2023-01-10 PSPHSP CommitteeMinutes
PUBLIC SAFETY, PLANNING, HUMAN SERVICES & PERSONNEL
COMMITTEE MEETING
January 10, 2023
Elected Officials Present Staff Present
Councilmember Susan Paine (Chair) Todd Tatum, Comm. Serv. & Econ. Dev. Dir.
Councilmember Jenna Nand Jessica Neill Hoyson, HR Director
Council President Neil Tibbott (ex-officio) Susan McLaughlin, Planning & Dev. Dir.
Councilmember Vivian Olson Rob English, City Engineer
Thom Sullivan, Facilities Manager
Mike Clugston, Senior Planner
Scott Passey, City Clerk
Guests
Susan Hempstead, Asst. Dir. for Strategic
Relations & Communications, Sno-Isle Libraries
1. CALL TO ORDER
The Edmonds City Council PSPHSP Committee meeting was called to order virtually and in the City
Council Conference Room, 212 – 5th Avenue North, Edmonds, at 4:30 p.m. by Councilmember Paine.
2. COMMITTEE BUSINESS
1. Snohomish County Agreement to Relinquish Real Property Interest
Mr. Tatum provided background: On September 27, 1990, Snohomish County, along with the County’s
cities and towns, including Edmonds, entered into an interlocal agreement to provide for the acquisition
of a facility for the Snohomish Health District known as the Rucker Building. The District purchased the
Rucker Building for $5,150,000 in October 1990. Edmonds contributed a total of $160,071 in a series
of six payments from 1990 through 1995. In 2017, the District’s Board of Health approved a Resolution
indicating its intent to surplus and sell the Rucker Building, as well as encouraging the County and the
cities and towns that were parties to the original 1990 ILA to relinquish any potential ownership and/or
financial interest in the property. In April 2017, at the request of the District, the Edmonds City Council
approved the execution of an interlocal agreement, including a quit claim deed, to relinquish and convey
to the District any potential financial or property interest The District was unable sell the Rucker Building
at that time.
In May 2022, the Snohomish Health District voted unanimously to support Snohomish County’s
withdrawal from the District and transition health services into a County health department. In June
2022 the County Council approved a motion authorizing the County’s withdrawal from the Snohomish
Health District and creation of a unified County health department. In connection with the transition of
health services from the District to the County, the real property and fleet assets of the District will be
transferred to the County. The District’s building, the Rucker Building, will become part of Snohomish
County’s real property inventory and future responsibility.
Mr. Tatum explained the agreement was pulled from a previous consent agenda to ensure the funds
the City contributed went back into the health district in some way.
Questions and discussion followed regarding why provision of public health services to the City by the
Health District in the ILA was not reflected in the quit claim deed, potential challenge to the adequacy
of consideration, history of the quick claim deed, and other cities that have signed the agreement and
accepted relinquish of property interest for the consideration offered. Mr. Tatum advised he will follow
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up on including the provision of public health services as additional consideration in the quick claim
deed.
Committee recommendation: Consent Agenda
3. Library Emergency Repair and Renovation
Ms. McLaughlin explained in June 2022 an irrigation pipe burst at the Edmonds library and leaked water
into the library for approximately 8-12 hours, flooding the library’s 17,000 square feet with approximately
2 inches of standing water and causing damage to walls, furniture, partitions flooring, restrooms,
elevator, etc. The library’s collection was not damaged. Repair and restoration is complex due to shared
responsibilities between Sno-Isle and the City which are outlined in an annexation agreement that is
outdated and will need to be amended in the future. The City is working with insurance on building
related repairs such as flooring, restrooms and the elevator and anticipate a large majority of the work
will be covered which will minimize the City's out of pocket expenses.
The City has publicly committed to reopening the library in summer 2023. The City is balancing its
interest in opening the library with leveraging the opportunity to make some improvements to the library
interior to bring it up to best practices related to resilience, accessibility and sustainability. Sno-Isle is
working with an architect on the scale of a renovation as well as with the City on how long those
renovations would take. The Plaza Room is being used as an interim space.
Mr. Sullivan described elevator repairs; remodeling/updating of public restrooms; and replacement of
lobby sheetrock; plans to reopen the lobby, elevator and restrooms next week; and plans to install
window coverings in the lobby to illustrate progress and to make the lobby more interesting.
Ms. Hempstead, Ms. McLaughlin and Mr. Sullivan responded to questions regarding whether it would
be possible to reopen the library for computer and printer access while renovations are underway and
before the full reopening in summer 2023, whether the Plaza Room could be used for public computers,
condition of the electrical system, work yet to be done, working with Sno-Isle on options for
renovation/repair/upgrade, potential staged opening to accommodate use of the Plaza Room, roof
repairs, and installing leak detection monitoring. Ms. Hempstead offered the council a tour of the library.
Committee recommendation: Information only. Scope of work for architectural services will be
presented to council in February
4. Engineering Division Senior Permit Coordinator Job Description
Mr. English explained the job description is for a stormwater engineer permit coordinator. The
engineering division currently has 17.5 FTE and the addition of a capital projects manager in the 2023
budget will bring it up to 18.5 FTE. The current permit coordinator is .5 FTE. The City and the union
agreed to add a senior permit coordinator in the AFSCME contract; the job description needs to be
approved by council. He described the permit coordinator’s role on the private development side which
includes intake of permits, coordinating with private development review, and coordinating interaction
with staff. The additional functions of the senior permit coordinator include creating and maintaining
permit handouts, updating private development information on the City’s website, recommending and
making changes to the permit system, preparing quarterly billing statements for outside utilities, running
reports, and analyzing data for the review team. The job description requires three years’ experience in
this role which the existing permit coordinator has.
Mr. English reviewed a minor change made to the job description after the packet was finalized, under
Position Purpose, revise the first sentence to read, “Under general supervision, performs advanced
level administrative and technical permit coordinator duties. Provides the full…” He explained this
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position is on par with senior permit coordinator position in Planning & Development. The salary range
for the permit coordinator is NE-29 and the senior permit coordinator is NE-31.
Questions and discussion followed regarding language on the City’s job page, application and
personnel policy regarding equity, inclusion and diversity; the number of part-time positions in
engineering; support for increasing this to a full time position; the job description providing advancement
opportunity; and whether a part-time position could be budgeted as a full-time position but filled with a
part-time person.
Committee recommendation: Consent Agenda
5. Employment Agreement - Executive Assistant to City Council
Council President Tibbott advised he has been in negotiation with the council’s current Executive
Assistant Beckie Peterson regarding the 2023 agreement. The draft employment agreement has been
reviewed and agreed to by HR and the contract employee with the exception of, 1) when the salary
increase would effective, and 2) insurance opt-out.
Questions ad discussion followed regarding adding language that the position was eligible for any opt-
out programs established for NR employees, $300/month medical insurance opt-out that the council
approved for NR employees, preference for the executive assistant to have the benefit package and
opt-out offered to council, why the contract term is February 1 to January 31, preference to have the
step progression and COLA effective January 1, adding to the position purpose that this individual
performs these functions “under the direction of the city president.”
It was the consensus of the committee members to extend the meeting to 5:45 p.m.
Question and discussion continued regarding adding language in wages and benefits that the position
is eligible for step increase effective January 1 consistent with other NR employees and preference to
have the council executive assist eligible for the NR medical opt-out amount.
Council President Tibbott will send the job description in a Word document to Ms. Neill Hoyson to insert
the requested language and Council President Tibbott will confirm the changes with Ms. Peterson.
Committee recommendation: Full council.
2. Code Updates to Change Meeting Location of Planning Board, Historic
Preservation Board, Tree Board, and ADB
[This item was moved to the last item due to technical difficulties.]
Mr. Clugston explained the technology in the Brackett Room in City Hall was recently upgraded to allow
boards and commissions to conduct hybrid meetings. The enabling code for the planning board, historic
preservation commission, tree board and architectural design board (ADB) need to be updated to reflect
the change moving from council chambers to the Brackett room.
One other change is proposed for the ADB, The code lists membership on the board as seven
individuals whose backgrounds include, one architect and/or building designer, one landscaper and/or
landscape architect, one builder or developer, one educated or having practical experience in planning,
one person trained or having practical experience in any of the aforementioned categories or any related
design science and two lay persons. The proposed change would be to remove “one person trained or
having practical experience in any of the aforementioned categories” and have two architects and/or
building designers. The intent is additional experience on ADB in building design or architecture to
provide better information or context for decision making.
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Questions and discussion followed regarding creating a handbook or articles and bylaws for boards and
commissions and mechanism for updating the code regarding boards/commissions. A correction was
requested in 10.40.020.D.4 to change the days the planning board meets to the second and fourth
Wednesday.
Committee recommendation: Consent Agenda.
3. ADJOURN
The meeting was adjourned at 5:43 p.m.
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SCOTT PASSEY, CITY CLERK