Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutReg 2015-01-05 Item 7C - Report - City Administrator1.11111111, ' City of Tukwila Jim Haggerton, Mayor CITY ADMINISTRATOR REPORT The city of opportunity, the community of choice TO: Mayor Haggerton Councilmembers FROM: David Cline, City Administrator DATE: December 31, 2014 SUBJECT: Report for January 5, 2015 Regular Council Meeting 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 • AWC Municipal Excellence Award: Tukwila is one of 16 cities that were recognized by the AWC and received the Municipal Excellence award for the innovative and collaborative Human Services Funding Collaboration and the common Sharelapp. This online system streamlines proposals, and online reporting for the broad range of human services delivered in the suburban jurisdictions across King County. • Sound Transit Update: On December 18 Sound Transit passed their 2015 budget. While our request that they fund a commissioned police officer at the TIB station was not included in the budget, King County Councilmember Joe McDermott sent a letter that was read by the Chair directing staff to continue to work with Tukwila on the issue and report back to the full board in the spring. There were no objections to the letter and the budget passed unanimously. Sound Transit also passed its Long Range Plan (LRP) on the same day, which is the first step in the process of deciding what will be on the ballot during ST3. We are pleased that an amendment to the LRP allowing the agency to consider adding formally deferred and /or infill stations was included in the final plan. Staff will continue to closely monitor the next phase as Sound Transit begins to pull together the system plan, which will be what goes before the voters. • Tukwila Pool Transition: City staff concluded the transition of Tukwila Pool operations and support services on December 29, 2014. The Tukwila Pool Metropolitan Park District will be managing and performing all services necessary to the operation of the pool. The Pool will be re- opening to the public on January 5, 2015. II. Community Events • Community Connectors Meeting: Code Enforcement staff met with Community Connectors and others to share information about landlord /tenant and other issues /areas of concern. The meeting continued with the City Connectors providing feedback on 2014 activities, and suggestions for how the program might be expanded in the upcoming year. III. Staff Updates Public Safety • Car prowl /auto theft emphasis: The Community Police Team conducted a car prowl /auto theft emphasis on December 16 & 18 in the mall area. License plates were read during the emphasis in and around the AMC theater, Olympic and Cascade parking 21 City Administrator Report Page 2 garages, and external parking lots of the mall area. During the emphasis, no car prowls occurred in the target area (Westfield property). No stolen vehicles were located. There was one auto theft during this period, but based on the timeline of the theft and emphasis, this theft likely took place after the emphasis had concluded. • Spirit of Givinq /Cold to Cozy: On December 5 Tukwila Parks & Recreation held "Cold to Cozy" a coat distribution event sponsored by Strong- bridge Consulting. More than 200 new coats were distributed to Tukwila kids in need (as identified by Tukwila School District staff). This event was made possible because of the generous donation of more than $4,000 worth of new coats by Strong- bridge Consulting. • Spirit of Givinq /Holiday Givinq Proqram: On December 13 Tukwila Parks & Recreation hosted the annual Holiday Giving Program distribution event at the Tukwila Community Center. Approximately 90 families (300+ kids) were able to participate. Each child received gifts and a pair of pajamas. Families also received books, board games, a household item and a food card. More than 50 volunteers assisted parents as they "shopped" at the event and also helped wrap gifts. City of Tukwila staff donated more than 140 filled stockings as part of the event. All items were donated by or purchased with donations from local organizations, businesses, community members and City staff. • Shop with a Cop: On December 13 ten children had the opportunity to shop at Target and Toys R Us with Tukwila police officers and citizen volunteers. The purpose of the Shop - With -A -Cop event is to foster positive relationships between youth and officers. Elementary-aged children are referred each year by the staff and social workers at their schools and get to shop at one of the local area stores to purchase gifts for members of their immediate family. Depending on the size of the child's immediate family, each child is given donated gift cards in a total amount of around $100 -$150 to spend. After their shopping spree, volunteers assisted them with wrapping their gifts. Lunch was also provided to the children, officers and volunteers after all the gifts were wrapped. • Christmas Carolinq: Officers were paired up in teams with other city employees and traveled throughout the city, focusing mostly on residential areas and apartments, playing Christmas music, and handing out donated toys and candy canes to children. • Allentown Canvass: City staff finished canvassing the Allentown neighborhood, as well as the associated data analysis, and will present our findings and next steps at an upcoming full council meeting, tentatively scheduled for January 19. Staff was able to get a full survey from 31% of the households in Allentown, with a total of a 59% contract rate (contact rate includes those who declined the survey). Project Updates • Motel Demolition: Economic Development and Public Works staff met with representatives from PBS Engineering /Environmental Services to discuss next steps and develop an estimated timeline for demolition of the Great Bear, Boulevard, and Traveler's Choice motel sites. • Museum of Fliqht: DCD issued a permit for a Planned Action SEPA for a 135,000 square foot roof structure to exhibit and protect large aircraft on the Museum of Flight's west campus. The roof structure will be constructed on a site that currently houses aircraft, which will be expanded onto an adjacent property to accommodate additional aircraft. The covered airpark will house more than 20 aircraft, including very large airplanes such as a Boeing 747, Boeing 787 and Concorde as well as historic aircraft such as a Boeing B -17 and B -29. The covered airpark will expand the area for display of aircraft northward up to the Raisbeck Aviation High School site. • Design Review Public Hearinq: On December 11, the Board of Architectural Review held a Design Review Public Hearing for an 8 unit townhome development located at 51st Avenue S between S Hazel Street and S Fountain Street. The Board approved the 22 City Administrator Report Page 3 project with conditions as recommended by staff. One neighbor attended to express concerns about the poor condition of 51st Avenue S in which the west half of the ROW is owned by King County and the east half by Seattle. • Buildinq Permit Issued: In mid - September a stop work order was placed on a seven bedroom house undergoing renovations without a building permit. Planning has now approved the building permit with the conditions that the house shall not be used as a boarding house or as a correctional institution. The property owner was also informed that if the house is used as a regular rental, then the City's rental housing program would apply. • Siccardi Parcel: Parks maintenance staff cleared the Siccardi parcel of land that was recently donated to the City. All overgrowth, debris, and waste was removed from the site along the Green River Trail. • Urban Forestry: The City has received the tree inventory for the 2,100 trees in the Tukwila Urban Center. The funds for the inventory were provided by the Washington State Dept. of Natural Resources (DNR) and the inventory work was carried out by Community Forestry Consultants. The information is primarily in data format with each tree identified using GPS, with a short summary report. Some key findings of the inventory are: • The value of trees in the urban center is approximately $5.5 million dollars; • The majority of the trees inventoried are young, immature trees equal to or less than 12 inches in diameter; • The primary maintenance task on the younger trees is pruning for crown reduction; • Two percent of the tree population (52 trees) require removal • Approximately 10% of the trees inventoried have been topped — which is not an acceptable industry practice as it often leads to severe structural defects and tree decline. The summary makes five key recommendations, including that the City adopt a tree planting diversity guide so that no more than 10% of the tree population is comprised of any one genus; that the City develop a structural pruning plan to correct identified structural defects; eliminate topping of trees; and provide instruction and pruning training to City staff and contractors working on City trees. • Cascade View Safe Routes to School: The entire trail has been paved and is open to children walking to school. Traffic curbs will be added adjacent to the walkway. • Klickitat Drive Elevated Walkway: The repair work has been completed as of December 24 and the trail is now fully open to pedestrians. • Annual Bridqe Inspections & Repairs: The City received the official WSDOT letter confirming the $5.2 million in grant funding for the Grady Way, Beacon Ave S, and Frank Zepp (S 180th St pedestrian) Bridges. • TUC Transit Center: Bus shelter canopies have been constructed and electrical wiring has been started at the west Transit Center. Seating, benches, and bike racks have been installed at the east Transit Center. Median islands and driveway approaches, including curb installation, irrigation, and topsoil placement have been completed in Andover Park West. All water main work has been completed and a portion of the street lighting system has been activated. • IT Equipment Replacement: All IT replacement equipment has been ordered and installed at both City Hall and King County Network Operations Center at Sabey. Staff is currently working on the final configuration for data fail -over and redundant backup system. 23 City Administrator Report Page 4 IV. Responses to Council /Citizen Inquiries Date of Inquiry Inquiry Response December 9, 2014 Jeremy Tyndall Seattle City Light (SCL) Account Executive Repeated power Office responded on 12/15/14. SCL outages vicinity of investigated and determined that the aging 15625 42nd Ave S. feeder infrastructure would need to be repaired /replaced. SCL has committed to moving this project to a priority list for repair. Mr. Tyndall was provided this information. 24