HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Meeting - Council - Minutes - 7/7/2020
Approved
Kent City Council
City Council Regular Meeting
Minutes
July 7, 2020
Date: July 7, 2020
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Place: THIS IS A REMOTE MEETING
1. CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Ralph called the meeting to order.
2. ROLL CALL
Attendee Name Title Status Arrived
Dana Ralph Mayor Present
Toni Troutner Council President Present
Bill Boyce Councilmember Late
Brenda Fincher Councilmember Present
Satwinder Kaur Councilmember Present
Marli Larimer Councilmember Present
Les Thomas Councilmember Present
Zandria Michaud Councilmember Present
3. AGENDA APPROVAL
A. Approve the agenda as presented
RESULT: APPROVED [6 TO 0]
MOVER: Toni Troutner, Council President
SECONDER: Satwinder Kaur, Councilmember
AYES: Troutner, Fincher, Kaur, Larimer, Thomas, Mi chaud
AWAY: Boyce
4. PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS
A. Public Recognition
Mayor Ralph recognized Police Officer Matthew Fisher as the City's July, 2020
Employee of the Month.
Mayor Ralph recognized former City Employee, Patrick Briggs by proclaiming
July 1, 2020 as "Patrick Briggs Day" in the City of Kent.
B. Community Events
Council President Troutner indicated the accesso ShoWare Center will be
opening an outdoor cinema beginning July 8th. There will be two shows each
day Wednesdays - Sundays. There will be mobile food trucks and
concessions. Visit accessoshowarecenter.com for information.
Kent City Council City Council Regular Meeting
Minutes
July 7, 2020
Kent, Washington
Page 2 of 10
C. Economic and Community Development Update
Chief Economic Development Officer, Bill Ellis provided the Economic
Development update as follows:
Ellis provided a review of the Kent Small Business Emergency Grant, advised
of the current status of unemployment in the United States and broke down
the County unemployment rates throughout Washington.
Other measures of economic activity include the decreased volume of
shipping containers and the reduction of visitors to SeaTac airport that
dropped from 60,000 per day to around 4,000-6,000 per day during May.
Regional office and industrial space demands may change in response to
COVID-19.
The Kherson Park Lunar Rover fundraising project is on hold and the timeline
for Hilton Garden Inn franchise approval on Naden Avenue has been given an
extended timeline.
There is an increasing focus on workforce development, partnering across
postsecondary and apprenticeship and investing in business development
services.
Ellis advised that Kent should continue to invest as community in job creation
through the use of federal grants, the Port of Seattle program, advocacy for
business and pursue a local strategy aligned with the regional and State’s
transforming strategies.
Mayor expressed appreciation of Bill Ellis and Michelle Wilmot for their work
assisting Kent businesses and connecting them to COVID relief resources.
5. REPORTS FROM COUNCIL AND STAFF
A. Mayor Ralph's Report
Mayor Ralph advised that she recently attended the I-405/Hwy 167 Executive
Leadership Group and received a report from WSDOT regarding the loss in
toll revenue. Traffic on Hwy 167 is increasing due to the nature of
employment in the south end.
Mayor Ralph advised the Gateway 509 project is moving forward.
Mayor expressed appreciation of the Kent Chamber, Seattle Southside
Chamber, Labors Local, the Kent Rotary Club and many others that
participated in safe start mask distribution last week. There will be a second
distribution to employers this week. The City has also partnered with local
organizations to distribute masks for the public.
Kent City Council City Council Regular Meeting
Minutes
July 7, 2020
Kent, Washington
Page 3 of 10
Mayor Ralph shared that she has been attending trainings with Aaron Jones
on race and equity. Mayor Ralph participated in the 21-day challenge to
obtained knowledge on institutional racism and learn how to bring about
change. The City's leadership team will be meeting to start developing a plan
for race and equity training for City employees and outreach to the
community.
B. Chief Administrative Officer's Report
Chief Administrative Officer, Derek Matheson advised his written report is in
today's agenda packet, there is no executive session.
Matheson advised that the Governor's latest Proclamation went into effect
today. The City has received questions and concerns regarding masks. This is
not a local issue, it is a Governor/State issue.
As a public safety agency, the Kent Police Department is taking the same
stance as the Washington State Patrol. "The statewide face covering order is
a public health and safety measure. It is not a mandate for law enforcement
to detain, cite or arrest violators but rather an evidence-based and safety-
focused directive meant to slow the spread of a potentially deadly disease."
Kent will focus on education and not on arrest and citations. The City will
encourage employees to wear masks at work, except for some limited
circumstances.
Matheson advised Chief Padilla will give comprehensive after-action report
from the Fourth of July during the July 21st City Council meeting.
Matheson mentioned that the Association of Washington Cities magazine
“City Vision” will feature an article on Kent’s response to COVID-19, including
workforce, budget and business impacts. The article will be published in
August.
C. Councilmember's Reports
Council President, Toni Troutner provided a brief recap of today's workshop
on the 2021-2022 Biennial Budget presentation.
Councilmember Michaud serves on Kent’s Human Services Commission and
advised they are in the process of reviewing applications for the 2021-22
funding allocations.
Councilmember Boyce, along with Councilmember Fincher will participated on
a panel for the Sound Cities Association’s racial, equity and justice series.
Mayor Ralph will be kicking the meeting off.
Councilmember Fincher advised the Kent Art’s Commission is in the process
Kent City Council City Council Regular Meeting
Minutes
July 7, 2020
Kent, Washington
Page 4 of 10
of judging the Kent Creates Kaleidoscope series art submissions.
Councilmember Fincher serves on the King Conservation District Advisory
Council that just wrapped up the annual report (5-year work plan) that is
being forwarded to the King County Council for approval.
Councilmember Fincher serves on the Mental Illness and Drug Dependency
Council that is discussing reductions in programs and looking at impacts of
the reductions through an equity lens.
Councilmember Thomas serves on the Puget Sound Regional Fire Authority
that will meet on July 15, 2020 at Station 78 at 5:30 p.m.
6. PUBLIC HEARING
Mayor Ralph provided an overview of the public hearing process and
opened the public hearing.
Chris Wadsworth, floodplain administrator for the City of Kent provided
details on the proposed changes to Kent City Code Chapter 14.09.
•Changes include proposed adoption of FEMA’s updated flood maps;
•Code changes to remain compliant with the National Flood Insurance
Program.
•Amend Kent City Code section 11.03.720 to update references to code
chapter 14.09
Federal requirements
•The Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA; and the National
Flood Insurance Program, or the NFIP
•In order to continue participating in the National Flood Insurance
Program, which makes subsidized flood insurance policies available to
anyone in Kent, there are minimum requirements that we as a City must
adhere to and maintain.
•Adopt latest FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps
•Update flood hazard
FEMA flood map update
•The new flood maps from FEMA need to be made effective by City Code
on or before August 19th, 2020.
•This minimal update is largely due to what’s called levee seclusion -
FEMA’s way of admitting that at this time they don’t know how to
accurately map what occurs on the landward side of a levee that has not
been accredited.
•This means that in areas protected by unaccredited levees, the data from
the 1995 flood maps remains effective.
Kent city code update
•The proposed changes standardize the format of the chapter with the rest
of the city code to make it easier to administer.
•Updates many of the defined terms.
Kent City Council City Council Regular Meeting
Minutes
July 7, 2020
Kent, Washington
Page 5 of 10
•It codifies the adoption of the 2020 Flood Insurance Rate Maps;
•And it provides a more clear definition of the Special Flood Hazard Area,
which is just the technical term for a regulatory floodplain.
•At the local level these code updates help to clarify the application of
Kent’s Floodzone Permit.
•Formally designates the Floodplain Administrator who works to administer
and maintain these regulations as well as keeping the city in compliance
with the requirements of the National Flood Insurance Program.
•The body of the code revisions establish general, specific and floodway
standards for development
•The update also revises procedures for violations, enforcement and
penalties in a way that follows the standards set forth by other Kent City
Code Chapters.
Crawlspaces
•The interior grade of the crawlspace must not be below the base flood
elevation.
•The height of the crawlspace measured from the top of the foundation
wall down to the ground may not exceed 4’ at any point;
•And flood vents or engineered flood openings must be present on at least
two walls at a ratio of one square inch per square foot of enclosed floor
space.
Floodways
•This code update clarifies the requirements for fish habitat enhancement
projects within floodways.
•These types of projects must be designed to minimize impacts to base
flood elevations.
•Hydrologic and hydraulic analysis must show that the base flood elevation
is kept as close to zero as is practically possible.
•The project must not affect any insurable structures.
•Lastly, the project must be in compliance with all Federal, State and City
regulations beyond Kent City Code 14.09, as applicable.
There was no discussion by councilmembers.
Move to close the public hearing
RESULT: APPROVED [UNANIMOUS]
MOVER: Bill Boyce, Councilmember
SECONDER: Les Thomas, Councilmember
AYES: Troutner, Boyce, Fincher, Kaur, Larimer, Thomas, Michaud
A. Public Hearing on an Ordinance Repealing and Replacing KCC
14.09 - Flood Hazard Regulations and Amending Section
11.03.720 to Update References to Chapter 14.09 - Adopt
Kent City Council City Council Regular Meeting
Minutes
July 7, 2020
Kent, Washington
Page 6 of 10
MOTION: Adopt Ordinance No. 4361, repealing and replacing
Chapter 14.09 of the Kent City Code, entitled “Flood Hazard
Regulations," and amend Section 11.03.720 of the Kent City
Code entitled "Critical Areas," to update references to Chapter
14.09.
RESULT: ADOPTED [UNANIMOUS]
MOVER: Bill Boyce, Councilmember
SECONDER: Brenda Fincher, Councilmember
AYES: Troutner, Boyce, Fincher, Kaur, Larimer, Thomas, Michaud
7. PUBLIC COMMENT
Mayor Ralph read the following comments submitted by Shajaira López:
Good evening, Mayor Ralph, Council President Troutner, council members,
and City of Kent residents tuning in to tonight's meeting. My name is
Shajaira [sha-hi-da] Lopez and I reside within the Kent jurisdiction--
specifically in 29212 123rd Place Southeast, Auburn. Before I state the
specific reasons for my public comment, I would like to first thank Mayor
Ralph and Council Members Larimer, Michaud and Fincher for taking the time
to respond to my email and tell me how they plan to speak up for the specific
needs and interests of people of color that live in Kent. But I would also like
to express my disappointment with Council President Troutner and Council
Members Boyce, Kaur and Thomas for not responding to the question I sent
via email. I know that everyone is busy, but I hope that in the future,
everyone will take the time to respond to the community members you
serve.
Living and working in Kent has allowed me the opportunity to see the racial
and socioeconomic inequities we are victimized by. As a black community
member, I watch my white neighbors, who have been empowered by years
systemic racial inequities, advocate for policies and changes that meet their
specific needs--and I cannot be mad at that because given our nation's
history of oppression, my neighbors are simply doing what they were taught
to do their entire lives. But what I realized is that the white voices in the
Kent community that are empowered to speak out drown out the needs of
those of us who are not white and do not have a history of empowerment
and privilege to rely on. If your response to that is to think about all of the
opportunities that Kent residents have to speak up during your council
meetings--I will ask you to educate yourselves on the reasons why people of
color do not actively participate in "our democracy." But given that more
than 60% of the Kent residents are in fact people of color, it is important to
make sure that what the City of Kent does for its people and how the city
chooses to spend its money should benefit everyone's needs--not just the
needs of those that speak up repeatedly. With that said, my first request is
Kent City Council City Council Regular Meeting
Minutes
July 7, 2020
Kent, Washington
Page 7 of 10
for the City Council to ensure that your upcoming fiscal budget meets the
needs of all of your residents by ensuring socioeconomic and racial equity in
the way monies are spent and services are offered.
Also, as a former school administrator in a middle school located in Kent, I've
had the opportunity to interact with Kent police officers in the school and
from my purview there's a need for ongoing training to ensure officers are
prepared to interact with children and racially diverse populations. One of the
many incidences I witnessed from a Kent police officer was watching how
quickly and easily he escalated by raising his voice and using hurtful
language towards a 7th grade black girl who was quietly rolling her eyes as
he lectured her on the impact of her behavior. I quickly ended the meeting
and asked myself, if this officer gets this upset over a teenage girl quietly
rolling her eyes (which is what many teenagers do), how does he react to
children in more challenging situations? I've also had the opportunity to
listen to the unfortunate interactions both children and adults in Kent have
had with the police, and given all that I know I would like to:
1. Urge the Kent City Council to prioritize the dignity and basic human rights
of people who are forced to interact with the Kent Police and require
officers to act if they see a fellow officer taking inappropriate, illegal, racist,
biased, or unethical actions.
2. Urge the Kent City Council to require that the Kent Police Department
undergo on-going anti-racism training.
3. Urge the Kent City Council to restructure Kent Police Department funding in
order to prioritize the availability of social workers and mental health
professionals that can respond to non-violent scenarios that require
social/mental services.
I look forward to learning how and when these four requests will be enacted.
I also look forward to supporting the City Council and the Kent PD in any way
that I can in order to help move these requests forward. Thank you!
Mayor Ralph summarized an email received by Lyle Price regarding the
unauthorized use of Wilson Playfields during the COVID pandemic. Mayor
Ralph advised that the Parks Department is reaching out to Mr. Price to
address his concerns.
8. CONSENT CALENDAR
RESULT: APPROVED [UNANIMOUS]
MOVER: Toni Troutner, Council President
SECONDER: Les Thomas, Councilmember
AYES: Troutner, Boyce, Fincher, Kaur, Larimer, Thomas, Michaud
A. Approval of Minutes
1. Council Workshop - Workshop Regular Meeting - Jun 16, 2020 5:00 PM
Kent City Council City Council Regular Meeting
Minutes
July 7, 2020
Kent, Washington
Page 8 of 10
2. City Council Meeting - City Council Regular Meeting - Jun 16, 2020 7:00
PM
3. Committee of the Whole - Committee of the Whole - Regular Meeting -
Jun 23, 2020 4:00 PM
B. Payment of Bills - Approve
MOTION: Approve the payment of bills received through May
31, 2020 and paid on May 31, 2020 and approve checks issued
for payroll May 16, 2020 - May 31, 2020 and paid on June 5,
2020, all audited by the Committee of the Whole on June 9,
2020.
C. Resolution Adopting the King County Hazard Mitigation Plan
and Kent Plan Annex - Adopt
MOTION: Adopt Resolution No. 2015, adopting the King County
Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan 2020-2025 update and City of
Kent Plan Annex for application in the City of Kent, subject to
any minor changes or terms and conditions acceptable to the
Kent Office of Emergency Management and the City Attorney.
D. Joint Funding Agreement with the USGS for Water Resources
Investigations - Authorize
MOTION: Move to recommend Council authorize the Mayor to
sign a Joint Funding Agreement for Water Resources
Investigations between the City of Kent and the U.S. Geological
Survey in an amount not to exceed $108,360 subject to final
terms and conditions acceptable to the City Attorney and Public
Works Director.
E. Accept the Willis Street and 4th Avenue South Roundabout
Joint Utility Trench Project as Complete - Authorize
MOTION: Authorize the Mayor to accept the Willis Street and
4th Avenue South Roundabout Joint Utility Trench Project as
complete and release retainage to Rodarte Construction, Inc.
upon receipt of standard releases from the State and the
release of any liens.
F. Accept the SR 167 Underpass Lighting at West James Street
Project as Complete - Authorize
MOTION: Authorize the Mayor to accept the SR 167 Underpass
Lighting at West James Street Project as complete and release
retainage to TITAN Earthwork, LLC upon receipt of standard
releases from the State and the release of any liens.
G. Accept the 640 Pressure Zone Booster Station Project as
Complete - Authorize
Kent City Council City Council Regular Meeting
Minutes
July 7, 2020
Kent, Washington
Page 9 of 10
MOTION: Authorize the Mayor to accept the 640 Pressure Zone
Booster Station Project as complete and release retainage to
Prospect Construction, Inc. upon receipt of standard releases
from the State and the release of any liens.
9. OTHER BUSINESS
None.
10. BIDS
A. Reith Road Water Main Improvements (38th Avenue South to
42nd Avenue South) - Award
Public Works Director, Tim LaPorte provided details on the Reith Road Water
Main Improvements Project (38th Avenue South to 42nd Avenue South) and
recommending awarding the bid to SCI Infrastructure, LLC.
MOTION: Award the Reith Road Water Main Improvements
(38th Avenue South to 42nd Avenue South) Project to SCI
Infrastructure, LLC in the amount of $615,188.75 and authorize
the Mayor to sign all necessary documents, subject to final
terms and conditions acceptable to the City Attorney and Public
Works Director.
RESULT: AWARD [UNANIMOUS]
MOVER: Brenda Fincher, Councilmember
SECONDER: Satwinder Kaur, Councilmember
AYES: Troutner, Boyce, Fincher, Kaur, Larimer, Thomas, Michaud
B. South 192nd Street Sanitary Sewer Repair - Award
Public Works Director, Tim LaPorte provided details on the South 192nd
Street Sanitary Sewer Repair Project and recommended awarding the bid to
Scarsella Brothers, Inc.
MOTION: Award the South 192nd Street Sanitary Sewer Repair Project
to Scarsella Brothers, Inc. in the amount of $231,601.59 and authorize
the Mayor to sign all necessary documents, subject to final terms and
conditions acceptable to the City Attorney and Public Works Director.
RESULT: AWARD [UNANIMOUS]
MOVER: Satwinder Kaur, Councilmember
SECONDER: Marli Larimer, Councilmember
AYES: Troutner, Boyce, Fincher, Kaur, Larimer, Thomas, Michaud
11. EXECUTIVE SESSION AND ACTION AFTER EXECUTIVE SESSION
None.
Kent City Council City Council Regular Meeting
Minutes
July 7, 2020
Kent, Washington
Page 10 of 10
12. ADJOURNMENT
Mayor Ralph adjourned the meeting.
Meeting ended at 8:30 p.m.
Kimberley A. Komoto
City Clerk
PROCLAMATION
Whereas, Patrick Briggs began his career as a court reporter and from there went
on to work for the City of Renton, the City of Federal Way and the City
of Kent for a combined 38 years; and
Whereas, Patrick was hired by the City of Kent on )uly 2, 2007, nearly 13 years
ago, to work as the executive assistant to Mayor Cooke and then to
Mayor Ralph; and
Whereas, Patrick served as a member of the charitable contributions committee,
organized the school supply drive for Kent Meridian high school for many
years, was a liaison to the Kent Sister Cities Association attending their
meetings, helping organize events and traveling with the Mayors to all
three cities; and
Whereas, Patrick is the "go to" executive assistant for other municipalities in the
region and the other executive assistants reach out to him to organize
events and look for advice; and
Whereas, Patrick's accomplishments during his career were many and he brought
a professionalism and caring personality to his work that made all feel
welcome and heard; and
Whereas, Patrick is respected for his dedication, loyalty and his passion for serving
the residents of Kent, City of Kent employees, Councilmembers and the
Mayor.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Dana Ralph, Mayor of the City of Kent, do hereby proclaim
the 1st day of July 2020 as
"Patrick Briggs Day"
in the City of Kent, Washington, and encourage all residents to recognize the
contributions Patrick made to the Kent community by providing excellent service for
13 years.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of Kent to be
affixed this lst day of July 202O.
r
KENT
WAsHtNoroN
Dana Ralph, M
Komoto, Kim
From:
Sent:
To:
Subject:
Matheson, Derek
Tuesday, July 07,2020 3:50 PM
Komoto, Kim
FW: State Coronavirus Mandate ignored in Kent
From: Troutner, Toni <TTroutner@kentwa.gov>
Sent: Thursday, July 2,2O2O tI:47 AM
To: Matheson, Derek <DMatheson@kentwa.gov>
Subject: Fwd: State Coronavirus Mandate ignored in Kent
Toni Troutner, Council President
Kent City Council
220 Fourth Avenue South, Kent, WA 98032
Phone 253-95L-7765 | Fax 253-856-6700
ttroutner@ KentWa.gov
ctTY oF KENI WASHTNGTON
KentWA.gov
PLEASE CONSIDER THE ENVIRONMENT BEFORE PRINTING THIS E-MAIL
From: LYLE PRICE <lvlepriceT@comcast.net>
Sent: Tuesday, June 30,2O2O L:74:47 PM
To: Mayor <MaVor@kentwa.gov>; Larimer, Marli <MLarimer@kentwa.gov>; Michaud, Zandria
<ZMichaud@kentwa.gov>; Thomas, Les <LThomas@kentwa.gov>; Troutner, Toni<TTroutner@kentwa.gov>; Fincher,
Brenda <BFincher@kentwa.sov>; Boyce, Bill <BBovce@kentwa.sov>; Kaur, Satwinder <SKaur@kentwa.gov>
Cc: lvlepriceT@comcast. net <lvlepriceT@comcast.net>
Subject: State Coronavirus Mandate ignored in Kent
Tuesday, 30 June, 2020
To: Mayor Dana Ralph, City Council President Toni Troutner, Council Members Bill Boyce, Brenda
Fincher, Satwinder Kaur, Marti Larimer,Zandra Michaud and Les Thomas.
From: Lyle Price,4}-year-long resident of City of Kent, Washington.
ln the wake of the governor's statewide mandate four days ago calling upon the public to wear face
masks and maintain social distancing, I feel impelled to call the attention of the mayor and city council
of Kent to a massive disrespect of that mandate at one particular location in our community. This isn't
to say there aren't more, but this is the most serious I happen to know about.
1
EXTERNAL EMAIL
I address this message to the city's top eight elected officials and also request that it be entered as a
communication from the public for inclusion at the next city council meeting--being held, quite
sensibly, "virtual-style" these days. I am aware that such communications as well as this e-mail are
public record and even though I have no interest personally in publicity, I believe that putting things
on the record as to the contents of my words is a good idea. BTW, several of you know me (hello!)
and while I include my e-mail address, I will skip the citing of my street address, although I can be
found in the city's utility records if my Kent citizenship is of importance to anyone.
This communication is also being sent to you eight elected officials because any attempts to force
compliance in Kent with the governor's mandate would seemingly start with direction on your part
rather than by other local entities such as the city administrator, department heads, and members of
said governmental branches. You are our leaders with a voting mandate from the people and with the
authority to direct city staff.
The hot spot of disrespect to which my opening paragraph refers involves the Wilson Playfields at
132 Avenue and 249th Street on Kent East Hill. Despite a notice that the facility is closed and an
imposing high fence surrounding almost all of the field and barricades successfully blocking use of
the parking lot, there is a vulnerable section where the fence is only about six feet high and I
personally observed two young persons climbing it over one day to join many, many others already
on the field. This unauthorized use is something I observed a number of times previous to the
governor's order-the facility being posted as closed (as for a time were all Kent parks) due to the
coronavirus plague. Besides numbers ranging from a few dozen to I'd place as well over a hundred of
young-looking people -- mostly males and largely outfitted in athletic-style gear and a number of
uniforms with lettering too distant for my eyes to read) -- there were cars parked all over the place
(about four dozen on two occasions that I saw on 248th, despite signs forbidding parking at any time.
Prior to the governors statewide mandate, I had left phone messages for the mayor and the parks
department (no human voice seemingly being reachable directly these days with reduced staffing). I
received a response last week just a day or so prior to the government's proclamation: A high-ranking
parks officialtold me they understood I had tried to contact the mayor's office -- which I affirmed. The
parks high-up patiently and politely and pleasantly made clear that nothing could or would be done in
regard to closure violations at the Wilson playfields and that any enforcement would be in the hands
of the police department. I offered suggestions such as removing the nets and goal posts at the fields;
and I said a maintenance guy at the site had told me they didn't have the manpower, but I told the
parks high-up that I'd do the job in 20 minutes if they had a truck I could load them onto. That elicited
no comment from the parks high-up, as I recall. As to my proposal to raise the level of the low spot in
the fencing where I had seen two persons scramble over approximately 25 feet from where I was
standing, I was patiently and politely and pleasantly told by the high-up that "fences are expensive."
But "there's good news today" -- as an old-time newscaster named Gabriel Heater used to proclaim at
the start of his newscast every day. There is at least a potential way to discourage the scofflaws that
may be endangering themselves and others: Two days ago (Sunday), I observed that a previously
locked gate about twenty yards or so from the vulnerable low spot fencing was ajar, with the gate
poking well out from its emplacement in the fence. Upon my close-up examination (without entering
the closed facility myself) I saw the gate had a bar stating to keep closed at all times. I closed the
gate and subsequently wasn't able to open it. While I am no Sherlock, I have concluded, aha: Access
for the dozens and dozens of persons on the field at the very moment last Sunday as well as on
earlier occasions was facilitated by one (1) individual scrambling over the low-point in the fence and
opening the gate for the others to enter easily and at will. BTW, not on that occasion nor any
previously visit to the site have I observed even one (1) person wearing a mask nor have I seen
attention being paid to social distancing. I go often to nearby Clark Lake Park (which is why I come
2
across the Wilson site), which is about three miles from my house; but I faithfully follow social
distancing and go off-path to give passersby lots more space than six feet between us and I wear a
mask around my neck for use if needed.
So one of my suggestions now -- which I herein pass on to you in view of what happened last time
that I tried to reach the mayor and the parks people by phone rather than to put things in a way to
generate a public record: I am offering to pay for a lock and chain to put on the susceptible gate. A
three-foot chain at $6 a foot (top of the line; cheapest is 50 cents a foot) is available at McClennan's
Hardware and a $13 top of the line keyed steel padlock is available online at Uline (1-800-295-5510).
Such a chain and lock would be at least as effective as a chain and lock I saw on a Wilson gate on
the south side of the fence next to the barricaded and empty parking lot. The chain and lock
mightn't stop offenders, but it might put them to enough trouble to skip using the place or find some
other site. I will send you a check at your request or pledge to pay an invoice if forwarded to me.
Although $31 plus tax would seem adequate to supply a lock and chain at least up to Kent Parks par,
I am putting a $150 limit on my donation offer so that potential chain/lock bidding costs and staff time
don't bankrupt me.
I see a lot of discussion about a lot of yawn-provoking but doubtlessly worthy ongoing and potential
projects in Kent on the city's TV Channel 21 on Comcast. I also see all sorts of local signs and I think
warnings of $250 fines for fireworks violations in regard to the coming Fourth of July. What I don't see
on the part of enough citizens and public officials such as yourselves is equal vigilance to a plague
that hasn't been equaled to my knowledge in the world for 100 years. So I'd say council consideration
of some sort of action by Kent re the Wilson playfields such as police monitoring in the evening is
clearly in order. But at least, for now, consider the issue I raise.
So why do I care? Call me a fool, but I go back to an era where Radio Land used to say on a daily
basis "citizenship is everybody's job" and when a slogan I'd heard constantly as had the entire nation
during WW ll (it ended when I was eight) was: "Don't you know there's a war on." The American
populace was motivated then in a way it certainly isn't now. But that is no excuse for me (and you as
elected officials) not to do their job.
Sincerely,
Lyle W. Price
lvlepriceT@Comcast. net
3
Komoto, Kim
From:
Sent:
To:
Subject:
Matheson, Derek
Tuesday, July 07,2020 3:49 PM
Komoto, Kim
FW:TO BE READ FOR PUBUC COMMENT ON7/7/2020
From: Ralph, Dana <DRalph@kentwa.gov>
Sent: Tuesday, June 30,2O2O 5:21 PM
To: Stober, Bailey <BStober@kentwa.gov>; Padilla, Rafael <RPadilla@kentwa.gov>; Matheson, Derek
<DMatheso n @ kentwa.gov>
Subject: Fwd:TO BE READ FOR PUBLIC COMMENT ON717/2O2O
Dana Ralph, Mayor
Office of the Mayor
220 Fourth Avenue South, Kent, WA 98032
Phone 253-856-5700 | Fax 253-856-6700
dralph@kentwa.eov
CITY OF KENT, WASHINGTON
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From: Troutner, Toni <TTroutner@kentwa.gov>
Sent: Tuesday, June 30,2O2O 6:02:02 PM
To: Ralph, Dana <DRalph@kentwa.sov>
Subject: Fwd: TO BE READ FOR PUBLIC COMMENT ON7/7l2O2O
From: City Council <CitvCouncil@kentwa.eov>
Sent: Tuesday, June 30,2O2O,5:51 PM
To: Boyce, Bill; Fincher, Brenda; Thomas, Les; Kaur, Satwinder; Troutner, Toni; Larimer, Marli; Michaud, Zandria
Subject: FW: TO BE READ FOR PUBLIC COMMENT ON7 /7/2O2O
From: Shajaira L6pez
Sent: Tuesday, June 30, 2020 5:51:18 PM (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada)
To: City Council
Subject: TO BE READ FOR PUBLIC COMMENT ON71712020
1
EXTERNAL EMAIL
THE MESSAGE BELOW IS TO BE READ FOR PUBLIC COMMENT DURING THE KENT CITY COUNCIL MEETING
ON JULY 7TH
Good evening, Mayor Ralph, Council President Troutner, council members, and City of Kent residents tuning in
to tonight's meeting. My name is Shajaira [sha-hi-da] Lopez and I reside within the Kent jurisdiction--
specifically in 292L2 t23rd Place Southeast, Auburn. Before I state the specific reasons for my public
comment, I would like to first thank Mayor Ralph and Council Members Larimer, Michaud and Fincher for
taking the time to respond to my email and tell me how they plan to speak up for the specific needs and
interests of people of color that live in Kent. But I would also like to express my disappointment with Council
President Troutner and Council Members Boyce, Kaur and Thomas for not responding to the question I sent
via email. I know that everyone is busy, but I hope that in the future, everyone will take the time to respond
to the community members you serue.
Living and working in Kent has allowed me the opportunity to see the racial and socioeconomic inequities we
are victimized by. As a black community member, I watch my white neighbors, who have been empowered by
years systemic racial inequities, advocate for policies and changes that meet their specific needs--and I cannot
be mad at that because given our nation's history of oppression, my neighbors are simply doing what they
were taught to do their entire lives. But what I realized is that the white voices in the Kent community that are
empowered to speak out drown out the needs of those of us who are not white and do not have a history of
empowerment and privilege to rely on. If your response to that is to think about all of the opportunities that
Kent residents have to speak up during your council meetings--I will ask you to educate yourselves on the
reasons why people of color do not actively participate in "our democracy." But given that more than 600/o of
the Kent residents are in fact people of color, it is important to make sure that what the City of Kent does for
its people and how the city chooses to spend its money should benefit everyone's needs--not just the needs of
those that speak up repeatedly. With that said, my first request is for the City Council to ensure that your
upcoming fiscal budget meets the needs of all of your residents by ensuring socioeconomic and
racial equity in the way monies are spent and seruices ane offered.
Also, as a former school administrator in a middle school located in Kent, I've had the opportunity to interact
with Kent police officers in the school and from my purview there's a need for ongoing training to ensure
officers are prepared to interact with children and racially diverse populations. One of the many incidences I
witnessed from a Kent police officer was watching how quickly and easily he escalated by raising his voice and
using hurtful language towards a 7th grade black girl who was quietly rolling her eyes as he lectured her on
the impact of her behavior. I quickly ended the meeting and asked myself, if this officer gets this upset over a
teenage girl quietly rolling her eyes (which is what many teenagers do), how does he react to children in more
challenging situations? I've also had the opportunity to listen to the unfortunate interactions both children and
adults in Kent have had with the police, and given all that I know I would like to:
t. Urge the Kent City Council to prioritize the dignity and basic human rights of people who
are forced to interact with the Kent Police and require officers to act if they see a fellow
officer taking inappropriate, illegal, racist, biased, or unethical actions.
2. Urge the Kent City Council to require that the Kent Police Department undetgo on-going
anti-racism training,
3. Urge the Kent City Council to restructure Kent Police Department funding in order to
prioritize the availability of social workers and mental health professionals that can
respond to non-violent scenarios that require sociaUmental seruices.
I look forward to learning how and when these four requests will be enacted. I also look forward to
supporting the City Council and the Kent PD in any way that I can in order to help move these
requests forward. Thank you!
2
Shajaira L5pez
m: 206.902.0920
e : shajaira2T@gmail.com
Your uoice can change the world.
-Barack Obama
3
Economic Development Update
Bill Ellis, Chief Economic Development Officer
July 7th, 2020
Kent Small Business Emergency Grant
•Executing on Outreach Plan; Signing Up
Application Helping CBOs
•Continued Grant Design and Application
Protocol in Parallel to Contracting with Craft3
•Selection Methodology from King County
Under Review for Applicability
Business Grant Key Info
•Application:
KentWA.gov/BusinessGrant
•Opens: July 13 at 10 a.m.
Closes: July 27 at 11:59 p.m.
•Must be “for-profit”
•Expenses incurred from Covid-19
forced closures and interruptions
•No more than 15 full-time employees
•Been in business for 3 years and gross
revenues of $1.5 million
•Have a current City of Kent business
license and not be delinquent in
payment of taxes and fees owed to
Kent as of December 31, 2019
“To get the employment-
to-population ratio back
to where it was at its
peak in 2000 we need to
create 30 million jobs,”
Virus & W-Shape Economic
Recovery Concerns
Persistent Unemployment –
Low Demand
Inadequate data: small
business closures
Hopeful signs; resilient,
creative companies
Local government role
Other Measures of Economic Activity
Volume of shipping
containers down 24%
in May
Visitors to SeaTac
airport had dropped
from 60,000 per day to
around 4,000 –6,000
Economy Transformed?
Office Space Demands
Possibly More Suburban?
Industrial Space Demands
Possibly More E-Commerce?
Things Continued or New Focus
•Listening; survey results expected
•Developing programs to pass forward federal
relief dollars to businesses and employees
•Advocating regionalism and pushing forward
with Kent Valley (manufacturing support;
search engine optimization activities)
Things Paused or Giving an
Extended Timeline
•Kherson Park lunar rover fundraising
•Timeline for Hilton Garden Inn franchise
approval on Naden Ave
Things Tacking Towards or Increasing Focus
•Workforce Development –federal grants to improve and greatly increase service
•Partnering across postsecondary and apprenticeship
•Invest to business development services
•Several ways to accomplish economic development
How Can We Invest in Job Creation
•Federal Grants
•Port of Seattle Program
•Surplus Property; north Naden Ave
•Advocacy for Businesses
•Pursue a Local Strategy Aligned with Region and State’s Transforming Strategies
“Nothing New Under the Sun” –What will new strategies focus on?
How can Kent position best? What tools match the moment?
Thank you.
WEllis@KentWA.gov | 253-856-5707
Kmart Property –What’s Next?
2nd & Meeker Buildings Update
Under RenovationsConcept Evaluation
FEMA FLOOD MAP
AND
KENT FLOOD HAZARD
CODE UPDATE
KENT CITY COUNCIL
PUBLIC HEARING
JULY 7, 2020
FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS
•FEDERAL
•FEMA / NFIP
•REQUIREMENTS FOR NFIP
PARTICIPATION
•NEW FEMA FLOOD MAPS
•CITY CODE UPDATES
FEMA FLOOD MAP UPDATE
•NEW EFFECTIVE FIRM DATE:
AUGUST 19, 2020
•LEVEE SECLUSION
•HORSESHOE BEND LEVEE
•ALL OTHER AREAS OF KENT
•UPDATES OUTSIDE OF
SECLUSION ONLY APPLY TO THE
GREEN RIVER
KENT CITY CODE UPDATE
•STANDARDIZED FORMATTING WITH
OTHER CODE CHAPTERS
•UPDATES DEFINITIONS
•CODIFIES ADOPTION OF 2020 FLOOD
INSURANCE RATE MAP
•DEFINES SPECIAL FLOOD HAZARD
AREA
KENT CITY CODE UPDATE
•CLARIFIES APPLICATION OF KENT
FLOODZONE PERMIT
•DESIGNATES FLOODPLAIN
ADMINISTRATOR
KENT CITY CODE UPDATE
•ESTABLISHES GENERAL, SPECIFIC AND
FLOODWAY STANDARDS FOR
DEVELOPMENT
•REVISES PROCEDURES FOR
VIOLATIONS, ENFORCEMENT AND
PENALTIES TO FOLLOW OTHER CODE
CHAPTERS
•14.09.130 SPECIFIC STANDARDS
•CRAWLSPACES MUST MEET THE FOLLOWING
REQUIREMENTS:
•INTERIOR GRADE MUST NOT BE BELOW THE BASE
FLOOD ELEVATION
CODE UPDATE EXAMPLES
CRAWLSPACES
•14.09.130 SPECIFIC STANDARDS
•CRAWLSPACES MUST MEET THE FOLLOWING
REQUIREMENTS:
•HEIGHT OF THE CRAWLSPACE FROM INTERIOR
GROUND TO THE TOP OF THE FOUNDATION WALL
MAY NOT EXCEED 4-FT AT ANY POINT
CODE UPDATE EXAMPLES
CRAWLSPACES
•14.09.150 FLOODWAYS
•REQUIREMENTS HAVE BEEN CLARIFIED FOR
PROJECTS DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY FOR THE
ENHANCEMENT OF FISH HABITAT WITHIN
FLOODWAYS
•PROJECTS MUST BE DESIGNED TO MINIMIZE
IMPACTS TO BASE FLOOD ELEVATIONS
CODE UPDATE EXAMPLES
FLOODWAYS
•14.09.150 FLOODWAYS
•PROVIDE HYDROLOGIC AND HYDRAULIC ANALYSIS
TO SHOW BASE FLOOD ELEVATION RISE IS KEPT
AS CLOSE TO ZERO AS PRACTICALLY POSSIBLE
•THE PROJECT MUST NOT AFFECT ANY INSURABLE
STRUCTURES
•MUST COMPLY WITH ALL STATE AND CITY
REGULATIONS OUTSIDE OF KCC 14.09
CODE UPDATE EXAMPLES
FLOODWAYS
FEMA FLOOD MAP
AND
KENT FLOOD HAZARD
CODE UPDATE
KENT CITY COUNCIL
PUBLIC HEARING
JULY 7, 2020
Award
7/7/2020
Reith Road 16” watermain between 38th Ave S and 42nd Ave
38th Ave S and
Reith Road
(looking north),
Overlay to be
performed as well
and water main
connection.
Reith Road and 42nd Ave S
looking northeast toward
West Fenwick Park, 16”
watermain tie-in and new
curb ramps at intersection.
South 192nd Street
Sanitary Sewer Repair
Bid Award
City Council
July 7, 2020
PROJECT
LOCATION
South 192nd Street Sanitary Sewer Repair
•7 Bids Received
•Low Bidder –Scarsella Brothers Inc.
•Low Bid Amount -$231,601.59
•Engineer’s Estimate -$253,002.20