HomeMy WebLinkAbout2018-09-10 Committee of the Whole MinutesTukwila City Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
City Hall Council Chambers September 10, 2018 — 7:00 P.M.
MINUTES
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
CALL TO ORDER/PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Council President Seal called the Tukwila City Council meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. and led the audience
in the Pledge of Allegiance.
OFFICIALS
Present were Council President Seal; Councilmembers Dennis Robertson, Kathy Hougardy, De'Sean
Quinn, Kate Kruller, Thomas McLeod, Zak Idan.
CITY OFFICIALS
Allan Ekberg, Mayor; David Cline, City Administrator; Rachel Bianchi, Deputy City Administrator; Peggy
McCarthy, Finance Director; Vicky Carlsen, Deputy Finance Director; Jeff Friend, Fiscal Manager;
Richard Takechi, Fiscal Coordinator; Henry Hash, Public Works Director; Hari Ponnekanti, Public Works
Deputy Director/City Engineer; Gail Labanara, Public Works Analyst; Jay Wittwer, Fire Chief; Bruce
Linton, Police Chief; Rick Still, Parks and Recreation Director; Laurel Humphrey, Council Analyst; Andy
Youn, Deputy City Clerk.
PUBLIC COMMENTS
Rune Harkestad, 845 Northeast 106th Avenue, Bellevue, referenced an article published in "The Seattle
Times" several weeks ago about housing and job growth in the Puget Sound this decade. Mr. Harkestad
relayed Tukwila is one of a small number of jurisdictions without any developments over 50 units in its
pipeline. With 15% job growth but less than 3% housing growth, housing will become more expensive in
this area. Five years ago, he had the idea to build apartments over retail on an excess parking lot next to
Bartell Drugs. His proposal seemed to be in line with Tukwila's Comprehensive Plan. While he has been
told repeatedly that the City will update its zoning, nothing has happened, and recent policy changes have
made it more difficult to develop his parcel. He asked the Council to what degree housing growth is a
priority for the City, and what steps are being taken in the near future.
Sharon Mann, 4452 South 160th Street, distributed copies of a letter from the Tukwila International
Boulevard Action Committee (TIBAC) to the Council. She would like to see the Department of Community
Development prioritize zoning updates on Tukwila International Boulevard. This matter is time sensitive
as it deals with real estate. She expressed it is important to encourage developers such as Mr.
Harkestad.
Council President Seal stated Jack Pace, Community Development Director, provided an update on the
status and timeline of the Tukwila International Boulevard Plan implementation to the Council at the
August 27, 2018 Committee of the Whole meeting. Staff will be bringing this item through the committee
process for additional review.
The Councilmembers provided comments as follows:
• This issue has surfaced at previous meetings and is an opportunity to provide the community with
answers;
• While zoning issues go through the Community Development and Neighborhoods Committee
first, the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has reviewed the proposed road diet on
Tukwila International Boulevard;
• The City is ahead of the Growth Management Act for this area.
David Cline, City Administrator, confirmed the City works with individual developers to provide information
regarding how to proceed with development proposals. He relayed Mr. Harkestad engaged the City a
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September 10, 2018 Page 2 of 9
year ago and chose not to move forward with the options presented to him. Mr. Cline explained "The
Seattle Times" article referenced by Mr. Harkestad did not contain accurate information concerning
housing growth in Tukwila. Tukwila Village currently has over 100 housing units with 300 additional units
coming online in the next 2 years. There are also approximately 900 housing units in the pipeline that are
currently being built. A new 19-story building with over 300 units has recently opened, with 200 housing
units under construction near that site. He indicated additional information will be placed in his next City
Administrator report.
Ms. Mann relayed the Planning Commission approved the proposed zoning changes to Tukwila
International Boulevard last year. She asked whether it is possible for this development project to bypass
the Planning Commission to come before the Council with a developer's agreement. She commented
she would like to see aggressive economic development on the Boulevard, and suggested listing
properties with an international or national real estate company to reach out to investors who will pay
taxes to the City.
SPECIAL ISSUES
a. An ordinance amending the gambling tax.
Councilmember Quinn indicated this item was discussed at the Finance Committee meeting on
September 5, 2018. The committee members had no recommendation and forwarded this item for full
Council discussion. He offered a reminder regarding the Budget Work Session on September 11, 2018,
which will be an additional opportunity to have a comprehensive discussion regarding this item.
Rachel Bianchi, Deputy City Administrator, noted the informational memorandum for this item erroneously
states there are 5 cardrooms in the City rather than 4 cardrooms. She explained that staff are seeking
Council approval to forward this item to a future Regular meeting, following robust outreach to the
gambling establishments.
This legislation proposes raising the rate associated with cardrooms by 1%, effective January 1, 2019.
Per the Tukwila Municipal Code, gambling taxes are used primarily for public safety, which accounts for
more than 56% of the City's general fund. State law caps the tax on cardrooms at 20%. Jurisdictions in
the county vary as to how they regulate and tax cardrooms, and many ban such establishments
altogether. According to staff research, Auburn has one of the lowest rates at 4% and Redmond has the
highest at 12%. Both Kent and King County levy a 11 % rate. Ms. Bianchi acknowledged this increase in
the gambling tax is an opportunity to help align revenues with expenditures in the coming biennium.
The Councilmembers asked clarifying questions and provided comments as follows:
Councilmember Idan:
• How much can the City bond if this generates $350,000 annually? Vicky Carlsen, Deputy Finance
Director, replied the City can bond about $3.8 million for a 20-year term.
Councilmember McLeod:
• Does the City have an increased cost to patrol and enforce City codes related to gambling
establishments? Bruce Linton, Police Chief, relayed while there are not any specific inspections
required by the Police Department, they will need to respond to increased calls for service.
Additionally, there have been investigations that have taken significant Police time.
• Do gambling establishments pay business license fees in addition to the gambling tax? Ms.
Bianchi answered in the affirmative.
• How are cardrooms operated as commercial stimulants? Councilmember Robertson shared that
the phrase is usually used to indicate a cardroom is a stimulant to another business, such as a
restaurant.
• Mr. McLeod expressed the cardrooms are already paying for services that are provided to them
and that he is not in favor of increasing the tax. Additionally, he would like more information
regarding how the gambling establishments increase City costs.
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Councilmember Kruller:
• Why are we raising the tax on gambling establishments? Ms. Bianchi explained the City has a
deficit in terms of revenue and projected expenses. In order to maintain services, administration
reviewed a variety of options and determined this is one of the tools available to balance the
budget in addition to reducing expenditures.
• Does the gap in the budget include the costs of the Public Safety Plan? Ms. Bianchi shared there
is a $2 million annual deficit in the budget regardless of the Public Safety Plan.
• Ms. Kruller commented that when this issue was raised several years ago, it was determined that
gambling establishments have low calls for service. Cardrooms do not appear to be a
burgeoning business, and due to the high security, are usually safe. She spoke against asking
the business community to shoulder more taxes.
Councilmember Hougardy emphasized the need to make data -based decisions and noted this item is
consistent with the City raising taxes on other businesses, such as parking establishments. Additionally,
the proposed rate of 11 % is consistent with other jurisdictions, including King County. It is important to
highlight that the increased tax is an opportunity to balance the budget. Ms. Hougardy noted the
additional revenue is not a small amount and could fund a bond, more police vehicles, or another fire
apparatus. She also noted this is a tax on a recreational activity people can elect not to participate in.
Councilmember Robertson stated Seattle does not allow cardrooms. Gambling establishments are in
Tukwila because of the location and accessibility to Seattle. Additionally, he relayed that he spoke to an
Auburn Councilmember and learned that Auburn temporarily reduced their gambling activities tax from 11
or 12% to 4% during the recession several years ago. He emphasized that raising taxes is one of few
tools the City can use to respond to the deficit in the budget and keeping the tax at its current rate will
mean certain City services will be eliminated.
Councilmember Seal asked staff to provide data regarding City costs related to patrolling and enforcing
codes related to gambling. She would like to bring this item back to the Finance Committee following
community outreach.
Councilmember Quinn feels it is important for the Council to have a comprehensive discussion regarding
the budget and make informed decisions when all available options have been weighed against each
other.
Councilmember Kruller expressed she looks forward to seeing this item in the upcoming Budget Work
Session. She does not know what the baseline budget is for the City and hopes Priority -Based Budgeting
will provide some clarity as to what services the City should not be providing.
COUNCIL CONSENSUS EXISTED TO RETURN THIS ITEM TO COMMITTEE.
b. An Interlocal Agreement for transfer of surface water billing to King County.
Councilmember Quinn indicated this item was discussed at the Finance Committee meeting on
September 5, 2018. The committee members were unanimous in recommending approval.
Peggy McCarthy, Finance Director, introduced Richard Takechi, Fiscal Coordinator. She explained this
item is an interagency agreement with King County authorizing the County to bill Tukwila property owners
for the City's surface water services beginning January 1, 2019.
She outlined benefits to transferring surface water billing to King County as follows:
• Service will be more efficient: Customers will be able to pay one bill instead of two bills, as King
County includes the surface water charges on their property tax statements. Additionally, King
County provides customer service for surface water billing. 17 agencies in King County use their
services.
• The City's collections rate will improve: Currently, delinquent accounts for the Surface Water
Fund are approximately $330,000 and have been accumulating over the years. While the City
sends out late notices, assesses late fees, and can put a lien against the property, it cannot
collect on outstanding surface water fees. Transferring surface water billing to King County will
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allow the City to collect on outstanding bills. Additionally, King County can foreclose on properties
after 3 years of property tax delinquency. The amount of fees the City has forfeited through
foreclosure has been about $5,000 to $15,000 annually.
• Transitioning the billing to King County will increase staff capacity within the Finance Department:
The entire process of billing, receipting, and maintaining the customer accounts, as well as
interacting with the public, takes significant resources and time for the City. 25% of the
transactions processed by the cashier at the Finance counter are surface water bills. Staff issue
over 5,000 bills twice a year. The increased staff capacity will be used to relieve overtime usage
and to back up positions.
Ms. McCarthy relayed the cost/benefit analysis provided in the agenda packet is very conservative. The
actual net estimated savings should be greater than outlined.
The following answers were provided in response to clarifying questions from the Councilmembers:
• Staff reached out to other jurisdictions currently utilizing King County for surface water billing and
did not hear any complaints regarding level of service provided by the County. The County has
more customer service staff available to field calls. The Finance and Public Works Departments
will remain available to assist residents with questions.
• King County has different qualifications to receive a discounted charge due to low-income senior
or low-income disabled. More customers will be eligible by using the County's parameters.
• Estimated increased staff capacity has been factored into the cost/benefit analysis.
• Customers who pay property taxes with their mortgage payments will also be able to pay surface
water bills through an escrow account.
• Approximately 5,100 parcels will be billed by King County. The City will continue to bill for 261
City -owned parcels, 15 condominium complexes and State-owned roadways and properties.
• Rates are set by Public Works and will be coming forward to the next Transportation and
Infrastructure Committee meeting. There will be a 5% rate increase in 2019 and a 3% rate
increase in 2020. Public Works will continue to establish rates and bring the proposed changes
through the Committee and Council process.
• There will be additional cost savings as the City will no longer absorb credit card fees for surface
water billing.
• The agreement provides for termination on an annual basis.
COUNCIL CONSENSUS EXISTED TO FORWARD THIS ITEM TO THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING.
c. Council consensus on Fire Station #52 pre -design options and estimate.
Councilmember Hougardy indicated this item was discussed at the Public Safety Committee meeting on
September 4, 2018. The committee members forwarded this item with majority approval on option 2 to
design the drive -through site plan preferred by the Fire Department, with Councilmember Robertson
opposed. She highlighted the time sensitivity of this item as it pertains to the two versions of the site plan.
Justine Kim, Program Manager with Shiels Obletz Johnsen, and Steve Goldblatt, the Council's Program
Management Quality Assurance (PMQA) Consultant, introduced themselves.
Ms. Kim shared the Project Team has been working on evaluating the site plan for Fire Station #52. They
have updated the Pre -Design estimate for Fire Station #52, using the latest square footage costs recently
generated for the Fire Station #51 Design Development estimate. The project would only be within the
currently approved construction budget if the interior finishes of the Fire Department's administrative
offices and the Training Room/ back-up Emergency Operations Center (EOC) can be bid as an alternate.
The Project Team was also requested by the Fire Department to explore an alternate site plan of being
able to drive through the apparatus bays, in lieu of the currently designed back -in configuration for long-
term operational efficiency. Assuming the interior finishes for the administrative area are bid as an
alternate, the drive -through design will be $650,000 above the current budget.
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While there is still time for the Council to decide on whether or not to include finishing of the interior
spaces, the decision to change the site plan to the drive -through option has to be made now as the
design team cannot proceed into Schematic Design without further direction.
Ms. Bianchi shared the Administration's recommendation is to go with option 2, which is to design the
drive -through site plan preferred by the Fire Department, with the understanding of the additional
$650,000 of funding required to complete the project.
Mr. Goldblatt encouraged the Council to consider the drive -through design for Fire Station #52 for the
long-term usability of this station.
Comments were provided as follows, with clarification from staff:
• The Councilmembers expressed concern regarding the additional cost for the drive -through site
plan. Part of the conversation will need to be about what the City cannot afford and what will be
cut, as the Public Safety Bond was originally approved at $80 million by voters but has increased
to $139 million in costs.
• Staff are working on updating the 30-year financial plan for the D20 model to see the long-term
effects. It has a positive fund balance annually and should be able to fit the additional cost of
$650,000 for the drive -through site plan.
• Ms. Kim explained the higher price for the drive -through site plan is due to the additional paved
area for the rear apron, combined with the cost of excavation and import of structural fill material.
Additionally, the rear apron has high -strength, costlier paving due to the weight of the fire trucks.
• The Councilmembers also commented on accounting for the longevity of this station. It is possible
to work out the financing. The Fire Department has indicated this is one of the highest priority
items for them.
• Ms. Bianchi explained the interior finishes can be finished at a later time and there will be space
in the 6300 building for the Fire Department's administrative staff once the Justice Center has
been completed.
• The list of alternates presented at the last Council meeting is the final list of priorities by the Fire
Department.
• The Budget Work Session will be an opportunity to have a discussion regarding the budget,
Public Safety bond, and financial tools available to the City.
COUNCIL CONSENSUS EXISTED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH OPTION 2, TO DESIGN THE DRIVE -
THROUGH SITE PLAN PREFERRED BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, WITH THE UNDERSTANDING
OF THE ADDITIONAL $650,000 OF FUNDING REQUIRED TO COMPLETE THE PROJECT.
d. 2019-2020 Biennial Budget:
Vicky Carlsen, Deputy Finance Director, provided a brief explanation of this item and stated this process
is similar to the one the City used for the last budget cycle, where each budget section goes through
committee before being presented to the full Council. The Mayor will be presenting the full budget on
October 1, 2018.
Ms. Carlsen stated the City has a balanced budget it will be proposing. There is an 18% reserve in the
general fund, as well as 10% within the contingency fund. She noted there is a structural deficit in the
budget due to reduced revenues, such as streamlined sales tax mitigation payments. In addition, sales
tax revenue has not been growing as anticipated. Staff have taken a multi -prong approach to address this
issue, including expenditure reductions and proposing additional revenues to fill that gap.
1. Public Works, Streets, and Equipment Rental.
Ms. Carlsen explained the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee reviewed the Proposed 2019-
2020 Biennial Budget and Capital Improvement Programs for Public Works, Streets, and Equipment
Rental (Fleet 501) at its Special Committee meeting on September 5, 2018.
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The proposed budget for the Public Works department includes a 3% reduction in 2019 for $243,000 and
$239,975 in 2020. The budget includes COLA increases along with pension and health care increases, as
well as proposed utility increases. Changes are as follows:
Public Works (000.13) and Streets (000.16) General Fund:
• Engineering: Changed position to Deputy Public Works Director/City Engineer. Reduced
professional services by $28,400 for the 3% reduction.
• Development Services: The Water/Sewer Senior Program Manager is now the Development
Manager and funded with 20% development, 40% water, and 40% sewer.
• Facility Maintenance: Reduced custodial supplies by $15,000 and repairs and maintenance by
$85,000 for the 3% reduction.
• Streets: Reduced transportation (roadway) repairs by $5,000 and traffic control devices by
$91,600 for the 3% reduction.
Equipment Rental — Fleet 501 fund:
• Fleet's operations and maintenance expenditures have a 4.86% increase in 2019 and 14.79%
decrease in 2020.
• 9 new Police vehicles and 4 new Fire vehicles (Fire is part of the Public Safety Plan).
• Analysis of funding the 501 Fund will continue to be on the work plan.
2. Residential Street, Arterial Street.
Residential Streets — 103 Fund:
• 42nd Ave S Phase III (Southcenter Blvd to S 160'h St) — complete with final asphalt lift in late 2018.
• 53rd Avenue South — complete with final asphalt lift in 2019.
• Added three new grant -funded projects; 46'h Ave S Safe Routes to School, Macadam Rd S
Complete Street, and S 152nd St Safe Routes to School
• Changed Traffic Calming and Residential Sidewalks/Street Improvements to one CIP page;
Traffic Calming/Residential Safety Improvements with funding of $400,000 in 2019 and 2020.
Arterial Streets — 104 Fund
• Strander Blvd Extension Phase 3 — finish design in 2019, construction dependent on grants.
• Boeing Access Rd Bridge Rehabilitation — complete with final asphalt lift in 2019.
• West Valley Hwy — design in 2019 with construction in 2020, grant funded.
• New — Boeing Access Road over Airport Wy Seismic Retrofit — design in 2019 and construction in
2020, grant.
• New — 42' d Ave S Bridge Replacement — design to start in 2020, grant dependent.
• New — Green River Trail Improvements.
3. Parks & Recreation, Land Acquisition & Park Fund.
Ms. Carlsen explained the Community Development and Neighborhoods Committee reviewed the
Proposed 2019-2020 Biennial Budget for Parks & Recreation, Land Acquisition and the Park Fund at its
August 28, 2018 Committee meeting.
Changes from 2017-2018 Budget
Primarily the reductions to the budget are in the areas of extra labor staffing, supplies and professional
services. These reduction areas include a combination of programming adjustments throughout our
offerings and result in some program elimination or reduction, while maintaining the support for programs
that best service the Tukwila community with the resources available.
One of the biggest changes is the elimination of the annual 4'h of July event. While this has been a great
community service, when considering options, the benefits achieved through other recreational
programming such as those included in Youth Free Services better meet the strategic plan goal of
providing a solid foundation for all Tukwila residents. Staff could explore sponsorship opportunities to
continue this event if it is a priority of the community.
Priority Based Budgeting
The priority -based budget breakdown by program area can be found in the budget document.
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Land Acquisition and Parks Fund
Per Council direction funds from the Land Acquisition and Parks Fund have been reallocated to assist
with the Public Safety Plan. Therefore, the King County park levy funding is currently the main source for
Fund 301. There are three projects scheduled in 2019/2020, including Parks and Recreation Open Space
Plan, development of potential park, and final paving of Fort Dent parking lot.
4. Finance/Contingency Fund/Urban Renewal/General Government.
Ms. Carlsen explained the Finance Committee reviewed the Proposed 2019-2020 Biennial Budget for the
Finance Department, the Contingency Fund, Urban Renewal Fund, and General Government
Improvements at its September 5, 2018 Committee meeting.
In keeping with the City's budgetary goals, the 2019 budget has been reduced by 2.26% from the 2018
budget and the 2020 budget has been held to a 2.84% increase - yielding a net biennial increase of just
.58%, or less than 1%.
Changes in the 2019-202 Finance Department Budget
Staffing levels remain at twelve. In 2018, the Finance Department experienced four vacancies and all but
the Treasury Fiscal Specialist position have been filled. This position was left unfilled for budgetary
purposes and will be reconsidered for recruitment in the fourth quarter of 2018. Business license
processing is scheduled to transition to the State in the first half of 2019. The transition is expected to
reduce the amount of time required by the Business License Fiscal Specialist to process business
licenses. The resulting increased capacity may be used to enhance grant accounting processes,
including conducting outreach and education to other City departments, update policies and procedures,
and audit tax returns.
In response to the Administration's budget reduction request, the biennial budget was reduced for the
extra labor account, the claims and judgment account and a few other accounts. The extra labor budget,
reduced from $60,000 in 2018 to $25,000 in 2019 and 2020, better reflects usage over the past year.
The claims and judgment account was also reduced based on usage.
The 2019 professional services budget includes funding for assistance in determining the City's arbitrage
liability and in updating the indirect cost allocation. Arbitrage occurs when investment earnings on tax
exempt bond proceeds exceed a certain threshold; the excess earnings must be remitted to the Internal
Revenue Service. The indirect cost allocation was developed by the FSC Group in 2010. The proposed
update would modify the model for changes that have occurred within the City, increase understanding
and transparency of the methodologies and calculations within the model, and simplify the process for
updating the model. The 2020 professional services budget includes funding for assistance from our
accounting software provider, Tyler Technologies, for better utilization of the budget and capital asset
software modules and for better understanding of the accounting system data tables for improved
analysis and reporting. It also includes funding to transition accounts payable and other processes to a
more paperless system.
Contingency Fund
The Contingency Funds consists of two reserves — the 10% One-time Revenue reserve and the 10%
Minimum Fund Balance reserve. Under the Reserve Policy, funding for the 10% One-time Revenue
reserve is discretionary and therefore is not budgeted; funding for the 10% Minimum Fund Balance
reserve is mandatory and is budgeted. Also, the minimum fund balance, exclusive of the 10% One-time
Revenue reserve, must equal 10% of the prior year operating revenue. For 2017, the operating revenue
totaled $60,514,326, thus the 2018 ending fund balance will equal $6,051,432; for 2018, the operating
revenue is estimated at $62,000,000 and therefore the 2019 budgeted ending fund balance equals
$6,200,000; for 2019, the operating revenue is estimated at $65,000,000, therefore the 2020 budgeted
ending fund balance equals $6,500,000. Should the operating revenue estimate change for 2018 or
2019, the funding estimate for 2019 and 2020 would also change, respectively.
Urban Renewal:
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The proposed budget reflects minor costs associated with Tukwila Village. Transfers out are transferring
out existing fund balance to the general fund to cover the cost of a one-time project for the Fire
Department. Fund balance exists due to previous year land sale revenue.
General Government Improvements:
The proposed budget includes a transfer in of $300,000 each year, which represents an increase of
$100,000. Planned projects include siding and roof repairs at both the Tukwila Community Center and
City Hall.
The Councilmembers asked clarifying questions regarding the budget. Comments were made regarding
the need to adjust the budget and City services to address the gap. The Council has a fiduciary obligation
to make decisions based on information provided by staff, and not all the information is available yet.
Councilmember Kruller referenced pages 132 and 133 of the agenda packet. She appreciated that staff
provided an expenditure summary and identified programs on a comparison of the previous and proposed
budgets. She suggested creating a similar standard for budget items in the future for the benefit of the
public.
COUNCIL CONSENSUS EXISTED TO FORWARD THE PROPOSED BUDGETS TO THE FINAL
BUDGET PACKAGE FOR APPROVAL IN NOVEMBER.
REPORTS
a. Mayor
Mayor Ekberg relayed he will be attending the Association of Washington Cities (AWC) Mayors Exchange
this week.
b. City Council
Councilmember Hougardy reported she attended an event at King County Metro's South Base on
September 5, 2018, celebrating their recent award for Outstanding Public Transportation System of the
Year by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA). King County Executive Dow Constantine
was in attendance, and several types of buses were on display. Ms. Hougardy reported King County
Metro will have a larger presence in Tukwila as they have recently purchased the former Group Health
site, for use as temporary storage. She also shared she had an opportunity to speak to Diane Carlson,
Director of Capital Projects at King County Metro, regarding transit access for senior residents and
learned they are trying to bring last -mile connections to Tukwila, as well as the possibility of fixed route
services to Allentown.
Councilmember Quinn offered a reminder regarding the Budget Work Session on September 11, 2018
from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. He expressed the role of the Council is to fully understand what is being
proposed and encouraged the Councilmembers to prepare for the session by having their questions
ready and identifying the tools they will use to assess the budget.
Councilmember Kruller was invited to attend the Transportation Choices Coalition's 25th Anniversary Gala
on September 8, 2018 to reflect on achievements and consider regional transportation. She expressed
she was honored to be there. She relayed a senior resident expressed concern regarding lack of
accessible parking for the elderly and disabled at the light rail station. He suggested limiting some parking
spaces to 3-4 hour increments so daily commuters don't monopolize available parking throughout the
day. She requested this individual submit their suggestion through Tukwila Works.
Councilmember McLeod reported the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee discussed a
Memorandum of Agreement with CenturyLink earlier tonight for the undergrounding of utilities along 53rd
Avenue South. The project was delayed due to a union strike, which has been settled. Public Works
projects have resumed.
Council President Seal suggested posting an update regarding the strike on the City's Facebook page for
the community. She also relayed she has received some resident complaints regarding vehicular damage
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due to construction work. She has asked them to reach out directly to the Public Works Director. She
thanked the Council for passing the ordinance on immigration laws during the last Regular Meeting.
c. Staff
David Cline, City Administrator, offered that administration will follow-up on any resident concerns and
issues that are forwarded by Councilmembers. He shared he was part of a "welcome back" greeting at
the Tukwila School District earlier today.
d. Council Analyst
There was no report.
MISCELLANEOUS
Councilmember Kruller utilized a PowerPoint presentation to provide an overview of Pybus Public Market
as follows:
Pybus Public Market
• More than 20 restaurants, shops, specialty stores
• Former steel warehouse on the Columbia River waterfront
• Up to 35 Farmers Market vendors on the grounds outside
• City owns the land, nonprofit owns and manages the building
Property and Project History
• E.T. Pybus purchased the building in Richland and shipped it to Wenatchee in the 1930s
• Foundry supplied steel for dams, shipyards, and Hanford
• Pybus died in 1961 and company was sold
• Last business in the building closed in 2010
• Port of Chelan County acquired the property in 2010 for $1.33 million
• Construction funding included private investors, Port funding, and grants secured by the City
She displayed a slideshow of several pictures of the interior and exterior, including the entrance, guest
station, security, a variety of shops, stage area, and information booth.
Ms. Kruller commented this presentation is intended to be "food for thought" regarding farmers markets
and walkable spaces in the City. Some other examples of other farmers markets in the region are
Olympia and Bellingham. Additionally, Auburn and Kent use their transit station properties for farmers
markets.
The Councilmembers expressed their appreciation for the informative presentation.
ADJOURNMENT
9:51 p.m. COUNCIL PRESIDENT SEAL DECLARED THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING
ADJOURNED.
Verna Seal, Council President
Andy Youn, Deputy City Clerk
APPROVED BY THE COUNCIL PRESIDENT: 9/27/18
AVAILABLE ON THE CITY WEBSITE: 9/28/18