20170912 City CouncilEDMONDS CITY COUNCIL APPROVED MINUTES
September 12, 2017
ELECTED OFFICIALS PRESENT
Dave Earling, Mayor
Thomas Mesaros, Council President
Kristiana Johnson, Councilmember
Michael Nelson, Councilmember
Adrienne Fraley-Monillas, Councilmember
Diane Buckshnis, Councilmember
Dave Teitzel, Councilmember
Neil Tibbott, Councilmember
ALSO PRESENT
Noal Leonetti, Student Representative
CALL TO ORDERIF LAG SALUTE
STAFF PRESENT
Al Compaan, Police Chief
N. Haughian, 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
Mary Ann Hardie, HR Director
Rob English, City Engineer
Jeff Taraday, City Attorney
Scott Passey, City Clerk
Jerrie Bevington, Camera Operator
Jeannie Dines, Recorder
The Edmonds City Council meeting was called to order at 7:01 p.m. by Mayor Earling in the Council
Chambers, 250 5th Avenue North, Edmonds. The meeting was opened with the flag salute.
ROLL CALL
City Clerk Scott Passey called the roll. All elected officials were present.
3. APPROVAL OF AGENDA
COUNCIL PRESIDENT MESAROS MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER TIBBOTT,
TO APPROVED THE AGENDA WITH THE FOLLOWING CHANGES: MOVE AUDIENCE
COMMENTS FROM ITEM 6 TO ITEM 4, RENUMBER ITEMS 4 AND 5, AND ADD AN UPDATE
ON THE MARSH RFP SELECTION PROCESS AS ITEM 8. MOTION CARRIED
UNANIMOUSLY.
4. AUDIENCE COMMENTS
Don Hall, Edmonds, recalled in the past he spoke about rowing in the ocean and being caught in plastic
bags and the Council ultimately passing a ban on plastic bags. He referred to Seattle's ban of plastic straws
and utensils, an ordinance originally drafted in 2008 but there was nothing to replace plastic straws and
utensils. He requested Edmonds also ban plastic straws and utensils and other plastic items included in
Seattle's ordinance. Climate change is a big issue, but this is a small thing that can be done to protect marine
life. He also urged the Council to ban the use of Styrofoam, recalling he and former Councilmember
Peterson had begun to work on that. He said 200+ restaurants in Seattle are eliminating plastic straws and
Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes
September 12, 2017
Page 1
utensils before the ban takes effect in July 2018 and he urged Edmonds restaurants to do the same. He
reminded of Bird Fest this weekend.
Alvin Rutledge, Edmonds, commented on the plastic bags ban, noting the food bank was exempt. With
regard to the Salary Commission, he was glad it was reestablished, recalling in the past the Commission
interviewed Councilmembers about the number of hours per week they spent on Council business.
5. APPROVAL OF CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS
COUNCIL PRESIDENT MESAROS MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER
BUCKSHNIS, TO REVISE THE COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES OF SEPTEMBER 5, 2017 BY
REPLACING IN THE VERDANT PRESENTATION ON PAGE 2, "SERVING APPROXIMATELY
2,000 RESIDENTS" TO "SERVING APPROXIMATELY 200,000 RESIDENTS."
COUNCILMEMBER FRALEY-MONILLAS 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 MEETING MINUTES OF SEPTEMBER 5, 2017
2. APPROVAL OF CLAIM, PAYROLL AND BENEFIT CHECKS, DIRECT DEPOSIT AND
WIRE PAYMENTS
6. PRESENTATION
1. 2017 SALARY COMMISSION PRESENTATION
Jay Grant, Salary Commission, Chair, introduced Commissioners Ava Dubno, Vice -Chair; Don Hall; Jeff
Hodson; and Carl Zapora. He also expressed the Commission's appreciation for Mary Ann Hardie, HR
Director, for her support. He highlighted:
■ Factors Considered
o Hours Councilmembers work
o Historical compensation data (since 1988)
o Compensation in cities of similar size
o Form of government (strong mayor and mayor/council for mayoral salaries)
Did not include City Managers' salaries which are consistently higher than elected mayors
o Cost -of -living trends (Consumer Price Index)
o FTEs, city populations
o City COLA history for employees
o General budget information
o Council and Mayor survey feedback (4 responses out of 8)
o Public comment was allowed at all Commission meetings; no public comment provided
o Public survey feedback (26 responses)
• Graph of Consumer Price Index Seattle -Tacoma Bremerton 2002-2016
• Graph of Mayor's base salary 2002-2017
0 2004 $97,000
0 2005 $98,940
0 2006 $101,414
0 2008 $113,210
0 2013 $115,379
0 2017 $118,361
+
Graph of Strong Mayor and Mayor/Council Governments — Mayoral Base Salary and population
city I Population I Mayor's 2017 base sala
Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes
September 12, 2017
Page 2
Wenatchee
33,510
$82,661
Mt Vernon
33,730
$98,413
Lynnwood
36,590
$104,767
Bremerton
40,500
$107,000
Issaquah
34,590
$113,136
Edmonds
40,900
$118,361
Federal Way
93,670
$119,088
Ma sville
64,940
$131,112
Redmond
60,560
$137,000
Auburn
77,060
$142,351
Mayoral salary determination
o Provide a cost -of -living adjustment to the Mayor's salary effective 1/1/2018 as follows: The
mayor's salary shall be increased by one -hundred percent (100%) of the Seattle Area Consumer
Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI -U) annual percent change from June 2016 to June
2017. This figure has already been released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and amounts
to a 3.0% increase.
o Additionally, effective January 1, 2019, the Mayor's salary shall be increased by one -hundred
percent (100%) of the Seattle Area CPI -U annual percent change from June 2017 to June 2018.
0 3.0 percent increase for 2018 = $121,912, up from $118, 361
o The Commission determines the benefits package for the position of Mayor shall remain
unchanged, and shall change in the future only if the benefits package for non- represented
employees changes. The benefits package for Mayor currently mirrors the benefits package for
non -represented employees.
Graph of Councilmember base salaries 2002-2017
Graph of Councilmember salaries since 2002 com aring actual vs. projected with CPI -U growth
Year
Actual Salary
S lary if grown at CPI -U
2002
$12,000
$6,000
2005
$12,000
$12,573
2009
$12,000
$14,510
2013
$12,000
$15,412
2015
$12,000
$15,878
2017
1 $12,000
$16,454
• Graph of Councilmember salary comparisons compared to cities 30,000 to 50,000 population -
Compensation before benefits (2017)
• Comparison of population and Council salaries
Ci
Population
Council base salaq 2017
Lake Stevens
30,900
$6,000
Mt Vernon
33,730
$7,200
Burien
50,000
$7,200
Des Moines
30,570
$9,996
Lynnwood
36,590
$10,800
Edmonds
40,900
$12,000
Bremerton
40,500
$12,276
Bothell
43,980
$12,372
Puyallup
39,850
$14,049
Issaquah
34,590
$15,000
University Place
32,230
$16,896
Lacey
47,450
$17,100
• Council salary determination
Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes
September 12, 2017
Page 3
o Provide an increase to Councilmember base wages effective 1/1/18 as follows: $1,500 per
Council Member per year.
o Additionally, an increase to Councilmember base wages effective 1/1/19 will be provided as
follows: $1,500 per Council Member per year
o 2018 base salaries: $13,500 per year (up from $12,000)
o 2019 base salaries: $15,000 per year
o The Commission determines that the current health benefits package shall remain the same,
and shall change in the future only if the benefits package offered to non -represented employees
changes (either plan, or contribution rate).
Council President's salary + elected Member' benefits
o The Commission shall let stand (and remain unchanged) the additional compensation of the
President of the Council ($200 per month on top of Council Member base salary).
Mr. Grant thanked the Commissioners for their work, commenting their discussions were open, frank and
cooperative which made for a collaborative, comprehensive and congenial working environment. The
Commission's recommendations have been reviewed by the City's counsel as required. On behalf of the
Commission, he submitted their determinations to the City Clerk as required.
Councilmember Buckshnis thanked the Commission for their work and for posting the surveys online. She
asked the difference between the Snohomish County and Seattle CPI-W/U and why the Commission used
the Seattle CPI. Mr. Grant answered it was a broader-based CPI and included major cities in the area.
Councilmember Fraley-Monillas commended the Commission for their work, remarking it was one of best
projects she has seen done in a long time. Working for State, she has seen Salary Commissions work many
times. Under the strong mayor -council government, the graph includes Wenatchee but the rest of the cities
are in western Washington. She asked if that was due to population. Mr. Grant answered it was difficult to
find cities with strong mayor form of government to compare to Edmonds so they had to look outside the
area. Councilmember Fraley-Monillas observed Wenatchee was not included the Councilmember
comparison because there were enough western Washington cities for comparison. Mr. Grant agreed that
was the reason.
Councilmember Johnson expressed her appreciation for the Commission's work, finding it very
comprehensive and well done.
Councilmember Teitzel echoed the commendations for the work done by the Commission, thanking them
for their time and service to the City. He observed the comparison were based on base salary without
considering benefits and asked if that was because benefits for elected officials were essentially the same
in comparable cities. Mr. Grant said the Commission did look at healthcare benefits; other cities provide
additional benefits such as cell phones, cars, etc. Past Commissions have carefully considered this issue,
and the Commission felt it appropriate to use base salaries.
Mayor Earling expressed appreciation for the work done by the Commission and thanked them for their
high-quality work and reaching consensus in the end.
7. UPDATE ON THE MARSH RFP SELECTION PROCESS
Council President Mesaros advised the City received five proposals which were reviewed by the Task Force
(Councilmembers Buckshnis, Nelson and Mesaros, Development Services Director Shane Hope and Senior
Planner Kiernan Lien). The six selection criteria in the RFP used in reviewing the proposals are:
1. Professional education and expertise in wetland and wildlife sciences
2. Experience in developing site specific scientific studies
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September 12, 2017
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3. Manager's qualifications and experience in managing projects such as these
4. Approach to baseline study
5. Budget for baseline study
6. Proposal's clarity and its consistency with RFP requirements.
Council President Mesaros reported one of respondents, Cook Scientific, did not meet two of the criteria
and their proposal was rejected. The respondents selected for interview are: The Watershed Company,
Kirkland; GeoEngineers, Redmond; Windward Environmental, Seattle; and Shannon & Wilson, Seattle.
The entire Council will interview those firms on September 25 (Plaza Room 9:00 a.m.) and September 26
(9:00 a.m. Brackett Room). The meetings are open to the public.
Council President Mesaros introduced Noal Leonetti, a senior at Edmonds-Woodway High School, who
will serve as Student Representative until June. Student Representative Leonetti said he was excited to be
here and serving Edmonds.
8. ADJOURN TO COMMITTEE MEETINGS
With no further business, the Council meeting was adjourned to committee meetings at 7:27 p.m. (Parks,
Planning & Public Works Committee in the Jury Meeting Room, Finance Committee in Council Chambers
and Public Safety & Personnel Committee in the Police Training Room.)
6AVIDkO. EARLIN ,MAYOR OTT ASSEY, CITY Cl
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September 12, 2017
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