CITY OF SHORELINE
SHORELINE CITY COUNCIL
Monday, November 21, 2005
Shoreline Conference Center
Mt. Rainier Room
PRESENT: Mayor Hansen, Deputy Mayor Jepsen, Councilmembers Fimia, Grace, Ransom, Chang, and Gustafson
ABSENT: None
1. CALL TO ORDER
The meeting was called to order at 6:30 p.m. by Mayor Hansen, who presided.
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 Councilmembers Chang and Ransom, who arrived at 6:37 p.m.
3. CITY MANAGER’S REPORT
Steve Burkett, City Manager, reported on a number of City projects and activities. His report included the following updates:
· Residents can now access the City of Shoreline website to be notified of updates on any City topic of their choice.
· Human services provider HopeLink is now located in Shoreline at Aurora Village.
· Sidewalks are being completed on the east side of 15th Avenue NE in North City.
· ADA-compliant ramps were added to the benches at Echo Lake Park as a result of another Eagle Scout Project.
· The Economic Development Task Force has completed its draft report and it is scheduled to be presented to the Council at the January 23rd Council meeting.
· The City Council is invited to tour the Aurora Project on either November 30th or December 1st.
· The Shoreline Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony will be held December 3rd in North City.
4. COUNCIL REPORTS:
Councilmember Gustafson stated he toured Kruckeberg Gardens and encouraged other Councilmembers to do so. He personally thanked Mr. Kruckeberg for the tour.
5. PUBLIC COMMENT
(a) Charles Brown, Shoreline, stated he is an advocate for the South Woods property. He brought some books for the Council regarding the environment. He summarized that one of the books projected a shorter life expectancy for the youth due to a lack of physical activity. He said this has some profound implications on how we look at the environment and our personal well-being.
(a) 2006 Proposed Budget Discussion
Steve Burkett, City Manager, stated that City staff is available to answer questions at this meeting because all of the department presentations have been completed. A list of potential budget changes, ideas, and suggestions for increases or decreases was sent to Councilmembers last Monday. Additionally, all of the questions posed to the staff have been included in the packet. He pointed out that some of the PERS fund reserves of $180,000 will likely be utilized in 2006 because the State is increasing retirement rates by $40,000 in 2006 and $80,000 in 2007. He said a lawsuit filed against the City pertaining to a non-compete fee with the City of Seattle could potentially cost the City $850,000 per year in annual revenue. He informed the Council that the changes they make at this meeting will be incorporated into the budget ordinance brought to them next week.
Councilmember Gustafson supported most of the budget provisions but wanted to discuss the fee structure. He also supported allocating more full time equivalents (FTEs) for the Assistant City Attorney, the $50,000 Urban Forestry Assessment, the Economic Development enhancements, Human Services funding, and the Street Light Program. He wished to explore options for acquiring more funds for additional projects. He suggested the $100,000 for gateways be reduced to $25,000, and adding $15,000 to the budget of the new Park Coordinator to develop a volunteer litter control program, an adopt-a-park program, and an innovative program for gifting and/or commemorations (park benches, tiles, bricks, plaques, etc.). He also wished to increase all non-resident recreational fees.
Continuing, Councilmember Gustafson proposed adding $10,000 in seed money for a "kiddie" pool addition at the Shoreline pool, suggesting the Parks Director research and develop a plan to accomplish this. He suggested an allocation of $10,000 to Human Services for the development of a Shoreline Youth Master Plan, which would promote after-school activities for students. He expressed support for a blue ribbon committee to research the needs of youth and families in Shoreline and present a proposal to the Council at the April Council Retreat. He also suggested the City allocate $20,000 - $30,000 for an Emergency Response/Preparedness Plan to ensure adequate funding levels and any necessary training/equipment.
Councilmember Fimia inquired whether the $20,000 - $30,000 is for the plan or the implementation.
Councilmember Gustafson said it would be for the implementation. There is a need for generators and funding to ensure the City is prepared for an emergency situation. He suggested that the presentation he viewed at a neighborhood meeting be placed on Channel 21 once or twice a month. He also recommended increasing the 2006 budget for sidewalks by $230,000, and that this work should be completed in 2006. He commented that the City has done a great job in balancing the budget and suggested moving to a biennial budget beginning in 2007. He felt this would save the City some money in the overall budget process.
Ms. Tarry felt the savings would not be significant, but it would save City staff and Council time. In a biennial budget, there would still be the requirement of a mid-year review. She stated staff would investigate the advantages and disadvantages of a biennial budget.
Dick Deal, Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services Director, said the challenge with raising non-resident rates is that it would affect Lake Forest Park residents, since the school district includes Shoreline and Lake Forest Park residents. He said he will be taking these suggestions before the Parks Board along with the proposed field fee increases for Fields A & B.
Councilmember Fimia supported a non-residential recreation fee increase of 10 – 20% with the exception of the youth drop-in programs. She explained that the City should encourage kids to use recreation facilities. However, she said there should be a cap on the amount that resident fees are raised.
Councilmember Ransom stated he is opposed to a large increase, which would tend to drive users away. He felt up to a 20% increase would be reasonable. He said Lake Forest Park residents should be allowed to pay the resident rates, and concurred that youth program rates should not be increased.
Councilmember Gustafson pointed out that many cities are implementing the “40 Developmental Assets” philosophy and are developing programs with school districts and businesses in proactive ways to involve the youth.
Mr. Deal added that Human Services Manager Rob Beem has done similar projects for the City of Bellevue and put together two youth initiatives similar to what Councilmember Gustafson suggested. The process entails short-term goals and a long range vision of what would be best for the youth in the community. He felt this is a great time to take on this project in the near term.
Mayor Hansen suggested that the PRCS Board review these proposals and prepare a recommendation for the Council.
Councilmember Fimia said the City can address this with Lake Forest Park and discuss partnerships on facilities. She supported a youth master plan but would want the ages identified and she would also like social services, education, and recreation linked within the proposal.
Councilmember Grace agreed and said he sees a lot of benefit in having a youth master plan, but felt a broader human services master plan should be implemented first. The youth master plan would be a subset of the entire master plan. He noted that the City already has a number of issues that need to be addressed.
Mr. Burkett pointed out that most of the proposals from Councilmember Gustafson are one-time budget decreases, except for the $15,000 volunteer litter control program funding. He also said there is $21,000 in the Human Services budget in anticipation of a potential federal funding cut.
Councilmember Grace announced that the City should allocate funds so that the City can accomplish as much as it can in 2006.
Mr. Burkett suggested that the Council approve the $900,000 in Capital Improvement Plan for sidewalks.
Mayor Hansen reiterated his suggestion for a “Save Our Sidewalks” program, which would bank property tax money for roads and sidewalks. He said he would want to make sure it is fair to all residents and would like to see it done by local investment district (LID). He felt such a program would ensure that the majority of neighborhood residents support the plan.
Mr. Burkett announced that staff would have a proposal for sidewalks at a January City Council meeting.
Councilmember Chang felt that street trees are damaging roads and cracking home foundations, water pipes, and sewer lines along Meridian and 5th Avenue NE. He agreed with the suggestion to raise sidewalk funding from $670,000 to $900,000 for 2006 but he felt the funds should come from other sources.
Mayor Hansen concurred, noting the City must ensure that street tree roots do not affect the walkways.
Councilmember Gustafson reiterated his concern for the Shoreline pool, noting he would like to explore funding options for improving that facility. He also restated his concern about adequate emergency preparedness.
Mayor Hansen agreed regarding the Shoreline Pool but felt it should be classified as a capital project and included in the Capital Improvement Plan. He noted that local agencies had to have hazardous mitigation plans updated to be able to receive FEMA grants.
Councilmember Grace requested staff opinion about specific areas of emergency preparedness and what the City needs to do.
Mr. Burkett replied that the City has most of the high priority needs covered, but the City could use additional funding for public information dissemination. This requirement must be met because the federal government is requiring cities to implement some new elements.
Councilmember Fimia outlined her ten amendments to the budget and distributed a copy of them out to the Council and City staff. She supported the construction of a new City Hall facility. However, she felt it could be built for $1 - $4 million less.
Mr. Burkett outlined that the 2006 budget includes a proposed budget amount for the City Hall project of $600,000.
Councilmember Fimia pointed out that the CIP can be amended and it will need to be revised. She added that many of the objectives in the Hazardous Mitigation Plan cannot be implemented, but there is a need for an emergency generator for City Hall. She felt the City should start a housing trust fund for affordable housing. She suggested that the Council make a commitment to narrowing the entrances to neighborhoods over the next five to ten years. She said this reminds drivers that they are entering a neighborhood and encourages them to slow down. She also said the City is not funding surface water and stream restoration projects to the fullest levels according to the master plans. She suggested reducing the Richmond Beach Master Plan expenditure to $50,000.
Mr. Burkett outlined that the proposed budget for the Seattle Public Utilities property is $3.8 million. Funding for this purchase will come from bond proceeds, grants, City funds, and other yet-to-be-determined funding sources.
Councilmember Ransom expressed concerns that a site for the new City Hall has not been selected yet, so he does feel any funding should be allocated for it. He reasoned that interest rates and the cost of property continue to rise, so until a site is selected he will not support the item. He supported the Richmond Beach Master Plan, South Woods, and the SPU property purchase as well as the bond issue.
Councilmember Grace felt that $15,000 would not give the Council nor the City the depth of an urban forest plan needed. In reference to citizen satisfaction surveys, he pointed out that one of the things the City needs is continuous measurement of services provided to the residents of Shoreline. If the City discontinues surveys, there will be no way to demonstrate performance. He agreed with Councilmember Ransom in not supporting expenditures for City Hall until a site is purchased. He felt parking at the Kruckeberg Gardens is an issue, and agreed that purchase of the SPU property should move forward.
Councilmember Gustafson supported the suggestions of Councilmember Grace and Councilmember Ransom. Additionally, he agreed with Councilmember Fimia on the gateways. He felt the funding for the gateways should be reduced and the funds should be used in other ways. He concurred with Councilmember Ransom in postponing action on the new City Hall until a site is purchased. He also felt the City should purchase the SPU property and proceed with a bond process on South Woods acquisition. He did not support reducing the professional services budgets because it is a contingency fund that gives the City flexibility for unforeseen circumstances. He agreed that the citizen satisfaction survey should also be retained.
Deputy Mayor Jepsen referred to Councilmember Fimia’s list and said he is indifferent about reducing professional services funding in the Council’s budget. However, he is opposed to decreasing the City Manager and the PRCS professional services funding. Additionally, he felt the urban forestry plan should be done as proposed. Travel budgets for the various departments should be maintained as is, he said. The citizen satisfaction survey is a valuable tool, he stated, and should be something the City continues to do. He felt it would be premature to cut the plan for City Hall in the Capital Improvement Plan. He supported gateways and said they are a part of establishing Shoreline’s identity and they need to continue to be erected throughout the City. He noted there should still be a meeting with the school district to discuss the SPU property. He agreed with the increases for the non-resident fees, however, he did not support the pool addition feasibility study. He pointed out that no one has discussed the King County Veterans/Human Services Levy that will reduce the City of Shoreline’s revenue by roughly $200,000. He wanted to know what the criticism has been from other jurisdictions in regards to $20,000 - $30,000 for emergency preparedness in King County cities. He agreed with accelerating the sidewalks budget.
Councilmember Chang agreed with Councilmember Fimia that Fircrest is vital and the Council needs to be proactive on this issue. In addition, he agreed that gateways are not critical Council goal. He felt the City Hall project should be started and land should be purchased. He also said the SPU purchase should be expedited. Finally, he suggested the Council take $10,000 from the Richmond Beach Master Plan and apply it to the citywide tree study.
Councilmember Ransom noted that auto theft and burglary problems have been increasing in the City. He felt that $50,000 for security cameras at the park-n-rides would be an effective use of funding. He suggested hiring two additional police officers; one in the street crimes unit and the other in the traffic unit. He suggested increasing the Neighborhood Traffic Safety Program (NTSP) by $50,000 for speed bumps, and felt the new sidewalks in 2006 should be concentrated around neighborhoods and schools. He felt Human Services would need more funding and wondered how the City would benefit from the recently-passed Veterans/Human Services levy. He pointed out the City only allocates 1% of the total budget to Human Services.
Mayor Hansen pointed out that the City of Lynnwood is covered with security cameras and they were funded with grant money. He concurred with Councilmember Ransom that he would also like to see a greater police presence in the neighborhoods. He noted that hiring two officers would cost the City an additional $270,000, which he felt was a substantial amount.
Ms. Tarry related information pertaining to auto thefts at the park-n-ride, noting that out of 694 auto thefts, 33 of them occurred at City park & rides. She clarified that the NTSP budget for 2006 is $167,000.
Referring to a recent street tree study, Mr. Burkett mentioned that the City is selecting appropriate trees for City projects to avoid ruining the sidewalks.
Mayor Hansen agreed that Human Services funding could be increased, but he does not want to commit to a lot of ongoing expenses.
Deputy Mayor Jepsen felt the City should determine what cities will get from the new King County levy before allocating more funds to Human Services. He added that park-n-ride security is a Metro/King County government issue, not a Shoreline issue. They own the lots, he said, so they should fix the problem. He supported the proposal for two additional police officers, but only if they are funded by restoring the gambling tax back to 11%.
Councilmember Grace stated that the cameras at the park-n-ride would cost more money and staff time. He agreed with the 2.0 FTEs for police officers and they are needed in traffic and patrol. He felt there should be additional funding of $50,000 in the NTSP, and the City should wait to see the effect of the King County Human Services levy. He wondered if Mr. Beem could give more information on the City’s Human Services needs.
Deputy Mayor Jepsen did not support the proposed vacation buyout program, noting that employees should take vacation to relieve stress.
Mayor Hansen agreed, adding that private businesses require employees to take their vacation time.
Mr. Burkett announced that both goals would be achieved if the requirement for the amount of vacation used that current year was higher.
Ms. Tarry also outlined that there is a cap on the amount of vacation that can be accumulated by an employee each year.
Deputy Mayor Jepsen discussed the hotel/motel tax and said it would generate $11,000 annually in revenue. The intent of this tax, he said, would be to fund the Shoreline Museum, Arts Council, Chamber of Commerce, and Forward Shoreline. However, based on the requirements, this proposal looks too cumbersome to execute at this time.
Councilmember Gustafson pointed out that the Goodwill truck is staffed from 7:00 am until 6:30 pm at the 195th Street park-n-ride, so vehicle thefts should not be occurring there. He said allowing Goodwill at park-n-rides could be an option because the Goodwill trucks are operating all day and it deters vehicle theft. He agreed with waiting on Human Services funding until the outcome of the levy is known. He suggested additional discussion on the NTSP.
Councilmember Fimia pointed out there is some agreement with the human services/youth master plan process and funding to execute it, but there is no agreement on the scope. Also, there was some agreement on the NTSP and implementation of the hazard mitigation plan. She proposed the Council come to agreement on the litter control program and using the gateway funding as a source of money. She said there is no consistency on the citizen surveys, so if the Council wants to continue to do surveys, a proviso should be added so the results can be useful.
Mayor Hansen outlined that the Council was in consensus to raise the non-resident usage fees but would turn the matter over to the PRCS department to determine if a 20% increase was feasible.
Mr. Burkett requested Council guidance on the proposed additional police staffing.
Paul Haines, Public Works Director, discussed the three “E’s” of traffic management in neighborhoods: 1) education; 2) enforcement; and 3) engineering. The Neighborhood Traffic Safety Program (NTSP) attempts to capitalize on all three of the “E’s”.
Tony Burtt, Shoreline Police Chief, stated that enforcement means accident reduction. I order to reduce traffic accidents, the department identifies areas with the greatest risk while also trying to be responsive to other community concerns. He said they also collaborate with Public Works, but there are so many traffic complaints it is difficult to get around to everyone in all neighborhoods.
Mr. Haines pointed out that visibility is the key to addressing traffic concerns. Calming devices need to be installed in the neighborhoods. The NTSP has reserved $50,000 in overtime hours for the police to provide “spot” services for the neighborhoods.
Councilmember Fimia stated there is an obvious need for additional services, education, and enforcement, but the City will not get that with officers who work overtime. The City needs an additional traffic safety officer.
Mr. Burkett said there is $50,000 for overtime for current officers, which diminishes the value of hiring another officer.
Mr. Haines stated that investing in calming devices and education is a good investment because it is less expensive than enforcement. Enforcement is ongoing and provides a certainty of behavior.
Councilmember Fimia pointed out there will always be a need for enforcement and many calming devices will not be installed for many years. She felt that all three of the “E’s” are needed in the City. She felt that Chief Burtt did not understand the impact of speeding in the neighborhoods. She said residents are afraid to walk the streets because they fear being hit by a car. She said the fact there are no traffic accidents is not an indicator that people are not speeding.
Councilmember Gustafson inquired about the process for evaluating speed limits within different areas of the City and if more resources could be allocated to traffic enforcement without adding another police officer.
Mr. Haines replied that the results of the speed limit analysis will be brought back to the Council in the first couple months of 2006. This analysis focuses on arterials.
Chief Burtt said that an officer could be transferred from patrol, but he felt that an additional officer in traffic enforcement would not have much of an impact. Moving an officer from patrol would be significant because the staffing levels in that division are already low. He clarified that patrol officers do conduct traffic enforcement as needed.
Mr. Burkett summarized that City staff has presented the Council with a $200,000 proposal for NTSP, speed bumps, and other programs. He agreed that the City could spend less for overtime or the NTSP and add another officer.
Ms. Tarry pointed out that the City pays the King County Sheriff’s Office in advance for their services and at the end of the year it is reconciled. However, some of the costs, such as insurance, are not reconciled.
Councilmember Grace agreed with adding a new officer and moving an officer from patrol to traffic enforcement. There are a number of FTEs, he outlined, which can be moved into the patrol division to cover the loss of the one officer. He commented on the 1-to-7 ratio of administrative personnel to officers.
Mr. Burkett outlined police staffing levels and felt the City could not afford moving officers from patrol to traffic. He felt the City needed to make reductions in the budget, not move officers from one division to another.
Chief Burtt outlined the minimum staffing level for each shift. He said there are four officers during the day, five during the swing shift, and four officers at night. When these minimum numbers are not available, then an officer is called in for overtime. He estimated at 80% of the time the department runs at minimum staffing. Reasons behind this include training, sick leave, disability, maternity leave, and military service. He concluded that he is very hesitant to move an officer from patrol to traffic enforcement.
Mayor Hansen inquired what would happen if the $50,000 from the NTSP was not available.
Mr. Haines responded if these funds were not available it would remove some discretionary actions taken in the program.
Councilmember Ransom felt security cameras were useful and asked if there were any “hot spots” in the City for auto theft.
Chief Burtt replied that there is no particular “hot spot” other than the Aurora corridor. He said the question is how much of an impact cameras would have on auto thefts.
Mr. Haines announced that the City is preparing to add video monitoring on Aurora Avenue for traffic management and emergency dispatching. The City will be able to “pan” the cameras to view the park-n-rides in the future.
Mr. Burkett said if the police officer position is a greater priority for the Council, then perhaps one of the two proposed Parks positions could be eliminated. He noted that the budget is all about “setting priorities.”
Councilmember Fimia pointed out that the funding resulting from her proposed amendments would garner about $325,000, more than enough funding for the two police officers ($270,000). She proposed using the $65,000 remaining balance for the following: ongoing traffic enforcement education ($5,000); the litter/adopt-a-park/gifting programs ($20,000); emergency management program ($25,000); human services master plan ($5,000); Fircrest stakeholder process ($5,000), three grant writing training sessions ($3,000); and youth master plan within the human services master plan ($2,000). She felt the City could avoid spending money on consultants and travel.
Councilmember Ransom inquired what project would not get done without the $40,000 for the Parks budget. He did not support reducing the travel budget and the City Manager’s professional services budget.
Mr. Deal suggested that perhaps the one-time $50,000 urban forestry study could be eliminated. This study is pertinent to the City of Shoreline, however, the City does participate in State urban forestry programs and open space management programs.
Mr. Burkett stated that the proposed City Manager professional services budget is $57,000 which is a reduction from the last two years. The funds are primarily used for facilitation of the leadership retreats. The rest is for contingency such as a bond advisory consultant and facilitator for investigations and negotiations when issues arise with utilities, such as the proposed billing for undergrounding work in 2006 by Seattle City Light. Typically, these funds do not get spent. He projected a year-end surplus of $16,000 in this fund.
Bob Olander, Deputy City Manager, commented that the City Manager professional services budget will be utilized for negotiations with Shoreline franchise and utility companies in 2006.
Deputy Mayor Jepsen clarified the biggest outstanding issue is the number of police officers. He felt that City staff should return with a recommendation and the Council should think about prioritizing all of the budget issues or consider reversing the 1% gambling tax cut which would certainly fund two officers.
Mayor Hansen stated he would not support adding more than 1.0 FTE to the police department.
Councilmember Ransom felt that there is enough money for one or two officers, noting that the City has a serious traffic problem. He said the City could use the capital funds and not put so much into the capital fund in reserves to fund the officer(s). To him, the issue is how much money the City takes out of reserves each year. By using reserves, the City would not be taking the money from other programs. Another option is removing the $25,000 Park Coordinator position.
Councilmember Chang noted that adding just one police officer represents a 25% increase per shift. This, he said, would be acceptable until the City could fund two officers.
Mr. Deal replied that the Parks Coordinator is a newly proposed position. This person would focus on park design, obtaining grants, community outreach, and coordinating with other agencies. This person would be tasked with using the limited resources as effectively as possible. There are grants which can be obtained and this person would have the expertise to know how to get them. This person would also be involved with the community and work with the school district, Shoreline Community College, King County, and other jurisdictions on parks-related issues and activities.
Deputy Mayor Jepsen felt it was clear on which items there was Council consensus.
Councilmember Fimia said she is not comfortable having City staff come back to the Council with a revised budget before the Council votes on anything. She said she will offer several amendments related to a litter program, a proviso for the gifting program and an adopt-a-park program, the Fircrest stakeholders process, a human services master plan, and an emergency management plan. She suggested getting recommendations from the Fire District and City staff on the Emergency Management Plan. She also suggested a modest amount for three grant workshops for the public and non-profit organizations. Such City-sponsored workshops would teach people how to write grants and would be funded by the Council or the City Manager budget. She surmised that three workshops would cost about $3,000 for materials and an instructor.
Mr. Burkett pointed out that there were two officers assigned to the community storefronts. He asked if Council priorities are such that they should be in the field conducting enforcement activities.
Councilmember Fimia said the City should staff the storefronts with volunteers, not officers.
Mayor Hansen clarified that the storefronts are mostly staffed by volunteers but managed by an officer. He concluded that he was in favor of having the one officer staff each of the storefronts.
7. ADJOURNMENT
At 9:55 p.m., Mayor Hansen declared the meeting adjourned.
/S/ Scott Passey, City Clerk, CMC