CITY OF SHORELINE
SHORELINE CITY COUNCIL
Monday, August 16, 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 Deputy City Clerk, all Councilmembers were present.
3. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA
The agenda was approved by unanimous consent.
4. REPORT OF CITY MANAGER
Debbie Tarry, City Manager, provided an update on COVID-19 and reported on various City meetings, projects, and events.
5. COUNCIL REPORTS
There were no Council Reports.
6. PUBLIC COMMENT
Councilmember Roberts moved to suspend Council Rules to allow for enough time for all people who are signed up to speak for two minutes. The motion was seconded by Councilmember McConnell and approved by unanimous consent.
The following members of the public spoke in support of a ban of fossil fuels in new construction:
Vicki Grayland, Kenmore resident, praised Shoreline as a leader in climate action.
Lee Janzen, Shoreline resident, said she appreciates the work Shoreline does for conservation efforts and spoke to the positive impact banning fossil fuels would have.
Melinda McBride, Shoreline resident, said multifamily housing will be more valuable if they are built green for future needs.
France Giddings, Shoreline resident, said it is past time to phase out fossil fuels, and shared the reasons why. She urged the Council to prioritize keeping the City clean and safe.
Meesun Cho, Shoreline resident, recognized climate impacts and said it is important to support renewable energy.
Lee Keim, Shoreline resident, said it is critical that cities adopt changes necessary to stop escalating fossil fuel emissions and encouraged action in Shoreline.
Sally Yamasaki, Lake Forest Park resident, emphasized the impacts of climate change, praised the positive active role in climate change that Shoreline has played, and encouraged phasing out fossil fuels in new construction.
Deepa Sivarajan, Seattle resident and Washington Policy Manager for Climate Solutions, said Climate Solutions strongly supports a policy to require that new buildings be all electric, and shared reasons why.
Nina Olivier, Seattle resident and Built Green Certification Program Coordinator and Coordinator for the Northwest Ecobuilding Guild, supported the move to prohibit fossil fuels in new construction and shared other regional efforts and actions and the associated impacts.
Linda Khandro, Shoreline resident, shared scientific information on the benefits of methane and solar energy based on her expertise as an Earth and Space Science instructor.
Asha Viswanathan, Shoreline resident and high school student, spoke to the impacts of pollution on the community. She said the climate crisis will only get worse without action, and emphasized the significant impact on BIPOC and houseless communities. She supports pursuing electric power.
The following members of the public spoke in opposition of a ban of fossil fuels in new construction:
James O'Neill, Shoreline resident, said renewable natural gas sources are being developed and would be a viable use for home heating and utility resource, but replacing fossil fuels as a resource should not be done until a solid plan is in place.
Ginny Scantlebury, Shoreline resident, said a ban on natural gas would hit residents in their wallets and listed examples of the impacts of the costs associated with moving away from natural gas.
Ray Chew, Shoreline resident, said a ban on fossil fuels would not help unless alternative solutions were available. He suggested the use of solar panels.
Julien Loh, Seattle resident and Puget Sound Energy (PSE) Local Government Affairs Manager, shared information on PSE’s efforts in climate legislation and urged Council to involve stakeholders in the decision making on a ban.
Leanne Guier, Pacific resident, spoke representing the Plumbers and Pipefitters Union Local 42. She said the current infrastructure needs to be maintained and operated to act as a conveyance for renewables as they are developed. She said freon is more damaging to the atmosphere than natural gas.
Additional comment was offered by the following members of the public:
Martha Diesner, Shoreline resident, spoke regarding the proposed 198th Street Affordable Housing Project. She asked that the old growth trees on the property be preserved and spoke to the benefits of mature trees.
Jackie Kurle, Shoreline resident, spoke regarding the Enhanced Shelter. She encouraged continued operational monitoring and reporting relative to the facility.
7. CONSENT CALENDAR
Upon motion by Deputy Mayor Scully and seconded by Councilmember Robertson and unanimously carried, 7-0, the following Consent Calendar items were approved:
(a) Adoption of Ordinance No. 939 - Approving Renewal of Zayo Group LLC Telecommunications Franchise Renewal
(b) Adoption of Ordinance No. 934 - Amending Development Code Chapter 20.30 to Add Procedures for Subdivision Vacations
(c) Adoption of Resolution No. 481 – Establishing a Fee for the Processing of Applications for the Vacation of Previously Recorded Subdivisions
(d) Adoption of Resolution No. 482 - Amending the Employee Handbook
(e) Authorize the City Manager to Execute a 99-Year Ground Lease with Catholic Housing Services for City-Owned Property Located at 19806 Aurora Avenue N to Provide Affordable Housing with Supportive Services
(f) Adoption of Resolution No. 479 – Surplus Vehicles and Equipment for the Public Works Wastewater Utility Division in Accordance with Shoreline Municipal Code 3.50.030 (B) and 3.50.060
(g) Authorize the City Manager to Increase Contract Amendment Authority for Architectural and Engineering Design Services Contract with Rolluda Architects, Inc. in the Amount Not to Exceed $75,000 for the Shoreline City Hall, Highland Plaza, Richmond Highlands Recreation Center, and the Shoreline Swimming Pool
(h) Authorize the City Manager to Execute a Professional Services Contract with Blueline, Inc. in the Amount of $237,250 for Design of the N/NE155th St Overlay Project
8. STUDY ITEMS
(a) Discussion of Prohibition of Fossil Fuels in New Construction
Autumn Salamack, Environmental Services Coordinator; and Ray Allshouse, Building Official, delivered the staff presentation. Ms. Salamack said fossil fuels are key sources of greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change. She reviewed State and City commitments to reduce emissions and said the City’s 2019 greenhouse gas emissions inventory showed a 1.3 percent increase compared to 2009, which is not on track to meet goals. She emphasized that emissions need to be significantly reduced to meet targets for 2030 and 2050 and working to reduce emissions is critical to preventing the most catastrophic impacts of climate change. She displayed graphs of the sources of community emissions, and said electricity is the preferred energy source for reducing emissions and protecting public health. She explained that some communities are banning some uses of fossil fuels, shared reasons for acting at a local level, and reviewed efforts the City is taking to meet its carbon goals.
Mr. Allshouse gave an overview of Seattle’s work toward prohibiting fossil fuels. He set context for the discussion, stating that the proposed building code amendments only apply to multifamily and nonresidential buildings. He shared highlights of the Regional Code Collaboration group’s recommended 2018 energy code amendments and explained distinctions in the amendments. He added that State law controls the building code for single family residential, townhomes, and duplexes. Mr. Allshouse described the amendment highlights focusing specifically on decarbonization, emphasizing that adoption of these amendments will eventually be required, but there is opportunity to do it sooner than is being done at the State level.
Mr. Allshouse spoke to the efficiency of heat pump space heating and water heating and gave examples of associated costs and shared ways to achieve targets. He said most new large apartment buildings do not use much natural gas, but the amendments would eliminate the option of using gas for any amenity. He described the benefits of onsite solar use and described the solar-ready requirements in two codes. Mr. Allshouse reviewed other amendment highlights; including those focused on building performance factors, sustainable building envelope limits, allowable vertical glazing, additional energy efficiency credit requirements, lighting power allowance, change of occupancy class, and metering for existing buildings.
The Councilmembers expressed unanimous support for moving forward toward the prohibition of fossil fuels in new construction.
Councilmember Chang asked what type of feedback and direction staff is looking for. Mr. Allshouse said a formal recommendation will be drafted after Council provides feedback on what provisions they are interested in adopting. Councilmember Chang said she would like to hear the staff recommendation, but it is her understanding that you need the whole package to increase the energy efficiency of the buildings. She asked for clarification on aspects of Chapter 5. Mr. Allshouse said he will make sure the applicability of requirements are identified and responded to. Councilmember Chang asked Mr. Allshouse to continue to follow up with Seattle to see if the Code is working and if the systems are working. Mr. Allshouse said he will monitor the process in Seattle to provide guidance and inform Council’s decision. He said he would find out what aspects King County did not adopt and try to find out how those decisions were made. Councilmember Chang asked if there are ever times when solar does not make sense. Mr. Allshouse said yes, this can be a consideration that should be addressed.
Councilmember Robertson said she looks forward to hearing the staff comparison and recommendation. She likes the idea of consistency in the region and looks forward to seeing what King County does.
Deputy Mayor Scully expressed gratitude for the thoughtful public comment. He views the prohibitions on heating gas and cooking gas differently and wondered if natural gas used for cooking could be carved out, because it is philosophically different. He also asked that staff reach out to the development community for their feedback on how the amendments would affect their work process.
Councilmember Roberts asked staff to report back on what percentage of multifamily buildings are solely using electricity and asked how long the stakeholder process would last, to which Mr. Allshouse said a few months. Councilmember Roberts said this work makes sense, because buildings are being designed for a long lifespan, and retrofitting is difficult and expensive.
Councilmember Roberts suggested adding changes to allow for more local control over the energy code, encouraging the State to provide real just transition of workers who are in this industry and will be affected by this prohibition, and to consider policies that include solar water heating and water heat recovery systems to the Council’s legislative priority list for 2022.
Councilmember McGlashan asked what cities in Washington have done something like this. Mr. Allshouse said he will research and report back. Ms. Salamack said unincorporated King County and Seattle have been the leaders in the conversation, but there are a lot of conversations taking place within the King County Cities Climate Collaboration (K4C) and in Snohomish and Peirce Counties. Councilmember McGlashan confirmed that the use of natural gas for cooking would be allowed. He then asked staff to provide information on whether any of the existing large apartment buildings in Shoreline use gas for cooking or heating. He recognized that the big culprit in natural gas use are the new large residential homes being built. He noted that Council is considering putting regulations on something (apartments) that is not the biggest contributor to the problem. Mayor Hall agreed with this observation but noted that current State policies do not yet allow cities to direct use in townhouses or single-family homes.
Councilmember McConnell said she values the staff research and recommendation in such technical decisions. She said continued changes need to be made in the climate change battle. She expressed a preference to not significantly impair development with these amendments.
Mayor Hall said Shoreline has been an active partner with K4C for almost a decade and it has been recognized that the City cannot meet emission reduction goals without shifting away from fossil fuels. He said this is a good step. He recognized that the building community likes consistency, so he wishes this were being done more aggressively at the State level. He appreciates staff’s commitment to additional research and action this year because time is of the essence.
Mayor Hall summarized that there is consensus to bring the whole package forward, with the potential to make changes.
(b) Discussion of Ordinance No. 942 - Amending Shoreline Municipal Code Chapter 15.20 Landmark Preservation
Julie Ainsworth-Taylor, Assistant City Attorney, delivered the staff presentation. Ms. Ainsworth-Taylor said the recent quasi-judicial appeal of a landmark preservation decision spurred a reevaluation of this chapter of the Shoreline Municipal Code (SMC), which had not been amended since 2003. She said this chapter establishes the purpose of the chapter and the criteria for the special member. She said the SMC needs to be amended to reflect the current King County regulations and to automatically incorporate future amendments. In addition to this change, staff is recommending transferring the appeal authority to the City Hearing Examiner, changing special member term and appointment criteria to align with that of the Planning Commission, and identifying the City’s four designated landmarks. She said Ordinance No. 942 is scheduled for action on September 13, 2021.
There was general reflection on the recent quasi-judicial appeal hearing that Council presided over of the Naval Hospital Chapel. Councilmember Chang asked if there is any reason to want to keep control for Council on these decisions. Ms. Ainsworth-Taylor said this is a policy question, but Hearing Examiners are independent bodies with experience in deciding appeals within parameters, standards, and guidelines they use to make decisions. Deputy Mayor Scully said based on his professional knowledge, the Council did a great job handling the recent appeal, however he supports moving it to the Hearing Examiner because he does not think that type of issue is what Council should be spending time on. Councilmember McConnell agreed that the Council did a good job on the recent appeal hearing, but expressed concern that it felt borderline political, and therefore feels that keeping it with an independent Hearing Examiner would be a good move. Mayor Hall supports the Ordinance as proposed and concurred that shifting landmarking decisions makes sense because it is consistent with the general move to using the Hearing Examiner in quasi-judicial matters and this is a good thing.
Addressing the issue encountered at the recent appeal, Councilmember Roberts recalled the Code specifically talks about buildings, but not about features beyond the building, and he asked how that piece could be addressed. Ms. Ainsworth-Taylor said the King County designation criteria language would have to be modified to include any additional features that the Council would like to be considered for landmark status. Councilmember Roberts asked staff to draft language to recognize this, if not in this consideration, as a future effort. Councilmember McGlashan asked for clarification on this request, if there could be some way to delineate the amount of property around a building being landmarked. Ms. Ainsworth-Taylor said based on her understanding, the Landmarks Commission focuses on structures, not necessarily the land surrounding it. Deputy Mayor Scully and Councilmember Robertson echoed Councilmember Roberts’ interest in influencing the discussion about considering property around structures. Councilmember McConnell said she does not want to hold up action to address this concern. Mayor Hall said he is ok reviewing the standards for surrounding areas in the future.
The Council agreed that Ordinance No. 942 would return as a Consent Item and that they would like to review changes regarding language to include property surrounding landmarked buildings in the future.
9. ADJOURNMENT
At 9:14 p.m., Mayor Hall declared the meeting adjourned.
/s/ Jessica Simulcik Smith, City Clerk