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08/09/1988 City CouncilTHESE MINUTES SUBJECT TO AUGUST 16, 1988 APPROVAL EDMONDS CITY COUNCIL MINUTES AUGUST 9, 1988 The regular meeting of the Edmonds City Council was called to order at 7:00 p.m. by Mayor Pro Tem Bill Kasper at the Library Plaza Room, 650 Main St., Edmonds. All present joined in the flag salute. PRESENT Bill.Kasper, Mayor Pro Tem Laura Hall Roger Hertrich Jo -Anne Jaech Steve Dwyer John Nordquist Jack Wilson ABSENT STAFF Larry Naughten, Mayor Mary Lou Block, Planning Div. Mgr. Chuck Day, Accounting Mgr. Jim Barnes, Parks & Rec. Div. Mgr. Jack Weinz, Fire Chief Bob Bower, Treatment Plant Supvr. Bob Alberts, City Engineer Sharon Thatcher, Personnel Mgr. Linda McCrystal, Info/Arts Coord. Duane Bowman, Asst. City Planner Pat Harris, Grounds Supvr. Chuck Gram, Electro-Mech. Spec. Bob Schmidt, Fire Fighter Scott Snyder, City Attorney Jackie Parrett, City Clerk Margaret Richards, Recorder Mayor Pro Tem Kasper presided over the meeting in the absence of the Mayor. He noted that Mayor Naughten, Community Services Director Peter Hahn, and Administrative Services Director Art Housler were attending a meeting in New York to obtain a $10 million bond issue for the secondary wastewater treatment plant. Councilmember Dwyer arrived a few minutes late and did not vote on the Consent Agenda. rnNU NT AfFNnA Items (C) and (D) were removed. COUNCILMEMBER JAECH MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER WILSON, TO APPROVE THE BALANCE OF THE CONSENT AGENDA. MOTION CARRIED. The approved items on the Consent Agenda include the following: (A) ROLL CALL (B) APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF AUGUST 2, 1988 (E) ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF RECEIPT OF CLAIM FOR DAMAGES FROM JOHN H. WILLIAMS ($26.90) (F) APPROVAL OF TEMPORARY CONCESSION AGREEMENT WITH SOUTH SNOHOMISH COUNTY DOLPHINS FOR FOOD CONCESSION AT YOST POOL FOR SUMMER SWIM LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIPS, AUGUST 12, 1988 a pbf - L)A 8 (G) APPROVAL OF AGREEMENT WITH CITY OF LYNNWOOD FOR 208TH S.W. UAB PROJECT (H) FINAL PLAT APPROVAL OF 10 LOT SUBDIVISION OF SEA MOUNTAIN ESTATES (P-3-87/HAROLD HOPPER) AUTHORIZATION TO SELL TWO 1983 CHEVROLET MALIBU SURPLUS POLICE VEHICLES TO FINANCIAL CONSUL- TANTS INTERNATIONAL 00 TOTAL) [ITEM C N THE CONSENT G NO Councilmember Nordquist pointed out that there was a typographical error in the heading of Item ;�agA4(C) and it should be Malibus rather than Mailbus. COUNCILMEMBER NORDQUIST MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER HALL, TO APPROVE ITEM (C). MOTION CAR- RIED. REPORT ON BIDS OPENED AUGUST 2 1988 FOR THREE REEL MOWER AND AWARD OF BID TO WESTERN EQUIPMENT DISTRIBUTORS, INC. 16,555 INCLUDING SALES TAX) ITEM D N THE CONSENT AGENDAJ Councilmember Hertrich noted that only one bid was received and that the specifications were written around the qualities of one mower. He inquired why one product was chosen over another. Grounds Supervisor Pat Harris said the Grounds Section looked at four different manufacturers' mowers to compare quality and capabilities. He said it was determined that the Toro Turf Pro 84 met the majority of the requirements and capabilities that the City desired, which included hill climbing capacity, maneuverability, quality, and service by the manufacturer. The other mowers that were demonstrated did not meet all the criteria. The second choice, he said, was a John Deere mower and the reels were in the back rather than in the front. Mr. Harris noted that there is a local Toro dealership which will better facilitate warranty items and service. Councilmember Hertrich inquired about the cost of the John Deere mower. Mr. Harris said it was approximately $500 higher, noting that cost was not the deciding factor. Councilmember Nordquist inquired if the purchase price of the Toro mower included sales tax. Mr. Harris replied affirmatively. COUNCILMEMBER HERTRICH MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER WILSON, TO APPROVE ITEM (D). MOTION CARRIED. CWC-HDR MONTHLY TREATMENT PLANT REPORT As part of the EPA grant, the Department of Ecology (DOE) was required to review the City's agreement with CWC-HDR for compliance to EPA requirements for services during construction. Amendment No. 6 (included in the Council packets) adds language which DOE has required. The Jh t4ctamendment adds no cost to the project or City. DOE will approve the agreement once the City 10.QIIX-1 approves the amendment. Bruce Willey, CWC-HDR, Inc., reported that the project remains on the revised schedule. The costs are less than budgeted cash flow. Mr. Willey noted that the City received a Federal Grant of $16.96 million on July 11, 1988. A grant award ceremony was held at the treatment plant on July 15. Mr. Willey said bidding activities continued during July. A pre -bid conference was held on July 13, 1988. Twenty-six representatives of general contractors, subcontractors and equipment suppliers attended. At the pre -bid conference, the Port of Edmonds announced that their proper- ty adjacent to the Harbor Square Athletic Club was available for lease by contractors for the staging area. Mr. Willey said CWC-HDR prepared and issued addenda clarifying bidding issues and adding telemetry equipment to monitor and record flows at the various meters in the collec- tion system. To date, more than eighty contractors, subcontractors, and equipment suppliers have taken out plans and specifications. Mr. Willey said bids are scheduled to be received at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, August 16, 1988. Those bids will include the items that were not included in the original estimate for the treatment plant: 1) the new outfall, 2) repaving of several sections of street affected by construction, 3) a section of new sewer to receive flow from Richmond Beach, 4) interim hauling of sludge to Municipality of Metropolitan Seattle (Seattle Metro) during construction, and 5) telemetry system for collection system meters. Mr. Willey noted that the construction cost estimate for the total project is $34.3 million. Mr. Willey reported that the Department of Transportation issued a permit allowing access to and from the treatment plant from SR 104. He said the Puget Sound Air Pollution Control Agency indicated that a discharge permit for incinerator exhaust will be issued during the next week. No significant conditions to the permit are expected. An application for a hydraulic project approval for the outfall was submitted to the Department of Fisheries on July 22, 1988. City Engineer Bob Alberts clarified that Metro will be billed for the section of new line to receive the flow from Richmond Beach, even though City staff will perform the work. Councilmember Hall inquired if the amendment would add any cost to the City. Mr. Alberts replied negatively. He said the City had no idea that it would apply for an EPA grant when the agree- ment with CWC-HDR was finalized two years ago. He said there are conditions which the City must meet when it accepts an EPA grant. However, the scope of work of the project will not change. Mr. Alberts noted that EPA does have the right to have a Corps of Engineers Inspector on the job site. He said he was unsure how much additional City Staff time would be involved in dealing with that inspector. Councilmember Hall inquired how the City might avoid delays which may arise in connection with the inspector. Mr. Alberts said he sent a letter to the EPA grant adminis- trator about about conflicts of authority which may arise between the inspector and Staff, as well as other concerns. Councilmember Hall suggested that the Council President and Mayor also send a letter to the grant administrator in support of Mr. Alberts. Councilmember Dwyer inquired if the inspector would be on site to monitor the use of EPA mon- ey. Mr. Alberts replied affirmatively. COUNCILMEMBER HALL MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER JAECH, TO APPROVE AMENDMENT NO. 6 TO THE CWC-HDR AGREEMENT. EDMONDS CITY COUNCIL MINUTES Page 2 August 9, 1988 Councilmember Hertrich inquired if all permits were obtained for the new outfall and all costs identified. Mr. Willey said not all permits were in hand at the present time but no surprises were anticipated. He said he has not seen final cost figures but thought they would be a fairly nominal amount. Councilmember Hertrich inquired if problems were anticipated in completing the new section of sewer to receive flow from Richmond Beach. Mr. Willey said although he was unaware of the status of acquiring permits and easements for the pipeline, Metro has stated that they anticipate the pipeline will be completed when the plant is fully operational in 1991. Mr. Alberts noted that the cost of inspecting the new outfall was not anticipated in the costs. He estimated that cost to be approximately $15,000. He said that cost will be included in an amend- ment to the agreement.. Councilmember Hertrich inquired about the storage yard. Mr. Alberts said four conditional use permits must be obtained after which SEPA checklists will take place. Coun- cilmember Hertrich inquired if the City could expedite that process. Mr. Alberts replied nega- tively. MOTION CARRIED. PRESENTATION OF BY SNO-ISLE REGIONAL LIBRARY DIRECTOR TOM MAYER REGARDING PROPOSED INCREASE IN PROPERTY TAX LEVY FOR COUNTY RESIDENTS ON SE TEMBER 20 BALLOT Tom Mayer, Sno-Isle Regional Library Director, recognized members of the Edmonds Library Board, Edmonds Friends of the Library, Sno-Isle Library Board, and City Library staff in the audience. Mr. Mayer said Sno-Isle Regional Library is about 200,000 volumes short of the State-wide aver- age for books in comparison to libraries serving comparable population sizes within the State. Mr. Mayer said Sno-Isle Library is governed by a seven member board of trustees. It is a two - county library and has served Snohomish County since 1944 and Island County since 1963. He noted that Sno-Isle Library is the third largest library in the State. Mr. Mayer said library districts in the State have traditionally been funded by a tax on proper- ty. Sno-Isle received 69% of its revenue from property tax in the unincorporated areas and the two annexed cities. Presently, 32.9Q per $1,000 assessed valuation is being collected. Mr. Mayer said the Board is asking voters to increase its levy rate to 50d per $1,000 assessed valuation in 1989, which is a property tax increase of $13.68 for property valued at $80,000. Mr. Mayer said a greatly increased demand for library services by a rapidly growing population means that current funding is not sufficient to maintain quality service. He noted that Island County is the fastest growing county in the State and Snohomish County is the third fastest grow- ing county. Mr. Mayer said that growth pattern is expected to continue through the year 2,000. He said the problem is compounded even further because usage of the library is growing at double the rate of the population growth. Mr. Mayer said if the levy passes in September, the money will be utilized for the followin priorities: 1) books and other library materials, 2) open more libraries for longer hours, 33 provide children's and reference librarians to supplement and expand present services, and 4) purchase additional computer equipment and replace the 1966 bookmobile. Mr. Mayer said 20,000 books, a full-time children's librarian, and four new catalog terminals will be added to the.Edmonds Library if the levy is successful. Councilmember Dwyer inquired if it could be anticipated that a larger assessment would be levied against the contracting cities if the residents of the unincorporated areas voted to increase their assessment. Mr. Mayer replied affirmatively. He said the contract fees will rise slight- ly beginning in 1990 and would be applied only to new construction and annexation values and not to the existing assessed valuations. Councilmember Dwyer inquired if that method was part of an agreement of the contracting cities. Mr. Mayer replied affirmatively. Councilmember Kasper inquired about the term of the contract. Mr. Mayer said it is an annual renewable contract. Jean Hensel, Edmonds Friends of the Library, stated that Edmonds Library is a top-notch library with an excellent staff. She said the library needs additional funding to maintain the standards that its users enjoy today. Ms. Hensel said circulation in the first two quarters of 1988 increased by 12% over the same period in 1987, which equates to over 30,000 books per month. Ms. Hensel noted that approximately 500 people utilize the library on a daily basis. Ms. Hensel said Friends of the Edmonds Library voted to support the levy and contribute $600 to the Sno-Isle Improvement Committee for their campaign. Mayor Pro Tem Kasper inquired if the City had a choice in the vote other than the provisions as contained in the contract. Mr. Mayer replied negatively. Mayor Pro Tem Kasper suggested that the matter be further discussed during a work meeting. EDMONDS CITY COUNCIL MINUTES Page 3 August 9, 1988 JOINT MEETING WITH CEMETERY BOARD Mayor Pro Tem Kasper stated that the purpose of the meeting with the Cemetery Board and the Coun- cil was to determine the Board's opinions on how the division of duties can be effectively car- ried out, as required by the Council in response to the State Auditor's requirements. The Coun- cil has formally placed sales and burial arrangements with a contract person and temporarily directed the Parks and Recreation and Grounds Divisions to continue to maintain the cemetery at at its present level until a permanent solution is reached with respect to a maintenance agree- ment with the Hubbard Foundation. The following Cemetery Board members were in attendance: Glen Grace, Jim Riecken, Rosemary Specht, Dorothy Williamson, and Ruth Sater. Also present was Committee member Ed Huntley. Mr. Riecken said the cemetery was in such a state of disrepair in 1980 that he called the City to find out who the owner was. After ascertaining who the owner was, Mr. Riecken said he then contacted the Washington State Cemetery Board in an attempt to get the owner to properly maintain the grounds but the owner disputed the description of the condition of the cemetery. Mr. Riecken said the Cemetery Board was appointed in 1982. Mr. Chet Bennett, attorney for the Hubbard Trust, was contacted at that time to obtain funding to maintain the cemetery, as provided for in the agreement with the City. He.said, however, Mr. Bennett informed him that no monies were available for maintenance and operations of the cemetery, only for capital improve- ments; that cemetery sales and services would be the main source of revenue for maintenance. Mr. Riecken said loans were made by the City, plus donations from private sources, to help pay for maintenance of the premises. He said the Board borrowed money from the City but has since paid that back. Mr. Riecken said the Board hired a salesman in 1986 to sell cemetery lots but was not success- ful in that endeavor. So a sales .program was initiated by the Board in which lots were sold at a discount during the month of May of 1987. Mr. Riecken noted that 433 lots were sold at that time. He said the proceeds from that sale were deposited into the Endowment Fund and the inter- est earned from that fund is used to help maintain the cemetery. Mr. Riecken said 20 sales and 30 burials must be accomplished in 1988 to raise enough money to continue the maintenance pro- gram. He said to date, 27 lots have been sold and 34 burials have taken place. Mr. Riecken said a caretaker must be on the premises in order to properly maintain the premises and greet prospective buyers. He no that a caretaker has been on the premises from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. in order to deter vandalism caused by Woodway High School students during the school year. Ms. Specht reported that a total of $113,100 has been donated to the cemetery since 1982, which has been utilized for various improvements and equipment. She said the City. was kind enough to loan the cemetery money in the event that an emergency arose, but that money has since been paid back. Ms. Specht noted that there is $62,779.48 in the Endowment Fund (Fund 610). Ms..Specht said Marla Depew has donated as much time for cemetery services as she has been paid for. Mr. Grace said his family has lived in Edmonds since 1903 and seven members of his family are buried at the cemetery. Mr. Grace said the Board is currently writing a book about the family history of people that are buried at the cemetery, as well as the early history of Edmonds. To date, he said one hundred and ten letters of interest have been received from residents of Edmonds and from people around the United States who would like their history included in the book. Ms. Williamson expressed concern that the contract before the Council states that the contrac- tor will work without direct supervision. She inquired, then, what the role of the Cemetery Board would be with respect to that contractor. Ms. Williamson said a percentage of monies from lot sales and other cemetery services are depos- ited in the Endowment Fund each month to increase the fund balance. She said since the Endowment Fund was established for perpetual care of the cemetery, only the interest earned is used for maintenance. Ms. Williamson said it is vital to the success of the cemetery that an office be open to the public and that a person be on duty to greet the public and to answer the telephone. EDMONDS CITY COUNCIL MINUTES Page 4 August 9, 1988 Mr. Huntley said he designed the cemetery building and contributed many hours of his off -duty time to construct the building because he said he felt the cemetery was an important part of the City of Edmonds. Mr. Huntley said the grounds were in a terrible state of repair when the City acquired the ceme- tery. He said he believed that a full-time maintenance person was necessary. Mr. Huntley inquired how the Grounds/Maintenance Division of the City could possibly take care of the grounds. He noted that additional personnel have not been hired for that division for seven- teen years. He said the Division does not have enough people to take care of both the cemetery and the parks properly. Mr. Huntley said another person will have to be hired for cemetery main- tenance. Ms. Sater said there is someone who is willing to donate funds to erect a nondenominational chap- el at the cemetery. She showed the Council a picture of the proposed structure, which was a replica of the first church in Edmonds, noting that the chapel would be on a smaller scale. Ms. Sater said other people have also offered to donate monies to pay for cement benches. Councilmember Nordquist said the Council was assured by Mr. Bennett in 1982 when the City accept- ed the deed to the cemetery that it would be self supporting, despite reluctant remarks by sever- al Councilmembers. Councilmember Nordquist said he believed a marketing program was vital to the success of the cemetery. He said, however, that maintenance and sales activities should be sepa- rate. He said he would like to see the marketing plan that was formulated by the Board refined and developed. He suggested that a room be designated for a sales office. Councilmember Hall said she believed maintenance of the cemetery should be administered in the same fashion as maintenance of City parks. She said proper maintenance of the cemetery would benefit not only the City, a service, and a facility, but also families who need those services. She inquired how Administration will coordinate both maintenance and administrative duties of the cemetery. Councilmember Dwyer thanked the Board members for attending the Council meeting and bringing to their attention problems that have been encountered by the Board. He said he did not think there was anyone who could provide a definite solution to those problems at the present time but noted that the Council had an obligation to resolve those issues. Councilmember Wilson inquired what the Board had projected would be a sufficient amount in the Endowment Fund to support maintenance of the cemetery. Mr. Riecken said it will cost approximate- ly $10,000 per year to maintain the cemetery, and the Board is striving towards a goal of $100,000 in the Fund. Councilmember Wilson said he was opposed to the contract. He suggested that the Hubbard.Founda- tion be requested to donate a sizable amount of money to maintain the cemetery and that that money be paid back from funds generated from a marketing program. Ms. Sater pointed out that the I.R.S. prohibits a foundation to donate monies to another foundation; that only gifts can be donated. Parks. & Recreation Division Manager Jim Barnes, in response to a statement made by Councilmember Hall, noted that the contract is initialled by both parties but does not show up on the photo- copy. He also clarified a statement made earlier that the tractor/mower is not being used at the cemetery by City crews by stating that it was not being used upon a specific request of the Ceme- tery Board until they meet next to determine who it belongs to. Councilmember Jaech inquired who the tractor/mower belong to. City Attorney Scott Snyder said assuming it was donated to the City, the tractor/mower belonged to the City. Mr. Barnes noted that there was a caveat, however, that it be designated for cemetery use. PRESENTATION OF EMPLOYEE RECOMMENDATION FOR ADOPTION OF HEALTH INSURANCE BENEFIT PACKAGE 21k4,tAtJt__, Linda McCrystal, Parks & Recreation Division, reported that following the March 7, 1988 Council �4��meeting, the original Employee Insurance Committee was resurrected to commence a study of cost containment alternatives for the City and its employees. Since that time, the Committee has met on a continuous and regular basis to establish both short and long-term goals, evaluate Edmonds' position in the marketplace, assess available options, obtain in-depth information on plans, and prepare a recommendation for the employees. Ms.. McCrystal said prior to making the recommendation, the Committee: 1) toured the Blue Cross facility, 2) attended a ninety minutes class on medical care and appropriate use of medical pro- viders, 3) surveyed all employees to obtain benefit and general insurance concerns and interests, 4) investigated the number of employees' physicians who were in the Blue Cross preferred provid- ers network, and 5) assessed a variety of options for plan inclusion and for future consideration as part of a full cafeteria benefit program. EDMONDS CITY COUNCIL MINUTES Page 5 August 9, 1988 Ms. McCrystal said using employee survey results and the information it gained from all sources, the Committee worked with the R.L. Evans & Co. and Blue Cross to design final medical, dental, and vision benefits plans. It also adopted as part of its overall cost containment recommenda- tion the implementation of a flexible spending program and the provision of the "Wise Buyer" medical care education program to all employees/spouses. Ms. McCrystal said the Committee then held nine informational meetings and five question/answer sessions for all employees to present details of the recommendation. It provided written informa- tion on three occasions. Subsequently, it held three additional meetings to assure that all employees had the opportunity to avail themselves of that information, and a vote was taken on the recommendation by paper ballot delivered to all employees. Ms. McCrystal noted that of the 128 physicians that employees are currently visiting, 119 of them are on Blue Cross's preferred list of physicians. Councilmember Hertrich inquired why Police and Administrative Services Department were reluctant to change medical providers while Public Works, Community Services, and the Fire Departments were in favor of the change. Assistant City Planner Duane Bowman speculated that because the Police Department was undergoing sensitive labor situations, they were reluctant to make any other chang- es; the Administrative Services Director, he said,.was not in favor of the change and so he felt the other employees may be influenced by his opinion. Councilmember Nordquist inquired.why the Council was not invited to attend the informational meetings. Mr. Bowman said it must have been an oversight on Staff's part. Mr. Bowman reported .that the Employee Insurance. Committee reviewed various approaches to control- ling costs while still maintaining a high level of benefits. The Committee considered not only the insurance plan and the carrier but other factors that help in long-term cost control, which include education on medical self -care and wise insurance usage, periodic physical exams to as- sure continued health, and referral services for health care questions and assistance. Mr. Bowman reviewed the short-term goals as follows: 1) establish a claims experience record for the City employee groups; 2) implement flexible spending accounts; 3) educate employees/spouses on self -care and the best use of health providers and health insurance; 4) provide for periodic physical exams for employees. He said the Committee's recommendation was: 1) provide health, dental, and vision coverage through Blue Cross of Washington and Alaska using its preferred pro- vider plan for the medical portion, effective October 1, 1988; 2) contract directly with Group Health on January 1, 1989 to provide the same coverage currently provided; 3) provide the Wise Buyer health education seminar through Health Incentives beginning as soon after October 1, 1988 as may be arranged; 4) implement a flexible spending program effective October 1, 1988 or as soon thereafter as the broker and City Attorney complete the required documents. Councilmember Jaech inquired what position the City would be in if Blue Cross no longer wished to contract with the City after one year's time. Mr. Bowman said the City could reinstate its cover- age with AWC. Ms. McCrystal noted .that the City would have claims experience at the end of that year and could elicit other bids: Councilmember Dwyer inquired if everyone who is covered under the current plan will be covered under the Blue Cross proposal. Mr. Bowman replied affirmatively. Councilmember Dwyer inquired if there are any exclusions for preexisting conditions under the Blue Cross proposal. Barbara Russell replied negatively. Councilmember Wilson said statements.have been made that Blue Cross lost a considerable amount of money and that a large percentage of its staff are being laid off. He inquired if there was any truth to those statements. Ms. Russell replied affirmatively, noting, however, that the press was somewhat uninformed. She confirmed that Blue Cross did lose a significant amount of money on its contract with the State of Washington employees. She said many of its employees that handled that contract were displaced but were repositioned for an upcoming national Champus contract. Ms. Russell stated that Blue Cross is in sound financial condition, as the Insurance Commissioner can attest. Councilmember Wilson asked why Blue Cross lost the State contract. Ms. Russell said Blue Cross elected not to renew the contract with the State because the State wished to enter into an agree- ment that could be terminated without cause in ninety days. She said if that event took place, Blue Cross would be forced to lay off some of its employees and it was not willing to take that risk. EDMONDS CITY COUNCIL MINUTES Page 6 August 9, 1988 Councilmember Nordquist said it seemed as though Blue Cross was supportive of one vendor. He inquired if Blue Cross was willing to be represented by more than one vendor. Ms. Russell re- plied affirmatively. Councilmember Nordquist said he kept getting the impression that R.L. Evans & Co. was the only company that Blue Cross would allow to represent their product to the City. Ms. Russell said that was not true. Councilmember Hertrich inquired about coverage for dependents over twenty-one years of ago. Ms. Russell said the current plan covers dependents through age twenty-three as long as they are a full-time student in a vocational school or university. She said Blue Cross offers that same benefit. Councilmember Kasper inquired about coordination of benefits when an employee has two insurance carriers. Ms. Russell said Blue Cross will offer the same benefit with respect to duplicate coverage as the current plan does. Councilmember Jaech inquired why Blue Cross "dropped banks". Ms. Russell said one of the brokers that represented the Bankers' Plan asked Blue Cross to be a dual choice. She said if Blue Cross priced the risk as claims suggested they do, the plan would no longer be competitive against the other plan and no one would choose Blue Cross. Councilmember Jaech inquired how that scenario differed from the City's position. Ms. Russell said Blue Cross will be maintaining experience on all of the City's employees, except those that elect Group Health. She said she did not expect the..enrollment of the City's seventeen employees in the Group Health plan to change dramatically. Councilmember Hall expressed concern that AWC has not made a presentation to the Council yet. She suggested that AWC and other service providers be invited to make a presentation. Ms. McCrystal noted that the Blue Cross plan is comparable to the AWC plan. She pointed out that if the City wishes to control its costs in the future, it must have claims experience and that cannot be achieved with AWC. Councilmember Hall inquired. if Blue Cross was the only provider that would make a bid to the City with no group experience. Ms. McCrystal replied affirmatively. Councilmember Hertrich inquired about future premium costs for AWC versus Blue Cross. Mr. Bowman said the best estimate from AWC for 1989 rates was a 20-22% increase for medical, 6% increase for dental, and 0% increase for vision as opposed to a 23% increase in Blue Cross rates in 1989. Councilmember Nordquist said he would like the City to send RFP's to other service providers. Ms. Thatcher said when the process first started, she contacted Shwarz-Schera, who declined to investigate on the City's behalf, and the Evans Company. Ms. Thatcher said she also spoke with Puget Sound brokers, who indicated they could find nothing in the marketplace in terms of an insured plan, and Olympic Insurance, who indicated it could provide a self -insured proposal from Safeco and Network Management, from whom the Committee already had letters of declination. Councilmember Nordquist said he made telephone inquiries of the Evans Company and was told by a major brokerage that they were "just a big life insurance company". Ms. Thatcher said the Evans Company brokers the health insurance for the City of Kent. Councilmember Dwyer inquired if there was a time frame in which to implement the Blue Cross plan. Mr. Bowman said the City must act immediately if it wishes to implement the plan on Octo- ber 1, 1988. He said if the City elicits other proposals, a change in medical providers will not take place until January 1, 1989. Councilmember Kasper said he was amenable to presentations by other service providers, but he did not believe the City should accept a proposal for Blue Cross from any provider other than the R.L. Evans Company. COUNCILMEMBER NORDQUIST MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER JAECH, THAT THE CITY CONTACT THE FOLLOW- ING FIRMS: FRED S. JAMES, FRANK B. HALL, MARSHALL McCLENNAN, AND AWC FOR RFP'S. COUNCILMEMBER KASPER MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER DWYER, TO AMEND THE MOTION TO SEND RFP'S TO THE ABOVE -MENTIONED FIRMS BUT NOT TO ACCEPT A PROPOSAL FOR BLUE CROSS FROM ANY PROVIDER OTHER THAN THE R.L. EVANS COMPANY. Councilmember Dwyer inquired what the cut-off date was to implement the Blue Cross plan with an October 1, 1988 effective date. Ms. Russell replied September 15. Mayor Pro Tem Kasper adjourned the meeting at 10 p.m. COUNCILMEMBER HALL MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER WILSON, TO EXTEND THE MEETING. MOTION CARRIED. A ROLL CALL VOTE WAS TAKEN ON THE MOTION TO AMEND. MOTION FAILED WITH COUNCILMEMBER KASPER AND COUNCILMEMBER DWYER IN FAVOR; COUNCILMEMBER HALL, COUNCILMEMBER HERTRICH, COUNCILMEMBER JAECH, COUNCILMEMBER NORDQUIST, AND COUNCILMEMBER WILSON OPPOSED. EDMONDS CITY COUNCIL MINUTES Page 7 August 9, 1988 A ROLL CALL VOTE WAS TAKEN ON THE MAIN MOTION. MOTION CARRIED WITH COUNCILMEMBER HALL, COUNCIL - MEMBER JAECH, COUNCILMEMBER NORDQUIST, AND COUNCILMEMBER WILSON IN FAVOR; COUNCILMEMBER KASPER, COUNCILMEMBER DWYER, AND COUNCILMEMBER HERTRICH OPPOSED. Councilmember Hall said her point of clarification was not to exclude the R.L. Evans Co. Councilmember Hertrich said he felt the Council was being too restrictive and would not accomplish anything. AUTHORIZATION FOR CONSULTANT APPROVAL OF JANET PADGETT ASSOCIATES, INC., FOR CLASSIFICATION REVIEWVEN POSITIONS ($1,680) Councilmember Nordquist suggested that the discussion be tabled until the Mayor was present. Councilmember Hall concurred. COUNCILMEMBER HERTRICH MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER HALL, TO DENY APPROVAL OF THE CONSUL- TANT. He said it was the Mayor's prerogative to execute a contract under his consultant category but he said he did not wish to intermingle the two studies. City Attorney Scott Snyder noted that the City's Consultant Selection Ordinance requires that consultants who bid under $15,000 be approved by the Council and that the contract was not the issue. Councilmember Hall said the Council had intended the review for the Council to be independent of of any other process. She noted that one personnel director got into "hot water" because he did not give Administration what they wantedwith those positions and another personnel director was hired and, apparently, Administration did not come up with what they wanted. So, Councilmember Hall said, the idea is to run it around through again. She inquired how many times the Council must say "enough already". This is what it showed. This is what the validity showed through two persons, at least, she said, and the Council just wants to do the study on their own. Councilmem- ber Hall said when the study is completed, the Mayor can do what he wants. MOTION CARRIED WITH COUNCILMEMBER DWYER AND COUNCILMEMBER KASPER OPPOSED. MAYOR Mayor Pro Tem Kasper referred to a letter regarding the West Corridor Study. He suggested the Council discuss that issue in the future. Mayor Pro Tem Kasper said Lynnwood has decided to contribute $1,000 for the Highway 99 study but Mountlake Terrace is still hesitant. Mayor Pro Tem Kasper said the format of the upcoming budget process will be discussed at the Council dinner work meeting of August 30. Mayor Pro Tem Kasper said Mr. Parker has indicated that he is interested in opening up an alterna- tive study for the ferry dock. Councilmember Jaech requested that the Council be included in those discussions when they take place. Councilmember Hertrich suggested that City's philosophy with respect to expansion of the terminal be discussed. Mayor Pro Tem Kasper.noted that the City indicated that it wished to have an alternative site analyzed and that it would not approve any action until the long-range plans were known. Mayor Pro Tem Kasper noted that Councilmember Nordquist, Councilmember Hall, and Councilmember Wilson were appointed to the Space Needs Committee. Mayor Pro Tem Kasper noted that Councilmember Nordquist had requested to attend the National League of Cities conference in San Antonio. Mayor Pro Tem Kasper said he approved the request. Mayor Pro Tem Kasper said some campaign signs were still up. City Clerk Jackie Parrett said she finally made contact with two campaign offices last week and they took their signs down. She said she acquired a list of all of the candidates filed with the State and has written letters to all of them. She said she would send letters to candidates filed with the County when she re- ceived that list. COUNCIL /_Councilmember Dwyer requested that Administrative Services Director Art Housler make a presenta- tion to the Council with respect to the insurance pool and the assessments. Councilmember Wilson said he hoped the special meeting to award the contract for construction of the secondary wastewater treatment plant was not a "big deal" when considering that some of the residents were opposed to the location of the plant. EDMONDS CITY COUNCIL MINUTES Page 8 August 9, 1988 Councilmember Hall said a delightful English actor's group performed in the City recently. Councilmember Hall noted that she read a statement in the Post Intelli encer that Councilmem- ber Kasper does not care to participate in the ,trail that's going on the Railroad right-of-way because of the light rail situation. Mayor Pro Tem Kasper said his statement was that the trail is not in the right-of-way of the mass transit and that Community Transit is not interested in co -mingling this thing until the exact right-of-way of mass transit is known. Councilmember Hertrich requested an explanation regarding the difference in the assessed cost for library services to the City of $285,000 and the actual cost of $300,000. Mayor Pro Tem Kasper said that issue will be reviewed during the budget process. The meeting adjourned at 10:25 p.m. T ESE MINUTES ARE SUBJECT TO AUGUST 16, 1988 APPROVAL. JACQUELINE G. PARRETT, City Clerk Bill Kasper ayor Pro Tem EDMONDS CITY COUNCIL MINUTES Page 9 August 9, 1988 AGENDA EDMONDS CITY COUNCIL PLAZA MEETING ROOM -LIBRARY BUILDING 7:00 - 10:00 P.M. AUGUST 9, 1988 WORK MEETING - NO AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION FLAG SALUTE 1. CONSENT AGENDA (A) ROLL CALL (B) APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF AUGUST 2, 1988 (C) AUTHORIZATION TO SELL TWO 1983 CHEVROLET MALIBU SURPLUS POLICE VEHICLES TO FINANCIAL CONSULTANTS INTERNATIONAL ($4,000 TOTAL) (D) REPORT ON BIDS OPENED AUGUST 2, 1988 FOR THREE REEL MOWER, AND AWARD OF BID TO WESTERN EQUIPMENT DISTRIBUTORS, INC. ($16,555 INCLUDING SALES TAX) (E) ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF RECEIPT OF CLAIM FOR DAMAGES FROM JOHN H. WILLIAMS ($26.90) (F) APPROVAL OF TEMPORARY CONCESSION AGREEMENT WITH SOUTH SNOHOMISH COUNTY DOLPHINS FOR FOOD CONCESSION AT YOST POOL FOR SUMMER SWIM LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIPS, AUGUST 12, 1988 (G) APPROVAL OF AGREEMENT WITH CITY OF LYNNWOOD FOR 208TH S.W. UAB PROJECT (H) FINAL PLAT APPROVAL OF 10-LOT SUBDIVISION OF SEA MOUNTAIN ESTATES (P-3-87/HAROLD HOPPER) 24 CWC-HDR MONTHLY TREATMENT PLANT REPORT 3. PRESENTATION BY SNO-ISLE REGIONAL LIBRARY DIRECTOR TOM MAYER REGARDING PROPOSED INCREASE IN PROPERTY TAX LEVY FOR COUNTY RESIDENTS ON SEPTEMBER 20 BALLOT 4. JOINT MEETING WITH CEMETERY BOARD 5. PRESENTATION OF EMPLOYEE RECOMMENDATION FOR ADOPTION OF HEALTH INSURANCE BENEFIT PACKAGE 6. AUTHORIZATION FOR•CONSULTANT APPROVAL OF JANET PADGETT ASSOCIATES, INC., FOR CLASSIFICATION REVIEW OF SEVEN POSITIONS ($1,680) 7. REPORTS FROM COUNCILMEMBERS RE THEIR BOARD ATTENDANCE/PARTICIPATION 8. MAYOR 9. COUNCIL (10 MINUTES) (15 MINUTES) (40 MINUTES) (30 MINUTES) (10 MINUTES) (30 MINUTES) THE PUBLIC IS INVITED TO ATTEND PARKING AND MEETING ROOMS ARE HANDICAPPED ACCESSIBLE