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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2011-03-28 Committee of the Whole Minutes Tukwila City Council Committee of the Whole Meeting City Hall Council Chambers March 28, 2011 7:00 P.M. o MINUTES COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING CALL TO ORDER/PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Council President Ekberg called the Tukwila City Council meeting to order at 7:02 p.m. and led the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance. OFFICIALS Present were Allan Ekberg, Council President, Councilmembers Joe Duffie, Joan Hernandez, Dennis Robertson, Verna Seal, Kathy Hougardy, De'Sean Quinn. CITY OFFICIALS Jim Haggerton, Mayor; Steve Lancaster, City Administrator; Mike Villa, Assistant Police Chief; Shawn Hunstock, Finance Director; Rick Still, Parks and Recreation Director; Jack Pace, Community Development Director; Bob Benedicto, Building Official; Minnie Dhaliwal, Planning Supervisor; Don Tomaso, Fire Marshal; Brandon Miles, Senior Planner; Kimberly Matej, Council Analyst; Barbara Saxton, Administrative Support Coordinator. PRESENTATIONS Introduction of Dawn Zuger, Records Specialist. Mike Villa, Assistant Police Chief, introduced the City's new Police Records Specialist, Dawn Zuger, to the Council. She has a background in law enforcement, starting in 2004 as an intern with the Seattle Police Guild and then as a Trooper Cadet with the Washington State Patrol. She later worked as a dispatcher /call receiver with the City of Seattle. Ms. Zuger has a BA with a double major in law societies and justice and also sociology from the University of Washington. Ms. Zuger expressed her appreciation for the opportunity and looks forward to working with everyone in the future. CITIZEN COMMENTS There were no citizen comments. SPECIAL ISSUES a. Code Amendments: (1) Five -story type V -A construction. Councilmember Hougardy indicated this item was discussed at the Finance Safety Committee meeting on March 22, 2011. The committee members were unanimous in recommending approval. Bob Benedicto, Building Official, stated the intent of the ordinance is to amend the portion of the Building Code that currently restricts a conventional wood frame building to 4 stories and allow an increase of 1 story. This would increase the maximum from 4 stories to 5 stories while maintaining the same maximum allowable building height of 70 feet. This change allows developers to use a more economical type construction for multi -story residential structures without reducing the fire and life safety requirements. These structures could also be placed over a Type 1 (non combustible concrete) base that could house parking, assembly or mercantile uses on the lower level. The 5 -story wood -frame building on top of that is then known as a 5 over 1 element. Tukwila City Council Committee of the Whole Minutes March 28, 2011 Page 2 of 9 The State Building Code Council has adopted a rule (effective July 1, 2011) that will allow a 5 -story structure when the building is provided with an automatic fire sprinkler system. The ordinance the City is proposing requires additional features that will make the buildings even safer, including a fully automatic fire alarm system, 2 -hour fire resistive construction of the exit stair enclosures, and pressurized stair and elevator shaft enclosures. Mr. Benedicto noted the Tukwila Village project could benefit from this change, and there has been an inquiry from a developer interested in doing a project in the Urban Center. Council President Ekberg asked for an explanation of the concept behind the pressurized exit ramps and stairwells. Mr. Benedicto explained a call for the fire alarm activates the mechanical system, which increases the pressure in the stair shafts and elevator shaft, keeping smoke from migrating up the shaft and into the apartment corridors and other areas of the building. Mr. Benedicto also explained the 25 percent increase to the total allowable area allows for a larger leasable area, which will assist developers with capitalizing the cost of a parking garage structure (the most expensive part of the building), even with the City's increased fire safety requirements. Council discussion included noting that several neighboring cities (Federal Way, Sea -Tac, and Burien) have adopted these code amendments. COUNCIL CONSENSUS EXISTED TO FORWARD THIS ITEM TO THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING. (2) Fire code updates: (a) Fire sprinklers (b) Fire alarms (c) High -rise construction (d) Mid -rise construction (3) Fire Code amendment regarding fire lane violations. Councilmember Hougardy indicated these items were discussed at the Finance Safety Committee meeting on March 22, 2011. The committee members were unanimous in recommending approval. Don Tomaso, Fire Marshal, used a PowerPoint presentation to recap the five fire code ordinances. Fire lane violations: A Fire Code revision adopted in 2008 changed all fire code violations to gross misdemeanors. This change means suppression line personnel must identify a vehicle driver, rather than issuing a citation to the vehicle owner. Due to concerns for firefighter safety in confronting a driver, it would be preferable to change fire lane violations back to a civil infraction, which allows a citation to be issued to the registered owner of the vehicle. There were several changes that were common to the fire sprinkler, fire alarm, high -rise construction and mid -rise construction ordinances. These included: raising reinspection fees from $80 to $100, raising the plan review base fee from $75 to $100, adding a section on resubmittals with an additional plan review fee of $200, and adding a section specifying that fire permits will expire in 180 days if there have been no inspections. The mid -rise construction ordinance is a new ordinance that will apply to buildings between 40 and 75 feet and bring them into compliance with the Building Code. The requirements are in line with the City's past practice of using engineered fire control features to make the building safer. The high -rise construction ordinance is being modified to exclude buildings under 75 feet. Labor Industries has a new requirement (that will also apply to mid -rise construction) for rapid intervention teams to have a separate water source. To accommodate this, a second standpipe will be required in one stair tower with a separate fire department connection and separate water supply. This will provide a dedicated water source separate from the suppression system. Tukwila City Council Committee of the Whole Minutes March 28, 2011 Page 3 of 9 The fire alarm ordinance includes new language requiring all rooms 130 square feet or larger to have an audible /visual device. It also includes a provision to have non sprinklered multi family dwellings install heat detection within the units upon change in ownership. Mr. Tomaso noted there have been three events since heat detectors were installed following an ownership change last year at the Boulevard at South Station (formerly known as Park Place by the Wood), and they were key to saving the building. Another provision requires all commercial /industrial buildings equipped with an existing fire alarm system to upgrade to current fire alarm ordinance requirements when sold. With the change in technology, most fire alarm panels installed today are addressable systems, which give the responding unit a more precise location of the alarm. This shortens the on -scene time by 30 minutes. The new systems are also more cost effective for owners during annual maintenance or when identifying an alarm problem. Another code addition addresses the light intensity of strobes, which are required to be a 110 candela for a wall- mounted strobe or 177 candela for a ceiling- mounted strobe. It has been determined these levels provide enough light to wake someone from their sleep. The fire sprinkler ordinance reduces the threshold from 5,000 square feet to 500 square feet for requiring a sprinkler system in new buildings. The 500 square -foot level was agreed upon with the City Building Official, and would exempt structures the size of most coffee stands, for example. In conjunction with that requirement, the ordinance would adopt Appendixes R and S from the State Building Code, which would require one- and two- family dwellings to install a residential sprinkler system. Mr. Tomaso clarified a provision in the code that states you must comply with current sprinkler ordinance requirements if habitable square footage is increased. He noted this requirement would only apply to new residential construction —not residential remodels —and is estimated to affect 8 to 12 houses per year. Mr. Tomaso indicated the Fire Department will be tracking those installations in order to assess the true impact of residential sprinkler costs. Council discussion included concern about the effect requiring sprinklers in residences will have on the cost of housing; the desire to make the City safer for residents and businesses; and that improvements in sprinkler systems over the last 20 years have made accidental discharge of sprinkler systems fairly rare. Council President Ekberg asked for clarification on the penalty fee for fire lane parking violations. Language in the existing ordinance (No. 2290) states the fine as "not more than $75.00," compared to the language in the new ordinance of "not to exceed $5,000." Mr. Tomaso will check with the City Attorney's office regarding the language in TMC Section 16.16.070, C., paragraph 18. COUNCIL CONSENSUS EXISTED TO FORWARD THESE ITEMS TO THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING. b. Leasing of City property for digital billboard. Councilmember Seal indicated this item was discussed at the Community Affairs and Parks Committee meeting on March 14, 2011. The committee members were unanimous in recommending approval. Councilmember Seal explained the City owns a 9,000- square -foot parcel at the northeast corner of W. Valley Hwy and S. 180th St. NC Power Systems has been using that piece of property, which is one the City had identified for possible sale. The City has explored options for use of the property with NC Power Systems, who indicated they do not need the property. The City then entered into discussions with Clear Channel Outdoor for installation of a digital billboard at that location. The property has an assessed value of $115,000. Terms of the agreement are a lease rate of $25,000 per year, which would be increased 7 -1/2 percent every 5 years for up to 15 years, at which time the City and Clear Channel can decide to continue the arrangement or have Clear Channel vacate the property. The proposed lease agreement will generate over $400,000 in revenue to the City over the 15 -year term, while also allowing the City to retain the property for any future needs such as right -of -way improvements. Brandon Miles, Senior Planner, displayed an aerial photo of the location. As part of the Sign Code update, two "billboard receiving areas" were created, and this location is one of those areas. The other is at Boeing Access Road and East Marginal Way. The goal was to allow new billboards on the condition Tukwila City Council Committee of the Whole Minutes March 28, 2011 Page 4 of 9 that existing billboards were removed. In order for Clear Channel to construct a billboard on this property, they would need to remove 10 other billboard faces in the City. The removal of those billboards could only happen in "billboard sending areas," which includes the entire City except the two billboard receiving areas. The lease agreement provides revenue from a piece of property the City is currently not receiving any direct income from, and secures the removal of billboards in other areas of the City. In response to a question from Council, Mr. Miles clarified the legalities of driving over a City sidewalk. The City has no strict prohibition about driving over sidewalks; the prohibition is on creating unapproved access points. If the access were to be over the sidewalk in this situation, Clear Channel would need permission from the Public Works Department, and as part of that permit the City would mitigate any conditions of driving over the sidewalk. He explained that in this case there may be some need to drive over the sidewalk to access the property in order to build the billboard structure, after which access would be required once a month at the most. COUNCIL CONSENSUS EXISTED TO FORWARD THIS ITEM TO THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING, WITH COUNCILMEMBER DUFFIE DISSENTING. c. North Highline annexation.. Councilmember Seal indicated this item was discussed at the Community Affairs and Parks Committee meeting on March 14, 2011. The committee members were unanimous in recommending approval. Minnie Dhaliwal, Planning Supervisor, provided background on the Potential Annexation Area (PAA). Tukwila designated this area as a PAA in the Comprehensive Plan in 1995. The area is roughly 135 acres, and existing uses include Light Industrial, Office, a parcel used as a City Light substation, and potentially a few residences. Based on the City's preliminary fiscal analysis, a conservative estimate is that the revenue to be gained from this annexation would outweigh the costs. The area in question is a small piece of a larger North Highline Annexation area, which was divided into two areas. Burien annexed the south portion in 2009, and entered into an agreement with Seattle that Seattle would get the north portion. That agreement is valid until December 2011. Tukwila's small piece overlaps with Seattle (not Burien), and King County Planning Land Use policies require a negotiated process to settle the overlap. Under that policy, Seattle initiated a negotiated process and requested a meeting with all parties Burien, Seattle, Tukwila, the fire district that serves the area, and King County). Because of their agreement with Burien, Seattle was under a tight deadline to make a decision. There are several methods available for the annexation including: (1) vote by the residents (the estimated 41 people living there); (2) petition by property owners, if they believe annexing to Tukwila is a good idea: and (3) interlocal agreement. The agenda item being discussed is a resolution for the interlocal agreement annexation method in which the City would actually negotiate with King County. The negotiation process for the overlap would start with meeting dates in April between all the parties involved. Ms. Dhaliwal confirmed this resolution does not commit Tukwila to the annexation; it just starts the process to begin negotiations. Staff will continue to work on a more detailed cost benefit analysis. Council discussion noted that although potential revenues totaling approximately $450,000 are outlined in the agenda packet (page 101), a corresponding expenditure outline is still needed. The information provided also suggests additional costs would be incurred by the City for fire, police, road maintenance and court services, and longer response times to the area are anticipated. COUNCIL CONSENSUS EXISTED TO FORWARD THIS ITEM TO THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING. d. Bid award for 34 golf carts. Councilmember Seal indicated this item was discussed at the Community Affairs and Parks Committee meeting on March 14, 2011. The committee members forwarded this item to the Committee of the Whole meeting for discussion by the full Council, with no recommendation. Rick Still, Parks Recreation Director, explained this item would result in the purchase of 34 gas powered golf carts and the trade -in of 10 carts. Prior to 2005 Foster Golf Links leased all the carts Tukwila City Council Committee of the Whole Minutes March 28, 2011 Page 5 of 9 annually. When the new clubhouse was built, it was determined additional revenue could be earned by buying carts and renting them to customers. In 2005 the City entered into a lease -to -own program for 34 carts, which was supplemented during the high season with an additional 24 carts. That lease has now expired. Some of those carts now need maintenance and /or replacement, and options include: 1. Continue with the 34 carts currently owned and the short-term lease of an additional 24 carts. 2. Utilize the National Intergovernmental Purchasing Alliance Company (NIPA) program. 3. Reduce the number of carts purchased and acquire an additional 14 carts through a short-term lease. 4. Purchase 34 carts and discontinue the short-term lease program. (Recommended option) The recommended alternative provides the greatest long -term financial benefits for the golf course operations. Mr. Still reported the carts do pay for themselves in a year, and the budget already accounts for some of that revenue. By purchasing the carts, revenue may be increased during the two "fringe" months on either side of the high season (April, May, September and October). The budget includes $27,766 for lease money and the short term lease program. An additional $57,000 would be available if the current Golf Lead Maintenance Specialist position is left vacant. The recommended option may result in the potential impact of a negative $14,800 to the year -end fund balance in the first year. The balance would then increase significantly every year after that, and the figures show option 4 to be the best option at the end of the term (reference Attachment 1 on page 123 of the agenda packet). Mr. Still noted a request for proposal (RFP) for a business plan would also be recommended, including review of golf course operations, marketing, fees, and how the City can begin to recoup more costs and increase revenue (reference Attachment 2 on page 125 of the agenda packet). In response to a question from Council, Mr. Still clarified that during the peak summer months the course would need more than 34 carts. With the recommended option, the City would purchase 34 new carts and retain 24 of the 34 the City currently owns. Those 24 old carts would require approximately $12,000 in maintenance costs. Council discussion included: Acknowledgement that the recommended option reflects a short-term loss and long -term gain and is within the current budgeted amounts. New carts would be more fuel efficient and regulated to a lower speed. Whether it would be more prudent to maintain the existing carts and have Council discuss the future of the golf course this year. The effect delaying a decision would have on the proposed agreement with the vendor and scheduled delivery date of an interim fleet, and whether the City would be able to negotiate the same deal later. The fact that the golf course pays sales tax into the General Fund from the proceeds of the users and into the 501 Equipment Fund, a portion of which goes toward the director's salary, and the desire to not impact the course's ability to generate revenue. Clarification that the $10,000 amount budgeted in the fund balance breakdown on page 120 of the agenda packet should be shown as a negative amount. While not desirable, a negative fund balance may make sense in the long -term, especially in the case of an enterprise fund, in order to give the golf course the best chance to compete and be successful. Whether a business plan review and Council discussions could be completed in one year. Either option would result in the same number of golf carts being available during the high months; the difference would be the lease payment. The main potential for additional revenue from the golf course would be in the fringe months, and any possible large tournaments during the year. COUNCIL CONSENSUS EXISTED TO FORWARD THIS ITEM TO THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING, WITH ROBERTSON, EKBERG AND HOUGARDY DISSENTING. Tukwila City Council Committee of the Whole Minutes March 28, 2011 Page 6 of 9 e. An ordinance to raise the tax rate applied to social card rooms. Shawn Hunstock indicated this item was discussed at the City Council meeting on February 22, 2011, at which time the item was deferred to a future Committee of the Whole meeting. The ordinance proposes an increase in the gambling tax rate on social card rooms in the City from 10 to 15 percent. The informational memo on page 141 of the agenda packet reviews the gambling tax rate on social card rooms in neighboring jurisdictions, which range from 4% to 11 (Mr. Hunstock noted Auburn just recently reduced their rate to 4 In preparation for this agenda item, Mr. Hunstock contacted the casinos in Tukwila and signed non- disclosure agreements with all three. One of the three casinos operates 4 card tables; the other two each operate 15 tables. Approximately 75 percent of their revenue comes from the card tables; the other 15 percent comes primarily from food and beverage sales and other miscellaneous revenue. Based on his review of the financial statements of the three casinos, Mr. Hunstock stated his professional opinion is that at least one (and more than likely two) of the casinos would operate immediately in a negative cash flow by virtue of a gambling tax increase to 15 percent. The third casino would have a decreased profitability situation, and the increase would more than likely hasten the closure of two, if not all three, of the casinos before the end of the 5 -year sunset provision in the recently adopted ordinance. Staff recommendation is to not adopt the gambling tax rate increase. In response to a question from Council, Mr. Hunstock explained all three casinos are independently audited by certified public accountants, and two of the three are publicly traded and subject to overview by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The financial statements of those two are available for the public for investment information and subject to public disclosure and other requirements by the SEC. Councilmember Hernandez stated that she had preferred the tax rate increase ordinance to the moratorium ordinance when the issue was considered in February as it would allow a more moderate progressive method of achieving the same goal. She asked if there was support for this ordinance to increase the tax rate— possibly at a lower rate —if the moratorium ordinance were to be repealed. She noted the gambling tax rate has not been increased since 1976. The tax rate in Kent and Burien is 11 percent. 8:44 p.m. Councilmember Duffie left the Council Chambers. Victor Mena, 3964 262nd Ave. SE., Issaquah, stated he is Chief Operating Officer for Washington Gold Casinos. The tax increase would remove any hope of his company being able to recoup its financial investment in the City of Tukwila. When' the company's CEO spoke to Council in February, he made the point they could not financially handle this type of tax hike in the current economic environment. Mr. Mena indicated they had provided financial information derived from the receivership of the business they took over, as the business was in bankruptcy. They provided two years of information for 2008 and 2009, as well as a combined 2010. In order for them to not lose their investment completely, they need this tax increase to not go through. David Fretz, 18300 Cascade Ave. S., stated the question of raising taxes in this economic time is shocking. Three jurisdictions in the state have actually lowered the gambling tax. With a 50% tax increase, his company would make zero in 2010, and the City of Tukwila would make a million dollars. There are three cities that have dropped their taxes (20% to 10% in Federal Way, 12% to 4% in Auburn, and 12% to 6% in Arlington). Any tax increase goes against the previous notion that they would have the 5 -year sunset period to recoup their investment. Mr. Fretz noted he would like to talk about other possibilities and alternatives, but he feels there are too many special interest groups that affect legislation and it would be difficult to get them to agree to what the cities want. He encouraged the City of Tukwila to join other cities and the Association of Washington Cities in the effort to reach a solution. 8:50 p.m. Councilmember Duffie returned to the Council Chambers. Tukwila City Council Committee of the Whole Minutes March 28, 2011 Page 7 of 9 Mark Palmer, Great American Casino, 14040 Interurban, stated he is the General Manager of the Great American Casino. With passage of the recent ordinance, he felt there was an understanding the company needed at least 5 years to recoup their investment. If the goal is to close the casino sooner, a surefire way would be to increase their taxes by 50 percent. He noted taxes are based on their gross revenue before they pay the light bill, employee wages, health benefits, etc. He asked the Council to allow them to have the best shot at recouping their investment. Councilmember Robertson relayed that the State's current law does not allow the City to control the location of casinos. He said he may be open to changing the decision made previously on this issue if the State were to change the law, but he does not feel that is likely to happen. He does not wish to raise costs to the casinos further or make it more difficult for them to generate revenue during this 5 -year period. Councilmember Hernandez referenced a note on an older agenda asking, "Have we exercised all of our options She feels the tax ordinance would be a potential option, with the same goal and same effect but a different way to get there. She stated she is willing to make compromises, and if other members of the Council ever wanted to reconsider their previous decision, this would be the time. Councilmember Quinn agreed the City may have been able to accomplish their goal by choosing a different approach. There are certain considerations and approaches the Council may be more open to if the previous decision was different. Councilmember Hougardy stated the logic behind raising the taxes 1 is valid as they have not been raised in a long time; however, the current economic climate is not a good time to raise taxes. Councilmember Duffie stated he is not in favor of moving the issue forward. Council President Ekberg confirmed with the Council that there was not consensus to move this item forward. Council President Ekberg summarized there has been a suggestion to revisit some previous decisions made in light of the discussion at this meeting. Councilmember Hernandez asked staff whether their recommendation to not pass the ordinance tonight would have been different if Council had agreed to repeal the previous ordinance and pass this one in its place. In response, Mayor Haggerton stated he had been in favor of a slight increase in the gambling tax several months ago— before action was taken on the 5 -year sunset clause ordinance. After that ordinance passed, he feels the City should back off on the tax rate increase. Since there is no consensus to move this item forward, Council could give staff direction for a new ordinance. Councilmember Robertson stated these are two unrelated issues. The moratorium ordinance was due to the City having no zoning control and nothing has changed on that, and the taxation issue is entirely different. Councilmember Quinn agreed they are separate issues, and he would be open to having this discussion go further as there is new information worth considering. Councilmember Seal agreed with Councilmember Quinn, saying one of the main reasons she voted the way she did in the last vote is she feels there are other options. New information has come to light and they have had time to think strategically about the different issues. She stated she would like to see more discussion. Councilmember Duffie stated he voted in favor of the moratorium ordinance based on what he heard from citizens of the City. The only way he would be open to putting this issue back on the table would be if the following question was put on the ballot to the citizens: "Do we want to allow gambling in the City? Yes or no." Tukwila City Council Committee of the Whole Minutes March 28, 2011 Page 8 of 9 Councilmember Quinn indicated the City has new information about statistics and the revenue generated by casinos, rand a question was asked by a Councilmember as to whether there was interest. He stated he does have interest. Councilmember Hougardy stated the Council has discussed the issue for quite some time and feels that information was known previously. Councilmember Robertson expressed concern that this discussion was straying from the agenda item, which was regarding the tax increase. He noted this issue was closely followed by a large number of citizens, and if the discussion is to continue, the citizens should be allowed to participate or listen. Councilmember Hernandez clarified she may have said she could support the proposed ordinance before them tonight if the other ordinance was withdrawn or repealed, and could possibly support it at a lower percentage. Since there did not appear to be any support to do that, she did not carry it any further. While Councilmember Robertson stated he felt the issues are not related, she feels a lot of the information does overlap. Her decisions were based on discussions from a combination of prior meetings. She would have possibly preferred the ordinance this evening over the one passed earlier, but since there had not been an opportunity to discuss this one until now, people had formed their opinions and at this point it may be moot to go forward with it. She would still like an opportunity for further discussion. Councilmember Hougardy stated she wants to be sure of Council consensus to bring this item back to staff before putting the community through discussion on this issue again. Council President Ekberg stated his understanding is that unless a majority member decides to put the issue back on the table for discussion by stating he or she will rescind his /her vote, there would be no further action at this point. Steve Lancaster, City Administrator, explained the City Attorney has advised that because of the time that has elapsed since the ordinance was adopted, there is no opportunity for one of the majority voters to rescind their vote or request reconsideration. Appropriate action at this point in time would be consideration of a new ordinance repealing the ordinance in question and /or replacing it with something else —and that would be subject to a majority vote of the Council. It could be brought forward through a consensus of the Council or through (any) four Councilmembers requesting it be put on an agenda, and then it would be a new ordinance vote. REPORTS a. Mayor Mayor Haggerton toured the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) area on March 25, 2011, with representatives from Congressman Adam Smith's office and Congressman Jim McDermott's office and some local residents. On March 26, 2011 he participated in the Bowl -a -thon at ACME Bowl on behalf of the Tukwila Pantry, which raised close to $10,000. On March 28, 2011 he attended the groundbreaking for a new business called iFly, an indoor skydiving business that will be located in a new building at the end of Andover Park West. On March 28, 2011, he also attended an executive committee meeting of the King County Flood Control District with Mayors of the four valley cities to discuss levee certification and levee vegetation. He stated there is a need to clarify the meaning of certification, and he recommended the County Council set a goal and policies to achieve that goal. Mayor Haggerton reported that several City staff members attended the groundbreaking and kick -off for the Klickitat project at 4:30 this morning, which was covered by the local TV stations. Tukwila City Council Committee of the Whole Minutes March 28, 2011 Page 9 of 9 b. City Council Councilmember Duffie stated he feels the advance publicity about the impacts of the Klickitat project has been good, including the morning news today. He attended the groundbreaking for iFly today, March 28, 2011. Councilmember Hernandez attended the Highline Forum meeting on March 23, 2011. She reported they are inviting people to another Part 150 study on April 9, 2011. At the meeting she asked about the parking situation with Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees at the light rail station. She was told there is an employee parking garage at the airport, but there is a charge to park there. Councilmember Seal participated in the National League of Cities (NLC) audio conference on March 24, 2011, entitled "Community Attachment and Civic Engagement: Key Lessons and Opportunities for Municipal Leaders," which was about the use of technology to reach out to the community. The audio is available under the Institute for Youth, Education and Families area of the NLC website. Councilmember Hougardy participated in the Bowl -a -thon on behalf of Tukwila Pantry on March 26, 2011. She also noted the former chair of the Pantry won the 50/50 raffle and donated the money back, which will include matching funds from her employer. On March 23, 2011 Councilmember Hougardy attended the Suburban Cities Association dinner where Congressman Jay Inslee spoke. Councilmember Quinn attended the BNSF tour on March 25, 2011 with Mayor Haggerton and representatives from the Congressional offices. He stated the situation is going to be challenging, and noted the neighborhood participants are very engaged and very concerned about the issue. c. Staff There was no report. d. City Attorney The City Attorney's presence is not required at Committee of the Whole meetings. e. Intergovernmental Kimberly Matej, Council Analyst, reminded Council of the work session tomorrow, March 29, 2011, for additional discussion on the Tukwila Pool Metropolitan Park District formation. There will be no voting or decisions made at the work session. MISCELLANEOUS Councilmember Duffie notified Council the school district will hold a budget meeting on April 12, 2011 at 5:00 p.m. at the administration building. ADJOURNMENT 9:47 p.m. COUNCIL PRESIDENT EKBERG DECLARED THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING ADJOURN Allan Ekberg, Council President Barbara Saxton, Adm1nistri tive Support Coordinator APPROVED AND SIGNED BY THE COUNCIL PRESIDENT ON 4/20/2011 AVAILABLE ON CITY WEBSITE ON 4/21/2011