CITY OF SHORELINE
SHORELINE CITY COUNCIL
Monday, November 8, 2021 Held Remotely via Zoom
7:00 p.m.
PRESENT: Deputy Mayor Scully, Councilmembers McConnell, McGlashan, Chang, Robertson, and Roberts
ABSENT: Mayor Hall
1. CALL TO ORDER
At 7:00 p.m., the meeting was called to order by Deputy Mayor Scully who presided.
2. ROLL CALL
Upon roll call by the City Clerk, all Councilmembers were present except for Mayor Hall.
Councilmember McConnell moved to excuse Mayor Hall for personal reasons. The motion was seconded by Councilmember Robertson and approved by unanimous consent.
(a) Proclamation of Veterans Appreciation Day
Deputy Mayor Scully announced the proclamation of Veterans Appreciation Day in Shoreline.
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
Councilmember Chang said the meeting of the Sound Cities Association Caucus for the Regional Transit Committee was spent reviewing Metro’s comments on amendments proposed by the Caucus.
Councilmember McGlashan said at the SeaShore Transportation Forum they heard updates on the Lynnwood Link Connections Mobility Project.
6. PUBLIC COMMENT
Jackie Kurle, Shoreline resident, spoke regarding the need for full transparency regarding operations of the Enhanced Shelter. She expressed hope for its success and asked for regular updates to the public on its happenings.
Bruce Amundson, Shoreline resident, spoke in support of increasing the Public Art Coordinator position to 1.0 FTE and listed reasons for the recommendation.
7. CONSENT CALENDAR
Upon motion by Councilmember Robertson and seconded by Councilmember McGlashan and unanimously carried, 6-0, the following Consent Calendar items were approved:
(a) Approval of Minutes of Regular Meeting of October 18, 2021
(b) Approval of Expenses and Payroll as of October 22, 2021 in the Amount of $2,966,026.64
|
*Payroll and Benefits: |
||||||
|
Payroll Period |
Payment Date |
EFT Numbers (EF) |
Payroll Checks (PR) |
Benefit Checks (AP) |
Amount Paid |
|
|
9/19/21-10/2/21 |
10/8/2021 |
99148-99350 |
17620-17634 |
83703-83706 |
$578,499.05 |
|
|
9/19/21-10/2/21 |
10/13/2021 |
WT1215-WT1216 |
$104,463.76 |
|||
|
$682,962.81 |
||||||
|
*Wire Transfers: |
||||||
|
Expense Register Dated |
Wire Transfer Number |
|
Amount Paid |
|||
|
1214 |
(Not issued) |
$0.00 |
||||
|
10/15/2021 |
1217 |
$2,335.05 |
||||
|
$2,335.05 |
||||||
|
*Accounts Payable Claims: |
||||||
|
Expense Register Dated |
Check Number (Begin) |
Check Number (End) |
Amount Paid |
|||
|
10/13/2021 |
83651 |
83663 |
$670,307.00 |
|||
|
10/13/2021 |
83664 |
83669 |
$56,267.43 |
|||
|
10/13/2021 |
83670 |
83684 |
$31,608.08 |
|||
|
10/13/2021 |
83685 |
83702 |
$952,115.35 |
|||
|
10/18/2021 |
82 void checks for unclaimed property |
($2,222.93) |
||||
|
10/20/2021 |
83707 |
83707 |
$1,151.38 |
|||
|
10/20/2021 |
83708 |
83709 |
$75,783.76 |
|||
|
10/20/2021 |
83710 |
83721 |
$11,402.80 |
|||
|
10/20/2021 |
83722 |
83738 |
$32,113.79 |
|||
|
10/20/2021 |
83739 |
83756 |
$360,102.99 |
|||
|
10/20/2021 |
83757 |
83775 |
$92,099.13 |
|||
|
$2,280,728.78 |
||||||
(c) Authorize the City Manager to Execute the Extension of the Sewer Use Agreement Between the City of Shoreline and Olympic View Water and Sewer District
8. ACTION ITEMS
(a) Public Hearing on the 2021-2022 Biennial Budget and the 2021-2026 Capital Improvement Plan Mid-Biennial Update
Rick Kirkwood, Budget and Tax Manager, delivered the staff presentation. Mr. Kirkwood reviewed the budget update process preceding tonight’s Public Hearing and stated that the adoption of the 2021-2022 Mid-Biennial Budget modifications and 2022 property tax levies is scheduled for November 15, 2021. He recapped the updates, adjustments, and related policy issues presented by staff at a previous meeting and reviewed the purpose of proposed Ordinances No. 945, 946, and 947 and Resolution No. 484. He said many questions posed by the Council have been responded to via the Council Question Matrix and introduced Randy Witt, Public Works Director, to answer questions posed by Laura Mork. Mr. Witt highlighted the talking points of the questions submitted and said staff has been working on the plan for two years, since it was not certain when the assumption of the Wastewater District would occur. He stated that Public Works sees an immediate need to manage the Wastewater Utility and District Engineer duties, transitioning from a consultant-led, to a staff-led approach, and have modeled this on the format in which the Surface Water Utility is managed. He described the staffing requests for the Wastewater Utility. He said the City relies on consultants for expert support, and the current consulting firm holds historical knowledge of the Utility.
Mr. Kirkwood described the purpose of the Public Hearing, and said staff recommends that City Council conduct the public hearing to take comment on the 2021-2022 Biennial Budget and the 2021-2026 Capital Improvement Plan.
Deputy Mayor Scully opened the public hearing.
He recognized that Mr. Amundson’s comments regarding the Public Art Coordinator FTE would be incorporated into the record of the public hearing.
Seeing no additional members of the public wishing to comment, Deputy Mayor Scully closed the public comment period.
The Council agreed to postpone discussion on this agenda item until the second Public Hearing scheduled for the evening was concluded.
(b) Public Hearing on the 2021-2022 Biennial Budget and 2021-2026 Capital Improvement Plan with Special Emphasis on the 2022 Regular and Excess Property Tax Levies, to be Set by Ordinance No. 946, and Other Revenues
Rick Kirkwood, Budget and Tax Manager, delivered the staff presentation. Mr. Kirkwood explained that the emphasis of this public hearing is on the revenue sources, including consideration of increases in property tax revenues. He said Proposition 1, passed in 2016, allows the City to increase the property tax levy by the change in CPI-U index, and the fee schedules generally keep pace with inflation. He highlighted a required fee schedule change of an addition to the Surface Water Management Rate Table and stated that staff recommends that the City Council conduct the public hearing to take public comment on the 2022 Property Tax Levy and the 2021-2022 Revenue Sources.
Deputy Mayor Scully opened the public hearing. Seeing no members of the public wishing to comment, Deputy Mayor Scully closed the public comment period.
In consideration of the staffing increases for the wastewater utility, Councilmember Chang asked for clarification on whether moving from consultant, to in-house, staffing was a cost savings. She asked what duties the engineers would perform, and Mr. Witt described the roles they would hold. He said the City would prefer to do a chunk of the design in house but there are limitations with staff capacity. Councilmember Chang asked how the institutional memory from the design team would be transferred, and Mr. Witt shared examples of ways to share and document that information. Councilmember Robertson asked for clarification on the financial bump mentioned in the transition, and Mr. Witt described the process and associated costs, which includes initial overlap of duties during the hand off from consultant to in-house management. Councilmember Robertson asked if this departmental increase in staff should happen all at once, or incrementally. Mr. Witt said these four positions will help identify additional needs and that he anticipates future requests for staffing increases, as well as identification of opportunities to streamline processes. Mr. Witt shared the costs for the existing two-year contract and elaborated on the anticipated costs and project work during the transition from consultant to in-house support. Councilmember McConnell reflecting that with the assumption, there was a promise to residents that there would be some savings, and she would like to stick to that commitment. She commented on the value of Laura Mork’s comments, especially as she is a Councilmember-elect. Mr. Witt added that if the City were to retain the current contracted consultant, the contract should be reviewed and updated. Councilmember Roberts asked what the impact on expenses would be if no action on the wastewater management is taken, and Mr. Witt replied that estimating that would require assessment. Councilmember asked why the recommendation is to move forward with staffing in advance of the rate study. Mr. Witt said that while the rate study will include evaluation of the master plan work done by Ronald Wastewater District last year, staff feels the recommended positions are essential to running the utility as a city-run entity, rather than a contracted service. However, the needs associated with meeting the identified level of service will continue to be evaluated. There was discussion on approaches to soliciting contracted services for specialty items moving forward. Mr. Witt said the existing contract with the consultant could be put out for proposal when it expires but emphasized that the historical knowledge held by the current consultant is valuable. Ms. Tarry emphasized that the dollars are going to be spent either through contract services or staffing, but the goal is to gain efficiencies.
In discussing the permitting times, Councilmember Robertson expressed a desire to decrease permitting times and wondered how this could be done. Ms. Tarry said the City has been filling positions as people leave the permitting department, but there is transition time, and that is why supplemental support has been contracted. Councilmember Robertson asked if staff levels need to be increased and Ms. Tarry said that after conversation, the recommendation was not to increase staffing at this point, but Council could certainly make that change. She said there was an influx in permit applications prior to a recent code change, and staff have worked through that backlog. She explained that the impacts of the pandemic affected staff productivity and any potential staffing needs would be better analyzed at a future time.
Councilmember Robertson asked why taking the Public Arts Director position to full time was not a part of the current recommendation. Ms. Tarry said staff believes that the existing half time allocation is adequate to accomplish the current art plan.
In discussing the Transportation Impact Fees, Councilmember Chang observed that Shoreline is proposing fees that are higher than many surrounding cities. She asked if that is a change, and if there are any concerns from Council. Mr. Witt emphasized that the fees are wrapped around a set of projects that support development. Councilmember McConnell suggested future conversation on whether lowering the fees would jumpstart more projects. Councilmember Robertson said they seemed a little high.
Councilmember Roberts asked what will happen with the wall mural when the Shoreline Pool is demolished. Ms. Lane described ideas to memorialize the mural since it cannot be preserved.
Deputy Mayor Scully said for him, mid-biennial budget adjustments are to address unforeseen needs. He is concerned about the needs for a GIS full time employee and asked if the shift from extra help would change the funding paradigm from external to internal. Ms. Lane said it is anticipated that the funding for this position would continue to be from projects, and it makes sense to turn it into an FTE because many years of projects are predicted.
Deputy Mayor Scully summarized that Council has questions about the move from a consultant based, to staff based, model for the wastewater utility. He is concerned with the ask coming mid-budget, since the intent of a two-year budget cycle is to allow a comprehensive look at the needs for all departments. He asked for more detail on the impact if Council were to decide against acting on staffing changes for wastewater at this point. Ms. Tarry clarified that
The wastewater staffing is paid out of the utility, so would not impact services covered by the General Fund.
Deputy Mayor Scully reminded the Council that they can put forward proposals or addendums to the budget. Ms. Tarry said it would be helpful that amendments be submitted by Wednesday to allow staff time to research and respond.
9. STUDY ITEMS
(a) Discussion of State Legislative Priorities and Issues of Shared Interest with the 32nd District Delegation
Deputy Mayor Scully welcomed Senator Jesse Salomon and Representatives Cindy Ryu and Lauren Davis. Jim Hammond, Intergovernmental/City Manager’s Office Program Manager, introduced the delegation and asked for updates on issues of shared interest, including whether the delegates had any idea of how the federal money that will be coming to Washington for infrastructure projects might be allocated between specific cities and specific projects.
Councilmember McGlashan ask how a municipality could best set themselves up to receive federal transportation funding. Representative Ryu said every dime in funding is already spoken for, and it is a very competitive area. She explained that the federal funds are sorely needed, and the transportation committee teams are putting together a statewide transportation funding budget proposal. She said the House Democrats are concentrating on reliability and adaptability, prioritizing maintenance and preservation and delivering projects of statewide importance. She said restoring fish passages is a priority, and shared information on the costs associated with the culvert repair required. She shared details on how any remaining funds may be allocated.
Representative Davis gave a preview of topics to be addressed in the upcoming session, stating that issues with fiscal implications will be tackled. She said there is a lot still unknown as to how the session is going to operate in the House, but it probably will not be back to pre-pandemic operations. Senator Salomon said the Senate will have a hybrid approach for the next session, and shared specifics on adjustments to committee hearings and voting.
Mr. Hammond asked the delegates to share their top priorities for 2022. Representative Ryu said she expects to do a lot of work on structure and funding of broadband and telecom. She is also focused on housing and her pet project is a personal floatation device bill. Senator Salomon will be working on permit streamlining for housing developments. He said there needs to be continued work on police reform. He is working on police arbitration reform and shared his concerns and perspective. Senator Salomon hopes to secure more money for stormwater funding, and he shared some ways in which a healthier environment for salmon can be promoted. Representative Davis gave an update on her efforts to secure support for behavioral health needs for youth, as well as working toward stabilizing and securing continued funding for substance abuse/behavioral health services, statewide. She continues to work on issues regarding the cannabis industry in Washington.
Councilmember Roberts said as Shoreline continues to work on building affordable housing in the city he wonders if the State can reimburse developers for the transportation and park impact fees to help stimulate development. Representative Ryu said there may be avenues to explore. Senator Salomon said it might be reachable, but he would have logistical questions regarding this.
In consideration of the intersection of police and behavioral health services, Councilmember Chang observed that there has been some success with the RADAR program, but it is underfunded. She wondered if there is any activity at the state level to help municipalities figure out how to create these supports. Senator Salomon said there is potential for support, and that while policing is a local government cost, there are grants available for innovative ideas, however he needs to learn more about RADAR. He recognizes that there are some calls for service that would be best handled by mental health professionals as the lead responder. Representative Davis said there are several funding models available, and she shared details on current and planned support for mobile crisis teams and co-response programs. She said there is expected to be an uptick in calls regarding mental health distress when 9-8-8 goes into service.
With an update on the Fircrest Campus, Representative Ryu spoke to the committee work to plan development of a portion of the southeast corner as a welcoming, vibrant community for non-profit affordable housing with new construction and infrastructure investments on the entire campus. She hopes that non-profit and state funded investments will jumpstart the private development interest nearby. She said she will be formally asking the Council to support the efforts to create a community of affordable, middle income, and higher housing units along with supportive services for multi-cultural, multi-generational, and multi-ability community members. Councilmember Chang asked if this development would create jobs. Representative Ryu said she envisions that most developers will be non-profits, and service jobs are likely to be created. Councilmember Robertson asked if within the vision, there could be a portion of the acreage that will be designated as open space. Representative Ryu said if density can be maximized it will free up open space, which is her goal. Senator Salomon said he appreciates Representative Ryu’s diligent work on this vision.
Senator Salomon gave an update on the upcoming redistricting of the 32nd District, stating that in all mapping models Shoreline will stay in the District.
Deputy Mayor Scully thanked the delegation for their time and advocacy.
(b) Discussing the 2022 State Legislative Priorities
Jim Hammond, Intergovernmental/City Manager’s Office Program Manager, delivered the staff presentation, and was joined by Debora Munguia of Capitol Consulting, who serves as the City’s state lobbyist. Ms. Munguia shared specifics of the actions planned for the upcoming short session. She said a continued focus on COVID-19 recovery and relief is expected, as well an emphasis on affordable housing, homelessness, and climate change. She said the Senate’s session will be a hybrid of remote and in person meetings, and the House has yet to announce the meeting plan.
Mr. Hammond said in Ms. Munguia’s tenure in working with Shoreline she has brought a wealth of experience and support for the City’s work in Olympia. He explained that the City’s legislative priorities are drafted to articulate general policy positions, guide staff during the session, and are generally aligned with the Association of Washington Cities (AWC) and Sound Cities Association (SCA). Ms. Munguia gave an overview of the AWC priorities of a transportation revenue package, basic infrastructure funding, and Transportation Benefit District funding authority changes.
Mr. Hammond identified the Shoreline-specific interests of the North 148th Street non-motorized bridge project and a regional crisis triage center. He said the bridge project was in both the State and Senate packages for potential funding, so it important to keep it on the State-level radar. He said in assessing the need for support for behavioral health issues there is a gap in where to take people, and several cities in North King County are working together for a solution. He listed the Shoreline policy issues as transportation, Blake decision follow up, financial sustainability and flexibility, climate change, fish-blocking culverts, affordable housing and homelessness, and police reform clarification.
Councilmember Roberts asked what groundwork is being done to ensure the eventual completion of a pool and community center. Mr. Hammond stated that this issue has not been identified as a current City priority and there is work to be done to better understand what a facility would look like, and in turn, be successfully advocated for. Councilmember Roberts asked what the strategy is to elevate this project as a priority and Ms. Tarry said that a joint grant request for a joint aquatics facility study was submitted to King County and this may provide a basis for future advocation.
Councilmember Roberts suggested adding a priority of granting the ability for a local jurisdiction to amend and go beyond the State Energy Code legislation for residential buildings. Councilmember Chang is concerned that if individual municipalities have the authority to make changes it could cause inconsistencies. Ms. Munguia said there was a bill introduced last session on this topic, and it will be re-introduced in 2022.
It was suggested by Councilmember Roberts that it would be appropriate to add explicit support for development at the Fircrest Campus. Mr. Hammond said right now there does not seem to be any legislation under consideration for the site, but the City has a long-term commitment to monitoring development at Fircrest. Deputy Mayor Scully summarized that it was his understanding that Representative Ryu was asking for Shoreline’s support, but the Council would like to gather further information prior to taking action.
Deputy Mayor Scully said there is a tremendous need for a regional crisis triage center and he expressed support for continued work towards this. Councilmember Chang emphasized that it is important to look regionally at sites for a crisis center. She wants to make sure Shoreline is not the only city that takes on social services needs. Mr. Hammond said there are five cities partnering collaboratively in this work.
Deputy Mayor Scully encouraged staff to proceed cautiously on police reform clarification because there needs to be a balance in support of competing perspectives.
10. ADJOURNMENT
At 9:15 p.m., Deputy Mayor Scully declared the meeting adjourned.
/S/ Jessica Simulcik Smith, City Clerk