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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015-09-14 Committee of the Whole MinutesTukwila City Council Committee of the Whole Meeting City Hall Council Chambers September 14, 2015 — 7:00 P.M. MINUTES COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE CALL TO ORDER/PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Council President Kruller called the Tukwila City Council meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Unique Hebert, from "Teens for Tukwila" led the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance. OFFICIALS Present were Kate Kruller, Council President; Councilmembers Joe Duffie, Dennis Robertson, Allan Ekberg, Verna Seal, Kathy Hougardy, De'Sean Quinn. CITY OFFICIALS Jim Haggerton, Mayor; David Cline, City Administrator; Rachel Bianchi, Communications and Government Relations Manager; Peggy McCarthy, Finance Director; Jack Pace, Community Development Director; Nora Gierloff, Community Development Deputy Director; Laura Benjamin, Assistant Planner; Tracy Gallaway, Parks and Recreation Superintendent; Nate Robinson, Teen Program Specialist; Laurel Humphrey, Council Analyst; Melissa Hart, Deputy City Clerk. SPECIAL PRESENTATION Teens for Tukwila — A Year in Review. Andrew Hougardy said members of "Teens for Tukwila" are here this evening to update the Council on the group's activities this past year. Members of "Teens for Tukwila" who were present included : • Andrew Hougardy — Third year participant • Mohamed Abdi — Fifth year participant • Maranda James — Third year participant • Unique Hebert — Second year participant • Travis Boyd — Second year participant • Araik Papyan — Second year participant • Keanu Camacho — First year participant Travis highlighted some of the group's accomplishments for the past year. The "Teens for Tukwila" group began a partnership with the Tukwila City Council, and hosted the first City Council Chat at Foster High School. He felt this partnership has opened a door for new opportunities for members of the group, including providing the teens with a powerful voice on issues that affect the area youth. The "Teens for Tukwila" group also participated in a teen regional community service project, and told of the great activities included in the project. Andrew said the group worked on the "Teens for Tukwila" Charter, and hosted the Teen Leadership Summit at the Tukwila Community Center. He explained the Teen Leadership Summit is a meeting of teen groups from across Washington, and this year they extended an invitation to other groups to participate in the meeting including community and middle school groups. Mohamed stated the "Teens for Tukwila" mission is to strengthen the community. Strengthening the community is very important to the group, as they are about empowering the youth. The group had the honor of attending the "We Day" event again, and some members of the "Teens for Tukwila" delegation were also invited to be speakers at the event. It was a great honor, and they are looking forward to going in 2016. The "Teens for Tukwila" group is always looking at ways to make a positive change in the community, and with assistance from Councilmember Quinn the group was able to connect with Imagine Scholar, which allows the "Teens for Tukwila" group to connect with students from South Africa. Tukwila City Council Committee of the Whole Minutes September 14, 2015 Page 2 of 11 Maranda said the "Teens for Tukwila" group continued their attendance at the Youth Action Day in Olympia. Participation in this event gave the delegation an opportunity to see the Washington Legislators in action, and meet with the Legislators. Maranda explained that the group will be using lessons learned in planning a future City Council Chat. Unique expressed appreciation for the hiking trip in Olympia with the Tukwila seniors hiking group. Araik said he really enjoyed participating in the We Day event. He feels these events show how teens can make a difference in their community. The "Teens for Tukwila" goals for the upcoming year include finding a way to host a color run for the community. Keanu explained another goal of the group is to find ways to get more students at Foster involved in the City Council Chat and increase "Teens for Tukwila" membership. Maranda relayed that the "Teens for Tukwila" group hosted a booth at the recent Tukwila Kids Festival at Cascade View Park. During this event, the group members were able to help the younger kids with event activities. The Councilmembers exchanged comments, asked clarifying questions and thanked the group for the update and the inspiration they provide the community. Councilmember Seal stated the work done by the group is inspiring. PROCLAMATION A proclamation declaring September 19, 2015 as the "Mayor's Day of Concern for the Hungry." Mayor Haggerton read a proclamation declaring September 19, 2015 as the "Mayor's Day of Concern for the Hungry," encouraging all citizens to join him, the Emergency Feeding Program and local food banks in feeding the hungry people in the community. Joe Tice from the Tukwila Food Pantry accepted the proclamation from Mayor Haggerton. Mr. Tice explained that the Emergency Feeding Program is affiliated with the Tukwila Pantry, and the City utilizes the services of the Emergency Feeding Program. He thanked the "Teens for Tukwila" for their service to the community. Mr. Tice stated there will be a fundraiser that benefits the Tukwila Pantry on October 9, 2015 at the Doubletree Suites Southcenter. Information on tickets for the event can be found at: www.tukwilapantry.org/new/events CITIZEN COMMENTS Joe Duffie, 5332 South 140th Street, announced there will be a Mayoral and City Council candidate debate on Thursday, September 17, 2015 beginning at 6:30 p.m. at Tukwila Elementary School. Lisa Cardamonie, 15110 Macadam Road South. Ms. Cardamonie left the Council Chambers prior to Citizen Comments. Melissa Hart, Deputy City Clerk, stated the Citizen Comment sign -up sheet that was completed by Ms. Cardamonie would be distributed to the Council. Angelina Benedetti, 721 Grant Avenue South, Renton, stated she is the manager of the Foster Library, and she reminded the Council and the audience of The Big Read. From September 1 through November 15, 2015, the SeaTac, Tukwila and White Center communities will be reading and exploring issues in the book, The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears by Dinaw Mengestu. The kick -off event was held at the recent SeaTac International Festival. The King County Library System will be distributing 800 books to members of the participating communities. On Friday, October 23, 2015, "An Evening with Dinaw Mengestu" will be held at the Tukwila Community Center beginning at 7:00 p.m. in the Banquet Hall. Ms. Benedetti distributed a copy of the book to the City Council and Mayor. Councilmember Hougardy asked where audience members could obtain a copy of the book. Tukwila City Council Committee of the Whole Minutes September 14, 2015 Page 3 of 11 Ms. Benedetti stated community members are able to obtain a free copy of the book at the Foster, Valley View and White Center libraries. SPECIAL ISSUES a. Continued discussion on the Comprehensive Plan as it relates to Single- Family Neighborhoods. Tukwila residents have expressed concern about language in the Comprehensive Plan regarding development in single - family neighborhoods. At the September 8, 2015 Regular Meeting, there was Council consensus to add a discussion about impacts to residential neighborhoods to the September 14 Committee of the Whole agenda. Council President Kruller explained that the Council has received many email comments regarding the Comprehensive Plan update and the impacts to residential neighborhoods. Those emails have been included in the official record of this meeting. Melissa Hart, Deputy City Clerk, verified the emails received (September 9, 2015 through September 14, 2015) are a part of the agenda record. Nora Gierloff, Community Development Deputy Director, stated the City has been updating the Comprehensive Plan over the last three years as required by the Growth Management Act. All fast growing cities and counties must plan for their growth through a visioning process. The City's first Comprehensive Plan was adopted in 1995, and the plan needs to be reviewed periodically to ensure it reflects any changes within the City and to check that progress to meet the goals align with any new state or regional policies. The items before the Council are the final elements to be updated, and the City is in a grace period to have the updated Comprehensive Plan certified. Ms. Gierloff explained that with the Council's support, City staff explored new and innovative ways to reach out to the Tukwila community for comments on the update to the Comprehensive Plan. She feels the outreach has created a stronger connection to the community and it has been a learning experience for both staff and the community. In addition to the code required hearings and notices, outreach included the use of translators at events to accommodate different languages, making announcements on social media sites, hosting meetings in the community at different locations and times, and attendance at City events to spread the word about the update to the three remaining Comprehensive Plan Elements: Residential Neighborhoods, Housing and Tukwila International Boulevard District. Ms. Gierloff distributed a list identifying the outreach conducted on the update for the final three Comprehensive Plan Elements. Ms. Gierloff explained that the topic is being discussed again this evening due to a surge in public comments relating to one specific policy and several implementation strategies related to single - family neighborhoods. She said some of the language in question was derived from public comments received during the outreach and comment process. However, it is important that the final document reflects the Council's goals and vision of the City for the next 20 years. Staff is available to support the Council's discussion this evening. Councilmember Quinn asked staff to update the Council and audience on the code requirements for updates to the Comprehensive Plan. Ms. Gierloff said the City is required to follow the prescribed process for Comprehensive Plan updates. This process includes language updates forwarded by a Council Committee to the Planning Commission for extensive review and public hearings. The Planning Commission language is then returned back to the Council Committee and forwarded on to City Council meetings for public hearings and adoption. Ms. Gierloff thanked staff and the Communications Division for the work they did in keeping the information updated on the City's website. Councilmember Robertson commented that he was surprised the agenda packet did not contain the latest versions of the three elements before the Council for review. Tukwila City Council Committee of the Whole Minutes September 14, 2015 Page 4 of 11 Council President Kruller explained agenda item discussion this evening was based on the two items that seemed to have the most concern. The proposed updates have been available on the City's website for anyone who is interested in viewing them, and the individuals who are signed up to receive information from the City also received the draft documents via the LISTSERV distribution. Anyone interested in signing up to receive notifications can provide their contact information to City staff. Council President Kruller asked anyone who is speaking this evening to also let the Council know the best way to communicate with them on this and other important issues. Councilmember Ekberg asked what parts of the Comprehensive Plan are required to be included in the City's plan. Ms. Gierloff said the City is mandated to have goals and policies as part of the Comprehensive Plan. The City also included implementation strategies that are examples of how the City could meet the goals and /or policies. Councilmember Ekberg asked if the implementation strategies could be a separate document. Council President Kruller stated the implementation strategies are suggestions on how the City can implement and /or achieve the goal /policy. Ms. Kruller spoke with the City Attorney about the implementation strategies, and as they are suggestions, she was informed the strategies are not legally binding. Ms. Gierloff confirmed that statement, stating the implementation strategies are suggestions on how the City can achieve the goal or policy. Councilmember Robertson asked if it would be necessary to update the Comprehensive Plan if the City works on a Zoning Code update next year (2016). Ms. Gierloff clarified that changing a goal or policy would be what triggers an update to the Comprehensive Plan. Councilmember Quinn asked staff to include a robust neighborhood outreach as part of a Zoning Code amendment. Ms. Gierloff responded in the affirmative. She clarified that there is a big wish list of items included within the Comprehensive Plan update. After Council adoption of the update to the Comprehensive Plan, staff will then begin the process to create a work plan based on the update and Council priorities. Ms. Gierloff stated that nothing within the Comprehensive Plan would take effect on January 1, 2016, as there is staff work to be done to create the work plan. Councilmember Quinn reviewed the Council and Planning Commission review timeline on the Comprehensive Plan update for the audience. He commented that the addition of language that allows individual neighborhoods to provide input on the look of the neighborhood was creative and would engage the residents. Ms. Gierloff commented that the language allowed for comments on development within a neighborhood. Some neighborhoods might have more traffic issues than others, and this would garner feedback from the neighborhoods on what their priorities are for their neighborhood. Councilmember Hougardy asked how staff would handle the targeted neighborhood outreach. Ms. Gierloff stated it would be feasible to do a mass mailing to the individual neighborhoods, continue with booths at the neighborhood festivals, utilize the Community Connectors, and make available an online survey to name a few ideas. Councilmember Robertson said the Council was told at a previous Council meeting that the City would meet the required fair -share regional housing goals without any zoning changes. Tukwila City Council Committee of the Whole Minutes September 14, 2015 Page 5 of 11 Ms. Gierloff said that is correct and stated the City has capacity for the new housing within the planned mixed -use developments of Tukwila Village and Washington Place. The City has zoned capacity to fulfill that requirement. Councilmember Robertson referred to Goal 3.1, which states, "The City of Tukwila provides the City's fair share of regional housing." Policy 3.1.2 is proposed as "Explore adopting smaller lot sizes, especially in neighborhoods where the historical lot pattern is smaller than the established 6.7 dwelling units per acre (6,500 square foot lots)." He asked if Policy 3.1.2 would violate goal 3.1 of providing the City's required fair share of housing. Ms. Gierloff explained the proposed policy is one way of the City meeting the specific goal. Councilmember Robertson commented that it is his opinion that by allowing the word "exploring" within the update to the Comprehensive Plan, it would allow the City Council to change the Zoning Code without having to amend the Comprehensive Plan, due to the general nature of the policies proposed. He asked staff if where the City defines the neighborhoods Ms. Gierloff stated there is a Neighborhood Map within the Comprehensive Pian that has been part of the plan in previous updates, and there are no changes to the map at this time. Council President Kruller asked staff to review the process used for the update to the City's Comprehensive Plan. Ms. Gierloff stated the City's standard legislative process calls for 5 public meetings. Those meetings include: Council Committee, Planning Commission, back to Council Committee, Committee of the Whole, and the Regular Meeting. That includes the public hearings at the Planning Commission and Committee of the Whole meetings. Council President Kruller said the City has not done all the things included in the 1995 Comprehensive Plan. Just because something has been written in the plan or studied does not mean it was implemented. Ms. Gierloff explained that the intentions are good, and it is all about prioritization: the top 5 things the City would like to accomplish. The priorities change over the years, and the out -of -date priorities can be removed. The Comprehensive Plan is a living document and creating priorities affords for better use of resources. Councilmember Seal said the Council has worked through the proposed update to the Comprehensive Plan and reviewed all the items. She feels the implementation strategies are innovative and add to the plan. The Council represents so many people within the City, and the strategies allow flexibility in meeting the goals. If the public outreach process needs to be stronger, then she suggested including language in the plan that comments will be taken as part of the strategy. Ms. Seal also reminded the Council that outreach costs money and that would need to be budgeted. Councilmember Duffie voiced his appreciation for the comments by the City Councilmembers. However, he asked that the community members speak up about what they want in the neighborhoods. Sharon Johannessen, 13930 56th Place South, stated that she believes multi - family dwellings in single - family neighborhoods would not be in the best interest of the community. This would stretch resources to the breaking point and they are thin now. Current residential streets seem to be inadequate for traffic and parking, which affects all the surrounding areas. Reducing lot size would increase parking and traffic problems that are already impacting neighborhoods. Good planning makes for a cleaner city and pride in ownership attracts people who will take pride in their community. Council President Kruller stated that the current law allows duplexes and townhomes in single - family neighborhoods. Ms. Kruller agrees with preserving what Tukwila has now. However, the lot sizes need to be consistent with the history of the neighborhood. Tukwila City Council Committee of the Whole Minutes September 14, 2015 Page 6 of 11 Robert Murphy, 4350 South 156th Street, said he is not in favor of more low and middle income housing in Tukwila. According to the Tukwila website, there are 4,800 new units planed with the average household of 3.09 people per unit, which equates to 14,832 new people coming to Tukwila. Mr. Murphy referenced some crime rate statistics for Mercer Island, Normandy Park and Tukwila. He gave his opinion about crime in relation to housing types within a community. Councilmember Hougardy would like to know the best way to contact Mr. Murphy and others in the community in the future. Mr. Murphy stated that he included his email address on the Citizen Comment speaker sheet. Council President Kruller asked if City Administration would like to comment on the information provided by the previous speaker. David Cline, City Administrator, stated that statistics are a good tool to look at various trends. It is up to the people to determine how the statistics relate to their communities. Mayor Haggerton clarified that Tukwila has approximately 19,100 residents. However, the daytime population ranges from 150,000 to 220,000. The comparisons referenced by the previous speaker are based on the actual number of residents, rather than the daytime population. When the motels on Tukwila International Boulevard were closed down, the statistics show that the crime rate went down dramatically. Council President Kruller agrees that crime prevention is still one of the high priorities, and it will continue to be addressed. However, while the income of the residents of Tukwila did not change, the level of crime did when these motels were shut down. Councilmember Robertson emphasized the importance of listening to the viewpoints of the citizens and receiving their feedback. Amy Gore, 2310 14th Avenue, Seattle, said she is the Sustainable Communities Director for FutureWise. She complimented the City on the Comprehensive Plan process. She attended the first workshop for the Tukwila Comprehensive Plan and was impressed with the many open houses. During her association with her current organization, she has seen many Comprehensive Plans and feels Tukwila's plan and process has been the best. She is also pleased with the Planning Commission meetings and appreciates the meaningful dialogue. Ms. Gore feels the language in the updated Comprehensive Plan is responsive to what the citizens are saying about zoning. She thinks that having implementation strategies is helpful for the citizens to understand the process going forward. Sunny Mulholland, 13731 44th Avenue South, lives in a single - family home neighborhood, and she is concerned about possible development of the many larger lots within the neighborhood. There are many forms of wildlife in her neighborhood that could have their habitats destroyed if multi - family complexes are allowed to be developed on the larger lots. She is not in favor of smaller lot sizes. She suggested developing multi - family complexes on publicly owned land such as the area the abandoned hotels occupy. David Brown, 14722 58th Avenue South, said that the lots in his neighborhood are generous. He feels Tukwila can grow in many ways if growth is defined properly. The word "explore" is also used throughout the Comprehensive Plan, and this needs some definition as to when "exploring" ends and the potential consequences of "exploring ". The Plan also states that neighborhoods could make decisions on lot sizes, but, there is no definition of what a neighborhood means. He stated there needs to be more outreach in the community to get the citizens involved. Miguel Maestas, 13208 32nd Avenue South, stated he is a member of the Planning Commission, but is not here as a member of that body tonight. He was honored to work on the Comprehensive Plan for Tukwila. He is passionate about affordable housing. There is a new affordable housing project currently underway close to the Beacon Hill light rail station. He shared an image of the project in Seattle and discussed some of the details of the project. He feels the project is more than affordable housing; it will bring jobs and many different types of opportunities for retail, community events and child learning Tukwila City Council Committee of the Whole Minutes September 14, 2015 Page 7 of 11 spaces. This is the type of community project that could add real value to the City of Tukwila, as it has to Seattle. Councilmember Ekberg asked Mr. Maestas what affordable housing in Beacon Hill looked like in monetary terms. Mr. Maestas stated that this project had a lot of community involvement and was supported by both private and public funding. The goal was to create quality, affordable housing and provide business opportunities. Councilmember Hougardy asked whether the housing in the development is affordable housing or subsidized housing. Mr. Maestas replied that the project is affordable housing, which means it is affordable to 30% to 60% of the median income. For example, a single person would have to earn a minimum of $25,000 per year; up to a family of five would have to earn about $55,000. These are for working families whose income is lower, but who would still be able to afford the rent. Kathleen Wilson, 4803 South 162nd Street, has concerns with the implementation strategies, especially policies 3.1.1 and 3.1.2. She lives in a very large neighborhood with many dead ends and loop roads. She points out that there are sub -areas in neighborhoods that may have different needs than those of the entire neighborhood. Additionally, she served on the City's Tree Committee, but was unable to find any verbiage about the 2009 Federal Stormwater Laws, which have to do with development in the Comprehensive Plan. She finds Goals 7.4.1 and 7.4.2 disturbing as they read as though real estate and businesses will be informing City decisions. Brennan Wilson, 4803 South 162nd Street, stated that in his opinion the majority of the single - family neighborhoods are opposed to the Comprehensive Plan. If the numbers that have previously been stated concerning new residents are accurate, that would mean Tukwila would have a 73% increase in population in 20 years. He would be interested to know if the City's capital and operating budgets could sustain that kind of growth. Council President Kruller commented that there is a State Growth Management Act, and these statistics are from agencies that are trying to predict population growth. The law requires the City to plan for these growth figures, but that does not mean they will happen. She stated that in terms of affordable housing, the City of Tukwila is ahead of the current requirement. Brooke Alford, 4724 South 122nd Street, is also a member of the Planning Commission and has worked on the Comprehensive Plan. She is proud of the work that has been done and is also grateful for the cooperation of the staff and Council in working on the plan. She also manages a LISTSERV in her neighborhood, which is how she informs the neighborhood about issues and meetings. She feels there may be some misinformation circulating due to the neighborhoods strongly represented here tonight. In an effort to clear up some of this misleading information, she read the sentence "Explore adopting smaller lot sizes in neighborhoods where the historical lot pattern is smaller than the established 6.7 dwelling units per acre." She emphasized "where the historical lot pattern is smaller ". Under Implementation Strategies, it states "Meet with residents and property owners at the neighborhood level to establish desired lot area maximums for individual neighborhoods." The neighborhoods in Tukwila vary, and engaging people will lead to good, progressive change. Also, the Comprehensive Plan has flexible zoning standards, which means if the lot sizes were reduced, there would be new design characteristics that would accommodate that reduced size. She added that Goal 7.4.7, Implementation Strategies, also includes developing a process for residents to participate in developing regulations for individual neighborhoods. This empowers neighborhoods to have input into changes that are proposed. Smaller lot areas would be subject to design standards that mitigate the potential negative impacts of smaller lots. This is very responsive to the differing neighborhoods in the City. Ms. Alford stated that the word "explore" means to discuss or inquire into a subject or issue in detail, which makes sense in her opinion. Tukwila City Council Committee of the Whole Minutes September 14, 2015 Page 8 of 11 9:19 p.m. Councilmember Duffie exited the Council Chambers Hyojin Whitford, 12217 46th Avenue South, voiced her support for changing the Zoning Code to allow neighborhoods to determine the appropriate lot size for the area. Bill Holstine, 4251 South 160th Street, stated that he was at the meeting where the report was presented stating that Tukwila has a good supply of unfilled housing lots. Currently 14 to 15 houses are being built per year, which means there is still a lot of building that can be done. One Zoning Code does not fit all neighborhoods, so good coordination and planning is needed for future building. 9:22 p.m. Councilmember Duffie returned to the Council Chambers. Diana Echols, 4900 South 161st Street, stated that when she read the Housing portion of the Comprehensive Plan, she was pleased and inspired by it. She now wants to get more involved with affordable housing. Her suggestion would be to have the Comprehensive Plan laid out in various ways and languages so all the citizens could understand it, and the City could have more open houses. David Puki, 3748 South 152nd Street, is concerned with some of the newer renovations happening in his neighborhood that leave no yards for children to play in. Smaller houses are being built up to be mega houses with no yard. He feels rental housing does not promote community, but rather community is built through home ownership. Councilmember Robertson said the Council spent approximately three hours discussing the proposed updates to the City's Comprehensive Plan two weeks ago. He felt that additional outreach needed to be done. He and a friend printed approximately 500 flyers providing information on the proposed update to the Comprehensive Plan, and they spent three days doorbelling in a few of the City's neighborhoods distributing the flyers. During this outreach, he found that residents did not know about the proposed language edits relating to the possible reduction of single - family lot sizes and allowing townhouses /duplexes in single - family neighborhoods. Councilmember Robertson reviewed some of the statistics from his outreach, and he requested that the proposed language be removed from the update to the Comprehensive Plan. Council President Kruller read from the flyer that was distributed by Councilmember Robertson to various neighborhoods within the City. In summary, the flyer urged residents to attend the September 8, 2015 City Council meeting and voice their comments on the proposed update to three elements of the City's Comprehensive Plan. Information on the flyer implied that there would be Zoning Code changes as it relates to single - family neighborhoods. Ms. Kruller stated if she would have received a flyer of this type at her home, she would have been very concerned. She expressed appreciation for Councilmember Robertson reaching out to members of the community on this issue. However, she feels some of the information provided to the community was concerning. Gail Okicich 14248 56th Avenue South, voiced her support for the outreach by Councilmember Robertson. She feels the residents were not aware of the changes being discussed by the Council on the Comprehensive Plan. Council President Kruller clarified that the City has been working on the update to the Comprehensive Plan for many months, and there have been several discussions on the proposed language updates. Councilmember Hougardy spoke on the issue of communication to residents about the update to the Comprehensive Plan. City staff provided the Council with a schedule of the outreach conducted on the language currently before the Council. She offered to work with staff in the future to ensure there is public participation for these types of items. Ms. Hougardy reviewed a sampling of the recent comments received by the Council on this topic, and those comments state the residents of select neighborhoods do not want townhomes and duplexes in the neighborhoods. She said there are other options available to the Council, such as removing the implementation strategies, and if the City wanted to make a change to the Comprehensive Plan in 2016, the implementation strategies could be added to the plan at that time. Ms. Hougardy also suggested that the neighborhoods have someone in their area serve as a Community Connector that would provide a point of contact for individual neighborhoods. Tukwila City Council Committee of the Whole Minutes September 14, 2015 Page 9 of 11 Councilmember Seal voiced her appreciation for the input and comments. However, she doesn't agree with the method used to achieve the results. By removing the suggested language from the proposed update to the Comprehensive Plan, it would affect the residents who did attend the community meetings and provided input from which the proposed language was derived. If the City is the "Community of Choice," then there are a lot of people that still need to be contacted to provide comments on the proposed changes. The City has changed over the years, and the City is not going to immediately start making Zoning Code changes. Councilmember Ekberg feels the Council should take a step back and listen to what people are saying. He relayed that he asked the question about what is required in the City's Comprehensive Plan, and the answer was goals and policies. The implementation strategies are not required, and he suggested those be removed from the update. The implementation strategies are important. However, they can be removed and discussed by the Council later. Councilmember Quinn reminded the Council about the amount of outreach that was conducted by staff on the Comprehensive Plan update. If the City were to have the implementation strategies as a stand- alone document, people would be required to locate that additional document to review along with the Comprehensive Plan. It is his opinion that the implementation strategies are a menu of options available for the goals /policies. He feels if the City were to start the comment process all over again, it would discount the comments from residents who participated during the outreach process. Mr. Quinn gave several examples of where comments were obtained and provided suggestions for communication strategies for future projects. Brennan Wilson, 4803 South 162nd Street, commented that there were various factors that caused the communication disconnect. In most cases, people will not respond unless it directly affects them. Councilmember Hougardy said there are many members of the community who have a voice, and there is a new group of community members who are voicing their opinions on the proposed language. The comments from other residents show they do support duplexes and townhomes. The question is how does the City talk to all the residents about the proposed language changes. Councilmember Duffle said the Council has listened to the citizen comments, and the Council now has a decision to make. He voiced his support for the plan, and he feels the City should move forward with the proposed update to the Comprehensive Plan, as the City can amend the plan next year. Councilmember Ekberg stated that the goals and policies are sound with the exception of reference to reduced lot size (proposed policy 3.1.2). He again suggested moving forward with the goals and policies, except as mentioned. He feels the implementation strategies do not correlate with all of the input provided. Councilmember Quinn commented that retaining the implementation strategies would hold the Council accountable. Residents would continue to contact the Council on the menu of options for implementing the goals and policies. Councilmember Robertson commented that the issue tonight was not about the community outreach process. The issue on the table is the Comprehensive Plan update that, if passed, would allow the City Council to change the zoning next year to allow smaller lot sizes and duplexes and townhouses. He feels the question for the Council to consider is whether the Council should move the plan forward as is, or remove the implementation strategies as suggested by Councilmember Ekberg. Allowing duplexes and townhomes in the residential neighborhoods will not solve the affordable housing needs in the City. Council President Kruller commented that (through the outreach process) there are other residents who have provided comments on the proposed update to the three elements of the Comprehensive Plan. Ms. Kruller reviewed page 6 of the agenda packet: A main goal of the draft updated Comprehensive Plan policies is to preserve and enhance the existing development patterns and character of single - family neighborhoods while allowing Tukwila City Council Committee of the Whole Minutes September 14, 2015 Page 10 of 11 more flexibility in future development, if so desired by residents and property owners, and Council. Overall, the current Comprehensive Plan, adopted in 1995, and the updated policy language share key features: • Prevailing lot size in single - family neighborhoods — Low Density Residential (LDR) — is a 6,500 square foot minimum. • A maximum of two units per lot, if development criteria are met. • Zoning code updates are a legislative process with robust public input and outreach and ultimate action decided by Council. • A clear directive to preserve and enhance stable neighborhoods: Policy 7.1.1— Maintain a comprehensive land use map that supports the preservation and enhancement of single - family and stable multi - family neighborhoods; eliminates incompatible land uses; and clearly establishes applicable development requirements through recognizable boundaries. Council President Kruller explained there are good and bad arguments about the proposed changes in all neighborhoods. If she were asked to approve a Zoning Code amendment, there would be a lot of questions to be asked, and there would need to be a conversation about what the changes would mean for the area. The leaders of the past adapted and changed as the times changed. She said another option would be for the Council to remove the two implementation strategies as part of Goal 3.1. Councilmember Hougardy commented that she would support removing policy 3.1.2 and the implementation strategies to allow the City additional time for discussion and community outreach. Councilmember Seal suggested the Council move the plan forward to the next meeting, and the Council can discuss proposed changes. Councilmember Quinn said the Council should continue this discussion at the next Regular Meeting. Jack Pace, Community Development Director, stated if the Council needs additional time on the Comprehensive Plan update, the Council should take more time. If the Council would like to discuss this item again at the next meeting and provide staff clear direction on any language edits, staff would then move forward with finalizing the edits to the plan. Councilmember Ekberg stated there are three new options for the Council to consider, and he suggested the Councilmembers bring suggested language edits to the next meeting for Council discussion. COUNCIL CONSENSUS EXISTED TO FORWARD THIS ITEM TO THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING FOR DISCUSSION. REPORTS a. Mayor Mayor Haggerton commented that the Council had a robust discussion this evening. While the discussion was sensitive at times, the update to the Comprehensive Plan is a legislative process, and he feels the Council had a good discussion on the topic. By the Council providing clear direction to staff on the controversial items and /or the language that needs fine tuning, the sooner the process can be completed. Mayor Haggerton said timing is not the most critical; completing the update to the Council's satisfaction is what is critical. If the word "explore" is a cause of concern, let staff know and that word can be removed and replaced with something more suitable. Mayor Haggerton thanked Council President Kruller for chairing the September 8, 2015 Regular Meeting. He stated he, along with Rachel Bianchi, Communications and Government Relations Manager, were in Washington D.C. working with the City's lobbyists. He said he will update the Council about those meetings in writing. Tukwila City Council Committee of the Whole Minutes September 14, 2015 Page 11 of 11 COUNCIL CONSENSUS EXISTED TO EXTEND THE MEETING PAST 11:00 P.M. TO ALLOW FOR COUNCIL REPORTS. b. City Council 11:02 p.m. Councilmember Duffie exited the Council Chambers. Councilmember Ekberg commented that he has heard from concerned citizens about the sewer extension into the loop area by Valley View Sewer. He said there was a Valley View Sewer meeting last Thursday (September 10, 2015) that the Council was not aware of, and only one City employee attended. He asked that the Utilities Committee look into what is happening with the sewer extension into the loop area and report back to the full Council. 11:03 p.m. Councilmember Duffie returned to the Council Chambers. Councilmember Seal reported on the items discussed at the Community Affairs and Parks Committee meeting earlier this evening. She said the Council will be reviewing a draft ordinance regarding the International Property Maintenance Code and Healthy Housing Standards on September 28, 2015. Council President Kruller announced there is a City Council Special Meeting on Tuesday, September 15, 2015, beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers to discuss City revenue options. 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 There was no report. MISCELLANEOUS Councilmember Duffie announced that he delivered five boxes of school supplies to the Tukwila School District that were donated by City employees. He expressed his sincere appreciation for the kindness shown by City staff. ADJOURNMENT 11:05 p.m. COUNCIL PRESIDENT KRULLER DECLARED THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING ADJOURNED. Kat: rul er, Co u` `cil President Minutes by Lady of Letters, edited by Melissa Hart, Deputy City Clerk APPROVED BY THE COUNCIL PRESIDENT: 10/2/15 AVAILABLE ON THE CITY WEBSITE: 10/2/15