CITY OF SHORELINE
SHORELINE CITY COUNCIL
Monday, October 1, 2018 Council Chambers - Shoreline City Hall
7:00 p.m. 17500 Midvale Avenue North
PRESENT: Mayor Hall, Deputy Mayor Salomon, Councilmembers McGlashan, Scully, McConnell, Chang, and Roberts
ABSENT: None
1. CALL TO ORDER
At 7:00 p.m., the meeting was called to order by Mayor Hall who presided.
2. FLAG SALUTE/ROLL CALL
Mayor Hall led the flag salute. Upon roll call by the City Clerk, all Councilmembers were present.
(a) Proclamation of Safe Shoreline Month
Mayor Hall read a proclamation declaring October as Safe Shoreline Month, recognizing the high priority the City places on safety. Citing programs and initiatives such as Shoreline Watch, the RADAR program, Map Your Neighborhood, and Ready Shoreline, Mayor Hall urged residents to implement emergency preparedness planning. Jason McMillan, Emergency Management Coordinator, accepted the proclamation and emphasized that safety is everyone’s responsibility, and reminded all citizens of the importance of preparedness.
3. REPORT OF CITY MANAGER
John Norris, Acting City Manager, provided reports and updates on various City meetings, projects and events.
4. COUNCIL REPORTS
Councilmember Roberts said he attended the Puget Sound Regional Council Executive Board meeting. The topic was on resources going to outer-, rather than aero-, space and the associated economic contributions to the local economy. He extended an invitation to visit Shoreline to the CEO of Greater Seattle Partners.
Councilmember McGlashan reported he represented the Mayor at the Elected Leaders group for Sound Transit. The BRT from Woodinville to 147th street was discussed and they reviewed feedback from the Lake Forest Park and Kenmore open houses. He said that it is important for Sound Transit to communicate updates in a timely manner with all involved cities so final decision-making on stops, garages, etc. can be done in an intentional manner.
Mayor Hall said he attended the Association of Washington Cities Board Meeting and reported that they adopted, with minimal changes, the Legislative Priorities that Councilmember Roberts helped draft. He shared that the proposed brief for the Seattle Income Tax motion passed. Councilmember Roberts asked if individual cities would have the opportunity to sign off on the brief, and Mayor Hall asked the City Attorney to track the development of the brief and bring it to Council for discussion.
5. PUBLIC COMMENT
Julian Loh, Bellevue resident and Local Government Affairs and Public Policy Manager with Puget Sound Energy, asked Council to pass Ordinance No. 840, extending the Right-of-Way Franchise for Puget Sound Energy. He also thanked Council for the proclamation of Safe Shoreline Month, stating that safety and preparedness are concerns that PSE shares.
6. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA
The agenda was approved by unanimous consent.
7. CONSENT CALENDAR
Upon motion by Councilmember McConnell and seconded by Councilmember McGlashan and unanimously carried, 7-0, the following Consent Calendar items were approved:
(a) Approving Minutes of Regular Meeting of
8/13/2018
(b) Authorizing the City Manager to Execute an Interlocal Agreement with the Washington Traffic Safety Commission for School Walk Route Improvement Services in the Amount of $106,011
8. STUDY ITEMS
(a) Discussing Ordinance No. 838 - Rezone at 14507 and 14511 Stone Avenue North
Miranda Redinger, Senior Planner, presented the Staff Report on Ordinance No. 838, which would rezone two parcels from R-48 to Mixed Business. She reviewed the site and vicinity maps, the current zoning and Comprehensive Plan designation, and the critical areas map which include some steep slopes. She reviewed the process history, which culminated in the Hearing Examiner’s recommendation on August 28, 2018. She reminded Council of the decision criteria and the reasons the rezone meets the criteria.
Ms. Redinger said that Staff recommends approval of the rezone application and potential adoption of Ordinance No. 838 is scheduled for the October 15, 2018 meeting.
Prior to discussion, Mayor Hall reminded Council of the Appearance of Fairness Law and asked if any Councilmember had any ex parte communications. No Councilmember had ex parte conversations to disclose.
Deputy Mayor Salomon said he was concerned that this rezone has the potential to impact housing costs for the residents of the apartment building located on the property. He stated his belief that zoning often increases assessed valuation, which in turn increases property tax, which could potentially lead to higher rents, even without new development on the parcels. Councilmember Scully agreed with Deputy Mayor Salomon’s concern, but said that supporting the rezone makes it possible for future improvements to occur, which has a long-term benefit.
Councilmember Scully confirmed with Ms. Redinger that the transition area policy requirements applied to the new designation.
Councilmember McConnell agreed that the potential of property tax increases should not drive decision-making, since improvements in the area are good for the City. She expressed concern with the traffic impact that new development might bring.
Councilmember Chang said in this instance, intense zoning next to R-6 makes sense. She commented on the positive feedback from the neighborhood meeting which she understands was from R-6 property owners.
Councilmember Roberts drew attention to the portion of the record provided by the King County Historical Preservation, identifying the building as a potential candidate for landmark designation. He then referenced the applicant’s historical significance report submitted to King County and asked if it was sufficient. Ms. Redinger said the letter documented no specific historical significance of the properties and it seemed to satisfy King County’s request. Margaret King, City Attorney, clarified that the SEPA requirements for the rezone had been fulfilled.
Councilmember McGlashan asked for information about the two conflicting parcel maps and wondered if it would cause problems for future development. Ms. Redinger confirmed that the discrepancy does not cause an issue for the rezone but would need to be resolved should development take place. Councilmember McConnell asked who would be responsible for reconciling the conflicting parcel maps, and Ms. Redinger replied that it would be the responsibility of the applicant.
Mayor Hall stated that based on past information received from the King County Assessor’s Office, he felt very comfortable that rezoning is not a significant driver of the cost of property taxes and said that rental prices are based on supply and demand. He noted that it is best to look at the rezone in terms of the decision criteria and not get caught up in conversation about future development.
Mayor Hall stated the proposed Ordinance No. 838 would return to Council as an action item on October 15, 2018.
(b) Discussing Ordinance No. 840 - Extending the Right-of-Way Franchise for Puget Sound Energy
Christina Arcidy, Management Analyst, presented the Staff Report. She stated the existing non-exclusive franchise expires on October 31, 2018, and negotiations for a new long-term franchise are progressing smoothly. The proposed one-year extension contains the same terms and conditions as the existing franchise, and allows both parties the additional time needed to complete negotiations and submit to Council. She informed Council that PSE has been a collaborative partner with the City for some time, and staff transition at the City had caused the delay. She ended with a reminder that proposed Ordinance No. 840 would return to Council as an action item on October 15, 2018.
Councilmember McGlashan asked for details on the delay and if there were any areas of concern in negotiations. Ms. Arcidy explained that the City is focusing on creating consistent language across all of the City’s franchises, acting as stewards of the City’s right-of-way, and meeting all obligations under federal, state, and local laws. She offered that as a new employee it required additional time for her to get up-to-date. She said it is anticipated that the Ordinance will return to Council in the first quarter of 2019, after terms that are agreeable to both parties have been established.
Councilmember Scully asked if there were any identified concerns about the extension or the existing franchise and Ms. Arcidy said there were none.
Upon unanimous consent by the Council, Mayor Hall stated Ordinance No. 840 would be placed on consent on October 15, 2018.
9. ADJOURNMENT
At 7:43 p.m., Mayor Hall declared the meeting adjourned.
/s/Jessica Simulcik Smith, City Clerk