CITY OF SHORELINE
SHORELINE CITY COUNCIL
SUMMARY MINUTES OF STUDY SESSION
Monday, September 17, 2007 - 6:30 p.m.
Shoreline Conference Center
Mt. Rainier Room
PRESENT: Mayor Ransom, Deputy Mayor Fimia, Councilmember Gustafson, Councilmember Hansen, Councilmember McGlashan, and Councilmember Way.
ABSENT: None.
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At 6:38 p.m., the meeting was called to order by Mayor Ransom, who presided.
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Mayor Ransom led the flag salute. Upon roll call by the City Clerk, all Councilmembers were present with the exception of Councilmembers Hansen, McGlashan, and Ryu. Mayor Ransom noted that he expected Councilmembers McGlashan and Hansen to arrive late.
Councilmember McGlashan moved to excuse Councilmember Ryu. Councilmember Way seconded the motion, which carried 4-0, and Councilmember Ryu was excused.
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Bob Olander, City Manager, provided reports and updates on past and future City meetings and events. He said the Interurban Trail has reached completion and that there is a ribbon cutting ceremony on September 22. He noted that the City staff has been working to retrofit its entire fleet of diesel vehicles to reduce emissions. He announced that the new Transfer Station reopening has been postponed until early 2008. He announced the following events:
- Planning Commission meeting, September 19
- Planning Commission/Hearing Examiner meeting, September 20
- Shoreline Business Recycling event, September 20
- South Woods dedication, September 24
- Shoreline Emergency Preparedness Community meeting, September 25
- Cromwell Park meeting, September 26
- Commercial Zone Workshop, September 27
Mr. Olander noted that notices concerning these events and meetings are on the City’s website and on Channel 21.
Deputy Mayor Fimia asked about the Commercial Zone workshop.
Joe Tovar, Planning and Development Services Director, stated that it deals with portions of the City already zoned Community Business (CB) and are within 1,300 feet of Aurora Avenue or Ballinger Way.
Councilmember Gustafson arrived at 6:48 p.m.
Mr. Olander stated that the City has received a letter from the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) congratulating the Shoreline Police Department on recent bank robberies. The letter stated the Shoreline Police Department has done outstanding police work and all three of the bank suspects were caught. He said this recognition demonstrates the hard work and professionalism of our police force.
Councilmember Way congratulated Mr. Olander on implementing the biodiesel conversion. Additionally, she asked how the City intends to advertise the recycling event to local businesses.
Mark Relph, Public Works Director, stated they are being informed through direct mailing and the City web page. Councilmember Way inquired about home businesses and if they could participate, to which Mr. Relph responded affirmatively.
Councilmember Way inquired if the Cromwell Park event related it its master plan. Mr. Olander responded that the City staff was beginning the process for Cromwell Park and wants input from neighborhood.
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(a) Washington Public Campaigns |
Councilmember Way introduced Sarah Jane Sigfried and provided details on her background, including her work lobbying for Washington Public Campaigns (WPC) in Olympia. She also noted that King County Councilmember Bob Ferguson is exploring the possibility of public campaign funding.
Ms. Sigfried explained that there are three proposals before the legislature. Currently, cities and counties are not allowed to have their own public campaign financing because of the words "and local" that are in Initiative 134 from 1992. If these words are removed in the law, cities could have their own public campaign financing. She said her group thought they were close to passing it last session but it didn’t. She played a nine-minute video which highlighted the public campaign financing system.
Councilmember Hansen arrived 7:06 p.m.
Ms. Sigfried highlighted that WPC is a bi-partisan, non-profit organization, and public campaign financing increases the public trust. It is optional and starts with people raising a small amount of qualifying monies from friends and family. She said if the City raises contributions, candidates would qualify for public funding for the primary and general election if needed. She stated that public campaign funding provides funds based on the expenditures of privately-funded opponents depending on how much they spend, but there is a limit. She said that would mean up to $140,000 if four people were running as publicly funded candidates for City Council. She handed out a copy of Councilmember Bob Ferguson's bill that he introduced to the King County Council.
Deputy Mayor Fimia inquired what the public would do to begin this process.
Ms. Sigfried responded that they would need to contact the City Council, the King County Council, and let their legislators know. She added that this bill is for this session and felt that it is going to take an initiative. She added that it doesn't cost the state anything and they think the House Bill will pass. She highlighted that the organization’s website is www.washclean.org and that they are tracking what's going on in other cities.
Councilmember Way appreciated the NOW program and asked about its status. Ms. Sigfried stated that Representative Kagi was a co-sponsor. She added that it will be voted on within the next 30 days in King County Council and is sponsored by Councilmember Ferguson, Councilmember Constantine, and all the district democrats have endorsed it.
Councilmember McGlashan asked how many board members there were.
Ms. Sigfried responded that there are eleven. Councilmember McGlashan clarified whether or not the City can execute this. Ms. Sigfried responded that the state has to enable this by striking the two words from the legislation. She is asking local legislators to study what a local bill would do if it was implemented. She noted that in Seattle and King County it used to be 50/50 matching. An analysis would need to be done to determine if that is the best division of the funds based on the budget. Councilmember McGlashan verified that the monies would go to the City. He asked what the limits were in Arizona. Ms. Sigfried noted that the campaign costs vary depending upon the locality. For King County, she said the cost of mailing, media is expensive. To run a race, she estimated that the cost is currently $250,000. However, that amount varies based upon the jurisdiction.
Councilmember Hansen said he is curious to see how this program would work. He added that his opponent spent five times the amount he spent.
Mr. Olander asked if the Association of Washington Cities (AWC) or the Association of Washington Counties taken a position on this. Ms. Sigfried said she was not sure.
Mr. Olander asked if people have been able to circumventing this by establishing independent advocacy groups for individual candidates. Ms. Sigfried said it was discussed because there were political action committees or 527s involved in races. However, all the variables cannot be removed due to first amendment rights.
Mayor Ransom asked if the money would be placed into the City’s general fund. Ms. Sigfried responded that that is a question for the study because it varies in other states. In some states judges take the funds out of lawyer fees, court fees, and a host of different sources.
Councilmember Hansen referred to the literature handed out, which stated that in Maine, 77% of the House and 83% of the Senate ran publicly funded campaigns with “clean money.” He asked what the other 23% and 17% of the funds were made of. Ms. Sigfried responded that the remainder came from private funds. Councilmember Hansen assumed that the others did not run as publicly funded and raised as much money as they wanted.
Councilmember Way asked where this program was used in 1991. Ms. Sigfried responded that it has been utilized in the City of Seattle by Nick Licata and Scott Noble. She said there have been a number of people in city and county offices that have done this. She added that it was a 50/50 match.
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a) Dale Wright, Shoreline, said that Mayor Ransom, Deputy Mayor Fimia, and Councilmembers Way, Ryu, and Chang conspired to handle the Steve Burkett matter in secret by: 1) not informing the other three Councilmembers or the public of their intent and plan of action; 2) deciding to terminate Mr. Burkett; 3) negotiating and finalizing with Burkett his termination agreement; 4) deciding to hire political associate Mr. Mauer as City Manager; 5) negotiating and finalizing an employment contract with Mr. Mauer; and 6) deciding to officially terminate Burkett and hire Mauer without conferring with others. This was done without having an official action item on any Council agenda. By these actions, they did not honor the intent of law and ignored the City's protocol for evaluating, hiring, and firing city managers. He said what has troubled him the most is that none of them have shown any remorse and they continue to maintain that their actions were appropriate and acceptable.
b) Virginia Paulsen, Shoreline, commented that this issue of the Currents is the very best ever. She said it discussed the preferred alternative for the completion of the Aurora Corridor, including estimated costs and secured funding. This public report is evidence of the integrity of the City Manager, the staff, and the Council. She felt there should be a Currents article on the new city hall, since 90% of the citizens say it is their main source of news. She hopes to see more facts and figures in the next issue. She said she is pleased there are several new citizen advisory groups. She felt the whole tenor of the City is beginning to change and said before 2004 it was impossible for people to provide input. She said the new Councilmembers foster input.
c) Gito Olivera, Shoreline, said he attended a neighborhood meeting to introduce a project involving the construction of “air condos” on a stretch of Greenwood Avenue N. He said this neighborhood meeting reintroduced him to the idea that people can buy big lot, extract maximum profit, and impact the neighborhood. Air condos are a way for a contractor to build numerous dwellings close together and watch property values go down. He said these condos are not appropriate or allowed in a single-family neighborhood. He said air condos could be put on the fast-track and asked the City to study the issue and do a full investigation. He suggested that a development should complement and uplift its surroundings rather than profit from and demean them.
d) Dale Simonsen, Shoreline, commented that he lives next door to a proposed air condo development. He said he has several concerns that they circumvent zoning regulations and that developers only care about profit, not impact. This proposal includes the removal of very large, old trees and will impact ambiance, traffic, environment, child safety, and home values. He said that once these changes are made it will never be the same. He was against circumventing the zoning code and ruining neighborhoods.
e) Art Maronek, Shoreline, showed pictures of the property that was discussed by the previous two speakers. He added that there are fifty-eight (58) significant trees on two parcels. He said as long as long as the trees are left in groups, they protect houses and other trees. He said if singular trees are left, they are much more prone to failure. He added that he is one of the four houses that would be impacted. He said he looks forward to working with the Council and the staff to give as much information as possible. He clarified that he is not against the development of these parcels, but he is against lowering of public safety standards. He said the developer doesn't seem to care, noting the developer stated that he only has to replace 20% of what he takes out.
f) Jill Simonsen, Shoreline, said the neighbors behind her and those on Greenwood met with the developer on September 11 concerning air condos. She said an informal vote was taken by the 29 people in attendance, and 27 were against the proposal. However, they would support the building of six or fewer homes that would conform to the character of the neighborhood. She said the consensus was that fewer quality homes could be just as profitable, or perhaps more profitable than a condo development that detracts from the neighborhood. She added that the developer communicated to the residents that they were moving this project along with great speed and this would be a “rubber stamp” process with the first air condo proposal for Shoreline approved. She urged the City Council and staff to consider the impacts of such a development in order to assure a good outcome for all.
g) Helen Maronek, Shoreline, hoped the Council and the City staff remember that: 1) they are against air condos in a single family R-6 zone; 2) they are not against development; 3) they support responsible development; and 4) they would like to see no more than six (6) single family homes on the two parcels in order to save as many significant trees as possible.
h) Dennis Lee, Shoreline, said it is time to define neighborhood character issues. He questioned what housing stock the City was trying to preserve. He wondered if the whole situation needed to be considered under the State Environmental Protection Act (SEPA). He said the City needs to have a rezone moratorium, interim development controls, and other things that will lead to a Comprehensive Plan review. He added that there is a word called “concurrency.” He said the City is planning density for landlocked areas, but there should be a moratorium on development until the details are resolved. Developers are scrambling to get a streamlined process, but the neighbors have a say too. He noted that the neighborhoods have character that are easy to identify and suggested exploring the feasibility of pilot projects.
i) Deborah Buck, Shoreline, said she got involved in the primary last month and read in its entirety, the September 17, 2007 Seattle Times editorial entitled "For Shoreline's Own Good; a $159,000 fine."
j) Judy Allen, Shoreline, read the September 17, 2007, Tacoma News Tribune editorial titled “Shoreline secret meetings suit offers object lesson” in its entirety. Ms. Allen stated that this lawsuit has cost the City $500,000, and there was another lawsuit when Deputy Mayor Fimia was on the King County Council. She added that there is another lawsuit pending, and radio host Dave Ross stated that if residents don’t like what City Council members are doing, they should vote them out of office. She stated that now is the time to “clean house.”
k) LaNita Wacker, Shoreline, said that the word “scruples” explains what has happened over the past two years. She said unscrupulous actions led to the events of December 2005 and the ensuing lawsuit. She said the actions were unscrupulous because there was no conscience or principle that hindered the action. She said the e-mail saying “I had meeting with the City Manager and I kept a good poker face” was written by persons acting without a conscience. She also questioned what kind of representative would fire someone 13 days before Christmas. She noted that one Councilmember was only in office seven days before action was taken on December 12. She reiterated that these kinds of actions are unscrupulous.
l) Chris Eggen, Shoreline, expressed support for Shoreline’s participation in public financing of elections but was concerned about how money is utilized in public campaigns. He stated that wealthy people give the large proportion of funding and want access. Basically, the money of a wealthy person speaks louder than that of the average person. He announced that he is running as candidate for City Council. He said he knows that Councilmember Hansen won with $6,500, but he is known citywide and is a long-time incumbent. He said money equates to contact with voters, mailers, etc. Candidates are always trying to raise money, and he knows when his contributors speak he will have to listen, which isn’t good democracy. He added that public financing is much cheaper than the current system.
m) David Townsend, Shoreline, said he noticed that the City is talking about transportation, 15th Avenue, and neighborhoods. He thinks the past and current Councils that have addressed the Aurora Corridor have done a good job. He noted that there was a meeting when Mr. Olander asked the Council to focus on the neighborhoods, and he thought that was great. He felt 15th Avenue NE needs to be three lanes and then go to a five lane configuration. The road needs to be widened further down because four lanes are going to be unsafe. He said he has seen cities develop their roads differently. He urged the Council to not get caught up in arguments and try to find common ground.
n) Wendy DiPeso, Shoreline, said Congress spends 60% of its time fundraising during session and working for lobbyists and special interests that would love to buy access. Clean campaigns would mean a change in land use, she said. She said she has been talking to Terry Scott who is on the Citizen Advisory Committee for Housing, and he is aware that the City has a problem and there is room for improvement. He wants to determine how to change the system so everyone has an equal voice. She said normally a developer comes in and speaks to the City staff about their plans, which puts the community in an adverse relationship with the staff, which has to reshuffle and make things equal. She stated that the lawsuit issue is lingering and there are many “wannabe” lawyers. The City settled for good financial reasons, and it is her opinion that if it was a real case there would have been no way the plaintiffs and supporters wouldn't have let it go to court. She said it would be nice if it all just goes away.
o) Elaine Phelps, Shoreline, said she was hoping after the decision was made to end the lawsuit for financial reasons. She commented that no one should follow the Seattle Times editorial logic. She said it is a fact that the defendants have never admitted to what was alleged. It is hypocrisy when someone advocates for not spending more money in legal defense and then says "give the plaintiffs double the money." She believed the lawsuit has done terrible damage to the City and hoped the legislators look at what it takes to defend extortion and blackmail. She said the plaintiffs wanted to damage the current City Council so they can get their way in the next election.
p) Bronston Kenney, Shoreline, defined “Pro Shoreline camp” as a term of convenience which refers to the organization and its supporters. He stated the Public Disclosure Commission filings can be checked for Progress Shoreline and Pro Shoreline financial payments to candidates. He said in Tallahassee, FL, the severance package for Steve Burkett wasn’t found to be illegal by the grand jury there. He added that the residents accused officials of negotiating behind closed doors, which is similar to what happened in Shoreline. He said he still doesn't know who funded the unsubstantiated lawsuit on behalf of Pro Shoreline. He said the term “secret meetings” has been used to invoke an emotional response and doesn’t describe the actions. The plaintiffs dropped the lawsuit and in the end, it seemed to be about money. He concluded that no one knows how the case would have ended in court or who wrote the checks.
Joe Tovar, Planning and Development Services Director, responded regarding the concerns about “air condos.” He said it is a term of art that has become popular in recent years, but basically it describes a form of ownership. He added that he is unaware of any particular development application, but did see a letter from the residents. He said he will be speaking with his staff tomorrow, the developer, and the residents and will report back.
Deputy Mayor Fimia commented that the residents heard the developer say that this was “rubber-stamped.”
Mr. Olander said before any development takes place there is a requirement to have a neighborhood meeting. He added that he doesn’t know the status of the application and will let everyone know what he finds out.
Councilmember Hansen asked that the City staff prepare a memorandum for the Council on air condos.
RECESS
At 8:16 p.m., Mayor Ransom called for a ten minute recess. Mayor Ransom reconvened the meeting at 8:26 p.m.
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(a) 2008 Budget and City Financial Long-Term Projection Update |
Mr. Olander said this item signifies the informal start of the City’s 2008 budget process. This item will include what the City staff looks forward to as far as expenditures and revenues and updated long-range financial projections. He introduced Debbie Tarry, Finance Director.
Ms. Tarry reviewed the 2008 budget calendar and said the City can expect to adopt the budget on November 26. She discussed the financial policies which guide the budget decisions. She added that the City is focusing on the operating budget now and there will be a $150,000 gap in the 2008 budget. She said the staff will be refining revenue and expenditure projections. Changes since March 2007 include a decline in gambling tax revenues and decreased natural gas rates by Puget Sound Energy (PSE). This will reduce the residential bill by 13%, but the overall utility tax revenue the City receives will decline. She said the telephone utility tax revenue, both landline and wireless, has continued to grow and the City staff anticipates increased revenues for the 2008 budget. She added that on July 1, the cable utility tax increased and on April 1, 2008 the Seattle City Light contract payment on distribution revenues will be implemented which will reflect a 3% increase, resulting in $220,000 in revenue. Concerning expenditures, she said inflation is running about .5% higher than anticipated. She added that there is a 30% increase from 2007 to 2008 in retirement contribution rates, which has been built into the City’s long term projections. She said health benefits will also be going up from 4.8% to 5% in 2008, but this is lower than anticipated. She said jail costs are stabilizing and the City is projecting that there will be fewer jail days used than in 2006. She said the Senior Center contribution is reflected and there is $25,000 proposed for a utility assistance program, which was part of the Council’s adoption of the additional contract payment from Seattle City Light. She highlighted that there are significant expenditure increases in election costs based on some new election improvements King County has implemented. She added that the increase has been about $80,000 which is more than the City expected. She said there will be a cost for street lights because they were assumed by the City. However, Seattle City Light has yet to bill the City for them. The cost for the street lights would be about $91,000 over what has been budgeted over the past few years. She added that the YMCA contribution of $40,000 per year for two years has been added to the 2008 budget. Items that are impacting the budget include property tax limitations to 1% and sales tax growth of 4%, which will outpace inflation. Additionally, she stated that gambling tax revenues will remain flat and no revenues are projected. Overall, she said the general fund operating revenues should grow by 6%.
Mayor Ransom stated that Cascade Bingo was a large producer of revenue from punch cards and pull tabs. He asked if their closing was a factor in the reduced gambling tax revenues.
Ms. Tarry responded that it wasn’t a factor and that all of the gambling revenues are declining. She continued and stated that there has been a large increase in recreation revenues, primarily due to field rentals following improvements to Fields A & B. Part of these funds will go to repay the Capital Fund for the amount that was invested to upgrade the fields.
Councilmember Hansen reported that the citizens’ satisfaction with the soccer fields has increased.
Mr. Tarry displayed the property tax levy growth rate and said revenues have not kept up with inflation since 2001. Additionally, she discussed sales tax trends, and 4% growth is projected in 2008. She stated that property and sales tax are the two largest sources of operating revenue. City expenditures are predicted to grow by 6% from 2007 to 2008. This is attributed to personnel costs and salary/benefit changes which reflect a 3.15% market adjustment. This is about 90% of the June Consumer Price Index (CPI). The Public Employee Retirement System (PERS) has the largest benefit change within the budget at this time. The police contract reflects a 6.5% change and jail costs are estimated to increase by 6%, which is a lower rate of increase than previous years.
Ms. Tarry said the operating expenditures per capita have stayed level since 2003 due to Council policy and staff efficiencies. She discussed the 2008 Supplemental Requests from City staff, both ongoing and one-time. Ongoing requests include a need for a geotechnical engineer in the Planning and Development Services Department. The Parks and Recreation Department also has a need for a half-time Specialized Recreation Assistant, which can be partially funded with extra help dollars within the department. She reviewed the City Street Fund and highlighted that it is funded through the gas tax, right-of-way fees, and other tax dollars. The intent, she said, is for the City staff to bring a balanced 2008 budget and to balance the 2009 budget with current revenue sources. She concluded that the City is in good financial condition and the City is anticipating gaps in the long term. However, the 2008 budget will be balanced.
Mayor Ransom called for public comment. There was no one wishing to provide public comment on this item.
Mayor Ransom asked about the natural gas utility tax rate decrease.
Ms. Tarry responded that PSE is requesting a rate reduction effective October 2007. This will result in a 13% decrease on residential bills.
Mr. Olander added that the cost of natural gas has gone down and they are required to file for a rate reduction.
Councilmember Hansen asked if the projections for 2007 have been refined. He questioned if the City will have a surplus in the operating fund for 2007.
Ms. Tarry said that based on the estimates she thinks the City will have a $500,000 net revenue in 2007.
Councilmember Hansen commended the City staff for this and said they are doing a great job.
Mr. Olander said the Council also authorized a cable tax increase which will further bridge the gap for 2008.
Councilmember Hansen said the operating budget per citizen from 2003 to 2007 only went up from $252 to a projected $254 in 2007. He said that is incredible that the City has been able to hold costs down.
Mr. Olander added that compared to other cities Shoreline is doing quite well.
Councilmember Hansen asked how the $25,000 utility assistance fund would be tracked.
Ms. Tarry said those details will need to be worked out; The first year the City will have those funds available is in 2008.
Councilmember Hansen wondered how much construction value the City has in progress this year and how it compares to other years.
Ms. Tarry responded that $43 million is included in the 2008 budget, however, timing is critical because the construction has to be substantially complete by June of one year to be included in the next. It is likely that the construction going on now won't appear on the tax rolls until 2009. She added that the City also has to monitor the sales tax.
Responding to Councilmember Hansen, Ms. Tarry said that for the time being the police contract is “open ended.”
Councilmember McGlashan thanked Ms. Tarry for the report. He was glad that the health insurance rate was limited to a very modest increase. Noting that jail activity is stable, he asked if the City anticipates an increase in jail days.
Ms. Tarry responded that the staff is monitoring it and will bring changes to Council as soon as they happen. She said she is hoping that they will level off.
Councilmember McGlashan commented on the increase in election costs and asked if having all mail-in ballots will increase costs even more.
Ms. Tarry said she will have to check with King County, but she thinks it is based on how they handle the ballots. She felt it is based on additional personnel and there might be some more changes if more people are needed to count the mail-in ballots.
Councilmember McGlashan inquired about outside factors that impact the City budget. He asked if there are budget impacts resulting from maintenance needs for recently acquired properties such as South Woods or Hamlin Park.
Ms. Tarry replied that there are increases based on the Kruckeberg acquisition
and others in 2009.
Councilmember McGlashan requested a status report on the Kruckeberg Garden acquisition.
Mr. Olander explained that the City is getting closer to a negotiated purchase agreement. He added that there are two agreements; one is the purchase and sale, and the other is the operating agreement with the Foundation. The Foundation relates to the operation and maintenance of the gardens, and it appears that they will need financial help the first few years. Basically, the City will have to provide some start-up costs. He said it was never the intent to maintain the gardens with City staff.
Councilmember Gustafson asked for an explanation on gambling activity.
Ms. Tarry said punch boards and pull tabs are declining but the overall card room activity will be level. On the revenue side, one quarter of 2007 had a 7% tax rate and the other three quarters were at 10%. Thus, the 2008 budget will reflect a 10% rate which will signify an increase over 2007.
Councilmember Way thanked Ms. Tarry for the report. She was pleased with the expenditure projections. However, she was concerned with the police contract increase. She was also glad that the additional street crimes officer is budgeted.
Mr. Olander said the funding of that officer was contingent on moving bookings from King County to Issaquah, and it will begin on October 1.
Councilmember Way commented that she would like to see the City consider more pedestrian crossing lights and crosswalks on NE 155th Street and 8th Avenue NE, Paramount Park, and other places.
Deputy Mayor Fimia thanked Ms. Tarry for what was a clear report. She inquired about the percentage increase the County is charging for jail, elections, district court -- essentially all of the contracts that are increasing and documentation explaining the rationale. She felt the City should be leveraging with other cities to get these costs down. Noting that one of the goals of the Economic Development Committee is to increase revenues, she asked the status of that group.
Mr. Olander said the City received applications and staff is reviewing them in anticipation of presenting to the Council next month.
Deputy Mayor Fimia noted there is an investigation at the state legislature and insurance commissioner regarding allegations that insurance companies are “stashing away” large portions of our premiums and investing them. She wondered if the City is getting any revenue back from the Veteran's tax and if there has been any additional bus service. She commented that the people voted for more bus service, and the City has to provide the infrastructure if there isn’t a movement to alternative modes. She was nervous about Kruckeberg Garden and committing operating funds, noting if it is to be funded, then one-time revenues should be used. She felt the City should either not do it at all, build it into the base budget, or develop an enterprise fund so the Garden becomes self-sufficient.
Mayor Ransom expressed concern with increasing the size of City staff. He commented that although the change in per capita costs is negligible, there is a request for more staff. He said things are getting “tighter and tighter” and he wondered how the City is making it fit.
Ms. Tarry said sometimes it is more efficient to utilize in-house staff rather than consultants.
Mr. Olander pointed out that the City took over park maintenance and increased staff in areas where a trade-off of an outside contractor made sense. He said most of them were tied to efficiencies or corresponding revenue increases but admitted that it is getting much tighter.
Mayor Ransom discussed the rationale for the street crime officer and the fact the City was able to save on booking charges. As a member of the Jail Task Force he was concerned because jails will probably be built. These facilities will be built in conjunction with the JAG cities and the City will have to come up with some funding. He added that those facilities are supposed to open by 2012. This will be a very quick timeline and currently there are no cost figures.
Mr. Olander responded that this topic is on the October 1 City Council meeting agenda and the Council will be briefed on the regional jail. He also said a portion of the Yakima expenditure is for the cost of building a new facility.
Mayor Ransom clarified that the City was paying a portion of the new jail cost to Yakima as a part of the jail costs. Mr. Olander replied that that was correct.
Mayor Ransom discussed the General Fund and the Street Fund. He asked if the $1 million a year for street maintenance would come from the new car tax because he hasn’t heard whether or not the County has determined if they are using those funds since they have first right to use them.
Mr. Olander said he hasn’t heard anything concerning that issue and it should be a part of the discussion to balance future budgets.
Mayor Ransom said there are two Eyman initiatives that will cut roads funding and perhaps the legislature was trying to help cities recover roads money through other sources. He pointed out that Ms. Tarry suggested that there will be a surplus of $500,000. He suggested those funds could be expended on a train car for the heritage park. He said the Chamber of Commerce has found one that could be delivered to the City for $50,000. He added that the Chamber is wondering if the City could contribute.
Mr. Olander responded that the City staff is investigating the cost of procuring a traincar for the park and has received some preliminary information. Mayor Ransom pointed out that the Chamber is willing to contribute half of the funding for this purpose. Mr. Olander responded that there are some preliminary figures but they need to be analyzed. However, there will be a recommendation made to the Council when everything is received.
Councilmember Way said she sent a memorandum to Vicki Stiles who located this train car. She added that it is in Chicago and is exactly like one of the original grill cars that was in Shoreline. This collaboration would be a great partnership between the City, the Historical Museum, and the Chamber of Commerce. She added that she is very enthusiastic about this and she would love to hear from others about it.
Mayor Ransom said he understood it was of the type of one of the original cars, which he wanted to be a part of that park, and this is one opportunity to consider.
Regarding Councilmember Way’s comments about crosswalks, Councilmember McGlashan said he realizes it is going to be expensive for lights on the sidewalk and signals. However, he asked if there was any money in the budget to put out crossing flags now as an intermediate solution.
Mr. Olander said the City traffic engineers can take a look and agreed that sometimes having unprotected crosswalks can be more dangerous.
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Mark Relph, Public Works Director, Jesus Sanchez, Public Works Operations Manager, and Rich Meredith, Traffic Engineer, provided the staff report on speed limit findings and the process of setting speed standards. Mr. Relph explained that when a network is properly balanced, neighborhoods should feel safe and the typical standard is the 85th percentile. However, it's important for the City to measure the success of the network utilizing the 85th percentile standard. The challenge, he explained, is balancing the 85th percentile with pedestrians, bicycles, etc., and having a systematic approach of looking at each corridor and what influences a particular speed limit. Factors affecting speeds include road geometry, school zones, number of driveways, spacing, etc. Two approaches to bring down the 85th percentile would be enforcement and physical improvements. He believed the 85th percentile and the speed limit need to be synchronized as much as possible. Signage should reflect where the City wants traffic to be within the 85th percentile and it shouldn’t be out of sync. If there is a disconnect, traffic tickets get dismissed. The City starts with the 85th percentile to establish an appropriate speed limit, then addresses the other factors.
Mr. Meredith explained that the Transportation Master Plan (TMP) was adopted on July 11, 2005 and it addressed the arterial network and street classifications. The City staff did some reclassification and reviewed the arterial network and speed limits. On July 17, 2006, he said he made his first report to Council and compared the 85th percentile speeds with existing volumes and compared them to their roadway classifications. On January 7, 2007, he returned with the first group of roadway revisions which were approved in April. Additionally, on March 5, he said he came back and talked about the rest of the roadways and discussed a process to review those with public input. As a result, there were a series of public meetings. He noted that there were over 120 comment cards, telephone calls, and website responses received, but there were several residents that filled out more than one card. He reviewed the process for speed limits. It begins with the 85th percentile and then you factor in accident history, driveway placement, schools, sidewalks, parking, and land use. In the March 5th staff report there were a few more roadways added to that list of roadways based on public input. He noted that most of the arterials were operating as expected, but he wanted to look at three more streets for reductions: 1) Dayton Ave from 160th Avenue to Richmond Beach Road; 2) N. 155th Avenue from Aurora Avenue to 15th Avenue NE; and 3) 15th Avenue NE north of 196th Avenue. He also felt that a classification change would be appropriate on three of these roadways. The first classification change should take place to NE Perkins Way which he felt should be changed from a local street to a collector arterial. The next reclassification should be done at 1st Ave NE between N. 155th to N. 145th which he felt should be reclassified to a collector arterial. Reclassifying this street, he commented, would make it more eligible for grants to add sidewalks. Finally, he said the final reclassification should take place on NE 168th between 15th Avenue NE and 25th Avenue NE which is currently classified as a local street, but he felt it should be a collector arterial. He found that the Ballinger area isn’t listed as 30 mph in the speed limit ordinance, but is posted at 30 mph. He said the speed seems appropriate so the speed limit ordinance needs to be revised.
Mr. Relph pointed out that this is a continuous effort to understand how well the City’s speed limits are functioning, and this is staff’s suggested approach to speed limits.
Mr. Olander asked Councilmember Way to communicate her question she emailed him this afternoon concerning this item.
Councilmember Way asked for an explanation of the statement on page 20 which said, “Clearly defining arterial routes helps preserve neighborhood integrity.”
Mr. Olander responded that it is essentially saying that the arterial network is essential for the safe and efficient movement of traffic. A consistent approach to how the arterials look and feel is important and the further you get away from that, the more drivers will want to cut through residential neighborhoods.
MEETING EXTENSION
At 10:00 p.m., Councilmember Hansen moved extend to the meeting until 10:30 p.m. Councilmember Way seconded the motion, which carried 6-0.
Mayor Ransom called for public comment on this item.
a) Wendy DiPeso, Shoreline, thought these changes are warranted and reasonable. She was glad that there is a way to reclassify and not change the speed on a street, but make it available to more grant funds for improvements. She thanked the Council and the City staff for increasing safety.
Councilmember Gustafson appreciated the City staff’s diligence and agreed with the suggested approach. He felt that the issues concerning streets should be left to the experts. He commented that the 85th percentile speed from 3rd Avenue NW and Carlyle Hall Road is 38.2 mph and the suggested speed limit is 25. He asked if this is a traffic control problem where tickets get dismissed in court because the 85th percentile shows people are going 38.2 mph.
Mr. Meredith responded that the study was given to the police department and that is why the enforcement has been increased there. He discussed the geometry of the street and said a revision might be proposed.
Councilmember Way said it makes sense to protect neighborhood integrity through regulation of the arterials. She said this isn’t a matter of political opinion to discuss speeds and arterials; it is the Council duty to try and help create these policies. She said this is a topic the public cares about. She said she has heard from neighbors in the Dayton Avenue area and asked how much time is being spent there by the police as opposed to enforcing in other locations.
Mr. Sanchez responded that the officers can see the “hot spots” based on this study. He noted it was an opportunity to provide more safety and enforcement during peak hours.
Mr. Relph added that the police department assigns enforcement to those high priority areas that are discovered from these studies.
Councilmember Way said this study seems like a good use of money and police time.
Mr. Olander commented that another resource of information is the accident reports.
Councilmember Way requested clarification of Mr. Relph’s statement about traffic tickets getting dismissed if the wrong speed limit is posted.
Mr. Relph said that he couldn’t give specific examples, but his experience is that it was an extensive problem if there was not good justification for having a speed limit that was different than the 85th percentile.
Mr. Meredith commented that he felt the speed limits are appropriate, however, as conditions change they need to be reviewed.
Councilmember Way said the speed limit on Aurora Avenue is 40 miles per hour and she suggested it be reduced in the future to improve safety.
Councilmember Hansen concurred with Councilmember Gustafson that these decisions should be left to the professionals. He suggested the City standardize striping because that is how drivers recognize what the speed limit is. He said he can think of one road in the Richmond Highlands area where the road striping suggests “let's go faster."
Councilmember McGlashan concurred. He said the more we regulate arterials, the more traffic we'll see in the neighborhoods. He said he has heard from the Richmond Beach and Innis Arden communities that maintaining a 30 mph speed is difficult going downhill and many residents are being ticketed. He agreed with the suggested changes but urged caution in reducing speed limits too much.
Deputy Mayor Fimia supported most of the changes. She talked about the “complete streets” concept and said City streets need to work for everybody, including cars, pedestrians, and bikes, and there is a need to look at retrofitting them at minimal cost. She felt there are some additional roadways where there is a range that needs to have reduced speed limits. One example, she said, is Dayton Avenue and Westminster Way where people regularly speed. She reaffirmed that she would like the City to go to the lower limit to make it truly pedestrian and bike friendly. She supported the recommendation with some amendments.
Mr. Olander stated that changing the posted speed limit from 35 to 30 will not necessarily change driver behavior. Generally, the City cannot change road geometry. He was concerned about forcing traffic into neighborhoods and creating expectations the City cannot meet. He urged the Council to consider this carefully and asked for consensus to bring back an ordinance with these changes.
Mayor Ransom agreed with the recommendation but said he still has concerns about Meridian Avenue, 15th Avenue NE, and Aurora Avenue. He said the business community on Aurora Avenue wants the speed reduced to 35 mph. As the additional stop lights are planned in phase 1, 2, and 3 the speed will be 35 miles per hour. He added that when he speaks to people what the speed limit is a lot of people use it as the median speed. He commented that if 30 miles per hour is posted, people are driving 35 miles per hour.
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Mr. Olander said there has been some compromise language that has come forward and the staff recommendation is to authorize the Seashore representative to support the amended language at the meeting on September 19.
Mayor Ransom said this is the best language the group has come up with in two years.
Mayor Ransom called for public comment. There was no one wishing to provide comment on this item.
Mayor Ransom obtained unanimous consent for the City of Shoreline Seashore representative to endorse the Seashore agreement.
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At 10:30 p.m., Mayor Ransom declared the meeting adjourned.
/S/ Scott Passey, City Clerk