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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Committees - Parks and Human Services - 11/25/2014 4^4 K ENT Special Parks and Human Services Committee Meeting Minutes Councilmembers: Deborah Ranniger, Chair • Dennis Higgins • Brenda Fincher November 25, 2014 - 4:30 p.m. Call to Order: Committee Chair Debbie Ranniger called the meeting to order at 4:30 p.m. Roll Call: Chair Debbie Ranniger, Committee members Dennis Higgins and Brenda Fincher were in attendance. Changes to agenda: None 1. Minutes Dated October 23, 2014 - Approve Committee member Fincher MOVED to approve the minutes dated October 23, 2014. Committee member Higgins SECONDED. The motion PASSED 3-0. 2. 2015 - 2017 Indiaent Counsel Aareement - Authorize Katherin Johnson, Manager of the Housing and Human Services division, explained that the Indigent Counsel Agreement was brought back to the committee prior to final budget acceptance. The City of Kent is required by statute to provide Indigent Defense services for individuals unable to afford legal representation when charged with a crime in Kent Municipal Court. Recent state case law and court rules dramatically changed the city's compliance standards for indigent defense. The current indigent defense contract with Stewart, MacNichols, and Harmell, Inc., P.S. (SMH) expires at the end of this year. The new agreement includes substantial amendments to achieve compliance with the new standards. The new contract sets performance expectations and compliance requirements, drops the case-weighting system used in the previous contract, and increases the annual fee for services to $900,000. The fee increase is included in the 2015/2016 budget request. Staff recommends approving the contract with Stewart, MacNichols, and Harmell for the next three years with automatic renewals for the following 3 year period. The exhibits included two contracts, one with the track-changes and one without so that the revisions between the current contract and the proposed contract can be reviewed. Page 1 Once the committee makes its recommendation to the council, the parks department will hire an outside attorney to review and finalize the agreement. Because the city attorney's office prosecutes cases that SMH defends against, state law mandates that the city attorney's office cannot negotiate or approve final contract language. Housing and Human Services Manager Katherin Johnson introduced attorneys Ken Harmell and Scott Stewart in the audience. The committee members commented on already being briefed on the changes to the indigent counsel agreement at council budget meetings and specifically the increase in caseload. Committee member Higgins moved to recommend Council authorize the Mayor to sign the agreement for indigent defense services with Stewart, MacNichols, and Harmell, Inc., P.S., subject to final terms and conditions acceptable to the Parks Director and outside counsel. Committee member Fincher SECONDED. The motion PASSED 3-0. 3. 2014 4Culture Sustained Support Grant Agreement - Authorize Cultural Programs Manager Ronda Billerbeck announced that 4Culture awarded the Kent Arts Commission $17,000 in Sustained Support funding through a competitive grant process. The funding provides 2014 programs, including Spotlight Series performances, Kent Kids' Arts Day, and the Kent Summer Concert Series. Committee member Fincher moved to recommend Council authorize the Mayor to accept the Sustained Support grant from 4Culture in the amount of $17,000 to support the Kent Arts Commission's 2014 programs, to sign all necessary grant documents, and to amend the budget and authorize expenditure of the funds in accordance with final grant terms and conditions acceptable to the Parks Director and City Attorney. Committee member Higgins SECONDED. The motion PASSED 3-0. 4. McKinstry Essention, LLC, Energv Services Performance-Based Contract for Riverbend Golf Complex - Authorize Alex Ackley, Superintendent of Facilities, reported that in 2007, the city identified a need to replace its aging heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems with equipment that was more energy efficient and required less maintenance time. Staff interviewed all Energy Services Companies (ESCO's) that responded and selected McKinstry as the city's ESCO provider. Upon selection, McKinstry conducted a Directed Engineering Study at targeted city facilities which included Riverbend Golf Course. In 2010, the city executed a performance based contract with McKinstry to replace heat pumps in the Centennial Center and funded by a Department of Energy grant. Page 2 Staff is recommending that council enter into a performance-based contract with McKinstry to install facility improvement measures that were identified in the Directed Engineering Study for the Riverbend Golf Course. The HVAC equipment at Riverbend is 25 years old and a mixture of different equipment types. This facility improvement measure would improve energy efficiency, reduce maintenance costs, and improve the level of comfort to the golf course patrons. This project would be funded by facilities capital in the amount of $7 52,796. Staff submitted a grant request to the Department of Commerce in the amount of $125,000. If this grant is awarded, it would reduce the capital expenditure of facilities capital for this project to $627,000. Using an ESCO for performance-based contracting benefits the city by ensuring its cost and energy savings calculations using measurement and verification reports for one year after the installed improvements. Higgins asked about reinvesting in the complex if the Par 3 is sold. Watling responded that the HVAC renovation project is for the 18-hole club house and not the Par 3 site. Ranniger asked about the life span of the equipment. Ackley responded that 15 years is standard, but staff has seen 20-25 years in the current equipment and expect to have the same success in increasing the life span of the new equipment. Ackley continued that a bonus to this project is downsizing existing equipment. The old boiler will be eliminated. Committee member Higgins moved to recommend Council authorize the Mayor to sign the Energy Services Performance-Based Contract with McKinstry Essention, LLC, in an amount not to exceed $752,796, subject to final terms and conditions acceptable to the Parks Director and City Attorney. Committee member Fincher SECONDED. The motion PASSED 3-0. S. New Cingular Wireless PCS, LLC Lease Agreement for Hogan Park at Russell Road - Authorize Superintendent of Park Operations, Garin Lee reported that New Cingular Wireless PCS, LLC (AT&T Mobility Corporation) is requesting authorization to install wireless communications equipment at Hogan Park at Russell Road. Lee pointed out that the proposed location is the vacant site of previously installed cellular equipment. As part of the lease agreement, New Cingular Wireless PCS, LLC will pay the city $2,800.00 per month, plus annual adjustments. The funds will support the Parks Capital Fund - Lifecycle Projects. Fincher asked what sort of equipment would be installed. Lee responded a mono pole and a 126 x 20 foot shed to support the equipment. The shed would be designed to mimic other structures in the park. Page 3 Council member Higgins asked about maintenance. Lee responded that AT&T Mobility will be responsible for maintenance of the equipment and shed. Higgins was pleased that the park will benefit by getting a new light pole to house the equipment as well. Committee member Fincher moved to recommend Council authorize the Mayor to enter into a lease agreement with New Cingular Wireless PCS, LLC to install wireless communications equipment at Hogan Park at Russell Road, to accept the monthly lease fee of $2,800.00, and to approve the expenditure of funds in the Parks Capital budget, subject to final terms and conditions acceptable to the Parks Director and City Attorney. Committee member Higgins SECONDED. The motion PASSED 3-0. 6. Severe Weather Shelter - INFO ONLY Chair Ranniger explained that, at the last council meeting, a number of folks raised some concerns about the city's severe weather shelter policy. At that time she asked to have it on the next Parks Committee agenda. Specifically, council wanted to know - what is the city's policy, what are the options, and should the city explore some possible adjustments. Katherin Johnson, Manager of the Housing and Human Services, reported that the city's policy mirrors Renton's policy, which was originally adopted by using Kent's policy. The city's policy is consistent with policies throughout the county. The policy is not written in stone and numerous times, with ice, snow, and excessive rain, the city has opened the shelter with the help of our partners even though it wasn't meeting all the qualifications as set by the policy. Johnson explained that opening the shelter is a partnership. Kent Lutheran Church provides the facility and the consumable goods (toilet paper, coffee cups, etc.), they also provide a church staff person for set up and monitoring the building. Catholic Community Services (CCS) provides the two staff members while the shelter is open. The city pays for these two staff members. CCS also provides staff for Federal Way and Renton, which can be challenging for their staff to meet the needs of local shelters. There is a process to open the shelter. The weather is looked at, how extreme it is, the impacts, and how long it could potentially last. Kent Lutheran Church is called to see if the facility is available, then CCS is contacted to see if staff is available. The shelter is not budgeted as a line item, it is money that staff has to find. It generally costs the city between $600-700 per night to have the shelter open. At the same time, staff is working with Multi Service Center to provide motel vouchers for families and the elderly. Prior to 2010 and Kent Lutheran Church donating their facility, the city relied totally on motel vouchers - that was very expensive. Page 4 During the recent cold weather, the shelter was open for Saturday and Sunday. Staff worked with the Multi Service Center to provide motel vouchers as well. Bus passes were issued to transport homeless to local shelters, such as Auburn and Renton. The shelter is "low barrier" meaning a person can be intoxicated but must behave. Low barrier shelters are difficult because the users are often under the influence. Council member Fincher asked about Auburn being open. Johnson replied that it's not a formal rotation, but the reality of homeless is that it doesn't know city limits. Some will be in Kent, Auburn or Renton. When it became difficult to open the Kent shelter, the Renton, Auburn and Federal Way shelters were open. And, because they opened first this, Kent will open first next time. Watling added that the Severe Weather Shelter is not a service out of isolation. It is a team process and if a revised policy is what we want to do, all the partners need to be involved in that conversation. Chair Ranniger asked if the partners meet regularly to discuss shelters. Johnson said that CCS, Kent Lutheran, and Human Services staff meet once a year to review the contract, requirements and to discuss "what if' scenarios. The meeting this year was a week before the storm. Committee member Fincher asked what the system is to get from Kent to Renton or Auburn. Johnson replied that it is up to the users to get to the other shelters in the area. Chair Ranniger asked what the committee wants to do to move forward and should the group reconvene? Committee member Fincher felt that the city needs to find out what can be done to help with staffing. She suggested finding grant money. Johnson responded that this is something that grants don't support; it will have to come from the city. Committee member Higgins stated that if the city just ups the budget, it won't solve the problem. We still need to negotiate with our partners. We need to have this discussion. Johnson clarified that this is not a budgeted item. It's from the city's emergency money. One of the topics of concern was changing the opening of shelters to 35 degrees which would greatly affect funding because the shelter could potentially be open for months. Committee member Higgins remarked that some communications he has received disputed that Renton's shelter opening policy was copied from Kent's. Human Services Planner Merina Hanson felt that some of the information being published is confusing and simply an interpretation of Renton's policy, not necessarily accurate. Hanson stated that occasionally, plans don't work out like the Page 5 community would prefer, but she feels the city does a pretty good job of opening the shelters and working with local cities. Staff works really hard to have shelters open during life threatening weather. Committee member Fincher asked for data; how often has the shelter been open, how often when partner shelters weren't open, what was temperature, and how many users were there. Chair Ranniger remarked that it sounds like the committee wants more information and the desire to continue the discussion. She asked for a part two update at an upcoming committee meeting. Watling agreed that staff will have a conversation with the city's partners and report back to the committee. Watling added that he hopes the conversation isn't about disputing what Renton's policy is, reiterating that a conversation needs to occur with the city's partners, Kent Lutheran Church and Catholic Community Services. Committee member Fincher agreed, adding that it would be good to have a base line of what's going on, what the city is doing now, and how people are affected. 7. Director's Report Watling stated, no Director's Report - Happy Thanksgiving to all! Chair Ranniger adjourned the meeting at 5:30 p.m. Respectfully submitted, 7&-�I,AemI& Teri Petrole Council Committee Recorder Page 6