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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Committees - Planning and Economic Development Committee - 08/03/1990 CITY COUNCIL PLANNING COMMITTEE July 3 , 1990 4: 00 PM Committee Members Present Planning Staff Jon Johnson, Chair Charlene Anderson Christi Houser Lauri Anderson Leona Orr Lin Ball Jim Harris Other City Staff Fred Satterstrom Janet Shull Bill Williamson Planning Commission Representative Frank Chopp SENIOR HOUSING - FOR INFORMATION ONLY Planner Janet Shull introduced the Senior Housing Advisory Committee' s recommendations. The Planning Committee is scheduled to act on these recommendations at their July 17th meeting. The recommendations are scheduled to be reviewed by the City Council on August 7 . Phase I of the senior housing project includes policy development and initial decisions that are made prior to selling bond money. After the City Council has given - direction on Phase I recommendations, project and site selection will occur, �.e. , how to select sites and developers to build the project. During the construction phase it is anticipated the project will be overseen by the Administration department. The report of the Senior Housing Advisory Committee will contain background information, options which were considered and action items. There are five major action items: 1) Ownership and management of senior housing. Committee recommendations include entering into a housing cooperation agreement with the King County Housing Authority. It is suggested that conditions applied to the agreement include a reversionary clause such that if the City decides to have its own housing authority, that housing authority will take over ownership and management of senior housing. The Kent Housing Authority, by law, would be a separate agency from the City of Kent. 2) Development. The Committee recommends the City utilize the design/build/turnkey method. This would entail a single RFP process to select site(s) , building(s) and design/development term(s) . This method provides the City more flexibility and control. 3) The Committee notes that time is of the essence, that land and building costs are increasing. The Committee recommends that the City retain professional services to oversee the construction phase. 1) Support services. The Committee recommends the City ensure that the senior housing has individual living units with support services in some of the units. Committee members looked at the total needs of CITY COUNCIL PLANNING COMMITTEE MINUTES OF MEETING OF JULY 3 , 1990 seniors. Phase II of the project would include developing the details of this recommendation. 5) Advisory Committee role in Phase II. The Committee recommends that the Mayor and City Council direct the Senior Housing Advisory Committee to continue through Phase II to oversee site and project development, including development of the RFP. Councilwoman Orr, a member of the Senior Housing Advisory Committee, confirmed the Committee's concern that time is of the essence. ORDINANCE TO EXTEND SEWER AND WATER OUTSIDE OF CITY Ordinance #2767 states that prior to City extension of water and sewer service outside the City of Kent, the property owner must sign a no-protest annexation agreement, and the development or proposed service project use must match the City's comprehensive plan designation for the area. This is despite the area being in unincorporated King County. Planning staff is concerned that because the comprehensive plan is outdated, especially related to multifamily areas outside City boundaries, it no longer might be appropriate to have the Public Works Department look at the :omprehensive plan map to determine suitability of extending service. Planning staff would like to look at alternatives, perhaps Planning Director or Planning Committee authorization to extend service. Chairman Johnson asked Acting City Attorney Williamson if the City could refuse to grant utility extension outside of City boundaries. Mr. Williamson responded affirmatively. Planning Director Harris questioned why the City doesn't require annexation along with utility extension. He stated it appears the City has a weak policy which allows utility service to determine what the City does. The City should be moving its boundaries to those areas requesting the City's services. Discussion occurred. Mr. Williamson noted that the county can decide to move the franchise boundary back to the City boundary if the City refuses to extend sewer and water service. Councilwoman Orr stated she is getting calls from citizens outside the City who are requesting help in stopping projects; any control the City can have will help. Mr. Harris stated that under the new growth management legislation, once the county approves the City's growth boundary, no more county action would occur in that growth area; the City would annex the area. Planning Commissioner Frank Chopp asked about extending sewer service to those within the City limits who do not presently have the service. Committee members requested that the Planning Department review the existing ordinance and suggest alternatives for reviewing requests for water and sewer service outside City of Kent limits. 2 :!ITY COUNCIL PLANNING COMMITTEE MINUTES OF MEETING OF JULY 3, 1990 HUMAN SERVICES ROUNDTABLE This item was added to the agenda. Senior Planner Ball related that Council President Judy Woods would like Planning Committee feedback on the material mailed to them on the housing and human services levy. Housing was identified as a top-priority, countywide need. The Roundtable funding package which was endorsed by the Kent City Council talked about a housing levy to address the need for affordable housing. The Roundtable advocated to the county a need for a levy. They initiated a regional, affordable, county master plan. The housing finance plan will propose revenue sources to finance rehabilitation and construction of housing. It is estimated the draft of this master plan will be forwarded to the County Executive in mid-July. On July 18th, the Roundtable will take a position on advocacy of the levy. A proposed $150 million countywide housing levy would provide permanent rental units for affordable housing, emergency and transitional homes, and some loans for first-time home buyers. Ms. Ball highlighted # 4 of the summary information regarding discussion on the housing/human services levy: 1) 2000 housing units need to be produced, 3) the levy should be around $150 million, 3) there needs to be a link between services and housing, 4) services must be quantifiable as much as possible, 5) provider groups should be given the first opportunity to narrow the ,ategory of services to be included. This issue will be presented formally to the City Council at a future time. In addition, the county will be "going on the road" with the housing finance master plan in September; cities will be asked for their review of the plan. Chairman Johnson is concerned about a housing property tax levy as the funding level for housing. He would like to earmark an existing levy to fund the $150 million, although he acknowledges an immediate crisis for housing. Councilwoman Orr also acknowledges the need for housing and is unaware of any alternative method of funding. Councilwoman Houser stated it might be a question of timing; perhaps passage of the levy would be easier a year from now. Councilman Johnson reiterated one alternative method of funding is to cut spending somewhere else out of the existing levy. Ms. Ball stated that the Roundtable had hired a Legislative Advisor to pursue state funding of human services. Money was available to hire the advisor because the employment piece of the work program was deferred to 1991. The state has commissioned an employment study through Battelle for job training. The study will be completed in November or December of 1990. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at approximately 5: 10 PM. 3