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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Committees - Operations Committee - 04/18/2017Operations Committee April 18, 2017 Minutes Kent, Washington Page 1 of 4 Date: April 18, 2017 Time: 4:00 p.m. Place: Chambers East Attending: Bill Boyce and Dana Ralph, Chair; Les Thomas had an excused absence. Agenda: 1. Call to Order. 2. Roll Call. 3. Changes to the Agenda. There were no changes to the agenda. 4. Approval of Check Summary Reports dated 3/1/2017 thru 3/15/2017 and 3/16/2017 thru 3/31/2017. B. Boyce moved to approve the check summary report dated 3/01/2017 thru 3/15/2017 and 3/16/17 thru 3/31/17. D. Ralph seconded the motion, which passed 2-0. 5. Approval of Minutes dated March 21, 2017. B. Boyce moved to approve the Operations Committee minutes dated March 21, 2017. D. Ralph seconded the motion, which passed 2-0. 6. Ordinance amending Kent City Code Chapters 3.28 and 3.29 related to Business and Occupation Tax - Recommend. Finance Deputy Director Barbara Lopez asked to move forward an ordinance that reflects changes and modifications to Kent City Code that were expressed by Councilmembers during the February 21, 2017 council workshop. Highlighted amendments are:  Reduce compliance burden for smallest businesses by creating non - registration and non-reporting statuses, effective January 1, 2018.  Non-registration status – a business that has below $12,000 in gross receipts and business floor space is below 550 square feet.  Non-reporting status – businesses that are higher than $12,000 but less than or equal to $250,000 threshold of gross receipts must file tax returns by the due date whether any taxes are owed. Operations Committee April 18, 2017 Minutes Kent, Washington Page 2 of 4  Resolve the tax inequity impacting businesses with multiple activities, such as a manufacturer, by converting the exemption to a threshold and establishing a tax credit to ensure no additional tax burden to the taxpayers, effective January 1, 2018.  Convert $250,000 exemption to $250,000 threshold.  The tax credit in this ordinance: applies to all businesses; fully offsets additional tax that would have been calculated due to converting to a threshold, and; does not phase out over time.  Strengthen certain administrative provisions.  Established provision for a Finance Director’s review of the appeal, prior to Hearing Examiner and clarified overall appeal process.  Established provision to extend a courtesy waiver of penalties if the taxpayer has been timely the previous 24 months.  Established formal voluntary disclosure program. Communication efforts will include sending letters, emails, and flyers in business renewal notices several months in advance of January 2018. B. Boyce moved to recommend Council adopt an ordinance that amends the Business and Occupation (B&O) tax code to create a threshold, create a non-reporting status and a non-registration status, allow the cancellation of penalties, create a voluntary disclosure program, create a tax credit, and amend the administrative appeal process . D. Ralph seconded the motion, which passed 2-0. 7. Valley Narcotics Enforcement Team Revolving Funds – Recommend. City of Kent Auditor Robert Goehring CFE, CPA made a request to adopt an ordinance to stay in accordance with the Valley Narcotics Enforcement Team (VNET) multi-jurisdictional Interlocal Agreement with the cities of Auburn, Federal Way, Kent, Renton, Seattle, Tukwila, and the Port of Seattle. The lead agency is responsible for recording VNET financial activities in its accounting system and adhering to related statutory requirements; the City became the lead agency in July 2015. The three-part change includes:  The establishment and operations of VNET change funds, petty cash funds, investigative funds and other revolving funds.  Increase the dollar limit of the Police Department Investigative Buy Fund from $10,000 to $20,000.  Make changes primarily comprised of combining similar types of revolving funds to a single section within Chapter 3.41 of the Kent City Code. Operations Committee April 18, 2017 Minutes Kent, Washington Page 3 of 4 B. Boyce moved to recommend the City Council adopt an ordinance authorizing creation of a petty cash fund, a flash money fund and an investigative buy fund for VNET operations, increasing the dollar limit of the Police Department Investigative Buy Fund, and making certain other administrative changes to Chapter 3.41 of the Kent City Code. D. Ralph seconded the motion, which passed 2-0. 8. Hewlett Packard | WSCA-NASPO Cooperative Purchasing Agreement – Recommend. Information Technology Director Mike Carrington and Technical Services Manager James Endicott asked members to approve future purchases of desktop and laptop refresh equipment, software and maintenance. These purchases will be covered by the previously approved 2017 – 2018 budget. B. Boyce moved to recommend Council authorize the Mayor to purchase equipment, software, and services through the cooperative purchasing agreement between HP, Inc. and NASPO ValuePoint Cooperative Purchasing Organization, and under Washington State’s participation agreement, and t o make such purchases within established budgets and through March 31, 2020, or such later date as the cooperative may extend. D. Ralph seconded the motion, which passed 2-0. 9. Chambers Technology & Kent TV21 technology upgrades -Recommend. Mr. Carrington asked members to approve updating technology equipment that is used inside City Hall’s Chambers and the City’s television station, Kent TV21 that are beyond their end of life and need replacement. Equipment being replaced is in-room displays, podium router technology, video cameras, audio system, lighting for television, and station playback system. The replacement costs are in the IT Operating Budget that was previously approved in the 2017 – 2018 budgets. B. Boyce moved to recommend Council authorize the Mayor to execute all documents necessary to enter into a contract with Advanced Broadcast Solutions, LLC, in the amount of $140,660.05, for replacement of the chamber audio and video system, and to ratify all acts consistent with this motion, subject to final contract terms and conditions acceptable to the IT Director and City Attorney. D. Ralph seconded the motion, which passed 2-0. 10. 1st Quarter Procurement Report – Information Only. Chief Administrative Office Derek Matheson reported on the first quarter procurement report; there were no significant highlights discussed. Operations Committee April 18, 2017 Minutes Kent, Washington Page 4 of 4 13. Adjournment. The meeting was adjourned at 4:28 p.m. by D. Ralph. J. Hays Jennifer Hays Operations Committee Secretary