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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2008-03-24 Committee of the Whole MinutesTUKWILA CITY COUNCIL March 24, 2008 7:00 p.m. Council Chambers City Hall COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE CALL TO ORDER/PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Council President Joe Duffie called the meeting to order at 7:04 p.m. and led the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance. OFFICIALS Present were Joe Duffie, Council President; Councilmembers Joan Hernandez, Pam Linder, Dennis Robertson, Verna Griffin, Kathy Hougardy, De'Sean Quinn. ATTENDANCE Jim Haggerton, Mayor; Rhonda Berry, City Administrator; Jim Morrow, Public Works Director; Ryan Larson, Senior Surface Water Engineer; Kevin Fuhrer, Finance Director; David Haynes, Police Chief; Don Lincoln, Police Commander; Derek Speck, Economic Development Administrator; Katherine Kertzman, Tourism Manager; Kimberly Matej, Council Analyst; Christy O'Flaherty, Deputy City Clerk. SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS SCORE Public Development Authority for a Multi- Jurisdictional Misdemeanor Jail Facility; Penny Bartley, Manager of Jail Services, City of Renton. Rhonda Berry, City Administrator, provided a summary of this issue. Staff members from cities in suburban King County have held a series of meetings to discuss solutions to the problem of decreasing availability of inmate beds in the King County jail. King County has relayed that area cities must seek other jail options by the year 2012. South County cities recognized their needs were somewhat different than those of eastside and north end cities and formed a separate group for evaluation purposes. The member cities of Auburn, Kent, Des Moines, Federal Way, Renton, and Tukwila have formed a group known as the South Corrections Entity (SCORE). The Tukwila City Council approved an interlocal agreement for a jail feasibility study on September 17, 2007. Ms. Berry introduced Penny Bartley, Manager of Jail Services for the City of Renton, who is taking the lead on this project. Ms. Bartley utilized a Powerpoint presentation to provide an overview of this issue. Key points involved the following: Insufficient Jail Capacity in King County King County jails are unable to continue to meet the need for misdemeanor beds. Options: (A) Continue to compete with other agencies for the limited available bed space very expensive option with little control; (B) Build regional or sub regional jails. In order to meet the 2012 deadline imposed by King County, we must be moving forward now. Ricci Greene Study (2006) The cities hired Ricci Greene to develop options and a long -range plan for the cities. The report indicated that the 37 cities in King County will need 1,440 beds by 2026 (study did not include City of Kent or Enumclaw). -Of those 1,440 beds, 700+ will be needed in the South King County region (in addition to those currently available at the Kent and Renton jails). -The study estimated a total project cost for a 390 -bed facility to be $109,831,814 in 2008 dollars. City of Tukwila Page 2 of 7 Citv Council Committee of the Whole Minutes March 24. 2008 SCORE Jail Facility Modeled after Valley Communications Center. The site needs to be a minimum of 13 acres and expansion would require 19 acres. The assumption in the feasibility study is that the site would be on the valley floor, potentially requiring "pre- loading" and fill above the proposed new FEMA flood plain. Costs include pile- driven foundation system. Centrally located if available, however site costs may be a significant impact. It is conceivable that there may be only 2 -3 sites available for consideration. The draft estimate for a SCORE facility with 808 beds is $89,922,319 in 2010 dollars ($20 million less than the Ricci Greene estimate), Jail Costs in 2008 and projected for SCORE facility The total amount spent on jail services by the SCORE cities in 2008 is projected to be $16,285,302. The City of Tukwila's portion is $1,284,224 with a rate of $130.31 per day. Tukwila's cost is high due to use of the King County jail, which has an expensive booking rate that drives up the cost. The daily rate based on an 800 -bed SCORE facility is estimated to be $96.00 per day. Construction Financing Cities could pay capital costs with 6 equal ownership shares of $14,987,053. -A Public Development Authority (PDA) could be formed wherein SCORE issues the construction bonds; cities do not have to issue the bonds, but would guarantee the bonds; the bond guarantee would not impact cities' financing ability. Construction escalation will cost $600,000 per month. Timeline 2008 Establishment of SCORE PDA, funding, siting, and facility design 2009 -2010 Construction -2011 Facility shakedown 2012 Opening of facility The Councilmembers asked clarifying questions regarding the presentation and acknowledged the long- term cost savings involved with this plan and the need for expediency. Robert Jensen, 11682 44th Avenue South, asked if it would be made known to citizens that a jail facility may be coming to the area. Ms. Bartley indicated that the SCORE group does communicate with the local media regarding progress on the project. Ms. Berry offered thanks to Ms. Bartley for taking the lead on this aggressive and essential project. Biennial Budgeting; Kevin Fuhrer, Finance Director. Kevin Fuhrer, Finance Director, used a Powerpoint presentation to provide information regarding the possible implementation of biennial budgeting for the City of Tukwila. This would mean the City would adopt a budget every two years instead of once a year. Statutory Authority Revised Code of Washington (RCW) 35A.34. It has been permitted for Washington cities since 1985. Currently there are 25 cities that utilize the biennial budgeting process. Timelines On a one -time basis, Council must adopt an ordinance permitting budgeting on a biennial cycle. The authorizing ordinance must be adopted at least 6 months before the start of the biennium The 1st year of the biennium must be an odd year. If the desire is to start a biennial budgeting process at the beginning of 2009, the ordinance must be adopted no later than June 30, 2008 OR the City must wait until January 1, 2011. City of Tukwila Page 3 of 7 Citv Council Committee of the Whole Minutes March 24, 2008 The Finer Details -A mid biennium review is required. May be likened to the current budget amendment process with 2 notable exceptions. -The review can start no sooner than September 1 of the first year and must be completed by the end of the first year. If the biennial budget is to be amended, a public hearing must be held. The City may revert back to an annual budget by adopting an ordinance to that effect; however the reversion may not occur prior to the conclusion of the current biennium. Pros Saves time Longer perspective By design, budget is considered in non election years Allows for a shift in focus from merely balancing the budget to planning strategically Cons Change in leadership Inherent difficulty in forecasting Budget manager discipline Feeling expressed by some of a loss of control The Councilmembers asked questions of Mr. Fuhrer regarding various aspects of the process. Support was expressed for the process and use of the "off- years" for long range financial planning by the Council. Mayor Haggerton indicated the workshops he has attended on financial planning offered by the National League of Cities (NLC) and the Association of Washington Cities (AWC) have convinced him that biennial budgeting is a positive step for Tukwila. Council consensus existed for the City administration to pursue a biennial budgeting process for the City. CITIZEN COMMENT Robert Jensen, 11682 44th Avenue South, commented regarding what he feels is a need for stop signs in the Allentown area of the City on South 122nd Street between 44th and 45th Avenue South. As many as 20 -30 kids wait for the bus in this area, and there are very few sidewalks. When he inquired about this approximately 5 years ago, he was told there was no money for stop signs, and he would like the matter reconsidered at this time. Jim Morrow, Public Works Director, indicated that traffic calming will be discussed at the Transportation Committee meeting tomorrow (March 25) at 5:00 pm. Mr. Morrow indicated he would add Mr. Jensen's concern to the list and invited him to attend the meeting. Mr. Jensen also indicated that he walks his dog in Tukwila parks and on local trails. He expressed the need for people to clean up after their pets, and he would like to construct receptacles and put bags in them to use for pet cleanup. He is a member of the Duwamish Improvement Club and will be requesting funding from them for the materials. He is wondering if it would be acceptable to put the receptacles in parks or at trailheads for people to use. Rhonda Berry, City Administrator, indicated she would discuss this issue with the Parks and Recreation Director. Stephen Andreu and Stewart Battle, from the Larouche Political Action Committee, 14712 Bothell Way NE, Lake Forest Park, requested the Council consider passage of a resolution supporting The Homeowners and Bank Protection Act of 2007. This bill has been passed in over 80 cities and in legislative bodies in Rhode Island and Alabama. It involves the current national mortgage crisis and is intended to protect banks. Mr. Andreu provided a CD for distribution to the Council entitled "Firewall In Defense of the Nation State." City of Tukwila Citv Council Committee of the Whole Minutes Mr. Battle relayed that this is a huge issue regarding fiscal policy. He would like to convey 3 points regarding the act. (1) Congress must establish a federal agency to place the federal and state chartered banks under protection and freeze all existing home mortgages for a period of months or years to adjust the values to fair prices; restructure existing mortgages at appropriate interest rates; and write off all the cancerative, speculative debt obligations. (2) Freeze all home foreclosures to keep people in their homes. (3) The Governors will assume the administrative responsibilities for implementation. SPECIAL ISSUES a. Authorize the Mayor to sign a contract with Encore Media West for a Seattle Southside full- back page, four -color advertisement in the 2008 Washington State Visitor's Guide in the amount of $31,873. Councilmember Robertson indicated this item was discussed at the Finance and Safety Committee meeting on March 4, 2008. The committee members were unanimous in recommending approval. The Tukwila Lodging Tax Advisory Committee unanimously recommended at the November 15, 2007 meeting to request the Mayor to sign a contract with Encore Media West. The contract will provide a Seattle Southside full- back -page, four -color advertisement in the 2008 Washington State Visitor's Guide. The amount of the contract is $31,873 and is a part of the overall 2008 budgeted Media Plan. COUNCIL CONSENSUS EXISTED TO CONSIDER THIS ITEM AT THE SPECIAL MEETING FOLLOWING THIS COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING. Page 4 of 7 March 24. 2008 b. An ordinance providing for the acquisition of land for the purpose of constructing the Tukwila 205 Levee Repair Projects, Site 3 and Site 5; providing for condemnation appropriation; and directing the initiation of appropriate proceedings. Councilmember Robertson indicated this item was discussed at the Transportation Committee meeting on February 26, 2008. (Transportation Committee Chair Linder was not in attendance at that meeting, and Council President Duffie attended in her absence.) The committee members were unanimous in recommending approval. Jim Morrow, Public Works Director, provided an overview of this issue. The City is required to obtain additional easements to allow the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to repair approximately 1,600 linear feet of levee at two locations that were damaged during the November 2006 flood event. In 1991 the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built the levee on the western bank of the Duwamish River. This levee protects Tukwila's Urban Center. During the 2006 flood, the Tukwila levee soils became saturated during the very high flows of the Duwamish River. These high flows caused levee damage in 9 different locations. Tukwila requested the Corps to inspect and review these sites. Based upon the inspection, two separate areas (Site 3 Lily Pointe Investments and Wells Fargo Bank and Site 5 La Pianta), approximately 1,600 linear feet in total, were determined to have severe damage. The repair options require the City to obtain additional property, and King County has agreed to provide the real estate services needed to obtain the property. As with previous projects that have required the acquisition of additional property, the City will do everything within its power to work cooperatively with the property owners. Should the City and King County not be successful in these efforts, condemnation of the property would be required. The Corps of Engineers has established a very aggressive schedule for accomplishing the repairs. The Corps has stated that if the repairs are not accomplished during this construction season, July through September 2008, they will withdraw their funding of the proposed repair work, and the City would then be responsible for making the repairs at City expense, estimated to be at least $1.4 million. Furthermore, the Corps states that if the repairs are not completed before the next flood season, they will recommend the levee be decertified. City of Tukwila Page 5 of 7 City Council Committee of the Whole Minutes March 24. 2008 Laura Neebling Whitaker, Attorney for Perkins Coie, on behalf of Carlyle, Inc., 6801 S 180th St. (Site 3 of the proposed levee repair), conveyed support for the project and potential benefits to the company. Upon review of the information currently available, they do not foresee the critical functions of the business being adversely impacted. They do have concern regarding loading, fire access, and parking issues and will need to review the new survey carefully to ensure the project will work for their company and potential redevelopment plans. Representatives from Tukwila and the US Army Corps of Engineers have had multiple meetings with the property owners to work through issues regarding the easements. At this time, the easements are not fully finalized, and the Council is being requested to remove the ordinance from this evening's Special Meeting and consider it at the April 7, 2008 Regular Meeting. While this delay does exceed the Corps timeline by a few days, Mr. Morrow expressed confidence the 3 property owners would come to agreement. Councilmember Robertson expressed the seriousness of this issue and indicated the City would have to proceed with condemnation proceedings if agreement cannot be reached. COUNCIL CONSENSUS EXISTED TO REMOVE THE ORDINANCE FROM THIS EVENING'S SPECIAL MEETING AND CONSIDER IT AT THE APRIL 7, 2008 REGULAR MEETING. c. Update on the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), Phase II, Stormwater Management Plan (SWMP). Councilmember Griffin indicated this item was discussed at the Utilities Committee meeting on March 3, 2008. The committee members recommended the item be forwarded to the full Council for an information only update. Jim Morrow, Public Works Director, provided a summary of this topic. He introduced Ryan Larson, Senior Surface Water Engineer, and Sheri Lott from Parametrix, the City's consultant, who have been working on this project. The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) requires the City to implement a comprehensive Stormwater Management Program (SWMP) that complies with the requirements outlined in the City's NPDES Phase II permit, which became effective February 16, 2007. The conditions of the permit require the City to develop a SWMP and submit annual reports to the Washington State Department of Ecology (WSDOE), outlining progress in meeting permit requirements by March 31 of each year. Once submitted to the WSDOE, this plan will be used to determine whether permit obligations are being met. The SWMP document commits the City to activities that have staffing, training, procedural and documentation requirements that the City must follow. The SWMP will be updated annually to reflect any required changes in our program and to provide greater detail as various programs are fully developed. The SWMP follows the organization of the NPDES permit and addresses the 5 required permit components as follows. 1. Public Education and Outreach 2. Public Involvement and Participation 3. Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination 4. Controlling Runoff from New Development, Redevelopment, and Construction Sites 5. Pollution Prevention and Operation Maintenance for Municipal Operations Monitoring Robert Jensen, 11682 44th Avenue South, asked if there was an emergency plan /team in place. Mr. Morrow responded in the affirmative and referenced a 3 -alarm fire that occurred at an automotive business on Tukwila International Boulevard. Efforts to contain the fire with large quantities of water caused an overflow of Gilliam Creek and the City of SeaTac surface water system. Crews from Tukwila, SeaTac, and ValVue Sewer District worked successfully to pump the water out of the surface water system into the sewer system, preventing any damage to Gilliam Creek. City of Tukwila Page 6 of 7 City Council Committee of the Whole Minutes March 24, 2008 d. A resolution updating the City's designated representative to serve on the Cascade Water Alliance. Councilmember Griffin indicated this item was discussed at the Utilities Committee meeting on March 3, 2008. The committee members were unanimous in recommending approval. Formal designation of Tukwila's representatives for the Cascade Water Alliance is required. Mayor Jim Haggerton is the designated representative and Councilmember Verna Griffin is the alternate. COUNCIL CONSENSUS EXISTED TO FORWARD THIS ITEM TO THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING. e. Discussion on future meetings with local cities. At the March 17, 2008 Council Meeting, Council President Duffie asked the full Council to consider how they would like to handle meeting with officials from other local area cities. The Councilmembers exchanged comments regarding this issue to include the following: the necessity of identifying specific topics of discussion prior to meetings being scheduled; the view that there are items of mutual interest such as transportation and public safety issues with the City of SeaTac; the need to know if staff and administration are in contact with the other cities regarding particular issues; and the desire for an outcome -based agenda to assure the City is well prepared prior to any meetings being conducted. Mayor Haggerton confirmed there are meetings being conducted with area cities on various topics of mutual interest. He expressed support for topic- specific agendas prior to the scheduling of joint meetings. He explained that he recently signed a letter of support to local legislators regarding economic development plans by the City of SeaTac. REPORTS a. Mayor Mayor Haggerton indicated that Rhonda Berry, City Administrator, left the meeting at 9:15 p.m. due to illness. The Mayor attended the Water Resource Inventory Area 9 (WRIA9) meeting on March 19, 2008 as well as the Tukwila Sister Cities spaghetti dinner fundraising event that same evening. On March 20, 2008 Mayor Haggerton participated in the Tukwila Rotary Club meeting and an outreach session with Dave Sabey and Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels. Mr. Sabey's development involving the Associated Grocers site is 2/3 in the City of Tukwila and 1/3 in the City of Seattle, and the meeting proved to be very beneficial. The Mayor reported that the Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for Tukwila Village has been extended by one week to allow additional developer participation, and it will not affect the broader timeline for the project. There will continue to be opportunities for citizen participation throughout the process. b. Council Councilmember Hernandez attended the Tukwila Historical Society meeting on March 20, 2008. She offered a reminder about the Walt Wagner concert on March 29, 2008 at Foster Performing Arts Center at 7:30 p.m. She commended Pat Brodin, Public Works Maintenance Operations Superintendent, for his work on the Tukwila Historical Society and the Walt Wagner concert in particular. Councilmember Linder also complimented Pat Brodin for the "fabulous job" he does on "everything." She also commended the Mayor's Office and staff for pushing forward on projects and adhering to timelines. Councilmember Griffin offered a reminder of the bowl -a -thon at Acme Bowl on Saturday, March 29, 2008. On April 1, 2008 the Tukwila Children's Foundation will be conducting the "Ready for Kindergarten" at Thorndyke Elementary School. On April 26, 2008 the Tukwila Community Schools Collaboration will have a spring tea at the historic Nelsen House. City of Tukwila Page 7 of 7 City Council Committee of the Whole Minutes March 24. 2008 Councilmember Hougardy attended the Tukwila Pantry meeting on March 19, 2008 and the Tukwila Sister Cities spaghetti dinner fundraising event that same evening. Councilmember Quinn attended the Highway 99 Action Committee meeting on March 11, 2008 and referenced the hundreds of pounds of garbage that is being picked up by community members. Council President Duffie indicated the Council Analyst left this evening's meeting early due to illness. He reminded the Council of the Memorial Service for Tukwila Assistant Police Chief, Darrell (DJ) Baskin on March 27, 2008. He also indicated there will be no Council Meeting on March 31, 2008, as it is the fifth Monday of the month. Derek Speck, Economic Development Administrator, referenced training being offered by the Pacific Institute this weekend in Seattle. The Pacific Institute will also be conducting an interactive Tukwila specific training session for the Highway 99 Action Committee tentatively set for the last weekend in May. No more than 3 Councilmembers should attend that meeting to ensure compliance with public meeting requirements. c. Staff There was no report. d. City Attorney The City Attorney's presence is not required at Committee of the Whole meetings. e. Intergovernmental The Council Analyst was not present. MISCELLANEOUS Councilmember Linder indicated she has been requested to suggest that the Easter Egg Hunt held at the Tukwila Community Center have more events for very young children (2 -3 years old). ADJOURNMENT 9:50 p.m. COUNCIL PRESIDENT DUFFIE DECLARED THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING ADJOURNED TO CONVENE A SPECIAL MEETING. Christy O'FIaKerty, Deputy City Clerk" n ncil Preside U l