CITY OF SHORELINE
SHORELINE CITY COUNCIL
Monday, June 14, 2021 Held Remotely via Zoom
7:00 p.m.
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. ROLL CALL
Upon roll call by the City Clerk, all Councilmembers were present with the exception of Councilmember McConnell, who arrived prior to 7:09 p.m.
3. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA
The agenda was approved by unanimous consent.
4. REPORT OF CITY MANAGER
John Norris, Assistant City Manager, provided an update on COVID-19 and reported on various City meetings, projects and events.
5. COUNCIL REPORTS
Councilmember Chang provided a report on a workshop held by the Regional Transit Committee for updating documents dealing with how Metro allocates resources. She said the Sound Cities Association Committee drafted some guiding principles which will be submitted to the Puget Sound Regional Council Public Issues Committee for approval.
Councilmember Robertson said at the recent North King County Shelter Task Force meeting the King County Housing Authority gave a presentation on the Regional Action Framework that is being created and she shared details about that process.
Councilmember Roberts said at the recent Sound Cities Association Meeting the Public Issues Committee discussion included updates on affordable housing and the King County countywide planning policies.
6. PUBLIC COMMENT
Kate Perez-Lopez, Shoreline resident, spoke in support of a Parks Bond. She said the parks were one of the reasons she moved to Shoreline and this initiative will make the parks even better and more inclusive to more people.
Katie Schielke, Shoreline resident and representative of Kruckeberg Garden Foundation, encouraged Council to support the addition of the Parks Bond package as presented by staff to the November ballot.
John Ramsdell, Shoreline resident, spoke in support of the ballot measure associated with Ordinance No. 932 and suggested that it include an appropriate level of funds directed towards developing the City’s two new park acquisitions.
Jackie Kurle, Shoreline resident, spoke regarding the Enhanced Shelter and emphasized the importance of ongoing oversight and reporting for the facility.
7. CONSENT CALENDAR
Upon motion by Deputy Mayor Scully and seconded by Councilmember Chang and unanimously carried, 7-0, the following Consent Calendar items were approved:
(a) Approval of Expenses and Payroll as of May 28, 2021 in the Amount of $4,333,104.38
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*Payroll and Benefits: |
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Payroll Period |
Payment Date |
EFT Numbers (EF) |
Payroll Checks (PR) |
Benefit Checks (AP) |
Amount Paid |
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04/18/21-05/01/21 |
5/7/2021 |
96716-96929 |
17283-17295 |
82449-82452 |
$598,935.83 |
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04/18/21-05/01/21 |
5/14/2021 |
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WT1183-WT1184 |
$133,003.24 |
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05/02/21-05/15/21 |
5/21/2021 |
96930-97146 |
17296-17342 |
82549-82555 |
$811,234.96 |
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05/02/21-05/15/21 |
5/28/2021 |
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WT1186-WT1187 |
$133,583.50 |
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$1,676,757.53 |
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*Wire Transfers: |
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Expense Register Dated |
Wire Transfer Number |
Amount Paid |
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5/24/2021 |
1185 |
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$41,318.42 |
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$41,318.42 |
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*Accounts Payable Claims: |
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Expense Register Dated |
Check Number (Begin) |
Check Number (End) |
Amount Paid |
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5/12/2021 |
82402 |
82414 |
$123,073.57 |
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5/12/2021 |
82415 |
82448 |
$288,016.15 |
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5/19/2021 |
82453 |
82467 |
$149,862.06 |
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5/19/2021 |
82468 |
82482 |
$101,872.59 |
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5/19/2021 |
82483 |
82497 |
$418,577.26 |
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5/19/2021 |
82498 |
82511 |
$61,985.57 |
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5/19/2021 |
82512 |
82513 |
$49,746.48 |
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5/19/2021 |
82514 |
82517 |
$1,041,899.26 |
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5/26/2021 |
85218 |
82540 |
$183,150.87 |
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5/26/2021 |
82541 |
82548 |
$161,424.71 |
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5/27/2021 |
82556 |
82567 |
$35,419.91 |
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$2,615,028.43 |
(b) Authorize the City Manager to Execute an Agreement with Sound Transit for the Shoreline North/185th Station Pedestrian Connection
(c) Authorize the City Manager to Execute a Construction Contract with Doolittle Construction, LLC in the Amount of $398,200 for the 2021 Bituminous Surface Treatment project
8. STUDY ITEMS
(a) Discussion of Ordinance No. 932 - Authorizing the Placement of a Ballot Measure on the 2021 November General Election Ballot to Authorize a Property Tax Bond Measure for Park Improvements and Park Land Acquisition
Christina Arcidy, Management Analyst, delivered the staff presentation. Ms. Arcidy reviewed the background on this potential ballot measure, stating that Council guidance in 2020 was to develop a bond measure proposal to fund park improvements and park land acquisition. While the COVID-19 public health emergency delayed consideration, Council gave direction to place a 20-year bond measure before the voters in April 2021, but this measure failed to reach the validation threshold. She said Ordinance No. 932 contains the same bond measure components, totaling $38.5 Million, and reviewed the estimated annual costs to homeowners.
Ms. Arcidy displayed the proposed ballot title, which remains unchanged from that used in the April 2021 election. She listed the next steps and timeline should Council wish to place a property tax bond measure for park improvements and park land acquisition on the 2021 November general election ballot. She concluded that staff recommends that Council adopt proposed Ordinance No. 932.
The Councilmembers unanimously expressed support for proposed Ordinance No. 932 and placing the bond measure on the November ballot. Mayor Hall and Councilmembers Robertson, Chang, McConnell, and McGlashan specified they support it as presented by staff, with no amendments.
Councilmember Robertson thanked the community members who supported the April 2021 ballot measure and spoke to their efforts to spread the word. She recognized the wide range of public opinion and response to the ballot measure. Councilmember Robertson said this version of the bond measure (Proposition 1) has already been discussed by Council with input from the Parks Board and staff and is a very thoughtful package of improvements to parks and open spaces that is equitably spread across the City and widely endorsed by community groups. She said it is her goal to get it on the November ballot and ask that the Council actively encourage its passage.
Deputy Mayor Scully said he generally does not support putting a measure that did not pass back on the ballot, but in this circumstance, he does. He spoke to the incentive behind keeping the same package and recognized the work done in the community to publicize it and the work it would create in their messaging efforts if the package was modified. He said he would like to take a closer look at Councilmember Roberts’ proposal, and stated the information related to it that he would like provided.
Councilmember Roberts said it makes sense to put the same, or a similar, measure on the ballot again. He confirmed when the project and acquisition costs were most recently updated and thanked staff for the explanation of the financial impact on the median household of adding bond capacity. He said the additions of some money for improvements for the Park at Town Center and to complete some of the work at James Keogh Park makes sense. Ms. Arcidy described the differences between the PRCS committee recommendation and the staff recommendation for this park. He added that this ballot measure is a good avenue to secure funding for the acquisition of pocket parks if the opportunity presents itself.
In consideration of the impacts of amending the bond measure, Councilmember McConnell said she does not want to pass the tipping point for passage because of tweaks to the proposal. Councilmember Chang said she supports the proposal as-is, primarily because people had already decided to support it, so having to reeducate people on changes gets complicated and the proposed bond feels like the right size. Also, it is important to leave some bonding capacity for future Councils to consider a Community and Aquatics Center. Councilmember McGlashan said to change the bond measure at this time might be seen as a bait and switch. Mayor Hall agreed that bringing it back as-is avoids voter confusion and added that it would feel a little odd to add more to it, since it did not pass in April. He then recalled the other potential funding sources for parks improvements and acquisitions.
Mayor Hall summarized that a majority of Council support moving forward with Ordinance No. 932 as presented, and if any Councilmember wanted to propose amendments, submitting them this week would give staff time to consult with the Bond counsel prior to Action.
(b) Discussion of Proposed American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Funding Allocation
Susana Villamarin, Senior Management Analyst, delivered the staff presentation. Ms. Villamarin explained that the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) is the economic stimulus bill passed by the Senate to help with local fiscal recovery. Shoreline has been allocated approximately $7.6 Million, to be received in two tranches that must be spent by the end of 2026. She reviewed the rules regarding the usage of funds and described the guiding principles used by staff to develop the recommended ARPA funding allocations.
Ms. Villamarin displayed a chart of the proposed allocations within the categories “Response to public emergency with respect to the Coronavirus Disease”, “Cost recovery for COVID related expenses”, and “Necessary investments in water, sewer, stormwater, or broadband infrastructure”. She stated that staff recommends utilizing a phased approach for allocation of funds and reviewed the proposed allocations for Phase 1 for ARPA navigators, community and youth recovery services, business recovery support, and infrastructure investments.
Ms. Villamarin asked for feedback on staff’s overall approach to developing recommendations for the use of the funds, asked if Council supports the proposed targeted allocation of the funds, and if they are comfortable with the phased approach to fund allocations.
Councilmembers McGlashan and McConnell expressed support for the staff recommendation.
In discussion related to the proposed infrastructure allocation, Deputy Mayor Scully said he is unlikely to support a package that puts all the infrastructure allocation in the Light Rail Station areas because growth improvements should pay for growth. His greatest concern is that this is supposed to be money for recovery; therefore, he would like to see a set of proposals that will benefit people across the City. He asked staff to completely rethink how the infrastructure funds are being allocated and suggested projects related to stormwater runoff. Councilmember Chang explained that she is supportive of a larger amount going towards infrastructure because she has heard from developers that projects are not penciling out, partially because of the cost of infrastructure improvements. She said that vibrant station areas will help economic recovery and asked if the infrastructure investments would help jumpstart activity in the station areas. Randy Witt, Public Works Director, described the positive impacts the projects would have, benefitting stormwater quality, flood management, and sewer capacity.
Councilmember Roberts said that while he broadly agrees with staff's proposal on how to use funds, he wishes the prioritization on the Stormwater Master Plan would have been followed a little more closely. Ms. Villamarin added that there will be more discussions around the Capital Improvement Plan, but when staff analyzed the projects, it included making sure they qualify with the funding requirements. Councilmember Roberts said he supports the buckets, but not necessarily the infrastructure projects identified by staff. Councilmember Robertson agreed, stating she likes projects that are above ground and visible.
Mayor Hall said he supports putting the bulk of the funding into infrastructure, which will stimulate future economic recovery. He does not see a need to make sure this specific funding is used for infrastructure projects evenly throughout the City as long as issues across the whole City are supported equally overall. He noted that these funds cannot be used for general park improvements.
When reflecting on the necessity of ARPA navigators, Deputy Mayor Scully asked what value they would provide and what their work would look like. Colleen Kelly, Community Services Director, explained that right now there is a lot of money going to a lot of places, through many systems, so it is difficult to know what the needs are locally until it is first identified how people are accessing other resources. The ARPA navigators are experts about where all the funding resources are, how they are being offered, and how to provide direct support and assistance to help people access resources and identify and fill in the gaps. Mayor Hall said he initially questioned why $511,000 was dedicated to this FTE, but after hearing the rationale it makes sense.
In consideration of the allocations for business recovery and stabilization, Councilmember Chang said she would have liked to see more money directed to business recovery, rather than studying business recovery and stabilization. She observed that the issues have already been identified, so this money should be used for grants and direct assistance. Nate Daum, Economic Development Manager, explained that the study would be a partnership with the Shoreline Chamber of Commerce to increase intentional outreach, work with businesses to understand their needs, and identify both pandemic-specific and long-term challenges. He said this is a unique time for local government to connect with the business community to build relationships, provide support, and foster retention. He elaborated on support methods the City is interested in exploring and described the efforts at business retention and development the Chamber would help with. Councilmember Robertson likes the idea of support for tenant improvements and grants for business storefronts.
Councilmember McConnell said using this funding to stimulate growth in station areas is wise. She recognized that the underground projects tend to cost the most, are not always visible, but are necessary.
The majority of the Councilmembers expressed support for the general allocations.
Councilmember Roberts asked what the next steps are for this decision making. Mr. Norris said staff is looking for general direction, and since this is direct Federal funding being provided to the City, staff did not feel a Resolution or Ordinance was required to codify this funding proposal. The next steps would be to bring forward a budget amendment putting elements of Phase 1 into the Budget. Deputy Mayor Scully said he would like a chance to vote on the allocations before a budget amendment.
Mayor Hall reviewed the proposed allocations for Phase 1 and the Council had no objection to moving forward with the ARPA navigators, funding for community and youth recovery, or the $93k for partnering with the Chamber of Commerce. The Council directed staff to prepare more information on how the prioritization decisions were made for the infrastructure funding and provide alternatives for consideration.
(c) Discussion of Ordinance No. 933 - Authorizing the Use of Eminent Domain for Acquisition of Certain Real Properties to Construct the NW Innis Arden Way Culvert Replacement Project
Tricia Juhnke, City Engineer, delivered the staff presentation. Ms. Juhnke said Ordinance No. 933 is for the second phase of the Hidden Lake Dam removal project. She defined the powers associated with the use of eminent domain and said this condemnation ordinance is a precautionary step taken to keep the project on schedule. She stated that this Ordinance authorizes condemnation, creates a finding of public use and necessity, and establishes compensation requirements. Ms. Juhnke said this project requires easements from three property owners and displayed a map of the locations of the properties. She said the City has been in contact with all the property owners and eminent domain would not be used until negotiation efforts were exhausted and described the process to date.
Councilmember Robertson reflected on the duration of the Hidden Lake Dam project, and said she supports the process to move it forward. Mayor Hall concurred.
9. ADJOURNMENT
At 8:42 p.m., Mayor Hall declared the meeting adjourned.
/s/Jessica Simulcik Smith, City Clerk