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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Meeting - Council Workshop - Minutes - 09/01/2020 Approved City Council Workshop Workshop Regular Meeting Minutes September 1, 2020 Date: September 1, 2020 Time: 5:00 p.m. Place: THIS IS A REMOTE MEETING I. CALL TO ORDER Council President Troutner called the meeting to order. Attendee Name Title Status Arrived Toni Troutner Council President Present Bill Boyce Councilmember Present Brenda Fincher Councilmember Present Satwinder Kaur Councilmember Present Marli Larimer Councilmember Present Zandria Michaud Councilmember Present Les Thomas Councilmember Excused Dana Ralph Mayor Present II. PRESENTATIONS 1 Storm System Update Jens Vincent Mike Mactutis 45 MIN. Sewer and Storm Drainage Manager, Jens Vincent and Environmental Engineering Manager, Mike Mactutis gave a presentation on the City’s storm system. Vincent reviewed a number of projects all over the City that have been completed by the Public Works Storm Operations Department over just the past year and few months following the high water events that occurred back in February of this year. Mactutis provided an update on the stormwater projects that are under construction on the Upper Mill Creek Dam, Green River Natural Resource Area South Pump Station, Lower Russell Levee, River Gages at Meeker and South 272nd Street and the Downey Farmstead Restoration Project. He also spoke about the stormwater projects that are in the design phase such as Signature Point Levee, Milwaukee II Levee, Green River Natural Resource Area North Pump Station, 81st Ave South Pump station, Mill Creek Reestablishment, Garrison Creek/South 212th Street Culvert and Lake Fenwick Hypolimnetic Aerator. Mactutis closed by reviewing the high water events from February of this year and the activity that has happened since then. There have been regional coordination meetings with King County, USGS, Corps. of Engineers and the other valley cities. Additionally, there have been checks of the river for flow City Council Workshop Workshop Regular Meeting Minutes September 1, 2020 Kent, Washington Page 2 of 3 restrictions and the addition of two new river gages in Kent. The remaining issues were discussed as well as what the department is doing to prepare for the coming winter. Councilmember Boyce and Council President Troutner both expressed their appreciation of this team. Boyce mentioned how amazing it is to see all the work that has been done that we don't realize is being done in the background and all of which is so important for the City. 2 South King Housing Collaborative's Housing Action Plan Framework Hayley Bonsteel 45 MIN. Senior Long-Range Planner, Hayley Bonsteel gave an update on the South King Housing Framework project which encompasses Phase 1 of House Bill 1923 grant to increase residential building capacity. Bonsteel discussed the goals of this project which are to discover broad trends in the subregional housing market, understand broad dynamics in household demographics, gather and compile data at the subregional level for policy development at the city level and lay the groundwork for more consistent, unified messaging for South King County cities. Bonsteel discussed the general findings for this project and noted that Kent generally tracks with the South King County subregions given its size and central location. There are both broad and deep housing needs across a range of incomes and types of housing. Bonsteel noted that population growth in Kent has been twice the rate of South King County as a whole, yet the number of actual households has grown by a lower rate due to Kent's larger household size. Bonsteel reviewed the striking increase in average rent for a 2-bedroom apartment over the course of the last 10 years which has gone up 58% and the change in median home prices which has gone up 88% from 2010 to 2020. These numbers do not however reflect the much smaller percentage increase of incomes for both renters and homeowners. Bonsteel reviewed graphs and statistics comparing all South King County cities in various areas in relation to affordable housing. These areas included multifamily building quality, regulated affordable housing percentages and the affordability in those units and housing units by type. Bonsteel then discussed three goals identified in alignment with the grant for the entirety of South King County, but more importantly she discussed four overarching strategies: • Preservation & Anti-Displacement • Affordable Housing and Production City Council Workshop Workshop Regular Meeting Minutes September 1, 2020 Kent, Washington Page 3 of 3 • Middle Housing • Transit Oriented Development & Urban Centers Bonsteel summed up her presentation by discussing the huge takeaways on the work that has been done thus far and where things are headed: • Focus on displacement prevention for the most vulnerable (remaining grant dollars) • Continue to advocate for local discretion regarding incentivizing 100+ AMI and share the South King County story with the county/region/state so there is better understanding of housing development dynamics in high cost areas • Pursue in the near term: • Middle housing typologies on the books today and ways to dial regulations • Appropriately scaled upzoning around BRT • Explore more (with Human Services staff) • Community organization capacity building • Tenant protections In the coming months the plan is to work with the Kent community, through open houses and surveys/website: • Inform and empower community with data and information • Understand desired livability priorities given long-term densification • Get input on appropriate role for City via regulations and aesthetics compared to housing affordability in the private market • “Take the temperature” on revenue vs. outcomes (hypothetical exercise) Councilmember Larimer thanked Bonsteel for the great presentation and shared her concerns regarding what will happen following the COVID-19 emergency and recession. Councilmember Boyce inquired about a time frame on getting this complete considering the current environment. Bonsteel advised that the Housing Action Plan needs to be adopted by June of 2021 to be in compliance with the grant requirements. Councilmember Fincher expressed her concerns over tenant protections. Meeting ended at 6:48 p.m. Kimberley A. Komoto City Clerk Presentation Outline •Public Works Storm Operations •2020-2021 Major Storm Capital Projects •Green River High Flows Ditch Maintenance on 101st Ave SE and SE 210th Pl Ditch Maintenance on 132nd Ave SE and SE 214th Pl Culvert and Ditch Reestablishment at SE 218th St and 112th Ave SE Culvert Extension at 132nd Ave SE and SE 213th Pl Culvert End Cleaning on S 212th St and 84th Ave S Berm Installation on 100th Ave SE and SE 213th St Berm Installation on Hazel Ave and Cedar St Catch Basin and Line installation on 6th Ave S and Smith St Catch Basin and Pipe Installation at SE 267th Pl and 138th PL SE Pipe Repair at 14517 SE 261st St Spot Repair at 243rd Pl Erosion Repair on SE 268th St and 128th Ave SE Curb and Gutter Replacement at 117th Pl SE and SE 246th Pl Pond Maintenance at SE 208th St and 130th Ave SE Pond Maintenance at SE 244th St and 120th Ave SE Pond Maintenance at SE 244th St and 120th Ave SE Earthworks Park Sediment Pond Cleaning Storm Sloughing Repair Storm TV Inspection Culvert re-opening at Garrison Creek and 212th Garrison Creek and 212th July 2020 Garrison Creek and 212th August 2020 Stormwater Projects under Construction Upper Mill Creek Dam Stormwater Projects under Construction Upper Mill Creek Dam Upper Mill Creek Dam GRNRA South Pump Station Stormwater Projects under Construction GRNRA South Pump Station Operational for the coming winter Cost: Green River Projects under Construction Lower Russell Levee Green River Projects under Construction Lower Russell Levee Green River Projects under Construction Lower Russell Levee Green River Projects Under Construction River Gages –Meeker and S. 272nd St. Green River Projects Under Construction Downey Farmstead Restoration Project Major Stormwater Projects in Design •Signature Pointe Levee •Washington Ave. Pump Station •Milwaukee II Levee •GRNRA North Pump Station •81st Ave. South Pump Station •Mill Creek Reestablishment •Garrison Creek/ S. 212th St. Culvert •Lake Fenwick Hypolimnetic Aerator Signature Pointe Levee Valley Apartments / Signature Pointe Levee Washington Ave. Pump Station Improvements Construction: 2021 Cost: $4 million Milwaukee II Levee GRNRA North Pump Station S 212th St. 81st Ave. S. Pump Station S. 196th St 84 th Av e . S Mill Creek Reestablishment Garrison Creek/S. 212th St. Culvert S. 212th St. Lake Fenwick Hypolimnetic Aerator Aerator Green River High Flows Outline •Recap from February, 2020 •Activity since February •Issues Remaining •Preparation for the coming Winter Green River High Flows Recap from February, 2020 •Recap from February, 2020 –Flow higher than expected •Highest water surface elevation since HHD was built in 1962 –Levees short on freeboard –Flow rating change at the Auburn gage –Levee damage significant •Desimone Levee in Tukwila •McCoy and Lower Russell Levees in Kent –Other levee damage Green River High Flows Activity since February •Activity since February –Regional Coordination Meetings –Checks of river for flow restrictions –Two new river gages in Kent –Corps HHD Communication Improvements Green River High Flows Issues Remaining •Issues Remaining –Reason for February high water elevations still not determined –Congressional authorization for 12,000 cfs in force –Weakened levee at Desimone Green River High Flows Preparation for the Coming Flood Season –HESCO procurement –Increased regional coordination and communication –Flood Patrol preparation –Request USGS reevaluation of Auburn Gage Flow Rating Curve SOUTH KING HOUSING FRAMEWORK Phase 1 of HB 1923 Grant to Increase Residential Building Capacity – Subregional Collaboration Data, Results, and Recommendations City Council Workshop 09/01/20 Goals •Discover broad trends in the subregional housing market •Understand broad dynamics in subregional household demographics •Gather and compile data at the subregional level for policy development at the city level •Lay the groundwork for more consistent, unified messaging for South King County cities Why is a SKC Housing Story Needed? •Median household incomes in : •Seattle: $94,000 •Sammamish: $183,038 •Kirkland: $119,844 •Bellevue: $113,698 •Redmond: $134,844 •Mercer Island: $142,413 •Median household incomes in: •Kent: $70,278 •Tukwila: $57,215 •Federal Way: $66,653 •Burien: $62,315 •Auburn: $67,342 •Renton: $78,023 Yet, all these cities have the same Area Median Income as defined by HUD. SKC General Findings In 2018, the South King County region’s MHI was $71,442. The MHI for King County as a whole was $88,868. Kent and SKC –General Findings •Kent generally tracks with the SKC subregion, given its central position and size •Both Kent and SKC have both broad and deep housing needs across a range of incomes and types of housing •Kent’s recent pace of housing construction must continue to keep pace with growth; SKC’s must pick up considerably •Kent and SKC have seen significant growth in 2-person households, and declines in 1- person households since 2012 •Population growth in Kent has been twice the rate of SKC as a whole, yet the number of actual households has grown by a lower rate, due to Kent’s larger household size •SKC incomes have gone up more than Kent’s incomes –for both renters and owners PRICES ARE UP INCOMES ARE UP TOO.. BUT NOT BY AS MUCH Cost Burdening •Cost burdening is generally consistent between Kent, SKC, and King County as a whole –and it’s bad KENT’S INCOME TRENDS FROM 2012 TO 2018 HOUSING NEED Income Mix There is no one ideal mix of incomes… and the city does not have much power over macroeconomic trends. However, there are steps cities take that indirectly affect the mix of incomes in the community. Without action, displacement of lower incomes will continue to occur as people move farther south looking for more affordable alternatives to the Seattle housing market prices. MULTIFAMILY BUILDING QUALITY Number of Bedrooms •Compared to the rest of King County, the subregion has far fewer studios, and more 2 and 3- bedroom units. Condos in Kent (or Lack Thereof) •Kent’s multifamily units skew dramatically toward apartments rather than condominiums •5% condos / 95% apartments / •Unique in the subregion •Auburn has 43% condos / 57% apartments •Renton 31% condos / 69% apartments •Federal Way 24% condos / 76% apartments •Tukwila around 23% / 77% apartments Regulated Affordable Housing LEVEL OF AFFORDABILITY IN REGULATED AFFORDABLE UNITS 60%AMI is best served by regulated housing stock in Kent and SKC Detached Attached Mobile home, Boat, RV, van Housing Units by Type -SKC Tukwila Burien Federal Way Renton Auburn Kent Detached Attached Mobile home, Boat, RV, van Housing Units by Type –King County Kent Kirkland SeattleBellevue Kenmore Shoreline Employment as Related to Housing Mix So What Can We Do? What are we already doing, and are we doing it effectively? What other strategies should we explore? What does the development community think we should be doing? Policy Analysis Planned Action Environmental Impact Statements Density/Height Bonuses Fee Waivers ADUs MFTE How Effective Are They? Planned Action Environmental Impact Statements Density/Height Bonuses Fee Waivers ADUs MFTE Strategies for South King County Strategies –Preservation and Anti-Displacement •Regional affordable housing revolving loan fund for preservation (SKHHP) •Monitor expiring regulated properties and at-risk unregulated affordable properties (most useful if paired with a revolving loan fund) •Community organization capacity building •Tenant protections •Manufactured home preservation •Rental licensing and inspection program Strategies –Affordable Housing •Funding mechanisms: property tax levy, sales tax levy, REET •MFTE expansion (when markets are stronger, require affordability in every project) •Calibrate fees and development regulations Strategies –Middle Housing Typology 1)Enable 2)Remove barriers 3)Incentivize •Attached townhomes •Cottage clusters •ADUs •Duplexes, triplexes •Internal division of larger homes Strategies –TOD and Urban Centers •Encourage higher density •Expand TOD •Evaluate : •TOD market readiness •Capital improvement plans •Prioritize affordable housing resources in TOD areas •Public-private partnerships GETTING OTHER PERSPECTIVES Development Community Perspective •Development is hampered by perception and economics •Land prices are high, but without the demand for density that exists in Seattle. •Cities should consider: •Establishing a clearly articulated vision of their approach to housing with buy-in at every staff level •Eliminating barriers (fees, regulations) Staff Takeaways •Focus on displacement prevention for the most vulnerable (remaining grant dollars) •Continue to advocate for local discretion regarding incentivizing 100+ AMI and share the SKC story with county/region/state so there is better understanding of housing development dynamics in high cost areas •Pursue in the near term: •Middle housing typologies on the books today and ways to dial regulations •Appropriately scaled upzoning around BRT •Explore more (with Human Services staff) •Community organization capacity building •Tenant protections Community Takeaways -TBD •Inform and empower community with data and information •Understand desired livability priorities given long-term densification •Get input on appropriate role for City vis a vis regulations and aesthetics compared to housing affordability in the private market •“Take the temperature” on revenue vs outcomes (hypothetical exercise) To ask the Kent community in the coming months, through online open houses and survey/website: Leadership Takeaways •What jumped out at you? •What do you want to know more about? •What do you want to ask the broader Kent community? •What do you see as the best use of our energies, given the scale of the need? •What partnerships or coalitions can we form to achieve better outcomes?