HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022-08-22 Committee of the Whole MinutesTukwila City Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
On-site and Virtual Meeting August 22, 2022 — 7:00 P.M.
MINUTES
This meeting was conducted both on-site at Tukwila City Hall and virtually via Microsoft Teams.
The phone number for public participation that was provided via the agenda distribution process was:
1-253-292-9750, access code 670077847# as well as a link to join the Microsoft Teams Meeting.
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
CALL TO ORDER/PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Council President McLeod called the Tukwila City Council meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. and led the
audience in the Pledge of Allegiance.
OFFICIALS
Present at the meeting were Council President McLeod (on-site); Councilmembers Kathy Hougardy (on-
site), De'Sean Quinn (on-site), Kate Kruller (on-site), Cynthia Delostrinos Johnson (on-site), Mohamed
Abdi (on-site), Tosh Sharp (on-site).
CITY OFFICIALS
David Cline, City Administrator; Nora Gierloff, Community Development Director; Derek Speck, Economic
Development Administrator; Tony Cullerton, Deputy Finance Director; Jay Wittwer, Fire Chief; Norm
Golden, Deputy Fire Chief; Pete Mayer, Interim Parks and Recreation Director; Tiffany Johnson, Parks
and Recreation Manager; Eric Dreyer, Police Chief; Hari Ponnekanti, Public Works Director; Joel Bush,
Chief Technology Officer; Andy Youn, Deputy City Clerk.
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Councilmember Quinn stated "The City of Tukwila is located on the ancestral lands of the Coast Salish
people. We acknowledge their continuing connections to land, waters and culture. We pay our respects to
their elders past, present and emerging."
PUBLIC COMMENTS
1. Marty Grisham relayed support from the Council and City Administration made it possible to build a
strong and robust Emergency Management department that has gained a national reputation for the
quality of its programs. He asked for the Council's support in funding a second employee in
Emergency Management who can help enhance the City's Community Emergency Response Team
(CERT) Program and prepare the City's diverse community of residents for a major disaster event.
2. Greg Sherlock referenced the ongoing noise issue from the Sabey Data Center that is audible from
his home and indicated he has engaged with the King County Office of Alternative Dispute
Resolution. He expressed he disagrees with certain statements made in the update on the noise
ordinance presented at the August 15, 2022 Regular Meeting and stated BRC Acoustics, the
proposed third -party consultant for the proposed noise study, appears to be conducting the
investigation on behalf of Sabey. He also stated the consultant was not provided with his
documentation of the noise complaints.
SPECIAL ISSUES
a. A discussion with Puget Sound Regional Fire Chief Matt Morris.
David Cline, City Administrator, and Norm Golden, Deputy Fire Chief, provided an overview of the revised
statement of principle, which reads in part: "The City of Tukwila seeks a short-term service contract with
Puget Sound Regional Fire Authority (PSRFA) as a bridge to voter -approved annexation as
Tukwila City Council Committee of the Whole Minutes
August 22, 2022 Page 2 of 4
recommended by the Future of Fire/EMS Services Community Advisory Committee and agreed upon by
the Tukwila City Council." This is an opportunity for the Council to engage with Puget Sound Regional
Fire Chief Matt Morris.
The Councilmembers asked clarifying questions regarding the negotiations process, annexation, and next
steps.
b. A discussion on Parks and Recreation revenue recovery and fees.
Pete Mayer, Interim Parks and Recreation Director, provided an overview of considerations on cost
recovery associated with Parks and Recreation's programs, rentals and services. Staff are recommending
that a cost recovery and resource allocation study be conducted in the 2023-2024 biennium.
The Councilmembers asked clarifying questions and provided suggestions for cost recovery including
donations, sponsorships, and streamlining of events. Local parks have been a valuable option for the
public during the pandemic and activating parks to increase park usership is one way to address security
concerns.
8:34 p.m.
8:35 p.m.
8:45 p.m.
8:47 p.m.
Councilmember Quinn exited the Council Chambers.
Councilmember Quinn returned to the Council Chambers.
Councilmember Hougardy left the Council Chambers.
Councilmember Hougardy returned to the Council Chambers.
c. Solid waste contract award.
8:48 p.m.
8:49 p.m.
Councilmember Kruller left the Council Chambers.
Councilmember Abdi left the Council Chambers.
Hari Ponnekanti, Public Works Director, explained the current comprehensive solid waste, recyclables
and yard waste collection contract with Waste Management expires on October 31, 2023. Following
Council direction, staff pursued an open, competitive procurement process for the upcoming contract and
Recology was selected as the highest-rated proponent. Highlights from Recology's proposal includes
demonstrated service reliability, local call center, expanded list of recyclable items and more. The
proposal includes a rate increase due to Tukwila having been below market for the past decade and
uncertainty due to supply chain issues, future inflation, and instability in the current recycling markets.
1. Laura Moser, Public Sector Manager for Waste Management, stated Waste Management (WM)
wishes to retain the City's contract and is committed to providing reliable services. She cited WM's
proposed rates that are less than Recology's and acknowledged WM course corrected service issues
that arose during the course of the pandemic. Ms. Moser shared elements of WM's proposal including
new carts, steel bins, customer service dedicated to serving the City's residents and more. She
relayed it has been a privilege to serve Tukwila for the past decade and urged the Council to
reconsider.
2. Steve Brum spoke on behalf of Recology King County to thank the Council, City staff and consultants
who ensured a fair procurement process. He shared Recology is 100% employee owned and every
employee has a stake in the company that drives its culture in creating an inclusive workplace.
Recology employs individuals who are local and can focus on servicing Tukwila. He thanked the
Council for the opportunity to speak.
8:57 p.m. Councilmember Kruller returned to the Council Chambers.
3. Anthony Brocato spoke on behalf of Recology King County and stated Recology looks forward to
demonstrating their commitment to the City as a partner in recycling, solid waste services, and
sustainability. Their team has executed many contract implementations over the past decade that
includes creation of new routes, driver training, and familiarizing the customer service team with daily
collections. Drivers also have the opportunity to join Recology through Teamsters Local 174 that is
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August 22, 2022 Page 3 of 4
headquartered in Tukwila. He emphasized that Recology values community relationships and they
look forward to working with the City.
4. Logan Harvey spoke on behalf of Recology King County and referenced House Bill 1799 which
requires composting for all businesses by 2027. Recology's contract will help meet that new
requirement. Additionally, Recology's success in renewing contracts with other jurisdictions speaks to
their track record of reliability. He indicated Recology will be expanding their customer service team to
better serve the City including the addition of a Waste Service Specialist that will administer their
contamination reduction program. He referenced Recology's employee -ownership business model
that speaks to their focus on equity. Recology focuses on employee development: They are currently
developing a local Commercial Driver's License (CDL) Program.
9:03 p.m. Councilmember Abdi returned to the Council Chambers.
9:06 p.m.
9:07 p.m.
Council President McLeod left the Council Chambers.
Council President McLeod returned to the Council Chambers.
The Councilmembers asked clarifying questions regarding the proposed contract and staff responses are
highlighted as follows:
• The industry standard for service reliability is misses per 1,000 collections. Recology's missed
collection rate was 1.5 per 10,000 collections, compared to WM's 8 per 10,000 collections.
• In response to certain clarifying questions raised by residents, the proposed contract is being
amended.
• While there was originally a large cost difference in the two proposals from the time they were
first received in April, staff have since negotiated with the proposed vendor to close the price gap.
• The proposed contract provides for resolving service deficiencies through an escalation process
and performance penalties.
Councilmember Delostrinos Johnson requested clarity on the cost difference between the two proposals.
Following a question from Councilmember Sharp as to whether Waste Management can still be
considered following the Request for Proposals (RFP) process, Mr. Cline indicated the City Attorney will
need to provide input as to the legality.
CONSENSUS EXISTED TO HAVE STAFF RETURN WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AT THE
SEPTEMBER 12, 2022 COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE, WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE
PROPOSED CONTRACT WITH RECOLOGY WILL BE FORWARDED FOR FINAL CONSIDERATION
AT THE SEPTEMBER 19, 2022 REGULAR MEETING.
REPORTS
a. Mayor
Mayor Ekberg was not in attendance.
b. City Council
Councilmember Hougardy reported the Community Services and Safety Committee received an update
on the Basketball Equity Action Team and an Interlocal Agreement with the Puget Sound Auto Theft Task
Force. There was also a miscellaneous discussion regarding staffing needs in Emergency Management.
She attended a lunch at Fire Station 51 with the Puget Sound Regional Fire Authority Governing Board
and the Vietnamese Martyrs Parish Fundraising Dinner.
Councilmember Quinn reported the Finance and Governance Committee reviewed a lease agreement for
City printers and copiers and received updates on the General Fund and budget outreach overview and
feedback to date.
Tukwila City Council Committee of the Whole Minutes
August 22, 2022 Page 4 of 4
Councilmember Kruller participated in Transportation and Infrastructure Services Committee meetings
through National League of Cities and attended a Town Hall Meeting with Congressman Adam Smith.
She also attended the Vietnamese Martyrs Parish Fundraising Dinner, spoke at the Riverton United
Methodist Church regarding leadership, and attended a ribbon -cutting ceremony for the Salvation Army.
She shared the Salvation Army is having a back -to -school event at Old Navy on August 26, 2022 and
they are seeking volunteers.
Councilmember Delostrinos Johnson participated in a ribbon -cutting ceremony for Weier Law which was
celebrating its 25th anniversary. She attended a South King Housing and Homelessness Partners meeting
where they approved a resolution adopting the 2023 Work Plan and Operating Budget and received a
presentation from A Regional Coalition for Housing (ARCH) regarding how their housing trust fund is
administered.
Councilmember Abdi referenced the upcoming Basketball Festival at the Community Center and
expressed appreciation for staff bringing forward innovative ideas to invest in Tukwila's youth. He
participated in a back -to -school drive in Rainier Beach and suggested holding a similar event in Tukwila.
He had the opportunity to attend the CrawsOver Pro -Am basketball event and met with Councilmember
Delostrinos Johnson to go over voucher approval. He reported there will be a Teens for Tukwila
celebration on September 1, 2022 and that he will be attending the upcoming National League of Cities
Annual Conference in November.
Council President McLeod referenced the City Council Budget Resource Manual that Councilmember
Quinn and Laurel Humphrey, Legislative Analyst, distributed. He offered the reminder that due to the
upcoming 5th Monday and holiday, the next Council Meeting will be on September 12, 2022.
Councilmember Kruller shared there will be Special Committee Meetings held on August 29, 2022.
c. Staff
There was no report.
ADJOURNMENT
10:13 p.m. COUNCIL PRESIDENT MCLEOD DECLARED THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
MEETING ADJOURNED.
Thomas McLeod, oun President
Andy Youn; Deputy City Clerk
APPROVED BY THE COUNCIL PRESIDENT:
AVAILABLE ON THE CITY WEBSITE:
9/2/22
9/7/22