HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Committees - Planning and Economic Development Committee - 11/15/1994 (3). KENT
CITY COUNCIL PLANNING COMMITTEE MINUTES
November 15, 1994 4:00 PM
Committee Members Present
Leona Orr, Chair
Jon Johnson
Tim Clark
Planning Staff
Margaret Porter
Kevin O'Neill
Fred Satterstrom
Jim Harris
Sally Gilpin
City Attorney's Office
Roger Lubovich
Laurie Evezich
Other City Staff
Arthur Martin
Nancy Mathews
Ed Crawford
Other Guests
Fred High
GROWTH MANAGEMENT UPDATE - (F. Satterstrom)
Manager Satterstrom reported on the progress of the Comprehensive
Plan. The last Planning Commission meeting was November 14, 1994
with another one planned for November 21, 1994. The public hearing
on the Comprehensive Plan will be re -opened November 28, 1994. An
alternate meeting is planned for December 12, 1994, hopefully the
Plan will be brought to the City Council on the second meeting in
January 1995.
Fred reported the Comprehensive Plan was sent to the Department of
Community, Trade and Economic Development (DCTED) for their review.
The Planning Department is currently responding and resolving the
items that are partially done and the areas not completed. Senior
Planner Kevin O'Neill briefly reported DCTED's review comments:
Generally, DCTED's comments on the Plan were very favorable.
Things they particularly liked included:
• How the Plan clearly linked the State's goals and
Countywide Planning Policies with local goals and
policies.
• They were impressed that the Plan included optional
elements, including Human Services, Parks, Economic
Development, and Community Design.
CITY COUNCIL PLANNING COMMITTEE MINUTES
NOVEMBER 15, 1994
• They commented upon the
participation, including
Preference Survey results in
of the Plan.
emphasis placed on public
incorporating the Visual
the community design element
DCTED also noted some specific concerns about the draft Plan, which
Mr. O'Neill has reviewed the concerns and presented them to the
Committee. These included:
• DCTED noted the Transportation and Capital Facilities
elements were incomplete. This is currently being
addressed at the Planning Commission so this will be done
soon and sent onto the City Council with the entire Plan.
• They were confused about Kent's urban growth area
boundary. They wanted to know if the City plans to meet
its housing target within the City limits, then why did
the City have an urban growth area boundary that went
beyond the city limits. They said it looks like the City
is combining some of the City's units with the
unincorporated area. Mr. O'Neill stated this will be
clarified since the Plan clearly says the City is not
doing this, and a response will be made to DCTED.
• With regard to the unincorporated areas, DCTED did not
like the fact that the City adopted the Soos Creek
Community Plan on an interim basis, since the predominant
designation in this area is Single Family 1-8 units/per
acre. They were not comfortable with that designation
because SF 1-8 could mean densities as low as 1 unit per
acre, which they felt would be too low a density inside
the urban growth area boundary. They recommended an
average net density of at least four(4) units per acre.
Mr. O'Neill stated this is consistent with the zoning
that is out there now. The Planning Department
recommended to the Planning Commission to add a policy in
the Land Use Plan that makes it clear this would be the
City's goal. The Planning Commission felt comfortable
with this.
• The Growth Management Act requires that if there are
agricultural lands, which we have in the County and the
City, the City or County_ needs to have a mechanism in
place for transfer or purchase of development rights. A
policy was suggested to be added to the Land Use Plan at
the November 14, 1994 Planning Commission meeting and
they agreed in order to meet this requirement.
• The most complicated issue, because it is not just a City
of Kent issue but a County wide issue, is the issue of
the housing target. This item was discussed at the
October 18, 1994 Planning Committee meeting relating to
2
CITY COUNCIL PLANNING COMMITTEE MINUTES
NOVEMBER 15, 1994
the Countywide Planning Policies. Basically, DCTED does
not like the idea of the way that King County, in the
Countywide Planning Policies, have a range of housing
targets for each City and for the County as a whole.
They don't understand how the housing number is related
to the population number. They noted in their comment to
the City that while each City had a range, the City of
Kent had 3ust a specific number which was at the high end
of that range. The City plans on waiting to see how this
issue is handled on a regional basis between the County
and the State to proceed forward on resolving this issue.
HEALTH DEPARTMENT MONITORING FOR 1992-93 - (S. Gilpin)
Planner Sally Gilpin presented an Analysis of the Seattle -King
County Public Health Services for 1992-1993. She stated the
analysis was written by her colleague, Rachel Johnston. The
purpose of the report was to identify public health services
provided to Kent residents in 1992 - 1993 and to explain the cost
of the services.
The City contracts with the public Health Department to provide
health services to Kent Residents. The City pays according to the
number of units of service provided. Some of the City's costs are
defrayed by grants and fees the Health Department receive.
As mentioned in the report, the Health Department has two types of
health services. They are personal and environmental health
services. These services are categorized as either basic or
optional. She stated the City is charged for basic services only.
Optional services are paid for by the County and "other" funds.
This analysis is based on the Health Department 1995 assessment for
1993 services. So each assessment the City gets, which is a bill,
is for two prior years. The total cost to the City in 1992 (for
both categories) was $635,592, and the total cost to the City in
1993 (for both categories) was $625,535. Overall, looking at both
the personal services and environmental health services, in 1993
the City paid $10,057 less for services. The report indicated that
in 1993 the City will be paying approximately $14,633 less for
basic personal health services than in 1992. Costs went down for
the City even though there was a 9% increase in the number of
clients served over 1992. Environmental Health costs increased by
13% in 1993, but the number of basic service units decreased by 4%,
which is a result of inflation and not raising their fees).
In the future when the Washington Health Care Act of 1993 is
implemented, the City will no longer contract with the County
public health services. The State will take approximately 2.95°% of
the City's Motor Vehicle Excise Tax (MVET) and direct it to the
County to support local public health services. This may be in
effect as early as July 1995.
3
CITY COUNCIL PLANNING COMMITTEE MINUTES
NOVEMBER 15, 1994
COMMUNITY NETWORKS - (E. Crawford
Police Chief Ed Crawford gave a brief explanation of Community
Networks. Mr. Crawford has asked Nancy Mathews, who works for the
police department as a program assistant with the Drinking Driver
Task Force, to assist him on this project.
During the last legislative session, the State established
legislation aimed at reducing and preventing the incidence of youth
violence. Early this summer the South County Youth Violence
Committee, which is sponsored by United Way, took it upon
themselves to assist in the public process of helping develop
community boundaries as the first step in the development of
community public health and safety networks. This Committee
undertook the quest of trying to submit a boundary area to the
Family Policy Council (the legislative board that reviews and makes
determinations about the process). After many discussions and
public meetings, a boundary area was submitted as the total south
county. The area starts south of the Seattle City limits and
basically encompasses the south end, including Maple Valley,
Enumclaw and Federal Way. There were six other entities within
King County that submitted requests for boundaries outside of the
south end that were also approved. Approval of the south county
application makes them the largest community network in the state
with about a 550,000 population; the City of Seattle is next in
size with 518,000.
Mr. Crawford stated a 23 member board is being developed.
Legislation requires that Networks are composed of 23 people who
represent the diversity of our South County community. A) Thirteen
of these people will be chosen by specific organizations; three by
King County, three by the thirteen cities, three by the eight
school districts, three by local chambers of commerce, and one high
school student will be selected from among student organizations.
B) Ten members representing cities, counties, Indian tribes, park
and recreation programs, law enforcement agencies, superior court
judges, state children's service workers, employment assistance
workers, private social, educational or health service providers,
and broad-based nonsecular organizations. An information letter,
application, and job description will be sent out very soon. A
series of informational meetings about the Network and the
membership selection process will be sponsored by each city in the
South County Network and will be held in their respective areas on
the evening of Thursday, December 8, 1994. Kent's meeting will be
held at Chambers West from 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.
IMPACT FEES - (L. Orr)
Regarding impact fees, Chair Orr requested this item be added to
the agenda to come up with a strategy, determine where to go from
here, and determine whether this Committee is agreeable to tackle
this issue. The Meridian Annexation is to be discussed at the
Council meeting tonight; therefore, the subject of impact fees
needs to be addressed.
4
CITY COUNCIL PLANNING COMMITTEE MINUTES
NOVEMBER 15, 1994
Fred Satterstrom distributed copies of the old committee's study on
impact fees from 1991. Chair Orr invited Fred High, an original
member of the impact fee committee, to come to the Planning
Committee meeting who is from the Kent School District. Chair Orr
is sincerely concerned about this issue because currently fees are
being collected in the Kent School District in the County. She
stated she doesn't want to see them loose that funding source if
the annexation happens.
Assistant City Attorney, Carol Morris, attempted to write a draft
school impact fee ordinance several years ago, but because of the
unique way in which school district boundaries overlap other
jurisdictions, there were some problems in developing that
ordinance. Orr said now that the County already has ordinances in
place, perhaps this would helpful for the City in developing one
without causing any conflicts. City Attorney Roger Lubovich stated
he doesn't see a problem and the County's ordinance will be
helpful. His only concern was being short on staff resources for
a couple of months with Laurie going a maternity leave the middle
of December. The Committee discussed and agreed that an interlocal
agreement with the County would be necessary to provide a smooth
transition on this annexation, and this issue on impact fees could
be included so there is no loss in funding to the Kent School
District.
Jim Harris suggested the Committee develop an outline or framework
in which to work from and to develop time lines each month to be
able to work toward a goal.
Also, it was decided to have the next meeting on December 13, 1994,
instead of December 20, 1994.
ADDED ITEMS•
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 5:01 p.m.
mp:c:pco1115.min