CITY OF SHORELINE
SHORELINE CITY COUNCIL
The purpose of these minutes is to capture a high-level summary of Council’s discussion and action. This is not a verbatim transcript. Meeting video and audio is available on the City’s website.
Monday, September 26, 2022 Council Chambers - Shoreline City Hall
7:00 p.m. 17500 Midvale Avenue North
PRESENT: Mayor Scully, Deputy Mayor Robertson, Councilmembers McConnell, Mork, Roberts, Pobee, and Ramsdell
ABSENT: None.
1. CALL TO ORDER
At 7:00 p.m., the meeting was called to order by Mayor Scully who presided.
2. FLAG SALUTE/ROLL CALL
Upon roll call by the City Clerk, all Councilmembers were present except for Councilmember McConnell who joined at 7:08 p.m.
3. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA
The agenda was approved by unanimous consent.
4. REPORT OF CITY MANAGER
Debbie Tarry, City Manager, reported on various City meetings, projects, and events.
5. COUNCIL REPORTS
Deputy Mayor Robertson reported her attendance at the Regional Transit Committee meeting where they discussed Metro Transit reports. She said they are experiencing staffing issues and encouraged interested people to apply.
Mayor Scully said he attended a briefing and press conference with Executive Constantine about the ballot measure for behavioral health emergency response. The measure would increase property tax to support behavioral health services and facilities.
6. PUBLIC COMMENT
The Council heard comments from the public from approximately 7:09 p.m. to 7:17 p.m. Written comments were also submitted to Council prior to the meeting and are available on the City’s website.
Alice Darnton and Jasmina Jusic, representatives from the King County Library System, spoke about services and upcoming programs at the library and invited everyone to visit.
Lisa Brock, Shoreline resident, commented on Proposition 1 and expressed dissatisfaction with potential unaffordability for voters.
Derek Blackwell, Shoreline resident, spoke about future traffic issues from the Modera and Brea developments on Linden Avenue. He said design modifications are needed for future safety.
7. CONSENT CALENDAR
Upon motion by Deputy Mayor Robertson, seconded, and unanimously carried 7-0, the following Consent Calendar items were approved:
(a) Approval of Minutes of Special Meeting of September 8, 2022
Approval of Minutes of Special Meeting of September 9, 2022
Approval of Minutes of Regular Meeting of September 12, 2022
(b) Approval of Expenses and Payroll as of September 9, 2022 in the Amount of $2,962,135.96
|
*Payroll and Benefits: |
||||||
|
Payroll Period |
Payment Date |
EFT Numbers (EF) |
Payroll Checks (PR) |
Benefit Checks (AP) |
Amount Paid |
|
|
8/7/22 - 8/20/22 |
8/26/2022 |
104121-104381 |
17936-17951 |
86588-86594 |
$944,015.97 |
|
|
8/7/22 - 8/20/22 |
9/2/2022 |
WT1284-WT1285 |
$120,988.11 |
|||
|
$1,065,004.08 |
||||||
|
*Wire Transfers: |
||||||
|
Expense Register Dated |
Wire Transfer Number |
|
Amount Paid |
|||
|
9/2/2022 |
WT1286 |
$20,885.98 |
||||
|
$20,885.98 |
||||||
|
*Accounts Payable Claims: |
||||||
|
Expense Register Dated |
Check Number (Begin) |
Check Number (End) |
Amount Paid |
|||
|
8/31/2022 |
86536 |
86562 |
$227,144.37 |
|||
|
8/31/2022 |
86563 |
86563 |
$1,762.00 |
|||
|
8/31/2022 |
86564 |
86587 |
$43,399.76 |
|||
|
9/7/2022 |
86595 |
86613 |
$264,415.24 |
|||
|
9/7/2022 |
86614 |
86618 |
$41,522.57 |
|||
|
9/7/2022 |
86619 |
86637 |
$1,200,688.54 |
|||
|
9/7/2022 |
86638 |
86638 |
$93,708.22 |
|||
|
9/7/2022 |
86639 |
86639 |
$3,605.20 |
|||
|
$1,876,245.90 |
||||||
(c) Authorize the City Manager to Execute an Agreement with the South Correctional Entity (SCORE) Regional Jail for Jail Services
(d) Authorize the City Manager to Execute an Interlocal Agreement with King County for Jail Services Through December 31, 2024
(e) Authorize the City Manager to Approve Real Property Acquisition for the 145th Corridor Phase 1 Project for Property Located at 14516 1st Avenue NE
8. ACTION ITEMS
(a) Approval of Employment Agreement Between the City of Shoreline and Bristol Ellington
HR and Organizational Development Director, Melissa Muir, presented the employment agreement between the City and Bristol Ellington for the position of City Manager. Mr. Ellington was selected from an initial pool of 43 nationwide candidates. The proposed agreement is based on the City’s standard service contract and past City Manager contracts. The agreement also details salary, benefits, goals, objectives, and other terms of employment. If approved, Mr. Ellington’s appointment would begin on November 28, 2022.
Mayor Scully opened the public comment period. Seeing no members of the public wishing to offer comment, Mayor Scully closed the public comment period.
Councilmember Roberts moved to approve the employment agreement between the City of Shoreline and Bristol Ellington. The motion was seconded and passed unanimously, 7-0.
9. STUDY ITEMS
(a) Discussion of Resolution No. 497 - Expressing Support for King County’s Re+ Pledge to Minimize Waste
Cameron Reed, Environmental Services Program Manager, introduced Re+ Program Manager, Patty Liu, who explained that Re+ is a program that focuses on improving waste diversion by reducing, reusing, and recycling. R+ works to support the goals included in King County code, the Cities Climate Collaboration, and Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Plan. In King County’s 50-year history of waste management, they have achieved one of the highest recycling rates in the nation at 54% in 2018. The U.S. average rate at the time was 32%. Since 2018, the recycling rate in King County has become stagnant. With this, 70% of landfill materials are deemed useful and reusable and 100,000 tons of food goes to waste. Initial community feedback of the program was surveyed at 63% in support, 8% in opposition, and 29% needing more information. Following educational outreach, program support jumped to 88%.
Re+ has developed strategies in several focus areas to reach zero resource waste by 2030. The first area is organics which make up 28% of landfill material. House Bill 1799 was recently passed and aims to improve access to organics collection and strengthen food donation and rescue services. This would also require businesses and residents to sign up for organics collection. Re+ will support this action to reduce landfill material by increasing organics and recyclable collection frequency. This action also increases cost-effective disposal options in the long term.
The second focus area is on plastic, paper and other materials which represent 26% of landfill material. One tactic in this area is to implement an Extended Producer Responsibility law. This law intends to have businesses pay for recycling of their packaging and create incentives to make packaging recyclable. Washington is the only state on the West Coast who has not passed this law. In collaboration with Department of Ecology and Seattle Public Utilities, Re+ is developing waste diversion programs and networking opportunities for businesses through the NextCycle Washington accelerator program. Re+ is also supporting the increase of mixed waste processing options. Finally, $2 million has been set aside to sponsor the Re+ Circular Economy Grant for public and private entities to support waste prevention and waste diversion.
The last focus area is community. To support King County’s Equity and Social Justice Strategic Plan, Re+ stives to address disproportionate burdens on the community and create equitable opportunities to participate in and benefit from these programs. The programs under Re+ are generating jobs as more staff are needed to collect and process materials. A panel of community members will be formed to give input on implementation and feedback will be requested from the public to evaluate Re+ grant applicants. City and County collaboration will be utilized to gauge what is needed to minimize waste in each community.
In discussion of the item, it was suggested that more education is needed on what to do with reusable-nonrecyclable items. Ms. Liu explained that Re+ is happy to provide recommendations for those items that contribute to landfill waste. She said the kickoff of Re+ focuses on highly recyclable materials that end up in landfills and the other items are on a docket for the future.
Given that Shoreline works with Recology for waste disposal, it was asked how the partnership with Re+ will benefit the City. Ms. Liu stated that offering free recycling services is one of the biggest cost benefits for residents and businesses. Cost related to technology and operations such as composting options and increasing organic and recyclable waste collection are not yet known. Because the City of Shoreline is already working towards reducing waste, the partnership with Re+ may not be as large as other cities. A liaison will be in touch with the City to determine these specific methods to support the goals. Ms. Tarry said that changes in service could be a condition of a future request for proposal or when it is time to renew the solid waste contract. Mr. Reed, added that there is also some flexibility to incentivize waste reduction under the current contract. More substantial change to recycling and composting services would come down to State and local requirements.
(b) Discussion on the 2022 Resident Satisfaction Survey Results
Communications Program Manager, Eric Bratton, stated that the City has utilized a satisfaction survey since 2002. Since 2004, the City has worked with ETC Institute, a company specializing in conducting community surveys for local governments, to implement its survey. The data is used to help make budgeting and program planning decisions.
Jason Morado, a representative from ETC Institute, shared the following takeaways from the 2022 Satisfaction Survey:
1. COVID-19 has negatively impacted many residents financially
a. 50% of residents have been hurt by the pandemic financially
b. 25% of residents are still experiencing financial impacts
c. 60% of residents feel inflation will have the biggest impact on their financial situation
2. The commuting habits of residents have changed significantly as a result of the pandemic
a. 55% of residents have worked remotely during the pandemic
b. Of the 55%, 80% plan to continue working remotely either full time or hybrid
3. Satisfaction remains high with most city services in-spite of the pandemic
a. The largest increases in satisfaction come from services related to outdoor maintenance, culturally diverse programming, and response to homelessness
b. The largest decreases in satisfaction come from services related to safety and law enforcement
c. 55% of residents feel the City is moving in the right direction, while 21% do not
4. The City is setting the standard for service delivery in most areas
a. 89% of residents are satisfied with the city as a place to live
5. Homelessness and police services are the top priorities for residents
a. 55% of residents listed homelessness and police services as a top priority for the coming years
b. Public safety services listed as priorities for the coming years include response to property crime, efforts to prevent crime, response to situations involving individuals with mental challenges, and response to drug activity.
The survey found that the City’s CURRENTS newsletter and the Parks and Recreation Guide are the top two sources for residents to find information about the City. About two thirds of residents reported that they trust the City to spend tax dollars wisely. Two thirds of residents rated the condition of their neighborhood as excellent or good. 71% of residents found Shoreline to be a welcoming and inclusive community. And 49% of residents supported denser housing options in single-family zones opposed to 35% who said no, and 16% who said they were not sure.
It was asked if responses varied by geographic location and Mr. Morado responded that GIS maps were created to show satisfaction ratings in different parts of the city. Mr. Bratton said no particular part of the City had an overabundance of dissatisfaction but he will provide the maps to Council.
(c) Update on the Regional Mobile Crisis Response Program and Crisis Triage Facility to Serve North King County Cities
CMO Management Analyst, Christina Arcidy, spoke about the City’s response to serving those in behavioral health crisis. The City uses a best practice toolkit developed by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to guide the response. To provide effective care, the guide calls for three service elements: real-time coordination with crisis call centers, 24-hour mobile crisis responders, and crisis stabilization facilities.
Service coordination is a critical need in response to a crisis. King County has an established crisis call center for the region that was recently updated with the implementation of the 988 system. Following Council direction, Shoreline staff have worked to maximize crisis response through the Response Awareness, De-escalation and Referral (RADAR) program. The goals of the extension include providing a 24-hour mobile crisis response and increasing compatibility with all first responders. The intent is for navigators to take the lead on crisis response with first responders available as needed for safety or medical care.
At this time, the RADAR program is sponsored through an interlocal agreement among five cities that make up the RADAR’s service area. The five cities recommend the establishment of an independent nonprofit organization to take over RADAR in the expansion. Member-cities would be considered a principle and a city manager or administrator would serve on the board of directors. The nonprofit would consist of an executive director, 12 professional staff, and 10 mental health navigators. By the first quarter of 2023, staff plan to have the nonprofit established and a six-year term interlocal agreement signed by the five cities. Other cities could join the agreement in the future.
The City of Kirkland will serve as the fiduciary sponsor for the new agency. The plan is for the City of Kirkland’s Community Responder Program to absorb the RADAR program. Then, the staff under the City of Kirkland will be lent to the nonprofit. Funding for the agency will be divided among the member-cities on a per capita basis. This is with the exception that Kirkland is funding more of the program during 2023-2024. Operating costs are expected to average around $350,000 each year in addition to about $100,000 in one-time startup cost. Staff recommend the use of $221,000 in annual cost saving, previously allocated for the school resource officer position, to partially offset the cost of the program.
The five cities have also been working to increase the number of crisis beds in North King County and identify a partner agency to operate the facility. Following site visits to facilities across the country, the cities have endorsed Connections as the provider of choice for the region. Connections is planning to offer outpatient, inpatient, and involuntary crisis stabilization services. The facility will have 32 beds for overnight stays and 20 more spaces for short term observations.
It is estimated that the facility will host about 17,000 visits each year. Capital costs are estimated at about $14 million. $4.2 million of that has been secured from the State. The remainder is being proposed to come from the King County Executive Budget. The facility should have no financial impact on Shoreline. Work is being done to secure a location to lease and source additional funding for tenant improvements. State funding requires a lease to be signed by December of this year. The target opening for the facility is set for October 2023.
A question was asked about the coordination of crisis response agencies in King County. RADAR Navigator Program Manager, Brook Buettner, answered that the new facility would be the North King County addition to ultimately five agencies in the county. The agencies would be a part of the same behavioral health system and work closely together to provide crisis response. The intent is for navigators to be dispatched directly by 911 but these protocols are not yet in place. In the meantime, they will self-dispatch by being on the same radio frequency as first responding agencies or by being called on by those agencies. First responders will be trained on when to make a referral to the navigators versus the designated crisis responder. Navigators provide voluntary services. Designated crisis responders have the legal authority to take individuals into protective custody.
A Councilmember asked about the cost share among the partnering agencies for the nonprofit to be established for crisis response. Ms. Buettner stated that the agency will be able to apply for grants on behalf of itself. Grants will be applied to each member-city on a per capita basis so each jurisdiction receives support. Local government consultant, Karen Reed, added that if a member-city does not participate in the cost share, the nonprofit would need to regroup to decide on requesting more funding from remaining cities, cut staff, or spend down reserves. The goal with the nonprofit is to have the ability to add or remove principles without increasing the cost for cities.
Mayor Scully pointed out that in addition to Shoreline’s Prop 1 Levy Lid Lift ballot measure that would enhance crisis response services, King County is also going to the ballot with a Crisis Care Centers levy. He asked for confirmation that if the King County ballot proposal passes, the City would not pay twice for providing the same services. Ms. Arcidy said she is committed to coming back with an answer to that question.
10. ADJOURNMENT
At 8:34 p.m., Mayor Scully declared the meeting adjourned.
/s/ Jessica Simulcik Smith, City Clerk