing levels.
Councilmember Hall clarified that there are term limited positions and full-time employee positions, but there is no such thing as a permanent positon. He pointed out that Council authorizes every FTE annually during the budget process and has the authority to reduce that at any time. He recalled the recession of 2008 and encouraged staff to monitor and get ahead of development cycles so staffing decisions can be addressed sooner next time. He pointed out the importance of maintaining permit timelines.
Councilmember Scully agreed that the positions should be added and said the City should always maintain lean and efficient levels of staffing to support the workload. He asked if the School District is paying above the double permit fee to get an eight week turnaround. Ms. Markle responded that the cost of an eight week turnaround will be negotiated. Councilmember Scully said he supports the eight week permit turnaround if the School District pays for it.
Councilmember McConnell said the School District’s project is a win-win. She said they are a huge entity in the Community and deserving of additional consideration, and noted that they have a demanding timeline. She said staff reacted the best they could during the economic downturn.
Councilmember McGlashan asked how long it takes to process a new construction permit, and requested data on remodeling permits. He said he is supportive of staff’s recommendation and if the School District expects a special expedited process they should expect to pay for it.
Mayor Roberts said staff’s proposal is reasonable to improve the permit processing. He asked for clarification on the term “expedited” and whether it includes a time guarantee. Ms. Markle responded that expedited means the permit is moved to the front of the line without pushing other projects out of the way, and there is no time guarantee. Mayor Roberts said the permit process should not guarantee completion in a certain time frame. Councilmember McGlashan said it sounds like the School District is asking for a time guarantee. Ms. Markle concurred, and said if there is not adequate resources they will have to deny a time guarantee and that the agreement will speak to the time issue.
Mayor Robert asked if there is an addition to the expedited request would it come before the Council. Ms. Markle replied affirmatively, and Ms. Tarry added that the additional request would come back as an Interlocal Agreement.
Mr. Norris requested approval to start the job position recruitment process.
10. ADJOURNMENT
At 8:55 p.m., Mayor Roberts declared the meeting adjourned.
/S/ Jessica Simulcik Smith, City Clerk