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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1993-01-25 Committee of the Whole MinutesJanuary 25, 1993 Tukwila City Hall 7:00 p.m. Council Chambers COMMITT :E OF THE WHOLE MEETING MINUTES fr TUKWILA CITY COUNCIL CALL TO ORDER Council President Steve Lawrence called the Committee of The Whole Meeting of the Tukwila City Council to order and led the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance. COUNCILMEMBERS STEVE LAWRENCE, Council President; JOE DUFFIE, JOAN HERNANDEZ, DENNIS ROBERTSON, CHARLIE SIMPSON, ALLAN EKBERG, STEVE MULLET. OFFICIALS LINDA COHEN, City Attorney; LUCY LAUTERBACH, Council Analyst; ROSS EARNST/RON CAMERON/DOUG MICHEAU, Public Works; RON WALDNER, Police Chief; ALAN DOERSCHEL, Finance Director. SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS Mayor Rants presented Finance Director Alan Doerschel with the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) award. This award was presented to Doerschel for his Excellence in Financial Reporting of the City of Tukwila Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for fiscal year ending December 31, 1991. Doerschel has won this award for five (5) consecutive years. Doerschel credited his staff and the City Clerk's staff for the success of the Financial Report. CITIZEN'S COMMENTS Martin Bettenhausen, Post Office Box 1761, Renton, Washington, commented that he recently sent a letter to Karen Stromme, Washington State Auditor's Office, accusing the City of Tukwila and the City of Kent Police personnel of unreasonable harassment, intimidation, humiliation and provocation. He read the letter to the Council asked that they investigate this matter. The Council agreed that matter will be reviewed in the Finance and Safety Committee meeting. SPECIAL ISSUES Doug Micheau, Public Works Coordinator, explained Commuter trip that the City is required to adopt and implement a reduction. Commute Trip Reduction Ordinance by the end of this month. The ordinance draft was prepared by Metro as a part of the contracted services for CTR program development for the City. He said the draft has evolved over the past four months as a result of input by local jurisdictions in numerous meetings and work groups of the King County Commute Trip Reduction Coordinating Committee. He said the draft ordinance is consistent on the points of major importance for local jurisdictions. However, it has been simplified in those areas where there was flexibility so as to minimize the burden to employers while satisfying the legal requirements. A lengthy discussion ensued. In response to some of the Council's questions, Micheau explained that Tukwila is in the South King Zone (CTR Zone) which by research has been determined to be at a level of about 85% in occupant vehicles. He said Metro is using the City's business license files along with records from the Employment Security Division to identify targeted mployers. State statutes require that the plan be submitted within six (6) months after adoption of the ordinance which will be around mid -year. What we received in terms of Commute Trip Reduction implementation funds over the first biennium from the state amounted to about $67,000. The total bill for Metro's implementation of Phase 1 and Phase 2 totals around $48,000. Council President Lawrence informed the Council that a public hearing is scheduled for next week's Regular Council for public input on this issue. CBD sidewalk Ron Cameron reviewed drawings of the CBD S dewalk/Tree/Walkway Plan. He stated that the 1992 Strander sidewalk LID design work revealed many problems, trees being the primary issue. The Transportation Committee reviewed the first alternatves, they went back to the drawing board to develop additional alternatives. Strander Committee of The Whole Meeting Minutes January 25, 1993 Page 2 CBD sidewalk (Con't) property owner meetings revealed that they would rather have sidewalks instead of trees. Cameron said considering the problems experienced, substantial savings, and better plan potential, it is recommended to pursue a sidewalk /tree enhancement grant instead of the LID approach. Councilmember Robertson said it appears that the table being referenced indicates the costs are not inclusive of a walkway and tree replanting. It only includes sidewalks. (er7 Cameron responded it's just the sidewalks, it's not a tree plan. Robertson said if the grants are applied for, the total package would probably exceed a million and a half dollars. He said he thinks the information presented misrepresents the costs to the City of being only $300,000. Cameron stated he envision the grant application in phases: the first three phases are the sidewalks and trees on the existing street. The fourth phase would move into the railway, rights of way, pond, etc. He said the purpose of tonight's presentation was not to get approval to submit a million and a half dollar grant but to get direction on whether to develop a new plan and submit 1STEA grant application by April of this year. Robertson said if the grant approach is pursued and the grant is denied, that means the sidewalks will have to be postponed for another year. It will also mean the City runs the risk of someone getting hurt. Robertson suggested going ahead with the LID. If the grant is received in October all that would have been wasted is 5100,000 and the effort that would have gone into the LID. Cameron said the decision rests with the Council on the policy of funding the LID or not. Robertson stated if public money were to be given away he'd rather give it to an area that really needs it. The CBD is not a needy area. Cameron commented that from an engineering point of view, he would prefer to stay away from the LID due to the staff time that is involved and the hardship it places on the businesses. However, the final decision rest with the Council and the Mayor. Councilmember Duffie commented that the CBD has been good to the City by way of tax revenues and jobs. He feels the City should give back whenever it can. Duffie says he's not in favor of a LID. I Ie said he aware that the CBD is suppose to be a rich district, but their success is the City's success. He said both areas should be helped, the CBD and Hwy 99. He said we shouldn't take everything away from the CBD and give nothing in return. Councilmember Hernandez stated she has a hard time justifying spending $100,000 of the City's money knowing that the LID might not be the method used. Hernandez says she doesn't think that the CBD would object to postponing the sidewalks for one year if they thought there was a chance they could take advantage of the grant for less than if they LID'd. She would like to proceed with exploring the possibility of what the grant would cost. Robertson posed a question to City Attorney Linda Cohen. He asked her if someone was injured in a section where there was no sidewalk, who would be responsible, the property owner or the City? Attorney Cohen responded she will check into the matter and report back to the Council s soon as possible. Committee of The Whole Meeting Minutes January 25, 1993 Page 3 CBD sidewalk (Con't). REPORTS Counc 'member Ekberg said he's in favor of the City applying for the ISTEA grant money for the sidewalk and the tree replanting in the CBD area. Wait no longer than October to find out if the grant has been approved. If the grant is not received, move forward with the LID. Inform the CBD that the City tried to get money to pay for some of the improvements through the ISTEA grant, but it was denied. Therefore, they will have to bear some of the burden. Ekberg says he has a problem with the City picking up $328,000 of the project funding cost and placing the burden on the CBD. The Mayor urged the Council to be very conservative in spending the taxpayers' money. He also echoed Duffie remarks that whatever impr vements the City places in the CBD only serves to increase the City':, economic vitality and continued maintenance the residential areas. It was the Consensus of the Council to approve application for the grant monies. Earnst explained that the immediate request is for Council approval to have staff proceed with the necessary paper work that will result in a cost. estimate. Once the cost estimate has been estal the grant would be applied for. Mullet asked what will happen in those places where there are sidewalks but no trees. Earnst responded that the goal is to draft a plan for the total CBD whether there are sidewalks are not. If there are sidewalks, it is hoped (under the grant) that we would go back and plant the trees. It was the consensus of the Council to forward the issue of grant applications to the Transportation Committee for further discussion. The Mayor presented the Fourth Quarter Reports and Year -end comments. The Mayor offered high praises to the City's staff and crews for their performance during the recent wind storm. He said as he read the year end summaries from each department, he found them to be literally exhausting. 1992 has been an incredibly busy and productive year. The Mayor said he is proud of the progress we have all made. The Mayor stated that City Administrator McFarland was absent due to his attendance at the South Central School District Task Force meeting. Lawrence expressed concern about the attendance at the last Vision Tukwila meeting. The Mayor responded that Vision Tukwila will be going back into each neighborhood in February. The Mayor reported that he was called today by the Boeing Company. They informed him that t}iere will be a decrease of aircraft production of 30 -from 380 aircraft to 275. Ten thousand jobs will be lost in 1993. Most of those will be through attrition and retirement. Councilmember Hernandez informed the Council there will be a public meeting some time in February for citizens input on the Duwamish Park Improvements. She stated that Don Williams, Parks Director, informed her that a very rough draft of the Park and Open Space Plan is in progress. It will probably be brought before the Council some time in March or April. The Draft Report for the Community Center is complete now and should be coming before the Council around mid February. She announced that Foster Park will be dedicated April 24. It was the consensus of the Council to schedule the Council Retreat for May 1993. Committee of The Whole Meeting Minutes January 25, 1993 Page 4 Reports (Con't). ADJOURNMENT 8:30 p.m. Rober ';on commented that the minutes of the Tukwila Tomorrow Committee were a job well done and that he appreciates receiving them. He said the January 7th Tukwila Tomorrow minutes state there will be approximately twelve topics with twelve background reports prepared by the staff as they move into Phase 2. He requested that each councilmember and the Planning Commission be given a copy of this information at the same time it is mailed to the Tukwila Tomorrow Committee. The Council discussed the order the public hearing should follow next week when the airport issues are addressed. Robertson said we are dealing with two separate issues: should the City provide more money to RCAA and /or should the third runway be opposed or not. Duffi‘t clarified that a public hearing was not held last year to allow citizens' input when the Council approved the $50,000 in support of RCAA. It was the Council consensus to discuss both issues at next week's public hearings. Ekberg requested that in addition to the Saturdays notice, the Tukwila City Council meetings should be listed in Mondays C( mmunity News section of the paper as a second reminder to citizens ,f council meetings. MOVED BY DUFFIE, SECONDED BY SIMPSON, TO ADJOURN TO SPECIAL MEETING AFTER A BRIEF FIVE MINUTE RECESS. MOTION CARRIED. /f L t /t Stye Lawrenc Council President elia Square, D *puty City Clerk CALL TO ORDER Mayor Rants called the Special Meeting of the 8:35 p.m. Tukwila City Council to order. ROLL CALL Same as listed above. OFFICIALS Same as listed above. EXECUTIVE SESSION MOVED BY SIMPSON, SECONDED BY DUFFIE, TO ADJOURN TO EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR ONE (1) HOUR TO DISCUSS LEGAL ISSUES. MOTION CARRIED. ADJOURNMENT MOVED BY DUFFIE, SECONDED BY LAWRENCE, TO 9:25 P.M. ADJOURN THE SPECIAL MEETING. MOTION CARRIED. n �Ytit uJ, 44(1 SPECIAL MEETING MINUTES John V. Rants, Mayor puty City Clerk Celia Square,