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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2012-04-16 Regular MinutesTukwila City Council City Hall Council Chambers MINUTES REGULAR MEETING Regular Meeting April 16, 2012— 7:00 P.M. CALL TO ORDER/PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE /ROLL CALL Mayor Haggerton called the Regular Meeting of the Tukwila City Council to order at 7:02 p.m. and led the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance. ROLL CALL Christy O'Flaherty, City Clerk, called the roll of the Council. Present were Councilmembers Joe Duffie, Dennis Robertson, Verna Seal, Allan Ekberg, Kathy Hougardy, De'Sean Quinn and Kate Kruller. CITY OFFICIALS Jim Haggerton, Mayor; David Cline, City Administrator; Shelley Kerslake, City Attorney; Peggy McCarthy, Finance Director; Rick Still, Parks and Recreation Director; Nick Olivas, Fire Chief; Mike Villa, Police Chief; Bruce Linton, Assistant Police Chief; Jack Pace, Community Development Director; Stephanie Brown, Human Resources Director; Kimberly Walden, Municipal Court Judge; Bob Giberson, Public Works Director; Joyce Trantina, Executive Assistant; Evelyn Boykan, Human Services Manager; Derek Speck, Economic Development Administrator; Mary Miotke, Information Technology Director; Christy O'Flaherty, City Clerk. SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS a. Oath of Office administered to Police Officer James Schwahn, Badge #195, and Police Officer Colin Cufley, Badge #199. Mayor Haggerton administered the Oath of Office to Police Officer James Schwahn, Badge #195 Officer Schwahn introduced his family and thanked Chief Villa and the City Council for this opportunity to work in law enforcement. Mayor Haggerton administered the Oath of Office to Police Officer Colin Cufley, Badge #199 Officer Cufley introduced his family and relayed that the field of law enforcement is about community and leadership and he is proud to work for Tukwila. The Mayor and City Councilmembers extended congratulations to Officers Schwahn and Cufley. b. Employee recognition and awards. Mayor Haggerton explained that the recipients of the awards were nominated by their co- workers. In the case of the 4 City -wide awards, a Committee reviewed nominations based on specific criteria. Mayor Haggerton announced the 2011 City of Tukwila employee award recipients. City Hall Barbara Saxton, City Clerk's Office Municipal Court Entire Court Staff: Trish Kinlow, Mindy Breiner, Amy Bell, Valerie Marino, Kerry Carlson, Crystal Sweet, Amy Miller, Julie Tran, Maria Morehouse Community Development Jim Benner Finance Karen Fricke Fire Rich Rees Parks and Recreation Teshome "Tesh" Edesa Tukwila City Council Regular Meeting Minutes April 16, 2012 Page 2 of 6 Police Dan Lindstrom Public Works Joanna Spencer Information Technology Scott Kirby Mayor Haggerton presented the 4 City -wide awards to the following staff members: Excellence in Action Award Nate Robinson, Parks and Recreation Successful engagement of youth in the community and going above and beyond in creating an exemplary Teen Program. Outstanding Customer Service Crystal Sweet, Municipal Court Genuine compassion and commitment toward the customers to ensure all are well served and valued. Outstanding Community Service Matt Hickey, Fire Department Involvement in many off -duty volunteer activities to include creation of a local ham radio group to ensure continued communication during emergencies plus on -site assistance during catastrophic events all over the world. Mayor's Award Kim Gilman, Human Resources Outstanding achievement in taking on the added responsibility of Civil Service Examiner for the City of Tukwila. c. Valley Cities Counseling and Consultation, in partnership with the SCORE (South Correctional Entity) jail facility. Penny Bartley, SCORE Executive Director. Bruce Linton, Assistant Police Chief, introduced Penny Bartley, Executive Director of the SCORE misdemeanor jail. SCORE is a cooperative effort between the cities of Tukwila, Auburn, Burien, Des Moines, Federal Way, Renton and SeaTac to provide jail services at a cost effective rate for the owner cities. Ms. Bartley explained that Valley Cities Counseling and Consultation in Kent has been awarded a $1.1 million grant from the Bristol -Myers Squibb Foundation. The grant will be used to implement the Forensic Mental Health Peer Support program in partnership with SCORE, New Connections of South King County and Washington State University. The support program is designed to reduce recidivism for people with serious mental illness who are leaving the SCORE facility. Valley Cities will be the first to fully develop a curriculum and evaluate the outcomes of the forensic peer support model, which would serve as an evidence -based resource for jails across the country. The Councilmembers asked clarifying questions of Ms. Bartley and thanked her for bringing this to the attention of the Council. d. Code Enforcement and Rental Licensing Update. Mary Hulvey and Kathy Stetson, Code Enforcement Officers. Mary Hulvey, Code Enforcement Officer, provided an overview of the Code Enforcement program. The job of Code Enforcement staff is to field complaints on a wide variety of issues occurring on private property. Complaints include construction without a permit, junk vehicles, debris, vacant structures, weeds and overgrowth, and improper parking on private property (unimproved surfaces). Investigation also takes place regarding business license violations, land altering and sensitive area violations, sign code violations and graffiti complaints. In 2011 Code Enforcement staff opened 366 cases, and 305 were closed or resolved. The complaints were comprised of the following: Tukwila City Council Regular Meeting Minutes April 16, 2012 Page 3 of 6 Debris 30% Building Code 22% Business licenses, junk vehicles, overgrowth, parking, graffiti, Sign Code 34% Other: Land altering, sensitive areas, miscellaneous 14% Additionally, there were 106 infractions issued to business owners and residents for failure to resolve code violations. Of these, 80% were contested in court, with the majority coming to a satisfactory resolution. The remaining 20% remain unresolved. The Councilmembers asked questions regarding various aspects of the presentation, and they would like to see enhanced communication to the citizens regarding Code Enforcement processes and follow -up information regarding repeat offenders. Kathy Stetson, Code Enforcement Officer, provided an update on the Rental Licensing Program. The Residential Rental Housing Licensing and Inspection Program was implemented in 2011 as a way of ensuring that rental housing in Tukwila met basic habitability standards. Over 400 applications have been processed to date, and over 200 inspections took place in 2011. An inspection is required once every 4 years. The majority of units passed their initial inspection. The City has 8 private inspectors and the list has been published on the City's website to assist property owners seeking private inspectors. Many of the larger complexes have chosen to hire private inspectors. One apartment complex legally evicted all tenants in order to renovate and bring the units up to a standard to pass the required inspection. This demonstrates a commitment by some landlords toward improving living conditions throughout their complexes as a result of required inspections. Sharon Mann, 4452 South 160 Street, stated that Code Enforcement is essential toward making the City more livable. She would like to see greater communication through the use of the Tukwila Reporter and The Hazelnut, as well as feedback to citizens regarding the status of their concerns. She relayed that she is in favor of mandatory garbage collection and was surprised to hear there is no law regarding living in travel trailers. Additionally, she would like to see a ban on mobile cafes. The Councilmembers asked clarifying questions and exchanged comments regarding the presentation. They expressed support for the work of the Code Enforcement Office and the necessity of this function in the City. Councilmember Robertson suggested the Community Affairs and Parks Committee consider looking at a code amendment regarding the use of travel trailers as a dwelling unit on private property. Mayor Haggerton relayed that City Administration will look into the matter of mobile cafes. APPOINTMENTS a. Confirm the re- appointment of Jan Bolerjack to Position #7 on the Human Services Advisory Board, with a term expiring 4/30/15. MOVED BY SEAL, SECONDED BY QUINN TO CONFIRM THE RE- APPOINTMENT OF JAN BOLERJACK TO POSITION #7 ON THE HUMAN SERVICES ADVISORY BOARD, WITH A TERM EXPIRING 4/30/15.* Ms. Bolerjack commented that Tukwila understands what makes a community work, and she expressed appreciation to Evie Boykan and Stacy Hansen from the Human Services Office for their outstanding contributions. She is pleased to be offered the opportunity to serve on the Human Services Board for another term. *MOTION CARRIED 7 -0. Tukwila City Council Regular Meeting Minutes April 16, 2012 Page 4 of 6 b. Confirm the re- appointment of Alice Russell to Position #2 on the Parks Commission, with a term expiring 3/31/15. MOVED BY QUINN, SECONDED BY HOUGARDY TO CONFIRM THE RE- APPOINTMENT OF ALICE RUSSELL TO POSITION #2 ON THE PARKS COMMISSION, WITH A TERM EXPIRING 3131/15. MOTION CARRIED 7 -0. c. Confirm the re- appointment of Scott Kruize to Position #5 on the Parks Commission, with a term expiring 3/31/15. MOVED BY HOUGARDY, SECONDED BY DUFFIE TO CONFIRM THE RE- APPOINTMENT OF SCOTT KRUIZE TO POSITION #5 ON THE PARKS COMMISSION, WITH A TERM EXPIRING 3/31/15. MOTION CARRIED 7 -0. CITIZEN COMMENTS Sharon Mann, 4452 South 160 Street, thanked Mary Hulvey, Code Enforcement Officer, for the personal time she spends at community meetings. Additionally, she asked for an update regarding lack of parking at the light rail station. In her view, people in SeaTac are using the lot for employee parking, and by 7:30 a.m., the station is full. Mayor Haggerton stated that he will look into this matter, and provide a response at a future Council meeting. CONSENT AGENDA a. Approval of Minutes: 3/26/12 (Special Mtg.); 4/2/12 (Regular Mtg.) b. Approval of Vouchers #360188- 360281 and #120401 in the amount of $874,453.94 c. Authorize the Mayor to sign an application for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds for the 2013 Minor Home Repair Program to serve the cities of Tukwila, SeaTac, Des Moines, Covington and Pacific in the amount of $125,000.00. MOVED BY DUFFIE, SECONDED BY QUINN THAT THE CONSENT AGENDA BE APPROVED AS SUBMITTED. MOTION CARRIED 7 -0. UNFINISHED BUSINESS Authorize the Mayor to sign a contract with Berk Consulting for the City's Strategic Plan in an amount not to exceed $131,394.00. MOVED BY HOUGARDY, SECONDED BY ROBERTSON TO AUTHORIZE THE MAYOR TO SIGN A CONTRACT WITH BERK CONSULTING FOR THE CITY'S STRATEGIC PLAN IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $131,394.00.* Council President Seal referenced page 2 of the amended Scope of Services that states, "We will conduct at least 10 telephone interviews, or more as determined by the Communitv Outreach Plan. on the City's challenges and opportunities and vision for the future." Sharon Mann, 4452 South 160 Street, is a member of the Tukwila International Boulevard Action Committee (TIBAC), and they would like to be a part of the stakeholder committee. She also commended Derek Speck, Economic Development Administrator, for his involvement with TIBAC. "MOTION CARRIED 7 -0. Tukwila City Council Regular Meeting Minutes April 16, 2012 Page 5 of 6 REPORTS a. Mayor Mayor Haggerton reported that the Southtowne Auto building on Tukwila International Boulevard will be utilized as a Neighborhood Resource Center (NRC), while the City awaits the permanent NRC that will be a part of the Tukwila Village development. The Mayor attended the Regional Services Subcommittee Meeting for the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) levy on April 10, 2012. Discussion ensued regarding implementation of performance audits, and it was the consensus of the committee that this did not represent an essential service. On April 11, 2012, he attended the Suburban Cities Public Issues Committee (PIC) meeting, where the topic was a levy for a juvenile detention center at $.07 per $1,000 to raise $2 million. On April 13, 2012, Mayor Haggerton attended the Chamber of Commerce lunch and also welcomed the Western Regional Conference of Church Ushers at the Doubletree Hotel. b. City Council Councilmember Duffie relayed that the lighting in the Bartell's parking lot is poor and presents a safety concern. Mayor Haggerton indicated he would look into this issue. Councilmember Ekberg thanked the Fire Department staff for their professionalism and assistance during an aid call to his home. Councilmember Hougardy attended the South County Economic Development Initiative (SCEDI) meeting on April 11, 2012 and the Showalter Middle School Cultural Fair on April 12, 2012. She also attended the April 13, 2012 Chamber of Commerce luncheon and the pool group meeting on April 14, 2012. Councilmember Quinn hosted the Council Coffee Chat on April 14, 2012. There were approximately 20 people in attendance, and he has heard from citizens that they appreciate the opportunity to engage with Councilmembers during the "chats." The topics that came up included: concern about cars going off the road and onto the Green River Trail near South 116 Street; excitement about the strategic planning process; suggestions for Tukwila Village regarding a senior housing cooperative; questions from ABC Towing regarding when the towing contract expires; code enforcement issues to include recent correspondence from the Department of Community Development; compliments to City staff; questions about the Annex Bar; issues associated with possible mandatory garbage collection; and questions associated with the process for overpayment of business licenses. Councilmember Kruller referenced that additional information may be helpful regarding the Council Coffee Chats as some citizens think all 7 Councilmembers will be present at the chats. She reported that there will be a Valley Com. Elected Official's Academy on April 21, 2012 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m., and she encouraged people to participate. She commended the Tukwila school system for accommodating recent political caucuses, and she reported that Representative Bob Hasegawa will have an event at the Tukwila Community Center on April 22, 2012 at 1:00 p.m. Additionally, she noted that when she was walking her dog along the back of Cascade Park, a citizen informed her that there are illegal activities in that area at night. She suggested that someone talk to staff at Cascade View School regarding these issues, with particular attention to the storage shed area. Chief Villa explained the importance of citizens calling in at the time the problems are occurring. c. Staff David Cline, City Administrator, referenced the City Administrator Report in the Council packet and offered to answer any questions. He also reported that he attended the Showalter Middle School Cultural Fair on April 12, 2012 and found it to be an exceptional event. Tukwila City Council Regular Meeting Minutes April 16, 2012 Page 6 of 6 d. City Attorney There was no report. e. Intergovernmental The Council Analyst is not required to attend Regular Meetings. MISCELLANEOUS Councilmember Duffie expressed thanks to Public Works crews for their work on South 124 Street. Councilmember Quinn reviewed the vouchers recently and relayed that the costs associated with the Downtown Emergency Services Center (DESC) were exorbitant. ADJOURNMENT 9:22 p.m. MOVED BY DUFFIE, SECONDED BY ROBERTSON THAT THE TUKWILA CITY COUNCIL MEETING BE ADJOURNED. MOTION CARRIED 7 -0. Ji ggerton, M Christy O'FlaheK, City Clerk APPROVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL AND SIGNED BY THE MAYOR: 5/7/12 AVAILABLE ON CITY WEBSITE: 5/8/12