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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Meeting - Council Workshop - Minutes - 02/07/20202 0 2 0 KENT CITY COUNCIL ANNUAL STRATEGIC PLANNING RETREAT Friday, 7 February, 1 - 4:45 p.m.; Saturday, 8 February, 8 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Green River College, Auburn; Student Union Building, Emerald City Room SUMMARY OF THE MEETING’S KEY DISCUSSIONS, DECISIONS, AND AGREEMENTS FRIDAY’S ATTENDEES: Mayor Dana Ralph; Council President Toni Troutner; Council members Bill Boyce, Brenda Fincher, Satwinder Kaur, Marli Larimer, Zandria Michaud, and Les Thomas; Chief Administrative Officer Derek Matheson; Executive Leadership Team (ELT) members Mike Carrington, Pat Fitzpatrick, Kurt Hanson, Kim Komoto, Tim LaPorte, Paula Painter, Julie Parascondola, Raf Padilla, Teri Smith, Bailey Stober, and Margaret Yetter; City staff members Michael Mage (Government Performance Coordinator) and Uriel Varela (Community Engagement Coordinator); and facilitator Jim Reid SATURDAY’S ATTENDEES: Mayor Ralph; Council President Troutner and all the other Council members; Derek and the ELT members; City staff Commander Rob Scholl, Long Range Planning Manager Hayley Bonsteel, and Human Services Manager Merina Hanson; Parks and Recreation Commissioner Annie Seeger; and facilitator Jim Reid __________________________________________________________________ The goals of the 2020 Kent City Council retreat were: 1) Discuss strategic issues of interest and importance to all the members of the Council; and 2) Provide opportunities for Council members to hear the issues of interest and concern to their colleagues and learn if there might be a consensus among the entire Council to address any of them. This is a summary of the major discussions, decisions, and agreements from the retreat. SUMMARY OF THE COUNCIL’S AGREEMENTS AND DIRECTION Here are the City Council’s consensus agreements and direction from the 2020 retreat: Communications: 1. Council supports the Communications philosophy, plan, and strategies that Bailey Stober presented. Everyone responded positively to telling the City’s stories in a more human and relatable way. 2. Council supports the Administration’s proposal to delay the next resident survey, and instead conduct public outreach that is based on need and tailored to a specific issue or initiative. For example, the City could conduct a resident survey to gauge support for a potential ballot initiative on public safety. The Administration 2 agreed with the Council request to share findings from surveys, telephone polls, and other public outreach with the Council. Financial Structural Deficit: 3. Council agreed that the Administration should hire a consultant to help the City develop a 15-year budget strategy. The strategy will generate data and options and, equally if not more importantly, develop a comprehensive strategy by which to engage the public. 4. Council agreed that the consultant should be informed that “nothing is off the table” in terms of the options for resolving the structural deficit. The Council also requested that the consultant be told that the Council’s highest priorities for the General Fund are public safety and parks and recreation. Everyone also supports directing the consultant to examine whether or not the City is maximizing the use of existing resources by being as efficient as possible. 5. To address the structural deficit in the short-term, Council supports the use of reserve funds to maintain a balanced budget when the Administration develops and proposes the next biennial budget (2021-’22). The Administration will review this strategy with Council later this year in a budget mini-retreat. 6. The Council members gave the Mayor and ELT support to develop a proposed ballot initiative for public safety that would be submitted to the voters in November 2020. At this time the proposal appears likely to be for $10 million per year for six years to fund fifty-ish Full-Time Equivalents (FTEs), including additional officers and support staff. The proposal will be formally presented to Council in March. Mayor Ralph urged the entire Council to publicly support the initiative. There was agreement that talking points should be developed and provided to all the elected officials so that the City articulates a clear and consistent message when discussing the ballot measure with the community. Code Enforcement: 7. Council members support the City’s approach to Code Enforcement, which Commander Rob Scholl stated is to first seek voluntary compliance, and then, after a number of steps to achieve voluntary compliance have failed, pursue legal action. Commander Scholl detailed the progress in Code Enforcement since its staff was transferred from Economic and Community Development (ECD) to the Police Department’s Special Operations Unit in 2019. Commander Scholl, with Kurt Hanson and Margaret Yetter weighing in, cited these improvements in the system: 1) response times are quicker; 2) resources are more dedicated and focused because employees each have one major assignment, whether investigations or administration; 3) internal communications and coordination are improved even though coordination requires a great amount of time and energy; and 4) judges are more aware of the problems that result from Code violations and the challenges and complexities of bringing offenders to justice. Housing: 8. Council agreed with the Administration that cities need to appeal to the State Legislature to refrain from enacting housing legislation that reduces local control. Rather than dictate a single solution, the legislature should motivate and incentivize higher density and greater variety of housing types by recognizing the differences among cities across the state in terms of the amount of land available for development or redevelopment and in housing stock and affordability. 9. The Council also recognized that Kent needs a more diverse housing stock, particularly: 1) entry level and workforce housing for first-time homeowners, many of whom are young people, including those who grew up in Kent, moved away, and would like to come home; and 2) townhomes and condos for elderly residents who would like to remain in Kent but need more housing choices to be able to do so, and for others who may not 3 own a car but rely on transit. Downtown and Midway were mentioned as areas where the City should encourage transit-oriented development. Council members also mentioned that the City may need both additional permanent, supportive housing to help reduce homelessness and higher cost housing to attract more upper middle class residents. Homelessness: 10. The Council agreed that Kent and regional service providers need to focus more on preventing homelessness, and that to do so, communities must identify and address the root causes of homelessness. Best practices focus on housing first, and then employment and other services. Merina Hanson speculated that addressing the prevention side of the issue of homelessness could mean that the City helps fund a project in South King County that is not in Kent. 11. Council members responded with concern to the presentations by the ELT members about the ways in which cleaning up homeless camps and other impacts of homelessness are diverting resources from the core missions of departments, particularly Police, Parks and Recreation, and Public Works. 12. Council members agreed with the Administration’s priorities for addressing homelessness and support the interdepartmental approach. They also agreed that more resources, including more staff, may be needed. Council and the Administration will revisit the issue of resources as part of the development and deliberations of the 2021-’22 budget. 13. Regarding tenants rights, the Council agreed that the City needs to work closely with the Rental Housing Association. It also agreed that in six months or so the landscape around tenants rights will be clearer because a lawsuit should have been settled by then. Committee of the Whole: 14. Council agreed to reassess the use of the Committee of the Whole in October. In the meantime, the current COW structure should ensure that these interests of the Council are addressed: 1) sufficient control of the process; 2) meaningful, in depth discussions of the issues; 3) trust between the Council and Administration; and 4) efficiency. Departments should periodically provide reports and updates on what they are doing and trends they are witnessing. When assessing the Council’s structure, workshops and Council meetings could be included, too, to provide a complete picture and ensure that the whole system of meetings achieves the interests and needs of both the Council and Administration. RESPONSES TO ISSUES INDIVIDUAL COUNCIL MEMBERS RAISED Below are listed the issues that individual Council members raised during their phone conversations with Jim Reid prior to the retreat. Each of these issues was discussed during the retreat, some at the end of the day on Friday and some as the last item of business on Saturday. The issue appears below in italics; the response or recommended course of action immediately follows. 1. Enhance the focus on littering, graffiti, and other environmental issues. The shared interest expressed by both Council members and the Administration is to make littering and graffiti socially inappropriate and unacceptable. Bailey Stober volunteered to begin an educational campaign that uses humor to motivate people to keep their properties and public spaces clean, safe, and healthy. 4 2. Start an urban forestry program. The City catalogues and maintains trees in parks, street rights-of-way, and other public spaces. On March 18th the Parks and Recreation Department will brief the Council on its program to preserve trees on parklands. 3. Bring back the Green Kent Stewards Program. This is included in the natural resources management plan. 4. Placemaking: Allow residents to take ownership of certain areas by cleaning them up and/or creating wall murals, signs, crosswalks, etc. The Council and Administration support this concept. A goal of revitalizing three neighborhood councils is to stimulate neighborhood efforts to clean up and maintain public and private spaces. And staff could emphasize this idea with functioning neighborhood councils. 5. Work with Puget Sound Energy to advance the use of solar energy. The City is already partnering with Puget Sound Energy on this initiative. 6. “Beef up” the speakers series and workshops on Racial Equity and Social Justice. Get more people involved, including City employees. Derek stated that the Administration plans to grow this program. Fortunately, the events that have been conducted to date have attracted diverse audiences. The City can build on these successes. 7. ShoWare Center: What is happening there? Although it loses money, how does it benefit the City? As a result of the brief discussion, there was a general consensus that the City needs to tell the story of ShoWare Center’s benefits. 8. What does the data show about red light cameras and body cameras on police officers? Is the data indicating that the goals are being achieved? The Police Department plans to share the findings with Council at a summer workshop when there will be more data on how the red light cameras and body cameras are working. 9. ShoWare Center: Sikhs cannot bring the small knives that they carry into the facility. Consequently, Sikhs cannot attend events there. Change the practice? Council member Kaur is going to talk to Tim Higgins of the ShoWare Center about this issue. 10. What is the City doing with the feedback from citizens regarding their vision of Kent in twenty years that was obtained during the recent Town Hall meetings? Do we plan to report the results to the public? If so, how? And how will the public know about the action plan? Some of the ideas are already being implemented, while some others were not realistic. Approximately 40% of the ideas focused on communications between the City and public. Bailey is addressing many of the issues in the new communications strategic plan he is developing and implementing. 5 11. No clear path in terms of how Council members can introduce new legislation other than it appears something is assigned to the legal department. How does the issue get researched before it is decided to move forward to draft an ordinance, or to not do so? The procedures for placing an item on the Council’s agenda are included in Council Rules. A Council member may suggest to the Mayor that she propose legislation to the Council or can convince the majority of the Council to agree to take up an issue or item. 12. Create a Metropolitan Parks District (MPD)? This idea is included in the Parks Recreation Plan as one to explore in the future. As Derek stated, however, an MPD is probably not necessary because Kent already has voter-approved property tax capacity that residents could levy for parks and recreation. THE CITY’S MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF 2019 Below are the City’s major accomplishments during 2019 that the Council and ELT cited at the beginning of this year’s strategic planning retreat. Some comments also defined future aspirations. These comments are reflections and perceptions of individuals; they do not imply consensus among the Council and between the Council and Administration. Each achievement made the person who cited it proud of the City, the community, the Council, and/or staff. ! City’s financial position is solid. ! Economic development initiatives such as Rally the Valley and Meet Me on Meeker are changing the perceptions of Kent in very positive ways. ! Our community is diverse and people are involved in the community at all levels and in many ways. ! Throughout the state and in Olympia Kent is recognized for the influence it wields in strengthening the economy and revenues. Aerospace is one example. ! Kids who grew up in Kent and left for college or for other reasons want to come back to raise their families. ! The community is becoming increasingly pedestrian and bike friendly. ! All communities are part of the conversation about the quality of life here and Kent’s future. ! The Council and Administration share the same vision. Together we are working to change negative perceptions about Kent and to tangibly improve the quality of life. ! Continuing to create jobs in Kent will also help change perceptions as well as put Kent in an even stronger financial position. ! We need to tell our story. Part of that story is that people are CHOOSING to live here. They desire to be here rather than just ended up here for a job or because housing is more affordable. ! The City can make a real difference in the quality of people’s lives. We should be mindful of that and harness the power. ! We are proud of both the Police and the Parks and Recreation Departments. We need to ensure they have stable, consistent, predictable funding sources. ! We are and need to continue to advance environmental programs. ! Kent should be more visible, including on freeway signs or on local weather reports. ! Beautification should be a priority; we could use fountains and other waterworks to achieve the goals. ! West Hill residents should be more included and involved. ! We should have a water park that would be both a recreational and economic development benefit. ! Keep Kent safe. ! We need higher end homes as well as housing for both low and middle income residents. ! Brought the lunar landing module to Kent. ! YMCA opening. ! Plastic bag ban. 6 ! Opening the 224th St. Bridge. ! The work of ECD to attract businesses and strengthen the economic position of the City. ! Communications “stepped up” to engage more people. ! Kent’s presence and position in the region continue to grow. ! Kent 101: Kudos to the Administration for conducting this creative and effective civics training program for Kent residents. High school kids are even involved in it! So we should continue to expand its reach. ! We need to work even more closely with the Kent School District. The District is going through some adjustments so this may be the right time to engage with its leaders. ! The use of body cameras by police officers. ! The ELT is working as an effective team, not in functional silos. We are ONE KENT. ! First round of rental inspections. ! Sound Transit Operations Maintenance Facility (OMF). ! Blue Origin Agreement provided funding to improve roads in the area. ! The sale of the property on Naden Avenue. ! The move of Code Enforcement into the Police Department. ! O Court. ! Enhanced website funded by funding from red light camera revenues. ! Laserfiche: It has required the involvement and cooperation of all departments and creates greater public transparency. ! Two new judges. ! Two labor contracts were successfully negotiated. ! The new Human Resources payroll system. ! IT and ECD are working together to launch the new permitting system. In 2020 more systems and services will also go on-line. ! IT staff has worked long hours and creatively to get systems deployed. ! IT and the Legal Department achieved the Cable Franchise Agreement. ! Committee of the Whole allows all Council members to hear everything simultaneously and relieves staff of a lot of burden. For example, creating agendas for COW is accomplished within the system for producing the Council meeting agendas, making the task far more efficient. ! Meet Me on Meeker is very impressive and has “taken off.” ! Former employees such as Paula and Teri have returned to work for the City; we are attracting qualified new employees, too. By stabilizing the City’s finances, the Council has created an environment that retains good employees and attracts new ones. ! Kent’s regional involvement in many issues. ! The annual financial report and budget were team efforts by all departments. ! The auditor did not recommend corrections to our Comprehensive Annual Financial Report. ! Improved utility bill payment processing with new point of sale system. ! The Council’s willingness to compromise and work hard, and to collaborate with the Administration led to the significant accomplishments of 2019. ! Blue Origin illustrated that the City’s vision and goals are “very much in play.” Thank you to the Council for authorizing the development agreement. ! Rally the Valley is now one-year old and five cities now call themselves part of the Kent Industrial Valley. ! The Council continued to allow the departments to take risks. An example: the new YMCA. ! The City got a new partner for the golf course. With Council support, we blew up the old model and created something creative and reflective of the times and circumstances. ! The $1.4 million levy for seniors. ! The Parks and Recreation Department continually talks to the people of Kent and involves them in its strategic planning. ! We are working to double the number of volunteers who are involved with us. An example: Adopt a Street program. ! Staff willingly provides answers to the Council so that we can do our jobs better. “You guys are very, very good.” 7 ! The staff is also excellent at showing the Council how “you got to where you are. This helps us understand the issues and your recommendations better.” ! We need to continue to get Kent out in front of the world. MAJOR CHALLENGES FACING KENT IN THE FUTURE The Council also some major challenges that are likely to face the community and City government in the future. ! Homelessness, a current problem that is likely to become even more challenging on the local, regional, state, and national levels. ! The financial structural imbalance. ! In the immediate future, participation of everyone in the 2020 U.S. Census. ! Retirements of long-time employees with institutional memory. This requires the City to have a succession plan in place to prepare the next generation of leaders. ! Recruitment and retention of employees, particularly in competition with the private sector that pays better. ! Sufficiently fund the Police Department to reduce or at least not increase the department’s reliance on the General Fund. ! Transportation, particularly moving people efficiently within the city. ! Protecting tenants. WHAT THE VISION,VALUES, MISSION, AND GOALS MEAN TO US Council members and Mayor Ralph discussed what the vision, mission, and goals mean to them. ! “They are our road map. They allow us to fulfill our responsibilities with integrity. They guide us in determining whether or not a proposed policy or action fits within our mission. I refer people to them so that they understand better what we are doing and why.” ! “They hold us together and tell a story. They provide or stimulate innovation, integrity, and teamwork. “ ! As Council members “we are individuals. But our values and vision unite us into a team.” ! How can we do an even better job of telling our story to the public using these tools? ! In 2019 the ELT conducted activities around the values. What do they mean? How do they guide us? ! We should showcase our vision, values, mission, and goals across the community—to the public and to businesses. ! This provides the opportunity to create one giant Makerspace to educate the public and build community. Michael Mage told the Council that he is working with the ELT in 2020 to create SMART goals or objectives (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Timed) and performance measures that will implement the goals as well as link departmental operations to the goals. Before the discussion ended, a suggestion was made to replace the value “Communication” with “Engagement.” This might signal more of a two-way street in the relationship between the people of Kent and their City government. It was pointed out that elsewhere all six values are headlined with one word but have a little longer definition. For example: “Communication: Connect to understand.” And the goal of “Inclusive Community” includes this definition: “Embracing our diversity and advancing equity through genuine community engagement.” As this conversation continued, Council members expressed enthusiasm for the Vision statement: “Where people choose to live and businesses change the world.” They also said that it may be challenging to build enthusiasm for the mission, values, and goals unless the public sees that they are real. For this to happen, the City must 8 demonstrate that its projects and programs clearly, directly, and tangibly reflect and bring to life the mission, values, and goals. KEY POINTS OF THE DISCUSSION ABOUT COMMUNICATIONS The last session on Friday focused on communications. As noted in the summary of the agreements that emerged from the retreat, as a result of Bailey Stober’s presentation, the Council voiced its support for the plan’s direction and for delaying the resident survey in favor of conducting public outreach that is targeted to soliciting public input on specific issues or proposals. One of the first things Bailey said as he began his overview of the communications strategic plan was that the Council is correct in believing that the vision, mission, values, and goals will be more meaningful and more effective marketing tools when the public sees tangible results and benefits from them. “They have to be real and relevant.” Other highlights of Bailey’s comments and the comments of Council and ELT members were: 1. Mayor Ralph wants a new approach to communications and wants everyone from the Council to front-line employees to be involved by communicating clear, consistent messages that will resonate with the public. 2. The Council’s vision, values, and mission guide the communications strategic plan; the plan’s twenty-seven objectives/goals/metrics are intended to implement the vision, values, and mission. 3. We are building on the vision to “brand” the City externally. This involves telling stories that are meaningful to people. Bailey’s approach is to focus on the human interest in those stories. 4. Major projects need to be branded. What does a project mean to people and the community? What are their benefits? “What’s in it for me?” 5. Build customer service through social media platforms. Using humor and pictures gets many more “likes” and attention than messages that are only words. Instagram is even more useful than Twitter and Facebook. 6. We need to tell the good news stories, too. 7. We must recognize that our approach is transformational and will take time. 8. Bailey is working closely with the Public Information Officers in the departments. He’ll work in collaboration with the new communications coordinator that the Police Department will soon hire, and he is working closely with the PIOs from Public Works and Parks and Recreation. He chairs a monthly meeting of the communications employees of every department. 9. An innovation in the City’s approach to communications is the State of the City address by Mayor Ralph will be held at Blue Origin on March 5th. It will focus on innovation, jobs, and public safety. 10. Kurt suggested that the billboards notifying the public of land use actions could be changed to become more eye-catching and to more effectively communicate key messages from the City. 2020 CITY COUNCIL RETREAT QUIZ CHAMPION Congratulations Chief Padilla! At the end of the retreat on Saturday afternoon, Police Chief Raf Padilla won the First Annual City Council Strategic Planning Retreat Quiz, “How Well Do You Know Kent?” Congratulations Raf! Better luck next year everyone. Start studying!