CITY OF SHORELINE
SHORELINE CITY COUNCIL
Monday, March 23, 2020 Council Chambers - Shoreline City Hall
7:00 p.m. 17500 Midvale Avenue North
PRESENT: Mayor Hall, Deputy Mayor Scully, Councilmembers McConnell, McGlashan, 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 via Zoom videoconference.
(a) Proclaiming Cesar Chavez Day
Mayor Hall announced that he signed a proclamation recognizing Cesar Chavez Day and shared highlights of Mr. Chavez’s contributions. Mayor Hall explained that while Council meetings are held remotely online, there will be no formal presentations of proclamations to recipients.
On behalf of the City of Shoreline, Mayor Hall expressed sympathy for the impacts of COVID-19 on the community and reinforced that the region is taking extraordinary steps to respond to this crisis. Mayor Hall emphasized the importance of staying home to slow the spread of the virus. He stated that in 48 hours all non-essential businesses in Washington State are ordered by the Governor to close.
Mayor Hall reminded the community to practice kindness during this difficult time.
3. REPORT OF CITY MANAGER
Debbie Tarry, City Manager, provided reports and updates on the City’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak, including reinforcing the Governor’s Order to “Stay Home and Stay Healthy” by encouraging people to stay home, avoid nonessential trips, and observe social distancing guidelines. She reminded businesses of the regulations in place that must be followed while open. Ms. Tarry shared resources for City and County information regarding the pandemic.
4. COUNCIL REPORTS
Deputy Mayor Scully said he attended a conference call meeting for the WRIA-8 Salmon Recovery Council. He said that a major grant was approved to study predator fish in Lake Union and there has been progress in local recovery efforts.
5. PUBLIC COMMENT
Krishnakant Nammi, Shoreline resident, through remote participation, spoke in support of maintaining a usable pool in the City. He said he and his family have taken swim lessons in Shoreline for many years. He stated that it is the Council’s responsibility to at least maintain, if not enhance, civic amenities and urged the Council to take immediate and concrete action to resolve this issue.
Barbara Johnstone, Shoreline resident and member of Save Shoreline Trees, through remote participation, said she looks forward to seeing the WSDOT sidewalk redesign and arborist reports for the surrounding streets. She expressed relief that an alternate design will retain most trees and she requested that all the healthy conifers surrounding the area be protected.
Rebecca Jones, Shoreline resident, through remote participation, spoke in support of Save Shoreline Trees. She said the impact of removing large, established conifer trees has lasting effects. She listed the benefits they provide and urged the Council to be leaders in preserving trees.
Kathleen Russell, Shoreline resident, through remote participation, expressed support for King County-Cities Climate Collaboration (K4C) Joint Climate Commitments. She said to achieve greenhouse gas goals the tall tree canopy must be preserved, and Council should be proactive and prevent tall tree removal on public and private properties.
6. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA
The agenda as revised, was approved by unanimous consent.
7. PROCEDURAL ISSUES
Deputy Mayor Scully moved to suspend the Council Rule regarding voice vote and direct the Clerk to do roll call vote for all votes when Council is meeting remotely. The motion was seconded by Mayor Hall.
Deputy Mayor Scully explained that this will facilitate record keeping since it is difficult to accurately record voice votes when meeting remotely.
Councilmember Roberts encouraged the Mayor to use unanimous consent in lieu of a roll call vote if it appears Councilmembers have no objections to the proposal.
The motion passed unanimously, 7-0.
Councilmember McConnell moved to suspend Council Rules to omit the Flag Salute from the agenda when Council is meeting remotely. The motion was seconded by Mayor Hall.
Councilmember McConnell said it is important to hold efficient meetings at this time, and that the motion does not imply a lack of interest in pledging allegiance.
The motion passed 6-1, with Deputy Mayor Scully voting against it.
8. CONSENT CALENDAR
Upon motion by Deputy Mayor Scully and seconded by Councilmember McConnell and unanimously carried, 7-0, the following Consent Calendar items were approved:
(a) Approving Expenses and Payroll as of March 6, 2020 in the Amount of $2,887,073.77
|
*Payroll and Benefits: |
||||||
|
Payroll Period |
Payment Date |
EFT Numbers (EF) |
Payroll Checks (PR) |
Benefit Checks (AP) |
Amount Paid |
|
|
1/26/20-2/8/20 |
2/14/2020 |
89936-90195 |
16927-16943 |
77796-77801 |
$726,567.28 |
|
|
2/9/20-2/22/20 |
2/21/2020 |
90196-90459 |
16944-16967 |
78052-78059 |
$944,892.29 |
|
|
$1,671,459.57 |
||||||
|
*Wire Transfers: |
||||||
|
Expense Register Dated |
Wire Transfer Number |
|
Amount Paid |
|||
|
2/25/2020 |
1158 |
$13,622.59 |
||||
|
$13,622.59 |
||||||
|
*Accounts Payable Claims: |
||||||
|
Expense Register Dated |
Check Number (Begin) |
Check Number (End) |
Amount Paid |
|||
|
2/12/2020 |
77744 |
77749 |
$125,293.77 |
|||
|
2/12/2020 |
77750 |
77753 |
$184,207.29 |
|||
|
2/12/2020 |
77754 |
77764 |
$14,277.43 |
|||
|
2/12/2020 |
77765 |
77765 |
$504.42 |
|||
|
2/12/2020 |
77766 |
77792 |
$22,790.67 |
|||
|
2/12/2020 |
77793 |
77795 |
$160.33 |
|||
|
2/18/2020 |
77802 |
77803 |
$65,459.38 |
|||
|
2/19/2020 |
77804 |
77812 |
$181,449.74 |
|||
|
2/19/2020 |
77813 |
77813 |
$29,200.41 |
|||
|
2/19/2020 |
77814 |
77836 |
$45,004.87 |
|||
|
2/19/2020 |
76896 |
76896 |
($7.27) |
|||
|
2/19/2020 |
77837 |
77837 |
$7.27 |
|||
|
2/19/2020 |
77838 |
77841 |
$3,806.51 |
|||
|
2/19/2020 |
77842 |
77859 |
$63,299.27 |
|||
|
2/26/2020 |
77860 |
77881 |
$174,390.27 |
|||
|
2/26/2020 |
77882 |
77953 |
$1,861.40 |
|||
|
2/26/2020 |
77854 |
77965 |
$46,851.38 |
|||
|
2/26/2020 |
77966 |
77981 |
$22,220.65 |
|||
|
2/26/2020 |
77982 |
77986 |
$7,086.18 |
|||
|
2/26/2020 |
77987 |
77987 |
$2,076.27 |
|||
|
2/26/2020 |
77988 |
77993 |
$53,317.29 |
|||
|
2/28/2020 |
77994 |
77995 |
$6,058.38 |
|||
|
2/28/2020 |
77996 |
77996 |
$5,174.69 |
|||
|
3/3/2020 |
77997 |
78018 |
$103,970.48 |
|||
|
3/3/2020 |
78019 |
78026 |
$9,328.35 |
|||
|
3/3/2020 |
78027 |
78041 |
$31,794.00 |
|||
|
3/3/2020 |
78042 |
78051 |
$1,388.18 |
|||
|
3/6/2020 |
78060 |
78060 |
$1,020.00 |
|||
|
$1,201,991.61 |
||||||
(b) Authorizing the City Manager to Execute a Professional Services Contract with Skyhawks Sports Academy, LLC in an Amount Not to Exceed $250,000 for Recreation Services
(c) Authorizing the City Manager to Execute a Professional Services Contract with Play-Well TEKnologies in an Amount Not to Exceed $150,000 for Recreation Services
(d) Authorizing the City Manager to Execute a Professional Services Contract with North American Youth Activities, LLC, in an Amount Not to Exceed $150,000 for Recreation Services
(e) Authorizing the City Manager to Execute a Service Contract with the King County Directors Association in the Amount of $323,910.33 for the Purchase and Installation of Playground Equipment at Sunset School Park
(f) Authorizing the City Manager to Execute a Professional Services Contract with Public Services and Enforcement LLC in the Amount of $128,475 for Leash Law Enforcement Services in City Parks
(g) Adopting Public Emergency Ordinance No. 887 – Temporarily Increasing the City Manager Purchasing Authority in Response to COVID-19 for 30 Days
9. ACTION ITEMS
(a) Adopting Public Emergency Resolution No. 456 - Authorizing the City Manager to Issue Temporary Emergency Waivers or Suspensions of Regulatory Obligations in the Shoreline Municipal Code Necessary to Preserve Life, Health, and Safety Related to COVID-19
Margaret King, City Attorney, delivered the staff presentation. Ms. King explained that under RCW 35(A)13.080, the City Manager has authority to oversee that laws and ordinances are executed but does not have authority to waive those policies. She stated that proposed Resolution No. 456 is patterned after authority given to the Governor which allows them to waive certain laws during an emergency. Ms. King shared examples of some actions the City Manager has taken in response to COVID-19. Ms. King said the Councilmember-proposed amendment to the resolution proposed limits the duration of the temporary authority to 14 days.
Mayor Hall opened the public comment period. Since no one had pre-registered to speak on this item, the Mayor Hall closed the comment period.
Deputy Mayor Scully moved adoption of Resolution No. 456 as proposed by staff. The motion was seconded by Councilmember McConnell.
Mayor Hall, Deputy Mayor Scully, and Councilmembers McGlashan, Robertson, Chang, and McConnell expressed support for Resolution No. 456.
Councilmember Roberts thanked staff for their work in drafting Resolution No. 456 and for the response to the questions he submitted prior to the meeting, but said he is not convinced this Resolution is necessary because the Governor’s authority and access to legislators is different than what is available at the City level. He continued that this Resolution gives the City Manager a very broad scope of authority and he feels it is important to preserve the influence of the elected officials. He said he is skeptical of the Resolution as is and the only way he could support it is by amending it to include an expiration date.
Deputy Mayor Scully said he shares Councilmember Roberts’ concerns and said he questions any measure that allows waiving laws. He recognized that the types of actions the City Manager might need to take in an emergency should not be hung up on procedure. He said his expectation is that this authority will be used narrowly.
Both Deputy Mayor Scully and Councilmember Roberts emphasized that their stance on this issue does not reflect on the leadership of the current City Manager.
Councilmember McGlashan said the Council needs to keep in mind that they are elected as policy makers, while the City Manager and staff run the City, so it is prudent for them to be able to make those decisions. He expressed trust in the City Manager’s decision making.
Councilmember Robertson thanked City leadership for the decisions that have been made so far in response to the COVID-19 outbreak and said she appreciates the perspectives brought forward by her fellow Councilmembers. She asked if there is a requirement included that Council be made aware of all decisions that are made. Ms. Tarry said the Resolution has a requirement that the City Manager communicate all emergency management actions to the Council. She said it also requires that the policies be posted on the City’s website for public notice.
Councilmember Chang said she feels well informed about the actions the City Manager has taken thus far.
Councilmember McConnell agreed that the City Manager has kept the Council abreast of all decisions made and added that the decisions are being made in a well-informed manner. She added that she is proud of the actions taken by the City to-date.
Mayor Hall said he would be supporting the Resolution as recommended by staff. He observed that in an emergency situation it may be that the most prudent action is the most immediate one.
Councilmember Roberts moved to amend Resolution No. 456 by striking section 1(c) in its entirety and replacing it with “The City Manager’s orders shall expire fourteen (14) days after issuance unless a majority of the City Council votes to extend the Order.” The motion was seconded by Deputy Mayor Scully.
Councilmember Roberts offered that with the way the Resolution is drafted it takes a majority to overturn the City Manager’s decision. He said his proposed amendment reverses it so that the City Council as a whole is able to voice agreement with the City Manager.
Mayor Hall said he will be opposing the amendment because in an emergency he would rather have staff, in consultation with other experts, making the decisions to protect public health and lives.
Deputy Mayor Scully said he does not think the amendment’s intent or effect would be to reduce the ability of City staff to respond. He added that he considers it as a necessary safeguard and takes the pressure of decision making off staff. He said Ms. Tarry should not have to shoulder that responsibility alone.
Councilmember McGlashan said he opposes the amendment because Council will retain the ability to revoke the authority at any time.
The motion failed 3-4, with Deputy Mayor Scully and Councilmembers Robertson and Roberts voting in favor.
The main motion passed 6-1, with Councilmember Roberts voting against.
10. STUDY ITEMS
(a) Discussing Public Emergency Resolution No. 455 – Establishing a Temporary Moratorium on Residential Tenant Evictions
Jim Hammond, Intergovernmental Program Manager, delivered the staff presentation. Mr. Hammond said this Resolution recognizes the impacts the COVID-19 public health emergency may have on renters and shared steps that other regional entities have taken to restrict or prohibit eviction processes at this time. He listed the elements of the moratorium as established in other cities and said staff does not recommend adopting Resolution No. 455.
Deputy Mayor Scully thanked Councilmember Roberts for proposing this Resolution, however, he said he does not want to duplicate the efforts being made at the State level. He said he worries about the scope and duration of the financial impact this emergency will have on community members and wants to prioritize implementing a recovery that keeps people from being homeless while not bankrupting landlords.
Councilmember Chang said evictions at this time would be a public health disaster and she does not think the City needs to add to the State policy. She said she supports what Governor Inslee has done, and this is a time for compassion. She stated that although she is a rental property owner, she feels she can be fair in her assessment of this Resolution. She spoke on the costs associated with property management from the owner’s perspective. She said she would like to look at what Shoreline is doing in the ways of helping with rental assistance. She said it is likely that this sort of moratorium is going to be extended, and she hopes it happens at the State level, since the State can provide resources at a more systematic level.
Councilmember Roberts said cities have limited control over what is happening in their economies. He said this moratorium would not help people who must pay mortgages. He appreciates what Governor Inslee has put in place statewide and he is hopeful for the legislative package that is being put together to provide direct cash assistance. He said while he is pleased with these efforts, eviction often leads to related negative consequences for the renter and Council should continue to consider thinking about a City level eviction moratorium that enhances the statewide one.
Councilmember McGlashan asked if action on this could be taken later, if the statewide moratorium is not extended and the City determines that it is necessary. Ms. King said the Council could take action at any time.
Councilmember Robertson said she appreciates the perspectives Councilmember Roberts and Councilmember Chang have offered. She said right now she does not feel the City needs to take measures beyond the action that has been taken at the State level. She is interested in seeing what small business support is offered in response to the COVID-19 crisis and she hopes the Council continues to discuss rental insurance because of the myriad of crises regionally.
Councilmember McConnell said she does not support the Resolution because she believes the need is well managed at the state level. She said as a small business owner who rents property, she also is concerned about the effects on landowners. She emphasized that she does not want to see anyone evicted during this time and that the financial ramifications to this emergency are significant for the entire community.
Mayor Hall said he appreciates the issue being brought up and said evictions have tremendous negative consequences. He said he wants to support the centralized State action on this issue, and does not think there is a gap large enough that requires City intervention. He said he does not support further action on this Resolution unless it appears that State action will not last as long as the emergency need warrants.
Mayor Hall summarized that, at this point, Council feels they have had a thorough discussion on the topic and agreed to postpone taking action at this time.
(b) Discussing Resolution No. 449 - Expressing the City’s Support for the King County-Cities Climate Collaboration (K4C) Joint Climate Commitments
Autumn Salamack, Environmental Services Coordinator, delivered the staff presentation. Ms. Salamack said the City was a founding member of the K4C in 2011 and holds an ongoing Interlocal Agreement with them. She explained that working regionally makes a big difference when it comes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. She stated that local governments can play a big role in reducing community scale emissions if working in a united manner. She listed the shared benefits of the K4C Collaboration, which include partnership, coordination, solutions, and funding and resources directed towards the shared commitment.
Ms. Salamack reviewed the K4C Principles (the Joint Climate Commitments) developed in 2014 and said in 2019 a refresh of the Commitments was recommended by K4C members. She continued that in support of the effort the County hosted public workshops to generate feedback on how climate change could be best addressed. She shared highlights of the 2017 King County Communitywide Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory and Trends report. She said that while the trends are encouraging, much more needs to be done to meet the goal of 80% reduction by 2050. She displayed the nine core actions identified by King County that would best help meet that goal. She showed a graph that exhibited how the combined actions could help meet the regional target. Ms. Salamack said the Joint Commitments identify pathways, policy commitments, and potential projects and programs that relate to key areas of action and help drive deep cuts to greenhouse gas emissions and she display the ten core areas of focus.
Ms. Salamack listed the key updates to the 2019 Joint Commitments. She said adopting the Joint Commitments is a voluntary action that reaffirms the City’s ongoing commitment to mitigate climate change and listed the participants regionally who intend to endorse the Commitments. She concluded by saying there has been active Council and staff participation in the K4C over the past several years.
Councilmember Chang asked how this addresses the target of less than 1.5 degrees sea warming. Ms. Salamack said she has reached out to King County to ask if the updated Commitments reflect that change and their response is that the updated Commitments were recommended in mid-2019 and could not be completely updated without going through the process again. She explained that since the K4C targets were set, the State has taken action to be more aggressive in the reduction of greenhouse gas targets. She concluded that it is difficult to know if the current goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is sufficient to encapsulate a 1.5 degree change, but the action planned over the next 10 years is very aggressive, and there has been a commitment made to reevaluating the 2050 target in partnership with local cities to make sure the 1.5 degree limit is being encapsulated.
Mayor Hall added that the intent was to enhance the Commitments in a way that works for the entire coalition, and that Shoreline is moving faster than some other cities. He said Ms. Salamack is doing a great job at the staff level and he expects that the current goals of K4C may need to be revised.
Councilmember Robertson said signing on to the Commitments does not mean that it is as much as Shoreline will do, and the City will continue to be more aggressive and remain in a leadership role in its environmental work.
Councilmember Roberts said most of the emissions are coming from the transportation and building sectors, and Shoreline has done a great job of planning for increased density and more efficient building use. He said the City needs to consider how it can be a regional leader in encouraging other cities to adopt the goals and pressure the federal delegations to reduce the amount of vehicle usage. He said during this pandemic we have seen emissions drop precipitously and so therefore it seems possible for large segments of the workforce to work from home and reduce single car usage.
It was generally agreed that there is Council support for Resolution No. 449 and that it should return as a Consent Item.
(c) Discussing the 2020-2022 City Council Goals and Work Plan
John Norris, Assistant City Manager, delivered the staff presentation. Mr. Norris reviewed the background on the annual goal setting process at the Strategic Planning Workshop and said it was determined that the proposed Goals and Work Plan reflect a continued focus toward achievement of Vision 2029. He elaborated that Council gave direction for amendments to the action steps for Council Goals 1 and 2. Mr. Norris displayed a list of the Proposed 2020-2022 City Council Goals and asked for feedback on the proposed action step amendments as detailed in the staff report.
Councilmember Roberts said he questions the availability of resources to dedicate to the Goals, considering the financial impacts that will result in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. He observed that the Goals have the effect of setting the project priorities and therefore, the budget, for the City. He wondered if the Goals should reflect where the City is today, rather than prior to the pandemic.
Mayor Hall said that although the economic times have changed, and will continue to change, he feels spending time trying to modify the Goals to unknown cost constraints would not be a worthwhile effort at this time. He said he would be more comfortable adopting the Goals as updated at the Strategic Planning Workshop, with the recognition that changes in revenues and expenditures will limit what can be done. He added that he is working with staff to raise the issues of economic impact of the pandemic on local governments and the communities they serve.
Councilmember Chang said she thinks it is clear that the City and staff will be focusing on a response to the current emergency, and it goes without saying that it will be a big part of the Council actions moving forward.
It was agreed that the City Council Goals and Work Plan would return as a Consent Item, with the recognition of the budget impacts COVID-19 may bring to priorities.
(d) Discussing Ordinance No. 883 - Amending the 2019-2020 Final Biennial Budget to Update the Salary Table to Accommodate Additional Staff Needs for the Sound Transit Lynnwood Link Extension Light Rail Transit Project
Sara Lane, Administrative Services Director, delivered the staff presentation. Ms. Lane stated that the Ordinance addresses two items related to the Light Rail project: a salary table amendment for the addition of a limited term Light Rail Project Coordinator and an increase in the total FTE count by 1.25, accounting for limited term increases for the addition of the Coordinator and an additional .25 for the Administrative Assistant II to provide support through 2020.
Mayor Hall said he supports Ordinance No. 883 and noted that the City will eventually move beyond COVID-19, and the Light Rail system is needed regionally. He said the updates do not affect City funds because the associated costs will be reimbursed by Sound Transit.
It was agreed that Ordinance No. 883 would return as a Consent Item.
11. ADJOURNMENT
At 9:00 p.m., Mayor Hall declared the meeting adjourned.
/s/Jessica Simulcik Smith, City Clerk