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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Committees - Planning and Economic Development Committee - 09/09/2013 ECDC Minutes September 9, 2013 Page 1 of 2 ECONOMIC & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MINUTES September 9, 2013 Committee Members Committee Chair Jamie Perry, Deborah Ranniger, Bill Boyce. In Perry’s absence Council President Dennis Higgins called the meeting to order at 5:00 pm rather than 5:30 pm. 1. Approval of Minutes Committee Member Boyce Moved and Council President Higgins Seconded a Motion to approve the Minutes of August 12, 2013. Motion PASSED 2-0 with Ranniger Absent. 2. Lodging Tax Committee Appointment of Tim Higgins Economic & Community Development Director Ben Wolters stated that Tim Higgins, ShoWare’s General Manager, was nominated for appointment to the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee at their last meeting. Wolters stated that Higgins will replace Beth Sylves. Committee Member Boyce Moved and Council President Higgins Seconded a Motion recommending approval of the appointment of Tim Higgins to the Lodging T ax Advisory Committee. Motion PASSED 2-0 and Council President Higgins will seek concurrence from Committee Member Ranniger. 3. Kent Events Center Public Facilities District Board Re-Appointment of Mike Miller Wolters stated that Mike Miller has served as the Chair of the Public Facilities Board for the past five years and is being recommended for reappointment. Miller has agreed to serve another four years. Wolters stated that Miller has provided tremendous leadership to the Board. Miller’s fiduciary responsibility is to ensure that sales tax collected from Kent’s allocation of state sales tax goes towards fulfillment of the payment of bonds. Wolters stated that Miller has led in organizing, understanding, communicating and coming up with new creative ideas for how to deal with operating deficits in more than an advisory role. Committee Member Boyce Moved and Council President Higgins Seconded a Motion recommending reappointment of Mike Miller to the Kent Events Center Public Facilities District for a four year term, and ratifying all acts consistent with this motion. Motion PASSED 2-0 and Council President Higgins will seek concurrence from Committee Member Ranniger. 4. Group Living Facilities Code Amendments KCC 15.02 and 15.04 [ZCA-2013-1] Planner Katie Graves reported that this item was initially presented to the Committee on August 12th. The Committee members requested that staff provide them with additional information on how other cities define residential living facilities. Graves cited an attached chart with proposed definition changes as well as an outline providing information on what other jurisdictions’ definitions are of ‘family’. Graves stated that Kent defines ‘family’ based on RCW Chapter 26.60. She stated that what Kent proposes aligns closely with other jurisdiction s’ definitions as well as State and Federal laws; and per the City of Kent’s Law Department Kent’s definition most closely resembles industry standards. Committee Member Boyce Moved and Council President Higgins Seconded a Motion recommending approval of amendments to KCC 15.02, Definitions and 15.04 Residential Land Uses related to residential facilities, group care, and group living facilities, as recommended by the Land Use & Planning Board. Motion PASSED 2-0 with Higgins stating he would seek Ranniger’s concurrence in her absence. ECDC Minutes September 9, 2013 Page 2 of 2 5. Right Size Parking Planning Manager Charlene Anderson stated that the City of Kent has been granted an opportunity to partner with King County and utilize the expertise of their consultants. This effort will be paid for by King County (KC) through a grant KC received related to parking issues. KC accepted the City’s proposed demonstration project to develop parking code amendments and parking strategies for Kent’s proposed expanded downtown area which includes an area west of 167 as well. Anderson stated that this is an opportunity to evaluate utilization of parking in the downtown area as well as consider if Kent City Code (KCC) supports right-sizing parking as Kent incorporates high density residential development into its commercial core. Anderson stated that the consultants will evaluate what kind of parking code and marketing strategies Kent should have. The consultant will then advise Kent on both of those areas with the principle that parking is a real estate asset ; and how that asset is used (related to where in downtown parking is located) is of vital importance to whether or not there is sufficient parking in the area proposed for this demonstration project. Anderson stated that a utilization study will be conducted, that the consultants will look at KCC, and at proposals that have already occurred in the Kent downtown area. Anderson stated that the Kent Downtown Partnership is engaged in this effort to educate the community and City staff on what parking as a real estate asset means. The study will consider how Kent might better manage and best utilize its existing parking supply and provide for it by code or management strategy. Anderson stated that the deliverables will be in the form of a draft code amendment or draft management strategies. Boyce questioned how the city intends to control the two hour parking restrictions when people move their cars from space to space. Wolters stated that the consultants will inventory Kent’s current parking stock, evaluate parking needs, will consider if Kent has enough parking in downtown and how can Kent best manage that. Coinciding with this study, consideration will be given to extending two hour parking restrictions to three hours. Staff will be looking for a quicker solution on the parking restrictions and will develop a proposal to present to Council. Anderson stated that staff anticipates presenting a proposal for Council Action by spring 2014. She stated that this study is conducted at no cost to Kent. This study could lay the groundwork for metered parking considerations. 6. Economic Development Report Wolters reported that the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee approved two contracts last week with a firm from North Carolina who has conducted work here in our region and elsewhere in the country related to branding strategies; and Genius Marketing out of Spokane Washington who will focus on marketing strategies to get Kent up and rolling. Wolters stated that the branding effort will require community participation with part of its success dependent on recruitment of people in the business community to participate in that process. The branding effort involves all of Kent and is structured in a way that will allow specific organizations to build off of it, play with it, and work off of it. A report will be taken to full Council on October 1st. 7. Added Item Mr. Richard Wilkinson, 11209 SE 267th Place introduced himself as a member of the Kent East Hill Revitalization Committee, stating that he sits on a Board consisting of eight members and represents the economic development aspect of that committee. Adjournment Council President Higgins adjourned the meeting at 5:30 p.m. ______________________________________ Pamela Mottram, Secretary Economic & Community Development Committee P:\Planning\ECDC\2013\Minutes\09-09-13_Min.doc