2017-08-22 Finance Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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Finance Committee Minutes................................................................................................................................... August 22, 2017 would be necessary. Staff issued a Request for Qualifications and selected Berk Consulting, Inc. from the three responding firms. The contract with Berk will be for $24,720 and is available through unspent Finance Department budget. The contract does not require Council approval and the Finance Department aims to complete final adoption of any recommendation by the end of the year. The Committee members expressed support for this project. DISCUSSION ONLY. D. Ordinance: Amending Municipal Code Chapter 5.04 Staff is seeking Council approval of an ordinance that would amend Tukwila Municipal Code Chapter 5.04, "Licenses Generally," to replace "FTE" with "employee" and to eliminate reference to a "combined" business license fee. Recent Washington State legislation will require the City to use the State's online business license system within the next few years, and staff recommends changing the current fee schedule to be based upon flat rates per employee totals to streamline the process in preparation for moving to the State system. The proposed ordinance would assess a flat rate of $70 per full-time employee (defined as 30 hours or more each week) and $50 per part-time employee. This item was approved with amendments by the Finance Committee on July 18, 2017, but was referred back to Committee by Committee of the Whole on July 24, 2017. On August 8, 2017, staff briefed the Committee on new advice from the City Attorney recommending that the business license fee structure be amended from a "combined" fee to a single fee. The Committee discussed the proposal and unanimously approved the amendment regarding the elimination of a "combined" fee. Councilmember McLeod again expressed his opinion that the fee for a part-time employee should be $35, and therefore would not support the legislation as presented. MAJORITY APPROVAL, COUNCILMEMBER MCLEOD OPPOSED. FORWARD TO AUGUST 28, 2017 COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE. Resolution: Adopting a Revised Business License Fee Schedule Staff is seeking Council approval of a resolution that would adopt the revised business license fee schedule pursuant to the draft ordinance discussed above. MAJORITY APPROVAL, COUNCILMEMBER MCLEOD OPPOSED. FORWARD TO AUGUST 28, 2017 COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE. E. Business Responsibilities regarding Litter Control During the July 24, 2017 Committee of the Whole meeting, the City Council heard public comment on the business license legislation asking the City to add regulations regarding business responsibilities toward exterior maintenance and urging more enforcement. The City Attorney has advised against adding maintenance regulations in the business license code as it would be duplicative of existing codes. Owners or occupants of private property are prohibited from allowing the accumulation of litter pursuant to TMC Chapter 6.12, Refuse Disposal, as well as the International Property Maintenance Code which is also adopted by the City. The Code Enforcement division is currently working on an update to its enforcement chapter, and has also created some new educational materials which can be handed out to new and existing businesses regarding their obligations. City staff has also offered to add language to the business license application and will return to committee with a draft.