CITY OF SHORELINE
SHORELINE CITY COUNCIL
SUMMARY MINUTES OF SPECIAL MEETING
Monday, April 16, 2007
6:30 PM
Shoreline Conference Center
Mt. Rainier Room
PRESENT: Mayor Ransom, Deputy Mayor Fimia, Councilmember Gustafson, Councilmember Hansen, Councilmember McGlashan, Councilmember Ryu, and Councilmember Way.
ABSENT: None.
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At 6:37 p.m., the meeting was called to order by Mayor Ransom, who presided.
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Deputy Mayor Fimia acknowledged the tragedy at Virginia Tech she asked for a moment of silence and was deeply saddened over the
event. She asked if the City Manager would bring to the Council the
City’s administrative policies in case of an emergency such as
this. She added that she couldn’t believe that the campus
wasn’t shut down. She added that safety is a paramount duty
and it would be good to revisit them so the public knows they are in place.
Mayor Ransom added that he was surprised that the security officers on the
campus were not allowed to carry guns.
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Mayor Ransom read the proclamation and presented it to Chris Page, Homewaters Project and Michael Adney, Central Market. Both Chris and Michael accepted the proclamation and thanked the City for the recognition.
Mr. Adney thanked the public and the Council for taking the time to acknowledge this and the opportunities in business and government to care for the natural resources in our community.
Mr. Page thanked the City of Shoreline and the Council for their commitment to making Shoreline a sustainable community. He said natural resources are the key to our quality of life.
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Bob Olander, City Manager provided updates and reports on the following items. There are several Earth Day Events taking place on April 21st to include a Natural Yard Care Event at Central Market, Ivy Out at several City parks, Paramount Park and an Echo Lake Weeding Party. He highlighted that the Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast was held on April 20th and there were over 13,500 volunteer hours donated to the City in 2006. He thanked all of the Shoreline businesses who contributed gifts and flowers in appreciation of our volunteers. He announced that most of the work on Aurora Avenue and the Interurban Trail is mostly completed with a few remaining punch list items. He said there is a Planning Commission meeting on April 19th and an Emergency Preparedness Fair on April 28th.
Mayor Ransom said he received a citizen complaint about wheelchair
accessibility and the slope on the Interurban Trail Bridge. He also
asked how wide the paved trail in the Central area is.
Mr. Olander responded that all ramps meet American Disabilities Act
(ADA) standards. He said they have been triple checked and has been
assured by City staff and the contractors that this is the case. He
also replied that the paving width is 12 feet with 2 foot crushed gravel
on each side.
Mayor Ransom said the Council tentatively discussed the Boryeong group
(Sister Cities) coming here and having a dinner followed by an open
public reception on May 29th. Additionally, he pointed
out, there is a special meeting on April 30th to discuss the gaming
industry in Shoreline as they relate to land use, taxation
and its impact on the City. He added that he would like
consensus from the Council that they would attend the meeting and it would be
an open meeting. He also asked that the arrangements and a time be
set by the City staff.
Councilmember Way asked about the concept or format of the meeting on
April 30th.
Mayor Ransom responded that it would be the Council receiving a history from
the staff with comments from the public. This, he added, would include a
chance for the gaming industry owners and the public to speak and ask
questions. However, he stated he is open to other suggestions.
Councilmember McGlashan asked if the
Council and City staff are still scheduled to tour city halls that day.
Mr. Olander stated that is correct.
Councilmember Gustafson was opposed to this. He said it is something the community can have input on and questioned if the Chamber of Commerce should hold this meeting. He thought the logical organization to hold such a meeting would be the Chamber or Forward Shoreline, rather than the City Council.
Deputy Mayor Fimia said she wouldn’t recommend a town hall
format. She felt it should be a special meeting focused on this
issue. She highlighted that the gaming industry brings $2
million in revenue to the City. She said there are issues about long-term
dependency and future land use with the new Spokane Compact legislation.
She explained that this would allow tribes to buy casinos in any city
and convert them to tribal land. She suggested the Council have a
special meeting with a panel of experts and the City staff concerning the
definition and description about what gaming is in Shoreline, any police or
safety issues concerning the gaming establishments, the long-term and
short-term finance issues and impacts, and the land use issues the gaming
industry has to deal with in the future. She also added that the public
should have input and at the end of the meeting the Council should be able to
make some long-term decisions about dependency and make adjustments if need
be.
Councilmember Hansen arrived at 7:00 p.m.
Councilmember Way said it would be valuable to have everyone come and discuss it. However, she said the public may want more than three minutes to discuss it and the Council should tailor the meeting so everyone could address the issue longer.
Deputy Mayor Fimia mentioned that the other issue is that if the public doesn’t want gaming in the City and doesn’t want to increase taxes, there needs to be a way to fill the gap. This issue needs to be discussed by a broader community then addressed by the City staff and the City Council, she concluded.
Councilmember McGlashan said he
was handed a document that only included a discussion on the
continuation of the gambling tax reduction. He inquired if the 1st
Quarter casino and gaming industry statements had been submitted to the City
staff.
Mr. Olander replied that they are not due until end of April.
Deputy Mayor Fimia noted that she hasn’t seen the proposal passed
out by Mayor.
Councilmember McGlashan clarified that there will not be any
Council decisions or voting on this issue at this meeting.
Mayor Ransom responded that that was correct.
Mr. Olander stated the request is for Council direction on whether the City staff should arrange the meeting and prepare the appropriate materials for it.
Councilmember Ryu highlighted that the proposal is from Mayor Ransom and asked him if he is willing to change the terminology to special meeting.
Mayor Ransom moved to conduct a Special City Council Meeting to discuss the gaming industry issues concerning land use and taxation and how they impact the City of Shoreline on April 30, 2007, seconded by Deputy Mayor Fimia.
Councilmember McGlashan commented that since the format hasn’t been decided he doesn’t support this item.
A vote was taken on the motion on the table to conduct a Special City Council Meeting to discuss the gaming industry issues concerning land use and taxation and how they impact the City of Shoreline on April 30, 2007. Motion carried 4-3. Councilmember McGlashan and Councilmember Gustafson dissented. Councilmember Hansen abstained.
Councilmember Ryu requested that
the staff prepare some budget figures concerning the revenue from gaming
including what the gaming industry has contributed in last year.
Mr. Olander stated the City staff would provide revenue numbers, tax
information and everything.
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Councilmember McGlashan introduces Patrick McGrath, will talk about Complete Streets, toured Kirkland,
Mr. McGrath stated he works with the CBC as their advocacy organizer. He said the CBC represents about 7,000 cyclists in the Puget Sound. A "Complete Street" is safe, comfortable and convenient for all modes of transportation. Incomplete streets doesn’t serve all users, such as streets without sidewalks or bike paths, he explained. The concept is flexible so there is no typical street. Complete streets are more attractive and walkers, joggers and bikers don’t feel threatened by cars. With complete streets, people would walk and bike more, thus saving gasoline. They are safe and are ways to open up the public right-of-way to everyone in the community. He said the United States suffers from a norm of planning for one group of users. He added that complete streets promotes active and healthy lifestyles. He pointed out that Europe has significantly more pedestrians and cyclists and fewer pedestrian and cyclist deaths compared the United States. He noted that Complete streets legislation ensures that the entire right-of-way is routinely designed and operated to enable safe access for all users. He reviewed the essential elements of the Complete Streets program and the exceptions. He noted that retrofitting costs millions and building these options would be more cost effective if they were implemented in the start of a project. He displayed a typical street designed in the 1950s and updated it with elements of Complete Streets. Those items were narrowing the street, adding a median, trees, a bike lane, bringing the buildings closer to the road (zero lot line) and increasing building densities. He said these are key points to building a safe and walkable community.
Mr.
Olander asked about potential conflicts
between parking and the bike lane.
Mr. McGrath responded that car doors can open and catch cyclists and if the
bike lane is moved further out that can be averted.
Mr. Olander stated that the City is primarily built out and the
problem is that much of the right-of-way is used for parking,
landscaping, rockeries, and neighbors are concerned about losing parking for
bike lanes or sidewalks. He asked Mr. McGrath if he had any tips or hints
on how to make that work so the residents don’t feel threatened.
Mr. McGrath responded that it is a difficult problem when residents
are used to keeping their autos on the street. However, he said it
is for the greater good to eliminate parking in some areas and
in other times it might not make sense. He explained that
ultimately it is an equity argument, but when people realize it is about
bringing people back into the public sphere they sometimes agree with it.
Councilmember Ryu discussed the
slide Mr. McGrath presented concerning USA pedestrians and cyclists suffering more casualties. She asked if there was a difference
in sizes of vehicles between Europe and the USA. She highlighted
that there seem to be smaller vehicles in Europe.
Mr. McGrath assumed that the average vehicle size and weight is less in Europe and everything from speed, to the number of pedestrians, to the weight of
the vehicles would be interrelated. However, he commented that the
easier solution is to own smaller automobiles and encourage safer driving.
Councilmember Ryu stated that she had one of her bikes stolen and asked
if Complete Streets included some type of safe bicycle storage areas.
He responded that they typically don't cover things like that. He said
the idea is to institutionalize a set of steps in planning, other cities
have set standards for other things.
Councilmember Gustafson thanked Mr. McGrath for his presentation and stated that the reason he and Councilmember McGlashan asked for this presentation because the City is in the process of considering bike, pedestrian, walking, and hiking trails with the passage of the bond issue. He reminded the Council that as the master plan gets discussed they need to think about concept of Complete Streets. He said bikes are used significantly in Europe and that should be considered as the City moves forward with future planning of East/West and North/South connectors. He commented that the Interurban Trail has been one of the factors that has received a lot of notoriety because it is envisioned that it will connect Lake Union with Everett. He felt the Council should take some time to look at and consider these options as the move forward with the master plan.
Councilmember Way thanked Mr. McGrath for coming and asked him for a copy
of the presentation. She asked how the Complete streets concept
would work with possible natural drainage strategies.
Mr. McGrath replied that those are two design elements that would need
to be taken into consideration during the planning stages. He
thought they are compatible and could coexist. Complete streets, he
explained, is a commitment of present leaders that there design features will
always be included.
Councilmember Way inquired what he would recommend as alternatives to
grates, which have been a problem for cyclists.
Mr. McGrath recommended the use of perpendicular slatted grates because
the hole will not be linear which the tire will go into.
Councilmember Way wondered what the estimate of % of cyclists are now in
Portland compared to 1990.
Mr. McGrath responded that the mode split has tripled or quadrupled in a
decade. This translates to 10-16% of all Citywide all trips being on
bicycle, currently the Puget Sound is at 2%. Complete streets is
utilized in the entire state of Oregon, he said.
Councilmember Way asked if there is the organization recommendation
for helmets as far as safety.
Mr. McGrath said his organization supported the King County Ordinance on
wearing helmets all of the time. Additionally, his organization
backs any helmet related legislation.
Councilmember Hansen
inquired how Bellingham received a silver award.
Mr. McGrath responded that they received it from the League of American
Bicyclists (LAB).
Councilmember Hansen said he would encourage the City to look into how that
is obtained.
Deputy Mayor Fimia appreciated the presentation. She said she is a
firm believer of "if you build it they will come". However, the
safety and accessibility of the residents to each of the transportation
elements is key, she added. She highlighted that the City is
allocating $700,000 to $900,000 a year for sidewalks. She
stated the City doesn’t have to wait for redevelopment because adding
another 50 feet on Westminster would allow people to walk to store.
She submitted that small incremental changes in this area can bring
significant returns. She announced that her husband is an
avid bicyclist and a leader in the CBC. She highlighted that
she had the City staff provide a copy of the LAB standards for a bicycle-friendly
community are. Based on them, she felt that both the complete
streets and LAB programs are what the City should pursue and thinks
they are relatively easily to attain. She said complete streets
policies have to be applied to every street in Shoreline. She
wondered what Mr. McGrath’s opinion was on lowering speed limits on some
arterials.
He responded that speed is what kills pedestrians and cyclists and that
a modest reduction in speed limits leads to large change.
Deputy Mayor Fimia concluded that she is in favor of this item.
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(a) Virginia Paulsen, Shoreline said the salaries of the Shoreline Councilmembers is low. She announced that they receive $700 a month. The position of Councilmember requires considerable education and experience, she said, and the hourly wage for this Council is low. There is a temptation not spend time on Council business if they are not paid adequately. She felt the low salary discourages people from running for office and contributes to the field of well-qualified people being small. She also added that it is an insult to the democratic process. On the other hand, she stated that the City staff is well paid. She felt that the City should carefully consider a more just and appropriate salary level for Councilmembers and study the compensation of other local Councilmembers. She closed and said she hopes to see a just and fair wages in the future.
(b) Shari Marlin, Shoreline and she is a Board Member and the Region VI Director of the Washington State Parent/Teacher Association (PTA). She noted that she is in charge of this area and some 26,000 members. She said parents come into schools to provide more productive and safe environment. Shoreline, she said, has rich diversity. She said she attended the City's volunteer breakfast. The City staff greeted and shared breakfast with the volunteers. The energy, she said, at the breakfast was positive and warm. She thanked the City staff and the Council and said they went a long way to keep the volunteers energized and appreciated.
(c) Rick Stephens, Unincorporated Snohomish County endorsed complete streets and said him and his wife bike
about 5,000 miles per year. This, he said, saves gas money
and helps reduce hydrocarbons in our environment. A complete streets
program throughout WA would make commuting, visiting parks, and
sightseeing much more accessible for those who wish to ride.
He highly recommended bicycling and riding in Shoreline could be made much
better through better access, such as ways to access Burke Gilman. He
said the City staff has had some thoughtful ideas. He added that
there is a need to complete education for this City. He added that
the City has put in some ADA crosswalks, but there need to be more of them.
Deputy Mayor Fimia asked why someone from Unincorporated Snohomish County is interested in this issue.
Mr. Stephens said he grew up in Shoreline and has a family
business here. He said he rides the streets in Shoreline as a
part of the recreational sport he enjoys. He also graduated from Shoreline High School.
(d) Diana Stephens, Unincorporated Snohomish County vehicles need to be cautious. She said education is very important and cyclists are to be considered as vehicles. She felt bicycles are not supposed to be riding on sidewalks and all roads need to be safe. She highlighted that their commute is twenty miles each way. She urged the Council to support the CBC and for the public to join CBC.
(e) LaNita Wacker, Shoreline discussed the proposed reduction in the City’s travel budget. She said the Council travel budget is $4,500 per Councilmember. She said that during the last decade the City has spent $300,000 for travel and it has resulted in the City receiving over $30,000,000 in Federal and State grant funding. The National League of Cities (NLC) is a national organization and the City of Shoreline is at the table. Mayor Ransom serves on the Steering Committee for the National League of Human Development, Councilmember McGlashan serves on the Community and Economic Development Committee, and Councilmember Gustafson serves on the First Tier Cities. She said it is critical that the City is at the table and receives these grants. Suburban Cities Association (SCA) is a part of the King County budget process and it gives us a seat at the County budget table. These funds, she pointed out, are essential to the operation of the City. The City staff and Council maintain memberships with professional organizations, she added. These memberships provide the opportunity for City employees to confer with their peers and receive updated information on current legislation. She concluded that she wanted trained people working for her at City Hall.
(f) Dennis Heller, Shoreline thanked the Council for their public service. He additionally thanked them for the quality and final completion of the first 1.2 miles of Aurora Avenue North. The new development along the corridor is a marketplace saying "job well done", he commented. He said he is hearing that Shoreline may have opportunity to set standard for developing an ecological model, especially in the surface water management arena. He noted that transportation means more than moving cars and is in favor of "complete streets". He was gratified to talk to Councilmember Way at the "Step It Up" event. He is glad that people are ready to do their part to reduce global warming. He is also pleased that a majority of Council supports bicycling and the effort to making the streets safer in Shoreline for pedestrians and bicyclists.
(g) Pat Murray, Shoreline said he was surprised by the bicycling piece. He stated most of the public resents sharing roads with bicycles. He felt that bicyclists have been losing this battle for years and he, as a bicyclist, doesn't want to share the road with cars. He felt it was too much of a risk to ride on the street with cars. He preferred riding his bicycle against traffic to see the traffic coming towards him. However, he commented that he can’t legally ride that way now. He discussed cable TV. The City collects a fee and tax from him and he expects something back. He asked if the City has ever reviewed the franchise agreement to see what they are giving to the residents.
(h) Chris Eggen, Shoreline, on behalf of the CBC and Complete Streets said there is a real hazard driving on City streets without specialty lanes. He commented that drivers are looking for cars, not bicycles, and the same goes for motorcycles. They first look for cars, then narrow their focus to look for cyclists and pedestrians. He urged the Council to support Complete Streets.
Mr. Olander stated that the cable franchise negotiation comes up in 2010 and the City will start negotiations in 2009. He said cities are restricted in what they can negotiate and the Federal government has circumscribed our abilities. However, the City will look at other opportunities. Residents can contact the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Congress to express their concerns, he added.
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(a) Comprehensive Housing Strategy Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC) Update |
Sid Kuboi, Comprehensive Housing Strategy Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) Chair introduced Terry Scott who is the Vice Chair and a resident of the Ridgecrest Neighborhood. He said committee has met twice a month since December and they have been brainstorming and formulating ideas. He noted that the committee has come up with three general areas of focus; 1) affordable housing, 2) housing choice, and 3) neighborhood character. Recently, he added the CAC has been working on defining operating assumptions, which are overarching principles that will guide the group in their decision-making and deliberation process.
Terry Scott highlighted that there are sixteen citizens of diverse backgrounds. They include landlords, renters, and homeowners.
Mr. Kuboi commended the Council on the committee selection. He said everyone is thinking and are open-minded. He said the first meetings were "get to know you" meetings. The next step, he said, is to start learning about housing. The committee is going well and has had nine meetings. He said the first three or four meetings were done in the mode of getting to know each other and finding ways to express themselves comfortably. However, he felt the last four meetings have been very productive and there has been good dialogue. In these last meetings they have completed their draft ideas on the affordable housing piece, he commented. He also said Terry is helping quite a bit and he meshes well with the group.
Mr. Scott said the common theme is that everyone cares for the City and no one is bashful. Everyone speaks freely in the meetings. The City staff and the members on the committee have been tremendous in getting everyone up to speed. He mentioned that Arthur Sullivan spoke to the group about affordable housing and Joe Tovar spoke about zoning and what proper zoning can and cannot do. Additionally, Mark Hinshaw who one of the City’s Speaker Series 2010 presenters gave a session on urban design ideas and density. Finally, Bill Cragar discussed housing choice and design alternatives. He specifically commented that City employees Steve Cohn and Rob Beem are tremendous.
Mr. Kuboi continued and said the next steps will be to wrap up affordable housing at the next meeting and start working on housing choices. The committee will learn about visual preference surveys and tackle the topic of neighborhood compatibility. He also added that the City staff will be working with the committee on a framework for a communications strategy to work with the residents on the points which the committee deem as important. He expected to be back with recommendations to the Council in June and will to hold a public hearing to get comments around that time. He commented that there have been discussions concerning the terms "affordable" and "affordability". Affordable housing is the term used by human services and that is what will be a part of the overall affordability question. However, he said the issue is that if you are 125% over the median household income you aren't able to receive help from any public agency. This, he pointed out represents a large part of people looking for affordable housing, based on the standard criteria that these programs use.
Mayor Ransom called for public comment.
(a) LaNita Wacker, Shoreline said another term that is used is "low cost." There are some standards that apply to low cost as far as the income level. She said there are different standards and low cost should be brought in when speaking of people with low incomes that can’t afford anything in the marketplace. She felt that this should go under the umbrella of affordability.
Councilmember Way thanked the committee for their excellent work thusfar. She inquired how rental housing fits. She also discussed older housing stock and submitted that they may be more affordable for renters. She discussed having renters feel more attached to their community and whether that could be addressed by the design of the apartment or condominium units.
Mr. Scott stated they did discuss rental stock and retaining the current stock. There was also discussion on community benefits and providing incentives for builders who try to take community into consideration. He noted that they discussed how builders could actually assist neighborhoods in bringing people together.
Councilmember McGlashan said there
are national issues concerning foreclosures and conversions. He
asked if there were any records or discussion about this issue in Shoreline.
Mr. Kuboi responded that there has been some peripheral discussion from
a policy perspective.
Councilmember McGlashan rebutted that he does know of some apartment
developments that have happened and more that are happening. He wondered
if City staff has been track or are going to track conversions happening in
Shoreline.
Rob Beem, Community Services Division Director said there has been legislation introduced geared to allowing apartment owner additional compensation for relocations for tenants. He said he hasn’t seen anything in Washington that has intervened in cycle. However, he said he is aware of conversions going on, but haven’t tracked them closely.
Councilmember Ryu thanked Mr. Kuboi and Mr. Scott for their presentation and she is glad that there is diversity on the CAC since the City has diverse communities. She mentioned that the housing stock is driven by market forces. She also asked the CAC to be aware that people out there are in different life stages of their lives and asked that that information be noted in the committee meetings. She said wanted to have the CAC put all the issues on the table and she knows all of the members won’t agree on all the points but she added that it is good to have them all there so they can be aware of each others viewpoints. She encouraged all the members of the CAC to fearlessly put a variety of ideas out there because it will help the process in the long run.
Mr. Scott addressed the life cycle issue and said it comes under housing choice. He said the CAC realizes Shoreline has people ar various life cycles. He said the committee is taking up the issues that involve the elderly and also talking about the vitality of young families. He noted that this task will be enjoyable and challenging at the same time.
Deputy Mayor Fimia thanked the CAC for their work. She said she has sat into some meetings and they have been encouraging. She said the staff did a good job in selecting from the sixty applications recieved. She said it is good for the CAC to come to the Council to test goals and strategies you will work under. She said she saw a whole array of options for affordable housing at the National League of Cities conference and it might be good to get agreement on what you think the guiding principles would be. She encouraged them to start with the City’s Comprehensive Plan, specifically the housing goals and strategies contained in it. She added that the committee might see things that are missing. She added that the Council doesn’t want a list of recommendations that are not within spectrum of things they can do. She said she would like to see a range of modest to major changes proposed and some specific recommendations on code, fees, policies, zoning, process, partnership potential, environmental considerations, standards, and assumptions about transportation.
Mayor Ransom wanted to make sure the each member of the CAC acts independently and gives their own viewpoints. He wanted all the members to know that no one was directing them and the Council was only interested in receiving good input from the community.
At 8:46 p.m., Mayor Ransom calls for a ten minute break.
At 9:00 p.m., Mayor Ransom reconvened the meeting.
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Mr. Olander introduced the City’s Environmental and Recycling Educator Rika Cecil and Surface Water Manager Jerry Shuster. He noted that the Council set aside some mini-grant funding in past budget. The City staff is here to brief the Council on its recommendation and the process of obtaining the grant.
Rika Cecil stated that the goal of this mini-grant is to increase awareness and stewardship of the City’s natural resources, to create partnerships to promote a sustainable community, and to implement local projects that contribute to regional environmental initiatives. She added that the criteria is utilized to ensure the program is consistent with the City’s goals. She explained that there is $35,000 total and $20,000 available for surface water quality and environmental projects for individuals, businesses and community groups. She said the funds will be awarded by June and continue until all funds are expended. She reviewed the application process and stated that she planned on coming back to Council to report.
Mayor Ransom called for public comment.
(a) Chris Eggen,
Shoreline discussed the housing committee and stated that Steve Cohn and Rob Beem have done a good job. He added that the committee is
making progress. He stated he reviewed the information in the
Council packet and commented that the grant program is accountable and
solid. He urged the Council to provide the support needed
for adoption. However, he is a little concerned because the
Solar Project has a July event. Nonetheless, he complimented Rika Cecil and Jerry Schuster for their work and urged Council support.
Mayor Ransom closed public comment.
Councilmember Gustafson asked
if all seven projects could be done for surface water.
Mr. Schuster replied that all of them can be surface water projects,
but it just depends what projects are submitted.
Councilmember Way wanted to add a bike rack program under criteria 1 or
2 might be something someone would want to take on. She felt this
would encourage more people to ride their bikes.
Mr. Olander stated that the City staff will, in the
future, add administrative guidelines and supplemental materials
which will be helpful to those that apply.
Councilmember Way asked what safeguards will the City put in place to
ensure accountability for individuals.
Mr. Schuster responded that if the project is on private
property the City will place a high standard for mutual environmental
benefit on the project and looked at very intensely.
Councilmember Way inquired how the funding process worked.
Ian Sievers, City Attorney responded that a contract is good model
for this. The City pays after the work is done.
Councilmember Way suggested that the City allocate a partial payment up
front or some projects may not be possible.
Mr. Sievers explained that the City can make direct vendor payments
since vendors will more than likely do most of the work.
Mr. Olander added that there are a lot of streams and wetlands on private
property and those projects are what the City is looking for.
Councilmember Way announced that she has worked with King County many times in the past but not with neighborhood grants. She said she has spoken
to King County Waterworks who said they may be able to match these
grants. She asked if there is a structure in place which would
dictate how to proceed on this with King County.
Mr. Schuster responded that the City has an interlocal agreement with King County.
Mr. Olander added that the City staff can explore this along
with the timing of the grants and proceed without holding
the process up.
Councilmember McGlashan asked how an
individual demonstrates a measurable benefit to community on private
property.
Mr. Schuster responded that a stream that moves through a private
residence can be enhanced because it makes the watershed better.
Councilmember McGlashan wondered what would happen if neither of the adjacent
neighbors did nothing.
Mr. Olander responded that a majority of the wetlands and streams are
privately owned. He noted that the City will have to be flexible
and somewhat cautious with the approvals. He added that Council
will want to review the process.
Councilmember Ryu is excited to see this administered and can see this as great benefit for non-profit organizations and private small projects. There is great potential, but she said the City needs to be careful how you screen the projects. This is just the extra catalyst the City needs to get private community involved.
Mr. Olander highlighted to the Council that the City can’t give away public funds for private purposes.
Deputy Mayor Fimia reminded the Council that the City staff made the proposal
and the Council’s job is to revise it if they desire. She
suggested three revisions. First, she doesn’t support allowing
private individuals apply for the grant. She said the applications should
come through a non-profit organization, school, jurisdiction or neighborhood
organization. She explained that it protects the City
against having to make some administrative decision and the private usage
of public funds. Next, she said she felt there should be two
additional criteria. The first would be that it must provide direct
services or education component and not for studies, consultants or
surveys. Additionally, she said criteria #6 should be that there is no
other practical source of dollars for the project.
Mr. Olander clarified Deputy Mayor Fimia’s first criteria and said it
would make sense from a City staff point of view. However, he said
criteria #6 might be hard to enforce because it would be hard
to determine what all the sources of funding would be.
Councilmember Way disagreed with Deputy Mayor Fimia and explained that
non-profits and neighborhood organizations need a consultant or expertise.
Deputy Mayor Fimia suggested adding language that would refer to a
consultant providing direct service to a non-profit organization, school,
jurisdiction, or neighborhood organization only.
Councilmember Way also added that sometimes studies are done as a part
of a grant. This would include what the results of the study
were. She suggested that eliminating all studies is restrictive and
there needs to be some flexibility. She continued and said an
individual should apply for this grant through the neighborhood group
and there needs to be some way to get property owners involved.
Councilmember Hansen expressed great confidence that the City Manager and the City staff can do a great job with this. He added that he is convinced that the City Manager and the City staff will make sure that the grant applications don’t go out of bounds. He felt the format of this program needed to be open; stating that if the City puts individual restrictions on the program there will be some great projects that won’t get done. He didn’t think the City Manager and the City staff would give the grant funds away. He supported the proposal as written.
Councilmember Ryu wanted to include the Council intent and to have the funds stretch as far as possible. He wanted emphasis put on certain projects that better the community.
Councilmember Gustafson concurred with Councilmember Hansen and agreed that the City staff should manage it and bring it to Council in about a year for their review. He has the faith they will evaluate the program and felt the Council should give the City staff a little flexibility rather than restrict them and the program itself.
Mayor Ransom said he didn’t want to limit the program to non-profits, schools, etc. He said he can see where Sky Nursery or an individual coming up with a program, essentially providing the City with free labor. He emphasized direct services and felt that in some cases a study may be worthwhile. He also added that Shoreline Community College might need to do an inventory of plants or trees, which is essentially a study that benefits the City. He said he doesn't want to exclude these types of possibilities. He also added that the number of projects shouldn't be limited to seven because less expensive projects can be done.
Deputy Mayor Fimia commented that Councilmember Hansen said that the City staff would not award these grants to individuals. However, she read that the text of the staff report says that there will be Boy Scouts, the Shoreline Community College, and non-profits that will apply for these grant funds and as a precaution the City needs to ensure that the entity who receives funds has some grounding in the community. She noted that the Council has made some good points about studies. She suggested amending the rules to focus on direct service programs and projects.
Councilmember Way submitted that a way to resolve the question of
giving grants to individuals is that there could be a requirement that the
applicant shows their partnership credentials.
Deputy Mayor Fimia added that maybe the funding should only go
through non-profits.
Councilmember Ryu said that even with
revisions this allows for projects on private property. She added
that the awarding it to the stated groups would force them to show
how they work with private owner. This, she said would mean that the City
would not be liable and actually gives the City a buffer.
She suggested striking the groups out for now.
Mr. Olander stated that this is a legitimate policy discussion and the City
staff wants Council guidance one way or another on this issue.
Ms. Cecil said she would like to try to implement this as a pilot
project this year and adjust the program with Council guidance next year.
Councilmember McGlashan said he doesn’t want businesses removed from participating in this grant program. He noted that this program can always be revisited and adjusted if there are applications received that don’t fit the criteria. He agreed the proposed program.
Deputy Mayor Fimia reminded the Council that there is legislation
against the gifting of public funds to private individuals. She
said this gets the City out of the problem of gifting public funds if
non-profits are involved.
Mr. Sievers stated that non-profits are in the same category as private
individuals if it is not for the benefit of the public.
Deputy Mayor Fimia continued that giving these funds to an individual
could be risky and burdensome. She added that the City could
provide list of organizations that individuals could go to. She asked if
the City has ever fulfilled mini-grant requests to individuals.
Ms. Cecil responded that the City of Lake Forest Park gives mini-grants
to individuals.
Councilmember Way stated that the City needs a vehicle to make this accessible to a group that is more informal. She added that some granting agencies don’t want to work with agencies that aren’t 501-c3 qualified.
Mr.
Olander said he needed more direction as
whether to restrict this to non-profits, schools, community groups, educational
groups, and neighborhood organizations.
Council consensus was to keep the proposed language as-is.
Councilmember Ryu highlighted that the City needs to ensure the applicants are bonded prior to disbursing grant funds.
Councilmember Hansen added that there have been 501-c3 organizations that have had employees steal grant money. However, the controls revolve around the City staff monitoring the projects very closely, not the individuals.
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In the interest
of the agenda and at Mayor Ransom’s suggestion, there was
consensus to postpone action on this item until the end of the meeting.
Debbie Tarry, Finance Director distributed a memorandum in response to
questions submitted by Councilmember Ryu and Councilmember Way. She
provided a summary of year end 2006 finances. She announced that
there was $838,000 in one-time savings in the General Fund. She
discussed the General Fund Revenue Overview and highlighted
that several categories were above the City’s
projections. She reviewed the franchise and contract payment history
which has kept better pace with inflation, she stated. She stated
that there was marginal sales tax growth in 2006 compared to
2005. She said the gambling revenue was $1,000,000 less
than the 2005 amount. She attributed this to the reduction of the tax
rate to 7% by the Council and less overall gambling activity in Shoreline.
Councilmember Hansen stated that almost all of that drop of $1,000,000
is due to the change in their tax rate by the City. He contended that if
the rate was still at 10% there would not have been such a loss of revenue to
the City.
Ms. Tarry responded that changing the rate for six months resulted in
loss of $321,000. She stated there was an 18% reduction in the card room
activity level. She noted that on the expenditure side the
City has been eliminating contingencies and the City staff is
trying to get better at making the margin of difference in projections
smaller. Jail costs are continuing to be monitored, she said, and
are up due to an increase in usage. She highlighted that there
were more revenues than expenditures in the Street Fund and most of the
additional revenue came from an increase in right-of-way permits. The
Surface Water Utility Fund reflected an increase in revenue mostly because
investment interest rates were below the City’s
projections. She also noted that the expenditures were lower than
projected. She noted that there are capital projects that have not been
started in the Capital Fund budget that were carried over from
2006. Additionally, the Real Estate Excise Tax (REET) collections
were slightly less than 2005 based on less transactions than in 2006. In
summary, the 2006 financial results are positive and revenue growth is still
occurring. City departments are managing to stay within their
budgets, she stated, and all operating budgets are on target. She
pointed out that the City staff is currently working on the 2008 - 2013 Capital
Improvement Plan (CIP) which will be brought back to the Council in June.
Mr. Olander highlighted that City staff will also be bringing to Council a proposal on clarifying the reserve fund policy. He stated that the City staff is suggesting a discussion on long-term items such as a levy lid lift, education, and feedback. He said all of this information is contained in the Council Retreat packet.
There was no one in the audience wishing to speak on this agenda item.
Councilmember Ryu appreciated the City staff's responsiveness. She has been looking at the City's budget for over five years and because it is so transparent it facilitates Council discussion and helps the Council with policy formation.
Deputy Mayor Fimia said this complicated information is consistently presented in format that is easy to understand. She recommended that the public read it. She said it is important that the public knows the City isn't overspending and is within budget. She also added that it is very helpful to have in summary form.
Councilmember Way thanked the staff for providing the auto retail sales tax information. She commented that the $764,760 this year in auto sales tax out of $3.9 million in retail trade is substantial. She said she appreciated the car dealerships in Shoreline.
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Mr. Olander announced that Management Analyst Bernard Seeger has accepted the City Administrator position in the City of Cascade Locks, Oregon.
Mr. Seeger reviewed that this proposal considers using the Issaquah jail facility for booking instead of King County. He stated the booking and nightly stay fees at King County are quite significant. He noted that there is an additional 8 hours a week transportation requirement to our officers based on our average usage. To offset this the City can shift this and buy additional police time. He added that if the City shifts 12 prisoners a week into the Issaquah facility, the City can save $179,000 per year. $136,000 of these savings can be utilized to purchase another police officer. He highlighted that he has discussed this option with the City of Issaquah and there are no obstacles preventing this.
Mr. Olander said the City has been working on this for the past one and a half years and provides a significant benefit to City; specifically, the savings of over $40,000 per year and the addition of an officer to the Shoreline Police Department. He added that it is a part of the City’s effort to find continuing efficiencies. He said the City staff recommends approval and is requesting authorization to proceed.
Mayor Ransom stated he is happy about the $40,000 buffer but
pointed out that some agencies may still book City of Shoreline defendants into
King County on City warrants.
Mr. Olander responded that those allowances have been figured into the
projections and he felt there was enough of a comfortable cushion to
proceed.
There was no one in the audience wishing to speak on this agenda item.
Councilmember Ryu thanked Mr. Seeger for his work on this item and said he has done a great job for the City of Shoreline in his tenure. She inquired if there will be a flexibility in
the scheduling and the staffing.
Mr. Olander responded that the officer will probably be added to
the street crimes unit.
Tony Burtt, Police Chief confirmed that
the greatest need is in the street crimes unit.
Councilmember Ryu noted that staffing the street crimes unit is the
City’s number one priority and appreciated the research in finding the funds.
She inquired if there would be any parking fee increases if the City utilized
Issaquah.
Mr. Burtt responded that there are no parking fees. Additionally, he
said one advantage with Issaquah is the ability to get the defendants
processed quicker because there are less individuals being booked into their
jail.
Councilmember Ryu asked about gas calculations.
Mr. Burtt stated that gas consumption is hard to calculate, however, the
officers can use the I-405 car pool lane.
Mr. Olander concurred and added that it is very difficult to
calculate travel times and costs based on varying traffic flows.
At 10:05 p.m., Councilmember Ryu moved to extend the meeting until 10:30 p.m., seconded by Deputy Mayor Fimia. Motion carried 6-1. Councilmember Gustafson dissenting.
Councilmember Way thanked the City staff for this creative way to save money and to fund better safety.
Mayor Ransom said it will take time to take clients
downtown. He calculated it will take 16 hours per week for
transporting inmates. He asked if all of the transporting would be done
by a patrol or crimes officer.
Mr. Burtt replied that this would be done by a patrol officer.
Mayor Ransom summarized that based on this the City would be
getting a full time street crimes officer. He asked how many
officers there were.
Mr. Burtt responded that there are 47 officers, including one vacant
position, with 28 of the 47 assigned to uniformed officer
patrol.
Deputy Mayor Fimia requested that the Council receive quarterly crime
statistics.
Mr. Burtt said he would provide them as soon as they arrived from King County.
Council consensus was for the City staff to proceed with the implementation of this item.
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At 10:30 p.m., Mayor Ransom declared the meeting adjourned.