HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Meeting - Council Workshop - Minutes - 02/02/1999 COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MINUTES
February 2, 1999
COMMITTEE MEMBERS PRESENT: Chair Leona Orr, Sandy Amodt, Tom Brotherton, Tim Clark,
Connie Epperly, Judy Woods, Rico Yingling
STAFF PRESENT: Brent McFall, John Hodgson, Dena Laurent, Joe Lorenz, Jim Harris, Jackie
Bicknell
Approval of Minutes of November 3, 1998
Committee Member Tim Clark moved to approve the minutes of November 3, 1998. The motion
was seconded and carried 7-0.
Communications Audit Survey Results
Dena Laurent, Government Affairs Manager, said that in December 1998 as part of the ongoing
communications audit project, a survey was done of local citizens to evaluate City communications
methods. The object of the survey was to evaluate the current communications effort of the City by
asking people what they want to know, how they want to find out that information, and where they
want to receive it, as well as to gather specific information on select issues. The survey was
conducted by phoning 300 residents and had an error ratio of no greater than 5%.
Citizens were asked how they get information now, which methods were the most useful to them, and
which were the most preferred. Results showed that the work the City is doing in the Kent Reporter
• with the City Newsletter is being seen by people who are finding it useful information and who prefer
that method of receiving information. There were also high ratings and visibility shown for City
Publications coming into people's homes by mail. The majority of people preferred getting
information at home in the mail.
Almost 90% of people responded that the information received is timely and reliable, which gives the
City a place of comparison for the future. If next year, 95% feel the information is timely and
reliable, then that means an improvement has been made. This allows for tracking over time and for
comparisons with other jurisdictions who are also testing their communications programs. Almost
84% of respondents said the information meets their needs. A lot of material is sent out covering
special events, recreation classes, recycling, waste collection, and road construction. Areas the City
could expand coverage on include more information on current events, City meetings, road
construction plans and schedules, and growth management.
Over half of the people said they don't watch the City Public TV Channel 28. A lot of the people
who say they watch are just channel surfing. Committee Member Connie Epperly suggested putting
the Channel 28 programming schedule in the Kent Reporter. Ms Laurent said that when people were
asked what they would like to see in program changes and improvements for Channel 28, the most
significant finding was that they wanted a TV guide listing to be run on the Channel itself.
Committee Member Rico Yingling recommended using snags to get people's attention such as labels,
topic headings, dates, and listing of re-air times. Tim Clark advised that when Council schedules are
listed, to put a notice that the meeting will be shown on the public channel 24 hours later. Committee
Member Sandy Amodt suggested the need for a printed resource for Council and Committee meeting
agendas such as the local newspapers.
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Dena Laurent continued with the survey results by telling the Committee that ratings showed a 97%
• satisfaction rating for phone courtesy when people called the City, and just over 90% satisfaction
with the quality of information received. People were asked if they had access to the Internet, and
what services would be used if they had access. It was found that nearly 60% of the residents have
access to the Internet either at home or at work. They were asked if they would use the Internet to
conduct City business if information were available on the Internet. Nearly a third said they would
be very likely to use the Internet. They responded also that information can always be obtained from
City facilities, and it was found that a significant number of people are using the Kent Commons, the
Library, the Senior Center, and the Police Station. Over 70% of respondents get information at City
facilities, and say it is very easy to do so.
When people were asked if they felt like their opinions were heard or if they knew who to call with
their opinions in a way that would influence decision making, the response gave a somewhat low
rating of below 50%. A large percentage felt there was still some difficulty getting information and
only somewhat agreed that information was easy to get. They felt like their opinions were heard 42%
of the time, and only a quarter of the citizens actually felt like they knew who to call to have their
opinions heard.
When asked how much time or attention people gave to City issues and how aware they felt they
were of City issues, the Somewhat Informed segment was the largest. People who receive
information and get information that meets their needs are more likely to feel like they know what's
going on and that they're aware of issues. More than 96% said they thought the City was efficient or
somewhat efficient and those who had good access to information and felt well-informed thought the
• City was efficient.
Only 16% of respondents could identify with the City logo when asked what image or corporate
identity they associated with the City of Kent. Five percent said the concrete letters. Nearly 60% of
people said they didn't have or didn't know of any corporate identity associated with the City of
Kent. Committee Chair Leona Orr asked the status on the marketing identity project. Dena Laurent
responded that a graphic image has been developed to put on marketing materials from Kent showing
a streetscape with Mount Rainier in the background and a train coming through downtown. The art
projects a nice community image. Tim Clark brought up the issue of the City's studio capabilities
and said expansion is needed which will make available better programming that should enhance the
contact with citizens and their awareness of what the City is doing.
Dena Laurent said people were asked what they felt the best things were about Kent. High ratings
were given for Location, Parks/Recreation, Schools, the Police Department, and those things that
make Kent a good "hometown for families" such as nice people, shopping, housing, and a small town
atmosphere.
Regional Issues
Brent McFall, Director of Operations, covered the ongoing subjects of Regional Governance &
Finance, Potential Annexation Areas with respect to negotiations with King County, and Emergency
Medical Services Funding.
Regional Governance & Finance: Mr. McFall said that representatives of the Suburban Cities
Association was making a presentation that night to the Growth Management Planning Council
comprising a history of Regional Governance & Finance and what has and hasn't transpired over the
last 30 years. There has been miscommunication between the counties and the cities, and among the
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. cities, and that miscommunication has led to disagreement over time, but there have been a number
• of things through the most recent process where tentative agreement has been reached. However,
there are significant remaining issues that need to be addressed. The SCA has gone through a process
of developing a counter proposal to the proposal that came out of the Regional Governance &
Finance Committee that was rejected by the SCA but accepted by King County and the City of
Seattle.
Mr. McFall said this issue is being presented tonight to the GMPC as the SCA wants to make it clear
and to go on record that it is prepared to still be at the table to discuss these important issues. When
the SCA presented counter proposals, King County and the City of Seattle representatives at the table
refused to even place them on the agenda, so they have not been addressed in any way, but rejected
out of hand. These issues have to do primarily with the issue of urban subsidy and the notion that
properties and residents of the cities, which far outnumber the remaining number of citizens in
unincorporated King County, are in many instances paying twice for services. They are paying for
services in their cities, and they are subsidizing the provision of urban services to unincorporated
King County areas. King County representatives reject that notion and reject that there is any urban
subsidy whatsoever. They take the counter argument that they are the subsidizers of services in the
city, and look at such things as their responsibility for law and justice, particularly as it relates to jail
services for felonies, superior court services for felony prosecutions, and regional health services that
the County provides.
Until there is some middle ground established, there will not be much progress on the issue. When
the process was initiated about three years ago, it was thought by the SCA that King County, because
• of the annexations and incorporations, was on the verge of financial ruin because their tax base had
shifted so dramatically to the cities that they would not be able to continue their current practices with
their revenue base. The healthy local economy has taken care of that situation and they have never
been placed in the crisis situation that had been anticipated. Because of that, there has been no
catalyst to make this negotiation and discussion move forward. The expectations are that tonight the
SCA representatives will be politely listened to but will not see any real further progress. The threat
is that, if there is no success in finding solutions, the County representatives will go to Olympia and
get legislative solutions to the issues.
Mr. McFall said he thinks the legislature will see this as merely a King County problem and not one
that they need to deal with themselves. One thing that could happen is that King County might
approach the legislature for additional taxing authority that they do not now have. Cities have
authority to tax on certain issues which the County does not, such as utility taxes and B&O taxes.
Unless that issue can rise to a statewide level, the legislature would probably not act on it. However,
the County could make equity arguments that they have a responsibility for providing urban levels of
services, yet they don't have the same taxing authority as the cities and therefore they should be
equalized.
Tim Clark noted that as more areas become incorporated, unincorporated King County gets smaller
and smaller, but instead of reducing services, such as the size of the Public Safety units, the County
. has kept the size the same, and that means that cities are paying for services in both places. Brent
McFall added that, not only has the County kept the same size, but in some instances, it has increased
the size, specifically the Sheriffs Office and other areas as well.
Mr. McFall said the SCA has recognized a need to subsidize to some degree a Waal level of service in
the rural areas because those areas will not generate enough tax revenue to provide even minimal
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. service. The issue has become the urbanized unincorporated areas in King County that the County
acts like a city for in providing an urban level of Police service, street maintenance, etc. The SCA's
position, which is supported by appropriate study, is that the tax revenue of about $35,000,000 per
year, comes from the cities and gets spent in unincorporated urban areas. That is the urban subsidy,
and is the money used by the County to provide its regional services.
Potential Annexation Areas: As cities continue to work on annexations, and as agreements are
reached with neighboring cities as to what the potential annexation areas are, there are some
continuing problems negotiating side agreements with King County. It is the desire of the SCA to
proceed with an umbrella agreement with King County. Annexations have specific circumstances
that apply only to that annexation, but there should be some overriding policies and agreements.
Dealing individually with King County can undercut the ability of the cities to negotiate as a whole
on some important issues.
The King County planning directors will be putting together a questionnaire to send out to all of the
cities to help them identify what the issues are. That information will be pulled together and a
negotiating strategy formulated. The timeline for the questionnaires is the early part of March into
city hands and then back in April for tabulation of the responses and putting together a package for
beginning negotiations with King County.
Emergencv Medical Services: Mr. McFall said that he sits on the Financial Task Force appointed by
• the County Executive to represent both Kent and the SCA. That task force was supposed to have its
work completed by December and a report made to the King County Council to recommend options
• for the funding for the Emergency Medical Services. The work is not yet complete and there will be
another meeting on Thursday, February 4, 1999. The task force has identified several options that
might be utilized to fund EMS. The basic concept is not changing, and it looks as if the system will
be continued operationally much the way it is currently, with local city or district fire departments
providing basic life support service. Oversight, planning, training, and continuity will be provided by
King County through their EMS system. Advance life support services will be provided by five
providers throughout King County.
There are not a lot of options for funding. Under the current funding of EMS, by state law, the
County is authorized to ask by ballot for a property tax levy for no more than six years. That levy
must pass by a 60% supermajority to be levied on all property in the County. The levy failed the last
time it went to the voters. It was subsequently reworked as a three-year levy which passed and is
now in its first year. Two years, or two legislative sessions, is the time left to come up with a
solution to the problem unless it is brought back to do as before. Cities in King County with a
population greater than 50,000, which Kent is one, have to approve this matter being placed on the
ballot. When that was done with the second three year levy attempt, the cities of greater than 50,000
population, except Seattle, said they would put it on the ballot this time, but things would have to
change.
Funding options include a property tax levy, an increased sales tax, King County's current expense
• fund, a 911 telephone excise tax, a liquor excise tax, and a transport fee. The 911 telephone excise
tax, the liquor excise tax, and the transport fee would not generate much money. Conceivably, all of
those could be mixed and matched into a package that would generate some revenue but still
wouldn't be enough to fund the services. Approximately $35-40,000,000 a year is necessary to
provide the support for EMS. King County does not see that they would have the ability to fund
EMS out of their general fund budget, and that leaves the options of a property tax levy or a sales tax.
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. A l/10"' of a percent increase in sales tax, taking it from 8.6% to 8.7%, would provide enough
funding, but would require a legislative action.
Similarly, a property tax levy of somewhere between 25-30 cents per thousand would generate
enough revenue to continue the current level of service. It could also be made a permanent levy,
extending the duration from 6 years to 10 years. The current requirement for each of the cities of
more than 50,000 population to have a veto authority on whether or not the issue goes on the ballot
contributes some feeling of a rather arbitrary dividing line and there could be a proposal to change
that requirement to 2/3rds of the cities in the county. Another option would be a simple majority
approval as opposed to a 60% majority approval. All options would take legislative action with the
exception of continuing to do things exactly as they are now, a six year levy with voter approval, or
paying for EMS out of the County's general fund budget.
Council President Leona Orr told the Committee that she had received a letter from Senator Julia
Patterson who is currently working on a bill to help in notification disclosure issues with affected
property owners. Tim Clark said one of the biggest concerns was that there was not a requirement for
the title companies to actually put a formal notice on titles. Ms. Orr said that under the proposed
legislation "the seller of a home must explicitly disclose in writing whether or not there are any
written agreements that may have future financial implications to a buyer of the property, including
but not limited to agreements regarding local improvement districts or transportation impact fees".
• This bill does not address title companies, but the sellers of homes. The homeowner has to put in
writing anything of which they are aware. Sandy Amodt said she had been conversing with Karen
Kaiser who is working on a bill specific to title companies.
Legislative Report
Dena Laurent provided the issues that will come before the legislature this legislative session which
should last through the end of April. The key issues for the session will include Salmon Recovery,
Transportation Funding, Education, and Passage of the Budget. One issue is the Housing Target Bill
that is being advocated by realtors who are interested in having more land available for residential
construction. They want to put the onus for that construction on cities who aren't meeting their
growth management housing targets.
A draft bill would require cities to update their targets every five years and to study and update those
targets annually. If good progress hasn't been made in three years, the cities would be brought before
the Growth Management Hearings Board who could potentially impose penalties by means of
withholding state funding for various projects. That initial draft was shot down and the discussion
narrowed to King County with the legislature feeling like this was just a King County problem, so the
eventual bill may deal only with King County. The downside of the legislation is that Kent already
tracks housing targets now on an annual basis, and the additional work they are asking for may not
come with any additional funding. The value of tracking more frequently than annually may not be
meaningful and may be a great additional expense in time for the cities. Taking away public works
infrastructure funding as a penalty is actually one of things that keeps the City from permitting new
. housing.
The second issue is Fish. The legislation that's been proposed by the Governor is very serious and
has very serious implications for Kent. If all the restrictions that the Governor is proposing were
realized in terms of water supply, the City could be looking at moratoriums on building. Discussions
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are already taking place about redrafting the bill by addressing some of the concerns with the
implications for water rights.
Leona Orr asked if this would have an impact on the pipeline. Dena Laurent responded that it would,
affecting not only the rights the City has now, but future projects. Other cities are depending on
projects for future water supply that potentially may never be built. Rico Yingling asked if any
important tax legislation was coming up. Ms. Laurent said that there are a couple of bills under
Economic Development that would allow tax credits for businesses that invest in a development
organization or who actually invest money in improving their facades or their actual businesses.
Another bill called the Community Revitalization Act would allow a local government to fund
improvement to a business area with the projected increment increase in sales tax revenue that would
be generated from those improvements.
Ms. Laurent updated the Committee on the Manufacturing Tax Exemption. The Department of
Revenue has drafted and introduced a bill that would expand the Manufacturing Tax Exemption to
include timber and gravel production as a manufacturing process and would also give the Department
of Revenue the authority to make up the rules that governs equipment that is used, both for a
manufacturing process and for administrative work, called dual-use equipment. The legislative intent
and law on dual use is not clear now, and a rule by the Department of Revenue would make that very
clear. The financial impact to the City of Kent could be significant as there are lots of dual-use
equipment used in the City's large manufacturing zone. That legislation has not been scheduled for a
hearing.
The meeting was adjourned at 6:1513M.
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