HomeMy WebLinkAboutReg 2014-07-21 Item 8C - Report - City Administratormon
City of Tukwila
CITY ADMINISTRATOR REPORT
The City of opportunity, the community of choice
TO: Mayor Haggerton
Councilmembers
FROM: David Cline, City Administrator
DATE: July 16, 2014
SUBJECT: Report for July 21, 2014 Regular Council Meeting
Jim Haggerton, Mayor
The City Administrator Report is meant to provide the Council, staff and community an update
on the activities of the City and on issues that concern Tukwila. Please let me know if you have
any questions or need additional information about any of the following items.
I. Intergovernmental Update
• Monthly City Managers /City Administrators Meetinq: City Administrator David Cline
attended the monthly City Managers /City Administrators meeting.
• After - School Proqramminq: City Administrator David Cline and Human Services
Manager Evie Boykan met with Superintendent Nancy Coogan and representatives of
the Tukwila School District to review the proposals submitted in response to the RFP for
after school programming. Another meeting is scheduled for later this month.
• Major Cuts to Refuqee Servinq Proqrams: The federal Office of Refugee
Resettlement notified Congress that they are redirecting $94 million in funding from
Refugee Assistance program services to the Unaccompanied Alien Children Program.
This will result in a reduction in funds for refugee services to all states. The Washington
State Office of Refugee Immigration Assistance (ORIA) has reduced support of refugee
services including mental health, and general social services. Refugee Women's
Alliance, (ReWa), is scheduled to lose two staff positions in their local office, and will
have to reduce the range of social services assistance they are able to provide. Cities
can expect to see more requests for service.
• Multi- Jurisdictional Meetinq: City Administrator David Cline and Project Analyst Joyce
Trantina attended a meeting with other local jurisdictions (Renton, SeaTac, Bellevue,
Redmond and Issaquah) that are working on implementing HPO, LEAN and other
organizational programs. Joyce made a presentation to the group on Community
Outreach. burlington northern santa fe railroad railway
• BNSF Tour: BNSF offered to conduct a tour of their Intermodal Yard in Allentown for the
City of Tukwila and federal legislative delegates. Shana Chandler, Chief of Staff for
Congressman Adam Smith and Tommy Bauer, King County Staff for Senator Maria
Cantwell attended the tour with Mayor Haggerton, Councilmembers Ekberg and
Hougardy, Bob Giberson, Public Works Director, and Brandon Miles, Economic
Development Planner.
• Southwest Kinq County Chamber Lunch: Brandon Miles, Economic Development
Planner, attended the monthly chamber lunch where the keynote speaker was Calvin
Goings with the Small Business Administration.
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II. Community Events
• Family 4t —" at the Fort: The City of Tukwila hosted our annual 4th of July celebration at
Fort Dent Park. The event included stage performances, roving entertainers, free arts
and crafts activities for kids, free inflatable bouncers, community group booths, food
vendors and a fireworks show. Tukwila Parks and Recreation is the lead organizer for
this event, with support from Tukwila Fire and Tukwila Police. Fire units were available
for EMS and Fire Responses and the Police Department provided officers for bicycle
patrol, foot patrol, and traffic control. Police and Fire Explorers also helped at the event.
No significant issues were reported although there were some aid calls and some
warnings given for alcohol violations. No arrests were made and there were no issues
with crowd control or criminal activity.
• Tukwila Village Groundbreaking: Staff are collaborating with representatives from
SHAG, the King County Library System and Tukwila Village Development Associates,
on plans for the Tukwila Village groundbreaking scheduled for August 1.
111. Staff Updates
Public Safety
• ADA Improvements: The Contractor has completed the installation of the Rectangular
Rapid Flashing Beacon system at the mid -block crosswalk north of South 152nd St.
Public Works is monitoring the new system performance and will adjust as necessary.
• Fire Response: The Fire Department has responded to several fires over the past few
weeks:
• A fire believed to have been caused by fireworks, and caused approximately $70K of
damage to a larger dumpster and the exterior of the adjacent building;
• A fire caused by a plumber utilizing a torch to install/ repair plumbing;
• A rapidly moving brushfire on the hillside below the Pyramid Point Apartments. Vinyl
siding on the buildings suffered damage from radiant heat exposure. At the
conclusion of the incident the structures were available for immediate re- occupancy.
This was a successful and well- coordinated attack that was accomplished with the
assistance of each and every one of our adjacent mutual aid partners.
• A significant brush fire adjacent to 1 -5. The fire consumed 3 acres of vegetation on
steep, rough terrain. This fire was a stubborn one as crews continued mop up duties
for approximately 16 hours.
• Fire Grant Update: On Friday, July 11, we received official notification from FEMA that
the Fire Department has been award a 2014 FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant
(AFG). The award amount is $336,238.00, with the city matching 5% of the total project
cost at $17,696.00. Firefighter Matt Hickey, submitted the grant application in November,
2013. The award will replace all of the Fire Department emergency radios. Many of the
current City emergency radios will not be compatible with the national system in with
mandatory participation required in approximately 5 years. The radios purchased with
this award will meet compatibility requirements for the projected life of the equipment.
Our current inventory will be redistributed to Police and Public Works, with some radios
becoming dedicated to a regional cache. With the receipt of the grant, the fund for
replacing radios which is shared by both Police and Fire, can be dedicated to the
purchase of compatible radios for the Police Department.
Project Updates
• Tukwila International Boulevard Action Committee (TIBAC) meeting:
Councilmember Ekberg, Economic Development and Police Department staff attended
the monthly TIBAC meeting. The Committee discussed community participation in the
Tukwila Village ground breaking and launched a campaign to encourage people to refer
to TIB as "the boulevard" instead of "the highway ".
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• Soundside Alliance Executive Meetinq: Councilmember Hougardy and Brandon
Miles, Economic Development Planer attended the bi- monthly Executive Committee
Meeting of Soundside. Agenda topics included a discussion regarding the upcoming fall
breakfast conference and the Port of Seattle's workforce study.
• Colonial Gardens - 3465 S. 1441—" St - Condemned Units /Overdue Inspections: The
City met with counsel for the property owner to discuss the proposed draft Voluntary
Correction Agreement. Based on the discussion, a revised draft agreement will be
prepared by the City and submitted to the property owner for review and further
discussion. The owner has submitted the overdue rental license inspection results. The
three condemned units and the former manager's unit have failed, but the other units
show passing scores. All four of these units are vacant and will be renovated. When
renovations are complete, and the rental unit inspection passes, they may be
reoccupied.
• Code Enforcement: In an effort to address concerns regarding trash, debris, junk
vehicles and other code enforcement issues, the City is sponsoring an additional bulky
item collection event on September 27. This event will have 2 locations: Tukwila
Community Center and Saar's Super Saver Foods, so that a large number of residents
can take participate. A junk vehicle "amnesty" program has also been established so
residents can get these vehicles removed from their property at no cost.
• Maintenance Manaqement Plan: Kris Kelley, our new Park Supervisor recently joined
the City of Tukwila Parks and Recreation Department team and will oversee the daily
operations of the parks maintenance operations. One of his first priorities will be
creating a maintenance management plan for the entire Tukwila Parks, Trails and Open
Space system.
• Gully Gardens: Fence signs have been installed, and the interpretive /dedication sign
design is being finalized.
• Free Summer Playqround at Cascade View Community Park: Tukwila Parks &
Recreation staff continue to have excellent participation at the free summer playground
program at Cascade View Park. Staff are typically distributing about 70 lunches to kids
playing in the park. Staff and volunteers are providing a variety of recreation options
including arts & crafts, games, music and special entertainment. Parks Maintenance
has been working closely with Recreation to clean and prep the sites before the kids
show up.
• Tukwila School District Summer School: Tukwila Parks & Recreation Department
staff are gearing up for week 3 of the Tukwila School District Summer School Program
on Monday. Staff have been providing daily recreational activities to the more than 300
kids signed up for summer school. Kids are divided by age (Pre -K to 5th Grade) with the
smallest group of kids being 34 and our largest group at 66.
• Free Summer Playqround at Thorndyke Elementary School: Tukwila Parks &
Recreation are offering a free summer playground program site at Thorndyke
elementary as an extension program to the TSD summer school. We currently have
over 200 kids who have been participating daily! Staff are providing a variety of
organized sports, games, recreation activities, a visit from the King County Library
Bookmobile, as well as a special performance by the Bubble Man.
• Summer Day Camp at Tukwila Community Center: Tukwila Parks & Recreation staff
have been busy with both Camp Tukwilly (serving Kindergarten to 5th graders) and
TeenVenture Camp (serving 6th -8th graders). Camp Tukwilly has been operating at
maximum capacity of 120 campers per week and TeenVenture Camp averaging 35 kids
per week. We have several kids on our camp waiting lists, but due to facility and
transportation limitations, we are currently not able to accept additional campers.
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IV. Responses to Council /Citizen Inquiries
• 41 Place South: At the March 7, 2014 Council meeting Kelli Turner requested status of
41st Place South. Public Works researched the situation and sent Ms. Turner our
findings on July 18. The former private road has a maintenance agreement that
adjacent property owners did not abide by and King County foreclosed on the property
for non - payment of taxes. Ms. Turner also requested that the City use pervious concrete
on all new sidewalk projects. We responded separately to Ms. Turner that pervious
concrete only works well when the underlying native soils are pervious and the new
concrete is at the top of a slope. Pervious concrete installed near the bottom of a slope
will tend to clog with leaves, debris and sand leading to premature failure.
• Lighting for Tennis Courts: Staff is in the process of reviewing the applicable
ordinances, as well as the Parks Rules and Regulations, in regards to a citizen's request
to have the lighting for tennis courts operational again so they may play tennis after dark.
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