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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Committees - Public Safety Committee - 01/30/2018Public Safety Committee Special Meeting Minutes Approved February 13, 2018 Page 1 of 2 Date: January 30, 2018 Time: 4:30 p.m. Place: Chambers East Attending: Les Thomas, Bill Boyce, and Toni Troutner, Chair Agenda: 1. Call to Order 2. Roll Call 3. Changes to the Agenda There were no changes to the agenda. 4. Police and Criminal Justice Ballot Measure – Resolution - Recommend. Chief Administrative Officer Derek Matheson, Finance Director Aaron BeMiller, and Communications Consultant Dana Neuts asked members to move forward the resolution that would begin the process to submit Kent’s ballot proposition, “Proposition A,” to authorize the city to raise the existing six percent utility tax to eight percent on the gross revenues of companies operating in Kent that provide electricity, manufactured and natural gas, telephone, and cable television services. State law requires that voters must approve any utility tax on these companies that exceeds six percent. Mr. BeMiller estimates the two percent utility tax increase will approximately raise $4.8 million in yearly additional revenue to add staffing and provide equipment for police and criminal justice services in Kent in order to fund critical services within the community. The funds will be segregated from other city funds and accounted for separately. Overtime, all funds received from the utility tax revenues increase will be used solely used to pay for:  Police Patrol Officers: 21 new FTE positions,  Police Sergeant: two FTE positions,  Police Corrections Officer: two FTE positions,  Police Records Specialist: two FTE positions,  Prosecution Attorney: one FTE position,  Prosecution Paralegal: one FTE position,  Judicial Specialist: one FTE position,  Probation Officer: one FTE position, and  Vehicles: nine new Tahoe vehicles. Ms. Neuts reported that the deadline for interested parties to submit an application to participate in the pro and con committees has passed. Six applicants submitted interest, three each for the pro and con committees. City Council will have two opportunities to discuss and pass the ballot measure Public Safety Committee Special Meeting Minutes Approved February 13, 2018 Page 2 of 2 during the February 6 and February 20 council meetings. Once passed, a news release will be issued announcing City Council calls for a special election. Frequently asked questions will be added to the City’s ballot webpage along with a downloadable one-page fact sheet; postcards will be mailed to residents and businesses. King County Department of Elections must receive the resolution calling for the ballot measure, the explanatory statement, and the pro and con committee appointments at least 60 days before the special election, which would be no later than Friday, February 23, 2018. The special election will be held April 24, 2018. The ballot measure was originally presented and discussed at the January 9, 2018 Public Safety Committee as an information only item. B. Boyce moved to recommend Council approve a resolution to submit a ballot measure to the City’s voters for the April 24, 2018, special election, asking them to approve a 2% utility tax increase on electric, gas, telephone, and cable television services, the funds from which will be used exclusively to add police officers and fund associated areas of the city’s criminal justice system impacted by the addition of police officers. L. Thomas seconded the motion, which passed 3-0. 5. Adjournment The meeting was adjourned at 4:55 p.m. by T. Troutner. J. Hays Jennifer Hays Public Safety Committee Secretary