2023-02-14 PPW CommitteeMinutes
PARKS & PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE MEETING
February 14, 2023
Elected Officials Present Staff Present
Councilmember Dave Teitzel (Chair) Oscar Antillon, Public Works Director
Councilmember Diane Buckshnis Rob English, City Engineer
Council President Neil Tibbott (ex-officio) Angie Feser, Parks, Rec. & Human Serv. Dir.
Councilmember Vivian Olson Shannon Burley, Dep. Parks, Rec. & Human Serv. Dir.
Thom Sullivan, Facilities Manager
Scott Passey, City Clerk
Guests
Shelby Sawyers, McKinstry
Novella Randall, DES
1. CALL TO ORDER
The Edmonds City Council PPW Committee meeting was called to order virtually and in the City Council
Conference Room, 212 – 5th Avenue North, Edmonds, at 7:30 p.m. by Councilmember Teitzel.
2. COMMITTEE BUSINESS
1. Committee Update Format for New Standing Agenda Item
Council President Tibbott explained the intent is to streamline communication between council and staff
in preparation for committee meetings. He requested committee members collaborate on updates they
would like and forward their request to the council office by the first Monday of the month. He will review
the update requests with the council pro tem and council assistant and schedule updates on a future
agenda. Shorter updates will be scheduled at the beginning of the committee agenda and longer
updates may be considered for future agenda items.
Questions and discussion followed regarding support for this format, Item 2.4 as example of a longer
update, addressing cross communication via a committee update, ability for councilmembers to still ask
questions of staff, and grouping updates and agenda items on committee agendas.
Committee recommendation: Information.
2. Summer Market and Edmonds SpringFest Event Contracts
Ms. Burley explained these events are intended to not only spur the local economy, but also showcase
arts and culture, bring the community together, and enhance tourism visitors. Per City code, staff
presents contracts for larger special events that have a more significant impact on rights-of-way and
draw larger crowds to council for approval. The summer market will be every Saturday, May 6 – October
14 in the existing location downtown. The layout has been changed at the direction of the new fire
marshal for public safety such as maintaining a 20-foot wide space for emergency response vehicles
and ensuring building doorways are not obstructed by tents. This will reduce the number of market
vendor spaces. The packet includes a map/layout that is mutually agreeable to the market and fire and
police. The parties will continue to look at creative ways to accommodate additional vendors.
SpringFest was previously a regular special event agreement and became a contracted agreement in
2019. This event, held the Saturday before Mother’s Day at the Frances Anderson Center, typically
02/14/23 PPW Committee Minutes, Page 2
includes 80-90 local craft vendors and draws 3,000-5,000 participants depending on the weather. Both
events are free and neither serve alcohol.
Questions and discussion followed regarding the number of vendors that were eliminated by the new
layout, creative ways to fit vendors back in, the market team working with police and fire on a potential
solution, support for maximizing the number of vendors due to the museum’s reliance on it for funding,
and areas where the market could potentially be expanded such as the Veterans Plaza.
Committee recommendation: Consent Agenda
3. City of Edmonds and Boys & Girls Club Ground Lease
Ms. Feser explained this is a new agreement with the Boys & Girls Club as a result of site improvements
at Civic Park, and the Boys & Girls Club’s decision regarding the option they intend to pursue. At the
Boys & Girls Club’s request, negotiations on the ground lease began last fall. It has been reviewed by
staff and attorneys of both organizations numerous times.
Ms. Feser provided history, the Boys & Girls Club has been providing programming in the field house
since 1968 when the building was owned by the school district. In 1975 the City of Edmonds had a
lease with the school district for the park. That was formalized in 2010 via a building use agreement
which has been renewed in 5 year increments.
the City provided the Boys & Girls Club several options to consider, 1) improve or renovate the existing
building, 2) add to the existing building, or 3) demolish the existing field house and build a new facility.
The Boys & Girls Club has relayed they plan to pursue option 3. The club is guaranteed 12,000 square
feet; this agreement is for 40 years with a 15 year extension. There is no leasehold excise tax because
the Boys & Girls Club is a nonprofit organization. The agreement requires the Boys & Girls Club to get
written consent from the City for, 1) demolition of the existing building, 2) when they start construction,
and 3) if anything alters the existing property. The club also must adhere to the master plan for Civic
Park that indicates the footprint as well as follow the Civic Park guidelines (Exhibit C), which is subject
to city council approval.
The Boys & Girls Club has been asked to come to city council for approval during the process when the
schematic design is finished which includes the footprint on the site, when development design is
completed, and if there are any substantial design changes. The council has the right to hold public
hearing during the process. Per the agreement, the work is to be performed within three years and once
construction starts, the Boys & Girls Club has agreed to complete it within three years with an
opportunity for a one year extension. The Boys & Girls Club is fully responsible for repairs of any impacts
of their work. The Boys & Girls Club will also provide a site access plan for construction because
technically the site is land locked, surrounded by City improvements. Once the building is complete, the
Boys & Girls Club will be responsible for maintaining all the improvements within the footprint
(landscaping, building, etc.). The City and Boys & Girls Club will meet every five years to do a site
inspection. The club is also responsible for installation and payment of utilities.
Questions and discussion followed regarding the effective date of the agreement, the building use
agreement remaining in place until 2025 or until demolition begins, ability to extend the 40 year lease
beyond the 15 year extension, the building reverting to City property if the agreement is not renewed,
approving an operating agreement separate from a ground lease, the Boys & Girls Club responsibility
for any damage to City property in Civic Park, using the new driveway for access, whether portions of
the building could be salvaged and sold when it is demolished, the new design does not show a
basketball court, and the Boys & Girls Club working with ECA on gymnasium space.
Committee recommendation: Full council.
02/14/23 PPW Committee Minutes, Page 3
4. Parks, Recreation & Human Services Department - Q4 Accomplishments
No presentation. See list in PPW Committee packet.
Ms. Feser responded to questions about windbreaks at the fishing pier, an ADA issue at the Yost Park
portable restroom, the infiltration facility at Mathay Ballinger Park, and appreciation for staff’s efforts
related to human services.
Committee recommendation: Information.
5. Public Safety Solar Plant - Project Update
Mr. Sullivan explained staff presented preliminary costs to the PPW Committee last summer such as
the g-max price. Due to surprise with the price, the committee requested staff relook at the project to
reduce costs.
Shelby Sawyers, McKinstry, explained this project will reduce electric consumption and ultimately result
in carbon reductions that align with the City’s climate action plan and the goal carbon to be neutral by
2050. There is no more cost effective time than now to install solar due to, 1) offsets from the Commerce
grant the City received in February 2022 (25% of the total project cost), and 2) the Inflation Reduction
Act (30% tax rebate). She reviewed:
• Project description
o Scope
Install flush mount solar PV modules on roof segments along main entrance of public
safety building visible to the public
- 280 panels will offset about 18% of the annual grid consumption of the facility
System will be interconnected and set up for net metering with the local utility
(Snohomish PUD)
Estimated utility cost savings: $10,596/year
Duration of construction with lead time on panels: July-Sept 2023.
o Funding
2022 Fac. Maint. Fund 016 (bond): $230,000
2023 Fac Maint Fund 016 (bond): $250k-300k)
Awarded commerce grant funding: $119,645
o 25% of total project cost
Anticipated IRA reimbursement: $176,048
o 30% of total project cost
City council match: $394,692
Questions and discussion followed regarding previous supply chain issues with solar panels, 2022 and
2023 Facility Maintenance Fund 016 (bond), weight of the panels, structural analysis done of the public
safety building, electricity generation of west-facing versus east-facing panels, whether power
generated by panels will be in excess of building’s need and feed energy back to grid, and other City
buildings considered that were not able to accommodate solar panels.
Committee recommendation: Full council
6. Interlocal Agreements - Arizona State and Snohomish County Purchasing
Cooperative Agreement
Mr. Antillon explained Fleet Manager Carl Rugg developed agreements with Arizona State and
Snohomish County to source vehicles. The City has been struggling to source vehicles; orders placed
with the state contract last year were canceled because they were unable source vehicles. This year
the City plans to purchase approximately 40 vehicles, many of them police vehicles.
02/14/23 PPW Committee Minutes, Page 4
Questions and discussion followed regarding whether the vehicles can be procured in a timely manner,
where sales tax is paid, concern with sales tax going out of state, Arizona’s sales tax amount, and the
inability to find hybrid police Explorers.
Committee recommendation: Consent
7. Acquisition of Easements for Existing Utilities in Private Alley adjacent to 614/616
5th Ave S
Mr. English explained in addition to 614/616 5th Ave S, the developer owns the alley on the south side
of the two parcels. As part of the development, since the alley is privately owned, the City is requiring
easements for the 12” sewer line that runs between 5th & 4th Avenues and the existing 8” public storm
main on the westerly half of the alley. The easement will allow the City to continue to maintain those
two public utilities in the future. A brief discussion followed regarding water running off the roof of the
former Baskin & Robbin’s building onto the sidewalk that freezes and creates a safety issue.
Committee recommendation: Consent Agenda
8. Presentation of distribution easement to Public Utility District No. 1 of Snohomish
County at 310 6th Avenue North
Mr. English explained this was presented to the PPW Committee in October 2022. At that time,
questions were raised about the easement possibly interfering with the footprint of the Boys & Girls
Club’s development footprint. The easement and layout was changed to avoid the footprint and the 10’
wide PUD easement for an underground feed to a transformer that provides power to the park is located
outside the Boys & Girls Club development footprint.
Committee recommendation: Consent agenda.
Discussion followed regarding options council considered for bike lanes at SR104 & 100th and council’s
selection of bike lanes on the north and sharrows on the south, concern with bicycle safety at this
intersection, alternatives 1 and 2 that were presented to council, geometry issues at the intersection,
reasons alternative 2 was selected, future opportunity to widen the right-of-way, ability for bicyclists to
walk bikes across the street in the northbound direction, whether the pedestrian signal overrides the
flashing yellow left turn signal, and potential for increased traffic with three ferries.
3. ADJOURN
The meeting was adjourned at 8:52 p.m.
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SCOTT PASSEY, CITY CLERK