CITY OF SHORELINE
SHORELINE CITY COUNCIL
Monday, April 9, 2007 Shoreline Conference Center
6:00 p.m. Highlander Room
PRESENT: Mayor Ransom, Deputy Mayor Fimia, and Councilmembers Gustafson, Hansen, McGlashan, Ryu, and Way
ABSENT: none
STAFF: Bob Olander, City Manager; Joyce Nichols, Communications and Intergovernmental Relations Director; Mark Relph, Public Works Director; Dick Deal, Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Director
GUEST: none
Mayor Ransom called the meeting to order at 6:15 p.m.
Bob Olander, City Manager, began the meeting with information about the planned North King County Economic Summit. Mr. Olander said he had been in contact with King County Councilmember Bob Ferguson, who is sponsoring the forum, regarding how the Summit would be organized and what steps would be taken to ensure success. He reported information from Councilmember Ferguson’s e-mail with details about how stakeholders/co-sponsors would be involved in the planning and scope of the Summit. Specifically, he said the group will:
Councilmember Ryu expressed concerns with several issues from the first summit conducted two years ago. She commented specifically on the lack of follow-through with recommendations or survey data, as well as lack of accountability for the public funds used to underwrite the summit.
Deputy Mayor Fimia said she would like to see the stakeholders group work to develop and guide the planning for the Summit and to specifically articulate the following:
Mr. Olander said he would draft a letter to Councilmember Ferguson laying out our proposed issues and process and request his help in addressing them.
Councilmember Gustafson agreed that the Council needs to work with Councilmember Ferguson’s office on this project and it should convey Deputy Mayor Fimia’s proposals. He believes the City should move forward with the Summit so it can share in the benefits.
Mayor Ransom expressed support for participating in the Summit and volunteered to represent the City as a member of the stakeholders group.
Councilmember Way suggested that information from the Summit could be shared and used by the City in its economic development efforts.
Mr. Olander agreed that information from the Summit could be used to help shape the City’s economic development work plan and possibly help shape the new Economic Development Task Force.
Deputy Mayor Fimia requested that whomever represents the City in the stakeholders group report back frequently to the Council on the plans for the Summit.
Councilmember Ryu volunteered to represent the City on the stakeholders group. She also requested greater accountability and access to information about how the public money is spent to sponsor the Summit.
Mr. Olander said the Council will have to decide who its representative will be by following its rules of procedure by Council vote at a later date.
The next agenda item was an update by Mr. Olander on the Aurora Business and Community (ABC) Team. He said he has been favorably impressed by the quality of the people serving on this group. He reminded Council that the group was established administratively, to advise staff, with a limited time frame and specific scope. The group is not advisory to the Council; however, some members of the team would like to expand its role to be able to make recommendations to the Council that could identify ways to help businesses through the construction period and take advantage of lessons learned in Phase 1.
Councilmember Ryu asked if the group was following the 32 Points developed for the Aurora Corridor.
Mr. Olander said the group is looking beyond that and exploring ways to be helpful in assisting with recommendations that could improve the construction process for Phase 2 and to help the businesses.
Councilmember Way said she has attended two ABC Team meetings and appreciates that this is a good venue to discuss the project. However, the group wasn’t appointed by the City Council.
Mr. Olander said it was not his intent to have the group be making recommendations to Council on design alternatives, but that the group is proving valuable as a way to get ideas out on the table and get those issues in front of the Council.
Deputy Mayor Fimia asked who would be facilitating the group.
Mark Relph, Public Works Director, said he will be playing a larger role in the group in this area.
Deputy Mayor Fimia asked to get more information about programs that Sound Transit is using in South Seattle to help businesses impacted by light rail construction.
Councilmember McGlashan expressed support for trying to get businesses involved in planning for construction impacts earlier than in Phase 1. He emphasized preparing for the impacts from construction in advance and helping mitigate them where possible.
Councilmember Ryu said it is better to acknowledge in advance that there will be impacts from construction, and some businesses may not be able to remain solvent. She said that acknowledging this early is important, and that the project overall will benefit the City as a whole.
Councilmember Gustafson agreed and felt there is a lot the City has learned from Phase 1. He felt the 32 Points should be revisited and refined for Phase 2. He also felt the input from the ABC Team would be valuable for the Council to hear.
Deputy Mayor Fimia asked if it would be within the scope of this group to discuss minimum density requirements for this area.
Mr. Olander felt that would be a more appropriate role for the Planning Commission, which is interested in pursuing it if the Council desires. He said he asked Mr. Relph to take a greater leadership role in Aurora Phase 2 in order to take advantage of his experience with similar projects and his fresh perspective.
Joyce Nichols, Communications and Intergovernmental Relations Director, then briefed the Council on the proposed King County Flood Control Zone District (FCZD). The proposed FCZD would impose a countywide property tax assessment to repair and upgrade King County’s aging flood control levies and other infrastructure. The King County Council adopted the Flood Hazard Management Plan that identifies $179 million to $335 million in needed repairs over the next ten years. The plan recommends creating a FCZD. No vote of the public is required. The proposal is expected to have an assessment between $0.5 and $0.10 per $1,000 assessed valuation (AV). The County wants to begin collecting this tax in 2008 and to do so, it must have legislation in place by May; so the proposed legislation is on an accelerated track.
To create the district, the County must first dissolve 10 existing flood control districts, most of which are located in South King County and the Snoqualmie Valley and have been inactive for years. The County Council would serve as the Board of Supervisors of the district. It will create a 15-member advisory committee to assist with developing recommendations and a capital improvement program. Nine cities, the County Executive, and a King County Councilmember will all have permanent seats on the committee. The Suburban Cities Association will appoint city elected officials to three, 2-year rotation seats and one seat is for a representative of the unincorporated councils. Ms. Nichols said it was important for Shoreline to get one of these seats so we would have a say in how the assessment is set and which projects are to be funded. None of the projects is in or near Shoreline; most are in South King County and/or the Snoqualmie Valley.
Ms. Nichols also described several policy issues for Council consideration:
Several Councilmembers expressed dismay at how fast this issue is moving and with the potential impacts for Shoreline property owners from this assessment with little or no direct benefits. Councilmembers expressed a desire to slow down the process and, if possible, work with other cities similarly affected to provide input to King County.
On another topic, Ms. Nichols briefly described the proposed King County Parks Levies that are likely to be on the August primary ballot. The County is proposing two separate $0.5/$1,000 AV levies. The first proposal would levy $0.5 per $1,000 AV to renew the existing parks levy that expires at the end of 2007 and restore maintenance levels to pre-2002. It is a six-year property tax levy and would support continued operation and maintenance of regional parks, local rural parks and the community partnership grant program. This levy would generate an estimated $16.1 million in 2008 and would cost the owner of a house valued at $400,000 approximately $20 per year.
The second proposal would levy an additional $0.5 per $1,000 AV, also for six years, and would expand parks and recreation opportunities in the following ways:
Due to time constraints, Ms. Nichols suggested the discussion of the FCZD and the County parks levies issues be continued.
Mayor Ransom declared the meeting adjourned at 7:30 p.m.
__________________________________________________________
Joyce Nichols, Communications and Intergovernmental Relations Director