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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPark 2016-07-13 Item 4B - Handout Distributed at Meeting - Public Safety Plan: Frequently Asked QuestionsHave locations been determined for these new Public Safety Facilities? The only determination for the siting of a new facility is that we know that Fire Station 51 will move to Southcenter Parkway and 180th per the Tukwila South development agreement. No other decisions have been made regarding siting of the other Public Safety facilities and the City will engage in a community siting process at the appropriate time. What happens in the event of an economic downturn? A voter - approved bond ensures that the money must be spent on the projects identified in the ballot language. This means that in the event of a downturn, the Public Safety facilities and fire equipment and apparatus have guaranteed funding for the life of the bond. What is the City doing to ensure that people in Tukwila know about this Plan? The City is engaged in a robust public outreach process around the Public Safety Plan. This effort includes four open houses, presentations at various community and civic groups, compre- hensive information on the City's website, videos on the web as well as Channel 21, and a transparent Council process. Where can 1 get more information? Visit TukwilaWA.gov /PublicSafetyPlan to read more details about the plan. You can also email PublicSafetyPlan @Tukwil - aWA.gov with any questions. Tours of Tukwila's Public Safety buildings can be scheduled by calling 206 - 433 -1850. PUBLIC SAFETY PLAN Frequently Asked Questions Why does the City need this Public Safety Plan? The City has been investigating how to ensure full funding for fire service in the City of Tukwila, as well as replacing the seismi- cally unsound and inefficient Public Safety facilities that include three fire stations and the Public Works Shops. It is critical in the event of a major earthquake, flood or other disaster that these first responders are able to deploy throughout the City. In addition, these aging facilities were constructed at a time when the City had less than one -fifth of its current population and required significantly less services and employees to meet the community's needs. Finally, modern standards and mandates have made the existing fire stations, City shops, Municipal Court and Police Department obsolete. What is the plan to address the public safety needs in the City of Tukwila? The City is proposing a voter - approved public safety bond that will fund three fire stations, fully fund fire equipment and appa- ratus for the next twenty years and a justice center to house the Police Department and Municipal Court. In addition, the City will construct a consolidated Public Works shops paid through an equal combination of general fund and utility rates within the existing rate structure. What are the implications of a public safety bond? A voter - approved bond legally requires the City to use the funds for only the purposes stated in the ballot title language. Voters in the City of Tukwila will need to approve the bond by a margin of 60% or higher. What are the proposed levels of service in the public safety plan? The plan sustains the current level of services for police, fire and public works for the near term, and plans for growth over the life of the bond. For instance, additional fire apparatus is included in the out -years of the bond to address expected growth in the community. Facilities will be constructed in such a way that they can be easily and economically expanded when the need arises. What is the cost of the fire stations, justice center and city shops? Fire Station 51 $10 million Fire Station 52 $ 5 million Fire Station 53 $ 6 million Justice Center $26 million Consolidated City Shops $26 million Detailed cost break downs can be found at TukwilaWA.gov/Pub - licSafetyPlan, and include pricing information on land acquisi- tion, engineering, construction, contingency and more. Who pays for the Public Safety Plan? The City will use an equal combination of existing General Fund and utility rates within the existing rate structure to pay for the cost associated with the consolidated Public Works shops. The bond will be paid by property owners in the City, more than 80% of which are commercial /industrial businesses. Homeowners will pay less than 20% of the overall cost of the bond. What is the cost to a homeowner in Tukwila? A homeowner with property with an assessed value of $250,000 would pay an average of $116 per year. The levy rate is just un- der $.47 per 1,000. To calculate the impact to your property di- vide your property's assessed value by 1,000 by $.47. Why fund fire apparatus and equipment in the bond? Fire trucks and equipment are expensive and must be replaced on a regular schedule in order to ensure they remain in good repair and are outfitted with current and rapidly changing technology. Including these critical life /safety components in a public safety bond ensures they are fully- funded for twenty years and are not subject to downturns in the economy similar to what the region faced in 2008. The total cost fire equipment and apparatus is $21 million over the next twenty years. The full replacement schedule can be found at TukwilaWA.gov/Pub - licSafetyPlan. How will this plan improve police services in Tukwila? Due to a number of facilities - related deficiencies, Tukwila Po- lice Officers are often called off of their regular patrol to provide security- related assistance at the City Hall campus, including escorting in- detention defendants to the restroom at Tukwila Municipal Court, or assisting other police officers with a high risk interrogation. How did the City arrive at the cost model for the three fire stations, justice center and public works shops? The City relied on the Rice Fergus Miller cost projections for the justice center and public works shops. The cost model for the three fire stations included in the plan were taken from the work the City of Tukwila did with the Kent Regional Fire Authority. The station costs are based on the RFA's station funding model. What is the impact of the public safety bond to the City's budget, and specifically the Fire Department? The bond provides certainty for the fire department as it legally binds the City to fund construction of the three new fire stations as well as the apparatus and equipment for 20 years. Assuming no major regional or national economic event, the department's operating budget would remain the same, leaving general fund dollars available for other community priorities such as streets and sidewalks.