CITY
OF
SHORELINE
CITY COUNCIL
PRESENT: Mayor Hansen, Councilmembers Chang, Fimia, Grace, Gustafson, and Ransom
ABSENT: Deputy Mayor Jepsen
1.
CALL TO ORDER
The
meeting was called to order at
2. FLAG SALUTE/ROLL CALL
Mayor
Hansen led the flag salute. Upon roll
call by the City Clerk, all Councilmembers were
present, with the exception of Deputy Mayor Jepsen.
Upon motion by Councilmember
Gustafson, seconded by Councilmember Grace and unanimously carried, Deputy
Mayor Jepsen was excused.
(a) Proclamation
of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Month
Mayor
Hansen read the proclamation declaring July as Parks, Recreation and Cultural
Services Month and emphasized the role that parks facilities, recreation
programs, and cultural services play in the lives of Shoreline residents.
Michael
Banaag, a self-defense instructor for the Parks, Recreation
and Cultural Services Department, and his students accepted the proclamation on
behalf of the agencies and groups that contribute to the quality of life in
Shoreline.
(b) Report
by Representative Ruth Kagi
Representative
Kagi recapped the 2005 state legislative session, saying
that it was the most productive she has seen during her seven years in the
legislature. She highlighted the
significant measures passed by the 2005 Legislature, including funding for
early childhood education, sentencing reform for non-violent drug offenders, changes
relating to the substance abuse treatment system, child welfare, taxes, and the
transportation budget. Other legislative
measures aimed at being more responsive to local government include a one-year
extension for updates to the Growth Management Act, and increases in court
filing fees to fund court costs, indigent defense, and parent representation. She noted that the Aurora Corridor Project
and Interurban Trail project would receive additional funding as a result of
the transportation package.
Responding
to Councilmember Grace, Rep. Kagi said the drug treatment
bill would be funded using existing Department of Corrections revenues.
Councilmember
Fimia expressed regret about the closing of the North
Rehabilitation Facility (NRF), noting the many benefits it provided the
community. She asked Representative Kagi to urge the legislature to consider reinstating the
facility when it discusses Fircrest.
Councilmember
Ransom wondered if the new estate tax law would withstand court appeal since
the last estate tax law was ruled unconstitutional.
Rep.
Kagi said the old law was ruled unconstitutional
since it was based on the federal estate tax, which was abolished. The new law provides separate legal authority
for a state estate tax. She said there
would probably be legal challenges but the new law is on “solid legal
ground.”
Councilmember
Ransom understood that the transportation package did not include funding for
maintenance of major highways such as Interstate 5. Rep. Kagi said she would research the allocation and provide
that information at a later time.
Councilmember
Ransom said some studies indicate that many children overcome developmental
deficiencies by age nine without programs such as Head Start, so there is a
question of whether the funding is really needed.
Rep.
Kagi said there is a large amount of evidence that
shows the long-term benefit of quality child care for children, especially those
in low-income families.
Councilmember
Chang felt there should be a strong partnership between the City and State
regarding development of the Fircrest property, since
many Shoreline residents are affected by it.
He wished to see a quicker process for determining what will be done
with the site.
Rep.
Kagi noted that the master planning process has been
delayed because of uncertainty about the property, but Governor Gregoire has established a task force to look at the future
needs of the developmentally disabled community.
Councilmembers complimented Rep. Kagi for her
representation of Shoreline and her support of key legislative measures.
9. ACTION ITEMS: PUBLIC HEARING
(a) Public hearing to consider citizens comments on the proposed
2006-2011 Capital Improvement Plan and the proposed 2006-2011 Transportation
Improvement Plan (continued from June 20, 2005) and continued discussion of the
Capital Improvement Plan
At
(a) LaNita Wacker, Shoreline, noted
that the Council unanimously voted to allocate $2 million for acquisition of
the South Woods property, but the City Manager has changed this allocation to
$1 million and defined an area of three acres.
She said the Council never discussed “three acres,” as advocates have
always supported acquisition of the entire parcel. She said “cutting the urban forest will kill
it,” so the City should return the allocation to $2 million and vote for $4
million in bonds to be used as matching funds for grants. She asked for a unanimous Council vote on
preserving the entire urban forest and urged Council to direct staff to find
the funding to achieve it.
(b) Mark
Deutsch, Shoreline, commented favorably on the Comprehensive Plan process,
noting that the surface water master planning led to many improvements in
infrastructure, stream protection, and flooding. He said the higher cost of some capital
projects is partly due to the bid climate and partly due to delays caused by
the differences the Council is trying to work through. He felt that surpluses in the capital budget
should not be used to pay for long-term operating costs. He felt that long-term operating costs could
be addressed by economic development, bonds, or reduced services. He felt gambling revenues should be dedicated
to capital needs since this revenue source is very uncertain. He concluded that he looks forward to the
completion of the Aurora Corridor Project and North City Improvements.
(c) Peter
Henry, Shoreline, displayed a petition with 500 names of people who support the
preservation of the South Woods property.
He spoke of the many environmental and social benefits this property
would provide and thanked the Council for voting to allocate $2 million toward its
acquisition. He said it “looks funny”
when staff goes against Council direction and decreases the amount to $1
million. He asked for a written response
from each Councilmember addressing the following: 1) whether they feel it is appropriate for
staff to disregard Council direction; 2) whether they contacted staff
subsequent to the original Council vote and discussed reducing the recommended
amount of money; 3) whether they feel it is appropriate for individual Council
members to discuss with staff reducing the recommended amount once the Council
has taken a position.
(d) Terry
Clayton,
(e) Mamie Bolender, Lake Forest Park,
explained the many benefits of preserving the South Woods property, including
clean air, serenity, reduced flooding/erosion, and environmental education. She
said the property can remain a viable forest habitat if the entire parcel is
preserved. Although she is happy the City
applied for a Conservation Futures grant, she is disappointed that the City may
be considering only three acres. She
said the entire parcel would provide the Briarcrest
neighborhood with a community park and an adjacent forested area where children
can walk and play among the old growth trees.
She felt a park would be a well-used
resource in this heavily populated area.
(f) Wanita Martin, Shoreline, spoke of the many physical and
emotional benefits she receives as a result of living across the street from
(g)
Richard Tinsley, Shoreline, agree with previous speakers and felt the City
should act on the South Woods acquisition sooner rather than later. He said appraisals suggest the property value
has been steadily increasing since 2002.
He said only acquiring three acres would “destroy the forest,” and that
the City does not want just a “tiny park.”
He noted that developments with increased impervious surface would
degrade the watershed, and he stressed the importance of nature to emotional
well-being and health. He urged the
Council to find a way to save the entire parcel for public use.
Staff
and Councilmembers requested a copy of Mr. Henry’s
petition.
Councilmember
Ransom expressed concern about the high appraisal for the South Woods
property. He felt the City should get
its own appraisal.
The
City Clerk noted that the hearing was continued on
3. CITY MANAGER’S REPORT
Ms.
Mattioli commented that it has been an honor and pleasure to work with staff,
Council, and the citizens over the past ten years.
Councilmember
Ransom noted that if the City can get a lower land appraisal it would at least have
a chance to negotiate a lower price.
Mr.
Olander felt that $450,000-$470,000 per acre might be a fair estimate for the
South Woods property, which would total close to $7 million for the entire
parcel. He based this estimate on the
recent appraisal for the Seattle Public Utility property.
Councilmember
Ransom felt the City should move quickly since delays would likely increase the
price. He noted price increases for
other properties within the past two years.
Responding
to Councilmember Chang, Mr. Deal said the City could also apply for grants from
the Interagency Committee for Outdoor Recreation (IAC), but it would have to
wait until next year due to the budget cycle.
Councilmember
Chang asked how the “three acres” was determined.
Mr.
Olander, said the Council indicated a target figure of
$2 million in the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP), but did not specify any
particular acreage. The staff
recommendation was $1 million and perhaps three acres for at least the portion
that would be the active neighborhood park.
This is the amount staff felt it could justify in the six-year plan, but
the overall Council designation is a high priority within the 20 year period. He clarified that Council is free to change
or modify the recommendation, since it is the decision-making authority.
4. REPORTS OF BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS: none
5. PUBLIC COMMENT
(a)
Bronston Kenney, Shoreline, said cottage housing has been a
contentious issue in Shoreline, and with one exception, neighbors find all
cottage housing developments “objectionable and unwelcome.” He said the moratorium was not used to
adequately reexamine the issue, and two primary questions were not
addressed: “What specific problems do
cottages solve and is this a unique or best solution?” “Should not the cottages
be abandoned simply because they are overwhelmingly opposed by the primary
stakeholders, Shoreline’s citizens?” He asserted
the City has not been honest and that another extension of the moratorium would
be “further evidence of a pattern of duplicity and arrogance.” He asked that a
vote for eliminating cottage housing be put on the Council agenda.
(b)
LaNita Wacker, Shoreline, expressed
her thanks to Ms. Mattioli for her years of dedicated public service. She said she supports cottage housing in
Shoreline because it provides options for many different people. She clarified that the petitions from the
South Woods Preservation Group (SWPG) include 459 signatures representing 238
Shoreline residents and 48
(c)
Vicki Westberg, Shoreline, commented
favorably on the 2005 Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Arts Festival. She said some people have stated that the South
Woods property should be sold to a developer because “forests are
dangerous.” She considered this to be
flawed rationale, and that people’s concerns should be put in the proper
perspective.
(d)
Keith McGlashen, Shoreline, congratulated the
Council and the City for being rated the #1 neighborhood in the
(e)
6. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA
Upon motion by Councilmember
Gustafson, seconded by Councilmember Grace and unanimously carried, the agenda
was approved.
Mr.
Olander provided a technical correction to the legal description on page 68 of
the Council packet related to the telecommunications lease.
7. CONSENT CALENDAR
Upon motion by Councilmember Ransom,
seconded by Councilmember Grace and unanimously carried, the following consent
calendar items were approved:
Minutes of Special
Meeting of
Minutes of Dinner
Meeting of
Minutes of Regular
Meeting of
Approval of expenses
and payroll as of
in
the amount of $3,530,571.22
Ordinance No. 383
extending the franchises under
which
water
within the City of
Motion to authorize
the City Manager to execute a
Telecommunication
Facilities Lease Agreement and
Memorandum of Lease
with Cingular Wireless
Resolution No. 233
authorizing application for funding
assistance
for a Land and Water Conservation Project
to
the Interagency Committee for Outdoor Recreation
(IAC) as provided in
Chapter 79A.15 RCW,
Acquisition of habitat
conservation and outdoor
recreation
lands
8. ACTION ITEMS: OTHER ORDINANCES, RESOLUTIONS AND MOTIONS
(a) Motion
to authorize the City staff to participate in negotiations with
agreement
for the provision of municipal court services, and to extend the date to
finalize the agreement to
Councilmember Grace moved to
authorize staff to participate in negotiations with King County for a long-term
extension and amendment to the interlocal agreement
for the provision of municipal court services and to extend the date to
finalize the agreement to December 31, 2005.
Councilmember Gustafson seconded the motion.
Councilmember
Ransom expressed concern that this action represents a “buy-in to a long-term
contract with the county.” He commented
on the deteriorating level of service at the court over the past ten years and
described personal experiences in which he had to wait an unreasonable amount
of time for routine transactions. He
said the poor service levels is evidence of the need to consider either forming
a municipal court or contracting with neighboring jurisdictions such as Lake
Forest Park. He advised that only a
two-year extension be granted to give the City time to consider its
options.
Ms.
Modrzejewski noted that the County has recently enhanced its service capacity
by adding more staff and clerks. She
said City staff has had preliminary discussions with
Mr.
Olander concurred, noting that the City could simultaneously do a feasibility
and financial analysis to determine what it would take to establish a municipal
court.
Councilmember
Ransom reiterated that participating in joint negotiations with several other
parties creates a feeling of obligation to sign when an agreement is reached.
Ms.
Modrzejewski said
Councilmember Fimia moved to amend the motion to include this wording at
the end: “and also to provide the
Council and the public with basic alternatives analysis by November 30 to
analyze the level of service, costs, and customer service of three options: 1) continuing with King County; 2) developing
an independent municipal court system; and 3) contracting with other
municipalities for a court system.
Councilmember Ransom seconded the amendment.
Councilmember
Fimia felt this motion would allow staff to provide
an analysis of alternatives while also communicating to the County that the City
is considering all options. She said
this would ensure that the County negotiates in good faith. Councilmember Ransom concurred.
Councilmember
Grace pointed out that the analysis would have to be brought back much sooner
than November in order to avoid a gap in court services.
A vote was taken on the
amendment, which carried 5-1, with Mayor Hansen dissenting. Councilmember Gustafson
wished to ensure that all options are considered in the analysis.
A vote was taken on the
motion as amended, which carried 6-0.
9. NEW BUSINESS
(a) Annual
Police Service Efforts and Accomplishments Report for 2004
Police Chief
Continuing, Chief Burtt went
on to describe the increase in Part 1 crimes in 2004 and outlined the
strategies for reversing this trend.
Part 1 crimes of particular concern to Shoreline include automobile
theft and burglary. He emphasized the
need to identify high-impact offenders and described the difficulties involved
in prosecuting auto theft. He noted that
the
Mayor Hansen called for
public comment.
(a) Keith McGlashan, Shoreline, said that if crime statistics are
considered on a percentage basis, rape has increased 120%, burglaries are up
38%, vehicle theft is up 15%, and arson has increased 62%. He pointed out that traffic complaints increased
512% from 2003 to 2004, yet traffic citations are down 63%. He felt the department should have the
necessary resources in police and traffic patrols in order to change this
trend.
MEETING EXTENSION
At
Chief Burtt responded to Mr. McGlashen’s comments about the increase in rapes,
burglaries, arson, and traffic complaints.
He noted that part of the increase in arson and burglaries is attributable
to high impact offenders.
Mr. Olander noted the
decrease in vehicle prowls due to the department’s efforts to educate the
public about protecting their property.
Councilmember Chang wondered
if the increase in domestic violence is evidence that the failure that public
education is not working. He emphasized
community policing, crime task forces, and other creative ways to reduce crime
without spending additional money. He
requested that Chief Burtt return on August 15 for further discussion and
presentation of statistics for the first half of 2005.
Chief Burtt said the
department has been working very hard at getting victims of domestic violence
to report it so the City can provide them with the necessary resources. He
commented on the factors that influence domestic violence and said the
department is trying its best to ensure that victims have every possible
resource.
Mr. Olander added that the
City has had good success with its domestic violence advocate in encouraging
people to file cases in court.
Councilmember Gustafson
commented on the thoroughness of the report.
He noted the improvement in response times and that more people (73%)
feel safe at night (as opposed to 66% in 2003).
He emphasized the need to rehearse the hazard mitigation plan and
appreciated the new initiative related to senior citizens. He noted that some people are still hesitant
about informing their neighbors about their vacation plans for fear of becoming
crime victims.
Chief Burtt said it is to the
home owner’s benefit to inform neighbors because it reduces the likelihood of
burglary. He said “the more people know
you’re gone within your own community, the better.”
Councilmember Gustafson felt
the City could better utilize its television resources to educate the community
on crime issues.
Mayor Hansen noted that some
people advocate for prosecuting auto theft in the lower courts where it is
considered more seriously.
Chief Burtt said the City of
Mr. Olander said staff would
like to give the prosecutor’s office time to see how effective their new
enforcement program will be.
Councilmember Grace felt the
City should consider an action plan for reducing Part 1 crimes back down to
2002 levels as part of the 2006 budget debate.
He pointed out that
MEETING EXTENSION
At
Councilmember Ransom noted
the dramatic increases in auto theft and burglary since 2000. He
pointed out that the City greatly reduced crime in 1996-1997 by “busting” 185
drug houses, but crime has increased in enormous proportions since then. He noted the increase in complaints about
drug use in the schools and the relationship of drug use to burglary and other
crimes. He said the statistics are
“unacceptable,” noting that Part 1 crimes have increased 41% since 2000, yet misdemeanor
crimes have only increased 12%. He also felt the comparison cities used in the
report did not give an accurate picture, since neighboring jurisdictions have
lower crime levels. He agreed that the
police chief should report on 2005 statistics on August 15.
Chief Burtt said crime
statistics through May 2005 should be available, noting that both Part 1 and
Part 2 crime rates are generally lower than 2004.
Mr. Olander pointed out the
difficulty of making direct comparisons to other cities because each has its
own unique circumstances.
Councilmember Fimia said she is glad to see some statistics going in the
right direction, but it is disappointing to see such a variance between the
staff report and the actual crime statistics report. She
felt the staff report was too subjective and did not adequately address the
major issues. She also noted that Councilmember
Chang needs to be provided with reports ahead of time. She advised that until there is any real
analysis of the reasons crime rates are increasing, the Council will not be
able to allocate resources effectively. She
also wished to have an additional police report on August 15 in preparation for
the budget discussions.
MEETING EXTENSION
At
There was continued
discussion of the potential reasons for the increase in certain crime
categories. Councilmember Fimia emphasized the need to identify the City’s particular
weaknesses since each jurisdiction is unique.
Chief Burtt felt that
increases in property crimes drive the increases in Part 1 crimes. He said the problem of crime involves many
socio-economic factors that are often difficult to comprehend.
10. ADJOURNMENT
At
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