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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2000-03-27 Committee of the Whole MinutesTUKWILA CITY COUNCIL March 27, 2000 7:00 p.m. Council Chambers City Hall CITY COUNCIL OF WHOLE COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES CALL TO ORDER: Council President Joe Duffie called the Committee of the Whole meeting to order and led the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance. COUNCILMEMBERS PRESENT: Council President Joe Duffie, Councilmembers Pam Carter, Dave Fenton, Joan Hernandez, Pamela Linder, Jim Haggerton, and Richard Simpson. OFFICIALS: Steve Mullet, Mayor; John McFarland, City Administrator; Steve Lancaster, Director of Community Development; Jim Morrow, Director of Public Works; Pat Brodin, Public Works Maintenance Operations Manager; Deb Ritter, Assistant Planner; and Lucy Lauterbach, Council Analyst. SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS: a. Southwest King County Chamber of Commerce Activities Update Nancy Damon, Chamber Executive Director, briefed the Council on activities accomplished by the Southwest King County Chamber of Commerce in 1999. Throughout 1999, the Chamber focused on tourism, economic development, regional issues, and education. The Tourism Committee worked with the City through a special grant from Tukwila and Sea Tac and completed projects on a trade show booth and a South Seattle attraction map. Maps are being distributed throughout the area and the trade show booth has been displayed at various venues. Ms. Damon reported that since the tourism focus is important, the name of the Chamber has been under review to include the tourism element. Recent discussions have included a suggestion to keep the current name of the Chamber, but create a separate name called "Seattle South Convention and Visitor's Bureau." She referred to the geographical area of Seattle as being the key word when visitors and planners look to the area for possible meetings and tourist activities. Seattle was included in the name to insure identity of the area was accessible on the Internet. Council President Duffie declared his preference with using Tukwila's name versus Seattle concerning convention and visitor bureau marketing. Regionally, the Chamber has been involved with transportation issues such as I -695 and Sound Transit forums throughout the year. The Chamber opposed I -695. The Chamber also participates in the transportation coalition. City of Tukwila City Council of Whole Meeting Minutes Page 2 of 9 March 27, 2000 The annual Business Award luncheon of the Chamber was held in November 1999. Ms. Damon shared information on various business awards presented and highlighted other events the Chamber had participated in during 1999. Ms. Damon reported Chamber members from Tukwila number 191. Approximately 50 of those joined in 1999. From January through December, the Chamber handled 13,845 information requests and distributed 15,685 pieces of information. Ms. Damon responded to Council questions and indicated Tukwila members account for the majority of the Chamber's membership of approximately 505 members. Councilmembers complimented the Chamber on recent work and thanked the Chamber for its tourism efforts in promoting Tukwila. b. Recognition of Barry Pomeroy, Tukwila Fire Department, for community service Councilmember Haggerton acknowledged the efforts of Firefighter Barry Pomeroy on Sunday, March 19 in representing the City of Tukwila during a fundraising event to raise funds for leukemia. Regionally, approximately 500 firefighters participated and raised approximately $75,000. Councilmember Haggerton shared that his granddaughter was the "Honorary Leukemia Foundation Member" to greet the climbers at the mid -point and at the top of the stairs. Firefighter Pomeroy explained the event logistics and introduced two firefighter explorers who also assisted with the fund- raising event. Firefighters wearing full gear were sponsored to climb the stairs of the Columbia Tower in Seattle to raise funds for the Leukemia Foundation. The estimated weight of the firefighter gear is 72 pounds. The fastest male completing the climb was 11 minutes and the fastest female was 15 minutes. Firefighter Pomeroy completed the climb in 32 minutes. CITIZEN COMMENT'S /CORRESPONDENCE: There were no public comments. SPECIAL ISSUES: a. Briefing Comprehensive Plan amendments Assistant Planner Deb Ritter reviewed the Comprehensive Plan amendment review process. She explained that normally, Comprehensive Plan amendments are reviewed once annually, unless they are considered an emergency Comprehensive Plan amendment. Initially, amendments are City of Tukwila City Council of Whole Meeting Minutes Page 3 of 9 March 27, 2000 reviewed by the Council for a threshold review. Options available to the Council at the threshold review include rejecting the amendment, forwarding the amendment to the Planning Commission, or deferring action on the amendment. Proposed amendments forwarded to the Planning Commission will undergo an environmental review, a public hearing and recommendation. They are then forwarded to the full Council for action. Planner Ritter reported five Comprehensive Plan amendment proposals have been submitted for consideration. She reviewed the criteria used in considering what action to take for each amendment proposal. Four of the five amendments involve boundary changes. The proposed amendments include: 1. Request to zone an undesignated parcel of land to low density residential. The parcel never received Comp Plan or zoning code designation in 1995 during the Comprehensive Plan and zoning code process. 2. Request to change two parcels from low density residential to commercial /light industrial use. 3. Request for boundary line adjustments with Seattle and King County, which requires a Comprehensive Plan change. 4. Request for boundary line adjustments with Seattle and King County, which requires a Comprehensive Plan change. 5. Request to allow offices on third floor buildings in the NCC zone. Currently, office space use is limited to the first two floors. Ms. Ritter noted that all property owners located within 500 feet of a proposed amendment site is notified by mail of the proposed Comprehensive Plan amendment. Director Lancaster responded to Councilmember questions concerning amendment #4 and the boundary line adjustments and reported the agreement between Seattle and King County contained several points of negotiation to include how much of the area would be transferred. Concerns addressed included the financial aspects of any transfer not being detrimental to any of the parties. The proposed amendment is the compromise proposed during the negotiations. The proposal would take Tukwila's current boundaries, which in some cases goes through the middle of a building and realigns them to a property line. Planner Ritter reported the amendment related to office use on the third floor building applied to buildings located on Tukwila International Boulevard. She explained the initial proposal considered changing the height allowance. Staff recommends changing the zoning code to allow office use on the third floor of all buildings. Councilmember Haggerton cautioned that at the specific location at 42n S and S 164"', a three -story building could be problematic. Councilmember Carter suggested the Council consider separating NCC uses along Highway 99 from other zoning uses. City of Tukwila City Council of Whole Meeting Minutes Page 4 of 9 March 27, 2000 Director Lancaster addressed Councilmember Carter's questions regarding the number of changes or updates would occur with respect to the Transportation Element. He explained that during the annual review of the Comprehensive Plan amendment process other elements within the plan can be updated simultaneously as long as the review process occurs during the Comp Plan review cycle. Proposed changes are then considered at the time of final adoption of the Comprehensive Plan amendments. b. Allentown Neighborhood Sewer/Water /surface Water Revitalization Project Councilmember Haggerton reported the issue was before the Utilities Committee on March 21S` He noted the item was important with respect to funding availability and the rate of the funding. The Committee requested review of the request by the COW to consider approving a contract to begin the process. Director Morrow confirmed Councilmember Haggerton's enthusiasm for the project, as it would accomplish a number of positive things for the Allentown community. It would fulfill a promise to the citizen's of Allentown to upgrade the sewer system. In addition, staff has researched other needs within the area and is recommending expansion of the project to include expanded improvements to the entire area. He noted conditions are favorable to the City to accomplish the project at this time. Manager Brodin briefed the Council on the proposed project and referred to the project as "neighborhood revitalization." He referred to the scope of work to be accomplished, the Public Works Trust funding and how to best utilize the funding to accomplish the work, and what could be accomplished beyond the Allentown project and how the scope of work could lay the groundwork for a more comprehensive project. Manager Brodin presented a slide presentation on the proposed neighborhood revitalization to include water, sewer, and surface water. The proposal includes elements to consider on how to expand the revitalization to Allentown and points beyond. He noted some areas cannot be served by gravity. The areas include the Duwamish area and Foster Point. Staff has reviewed and discussed the possible location of a pump station. Originally, locating the pump on 122n was considered, however, upon re- analysis, another site was selected in order to serve Foster Point as well. One of the concerns regarding service to Foster Point is with the bottleneck under I -5. Manager Brodin reported that in that particular location other utilities have been installed from twin sludge mains from Metro, two high pressure gas lines, to fiber optic. The initial scope of work includes ground penetrating radar in the area to ascertain what the section of the ground contains such as what pipes are buried and to what depth. Mr. Brodin noted the first phase of the scope of work would include completing the application for the Public Works Trust Fund and determining the location and feasibility of the pump. The City of Tukwila City Council of Whole Meeting Minutes Page 5 of 9 March 27, 2000 goal is to provide better fire protection to Allentown that will handle the water flow for residential neighborhoods and control some localized flooding in some of the areas. Additionally, other improvements to the existing system include storm pump station improvements and improving some weak pipes that have extensive corrosion resulting in weak flows. Another sewer extension would be added from the Fire Station along 115 to serve the fronts of properties. Manager Brodin reviewed the process involved in securing funds through the Public Works Trust Fund. At one point, the Trust Fund was a 30% match with a 1% interest loan. Currently, for a 15% match, the City could secure a .5% interest loan. He explained that in the past, the fund has been underutilized by jurisdictions and that the availability of funding is excellent. A consultant offers free consulting on the Public Works Trust Fund process to help agencies obtain loans. Consultant work on the application would be at no charge to the City. Additionally, the process does not require a preliminary design or exhibits but requires written documentation about the project. Manager Brodin described a proposal presented by Valvue Sewer District. The proposal is offering to serve the Gateway North area. He noted the proposal has merit due to the difficulties and costs associated with Tukwila providing sewer service. Alternatives to the City would involve the City installing a pump and paying Valvue Sewer District a wheeling charge in addition to the sewer charge or the City would have to explore ways to pump across the river, which is not feasible due to regulatory requirements. Currently, the area receives water service from Tukwila. Agreeing to the proposal would provide residents with sewer services sooner rather than later. Councilmember Linder referred to possible service comparisons by residents served by Tukwila and Valvue Sewer and the possibility of perceived pricing inequities by citizens served by Valvue Sewer. Manager Brodin indicated Valvue Sewer had also addressed the issue and expressed willingness to work within the same pricing schedules, as Tukwila to ensure citizens would be paying a comparable rate that Tukwila's customers are paying. Councilmember Haggerton suggested developing an interlocal agreement to address the issues. Manager Brodin affirmed that an interlocal agreement would document responsibilities of each agency. He referred to a number of issues that could be included in the agreement such as future actions involving other sewer agencies that might be involved in future projects in the area. Standards and permits would also require an interlocal or franchise agreement. Mayor Mullet advised the Council of pending issues to be addressed. They include the pending contract with Gray and Osborne, the Valvue Sewer proposal and how to resolve future service issues, and the technical problems associated with services to the Foster Point area. City of Tukwila City Council of Whole Meeting Minutes Page 6 of 9 March 27, 2000 Councilmembers concurred with authorizing the Mayor to sign the Gray and Osborne contract and moved action on the contract to the next regular Council meeting. a. An ordinance approving the creation of a public authority to be designated as the Valley Communications Center Development Authority. Administrator McFarland reported the purpose of the ordinance is to recognize the City of Kent as the legal organization for building the new Valley Com building. He referred to the bylaws and charter and asked the Council for input. Councilmember Hernandez said the Finance and Safety Committee had reviewed the issue. She noted it was interesting that some of the non member cities, which are subscribers, would be participating in the funding of the new building, which reduces costs to the three- member cities. Councilmembers agreed to move the ordinance to the next regular meeting for adoption. b. Draft Council travel policy Councilmember Hernandez reported the travel policy is a beginning draft establishing guidelines for Council travel. She suggested the Council review the draft and discuss issues. The policy could also be helpful in preparing next year's budget. Councilmember Carter referred to the previous goal of sending two Councilmembers to each of the NLC conferences. She suggested including the goal in the policy as it is more valuable and effective for two Councilmembers to attend. She noted that several other provisions within the draft would need to revised to include the provision and shared reasons why it would be beneficial to the City to send two Councilmembers in addition to any Councilmember assigned to the NLC Board or committees. Discussion ensued between Councilmembers on the positives and negatives of Councilmember Carter's suggestion. Councilmember Fenton suggested including flexibility within the policy. Councilmember Haggerton suggested the policy could be returned to the committee for additional work and acknowledged the need for some general guidelines due to the future prospect of new Councilmembers on the Council who may not be as compatible as the current Council on matters of representation at conferences and other meetings. Councilmember Linder concurred with including some flexibility within the policy due to unforeseen circumstances in the future. She suggested the guidelines should incorporate encouragement and recommendation for travel arrangements to be processed in a timely manner to take advantage of advanced reduced airline and hotel fees. Councilmember Carter suggested including a goal to send a specified number of Councilmembers to conferences and meetings with any exceptions approved by a motion of the Council. City of Tukwila City Council of Whole Meeting Minutes Page 7 of 9 March 27, 2000 Councilmembers agreed with the need to document attendance at conferences for budgeting purposes and to obtain the best travel rates. Councilmember Hernandez suggested some type of policy would be helpful to assist in establishing priorities. She suggested revising #3 under Section A. National to reflect that travel to each NLC conference shall be limited to three Councilmembers, excluding any member on the NLC Steering or Policy Committee. The majority of the Council preferred limiting attendance to two Councilmembers at any NLC conference, with the exception of a member on the NLC Steering or Policy Committee Council President Duffle referred the policy to the Committee for further refinement and review. REPORTS: a. Mayor Mayor Mullet reported staff met with a consultant from Los Angeles who specializes in obtaining Section 108 loans and grants. The consultant suggested Tukwila has an excellent opportunity to obtain some funding for Highway 99 revitalization efforts. Mayor Mullet said the basic contract would be approximately $29,000 plus miscellaneous expenses, up to $2,500. Mayor Mullet announced the establishment of a "firing range hotline number." The number, 431 -3652 is available for citizens to call to register complaints about range firing noise. Mayor Mullet referred to previous comments from the Council and concerns by the Mayor's office has prompted a front page article in the Hazelnut newsletter on community pride and what citizen's should be doing to combat litter and garbage within the community. Mayor Mullet informed the Council he, City Consultant Mike Ragsdale, and Administer McFarland would be in Olympia on March 25th. The next phase concerning Sound Transit is the Senate version of what the House passed for Sound Transit. Administrator McFarland noted the City's position at this point is more favorable from a legislative viewpoint than Sound Transit's. He shared efforts the City is pursuing with legislative contacts and others concerning Tukwila's preferred Sound Transit route. b. City Council Councilmember Hernandez attended a March 21s REACH meeting along with Councilmember Simpson. A copy of the organization's 2000 goals was distributed to Councilmembers. She also attended a workshop on "Violence Within the Workplace" and announced a United Way presentation would be held at the United Good Neighbor Center in Renton on the homeless initiative from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on March 31, 200. City of Tukwila City Council of Whole Meeting Minutes Page 8 of 9 March 27, 2000 Councilmember Carter referred to materials from Puget Sound Regional Council pertaining to recent studies documenting a pre -I -695 return of 89¢ per dollar is received on transportation tax collected within the Puget Sound Region. After I -695, the return is now 50¢ per dollar. Councilmember Carter shared information on a Housing and Urban Centers conference with Mayor Mullet. She also attended a Tukwila Community Cares Network meeting on March 22. Councilmember Carter attended a "Young Authors Day" event on Friday, March 24 at the elementary school. She also attended a subcommittee meeting of the King County Transportation Coalition. Councilmember Carter shared that property near Cascade View will be on the market for $190,000. Council President Duffie had the opportunity to visit with students at Foster Point High School to discuss the Junior Councilmember organization. Councilmember Haggerton announced that after the meeting of the Resource Planning Committee of Cascade Water Alliance, provisions were drafted for negotiating terms desired by Cascade Water Alliance with the City of Seattle. A letter of was sent to the Director of Seattle Public Utilities. Councilmember Haggerton reported on at the recent Sound Transit meeting and how effective Sound Transit personnel were in answering the public's questions. Jackie Mills, in charge of real estate transactions for property relocations caused by Sound Transit revealed that in most cases, the homeowner benefits from relocation under Sound Transit's program. Mayor Mullet reassured the Council that Director Morrow, after reviewing safety concerns with Olympic pipeline, believes the pipeline is safe through Tukwila and additional testing on the pipeline would be accomplished. Councilmember Fenton recently toured Sabey's building #2 last week. His entire operation is moving to the fourth floor of building #2 and will be operating by April 4 The rest of the building is approximately 95% occupied. Building #3 is on schedule. Councilmember Simpson attended the Utilities Committee and REACH meetings. c. Staff Consultant Mike Ragsdale updated the Council on recent events pertaining to Tukwila Village. A report will be provided to the Council in the next several weeks from Mithun Partners on the recommendations from the Council on the City's space needs. City of Tukwila City Council of Whole Meeting Minutes Page 9 of 9 March 27, 2000 The City is in the final stages of concluding the swap with King County Housing Authority for parking for their facility in return for a parcel on 144` By making the trade, both agencies will benefit. The demolition bid closes on March 31. The City has already received six bids. Administrator McFarland said he expects to award a contract within the next several weeks. Mr. Ragsdale announced that a full report on the Economic Development Program previously authorized by the Council would be presented to the Council at the next regular meeting. The process of developing an advisory committee is currently being undertaken. Administrator McFarland reported May 2 is the anticipated date for a joint City Council /School Board meeting. He announced that Director Don Williams would be presenting a plan to the School Board on using the pool site for a skateboard park at its next meeting. Mayor Mullet reported a presentation on the Casey Foundation would be presented at the joint meeting. He shared that he and City staff attended a meeting with the Casey Foundation on the proposed program. Administrator McFarland announced that a quarterly review of the budget would be scheduled in April and suggested conducting an afternoon meeting off site and on a non scheduled meeting night. Councilmember Fenton offered the use of his property for the meeting site. The Council concurred with holding the budget review on a Tuesday afternoon. Administrator McFarland outlined future budget reviews during 2000. MISCELLANEOUS: Councilmember Carter suggested scheduling future budget reviews on a Tuesday as three Councilmembers have Tuesday's scheduled for committee meetings. It may mean adjusting a committee meeting once a quarter. ADJOURNMENT: Councilmember Fenton moved, seconded by Councilmember Linder, to adjourn the meeting at 10:08 p.m. The motion carried 7 -0. J 15'uf C: ncil Presid g &Kid' Robert H. Baker, CMC, Deputy City Clerk For Valerie Gow, Recording Secretary Date Minutes Signe S /00