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20161213 City CouncilEDMONDS CITY COUNCIL APPROVED MINUTES December 13, 2016 ELECTED OFFICIALS PRESENT Dave Earling, Mayor Kristiana Johnson, Council President Michael Nelson, Councilmember Adrienne Fraley-Monillas, Councilmember Diane Buckshnis, Councilmember Dave Teitzel, Councilmember Thomas Mesaros, Councilmember Neil Tibbott, Councilmember 1. CALL TO ORDER/FLAG SALUTE STAFF PRESENT N. Bickar, Police Officer Phil Williams, Public Works Director Carrie Hite, Parks, Rec. & Cult. Serv. Dir. Patrick Doherty, Econ. Dev & Comm. Serv. Dir. Shane Hope, Development Services Director Scott James, Finance Director Dave Turley, Assistant Finance Director Kernen Lien, Senior Planner Jeff Taraday, City Attorney Scott Passey, City Clerk Jerrie Bevington, Camera Operator Jeannie Dines, Recorder The Ecitnonds City Council meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m. by Mayor Earling in the Council Chambers, 250 5"' Avenue North., Edmonds. The meeting was opened with the flag salute. 2. ROLL CALL City Clerk Scott Passey called the roll. All elected officials were present. 3. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Council President Johnson requested Items 4.4, Board & Commission Reappointments, and Item 5.2, Dale Hoggins Proclamation, be postponed to a future meeting. Councilmember Teitzel requested Item 7.3, Revision to the January 3, 2017 Extended Agenda, be added to the agenda. City Clerk Scott Passey advised the Extended Agenda is a planning tool and requests can be submitted to him. COUNCIL PRESIDENT JOHNSON MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER BUCKSHNIS, TO APPROVE THE AGENDA, POSTPONING ITEMS 4.4, BOARD & COMMISSION REAPPOINTMENTS, AND ITEM 5.2, DALE HOGGINS PROCLAMATION, TO A FUTURE MEETING. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. 4. APPROVAL OF CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS COUNCIL PRESIDENT JOHNSON MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER BUCKSHNIS, TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS AMENDED. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. The agenda items approved are as follows: 1. APPROVAL OF COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING MINUTES OF DECEMBER 6, 2016 Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes December 13, 2016 Page 1 2. APPROVAL OF CLAIM CHECKS 3. BOARD & COMMISSION RETIREMENTS 5. PROSECUTOR'S CONTRACT RENEWAL 5. PRESENTATIONS/REPORTS 1. AWARD PRESENTATION FOR RONDI NORDAL Parks & Recreation Director Carrie Hite said this is an opportunity to honor a youth member of the community, Rondi Nordal, who recently received an award for her outstanding service. Ms. Nordal has done an incredible job on the fishing pier, doing surveys and working with Students Saving Salmon. Ms. Hite introduced the presenters, Laura Goff, Snohomish Conservation District, and Val Stewart. Ms. Goff commented she was thrilled to recognize Ms. Nordal in her own community; she was previously honored at the District's Better Grounds celebration. The District recognizes conservation leaders through Snohomish County; Ms. Nordal was one of four 2016 Youth Conservation Leader of the Year for her outstanding efforts and leadership to protect salmon streams in her area. She congratulated Ms. Nordal for being a 2016 Conservation Leader of the Year. Ms. Stewart explained she met Ms. Nordal approximately two years ago when she came to the first Students Saving Salmon meeting at Edmonds-Woodway High School. Ms. Nordal has been an inspirational leader in Students Saving Salmon Club at Edmonds-Woodway High School and her leadership has brought many student into the club and she guided the creation of opportunity for civic engagement and citizen science to promote conservation and restoration of salmon habitat in the Edmonds community. She is a shining example of a young leader and environmental steward. Supporters of the Club and who enabled its success include are Assistant Principal Jeff Bennett, Advisors Peggy Foreman and Joe Scordino as well as faculty advisors. Examples of Ms. Nordal's accomplishments include working with City staff on the Edmonds Fishing Pier rehabilitation project, interviewing fishermen and visitors to learn what they needed and what could be improved; an "On the Fence" project, "The Story of Salmon;" working with the Steam Team and coordinating lab samples and data analysis at a North Seattle Community College lab; making presentations to various government agencies and environmental organizations; writing to legislators and governors; and being in the local and regional news media. Ms. Nordal has initiative, asks questions and has ideas and puts them into action and inspires others to join. Students and adults admire her and follow her example; she has a natural desire to educate as well as ask questions and listen to views before thoughtfully responding. Her initiative and passion to converse and enhance salmon habitat has helped raise awareness about the plight of salmon in the greater community. Ms. Nordal walks the talk and can be counted on to lead environmental efforts to ensure healthy ecosystems for the next generations. She is a student at Western Washington University in environmental science where she joined a new organization, Students for Salish Sea. She was also selected as a NOAA intern last summer are usually only college students, working on the Elwha Dam restoration project. Ms. Nordal thanked the Council for honoring her receipt of this award; it means a lot to her to be recognized for the work done in the community and for people to see what she and others have done. The program information at the awards ceremony emphasized the importance of coming together and working as a community. She was happy to be honored as it reached out to the community and educated others toward a common goal of protecting the environment, resources and the natural world. The natural environment provides the resources for daily life as well as the health and quality of life. She thanked Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes December 13, 2016 Page 2 everyone who has helped her including her parents, family, friends, teachers, advisers and elected officials. She hope she had inspired others to do good work. 2. DALE HOGGINS PROCLAMATION This item was rescheduled to a future meeting. 3. EDMONDS DOWNTOWN ALLIANCE 2017 WORK PLAN AND BUDGET Economic Development & Community Services Director Patrick Doherty explained, as required, the Business Improvement District (Ed!) submitted their 2017 Work Plan and budget to staff by October 1. Also required is a presentation of their Work Plan and budget to Council and Council acceptance. He introduced Robert Boehlke, President. Mr. Boehlke introduced John Rankin, Treasurer, and Kimberly Koenig, Board Member. Mr. Boehlke identified the volunteer Advisory Board Members: • President - Robert Boehlke, House Wares • Secretary — Jacob Comstock, Comstock Jewelers • Treasurer - John Rankin, Rankin Jewellers • Clayton Moss, Forma • Kimberly Koenig, Rogue • Cadence Clyborne, HDR Engineering • Shubert Ho, Salt & Iron • Apple Catha, Apple Catha Massage Therapy • Kiersten Christensen, Insurance Services Group • Petra Rousu, Savvy Traveler • Pam Ehrbar, Contracted Administrator Ed!'s 2016 Work Plan Implementation includes: • Marketing Campaign • Holiday Campaign • Umbrella Program • Grant Program • Local Events • Member Engagement & Outreach • Public Restroom Funding • Parking ■ Professional Business Resources Ms. Koenig reviewed: Marketing Campaign o Marketing Strategy ■ Launch and build Ed! messaging to increase awareness of Edmonds as a day trip destination for shopping and dining • Utilize media with the most amount of exposure, to encourage recall, and reinforce top of mind — Social, Digital and Transit • Support digital search efforts to increase awareness and drive interaction to EdmondsDowntown.org o Transit Ad Campaign • Outside of Community Transit and King County buses from Stanwood to Seattle • Bonus interior ads o Social Media Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes December 13, 2016 Page 3 ■ Facebook — 6/16/16 — 160 followers — 9/3/16 — 1,001 followers — Increase of 52% ■ Instagram — 5/21/16 — 5 posts, 88 followers, 20 following — 9/13/16 — 52 posts, 361 followers, 313 following — Increase of 410% o Media Results ■ Media results throueh August 2016 Net Cost % Impressions CPM Transit $15,605 59% 6,791,000 $2.30 Digital $6,000 22% 1,539,992 $3.90 Social $5,00 19% ■ Edmondsdowntown.org — Traffic May — June Results — Users up 306% (5369 vs 1321) — Page Views up 207% (13,180 vs 4,287) — 90.7% of users were new • Holiday Campaign o Third annual Holiday Trolley scheduled for the upcoming holiday season o Joint digital marketing campaign with the City of Edmonds — Edmondsholidays.com o Trolley specific digital effort on Facebook and Instagram Mr. Boehlke described: • Umbrella Program o Continued annual commitment to fund this program o Overall positive feedback from Ed members and the public on this program, and is a great icon that identifies downtown Edmonds • Grant Program o Supported a number of Grant requests including: ■ Installation of Walking Map at Edmonds Historical Museum ■ Supported the first Creative Age Festival of Edmonds event ■ Brouhaha event as part of an ongoing series of events that includes numerous downtown Edmonds merchants • Outreach o Ed! volunteers participate in the annual 4ch of July parade o Member Engagement & Outreach ■ At annual meeting, showcased active and completed projects, and solicited member feedback on what projects they felt were most important to them. ■ As in previous events, members shared that marketing was their top priority, followed by parking improvements ■ Monthly e-newsletter keeps members updated on projects, issues of concern and ways to get involved. — Goes out to 535 members and community leaders each month. • Public Restroom Funding o Ed! Contributed $10,000 • Business Resources o Partnered with Chamber of Commerce to host disaster preparedness event for business owners. ■ Speakers from the Red Cross, Snohomish County Emergency Services and the Fire district Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes December 13, 2016 Page 4 ■ Fifty business owners and citizens attended ■ Hope to do more of this type of event in the future Parking o Dedicated to providing support for parking solutions o Engineer hired to draft proposed parking improvements on 4th Avenue • Proposed project could increase public safety, add stalls and provide easier parking. • Findings shared with City and Economic Development Commission (EDC) o Discussions regarding parking continue, from increased enforcement, better signage and other physical improvements that could help mitigate the effects of increased demand on infrastructure • 2017 Proposed Work Plan o Full Work Plan provided in Council packet o General Work Plan categories: • Administration • Communication and outreach ■ Marketing/advertising ■ Professional business resources • Appearance and environment • Ed! Grant program. Mr. Rankin reviewed: 2017 proposed budget highlights o Yearend balance of $67,000 added to total annual assessments of $75,000 = total revenue: $143,154 o Total year-to-date expenses: $64,972 o Balance: $78,183 o Diligent about staying within budget and spending wisely Mr. Boehlke advised Advisory Board meetings are held on the 2°a and 4th Thursday of month at the Edmonds Center for the Arts. Councilmember Buckshnis said bravo on the budget, noting an expenditure for the Washington State Convention was removed from the budget. She recognized the huge surplus and conservative budgeting. Council President Johnson observed Ed!'s second priority was parking and asked whether the Board had discussed where employee should park to allow for more customer parking. Mr. Doherty responded the memo the EDC provided to the City Council and Mayor regarding parking issues was informed by the work Ed! has done. In response, Mayor Earling established an interdepartmental team to work on parking issues; the team includes a representative from Ed! as well as the EDC. Their second meeting will be held tomorrow and will include discussion regarding the employee parking permit zone and its effect on the availability of visitor parking. Councilmember Teitzel recognized Ed! for their work and their presentation. He asked the annual cost of the umbrellas program and the loss rate as well as how Ed! planned to address the use of the stands as trash receptacles. Mr. Boehlke responded new containers will not allow garbage insertion. Mr. Rankin advised the annual cost is approximately $8,000 and there is an approximately 30% loss rate, noting one was recently discovered for sale at Goodwill. Mr. Boehlke commented Ed! does not consider umbrellas to be lost, they are in the communities continuing to market Edmonds. Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes December 13, 2016 Page 5 Councilmember Nelson pointed out Ed!'s Work Plan includes pedestrian and vehicle safety. He expressed appreciation for that focus which may include improving crosswalks. One of the Ed! board members is on the pedestrian safety task force and he looked forward to working with Ed! on pedestrian safety. Councilmember Fraley-Monillas recalled business owners in the past have gotten behind in their dues. She asked if there was better cooperation now and how dues in arrears were collected. Mr. Boehlke said Ed! hired people in November to visit all members to get their input on what they need, grievances, etc. A small number of businesses are in arrears. Mr. Doherty explained according to the established guidelines, once a business in arrears, it is handled by the City's Finance Department. COUNCILMEMBER BUCKSHNIS MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER TEITZEL, TO APPROVE THE EDMONDS DOWNTOWN ALLIANCE PROPOSED 2017 WORK PLAN AND BUDGET. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. 6. AUDIENCE COMMENTS Marlin Phelps, Edmonds, explained over 2 years ago the City turned off his water. The water bill was paid, but his family, including his 78-year old mother, were without water for 6 days. After trying unsuccessfully to get the City to turn his water back on, he turned it on himself and was arrested. The City's Municipal Court Judge dismissed that charge but the City appealed the dismissal to Superior Court. When the Superior Court kicked it back down to the Municipal Court, he told his attorney to appeal to the appellate level, literally an appeal of an appeal at the appellate court, City of Edmonds v. Marlin Phelps. His mother, who was present when he paid the water bill. He has made 11 attempts over 2 months on a motion to have his mother deposed. His mother is now 80 years old, her cancer has returned and she is unable to travel. He was told by the court clerk yesterday that he was put on the docket. He has reached out to Mr. Taraday, Councilmember Buckshnis and Mayor Earling. His mother is a key witness to the defense of something that has already been dismissed for lack of evidence. Any Councilmember could call Judge Coburn and tell her to hear his motion. He needs a video deposition of his mother before she dies. Marjorie Fields, Edmonds, spoke regarding the Fire Department budget. She recognized the Council had studied this issue long and hard but it appeared the study focused more on savings than enhancing services. Edmonds citizens have not asked to save money on fire protection; such budget cuts should not be done without consulting the affected public. Regardless of how it is rationalized, cutting personnel cannot result in better service. She was especially concerned about reduced emergency medical coverage in downtown Edmonds due to the number of older residents who generate emergency call and the importance of response time. She urged the Council to reconsider the planned cuts to public safety. Tom Nicholson, Edmonds, spoke in support of the Mayor's recommendation to modify the FD1 Interlocal Agreement. This reallocation of resources will not jeopardize public safety and is a responsible action for the City budget. This adjustment of staffing will be a major step forward in balancing the public need for emergency medical services and fire safety along with the reality of the City budget. His major concern was the potential property tax increases that would result from the City not acting now to manage ongoing increases in FD1's cost structure. This proposal will reduce the necessity for the City to introduce levies or tax increases that would impact all resident and significantly impact the affordability of living in the best small city in Washington. Michael McConnell, representing the firefighters of Fire District 7 which covers Mill Creek to Monroe, 110 square miles and 110,000 people, urged the Council to take pause prior to reducing service in Edmonds. That service and quality of life is not just dependent on the immediate response in Edmond but has a regional effect. As departments move to the New World response system that has the closest units respond, there is no consideration of jurisdictional boundaries. If each jurisdiction doesn't maintain the Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes December 13, 2016 Page 6 service levels expected by their citizens, it begins to rapidly deplete service in other jurisdictions. As Everett has made similar cuts, Fire District 7 is responding deeper into Everett. Edmonds is a great place to live but it is incumbent on the Council to maintain service levels and to maintain Edmonds' role and leadership in regional service. Kade Johnson, Edmonds, displayed the EpiPen he carries due to a severe allergy to peanuts and tree nuts. If he accidentally eats something with peanuts or tree nuts, his throat swells, making it hard to breath. The EpiPen is the first thing he needs to stop it; the second is for someone to call 911 so an ambulance can take him to the hospital and it is important this all happens as quickly as possible. His mom told him the Council was talking about having less emergency people and voting on a reduction from 11 to 9; that scared him. He asked what happened if everyone was busy and it took longer for an ambulance to reach him. He does his best to stay safe and avoid peanuts and tree nuts, but it is hard not being able to eat the same things at parties that most kids do. His parents do their best to protect him by telling everyone about his allergies and showing them how to use a EpiPen. He urged the Council to do their best to protect kids like him who really need emergency services to be available quickly. Josh Johnson, Edmonds, recalled hearing in the spring about proposals to cut emergency services and after not hearing about it during the summer, they thought the idea had been dropped. Last week they learned the Council was seriously considering cuts. They also learned last month the Council voted to increase taxes for emergency medical service. One article states the importance of funding lifesaving services and that taxes would be increased by 5.7%, yet the Council is considered cutting these services by 20%. One month the Council voted to raise taxes; the next month they are considering lowering services and cutting staff from 11 to 9. A nationally recognized standard for staffing a city like Edmond recommends 15 EMS; the proposal is to go from 11 to 9, a 40% decrease. He was fine with paying more taxes especially for EMS services for his son and others. He urged the Council to carefully consider this decision. Peter Gibson, Edmonds, referred to the math cited by Mr. Johnson, increasing taxes and reducing services is silly and electeds should be able to figure that out. This proposal reminds him of a recent election where he did not think something would happen; this spring there were discussions about reducing services and now he feared the Council would vote to reduce services, a slap in citizens' faces. He recalled talking to Councilmember Teitzel last week who told him the Council was voting to change things, not necessarily decrease services and that FD1 could choose to staff the City the way they want and the City would have to pay for it. He compared that to paying for chuck steak at the butcher shop and asking for prime rib. He referred to comments his mother made last week when he was on shift as a firefighter in Kitsap County regarding his father who passed away in 1997. He was that 4-year old watching her do CPR for 7 minutes, the result of pre-2011 staffing level which it appeared the Council wanted to return to. He urged the Council to vote correctly. Nora Banks, Edmonds, said she and her husband are seniors and her husband has been the beneficiary of not just good, but well delivered service that saved his life twice due to the prompt response. Her husband has suffered two strokes and a heart attack and each time firefighters have gotten him to the emergency room so quickly and so well prepared that they saved his life and he is now healthy and walking around. She did not have statistics, only the request that when considering a reduction in staff, Councilmembers think about the health and wellbeing of the people who voted them into office, think about someone watching their house burn or someone's child that needs emergency care. When making a decision, she urged the Council to keep in mind that the health and safety of citizens must always come first before anything else and to stop seeing so many dollar signs. Erin Zackey, Edmonds, introduced her children Quinn and Hazel, and relayed her mom being a volunteer firefighter in the small town where she grew up gave her a deep respect for firefighters and their Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes December 13, 2016 Page 7 intense responsibility in the community. Today she and other teachers received annual training on the use of EpiPens because of the number of students who need those service. With the number of schools in Edmonds, she was concerned about efficient response times and having enough responders if there were a natural disaster or numerous incidents occurring at the same time in local schools. A lot of young children have more and food allergies. As a mom, she recognized that reducing lifesaving staff in Edmonds was not appropriate. Her kids can be reckless and she did not want their put lives in jeopardy by not having the needed service available. She urged the Council not to make cuts to Fire Department and to respect and appreciate the service they provide. Leslie Buchanan, Edmonds, said she did not come tonight with politics or numbers, she came with the reality of life and death. Her family has been walking through the valley of shadow of death for about year; Sunday night half the City's fire crew came to their home because they wanted to meet her husband who is awaiting a heart transplant. She was very impressed with how caring the firefighters were and their interest in learning about his situation and how they could assist in an emergency. She was shocked to read in the paper about the proposed cuts and felt compelled to speak to the Council for her husband and others who cannot come to the Council due to health issues. Speaking for those who do not have a voice, she urged the Council not to make these cuts. Jennifer Bardslee, Edmonds, said Edmonds is a wonderful place to live; it has a good reputation as a place for families and retirees. She was willing to pay more taxes if it meant having a well -staffed fire safety program. The Fire Department has assisted them three times, once when her 2-year old locked himself in his bedroom; when both the carbon monoxide detectors went off, and when her child got his finger stuck in the hold in a clipboard. Although these were minor things, at the time, these seemed like big emergencies to her family; firefighters deal with all kinds of emergencies, big and small. She acknowledged older people vote for school levies because they recognize the importance of schools; those older people also rely on emergency services. Todd Zackey, Edmonds, commented on the importance of maintaining the level of EMS service downtown. Highly trained paramedics need to be downtown; City relying on resources from other areas can be troublesome for residents as well as put others areas in jeopardy. Edmonds is in an active earthquake zone and the City needs to be prepared for that; getting rid of critical staff will not help when that occurs. The City is considering a railroad overpass to provide access for emergency services; there need to be personnel to provide those services. He had no problem paying to ensure the services that are needed are provided. At a minimum, the Council should consider giving the community the option to decide rather than the Council making the decision. He encouraged the Council to make the right decision but if they could not, allow citizens to make this important, life or death decision. Erika Strauss, Edmonds, mom, resident, writer, local shopper and diner and earlier this year, a first-time patron of local emergency services. She did not intend to support the local emergency crew; luckily her husband called 911when she passed out on her kitchen floor. A crew of compassionate and phenomenally able first responders whisked her to Swedish -Edmonds where the cause of her fainting was ruled to be an undiagnosed electrolyte imbalance exacerbated by dehydration. Not a big deal but her heart could have stopped if she not promptly and properly rehydrated. Her condition is not difficult to manage but the first time in an aid unit and the emergency room was a wakeup call. Her situation could have been far worse if not for the quick availability and the effective care of local emergency service. She was no sure whether any Councilmembers had been a patient in an ambulance but in her experience, it tends to clarify what you really care about. She reminded elected officials that the basis of community is caring for your neighbor, care, compassion and protection of your neighbors, core values that the local government must protect for Edmonds to maintain its unique and special quality. Nothing is more fundamental to great communities than caring about your neighbors; she urged the Council to do everything in their power to ensure full funding and support of the local emergency services, the very foundation of a community. Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes December 13, 2016 Page 8 Mark Batrilla, Edmonds, said he spent 31 years with the Edmonds Fire Department. When he started, there were 12 career firefighters at 1 fire station and 30+ volunteers. Over the years, the department transitioned into a full-time Fire Department. The leadership at that time saw fit to bring advance life support services with Medic 7 into this area which eventually grew to two paramedic units with two paramedics at Lynnwood and Edmonds. It is well known in emergency circles that the best place to have a heart attack is in Seattle; however, the statistics for southwest Snohomish County are even better than Seattle's due to leadership making sure citizens have the best. He urged the Council not to settle for good, but to keep the best. Roger Hertrich, Edmonds, recalled speaking several years ago when the Council was considering giving up the City's Fire Department and contracting with FD1. He agreed this was the safest area and did not feel the cost savings warranted reducing service. He recalled early discussions about Woodway and confirmed with an ex-Councilmember that when FD1 came to Edmonds, they were so enthusiastic about selling the contract with the City, they did not feel including Woodway in the cost was important and they were willing to pay the cost. He suggested research may find Edmonds is not obligated to pay Woodway's share. Edmonds' Fire Department serves the community in a very well and citizens feel safe and he did not think Councilmembers wanted to reduce service and increase fear. He has used the Fire Department once and hoped it did not happen again. He joked the Mayor should worry about needing emergency services, commenting they may not be available if he needed them. He urged the Council not to cut emergency services and if they were worried about the cost, they should look into whether the City was responsible for paying Woodway's share. Peggy Farrah, Edmonds, downtown business owner, introduced her son Kristo and said as a former healthcare administrator and non -clinical person, she often made decisions based on numbers and data. Often the nurses and doctors that she managed were opposed to those decisions due to their real -world experience. She was sure the Council had information that convinced them these measures would not pose public safety issues because she was certain the safety of the public was in an elected official's hearts. From her experience, some of the decisions made at the hospital turned out to be the wrong decision; different decisions may have been made had more time been taken to listen to the front-line workers doing the job. She encouraged the Council to take the firefighters' day-to-day experience into account. She recalled in a letter to the editor in My Edmonds News suggesting the Council do ridealongs with firefighters to spend time in the shoes of those delivering the services. She urged the Council to consider that and to take more time to consider other options. Andrew Matheson, Edmonds, commented every time he rides his bike, he puts on a bike helmet; similarly, every time he gets in a car, he puts the seatbelt on and makes sure others in the car are wearing their seatbelts. The chance of getting in an accident are pretty low on any given day, yet he puts his bike helmet and seatbelt on every time. The report prepared by the consultant looked at call volumes and expected outcomes for any given day; with the right budget and the right staffing, those expected outcomes could be met with some margin of error. The report also cites national averages which include a spike/anomaly in the numbers for 9/11. He pointed out the importance of being prepared to respond to that spike which could be the result of terrorism, natural disaster, etc. He summarized it was a mistake to staff based on the accidents that may occur on any given day; instead the City needed to be prepared with the necessary emergency service. Voters have supported these services, speaking with their votes to say emergency service are important to them. He suggested doing more due diligence regarding disaster before making cuts. Tim Hufty, Edmonds, pointed out there were no statistic on people walking into the fire station needing help. Last August his dad visited Station 17 to get his blood pressure checked during the Tate of Edmonds because he wasn't feeling well. He flatlined at the fire station and the firefighters brought him back. If Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes December 13, 2016 Page 9 services are cut and EMTs and paramedics are shifted around so they are not available downtown, he questioned what happened the next time someone walked in needing help. He recognized the electeds have a tough job building and balancing a budget, but figured the last thing they would do would be to cut public safety. He was ashamed and embarrassed and said there are other ways to cut the fat. He questioned the Council raising taxes and then cutting fire service, questioning what was next — raising water rates and telling him he can only use five gallons a day. Edmonds is growing and more services are needed; the Council should look to the future and add firefighters, EMTs and equipment, not make cuts to balance the budget. He was not in favor of raising taxes and preferred the Council figure out to make the money work. As a business owner outside Edmonds, he suggested some fat could be cut from the City's second floor. 7. ACTION ITEMS 1. AWARD OF EDMONDS VETERAN'S PLAZA PROJECT Parks & Recreation Director Carrie Hite requested the Council award the bid to K-A Construction for construction of the Veteran's Plaza. The Council packet contain a memo outlining previous action, current bids that ranged from $290,000 - $472,000 and engineer's estimate of $285,000. She recalled the Council bids previously rejected bid a few months ago at staffs requests when bids were $450,000 - $700,000. The citizen committee has been working hard to raise money to construct the Veteran's Plaza; to date they have raised $505,000. A donation in the amount of $4500 was received in the last two days as well as commitments for $16,000, reducing the deficit of $67,000 to $47,000. Committee Co -Chair Maria Montolvo has indicated a donor has committed $50,000 if it is needed. The Committee assures they are committed to raising the rest of the funds and would like to have the bid awarded so that construction can begin in January with the project completed in time for Memorial May. Ron Clyborne, Edmonds, Co -Chair, Veterans Plaza Committee, representing the Edmonds Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion and Vietnam Veteran of America, as well as all veterans past, present and future, relayed their excitement about building this park plaza to honor and remember all veterans past present and future. COUNCILMEMBER MESAROS MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER FRALEY- MONILLAS, TO AWARD THE CONTRACT FOR THE EDMOND VETERAN'S PLAZA TO K-A CONSTRUCTION AND AUTHORIZE A 10% MANAGEMENT RESERVE FOR UNFORESEEN CONDITIONS DURING CONSTRUCTION. Councilmember Tibbott said after reviewing the drawings, he was impressed with receiving a bid that meets the objectives. He was supportive of the bid award and looked forward to completing the project next year. Councilmember Buckshnis said bravo, recalling the herculean effort to raise $8500 for the K-9 statue. She thanked the veterans and other donors, commenting the plaza will be fabulous and she looks forward to its completion. Mr. Clyborne recalled a Marine Corp saying, "when the going gets tough, the tough get going." The community got it done, and have a plan for any discrepancy that arises. He pointed out fundraising began approximately seven months ago and raised $475,000. Fundraising stopped because it was believed there was enough but was restarted when more money was needed, raising another $45,000. He assured any discrepancy could be handled. Councilmember Nelson commented although he was sure the discrepancy could be handled, but if it couldn't, he was certain the City would find a way to help out. He thanked Mr. Clyborne and all the veterans for their service. He was sorry the Veteran's Plaza could be done sooner and looked forward to its completion. Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes December 13, 2016 Page 10 MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. 2. POTENTIAL ACTION ON THE FIRE DISTRICT 1 INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT Mr. Taraday explained this is a follow-up to last week's presentation. He reminded the Council what the project with Fitch Associates was tasked with considering: • If you were designing the Edmond Fire Department from scratch today, based on the data that you have today, what would you design? • How many firefighters would you plan to employ? • Of those, how many would be paramedics? Factors to consider include: Geography of the City and FD1 o Map identifying the stations that Edmonds pays to operate 16, 17 and 20 and the other FD1 and Lynnwood stations. Type of demand for service o Primary demand is EMS ■ EMS 55.2% • EMS-ALS:30.3% ■ Fire related 9.8% • Service 4.6% • Special Ops 0.2% Frequency of demand for service o Unit hour utilization by unit analysis indicates using 1/3 of the capacity provided by 11 firefighters in 3 stations today = 0.10 utilization rate 0 0.30 = IAFF standard utilization rate o Consultant concluded actual usage is 0.10%, indicating there is a lot of capacity available in the system Equity among the various neighborhoods o Currently only 2 paramedics for entire City, operating in the same unit at Station 17 o Currently the next closest paramedics are at Lynnwood Station 14 and Mountlake Terrace Station 19 o Takes only one paramedic call to completely wipe out paramedic services in the City • If two heart attacks happen at the same time, the second one waits for either Lynnwood or Mountlake Terrace to respond o Under Mayor Earling's recommended proposal, Alternative 2, paramedic proximity improved with one paramedic located at Stations 16, 17 and 20 as part of a cross -staffed unit ■ Allows for the possibility of three dispatches requiring a paramedic capability • Paramedics often double dispatched, but it is not always necessary - Dispatcher can decide whether double dispatch necessary Means to evaluate the service over time o Utilization of 0.25% at any one of three station is the threshold to trigger negotiations with FD1 to bring utilization rate to a more reliable rate. Cost (last but not least) o $1.36 million difference in cost between current staffing and the recommended proposal Mr. Taraday explained the issue of cost is frustrating for the City and probably for FD1 because neither party is fully in control of what they pay firefighters because are subject to interest arbitration which means FD1 cannot say how much they will pay firefighters. FD1 does not have the same ability to control costs that a typical employer has; under State law, labor unions such as IAFF have a lot of power to set Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes December 13, 2016 Page 11 compensation levels according to what other agencies are paying. As a result, it costs a lot to maintain a Fire Department. Mr. Taraday highlighted the proposed action: • Motion to direct City attorney to bring back for final action an ILA that contemplates use of Fitch Alternative 2. o ILA not ready for approval yet; FD1 and the City still have work to do. o Helpful for both negotiating teams to get direction/confirmation that the Council supports the proposed alternative staffing model ■ If the Council does not support the proposed alternate, that will change the negotiations. COUNCILMEMBER MESAROS MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER TIBBOTT, TO DIRECT THE CITY ATTORNEY TO BRING BACK FOR FINAL ACTION AN ILA THAT CONTEMPLATES THE USE OF FITCH ALTERNATIVE 2. Councilmember Mesaros commented tonight the Council heard testimony from citizens about the importance of emergency medical services. He supports the proposal because it increases EMS services, increasing from two paramedics to three. Several audience members commented on how quickly emergency services arrived and he pointed out if that were a paramedic call, a second call may have to wait for a unit from Lynnwood or Mountlake Terrace; this solve that problem. Councilmember Buckshnis recalled in 2009 Lora Petso, Adrianne Fraley-Monillas and she were citizen advocates opposed to selling the City's Fire Department to FD1. They were later selected to assist with selecting the consultant who would help the Council understand. FD1 Commissioners have said they will sever the contract with Edmonds if Edmonds does not pay Woodway's share of the cost. A very diligent and pragmatic process has taken approximately 14 months to complete. The Fitch report is a fresh set of eyes. FD1's report, done in February 2016, says about the same thing as Fitch's report. If citizens are interested in a public safety levy, she will lead that charge, commenting that is what should have been done in 2009. Councilmember Fraley-Monillas said one of objections when the previous Council and Mayor sold the Fire Department was that the cost would eventually be higher. Although it was easy to say the savings was only $1.36 million, she questioned where cuts could be made to provide those funds — police, roads? She pointed out certain revenue sources must be used for certain expenditures. Fire and Police are paid from the General Fund, a huge cost to the City. The first -year savings are $1.36 million. FD1 firefighters haven't negotiated their contract this year and she expected costs to increase next year. The City needs to have some control while still providing a good or same level of service that has been provided in the past. Councilmember Fraley-Monillas asked who Mr. Taraday has been negotiating with and whether it was with the labor union or the FD1 Commission. Mr. Taraday answered the negotiating team was two FD1 Commissioners, FD1 Chief, Assistant Chief and FD1's attorney. Councilmember Fraley-Monillas asked who negotiated with the union. Mr. Taraday answered FD1 leadership. Councilmember Fraley-Monillas asked if the FD1 Commissioner had discussed Alternative 2 with Local 1828. Mr. Taraday answered he did not think there had been a formal conversation, certainly union membership was aware of the proposal. FD1 does not need union permission to make this change. Councilmember Fraley-Monillas observed there was potential that staffing issues, layoffs, etc. could be addressed during FD1 and Local 1828' negotiations. Mr. Taraday answered when FD1 and the union bargain a contract, many issues are considered, not the least of which is compensation. He reiterated compensation was driven by comparable fire agencies. FD 1 may have aspirations to pay a certain amount, but in the end under State law they pretty much have to pay what the comps show. Although the City is Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes December 13, 2016 Page 12 limited in increasing the levy 1%/year, the interest arbitrators are not limited and can and do award more than a 1% increase in compensation. The system is set up in a manner that costs will exceed revenue. For Councilmember Fraley-Monillas, Mr. Taraday said under the City's current arrangement with FD1, the City pays for certain minimum staffing levels. FDI can assign additional staff to the Edmonds stations but that does not commit Edmonds to pay for the additional staff. Councilmember Fraley-Monillas asked if FDI would need to return to the City if they decided to add staff to the Edmonds fire stations. Mr. Taraday said he watched the FDI Board meeting on Wednesday; it is extremely unlikely that the Board would assign staff to Edmonds stations without Edmonds committing to pay for it. Councilmember Fraley-Monillas said she was disturbed by the lack of communication between the Commission and their labor union, envisioning this may not have been as dramatic if there had been better communication. Councilmember Tibbott requested staff describe the increase in the EMS levy, where those funds come from, how they are used, and why that is not enough to cover the current level of service. Finance Director Scott James responded the 2017 EMS levy is $3,9790,000; the cost for EMS services far surpasses that levy amount. The EMS levy cannot be raised without a vote. Councilmember Tibbott observed approximately $4 million is the most that can be raised via the EMS levy and the additional amount comes from other sources. Mr. James said the cost of Alternative 1 is $7,400,000 which includes fire service, Fire Marshal, Fire Inspector, apparatus replacement, etc. As Mr. Taraday indicated, approximately 85% of the services provided are EMS. Applying that 85% to the total cost, approximately $6 million is for medical -related responses. Councilmember Tibbott summarized taxes have been raise the maximum allowed by law. Mr. James agreed, they had been raised to the maximum amount without a vote. He explained EMS is limited to $050/$1000 assessed value by State law; the 2017 levy will be approximately $0.48/$1000 which is still not enough to cover EMS services. Councilmember Tibbott referenced the tax increase voters in Snohomish County approved for fire protection. Mr. James explained FDI citizens approved an increase; Edmonds is not in FDI so that increase does not affect City residents. Residents of Esperance are affected by the increase as are other properties in FDI outside of Edmonds. Councilmember Tibbott observed the new ILA with FDI would allow the City to receive funds from Esperance to offset costs. Mr. James said the $7.4 million includes all costs for the three stations, less the EMS taxes generated by the Esperance area, $1,117,000. The remainder, $4,727,000 is paid by the City of Edmonds. Mr. Taraday pointed out under the original agreement with FDI, 13.08% of the three -station cost was allocated to Esperance; if that were applied to the new levy amount, the $1,117,000 the City receives to offset the cost via the Esperance property tax revenue would not be enough to pay for 13.08% of the status quo system delivery model, essentially meaning Edmonds would be subsidizing Esperance fire/EMS services. Under Alternative 2, the property tax revenue received from Esperance more or less equals the 13.08% share. Councilmember Tibbott asked about the revenue source for the former Medic 7 stationed at Stevens Hospital. Mr. James answered it was his understanding it was the EMS levy and compensation from the partner cities. He offered to email Councilmembers that information. Councilmember Teitzel pointed out there have been comments that service in Edmonds will be cut but it was his understanding there will be no cuts; the 2 FTEs from 11 to 9 would be reallocated elsewhere in FD 1. Mr. Taraday agreed, pointing out FD I operates 12 fire stations, 3 of which are in Edmonds. It was his understanding there is enough need in the employment applicant pool that the proposed changes could be absorbed elsewhere in FDI and there would not be any layoffs. Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes December 13, 2016 Page 13 Councilmember Teitzel asked about FDI's plans to reallocate those two position and whether they would possibly allocate one to the Mountlake Terrace fire station thereby improving response time on an ALS call in the Lake Ballinger area. Mr. Taraday relayed his understanding Station 19 currently has 3 firefighters on duty at a time. He asked if Councilmember Teitzel's question was whether FD1 might increase that to 4. Councilmember Teitzel answered possibly. Mr. Taraday answered the discussions with FD1 leadership have not gotten into that level of detail. FD1 is the expert on how to deploy crews. Councilmember Teitzel asked if the two reallocated firefighters could potentially be used to improve mutual aid response from a station outside Edmonds to an Edmonds call. Mr. Taraday said he could not speculate regarding how FD1 would reassign those firefighters. Edmonds will not lose any paramedics, the two existing paramedics will be in different units and a third paramedic will be added. Councilmember Teitzel observed when the original FD1 model was developed, Woodway was part of it. In January 2014 Woodway joined Shoreline Fire and their call demand was shifted to Shoreline. He asked if the departure of Woodway created excess capacity especially in Stations 17 and. Mr. Taraday did not know how much call volume was associated with Woodway but whatever that volume was, its absence represents a reduction in demand. Councilmember Nelson pointed out there are currently three paramedics on duty in the City of Edmonds at times, one at Station 20 and the two at Station 17. Mr. Taraday agreed that occasionally happens. Councilmember Nelson commented because he likes to do his homework, he met with FD1 Chief Reading, Lynnwood Fire Chief Cockrum, rode on the fire rescue boat and fire engine 16 and responded to multiple medical calls. He toured the City's oldest and most populated buildings, learning their unique risks to fire danger. He researched the National Fire Protection Associations standards and even the consultants' reports for other cities. The Council may think the consultant give them everything they need to know to make cuts but he questioned what they really knew about the information presented like the recommendation to remove the downtown fire engine and have less firefighters at night, the graph that indicates most emergency calls do not happen at night. For example there are very few fire calls at night. He looked this up and compared it to the national average and it matches. However, something the consultant's graphs do not show that the national graph do is that although 20% of all fires happen at night, they account for 52% of all home fire fatalities. He questioned whether the Council really wanted to downgrade the fire service from a report that downplays fire dangers and suggested telling that to the families of the four people who died in fires in Everett last winter, the mother who lost her three children to a fire in Centralia this March, the 15 business owners in downtown Bothell who lost everything this summer. Councilmember Nelson continued, the City's firefighter are heroes, but they are not superheroes; they are mere mortals called upon to do extraordinary tasks. They cannot do their job to protect us with one hand tied behind their back. One person can do CPR chest compressions 120 times/minute for only so long before they physically tire out and have to stop; stopping means death. Another person has to replace them; it is a physically demanding job to save lives. Our firefighters cannot keep us safe if they do not have a sufficient amount of people and equipment. So are we really enhancing our fire services. The International Association of Fire Chief's website has webinars on best practices and new developments from experts. He listed titles of webinars, Track Fire Department Training with a Purpose, Statistical Methods in Fire Service, Community Risk Reduction, Critical Success Factors for Fire and Rescue Leaders, Must -Have Policies for Every Fire Department, Fire Prevention Risks in Local Communities and Critical Questions Every Fire Chief Should Ask Their City/County Managers, a webinar by the consultants, Stephen Knight and Bruce Moeller, where they state the most important questions for a fire chief involve understanding the economic and political realities facing your agency, understanding the economic motivators for requests for efficiencies, developing a framework for navigating the economic realities of change in your agency. He pointed out that was who the Council was basing the type of fire Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes December 13, 2016 Page 14 service the community needs; their job is to give cities cover to make cuts. That is why it matters how the problem is framed. Councilmember Nelson said if the Council thinks we should operate as a business, which some Councilmembers do, then looking for efficiencies is perfectly logical. The Finance Director says this makes good business sense. The fire consultant looks for return on investment and the City Attorney cite financial savings. But if the Council is looking for efficiencies as part of a business model, every city department would fail looking through that lens. As a professor of economics in Forbes Magazine recently wrote, does it makes sense to run government like a business? The short answer is no. Efficiency in the private sector means profit. The problem is that not everything profitable is of social value and not everything of social value is profitable. The Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corp, Police Department, Fire Department, libraries, parks, public schools are social value yet they could not exist if they were required to be profitable. Imagine maintaining the military by selling subscriptions door-to-door. Profit is the realm of business while unprofitable but socially useful tasks are the responsibility of government. Somewhere along the way the Council has forgotten what its role is. The Council's function is not maintain a profit for shareholder; its role is to protect citizens from all injuries however small, large, likely or unlikely. It has always been expensive to save lives and it always will be. Councilmember Nelson continued, there is a reason the City Council is tasked with this choice, not the FD1 board, not the fire chief, not the consultants. The Council must decide the level of safety for the community, how much a life is worth to protect. He asked whether this proposal was really the best way forward for fire service. He believed it was not and believed cutting the number of firefighters and having only three emergency vehicles available instead of four was very risky. He believed increasing demands on the paramedics and sharing with neighboring cities will not benefit Edmonds. He believed not holding FD l administration accountable to respond to emergencies with the minimum amount of people within a specific time like every other city in the country is inexcusable. He believed Edmonds could do better, find a better way to pay for the best fire service the City can afford. He believed the Council should prioritize saving lives over saving money and hoped the Council would join him in opposing these cuts. Council President Johnson recalled testimony about families concerned about protecting their loved ones and concerns about safety and agreed safety was the number one priority. As her parents aged, she called the Fire Department on several occasions, many times because she needed assistance picking her parent up from the floor and fortunately four trips to the hospital that were considered basic life support. One dreadful call required advanced life support and every second meant the difference between life and death. She appreciated the work firefighters do and she was a happy customer. Having said that, she believed having three paramedics cross -trained with firefighters was better than one two -paramedic team. For that reason she will support the proposal with the idea it will be monitored and possibly there could be a levy in the future or a different combination of personnel. Councilmember Buckshnis said she wished Councilmember Nelson was here in 2009 when the City sold the Fire Department. She emphasized there was a reopener in the ILA. Although Fitch found there was an underutilization, FD1 is doing a good job. If the City maintains the status quo, FD1 Commissioners have said they will sever the contract. The City and FD1 both had reports prepared and both say about the same thing. If the community is interested in a levy, she will help. She noted one of the issues was firefighters want a 72-hour work day and some Councilmember do not support that. MOTION CARRIED (6-1), COUNCILMEMBER NELSON VOTING NO. Mayor Earling declared a brief recess. Councilmember Nelson left the meeting at 8:59 p.m, 8. STUDY ITEMS Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes December 13, 2016 Page 15 1. FEMA FLOOD INSURANCE. RATE MAP (FIRM) UPDATE Senior Planner Kernen Lien explained this is a briefing on the FEMA FIRM which identify flood plains throughout Snohomish County. The limited amount of flood plains in Edmonds are identified in the maps continued in Exhibits 1-4 in the Council packet. He displayed a sample FIRM that includes the Edmonds Marsh and the near waterfront area. The existing maps were established in 1999; FEMA is updating the maps following studies of the flood plains through Snohomish County. The City's flood plains are primarily along the shorelines. A coastal flood hazard study along the Snohomish County shoreline had 36 transects. Transect locations and density based on: • Shoreline characteristic ■ Shoreline direction • Nearshore bathymetry • Wave dynamics • Land use and development He displayed a Coastal Analysis Modeling Comparison, guidelines for coastal flood hazard mapping and analysis for Pacific Coast of the United States January 2005, highlighting the old approach and new approach for analysis method, wind data, water level model, wave model, topography and study resolution. He pointed out the old approach to topography and establishing contours was USG Contour Maps and the new approach is LiDAR data. Mr. Lien displayed an aerial of Existing and Updated Flood Plain Comparison — Waterfront Area created by overlaying GIS layers on the map. He identified old and new flood plains, explaining the old maps did not establish a base flood elevation, 100-year flood level. The new maps establish base flood elevation: 12 feet in the near waterfront area. He displayed an aerial of Existing and Updated Flood Plain Comparison — Shell Creek area, identifying flood plains on the old and new map and noting the flood plain in this area was reduced to only the mouth of Shell Creek. He displayed an aerial of Existing and Updated Flood Plain Comparison — Lake Ballinger, advising there were no changes to the flood plain around Lake Ballinger in Edmonds' jurisdiction. FEMA will open a four -month appeal/comment period in January/February to gather any other technical information regarding base flood elevation. A public meeting will be held in Everett in January/February on the flood plain maps. A bigger issue in Snohomish County and the nation that does not affect Edmonds is dikes and what do behind the dikes. Staff does not believe any of the information in the updated flood maps is incorrect or needs refinement. Tonight's presentation to Council is information only. Councilmember Mesaros referred to page 239 of the Council packet, a map illustrating the Edmonds Marsh, and asked if global warming and sea level rise in 20-40 years had been taken into consideration. Mr. Lien said the map update did not look out that far. It does take into consideration wave action; he pointed out areas with a 16-foot base flood elevation and the 12-foot base flood elevation, commenting the higher base flood elevation is an area subject to more wave action. The map will continue to be updated periodically. Councilmember Mesaros commented a new community center is being built on the waterfront; most new buildings are expected to last 50 years. He recalled the Council approved plans that raised the elevation 2 feet but feared that may not have been enough. Mr. Lien recalled the evaluation of sea level rise arose during the Shoreline Management Plan update; no new information regarding sea level rise has been developed recently. The policies regarding sea level rise state the City will stay abreast of the issue. One of the studies this spring with Sustainable Cities is evaluating the impacts of sea level rise on the near waterfront area. Councilmember Mesaros commented sea level rise also had the potential to impact the wastewater treatment plant. Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes December 13, 2016 Page 16 For Councilmember Tibbott, Mr. Lien explained the 12-foot base flood elevation is a 100-year flood event which means a 1% chance in any given year of a flood event of that level. Councilmember Tibbott recalled the senior center is at 14 feet. Mr. Lien identified the senior center in the 12-foot base flood elevation area. Councilmember Tibbott recalled the Council added 2 feet. Mr. Lien explained changes made during the CAO update included requiring all structures within the coastal flood hazard area to be built 2 feet above base flood elevation and a change to the definition of height allowing the zoning height to be measured from 2 feet above base flood elevation. For Councilmember Tibbott, Mr. Lien identified the old mapped flood plain and the expanded base flood elevation on the new FIRM. Councilmember Buckshnis observed daylighting of Willow Creek would impact flood control. Mr. Lien responded daylighting will not impact the identified flood plain area. The mean higher high tide for Puget Sound is approximately 10 feet; 100-year flood event is 2 feet above that. Daylighting Willow Creek would not impact that. Councilmember Buckshnis asked whether the Edmonds Marsh acting like a sponge and able to absorb more would have an impact. Mr. Lien answered given this is in the coastal flood hazard area, water from Puget Sound will cause flooding. Wetlands will absorb water from Willow Creek and Shellabarger Creek. In coastal flood hazard areas, flooding is a combination of those sources. Council President Johnson referred to the map with Edmonds Marsh and asked if flooding in this area occurred only once in 100 years particularly at Dayton & SR-104. Public Works Director Phil Williams answered those statistics are projected using historical data and it is unknown how accurately that will predict the future. Council President Johnson asked if he had seen more than one flooding event in that area during the six years he has been with the City. Mr. Williams acknowledged rainfall events have been more frequent and more intense than what the historical record projects. That is different than flooding events which may be short and intense and create localized flooding. Council President Johnson commented the systems are related. She observed the flood gate is closed six month of the year to prevent flooding. Mr. Williams acknowledged there was interest in having tighter control on the flood gates, including developing criteria for their use, possibly installing motorized valves, etc. Those issues will be considered during the detailed design of Willow Creek daylighting. Currently the flood gates are closed and opened on dates certain which has generally worked well. Finer control and more accurate predictions based on forecasts, etc. would be helpful. Council President Johnson commented there was information available that could be used such as tide charts, phases of moon and weather forecasts. She expressed interest in looking at that issue in greater detail. Mr. Williams agreed it would be during the design of the Willow Creek daylighting project. Council President Johnson inquired about the status of the lift station in the parking lot. Mr. Williams answered there are two lift stations in this area and a third will be added with the stormwater pump station at Beach Place. Lift stations do not necessarily cease to function in a flood but they could; it is not ideal to have water flooding the pump stations. Council President Johnson summarized there is a lot of water in this area from streams, stormwater, etc. and the buildings are vulnerable. The new waterfront/senior center will be built at elevation 14, 2 feet above its current elevation but that is next Puget Sound's 13- foot base flood elevation. She asked the relationship between 13 and 12-foot base flood elevations. Mr. Lien pointed out the sea wall along the waterfront; development of the community center will include additional work in that area. The primary difference between the 13- and 12-foot base flood elevations is 13 feet is out in the water versus in the landward area. He pointed out an area to the south with a 16-foot base flood elevation including wave action. Council President Johnson looked forward to the information the students will produce related to climate change. She asked the timing of that relative to the FIRM. Mr. Lien said the 4-month comment period Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes December 13, 2016 Page 17 will open in January/February. FEMA will respond to comments, issue the maps in fall 2017 and they will be effective in early 2018. He did not expect the flood plains in the waterfront area to change much. 2. PRESENTATION OF A TIB GRANT FOR CONSTRUCTION FUNDING FOR THE 76TH AVE & 212TH ST. INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENTS Public Works Director Phil Williams thanked Council President Johnson for her service as Council President this year. He explained there are two projects, 1) rebuild the intersection creating more geometry to accommodate concurrent left turns to increase efficiency, and 2) working with two other cities and the Verdant grant to construct bike lanes on 761h from 220`h to 2001h. The two projects will be bid in one package this spring. When the project was put out to bid last year, a limited number of bids were submitted and the bids were higher than the available budget and the engineer's estimate. Staff subsequently applied for and received a TIB grant for $2.245 million. Funding for the project is $9.07 million; $6.05 million or 73% of the total project cost will be provided by 3 grants — the TIB grant, approximately $4 million from the original federal grant and $460,000, the City's share of the Verdant grant. The Utility Funds will pay most of remaining cost due to installation of new stormwater, water and sewer facilities within the project limits. COUNCILMEMBER BUCKSHNIS MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER TEITZEL, TO APPROVE A TIB GRANT FOR CONSTRUCTION FUNDING FOR THE 76TH AVENUE & 212Tn STREET INTERSECTION. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. (Councilmember Nelson was not present for the vote.) 3. APPROVAL OF EXPENDITURE FOR HISTORIC INFORMATION PANELS Councilmember Teitzel commented the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) has been working on this for approximately two years. The HPC's focus is preserving the memory of what Edmonds once was through both designating historic buildings for designation on the historic register as well as identify/preserving historical places. As the City recently celebrated its 125'h anniversary, the HPC felt it important to focus on the waterfront area which was heavily populated with mills in the early years. None of the mills remain and the waterfront is now occupied by parks restaurants and the marina. The HPC developed a concept to place an informational panel on the south end of Sunset Avenue with a historic picture taken about 1900 showing what the waterfront looked like. The photograph, attached to the Council packet as Exhibit 3, shows mills at work emitting smoke and steam and a steam locomotive northbound on the tracks. The panel would be installed at the approximate location where the historic photo was taken along the southern end of Sunset Avenue, allowing the viewer to compare the current scene with the scene approximately 100 years ago. A second panel would be mounted in the Yost Park in front of a well-preserved old growth cedar stump that still bears the springboard notches used by the logging crew, featuring a photo of a two man crew manually felling a giant cedar while standing on spring boards as well as a photograph of horse-drawn carts bringing the logs to the cedar mill on the waterfront. The photograph of the horse drawn cart is taken in front of the Housewares store and Chanterelle's building. Each panel costs $4900 to produce and mount; in-house labor will be used to install the sign. Arts & Culture Program Manager Frances Chapin will take the lead on the project. The exhibits in the Council packet are drafts and he anticipated the text would be refined. The panels would be a great addition to the City, an opportunity for the Council to gift them to the community to help preserve the memory of early Edmonds. He requested Council approval of an expenditure of $9800 from the 2016 Council Contingency Fund. Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes December 13, 2016 Page 18 COUNCILMEMBER TIBBOTT MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER MESAROS, TO APPROVE THE EXPENDITURE OF $9800 FROM THE 2016 COUNCIL CONTINGENCY FUND. Councilmember Fraley-Monillas recalled hearing about this project from former Councilmember Petso. Although she generally approved of the panels, she suggested it should be reviewed by the Planning Board and/or Arts Commission for placement, size, etc. before Council approval of the funding. She noted allocating $10,000 to this project because there was money left over was not a good use of the City's funds. Further, it was not a gift to the community, it was the citizens' money. Until this project went through the proper channels, she foresaw better uses for $10,000 such traffic calming. Councilmember Buckshnis said she liked the idea, but a few citizens have contacted her inquiring about size and use of sustainable materials. She agreed further process may be necessary before it is funded. Councilmember Teitzel said he met with Parks & Recreation Director Carrie Hite, Ms. Chapin, Arts Commission Vice Chair Samantha and Senior Planner Kernen Lien to discuss the need for consistency with other signs such as the diorama of the Olympic Mountains at Marina Beach. These signs would be similar in size and design. He assured Ms. Chapin would be cognizant of consistency of the design, minimizing the cost, ensuring the correct placement and ensuring the signs are not obtrusive. Councilmember Tibbott said he had no problem with allocating the funds followed by Planning Board review. It was his understanding the project had already vetted through cultural services and the Art Commission. He sees the project as an exciting way to preserve the City's history. He supported approving funding for the project followed by opportunity for additional review and feedback. COUNCILMEMBER TIBBOTT MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER BUCKSHNIS, TO AMEND TO ALLOCATE FUNDS NOW, BRING THE SIGNS BACK THROUGH THE PROCESS AND BRING BACK TO COUNCIL FOR CONSIDERATION. Council President Johnson did not support the amendment. As a regular visitor to Yost Park, she felt a sign of that nature would be out of proportion and scope; it is a very natural area with a map with numbers available on a handout. That could be done for pennies, saving $5000 She concluded a 60-inch sign would be obtrusive. Councilmember Fraley-Monillas asked Council President Johnson if she wanted this vetted by the Arts Commission. Council President Johnson answered that was a possibility, recalling cross -approval have been done such as the Stages of Time which was developed by the Arts Commission and presented to the HPC for approval. Councilmember Fraley-Monillas assumed the Planning Board consideration would following the Arts Commission's review and would include consideration of the size, placement, code requirements, etc. AMENDMENT CARRIED (5-1), COUNCIL PRESIDENT JOHNSON VOTING NO. (Councilmember Nelson was not present for the vote.) COUNCIL PRESIDENT JOHNSON MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER FRALEY- MONILLAS, TO AMEND THE MOTION TO MOVE FORWARD WITH ONLY THE PANEL SHOWING THE SAWMILLS. Council President Johnson recalled three locations were under consideration for the sign containing the photograph of the sawmills and suggested the location needed to be confirmed. She was opposed to having a panel in Yost Park. Councilmember Fraley-Monillas asked whether the Planning Board and/or Arts Commission could determine the location and size. Council President Johnson answered the Planning Board is also the Parks Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes December 13, 2016 Page 19 Board so it would be appropriate for them to consider the sign. She supported further review by the Arts Commission and Planning Board, concluding the idea was good but it needed further study. Councilmember Buckshnis asked why Yost Park was selected versus another park. Councilmember Teitzel answered Ms. Hite and Parks Maintenance Supervisor Rich Lindsay and he toured Yost Park to find a suitable cedar stump. There is an extremely well preserved stump in Yost Park that would be outstanding for this purpose. He acknowledged there could be stumps elsewhere in Edmonds although Mr. Lindsay was not aware of them. It would be a great experience for a passerby to see this photograph and the stump in its natural state instead of going to the Museum. Ms. Chapin is the lead on this project; she will ensure the signs are appropriately sized and vetted. AMENDMENT FAILED (1-5), COUNCIL PRESIDENT JOHNSON VOTING YES. (Councilmember Nelson was not present for the vote.) Council President Johnson commented there is a cedar stump with springboard notches in City Park. MAIN MOTION AS AMENDED CARRIED (5-1), COUNCIL PRESIDENT JOHNSON VOTING NO. (Councilmember Nelson was not present for the vote.) 4. COUNCIL CONTINGENCY FUND EXPENDITURE TO EDMONDS VETERANS PLAZA I OR S4,000 Councilmember Buckshnis commented several Councilmembers have veterans in their families and one Councilmember is a veteran; it is appropriate for the Council to provide support for the project. COUNCILMEMBER BUCKSHNIS MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER MESAROS, TO APPROVE $4,000 FROM THE COUNCIL CONTINGENCY FUND FOR THE EDMOND VETERANS PLAZA. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. (Councilmember Nelson was not present for the vote.) 5. STUDENTS SAVING SALMON FOR S5 733.25 METER OR $5,800 FROM COUNCIL CONTINGENCY FUNDS Councilmember Buckshnis referred to the Students Saving Salmon's (SSS) report on page 369 of the Council packet. The new meter will collect turbidity data which the old meter does not; the old meter will still be used as a back-up. COUNCILMEMBER BUCKSHNIS MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER FRALEY- MONILLAS, TO APPROVE $5800 FROM THE COUNCIL CONTINGENCY FOR STUDENTS SAVING SALMON TO PURCHASE A METER. Councilmember Tibbott asked how often the equipment would need to be replaced, relaying his understanding that parts needed to be replaced annually. Joe Scordino said there is a three year warranty. Councilmember Tibbott asked if additional equipment will need to be purchased. Councilmember Buckshnis answered SSS would like to do additional testing; the SSS received a $1000 discount on the meter. Councilmember Tibbott expressed his support for the motion, commenting it was remarkable how involved the students are and the important service they are providing to the City. The City is getting a tremendous bang for the buck and involving future generations in the health of the City. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. (Councilmember Nelson was not present for the vote.) 9. REPORTS ON OUTSIDE BOARD AND COMMITTEE MEETINGS Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes December 13, 2016 Page 20 Councilmember Tibbott reported the Housing Task Force meeting included a presentation by the Affordable Housing Alliance. He offered to make the presentation available to Council, commenting it provides data that will help Edmonds make decisions for the future. Councilmember Mesaros reported the Public Facilities District (PFD) Board meet with the Edmonds Center for the Arts Board in a joint retreat on December 3 to discuss the future of both entities and how they could better work together. He anticipated a briefing on the retreat at Friday's PFD Board meeting. He was unable to attend the SNOCOM Board meeting; Assistant Police Chief Anderson attended in his place. He plans to attend the SNOCOM/SNOPAC Task Force meeting tomorrow where there will be an update on the potential merger. A joint meeting of the SNOCOM and SNOPAC Boards is planned on January 4 where a more formal update will be provided. Councilmember Teitzel reported the Long Range Financial Planning project has been placed on a brief hold while staff focuses on the budget. He reported on the well -attended World Cafe sponsored by the Diversity Commission which included discussion of real life scenarios related to diversity and inclusion. Councilmember Buckshnis reported the Tree Board is planning their 2017 schedule. Each Tree Board member went to Tree University and received diplomas which qualifies the City for a bonus award from Tree City USA. Three application were received for one Tree Board vacancy and one alternate position. Councilmember Fraley-Monillas reported the Diversity Commission meeting included discussion regarding questions for the World Cafe as well as about the election. She encouraged the public to attend Diversity Commission meetings which are held the first Wednesday of the month from 6 to 8 p.m. She reported the Health District Board met several times during the past month; a decision was made to sell the building in Everett. The District uses only half the space and approximately $2 million in repairs are needed. made. The District's intends to purchase a smaller building to house only the Health District. She also attended the Housing Task Force meeting. 10. MAYOR'S COMMENTS Mayor Earling reported Mr. Williams, Mr. Doherty and he were in Washington D.C. on Thursday and Friday last week. They had an opportunity to meet with Congressman Kilmer who lives on the Kingston side; the Edmonds at -grade crossing project impacts residents who live and work on that side. They also met with Congressman Larson who has been an advocate for grade separation, Senator Cantwell, and the lead transportation person in Senator Murray's office as well as with the Federal DOT to provide a better understanding of Edmonds' project as well as getting important feedback on the grant process and funding prospects in the next 1-2 years. Mayor Earling thanked the Council for not having meetings the next two Tuesdays, a welcome break for everyone. He wished citizens and Councilmembers a very compelling and gratifying season. 11. COUNCIL COMMENTS Councilmember Fraley-Monillas explained Councilmembers on the dais are bundled up because the heat from the large number of audience members during the last two meetings activated the air conditioning. She reported on her visit to the cold weather shelter last week where 37 people were sheltered, 30 men and 7 women. The cold weather shelter is held at the Edmond Senior Center when temperatures reach 34 degrees is sponsored by 5 churches. She spoke with several of the people at the shelter, learning the cities they are from and the issues that bring them to Edmonds. When she left at about 9:30 after everyone had a hot meal, visited and began going to sleep, the temperature in her car was 27 degrees. She wondered where those 37 people have been if not for the shelter or where they would have found shelter if the temperature had been above 34 degrees. She was told by one of women that the shelter is the only safe Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes December 13, 2016 Page 21 place she can sleep because men and women are separated at the cold weather shelter which is not done at most other shelters. She thanked the churches who provide food and supervision of the people at the cold weather shelter and wished everyone a Happy Holiday. Councilmember Buckshnis wished everyone a Happy Holiday, to be safe and to enjoy the time off. She thanked Council President Johnson and Council President Pro Tern Mesaros for their service. She looked forward to next year, commenting her focus will be on the wonderful things happening locally because things are confusing at the national level. Council President Johnson said it had been an honor to serve as Council President and she was delighted to be done at the end of 2016. She wished everyone a Happy Holiday. Councilmember Teitzel congratulated the Seattle Sounders on winning the championship. He expressed well wishes for the police officer injured at today's parade. He wished everyone a Happy Holiday and to have a great time with loved ones. Councilmember Mesaros wished everyone the best during this wonderful season, time to be with family and friends and to enjoy the goodness that life has given. Councilmember Tibbott extended special thanks to Verdant for the grant for the walkway/bike lane on 761h Avenue, a great recreational opportunity as well as improved safety. He wished everyone great peace and joy during the holiday season. He looked forward to a great 2017 and opportunities to meet citizens. 12. CONVENE IN EXECUTIVE SESSION REGARDING PENDING OR POTENTIAL LITIGATION PER RCW 42.30.110(1)(i) This item was not needed. 13. RECONVENE IN OPEN SESSION. POTENTIAL ACTION AS A RESULT OF MEETING IN EXECUTIVE SESSION This item was not needed. 14. ADJOURN With no further business, the Council meeting was adjourned at 10:03 p.m. �0r DA ID O. EARLING, MAYOR �a� iil ton Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes December 13, 2016 Page 22