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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Committees - Public Works/Planning - 02/18/1992 C ` Y CLERK PUBLIC WORKS CON I IRUARY 18, l PRESENT: JIM WHITE TONY MCCARTHY LEONA ORR ROGER LUBOVICH JIM BENNETT ED WHITE DON WICKSTROM RAUL RA140S TOM BRUBAKER MR. & Mom: RUST GARY GILL BILL DOOLITTLE JIM HANSEN JEAN PARIETTI CHUCK AVZRILL Commercial Recycling Karen Siegel informed the Committee that King County Solid Waste has contracted with Pacific Energy Institute to, provide technical assistance to businesses addressing their recycling habits and needs. She introduced the consultant, Chuck Averill, who will be canvassing Kent in the next few weeks. Mr. Averill discussed the County's technical assistance program providing on-site waste consultations consisting of a walk through. -of a business, evaluating the waste reduction/recycling opportunities that may exist and recommending waste reduction/recycling strategies including information on recycled product procurement. A more pro- active approach is being developed whereby he will be going out to Kent businesses, asking them about their recycling program and providing information on services that are avaii. ble to them. In initial visits to 32 businesses in the northwest corner of Kent he found that businesses were very interested in" finding out more information on waste reduction/recycling in the.kent area and what they could do. This process will also identify similar waste types that might be recyclable and we will be able to provide assistance in getting those particular items out of the solid waste stream. He continued it is important to pursue space allocation requirements for developments. He suggested involving the recycling coordinator in the review process to enhance the planning for waste reduction and recycling. Leona Orr, stated she had requested that Planning staff to start looking at some way to include space for recycling in new development and ways to go back into existing development and figure out some y to accommodate recycling particularly in multifamily. Jim Whiii asked that the permit process not be slowed down by any additio0al review. Mr. Rust asked if there was any assistance for u recycling cottage industry of some sort. Mr. Averill commented that the Clean Washington Center occasionally has grants available for such efforts. ^"v+. Public Works Committee February 18, 1992 Page 2 Revision of Parking Ordinance Don Wickstrom stated this was one of the "clean-up" ordinances which allows specific parking regulation by resolution. The ordinance also includes a section which exempts City of Kent vehicles from overtime penalties in the City Hall parking lot. Apparently City vehicles have been ticketed. Wickstrom added that Public Works has several vehicles that do not have any assigned parking spaces so those vehicles have to be shuffled around. Jim White suggested we get assigned parking for those vehicles and this should be handled administratively. He stated he did not think City vehicles should be exempt and if a City vehicle can be sitting for over two hours, is it really needed. Jim Bennett asked how many parking spaces are available in the municipal parking lots. He added that merchants are concerned about their people having to park 3-4 blocks away from their business and their safety. Roger Lubovich stated that the Police Department was concerned that if City vehicles are exempt they would possibly be using parking spaces on the street which would take away from those available to the businesses. Ed White stated he had requested language to be included in the ordinance exempting City vehicles from parking restrictions throughout the City because of a concern he had regarding the lack of adequate storage for City vehicles. He said that concern was not so much of having a place for the vehicles to be parked while the driver was in the office but while actually conducting City business. Wickstrom suggested that the section exempting City vehicles be removed from the Ordinance and these problems worked out administratively. Roger Lubovich referred to corrections on page 6 of the ordinance that should be made. Section 16.8 should be corrected to read "If the $20 penalty is not paid within after 15 calendar days. . . . 11 and "After the fifteen calendar, days has expired, the parking ticket may shall . . . . " Bill Doolittle asked about Section 15 which seemed to have some words missing. He also asked for clarification on Section 16 as to the fines. Mr. Doolittle also questioned Section 4 which prohibits parking from 4:00 to 7:00 a.m. . He stated it was his understanding that was so the street sweeper could clean the streets. He has observed that the streets are being swept in the afternoons now. He observed also that the No Parking signs on Meeker Street have been removed. Jim Hansen commented that when the old library renovation is completed for the Police Department there will be 37 stalls available for the police vehicles. The employees have been asked not to use the parking lot immediately east of City Hall and have been cooperative. As to the suggestion of Mr. Doolittle that we Public Works Committee February 18, 1992 Page 3 use space in the Centennial, Center garage, Jim, gansen reminded everyone that the garage is privately owned. The *mining spaces are reserved for those tenants on the fourth 't�Odr and future expansions. We have talked to the owners in the. ,pA'*t ;about leasing space and while they were agreeable to do that in ''a short term basis, the rate was fairly high. Jim Hansen', ctinued that in compliance with new State law, Public Works Depart*ent has hired a consultant to develop programs that will r®dt ,, the amount of trips produced by City of Kent employees as well ds the employees of businesses in Kent. The City has also devotad five parking stalls in the Centennial Building Garage fay car pools. He continued that we are looking at including parking or a parking garage in the upcoming projects in the downtown„' ea. He stated that we will work on a solution for parking fo� 'Ithq Engineering vehicles. Jim White, asked about the possib'il�lty of limiting parking on Third Avenue to two-hours. He stated he hoped Administration would come back to the Committee'Jshortly with a proposal to alleviate this' parking situation. Jim White suggested that since there are so many 6*n .es ,to be made to the ordinance that it be brought back to thin ttee at their next meeting. Sidewalk Program Jim White had asked this be put on the agenda. 94Chas ascertained there is $70, 000 in a fund for sidewalks. He asked if we have assessed the sidewalk situation around schools recently. Wickstrom stated that some of that $70,000 will be utilized for the City's portion of sidewalk improvement on 240th by P oific Highway in conjunction with a City of Des Moines road impr©vement project. Wickstrom stated we have addressed a lot of issues around schools. We've addressed the areas where the sidewalks ware missing. on 100th, we responded to complaints of inadequate shpulders. We put in the paths by Scenic Hill Elementary. Jim !rite asked if we could take another look at the status of sideway around schools. He added he continues to hear complaints about, the sidewalks in downtown Kent. Wickstrom stated that the maintananco of sidewalks are the responsibility of the abutting property o%Mer unless damage is due to a street tree. If we have staff available We inspect the sidewalks and notify the property owners of any repair that may be required. If the property owner does not maintain the sidewalk, we would have to go to Council to appropriate money for us to do the repair and we would then seek reimbursement from the property owner. Jim Bennett stated he would bring in a list of specific areas for us to review. Gary Gill commented that the pedestrian element will be covered in the Comprehensive Plan. We have been Public Works Committee February 18, 1992 Page 4 working with the school district to try to assess the walking routes for the various schools. ' Wickstrom added that we make sure new plats include off-site improvements with widened shoulders or outside lanes to accommodate pedestrian traffic. Additionally, all the City road projects incorporate sidewalks. Orr asked what the new school on 248th would be required to construct with regard to sidewalks. Wickstrom responded they would be required to develop a 5-foot wide path along 248th Street on the north side. Southral Street Widening - -Authorization for Condemnation Wickstrom explained that the City is designing a project to widen Central between Titus and Gowe plus overlay of Central from Willis to Smith. There are two properties on which we have not been able to secure the right of way. Wickstrom stated we would like authorization to pursue condemnation if continued negotiations are not successful. The Committee unanimously recommended approval. Bill Doolittle raised a question about the signing and allowed turning movements at Central and Gowe going west on Gowe. Ed White stated he would look at it.