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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015-03-16 Regular MinutesTukwila City Council Regular Meeting City Hall Council Chambers March 16, 2015 — 7:00 P.M. MINUTES REGULAR MEETING CALL TO ORDER/PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE /ROLL CALL Mayor Haggerton called the Regular Meeting of the Tukwila City Council to order at 7:00 p.m. and led the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance. ROLL CALL Melissa Hart, Deputy City Clerk, called the roll of the Council. Present were Councilmembers Dennis Robertson, Allan Ekberg, Verna Seal, Kathy Hougardy, De'Sean Quinn and Kate Kruller. MOVED BY SEAL, SECONDED BY ROBERTSON TO EXCUSE COUNCILMEMBER DUFFIE. MOTION CARRIED 6 -0. CITY OFFICIALS Jim Haggerton, Mayor; David Cline, City Administrator; Rachel Turpin, City Attorney; Mike Villa, Police Chief; Bob Giberson, Public Works Director; Peggy McCarthy, Finance Director; Vicky Carlsen, Deputy Finance Director; Jack Pace, Community Development Director; Minnie Dhaliwal, Planning Supervisor; Laurel Humphrey, Council Analyst; Melissa Hart, Deputy City Clerk. SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS Residential Focus Areas. Mike Villa, Police Chief, stated this is the first of three presentations the Council will receive that highlight the work the City is currently doing and what is planned for the City's residential neighborhoods. The Mayor and City staff are committed to achieving tangible results with enhanced focus on the Tukwila neighborhoods. The presentation this evening will focus on creating safer communities, and over the next few weeks the Council will hear presentations in detail on two other topics. Some of the efforts cross over and impact the other areas as well. Chief Villa utilized a PowerPoint presentation to update the Council and audience on the Residential Focus area. Highlights of the presentation included: VISION • Vision — City of opportunity, community of choice • Strategic Goals #1 —"A community of inviting neighborhoods..." • #2 —"A solid foundation for All Tukwila residents" • #5 — "A Positive Community Identity and Image" • City of Tukwila 2015 Work Plan — priority 2, "Community Livability" • Values of "Caring" and "Responsive" RESIDENTIAL FOCUS • Creating safer communities • Improving the quality of housing • Increasing pride and ownership in Tukwila neighborhoods After the workshop with Council earlier this year, and comments received from the community, staff feels the residential focus area comes down to three topics: 1. Creating safer communities is more than law enforcement or fire response; it is about what all departments do across the City toward this goal. Tukwila City Council Regular Meeting Minutes March 16, 2015 Page 2 of 11 2. Improving quality of housing gets to the code enforcement issue, but also covers human services and a number of other agency partners. Our goal here is to help make our neighborhoods look better and for those who need the financial help, leverage resources to assist in this effort. 3. Increase pride and ownership in all neighborhoods within the City. To prepare the presentation, a cross department analysis was completed to identify how we work as a large organization to address strategies for making Tukwila safer. The City is fortunate to have excellent partners throughout the City — in the staff, elected officials, residents and business community members, all of whom contribute to making our community safer. Following are examples of how community and park programs help make the Tukwila community safer. CREATING SAFER COMMUNITIES — COMMUNITY AND PARKS • Youth basketball league • After school programs • Mall walking for seniors • Friday teen late nights • Early birds • No school day camp • Summer playground program • Summer sack lunch program • Teens for Tukwila • Teen room • Circulo de mamas • Spirit of Giving • Touch -a -Truck Safety Fair • Neighborhood canvasses • Community clean up events New program as identified in the Parks, Recreation and Open Space (PROS) Plan - Park Watch: ■ Goals: c, Better connect parks staff with neighbors • Foster community ownership of parks • Enhance safety and reduce vandalism • Ensure neighbors and park users have a vehicle to communicate park - related issues • Increase park usage This is a new program that is being rolled out in 2015. Starting with six parks, there will be events in spring and summer (2015) focused on the neighborhoods where the parks are located. The following are the first six parks and kick off events: • Crystal Springs Park — April 25 • Joseph Foster Memorial Park — July 8 • Riverton Park —July 15 • Duwamish Park — July 22 • Tukwila Park — July 29 • Crestview Park —August 4 This will be an opportunity for residents and park users to meet directly with Parks Maintenance staff, play games led by the City's Recreation Division, and enjoy complimentary food. The hope is that after these events, we can work with residents to develop a pilot Park Watch program around a couple specific parks. Staff envisions the program being a vehicle for us to: • Increase two -way communication between maintenance staff and park users. • Develop tailored maintenance plans and programming for each park, based on feedback from people who use the parks on a regular basis. • Foster positive relationships in the neighborhood. • Encourage neighborhood ownership of parks that results in enhanced safety and reduced vandalism. Tukwila City Council Regular Meeting Minutes March 16, 2015 Page 3 of 11 CREATING SAFER COMMUNITIES - INFRASTRUCTURE • Overlay repair program • Small safety projects • Small drainage program • 42nd Avenue South improvements • 53rd Avenue South improvements • Surface water management • Walk and Roll plan • LED streetlights • 42nd Avenue South /Allentown roadside barriers • Thorndyke and Cascade View Safe Routes to School The 42nd and 53rd Avenue South projects were identified as high priority projects due to road volume, number of pedestrians, accident history and proximity to schools and parks. Both projects benefit from a new agreement with Seattle City Light, which will allow the City to share the cost of undergrounding the utility lines on a 60/40 cost split. With this agreement, the City will save over $1 million on just the 42nd Avenue South project. The 42nd Avenue South project is currently in design phase, and expected to go out to bid later this year. The construction phase is slated to begin next year once weather permits and it is expected to be completed in 2016. The improvements to 42nd Avenue South between Southcenter Boulevard and South 160th Street are fully funded at $5.3 million, and will include: • New sidewalks, curbs, and gutters • Roadway improvements • Utility undergrounding • Bicycle facilities, and • A new culvert for Gilliam Creek 531d Avenue South project improvements include: • New sidewalks, curbs, and gutters, roadway improvements, utility undergrounding, potential bicycle facilities, and a new culvert for Gilliam Creek, and • Significant utility upgrades While City staff continues to identify potential funding sources for the 531d Avenue South project, staff is moving forward with the project. Design will commence this year and it is expected that construction will begin in 2016. City staff will be returning to Council with recommendations for funding the roadway improvements. The enterprise funds will be contributing $2 million to the project because of the utility upgrades. CREATING SAFER COMMUNITIES — LAW ENFORCEMENT • Traffic enforcement • Bike patrols • Hot spots • Directed patrols and investigations • School Partnerships • Neighborhood Resource Center • Community Resource Center • Crimereports.com • Partnerships with Parks and Recreation • Parking enforcement • Crime free multi- housing • Citizens' Police Academy • National Night Out Against Crime • Block Watch program Partnership with the Tukwila School District includes: • School Resource Officer (SRO) • Drug Awareness Resistance Education (DARE) • Explorer Program • Liaison Officers Tukwila City Council Regular Meeting Minutes March 16, 2015 Page 4 of 11 Previous law enforcement actions along Tukwila International Boulevard have reduced crime in those areas, freeing up law enforcement resources. Because of these previous actions, officers are now redeploying to residential neighborhoods at a higher rate. Enhanced Residential Neighborhoods Foot Patrols: • Led by the Patrol Division • Targeted • Monthly • Residential neighborhoods bicycle patrols • Led by the Community Police Team (CPT) • Focused and Random patrols • Residential safety awareness campaign • Increase capacity of Block Watches • Identify and communicate neighborhood safety strategies CREATING SAFER COMMUNITIES — PLANNING AND ENFORCEMENT • Code enforcement • Building codes • Fire codes • Design review • Vehicle and pedestrian safety and capacity • Walk and Roll Plan • Animal control • Enhanced coordination and training among Department of Community Development, Fire and Police employees Rental Housing Inspection Program: • Intended consequences: • Housing units meet life safety standards • Residents have more certainty • Fire Department reports less crisis situations due to unsafe housing 60% of the housing stock in the City of Tukwila is rental properties, and every unit is inspected once every four years. CREATING SAFER COMMUNITIES — LIFE SAFETY • Fire response • Aid response • Training provided to Residents • Inspections • Residential hazardous materials disposal • Tukwila Emergency Communications Team • Emergency management • Regional coordination and mutual aid • Residential sprinkler enforcement on new construction Tukwila School District Partnership: ■ Highlights of that partnership include: • Teen Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) training • Support "Foster SAFE" team at Foster High School • Joint emergency planning • Preparation drills and exercises • Rapid responder meetings, training and drills with police and fire o Medic One Foundation Grant Tukwila's Emergency Management Division has a very close relationship with the Tukwila School District and is very involved in planning, training and supporting the district's preparedness efforts. The Foster SAFE team is a group of young people focused on disaster preparation, most of whom speak a language Tukwila City Council Regular Meeting Minutes March 16, 2015 Page 5 of 11 other than English at home. The Emergency Management staff works with the group directly on training, providing support and connecting them with resources when necessary. It was noted that Marty Grisham, Emergency Manager, submitted a grant application to the Medic One Foundation on behalf of the school district that, if successful, will allow a trauma kit to be placed in every classroom within the district. It has been reported that if teachers had access to trauma supplies in their classrooms after active shooter incidents, they may have been successful in saving students' lives. The initial feedback on the grant application was promising and the goal is to have the kits placed in each classroom by the beginning of the 2015 -2016 school year. Chief Villa explained the preparation of the presentation has been a great exercise for staff to review City- wide operations and discuss ways to enhance the department partnerships to enhance safety. City staff is committed to make Tukwila safer. The Councilmembers exchanged comments amongst themselves and asked clarifying questions of Chief Villa. They thanked Chief Villa for the presentation and voiced appreciation for City staff working together on the issues. 7:41 p.m. Councilmember Duffie entered the Council Chambers CITIZEN COMMENTS There were no citizen comments. CONSENT AGENDA a. Approval of Minutes: 3/2/15 (Regular Mtg.) b. Approval of Vouchers: #368674- 368759; #150301 - 150302 in the amount of $1,832,456.54 c. Authorize the Mayor to sign a contract with David Evans and Associates for the BNSF Intermodal Facility Access Project in the amount of $299,999. [Reviewed and forwarded to Consent at the Committee of the Whole meeting on 319115.] d. Authorize the expenditure of $6,500.00 from lodging tax funds for the purchase of 20 light pole banners to be installed around the Starfire Sports Complex. [Reviewed and forwarded to Consent at the Committee of the Whole meeting on 319115.] e. Authorize the Mayor to sign a contract with KPFF Consulting Engineers for the design of the Fort Dent Park BNSF Sewer Relocation Project in the amount of $156,877.00. [Reviewed and forwarded to Consent by Utilities Committee on 3110115.] f. Authorize the Mayor to sign a reclaimed water service and use area agreement with King County and Starfire Sports. [Reviewed and forwarded to Consent by Utilities Committee on 3110115.] MOVED BY ROBERTSON, SECONDED BY QUINN THAT THE CONSENT AGENDA BE APPROVED AS SUBMITTED. MOTION CARRIED 7 -0. UNFINISHED BUSINESS a. An ordinance relating to contracting indebtedness; providing for the issuance, sale and delivery of not to exceed $6,250,000 aggregate principal amount of Limited Tax General Obligation Bonds to provide funds to pay or reimburse the City for the cost of road construction and improvement projects and to pay the costs of issuance and sale of the bonds; fixing or setting parameters with respect to certain terms and covenants of the bonds; appointing the City's designated representative to approve the terms of the sale of the bonds. MOVED BY QUINN, SECONDED BY DUFFIE THAT THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE BE READ BY TITLE ONLY. MOTION CARRIED 7 -0. Tukwila City Council Regular Meeting Minutes March 16, 2015 Melissa Hart, Deputy City Clerk, read the proposed ordinance by title only. Page 6 of 11 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF TUKWILA, WASHINGTON, RELATING TO CONTRACTING INDEBTEDNESS; PROVIDING FOR THE ISSUANCE, SALE AND DELIVERY OF NOT TO EXCEED $6,250,000 AGGREGATE PRINCIPAL AMOUNT OF LIMITED TAX GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS TO PROVIDE FUNDS TO PAY OR REIMBURSE THE CITY FOR THE COST OF ROAD CONSTRUCTION AND IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS AND TO PAY THE COSTS OF ISSUANCE AND SALE OF THE BONDS; FIXING OR SETTING PARAMETERS WITH RESPECT TO CERTAIN TERMS AND COVENANTS OF THE BONDS; APPOINTING THE CITY'S DESIGNATED REPRESENTATIVE TO APPROVE THE FINAL TERMS OF THE SALE OF THE BONDS; AND PROVIDING FOR OTHER RELATED MATTERS; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; AND ESTABLISHING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. MOVED BY DUFFIE, SECONDED BY QUINN THAT THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE BE ADOPTED AS READ. MOTION CARRIED 7 -0, TO ADOPT ORDINANCE NUMBER 2471. b. An ordinance amending Ordinance Nos. 2464 and 2465 to conform debt service payment dates. MOVED BY HOUGARDY, SECONDED BY KRULLER THAT THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE BE READ BY TITLE ONLY. MOTION CARRIED 7 -0. Melissa Hart, Deputy City Clerk, read the proposed ordinance by title only. AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF TUKWILA, WASHINGTON, AMENDING ORDINANCE NO. 2464, SECTION 4 (PART) AND SECTION 5, AND AMENDING EXHIBIT A OF ORDINANCE NO. 2465, TO CONFORM DEBT SERVICE PAYMENT DATES; AND PROVIDING FOR OTHER PROPERLY RELATED MATTERS; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; AND ESTABLISHING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. MOVED BY HOUGARDY, SECONDED BY KRULLER THAT THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE BE ADOPTED AS READ. MOTION CARRIED 7 -0, TO ADOPT ORDINANCE NUMBER 2472. c. Authorize the Mayor to sign an Interlocal Agreement amending Interlocal Agreement #12 -071 with King County to extend animal control services through December 31, 2017. MOVED BY HOUGARDY, SECONDED BY KRULLER TO AUTHORIZE THE MAYOR TO SIGN AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT AMENDING INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT #12 -071 WITH KING COUNTY TO EXTEND ANIMAL CONTROL SERVICES THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 2017. MOTION CARRIED 7 -0. d. An ordinance approving and authorizing the Development Agreement with Tukwila TSD, LLC, for the shared use of parking in the public right -of -way of Christensen Road as it relates to the planned development of a hotel located at 90 Andover Park East. MOVED BY SEAL, SECONDED BY ROBERTSON THAT THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE BE READ BY TITLE ONLY. MOTION CARRIED 7 -0. Melissa Hart, Deputy City Clerk, read the proposed ordinance by title only. AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF TUKWILA, WASHINGTON, APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT WITH TUKWILA TSD, LLC, FOR THE SHARED USE OF PARKING IN THE PUBLIC RIGHT -OF -WAY OF CHRISTENSEN ROAD AS IT RELATES TO THE PLANNED DEVELOPMENT OF A HOTEL LOCATED AT 90 ANDOVER PARK EAST; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; AND ESTABLISHING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. MOVED BY SEAL, SECONDED BY QUINN THAT THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE BE ADOPTED AS READ.* Tukwila City Council Regular Meeting Minutes March 16, 2015 Page 7 of 11 Councilmember Seal referenced page 97 of the agenda packet, and stated the item before the Council requires the Council to decide between Option 2 and Option 3. Minnie Dhaliwal, Planning Supervisor, explained the difference between the options available for the Council. Option 2: Replace the asphalt in the cul -de -sac area with landscaping, along with a monetary payment of $93,849 to the City. This option provides a total of 98 parking stalls; 53 will be on hotel property, 41 stalls would be shared parking for the hotel and trail users and 4 would be dedicated to trail use only. Option 3: Convert the cul -de -sac into parking area, with a monetary payment of $145,897 to the City. There would be 53 parking stalls on hotel property, and 48 shared parking stalls would be in the right - of -way, with 7 of those stalls (from the cul -de -sac) dedicated for trail use. This option provides for a net gain of three parking stalls. Councilmember Robertson suggested a combination of Options 2 and 3. He stated if the City waited one year after the completion of the hotel to monitor the parking needs and the three additional spots were not needed (by using the cul -de -sac for parking), the Public Works staff could then move forward with removing the asphalt from the cul -de -sac. He feels this combination would be a win -win situation for everyone. Council President Kruller asked City staff for the cost of removal of the asphalt. Bob Giberson, Public Work Director, explained it would cost roughly $20,000 to have a contractor remove the curb, gutter and asphalt from the cul -de -sac. It would cost roughly $8,000 to $9,000 if City staff were to complete the project. Council President Kruller said with the information presented she could support Option 3. Councilmember Ekberg voiced his support for Option 3. He feels the 7 dedicated parking stalls allows for the City to have an opportunity to assess the parking needs for the development, and it is the better short - term option. Councilmember Seal asked staff for clarification on Option 2 as to who would be responsible for the costs associated with removing the impervious services and adding landscaping. Ms. Dhaliwal stated the developer would be responsible for those costs. Councilmember Seal stated the Council spent a great deal of time updating the Shoreline Master Program and she feels removing the impervious surface from the shoreline is important. She voiced her support for option 2. Councilmember Hougardy expressed concern with the proposal of waiting one year to remove the cul -de- sac. At the March 9 Committee of the Whole meeting, the developer made a commitment that they would allow trail users to park in the hotel parking lot if needed. Option 2 removes the cul -de -sac and brings more green into the area, and she supports Option 2. Councilmember Quinn stated the decision on this project was delayed in 2014, and the developer has made concession for the project and worked with staff on a solution for parking. He feels Option 2 is the better choice for the proposed hotel development for parking and the shoreline. He referred to the March 9 agenda packet (page 128), in that the Park Commission did not support Option 3. Ms. Dhaliwal stated the developer has offered signage that would identify shared parking on the hotel property. Councilmember Robertson commented that if the main concern is over the impervious surface, Public Works staff could be directed to remove the impervious surface immediately at a cost much less than the developer and there would be more funding available for shoreline vegetation. Tukwila City Council Regular Meeting Minutes March 16, 2015 Page 8 of 11 Council President Kruller explained Option 3 provides 7 dedicated parking stalls for the trail users, and that a pocket park in that area was removed as an option. Councilmember Ekberg said thinking short -term, Option 3 provides greater funding paid to the City that could be dedicated to shoreline mitigation. Councilmember Seal clarified that while Option 3 would require the developer to pay the City $145,897, the cost of the City removing the impervious surfaces from the area has not been budgeted. Councilmember Hougardy stated that the City does not have staff for parking enforcement and she favors Option 2. Councilmember Quinn stated this has been a very good discussion by the Council. He commented that at the March 9 meeting Councilmember Hougardy was firm on her request about parking and the developer made concessions. He feels Option 2 is the best option and it would retain the ability for the City to have a pocket park within another area of the City in the future. Councilmember Duffie asked to hear from the developer's representative Dale Sweeney stated he is the architect for the project. He commented that from the development perspective, they do not have a preference relating to Option 2 or Option 3. As stated at the previous meeting, they do not foresee parking as an issue. The proposed hotel will cater to travelers arriving at Sea -Tac who will most likely be shuttled to the hotel from the airport. There is an advantage to Option 2, and restoring the riverbank would also be a benefit to the hotel. Mayor Haggerton asked the Council if they feel more time is needed to review the two options. The Council did not feel additional time was needed for this item. *COUNCILMEMBER SEAL WITHDREW HER MOTION TO APPROVE THE ORDINANCE AS READ. MOVED BY ROBERTSON, SECONDED BY DUFFIE TO ACCEPT OPTION 3, AND DIRECT PUBLIC WORKS STAFF TO DEVELOP A PLAN TO REMOVE THE CUL -DE -SAC AS SOON AS REASONABLE GIVEN THE DEVELOPMENT PLANS FOR THE PROJECT.* Councilmember Robertson spoke in favor of the motion. He feels Option 3 is the best option for the City; it removes the impervious surface and provides approximately $44,000 to re- vegetate the riverbank in that area. Councilmember Hougardy asked if there needed to be Council director or agreement relating to share parking signage. Ms. Dhaliwal stated language in section 8, "Terms," subparagraph D, "Operations," of the proposed Development Agreement (page 100 of the agenda packet) could be changed to read ..." All parking spaces within the right -of -way of Christensen Road and the hotel shall be for the joint use of the hotel users and members of the public." The Councilmembers exchanged comments and asked clarifying questions on the issue of required signage for shared parking. Councilmember Seal spoke against the motion. She explained the Park Commission did not support Option 3, and with all the work done on the Shoreline Master Program, she feels the proposal does not support the plan. Councilmember Robertson was amenable to a friendly amendment to his original motion to address signage requirements if needed. Ms. Dhaliwal stated the language for the signage and signs could be part of the permit process Tukwila City Council Regular Meeting Minutes March 16, 2015 Page 9 of 11 Mr. Sweeney stated most hotel guests would secure parking closest to the hotel, and the developer would prefer to have the parking stalls closest to the hotel for hotel guests only. Other parking could be made available for trail users. He stated that the clock is ticking on this project. This is the fourth proposed project he has worked on for this site. The owners would like some type of assurance that additional expenditures would not be required of the project so they can ensure they have a viable project and be able to move forward with the design phase. Councilmember Hougardy asked if the signage needed to be addressed in the Development Agreement. Ms. Dhaliwal said if the Council wants language specific to signage included in the Development Agreement that would need to be discussed at this time. Otherwise, as stated before, the signage could be addressed as part of the permit process. Councilmember Quinn asked what would trigger the staff demolition of the cul -de -sac as proposed, or would it require another act by the Council to move forward with that plan. David Cline, City Administrator, stated what he heard in the motion by Councilmember Robertson, is that staff would return to Council in the future with the plan of action to remove the cul -de -sac, for Council direction. Councilmember Robertson clarified that the intent of the motion was for staff to develop a plan to remove the impervious surface, the when and how would be left to staff. The removal of the surfaces would depend on timing of the project. The developer may have need to use that area during construction. Rachel Turpin, City Attorney, stated the signage issues could be addressed during the permit process. Mayor Haggerton requested a roll call vote on the motion. *ROLL CALL VOTE: DUFFIE YES ROBERTSON YES KRULLER YES EKBERG NO SEAL NO HOUGARDY NO QUINN NO MOTION FAILED 4 -3, WITH EKBERG, SEAL, HOUGARDY, AND QUINN VOTING NO. Councilmember Ekberg stated he has been in support of Option 3. In his opinion, the modified motion before the Council requires the City to work with the developer to close the gap on issues associated with the cul -de -sac affected by the project. He prefers an outcome that provides a finished project that eliminates ambiguity. MOVED BY SEAL, SECONDED BY QUINN TO APPROVE THE ORDINANCE AND DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT WITH OPTION 2 AS OUTLINED IN THE AGENDA PACKET. ROLL CALL VOTE: DUFFIE NO ROBERTSON NO KRULLER YES EKBERG YES SEAL YES HOUGARDY YES QUINN YES MOTION CARRIED 5 -2, WITH DUFFIE AND ROBERTSON VOTING NO, TO ADOPT ORDINANCE NUMBER 2473. Tukwila City Council Regular Meeting Minutes March 16, 2015 Page 10 of 11 REPORTS a. Mayor Mayor Haggerton attended the National League of Cities Congressional City Conference March 7 through 11, 2015. On March 7 he attended the Mayors Challenge to End Veteran Homelessness. On March 8 he participated in the Information Technology and Communication Committee Meeting, and later that day the Big Ideas for Small Cities session. President Obama was the first President to attend the opening session (March 9) since the 1990's. On March 10th he visited with the City's lobbyists. Mayor Haggerton updated the Council on a few topics from the general session. He also visited with staff from Senator Maria Cantwell's Office and had a discussion with a Federal Emergency Management Act (FEMA) representative who inquired about issues in Tukwila that he recalled from past meetings. b. City Council Councilmember Duffie asked that residents reach out to their neighbors and get to know them. He feels it is important for the residents to watch what is happening in the neighborhoods and report suspicious activity to the Tukwila Police. He referenced three separate incidents he was apprised of where residents noticed suspicious activity in his neighborhood. Councilmember Robertson commented that it would be wonderful if the residents would be aware of what is happening in their neighborhoods. Council President Kruller attended the National League of Cities Congressional City Conference March 7 through 12, 2015. She participated in several of the events at the conference that included: Federal Agency Roundtable relating to federal grants (a new website for federal grants is www. rq ants.gov); Introducing a New Federal Transportation Bill; Big Ideas for Small Cities; Mayors Challenge to End Veteran Homelessness; and the Transportation and Infrastructure Steering Committee meeting. Ms. Kruller announced there is a Board Member position available at AWC, and she encouraged the Council to apply for that position. She reported that at the recent Sound Cities Association Public Issues Committee meeting there was a long discussion on the Committee to End Homelessness Strategic Plan. She referenced a recent report on crime statistics for Tukwila and asked if a letter could be sent to that group to educate them on the number of residents (nighttime population) vs. the daytime population, and how that difference relates to crime in the City. Councilmember Ekberg reminded the Council of the Foster High School Centennial Celebration on Saturday, March 21. The doors open at 3:00 p.m. and the main event begins at 5:00 p.m. He gave kudos to the citizen group and Tukwila Children's Foundation for the fundraising efforts. Councilmember Seal attended the National League of Cities Congressional City Conference March 7 through 10, 2015. For the past several years she has served on the Council for Youth, Education and Families, and during the conference the Council reviewed strategies to create afterschool programs. She was asked to speak on a panel relating to immigration reform, and reviewed the outreach Tukwila utilized as part of the Community Connectors Program. From that panel discussion, she was asked to participate in a conference call (later this week) with staff from the Mayor's office in New York City to review the success Tukwila has achieved with the program. She announced that people are preying on immigrants seeking green cards. She said anyone who knows of these issues should contact the Northwest Immigrant Project and One America for assistance with these types of scams. On March 11 she attended the first Regional Fire Authority Steering Committee meeting. Councilmember Hougardy attended the March 11 Soundside Meeting, and she hosted the Council Coffee Chat at the Police Community Resource Center at (Westfield) Southcenter on March 14. She reviewed a few of the topics discussed at the coffee chat. She also attended the recent Teens for Tukwila meeting where the group expressed interest in a high school DARE program and setting a meeting between the teens and the City Council. Councilmember Quinn spoke in favor of Council participation at the National League of Cities events, and he feels attendance at these types of events is of great value to the City. On March 14 he attended the Tukwila City Council Regular Meeting Minutes March 16, 2015 Page 11 of 11 11th District Legislative Town Hall meeting and he updated the Council on a few of the topics of discussion at that event. C. Staff David Cline, City Administrator, referenced the City Administrator (CA) Report and offered to answer any questions. He announced that the Washington Senate has passed SB 5363 that would prohibit condemnation of properties in blighted areas for economic development. The bill goes against the type of action the City has taken in the Urban Renewal area. The Association of Washington Cities (AWC) would like cities to provide information on the effect of this bill for municipalities. He said if there was Council consensus, City Administration would write a letter and provide testimony against the bill. There was Council consensus to have staff move forward with a letter opposing SB 5363. Mr. Cline said this is a great week of activities in Tukwila, as the opening match of the Sounders second team (S2) will be held on Saturday, March 21 at 7:30 p.m. at the Starfire Sports Complex. On April 13 the Council will receive an update from the Regional Fire Exploratory Steering Committee. d. City Attorney There was no report. e. Intergovernmental There was no report. MISCELLANEOUS Council President Kruller stated she will work with the Mayor's office on distribution of some informational materials she received about human trafficking. Councilmember Seal reminded the audience of the upcoming event at the Tukwila Pool on March 21 beginning at 1:00 p.m. Councilmember Duffie thanked the Mayor for his work relating to Veterans, and he feels the City should find a way to honor City employee veterans. Councilmember Ekberg suggested that recognition be included as part of the March 20 Employee Appreciation event. ADJOURNMENT 9:28 p.m. MOVED BY DUFFIE, SECONDED BY ROBERTSON THAT THE TUKWILA CITY COUNCIL MEETING BE ADJOURNED. MOTION CARRIED 7 -0. Melissa Hart, Deputy City Clerk APPROVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL: 04/06/15 AVAILABLE ON CITY WEBSITE: 04/07/15