HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Committees - Economic and Community Development Committee - 11/08/2021 Pending Approval
Economic and Community
KENT Development Committee
Wp ...... CC ECDC Regular Meeting
Minutes
November 8, 2021
Date: November 8, 2021
Time: 4:01 p.m.
Place: Chambers
Attending: Bill Boyce, Committee Chair
Marli Larimer, Councilmember
Zandria Michaud, Councilmember
Agenda:
1. Call to Order 4:01 p.m.
2. Roll Call
Attendee Name Title Status Arrived
Bill Boyce Committee Chair Present
Marli Larimer Councilmember Present _
Zandria Michaud Councilmember Present
3. Agenda Approval
Mover: Marli Larmer
2nd: Zandria Michaud
Approved Unanimously
4. Approval of Minutes
A. Approval of Minutes dated October 11, 2021
MOTION: Move to approve the Minutes dated October 11, 2021
RESULT: APPROVED [UNANIMOUS]
MOVER: Zandria Michaud, Councilmember
SECONDER: Marli Larimer, Councilmember
AYES: Boyce, Larimer, Michaud
5. Business
A. 2021 Annual Docket Report
In accordance with 12.02.025 Kent City Code (KCC), Planning staff
coordinates on an annual basis a list ("docket") of changes suggested by the
public or staff to the comprehensive plan and development regulations. The
2021 Annual Docket lists site-specific requests that will be forwarded to the
City Council for action in 2022 and also provides a list of other code
amendment projects that ECD staff propose to pursue in 2022.
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Economic and Community Development November 8, 2021
Committee CC ECDC Regular Meeting Kent, Washington
Minutes
Because some items as presented on the docket today have some major
aspect yet to be determined, we would like to present the docket as written
to council at the first meeting in December, rather than the one upcoming
next week.
MOTION: Approve/Deny/Modify the staff recommendation to move
forward to the City Council the 2021 Annual Docket
RESULT: RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL [UNANIMOUS] Next: 11/10/2021
5:30 PM
MOVER: Marli Larimer, Councilmember
SECONDER: Zandria Michaud, Councilmember
AYES: Boyce, Larimer, Michaud
B. Appointment to Lodging Tax Advisory Committee
Michelle Wilmot presents to the committee the case for reappointing Gaila
Haas, executive director of the Kent Downtown Partnership, to a new 3 year
term as a member of the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee (LTAC).
Gaila assumed her position on the committee by taking over the vacancy left
when the previous executive director retired. She has served for less than 3
years in that capacity and thus is eligible to serve two more full terms, even
considering the new rules governing Committee, Boards and Commissions
membership.
The LTAC is a committee whose make up is proscribed by state statute prior
to any additional rules its local leadership might impose. This makes it an
especially challenging committee to recruit for, as evidenced by the two
current open spots, and the long tenure of the existing members, all of
whom would be ineligible to serve again, unless protracted recruitment
efforts fail to produce a new and appropriately qualified member.
The challenge of populating this particular committee is one of many reasons
to re-appointment Gaila Haas, who does indeed hope to continue serving in
this capacity.
MOTION: I move to appoint Gaila Haas to the Lodging Tax Advisory
Committee for a 3-year term starting on January 1, 2022 and ending
December 31, 2024.
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Economic and Community Development November 8, 2021
Committee CC ECDC Regular Meeting Kent, Washington
Minutes
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RESULT: RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL [UNANIMOUS] Next: 11/16/2021
7:00 PM
MOVER: Zandria Michaud, Councilmember
SECONDER: Marli Larimer, Councilmember
AYES: Boyce, Larimer, Michaud
C. Information Only: Rental Housing Inspection Program Update
Current Planning Manager Erin George presented an update on the 3 year old
Rental Housing Inspection Program (RHIP). RHIP continues to work with
properties around the city to wrap up inspections, permits and repairs from
each property's first inspection year. All multi-family properties in NE Hill
were inspected from the 2019 inspection year and only 5 properties have
lingering repairs to finish. All but one property in West Hill/Valley (2020)
were inspected and 13 remaining properties are working through repairs.
44% of SE Hill properties (2021) have been inspected so far. The SE Hill
sector is twice as big as the other sectors and we will spend 2022 working
with remaining properties to achieve compliance.
RHIP has proven its value despite multiple challenges it has faced since
implementation. These include the difficulty in communicating with all
landlords and property managers - a diverse and far flung group ranging
from huge multinational corporations to sole proprietor or family LLCs.
Putting together that data set was far more time consuming and difficult than
anticipated. Covid also presented multiple challenges including health and
safety concerns related to the need for in person inspections, contractor
delays and financial challenges for landlords.
Over 2,400 units have been inspected in the program's first 3 years.
Thousands of health and safety issues have been repaired and hundreds of
tenants have been helped by this important program whose goal was to
address life safety issues in the rental housing market, but whose challenge
was to achieve that without significantly impacting affordability of that
housing for tenants.
6. Adjournment 4:48 p.m.
Chair Boyce adjourned the meeting at 4:48 pm.
2ho-vwd 3yLi411
Committee Secretary
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