CITY OF SHORELINE
SHORELINE CITY COUNCIL
SUMMARY MINUTES OF BUSINESS MEETING
Monday, June 25, 2007 - 7:30 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 6:40 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.
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(a) Proclamation of "Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Month" |
Mayor Ransom proclaimed the month of June, 2007 as "Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Month" in the City of Shoreline and presented the proclamation to Jill Rogers, Specialized Recreation Coordinator. Ms. Rogers thanked the City for this recognition and presented a video clip from the recent "Shoreline Live" performance in which members of the specialized recreation group performed. Jeremy Wynne, specialized recreation participant was also in attendance and provided acceptance remarks.
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Bob Olander, City Manager, reported that over 150 people attended the open house on the Aurora Corridor Project, and that meeting materials would be posted on the City web site soon. He provided a pubic reminder that fireworks are banned within City limits and that offenders should be reported to the police department. There will be a public meeting regarding the City Arterial Speed Study on June 27 at Meridian Park Elementary, and the next Citizen Advisory Committee meeting will be held June 26 at the Fire Station Headquarters. The next ABC Team meeting will be held June 27, and the next Parks Board meeting will be held June 28.
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Councilmember Hansen noted his attendance at the Flood Control Zone District meeting last week, and said he has a PSRC Executive Board meeting this week. Mr. Olander added that the Flood Control Zone District item is scheduled for Council discussion on July 2.
Councilmember Ryu noted that the Seashore Transportation Forum met last week and discussed a number of issues, including RTID. She said the proposal is to assess an $80 per $10,000 assessed valuation on vehicles, or approximately $200 on a $25,000 vehicle. She noted that no additional parking is proposed for the university link of Sound Transit because it is intended to serve pedestrians and those using alternate forms of transportation. She said they are calling the item on the November 2007 ballot "Sound Transit 2" and the measure in 2013 "Sound Transit 3."
Councilmember McGlashan commented on the success of the Shoreline Arts Gala and the Shoreline Arts Festival. He also reported on his attendance at the Center for Human Services’ "Inside Out" open house.
Mayor Ransom reported that the Seashore Forum had a major decrease in attendance, estimating that only about half of the members attended. He said the Suburban Cities Association Public Issues Committee was supposed to vote on the Medic One levy, but it has been postponed another month, and other issues have been postponed as well.
Councilmember Ryu said a request was made to address the issue of officers at the next Seashore meeting.
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(a) Virginia Paulsen, Shoreline, commented that an economic "storm" is approaching, as there are substantial negative factors gathering to impact our economy. She commented on the peaking of industrial output, increases in food prices, declining resources, increasing pollution and population rates, and the impending decrease in life expectancy. She also commented on the high number of homes for sale due to foreclosure. She said the federal budget estimates a $239 billion deficit in 2008, so the City should recognize all these factors as it considers its budget and priorities.
(b) Chris Eggen, Shoreline, complimented City staff, particularly Mark Relph and Kirk McKinley, for proposing the hybrid plan for the Aurora Corridor Project. He said the plan incorporates all the desired features, including transit lanes, natural runoff control, and sidewalks while also considering the needs of individual businesses. He invited the community to attend the Shoreline Solar Fair on July 20 and 21, noting that some of the environmental solutions could help Shoreline avoid some the worst effects referred to by the previous speaker.
(c) Elaine Phelps, Shoreline, commented on the negative comments made by people from the public comment lectern. She said although she didn’t vote for all the members of the Council, she doesn’t question members’ integrity or impute hidden motives to them. She said she hopes that people will speak about the goals they want to achieve for the City rather than continuing to speak about the issue of replacing the former City Manager.
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Councilmember Way requested that items 7(d) and 7(e) be removed from the Consent Calendar for Council discussion. As an alternative to removing them from Consent, Mr. Olander provided an explanation of what the measures would achieve. He said they are grants for Aurora Corridor Phase 2, which have been awarded to the City. The WSDOT grant totals $10 million and comes from the gas tax. He assured Councilmember Way that approving these items doesn’t obligate the City to any particular proposal or plan. Mr. Olander also suggested that the Consent Calendar include one additional item: Motion to suspend the Council rules to begin the public hearing on the Aurora Corridor Project at 7:00 p.m. on July 16.
Councilmember Hansen moved approval of the agenda. Councilmember Gustafson seconded the motion, which carried unanimously.
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Councilmember Gustafson moved approval of the Consent Calendar. Councilmember McGlashan seconded the motion, which carried 7-0 and the following items were approved:
(a) Minutes of Special Meeting of May 14, 2007
Minutes of Study Session of May 21, 2007
Minutes of Special Meeting of May 29, 2007
(b) Approval of expenses and payroll as of June 13, 2007 in the amount of $1,747,061.30
(c) Motion Authorizing the City Manager to sign an Agreement with Yakima County to Settle and Release Claims and Withdraw Terminations related to Agreement to House Inmates
(d) Motion to Authorize the City Manager to Execute a Government Contracts Agreement (GCA) and Future Amendments between the City of Shoreline and the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) to obligate funding totaling $10 Million for the Aurora Corridor Project (N 165th to N 205th) Project
(e) Motion to Authorize the City Manager to Execute a Regional Mobility Grant Program State Funding Agreement between the City of Shoreline and the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) to obligate funding totaling $2.5 Million for the Aurora Corridor Project (N165th to N 205) Project
(f) Motion to Adopt Revised City Reserve Policies
(g) Motion to suspend the Council rules to start the public hearing on the Aurora Corridor Project at 7:00 p.m. on July 16
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Debbie Tarry, Finance Director, explained that the CIP is a long-term policy document that identifies future capital investment priorities and serves as a flexible financial planning tool for future capital investments. The Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP) is a subset of the CIP and includes the Roads Capital Fund Projects. The 2008-2013 CIP totals $172 Million and breaks down as follows:
She noted that almost half of the
funding for the CIP will come from grants, primarily for the Aurora Corridor.
She pointed out that $29 million has been secured so far for Aurora Corridor
Phase 2, which leaves approximately $51 million to secure through other
grants.
Mr. Olander pointed out that most revenue sources are restricted to
capital uses only, so most of the funding is allocated for specific
projects. Ms. Tarry concurred, noting that many funds are restricted by
grant agreements and state law.
At 8:35 p.m., upon motion by Councilmember Ryu, seconded by Councilmember Way and carried 7-0, Mayor Ransom opened the public hearing.
(a) Virginia Paulsen, Shoreline, said she reviewed each page of the CIP and would like answers to the questions she posed regarding the total cost of Aurora Corridor Phase 1. She also requested an additional week for public comment. She asked the Council to exercise caution with regard to raising fees, taxes, and bond money, given the region’s economic problems. She asked the Council to be fiscally responsible because people are "hurting."
Mr. Olander said staff received Dr. Paulsen’s questions and Ms. Tarry will respond to them.
Deputy Mayor Fimia noted
that continuing the public hearing until July 2 or July 9 will send a
clear message to the public that public comments on the CIP are welcome.
Mr. Olander suggested that if the public hearing is continued, it should not be
continued beyond July 2, so the Council has the benefit of considering the
comments in preparation for adopting the CIP on July 9.
Deputy Mayor Fimia moved to continue the public hearing until July
2. Councilmember Gustafson seconded the motion, which carried 7-0 and the
public hearing was continued until July 2.
Continuing the CIP discussion, Ms. Tarry outlined the schedule for CIP hearing, discussion, and adoption. She then proceeded to explain the revenue sources and specific projects within the Surface Water Utility Capital Fund by category: 1) Flood Protection; 2) Water Quality; 3) Stream Rehabilitation/Habitat Enhancement; 4) Non-Project Specific; and 5) Unfunded Projects. She concluded her presentation by noting long-term funding issues.
Referring to the Boeing Creek Park Stormwater Project, Councilmember Ryu pointed out that King County's portion of this project, which involves replacing the Hidden Lake Pump Station and Boeing Creek Trunk Sewer, is sizable. Referring to the N. 167th Street and Whitman Ave N. Drainage Improvement Project, she asked if there are any measures to prevent property owners from filling in drainage ditches, thereby causing flooding.
Jesus Sanchez, Public Works Operations Manager, and Mark Relph, Public
Works Director, responded that the staff are starting to find out more
about these various flooding situations and are working with homeowners to
correct these problems. They emphasized that citizens should notify the
City before commencing any work on the drainage system.
Mr. Sanchez then explained the work involved in the Pan Terra Pond and Pump
Project, including the forced main to the new 3rd Avenue conveyance to reduce
flooding at N. 183rd and Dayton Place N. in the Happy Valley neighborhood.
Councilmember Ryu then referred to page 199 of the Council packet, Darnell Park Wetpond, and asked if there is any native vegetation to worry about. Staff responded that the project involves removing invasive species and replanting native vegetation. Regarding Boeing Creek Reach 1 (page 205), she asked if this project contains any barriers to salmonids. Jerry Shuster, Surface Water Manager, responded that there is a dam on the Seattle Golf Course property, and it's his understanding that they want to remove it. However, the Boeing Creek Reach 1 project primarily involves stabilizing the banks south of that location.
Councilmember Hansen noted that the dam is approximately at beginning of our project, and he suggested putting a hatchery operation there many years ago because that is about as far as salmonids can travel upstream.
Councilmember Ryu said she appreciates both projects along Boeing Creek (Reach 1 and Reach 8) because Boeing Creek constitutes an entire system that should not be addressed in a piecemeal manner.
Councilmember Way asked if the Highlands has applied for grant funding to address dam removal, to which staff responded that they are not aware of any grant application. Mr. Sanchez noted that the Highlands has had several ideas on how to address the surface water issues, but there has been no formal master plan yet. Councilmember Way said she would assume that any hatchery idea would require the input of many people.
Responding to Councilmember Way, staff noted that many of the one-time projects are "front-loaded" in the CIP to address immediate needs, whereas, other projects, such as Boeing Creek Reaches 1 and 8, come later within the six-year cycle. Mr. Olander pointed out that the identified projects are a result of the 20-year Surface Water Master Plan, and while there are no shortage of projects, there is a shortage of identified funding sources.
At Mr. Relph’s behest, Ms. Tarry explained that the Surface Water Utility Fund differs from the Roads Capital Fund in the sense that the Surface Water Utility fee funds both the operational and the long-term capital needs.
Mr. Olander noted that the City does a formal rate study every 4-5 years to see how the City is tracking with other jurisdictions and with its own operating expenses.
Responding to Councilmember Way, Mr. Sanchez clarified that the prioritization of stream, water quality, and flood protection projects primarily come from the Surface Water Master Plan, which includes three levels of prioritization.
Councilmember Way referred to page 210 and asked how Green Streets are
categorized in the Surface Water Utility, to which staff responded they are
classified under Stream Rehabilitation. She also wished to see the City
utilize pervious pavement in smaller projects rather than waiting to use
it in one large project.
Mr. Olander pointed out that Green Streets not only have bearing on storm
water, but also on tree coverage, neighborhood traffic, lighting, and other factors,
so the issue really crosses department lines. Mr. Sanchez and Mr. Olander
clarified that staff looks for opportunities to use pervious pavement, and lots
of these ideas will come back to Council as part of the Environmental
Sustainability Strategy. Mr. Olander clarified that Green Streets is
to create a block demonstration project, which will hopefully be used as a
template for other projects. He emphasized that the City cannot rely on
new development to implement these kinds of changes, so this is a method to
retrofit existing neighborhood streets.
Councilmember Hansen noted that the City is already working with developers to encourage them to incorporate some of these design standards, such as the development on the northwest shore of Echo Lake. Mr. Olander added that when the City adopts an updated storm water manual, it can then adopt higher standards for low-impact development, which is one of the Council goals.
Deputy Mayor Fimia commended staff
for the substance and format of the proposed CIP. Referring to page 185,
the N. 148th Street near Linden Avenue N. Drainage Improvement, she noted that
the neighbors filled in the wetland behind the church near 145th and Linden. She asked
if there had been any study of what impact this may have had on drainage.
Mr. Sanchez and Mr. Shuster commented that the pocket area where flooding
occurs is in a low spot, and the water in this low spot infiltrates into the
ground to feed the wetland.
Deputy Mayor Fimia suggested exploring opportunities to reclaim the wetland
through a public/private partnership. She commented on the
benefits of doing reclamation and drainage improvement
simultaneously. Staff responded that they would initiate
conversations with the property owners.
Responding to Deputy Mayor Fimia, Mr. Sanchez explained that staff is still
working with the State regarding the piping project at Ronald Bog. He
said the City wants to address the flooding while also achieving fish
passability.
Mayor Ransom noted that the Surface Water fund is an enterprise fund, or a self-maintained fund that's run much like a private business because its revenues are based on fees. He added that loans can’t be borrowed from the General Fund. Ms. Tarry said the City could utilize two financing options for surface water: 1) Surface Water Trust Fund loans, and 2) revenue bonds (since they are repaid from surface water fees).
Councilmember Gustafson identified
three CIP projects that seem to have been reduced in terms of priority level:
1) 160th and Greenwood Avenue roundabout; 2) 3rd Avenue NW & Richmond Beach Road; and
3) the I-5 pedestrian bridge. He commented on the congestion of the Greenwood Avenue
intersection, the high accident rate at the 3rd
Avenue intersection, and the need for
beautification of the I-5 bridge.
Mr. Olander responded that the City has a meeting with Shoreline Community College to
discuss their master plan as it relates to Greenwood
Avenue. The City is also working on a
contract for conceptual designs for the I-5 pedestrian bridge.
Councilmember Ryu said she would like to see traffic accident rates for the Aurora Avenue bridge, noting that while the bridge is an attractive feature, it could pose a distraction to drivers. Mr. Sanchez responded that staff can start collecting this type of data. Staff is also looking at traffic data on 3rd Avenue NW and 8th Avenue NW.
Councilmember McGlashan asked if light rail could jeopardize the future of the I-5 pedestrian bridge. Mr. Sanchez noted that the State just did a seismic retrofitting to the bridge, so for the time being it is not in jeopardy.
Mayor Ransom said he has been
getting calls about how unattractive and unappealing the Westminster Way and Dayton Avenue
intersection has become. He asked if there is funding in the CIP for
a City gateway at this location.
Mr. Sanchez said some minor clearing and grading work will be done this
year, but there is no specific plan for a major upgrade of this
site. He emphasized the need for community involvement.
Mr. Olander added that the Council reduced pavement project money and
there was little remaining to do gateways. However, he has asked staff
to revisit this intersection and expressed the need to discuss
plans with the neighborhood.
Deputy Mayor Fimia noted the potential need to reconfigure the streets at this intersection, but Mr. Olander clarified that the City’s short-term plan does not consider street reconfiguration.
Mayor Ransom addressed the issue of including population figures on City signage, noting that people assume Shoreline is small because they don't see population figures.
Councilmember Ryu said she would prefer not to assess a tax on Shoreline households in order to put population figures on signs.
Councilmember Way wondered how the improvements at the Greenwood Avenue roundabout would connect with the existing habitat area the school and neighborhood have been working on. Mr. Olander assured the Council that nothing has been decided yet, and Councilmember Ryu urged staff not to leave the Highland Terrace Neighborhood out of the decision-making process.
Deputy Mayor Fimia felt there were higher capital priorities than the I-5 pedestrian bridge, such as sidewalks and street resurfacing. She said she would like to see usage rates of the bridge before approving any City funding for the bridge. She emphasized prudence in spending, noting that funds are limited and there are higher priorities within the City.
Mayor Ransom asked for a cost estimate to put population figures on City signage.
Regarding street resurfacing, Mr. Sanchez noted that the City has maintained a rating of 81,which is excellent. However, costs continue to grow, and as the years progress the City will be doing fewer miles and will see a decrease in the street rating unless other funding sources are identified.
Deputy Mayor Fimia emphasized that
cities must provide the essentials, such as police services, fire services,
roads, and parks, and it would be helpful to identify the lower
priorities that could be used to "backfill" the higher
priorities. She suggested that perhaps the $850,000 budget surplus could
be captured in the capital plan and targeted for such things as sidewalks, road
overlay, and traffic signals. She pointed out that the Interurban
Trail needs wintertime maintenance due to snow and ice.
Mr. Olander pointed out that traffic signal rehabilitation was based
on one-time funding, but opportunities for one-time capital funding seem to be
decreasing. He noted that part of the capital revenues come from
the gambling tax, which is declining throughout the state.
Deputy Mayor Fimia still felt there is room for policy decisions on what
to fund. She expressed interest in getting estimates from Metro and
Sound Transit on projected increases in level of service on Aurora Avenue and on
east-west arterials. She was doubtful that the bus and transit (BAT)
lanes would provide more service, since there will be pressure to open them up
to general purpose as congestion increases.
Mr. Olander concluded the discussion by noting that the July 2 meeting will provide another opportunity for the Council to give policy direction on the CIP.
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At 10:00 p.m., Mayor Ransom declared the meeting adjourned.
/S/ Scott Passey, City Clerk, CMC