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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1974-12-03 Regular Minutes TUKWILA CITY COUNCIL MEETING December 2, 1974 Page 13 PUBLIC HEARING Cont. City Attorney's Mr. Bill Moore stated he did not really feel that the budget Cont. public hearing on the budget is the place to discuss the kind of work Mr. Parker is doing. He stated if the Council has an issue with the City Attorney, they should take it up some other time and he felt the issue was an important one. He stated this discuss- ion has no place in the budget discussion because if the Council reduces the budget and gets away with it, they will find later they will need an attorney and will have to adjust the budget. It seems ridiculous to reduce the budget knowing that you will have to adjust it again upward for the sole purpose of cir- cumventing your original duty and that is to handle the problem directly. If the Council has a contro- versy with the Mayor and there is just cause for the removal of the present City Attorney from office then approach it that way and not through the budget. Councilwoman Harris thanked Mr. Moore for his comments and stated she agreed that this is embarrassing for Mr. Parker and the Council and the Mayor. However, the Council did analyze the situation in the frame Mr. Moore has just suggested and did approach the Mayor in an executive session with a very sincere attempt to resolve this problem. Mayor Todd refused to discuss it with us or allow us to go ahead with our reasons. So, unfortunately this is the only resort we had and we honestly tried to do it in a gracious manner. Councilwoman Harris stated she was really sorry that this is the way it has turned out. Mr. Herb Lamb stated he wondered if performance re- views are planned for the other City employees during the public hearing and if so, do these employees have knowledge about it before hand. He stated he thought Tukwila was playing in the little league tonight and he was appalled that this subject has come up in the budget hearing. If the Council reduces the City Attorney's salary whoever he may be to $100 per month, then you are even beneath the little league, you are way in the bush leagues. Attorney Parker stated all of this has certainly been upsetting to him. And while he is not about to quit, he has been a little under the weather for the past week and this has really been a blow to him tonight. He stated though that he rather anticipated this and so as a little special treat for himself, he has a 2 -lb. porterhouse steak out in his car and he requested to be excused to go home and see if he could not compose himself. Mayor Todd stated he could understand how Attorney Parker could be upset, that he was also upset, and he excused Attorney Parker from the meeting at 11:00 P.M. RECESS PUBLIC HEARING MOVED BY JOHANSON, SECONDED BY DAVIS, THAT THE PUBLIC 11:05 P.M. HEARING BE RECESSED TO TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1974, AT 7:00 P.M. IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS TO CONTINUE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THE PROPOSED 1975 BUDGET. CARRIED. TUKWILA CITY COUNCIL MEETING December 3, 1974 Mayor Todd called the continued public hearing on the 1975 budget to order at 7:00 P.M. ROLL CALL OF STERLING, TRAYNOR, DAVIS, JOHANSON. COUNCIL MEMBERS RECESS MOVED BY JOHANSON, SECONDED BY STERLING TO RECESS FOR 7:02 P.M. 7:17 P.M. FIFTEEN MINUTES IN ANTICIPATION OF ADDITIONAL COUNCIL MEMBERS AND AUDIENCE TO ARRIVE. CARRIED. Mayor Todd TUKWILA CITY COUNCIL MEETING December 3, 1974 Page 14 PUBLIC HEARING Cont. City Clerk's budget q56 called the meeting back to order with all Council Members present. Councilman Traynor reviewed the City Clerk's budget. Councilman Sterling began reviewing the City Treas- urer's budget when Mr. Bill Moore requested discuss- ion on the City Clerk's budget. Mr. Moore asked if there is any increase for the City Clerk indicated over the previous year's salary. Councilman Sterling replied there is no increase in the monthly wage, but there is an increase in the yearly wage since this salary rate was received for six months only in 1974 due to a cost of living raise for all employees in July of $50. Mr. Moore asked what was the particular reason for maintaining this salary at the present level. Councilman Sterling stated one of the reasons was based on the averages of other cities of 10,000 25,000 population; he stated the average salary for a city clerk for 1974 in those cities was $985 month- ly in the Association of Washington Cities handbook. The City Clerk had started out at $1,040 in 1974. He stated another criteria is the number of employees in the department and in the City. Mayor Todd asked Councilman Sterling if he were considering the $50 cost of living increase that everyone got a salary increase it is not. He stated it was an average of 5% increase for everyone when the cost of living is actually running closer to 12% and it should not be considered a salary increase. Councilman Sterling stated whatever you call it, it costs the taxpayers that much. Mayor Todd stated he could not understand, with the quality of work that the City Clerk has done, that she would not be considered for a salary increase. Mayor Todd stated in his opinion, this appears to be descriminatory. Councilman Johanson stated it is not descriminatory when compared to the wages of all these other city clerks. Mayor Todd stated the reference made to the handbook is in many instances erroneous. The City Clerk in Renton at this time this year is making $1,400 per month and the book stated the salary at $1,045 $1,257. Councilman Sterling stated irregardless of Tukwila's assessed valuation, that we do not consider Tukwila the same as the City of Renton. Mayor Todd stated he felt the City Clerk's salary if left where it is needs more consideration. Councilman Johanson stated on the basis of all the city clerks, in an analysis of the work, the employees and the office set -up and the fact that some of these city clerks are doing the functions of both clerk and treasurer at the same or less salary some with older methods of bookkeeping and some with cities with greater population, he felt our City Clerk was very much overpaid last year. Mayor Todd stated all of this discussion brings to mind a time when we had no City Clerk and the Council was very anxious to hire a lady at $1,200 per month. He stated he has followed this lady's track record over the past couple of years and she has been the city clerk in a couple of places and was fired from each one. Now here we have a Clerk who has proven her- self beyond any question of ability and we are offer- ing her $1,090 three years later with a 15% cost of living increase in inflation since that time. Mayor Todd added at the same time we are offering the City Treasurer whose job in his opinion is not any more strenuous or requires more ability $1,200 per month. He stated he felt the duties were commensurate and the pay should be the same for the two positions. Councilman Johanson disagreed, stating the assessed valuation of this City has a direct relationship to the amount of money the City Treasurer handles. TUKWILA CITY COUNCIL MEETING December 3, 1974 Page 15 PUBLIC HEARING Cont. City Clerk's budget Cont. 9,57 Mayor Todd stated in comparing the job titles, the responsibilities are the same and he did not feel this decision of the Council was fair. Councilman Johanson stated he did not feel it was fair last year to ask the City Treasurer to give up her entire longevity with the City and with all her years of experience as the City Treasurer, ask her to be equalized with the City Clerk's salary. He stated he does not think the City Clerk's job is as function- al and demanding as the City Treasurer's job. Mayor Todd stated he felt Councilman Johanson had come to that conclusion because he had visited the City Treas- urer's office more often than the City Clerk's office. Councilman Traynor pointed out that in those cities we have comparing the average to have finance direc- tors in addition to having a city clerk, and he sug- gested that this is the reason for some of the city clerks' salaries being lower. Councilman Traynor stated Shirlee Kinney might be doing some of the finance manager's work in her position now. Council- man Sterling stated it is shown in the A.W.C. book that in all cases except one in the cities of 10,000 25,000 population that the city treasurers do get more than the city clerks. Mr. Bill Moore asked if the City Council is satisfied with the work the City Clerk is performing. Councilmen Sterling and Saul replied yes. Councilman Johanson stated he has a question regarding her administrative capabilities based on the case she refused to discuss, we were just told to go to hell. Mayor Todd stated he would like to set the record straight in the case regarding Mr. Jack Lewis. The Council was told at that time that the law requires administration to protect the individual's rights that is, his record is his property and cannot be disclosed without written per- mission from him. Councilman Johanson stated this applies to the public. Mayor Todd stated in this case, anybody is the public as far as he is concerned. Councilman Johanson stated he did not wish to get into this any further. Mayor Todd stated that Councilman Johanson brought up a subject that warrants discussion and clarification. Councilwoman Davis raised a point of order, stating she would like to get the discuss- ion back to the City Clerk's budget. Mayor Todd gave the gavel to Council President Traynor and asked for permission to speak. Councilman Traynor recog- nized Mayor Todd. Mayor Todd stated it was revealed last night that the City Clerk and her budget was not even given the right to be interviewed by the City Council, and Councilman Johanson has revealed that there are some personal input in his own mind against her as a person and not the City Clerk's office in general. Mayor Todd stated these are his feelings on the matter. The gavel was returned to Mayor Todd. Councilwoman Harris stated the purpose of the public hearing is for the Council to receive comment from the public of the City regarding Council allocations. She stated during the process of formulating the bud- get for 1975, there is a prescribed order which all parties concerned must adhere to first the depart- ments formalize their requests in the budget and hand it to administration where it is reviewed and adjusted, then it is handed to the Council. The City Council has not interferred up to this point, but from this point the Council does its work and presents it to the public at this public hearing. Since ad- ministration has already had its chance for input, administration should please refrain from interferring with the Council's handling the budget at the public hearing. The Chair should confine its activities to conducting the hearing. Councilman Johanson stated TUKWILA CITY COUNCIL MEETING December 3, 1974 Page 16 PUBLIC HEARING Cont. City Clerk's budget Cont. 9S 8 the discussion was started when the Mayor asked if the Council felt satisfied with the performance of the City Clerk. Mayor Todd stated he did not pose the question, but that it came from the audience from Bill Moore. Mr. Bill Moore stated it appears from the discussion that there are more than two functions involved with the budget: (1) the departments supply what they feel their requirements are; (2) the Mayor then examins them and determines what he feels they should be; and (3) the City Council is now proposing what they would grant the departments to operate. He stated it seems inappropriate to conduct the meet- ing without some form of rebuttal since many of the decisions proposed to be made involve changes from what the Mayor considered or what the departments considered. Mr. Moore stated that standard rules of order call for some means of rebuttal and he disagreed with Councilwoman Harris' statement that there should be no interference but stated the meeting certainly should be conducted in an orderly fashion. Council- woman Harris replied it was her observation that the Council is not making very swift progress with the meeting. Mayor Todd stated he would henceforth yield the gavel to the Council President and address the Council as a member of the audience. Mr. Herb Lamb stated in his past experience as a manager that the best source of information is the people working in the departments and the best source in that depart- ment is the department head. He stated it seems that some of the City's department heads were consulted by the Council and others were not. Councilman Sterling stated the Council did meet with the City Clerk earlier this afternoon. Mr. Lamb stated his comment also addresses the budgets of the Mayor and the City Attorney and any other departments that apply. He asked if a set of rules prescribed and adhered to within the Council exist for conferring with a department or not conferring with a department. Councilwoman Harris stated the procedures for review- ing the budget is set by State law, and described the course of meetings held between staff and Council during the past week. Mr. Ed Bauch stated the Council did establish a policy on salary leveling and asked that to be explained. Councilwoman Harris read the policy statement as was previously read at the begin- ning of the public hearing, December 2. Councilwoman Davis requested to be excused from the meeting at 7:58 P.M. Mr. Lamb stated he appreciated Councilwoman Harris' lengthy comments but he did not feel they completely addressed his question. Councilman Sterling stated he would like to get on with the meeting and cease with what he believed to be unnecessary harrassment from Herb Lamb. Mayor Todd stated the rules are clear that the Council should refrain from address- ing the audience in that manner. Mrs. Eleanor McLes- ter stated the pay raise requested for the City Clerk was just over 14% and based on what was proposed for wage guidelines for State employees, this seems a bit excessive. Mayor Todd stated there were contract settlements made with the various groups in the City all of which exceeded 10% in increased wages. Coun- cilman Johanson asked why the executive secretary's position was eligible for longevity. City Clerk Shirlee Kinney stated the extra pay reflected was not for longevity, but for premium pay as it applies to the position of deputy city clerk and its responsibil- ities in the absence of the city clerk. She stated this rate was proposed instead of classifying this TUKWILA CITY COUNCIL MEETING December 3, 1974 Page 17 PUBLIC HEARING Cont. City Clerk's budget Cont. City Treasurer's budget 9s9 person at a higher monthly rate of pay. Mayor Todd stated it is a practice in the City to pay the people who stand in in the areas other than what they are classified. Mayor Todd stated it was his and the City Clerk's determination that the $15 premium pay monthly was of less cost to the City than a higher salary classification. Councilman Saul stated he felt Mr. Bauch's question was not completely answered and requested Councilman Sterling to explain how the pay increases or lack of them was achieved. Council- man Sterling stated there are inequities in the ranges of the wages within the City some wages were under- paid and others we felt were mostly overpaid. What we are trying to do is get an area where everyone is in the right perspective instead of somebody doing the same thing as somebody else over there getting paid on another line. He stated the Council's main objective, one of the main objectives and first ob- jective, is to get started in January with the evalu- ation, job descriptions and wages study. There is no rhyme or reason in some places for the wages compared to the work done. He stated the Council would like to have all the employees write up a job description of what they feel they are doing, have the department heads submit a job description of what they feel their employees are doing, and then the department heads and the City Council will meet together to work out a job description for each job in the City of Tukwila. Councilman Saul stated his idea of the method used by the Council was that they took the average of the wage for the jobs in each classification and raised it 10%. Councilman Sterling replied no, not in all cases. He stated we have many employees who were paid more this year than what employees in a city of 10,000 25,000 population were paid this year. He stated that this year it took the $160,000 out of Land Acquisition and Building Fund to balance this budget and meet the cost of operating the City govern- ment. Councilman Sterling stated he felt that if the Council were to pass this budget as it was presented, it would have been a bum deal for responsible Council Members to do that. Mayor Todd stated he could draw his own conclusions from what the difference is go- ing to be in the Council's budget than from what was presented. Mr. Herb Lamb stated he did not wish to comment one way or the other regarding the City Clerk salary, but only addresses his question as to whether a set of ground rules existed regarding who would be consulted in preparation of the Council's position. He stated he knew that the R.C.W. must be complied with because we can never be illegal, can we? Council- man Sterling asked if Mr. Lamb meant that the ground rules would be that the Council would talk to one person and not another? Mr. Lamb replied that this is the appearance. Councilman Sterling stated that he could definitely say no. Councilman Saul asked why the Council allocation of Machinery and Equipment was zero. Councilman Traynor stated two tape recorders and a calculator was re- quested. He stated that the number of recorders in the City presently not being used in the evening or maybe not being used at all could be used up here for the meetings. Councilwoman Harris stated it was her conclusion that this matter is still open and that zero allocation is not final. Councilman Sterling continued with the City Treasurer budget. Further discussion on miscellaneous account items which were increased or decreased. Mrs. Mae TUKWILA CITY COUNCIL MEETING December 3, 1974 Page 18 PUBLIC HEARING Cont. City Treasurer's Harris, City Treasurer, stated regarding her funds budget Cont. in transportation that she had promised in her cam- paign that she would keep herself and her office in- formed and so requested the fund not be cut. She stated her assistant needs all the help she can get in going to the educational seminars, etc. Mrs. Eleanor McLester asked about the vehicle proposed for the Clerk and Treasurer. Mayor Todd stated it would be reviewed in an upcoming budget. Planning Department Councilwoman Harris reviewed the Planning budget. budget Councilman Saul asked since the present Planning Director is resigning, would a new Director be hired at $1,346. Mayor Todd stated that cannot be deter- mined at this time. Councilwoman Harris continued stating that legal services were included in the Council's allocation for professional services. Mayor Todd asked if there is an increase reflected for the part -time secretary for the Planning Depart- ment. Gary Kucinski, Planning Director, stated the employee is currently paid $2.85 per hour, $3.15 was requested and the Council is proposing $3.00 per hour. Councilman Johanson stated regarding all part -time clerical positions in the different departments that it is all basically functionally the same and the Council felt it was a rational approach to equalize the wage for all. City Clerk Shirlee Kinney was excused from the meet- ing at 8:25 P.M. Steve Hall, Public Works Director, asked if under the item of professional services the determination of priorities is left to the department head in the case of revisions throughout the year. Councilwoman Harris reviewed the narrative page for the items which were revised by the Council under professional services. Mayor Todd again stressed his position in the item of professional services funds for legal fees, that is, it is not legal for a department to contract for legal services outside of the City Attorney. Building /Code Councilman Saul reviewed the budget for the Building/ Enforcement Division Code Enforcement Division. Councilman Johanson budget stated the figure he had for Building Director's salary was $1,224 per month and asked if it had been changed. Councilman Sterling stated it was changed to $1,300 but if there is a question there, we can discuss it again later. Councilman Johanson stated the substantial increase last year for Building Direc- tor was not intended to include a big dollar common raise. He stated he felt that was the understanding since the Building Director has been getting the $50 raise on top of the increased wages that was given as a raise to differentiate from the cost of living. This was how we arrived at the figure of $1,224 per month. Mayor Todd stated he hated to see the roof fall in on the City's operations because the City cannot afford to pay enough to keep its good people. Councilman Johanson stated there has been a great increase in benefits to the employees over the last year. Mayor Todd stated every city provides these benefits, most of them have been for years. Steve Hall, Public Works Director, stated when Mr. Ruppert came in as Building Director it was the understanding then that his salary would be as proposed in the bud- get. He reminded the Council that it was their deci- sion earlier in the year to bring the Building Direc- tor, Planning Director and Fire Marshal to parity. TUKWILA CITY COUNCIL MEETING December 3, 1974 Page 19 PUBLIC HEARING Cont. Building /Code Enforcement Division budget Cont. RECESS 8:55 P.M. 9:05 P.M. Building /General Facilities budget Non Departmental/ Misc. Services Non Departmental/ Mech. Shop Div. Police Administration RECESS 9:40 P.M. 9:50 P.M. Councilman Gardner reviewed this budget. He stated it was his own opinion that the Planning Director and the Building Director have equal respon- sibilities the technical abilities are different but the requirements are very high. He stated the raise for the Building Director was requested when Mr. Ruppert started work here for that reason and it was granted. Steve Hall stated he must express dismay that whatever brought about the parity in these two positions has now disappeared. He stated there is no comparison in the A.W.C. figures for salaries because the highest rank listed there is for a build- ing inspector not a building director, with the ex- ception of Mercer Island where their building director is listed as an inspector and Mercer Island has far less dollar value of permits issued than Tukwila does. Steve Hall stated that it is a fact that Barney Rup- pert saved the City $10,000 this year based on his knowledge of the field and being able to do work himself that was before sent out to consultants. Mayor Todd agreed, stating that all over the State Barney Ruppert is known as an expert in his field. Councilman Sterling stated the position is tentatively upgraded to $1,300. Continuing with the budget, Mayor Todd explained the need for a portable radio for the Building Director to contact others out in the field. MOVED BY TRAYNOR, SECONDED BY HARRIS, TO RECESS THE MEETING. Mayor Todd called the meeting back to order with all Council Members present with the exception of Councilwoman Davis. Councilman Sterling reviewed this budget. Steve Hall, Public Works Director, stated the salary proposed by Council computes to $4.05 per hour for the custodian while you will be paying his apprentice, the crafts- man, $4.50 per hour. He stated this may result in an awkward situation there. Mr. George Hill asked Council why 10% over A.W.C. averages was applied to salaries in some cases and not in others. Councilman Sterling replied because some employees were overpaid last year more than others. Mayor Todd asked where does the City get the money necessary for salary adjustments after the wage and description plan is completed by the Council next year. Councilman Johanson stated that was a stupid question since the Council has the authority to change mid -year for any adjustments of salaries. Councilman Johanson reviewed this budget. The alter- native of a new or used car for the administrative pool car was discussed. Councilman Saul reviewed the budget. The educational allowance in this budget was discussed; the City Council had deleted it because it was meant to be provided for the union employees. Chief John Sheets stated he has his own justifications for this but he did not wish to be discriminated against because of the union or the Fire Chief's benefits. Council- woman Harris referred to Page 136 of the preliminary budget and reviewed the amended personnel figures. Mayor Todd stated the Chair calls for a recess. The meeting was recessed and Mayor Todd called it back to order with all Council Members present as previously listed. TUKWILA CITY COUNCIL MEETING December 3, 1974 Page 20 PUBLIC HEARING Cont. Police Administration Cont. Police Investigation Police Patrol Police Traffic 6 a Councilwoman Harris continued with the budget review with discussion on capital outlay expenditures for a typewriter. Councilman Traynor reviewed this budget. Councilman Sterling reviewed this budget with dis- cussion on medical coverage and related expenses for employees and prospective employees during the examination and interview phases. Councilman Gardner reviewed this budget. Chief John Sheets stated he felt it was unjust for the Council to have taken three persons from patrol especially when it was done after he had stated where he wished to place those persons. He stated he felt it was not in the City Council's purview that it is an administrative function and not a political function to dictate where and where not police officers should be placed. Mayor Todd stated the Council had previously made a statement to the department heads to cut money during these preliminary meetings or else the Council would cut it for them. Mr. Charles Baker, Executive Director of the Tukwila Industrial Council, stated in the opinion of the retail outlets and industrial park tennants, as the Council reviews these things with the Police Chief he would appreciate the Council again to give consid- eration to increasing the number of police officers if at all possible. We continue to build in the industrial area and soon there will be another shop- ping center equivalent to Southcenter in square feet. He advised the Council to keep in mind that the police protection is our best protection and greatest need for all concerned in the City. Mr. Bruce, from Frederick E1 Nelson, stated he would remind the Mayor and City Council to recall that we are in Tukwila. It is the function of the Police Department to keep on crime wherever it occurs whether it is in the street or on the Mall. He stated he could not see how one can discourage having foot patrol. It is the finest thing going on for business in the whole area. It expresses the courtesy of the City of Tuk- wila with a man in uniform and it does reflect on the citizens in the City. He stated all of this was really appreciated. The amount represented by the criminals ranges from small to large charges and there are anywhere from 40,000 to 60,000 people on the Mall at this time of year. Those people will know that this is considered a part of the City of Tukwila and he stated he likes to feel a part of the City of Tukwila even though he does not reside here. Mr. Bruce stated he now has 350 employees and his concern is the same for them as it is for the employ- ees under the City's department heads. He stated although he is a guest of the City of Tukwila each day, he is the number one fan for the foot patrol. Mrs. Eleanor McLester asked if other shopping centers have the foot patrol. Are we unique in having City employees patrolling private property. Mayor Todd stated the City does not limit private property patrol to the Southcenter Mall. Chief Sheets stated in downtown Seattle you will see Seattle Police working through the stores. They visit each estab- lishment twice a week in all areas of the City. In the area of shopping centers, Tukwila is unique in King and Pierce Counties, but Northgate is studying our program and will have officers up there shortly. TUKWILA CITY COUNCIL MEETING December 3, 1974 Page 21 PUBLIC HEARING Cont. Police Traffic Cont. ge0 3 Chief Sheets stated they saw how effective it worked in the City of Tukwila. He stated he was proud to be the first person to try this; it is efficient and now others are imitating it and it has worked out quite well for us. First and foremost is the pro- tection of life and property and this includes pri- vate property. It is legal and ethical and a good program from every aspect for my Department to pro- vide these foot patrolmen. Mrs. McLester asked Chief Sheets if the Department is providing the citi- zens who own property the same degree of protection as to the shopping and industrial areas in dispersing manpower. Chief Sheets stated the Department is proud of how we disperse manpower to our residential areas. We have more coverage there than any other city and we have the fastest response time in the County and the State it is within minutes. We have more officers patrolling the residential area per crime statistics than any other city. If he put two people on foot patrol, Chief Sheets stated he would have more people available as a mobile force in the residential area. In the past, the officers were constantly driving down to Southcenter to respond to calls and all our cars were down there and none were left in the residential area. We have also had an office space generously donated by the Southcenter Corporation. He stated it would be a real badge of merit for the City to have some volun- teers in that office helping people with problems which are not just police problems too. Mr. Bruce stated the Center has a separate security patrol force in the neighborhood of about $250,000 payroll per year; however, they cannot arrest. He stated there should be no confusion that the Tukwila Police officers are doing work inside the stores or any other type of security work they are not. Mrs. McLester stated she wanted to give Chief Sheets an opportunity to explain his operations to the public and stated she was not knocking this program. She then asked if Chief Sheets were satisfied with law enforcement in Tukwila per capita, is it in the ballpark. Chief Sheets stated if you compare the Tukwila Police Department with the Colfax Police Department both have about the same population but the physical characteristics are different. Tukwila is surrounded by development and has quite a large tax base to protect. He then related the size of the Department to that of Pullman, stating that their transients (students) relate somewhat to ours (shoppers) and their Police Department has a separate campus police staff in addition to regular patrol by State police. He stated population figures do not justify the staff in the Police Department. We have a specific problem to face up to here called crime. We have "X" amount of crime and it takes "X" amount of officers to handle that crime and you add more to that number if you want more services or more in the way of prevention. Chief Sheets stated even though his men are far more productive and efficient than any others in the State, it will not be possible to continue and that eventually we will be harmed by not having a sufficient staff. Now we have gambling in the City and that is an added res- ponsibility although they have not caused any trouble yet. He stated the Department could not handle what it had last year because of the enor- mous case load and he would have more responsibili- ties this coming year. There may be some problems in the response time slowing down and a lack of the TUKWILA CITY COUNCIL MEETING December 3, 1974 Page 22 PUBLIC HEARING Cont. 96 y Police Traffic Cont. preventative controls that should be there. And who is going to suffer? The citizens of Tukwila eventu- ally. Last night we had three officers on five hours overtime. Why? We had an incident with a man from Chicago who stated he was going to blow this guy away; he was upset and into these devicing things and the guy believed he was in danger. This morn- ing we had a robbery. There is big business in this town. He asked if anyone had figured out how much five gambling tables will bring in in one day. Several thousand dollars has to sit on that table and it is a temptation. People have been shot over having 7 cards in their hand when playing 5 card stud. Chief Sheets stated he was not implying that the people in Tukwila were not doing things right, but he was saying that because they are here, there are going to be problems. If Ed's Tavern, which is outside the City limits, can be held up several times each year then we can expect something just down the road in Tukwila even though the blue white cars are patrolling that area pretty well. And the temptation is getting more and more and more. Chief Sheets stated he has told the owners of the estab- lishments to install alarms but so far they have not listened. He stated his request for these men is justified simply because it is based on the need and that his concern is for 1975. Councilman Johanson stated a report of police chiefs in 1970 -71 had anticipated that 14 men would be sufficient based on all kinds of criteria and he has watched this figure being exceeded over the last few years. He asked how the Department responds to the other industrial areas, does the Department expect to have foot patrols there too. Chief Sheets stated yes, eventually that would be the way it will progress. The area will expand and there will be more crime. Presently, we are using bicycles to patrol some of the industrial areas; they work very well inbetween warehouse buildings, etc. He stated he is also considering small motorcycles for this purpose be- cause they are faster and have greater mobility. Councilman Johanson stated an educational program might be in order for the residents here because it has been mentioned to him several times over the past that if this type of program is going to be developed then perhaps the City should develop a budgeting program to go along with it, perhaps a B 0 tax. In reply, Chief Sheets stated a police officer will respond to Councilman Johanson's house in two minutes not because of the taxes he pays on that house but because of the industrial taxes and sales taxes paid to the City. Normandy Park has no industries and it has no police department also. He stated it is not fair to asked those businesses to pay extra for the foot patrol services because they are already paying for it. Mrs. Rena Holloway directed her question of how many security patrol officers does Southcenter have on duty to Mr. Bruce. Mr. Bruce replied there are one to five people on duty at all times. Mrs. Holloway asked Chief Sheets if he were setting a precedent with this program. Chief Sheets replied yes, he was making the effort to do so. Mrs. Holloway stated the businesses get regularly scheduled foot patrol protection but the residents do not. She stated in checking with other cities, she has found they do not place their foot patrol on private property but put them on the streets. Mr. Bruce stated any time anyone in the State of Washington wanted to hear his opinion on the foot patrol, he would be available to speak. TUKWILA CITY COUNCIL MEETING December 3, 1974 Page 23 PUBLIC HEARING Cont. RECESS PUBLIC HEARING 11:15 P.M. TUKWILA CITY COUNCIL MEETING December 4, 1974 Fire Department/ Administration budget Fire /Suppression budget MOVED BY TRAYNOR, SECONDED BY SAUL, THAT THE PUBLIC HEARING BE RECESSED TO WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1974 AT 7:00 P.M. IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS TO CONTINUE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THE PROPOSED 1975 BUDGET. CARRIED. ROLL CALL OF GARDNER, STERLING, TRAYNOR, DAVIS. COUNCIL MEMBERS 9 S Mayor Todd called the continued public hearing on the 1975 budget to order at 7:00 P.M. RECESS MOVED BY STERLING, SECONDED BY DAVIS, TO RECESS FOR 7:02 P.M. 7:12 P.M. TEN MINUTES. CARRIED. Mayor Todd called the meeting back to order with Council Members Harris and Saul present in addition to those Council Members as listed above. MOVED BY TRAYNOR, SECONDED BY DAVIS, TO EXCUSE ABSENT COUNCILMAN JOHANSON. CARRIED. Councilman Saul reviewed this budget. At this point the fire alarm sounded and Chief Crawley was excused. Fire Chief Crawley returned to the meeting a few moments later. Capital outlay items were discussed. A new typewriter was requested for 1975 and the expense of an IBM was discussed as compared to a less expensive model. Chief Crawley requested that the salary appropriated for his secretary be again reviewed and stated he had prepared a letter which he submitted to Councilwoman Davis. Chief Crawley questioned the amount allotted to transportation, stating there were several special schools and class- es available he felt were worthwhile for his Depart- ment. Councilman Sterling replied the Council had decided that $300 would go for each department and $100 per employee for each department for transporta- tion. We felt this was realistic. Councilwoman Harris reviewed this budget. She stated the Council has allowed four of the requested nine firemen. Mr. Jim Patton asked how many firemen would be assigned to the Station on the hill. Chief Crawley replied two men would be present sometimes and one man would be assigned at all times. Mr. Patton asked if this is adequate for the residential area. Chief Crawley replied no, it is not. Mr. Patton then stated the Council proposes to provide inadequate protection in the resident area. Council- man Sterling stated that would have a direct bearing on how many people you felt were necessary to have at the other station in the industrial area. Mr. Patton replied he felt the Fire Chief was a profess- ional in his field and is able to determine his need for manpower, is the Council professional? Council- man Sterling stated the Council is allocating the budget Mr. Patton asked if his house burns down because of this, can he sue the City. Council- man Sterling replied he could do anything he wanted. Mr. Ed Bauch stated he lived in McMicken Heights and he got no fire protection out of Tukwila, or very delayed fire protection. He stated he was not advo- cating a new fire station or hire more men to go up to McMicken Heights. We put a new fire station in the Southcenter area where everyone felt that is where the biggest exposure is and we moved the fire- men down there. Until the City grows enough to get TUKWILA CITY COUNCIL MEETING December 4, 1974 Page 24 PUBLIC HEARING Cont. Fire /Suppression budget Cont. f6 4 the need for more men to fill up the fire station on the hill, he stated he thought the people on the hill are going to have to live just like the people in McMicken Heights. Mr. Patton stated he did not care if Mr. Bauch is not interested in having protection up there, but he does care for our area here. We have a new fire station right here and if five addi- tional firemen is what we need for adequate protec- tion, then he suggested that is what we get instead of putting the money aside for property. Mrs. Rena Holloway stated she has been unable to get a six month report from the Fire Department, but she had been watching the papers for the Fire Department calls. She asked how many fire calls does the Fire Department get per month. Chief Crawley replied one at times and 25 at other times; today we had six. Mrs. Holloway stated she was unable to get the infor- mation from the Fire Department and apparently so have been the newspapers. According to the gentleman in the audience, these calls have esculated recently. She stated she questions the neccessity of additional firemen. Mr. Rudolph Regel asked Chief Crawley how many volunteers are there, how many are active and how are they trained. Chief Crawley replied there are nine volunteers, about five are active and they are trained at their will every Wednesday night in the fire station here on the hill. These men are used for response at this station. Councilman Saul asked about the response time. Chief Crawley stated the response time is actually better for McMicken now with the station at Andover Park. Councilman Saul then stated in reply to Mr. Patton's remarks that still he was getting better response than he would if he lived in any other city. Mrs. Phyllis Pesicka stated she did not care how many firemen are where, but if her house caught on fire regardless of what Mr. Bauch or Mrs. Holloway has said, she wanted a response in a hurry. She stated she would like to feel secure that there is adequate fire protection, and know that the trucks would be up to her house in a few minutes. Councilman Sterling stated it all depends on how the City feels about how many men should be at the Andover Station and how many should be here. It could be adjusted. Councilman Gardner stated the original idea of having the fire station at Southcenter was to benefit those here on the hill because if we had a fire down there, the people here would be left unprotected. Our rating was supposed to be improved because of this. Mayor Todd stated the Council two years ago did not build a fire statior at Andover because all of the industry was going to burn up, they did it because of the fire rating. If we lose five men out of the request for 1975, how will this affect our next rating. Chief Crawley re- plied the loss of five men will directly affect the rating. Councilman Sterling stated he could not see how the rating would not raise now that we have the new station and as many men as we have. Chief Craw- ley stated the rating would raise from the Class 7 we now have, but the men will affect the new class that we will enter. Mayor Todd asked if the rate improves from the standpoint of the person who is paying for fire insurance, where will the improved rating most affect the property in this City will it be residential property or the warehousing with sprinkler systems. Chief Crawley stated one philoso- phy says that warehouses with sprinkler systems are rated independently and that they are already enjoy- ing a Class 4 or Class 3 rating. The homeowner is still paying a Class 7 rate. Councilman Traynor TUKWILA CITY COUNCIL MEETING December 4, 1974 Page 25 PUBLIC HEARING Cont. Fire /Suppression budget Cont. 94 stated when the City is rerated, that rate will be good for the entire City. The special rate does apply to buildings that are sprinkled and it would apply to homes too if they had sprinkler systems. Mayor Todd stated his point in defense of hiring nine men is that every taxpayer, and especially the homeowner, would benefit more from the business who are paying 90% of the cost of the personnel. This is a heck of a good deal for those of us on the hill in addition to getting a reduction of our fire insur- ance costs. He stated if we were able to get a Class 4 rating, it would save us more on our insur- ance than what we would pay in our 10% share of the cost of these men. Councilman Sterling asked if Mayor Todd recommended that the majority of firemen be kept in the Andover Station. Mayor Todd replied he depends on the department heads' abilities. He does not interfer with where Chief Sheets or Chief Crawley decide to place their men to the best advan- tage. He stated he is neither a professional police chief nor a fire chief and they do know more about manpower requirements than he does. Mr. A. G. Radford stated Southcenter and Andover are probably paying 90% of the cost but the records would show that they are getting 90% of the service, too. He stated we are getting back to the point of having a volunteer fire department like we did years ago. Mr. Radford stated Chief Crawley had commented that we put the fire department where the money is and he would like to put the men where the residents are; they do not have the built -in protection. The businesses may be paying that 90% but the cost of administration of the Fire Department since the addition of the industrial area has probably increas- ed at least as much. He stated he felt it would be cheaper to bring all the firemen back up here on the hill than to put sprinkler systems in all our houses. Chief Crawley stated we passed an ordinance about a year ago which required that all buildings in excess of 20,000 square feet must be sprinkled. Since that ordinance was passed, the City has been deluged with buildings 19,900 square feet loaded with a variety of goods and most are divided into cubicles. These are a worse hazard than large warehouses that are not sprinkled. He stated the residents are enjoying a better fire department as a direct spin -off from the industrial area. The fire department in no way affected anything in the residential area. With the police department, the industrial growth caused a rise in the crime rate. The fire hazards for the residents have not increased and we now have a paid fire department due to the industrial development in the City. Chief Crawley stated if he said keep the fire department with the money it was a mistake; we are there to protect the tax base that keeps the whole City going. If you lose your tax base, you cannot afford policemen, a water meter or anything else. Chief Crawley stated numerous times this year we have had back to back aid calls and when we get down to three men operating on a shift, it presents a difficult situation when only one is left to cover the whole City during the meantime. You cannot operate a fire truck with one man and we are losing our old dependable volunteers and our new ones are not properly trained yet. The whole situation will be even harder with new Federal laws, the L.E.F.F. Act, contract stipulations, etc. Chief Crawley stated this has been discussed with the City Council before and it is their decision that we will have to live with. Councilman Sterling stated it is the TUKWILA CITY COUNCIL MEETING December 4, 1974 Page 26 PUBLIC HEARING Cont. Fire /Suppression budget Cont. 968 Mayor's choice to direct his department head where to put these men. Mayor Todd stated that is true, but the statement seems to include some excuse for an unmanned department which was caused by the Council in this case. He stated the Council is the authority for funding the positions. We will do as well as we can with what the Council allows us to operate with. Mayor Todd stated we must realize we may be faced with potential fire loss, charges of irresponsibility and with a potential decrease in our fire rating without these additional five men. Speaking as a taxpayer in the City, he would rather have better fire protection than a park. Mr. Jim Patton stated he is not relying on the Mayor to do the best, he is rely- ing on the Council to do its best by putting the men Chief Crawley requests both here and in Andover. Councilman Sterling stated if we don't get all we want then we do the best with what we get. Mr. Patton asked why don't we get all that we want, where doesn't it fit in the budget. Councilman Sterling replied it took $160,000 out of our Land Acquisition Fund to balance this budget as presented by administration the total of our revenue and then some. As elected officials, we don't feel the City should run that way. Mrs. Phyllis Pesicka stated as a member of the Board of Adjustment, she would be glad to have the Council take the profession- al services appropriation out of that budget and put it into the fire department. Councilman Sterling stated the Board of Adjustment will probably need its professional services money more than any other department because they will be dealing with people asking to do something that may be against the law. Mrs. Pesicka stated she realized the Board will have very serious matters to consider and we will consider them seriously, and she stated she would trust the opinions of the City Attorney. Mr. Radford stated he was not trying to say that we need more firemen but he did want to say that if his house burned down, he would not be blaming the Mayor or the City Council for not doing the best they could. He understood that we now have a better fire department than we did have with only the volun- teers. Mr. Ed Bauch stated the total assessed valua- tion of the City has increased 13% in the last year and with four additional men in the fire department, we will be increasing manpower by 20o and with nine, we would be increasing it by 45%. Our exposure has not increased that much and we still have a better fire department than we ever had before. Mayor Todd stated the administration and Fire Chief felt we were nine men short last year. Chief Crawley illustrated the life of a fire, using a bell curve chart, and how it is critical to get total response to the fire in its early stages. He stated the nine men are necessary as an immediate strike force in order to gain any control. He stated there will be times when the full crew of nine men will not be necessary, but if we have a fire, there will be two men on the pumper, a driver and supervisor occupied which leaves 5 men to fight the fire. But in case we have an aid call come in, two must respond which leaves only three on the hoses. And according to the contract, 54% of the time we will have a full staff present which accounts for sick leave, time off, vacations, etc. which also means that 46% of the time we will be operating short handed. This is why we need the nine men. Steve Hall, Public Works Director, stated that in fire suppression, you TUKWILA CITY COUNCIL MEETING December 4, 1974 Page 27 PUBLIC HEARING Cont. Fire /Suppression budget Cont. Fire /Prevention budget Fire /Training budget Fire /Ambulance, Rescue Emergency Aid are dealing with a game of statistics, a very danger- ous game. He then quoted a professor he had at a university in Oregon, "There is a truth, a lie and statistics in that order. and life is in the balance." Chief Crawley stated on a State average, a city of 3,400 people may run 100 calls per year and so far this year, we ran over 500 calls. Councilman Sterling asked if everyone here knew that next year we will lose 10% off of our taxes from new buildings, real estate taxes. Next year we get 10% less right off the top and we are going to have to economize before we get to the point where we're absolutely spending more than we have coming in. Mayor Todd requested further explanation. Council- woman Harris stated a year or so ago, the State Legislature passed a bill which was enacted into law that the top 10% of ad valorem taxes go to the State to support the schools in the State in order to equalize the level of education. This starts next year. Mayor Todd stated this will affect the special levy structure in each school district, so some cities will lose and some will not. Dr. Fotheringham just announced to the school board that next year the tax- payers in the Southcentral District will need a special levy in the amount of $500,000 to make up for the loss here in this division of the 10% ad valorem taxes. Mayor Todd stated we must also realize that this year we have a lot more tax base than we were legally allowed to take credit for in the way of tax levy as reflected by the taxing ordinance passed recently for the City. He stated our restriction in the case of the assessed valuation at 100% in the City of Tukwila effectively reduced the cost of the City's operation to each individual taxpayer by about .048% of one mill. Our tax base is going up and our levy is going down from 8 mills the year before to 7.68 this year. Mr. Gene Ives stated before we hire more men for the Fire Department, we need to have more water on the hill. Mayor Todd agreed we need a new system. Steve Hall stated the present system is based on one press- ure zone, maximum of 150 p.s.i. in the lower areas. The higher the elevation, the lower the pressure so that in the highest point in the City, you will reach a minimum of 40 p.s.i. He stated a two -zone system would be more effective because you would get more quantity of water at a lower pressure. Councilwoman Davis reviewed the Fire /Prevention budget. Councilman Traynor reviewed the Fire /Training budget. 9b9 Councilman Traynor reviewed this budget. Chief Crawley stated the $600 in capital outlay in 1974 was budgeted for an air refilling system, and we did not get it because it will not be available until after the first of next year. He requested to carry over the $600 in order to buy it in 1975. Councilman Sterling stated he felt it was a justified request. Councilwoman Harris asked if this was a duplication of any equipment we already have. Chief Crawley replied no, without this equipment there is only one other place to get medical air and that is from a medical air dealer. TUKWILA CITY COUNCIL MEETING December 4, 1974 Page 28 PUBLIC HEARING cont. Fire /Training discussion Civil Defense budget Public Works Administration Recreation budget RECESS 9:50 P.M. 10:00 P.M. 970 Councilman Sterling referred back to the Training budget, stating that the position of Captain was budgeted for 1974, it is included in the bargaining unit and was not filled. Again it is budgeted for 1975 and it will be filled in January or February which gives a total of five new men instead of four. Mayor Todd stated this man will be an 8 -hour a day man working as the training officer. Chief Crawley stated the Captain will be tying all three shifts of officers together, he will be in charge of the stations in the absence of the Fire Marshall or Fire Chief and is responsible for maintaining the training program. Councilman Sterling reviewed the Civil Defense budget. Councilman Gardner reviewed this budget. Councilwoman Davis remarked this budget in its preparation had rated a gold star from the Council. Steve Hall, Public Works Director, explained the need for many types of public works publications for himself and the Field Supervisor. Councilman Saul reviewed the salary page of this budget. Councilwoman Harris stated there had been quite a bit of discussion regarding these positions. At the present time it is proposed to continue the Recreation Specialist until June 30, 1975 at which time the P.E.P. funding will be discontinued. We proposed to drop that position and would just as soon not have another full -time employee in this Department. At the termination of the P.E.P. position, we will then make the position of Recrea- tion Specialist part -time, from July 1. She stated the City has acquired quite a few P.E.P. personnel and that we have maintained an adequate percentage of them. We would rather not continue with the program because it always ends up that we are taking on more City employees, and we are trying to keep the growth rate down. Councilman Traynor requested the Council to reconsider this position before making any final determination. He stated he disagreed with this proposal from the Finance Committee. Councilman Saul continued with the budget review. Richard Hunt, Recreation Supervisor, stated there was $500 allocated for overtime and assuming that the P.E.P. employee will be discontinued and that hisposition would not be upgraded to director, then that $500 would certainly not be enough for overtime next year. He stated without a full -time employee in this Department, his overtime would probably in- crease to 20 or 30 hours a week. Councilman Sterl- ing reviewed the Machinery and Equipment account. Mr. Bill Moore stated he felt it was unfortunate that the City Council feels there is not enough money to consider land acquisition, and asked if they were considering other channels for acquisition of park property. Councilman Sterling replied yes. MOVED BY TRAYNOR, SECONDED BY DAVIS, TO RECESS FOR TEN MINUTES. CARRIED. Mayor Todd called the meeting back to order with Councilwoman Harris absent at this time. Councilman Traynor announced that Councilwoman Harris had asked to be excused at this time. Council Members present include Gardner, Sterling, Traynor, Davis and Saul. TUKWILA CITY COUNCIL MEETING December 4, 1974 Page 29 PUBLIC HEARING Cont. Recreation budget Cont. q7/ Mrs. Marilyn Patton asked why Richard Hunt's salary was cut so drastically compared to other City employ- ees. Councilman Traynor stated it was not cut, it was left at the 1974 level. Mayor Todd stated the Mayor's allocation included a 10% increase for 1975 whereas the employee's request was to become the Park Director at $1,200 monthly. Councilman Sterl- ing stated this does reflect a yearly increase. Mayor Todd stated that this "yearly increase" is the $50 cost of living increase received by all employ- ees for six months of this year and was not a salary increase at all. Mr. Bill Moore stated the position of Recreation Supervisor does allow for overtime to be paid which had only been brought to Mr. Hunt's attention recent- ly, so the Council should give further consideration to the amount of overtime allowed for 1975. Council- man Traynor stated he would hate to have to see any person have to work 12 hours a day in order to make an adequate living and to do his job. Mr. Hunt is semi acting as a director now because he is setting up our programs. It is not right that he should have to depend on the overtime in order to make a living and the duties of director and supervisor seem to overlap in our City's position of supervisor. Mayor Todd stated his main objection in changing the title of this position from supervisor to director was that the job would be placed in jeopardy because our ordinances and Equal Opportunity laws, etc. re- quire that we advertise for each new position. Councilman Traynor stated he was not advocating this position be made park director, but this person is doing some of the duties of a director and perhaps the job title could be changed to something to indicate a compromise between supervisor and director. Steve Hall, Public Works Director, stated he felt Richard Hunt was performing more than the job des- cription of a recreation supervisor calls for. He stated the A.W.C. average for this position is $890 and with a 10% increase, it totals approximately the salary proposed for 1975. If the Council determines to leave the salary at 1974 level, this staff member is being short- changed. Mr. Bill Moore stated he recommended the salary be increased as proposed. (Mr. Moore is chairman of the Park Board) Mrs. Lutes stated she wondered if people around here realize the job Mr. Hunt is doing for the City and especially for the senior citizens. She did not know how the Council could offer the wages that they have offered him. That is starvation wages and he has to support his family, just like the rest of you do and she did not see the Council turning down any increases in their salaries. She stated he puts in many hours with the senior citizens and feels that his increase in salary is justified. Mrs. Rena Holloway stated she has been on the trips for senior citizens and they are very long and labor- ious for a driver. She stated she did not feel the trips are necessary because money or no money, there is a definite limitation to physical energy. She stated that she did not feel that the seniors needed these outings. Mrs. Marilyn Patton asked why then does Mrs. Holloway go on the trips or even on the free bus to Southcenter when she condemns them both. Mayor Todd stated he felt it sufficient to say that Mr. Hunt is doing a good job and putting in a lot of hours. Mrs. Holloway stated she would add that she felt Mr. Hunt is being used excessively; and in TUKWILA CITY COUNCIL MEETING December 4, 1974 Page 30 PUBLIC HEARING Cont. Recreation budget Cont. RECESS 9:25 P.M. reply to Mrs. Patton's comments, she stated she has ridden the bus four times since it began operating and three of those times, she was conducting a survey. Councilman Sterling stated he had not had enough time to study the remainder of the preliminary budget. Discussion continued regarding when to further review the preliminary budget in committee before the next session of the Public Hearing. Mayor Todd stated the public is also invited to attend the committee work sessions of the Council as well as the public hearings. Councilman Gardner suggested a meeting of the Public Works Committee for the remainder of the accounts at 2:00 P.M. Steve Hall stated he objected to attending these frequent meetings of the Council. Councilman Saul asked when the Council would meet again after the public hearing to finalize the budget. Councilman Traynor suggested the Council begin next Monday at the Committee of the Whole meeting and recess it from night to night. MOVED BY STERLING, SECONDED BY SAUL, THAT THE MEETING RECESS TO 7:00 P.M., THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1974 IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS TO CONTINUE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THE PROPOSED 1975 BUDGET. CARRIED.