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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2010-06-14 Committee of the Whole MinutesTukwila City Council Committee of the Whole Meeting City Hall Council Chambers June 14, 2010 7:00 P.M. MINUTES CALL TO ORDER/PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Council President Robertson called the Tukwila City Council meeting to order at 7 04 p m and led the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance OFFICIALS Present were Dennis Robertson, Council President, Councilmembers Joe Duffie, Joan Hernandez, Allan Ekberg, Verna Seal, Kathy Hougardy, De'Sean Quinn CITY OFFICIALS Jim Haggerton, Mayor; Steve Lancaster, City Administrator; Shawn Hunstock, Finance Director; David Haynes, Police Chief; Nick Olivas, Fire Chief; Bob Giberson, Public Works Director; Jack Pace, Community Development Director; Nora Gierloff, Deputy Community Development Director; Chris Flores, Assistant Fire Chief; Mike Villa, Assistant Police Chief; Don Tomaso, Fire Marshal, Robin Tischmak, City Engineer; Gail Labanara, Public Works Analyst; Mary Miotke, Information Technology Director; Kimberly Matej, Council Analyst; Barbara Saxton, Administrative Support Coordinator CITIZEN COMMENTS Jeff Scherrer, P 0 Box 1094, Lynnwood, indicated he owns the Maple Apartments and spoke in opposition to the requirements of Ordinance No 2281 Mr Scherrer stated he does not believe Council understands the amount of intrusion into people's personal privacy caused by Ordinance 2281 He referenced a survey mentioned at last week's meeting to help determine which parks and recreation programs citizens would miss, and expressed disappointment that such an approach was not taken regarding the residential rental licensing and inspection program Mr Scherrer noted he leads the Tukwila Apartment Managers and Owners group, and was not contacted about this program The ordinance was introduced one Monday night and passed the following Monday night. A survey inviting input from stakeholders (property owners, tax payers and tenants) on how they felt about having their property searched for violations would have been a good step Mr Scherrer feels strong leadership is needed to prevent the growth of government. PUBLIC HEARING Transportation Improvement Program 2011 -2016 Robin Tischmak, City Engineer, noted the City is required to adopt a six -year Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) every year The public hearing is held for discussion on projects as they stand within the TIP Mr Tischmak noted there are no changes from last year as far as the projects listed within the TIP, although there are some changes to funding within the projects 7:09 p.m. Council President Robertson opened the Public Hearing and called for public comments. No comments were received 7:09 p.m. Council President Robertson closed the Public Hearing. Tukwila City Council Committee of the Whole Minutes June 14, 2010 Page 2 of 12 SPECIAL ISSUES a. Transportation Improvement Program 2011 -2016. Councilmember Seal indicated this item was discussed at the Transportation Committee meeting on May 17, 2010 The committee members were unanimous in recommending approval COUNCIL CONSENSUS EXISTED TO FORWARD THIS ITEM TO THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING. b. Fireworks permit for July 4 event. Councilmember Quinn indicated this item was discussed at the Finance Safety Committee meeting on June 8, 2010 The committee members were unanimous in recommending approval This is a public display permit for the City- sponsored fireworks show at the Starfire Sports complex. This will be the same pyrotechnician who has provided services since the City took over sponsorship of the event. He referenced page 26 of the agenda packet, which outlines proposed measures in conjunction with this year's event. Council President Robertson noted new measures (vis -queen and two firefighters staged in the practice field) have been proposed to protect the soccer fields from hot debris that may land in the area. COUNCIL CONSENSUS EXISTED TO FORWARD THIS ITEM TO THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING. c. An ordinance adopting the 2009 International Fire Code. Councilmember Quinn indicated this item was discussed at the Finance Safety Committee meeting on June 8, 2010 The committee members were unanimous in recommending approval Washington State adopted the 2009 International Fire Code (with amendments by the State Building Code Council) effective July 1, 2010 The City is required to adopt the code and any modifications by June 30, 2010 Modifications may be more restrictive, but not less restrictive than the adopted State version of the fire code Councilmember Ekberg indicated some policies are retroactive, so some multi family units will need to install fire detection alarm systems, which will be an expense to certain businesses in order to support this mandate by the State Councilmember Quinn noted the majority of multi family complexes in the City already do have sprinklers COUNCIL CONSENSUS EXISTED TO FORWARD THIS ITEM TO THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING. d. Land use fee schedule. Councilmember Quinn indicated this item was discussed at the Finance Safety Committee meeting on June 8, 2010 The committee members were unanimous in recommending approval The proposed fee schedule would allow the City to recover more of the cost of permit review from applicants The hybrid fee approach would retain fixed application fees for most routine permit types For more complex permits, a retainer and hourly fees would be charged Nora Gierloff, Deputy Community Development Director, explained the ordinance will move the fee listing for tree permits from the Zoning Code to the land use fee schedule resolution so the tree permit fee can be updated in the future with other fees Councilmember Ekberg referenced the new fees are based on the estimated number of hours required by planner and administrative support staff to process each application This reflects the desire expressed at the Council retreat earlier this year to collect the costs that are actually expended for these types of permits Tukwila City Council Committee of the Whole Minutes June 14, 2010 Page 3 of 12 Council President Robertson referenced the statement on page 68 of the agenda packet that a fee increase of 5% is planned for 2012 He questioned whether an automatic CPI (consumer price index) clause should be considered He noted that in the past the City's fees have tended to stay level for a number of years, which resulted in revenues not increasing with costs Councilmember Quinn noted that in addition to recovering costs based on the project, there was concern regarding the City's fees in comparison to other jurisdictions Ms Gierloff explained the proposed fees are based on their best estimate of hours spent on various types of permits. Staff will now be tracking time hourly on all permits (fixed fee or hourly), so they will have firmer numbers in the next year or two In addition, the fees are calculated with number of hours multiplied by the City's loaded rate, so as costs increase, the loaded rate will go up, automatically resulting in a higher fee Council President Robertson agreed this explanation addressed his concern Councilmember Hougardy stated she would prefer to review how the new fees are working and watch the comparisons to ensure the City remains competitive before implementing an escalation clause Ms Gierloff confirmed the proposed resolution would cover fees through 2012, at which time the hourly fees and hours incurred for each permit can be reviewed COUNCIL CONSENSUS EXISTED TO FORWARD THIS ITEM TO THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING. e. Interlocal agreement for animal control. Councilmember Quinn indicated this item was discussed at the Finance Safety Committee meeting on June 8, 2010 The committee members were unanimous in recommending approval Shawn Hunstock, Finance Director, explained the biggest change to this regional model for animal care and control since previous Council discussion is the City of Burien has pulled out of the control district that would have included Tukwila, Burien, Kent, and SeaTac. This splits the cost of field control officers over a smaller geographic area (smaller population), resulting in a projected increase to the City of Tukwila of $11,000 Licensing fees and sheltering services are based on actual usage, so are not necessarily affected by Burien's pull -out. The County presented new numbers for the new model (on page 122 of the agenda packet) As shown for Control District 240, the estimated annual cost for Tukwila is $81,000 Since the interlocal agreement will be effective July 1, 2010, the cost for 2010 will be approximately half that amount ($41,000) $38,000 was budgeted for 2010, so an appropriation for the difference (approximately $3,000) will be required This new model will then be built into the biennial budget process for 2011 and 2012 Councilmember Ekberg inquired as to how customer satisfaction would be monitored under the new model Mr Hunstock stated the regional model will include development of a joint City /County task force Discussions will be held relating to calls for service, such as defining what is and is not an emergent call and how responses to vicious dog complaints will be handled based on whether there is an immediate threat or an event that has already happened King County staff is very aware that cities are still investigating sub regional options that do not involve the County It is to the County's advantage to continue to participate in an on -going process of improving the regional model in order to encourage participation by additional cities in the future Councilmember Hougardy explained several other points that were mentioned at the Finance Safety Committee meeting including There will be cost recovery from the sale of pet licenses, an annual reconciliation of actual cost and usage, and electronic reporting not less than twice a year Animal control officers will be staffed with one officer in Tukwila for five consecutive days per week. The daily 8 -hour service period will be determined by the County The map on page 110 of the agenda packet shows the service area for Control District 240 (which includes Vashon Island) Tukwila City Council Committee of the Whole Minutes June 14, 2010 Page 4 of 12 Councilmember Hernandez noted it would be beneficial to follow Burien's success rate and review this issue in a year Council President Robertson hopes this program is successful so the City does not have to duplicate all of the County's work relating to animal control services, which are important to our citizens COUNCIL CONSENSUS EXISTED TO FORWARD THIS ITEM TO THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING. f. Program Reductions: Police Department and Fire Department. POLICE DEPARTMENT: David Haynes, Police Chief, used a PowerPoint presentation to outline the Police Department proposal He emphasized that he understands the proposed service reductions will impact employees, citizens and volunteers The process for identifying reductions involved review of the department's core functions Patrol officers, conducting investigations, and recordkeeping Beyond those functions are Traffic, TAC Team (Tukwila Anti -Crime Team) and Crime Prevention All positions on the department's organizational chart were reviewed, and focus came to the Crime Prevention Unit. A list of items that the current crime prevention unit takes part in was displayed The underlined items are those being proposed for reduction in service (Eliminate) Citizens' Academy (Close) Neiahborhood Resource Center (NRC) Safety in Overnight Lodging Block Watch Quartermaster Training (Reduction of) crime prevention /public safety education at community events Accreditation Public Information Officer Volunteers at the NRC School Resource Officer (Reduction of) workplace safety presentations to businesses Criminal Trespass Program Recruiting (Reduction of) crime prevention surveys for businesses and residents Community meetings (schools, TIBAC, COPCAB, Apartment Managers, etc CPTED CFMH On -going crime prevention initiatives NRC camera system DA.R.E. Auto theft prevention To accomplish this, the Police Department would be reduced by one commissioned officer (from 71 to 70 commissioned officers), resulting in an approximate $102,000 cut for 2011 and 2012 ($102,000 is an updated figure from the $97,000 shown in the agenda packet.) Councilmember Hernandez inquired as to whether the work of the volunteers at the NRC would also be eliminated Chief Haynes confirmed functions such as marijuana testing and the highway cameras would still take place at the facility, but the volunteers would no longer be working at the NRC Councilmember Ekberg inquired about the possibility of retaining the volunteers at the NRC without having an officer assigned to that location Tukwila City Council Committee of the Whole Minutes June 14, 2010 Page 5 of 12 Chief Haynes relayed the importance of having a regular supervisor to track hours, answer questions and take care of any issues that may arise Without that regular supervision, the volunteer group would be operating independently out of that space, which is not recommended The officer assigned to the NRC does come and go during the day, but that is his regularly- assigned area Councilmember Seal asked what the implications would be regarding the City's lease for the NRC facility Chief Haynes explained the new lease has a 60 -day out clause Council President Robertson confirmed the proposed plan is not to physically close the building at this time Councilmember Hougardy asked what the day -to -day service impacts would be to the community due to the closure of the NRC Assistant Police Chief Villa estimated approximately 400 persons a year visit the NRC Some of those need assistance with filing a case report, have questions about a crime, or are seeking directions If the NRC was closed to the public, it would not be available to citizens for those services Councilmember Quinn stated that he assumed their approach to these reductions was to have the least amount of impact on the department doing their duty He questioned whether the services proposed to be eliminated or reduced were selected because they are an outreach piece that draws on department resources Chief Haynes responded that some of the items to be continued will have to transfer to another staff person Even with the proposed reductions, the department will continue with many of the on -going outreach programs for crime prevention Some items must be reduced or the department will not be able to do the remaining items well Councilmember Hernandez inquired about who would be doing the camera monitoring Chief Haynes explained TAC team officers usually have one person assigned to monitor the cameras while they are performing certain job functions Patrol officers may also go there periodically on their shift. Councilmember Ekberg inquired about the number of volunteers working at the NRC He wanted to explore the possibility of keeping the NRC volunteers even without a "permanent" supervisor Chief Haynes stated that five volunteers currently work different schedules to keep the NRC open approximately 9 00 a.m to 4 00 p m Monday through Friday He also emphasized the importance of a dedicated supervisor, explaining that procedural or otherwise inappropriate behavior has needed to be addressed in the past. Councilmember Duffie inquired about the total number of officers in the City Chief Haynes explained there are 68 commissioned officer positions, plus 3 COP (community- oriented policing) grant positions The COP grant positions are a three -year reimbursed contract, which started in July 2009 One officer has passed the background process and is in training, and there are two job offers out (background checks still required) Councilmember Hougardy asked about the impact of not having the crime prevention surveys Assistant Chief Villa explained these surveys cover crime prevention through environmental design Four staff members are currently trained and conduct those surveys at the request of businesses or residences Recommendations are made on steps that could help the property be less subject to crime Last year all the schools were visited and recommendations were made on lighting, shrubs, parking lots, and buildings with poor visibility from the street or public areas By reducing staff by one, they would have to reduce the number of surveys they would be able to do It would not be possible to move all the workload of a 40 -hour staff person to other staff, so they had to look at which functions or services would Tukwila City Council Committee of the Whole Minutes June 14, 2010 Page 6 of 12 need to be reduced They looked at how many hours minimum would realistically be required to supervise the five volunteers that would keep the NRC open If that position was retained, something else would then need to be cut from the list of tasks Councilmember Quinn asked if background checks are done on volunteers, and whether a volunteer could have access to information that could compromise work of the Police Department. Chief Haynes responded that a background check is done to ensure a convicted felon or someone with a basic criminal background is not brought in The background check is done at a more surface level than required for an officer Volunteers at the NRC, along with volunteers that work in other areas such as traffic and records, can potentially overhear conversations or have access to information, which can be a concern, as well as certain behaviors Council President Robertson stated his methodology when reviewing proposals is to look at the process and logic used For example, this proposal started with reviewing core functions versus non -core functions. He also looks at policy issues such as whether a choice is being made based purely on a policy decision, which is not the case in this instance It is unfortunate these necessary reductions involve City volunteers, yet he can find no justification for making a different choice Councilmember Seal explained her thought process regarding essential services involves what the level of risk would be to the community Council has discussed the importance of the NRC presence at Tukwila Village and outreach programs such as the success of the Citizens' Academy, and these types of services have to be weighed versus public safety issues Councilmember Duffie requested an explanation of a police presence at community events Chief Haynes explained the Crime Prevention Unit comprises a small group of staff members who provide exemplary service When their number is reduced even by one person, the impact will be notable There will still be a police presence at some Tukwila events, with availability falling to the rest of the group Representation at events such as Tukwila Days and COPCAB will be as time allows with the remaining staff Councilmember Quinn stated that services need to change in these economic times He feels the proposal is the best approach to address the issue and minimize the impact. While the City can never do enough to reduce crime or encourage volunteers, we need to recognize common sense measures that need to be taken. Councilmember Hougardy asked why the Crime Prevention Unit was chosen for reductions over TAC Team and Traffic Chief Haynes explained the number one issue when he took over as Chief involved traffic complaints Originally the Traffic unit had a Sergeant plus 4 officers, now they operate with a Sergeant plus 3 officers They are able to meet the basic needs of the City at this level, but a further reduction would result in complaints TAC Team is a small unit that focuses on prostitution and drug activities That team is supported with an officer position, for which the City is currently paying overtime The Crime Prevention Unit has individuals doing all the work previously outlined, including accreditation, public information officer, quartermaster, COP coordinator, and community outreach The determination regarding reductions in service was made after reviewing each unit and assessing what impacts a reduction would have on each one Councilmember Hougardy stated the main concerns she has heard from citizens are code enforcement issues, animal control, traffic and neighborhood crime She asked the Chief to explain how he would respond to a citizen's question as to why they are reducing crime prevention Chief Haynes responded they will be working to address issues through the resources they still have They have a detective who is assigned to burglaries and works with the crime analyst. They need to continue to build a strong block watch program, which the Citizens' Academy would certainly have helped with Citizens can also be a part of efforts to strengthen the community with other neighborhood programs such as phone and internet trees and Night Out Against Crime Tukwila City Council Committee of the Whole Minutes June 14, 2010 Page 7 of 12 Councilmember Ekberg asked for clarification on how the staff reduction would be handled Chief Haynes explained the individual currently in the eliminated position would be reassigned to Patrol and hiring numbers would be reduced to 70 instead of 71 FIRE DEPARTMENT: Chief Nick Olivas explained the Fire Prevention staff would be reduced by one Captain's position This would be accomplished through attrition, with the upcoming retirement of the department's training captain Councilmember Seal inquired about what service impacts could be expected Chief Olivas explained the department's service level to the construction industry has been reduced since the downturn in the economy, allowing the Fire Prevention staff to catch up with the back -log in their inspection load If construction does start to pick up, some follow -up inspections on fire protection systems will be delayed again, and even more so if Southcenter Mall decides to proceed with the second half of their expansion Other delays may occur when inspection crews need assistance from an inspector regarding a faulty alarm panel or fire sprinkler system, or for crews to respond to complaints regarding debris on property that may be considered a fire hazard The second proposal is to reduce the department's administrative support technician position to 3/4 time This position (which was previously full time) has been vacant since February due to the hiring moratorium The third component of the proposal is to continue with the reduced staffing levels that began last year The staffing level of 14 that had been in place since 1995 was reduced to 13 last year, which resulted in a reduction in overtime costs Chief Olivas noted that operations would be affected if any employees are injured In order to operate the ladder truck and 3 engines, minimum staffing is 13 A fourth person is preferred on the ladder, so that accounts for the extra person (a Battalion Chief) Councilmember Seal asked if this staffing level has affected service times Chief Olivas indicated it has not impacted response times or service levels, partially due to mutual aid agreements If an officer determines they need assistance to perform an operation safely, they have been instructed to wait for additional personnel to arrive on the scene before proceeding Joanne McManus, 5610 S 133rd Street, explained what the volunteers do at the NRC She works two days per week and makes calls for the Court, which saves the City money One gentleman who works in the City comes in at lunch each day They track hotel /motel calls They make calls to 9 -1 -1 for people who come in with emergencies They also assist people having problems with drugs in their apartment complexes and homes and people who are lost and need directions She noted the current supervisor is on patrol and is not on site most of the time 8:33 p.m. Council President Robertson declared a brief recess. 8:40 p.m. Council President Robertson reconvened the Committee of the Whole Meeting. g. Fire service options: Fire District or Fire Authority. Steve Lancaster, City Administrator, explained that in addition to budget issues, Council had a discussion at their retreat earlier this year on pursuing an alternative governmental structure for providing fire services to the community Costs of maintaining and improving fire and emergency services have increased significantly over recent years Several communities have looked at alternative ways to provide that service and also enjoy economies of scale so services can be provided more efficiently Mr Lancaster displayed a map indicating the various fire authorities around the south King County area. At least three organizations have gone through some fairly significant changes in recent years with regard to some form of consolidation The South King County Fire Rescue District (in the Federal Way /Des Moines area) is a district that has annexed additional territory and expanded its boundaries over the Tukwila City Council Committee of the Whole Minutes June 14, 2010 Page 8 of 12 years More recently the state legislature has authorized the formation of regional fire authorities The first set of communities to take advantage of that type of governance structure formed the Valley Regional Fire Authority (encompassing the cities of Auburn, Algona and Pacific) Much more recently, the City of Kent and neighboring Fire District #37 (which covered Covington and unincorporated areas east of Kent) formed a regional fire authority Alternative ways of providing fire services include 1 Maintain the Tukwila Fire Department as a City department. 2 Annex to an adjacent existing fire district. 3 Form a Regional Fire Authority (RFA) with one or more adjacent existing fire service providers 4 Join an existing adjacent Regional Fire Authority (only one at this time is Kent Regional Fire Authority) Mr Lancaster referenced the matrix starting on page 171 of the agenda packet, which gives a high level comparison of options 2, 3 and 4. Option 2. Annex to an existing fire district: Potential partners would be Fire District #11, 20, 24 and 2 (Burien Fire District) Statutes governing these annexations are found in RCW Chapter 52 04 The City Council would adopt an ordinance to initiate a proposal to the fire district commissioners If the commissioners agree, an election would be held and majority approval would be required in the City and in the district to approve the annexation Fire districts are governed by 3 or 5 commissioners directly elected by voters of the district. Option 3. Form a Reaional Fire Authority Potential partners would be the same four fire districts mentioned above, plus the cities of Renton, Seattle and SeaTac Statutory provisions governing this are RCW Chapter 52.26 The process to form an RFA is more complex. The potential partner entities (i e Tukwila City Council and an adjacent City) would each designate three elected officials to form a planning committee This committee would develop a proposed regional fire protection service plan showing how the new entity would operate. The plan would go back to each of the governing bodies If the applicable Councils approve the plan, the issue would be placed on the ballot. A majority of the voters in the combined area of the two entities would be required to form the Regional Fire Authority If, as part of the fire service plan, the governing bodies decided to impose a fire benefit service charge, the required approval would be 60 percent of the voters in the combined area. Governance of the entity would be as specified in the plan, but would consist solely of elected officials from the partner agencies Option 4, Join an existing adjacent Reaional Fire Authority State law does not address this issue specifically, but a variety of opinions exist as to how it would occur The safest scenario would be to assume the process would be essentially the same as forming a new regional fire authority There has been some discussion in the region of going to the State legislature to clarify how an existing entity could join a Regional Fire Authority These entities have been successful and well received, but the process would have to be worked through Governance would be as specified in the regional fire protection service plan Currently in the Kent RFA there are three elected officials appointed by the City of Kent, plus three elected officials from the existing fire district and one non voting member from the City of Covington Councilmember Duffie stated he is not in favor of changing the existing City department until the current department says they can no longer operate as is Councilmember Hernandez asked if there is a limit to the number of cities or partners that can go into a RFA and whether an existing RFA would have to vote to accept the new partners Mr Lancaster confirmed there is no limit. There would have to be acceptance in some fashion, which is where the existing debate is about the process Under current legislation, the City Attorney's interpretation is there would need to be a revision to their existing fire protection service plan and a vote of the entire area to be served Forming or joining an RFA is not an overnight process. The City of Kent worked on their effort for 4 to 5 years It is certainly at least a 1 -1/2 to 2 year process Councilmember Hernandez asked if any of the entities listed in the matrix under "Create Regional Fire Authority" have not made a decision yet. Tukwila City Council Committee of the Whole Minutes June 14, 2010 Page 9 of 12 Mr Lancaster stated none have made a commitment to any course of action, however it is his understanding the City of SeaTac has indicated an interest in joining the Kent RFA. Councilmember Ekberg asked if any of the districts mentioned (11, 20, 24, 2) have an interest in extending their district. Chief Olivas responded in the affirmative, as the majority of the agencies are having financial difficulties and looking for partnerships to provide essential services Councilmember Quinn asked what the impact on the general fund was for the City of Kent. Mr Lancaster responded that information is not known at this time Shawn Hunstock, Finance Director, referenced the information on page 172 of the agenda packet. The financial implications for a regional fire district or fire authority are essentially the same The two major ways of funding either option is with a property tax levy of $1 50 per $1,000 of assessed value or a property tax levy of $1 00 plus a fire benefit charge The fire benefit charge is a complex formula based on the potential cost of response to different types of structures It is factored differently based on the use of the structure, size, age, and presence of fire prevention infrastructure within the facility itself As far as savings for the City, the 2010 budget for the Fire Department is approximately $10.3 million, which would then be available for the General Fund With the formation of a Regional Fire Authority, typically the City would give up a portion of their property tax levy at the time of formation of the RFA. For example, in the City of Auburn the RFA assessed $1 00 per $1,000 of assessed value plus a fire benefit charge, and the City gave up 78 cents of its property tax levy Under a similar level, Tukwila would lose approximately $5 million in property tax revenue Combined with the $10 3 million reduction in expenses, the City would have a net savings of $5 3 million In addition, creation of either a fire district or Regional Fire Authority would also free up levy capacity If the City decreased the property tax levy by $1 00 (it is currently $2 66), they would not be limited to 1 percent increases in future years until it returned to the $2 66 levy amount. The City could then make the decision to increase the property tax levy by $1 00 in the following year plus the original 1 percent increase Councilmember Robertson indicated that consideration of this option is financial only and not based on the quality of the City's existing department. Although the potential savings are significant, any savings to be realized would be several years away and will require a vote of the people, not only in Tukwila but in other jurisdictions as well Therefore, decisions to be made on the current budget gap should not be affected by this issue Councilmember Hernandez asked for clarification on who determines whether the benefit charges are proposed or not. Mr Hunstock explained that would be part of the recommendation from the planning committee to the Council Councilmember Ekberg inquired about the level of service that can be expected under an RFA versus a district versus the department we currently have Chief Olivas responded that under a district we would essentially have the same level of service with the potential to increase it. If a Regional Fire Authority was initiated with a neighboring jurisdiction, we would have greater control over the level of service we receive When you add more partners and have more members making decisions, the potential is there for having less influence on the level of service in a particular area. These would be points to consider when deciding whether to form a planning committee Unless the fire protection service plan included the provision that Tukwila Councilmembers on the governance board have the majority of say regarding service levels in Tukwila, there is no guarantee what would happen For example, if Tukwila felt they needed another aid car and the majority of voting members said no, the City would not get the aid car There are some risks, and no guarantee the service levels would get better or be the same Tukwila City Council Committee of the Whole Minutes June 14, 2010 Page 10 of 12 Councilmember Hougardy stated the level of service is an important consideration in addition to any financial impacts She would want to know what those impacts are anticipated to be Councilmember Quinn asked if there would be equipment accessible to Tukwila when resources are pooled under a Regional Fire Authority Chief Olivas confirmed that once you join an RFA, the City would relinquish all those resources to the fire authority The RFA would have access to resources the City has now, particularly in the areas of structural collapse and trench rescue. Tukwila would also have access to resources, although most equipment is already available through mutual aid The issue of control of resources is a primary concern. The purpose of a fire authority is not just about money, but also about the delivery of service Councilmember Hougardy asked whether there is reciprocal funding for mutual aid Chief Olivas explained all cities in the King County area have signed an automatic mutual aid agreement with the exception of the City of Seattle There is typically no billing for services except under unusual circumstances Council President Robertson noted the recommendation from City administration is to form an exploratory committee that would report findings back to the City Council no later than September 30, 2010 Items to be considered include service and financial impacts, timing issues, and the interest of potential partners Mr Robertson polled the Councilmembers regarding the formation of an exploratory committee Duffie No Hernandez. Yes Ekberg Yes Seal. Yes Hougardy Yes Quinn Yes Robertson Yes Participants on the committee will include Councilmember Hernandez (Committee Chair) and Councilmember Hougardy, with Council President Robertson available as an alternate Other members will include Fire Chief Olivas, Finance Director Shawn Hunstock, and a member of the Firefighters Local COUNCIL CONSENSUS EXISTED TO FORWARD THIS ITEM TO THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING. REPORTS a. Mayor Mayor Haggerton expressed support for Joanne McManus' work as a volunteer at the Neighborhood Resource Center He referred a Des Moines citizen to Ms McManus in the past and she provided a wealth of knowledge about our program Des Moines now has a functioning center with free rent from a local business On June 9, 2010 Mayor Haggerton attended the Jail Oversight Assembly meeting and the Suburban Cities Association Public Issues Committee meeting On June 10, 2010, the Mayor attended the Domestic Abuse Women's Network (DAWN) fundraising breakfast. On June 11, 2010, he attended Senator Patty Murray's "Golden Tennis Shoe" awards event. Prior to the program the Mayor presented Senator Murray with a letter of thank you regarding her efforts in securing additional funding for the temporary repairs at the Howard Hanson Dam On June 11, 2010, Mayor Haggerton and Steve Lancaster, City Administrator, met with Jamie Durkan, City lobbyist, regarding potential issues for this year, including possible assistance with legislation regarding cities joining an existing Regional Fire Authority Tukwila City Council Committee of the Whole Minutes June 14, 2010 Page 11 of 12 b. City Council Councilmember Duffie reported on a soccer league of 16 teams that played games at a City park over the weekend He was very impressed with their organization and how they left the park in such great condition. Councilmember Hernandez attended the Equity Diversity Commission meeting on June 10, 2010 She also attended Senator Patty Murray's "Golden Tennis Shoe" awards luncheon on June 11, 2010 Councilmember Ekberg noted he had reason to call 9 -1 -1 on Sunday afternoon, June 13, 2010, regarding a suspected burglary in his neighborhood Police responded promptly, and he received a call back from the officer regarding the findings Councilmember Seal attended the graduation ceremonies at Foster High School on June 11, 2010, and complimented the police for their understated presence and traffic control efforts Councilmember Hougardy attended the Foster High School graduation on June 11, 2010 Councilmember Quinn reported there was in -depth discussion of the bond ordinance for Southcenter Parkway at the June 8, 2010 Finance Safety Committee meeting c. Staff Steve Lancaster, City Administrator, stated the City has received the Washington State Office of Financial Management's estimates of population The importance of this is that some of the City's State shared revenues are based on population Preliminary estimates show an increase in the City's population as of April 1, 2010 of 20 people (now 18,190) Revenues will be based on this number pending results of the actual census As a follow -up to the May 17 Council meeting with Sound Transit, a meeting has been scheduled at Foster High School Commons on June 24, 2010, beginning at 5 30 p m regarding light rail noise issues in Tukwila. In addition, Council expressed interest at that meeting regarding the potential for a light rail station on Boeing Access Road That station was included in Sound Move, the original voter approved plan for light rail, but it was deferred based on inadequate resources and was not included in the Sound Transit2 ballot measure, and there are no current plans for a station there d. City Attorney The City Attorney's presence is not required at Committee of the Whole meetings e. Intergovernmental Kimberly Matej, Council Analyst, was not present at this time MISCELLANEOUS Councilmember Duffle reported 50 students from Tukwila and Thorndyke Elementary Schools attended Foster High School's graduation ceremony as "future graduates Council President Robertson referenced a memo he distributed regarding budget work sessions, which includes a proposed schedule Mr Robertson included the Council's goal as established at the budget retreat, plus a second sentence he proposed be added to the goal statement: To close the 9 million dollar "long term" budget Gap by (1) adding 3 4 million in new revenues, (2) reducing programs and services by 2 2 million, and (3) reducing cost of compensation by 3 4 million In addition, since the budget gap extends well into the future the new revenue additions will be tied, wherever possible, to future CPI changes and the 2011 program /service reductions as well as cost of compensation reductions will set a new base for future years Tukwila City Council Committee of the Whole Minutes June 14, 2010 Page 12 of 12 This would mean (1) new revenues should not be flat line revenues in order to avoid the same situation in the future, and (2) the cost of compensation as being negotiated by City administration with the unions will set a new base, and we would not be committing to bringing those back up in future years to what they would have been without those reductions Council discussion reflected a preference to have the second sentence as more of a footnote than as part of the actual goal statement. A suggestion was made to add It is intended to the sentence, however, this Council cannot assume they can control the decisions of future Councils In regard to the proposed schedule for budget work sessions, Council President Robertson noted the only changes from previous schedules are the addition of a Special Committee of the Whole Meeting on July 6, 2010 and the possibility of a report from the fire exploratory committee at the September 13, 2010 Committee of the Whole Meeting ADJOURNMENT 9:49 p.m. COUNCIL PRESID NT ROBERTSON DECLARED THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE M TING ADJOURNED. A e nnis Robertson o nu! resident Barbara Saxton, Administrative Support Coordinator