09/14/2011 City CouncilEDMONDS CITY COUNCIL, PLANNING BOARD
AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
JOINT MEETING — APPROVED MINUTES
Strategic Planning and Visioning Process
Kick -off — Retreat No. 1
September 14, 2011
The joint meeting of the Edmonds City Council, Planning Board and Economic Development
Commission was called to order at 6:35 p.m. in the Council Chambers, 250 5"' Avenue North, Edmonds.
CITY COUNCILMEMBERS PRESENT
Mike Cooper, Mayor
Strom Peterson, Council President
Steve Bernheim, Councilmember
Lora Petso, Councilmember
Adrienne Fraley- Monillas, Councilmember
Diane Buckshnis, Councilmember
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
COMMISSIONERS PRESENT
Paul Anderson
Tim Crosby
Bruce Faires
Don Hall
Darrol Haug
Mary Monfort
Beatrice O'Rourke
Evan Pierce
David Schaefer
Rich Senderoff
Kerry St. Clair Ayers
Evelyn Wellington
Bruce Witenberg
Rebecca Wolfe
Frank Yamamoto
Marianne Zagorski
1. INTRODUCTION
PLANNING BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT
Philip Lovell, Chair
Kevin Clarke
Todd Cloutier
Bill Ellis
Kristiana Johnson
Valerie Stewart
Neil Tibbott
STAFF PRESENT
Al Compaan, Police Chief
Stephen Clifton, Community Services/Economic
Development Director
Phil Williams, Public Works Director
Carrie Hite, Parks & Recreation Director
Rob Chave, Planning Manager
Carl Nelson, CIO
Frances Chapin, Cultural Services Manager
Cindi Cruz, Executive Assistant
Sandy Chase, City Clerk
Jana Spellman, Senior Executive Council Asst.
Jeannie Dines, Recorder
Community Services /Economic Development Director Stephen Clifton welcomed everyone to the first
meeting of the strategic plan and visioning process. The purpose of the plan is to serve as the
community's roadmap and will be used to prioritize initiatives, resources, goals and city and department
operations and projects. The proposal to develop a strategic plan and vision was a collaboration of the
City Council, Planning Board and Economic Development Commission
Joint Strategic Plan Kick -Off Retreat #1
Approved Minutes
September 14, 2011
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Economic Development Commission (EDC) and Planning Board in early 2010. He described the process
for selecting Beckwith Consulting Group.
Beckwith Consulting Group will facilitate a nine month long strategic planning and visioning effort
intended to involve not only those attending tonight's meeting but also citizens, community organizations,
the business community and other stakeholders throughout the community. Establishing a process that
ensures broad community input is essential to the credibility of the strategic plan and its success. The goal
is to use the community's input to develop a strategic plan and vision that will help city leadership make
decisions with the confidence they are responding to citizens' stated concerns.
Webpages and press releases devoted to the strategic planning process will be created to provide
information readily accessible to the public and notices regarding community events related to the process
will be posted on city government channels.
Tom Beckwith, Beckwith Consulting Group, introduced team members Steve Price and Eric Hovee.
City Councilmembers, Planning Board Members and Economic Development Commissioners introduced
themselves and identified their overriding issue /objective for the process:
• Excited about the strategic plan and involving citizens in the process to create a cohesive plan.
Look forward to learning the steps to accomplish that (Peterson)
• Looking for an unbiased, citizen friendly strategic planning process, getting citizens involved and
figuring out answers to questions (Buckshnis)
• Antique Mall area and downtown height limits (Bernheim)
• Representation from all neighborhoods in Edmonds, not just the bowl (Fraley- Monillas)
• Citywide plan that puts together a roadmap for the future that helps all aspects of the city's
decision - making processes (Cooper)
• Reach consensus on the needs of the city and where it is going. Bring all thoughts that are
accumulated to fruition rather than putting them on a shelf, action (Wellington)
• Developing a comprehensive and actionable plan (St. Clair Ayers)
• Strategic Plan was one of the EDC's goals; looking forward to the process (Yamamoto)
• Engage citizens in the process as well as in government itself (Haug)
• Determine how to activate and energize working families in the community and show the value
of engaging in government and spending their money in the community (Crosby)
• Economically, culturally and socially sustainable community, find common ground (Wolfe)
• Economic development, bring more revenue into the city, include all areas not just downtown,
ensure stability and avoid up and down times (Hall)
• Accomplishments in important areas, develop a plan that helps political leaders and citizens
determine what to work on (Zagorski)
• Vision that represents the needs and priorities of all citizens not necessarily the paradigms that
exist and a plan for how to accomplish that. A vision and process of discipline that will have that
result (Faires)
• Independently facilitated process, involvement of numerous citizens and stakeholders, and
benchmarks along way (Witenberg)
• Facilitator without a particular agenda who will guide the process and produce an actionable plan.
Plan that reflects the diversity of the community outside the boundaries of downtown (Monfort)
• Make community involvement a high priority and keep public informed during process (Pierce)
• Healthier city that considers all citizens' wants and needs (O'Rourke)
• Important for the community to buy into the process before data gathering begins. Plan that
produces objectives with metrics and outcomes that fulfill the long term vision (Senderoff)
City Council, Planning Board and Economic Development Commission
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September 14, 2011
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• Important to get people involved (Anderson)
• Eager to get started (Schaefer)
• Reach consensus and have a united approach by all constituencies in city, accountability to
uphold goals and strategies (Lovell)
• Able talk to each other and reach consensus, invite public opinion about values, reach all levels of
society, ensure a sustainable city for future generations to protect environment resources and
ensure all citizens have access to services (Stewart)
• Coherent direction that reflects needs and wants of citizens (Ellis)
• Consensus and involving entire city in process, range of housing options including affordable
housing, options for younger people, and range of commercial and business options (Tibbott)
• Integrating all existing plans and involving the public in setting priorities. Use plan to guide next
update of Comprehensive Plan (Johnson)
• Interested to see how opposing priorities will be reconciled (Clark)
• A city designed for all ages, designed to last for the ages, not expend resources will need later,
agree on a common way to go forward. Good opportunity for dialogue between groups (Cloutier)
2. DEFINE A STRATEGIC PLAN
Mr. Beckwith reviewed what is unique about Edmonds:
• Waterfront — including amenity opportunity and access limitations
• Tourism — arts potential and gateway to Kitsap and Olympic Peninsula
• Small businesses — sustainable already with large number of self - employed and small business
who live /work in city
• Multiple economic centers — waterfront, downtown, Westgate, Five Corners, Highway 99,
hospital
• Demographics — aging households who may want to stay but have different life/housing needs
• Built -out status — presumption by some that there is no remaining capacity, many
underdeveloped/underutilized properties
• Number of players /partners — Port, Edmonds School District, hospital, WSDOT
• Fiscal — overt dependence on retail sales tax
Other unique factors the group identified:
• Rick Steves — important local citizen with a national reputation
• Prefer focus on developing bed & breakfast accommodations rather than large hotel
• Unique natural amenities such as South County Park, Meadowdale Beach Park, Edmonds Marsh
• South County Senior Center
• Ferry system/marine highway, need to determine their needs and capture that marketplace
• In addition to meeting needs of older citizens, need to focus on young professionals, housing
close to transit centers, attracting young adults /families
• Snohomish County Tomorrow Consortium regarding affordable housing
• SnoKing Youth Club
• High level of commitment to sustainability
• Opportunity for transit oriented development
• No city -owned adult full size playfields
• Median age 43 -44, high compared to other cities (Coeur d'Alene, ID is 33), need to determine
how to attract young people
• Numerous volunteer groups
• Many active churches
• Retail sales tax is primarily auto - related
City Council, Planning Board and Economic Development Commission
Joint Strategic Plan Kick -Off Retreat #1
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September 14, 2011
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• Community made decision not to have gaming establishments, could be a revenue source
• Dependent on property tax revenue
• Do not have a B &O tax
• Culturally and ethnically diverse
Mr. Beckwith described why Edmonds needs a strategic plan and what it will resolve. A brief discussion
followed regarding who will provide vision about what Edmonds can be, citizens that favor progress
and others that are afraid of change, case studies of other communities, exchange of ideas during the
strategic planning process, and ensuring what -if scenarios /options in the plan are as imaginative as
possible.
Mr. Beckwith described what a strategic plan is:
1. Organizes and prioritizes initiatives and resources to achieve specific goals within next 3 -5 and
mid 5 -10 year time periods
2. Establishes near term goals, tactical approaches, and performances measures
3. Coordinates other city plans and programs to coordinate to the strategic plan
4. Achieves consensus from public and Council on strategic plan vision
Discussion followed regarding the desire for the strategic plan to be a roadmap with options, concern that
if something was not in the strategic plan it would not be considered, including scenarios of all
possibilities in the strategic plan, the need to review the strategic plan periodically to consider
opportunities that arise, ability to change the plan if a new idea adheres to the principles of the plan,
outreach to ensure citywide participation, testing of the plan near the end of the process via a statistical
survey of registered voters, capturing minority opinions, and the definition of consensus.
3. REVIEW SCOPE OF WORK CONCERNING: TASK SEQUENCE AND CALENDAR
SCHEDULE.
Mr. Beckwith reviewed tasks to be accomplished and reported at each of the six retreats. He urged the
group to relax, this is a long process; decisions do not need to be made now, they will evolve.
Mr. Beckwith described how the public will be involved. Discussion followed regarding survey
questions, speakers to inform organizations of the strategic planning process, and involving individuals
whose first language is not English.
4. IDENTIFY ISSUES OF INTEREST
This item was addressed at the beginning of the meeting.
5. REVIEW CONTENT IN REGARD TO ITEM #3 FOR:
Task 2 — Internal/External Scans
Mr. Beckwith reviewed what will be assessed in internal /external scans. It was suggested population
demographics be added.
Task 3 — Stakeholders To Be Interviewed
Mr. Beckwith reviewed a list of potential stakeholder groups. Due to limited time, he asked the group to
email Mr. Clifton a list of organizations that should be contacted. Mr. Clifton requested the group also
provide contact information for the organizations they identified and provided his contact information:
Phone: 425- 775 -2525, and email: clifton@ci.edmonds.wa.us.
City Council, Planning Board and Economic Development Commission
Joint Strategic Plan Kick -Off Retreat #1
Approved Minutes
September 14, 2011
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Discussion followed regarding the stakeholder interview process, goal of identifying a diverse group of
stakeholders, plans to hold focus groups with organizations such as the Senior Center, increased buy -in
from organizations /people who are interviewed, identifying neighborhood- centric ideas, ways to broaden
outreach to include people who may not otherwise be involved, plans to survey of all businesses with a
business license, and capturing input from people who participate in events.
Task 5 — Owner Employee, Customer Mail -Back Surveys
Mr. Beckwith reviewed topics that will be addressed in the surveys. Suggestions from the group included
interviewing businesses that have left and utilizing the retail leakage survey conducted several years ago.
Task 6 — Student Hand- Back/Internet Survey
Mr. Beckwith reviewed topics that will be addressed in the survey.
Task 7 — Resident Internet Survev #1
Mr. Beckwith reviewed topics that will be addressed in the survey.
Task 9 — Charrette Delegate Recruitment
Mr. Beckwith described the charrette (workshop), explaining each table will be asked to answer several
common questions and then each table can discuss whatever they want. Invitations will be sent out for the
workshop to increase turnout; there is no limit on the number of participants at the workshop.
Mr. Clifton reviewed the proposed schedule, identifying retreats on the fourth Tuesday of the month
(October — February) in Council Chambers. Mr. Beckwith agreed to reconsider the date of the December
retreat and revise the schedule.
Mr. Clifton thanked the citizens, Councilmembers, Planning Board Members and Economic Development
Commissioners who attended and encouraged them to continue to participate in the process.
6. ADJOURN
With no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 8:37 p.m.
City Council, Planning Board and Economic Development Commission
Joint Strategic Plan Kick -Off Retreat #1
Approved Minutes
September 14, 2011
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