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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Meeting - Council Workshop - Special Minutes - 02/04/2022 CITY OF KENT CITY COUNCIL ANNUAL PLANNING SESSION 2022 Friday, 4 February, 8:30 a.m. – 3:35 p.m. Green River College Campus @ Kent Station Saturday, 5 February, 8:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Kent City Hall, Council Chambers SUMMARY OF THE MEETING’S KEY DISCUSSIONS AND AGREEMENTS 02.23.22, FINAL EDITION ATTENDEES: Council President Bill Boyce; Councilmembers Brenda Fincher, Satwinder Kaur, Marli Larimer, Zandria Michaud, Les Thomas, and Toni Troutner; Mayor Dana Ralph; Chief Administrative Officer Derek Matheson; Executive Leadership Team (ELT) members Patti Belle, Chad Bieren, Mike Carrington, Pat Fitzpatrick, Kurt Hanson, Kim Komoto, Paula Painter, Julie Parascondola, Raf Padilla, Teri Smith, Uriel Varela, and Margaret Yetter; facilitator Jim Reid _____________________________________________________________________________________ KEY AGREEMENTS FROM THE RETREAT CLOSING THE BUDGET GAP Paula Painter’s detailed Power Point presentation to the Council on Friday morning reminded everyone of how aggressively the Council and Administration worked together prior to 2020 to address the fiscal cliff. During the past two years the City has again addressed financial challenges, this time caused by the COVID-19 global pandemic, by reducing the number of staff, temporarily furloughing twenty-three staff members, and reducing programming. Emergency funding from the federal government and increases in sales tax and Real Estate Excise Tax (REET) revenues have helped the City combat the pandemic’s 2 effects. But today the worst inflation in over thirty years, the impacts of new contracts that increase employee salaries and benefits, and the limit on increasing the property tax beyond one percent annually mean that the City again faces the possibility of expenditures exceeding revenues. While Paula could not estimate an exact amount, the upcoming biennial budget (2023-’24) appears likely to have a significant gap the City will need to close. From the Council members’ questions of Paula on Friday and their discussion with Mayor Ralph and the ELT when the retreat resumed on Saturday morning, these interests emerged: 1. Preserve and protect core services that the City must provide. 2. Agree on and implement a long-term strategy to address the structural imbalance in the City’s budget. 3. Ensure that the 2023-’24 biennial budget includes strategies and actions to address short-term challenges and problems while laying the foundation for the long-term solution. 4. Engage the public early to educate them on the City’s short- and long-term financial challenges and opportunities and to solicit their preferences and priorities. To achieve these interests, the Council offered its initial guidance to the Administration as it begins to develop the 2023-’24 budget. The Council appeared willing to consider: 1. Defining services that are “core” and those that are not. § Although the Council, Mayor, and ELT did not try to finalize a list of core services, Council members offered a few ideas of programs and services they would like to see preserved. Various members identified these: a) the race and equity work; b) public safety; c) services that help protect health; and d) parks and recreation services such as lifeguards, the Senior Center, and adaptive recreation. Again, these were initial ideas and not agreed to. § Prompted by Council President Boyce’s question, some ELT members offered initial thoughts on what programs or services might need to be reduced in their departments if there were no other way to close the budget gap. But they also articulated the benefits of those programs and services and how the community would suffer if they were reduced. 2. Temporarily redistributing sales tax revenues from the current formula that distributes 80% of sales tax revenues to the General Fund and 20% to the Capital Fund. § Council discussed using 85% of sales tax revenues for General Fund purposes and 15% for Capital Fund purposes. The exact ratio was not established; Administration will further consider this strategy and report back to Council as the budget development process progresses. § Council member Kaur suggested that the City may gain greater support for a redistribution by announcing the date when the formula would revert back to the current 80-20 split. 3. Using remaining American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to stabilize programs and services and for capital projects to offset reductions in capital funding that would result from strategy #2. 4. Spending down some of the fund balance to preserve programs and services supported by the General Fund. 5. Increasing some fees if the current inflation rate means that they are below a reasonable level. 3 6. Not raising the Business and Occupation (B&O) tax. 7. Not adding new initiatives or staff. 8. Not raising taxes whether those under our discretion or those requiring the vote of the people. But there was also recognition that voter-approved tax increases might be needed after the economy becomes stronger and residents better understand how increased taxes would support programs and services they need and want. For example, perhaps in a couple years voters may be inclined to support additional tax revenues to preserve and enhance parks and recreation programming. Throughout the discussion that generated the above ideas, Council members repeatedly urged the City to engage the public early and often so that Kent residents understand what the City has done previously to stabilize the budget, what factors have created the current challenges, and what steps the City is taking to stabilize and sustain programs and services without increasing taxes on taxpayers or businesses. One tool the Council is interested in is the Balancing Act, which the Council briefly discussed during the 2021 retreat and which Paula reintroduced during her presentation on Friday morning. This tool would achieve an interest Council member Fincher stated: “Take the process (education/budget development) to the public rather than expect them to come to us.” In addition, there was support for expanding the Budget Road Show, but a strong interest in ensuring that many voices are heard rather than the few who represent special interests or are regularly heard. Julie Parascondola offered to share with the Council summaries of the hundreds if not thousands of public comments that she and her staff have gathered, organized, and analyzed about public perceptions of and priorities for parks and recreation programs, services, and facilities. One other theme was prominent during the discussion. The Mayor and ELT stressed that core services the City must provide are not adequately staffed under the current budget and staff are doing more with less while service demands are escalating. This is affecting staff morale, retention, and recruitment. Finally, the Council endorsed the Administration’s proposal to hire an outside consultant to analyze the structural imbalance in the City’s budget. This was first proposed during the 2020 retreat but its implementation was delayed by the COVID pandemic. It constitutes a key initial step in the process to identify a long-term strategy for changing the structure of the budget to make the City’s finances more stable and sustainable. COLLECTING POLICING DATA TO LEARN IF BIAS EXISTS Police Chief Raf Padilla briefed the Council on the recommendations from an independent consultant regarding the collection of data by the Police Department. The City seeks to obtain and analyze data to determine if there is any racial bias in contacts. Police Strategies, LLC, a Seattle-based consulting firm specializing in policing reform, was hired last year to review data, primarily from 911 calls, to determine if there is racial bias in crime reporting and arrests. Police Strategies’ model looks for alignment between the race of the person reporting a crime, the race of the person accused of committing it, and the race of the person arrested. They also examine whether or not race is a factor in the discretion officers are given in reporting crimes and making arrests. 4 The consultants found that the Kent Police Department is not racially biased because the three factors above align. To gain a more comprehensive and accurate picture, the consultant team recommended that the City capture additional data: § Invest in a more robust use of a force data collection system. § Capture data/race for consent searches and officer safety searches. § Capture data/race for officer-initiated contacts such as traffic stops and pedestrian stops. § Capture warning data. § Conduct community perception surveys by phone, online, mail, and/or focus groups. § Create interactive dashboards. § Publish data in an annual report. The consultants also recommended waiting for further direction from the state on Senate Bill (SB) 5259. That legislation, which became law in July 2021, established a Statewide Use of Force Data Program Advisory Council, comprised of community representatives, law enforcement, and data experts. In the 2022 session, the State Legislature is considering a number of bills to clarify this law. So Police Strategies recommended waiting for the legislature to finish that before finalizing the data collection strategies. Raf mentioned that the City is proceeding to work with the Police, Race and Equity Board and to design and conduct community perception surveys and will use the dashboard and quarterly reports to provide the community with findings and information on the department’s data collection. LEGISLATIVE UPDATES ON POLICING, HOUSING, HOMELESSNESS Briahna Murray, the City’s lobbyist in Olympia, joined the retreat by Zoom in the middle of Friday afternoon’s session. She updated the Council and Administration on this short (60-day) session, which is focused primarily on amending legislation and the biennial budget that were adopted last year. Regarding police reform: § Briahna reported that the legislature intends to clarify, not rollback, laws that were adopted and went into effect in 2021. Twelve bills were adopted in last year’s session. This year, two bills appear to have bipartisan support and are likely to pass. HB 1719 clarifies that bean bags can be used by police as a de-escalation tactic; it has unanimously passed in the House. HB 1735 would restore police officers’ community-caretaking function. It allows the use of force according to specific circumstances, scenarios, and functions. § Three other bills still under consideration are more controversial but will need bipartisan support to pass. HB 2037 would offer a statewide definition of physical force that includes inflicting pain or injury to get someone to comply with a command. The Senate has a similar bill, SB 5919. The Senate may withdraw this bill if HB 2037 is approved in the House and, therefore, is forwarded to the Senate. And HB 1788 reestablishes the use of vehicle pursuits when the driver poses a threat to public safety that is greater than the threat the pursuit might pose. This proposed legislation is opposed by the ACLU and Coalition for Police Accountability. 5 § Finally, two other proposed bills have died: HB 1202 would have established a statewide “cause of action,” which was seen as potentially increasing city liability; the other bill would have provided for additional independent prosecutorial authority. On the affordable housing front: § SB 5755 would offer a sales tax deferral to housing developers if 50% of a multi-family development were designated as “affordable.” This proposed legislation is targeted to stimulate affordable housing in six cities across the state; one of those cities is Kent. § HB 1643 is similar to SB 5755 but offers an exemption for the Real Estate Excise Tax (REET). § HB 1782 and 5670 would mandate that cities allow middle income multi-family housing on land zoned for single family homes when the lots are greater than 4500 square feet and less than half a mile from a transit stop. “Transit stop” is said to exist when a bus arrives and departs from the stop every fifteen minutes for at least five hours per day. To address elements of homelessness: § Governor’s Request Legislation, SB 5662, seeks to address encampments on Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) rights-of-way. § HB 1620 would establish a grants program for cities and counties to access for additional funding for shelters during extreme weather. § SB 5923 would make it easier to locate temporary shelters. Briahna’s report was followed by a number of questions from the Council, Mayor, and ELT. COORDINATING ON CLIMATE In early February the Administration briefed the Council on what the City is doing to address the impacts of climate change. At the retreat some Council members complimented the Mayor and ELT by saying they were impressed by the work. There is an interest in making an even greater effort in the future. Recognizing the City’s challenging circumstances, the Council unanimously recommended that the Administration create an interdepartmental committee that includes City Administration, Parks and Recreation, Public Works, and Economic and Community Development to strengthen coordination on climate change initiatives while having a low impact on City resources. Council members suggested that other departments become involved in the committee over time. Uriel expressed a desire for his work to become part of the committee’s focus because of the intersection of equity and climate. Council members also urged the Administration to continue to find ways to educate the public and business community, and to identify strategies that enable residents and businesses to assume greater responsibility for helping to reduce their carbon footprint and preserve and protect the environment. 6 LEARNING ABOUT TINY HOUSE VILLAGES On Saturday morning, the Council agreed to schedule a workshop that would allow them to learn more about tiny house villages. Brenda Fincher has been working with community groups to explore the possibility of establishing such villages in Kent and expressed her interest in having her colleagues gain a better understanding of the opportunities they could create and challenges that would need to be addressed. The workshop could start with a presentation by the Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI), which is a leading advocate for tiny house villages and is experienced in building them. Raf Padilla and Kent Police Department Commander Mike O’Reilly could address related public safety issues, and Kurt Hanson could address the land use and zoning process Council members are interested addressing questions such as: § What benefits does this strategy offer that alternative strategies do not? For example, is this a uniquely effective means by which to get people into permanent supportive housing? § Who would live in the tiny homes? And for how long? Would they be Kent residents who are currently experiencing homelessness or would the villages attract people from outside our community? § What other services are provided to support the residents? § What costs would the City bear? § Are there public safety challenges and concerns associated with tiny house villages? 7 REVIEWING THE MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF 2021 THE COUNCIL AND MAYOR’S LIST The retreat began with Councilmembers and the Mayor identifying what they consider the City’s major accomplishments of 2021. Once they had each spoken twice, the ELT added to the list. First, here are the most important and noteworthy accomplishments of last year that the Council and Mayor Ralph identified: § The roundabout at 4th and Willis. § Decision on the use of HB 1590 funds. § Mill Creek Canyon cleanup and repairs. § Our ability to get things done during the global pandemic. Staff figured out problems and challenges every day, and the City continued to serve its customers exceptionally well. § Obtaining grants and getting the money out into the community to support our residents. § Diego’s Field. § Revisions to the structure and process for Boards and Commissions. § Kent Housing Options Plan. § The consensus agreement on how the City would use the ARPA funds from the federal government. § Renovation of the driving range. § Budget adjustments, which reflected our resiliency. § Meeker Street proposals. THE ELT MEMBERS’ LISTS Next, the ELT members identified and expanded on the significant achievements of their departments in 2021. The ELT members and their departments’ achievements are listed in the order of the speaker. Raf Padilla, Police Raf cited these accomplishments: 1) stabilizing police staffing; 2) moving from ten to twelve-hour shifts to providing the minimum staffing level; and 3) moving to retain the staff through the new contract that makes Kent’s officers among the highest paid in the state. Kurt Hanson, Economic and Community Development (ECD) Kurt highlighted these accomplishments: 1) remote work will help recruit and retain younger people; 2) remote work is also helping protect the environment; 3) went live with AMANDA for tracking residential development applications and permits; and 4) Kent’s participation in the South King Housing and Homelessness Partners (SKHHP), which is intended to expand middle-priced housing. 8 Julie Parascondola, Parks and Recreation Julie observed that the survival of the staff, especially the recreation team, during the pandemic is itself a major accomplishment. Other noteworthy achievements: 1) new website frame based on community feedback; 2) GIS maps for all parks (TLT for GIS); 3) the Greater Kent Historical Strategic Plan; 4) West Fenwick Park; 4) cleanup and maintenance of Mill Creek Canyon; 5) Master Plans for 3-4 parks; 6) worked on forty facilities, including partnering with the Historical Society to paint some of them; 7) a new registration system; 8) the 27% increase in attendance at the summer concerts series; 9) Green Kent conservation events; 10) six equity grants that provided funding for mental health services for youth; and 11) the improved driving range and 67,000 golfers. Pat Fitzpatrick, Law Pat’s department had these major accomplishments last year: 1) helped the Council establish its Council Committees structure and the recruitment and appointment process for members of the Boards and Commissions; 2) support offered to all the departments, the Mayor’s Office, and the Council; 3) the Prosecution Division eliminated a backlog of work and is holding people accountable and helping them get services; and 4) the new employee who has come to us from Washington, DC and is an expert in public records disclosure and equity. Margaret Yetter, Court Manager Margaret Yetter reminded everyone that the Court closed for only 2.5 months in 2020 and then transitioned seamlessly into using Zoom. The backlog of work was eliminated within two months except in jury trials, which, because of social distancing requirements, must be held one-at-a-time. They were able to get caught up on jury trials by October 2021. She also complimented Pat’s attorneys as “great to work with.” The DUI Court completed its first grants cycle and the program had sixty participants, 50% of whom graduated. To date there has been no recidivism from any of the graduates. The Court also offered DV-MRT, an alternative, six-month Domestic Abuse Training, program. Mike Carrington, Information Technology Mike and his staff’s major accomplishments of 2021 included: 1) our ability to quickly move to remote work reflected the previous IT upgrades that the City had invested in; 2) establishment of the Security Operations Center; 3) Telestaff, which allows for cloud-based scheduling for police; 4) the Public Works asset management system is in place and the results so far are spectacular; and 5) Enterprise GIS Group is solidified and is adding value to the support of all departments. A challenge we face is recruiting and retaining employees. Few people are applying despite the fact we are using all our contacts to put out the word. Chad Bieren, Public Works Chad echoed his colleagues by marveling that Public Works pivoted quickly and seamlessly to remote work. “And we are still getting our work done!” Accomplishments of 2021: 1) West Hill improvements, which involved coordinating with Sound Transit and Metro; 2) “City Works” dashboard, one of the tools for communicating with the public; 3) grants; and 4) Council’s recognition of staff and recognition 9 throughout the region that “Kent Gets Things Done.” Chad sees these challenges ahead: 1) Mill Creek Reestablishment (i.e., dredging), for which obtaining permits will be challenging, and that will delay the project; 2) the railway “quiet zone;” and 3) litter and graffiti across the community. Teri Smith, Human Resources Teri listed these major accomplishments of her team: 1) “Workday” enterprise system, which has a huge capacity that is not yet fully tapped; 2) the changes the Benefits Group is making to achieve greater consistency; 3) actions taken to guarantee employee safety; 4) overseeing implementation of Juneteenth, our state’s newest official holiday; 5) open enrollment; 6) diligence is keeping up with continuous changes in state law; 7) the telecommute policy; 8) negotiations with police bargaining units about the change to the 12-hour shift; 9) expanding the platforms for risk management; and 10) the Lean Governance initiative, development of performance measures, and making it all meaningful to the public. Paula Painter, Finance Paula and her staff pulled together to invent processes that they had never used or imagined to navigate working during the pandemic. One example is utility billing. Another is the way State audits are conducted; the Auditor’s Office is vastly reducing in-person consultations. Paula also cited the implementation of File Local, the management of CARES, ARPA and SVOG grants, and the long-term growth of the City’s investment portfolio as three other major accomplishments of the Finance Department. These accomplishments and the receipt of national awards for the 2019 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report and the 2021-2022 Biennial Budget Book. Uriel Varela, Race and Equity Uri reported that the City is getting kudos for its work on race and equity, particularly for building relationships with the community. The Employee Resource Group is up and running, as is the Interdepartmental Core Team. The City’s work will be recognized at a national GARE Conference in April. He also complimented Maria, the new coordinator who is creating the program website. Finally, he observed that the world has changed so much since 2019, and the best practices that were followed then may not always be the best practices. This means the City must “pivot on a dime” and navigate a new paradigm. Patti Belle Communications Patti thanked the Council for its support of her office. She and her staff find great rewards in working with the community, including trying to ensure that residents, particularly those for whom English is not their first language, can track and understand the City’s work. She cited coffees with the Mayor, Council, and Police Chief as the personal outreach that builds the relationship between the City and the people it serves. Programs such as “Kentertainment” and “Cuisines with Kent” help with the effort, too. Her team has captured national awards and in 2021 generated more than ten percent growth of the use of social media. There were more than one million posts and hits on all of Kent’s social media platforms las year. She remined everyone that the State of the City is on March 10th. And in a response to a question, said that translation and closed caption services are among her high priorities. 10 Kim Komoto, City Clerk Kim cited the support of Council as it moved to the committee structure as a valuable achievement of her team, and complimented Pat and his team for “doing the heavy lifting.” Another big accomplishment was creating the website to manage and track the Board and Commission members and their terms. She characterized her group as “a workhorse department and a rock star team.” A Council member commented on all the public request disclosures her team must handle, and Kim replied that in 2021 there were over 7,000 requests. “They are challenging and tedious, confronting us with a major challenge facing government—the right to privacy versus the right to know.” One other challenge she cited was the Laserfiche software system. Derek Matheson, CAO, Mayor’s Office As the last speaker, Derek summarized lessons learned from the past two years and expectations for 2022 by saying: 1) “We are still in COVID limbo and, like 2020 and ’21, must stay nimble;” 2) the inflation rate of 7% has put the budget “out of whack;” and 3) the equity process has taught us how to engage people more effectively and means big changes in how we work. Mayor Ralph added to Derek’s lessons learned that “We are leaders in local, regional, and state government. We frequently are asked how we are doing things.” And she added “It’s not an easy time and things may still be tough for a while.” Councilmembers then observed that we need to be as transparent as possible, including with cultural- based communities. A couple members recommended “being ahead of the story” and “being the one who breaks bad news so we can provide context and explain the situation.”