Loading...
07/24/2007 City CouncilJuly 24, 2007 Following a Special Meeting at 6:45 p.m. for an Executive Session regarding a legal matter, the Edmonds City Council meeting was called to order at 7:07 p.m. by Mayor Haakenson in the Council Chambers, 250 5th Avenue North, Edmonds. The meeting was opened with the flag salute. ELECTED OFFICIALS PRESENT Gary Haakenson, Mayor Peggy Pritchard Olson, Council President Michael Plunkett, Councilmember Richard Marin, Councilmember Mauri Moore, Councilmember Deanna Dawson, Councilmember Dave Orvis, Councilmember Ron Wambolt, Councilmember ALSO PRESENT Shaun Callahan, Student Representative STAFF PRESENT Tom Tomberg, Fire Chief Gerry Gannon, Assistant Police Chief Stephen Clifton, Community Services Director Noel Miller, Public Works Director Rob Chave, Planning Manager Dave Gebert, City Engineer Stephen Koho, Treatment Plant Manager Bertrand Hauss, Transportation Engineer Scott Snyder, City Attorney Sandy Chase, City Clerk Jana Spellman, Senior Executive Council Asst. Jeannie Dines, Recorder Approval of 1. APPROVAL OF AGENDA genda COUNCILMEMBER MARIN MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER WAMBOLT, TO APPROVE THE AGENDA IN CONTENT AND ORDER. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. 2. CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS Councilmember Plunkett requested Item B be removed from the Consent Agenda and Councilmember Wambolt requested Item E be removed. COUNCILMEMBER MARIN MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER PLUNKETT, TO APPROVE THE REMAINDER OF THE CONSENT AGENDA. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. The agenda items approved are as follows: Roll Call A. ROLL CALL Approve Claim C. APPROVAL OF CLAIM CHECKS #97669 THROUGH #97774 FOR JULY 19, 2007 IN Checks THE AMOUNT OF $136,911..42. APPROVAL OF PAYROLL DIRECT DEPOSITS AND CHECKS #451.63 THROUGH #45264 FOR THE PERIOD OF JULY 01, 2007 THROUGH DULY 15, 2007 IN THE AMOUNT OF $891.,328.14. Community Services Report D. COMMUNITY SERVICES QUARTERLY REPORT — JULY, 2007 95th Place W Draina e F. AUTHORIZATION TO CALL FOR BIDS FOR THE 95TH PLACE WEST DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT. Fire Rescue G. AUTHORIZE MAYOR TO SIGN FIRE RESCUE BOAT INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT Boat Interlocal AMENDMENT 1. Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes July 24, 2007 Page 1 Repair Concrete H. REPORT ON BIDS OPENED ON JULY 17, 2007 FOR THE REPAIR OF CONCRETE Surfaces at wwTP SURFACES AT THE WWTP AND AWARD TO WASHINGTON INDUSTRIAL COATINGS, INC. FOR THE AMOUNT OF $151,599, INCLUDING SALES TAX. Approve 7/17/07 ITEM B: APPROVAL OF CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES OF JULY 17, 2007. Minutes as Corrected Councilmember Plunkett requested the 7tt full paragraph on page 17 (Councilmember Plunkett assured he was equally concerned by Councilmember Moore's and Mayor Haakenson's meetings and the use of Channel 21 to advertise the meetings.) be revised to reflect the intent of his comment which was not concern with the use of Channel 21 but that Councilmember Moore's use was equal to Mayor Haakenson's and equally appropriate. Councilmember Moore requested "utilize" in the paragraph above Councilmember Plunkett's comment be changed to "use." COUNCILMEMBER PLUNKETT MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER MARIN, FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM B AS AMENDED. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. Point Edwards Public ITEM E: ACCEPTANCE OF POINT EDWARDS PUBLIC EASEMENTS. Easements Councilmember Wambolt commented there were three view points provided by the developer, two on Pine Street and the other on a private drive. He noted that was not indicated in the materials but was stated on the sign. He explained the main entrance into the Pt. Edwards development was designated a private drive. He feared the private drive designation would deny citizens the opportunity to use one of the lookouts, recalling citizens' concern with public access to this site prior to development. He questioned how the developer obtained the authority to designate the entrance road as a private drive. Mr. Snyder offered to research the issue and provide a written report. He noted generally a private road referred to who maintained it. The intent of the easements was to assure public access to the view points. He suggested continuing this item to a future meeting COUNCILMEMBER WAMBOLT MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER PLUNKETT, TO REMOVE ITEM E FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. Settlement Agreement and 3. APPROVAL OF PROPOSED SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT AND RELEASE. Release City Attorney Scott Snyder recalled this document was discussed by the Council previously; all Settlement Agreements must be approved in open session and are public documents. This agreement was intended to dispose of what began as a LUPA appeal and was now a Court of Appeals proceeding with a potential damage claim regarding a 2-lot subdivision. He advised Stephanie Croll, WCIA, appointed counsel, was present to answer any questions. COUNCILMEMBER MARIN MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCIL PRESIDENT OLSON, FOR APPROVAL OF THE PROPOSED SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT AND RELEASE. MOTION CARRIED (6-1), COUNCILMEMBER ORVIS OPPOSED. update— 4. PRESENTATION BY WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES TERMINAL ENGINEERING Washington State Ferries DIRECTOR JOHN WHITE. Community Services Director Stephen Clifton explained as mentioned in the Quarterly Community Services Department Report, Washington State ESHB 2358 was passed by the Legislature and signed by the Governor. He advised this agenda item was scheduled to provide an overview of what was taking place within Washington State Ferries (WSF) as a result of the passage of ESHB 2358. Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes July 24, 2007 Page 2 John White, Director of Terminal Engineering, WSF, explained ESHB 2358 was landmark legislation for WSF. It established a 2-year process by working with the Joint Transportation Committee, their staff, the Transportation Commission and various community members via a litany of studies and exercises related to a reevaluation of the core business standards of WSF as well as a variety of standards related to terminal projects including the sizing and phasing of projects. He explained the loss of MVET funds via I-695 created a hole in ferry financing that had never been filled. The year -after -year increase in user fares hit a breaking point this year; the legislation also enacts a 2-year freeze on fares as the parties move through this process that is hoped to result in clarification that the right improvements were being built at the right time and that full consideration had been given to filling the funding gap. Mr. White noted the legislation affected all terminal projects. He indicated that Edmonds Crossing received $4 million in State funds. Much of the success Edmonds experienced in receiving the funds could be attributed to City staff s efforts. He stated prior to RTID the City had $4 million, a match for federal grant funds that were dedicated to acquiring the last small amount of property required to build the project and proceed with design. The approach to proceeding, however, will be a much slower, calculated process ahead of November. The general understanding was if RTID passed, it would change the nature of the discussion on the Edmonds terminal project as the project would have full funding that was approximately 2/3 local and 1/3 State. If RTID failed, it was highly likely the project would continue to move forward slowly until WSF could prove to the legislature that the project was phased and sized appropriately. He explained all the other terminal projects including Mukilteo and Seattle were proceeding in the same manner. Edmonds was unique however due to the RTID commitment. He noted one of their focuses ahead of RTID in addition to considering base conditions would focus on opportunities to reduce project costs. Recent studies have led them to conclude there was a potential if a number of risks did not proceed favorably, the overall cost of the project as currently scoped could exceed the defined State and RTID funding. However, the gap was not large enough to cause an extreme concern. He commented on recent brainstorming with City staff and recommendations for potential cost reductions. He advised this phase included a public process via the Ferry Advisory Committee. He encouraged the community to become educated on the issues and weigh in as appropriate. Councilmember Marin was excited WSF was ready to participate at this level, finding this positive for everyone involved. Observing this was a multimodal facility, he assumed WSF would be eager to work with Sound Transit, BNSF and Community Transit to make this a product that would serve their needs equally as well. Mr. White agreed that was their approach and the project management philosophy. He noted there was close coordination occurring between Sound Transit and other stakeholders. He introduced members of the WSF project management team who were present. For Councilmember Marin, Mr. White commented the City's involvement and leadership in this project resulted in it being one of the projects that made it through the legislature with fairly non -controversial proviso language where other projects had much stronger language with regard to what they could/could not do during the next two years. Councilmember Moore observed if RTID passed, the only problem could be that costs could exceed the funding but there were plans to reduce costs. Mr. White commented on WSF's Cost Estimate Validation Process that involves review of estimates and risks and provides a range of costs should the risk occur as well as the likelihood. He noted this was a good management tool in proactively managing risks. He noted that process was recently conducted with the City and in general the project received a positive report although there were recommendations regarding opportunities to reduce costs. Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes July 24, 2007 Page 3 Councilmember Moore asked whether Edmonds Crossing would still be constructed if RTID did not pass. Mr. White assured WSF's commitment to Edmonds Crossing was very solid. He envisioned the challenge if RTID failed would be the legislature viewing the project as not having enough State funds to fully implement the initial phase rather than having full funding and strong public support. He envisioned the legislature would expect WSF to follow the slower pace on the project that the other terminal projects were following. Councilmember Moore asked whether slowing down the project meant no activity. Mr. White answered no, explaining the legislation had very specific tasks over the next 1-2 years where the planning process for each terminal project was examined including submitting a specific report, a Pre -Design Study, to the Office of Financial Management that details the project scope, mitigation requirements, opportunities for phasing, etc. Prior to submitting that report, WSF would take a slower approach and once the legislature approved, then in theory the project could move forward more aggressively. He noted in that scenario the project would still not have full funding for implementation but would have a significant amount of State funding and a strong partnership which the other projects do not. Councilmember Moore asked whether Edmonds Crossing could be built in stages or phases. Mr. White answered yes, explaining there were key operational components that must be in place but there were certain other elements that could be constructed via a phased approach. He acknowledged that was one of the issues they continued to evaluate - the core, basic need that was necessary for implementation versus what was the desired ultimate outcome. Edmonds Crossing 5. EDMONDS CROSSING MULTIMODAL TERMINAL DESIGN AGREEMENT NO. GCA 5154. Multimodal Terminal Design Community Services Director Stephen Clifton explained based on a 1993 Memorandum of Understanding between Community Transit, the City and WSF, the City was the lead entity in the environmental review process until July 2005 when Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Transit Administration signed the SR104 Record of Decision. In August 2006, Washington State Ferries (WSF) sent a letter to the City proposing to provide a majority of program management services utilizing WSF staff throughout the design and permitting process. The letter provided several reasons for taking an active role in the Edmonds Crossing project. In September 2006 City staff and Mayor Haakenson met with WSF staff to discuss WSF's proposal. During the conversation, WSF representatives expressed a commitment to provide the staff and resources necessary to keep the project moving forward and to work with the City to ensure this happened. If this occurs, Washington State Ferries, City staff and the Mayor agree that the City must continue to serve a prominent role logistically, legislatively, and in pursuing funding for the project. In October 2006, information related to WSF potentially assuming Phase 2 responsibilities was contained within the Community Services Quarterly Report provided to the City Council. In January 2007 representatives from WSF and he provided an update on 2006 milestones related to Edmonds Crossing, future steps, and estimated construction costs. Information about the proposal to have WSF assume program management responsibilities for Phase 2 was also discussed. Following months of discussing, preparing, and reviewing terms of a newly proposed relationship between the City and WSF, a draft Memorandum of Agreement was finalized on July 6, 2007. He noted the July 6, 2007 cover letter and associated Memorandum of Agreement was included in the July 24, 2007 Council packet. The Agreement recognizes WSF as the program manager which includes WSF providing management and engineering services to complete Phase 2 tasks for the project. The services include, but are not limited to the following: Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes July 24, 2007 Page 4 • Program management activities • Management of consultant services • All efforts related to the design documentation process • Permit acquisition • Plans, specifications and estimate development • Efforts to support reporting and compliance requirements • Participation in public outreach efforts • Supporting the City of Edmonds at City functions • Facilitating project Executive Oversight Committee (EOC) meetings • Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) meetings • Preparation of quarterly progress, interim, annual and final reports The Agreement also further defines what is meant by project management, discusses the preparation of a detailed milestone schedule, outlines the type of reports to be filed and when, payment procedures, maintenance of records, and conditions for terminating the agreement. To pay for these services, the work will utilize state appropriated and federal grant funding as cited in the Memorandum of Agreement. Based on WSF's commitment to provide staff and resources necessary to keep the Edmonds Crossing project moving forward and to work with the City to ensure that this happens, in addition to WSF's acknowledgment that the City continue to serve a prominent role logistically, legislatively, and in pursuing funding for the project, the Mayor and City staff recommend approval of the Edmonds Crossing Multimodal Terminal Design Agreement. Councilmember Wambolt noted the agreement was to be in effect until October 31, 2011. If the funding was provided, the project would begin in 2012. He referred to the section "Termination for Convenience" which stated the Agreement could be terminated for convenience by either parry by giving 30 days notice to the other party. He interpreted this to mean either party could terminate the Agreement for any reason at all, making it in effect a 30-day agreement. Mr. Clifton agreed, commenting it was not anticipated that would be necessary as the City had a good relationship with WSF. He advised both the City Attorney and WSF's attorney had agreed to the language. Mayor Haakenson advised that was included at the City's insistence because the City had worked hard on the project and been the lead on the project for so long, if things did not proceed as the City wanted, we wanted the ability to terminate the Agreement. Councilmember Wambolt noted the Edmonds Crossing project includes traffic signals at SR104 and Pine Street. He inquired about the timing of the traffic signals. Mr. Clifton answered preliminary plans regarding the intersection configuration had been provided to the Council in the past and at public meetings but the exact timing of the signals would not be determined until the final design process. Councilmember Wambolt commented even without Edmonds Crossing, that was a very dangerous intersection particularly with the additional residents of Pt. Edwards. Mr. Clifton answered staff recognized that and had submitted an appropriations request to the federal House and Senate Representatives requesting funds to commence construction of intersection improvements earlier than initially planned due to the need for intersection improvements. Councilmember Wambolt commented although he had been aware of the dangerous conditions for quite some time, a police officer recently brought it to his attention. Councilmember Wambolt recommended the traffic signal be installed regardless of the Edmonds Crossing project. Mr. Clifton agreed, noting there were currently no funds available. Councilmember Moore thanked Mr. Clifton for his efforts with regard to the Edmonds Crossing project. She inquired about noise abatement for the increased traffic on SR104. Mr. Clifton answered that would be addressed during final design. Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes July 24, 2007 Page 5 COUNCILMEMBER MARIN MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCIL PRESIDENT OLSON, FOR APPROVAL OF THE EDMONDS CROSSING MULTIMODAL TERMINAL DESIGN AGREEMENT NO. GCA 5154. Councilmember Marin commented the passage of this motion would be an historic milestone in the history of this project. He thanked Mr. Clifton for his dogged efforts on this project to reach this point. He also thanked WSF for their commitment to working with the City to bring this project to fruition. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. Mayor Haakenson commented after being the lead on this project for so many years, it was not something that was given up lightly to the State. He acknowledged the City questioned WSF's motives and appreciated their meeting with the City to convince them they could carry on the project in their stead. Mayor Haakenson declared a brief recess to address technical difficulties. Transportation Choices 6. PRESENTATION BY THE TRANSPORTATION CHOICES COALITION Coalition Transportation Engineer Bertrand Hauss explained the Transportation Choices Coalition (TCC) was working on a new program, Sustainable Cities. The main goal of the program was to help local governments create a more sustainable transportation system. They evaluated elements in the City's Comprehensive Plan, and were here to present the City's accomplishments with regard to transportation as well as their recommendations. Rob Johnson, Regional Policy Director, explained TCC was an environmental organization working statewide with the goal of increasing the sustainability of the transportation infrastructure. He clarified TCC was a coalition of individuals, businesses, cities, counties, organizations, etc. who were concerned about the improvement of the transit system, building better bike lanes and sidewalks and getting people out of their cars and onto sustainable transportation infrastructure. He noted that also includes ensuring there are good roadways and drive lanes. Mr. Johnson explained that over the past two years TCC had been working with Councilmember Marin and his colleagues at Sound Transit on the Sound Transit Phase 2 plan that would be on the ballot this fall. In addition they had been working to ensure RTID was as environmentally friendly as possible. He was confident the combination of the road and transit measures was a good balance of environmentally friendly projects and TCC recently voted to support the package. In addition, he advised TCC was the campaign managers for the recent King County Metro sales tax increase and in 2005 TCC worked with the State legislature to pass the Transportation Partnership Act, a major source of revenue for transportation projects throughout the State. Mr. Johnson described the Sustainable Cities program that began approximately a year ago via their membership's interest in sustainability and links between sustainability and transportation. As a result a series of principles were developed and a collaborative process was developed to review cities' plans, policies and programs. A list was developed of successful programs and recommendations. He advised this process began with City staff a few months ago. They learned through this process and their evaluation of other cities that Edmonds was very sustainable and its transportation program was very sustainable. Adam Parast, Parking Coordinator, Transportation Choices, reviewed the five evaluation criteria: 1. Transportation oriented development 2. Street use and streetscape 3. Complete streets Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes July 24, 2007 Page 6 4. Community health 5. Parking Mr. Parast explained parking could be used to encourage/discourage the right type of development. He noted there were also environmental impacts; with less parking, people drive less, reducing carbon emissions and other environmental impacts of cars. Reducing the amount of parking, particularly surface parking, reduces wastewater runoff and encourages alternative modes of transit. Mr. Johnson explained as a result of conducting this evaluation with Seattle, Bellevue, Kirkland and Redmond, they learned Edmonds was on the cutting edge of a lot of sustainability issues: He reviewed the list of Edmonds accomplishments: 1. Excellent parking location and design guidelines for the Central Business District. 2. Progressive shared parking regulations that prevent excessive parking requirements. 3. Encourages diverse and high -density residential development. 4. Developed excellent walkway and bike plans. 5. Good street design such as tree wells and parking buffer lanes. He reviewed their recommendations: I. Increase flexibility and reduce parking requirements not just in downtown Edmonds but also other areas such as Edmonds Crossing and the SR-99 corridor. Also, consider adopting maximum parking requirements in these areas. 2. Encourage transit oriented development and better transit service at Edmonds Crossing and within the SR-99 corridor. 3. As the City becomes denser, use meters to better manage parking. Allow this revenue to fund neighborhood improvement projects. 4. Adopt a complete streets ordinance. 5. Implement a voluntary carbon contribution program via City utility bills that the City could use to offset its carbon output. Mr. Johnson summarized they were excited about working with Edmonds staff, noting the commitment to sustainability was very strong in Edmonds. He commented the knowledge of staff with regard to sustainability and transportation was impressive. Councilmember Plunkett asked whether Edmonds was more sustainable than Seattle. Mr. Johnson answered it was difficult to compare cities as each city had different challenges. In a lot of ways Edmonds was more sustainable than Seattle as Edmonds has adopted excellent street use and streetscape programs, and excellent bike and pedestrian plans, and there are many people walking in the community. Councilmember Plunkett asked whether the 3 hour parking limit downtown was too long. Mr. Parast answered the use of meters allowed people to attach a value to the time they needed which encouraged turnover as well as accommodated those who needed to park for a longer time. Mr. Johnson explained if approximately 85% of the parking stalls were filled, the city was doing a good job managing its parking demand. Councilmember Plunkett pointed out the $16 cost in London to enter the city in addition to paying for parking. Mr. Johnson commented the result was more people walking to school, taking the bus, riding the tube and riding bikes. Councilmember Plunkett referred to the redevelopment of the property on the waterfront, and asked whether Transportation Choices could audit plans for the development for sustainability. Mr. Johnson advised Transportation Choices was a non profit organization and because Edmonds was a member, they wanted to be engaged in what the City was doing and work collaboratively with the City's staff, Council Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes July 24, 2007 Page 7 and Mayor. Councilmember Plunkett advised he was interested in Transportation Choices doing an evaluation of the waterfront redevelopment plans. Councilmember Moore asked whether the Port of Edmonds was a member. Mr. Johnson answered no; however, the Port of Tacoma and the Port of Seattle were members. Councilmember Moore referred to the voluntary carbon contribution program and asked what other cities did this. Mr. Johnson answered there were currently none. He explained the carbon contribution program was modeled after cities' green power program that allowed residents to opt in and use the additional funds to invest in alternative energy sources. Councilmember Moore asked how it would be paid. Mr. Johnson answered for the State carbon contribution program, residents would be able to make a voluntary excess contribution to a fund when they renewed their license tabs, similar to purchasing a specialized license plate. For a city, he proposed it be done via residents' utility bills and allow the City to use the funds to invest in carbon friendly or carbon neutral transportation infrastructure. Councilmember Moore referred to his comment about playing off the guilt people feel regarding their carbon footprint, noting Edmonds residents might voluntarily contribute because sustainability was a high value to citizens. Councilmember Wambolt commented periodically consultants had buzz words and in the last few years "sustainability" has been one of the buzz words. He asked what was meant by sustainable city. Mr. Johnson answered their focus was on transportation and land use; from their perspective sustainable transportation infrastructure were elements that allowed people a variety of choices. For someone living in Edmonds, it would be hoped they could service all their needs by driving, walking, taking a bus, biking and to have a sustainable infrastructure that would allow all those choices. Councilmember Marin commented this report was timely as two weeks ago the Puget Sound Regional. Council Transportation Policy Board learned the average male in America will outlive his ability to drive by six years and the average female will outlive her ability to drive by 12 years. As a result, communities needed to ensure they have the infrastructure in place that would allow a person to conveniently continue to conduct their life in the community. He commented on the importance of residents learning how to walk and ride the bus to reach their destination and having those as an option to an automobile. Councilmember Marin referred to a comment that Community Transit buses were often seen with only 1- 2 passengers. He was pleased there were so many bus routes that originated and terminated in Edmonds, commenting Edmonds may have more bus service than any other community in the Public Transportation Benefit Area. He pointed out people boarded and exited the bus at different places during its route and it was possible to see a bus without many people on board yet at other times the bus could be standing room only. Councilmember Dawson thanked Transportation Choices for their presentation and thanked staff and the Council for embracing this program. She recalled proposing the City join the Transportation Choices Coalition last year during the budget process. Although she had not been certain how that proposal would be received, she was pleased the Council had taken to the program. She also expressed her thanks to the Transportation Choices Board Chair Mike Cooper who first presented the Transportation Choices Coalition to her. Councilmember Plunkett commented the basic definition of sustainability was the ability to develop something that worked today and was also sustainable into the future. Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes July 24, 2007 Page 8 Planning Board 7, PLANNING BOARD ANNUAL BRIEFING Annual Briefing Planning Board Chair Cary Guenther and Vice Chair John Dewhirst provided an update on the Planning Board's work. Mr. Dewhirst reviewed the Planning Board's recent accomplishments: • Update of the CG zoning district - primarily along Hwy. 99 • Rewrite of the citywide design guidelines and process • Update the downtown plan along with implementation of new zoning districts • Six rezoning applications review and public hearings • New Capital Improvement Program Mr. Dewhirst advised the Planning Board's current work included the following: • Develop new downtown design regulations • Shoreline Plan Update • Updating the Parks and Recreation Plan • Developing master plans for individual parks • Rewriting the Edmonds Development Code o Section 17.40 Nonconforming Uses and Buildings Historic Preservation ■ Adaptive Reuse of Buildings o Chapter 20: Processes and Procedures o Section 17.60: Performance Standards • Working with the Historic Preservation Commission and Architectural Design Board Mr. Dewhirst reviewed the Planning Board's future work: • Investigating "Low Impact Development" as a part of the new development code • Developing provisions based on the recommendations from the Mayor's Climate Change Committee for inclusion into the new development code. • Incorporating "sustainability" issues into the new development code o Incorporating "green roofs" into the new development code • Revising the plans and code for commercial areas such as 5 Corners, Firdale Village and Westgate Mr. Dewhirst thanked the staff for their assistance. Councilmember Plunkett recalled the direction the Council gave to the Historic Preservation. Commission was to develop ways that new or refurbished buildings in the BD could be designed to reflect the historic character of downtown. He inquired about Mr. Dewhirst's reference to historic inventory. Mr. Dewhirst commented the first item under the current work was developing new downtown design regulations which would include historical aspects. Councilmember Moore commented she was astounded by the amount of work the Planning Board was doing. With regard to future work, she asked if the items were prioritized. Mr. Dewhirst answered they were not. Mr. Dewhirst explained the Planning Board's focus has been and will be rewriting the development code. They began by addressing the most difficult chapters and their discussion often detennined the order in which sections were addressed. He noted Planning Board discussions, Council direction and staff input were used to establish priorities. He explained there were not clear priorities in the rewrite; the intent was to rewrite the code so that packages could be forwarded to the Council in a manner that was inclusive. Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes July 24, 2007 Page 9 Councilmember Moore referred to the future work item to revise the plans and code for commercial areas such as 5 Corners, Firdale Village and Westgate and asked if he knew when the Planning Board would undertake that effort. Mr. Dewhirst answered they had talked about that for some time and there had been. some starts and stops such as when the owner of Firdale Village expressed interest in considering what could be developed on the site but did not pursue it. He summarized the Planning Board saw a need for that effort. Mr. Guenther advised at their annual retreat the Planning Board outlined important issues and determined how they would be addressed throughout the year. He noted the code rewrite was identified last year and had been their focus this year. Councilmember Moore encouraged the public to be involved at the Planning Board level as that was where much of the real work was done. She expressed her appreciation for the Planning Board's work. Councilmember Marin asked Mr. Guenther and Mr. Dewhirst to relay the Council's appreciation to the Planning Board for the work they do. He recognized the vital role the Planning Board played in the community. Council President Olson also thanked the Planning Board for the good job they were doing in explaining their decisions which made the Council's decision -making easier. Mr. Guenther introduced other Planning Board Members in the audience Don Henderson, Janice Freeman, Judith works, and John Reed. (Councilmember Plunkett left the meeting at 8:40 p.m.) 8. AUDIENCE COMMENTS Annexation_ Don Henderson, Edmonds, referred to a July 11 Seattle Times article regarding cities annexing areas Meadowdale that included discussion regarding the Meadowdale gap, from the Meadowdale Beach Park north to 1481" Beam park North to 148th q He noted the article quoted Joe Marine wy who said Lynnwood and Mukilteo were in cordial discussion over the Meadowdale area and would likely seek a compromise. He expressed concern with Lynnwood annexing that area, commenting Lynnwood had been a very poor neighbor to Meadowdale via their sewage plant as evidenced by deterioration of beach and sea life and the deterioration of the pins under Haines wharf. Pointing out most of the residents in that area had an Edmonds mailing address, he questioned why Edmonds was not seeking to annex that area. He understood 12 years ago the City declined to annex that area because of the expense of bringing the infrastructure up to the City's standards. He pointed out increased property values/property taxes as well as revenue from the streamlined sales tax in that area may make annexation feasible. He urged the City to reconsider annexation to prevent Lynnwood and Mukilteo from splitting the area. WSF Managing Roger Hertrich, Edmonds, raised several issues associated with WSF taking over the management of Edmonds Edmonds Crossing: First, Edmonds is still the lead agency but he was uncertain for what portion and he Crossing was concerned WSF would not advertise for projects locally. Second, there was $12 million for the State to provide management services and they planned to increase staff. As duties would be transferred from the City to the State, he suggested City staff should be reassigned to other duties, resulting in a cost savings that should be reflected in the budget. He asked Mayor Haakenson to advise what staff members would be reassigned. Third, the agreement indicates the State's concern with SR104 to I-5. He urged the City to insist early in the process on a study to identify improvements that would be necessary to SR104 to accommodate the increase in traffic from Edmonds Crossing. Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes July 24, 2007 Page 10 9. COUNCIL REPORTS ON OUTSIDE COMMITTEE/BOARD MEETINGS Citizens Council President Olson reported on the Citizens Technical Advisory Committee (CTAC), advising Technical exciting things were happening; Edmonds was the only city in Snohomish County with fiber optic cable. Advisory Committee She envisioned the fiber would be a great economic development driver for the City in the future. She anticipated the CTAC would provide an update to the Council soon. Special Councilmember Moore announced there would be a Community Services/Development Services Community/ Committee meeting on July 26 at 7:00 p.m. in the Brackett Room on the third floor of City Hall. The Development Services Committee will take public comment related to legislative issues with regard to building permit Committee applications and application timelines and other topics pertinent to the Committee's area of responsibility. Meeting She encouraged the public to provide suggestions. Port Councilmember Wambolt reported the Port decided to repaint the exterior of most of their buildings; the Commission i bid came in at one half of the budget. He reported on the Harbor Square Redevelopment Committee which met four times in the last two weeks. He advised the Committee selected 33 citizens to provide xarbor square input regarding what the would like to see on the site. The group was taken on a tour last week and the Redevelopment p g g y g p y committee were briefed earlier today. Their next session with the Committee is July 26 and another meeting is scheduled on July 30. He anticipated information would be in the press this week. He summarized this was a very exciting opportunity for economic development. WRIA8 Councilmember Orvis reported WRIA8 approved grant funding to assist with the purchase of land along the Cedar River as well as other conservation projects in King County using funds King County made available. He noted WRIA8 was hopeful that funding from the Puget Sound Recovery Council would be available to for near shore projects in Edmonds. There was also discussion regarding a joint meeting with WRIA7 and WRIA9 in an effort to better coordinate conservation projects in the region. Disability Councilmember Orvis reported on the LEOFFI Disability Board, explaining they continued to address Board , . , . • . , , Sound Transit Councilmember Marin reported Sounder passed the milestone of 7 million passenger trips. Next month the groundbreaking will be held for the Mukilteo station. He noted this was important to Edmonds because the Mukilteo work must be completed before the interim station improvements could be constructed in Edmonds. Service in Mukilteo was expected to begin in Spring 2008 and the third train will begin service on September 23, 2007. With that service there will be three trains plus an Amtrak train providing service in each direction. The fourth train will be operational in 2008, providing five trips Health Districtin each direction. With regard to the Health District, the Program and Policy Committee recommended to the full board the removal of pilot status from the project incorporating WIC into the First Steps Program. He explained this had been very successful; WIC was a losing program that cost more to administer than it generated. The Health District developed a model that incorporated both programs that was revenue neutral and provided much better service to the community. Hwy 99 Task Next Councilmember Marin reported on the Hwy. 99 Task Force. The Task Force saw plans for the Force project on 212th Street west of Magic Toyota and Allied Building Supply. He noted this was a multi -story project that was similar to Transit Oriented Development. As the project was near one of the intersections on Hwy. 99 where channelization improvements were planned, it could contribute to that project. Snohomish co. I Councilmember Marin reported Snohomish County Tomorrow was meeting tomorrow to review draft Tomorrow recommendations to the revised PSRC Vision 2040 document. Disability Councilmember Dawson commented the Disability Board considered the health care needs of LEOFFI Board retirees - firefighters and police officers who retired in the LEOFFI system. She noted the LEOFFI Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes July 24, 2007 Page 11 retirees were entitled to have all medically necessary costs funded and costs not covered by insurance were referred to the Disability Board. She noted there were representatives from retired police and firefighters, a medical doctor, Councilmember Orvis and herself on the Board. She commented it was an interesting continuing challenge as all cities, counties and fire districts in the State faced costs for long term care. She recognized Human Services Manager Deb Humana who was the staff member on the committee. SnoCom Councilmember Dawson reported SnoCom held a mini retreat where staff presented an overview of technological issues. The Board plans to hold another mini retreat in the fall and will invite other elected officials. She explained there were many big decisions facing SnoCom with regard to technology and dispatch issues. The agencies at the retreat reiterated their desire to maintain two dispatch agencies for public safety, customer service and financial reasons but did want to partner with other agencies in Snohomish County on technological issues. She advised the Executive Joint Committee between the sn°Pak SnoPak and SnoCom board met today to discuss the best route for partnering on upcoming purchases. She commented on progress being made in discussions with regard to partnerships. She also reported the E911 Board E911 Board approved their preliminary budget which will now be forwarded to the Snohomish County Council. The budget included a large unexpected carry -forward from past years; it was decided those funds would be dispersed to the communication centers. 10. MAYOR'S COMMENTS Mayor Haakenson noted WSF's, Transportation Choices Coalition and Planning Board had all complimented staff during their presentations. Next, he read a letter from the Washington Finance Professional Officers Association recognizing Dan Clements for earning the Professional Finance Officer Award for Finance Officer Award the State of Washington. The letter cited Mr. Clement's dedication to achieving educational and professional excellence as acknowledged by the receipt of this award for 14 years. U. COUNCIL COMMENTS Channel21 Council President Olson explained last week's Council meeting was not shown on Channel 21 due to the poor quality of the first two hours. She advised the meeting was available on DVD at City Hall for $3.00. Transportation Councilmember Moore voiced her enjoyment of the Transportation Choices Coalition's presentation and coal tion thanked Councilmember Dawson for bringing the organization to the Council's attention last year. She asked Councilmember Wambolt to take the idea of Transportation Choices to the Port. Management of In response to Mr. Hertrich's question regarding staff reassignments in view of WSF taking over the Edmonds management of the Edmonds Crossing project, Mayor Haakenson advised Mr. Clifton's workload would Crossing be slightly lessened however there was an effort citywide to consider how the City does business Project g y y y including the director positions and a report provided to the Council by yearend. With regard to Mr. Hertrich's question regarding posting WSF notices locally, Mayor Haakenson agreed that needed to be done for any project in Edmonds and he did not envision WSF doing otherwise. Edmonds Night Councilmember Marin reported in addition to the CS/DS meeting on Thursday night, Edmonds Night Out out would take place on Thursday night at the Frances Anderson Center field. He noted the Fire and Police Departments as well as SnoCom would be represented and it was a great opportunity to meet neighbors. He encouraged the public to be on time to the CS/DS meeting as the front doors would be locked shortly after the meeting began. Edmonds Night Councilmember Dawson encouraged Councilmembers to attend Edmonds Night Out, explaining it was out held on a different night than other cities' National Night Out events because Edmonds Council meetings Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes July 24, 2007 Page 12 were held on Tuesdays. She advised the SnoCom van would be at Edmonds Night Out and the Center for Battered Women would have a "Hands Are Not for Hitting" presentation for kids. 12. ADJOURN With no further business, the Council meeting was adjourned at 9:01 p.m. Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes July 24, 2007 Page 13