20190528 City CouncilEDMONDS CITY COUNCIL APPROVED MINUTES
May 28, 2019
ELECTED OFFICIALS PRESENT STAFF PRESENT
Dave Earling, Mayor
Adrienne Fraley-Monillas, Council President
Kristiana Johnson, Councilmember
Dave Teitzel, Councilmember
Neil Tibbott, Councilmember
ELECTED OFFICIALS ABSENT
Michael Nelson, Councilmember
Thomas Mesaros, Councilmember
Diane Buckshnis, Councilmember
CALL TO ORDER/FLAG SALUTE
Phil Williams, Public Works Director
Scott James, Finance Director
Dave Turley, Assistant Finance 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 7:00 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 with the exception of
Councilmembers Nelson, Mesaros and Buckshnis.
3. APPROVAL OF AGENDA
COUNCILMEMBER TIBBOTT MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER TEITZEL, TO
APPROVE THE AGENDA IN CONTENT AND ORDER.
COUNCILMEMBER JOHNSON MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCIL PRESIDENT FRALEY-
MONILLAS, TO AMEND THE AGENDA TO MOVE ITEM 9.1, AUTHORIZATION TO
PURCHASE -2019 CUES SEWER VIDEO INSPECTION TRUCK, TO A FUTURE MEETING
WHEN THE FULL COUNCIL IS PRESENT. UPON ROLL CALL, MOTION TIED (2-2),
COUNCILMEMBER JOHNSON AND COUNCIL PRESIDENT FRALEY-MONILLAS VOTING
YES; AND COUNCILMEMBERS TEITZEL AND TIBBOTT VOTING NO.
City Attorney Jeff Taraday advised the motion would fail for lack of a majority. The Mayor has the right
to vote to break a tie.
MAYOR EARLING VOTED NO, AND THE AMENDMENT FAILED (2-3).
MAIN MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
4. APPROVAL OF CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS
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COUNCILMEMBER TEITZEL MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER TIBBOTT, TO
APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. The agenda items
approved are as follows:
1. APPROVAL OF COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING MINUTES OF MAY 21, 2019
2. APPROVAL OF COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES OF MAY 21, 2019
3. APPROVAL OF CLAIM CHECKS AND WIRE PAYMENTS
4 318 HOWELL ST. DEDICATION
5. PRESENTATIONS
1. ANNUAL REPORT -SOUTH SNOHOMISH COUNTY FIRE AND RESCUE
Acting Fire Chief Doug Dahl reported last week after 41 years of service, Fire Chief Steadman chose to put
his family and health in front of his career. He is currently on medical leave and intents to retire at the end
of the leave. He introduced Deputy Chief Bob Eastman, Fire Commissioners Jim Kenney (Chair), Ben
Goodwin, David Chan, Jim McGaughey, and Bob Meador.
Acting Chief Dahl reported the Board placed him in an acting/interim role and will begin the process for
selecting a permanent fire chief. He began his career in Edmonds and it was never in his permanent plan to
be the fire chief but he is proud to represent South County Fire until a new chief is selected. South County
Fire has a great team, it's business as usual and they will proceed with the same goals put in place by Chief
Steadman.
Tonight he will present the annual report and return on June 25t" for a joint meeting with the Commission,
City Council and staff to provide the Council time to digest the information and develop questions. He
played a South County Fire Introduction You Tube video. Highlights of the video included:
• Automatic aid agreements in the 1970s made it possible to systematically dispatch the closest
available fire unit for 9-1-1 calls
■ Eventual consolidation brought additional benefits such as:
o Elimination of duplicate positions
o Economics of scale both in lowering costs and in organizational effectiveness
o Ability to provide services that small departments cannot provide
• Timeline for bringing together five departments
0 2000: Fire Districts 1 and 11 merge
0 2005: Mountlake Terrace Fire Department consolidates with FDI and Mountlake Terrace and
Brier contract for service from the Fire District
0 2010: Edmonds Fire Department consolidates with FDI and contracts for service from the
District
o 2017: Voters in FDI and Lynnwood create a regional fire authority combining FDI and
Lynnwood Fire Department to form a new entity - South County Fire
South County Fire
o Serves more than 250,000 residents in Brier, Edmonds, Lynnwood, Mountlake Terrace and
unincorporated South Snohomish County
0 300 employees include 260+ firefighters who respond to approximately 30,000 9-1-1 calls a
year
o Able to expand services and do things as a regional provider that would not be possible as
individual departments such as:
■ Daily staffing for hazmat and technical rescue responses and marine fire and rescue
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■ Neighborhood fire and injury prevention programs
■ Regional fire training
■ National award-winning EMS
■ Innovative programs such as Community Paramedics who provide non -emergency follow-
up to help frequent 9-1-1 callers access social services and assistance
■ ACT to Save a Life, a new approach to first aid training
o Regional agency but roots remain in neighborhood fire stations. Firefighters take an active role
in community events
o The neighborhood fire station has the support and resources of an entire regional fire service.
■ Critical calls where seconds count require a lot of resources. For example:
— High performance CPR requires a minimum of 11 firefighters/EMTs and paramedics
working together to administer CPR, apply and operate a defibrillator and provide
critical medications
— A house fire requires a minimum of 15 firefighters to contain a fire to the room of
origin
o The lifesaving advantages of a regional fire authority connected to the local community and its
neighborhoods.
Acting Chief Dahl assured South County Fire is Edmonds' fire department and they want to ensure the City
takes advantages of all the services they offer. He reviewed:
• Map with South County Fire Regional Fire Authority service area and staffing at each fire station
• Serving our citizens
o Fires
o Medical emergencies
o Motor vehicle collisions
o Hazardous materials incidents
o Rescues
o Marine response
o Other hazards and emergency situation
• Emergency medical services (EMS)
0 86% of calls are dispatched as EMS
o All firefighters are emergency medical technicians or paramedics
o Nationally recognized for excellence and innovation
M 2018 save rate for CPR was 60%, the highest in the nation, State save rate was 37%
■ Community Paramedics
o Non -emergency services to help reduce 911 calls and hospital use
o Serves older adults, mental health patients, disabled people, homeless and veterans
o Breaks down barriers and create access to care (visits, emails, calls, texts)
• ACT: Reinventing first aid
o Aligning first aid with threats to today's citizens
o In just one hour, ACT teaches 3 skills you can use to save a life in those first few minutes
before firefighters arrive:
Antidote for opiate overdose
CPR/AED for cardiac arrest
Tourniquet for bleeding control
0 4,000 people trained this year
o Will be a national program that started at South County Fire
• Disaster Preparedness
o Programs offered include:
■ Neighborhood Ambassador workshops to help neighborhoods prepare
■ Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training
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• Fire Prevention
o Inspections
■ New business: 195
■ Maintenance/follow-up: 1,314
■ Construction Permits: 530
■ Special events: 36
■ Residential sprinkler: 90
0 490.75 hours of plan reviews
■ Major projects:
- Magic Toyota
- Westgate Apartments
- Westgate Center Fire Alarm and Sprinkler Retrofit
- Senior Center
- Post Office Complex
- 85C Bakery Fire Alarm Complex Retrofit
- Madrona Elementary
- Port of Edmonds Connector
Prevention Education
o Smoke alarm assistance: 84 installations in Edmonds
o Child car seat checks
o Bike helmets at all fire stations
o Falls prevention education
o School programs: 1,075 students reached in Edmonds
o Community presentations: 540 people reached in Edmonds
Community Involvement
o Neighborhood Night Open House at Station 17
0 9/11 Memorial Ceremony
o Station 17 Tour
o July 4 Parade and Waterball
Regional Training
o Working with other county departments to regionalize training
o Two major initiatives
• Recruit Training Academy - Started March 19, 2018
Iff Snohomish County Training Consortium
o Sharing instructors and expertise
o Reduced duplicated efforts
o Breaking down borders with neighboring fire agencies will allow us to work together more
effectively on mutual aid incidents
Emergency Responses - 2018 by the numbers and contract -required metrics
o How many calls?
• Total incidents in the City of Edmonds in 2018: 5,555
■ 2014: 4,718
■ 2015: 5,291
■ 2016: 5,294
■ 2017: 5,215
2018: 5,555-6.52% increase
• Response Times
o Looks at 8 -minute response time in four categories
o This measures from time of 911 call to arrival
o Comparisons of data for 2017 and 2018
o Response times are getting longer
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■ Percentage of calls within 8 minutes or less
- 2016 82.14%
- 2017 79.99%
- 2018 75.72%
Response time on 90 percent of calls in this category
- 2106: 0:08:53
- 2017: 0:09:13
- 2018: 0:09:29
First Watch - Live response time compliance
o Launched April 1, 2019
o If the 2:15 response time standard is not met, the company officer and battalion chief gets an
alert
o Allows tracking by station and crew
Turnout Time
o Measures the time from when 911 call is dispatched to the time the apparatus leaves the station
o Standard in the contract is different from the standard in the 1756 compliance report: 2:15 vs.
2:45
■ Turnout time percentage at 2:15
- 2016 80.86%
- 2017 76.20%
- 2018 75.44%
■ 90% turnout time
- 2016 2:36
- 2017 2:46
- 2018 2:49
o Since the implementation of FirstWatch, turnout time has significantly improved
o For April 2019, compliance to the standard was 84.7% with a turnout time 2:29 minutes on
90% of emergency responses
+ Neighboring Unit Utilization Factor
o What it evaluates:
■ Response of units across jurisdictional boundaries
o What the numbers mean:
■ 100% = an equal balance of cross jurisdictional response
■ Contract considers 90%-110% to be within balance range
■ Over 100% = units from neighboring jurisdictions are responding into Edmonds more than
Edmonds units are responding outside the city
o A11y does this matter'?
■ We have a regional emergency delivery system
■ This evaluates if level of service decisions in one jurisdiction negatively impact a
neighboring jurisdiction
■ Neighboring Unit Utilization
2016 2017 2018
Mountlake Terrace 147.20% 135.30% 133.07%
Lynnwood 199.20% 148.30% 202.06%
RFA -- -- 147.61%
o Neighboring fire units respond into Edmonds more than Edmonds units respond into
neighboring jurisdictions
■ Mountlake Terrace units: 33.07% more into Edmonds
■ Lynnwood units: 102.06% more into Edmonds
■ FRA Units: 47.61 % more into Edmonds
+ Unit Hour Utilization Factor
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o What it evaluates: Percentage of time a fire unit is on a call
o What the numbers -mean: The higher the number, the busier the unit is
o Unit Hour Utilization Factor is up for Edmonds station, but within compliance with contract
standards
o This number is up at all Edmonds fire station
0 20% is the trigger to start looking at deployment options and additional resources
Unit Hour Utilization
2016
2017
2018
Station 16 9.909/,o
15.10%
15.06%
Station 17 13.20%
14.60%
13.11%
Station 20 13.50%
16.30%
17.36%
Transport balancing factor
o These numbers show Edmonds units are doing more out -of -city transports than out -of -city units
are doing in Edmonds
o A factor of 1.0 means = in balance
o The difference is not large: 11 patients in Q2, 31 in Q3 and 20 in Q4
o Jan -June 0.955
o July -Dec 1.140
0 2018 1.046
Jan -Jun
Jul -Dec
2018
RFA transports in the City 213
245
458
Edmonds transports not in the City 223
215
438
TBF 0.955
1.140
1.046
Note: The regional fire authority was formed October 1, 2017, so Q4 includes the City of Lynwood
and responding units from Lynnwood fire stations
• Other required metrics
o Transport fees billed and collected in Edmonds and Esperance
Edmonds Billed
Edmonds Collected
Es erance Billed
Es erance Collected
2016 $1,980,534
$862,360
$109,901
$48,587
2017 $2,095,695
$781,506
$100,894
$44,978
2018 $2,374,490
$1,013,928
$135,776
$53,080
o Shoreline units into Edmonds
■ 2016 107
■ 2017 69
■ 2018 103
o Edmonds unit into Woodway (measured in seconds)
■ 2016 2,220
■ 2017 9,738
■ 2018 164
• Standards of Cover Compliance
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Standard
2016
2017
2018
Turnout Time in Standard of Cover
2:45
2:36
2:46
2:49
Turnout time in contract
2:15
2:36
2:46
2:49
First arriving engine to a fire
6:30
6:17
7:19
7:32
Full first alarm assignment at residential fire
7:45
8:43
18:06
8:32
Full first alarm assignment at commercial fire
9:00
11:24
11:55
10:57
BLS response
5:15
5:57
6:13
6:00
ALS response
6:45
7:11
7:15
5:40
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Council President Fraley-Monillas expressed the Council's sorrow at the loss of Commissioner Schrock.
She referred to the increase in calls in Edmonds and asked what type of calls had increased and whether it
was related to opioids. Deputy Chief Eastman said 86% of calls were dispatched as EMS; they did not see
anything different in the reason for calls in Edmonds, but the increase was primarily in EMS calls. Council
President Fraley-Monillas asked if that increase was seen in other cities. Deputy Chief Eastman said
Edmonds was the only jurisdiction with an increase, all others had had a decrease and overall the RFA had
125 fewer calls in 2018 compared to 2017. Council President Fraley-Monillas asked if there was any
overriding reason. Deputy Chief Eastman said based on the percentages, it was an increase in EMS
responses.
Councilmember Johnson referred to the neighboring unit utilization factor, and asked how it relates to fire
station locations. The neighboring unit utilization factor graph appears to indicate it is out of balance if
more units respond from Lynnwood Mountlake Terrace and the RFA into Edmonds. Acting Chief Dahl
agreed it was out of balance. Things they look at are whether the stations in in the right locations, whether
calls in one area of the City require neighboring units to cover, etc. Councilmember Johnson said it was
difficult to tell from the numbers the exact dynamics of the situation. Acting Chief Dahl expected there
would be discussions in the future regarding options to address this.
Councilmember Johnson expressed interest in those discussions, in understanding what Edmonds needs are
and what resources there are. She wondered it was related to the aging population in Edmonds; Lynnwood
has a younger population. Edmonds was the only city whose call volume increased and it increased by
approximately 350. There may be some relationship between the attractiveness of Edmonds as retirement
community and the number of EMS calls. Acting Chief Dahl agreed that was possible, but sometimes
jurisdictions simply have a bad year. This was the first year the total number of calls did not go up. If the
number of calls in Edmonds continues to increase, further analysis may be warranted.
Councilmember Teitzel referred to the number of calls in Edmonds in 2018, pointing out the increase in
Edmonds was 6.52%, dramatically higher than the rate of population growth. He asked if there was any
correlation between the increase in calls and population growth. Deputy Chief Eastman said overall in 2014-
2017, there has been a 12% increases in call demand and there was not a correlation to population growth.
They have studied a number of factors but were unable to determine why call demand outpaced population
growth. Historically the number of calls could be estimated based on population. Looking at Edmonds
specially, they were unable to point to anything that caused an increase.
Councilmember Teitzel referred to section 2.4 of the contract, Review of Service Delivery Objectives,
which states, "It has been recommended that the parties move toward a performance based contract where
the city pays for a particular level of service that is measured by service delivery objectives such as response
time instead of a particular number of positions." He asked the status of that. Acting Chief Dahl said there
are things that bring the parties to the table such as compliance numbers. Those discussion will need to
happen again and have occurred in the past with staff. The board may have more insight during the joint
meeting with the Council on June 25`x'. Councilmember Teitzel asked if other fire districts across the state
or the country have performance based contracts. Acting Chief Dahl answered not that he knew of, private
ambulances companies do but not fire service.
Councilmember Teitzel pointed out the contract requires quarterly updates on metrics as well as an annual
report by the end of March each year; this report is being provided at the end of May. He asked the reason
for the delay and the downside if those standards were not met. Acting Chief Dahl said the first quarterly
report was provided in March. There was a lot of confusion regarding when they would make a presentation.
Councilmember Teitzel said it was important the quarterly reports were provided in a timely manner so the
Council could analyze the metrics and make adjustments if necessary. The contract requires the district to
provide the reports, and it was not clear what the downside was if those reports were not provided. City
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Attorney Jeff Taraday said that was a fair point, but did not see any real downside other than the City could
claim some sort of default but that would take the parties into a dispute resolution process that is probably
unnecessary. Better communication on both sides may result in the reports being submitted in a timely
manner.
Councilmember Teitzel expressed his appreciation to South County Fire for providing equipment and
personnel for events such as the 4" of July parade, the Easter Egg hunt, etc. He asked whether those units
were offline or did they respond from events and how that impacted response time. Acting Chief Dahl said
it depends; for example, the ladder truck is at the front of the parade so it can respond in a major emergency.
The apparatus and personnel at Waterball are off duty/out of service and other crews backfill. Apparatus
and personnel at tours and ribbon cuttings are in service and respond as necessary. At Edmonds Night Out,
the rigs and personnel are out of service and another crew backfills but they could respond if something
major happened.
Mayor Earling suggested having a discussion about the timing of the annual meeting. He observed the
South County Fire Board of Commissioners also meets on Tuesday evenings and recalled on at least one
occasion, the chief was not available. Acting Chief Dahl agreed and assured the quarterly reports will be
provided in a timely manner.
6. REPORTS ON OUTSIDE BOARD AND COMMITTEE MEETINGS
Councilmember Teitzel reported:
Disability Board: A third LEOFF 1 retiree was recently moved into long term care. The City reimburses
for long term care costs that are medically necessary and not covered by insurance. The cost for long term
care is $6,000-$7,000/month, so the total cost is a substantial budget issue. There are about 25 LEOFF 1
retirees who are in their 70s and 80s and more will be requiring long term care.
Port of Edmonds: Working with Sound Transit to access potential parking options. Looking at a potential
parking structure for Edmonds and Mukilteo. The Port wants to ensure a parking structure does not result
in a net loss of parking for Port tenants. Developing an informational mailer that will be sent to residents in
the Port District as many residents do not understand what the Port does. First quarter 2019 finances indicate
the Port is in good financial shape. Bonds used to purchase Harbor Square will be retired in early 2020
which will directly enhance the Port's bottom line. Permanent moorage at the marina is 95% full and Harbor
Square is 98% occupied. Moving toward more environmentally friendly weed control to reduce toxic runoff
into the Edmonds Marsh and Puget Sound. Installing containers filled with crushed oyster shells to filter
stormwater. Planning to beautify the boardwalk and the entrance to the marina piers. Beautification project
on the corner of Dayton/SR-104. The 2-3" transition between the concrete sidewalk and the gravel path on
the corner is not ADA compliant and will need to be resolved. The Port feels they have invested enough in
the project and because it is City property, thinks it should be addressed by the City. Perhaps it can be
handled by the new concrete crew.
Councilmember Tibbott reported
Alliance for Housing Affordability: Had a report from neighboring cities regarding their plans for
affordable housing. Two House bills were passed by the legislature. HB 1406 allows each city to determine
a tax rate by resolution to collect funds that would be used for affordable housing. AHA will provide a
report on the bill and a sample resolution. A detailed report was provided regarding housing data in
Snohomish County. Although housing construction has returned to a level higher than during the recession,
it is not high enough to accommodate the new population moving into the area which puts pressure on the
cost of housing and drives some people into unstable or incompatible housing. He expected the AHA
director will provide a full report to the City Council in the future.
Council President Fraley-Monillas reported
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Page 8
Health District: Considering what to do with their building in Everett. The offer to purchase the building
fell through.
Housing Commission: She appreciated Councilmember Tibbott's assistance. Ms. Hope will provide an
update to the Council in two weeks. The deadline for applications was extended as some residents indicated
they had not received postcards announcing the commission.
Councilmember Johnson reported:
Historic Preservation Commission: Planning an exhibit at the Edmonds Historical Museum. Another issue
of the Preservationist is being developed that describes how to preserve your home and details about
windows in historic buildings. Reviewing several applications for properties to be added to the Edmonds
Register of Historic Places.
7. AUDIENCE COMMENTS
There were no audience comments.
8. REPORTS
1. MARCH 2019 QUARTERLY FINANCIAL REPORT
Assistant Finance Director Dave Turley provided quiz questions, advising the answers will be revealed at
the end of his presentation. He reviewed the Is' Quarter 2019 Summary Financial Report
• The City has many funds we have to keep track of. They are grouped into about 6 categories
o General Fund 41%
o Enterprise Fund —the Utilities 38%
o Parks & Street Construction 9%
o Special Revenue Funds 8%
o Internal Service Funds 3%
o Other 1%
• General Fund Q1 2019
o General Fund revenues are $42,000 (0.6%) ahead of last year and $391,000 (5.3%) behind
budget
o General Fund expenses are $666,000 (6.7%) ahead of last year, and $1.5 million 13.1 % behind
budget
o Overall reasonable results for the first three months of the year
• Graph of General Fund 6 Month Trend - Revenues and Expenses Budget to Actual
• Graph of General Fund Revenues vs. Expenses, 6 Month Trend
• Graph of sources of Sales Tax Revenue
o Sales Tax at 27% of 2019 budget
• General Fund 3 months — other noteworthy revenues
o Property Taxes are lagging 32% behind Q1 of last year. The County began sending us our
property taxes 14 times per year rather than 24 times. This lag will even itself out.
o Building Permit revenue is down from $148,000 this time last year, to $105,000 this year.
o Nothing has oc6urred to date that would disrupt the Council's 2019 priorities
• Graph of Interest Income 2013-2018
• Graph of General Fund Fund Balance last four quarters (General Fund alone and subfunds of the
General Fund)
# Summary
o We have had almost 10 years of recovery from the Great Recession, characterized by low
inflation and mostly slow growth in the regional and national economies.
o Edmonds is in good financial shape.
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o We currently have sufficient reserves to weather an unexpected downturn in the economy.
Mr. Turley revealed the answers to the quiz questions:
• Question 1: How many active funds does the City have to account for?
o Answer: Thirty-five.
■ Question 2: Out of all the City funds, how many have a 2109 expenditure budget of more than
$5M?
o Answer: Five.
■ General Fund: $44AM
■ Sewer/WWTP Utility Fund: $17.3
■ Water Utility Fund: $12.2M
• Storm Utility Fund: $9.7M
■ Street Construction: $6M
• Total: $90M
• Question 3: What is the single biggest source of revenue to the General Fund? Property Taxes,
Sales Tax, Licenses and Permits or something else?
o Answer: Property tax. The original 2019 budget forecast included $10.5M for property taxes,
$7.8M for sales taxes.
Mr. Turley highlighted awards the City received:
■ Awards
o CAFR Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting and
o PAFR Award for Outstanding Achievement in Popular Annual Financial Reporting
Council President Fraley-Monillas thanked Mr. Turley for his entertaining presentation, commenting it
helps the Council remember facts. Mr. Turley said it is important that the City Council and Mayor have a
good understanding of the City's finances.
9. ACTION ITEMS
1. AUTHORIZATION TO PURCHASE -2019 CUES SEWER VIDEO INSPECTION TRUCK
Public Works Director Phil Williams explained this is the proposed purchase of a new sewer truck to replace
truck #62, the Sewer Division's video inspection truck that has been in service for the last decade. The
purchase was included in the 2019 approved budget at $425,000, the net cost after selling the existing truck.
The actual purchase of the truck, less the sale of the existing truck to Cues is $412,999.59. An additional
$2400 will be used to purchase lights for the truck that will be sent to Cues to be installed when the truck
arrives. The total cost is approximately $414,000. This was presented to the Planning & Public Works
(PPW) Committee in April and it was forwarded to full Council due to the large purchase price. It was
pulled from the April 16" Council agenda and referred back to the PPW Committee for further Q&A and
again forwarded to the full Council. He offered to respond to any additional questions.
Councilmember Johnson agreed with Mr. Williams' summary to date. The truck was authorized in the 2019
budget but the Council has a second opportunity to approval at the time of the contract. The cost of vehicle
is $462,999.59, plus after -market addons of $2400 for a subtotal of $465,399.59 less the $50,000 trade-in
for a total of $415,399.59 which is below the budgeted amount. The video camera and radio will be salvaged
from the existing truck. The existing truck is 10 years old and has low mileage and uses a generator. The
new truck has a useful life of 12 years. The camera is relatively new and will be salvaged. Mr. Williams
answered the DUC camera will be retained. During the 10 years the City has owned the truck, camera
digital technology has advanced and the DUC camera was purchased about five years ago. The DUC
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Page 10
camera, a high definition camera with a wide angle lens operates on tractors and fits in an 8 -inch sewer
pipe, takes a series of photographs which requires a great deal of processing and computer power.
Councilmember Johnson summarized the camera will salvaged. Mr. Williams said it will be a backup to a
new DUC camera. The cost of the replacement truck is $100,000 higher due to the new DUC camera.
Everything else will remain on the existing truck that will be traded in. The intent was to leave the truck
fully equipped with cameras so a smaller city or private company could use it.
Councilmember Johnson said this truck will be dedicated to the Sewer Division and another division also
owns a truck. Mr. Williams said the Storm Utility also has a truck. Councilmember Johnson recalled when
staff was asked why they could not share the truck, they said there were scheduling problems. She suggested
it may be more cost effective to hire a scheduler than to purchase a new truck. Mr. Williams clarified it was
not a scheduling problem, the Sewer Division uses their truck constantly. To test whether a Sewer inspection
truck would work for the Storm Division which has a different piping system with many more flaws in the
pipe, staff tried sharing it for about 1'/z years. The truck provided a lot of good information regarding the
storm system but there were not enough hours available on the truck to meet the needs of both divisions.
The Council approved a video inspection truck for the Storm Division in a previous year's budget. The
alternative was to hire Bravo Environmental to do initial video inspections which would cost $3M and have
taken 3 years. The Sewer Division has always had a video inspection truck; this is simply the replacement.
Councilmember Johnson said she was trying to balance the needs and the cost. If the City could get 12
years out of the new truck and the existing truck is 10 years old, possibly it could be retained for 1-2 more
years. The City needs to get the best value from its equipment and not just look at a replacement schedule.
It's important to ask critical questions to ensure this is what the City really needs. She anticipated
technology will change sooner than 12 years and she wanted to ensure the City was not purchasing a truck
too soon and was getting the most out of the existing equipment. She clarified she was not questioning the
need for the truck but when it needed to be purchased. Mr. Williams said mileage is a non -issue, it is the
hours on the equipment after daily use for 10 years. The generator has already been replaced once which
was a very expensive repair.
Councilmember Johnson said if the truck has low mileage and the camera is salvageable, possibly it could
be used for another 1-2 years. Mr. Williams said that is not his recommendation. Councilmember Johnson
reiterated her question was whether the existing truck could be used for another 1-2 years. Mr. Williams
reiterated he did not recommend it. Councilmember Johnson said she was sure he would like to have brand
new, state of the art equipment, but the Council needs to be mindful of the ratepayers. This is an enterprise
fund and although there are funds available, the ratepayers need to be protected and ensure they are getting
the best value as $400,000 is a lot of money. Mr. Williams said the life expectancy of the new truck was
increased to 12 years. Councilmember Johnson pointed out the time period for the existing truck was not
being extended. Mr. Williams agreed it was not, because it was not providing the necessary level of service
and its downtime has been increasing.
Councilmember Johnson said she had not seen those figures; she was only using the information available
to her. Mr. Williams said the amount of time the truck has been down in the last couple years has not been
acceptable. One of the reasons was the difficulty of the new camera interfacing with the existing equipment.
The value of the information provided by the camera is very high, but the camera is a better fit with the
new version of the Cues truck. The City got 10 years out of the existing truck as expected. The City often
keeps vehicles longer than their expected service life; this one has not worked out that way. It is scheduled
to be replaced in 10 years and it needs to be replaced. He was hopeful the next one would last 12 years. He
summarized this type of vehicle is complicated and requires a lot of maintenance. Councilmember Johnson
said this is why she wanted to discuss it and why she brought it back to the PPW Committee.
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Councilmember Tibbott relayed his understanding the final price will be less than the amount budgeted and
it was approved in the 20109 budget. Mr. Williams answered yes. Councilmember Tibbott asked if it was
Mr. Williams expert opinion that the truck could be used immediately if was available. Mr. Williams
answered certainly.
COUNCILMEMBER TIBBOTT MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER TEITZEL, TO
AUTHORIZE THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS TO PURCHASE (1) 2019 CUES VIDEO
INSPECTION TRUCK FROM CUES, THROUGH HGAC CONTRACT #SC01-18.
Councilmember Teitzel, a member of the PPW Committee, agreed with Councilmember Johnson referring
the purchase back to the PPW Committee for further Q&A. He was comfortable Mr. Williams and his team
have resolved all the questions. He recalled at the PPW Committee staff stated the cost of the truck was
$100,000 and the remaining cost was the electronics, camera, generator, etc. The existing equipment is
obsolete and difficult to repair. He summarized the City needs this tool to ensure the sewer system, a critical
piece of the infrastructure, is top notch. It was approved in the 2019 budget, questions have been answered
and he was prepared to proceed.
MOTION TIED (2-2), COUNCILMEMBERS TEITZEL AND TIBBOTT VOTING YES; AND
COUNCILMEMBER JOHNSON AND COUNCIL PRESIDENT FRALEY-MONILLAS VOTING
NO.
Mr. Taraday said the Mayor is allowed to break a tie on matters that are not ordinances or resolutions for
the payment of money. There is not a resolution in the packet; this is a purchasing decision that is outside
the Mayor's normal contracting authority. Mr. Williams said it is before the Council because it is over
$100,000; it was approved in the budget. Mr. Taraday commented this is a gray area; the statute regarding
the Mayor breaking a tie states the Mayor cannot break a tie on ordinances and resolutions for the payment
of money. The statute does not go into detail about a resolution for the payment of money; there is no
resolution in the packet and the City does not typically approve contracts by resolution. In his opinion the
Mayor was allowed to break a tie but he was not 100% certain.
Council President Fraley-Monillas suggested scheduling this item on the June 4"' agenda Council agenda.
At Mayor Earling's request, Mr. Taraday agreed to explore the issue during the next agenda items.
10. MAYOR'S COMMENTS
Mayor Earling advised interviews for Interim Human Resources Director will be held this week and he was
hopeful an appointment could be made early next week. The HR Director position was published last
Thursday and applications will be accepted for three weeks.
Mayor Earling reported the Memorial Day service at the cemetery was attended by hundreds. He apologized
to Councilmember Johnson for not announcing that she was present. Another celebration at the Veterans
Plaza, attended by a couple hundred people, included the dedication of an information kiosk where veterans
can access information.
11. COUNCIL COMMENTS
Councilmember Tibbott reported on the Memorial Day celebration, commenting it was the first time he had
attended, and found it a wonderful celebration. His lasting memory will be the wind that blew during the
raising of the flags. It was a majestic day in Edmonds and he encouraged others to attend the event in the
future.
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Councilmember Teitzel reported he attended and enjoyed both Memorial Day events. He recognized Olivia
Olson, a former Edmonds-Woodway High School student, who made a great speech without notes. He also
applauded her mother who is in tonight's audience. The event at the Veterans plaza had a special focus on
Korean War Veterans which had special meaning to him as his father was a veteran of the Korean War.
Council President Fraley-Monillas said she also attended the Memorial Day ceremony, commenting it
brings back memories of both her parents who served in WWII. She relayed the bookstore on 4"' Avenue,
Reread Books, is closing and have asked people to bring bags and boxes to remove books.
Council President Fraley-Monillas read a statement in response to last week:
"I wanted to make a statement to the comments by the Mayor at last week's Council meeting. I am
concerned by the way the administration is game -shipping in a heated election year, particularly calling out
specific elected officials on camera. This administration has spent many, many years cultivating an us
versus them attitude between the staff and the three different Councils I have served on within the City.
The Council has served well during all administrations. It has endured that staff do not have good working
relationships with most of Council, particularly those Councilmembers that disagree with the
administration's decisions that have appeared to have been made based upon special interests and outside
City influences under the guise of being a regional player. We the electeds have been undermined, plotted
against, besmirched, embarrassed and joked about behind closed doors. We have been vilified, victimized
and bullied into decisions that do not benefit the citizens of this great City.
What must be understood is that we are not the administrative part of the City. We direct the legislative
branch, we create the laws, ordinances and rules of our City including full control of the budget. It is clear
that our authority has not been respected and moreover, has been actively worked against. Everyone on this
dais has election year favorites but for those electeds to run interference when they will no longer be serving
the City is out of line. I believe campaign influences including those representing outside groups, inject a
negative tone to what should be a civil discourse. Facts are stubborn things, says John Adams. I have been
in touch with the Public Disclosure Commission and will be publicly filing complaints for potential
investigations in the future.
Are the seven members of this Council perfect? Heck no. We make mistakes as any human beings do. But
our mistakes are made with the best intentions of our City. I wish I could say this about all the electeds. I
think there was an attempt last week to undermine the hardworking Council. The City Council does not
appreciate being set up, publicly shamed and bullied with grandstanding statements. I urge citizens to speak
out against bully behavior. We've had enough of this coming from Washington D.C.
I must say, every member of this Council thinks the staff are good people who try the best to move the City
forward in a positive manner. Unfortunately, they can become pawns. Who is the man behind the curtain?
Maybe it's time to pull the curtain back and be recognized."
With regard to whether the Mayor could break a tie regarding the purchase of the Cues Sewer Video
Inspection Truck, Mr. Taraday said there are only two cases about the statute and neither are helpful. He
read the applicable portion of the statute: "The mayor shall have a vote only in the case of a tie in the votes
of the councilmembers with respect to matters other than the passage of any ordinance, grant or revocation
of franchise or license or any resolution for the payment of money." The question is what does "resolution
for the payment of money" mean? There is no guidance in caselaw regarding what that means. Technically,
there is no resolution so one could make the argument that there is no resolution for the payment of money.
On the other hand, Mr. Taraday said he is mindful the Mayor's contracting authority comes from the City
Council. If this is before the Council because the contract exceeds the Mayor's contracting authority, it
seems reasonable it should require a majority vote of the Councilmembers. He acknowledged it was a very
close call. In a close situation like this where he is not able to provide a definitive opinion, he suggested
waiting until additional Councilmembers are present to take the vote. He has never been shy about telling
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the Mayor when he has the authority to break a tie but was not sure he did tonight. Mayor Earling said he
was simply searching for the right answer. Based on Mr. Taraday's comments, Mayor Earling said he was
not willing to break the tie and be the deciding vote and therefore the motion fails.
12. CONVENE IN EXECUTIVE SESSION REGARDING PENDING OR POTENTIAL LITIGATION
PF.R RCW 42.30.110(1)(x1
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 8:44 p.m.
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DA91D 0. EARLING, MAYOR C PASSEY, eI
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