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Home My WebLink AboutFSC 2024-01-09 MinutesTukwila Financial Sustainability Committee Meeting #3 Summary Notes January 9, 2024 1 6:00-8:00pm I Fire Station #52 Attendees Committee Members ■ Phillip Combs, COO, Segale Properties ■ Jacob Halverson, Resident ■ Kathy Hougardy, Current Councilmember and Resident ■ Annie McGrath, CEO, Seattle Southside Chamber ■ Krysteena Mann, Resident ■ Karin Masters, Resident ■ Amber Meza, Resident ■ Diane Myers, Resident ■ David Puki, Resident ■ Verna Seal, Resident ■ Greg Sherlock, Resident Absent ■ Arta Baharmast, General Manager, Westfield Southcenter ■ Randy Boyd, Resident ■ Abdiwali Mohamed, Owner, Abdiwali Mohamed CPA ■ Peggy McCarthy, Resident (Alternate) City Staff ■ Vicky Carlsen, Finance Director ■ Pete Mayer, Parks & Recreation Director ■ Derek Speck, Economic Development Administrator Consulting Team ■ Katherine Goetz, BERK Consulting ■ Brian Murphy, BERK Consulting 1 Meeting Recap Welcome and Meeting 2 Recap Brian Murphy welcomed committee members and provided an overview of the agenda. Katherine Goetz shared that some information was revised in the Financial Overview document, which has been updated on the project webpage. Additional detail was provided about property tax exemptions, how property tax works in Washington, the City's compensation principles, and information about business license fees in Tukwila and peer cities. ■ Committee members noted that Tukwila is unique among peer cities in having a business license fee and a business and occupation tax and are interested in understanding the impact of taxes on businesses of different sizes. Fiscal Impacts of Land Use Brian shared information about how the City's revenues and expenses depend on different land use types, including industrial, retail, and residential. He shared highlights of anticipated growth in the City. ■ Committee members were interested in the data used to determine the estimated fiscal impacts for different land uses. ■ Committee members were invited to share their thoughts and questions on this topic during the poster exercise. Programs and Services Overview Katherine shared information on the City's programs and services, which are broken up into several categories. Brian introduced an activity where committee members could provide feedback on the City's programs and services. They could note where the City could consider providing less, the same, or more service and how to prioritize some unfunded needs. They could also ask questions or leave comments about a particular program or priority. Committee members were asked to consider what they know about the makeup of the Tukwila community when making their suggestions. The consulting team will summarize the feedback and provide it at the next Committee meeting. Meeting Close Each committee member shared closing thoughts at the end of the meeting. • Based on this activity, it is clear that infrastructure and public safety are high priorities. • It is important to focus on maximizing the value for every dollar spent. That may mean making cost cuts in some places. • There are aspects of community building that are hard to quantify. It is also important to consider the future we want for the community. Polling the community will be important, not just for the budget, but also for land use and other key decisions. • ill City of Tukwila Financial Sustainability Plan I Committee Meeting #3 Summary Notes 2 • We should think about investments we can make now that will provide a long-term return. The 1 cap on property tax growth is a huge burden on every city. The more we can do to increase revenues and limit expense growth, the better. • The City should consider selling surplus properties or contracting out operations of the Golf Course. • The City should focus on accountability and audit programs to evaluate the return on investment and community benefit. Perhaps it could reduce programs with lower participation. • There seems to be a lot the City can do to be more efficient with funding. • It is important to emphasize the return on investment. Good investments include short- and long-term planning and retaining good staff. If we invest in long-term planning and good city staff, we will get better services at a lower cost in the long term. • We should look at the value we get for what we are spending. It is sometimes better to make a bigger investment for a long-term return. Staff turnover is a huge cost, so it is a better investment to retain staff. • Some program offerings may provide a productive recreation activity for young people so the City should consider that aspect as well. • We need a dense, quality downtown that attracts and retains families. • At the end of the day, what does Tukwila really want to be? The City's budget reflects its values. We need to think about everyone who is here in Tukwila. Cities serve everyone, equally. • There is appreciation for everyone's openness to how complex this work is. The return -on -investment concept is important. The business community supports investments in the services that makes this a great place to live. It is important to attract and retain businesses, while also being a great place for families. Brian provided an overview of the agenda for the next meeting. At that meeting, city staff and the consulting team will share more information about the City's financial forecast and continue the conversation about City programs and services. The following dates are planned for subsequent meetings in 2024: • Wednesday, February 7 • Tuesday, March 6 • Wednesday, April 3 Meetings will be from 6:00-8:00 pm at the Tukwila Community Center. • ill City of Tukwila Financial Sustainability Plan I Committee Meeting #3 Summary Notes 3