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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Meeting - Council - Minutes - 10/06/1992 Kent, Washington October 6, 1992 Regular meeting of the Kent City Council was called to order at 7: 00 p.m. by Mayor Kelleher. Present: Councilmembers Bennett, Houser, Johnson, Mann, Orr, White and Woods, Acting Chief Admin- istrative Officer/Finance Director McCarthy, City Attorney Lubovich, Planning Director Harris, Public Works Director Wickstrom, Fire Chief Angelo, Police Chief Crawford, Human Resources Director Olson and Information Services Director Spang. Parks Director Wilson was not in attendance at the meeting. Approximately 60 people were at the meeting. PUBLIC Employee of the Month. Mayor Kelleher announced COMMUNICATION that Gene Grenstad of the Fire Department has been selected as October Employee of the Month. He noted that Grenstad works hard to meet the needs and goals of the Fire Department, and has been the leader of the maintenance and repair program for the emergency breathering apparatus. Chief Angelo noted that Grenstad is a strong, but quiet, leader, who is always available to citizens and employees. He added that because Grenstad took the initiative to become certified, the City has saved an extensive amount of money on repairing and certifying the apparatus. Grenstad expressed gratitude for this honor, noting that it means a lot to him and his family. He said that there are many other firefighters equally dedicated, and that Chief Angelo inspires them. Marvin Eckfeldt Day. Mayor Kelleher read a proc- lamation declaring October 10, 1992 as Marvin Eckfeldt Day in the City of Kent, and inviting all citizens to recognize and appreciate Reverend Eckfeldt' s continuous contributions to the commun- ity on the occasion of his 25th anniversary with the First Christian Church of Kent. He noted that Reverend Eckfeldt has been an active participant in the community, including service to the Community Service Center, the Citizens Advisory Board on Controversial Issues, the South King Council of Human Services, and the Senior Housing Advisory Committee, as well as many other groups. CONSENT WOODS MOVED that Consent Calendar Items A through CALENDAR F be approved. Orr seconded and the motion carried. 1 October 6, 1992 MINUTES (CONSENT CALENDAR - ITEM 3A) Approval of Minutes. Approval of the minutes of the regular Council meeting of September 15, 1992 . TRAFFIC (CONSENT CALENDAR - ITEM 3D) CONTROL South County Area Transportation Board. ADOPTION of Resolution No. 1329 declaring the City' s intent to join with King County and other cities to form the South County Area Transportation Board, and designation of Jim White to serve as the City' s elected official representative on this board with Don Wickstrom, Director of Public Works, as an alternate. (OTHER BUSINESS - ITEM 4B) ADDED ITEM Traffic - Titus and Gowe Streets. Andy Gomes, General Manager of Farrington Court Retirement Community, 516 Kenosia, said he has a petition signed by residents and other seniors who use the Senior Center. He explained that the petition indicates concern for their safety when traveling on Gowe or Titus on the way to the Senior Center. He noted that in a one-hour time period recently, he observed three incidents of seniors almost being run over in the crosswalks. He said that these citizens would like the City to look into this issue to see what could be done. The matter was referred to the Public Works Committee and Gomes was told he would be contacted as to when the item will be on the agenda. (OTHER BUSINESS - ITEM 4C) ADDED BY COUNCILMEMBER WHITE Target Issues. White distributed copies of a resolution which would initiate studies regarding the feasibility of establishing a city transit system with links to key destination points, and the development and implementation of a comprehen- sive citywide sidewalk plan in order to enhance pedestrian mobility. He then MOVED for adoption of Resolution No. 1330. Johnson seconded. Houser objected to receiving information and having to vote on it within a matter of minutes. She noted for White that she does not necessarily feel that this is a bad proposal, but would like 2 October 6, 1992 TRAFFIC to have a chance to study it in advance, since she CONTROL is voting on behalf of the citizens of Kent. Woods pointed out that this situation has been discussed in the past and the ground rules will be revisited. Jimmy Cordova stated that it is very dangerous to try to cross the street during rush hours, and that drivers have no respect for pedestrians. The motion to adopt Resolution No. 1330 then carried with Houser abstaining. Upon White' s question, Lubovich explained that Resolution 1094 requires councilmembers to vote on every question unless excused by the Council . White agreed to let the action taken stand. SEPA (CONSENT CALENDAR - ITEM 3E) SEPA Ordinance. ADOPTION of Ordinance No. 3070 relating to SEPA, as recommended by the Planning Committee on September 1, 1992 . Recent legisla- tion became effective amending prior State law that affects the time frame within which a juris- diction can deal with SEPA checklists. This ordi- nance amends the current code regarding SEPA to bring it into compliance with State law. GROWTH (OTHER BUSINESS - ITEM 4A) MANAGEMENT Critical Areas Regulations. This issue is regarding the Planning Commission' s recommendation for approval of the draft Critical Areas Regula- tions. The regulations consist of 1) a draft wet- lands ordinance and 2) policy amendments to the comprehensive plan. The Planning Commission deliberated for eight months on this issue. ORR MOVED to accept the report of the Planning Commission and the letter and report submitted by the Chamber of Commerce, and refer both reports back to the Planning Commission for their review and recommendation, for a period of time not to exceed 90 days. Woods seconded. Orr stated that the Planning Commission should have an opportunity to compare their report with the changes suggested by the Chamber, and that this should be done before Council makes a decision. Linda Martinez of the Planning Commission said they can do the 3 October 6, 1992 GROWTH job within 90 days. Steve Dowell asked how MANAGEMENT property owners who may be affected by the wet- lands issue are notified that this is being dis- cussed. Fred Satterstrom, Planning Manager, explained that they have had a number of commun- ity forums, they have advertised in the newspaper, and have used their preliminary Citywide inventory to inform property owners of the series of Planning Commission public hearings. Dowell pointed out that not everyone receives the news- paper, and some property owners live outside the City. He urged that every opportunity and method be used to inform property owners and other interested people of this vitally important ordi- nance. He noted that one paragraph states it is up to the property owner to declare their property as wetland and record that on the deed. Joe Miles, 24639 - 156th SE, Kent, noted that he has attended the public hearings and that a lot of testimony was heard. He asked how the Chamber could have new information at this time, causing this to go back to the Commission and delaying action further. He said that wetlands are cur- rently unprotected and that property owners and developers are uncertain as to what the policy is. He said it is time to act on this policy. Ted Knapp, 6612 Bellevue Way NE, Bellevue, spoke in support of the motion, noting that this is a very complex issue. Orr encouraged others who are con- templating a similar report to submit it right away, so this can be resolved within 90 days. Craig Moran, 21842 SE 269th, Maple Valley, said he has been involved in drafting the ordinance. He said that the Chamber' s draft ordinance is clearly for their convenience and is not based on scienti- fic data. He said it would reduce buffers, grade wetlands, and increase the acreage available to fill, and is swayed toward development. Laurie Johnson, Box 161, Renton, said she has been impressed with the City' s efforts to involve citi- zens on both sides of an issue, and was disap- pointed to learn that the Chamber had gone outside the process and presented their own proposal for wetlands regulation. She expressed concern with the delay, stating that regulations are needed now, and urged the Council to adopt the Planning 4 October 6, 1992 GROWTH Commissions ' regulations without further testi- MANAGEMENT mony. Sharon Rodman, 14138 SE 238th, Kent, said she is disappointed that the Chamber of Commerce is presenting its wetlands ordinance at such a late stage and questioned why they did not work with the Commission earlier. She said that wet- lands are generally viewed as undesirable by prop- erty owners, but that in the future natural areas might be more desirable and will enhance property values. She urged the Council to plan for a suit- able physical environment rather than looking for favorable economic reasons. Russ Stringham noted that he lives in Kent, as opposed to some other speakers on this issue. He said there is nothing wrong with looking at a secondary proposal, since the decisions made will affect everyone for a long time, and urged the Council to pass the motion. Don Rust, owner of The Bagman Cafe, said he grew up in Kent and is familiar with the wetlands in the area, noting that most of them have been covered with concrete. He asked the Council to take into consideration that the owners of wet- lands are the ones who are concerned about this property and that they stayed in Kent and con- tinued to maintain their property for generations and have a right to recover whatever can from that property. Carol Proud, 5003 - 46th Avenue South, Seattle, said she was distressed to hear that the Chamber had submitted a document which is contrary to what had been worked on for many months. She said it is her understanding that a group on this committee who are from the development community has spent over $30, 000 in attorney's fees to put their proposal together. She said she appreciates the dilemma that the Rusts are in, but that what is going on is bigger than saving a few wetlands. She said there is a sizable piece of property that some people would like to develop and the line needs to be drawn somewhere. She added that this is a complete mockery of the entire system that has gone on for the last year. The motion to refer this item to the Planning Commission for 90 days then carried. 5 October 6, 1992 POLICE (CONSENT CALENDAR - ITEM 3C) Washington State Traffic Safety Commission Grant. ACCEPTANCE of a grant in the amount of $36, 120 from the Washington State Traffic Safety Commis- sion for the Kent Drinking Driver Task Force. This funding assists in the continuation of the Kent Drinking Driver Task Force and offsets expen- ditures by the City of Kent. PARKS (CONSENT CALENDAR - ITEM 3F) Interurban Trail Bridge. AUTHORIZATION to accept as complete the Interurban Trail Green River Pedestrian Bridge and to release retainage to Caicos Corporation, Inc. , upon receipt of State releases, as recommended by the Parks Committee. The project was completed within budget. CONSULTANT (OTHER BUSINESS - ITEM 4D) CONTRACTS ADDED BY COUNCILMEMBER WHITE Consultant Contracts. White pointed out that on August 7 , 1991, the Economic Development Corpora- tion agreed to fund a Downtown Infrastructure Study, and that on October 3 , 1991, the City signed a contract with a consultant to do a Down- town Infrastructure Study, as well as a Downtown Redevelopment Study. He added that on September 9, 1992 , the contract was extended. He pointed out that the original agreement from the EDC was to fund up to $60, 000, and that to date $71, 265 has been spent on the project. He noted that the City has received a Downtown Infrastructure Facil- ities Program report which is 16 pages long for $71, 000 . He noted that $3 , 029 . 50 was taken from the drainage fund, $1, 680. 50 from the sewer fund, $7, 790 from the transportation mitigation fund and $21, 083 from the miscellaneous water main replace- ment fund, and that to his knowledge none of this came to the Public Works Committee for approval. He added that there has not been any approval of the extension of the contract at the Council level, and he is concerned about overspending. He said that $37 , 682 has been charged back to EDC, but to his knowledge Council did not approve a Downtown Redevelopment Study, the draft of which is a larger document. 6 October 6, 1992 CONSULTANT McCarthy said that in addition to the Downtown CONTRACTS Infrastructure project, there are other project funds which have consultants working on them. He confirmed for the Mayor that the items that the consultant, Mr. Ramos, has billed to those funds are related to those functions. Lubovich pointed out that the Council passed a new procurement ordinance last January to clarify purchasing con- fusion, and that it allows for Administration to enter into contracts for professional services, and that they only need the Mayor' s authorization if it is over $7500. He said the reason for that is that Public Works has a significant number of projects, such as road projects, that have budgets which contain consultant arrangements which need to be dealt with on an immediate basis. He added that having every contract come through would be burdensome, but that if the Council so desires the procurement ordinance can be revisited. He sug- gested having a limit on dollar value as a com- promise. He clarified that professional contracts do not require Council confirmation according to that ordinance, and that the limitation is the budget authorization. Lubovich noted for White that Ramos' contract is not limited to EDC funding only. McCarthy confirmed for the Mayor that the time spent on specific projects is billable to that fund. White noted that the City has provided Ramos with office space, secretarial service, a computer and probably printing, and that he does not see that mentioned in the contract. Lubovich agreed to research whether the contract authorizes such things. White said he would like to see some type of report come back to Council on all consul- tants periodically. Johnson noted that the King County Code contains a requirement that the King County Executive report periodically to the Council on all consultants, the cost of the con- tract, what the consultants job is, and an esti- mated time of completion, and proposed that an ordinance be looked at and that the issue be referred to the Operations Committee. Houser agreed. Upon Lubovich' s suggestion, it was agreed to also discuss the procurement ordinance at that time, and the Mayor asked that Johnson and White be notified of the date of the meeting. 7 October 6, 1992 CONSULTANT Bill Doolittle, 412 N. Washington, asked whether CONTRACTS the two reports mentioned by Mr. White are avail- able to the public, and whether the reports repre- sent the completion of the contract, and if not, what the final goal of the contract is. The Mayor noted that the reports are available. Steve Dowell asked whether more than $60, 000 was spent from the EDC, and White noted that $37 , 682 has been spent from that fund and that there is $23 , 000 left. The Mayor stated that there are separate budgets for things such as downtown infrastructure, improving the water supply, and so forth. White argued that if the consultant is working on downtown water and downtown sewer, that that falls under the category of downtown infra- structure and that the City is billed twice for it. Raul Ramos noted that downtown revitalization has been a target issue for several years. He explained that the scope of work for the downtown infrastructure facilities coordinator contained two major items, an infrastructure plan and a strategy report. He noted that a progress report was submitted to EDC on February 4, 1992 , which outlined the work scope items and the percentage of time expended on various activities as of that date. He explained that 47% of his time was spent on infrastructure needs, 22% in developing strate- gies for downtown development, 19% in reviewing such items as the regional justice center, commu- ter rail, performing arts center, downtown zoning proposals, and growth management programs, and 12% in meeting with staff. He noted that he worked with a senior housing developer on a 125-unit project in the downtown area close to the existing senior housing project. Ramos noted that he currently spends 55% of his time on specific economic development approaches, 22% on specific projects, 14% on specific economic development approaches and strategies, and 9% on administrative matters. He said that the second report he submitted is actually a working draft. White pointed out that the contract states that the maximum amount to be paid by the City shall not exceed $60, 000, and that to date the City has paid $71, 000. He said that Council needs to look 8 October 6, 1992 CONSULTANT further into this, and all consultant contracts. CONTRACTS The Mayor pointed out that Mr. Ramos' contract was amended, and Ramos clarified that he has completed what he was asked to do and that the next step would be implementation, which will involve continuing to work with the Public Works Depart- ment and identifying alternative funding sources. Mayor Kelleher asked Ramos to prepare a memo out- lining what the extra scope of work is that exceeds that initial scope of work. White stated that it is his understanding that Ramos has com- pleted what he was originally contracted to do and is continuing to work at $35. 00 per hour at the Mayor's direction. The Mayor responded that it is not solely at his discretion because the Council has adopted as a target issue improvement of downtown infrastructure, and that because the Council has adopted budgets for downtown infrastructure, water system improvements, drainage system improvements, and so forth, he is authorized to enter into an amendment to that contract. He suggested that those rules could be revised or amended. Dowell noted that Ramos has stated that his contract is finished, and recommended therefore that the remaining $23 , 000 be returned to the EDC' s control. Doolittle stated that this is the first he has heard of another senior housing project, and that at the Budget Committee meeting one of the CIP items discussed was a request for $75, 000 to study where to put a $3 . 5 million parking garage. He noted that Ramos mentioned a cultural arts center, and noted this is a $30. 5 million project. He said it sounds that Ramos has developed a plan for downtown which sounds good, but involves a lot of money, but that it has been done quietly which is not right. He added that Wickstrom is aware of what would have to be done in regard to sewer and water if the Regional Justice Center goes in, since it could be marginal. Jimmy Cordova urged the Council to look 15-20 years ahead and not to make the same mistakes again. He added that although things cost a lot right now, they will cost more in the future. 9 October 6, 1992 CONSULTANT The Mayor asked that Administration ensure that CONTRACTS the procurement policy go to the Operations Com- mittee for review, that Mr. Doolittle receive copies of the reports he requested, and that the Council receive regular reports of the activities of consultants. BUDGET (PUBLIC HEARINGS - ITEM 2A) 1993 Budget. This date has been established to receive public input for the 1993 City of Kent budget. Following receipt of public input, the Mayor will finalize the preliminary budget for presentation to the Council on October 20. The final budget is scheduled for adoption on November 17 after another public hearing on November 3 . Finance Director McCarthy stated that several meetings have been held on the budget and that citizen input from tonight' s meeting could be incorporated into the preliminary or final budget. He noted that a Budget Committee has recently been established to deliberate the budget document. He then explained Administrations ' proposal which is to make cuts in non-personnel areas, to enhance revenue, and to decrease the COLA to 1. 8%, which, along with the recent layoff of 11 employees, would balance the budget. The Mayor opened the public hearing. Don McDaniel, of the Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Kent Partnership, stated that businesses are aware that there may be a need for additional revenue increases, but that that should be the last option considered. He noted that economic development is important and said he is happy to see that the City is involved in approaches that stimulate economic development. He noted that it is impor- tant the City, the Chamber, and the Downtown Kent Partnership work as a team. Andy Wangstad, 1311 S. Central, owner of Sir Speedy Printing in Kent, and President of the Chamber of Commerce, noted this has been a difficult year for businesses and pledged the Chamber' s support in the budget process. Steve Dowell, 430 Glenwood Lane, urged the Council to spend less in 1993 than they spent in 1992 . Susan Ramos, Vice-Chair of the Human 10 October 6, 1992 BUDGET Services Commission, expressed appreciation for the City' s continued financial support, noting that difficult times such as these increase the demand on their programs. Bonnie Rouse, 8045 S. 118th, Seattle, spoke on behalf of the King County Sexual Assault Center and asked that reconsidera- tion be given to the $3, 700 reduction in their funding. She noted that Kent residents get more service each year, and that it is not possible to continue the same level of service if they must take a 17% reduction. Dr. George Mast, 6217 - 4th Street East, Tacoma, Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Saturday Market, thanked the Mayor and Council for their previous support, noting that it has provided top notch professional management. He added that the Market has become one of the premiere markets of this kind in Western Washington, and that the number of vendors has increased under the present management, leading to an increase in the number of visitors and customers to the market, and increased revenue. He noted that the market provides the means for supplemental income for retired people, new artists and people who cannot work outside the home. Dr. Mast said that any change in the management, location, or format of the Market will result in a loss of vendors and customers. He stated that within five hours, they received 586 signatures on a petition asking that management not be changed, and asked that the Saturday Market be left as is. Aggie Mauritsen, 8033 S. 222nd, explained that she and her husband are vendors at the Saturday Market and that it seems more like a family affair every year. She urged the Council to continue to run the market as it is presently being run. She commended the managers of the market and credited them with making the market a success. Butch Kinney of Enumclaw, a vendor at the market, said the way the market is run is fantastic and that any changes will result in a loss of money. Peg Mazen of the Human Services Commission com- mented that when times are tough, it is good to know that the City supports the human services community. She noted that they are funding 20 11 October 6, 1992 BUDGET programs through 13 agencies, many of whom received budget cuts. She thanked the Council for their continued support. Mr. Knapp said that although he enjoys the Cityline, he gets more information from the newspaper. He also said that dependents of employees should not receive medical coverage, and that parks security is needed. Jimmy Cordova suggested using young people and senior citizens to improve Kent. He added that the City should be cleaned up, that kids need a place to skateboard, and that if buildings were decorated in a style similar to those in Leaven- worth people would come from miles away to see Kent. He said that the only park more beautiful than Kent's is the Arboretum at the University of Washington, and that Kent can be improved without spending money. Russ Stringham, owner of The Hungry Bear, said that the business community has known for some time that this situation was coming, since they collect money on a daily basis. He recommended either selecting a cross-section of industry in Kent and conducting monthly surveys to keep in touch with revenue generation, or forming some type of advisory panel with a cross-section of merchants in the City (excluding those that do national and international business) . He said this would allow the City to proact rather than react. He also predicted that the budget deficit would double by January, 1993 . There were no further comments and WOODS MOVED to close the public hearing. Houser seconded and the motion carried. McCarthy explained that a budget document will be presented to the Council on October 20th, that there will be another public hearing on November 3rd, and that the budget could be adopted on November 17 or December 1. FINANCE (CONSENT CALENDAR - ITEM 3B) Approval of Bills. Approval of payment of the bills received through September 30 after auditing by the Operations Committee at its meeting at 3 : 00 p.m. on October 6, 1992 . 12 October 6, 1992 FINANCE Approval of checks issued for vouchers: Date Check Numbers Amount 9/16-9/30/92 122663-123190 $1, 551, 832 . 74 Approval of checks issued for payroll: Date Check Numbers Amount 10/5/92 01177161-01177618 $ 643 ,490.79 REPORTS Council President. Woods noted that Suburban Cities will meet in Lake Forest Park on October 14 and asked that Councilmembers make reservations through Christi Ryan. Planning Committee. Orr noted that the permit process report will be on their October 20th agenda. Public Safety Committee. Mann stated that there is a need in this community for a youth center and said that at the next Council meeting he will ask for Council ' s support to establish a committee to look into the possibility of placing a ballot measure before the public for bonds or a levy to finance a youth facility. Bennett explained that it had been brought to his attention several months ago by downtown merchants about theft from downtown merchants, and that he brought that information to the Public Safety Com- mittee. He stated that the merchants would like to thank Chief Crawford and his department for their expeditious response and assignment of staff to work with the merchants. Parks Committee. Bennett noted that the Parks Committee will meet on October 13th at 5 : 30 p.m. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 9: 00 p.m. r, Brenda Jacober, CMC City Clerk 13