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2024-10-15 Council Special MinutesEDMONDS CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING APPROVED MINUTES October 15, 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 Jenna Nand, Councilmember 1. CALL TO ORDER/FLAG SALUTE STAFF PRESENT Michelle Bennett, Police Chief Loi Dawkins, Assistant Police Chief Rod Sniffen, Assistant Police Chief Phil Williams, Acting Public Works Director Jessica Neill Hoyson, HR Director Shane Hope, Acting Planning & Dev. Dir. Todd Tatum, Comm., Culture & Econ. Dev. Dir. Jeff Taraday, City Attorney Scott Passey, City Clerk Jerrie Bevington, Camera Operator The Edmonds City Council special meeting was called to order at 7:03 pm by Mayor Rosen in the Council Chambers, 250 5"' Avenue North, Edmonds, and virtually. Mayor Rosen advised due to technical difficulties, the meeting was available via Zoom and Xfinity but not the City's website. 2. AUDIENCE COMMENTS Deborah Arthur, Edmonds, reported she was participating via Zoom and was able to hear the council. 3. CONSENT AGENDA COUNCIL PRESIDENT OLSON MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER PAINE, TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. The agenda items approved are as follows: EDMONDS EMPLOYEE ASSOCIATION, LOCAL 3517 (AFSCME COUNCIL 2) 2022-2024 COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT EXTENSION JANUARY 1, 2025 TO JUNE 30, 2026 4. COUNCIL BUSINESS 2025-2026 BUDGET PRESENTATION Community I Culture I Economic Development Todd Tatum, Community, Culture, & Economic Development Director commented this budget cycle has been challenging, going from single year to biennium budgeting, and priority based budgeting during Edmonds City Council Draft Minutes October 15, 2024 Page 1 challenging economic times. He thanked Acting Finance Director Kim Dunscombe for her leadership and hard work during this budget process. He reviewed: • Role of the Community, Culture and Economic Development Department o CCED — Who we are untunded for all, or a portion of this, budget period • CCED - What we do o Economic Development ■ Business attraction and retention ■ Real estate development and redevelopment ■ Tourism marketing and destination development o Creative District o Culture and Arts o Community events o Boards and Commissions ■ EDC ■ DEIA ■ EAC ■ Ed! ■ LTAC o Communications and Community Engagement o State and Federal Lobbying & Intergovernmental Coordination o Citywide Special Projects o Neighborhood City Hall City Council, $464,297 Community Services& Economic Dev., Planning& $1,028,747 Development, $3,645,093 Municipal urt Human Resources, $1,898,81 $931,164 Parks,Recreabonand Human Services, $5,145,187 Public Works Non -Departmental, $16,617,843 $907,010 acllities Maintenance, $2,638,611 Human 5ervices Program, 171,386 Engineering, $3,719,199 Mayor's Office, Neighborhood CiN Hall, $482,935 Administrative Services, $20,208 $2,329,351 City Attorney, o International Economic Development Council defines the objective of economic development as improving economic well-being of a community through efforts that entail job creation, job retention, tax base enhancements and quality of life. • 2025 Budget Highlights o The department is bridging the budget gap by: o Holding positions open through most of 2025: 25% reduction in staff Edmonds City Council Draft Minutes October 15, 2024 Page 2 o Increasing marketing funds from LTAC ending balance and reducing GF use in 2025* o Eliminating the Neighborhood City Hall office o Reducing contracted support: Prof Services 2023-25 = $354k 4 183k o While: ■ Focusing on the future: - Real estate development and redevelopment - Supporting our business organizations - Engaging in non -transactional communications - Building and maturing partnerships - Improving our funding acumen ■ Maintaining the existence of other critical programs at reduced service levels ■ Absorbing the impacts of open positions What's New o Changes from previous years ■ Closing of the Neighborhood City Hall Office - Lease goes through March 2025 - Position is unfunded ■ Arts and Culture Program Manager retirement - Position is funded for 4 months of 2025 (Options)* ■ Grant writing and lobbying ■ Diversity Commission Coordinator role unfunded ■ ED Professional services reduced by -$47,000 and replaced by LTAC fund balance for tourism marketing purposes in 2025 - RCW requires LTAC be allowed to provide comment on change in funding. Comments will be included with council budget queries and Received for Filing - Comparison: Lynnwood collects $1.6-1.7M in lodging tax, Edmonds collects $320,00. Lynnwood's expenses include a salaried person and $300,000 in ads and professional services. Lynnwood's fund balances since 2017 ranged from $400,000 to $1.1M ■ Reduction in communications budget ■ Community survey included in 2026 budget Staff recommended changes o This budget season has been fast and eventful. There are a few adjustments we'd like to make to the draft budget ■ Arts and Cultural Services PM has no salary associated with it in 2026. Normal salary should be reflected instead. ■ Use of LTAC funds to bring the gap in 2025 were meant to be one-time. Economic Professional Services should be increased and Fund 120 should be decreased by $47,000 in 2026 to reflect this. Budget Cut Impacts o Negative ■ Closure of Neighborhood City Hall - Reduction in contact with those in need along Highway 99 - Loss of space for community court, classes, programming ■ Reduction in Lodging Tax fund balance and reduce flexibility ■ Absorption of board and commission leadership and administrative work ■ Absorption of programmatic work ■ Reduction in flexibility - Community Services budget often absorbed non -departmental project costs ■ Reduced service levels across the board ■ Reduced ability to push communications out o Positive Edmonds City Council Draft Minutes October 15, 2024 Page 3 ■ Investigation of future fund sources ■ Creation of options to improve new grant funding ■ Ongoing survey on resident priorities ■ Public art projects on the ground ■ Maintaining marketing in a time of sales tax revenue need Mayor Rosen advised one round of council questions with the question and answer limited to three minutes will follow and other questions can be submitted to Council Executive Assistant Peterson to be included in the budget query process. Councilmember Nand recognized some deep cuts are proposed for the department. She referred to the interfund transfer for Fund 018 and asked what the $200,000 for the Edmonds Homeless Response Fund would be used for if not to preserve the Neighborhood City Hall and that .5 FTE. Mayor Rosen responded the interfund transfer makes the City whole to the budget projections that Ms. Dunscombe projected. If that transfer does not occur soon, there is a risk of overshooting the budget by $550,000. The gap between the draft budget and the projected revenue is $13M. Staff was asked to save $7M the impact of which Mr. Tatum described in his presentation. The 2025 budget calls for an internal loan to get through 2025 of $7.5M. One of the variables is if voters make the decision to annex into the RFA, that would impact the gap. If voters say no to annexation, that also has an impact and the City would need to find additional revenue to pay for fire and emergency services. The other variable is there will still be a gap even if annexation is approved and council decides to keep the $6M, it is still not enough to cover the gap and a levy lift would be required in November to cover that gap. The City will be running incredibly lean and staff s presentations have outlined the impacts. The draft budget assumes annexation and retaining the $6M. Councilmember Paine observed the budget cuts cut are straight to the bone for this department, a department that does a lot of important outwardly facing work, and is less than 2% of the budget. She expressed appreciation for the cuts to improve the City's funding acumen and doing the non -transactional work. It is wonderful that Edmonds supports the arts and she hoped that would continue. During this time, the City needs to provide support for human services to ensure no one is left behind. She recalled systems in place during the 2008/2009 recession that made it very difficult for families, families who have not had an opportunity to recover. There is $80,000 going toward lobbying and grant services; she asked what having twice that amount inhouse would look like for his department in terms of providing more funding for all the services that are not as abundantly funded in the budget. Mr. Tatum asked if Councilmember Paine was suggesting adding an FTE that is a grant writer. Councilmember Paine responded an inhouse grants program manager. Mr. Tatum answered a grants program manager is exactly the type of role that he would look for. Like he's mentioned, it is not just writing the grants, that is easy to do and easy to fail at. There needs to be an effort to get the partners together, the funding letters, build relationships, understand the priorities and write to those priorities. It would require getting the program together, identifying opportunities and working down the list of how to get there. It would start with a broad strategy for getting new money and finding those big grants that the City is not pursuing because there isn't the staff capacity. He summarized it was writing the grants and strategizing. Councilmember Paine clarified she was not proposing new programs but support for the ones already in place before they are cut. Councilmember Dotsch referred to tax base enhancement as part of the definition of economic development and asked how to prioritize that and go back to the council's goal of economic resiliency for Edmonds. Mr. Tatum answered the City has done a decent job with strategy; for example, the Highway 99 subarea plan had a lot of strategy, but what's missing is the operational component — strategy, operational and tactical levels. What the City doesn't have is the why and the what. What is needed are some clear projects which move the needle on areas that have been considered. For example, Highway 99 subarea, there needs to be Edmonds City Council Draft Minutes October 15, 2024 Page 4 first in money which is why tax increment financing has been such a large talking point over the past year, it gives the city the ability to be first in, start a project moving in a direction and bring in other funding partners. Councilmember Dotsch asked if he was talking about development; she was thinking business, commercial and revenue streams. Mr. Tatum answered the biggest opportunities to improve retail sales tax base and property tax base are on Highway 99 and in centers and hubs. All will require some amount of money to redo the infrastructure to create places and plant the seed where partnerships can blossom. Councilmember Dotsch said she was interested in something that brings in business; she was unsure about placemaking to bring businesses in. Mr. Tatum answered placemaking was absolutely essential to bring in businesses. It doesn't work to bring retail into a place where people don't want to go. Having infrastructure to support a place where people go, where people live, where people are on the street and wander into restaurants or retail like downtown. Building monolithic housing all over the place doesn't ensure retail; building a place does because it makes the business model work for boutiques, restaurants, etc. Council President Olson commented she was able to make an association between the cuts she saw regarding the neighborhood office, tying it to the Parks conversation last week where the City doesn't really have a choice but to consolidate. Where programming used to be done at the Edmonds Waterfront Center and Frances Anderson Center, it will consolidated into one place due to efficiencies and cost savings. There were good reasons for opening the Neighborhood City Hall, but due to the City's current financial issues, it makes sense to consolidate. The City is also looking hard at revenues including tax levies. There are other ways to generate revenue, but it is hard to make them happen quickly. There are a lot of things on the council's radar that they are trying to figure out, who does what and who has the authority to do what and how much impact each one has. Council President Olson assured the community the council is looking for those opportunities and hopes not to have to ask for more and more money from property taxes, but to some extent the City will still need more from property taxes. For example, the $6M from annexation will not cover the gap nor will some of the other cuts. To some extent this is about bearing down and determining what the community is willing to pay for. For example, not every city has two designated arts positions; Edmonds has for a long period of time. She asked if that was true, noting Lynnwood only has one. Mr. Tatum agreed, but noted Lynnwood was not Edmonds. Council President Olson agreed, stressing her point is it will be necessary to determine what the community values enough to pay for, not just that they value it, but value enough to pay for it. Councilmember Tibbott acknowledged there were difficulty decisions to be made by the council. He asked for clarification regarding the use of lodging tax. Mr. Tatum answered the economic development professional services budget has included a number of things, but about $55,000 has been used for tourism marketing. Edmonds lodging tax is very small and doesn't pay for the amount of tourism marketing that a city Edmonds' size typically does. The $55,000 in the economic development professional services will be reduced to $8,000 and more of the lodging tax ending fund balance will be used for that purpose to reduce the General Fund load on tourism marketing. Councilmember Tibbott summarized the City would be more dependent on lodging tax for those promotional items. Mr. Tatum agreed. Councilmember Chen suggested looking at the big picture; the City is in a financial situation and cannot cut its way out of the $13M or $20M gap. The other way as Council President Olson mentioned is revenue generation. A good candidate for revenue generation would be Highway 99. Downtown is working the way many people dreamed of, but Highway 99 has a lot of potential. He asked what kind of things the City can do to help Highway 99 such as a business improvement district to help them advertise, beautify the area, and attract more tourism and more business. There is an international district on Highway 99 and a lot of character and cultural diversity, a goldmine waiting to be tapped into. Mr. Tatum answered there are two things in the works, investigating the creation of a community renewal area and if a community renewal Edmonds City Council Draft Minutes October 15, 2024 Page 5 area is created, that provides more flexibility for things like fagade improvement programs. Tax increment financing is another avenue, funding from tax increment financing can be used to help reduce business displacement and enable businesses to remain such as in the international district. He envisioned community renewal and tax increment financing could bring a huge amount of property tax revenue over the long term and bring in retail taxes over the medium term. Implementing those also provides tools to improve the areas around the southern gateway and make them more economically viable. Councilmember Chen commented as the City develops, there also needs to be attention given to green space and amenities that the rest of the City enjoys. Councilmember Eck thanked Mr. Tatum for his work on the budget, commenting some of the cuts were concerning. To expand the conversation about Highway 99, an area she cared about and where she sees what could be, the definition of economic development and improving the well- being for an area and high quality of life, she agreed what he said about placemaking. Businesses want to locate in an area that attracts businesses and people and is welcoming, has green spaces, etc. Should the budget proceed as created, she asked what was doable for his team to have those engaging and non -transactional communications with Highway 99 businesses and continue this work. Mr. Tatum responded community renewal and tax increment financing will require public process and public outreach. They are both about future possibilities so in a way it is less transactional and how a place can feel and how to use it. He referred to the focus groups, commenting there is an opportunity to bring people together and talk about the intractable problems and what people want to see on Highway 99, how best to support businesses, and bring businesses in the international district together to talk about what they need. Councilmember Eck said the entire City benefits from revenue generated on Highway 99. Human Resources FIR Director Jessica Neill Hoyson recognized the council was considering a lot of difficult decisions in the budget process and what they were hearing from directors was not good news as all were proposing cuts that will impact the City and its employees. While she was sharing information that highlights the negative impacts of the budget cuts she was proposing, she recognized they all have negative impacts. She appreciated that the council has very difficult decisions to make in this budget cycle. She reviewed the 2025 FIR budget: • Role of Human Resources o Aligning organizational goals and employee needs. ■ Human Resources plays a vital role in managing the City's workforce and ensuring that the organizational goals align with the employee needs. FIR executes this role through the following key functions: - Management of the employee life cycle - Classification & Compensation - Labor Relations - Employee Relations & Investigations - Safety/Worker's compensation - Leave/Accommodations - Employee Engagement - Legislation, compliance, & records - Diversity, Equity & Inclusion initiatives - Administration - Payroll Support - Boards/Commissions/Civil Service - Risk Management 2025 Budget Highlights o HR as a central service Edmonds City Council Draft Minutes October 15, 2024 Page 6 ■ Human Resources is a central service whose role is predominantly to provide internal support to the organization. ■ Majority of HR budget costs come from the salaries and benefits for HR staff. ■ Other key cost areas include professional services for items such background checks and investigations of employee issues. ■ Additional cost areas include fees for participation in the AWC Retro Program (workplace injury) and the Neogov platform (recruiting & onboarding). What's New o HR Department Changes ■ In late 2023 the decision was made to remove the Safety & Disaster Coordinator Position from the HR department. Safety work was absorbed by the remaining HR staff and Emergency Management was transferred to the Police Department and consultants were retained to assist with the development of the CEMP. ■ Additionally, in 2023, the HR Department added an HR Manager and an HR Assistant. These additional positions moved the HR department staffing closer to the appropriate ratio of HR staff to employees. By 2024, these employees had received enough training and experience to have a significant impact on department functions. These additions allowed the HR Department to begin work on projects that had been on hold and to proactively address labor, employee, and management issues. Proposed budget cuts o Human Resources was asked to reduce its budget by 19.7%, which equates to $228,366. ■ The majority of HR costs is in HR salaries & benefits. ■ The following cuts are proposed to meet the requested budget reduction: - Unfund the .6 FTE HR Analyst • A person who has worked for the City for 7 years will lose their job - Reduce the HR Assistant from 1 FTE to .95 FTE - Furlough all staff for 12 days - Director will take an additional 2 furlough days - Eliminate funding for employee appreciation picnic - Eliminate funding for compensation consultant to assist salary commission - Eliminate funding for recruiting services (these are used for appointive positions) - Eliminate funding for city-wide employee training (CPR, Anti- Harassment/Discrimination) - Eliminate funding for consultant support for employee relations issues - Eliminate budget for Police Department Assessment Centers for promotions - Reduce budget for investigations by $5,000 ($5,000 remaining in budget) - Reduce budget for consultants for labor relations issues by $2,000 ($1,000 remaining in budget) Impacts of budget cuts o If all proposed reductions are approved this is a total loss of approximately 1,856 worker hours for the HR Department. This will have a significant impact on service delivery. With the approval of 2 additional positions beginning in 2023, the department was able to begin projects that have been on hold due to lack of staffing. In addition, the department was able to decrease response time to requests, delegate out functions to individuals rather than having all staff work on all things, and pro -actively work with departments on HR issue o HR projects will need to be put on hold or completed in a longer timeframe ■ Full policy manual update ■ Supervisor Training Program ■ Supervisor handbook ■ Employee Handbook ■ Revamping of onboarding to include more in -person meetings and less online process Edmonds City Council Draft Minutes October 15, 2024 Page 7 ■ DEI initiatives such as establishing the employee committee for City-wide DEI ■ City-wide compensation analysis ■ Review of "hourly" position classifications and compensation ■ Joint project with Finance to revamp city payroll process ■ Research, creation, and implementation of a new employee performance management process o These are the main department programs for the HR Analyst which will be impacted by unfunding the HR Analyst position ■ Employee Life Cycle ■ Payroll Support ■ Boards & Commissions ■ Employee Engagement ■ Classification & Compensation ■ Legislation Compliance/Records ■ Labor Relations ■ Administration o The ability of HR staff to respond to requests will be impacted. It is anticipated that longer response times will occur. o The ability of HR staff to proactively address issues will be impacted o Reduce staff causing increased workloads will limit ability to cross -train in order to provide backup when a team member is absent and limit time for process improvement Staff reduction impacts compounded by professional services budget reductions o It should be noted that HR will be dealing with a combination of reduction of staff hours along with a reduction of professional services budget. The reduction of professional services budget will require work to be done in-house which may have been done by consultants. And example of this is the support for the Salary Commission. The data collection, analysis, and support to the commission will have to be done in-house. Additionally, the cuts to the investigations budget will result in potential delays to complaints while it is determined if there are funds needed for the investigation and if not, to go to council for those funds. Councilmember Eck asked the approximate cost of the employee appreciation picnic and whether there is mandated staff training. Ms. Neill Hoyson answered the cost of the employee appreciation picnic is about $8,000. This year's picnic was funded via a donation. With regard to mandated staff training, there is required online training when an employee is onboarded such as anti -harassment, diversity, etc. Some positions have required training for their role; the departments manage those individually. There are no mandated citywide training initiatives. There is no law requiring anti -harassment or diversity training, but it is a best practice to avoid harassment or diversity issues that lead to more costly outcomes for the City. One of the initiatives a couple years ago was customer service training for all employees. Councilmember Chen expressed appreciation for everything the small HR department does including risk management. He referred to City's expenditure for liability and property insurance premium which increases annually and will increase to $1.2M in 2025. Ms. Neill Hoyson explained the increase in insurance costs is a mix of claims and how insurers look at insuring municipalities. The insurance market has become very tight over the past several years, particularly in Washington due to litigation that occurs and laws around litigation in Washington State. It is not necessarily a lack of management of risk that has led to increases, but the insurance market and insurers that are willing to insure municipalities. She noted all the members of the risk pool have had increases across the board as have other risk pools. Earlier this year in looking at the cost to move to a different risk pool, she determined there were no savings and less insurance was provided. She summarized it is a combination of individual claims, the insurance market and the area the City is in. Edmonds City Council Draft Minutes October 15, 2024 Page 8 Councilmember Chen asked if the insurance provider is a monopoly or were there choices. Ms. Neill Hoyson explained WCIA markets the pool to insurers and insurers purchase different layers of insurance. It not that it is a monopoly, it is so costly to insure in this realm that insurers charge a lot. WCIA markets the risk pool annually to insurers to find the best insurance at the least cost to its members. Councilmember Tibbott commented it was astounding the amount of work HR does with the number of employees in their department. He recalled attending training last year provided by Chief Bennett, excellent training and very applicable to the work he does with the City. He asked if that was an avenue that could be used during these bridge years while the City is getting on its feet, whether there were in-house training experts HR could tap into. Ms. Neill Hoyson answered absolutely, Chief Bennett's trainings are wonderful and looking at using the internal knowledge base is absolutely appropriate. She emphasized people still have their jobs to do and as positions are held open or positions are unfunded, that workload will increase. There is internal knowledge; as an example, she could teach an anti -harassment and diversity training course and her staff could teach recruiting courses, but the issue is the capacity to do that as well as keep up with other work. Councilmember Tibbott recalled a conversation about how employee turnover has changed the face of HR in Edmonds and cities throughout the nation. He asked her to confirm that turnover as a reality of the workforce and how that affects the cost of onboarding. Ms. Neill Hoyson commented in the HR world, it was called the great resignation, people feeling more comfortable about leaving their jobs. She was not sure that was the case as much now; now HR is dealing with turnover due to retirements. The other issue is everyone is competing for scarce employee talent which makes it easier for employees to find work elsewhere. Continuing to improve the employee value proposition, what the City offers employees beyond a paycheck, whether it is a good place to work, how they fit into the organization, whether they feel heard, whether they feel respected, etc. is important. Council President Olson commented everyone is feeling very emotion over the proposed losses. With regard to CPR training, there are well -trained people in the community who may be willing to offer that as a gift and she offered to provide some possible names. With regard to anti -harassment and discrimination, the downside of not doing that training may be greater than any savings. She pointed out AWC and MRSC may be online sources for that training and it is included in the price the City pays for those organizations. Council President Olson asked what Police Department Assessment Centers are. Ms. Neill Hoyson answered that is contracted with Public Safety Testing; assessment centers are a series of assessments that people interest in a promotional opportunity go through, a list is created through the civil service process and that list is used to determine promotions. Part of the reason that is being cut is with positions being held open, the police department indicated there may not be as many promotions and the assessment center may not be needed next year. If that changes and promotion into leadership roles in the police department is necessary, the assessment center would have to happen. Similar to cuts in the investigations budget, if investigations are needed, they have to happen. Council President Olson observed that would require a budget amendment. Ms. Neill Hoyson agreed. Councilmember Dotsch asked with all the employee positions in the next year's budget that will be unfilled or eliminated, what will the HR per employee percentage be. Ms. Neill Hoyson answered the current ratio of HR staff to employees is 1.6, the industry standard is 2.57. Councilmember Dotsch asked the percentage before the two positions were added. Ms. Neill Hoyson answered with up to 250 employees, the best practice standard is 3.4 HR ratio to staff. There are certain base, fundamental things that need to happen regardless of the organization's size. Once an organization gets bigger, there can be a lower HR staff to employee ratio. Edmonds City Council Draft Minutes October 15, 2024 Page 9 Councilmember Paine asked if HR had the capacity to do the recruiting for the open positions such as the two acting directors and other key positions such as the stormwater engineer, and the cost of recruitment. Ms. Neill Hoyson answered it depends on the recruitment; the HR department does passive recruiting, posting a position to professional organizations and hoping the candidates respond. A recruiting firm actively sources candidates, looks at Linkedln profiles, reaches out proactively, etc. For example, the City is considering hiring a recruiting firm for the two vacant directors positions; the cost is approximately $25,000. Director positions have more complexity, but other high level technical positions would have similar costs. Councilmember Nand asked the current number of FTEs in HR. Ms. Neill Hoyson answered 4.6. Councilmember Nand asked the number of City employees they service including seasonal. Ms. Neill Hoyson answered it varies from 250 to 270. Councilmember Nand said coming from a business background, she views HR as an ounce of prevention to offset a pound of cure which is the litigation cost when HR isn't present and people not trained to do HR find themselves in leadership and managerial positions and do it badly because they don't know what they are doing, it is very esoteric, the laws are arcane and extremely complicated, especially in a highly litigious and very labor -forth state like Washington. She admired the work that the HR department does. Councilmember Nand referred to the 0.6 FTE HR analyst who has 7 years of institutional knowledge and asked if that person was let go and the position was funded again in 2026 or 2027 but that person has found another job, what learning curve would be required to get a new person to the level of knowledge of the current 0.6 FTE. Ms. Neill Hoyson answered it takes at least a year to get an employee in any position up to speed, but that is just learning the basic, technical things. She estimated it would take a new employee seven years to learn what the current employee has learned. Police Department Police Chief Michelle Bennett said the police department is very grateful for the support of the council and community members. She noted there are community impacts, council impacts, and of course impacts to the department of potential cuts as well as to individual employees. She came to the department almost four years ago hearing great things about the department and the professional people, the amazing empathy and caring nature of the employees and she couldn't be prouder to work with this group of people. She reviewed: • Role of the Police Department o Provide public safety to City of Edmonds under local ordinance. o Enforce and uphold laws according to RCW, WAC and local ordinances. o To train officers and provide equipment in accordance with RCW. Council Priorities • Community Survey o Safety o Housing affordability and Crime/Public Safety were the top o Environment two `open-ended priorities' for the city of Edmonds o Investment government over the next two years. o Livability o Open to all Priorities: Budget, Growth Management, Safety o Economic Resiliency and the Environment were in the top four priorities in the `open to all' survey Budget Highlights & Reduction Efforts o 2025 and 2026 Proposed Budget Edmonds City Council Draft Minutes October 15, 2024 Page 10 $ Change $ change $ change 2021 2024 2024 2025 2026 25Budget 25 Budget 26 Budget Description Actual5 Budget EMMKO Budat Budget 24EEllmate 24Budget 25Budget Salanes 8,049,119 10,179,501 10,100,948 10,257,792 10.765,446 156,914 78,281 S07,664 Overtime 990,630 G12,280 889,694 1,04%500 1,042,500 151,806 4 29.2 20 1,000 mollday Buyback 187,137 294,Wi 431,087 972,950 387,420 (58,137) 79,949 11,470 BerneSts 1,072,390 3,693,674 3,803,446 3,498.166 3,711,769 (305,280) [195,Sog) 212,603 Uniforms 124r474 106,226 68,1S0 7S,300 7S,300 7,1S0 (30,126) - Supplies 88r911 151,985 106,146 102,000 102,000 (4,146) (49,985) Fueltonsumed - N/A N/A WA Small Equipment 1S9,828 124'"1 90,429 S1,200 51,200 (19,229) (71,241) Professiona l Services 264,721 160,236 168,37S 2,017,000 2,137,000 Ir848,62S 1,856,764 120,000 Communlcatians 74,787 39,000 S3,198 500 500 (52,699) (38.500) Travel 72,994 21,922 20,649 50,000 50,000 29,352 26,019 - Rental/lease 93,966 131,030 129,606 122,9i0 122,910 46,696) [8,120) mterfundRentaI 1,202,370 1592,828 1,S92,828 1,4512,166 1,452,166 (140,662) (140.662) - Repalr/NWmtenance 79,338 16,190 16,510 6,500 7,000 (10,010) (9.6g0) 500 Miscellaneous 272,009 S5,176 53,a53 79,500 79,000 26,047 24,324 (5,W) Equipment 306, 149 - N/A N/A N/A Lease Payment 9,895 300,000 214,224 600.060 624,000 365,776 100,000 24,000 Intere s t Pa ymen t 131 N/A N/A N/A 1S,047,888 17r478,S40 17,758,742 19,727,474 20,608,211 1r968,732 2,24.8,914 880,737 • Avenues of Revenue o 2024 ■ FLOCK ■ Alternative Response Team Grant ■ Wellness Grant ■ Woodway Contract ■ WA State Traffic Grant ■ School Zone Cameras o 2025 ■ Alternative Response Team Grant ■ Woodway Contract ■ WA State Traffic Grant ■ Red Light Cameras ■ School Zone Cameras ■ CJTC ■ CJTC ■ School District ■ School District ■ Chamber Sponsored City Events ■ Chamber Sponsored City Events ■ Rotary Sponsored City Events ■ Rotary Sponsored City Events 2025 and 2026 Proposed Budget Explanations 0 911 Dispatch contract and SnoCounty Jail contract have been historically housed under budget 39 (non -departmental). They are now under the PD's budget. Approximately $1.5 million total. o All line items relating to training (travel and continuing education) have been reduced to only include mandatory trainings. o Uniform budget has been reduced to only covering what is required by CBA. o Professional Services budgets have been analyzed to only include payments for essential services. Contracts were cancelled or reduced where possible. Proposed Cuts o Reductions - Police Department was asked to reduce its budget by 16.3% ■ Selling three vehicles and two motorcycles ■ Renegotiating Axon Contract to minimize costs. ■ Sending another Officer to CJTC as an academy instructor ■ Holding 13 commissioned officer vacancies ■ Holding one Animal Control officer vacancy ■ NR staff taking 12 furlough days Organizational Chart o 2025 Budget Impact Edmonds City Council Draft Minutes October 15, 2024 Page 11 EEE AsWaN Pate (:niN Aeeebnl L FeM� cea f1 F7E1 M�Mm S�1 Sen�ee f rn�eLr M.N. E.ecuFw 0 FTEi AeeMere Awebrf I (15 FTE) /t iTEI PIe�rWrl OyYeC01rJ {i1FeM�161 1� �� �d �� AbIYNetrYve i1 /1T) 1 FTq � 11 FTE1 Q,MIM CerFarel CWP--W 6FIFeM MY R FTEI R ) Tn�e O�een (1 FTq n-06" QW-0 amend M FIEI Pdkei/ (1 Flq (1 FEE) Ae�lY1�t 1YYe1QiIF FII�eIOrIF AewlCerVIW IB FTEI DFY11e (N iRi 116 itq Olbre R FTLI FraoeM Oeca IR1 FEEL) T�h%7U�� M!T OIY�w I1 FTEI RFiq I�Olfeer IV OILo� R FTEI RFTE) Dd@dLn - w Cewarlr R FTEI dIY rl FTE) RFa1 d Pe rsonnel 66 �� CritrtrA�r 6FeF�leY Il �/ i.,_I1 FTL, t crEl 11MF6w6�/ - 16 — p FFlj Impacted positions noted in red • Position Cuts* o Parking Enforcement o Public Disclosure Specialist o Community Engagement *Subject to CBA implications Assistant Chief Rod Sniffen reviewed: Proposed Budget Cut Impacts: o Parking Enforcement ■ A chief complaint has been parking; the Parking Enforcement Officer that the council approved last year was based on the number of complaints and the inability to address parking complaints downtown. ■ The full time Parking Enforcement position has had a positive impact on the community and has allowed the Animal Control/Code Enforcement Officer (ACO), as well as Patrol Officers focus on tasks specific to their primary duties. This is especially impactful due to the recent loss of one ACO position, and other pending cuts as we restructure the budget. ■ Officer Kaur has issued an average of 210 parking infractions/month with a value of at least $102,000 in revenue in less than a year with the department, including $9,000 in ADA violations. ■ This position has proven to bring high value with the possibilities of more growth and revenue generation as technology improves efficiency in the future o Parking Enforcement Service Impacts ■ Current, consistent and ongoing constituent complaints about parking could go unanswered. ■ Parking complaints could increase due to lack of enforcement, including current high complaint locations like Sunset Ave., downtown and Marina Beach Park ■ Parking and safety violations will increase without any consequence ■ City events will have less assistance to mitigate parking concerns ■ Limited enforcement of time zones creating impacts on business and customers Edmonds City Council Draft Minutes October 15, 2024 Page 12 ■ Limited consistent ADA/Fire Code violation enforcement Chief Bennett reviewed: o Public Disclosure Specialist ■ Since hiring our second Public Disclosure Specialist, 857 requests have been processed by her alone. Roughly 48 requests per month. Time per request ranges from 15 mins to 70+ hours. ■ As a unit over the last four years: - 2020 - 1071 - 2021 - 958 - 2022 - 1123 - 2023 - 1128 - 2024 - 919 so far, puts us on track for almost 1200 by end of year. o Public Disclosure Specialist Service Impacts ■ Increased Liability - Of the 538 Washington State agencies that reported to JLARC, there were 95 court claims in 2022 alleging Public Records Act violations. This resulted in $7.7 million in litigation costs. ■ Additional litigation costs: Attorney fees for the agency's attorneys, other agency representation costs (e.g. costs associated with production of documents or purchasing deposition transcripts), settlement amounts., total penalties, attorney fees for the requester's attorney, Costs for the requester's litigation. ■ Additional complaints due to time delays on returning requests ■ No coverage for vacations, holidays, and sick leave, which could cause missed deadlines ■ No internal review/double check of work, forcing department to send additional items to legal - meaning an increase in legal costs Assistant Chief Loi Dawkins reviewed: o Community Engagement Coordinator ■ Community policing and crime prevention is the fourth pillar of 21' century policing ■ EPD Strategic Plan Goal 2: Expand partnerships with the community to strengthen public safety. ■ Community Engagement Coordinator is the bridge that closes the gap between police and community ■ Requires active building of positive relationships with community members to build trust, education and foster inclusivity ■ Helps collaborate on proactive versus reactive crime prevention ■ Establish Community Sector Partnerships ■ Establish Specialty Teams ■ Integrate the Community Service Officer with specialty teams and outreach initiatives ■ Develop and enhance local, state and federal partnerships o Community Engagement Coordinator Service Impacts ■ Crime Prevention Programs - Community Police Academy - Neighborhood Watch - National Night Out - CPTED evaluations - Safe Place Program - Community presentations regarding elder fraud, bicycle safety, internet safety and other efforts that foster collaboration and education ■ Community Engagement/Collaboration Edmonds City Council Draft Minutes October 15, 2024 Page 13 - Volunteer Program - Explorer Program - Social Media communication: crime prevention tips, department highlights, community concerns, event announcements - Edmonds Disaster Committee Critical relationships - Edmonds Food Bank - Edmonds School District - Edmonds Waterfront Center - Nonprofit organizations (Lift Every Voice Legacy, Asian Service Center, Washington Kids in Transition) - Local businesses - While the City's officers are amazing at what they do, without this dedicated position creates a lot of challenges to build trust - Eliminating this position will create a gap in community relations and challenge those efforts. Chief Bennett added that the Community Engagement Coordinator has been with the City for 17 years, a lot of time dedicated to serving community members. Several councilmembers have been through the Community Police Academy and know how much work went into that and how important it is for engagement, especially in a time of unrest with police services or liability and legislative initiatives that have made things more difficult, the Community Engagement Officer provides that accountability and transparency. Councilmember Nand shared she has received so much positive feedback about the positive impact that Community Engagement Officer Tabatha Shoemake has had in the past 17 years. She honored her service to the community and her efforts to ensure Edmonds is a welcoming and inclusive community for all. Councilmember Paine commented Edmonds Police Department has been a leader in over representation in terms of diversity and quality of work. She recognized the talent in the Edmonds Police Department and the efforts of all the City departments to scour their budgets for savings. The loss of a Public Disclosure Specialist put the City at greater risk for a lawsuit. The public face for community engagement and crime prevention is married up beautifully in the Community Engagement Officer position and it would be a difficult position to lose as would be the Parking Enforcement Officer position. She asked if there were any stones left unturned in the police department such as contracts with agencies or other cities that hadn't been reviewed in a while that could be opportunities to add revenue or reduce costs. Councilmember Dotsch commented there were a lot of hard decisions to be made. She asked if the vehicles to be sold represented all the excess vehicles or were there others that weren't absolutely necessary. Assistant Chief Sniffen answered the vehicles identified were not in service yet so the department could part with them and retool the rest of the vehicle program. Councilmember Dotsch asked if the contract with Woodway covered all the costs such as maintenance benefits, retirement, etc. Chief Bennett answered yes, the department is in the process of potentially reviewing the contract based on call load. Councilmember Dotsch asked how the contract with Woodway worked. Chief Bennett answered Edmonds Police Department responds to 911 calls. They pay off -duty officers to do routine, random patrols and pay the Edmonds Police Department to answer 911 calls. Councilmember Dotsch asked where that payment is reflected. Chief Bennett answered it goes into the General Fund. Edmonds City Council Draft Minutes October 15, 2024 Page 14 Council President Olson said the council obviously was expecting cuts to be made, but the proposed expenditure for communications goes from $53,000 in the 2024 estimate to $500 in 2025 and 2026. She asked whether that was a mistake or a miracle that the communications budget is 10% of what it has been. Chief Bennett answered it was the department's understanding IT was billed directly to the BARS number, but it is actually an interfund transfer. Council President Olson commented $1.5M in additional expense reflected in the budget for police due to transferring 911 and jail costs into the police department was intended to provide more transparency into the truer cost of public safety. She supported making that change, but at a time budgets are being cut, she recognized it was probably unwelcome by the police department and she could understand the community questioning the $1.5M increase in expenses. Councilmember Tibbott said it was disappointing to consider the loss of police department staff who have served the City so well and he realized it was disappointing for the chiefs. With regard to unfunded mandates, he asked if there were any additional state grants that could help offset those mandates and if there were any other grants that the department could pursue in 2025 and 2026. Chief Bennett answered when crisis intervention training became a state mandate, there were grants through CJTC and WSPCS. WSPCS offered emergency funding for the social worker when the City had a gap and they are a good partner. Unfortunately, all the police departments in Washington have the same unfunded mandates; it is a difficult problem when legislative initiatives are approved such as recording every interaction. There were body cam grants and other grants to offset those costs; having someone to seek grants is important to recoup some of those funds. Councilmember Tibbott assumed body cams create more public information requests. Chief Bennett answered that was the reason for funding a Public Disclosure Specialist. Councilmember Chen expressed appreciation for the great work done by the police department. He asked about the increase in professional services from $168,000 to $2M. Chief Bennett answered that was due to moving $1.5M in jail costs from Non -Departmental into the professional services budget. Councilmember Chen said he took the Community Police Academy. With all the great things the Community Engagement Officer has delivered, he questioned why there was a proposal to cut that position. Chief Bennett answered positions have to be cut. Vacancies are already being carried in professional and commissioned staff, it was very difficult decision, made after command staff (chief, assistant chief, and commanders) discussed any potential redundancy and state required mandates. While she and others believe community engagement should be a mandate, it is not mandated by law. She acknowledged cutting positions was a nearly impossible decision. Councilmember Chen relayed his understanding there was no other way. Chief Bennett commented these were very difficult, almost impossible decisions, proposing to cut wonderful, professional, dedicated people. Councilmember Eck recognized like the other presentation, this is extremely stressful for staff, particularly those that are proposed as cuts. Specific to the Community Engagement Coordinator, she inquired about the likelihood of a grant for that position. Chief Bennett responded most grants are related to juvenile rehabilitation, mental health and wellness, social worker navigator, co -responders, and technology; she has not seen a grant specifically related to community engagement. If there was, the department would pursue it. When President Obama had a coalition regarding how to fix policing, there were more grants during that era; as legislative initiatives progressed, different topics are highlighted which results in grant funds for those. It also depends on presidential elections; for example the Edward Burn grant and others went away for a while. There is a lot up in the air with political and legislative initiatives. Councilmember Eck wondered if there was room for community engagement at the City level, potentially funded by a few different departments. She recognized it would be broader that the current program. Chief Bennett responded what the police department's Community Engagement Officer does is very specific and specialized toward police community relations. She had built a number of relationships with non -profits, Edmonds City Council Draft Minutes October 15, 2024 Page 15 neighborhood groups, etc. which is part of the reason the police department enjoys such as good relationship with the community. 2. 2025 COLA FOR NON -REPRESENTED EMPLOYEES HR Director Jessica Neill Hoyson reviewed: • Personnel Policies — Chapter 5 Compensation o Annual Salary Adjustments o Personnel Policy 5.10 NON -REPRESENTED EMPLOYEES' ANNUAL SALARY ADJUSTMENTS o The Mayor will recommend the adjustment of the salary schedule for non -represented employees to the City Council for approval as part of the budget process. • 2025 Wage Adjustments for Represented Groups o Currently the AFSCME , Teamsters, and EPOA Law Support collective bargaining agreements are in process of being settled for 2025. All three bargaining units are currently voting on a contract extension that would provide the following for 2025. ■ AFSCME 3% ■ Teamsters 3% ■ Law Support 3% o The EPOA Commissioned and the Teamsters Commanders' contracts are settled for 2025, both at 3.8%. Both of these represented group have binding arbitration, taking these groups' wage adjustments into consideration for the non -represented employees would not be an appropriate comparator. Other Data Points o Using "comparator" organizations is often the standard in establishing compensation and has been used by Edmonds for both represented and non- represented employees o Using the Consumer Price Index for Urban wage earners in the Seattle/Tacoma/Bellevue area is also used as a data point to establish compensation levels Comparator Organization proposed non -rep adjustments for 2025 City COLA Bothell 3.6% Shoreline 3.83% SeaTac 3.6% Olympia 3.8% Lacey TBD Issaquah 3.8% Puyallup 4.2% Burien 3.6% Lynwood 3.24% Mukilteo TBD The median of the comparator groups who have set their COLA for 2025 is 3.7% Using the CPI-U to determine wage adjustments o In order to determine the cost of inflation from one year to the next the year a period is established be setting a base month between two years. The June to June period is the most commonly used. o The 2024 CPI-U, which is used as a data point for the 2025 wages, was 3.8% Year June 2019 2.3 2020 0.9 2021 5.5 2022 10.9 2023 4.6 Edmonds City Council Draft Minutes October 15, 2024 Page 16 2024 13.8 • Washington State Minimum Wage Increase for 2025. o Washington State minimum wage will increase to $16.66 per hour in 2025 o State law requires an automatic annual inflation adjustment based on the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) for the August to August period. • What was proposed in the preliminary budget o The preliminary budget included a proposal of a 3.8% wage adjustment for non -represented employees • 2025 COLA Recommendation o Based on the wage adjustments being provided to represented groups which is 3% and; o The CPI-U for 2024 June to June being 3.8% o It is recommended that the non -rep employees receive a 3% wage adjustment for 2025 • Recommendation Budget Impact o Current proposed COLA in the 2025 budget is for a 3.8% wage adjustment. o The recommended wage adjustment of 3% would have the following budget impact: ■ Reduce the proposed budget by approximately $75,000 COUNCIL PRESIDENT OLSON, SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER TIBBOTT, MOVED THAT THE 3% COLA FOR 2025 NON -REPRESENTED EMPLOYEES BE APPROVED BY COUNCIL. Council President Olson commented obviously this isn't a typical time and she appreciated all employees making the concessions they are with regard to furloughs and a lower than the CPI-U increase. The City is making really tough choices this year and everybody ponying up and taking on some of that burden is really appreciated. Ms. Neill Hoyson advised the 12 furlough days that non -represented employees will potentially be taking if approved as part of the budget, reduces the wages of every non -represented employee by 4.6% so the 3% adjustment results in those employees having a 1.6% reduction in their wages next year. Councilmember Chen commented on the intent to borrow from the utility funds to keep the City afloat for 2025. The goal is to keep the lights on and keep employees employed. The council values their service to the City and the work they do. He asked if banking the COLA increase could be considered. Ms. Neill Hoyson answered yes, the council could choose to provide a lower COLA or no COLA. The COLA is something that is either paid now or it turns into a larger catchup later. She recalled experiencing that during the recession in the agency she worked for; three years with zero COLA followed by massive pay increases in order to keep the agency competitive for employee talent and retained talent. The council can certainly choose to approve a lower or no COLA, but the potential impacts are increased turnover as employees leave for other employment and increased impact on the City's ability to recruit. The furloughs will reduce wages so even with the 3% increase, all the non -represented employees will experience a wage reduction next year. Councilmember Chen asked if a decision was required tonight. Mayor Rosen noted there was a motion on the floor. Councilmember Chen noted the motion could be withdrawn. He suggested having an internal meeting to discuss banking the COLA increase. Ms. Neill Hoyson answered it was up to council whether to make a decision tonight. The request is to proceed with a vote on this tonight. Councilmember Eck expressed support for the motion, acknowledging the council will be reducing staff and asking them to do more. She respected Councilmember Chen's point of view, but putting more on staff with reductions plus the stress of the environment over the next year, she supported a 3% COLA in 2025. Councilmember Dotsch asked if any of the comparator cities had declared a fiscal emergency. Ms. Neill Hoyson answered she did not have that information. Edmonds City Council Draft Minutes October 15, 2024 Page 17 MOTION CARRIED (6-1), COUNCILMEMBER CHEN ABSTAINING. 3. COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DRAFT ELEMENTS Acting Planning & Development Director Shane Hope introduced Acting Public Works Director Phil Williams. Tonight's presentation will be regarding three draft comprehensive plan elements, the Capital Facilities, Utilities and Culture, History & Urban Design Elements. She reminded comprehensive plans are useful documents that help guide the future, provide an integrated look at how things work together for a city and address both how the city grows in the future and other quality of life issues over at least a 20 year period. Under the GMA, there are certain required comprehensive plan elements and aspects that have to be addressed. In Edmonds, work began on this comprehensive plan update over two years ago and the deadline to meet the state's requirement is in about 2.5 months. The team has taken the early draft and made some adjustments and refinements. The draft comprehensive plan and the draft DEIS are published online and there are two community meetings next week. Meanwhile, the team is working with the planning board and the city council to review each the draft elements of the plan. More public comment will be accepted, but ultimately it is the city council that decides what to adopt in the comprehensive plan. Ms. Hope continued, tonight's presentation is regarding three draft elements that the council has not seen before. Each element has a basic format, draft background information, draft goals and policies which are the key parts to the comprehensive plan because the City is obligated to follow its own adopted goals and policies, and potential action items. The current version includes a list of potential actions and more needs to be done to refine and reduce those. The potential actions can be retained and there is no requirement to implement them, some are useful and the council may want to implement them. Ms. Hope reviewed: • Capital Facilities Element Goals & Policies o Goal CF-1 Establish level of service standards for city -provided services to provide public facilities and services that meet citizens' needs and enhance the community's quality of life. ■ Policy CF1.1 Level of services will be: XXX [With table for: City offices and Maintenance Facilities Parks Streets and Active Transportation Police Services Fire & EMS Public Schools Solid Waste and Recycling Surface Water Management / Stormwater Sewer/Wastewater collection and treatment Potable Water Supply, Storage and Distribution Library o Goal CF-2 Develop and expand capital facilities to effectively meet the needs of a growing city. ■ Policy CF2.1 Identify opportunities to improve public facilities serving existing development, based on adopted LOS guidelines and other relevant considerations. Prioritize addressing existing deficiencies where vulnerable and underserved communities exist. ■ Policy CF2.2 Prioritize funding and the preservation of existing capital facilities to ensure their continued reliability, safety, and efficiency. ■ Policy CF2.3 Identify new or improved capacity of existing capital facilities needed to support the location and intensity of housing and employment growth anticipated in the growth strategy. Edmonds City Council Draft Minutes October 15, 2024 Page 18 ■ Policy CF2.4 Establish a clear set of criteria to prioritize capital projects based on urgency, impact, and alignment with the city's strategic goals. Periodically review the criteria and resources to help address these needs. ■ Policy CF2.5 Seek to provide community facilities and services that are appropriate for the size and composition of the population they serve. ■ Policy CF2.6 Ensure essential public facilities are not precluded, consistent with state law, and are sited in equitable manner and with appropriate mitigation that balances local and regional objectives. o Goal CF-3. Maintain at least a 6-year plan to finance needed City capital facilities within projected funding capacities and insure adequate levels of service across the city. ■ Policy CF3.1 Identify sources of funds for capital facilities in the finance plan and update the plan bi-annually (once in two years). ■ Policy C173.2 If probable funding falls short of meeting existing capital facility needs, the land use element and any other relevant information shall be reassessed to ensure the land use element, capital facilities element, and the financing plan within the capital facilities element are consistent. ■ Policy C173.3 Evaluate and coordinate the provision of the capital facility improvements with both budgeting and long-term financial planning. Ensure 20-year protected growth, levels of service, and funding projections are also considered in functional plans for transportation, parks, and utilities. ■ Policy C173.4 Utilize a coordinated range of mechanisms and revenue sources to fund needed capital facilities. ■ Policy C173.5 Develop or adjust, as needed, impact fees, utility facility charges, and utility user rates, as part of the financing for public facilities . o Goal CF-4 Optimize government operations for efficiency and effectiveness ■ Policy C174.1 Continue to analyze city operations and strategize to achieve efficient performance of city government functions. Strategies may include outsourcing part of services when they can be more efficiently provided by the private sector or other governmental entities. ■ Policy C174.2 Explore co -locating and "right -sizing" compatible city functions by encouraging multi -use facilities, shared services, or re -location. Multiple approaches may be explored for operational feasibility, such as: ■ Co -locating public facing services provided by City Hall, Human Services, Emergency services etc. ■ Developing dedicated office spaces for operational city functions and separating them from emergency operations. ■ Identify existing City- owned land and buildings to repurpose, upgrade, demolish, rebuild or sell off, based on cost benefit analysis, functional efficacy and the Edmonds facility Condition index. ■ Policy CF4.3 Comprehensively evaluate the City's current capital facility assets, considering both operational efficiency and physical assessment. ■ Policy CF4.4 Review programming for projects currently underway and / or committed and seek to incorporate these projects. o Goal CF-5. Coordinate with other governmental entities to align capital planning efforts and leverage shared resources. This collaboration can lead to cost savings and enhanced service delivery across jurisdictions. ■ Policy CF5.1 Explore opportunities to streamline service provisions within the city by outsourcing government services to neighboring jurisdictions. ■ Policy CF5.2 Explore opportunities to utilize existing infrastructure by offering paid services to neighboring jurisdictions, such as fleet maintenance, to generate additional funds for facility upgrades. Edmonds City Council Draft Minutes October 15, 2024 Page 19 ■ Policy CF5.3 Foster a productive and supportive relationship with Edmonds School district to facilitate sharing or resources and facilities; to collaborate in long-term planning to anticipate future needs and challenges and ensuring that city policies and initiatives are aligned with educational goals and priorities set by the school district. ■ Policy CF5.4 Emphasize continued cooperation through interlocal agreements with neighboring fire districts and law enforcement agencies of adjacent jurisdictions as well as other public safety service providers. o Goal CF-6. The City of Edmonds aims to achieve resiliency, sustainability, and high levels of environmental performance in all public facilities and Capital facility projects. ■ Policy C176.1 Investigate compliance with State Clean Building Act to include buildings of 30,000 sf and below and new lower EUI requirements. ■ Policy CF6.2 Develop capital facilities and services that protect and minimize their impact on the natural environment, particularly to critical areas. ■ Policy CF6.3 Consider future climate conditions during siting and design — including changes to temperature, precipitation, and flooding — to help ensure facilities can continue to exist and function as intended over their planned life cycle. ■ Policy C176.4 Continue City's programs aimed at reducing energy consumption as its wastewater treatment plant. ■ Policy C176.5 Continue to promote energy -efficiency programs sponsored by the utilities and energy companies, including water conservation. ■ Policy C176.6 Support Puget Sound Energy's efforts to reduce its carbon footprint by supporting statewide legislation to require natural gas supply systems to be carbon neutral. Utilities Element Goals & Policies o Goal UT-1. Utilities should be developed and improved at the appropriate levels of service (LOS) to serve existing and future growth ■ Policy UT- 1.1 Coordinate with city -owned and non -city utility providers to ensure service are aligned with community growth, land use planning, and emergency preparedness. System component sizing should be based on the area's land use plan, while allowing utility providers to determine the implementation sequence of the utility plan elements. ■ Policy UT-1.2 Allow new development only when and where necessary public utilities can adequately serve demand. ■ Policy UT- 1.3 Support the adoption of new technologies and innovative practices improve efficiency, reduce environmental impact, and enhance service delivery when they are cost effective. ■ Policy UT-1.4 Public and private utility plans should be required to identify long-range systems needs and that are coordinated with City's comprehensive Plan. ■ Policy UT-1.5 All utility projects should be coordinated to provide opportunities for projects to address more than one system improvement or maintenance need. ■ Policy UT-1.6 Prioritize the regular maintenance, repair, and upgrading of utility infrastructure to ensure reliability and meet future demand. ■ Policy UT-1.7 Ensure that utility services are accessible and affordable to all residents, with particular attention to vulnerable populations. ■ Policy UT-1.8 Implement policies that minimize the environmental impact of utility operations, such as reducing emissions, protecting water quality, and managing waste responsibly. ■ Policy UT- 1.9 Protect water quality by serving new urban development with sanitary sewer systems and requiring failing septic systems to be replaced. ■ Policy UT-1.10 Ensure that all utility operations comply with local, state, and federal regulations, including health and safety standards. ■ Policy UT- 1.11 Coordinate emergency preparedness and response with local and regional utility partners. Edmonds City Council Draft Minutes October 15, 2024 Page 20 o Goal UT-2 Promote Public awareness and education on utility -related issues. ■ Policy UT-2.1 Work with utility providers to educate and inform the public about costs and benefits of emerging technologies. ■ Policy UT-2.2 Promote public awareness on issues such as conservation efforts, service changes, and the importance of infrastructure investment. o Goal UT-3. Minimize impacts associated with the siting, development, and operation of utility services and facilitates on adjacent properties and the natural environment. ■ Policy UT-3.1 Design, construct and maintain facilities to minimize their impact on surrounding neighborhoods. ■ Policy UT-3.2 Utility structures should be located or sited so that they are as unobtrusive as possible and are integrated with the design of their site and surrounding area. ■ Policy UT-3.3 Ensure that the location, type and size of all public facilities is determined and / or approved by the city. Storm and Surface Water Management o Goal UT-4. Develop policies for Storm and Surface Water Management that focus on effective management, protection, and enhancement of water resources. ■ Policy UT-4.1 Implement measures to mitigate flood risks through proper planning, infrastructure improvements, and land use controls. ■ Policy UT-4.2 Enforce practices and regulations to protect and improve the quality of stormwater and surface water, including the control of pollutants and runoff. ■ Policy UT-4.3 Promote the use of sustainable drainage systems and green infrastructure to manage stormwater and reduce environmental impact. (See Land Use Goal LU-21 for Low Impact Development) ■ Policy UT-4.4 Coordinate stormwater management with other land use and environmental planning efforts to achieve holistic and effective water management. ■ Policy UT-4.5 Educate the community about stormwater management practices and encourage public participation in maintaining and protecting water resources. ■ Policy UT-4.6 Preserve, protect, and(where feasible) retore surface water resources to provide beneficial uses to humans, fish, and wildlife. (See Land Use element policies for critical areas) ■ Policy UT-4.7 Provide adequate funding through an equitable stormwater utility rate structure and outside funding sources to support necessary programs which may include an asset management -based replacement program. Solid Waste o Goal UT-5. Maintain a safe, cost-effective and responsive solid waste collection system, that provides convenient, efficient, environmentally friendly and visually unobtrusive components and services. ■ Policy UT-5.1 Encourage and actively seek an effective regional approach to solid waste management. ■ Policy UT-5.2 Work directly with County Solid Waste staff to implement recommendations that strengthen recycling, organics diversion, waste prevention, and product stewardship programs. ■ Policy UT-5.3 Manage solid waste collection to minimize litter and neighborhood disruption. ■ Policy UT-5.4 Cooperate with other private and public agencies in the region to manage and control hazardous waste and moderate risk waste, including medical wastes and hazardous household substances • Culture, History, And Urban Design Element Goals And Policies o Goal CD-1 Strengthen Edmonds' creative identity ■ Policy CD- 1.1 Recognize and encourage the City's role as a regional arts destination — with participation from interested organizations and stakeholders. Edmonds City Council Draft Minutes October 15, 2024 Page 21 ■ Policy CD-1.2 Support strategies from the Community Cultural Plan to enrich Edmonds' physical environment, including public spaces. o Goal CD-2 Leverage the creative arts to foster dialogue with diverse communities ■ Policy CD-2.1 Infuse art into existing city program and services. Partner with local artists to create more accessible and inclusive community engagement processes, such as facilitation a community meeting, exploring future scenarios, or storytelling. ■ Policy CD- 2.2 Consider investing in the next generation of Edmonds' artists, including through programs for youth and young adults. o Goal CD-3 Advance neighborhood pride through investments in the cultural arts ■ Policy CD-3.1 Encourage programs and pilot ideas about how to creatively use Edmonds' public places. ■ Policy CD-3.2 Encourage a diverse, year-round audience for Edmonds' neighborhood and citywide event, such as festival, installations, and exhibitions. Energize and activate neighborhood public spaces with innovative performances and exhibits. ■ Policy CD-3.3 Identify, maintain, and develop cultural facilities, especially for areas of the that lack cultural spaces. ■ Policy CD-3.4 Seek to support public art projects such as neighborhood murals, art, bus shelters, pocket parks and streetscapes. o Goal CD-4 Continue to identify, celebrate, preserve, and maintain the cultural resource and historic sites that reflect Edmonds' heritage ■ Policy CD-4.1 Support programs for the preservation of the city's historic architectural, archaeological, and cultural resources through incentives, regulations, and information activities. ■ Policy CD-4.2 Continue to maintain and expand the inventory of historic properties. ■ Policy CD-4.3 Collaborate with public agencies and the Edmonds Historic Preservation Commission to determine priorities and incentives for identifying and preserving historic properties. o Goal CD-5 Achieve well -planned areas and public spaces within the city ■ Policy CD-5.2 Create neighborhood -level plans for key centers and hubs to guide place - making and public investments that reflect the needs and characteristics of the area. ■ Policy CD-5.2 Ensure that the City has appropriate design standards for development, especially for multifamily housing and commercial development. The standards may reflect unique characteristics and opportunities for a particular center or hub. ■ Policy CD-5.3 Until specific design standards are adopted by code for the downtown and waterfront area, the following sections from the Culture and Urban Design Element of the Edmonds 2020 Comprehensive Plan shall continue to serve as design guidelines for the development of buildings and sites: the Urban Design Goals and Policies section, the General Design Objectives section, and the Urban Design Goals and Policies for Specific Areas. ■ Policy CD-5.4 Consider place -making opportunities for public spaces and rights -of -way, as needs and resources allow. [The study should be carefully designed to....] ■ Policy CD 5-5 Ensure that the Edmonds design review process uses clear and objective standards and processes that comply with state law for timely and predictable design review. Next Steps o City Council members to discuss the 3 draft elements tonight o Hold public meetings o More draft elements to be discussed by Planning Board and City Council in October and November o Keep website information up-to-date o Continue to seek and consider feedback Edmonds City Council Draft Minutes October 15, 2024 Page 22 o Have a revised Plan for City Council's consideration in December Councilmember Paine referred to utilities and solid waste management, commenting the City does not control that, it is controlled by the WUTC and the county contract. She asked if the goals and policies were appropriate for the "trail of breadcrumbs" back to Snohomish County. Mr. Williams responded the regulation of solid waste is a little arcane at times; counties have the ultimate responsibility for developing a countywide plan. If a city would rather do its own planning, they can pay a consultant and work with the community and develop their own comprehensive solid waste management plan. Most cities don't do that; when he was in Spokane, they did because it was a big city and the county wasn't much bigger. For Edmonds size, that would be a very rare choice to make so the City is subservient to the Snohomish County plan. The City participates in a lengthy process every six years to develop a new plan, but it is county centric. The state has historically sent money from their B&O taxes on solid waste services to the county to help with planning. The county used to send a portion of that funding to the city; for example, in the past the City employed Recycling Coordinator Steve Fisher funded by those county grant funds. Priorities changed at the state and the amount of money they allotted to that program decreased so as the county received less, the City received less. Mr. Williams continued, the City tried to retain Mr. Fisher because his services were appreciated and he did a lot to promote recycling education, help departments plan for solid waste services, etc. The funds eventually dried up and when Mr. Fisher decided to retire three years ago, the position wasn't filled. The City can set the level of service within reason by going to the three haulers, Republic, Waste Management and Sound Disposal, and asking them to increase or decrease service levels. They will then go to the Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC) for a rate adjustment. The UTC pretty much handles everything else, the franchise part of the relationship. Councilmember Paine asked if what was currently in the draft comprehensive plan was adequate. Mr. Williams said it would be great to have more. He was the executive director of the solid waste system in Spokane and Spokane County for several years. With the resources, there is a lot that could be done to improve performance. Some of that might be unreasonable in a city the size of Edmonds, but the city can always do better related to solid waste. He recommended looking for ways to improve recycling, even if it isn't a full-time FTE; for example, the City shared Mr. Fisher with Lynnwood. Councilmember Nand said her question is related to extreme weather events and environmental disaster response, specifically the 2021 heat dome and the haunting stories about hundreds of people who died in Washington State. One of the ones that bothered her the most was a senior woman who just happened to be outside, tripped and fell onto the sidewalk where the surface temperature was over 140 degrees and she literally fried to death. In thinking about areas of the City that would be most vulnerable to the heat dome effect where cooling stations, public hydration stations, etc. would be needed, she feared for the Highway 99 community due to the lack of indoor opportunities and hydration. She asked how that would be incorporated into the EIS, whether it would be water and utilities or capital facilities. The only thing she could think of was on 76t1i, the station for the Interurban Trail that has a shaded bench and a water fountain. Mr. Williams responded that is a big question and is a lot broader than the water utility, although keeping hydrated is a big part of it. He assumed Edmonds being close to Puget Sound helped somewhat. He was working in Redmond at the time where it got up to 109 degrees for two days in a row. It was difficult for government employees to work as many buildings do not have that much cooling capacity. It goes beyond water; places people go during an earthquake could be the same places to go during a heat dome and during extreme cold like a school, Frances Anderson Center. The policies and goals are a little more general; the City's emergency planning document and preparation meetings for emergencies would be the place to have those discussions. Edmonds City Council Draft Minutes October 15, 2024 Page 23 Councilmember Dotsch said she was trying to figure out how to plan capital facilities for 33% more population and almost 50% more housing units in 20 years. The City has aging infrastructure, land issues, the City is built out, etc. She asked how that was all addressed so the plan is realistic with regard to the unfunded mandates. Mr. Williams responded that is a little daunting, 9,000 more people. From Planning & Development's perspective, there could be discussion regarding how that densification will occur. More people generate the need for more water and wastewater services. The plans design for the future, but cannot design for an unlimited number. The WWTP has the capacity to take in 11.8 million gallons/day; it would be very expensive to do a step function to noticeably increase that. All the modern appliances such as dishwashers, toilets, faucets, etc. have reduced the amount of water used per capita so the number of people can grow without a similar increase in the amount of water they use or wastewater they generate. In his experience, the projections about increased population are often optimistic and the projected growth rate often doesn't materialize. Councilmember Dotsch pointed out regardless, the City has to plan for the growth. Mr. Williams agreed the City plans for growth and also prepares subplans for water and wastewater that adopt a similar growth rate. With regard to utilities, the population may grow, but the consumption of utilities and the capacity don't grow as fast. Councilmember Dotsch referred to the enterprise fund revenues, noting the City plans to borrow from enterprise funds, yet those are the areas that need money to help accommodate growth. She referred to the City's growth projections, 9,000 units and 13,000 people, pointing out those units all have toilets, showers, sinks, etc. That growth will impact schools, the hospital, etc. She asked how Edmonds could realistically fund that capacity along with the environmental and other issues the City faces. Mr. Williams suggested the 9,000 units will all be paying water and stormwater rates which creates more revenue. The new housing units will also pay impact fees. Ms. Hope noted the comprehensive plan and utilities element has discussion about the revenues to help support it, not only the rates, but utility charges they pay upfront for system improvements that all new development pays. For transportation,. there are traffic impact fees and for utilities, connection charges for water and sewer. The other part that may be more surprising to people is the 9,000 is not truly 9,000 because it is 9,000 from what the City actually had in 2020. As of 2024, some of that has already been realized. Secondly the last comprehensive plan covered about half that amount anyway. Councilmember Dotsch commented the City has had single digit growth and is now forecast to grow 33%. Ms. Hope advised the City has planned for about half that amount previously, approximately 4,500. Mr. Williams referred to the fairness issue Councilmember Dotsch alluded to, that existing residents shouldn't have to pay for growth, that is what impact fees address. The new people moving into the new units have to pay an initiation fee to join the club; impact fees can be seen as buying into the utility system because existing residents already paid for what is here now so if changes have to be made to accommodate growth, they are essentially writing a check when they come to town to be a member of the club. Councilmember Eck expressed appreciation for the inclusion of placemaking and the 12 urban quality criteria developed by the Yale Institute. In her view that is what keeps the City charming, attractive and thriving so everyone is a culturally and socially healthy symbiosis and is what sets Edmonds apart. Although that is optional, she supported retain it. ADJOURNMENT With no further business, the Council meeting was adjourned at 9:37 pm. CSZ-1�0 SCOTT PASSEY, 01f CLERK Edmonds City Council Draft Minutes October 15, 2024 Page 24