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2024-06-11 Council MinutesEDMONDS CITY COUNCIL MEETING APPROVED MINUTES June 11, 2024 ELECTED OFFICIALS PRESENT Mike Rosen, Mayor Vivian Olson, Council President Chris Eck, Councilmember Will Chen, Councilmember Neil Tibbott, Councilmember Michelle Dotsch, Councilmember Susan Paine, Councilmember ELECTED OFFICIALS ABSENT Jenna Nand, Councilmember 1. CALL TO ORDER/FLAG SALUTE STAFF PRESENT Michelle Bennett, Police Chief Rod Sniffen, Assistant Police Chief Oscar Antillon, Public Works Director Kim Dunscombe, Deputy Admin. Serv. Dir. Susan McLaughlin, Planning & Dev. Dir. Rob English, City Engineer Emily Wagener, Human Resources Analyst Bertrand Hauss, Transportation Engineer Jeff Taraday, City Attorney Scott Passey, City Clerk Jerrie Bevington, Camera Operator The Edmonds City Council meeting was called to order at 7 pm by Mayor Rosen in the Council Chambers, 250 5t' Avenue North, Edmonds, and virtually. The meeting was opened with the flag salute. 2. LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Councilmember Dotsch read the City Council Land Acknowledge Statement: "We acknowledge the original inhabitants of this place, the Sdohobsh (Snohomish) people and their successors the Tulalip Tribes, who since time immemorial have hunted, fished, gathered, and taken care of these lands. We respect their sovereignty, their right to self-determination, and we honor their sacred spiritual connection with the land and water." 3. ROLL CALL City Clerk Scott Passey called the roll. All elected officials were present with the exception of Councilmember Nand. COUNCIL PRESIDENT OLSON MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER PAINE, TO EXCUSE COUNCILMEMBER NAND'S ABSENCE. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. 4. PRESENTATIONS JUNETEENTH PROCLAMATION Mayor Rosen read a proclamation proclaiming June 19, 2024, as Juneteenth Day of Observance and calling upon the citizens of Edmonds to celebrate the emancipation of all Black Americans and commit together Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes June 11, 2024 Page 1 to eradicate systemic racism and inequity that can never be tolerated and must always be fought against. He presented the proclamation to Donnie Griffin, Lift Every Voice Legacy (LEVL). Mr. Griffin thanked the mayor and council for the proclamation. He introduced Robin Ullman, LEVL board member and a significant partner in her role as the director of operations and outreach for Edmonds Waterfront Center, a partnership that has been growing and developing. Ms. Ullman thanked Mr. Griffin for having the Edmonds Waterfront Center (EWC) as part of this proclamation. EWC looks at their partnership with LEVL as significant, not only this celebration of Juneteenth and also the other work EWC does to make the community aware of the importance of partnering. On behalf of the Edmonds Waterfront Center, she was honored to have a partnership with the City's team, Todd Tatum and Shannon Burley, and fostering that relationship. Mr. Griffin acknowledged audience members who give him joy by working with them, Richard Taylor, Patrick Carter, and his lovely, wonderful wife, Ross Griffin. He relayed his granddaughter sent him a text as part of a class project, asking what he thought about becoming an American. He shared what he wrote to her, hey y'all, what's up? My name's Donnie Griffin, I'm 71 years old and I was born in a small town in California. When I am asked what it means to be American, I think of two words, the promise. The promise that we are all created equal, endowed by our creator with certain unalienable rights and among those are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That promise was unfulfilled in 1855 when his grandfather was born, Isaac McDow Young, but he had a hope. When he was 8 years old, his family was freed, but he had a hope that lived in that promise. He went on to go to college, became an ordained minister in the Presbyterian faith, immigrated from South Carolina to Central California where he owned land and raised nine kids, one of which was his father. He taught them that promise, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Mr. Griffin continued, not that his grandfather had experienced it himself from slavery to becoming a land owner, but he knew there was more to it and he passed that on to his family and Donnie's father passed it on to him. When he can partner with the members of the community, with Robin and with others to embrace this notion of the promise through Juneteenth and acknowledge that as part of the fabric of the life of Edmonds, he thinks of his grandfather and what he would say to that. Abraham Lincoln himself did not think the day would come that Black people would sit among white people and talking about equality and sharing the wealth of this great nation in so many ways. Before he signed the emancipation proclamation, Abraham Lincoln thought if there were Africans who wanted to go back to Africa, the Caribbean or South America, he would provide free voyage on ships. Unfortunately, he was talked out of that by a group of Black pastors. Abraham Lincoln would be surprised at what we're doing. He thanked the City for acknowledging Juneteenth in the fabric of life in Edmonds. 5. APPROVAL OF AGENDA COUNCILMEMBER PAINE MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCIL PRESIDENT OLSON, TO APPROVE THE AGENDA IN CONTENT AND ORDER. Council President Olson requested Consent Agenda Items 7.5, Teamsters Local 763 Commanders 2023- 2025 1 Collective Bargaining Agreement, and 7.6, Accessory Dwelling Unit Code Amendment to Allow for Detached Accessory Dwelling Units — "Expanding Housing Options by Easing Barriers to the Construction and use of Accessory Dwelling Units in Accordance with HB 1337," be removed from the consent agenda. Mayor Rosen advised those would be added to the agenda under Council Business as Items 8.5 and 8.6. Councilmember Paine asked if these would be voted on separately as part of the consent agenda or added to the agenda under Council Business. Mayor Rosen advised they were added to agenda as items 8.5 and 8.6. Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes June 11, 2024 Page 2 MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. 6. AUDIENCE COMMENTS Annie Crawley, Edmonds, a citizen of Edmonds and of the ocean, said in preparation for her community program, Our Underwater Backyard, this Thursday at the Edmonds Waterfront Center, she has been researching; she went diving, held meetings at Brackett's Landing North at the picnic tables and did a lot of thoughtful observation on the City's beaches and with visitors. Last Saturday, June 8, was World Oceans Day and one of the lowest King tides of the year. She thought how much a docent population or team of volunteers was needed to educate and interact with all the visitors. With budget cuts came the tragedy of no beach rangers, no visitors center at the beach or volunteers which leaves a huge hole in the community. It was never more apparent to her than this weekend and over the past couple days. She wondered who will talk to the thousands of people who come from all over the region and beyond who do not know how to interact with wildlife and their dogs. She thought of programs like the Seattle Aquarium's outreach volunteers and WSU Beach Watch Program and wondered why solutions on the waterfront cannot be created similar to other beaches in other regions. Ms. Crawley continued, the Underwater Park was formed because of the mayor and city council who went underwater to see the beauty. It was driven by a kindergarten teacher who formed the Brackett's Landing North task force that created marine sanctuaries, but there is no enforcement. In 1980 a group of concerned citizens rallied community support to save the waterfront from destruction. It is very important to continue that and think about what can be done creatively and out of the box to continue it. She offered to help in whatever way she can. It is not only the waterfront, but also sewage and everything done on land that impacts the ocean. Thousands of people come to the City's beaches and don't know how to interact. The existing signs say no dogs in the park, but nobody realizes the trail is part of the park and signage is needed that states no dogs in the park or on the paths. She encouraged the council to visit the park and talk to people with their dogs. She referenced the last sentence of the Land Acknowledgement Statement regarding protecting the land and water. 7. APPROVAL OF CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS COUNCILMEMBER PAINE MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCIL PRESIDENT OLSON, TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS AMENDED. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. The agenda items approved are as follows: 1. APPROVAL OF COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES MAY 28, 2024 2. APPROVAL OF CLAIM CHECKS AND WIRE PAYMENTS 3. APPROVAL OF PAYROLL AND BENEFIT CHECKS, DIRECT DEPOSIT AND WIRE PAYMENTS 4. APPROVAL OF PUBLIC PEDESTRIAN EASEMENT ALONG 76TH AVE W ADJACENT TO 22224 76TH AVE W 8. COUNCIL BUSINESS 1. TRANSPORTATION PLAN UPDATE Transportation Engineer Bertrand Hauss introduced Patrick Lynch and Paul Sharman, Transpo Group. In February multimodal level of service (MMLOS) update to council. He reviewed: • Edmonds Transportation Vision "Edmonds is a community where every resident, regardless of their income, background, or ability can safely travel on foot, by bicycle, transit or vehicle to their destination both within the city and to neighboring areas" Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes June 11, 2024 Page 3 Pedestrians Bicycles ublic Transit imercial/Freight cupancyVehicle pancyVehicle • Pedestrian/Bicycle Network Goals o Goals of the Planned Networks: ■ Maximize / improve accessibility to: - Parks, schools, community destinations, transit - Regional destinations outside the City ■ Supports the land use vision (areas of growth have adequate facilities) ■ Balance connectivity vs. feasibility of network construction (right of way and/or topographic challenges) ■ Foster active transportation options and reduce reliance on vehicles (in support of Complete Streets Ordinance) ■ Address disparities in access to safe and convenient walking and biking facilities Paul Sharman, Transpo Group, reviewed: • Existing Pedestrian Network o Sidewalk and off-street network LEGEND _ — Sd Ik 1 RMIOM T IIS T RnYweY T '. BMW$ City DMb A N PIIL • 2015 Transportation Plan - Pedestrian Projects Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes June 11, 2024 Page 4 w, .. S." 0 -w — E...g o..d W...." + k.., r,oNLr L.o ,N • Draft Pedestrian Network LEGEND A P—td- Rw * ryw '� N _ imury — Semrmy •.. — LocM SVM N.gr T r, E� CdYLm �a 1. •'n� C.0. - e • Pedestrian Network and Land Use o Previous sidewalk projects ■ 28 long walkway ■ 12 short walkway ■ Projects scored / prioritized 0 5 projects completed ■ 1,700 ft of new sidewalk - Dayton St - 2nd Ave S - Walnut St - Elm Way - Maple St o Identified Segments from 2015 plan ■ Proximity to pedestrian generators - Schools / Parks / Transit o Street classification o Speed Limit o Average Daily Traffic o Alignment with land use growth o Map identifies series of primary and secondary corridors supported by a series of local streets and trails o Dark blue: Primary corridors ■ Function as backbone of system that offer connections to a majority of important community destinations. ■ Usually along arterials or collectors o Lighter blue: secondary routes supportive of primary network ■ Provide system continuity by connecting segments of the primary network with on -street or off-street facilities ■ Offer more comfortable routes on quieter streets although may not be as direct o Primary corridors and secondary routes are supported by key local streets and trail system Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes June 11, 2024 Page 5 o Does network align with land use growth? ■ Map shows center and hubs where growth will be concentrated ■ Ensure connectivity to each of those key areas of growth Mr. Hauss reviewed: • 2015 Transportation Plan — Bike Network • i — � �a�s...�a esa,. j • t w.�.w,� lip • Existing Bicycle Network o On -street and off-street network o 11.5 miles of bike lanes built since 2015 ■ 76th Ave W (from 220'h to OVD) ■ 212 St SW (from Five Corners to 9' Ave S) ■ 9th Ave S / 100' (from 244t' to Bowdoin Way) ■ Bowdoin Way (9"' Ave S to Five Corners Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes June 11, 2024 Page 6 E.ia�rp BINe Lann � mM Gry Wlsrae LM Bperrew er Common BM Rour. — was Gry Eai Xrp BlkayTralla/PaBra — mao cM ma. LM Ea..a.m wr �•:�, • Draft Bicycle Network LEGEND BILy.4 F- ty Typo — spayr.,,aaa Blha Facllilia oOd. City .— Sparrow ar mmon .e Rau.e TGIyL9mrarsra. A N N o Bicycle network - Segments from 2015 plan ■ Street Classification Speed Limit -"- Average Daily Traffic (ADT) Alignment with land use growth i 4— o A few routes will require additional study given geometric constraints z..... o Future Feasibility Study —"- Pedestrian/Bike Bridge (not yet constructed) to connect Shoreline and Edmonds v ■ i yk , Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes June 11, 2024 Page 7 • Bicycle network and Land Use o Does the network align with land use growth? I Mr. Sharman reviewed: • Existing Bus Network • uratt transit Networic o Bus / train / ferry network o Existing (2024) fixed -route transit network (operated by Community Transit) o Includes bus stops and'/4 mile buffers o New Route 102 from Edmonds to o Lynwood TC (March 30, 2024) o Key connections throughout City ■ Downtown ■ Edmonds Station ■ Aurora Village o New routes in September 2024 ■ Align with new Light Rail Service ■ New route along 9th Ave/100th Ave from Downtown Edmonds to Mountlake Terrace Transit Station Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes June 11, 2024 Page 8 o Proposed service expansions short term and long term (through 2044) o Service enhancements o Crossing enhancements o Prioritization criteria o Pending up -coming discussions with Community Transit, Sound Transit, and o Washington State Ferry Patrick Lynch, Transpo Group, provided an update on multimodal level of service (MMLOS): • Draft MMLOS Program o Corridor travel time ■ Speed to LOS determined by Highway Capacity Manual (industry standard) as a percent of speed limit - LOS on roadways still LOS C for collector and D for arterials - State facilities still LOS D/E - Transit LOS captured in corridor travel time o Active transportation (pedestrian and bicycle) system assessed on system completeness of planned network • Travel Time Corridors o 15 corridors for travel times Corridor 14 - SR 99 (228th St to city limits) LEGEND 1 2rd Ave A 45 -Northbound -Southbound Existing Corridor Level 2 Casper I Puget N 40 35 ,31 _ _________________ OS L a g5 95 ---------------------------LOSE 10 5 0 <<<<<<<<<< a a a a a a a a a a a a a 8e2�8:Rt28e2�8a2te8aR�8a.S .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. Timeolbaym of Service S Win St —A-C 212th 4 D _ 100M Ave S —E Firdeie l244th S — F ath I SR 104 - 7 Retlway Edmonds City Limns 6 220th 9 1 Sth Ave 10 22$th �umL Mr. Hauss reviewed: • Public Outreach o Transportation Committee ■ Meetings started in November 2023 ■ Meet approximately on monthly basis to receive feedback on different items being worked on ■ On -going meetings to completion of Plan in late 2024 o Transportation Survey ■ Survey closed June IOth Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes June 11, 2024 Page 9 ■ Evaluation of results o Community meeting (as part of Comprehensive Plan) ■ Held on May 30, 2024 ■ Goals and Policies of Transportation Plan discussion ■ Evaluate comments from meeting with survey results o Up -coming Public Open House ■ Summer 2024 (Date / time: TBD) Next Steps o Updated LOS analysis for each scenario ■ Existing ■ 2044 Land Use Alt A ■ 2044 Land Use Alt B o Support development of Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) o Develop transportation project list to address LOS deficiencies o Prepare preliminary cost estimates o Draft Transportation Master Plan Document Schedule SCHEDULE Multimodal Level of Service Program Environmental Impact Statement Develop Draft Project List Draft Transportation Element Updated Land Use / Modeling Finalize Project List and Transportation Element 2024 June j July j Aug j Sep I Oct j Nov j Dec Outreach o Upcoming outreach events ■ Transportation Advisory Committee (July through November); ■ Neighborhood Meetings (August & September); ■ EIS Public Hearing (9/6); and ■ Plan Adoption (December 2024 Councilmember Eck expressed gratitude for the in-depth update as she did not have the history from 2015. An impressive amount of work has been accomplished in the past nine years, overwhelming in a great way. She thanked the team for the diligent outreach that was done beyond the steps that are mandated, commenting on the importance of public feedback. She was intrigued by efforts toward multimodal means of transportation. She loved the mention of the bike bridge and potentially partnering with Shoreline as she was aware of some of the existing safety issues. Councilmember Tibbott referred to packet page 176 where the travel time graph differed from the graph in the presentation and requested that updated map be provided to council. Mr. Hauss agreed that had been updated since the packet was prepared. Councilmember Tibbott asked about a connection to the Mountlake Terrace light rail station. Mr. Hauss said as part of the citywide bike project, a signal was added at 228', and in addition to 9t1i and Bowdoin, a short bike lane was added to 80t1i which needs to be added to the map; 80'1i in Snohomish County is a low volume street that connects to 220'1i. Councilmember Tibbott suggested that be identified on the map as it is a very significant crossing. Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes June 11, 2024 Page 10 Councilmember Tibbott referred to packet page 169, draft bicycle network, which identifies bike lanes in the gold color on Main Street and west of 9t' which he assumed was Dayton. Mr. Hauss agreed the street south of Main Street was Dayton. Councilmember Tibbott said he has driven this and walked some of it and wondered why the bike line did not right turn on 9' and go up Bowdoin. Bowdoin already has a bike lane and it is a gentler grade than Main Street. He expressed concern the draft bicycle network draws straight lines when there are wide variation in topography. To him, it would make more sense to do more jogs in the plan to take advantage of, 1) existing bike lanes, and 2) better travel routes. He suggested the draft bicycle network map be revised. Many of the streets with sharrows are low volume streets with the exception of OVD which is not low volume but there is no space for bike lanes. He offered to send further comments via email. Council President Olson said she was definitely in favor of MMLOS. She reminded the consultants and staff in an earlier presentation regarding updating transportation plan, there was discussion about the decrease in quality for each user in the effort to move to a MMLOS and asked that they keep that in mind on a continual basis. In reading the existing comprehensive plan, she was struck by the policy direction that we shouldn't care about accommodating occasional users to the roadways and should prioritize the regular users; for example a smaller family vehicle versus a bus, trash collection or fire service vehicle. Those bigger vehicles are important to road use and community safety and she hoped the roadways would not be impassable for those bigger vehicle in pursuit of making the other modes happen. Council President Olson appreciated the comments other councilmembers have made and assumed they were able to visualize the maps better than she could. Instead of an open house, she suggested a bus tour of the City to talk about plans for each street. That would register and resonate and help her understand; just seeing it on the map she doesn't get it and didn't think an open house would help. Councilmember Chen expressed his gratitude for the presentation mentioning efforts to connect the Interurban Trail to King County and an area on Highway 99 where there is no connection from 76t' and 224t' to the Interurban Trail. With regard to studying the trail connection between Snohomish County and King County, he asked whether Edmonds was taking the lead. Mr. Hauss answered the initial step was to identify it in the transportation plan and the TIP; it will be necessary to meet with WSDOT, Shoreline and other agencies. The next step will be a joint feasibility study. At this point, no one is taking the lead. Councilmember Chen relayed his understanding it is in the initial stages and will require the involvement of many parties. Mr. Hauss commented it will also be necessary to identify funding sources. Councilmember Chen observed the transportation plan update is part of comprehensive plan update. The population growth target of 13,000 may or may not be the right number. He asked if the transportation plan was flexible as changes occur. Mr. English advised information related to where the proposed growth is planned is used to model the transportation network. Planning has not indicated the numbers will change, it is more where growth is potentially located in Alternatives A and B. Councilmember Dotsch asked for a definition of multiuse path. Mr. Hauss answered it could be a protected lane shared by pedestrians and bicycles adjacent to the travel lane and raised from the roadway. Councilmember Dotsch asked if it would be marked for both uses like Green Lake where there is one side for bikes and one side for pedestrians. Mr. Hauss answered that is the safest way to do that; mixing the uses could cause safety issues. Councilmember Dotsch asked how wide the path would need to be to accommodate both uses. Mr. Hauss answered the minimum is 10'. Councilmember Dotsch said she went to meeting at the high school attended by about 25 people including staff and consultants. She suggested presenting information at hyper local neighborhood meetings where people know their neighborhoods and how they travel. With regard to the survey, she emphasized they are not statistically accurate surveys and suggested caution in relying on that Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes June 11, 2024 Page 11 information and preferred they not be called surveys. With regard to the draft bicycle network map, she lives in Maplewood and not realizing it was a growth center, was surprised by the path from Main to 196t1i. The map shows 88t1i connecting to Main which it does not; it is a weird dead-end with a cul-de-sac and a sloping hillside with a single person wide, rough trail. It would be ambitious to think there could be a connection there to connect Maplewood to Main as the topography would require a huge project. Mr. Hauss responded there is a small path there shown in brown. Councilmember Dotsch said it only connects to a dead-end cul-de-sac not to 88t''. Mr. Hauss advised the team would look at it. Councilmember Dotsch referred to the Main Street connection to the ferry, it still says bike lane, but she was unsure about adding a bike lane from the ferry traveling uphill and there is no space so it would require eliminating parking downtown. She wondered if there were already sharrows in that area, noting that may be more realistic for the future. She Dotsch referred to the pedestrian map and the travel time corridors map, commenting the north end of OVD is not accessible on the maps. Upper OVD is heavily traveled and an access point to reach sports parks, schools, Mukilteo, Highway 99, etc. She asked why that was not considered as a connection to the north. Mr. Hauss answered bike use in that area needs to be studied due to topography issues and there are no -stop controlled intersections for vehicles, it is free flowing the entire way compared to other corridors where there are traffic signals. Because there is nothing to stop traffic, the LOS will be A all the time as vehicles are not slowing for anything. Councilmember Paine recalled the team mentioned at the last council meeting how many people responded to the survey, recalling it was an astounding number. Mr. Hauss answered there were 140 responses to the initial survey. She asked the number of responses to the later survey. Mr. Hauss answered 115-120. Councilmember Paine expressed appreciation for the opportunity to attend public meetings along with thoughtful people from a broad sector of the community, and for the approach staff and the consultants are taking to incorporate MMLOS which although it has always part of the transportation element, the state now mandates the inclusion of MMLOS. There are many things that promote safety and the council often receives emails with concerns about bike lanes. Over the past 18 months, approximately a dozen communities have expressed concern with speeding in their neighborhoods. The speed tables on OVD have reduced speeds tremendously. OVD no longer feels like a cut through to reach Lynnwood after a ferry unloads. She looked forward to the next meeting and public outreach. The neighborhood meetings will a great opportunity for discussion, particularly for the most impacted neighborhoods. 2. RESOLUTION FOR ANNEXATION INTO RFA Councilmember Tibbott introduced this item, explain the packet contains a resolution and a recommendation to approve the resolution expressing intent to pursue the benefits of receiving fire and emergency medical services from South Snohomish County Regional Fire and Rescue Authority via annexation. This resolution came to council eight months ago; there have been a dozen meetings at the council and committee level and this is the council's third meeting on this topic in the last month. There has been a lot of discussion, presentations from experts, and input from residents. The packet includes the final Fitch report, resolutions, questions and responses from the July 4 study session, and meeting notes. COUNCILMEMBER TIBBOTT MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCIL PRESIDENT OLSON, TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION TITLED, "A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF EDMONDS, WASHINGTON, EXPRESSING THE INTENT TO PURSUE THE BENEFITS OF RECEIVING FIRE AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES FROM SOUTH SNOHOMISH COUNTY REGIONAL FIRE AND RESCUE AUTHORITY VIA ANNEXATION." Councilmember Tibbott explained one of reasons for moving this forward is the significant number of negotiation points to cover with the RFA as the process of annexation begins. Those negotiations can begin once the city council passes the resolution and it behooves the council to begin negotiations as soon as Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes June 11, 2024 Page 12 possible so if any unresolvable conflicts arise, the council can plan a different strategy. He concluded for now this was a prudent course and he supports the resolution. Councilmember Paine agreed with Councilmember Tibbott, the council has spent a lot of time reviewing the information provided and getting feedback from the community. What the council does not have is information and outreach support from SCF. She expressed her total support for approving the resolution to start information sharing. Councilmember Chen agreed there has been a long and very careful deliberation by the city council, administration, SCF and the community at large. Experts have provided their report as a result of careful study. When it comes down to it, there are several options, but only two are truly possible, 1) annexing into SCF RFA, or 2) the City starting its own fire department. There are many considerations; he highlighted five things that jump out to him, first the costs of those options are very comparable. If the City joins SCF, the overall cost will go up to $18.7M, but if the City starts its own fire department, the estimated cost is $18.8M. Second, in terms of services, the RFA delivers outstanding services and response time for medical services, fire, battalion chief, rescue boat, etc. If the City starts its own fire department, it will start from scratch and it will be a steep hill to climb. Third, regarding personnel and training, if the City becomes a member of the RFA, everything is already in place. If the City started its own department, the HR department would have to be expanded, 53 people would need to be hired, training programs developed, etc., another steep hill to climb. Fourth, with regard to programs, the RFA delivers excellent services. Fifth, the equipment is already in place if the City joins SCF. If the City starts its own department and buys the rolling stock, major maintenance will be required in the near future. For those top five reasons, Councilmember Chen said he supports the motion to join the RFA. Council President Olson said her gut feeling about the City going it alone as a fire department is the City will end up paying as much or more when all is said and done, will require extraordinary initial and ongoing effort, and will provide inferior service compared to the RFA. Many of the costs that people are concerned about controlling would be a challenge to control in the City's own fire department as well. Fire trucks have doubled in price since 2020, labor markets are competitive, and good firefighters and EMS providers will only apply and stay if they are paid what other departments pay. She assured the approximately one dozen community members she has engaged with that she was hearing their concerns and she has some of her own concerns. She felt the City needed to go down this path and engage with the RFA because some of the concerns will get resolved during the negotiations with the RFA. The RFA wants Edmonds to join their organization and want to be a good partner. Edmonds needs information and needs to start the process of negotiation to learn whether joining the RFA will be a winning option. She supported starting that process so those conversations can begin. Councilmember Dotsch agreed with what has been said. She is an independent thinker and has reviewed all information. One of the ideas that came up was going to two stations; in doing a deep dive into that, she believed the level of service provided by the three station served the community in the appropriate manner. Starting negotiations will allow a level of conversation to happen. The council has had a lot of input from community members; the council also needs to be fiscally responsible with what they bring to the voters. In the event the City does not get what it wants in negotiations with the RFA, she supported considering formation of the City's own fire department on a parallel path. She acknowledged there is a lot of work and discussion to be had, but she was comfortable initiating the negotiation phase with the RFA. To Councilmember Dotsch's comment, Councilmember Eck said all councilmembers all independent thinkers. She stood by comments she made in committee and at council meetings, which are the same as have been stated by other councilmembers, many of which support the factors Councilmember Tibbott and she identified in last month's PSPHSP committee. This has been a long process with a lot of thought and Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes June 11, 2024 Page 13 conversations. She was grateful for all the public comments the council has received, recognizing this is not easy and there are a lot of complex issues. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. 3. PART TIME SOCIAL WORKER Police Chief Michelle Bennett relayed the police department received notice from Compass Health that they planned to discontinue the social worker program as of May 31, 2024; the City contracted with Compass Health for those services. The social worker is able to address issues related to the needs for crisis intervention and social work within the City as alternative response to dealing with people suffering from addiction, mental illness or other socially related issues versus incarceration or other types of punitive response. The department applied for and received a $51,000 grant from the Association of Washington Cities (AWC) which coincided fairly closely with the end of the Compass Health social worker contract. The council needs to accept the grant and approve the job description. The grant will fund 4%2 months of service for a limited term social worker to fill the gap until other funding sources or other way to fund a social worker can be identified. The City no longer has a social worker as of May 31, 2024. Councilmember Paine said in general she was in support. She asked about the social worker's caseload, relaying her understanding the social worker was already at maximum caseload. She asked if this would extend the position's term until the end of the year and if there would be any change in the caseload. Chief Bennett responded Assistant Chief Sniffen has been working closely with Erin Nathan who was the Compass Health social worker assigned to Edmonds. As of May 31, 2024, she is no longer with the City and turned in all her equipment. She wants to stay in position of social worker with Edmonds which is beneficial to the Edmonds Police Department; instead of a contract through Compass Health, it would be a limited term FTE through the City. Staff is continuing to explore contract options; she met with the cities of Lynnwood and Mountlake Terrace, who also lost their Compass Health social worker, to discuss whether efforts or funding could be combined to potentially have a social worker that serves all three cities. She recognized probably would be an impossible task for one person. Chief Bennett continued, there are possibilities of signing on with consortiums that have programs such as Snohomish County Outreach (SCOUT) teams or other crisis intervention programs. The cities are working together to identify the best option such as a contracting with another entity that provides 24/7 service with a variety of social workers, whether it is best for cities to continue to seek grant funding, etc. Mountlake Terrace is considering using some of their opioid settlement money to fund a social worker specifically related to fentanyl and opioid addiction. There are a number of avenues to explore, but that takes time. Lynnwood and Mountlake Terrace are still applying for grants. Receipt of this grant will help the department in the short term until other solutions can be identified and avoid the department being without a social worker which has been a really important program. She agreed the social worker has a full caseload. This would be a continuation of her work, just a City FTE instead of a contracted employee. Councilmember Paine agreed it was a best practice to have an imbedded social worker. She relayed her understanding the department was taken off guard by Compass Health's quick decision, recognizing a lot of financial decisions are made quickly. Councilmember Chen agreed it was important to have a social worker working with the police department to handle the needs of the community. He observed the grant fund would fund a part-time position for a 4- 5 month period and feared the person would choose a full time position elsewhere versus uncertainty in Edmonds. He asked what the department planned to do after 4-5 months. Chief Bennett agreed that was a concern. It would be a huge benefit to officers and the community to continue the social worker program. There are no funds in the General Fund to fund a social worker so the best option currently is this grant. Other options include applying for additional grants, looking at how the opioid settlement money could be Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes June 11, 2024 Page 14 used, etc. The grant funding is a stop gap measure. While at the Washington State Police Chiefs and Sheriffs Conference a couple weeks ago, she was able to speak with employees and staff who offered a grant of about $7,000 to provide bridge funding if the City submitted a request so there could be up to $58,000 with the AWC grant and the additional grant. This is a limited term position because if the City employs a person longer than six months, certain benefits apply. Councilmember Chen referred to page 83 of the adopted 2024 budget; in 2023, the estimated actual spending for the police department was $14.3M and the budget for 2024 was $17.5M. He understood the budget included hiring 8-9 officers that the City is still seeking and asked in the meantime whether there was room in the budget to absorb funding for this critical social worker position and then look for other options. Chief Bennett answered in discussions with Administrative Services Deputy Director Kim Dunscome, there is no money available to fund the position. Councilmember Chen commented the 2024 budget was $17.5M, which is $4M than actual spending in 2023. Chief Bennett suggested Ms. Dunscombe could provide that documentation. The police department was under budget last year and the budget is more in 2024 than 2023, but based on a number of financial factors, there are no funds available. The way the budget is currently being administered with regard to vacancies, the police department does not have any additional money to fund a social worker. Mayor Rosen assured there are no General Funds available to fund this position and additional cuts are being sought in the budget which is why departments are looking for outside funding such as this grant. Without funding from the grant, the position would not exist, he would not approve it. Council President Olson commented one of the answers to the budget question was the buffer of $3.2M for expected vacancies that was taken out of the budget on the front end so that money is not available even based on the budget that was approved. She wanted to ensure it was clear for the community and councilmembers if the council chooses to take action to night, it is a deviation from the council rules and procedures, but that is due to the importance and time critical nature of the position. Next week is committee meetings so delaying approval would postpone action a couple weeks. By taking action on this first touch, the council is expressing its belief in the importance of the role and services offered and is a vote of confidence and appreciation for the work that the social worker, who is currently out of work until the City reemploys her through this wonderful opportunity. She thanked the Edmonds Police Department for pursuing the grant, a great opportunity for the City. COUNCIL PRESIDENT OLSON MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER PAINE, TO APPROVE THE JOB DESCRIPTION FOR THE COMMUNITY SOCIAL WORKER IN THE PACKET. Council President Olson explained the job description is for a short term social worker, not a part-time position. It is a full-time hourly position with Edmonds to do social worker funded via the grant. There will be a future budget amendment. This buys time to figure out a longer term solution for the City's social worker needs. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. COUNCILMEMBER PAINE MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCIL PRESIDENT OLSON, TO ACCEPT THE GRANT AS PRESENTED FROM AWC Councilmember Paine commented this is important work for the City; the position supports law enforcement and the community. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes June 11, 2024 Page 15 4. ORDINANCE AMENDING AUTHORIZED EMPLOYEE POSITIONS Administrative Services Deputy Director Kim Dunscombe explained earlier this year the council adopted Ordinance 4344 that specified the number of FTEs approved in the 2024 budget. Given the council's approval in the previous agenda item, this is a request to amend the ordinance to reflect council's action. COUNCILMEMBER PAINE MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCIL PRESIDENT OLSON, TO APPROVE AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF EDMONDS, WASHINGTON, AMENDING THE CITY'S AUTHORIZED EMPLOYEE POSITIONS AND PAY RANGES AND REPEALING ORDINANCE 4344 Councilmember Paine commented this is a very helpful way to track FTEs. Ms. Dunscombe agreed it may seem tedious, but it is an important process. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. 5. TEAMSTERS LOCAL 763 COMMANDERS 2023-2025 1 COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT (Previously Consent Agenda Item 7.5) Senior HR Analyst Emily Wagener was present to answer questions. COUNCIL PRESIDENT OLSON MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER PAINE, TO REMOVE ATTACHMENT D AND APPROVE THE REMAINDER. Council President Olson explained the title is regarding the collective bargaining for the Teamsters and wages for the assistant chiefs and chief and the policy in effect. It seems cleaner to have these be separate agenda items. Her motion was to approve the agenda item as submitted with the removal of Attachment D. Ms. Wagener explained the intent was efficiency, but she understood the desire to separate commanders from the assistant chief and chief. Staff is prepared to bring the assistant chief and chief wage schedule back with additional clarification. Councilmember Paine asked if this meant the pay raises for the people affected by Attachment D, the assistant chiefs and the chief, would be delayed. Ms. Wagener answered no, their pay raises took effect on April 1, 2024. The separation of the wage scale did not result in any additional pay, it was simply to separate the commanders who are now in a bargaining unit, from the assistant chiefs and chief who are non - represented. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. 6. ACCESSORY DWELLING UNIT CODE AMENDMENT TO ALLOW FOR DETACHED ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS — "EXPANDING HOUSING OPTIONS BY EASING BARRIERS TO THE CONSTRUCTION AND USE OF ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS IN ACCORDANCE WITH HB 1337" (Previously Consent Agenda Item 7.6) Council President Olson said she was unable to support the amendment with the setbacks approved by council last week, and wanted a roll call vote so she could vote against it unless a councilmember wanted to change the setbacks. COUNCIL PRESIDENT COUNCIL PRESIDENT OLSON MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER PAINE, TO APPROVE THE DADU ORDINANCE IN THE PACKET. Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes June 11, 2024 Page 16 Councilmember Dotsch asked where Exhibit A that restricts ADUs in CARAs was in packet. Planner Rose Haas advised it was Section 16.20.050.A, page 23 of Exhibit A. City Attorney Jeff Taraday advised it was on packet page 128. UPON ROLL CALL, MOTION CARRIED (4-2), COUNCILMEMBERS ECK, PAINE, CHEN AND TIBBOTT VOTING YES; COUNCIL PRESIDENT OLSON AND COUNCILMEMBER DOTSCH VOTING NO. 9. COUNCIL COMMENTS Councilmember Paine thanked the administration for the Juneteenth proclamation, an important day of service and reflection. She relayed hearing from the community over the past few weeks several examples of racism happening in stores, in public meetings and interpersonally targeting people of color which she found very worrisome. She acknowledged the reporting portal was problematic, but there is no way to track these instances to help understand how to reach out to the community to support businesses owned by people of color and ensuring people of color are not targeted at public gatherings. This is an important topic, everyone needs to be supported and come together as a unified Edmonds and strive to do better. Councilmember Dotsch thanked the community for their feedback and varying opinions regarding the RFA process which helped the council take a deeper dive. It is good to have this conversation early in the process, a big part of that is fiscal responsibility, something she looked forward to in providing the big picture. She appreciated everyone for taking the time to research and do their due diligence. Council President Olson gave a shout out to Lift Every Voice Legacy; Donnie Griffin and his legion of volunteers WHO have done a great job with the event every year. This year's event will be during the day, 11 am to 2 pm on June 19' at the Edmond Waterfront Center and she hoped everyone attended to help celebrate freedom for the Black community and all Americans. She also gave a shout out to the Edmonds Arts Festival and the Edmonds Arts Festival Foundation. The Arts Festival begins Wednesday night with a huge launch party. Over 500 ticket have been presold and the weather will be great. Tickets are also available at the door. A lot is included in the launch party including a preview of all the art. Councilmember Tibbott commented with the Arts Festival, summer has begun. He relayed his plants to attend the Association of Washington Cities' (AWC) annual meeting next week in Vancouver, Washington. He was selected to be on their Education and Training Committee and will provide information based on work the council has done over the past couple years. The AWC annual meeting includes a FEMA workshop to orient city leaders on the role of FEMA and how cities can participate in the emergency services they offer. He looked forward to educating himself and bringing back good resources for the City. He gave a shout out to Donnie Griffin and his inspirational message, and for LEVL and the great partnership they have with the Edmonds Waterfront Center. Councilmember Chen echoed what other councilmembers have said; celebrating freedom not only for the Black community, but all Americans. That freedom has been earned and it needs to be safeguarded. He thanked the community, councilmembers and staff for their hard work that helped the council reach this point in the RFA decision. It has bas been a difficult and carefully vetted decision. Now that the council has reached the conclusion to seek annexation to the RFA, there are a lot of details and negotiations that will happen in partnership with SCF. The council welcomes the community's input, knowledge and experience. Councilmember Eck relayed she had the pleasure of attending the Pride flag raising at the county building where Edmonds got a shout out when the City's representative read the long list of Pride events in Edmonds. Compared to other cities that highlighted their events, Edmonds had triple the number of events. She was grateful for the City's proclamations for Pride Month and for Juneteenth and how diversity in Edmonds has Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes June 11, 2024 Page 17 grown. When she hears about isolated instances of hate speech, racism, and bigotry such as Councilmember Paine mentioned, she was certain 99% of community members were also concerned. She urged the community to stand together with the council and say that is not acceptable. A light needs to be shown on those instances and ensure they are taken seriously while also embracing and feeling glad about diversity in culture, religion, language, background, and who people choose to love. 10. MAYOR'S COMMENTS Mayor Rosen announced this Saturday an Edmonds resident, Wayne, will be celebrating his 100t' birthday. Two days later, he and his wife, Barbara, will celebrate their 75t' anniversary and two days later, Barbara will celebrate her 97' birthday. He congratulated Wayne and Barbara. ADJOURNMENT With no further business, the council meeting was adjourned at 8:58 pm. CS: - SCOTT PASSEY, L CLERK Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes June 11, 2024 Page 18