CITY OF SHORELINE

SHORELINE CITY COUNCIL

SUMMARY MINUTES OF REGULAR MEETING

Monday, November 8, 1999

7:30 p.m.

Shoreline Conference Center

Mt. Rainier Room

PRESENT: Mayor Jepsen, Deputy Mayor Montgomery, Councilmembers Gustafson, Hansen, King, Lee and Ransom

ABSENT: None

1. CALL TO ORDER

The meeting was called to order at 7:37 p.m. by Mayor Jepsen, who presided.

2. FLAG SALUTE/ROLL CALL

Mayor Jepsen led the flag salute. Upon roll by the City Clerk, all Councilmembers were present.

3. REPORT OF CITY MANAGER

City Manager Robert Deis confirmed the need for a special budget workshop on November 29th in order to discuss fee issues.

4. REPORTS OF BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS: None

5. PUBLIC COMMENT

(a) Dr. Bob Hauck, 1321 NW 198th St., spoke in support of the arts in Shoreline. He thanked Council for its funding of the Arts Council and asked Councilmembers not to cut "soft" items, such as human services, cultural activities and programs for children, from the budget in light of Initiative 695.

(b) Maggi Fimia, King County Council, distributed the County’s 2000 Legislative Agenda. She questioned how housing density targets can be met while cutting transit service and road improvements. She supported a policy regarding housing incentives that would tie them to transportation improvements and said such a policy should be crafted so that it would have City support.

Continuing, Ms. Fimia reported that bus service will be reduced substantially due to passage of I-695. She distributed a proposal for prioritizing Metro transit service and for identifying additional revenues in the wake of the passage of I-695. She mentioned service to Richmond Beach, noting her recommendation to cut back, rather than totally eliminate, service there.

Finally, Ms. Fimia addressed the construction of ramps between the 1st NE Transfer Station and Metro Transit’s Base. She supported evaluating the ramp project in the context of the King County Solid Waste Division’s Draft Facilities Master Plan for the 1st NE Transfer Station. She said the NEPA/SEPA and community involvement process should be conducted only once, not twice. She did not support designing ramps for the existing station when there is a possibility they would have to be redesigned and reconstructed for a renovated transfer station.

She concluded that she supported funding for Shoreline projects, such as the $1 million in the County’s budget for the Aurora Corridor and $71,447 for the Interurban Trail.

Mayor Jepsen asked if there is an opportunity to move the whole process forward rather than deferring the ramps to 2004/5. Councilmember Fimia responded that the environmental review has to be done first. If this looks favorable, it might be possible to go ahead with the ramps prior to 2004. Mayor Jepsen asked for a schedule showing how the year-by-year funding will be allocated to complete construction by 2004/5. This will give Council an idea of the process and the timing.

(c) Patty Hale, 16528 8th Ave. NE, described the October 28th public forum on gambling hosted by eastside neighborhoods. She identified the panelist, and she discussed the results of the straw poll taken of the 55 citizens who attended. She emphasized the importance of providing citizens the opportunity to ask questions of the panelists. She distributed the results of the poll to Council.

(d) HW "Skip" Barron, 335 NW 177th St., recommended that in response to I-695, Council should consider funding police, fire (where applicable), roads, infrastructure, and public health (as necessary) and then "worry about everything else." He said this is a chance to see how much the community supports the arts, parks, etc. He said if there is no support for particular programs, perhaps they should not have been funded in the first place.

6. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA

Upon motion by Councilmember Hansen, seconded by Councilmember King and unanimously carried, the agenda was approved.

7. CONSENT CALENDAR

Upon motion by Councilmember Ransom, seconded by Councilmember King and unanimously carried, the following items were approved:

Minutes of Regular Meeting of October 11, 1999
Minutes of Workshop Meeting of October 18, 1999
Minutes of Joint Dinner Meeting of October 25, 1999
Minutes of Regular Meeting of October 25, 1999

Approval of expenses and payroll as of October 31, 1999 in the amount of $1,002,742.43

Resolution No. 159 approving the final plat of Ashworth Gardens (17327 Ashworth Ave. N.)

Motion to increase the City of Shoreline’s rate for standby pay to $2.00 per hour

Motion to authorize the City Manager to execute an Intergovernmental Cooperative Purchasing agreement for the purchase of pool chlorine

8. ACTION ITEMS: OTHER ORDINANCES, RESOLUTIONS AND MOTIONS

(a) Ordinance No. 212 establishing Section 12.10.050 of the Shoreline Municipal Code for the purpose of identifying authority of the City Engineer to impose temporary gross weight limits on roads or portions thereof and for the purpose of specifying weight limits on City bridges

Bill Conner, Public Works Director, provided an overview of the problem with the Richmond Beach Overcrossing Bridge, which was constructed in 1923 and rebuilt in 1956. It provides the sole access over the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad track for residents on 27th Ave. NW. It is at risk for accelerated weakening due to extensive use by vehicles carrying heavy loads. Mr. Conner reported that 1997 and 1998 inspections by King County indicated the bridge deck is in need of replacement and the structure and foundation are in need of minor repair. These repairs were assigned "routine" status, indicating that work should be performed within the next several years to extend the life of the bridge. The 1997 inspection also identified deterioration in the structure. As a result of this finding, King County recommended that a load rating analysis be performed for the structure to determine if a weight limit was required. Based on the results of this analysis, King County recommended the bridge be posted with a weight limit. A weight restriction and routine repairs will significantly extend the life of the bridge.

Continuing, Mr. Conner said staff started meeting in June with the neighbors who live across the bridge to determine the impacts of the weight restriction. He described the proposed weight limits, which allow up to 32 tons for six axle vehicles. Neighbors expressed a variety of concerns, including the immediate inconvenience of restricting construction-related vehicles, future concerns about restricted access, and questions about money allocated to fixing the problem.

Mr. Conner reported that there will be no affect on the residents’ daily traffic routine. However, the weight limit will place restrictions on heavier vehicles using the bridge, such as concrete trucks, large dump trucks, and large construction equipment. He concluded that the only emergency vehicle that exceeds the weight limit is the Shoreline Fire District ladder truck. As an essential emergency service vehicle, it will receive an exemption to the weight limit policy.

Mayor Jepsen invited public comment.

(1) Richard Kink, 19533 27th Ave. NW, requested that Council reject or table Ordinance No. 212 because of inaccuracies and inconsistencies in the analysis. He gave several examples. He noted that the report indicates that a typical concrete truck is a three-axle vehicle when, in fact, most are five-axle vehicles. He encouraged Council to work with railroad, County and State officials to pursue funding for replacement or long-term repairs to the bridge. He suggested searching for funding under the Fast Corridor project that is targeting the improvement of road and rail intersections. He submitted a letter outlining his comments signed by a majority of residents on 27th Ave. NW.

(2) Terry Jarvis, 24300 Hwy 9, Woodinville, said the bridge carries no through traffic and little truck traffic. He did not support a prohibition on cement trucks because the homes on 27th Ave. NW are subject to severe storms and require concrete bulkheads for protection. Therefore, concrete is very important to the safety of families on this street. He said if the past is an indicator, very few concrete trucks will be needed to serve this area. He did not believe a cement truck will cause damage to the bridge now when it has not in the past. He asked Council to allow concrete trucks to pass over the bridge.

(3) Nancy Roberts, 19707 27th Ave. NW, said the proposed ordinance fails to address the concerns expressed by residents. It provides no specificity about the time residents will have to live with the inconvenience of weight restrictions on the bridge. She questioned whether the restrictions result in a "taking" of property because they will seriously affect the value of the older homes on the street. She asserted that the ordinance is inequitable because construction of six new houses has caused major wear and tear on the bridge in the past year. These homes will not be affected by the weight restriction, but owners of older homes will be penalized with increased costs of remodeling and rebuilding. She also questioned the accuracy and reliability of the information in the report, noting that her home is served by Olds Olympic, not Cascade Oil.

Councilmember Hansen moved to adopt Ordinance No. 212. Councilmember Lee seconded the motion.

Mr. Conner recognized the inconvenience to those who live across the bridge who wish to do work on their bulkheads. He said there are currently eight permit actions in various stages from this neighborhood. He said staff will work closely with homeowners to ease their burden. Staff will research other vehicles that might be using the bridge and a data base will be kept of this information. He pointed out other options for getting concrete to the area, including barging and pumping.

Mr. Conner pointed out that having a posted weight limit will give the City more leverage when he discusses the issue with the railroad on December 3rd. He pointed out that after three years of inspections by the County, there has been no activity on the part of the railroad. He said $211,000 in funding for repair of the bridge is in the 2000 Capital Improvement Plan. This amount should address the two biggest issues of allowing concrete trucks and the ladder truck across the bridge.

Responding to Councilmember Ransom’s question about how the calculation was made to determine the maximum load, Mr. Conner said they reviewed different sizes of vehicles and how much weight the bridge could take. Because concrete trucks are by their nature very heavy vehicles, only a limited amount of concrete could be carried under the weight restrictions.

Councilmember Ransom asked if an assessment was done of the timbers or the bridge itself. Mr. Conner explained how the "shear" and "moment" of the bridge were determined for different sizes and weights of trucks. The analysis was based on the strength of the wood fibers themselves. He pointed out that in times past trucks were much smaller and carried lighter loads. Now the use of different materials allows much larger trucks on the highways and homeowners must deal with the trucks of today and their impact on an aging bridge.

Councilmember Gustafson asked if a careful analysis had been done on a five-axle cement truck.

Jon Jordan, Project Engineer, explained that the analysis performed as part of the investigation was of a typical truck with a "drop" axle and "buster" axle. The results were similar to those of Mr. Kink’s analysis of a five-axle concrete truck.

Councilmember Hansen confirmed that staff had gone through the structural engineering calculations. He noted that allowing 32 tons across the bridge shows that it is not in too bad of shape. He confirmed that a five-axle truck at 32 tons is as much as can be allowed with a proper safety factor. He said Council does not wish to limit access, but safety must be considered.

Mr. Conner confirmed that with the repairs planned, the bridge should be able to carry the fire truck and concrete trucks.

Mr. Deis emphasized that the City cannot commit to doing the entire repair for the amount in the CIP until the project has been designed. The current CIP funding is only a rough estimate of the amount needed.

Deputy Mayor Montgomery said the Council does not wish to place restrictions on people, but she was concerned about the City’s liability if the bridge collapses.

Ian Sievers, City Attorney, explained that once the City has inspection information data indicating a weakness in the bridge, the City’s liability is substantial if it does not take corrective action, such as posting the weight limit.

Responding again to Deputy Mayor Montgomery, Mr. Sievers said traffic regulations do not constitute a "taking," as a speaker alleged. As long as there is reasonable access, there is no taking.

Responding to Councilmember Lee about the possibility of completely replacing the bridge, Mr. Conner said a bridge built to current code could not be constructed in the amount of space available.

Councilmember Lee emphasized that no one can know when the bridge will collapse, and it is incumbent on the City to take some kind of corrective action.

Councilmember Gustafson was concerned about the accuracy of the information presented. He suggested tabling the item until a more careful analysis can be done, particularly whether cement trucks have five axles.

Councilmember Lee felt the main concern of the neighbors is transporting of concrete. She asked if the City can work with them to address this. Mr. Conner said the two options staff has developed are to barge or pump the concrete. Both of these are more expensive than truck delivery.

Responding to Mayor Jepsen, Mr. Conner said that since the 3rd of June the City has been sending advisories to contractors letting them know that the weight restriction is coming so that they can plan accordingly. There has been one project where the restriction has actually impacted how the construction work has been handled.

Mayor Jepsen asked if the advisory approach has reduced the City’s liability without Council action. Mr. Conner said the City is in better shape by having the advisory than by taking no action. However, the advisory may not reach everyone who has business on the other side of the bridge.

Mayor Jepsen said the main concern of the property owners is how to replace the bulkheads. This presents a question of timing because the work will likely be done next spring or summer. He questioned whether construction on the CIP project could be complete by then.

Mr. Conner said that a construction solution has not been proposed, so he would not promise that the problem could be addressed within that timeframe.

Responding to Councilmember Hansen’s question about whether there is an agreement with the railroad relative to the bridge, Mr. Conner agreed that the railroad should fix the bridge but it has not taken action since the first report came out. He wanted to be proactive by seeking out the railroad and working out a solution.

Councilmember Lee said the ordinance will provide the City with leverage to work with the railroad.

Councilmember Gustafson moved to postpone action on Ordinance No. 212 until January 3, 2000. Councilmember King seconded the motion.

Councilmember Gustafson said this would allow Council to know the results of the December 3rd meeting and allow for a careful analysis of the safety issue and the ramifications of it.

Councilmember Hansen was not against postponing action, but he did not wish to wait until January. He felt the City has a potential safety problem and now there is a higher degree of responsibility than before the issue was brought to Council.

Councilmember Hansen moved an amendment to postpone action until November 22, 1999. Councilmember Ransom seconded the motion.

Responding to Councilmember Lee, Councilmember Hansen said he was not waiting for more information from staff but he wanted time to digest the information and have the inconsistencies corrected.

A vote was taken on the amendment, which carried 6 - 1, with Councilmember Lee dissenting.

A vote was taken on the motion to postpone action on Ordinance No. 212 to November 22, 1999, which carried unanimously.

Mr. Deis asked if Council is looking for further information from staff. Councilmember Gustafson said he felt the fact that a second oil company uses the road should be reviewed. He also had a concern about the accuracy of the number of axles.

(b) Motion to select Bassetti Architects of Seattle to develop a pre-design study of a potential Civic Center project and to authorize the City Manager to execute a contract not to exceed $97,714 (including allowable expenses for this work) and authorizing change orders up to 10% of the contract amount

Eric Swansen, Senior Management Analyst, reviewed the staff report and distributed the scope of work that will accompany the contract with Bassetti Architects, noting this is a Council goal. He explained that the reason for moving forward on this project despite I-695 is that the City needs to have a long-term plan to control facilities costs and maximize the efficiency of limited general fund dollars. He said this is a business decision for the future of Shoreline. Mr. Swansen pointed out the project is actually a Civic Center and not just a City Hall. This entails discussions with the Shoreline School District, Fire District, Wastewater District, and some other utility providers about options for sharing space.

Continuing, Mr. Swansen described the selection of Bassetti Architects, noting the team of consultants who work with them. Then he described the two phases for the work covered by the contract: 1) needs analysis; and 2) development of specific site alternatives and funding processes. He outlined the components of both phases. The final pre-design product will be an analysis of space needs over time, identification of opportunities to co-locate or share spaces with other agencies, a preliminary design concept and preferred financing plan.

Mayor Jepsen called for public comment.

(1) Walt Hagen, 711 193rd St., said citizens have expressed their will through I-695 and asked for cost justifications for program expenditures. They do not wish to pay any more taxes. He questioned why staff would bring this up at this time because the money could be better spent. He said citizens have indicated they do not want a City center or a City hall.

Councilmember Lee moved to select Bassetti Architects of Seattle to develop a pre-design study of a potential Civic Center project and to authorize the City Manager to execute a contract not to exceed $97,714 (including allowable expenses for this work) and authorizing change orders up to 10% of the contract amount. Councilmember Gustafson seconded the motion.

Responding to Councilmember Lee, Mr. Swansen said phase one should be completed within two or three months.

Mr. Deis said what will drive the timeline as much as anything is the response of the other agencies. The second piece is more complicated because different sites and goals are being considered. Mr. Swansen said the scope of work identifies 90 days for this.

Responding to Councilmember Hansen, Mr. Deis commented on the amount of rental expenses, which will be more than $400,000 next year. He said this amount could provide debt service on a five or six million dollar bond which could build a facility. He said that in addition to rent increases that cannot be controlled, the City does not have an operations yard for its growing amount of equipment.

Councilmember Hansen agreed with speakers who indicated that the public sentiment is for Council to consider how much it is spending. However, it may be a case of "penny-wise and pound-foolish" to continue renting. He felt that what the City will be paying in rent would amortize a ten million dollar project. He said the money for the contract is a wise investment.

Deputy Mayor Montgomery felt it would be fiscally irresponsible to continue paying the rents and not pursuing a build option. Councilmember Gustafson concurred that this is a smart business decision for the community.

Councilmember Lee emphasized the importance of exploring the co-location of all of the agencies under one roof. This would be much more convenient for citizens.

Councilmember Ransom said he campaigned for a new City hall. He pointed out that the City uses much of the free office space in the City (50,000 square feet of 250,000 square feet). He also pointed out that the other Shoreline special districts--School District, Fire District, Water District and Wastewater District--have their own administration buildings. He mentioned parking needs and expressed his complete support for the proposal.

Mayor Jepsen was also concerned about continuing to lease. He felt the approach of developing the programs first and then working on design was the appropriate one.

A vote was taken on the motion to select Bassetti Architects of Seattle to develop a pre-design study of a potential Civic Center project and to authorize the City Manager to execute a contract not to exceed $97,714 (including allowable expenses for this work) and authorizing change orders up to 10% of the contract amount. It carried unanimously.

9. CONTINUED PUBLIC COMMENT

(a) Richard Kink, 19553 27th Ave. NW, thanked the Council for its thoughtful analysis of the bridge issue and then postponing action on Ordinance No. 212.

(b) Richard Reuther, 17747 2nd Pl. NE., gave examples of the power of art and emphasized the importance of supporting art in the community.

(c) "Skip" Barron, 335 NW 177th St., introduced his two sons, both life Scouts working on the Eagle merit badge.

10. ADJOURNMENT

At 9:40 p.m., Mayor Jepsen declared the meeting adjourned.

 

_____________________________
Sharon Mattioli, CMC
City Clerk