CITY OF SHORELINE
SHORELINE CITY COUNCIL
SUMMARY MINUTES OF SPECIAL MEETING
Monday, October 1, 2007 - 6:30 p.m.
Shoreline Conference Center
Mt. Rainier Room
PRESENT: Mayor Ransom, Deputy Mayor Fimia, Councilmember Hansen, Councilmember McGlashan, Councilmember Ryu, and Councilmember Way.
ABSENT: Councilmember Gustafson
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At 6:35 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 Council members were present with the exceptions of Councilmember Gustafson and Councilmember Hansen. Councilmember Hansen arrived at 6:38 p.m.
Councilmember McGlashan moved to excuse Councilmember Gustafson. Deputy Mayor Fimia seconded the motion, which carried 5-0.
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Bob Olander, City Manager, provided the following updates and reports. He said the
Civic Center/City Hall meeting has been rescheduled to October 25. The following meetings will be held at the following times:
- City Council and Planning Commission Joint Meeting/Public hearing on Aurora Avenue and Ballinger Way Corridors Commercial Zone, October 8
- Council of Neighborhoods meeting, October 3
- Housing Strategy Community meeting, October 9
- Economic Development Summit, October 9
- Fircrest Open House, October 10
- Sustainability Strategy Conversation, October 11
- Candidates Forum, October 4
Councilmember Way discussed the Fircrest Open House on October 10 and said it concerns the master plan process. She encouraged the public to attend.
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Mayor Ransom noted that requests for appointment to the Suburban Cities Association (SCA) committees are due this Friday. He said there are 121 appointments plus the elected positions.
Councilmember Ryu said she attended the Cromwell Park Master Plan public meeting and there are four options that the public could view and comment on. She added that comments are still welcome and she encouraged participation. She also attended the 1st Annual Overseas Korean Political Forum and said it was very enlightening. She said despite the different languages, rules, and forms of government, the representatives had a lot in common. She said they took a trip to the NE Asia Investment Base Camp in Incheon. She brought materials from the Incheon Free Economic Zone for the Planning department.
Councilmember Way said she attended the Shoreline Community Wildlife Habitat Project at Ronald Bog which was sponsored by Sustainable Shoreline. She said the Parks, Recreational and Cultural Services Department provided the tools and tarps. She added that this will be conducted over the next three weekends and she encouraged the public to get involved. She said for further information the public can contact Bonnie Biery or herself.
Deputy Mayor Fimia attended the Commercial Zone workshop and said the Planning staff explained the proposed amendments very well. She said the attendance was very good.
Mayor Ransom said he attended the Regional Transit meeting regarding their budget. He added that they haven’t voted on it yet. He also said he attended the South Woods dedication, and he presented a proclamation at the Shoreline/Lake Forest Park Youth Court dedication. He said he understands how the court works and it was a very good presentation.
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(a) Paul Grace, Shoreline, discussed the HDR design services item on the agenda. He said it is very encouraging and it is prudent to approve 100% design for Phase 2. He noted that on page 5, the largest bundle of funding is from the Regional Transportation Investment District (RTID) which is on the ballot next month. He highlighted that $40 million of those funds are earmarked for the Aurora Corridor and another $40 million is for rebuilding the route over State Route 104, which is at the end of the Aurora Corridor. He said supporting this item is a great opportunity for citizens to see their tax dollars come back to the City of Shoreline. He said this is the best opportunity for Shoreline to complete the Aurora Corridor Project.
(b) Chris Eggen, Shoreline, announced that he is speaking as a member of the Shoreline Housing Advisory Committee. He encouraged citizens to come out to the October 9 meeting. He said the committee has recommendations for the City Council and they want public input on them. He added that the meeting will be held at 7:00 p.m. at the Shoreline Fire Station on Aurora Avenue.
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Councilmember McGlashan moved approval of the agenda, requesting that Item 7(a) be taken from the Consent Calendar and made Action Item 8(a) under New Business. Councilmember Way seconded the motion, which carried 6-0, and the agenda was approved as amended.
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(a) Motion to Authorize the City Manager to Execute a Contract with HDR for Design Services for the Aurora Corridor Project, N. 165th Street to N. 205th Street |
Mark Relph, Public Works Director commented that the depth of the company involved in the Aurora Corridor Project was a critical prerequisite for the City staff. He noted that the proposed schedule includes strict deadlines and the overall plan has a strong emphasis on public involvement.
Kris Overleese, Public Works Engineer and Kirk McKinley, Aurora Corridor and Interurban Trail Project Manager, introduced Rob Gorman and Craig Stanfer, who are senior project managers with HDR. Ms. Overleese reviewed the formal selection process, noting that the Request For Qualifications (RFQ) asked for design work, right-of-way acquisition support, survey, and construction management. She said there were three submissions and the City staff believed HDR was the strongest submittal. She highlighted that HDR’s team includes: INCA Engineers, which provides storm water assistance; OTAK, which provides landscape and architecture services; Landau, a geotechnical engineering firm; and KBA, which provides construction management and inspection services. She highlighted that the initial portion of this project is funded, which is N 165th Street to N 185th Street. She said the environmental work will be done at the end of this year and in 2008 final design and right-of-way acquisition will occur. She said the contract with HDR includes the third phase of the Aurora Corridor, from 185th to 205th Avenue NE. The staff recommendation is to award the contract to HDR for $4.2 million dollars plus a 10% contingency, for a total of $4.62 million.
Mr. Olander asked Ms. Overleese if this engineering contract is in the normal range for this type of project.
Ms. Overleese responded that the Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT) stated that a design contract that is 12% or less of the total estimated construction cost is the industry standard. Currently, she said the City is currently around 10% or 11% for design services.
Mayor Ransom called for public comment. There was no one wishing to provide comment on this item.
Councilmember Hansen confirmed that the contract was for $4.2 million plus a 10% contingency. He also said that the construction estimate is $90 million. He said he wanted to measure the 11% because that will mean that the third section will have design services at 30%.
Mr. McKinley said the contract is set up to have HDR design 100% for Phase 2, and 30% for Phase 3. Staff will return to the Council on the third mile to get a 70% design contract, which is estimated at $1.5 million.
Councilmember Hansen said he is concerned with how the overpass at SR 104 will be completed. He said if it is done well, it will eliminate the “bottleneck” and make both sides’ projects valuable.
Mr. McKinley stated that the SR 104 overcrossing is a part of the RTID proposal and the City will work closely with WSDOT if voters approve the funding.
Mr. Olander commented that even if the RTID doesn't pass, the City has been successful in getting this project on the regional priority list.
Councilmember Hansen added that if the City is going to expedite this, the engineering firm says they can apply the resources to meet our needs.
Mr. Relph said there have been detailed discussions about the scope and schedule so they can meet the City’s deadlines.
Councilmember McGlashan asked about status of the discipline reports from Jones & Stokes.
Ms. Overleese said they have finished their environmental analysis and half of the discipline reports have been approved by the State of Washington and are complete. The completed reports have been published on the City’s web site for the public to view. The remaining reports are with the State and are in various states of review; the City constantly checks on the status on a daily basis. Once they are finished, the City will move into the SEPA process and issue a SEPA checklist. She said the City is still on schedule to finish the environmental process by the end of this year.
Councilmember Hansen suggested looking into an underpass at N 205th Street.
Councilmember Way wondered if $1.5 million would be enough to complete the design for Phase 3 and asked if the figure included inflation.
Ms. Overleese said that amount wasn’t something that HDR agreed to, but the City believed it was a reasonable placeholder, assuming RTID passes and the amendment happens this year or early next year. If there is a delay and funding doesn’t come through for a year or two, then the estimate will be adjusted. She stated that this contract for discussion tonight will get the City through 30% design work. Additionally, there is a savings from an economy of scale and this will create momentum.
Mr. McKinley added that one of the advantages of proceeding with 30% design for Phase 3 is that the project will compete well for grants, since it will be primed for construction. Also, as properties redevelop, the City will want to make sure they are built to the correct setback distance. This not only provides them with certainty but also allows for early negotiation with some of the more challenging properties.
Regarding the $1 million allocation to the surface water portion of the project, Councilmember Way asked what percentage of the contract was going to INCA and if it includes natural drainage.
Ms. Overleese responded that the contract funding to INCA Engineers includes a conventional and natural drainage implementation. She explained that INCA will be doing conventional drainage and HDR will be working on aspects of natural drainage.
Mr. Relph emphasized the importance of the drainage toolkit, noting that both firms are very qualified and have an abundance of resources. He said staff can provide the Council with more information on their past projects.
Ms. Overleese pointed out that all these firms are civil engineers and she is confident they will do a great job.
Councilmember Way said she has been an advocate for doing as much natural drainage as possible in the City. She asked what the percentage of low impact solutions would be as compared to conventional drainage.
Mr. Relph said those considerations would be part of the design process. He said he has conveyed the Council's intent to maximize the natural drainage opportunities with this project. He added that City staff, along with HDR, will be looking for every opportunity to capture on-surface flows for both polishing and infiltration.
Mr. Olander said he would be glad to report back to Council as those points are reached in this process.
Councilmember Way added that there are lots of related projects, like Darnell Park, and it will be interesting to see which funds will be utilized to address the problems.
Mr. Relph agreed, noting that many things will influence the design. He added that there will be a very extensive public process so that all issues can be considered.
Councilmember Ryu moved to authorize the City Manager to execute a contract with HDR Engineering, Inc. for design and right-of-way acquisition support work for the Aurora Corridor Improvement Project, N. 165th Street to N. 205th Street for an amount not to exceed $4,200,000 plus a 10% contingency ($420,000) for a total of $4,620,000. Councilmember Hansen seconded the motion.
Councilmember Ryu said she is glad the City staff has done a thorough job because this is a big project that cannot be rushed. She also wanted to make sure KPG is recognized for the important role it played in the process. She pointed out that the RTID package funds many projects besides Shoreline’s, so it shouldn't be held hostage or used as a reason for supporting RTID as Councilmembers or as individuals. She said the RTID package is a huge commitment of tax dollars that will indebt our children and grandchildren. She encouraged the public to make an individual decision at the ballot box. She wondered if Seattle City Light (SCL) has worked with HDR in the past.
Ms. Overleese said HDR has worked with SCL to resolve property issues. She noted that SCL recommended hiring HDR to handle the transmission study. HDR finished that study and presented it to SCL, which was very pleased. Again, she said she has a high level of confidence in HDR.
Mr. Relph added that there is a significant amount of undergrounding work. SCL, Seattle Public Utilities (SPU), and other utility providers require an enormous amount of coordination, so the group under this contract needs this kind of experience. He stated that his expectations for a consultant are very high and he has had good discussions with them. He looks forward to the opportunities to strategize and look beyond the issues at hand and into the next phases. This project is extremely complex, and he said he needs a team that the City has full confidence in. He said he believes the City has found that in HDR.
Mr. Olander pointed out that this contract is not contingent on RTID passing. The City staff is circumspect about ballot measures and the City needs to remain neutral.
Deputy Mayor Fimia said she supported the contract and she encouraged the public to ask what they will get with RTID dollars. She said they will be surprised at what little transit service the City will get, especially since the City spends money on bus lanes. She questioned how far the City got on the KPG contract.
Mr. Relph said the contract didn’t get awarded and the City staff wasn’t comfortable with it.
Deputy Mayor Fimia thanked Mr. Relph for his due diligence and for keeping the interests of the City in mind. She said she heard there is a concern about emergency vehicles traveling against the direction of traffic if traffic in their direction is blocked. She said it sounds like it could be problematic. Mr. Relph responded that he would look into the issue. Concerning bus rapid transit, Deputy Mayor Fimia said she recently learned that the best design is to use them in the middle lanes. She asked if having them in the current lanes are a fundamental, long-term flaw. She noted that she is seeing drivers use the curb lane without turning.
Mayor Ransom questioned if the April starting date is realistic. Mr. McKinley clarified that the section on the chart refers to April to June. He stated that the starting date will be closer to the May or June timeframe. Mayor Ransom asked about the project contingencies, and that there has been so much in the newspapers about construction costs going up 12% annually. He questioned if this contract allows for that kind of increase.
Mr. Relph said the City estimated a 4% to 5% increase based on WSDOT standards. He believed the City is properly budgeting and attempting to forecast correctly. Mr. Olander noted that large increases have been incorporated into the CIP.
Mayor Ransom said he is very pleased with the proposal but was shocked by the amount that materials have increased in cost.
Councilmember Way inquired if the environmental reports addressed cumulative impacts from Aurora Corridor work and associated developments.
Mr. Olander said that under the national and state environmental policy process, the City is required to consider related projects and what is reasonably known.
Councilmember Way wanted it to be known to the public that any determination would take that into account. She pointed out that people are confused by SEPA determinations because they don’t seem to be logical.
Mr. Olander added that there are some significant positive impacts, and any adverse impacts will be mitigated.
Councilmember Way said some of the impacts to businesses and neighbors include noise, light, height, glare, storm water run-off, habitat, etc. She wondered if there was anyone at HDR addressing historic preservation issues.
Ms. Overleese replied that the environmental analysis for cultural resources happens during the NEPA and SEPA process; however, there is some time allotted on an as-needed basis to consider historical preservation.
Councilmember McGlashan commented that there is quite a bit of development occurring in the third mile. He wondered what the City tells those businesses that are already redeveloping in Phase 3, considering that the 30% design is not completed for the third mile.
Mr. McKinley responded that CH2M Hill did some preliminary work on elevations and they tried to figure out where to best match the grades. This was done in an effort to take away the “guesswork.”
Councilmember Hansen inquired if the City staff is keeping track of the construction cycle. He said there are peaks, valleys, delays, etc. He hoped the City staff is using it in capital planning because it can make huge difference financially.
Mr. Relph agreed that proper timing can save the City significant funds. Additionally, the City wants to see who it is competing against.
Mr. McKinley commented that the proposed schedule is a best-case scenario, considering that the right-of-way acquisition process goes smoothly. It can be hampered if there are appeals or if the City has to go to court.
Councilmember Hansen responded that based on the current cycle, a delay could actually save some money depending on where the City is at that point. He added that the Washington State economy and housing market is still expanding rapidly, while the rest of the country has fallen. He added that Washington is likely to have strong economy for a while, which means the bidding environment will be challenging.
A vote was taken on the motion to authorize the City Manager to execute a contract with HDR Engineering, Inc. for design and right-of-way acquisition support work for the Aurora Corridor Improvement Project, N. 165th Street to N. 205th Street for an amount not to exceed $4,200,000 plus a 10% contingency ($420,000) for a total of $4,620,000, which carried 6-0.
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Julie Modrzejewski, Assistant City Manager, briefed the Council on the regional jail planning efforts. She added that it has been a challenge to provide jail bed space for our City misdemeanant population since King County won't be able to meet that need.
Mr. Olander stated that under State law, King County is responsible for housing felons, and the cities are responsible for misdemeanants.
Ms. Modrzejewski discussed the jail needs and said there are still lots of unknowns. Additionally, Yakima County will be done with its study in mid-2008, and it’s estimating that they will only be able to provide 200 beds for cities. She highlighted that the estimated jail bed need for the Jail Administration Group (JAG) cities is approximately 1,000. Additionally, the Ricci Greene group estimated that the need in 2011 would be 1,175 beds and 1,450 beds by 2016.
Mr. Olander discussed the criteria utilized to determine these numbers. He stated that the male/female proportion, number of violent offenders, and other information was reviewed fairly closely during this lengthy process.
Councilmember Way wondered what types of misdemeanor crimes are covered here.
Ms. Modrzejewski responded that generally the officer is making the call. Normally, they include domestic violence and whether there is a need to protect the public or the offender. Additionally, those that include mandatory sentencing or multiple offenses are included in this category. She said the statistics show that Shoreline averages 17 jail beds per day. Mayor Ransom added that traffic offenses such as driving under the influence (DUI) and driving with a suspended license also make up a large number of offenses. Mr. Olander pointed out that domestic violence is also a large portion.
Ms. Modrzejewski said the average daily population (ADP) is rising for Shoreline and in 20 years the Ricci Greene study notes a 72% increase in the City’s ADP. She commented, however, that once the City moves into the feasibility study, these projections will be scrutinized because there many things that will drive the City’s jail costs in the future. The Jail Task Force (JTF), she said, was assembled to review the Ricci Greene Report and make recommendations. She said a part of the Ricci Greene report studies various jail bed scenarios. She highlighted that the preliminary findings of the JTF are that cities must make a decision on how many beds and how many facilities are needed. She discussed parallel jail planning efforts. She discussed “SCORE”, which is made up the cities of Renton, Tukwila, Federal Way, and Des Moines who are planning a new facility in South King County and have made $175,000 available for a feasibility study. Auburn, she said, is studying the replacement of their own facility with a 150-bed jail to serve their own needs. Seattle is a key player among the JAG cities and projects a 440-bed need in the next 20 years. She highlighted that the City of Seattle makes up 25% of the total bed needs in the JAG and are a key factor on how the feasibility study takes shape. Kirkland, she said, is also planning on satisfying its own jail needs. She said there has been $100,000 allocated for the feasibility study, but the cost is anticipated to be higher depending upon the study itself. The feasibility study will evaluate and recommend such options as acreage, size, location, capital and operating costs, booking, and transport. Additionally, there will be an evaluation of operating a medical and/or psychiatric facility or contracting out for one. She said the next step is hopefully to present an evaluation of the Ricci Greene options at the Assembly meeting in January.
Mr. Olander commented that currently it is hard to tell which way to proceed and it is critical to determine which way Seattle is proceeding. He said all of this is still somewhat uncertain, but he felt the end result would be some new misdemeanant jail facility built in the region. He said the City staff will work closely with the other suburban cities.
Mayor Ransom commented that Auburn is going their own way, Kent has their own jail, and Seattle can't make up their mind. He said King County wants Shoreline to participate on a gigantic jail facility, and without Seattle the need is only a maximum of 250 beds. However, with Seattle the need is for over 600 beds. He said there is a resistance to building a facility in the JAG cities because the largest facility they can accommodate is four to five acres. For this reason, the group has considered building four to five misdemeanant jails of around 250 beds each.
Ms. Modrzejewski noted that King County is open to partnerships, but they don't really need to. She added that they can expand the Regional Justice Center (RJC) but the cities are cautious because their experiences with King County have not been good.
Mayor Ransom pointed out that the City was paying 50% administrative overhead and King County didn’t want to enter into a contract for that cost.
Mayor Ransom called for public comment. There was no one wishing to provide public comment on this item.
Councilmember Hansen commented that there was a joint piece of property that the City of Bellevue was holding in trust, but he never heard the final resolution.
Ms. Modrzejewski noted that the property is in the appraisal process now. Bellevue would like to buy a portion of the property for some road project or
right-of-way project. She added that the money would be available for JAG
cities’ jail facility.
Mr. Olander stated that years ago, while the RJC was being built, King County bought this other property for a future jail site. When the funding was split
with King County on a misdemeanant facility, they deeded that property in Bellevue to the JAG cities. He said in the past, the City has been leasing that out on
a temporary basis for storage; the lease income has helped fund some of
the staff and studies to date. That is why, he explained, our combined cities
haven’t had to pay us much toward the feasibility studies and
staffing. However, there is an obligation that the property either be used
for a jail or that the proceeds are used for jail facilities at some point in
the near future.
Councilmember Hansen said he understood that if Yakima couldn’t provide the beds, there are other jails in Chelan County and Grant County that also have available space. However, it would leave us with the same problem; it’s a long distance and we would have to find a way to transport them to and from the jail. He didn’t necessarily fault King County for the jail dilemma, considering the many unions they have to deal with, but he was very uncomfortable with entering into an agreement with them. He said there are many factors beyond their control, but they don’t do a good job with the areas that they do control. He said he would favor some sort of a joint venture with the suburban cities or the JAG cities. However, with so many unknowns, he felt the City should keep pursuing it.
Councilmember Ryu asked what the current Shoreline average ADP was.
Mr. Olander responded that Shoreline has been exceeding jail bed days in Yakima with 21-22 per day plus an additional 12-14 in King County. Therefore, he stated that the average ADP is approximately 35.
Councilmember Ryu noted that there are five cities doing about 200 bed jails, so it may be a good idea to work with them; however, volatility will have more of an impact.
Mr. Olander pointed out that there is an issue of the economy of scale, transportation, medical, food, and booking. He said he isn’t an advocate for lots of small jails or one large facility because of the administrative burden of having too many inmates; it becomes hard for the guards and the administrators to run the facility.
Councilmember Ryu said it seems that lots of inmates have problems “mainstreaming.” She said it would be great if the City can reduce the number of beds and somehow have proximity of services.
Mr. Olander said Yakima was chosen because they had better counseling and retraining, but they have overcrowding problems. He said there is also an advantage of having a closer facility because the City could have more local control about the level of job retraining and drug counseling.
Councilmember Way wanted to know what factors are contributing to the King County estimates of 1,450 by 2026. Ms. Modrzejewski said the estimates are based on population growth projections. Councilmember Way was also interested in addressing recidivism and asked what the City can do to address the problems before they happen.
Ms. Modrzejewski responded that the City could analyze Shoreline's jail population and have probation services present some information to the Council, since a large portion of counseling is compliance.
Mr. Olander responded that this isn’t only about Shoreline residents because a major determinant is how many young men are between the ages of 18-34 in the region.
Councilmember Way stated that it is also the Council’s job to look at those factors. She said she didn't hear any fiscal determination and asked what the City is paying for beds.
Ms. Modrzejewski said the total amount for 2007 is $1.2 million per year. Councilmember Way inquired how much each jail day was. Ms. Modrzejewski responded that each jail day is $100 in King County, $66 in Issaquah, and $87 in Yakima County.
Deputy Mayor Fimia thought jails are necessary but that they are also “monuments to failure.” She felt that building them won't make that paradigm shift to prevention, intervention, and treatment. She said the shift in funding from jails to human services has to be done slowly. She highlighted that she proposed something similar in King County and asked for them to identify savings and how they would be used in treatment programs. She said the program was passed by the County Council but was vetoed by the County Executive. She said jail-based treatment, similar to the North Rehabilitation Facility, is a program based on a Tucson, Arizona model and is successful.
Ms. Modrzejewski noted that the huge demand for jails centers on mental health and drug dependency. She explained that King County is considering creating a system where one-tenth of 1% sales tax would to go to the mental health and drug dependency population. However, it is a very complicated system, and it is difficult for a judge to determine one’s sanity.
Deputy Mayor Fimia said the problem needs to be treated differently. She felt this population could be reduced instead of just building more capital facilities. She said more countries need to be studied, because the United States has one of the highest incarceration rates in the world. She noted that in jail-based treatment, the inmates do all their own food preparation, painting, and maintenance; therefore, costs are greatly reduced. She suggested more investigation of our jail population and developing some alternatives to keep the costs down. She suggested forming a citizen committee to research these issues. She said this needs to address the question of how people get into trouble in the first place, and what needs to happen in our families and in schools. She said there are statistics out there about prevention and what a great investment it is. She summarized that building more jail space just because the population is rising is socially the wrong assumption to make.
Councilmember McGlashan responded that other countries don’t have high incarceration rates because they execute severe forms of punishment. He asked if there was discussion about Shoreline not using King County facilities any longer when the City executed an agreement with the Issaquah jail. Ms. Modrzejewski said the City was overbooking King County, and as of October 1 the City shifted its primary booking facility to Issaquah.
Councilmember McGlashan inquired if there was talk among suburban cities about building a large facility so they can contract with others. Ms. Modrzejewski said she thought Auburn would do a mixture of building their own facility and contracting it out to other cities. Councilmember McGlashan asked how misdemeanants return to this area, to which Ms. Modrzejewski responded that Yakima provides busing for them.
Mayor Ransom commented that as far as governance, most of the JAG cities want an equal voice and to be a part of the overall government. This also seems to be the way a majority of suburban cities want to proceed. However, there are a few situations in which there would be a weighted vote; for example, Seattle. If four jails are built, the assumption is that it would be run by an umbrella organization of all participating jurisdictions. He said there was also discussion about a treatment-oriented mental health system, but the courts haven’t worked out the details yet. However, all of the 37 cities recognize the need.
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At 8:55 p.m. Mayor Ransom declared the meeting adjourned.
/S/ Scott Passey, City Clerk