CITY OF SHORELINE
SHORELINE CITY COUNCIL
Monday, July 29, 2019 Council Chambers - Shoreline City Hall
7:00 p.m. 17500 Midvale Avenue North
PRESENT: Mayor Hall, Deputy Mayor McConnell, Councilmembers McGlashan, Scully, Chang, Robertson, 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.
3. REPORT OF CITY MANAGER
Debbie Tarry, City Manager, provided reports and updates on various City meetings, projects and events.
4. COUNCIL REPORTS
Councilmember Scully said he attended a meeting of the Continuum of Care Board and reported that a set of criteria was adopted that is equitable regionally, as well as in terms of populations served.
Councilmember Roberts said he attended meetings of the King County Growth Management Policy Board and the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) Executive Board. He said the draft Vision 2050 plan from PSRC was released recently and he shared details of the Sound Cities Association’s (SCA) proposed response letter, which includes a draft statement of principles. He said he looks forward to hearing Shoreline’s response to Vision 2050 and asked Councilmembers to share any concerns with the SCA response with him. Mayor Hall asked Ms. Tarry to follow up with formal comment from the City.
Mayor Hall said when he learned the dues increase from SCA was set at 3.5 percent he informed SCA that Shoreline opposes dues increases that are more than the rate of inflation.
5. PUBLIC COMMENT
Bettelinn Brown, Shoreline resident, spoke in favor of public outdoor spaces, and specifically about Briarcrest Park.
Bill Dwyer, Shoreline resident, commended staff for the outreach on the Parks PROS Plan. He said it is wrong to exclude parks improvements from the proposed bond measure.
Leo Crisafulli, Shoreline resident, said Shoreline needs an additional skate park, and he is excited about the idea of one being added in the Briarcrest neighborhood. He asked Council to support parks improvements.
Thea DeYoung, Shoreline resident and Shoreline School District employee, said she is in favor of the bond measure that includes parks improvements. She said the Parks Advisory Committee did good work that should not be set aside. Ms. DeYoung added that at SolarFest she heard a lot of feedback in support of the parks piece of the bond measure and that she feels the Briarcrest neighborhood deserves a park of its own.
Joan Herrick, Shoreline resident, said the idea of having the recreation center and pool under the same roof creates an amazing community center. She said she was a member of the Parks Funding Advisory Board and supports the parks improvements being included on the bond measure. She commented that as density increases, so will parks usage, so the City should prepare for the future.
Jean Hilde, Shoreline resident and director of the Briarcrest Neighborhood Association, said Briarcrest has a very diverse community and it needs a gathering space to create connection. She urged Council to support the inclusion of parks improvements on the bond measure.
Ginny Scantlebury, Shoreline resident, said she believes the Council does not have enough information to vote on the bond measure for the proposed Community and Aquatics Center. She referenced a recent informational meeting Shoreline staff held at the senior center and listed the concerns seniors have about the space being made available for them in the new facility design.
Pam Sager, Shoreline resident, said that while the Community and Aquatics Center is exciting, she has grown up in Shoreline parks and she wants to voice how important the parks are to the community. Separately, she said that she hopes Shoreline does not allow inflatable advertising balloons since they waste energy and are an eyesore.
Lance Young, Shoreline resident, said swimming is a critical skill everyone should learn. He said the parks are also critical and requested that the Council consider including parks improvements in the bond measure, and if that is not done, to create a separate bond measure for parks since they are a key to a healthy community, especially in this time of up-zoning. He shared handouts from The Nature Conservancy and USA Swimming Federation.
Stephanie Angelis, Shoreline resident, spoke as the Ballinger neighborhood chair, saying the majority of her neighborhood association supports the addition of parks improvements in the proposed bond measure. She advocated for the pool and recommended providing scholarships for those who need them to afford to learn to swim.
Robin McClelland, Shoreline resident, said she supports the addition of parks improvements to the bond measure.
6. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA
The agenda was approved by unanimous consent.
7. CONSENT CALENDAR
Upon motion by Councilmember Scully and seconded by Councilmember McGlashan and unanimously carried, 7-0, the following Consent Calendar items were approved:
(a) Approving Minutes of Regular Meeting of June 10, 2019
Approving Minutes of Regular Meeting of June 17, 2019
(b) Authorizing the City Manager Enter Into a Three-year Microsoft Enterprise Licensing Agreement in the Amount of $157,611 with CDW Logistics, Inc.
(c) Authorizing the City Manager to Execute the Lynnwood Link Urban Tree Canopy and Landscape Enhancement Partnership Cooperative Agreement with Sound Transit and King Conservation District
8. ACTION ITEMS
(a) Adopting Ordinance No. 866 - Authorizing the Placement of a Ballot Measure on the 2019 General Election Ballot to Authorize a Property Tax Bond Measure for an Aquatics, Recreation and Community Center and Optionally Priority Parks Improvements
Eric Friedli, Director of Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Services, delivered the staff presentation. He summarized the Council direction behind the preparation of proposed Ordinance No. 866 and shared the new name for the project – Shoreline Aquatics, Recreation, and Community Center (ShARCC). He shared the details of the Shoreline School District commitment to contribute $2.43 Million to the project and said the proposed bond amounts for both bond ordinance alternatives were reduced by $2.4 Million to reflect the School District’s contribution. He reviewed the Council discussion on June 24, 2019 and their subsequent direction to prepare two versions of the ordinances. He said that staff prepared Alternative One consisting only of the ShARCC; and Alternative Two, which includes the ShARCC and other priority parks improvements. He displayed the scope, the total bond measure amount, and the net monthly impact on a median valued home for both alternatives.
Mr. Friedli gave an overview of the parks improvements, shared concept designs for the four parks included in Alternative Two, and displayed the proposed ballot titles for both alternatives. He then described Councilmember Roberts’ two proposed options of amendments to Ordinance 866 Alternative Two. He said the next steps would be to vote on the Ordinance and, if passed, to appoint the Pro and Con committees for the purpose of writing the Voter’s Pamphlet statements prior to the general election on November 5, 2019.
Councilmember McGlashan moved to adopt Ordinance No. 866 as presented in Attachment B that includes construction of the ShARCC and the priority parks improvements as detailed in the staff report. The motion was seconded by Councilmember McConnell.
Councilmember McGlashan said he is excited about both components of the project and said he thinks the process to identify the priority parks of the Parks Funding Advisory Committee and staff should be honored. He suggested alternatives to improvements for James Keough Park, as well. He said he has a great concern that the bond measure will not pass unless the parks are included.
Deputy Mayor McConnell thanked the community for the work on the PROS Plan and recognized the Parks Funding Advisory Committee and staff for their work on the project. She commended the Briarcrest community for advocating for their neighborhood. She confirmed that the current design of the ShARCC is at a very early stage of the process, and there is room for change. Mr. Friedli added that after the meeting at the Senior Center, staff have reevaluated needs and will work in conjunction with the senior program staff and advocates as adjustments are incorporated and specific components are identified.
Deputy Mayor McConnell asked about the concerns expressed over losing baseball fields. Mr. Friedli said he has heard from Shoreline Little League about not wanting to lose fields, and from the Briarcrest neighborhood about needing more park space. He explained that this work is a compromise, and by removing a field it creates space to meet needs of other people in the community. He said he is confident that there is unused capacity to meet sports teams’ needs.
Councilmember Roberts said that while our parks system is fantastic, there are still lots of improvements to be made. He stressed the importance of parks as an economic development driver. He voiced the concerns of the Shoreline Little League, described the different field size needs depending on age of players, and said the primary issue is that the one 90 foot field in Shoreline is proposed to be taken out to make way for other amenities. He said the incoming president of the Shoreline Little League asked him to ask the Council to delay the vote on this until some of the field problems could be worked out.
Councilmember Roberts asked if he is correct in understanding that while the selected parks improvements may have minor amendments, there is no plan for a larger redesign of the proposal. Mr. Friedli said that while it would be unlikely to restart a master planning process, it may make sense to move things around and gave examples of possibilities. He said the City is open to working with all the user groups more closely on each of the improvements.
Councilmember Scully said this Council meeting has been a demonstration on the effectiveness of compelling public comment and said he will be supporting the Ordinance with the inclusion of the parks improvements. He encouraged the community to continue to bring concerns to the attention of the Council.
Councilmember Chang said she will be supporting including parks improvements in the bond measure. She outlined the amenities and services the ShARCC will offer, describing it as a community gathering space. She recognized the big financial lift being asked and suggested information about property tax exemptions be communicated to residents.
Councilmember Robertson said that she is grateful for, and impressed with, the advocacy from community groups in support of this bond measure that includes parks improvements. She agreed with the importance of providing open spaces as more multi-family dwellings are being built. She recognized the cost, and said she is optimistic that voters will support it. She responded to the concerns of the seniors by saying this is a new venture, with a lot of planning still to be done.
Mayor Hall thanked all constituents for their participation in the process of this project and recognized the value of the projects to the residents. He acknowledged the fact that the pool needs replacement. He said he is pleased the School District is contributing to funding, but that he would have preferred a funding model that included more public and private sector partners. Because of the funding structure package itself, he said he will not be supporting this Ordinance.
Councilmember Roberts moved to postpone the vote on Ordinance No. 866 to the August 5, 2019 meeting. The motion died for lack of a second.
The main motion passed 6-1, with Mayor Hall voting no.
9. STUDY ITEMS
(a) Discussing Resolution No. 439 – Approving the 2019 King County Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Plan
Autumn Salamack, Environmental Services Coordinator, delivered the staff presentation. She was joined by Dorian Waller, Government Relations Administrator with King County Solid Waste. Mr. Waller explained that the plan covers all of King County’s regional system and revealed that the amount of garbage collected is trending down due to an increase in recycling. He said the system consists of public and private partnerships and defined the roles of each participating agency. He named Shoreline as a standout community because of the City’s admirable recycling practices.
Mr. Waller listed the three key components of the Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Plan of disposal, transfer services, and recycling. He stated the goal of reaching a 70 percent recycling rate and described the implementation of a menu of actions that will let cities tailor collection approaches based on their specific needs. He said the goal for transfer services is to continue modernizing facilities and he listed the benefits the improvements would bring. Mr. Waller said that the plan includes the disposal objective of further developing the Cedar Hills Landfill to maximize capacity as the County plans for the post-Cedar Hills disposal method, and he listed some alternatives being explored. Mr. Waller discussed the amendments to the Comprehensive Plan made by King County Council and the Regional Policy Committee. He displayed a graphic showing the steps in the Plan approval and the timeline for City action. He summarized the requirements for plan approval and opened the floor for discussion.
Mr. Waller was asked to explain how King County is working with Recology on recycling efforts, and he described the work of their Responsible Recycling Task Force. He described the market for recycling as changing, rather than decreasing, and explained why. Mayor Hall added that the additional costs for processing recyclables is being passed on to the consumer.
Councilmember Roberts said that consumers need to take extra steps to properly recycle with less contamination. He asked how he could be confident that the Comprehensive Plan will work, long-term, even if haulers make changes to the product they will accept. Mr. Waller said that the Plan is updated every five years. He said there are simple ways in which Cities can increase their recycling rates and he assured the Council that haulers will continue to accept recyclables.
Mayor Hall shared that he visited a waste to energy plant and was impressed with the absence of noticeable emissions. He said he is fine with the Plan and commented on the substantial size of the zoning buffer. He suggested the County consider reducing it since other mitigations are in place. He said he believes there is a huge opportunity for improvements in managing food waste and compost, as well as in waste reduction.
Councilmember McGlashan praised the Shoreline School District for the Green Team programs, which encourage waste reduction, composting, and recycling through education and participation. Mr. Waller said that the County is proud of the results of its Green Schools programs.
The Councilmembers agreed approval of Resolution No. 439 should return as a Consent Item.
9. ADJOURNMENT
At 8:42 p.m., Mayor Hall declared the meeting adjourned.
/s/Jessica Simulcik Smith, City Clerk