2010-05-19 Economic Development Commission MinutesCITY OF EDMONDS
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
May 19, 2010
The Citizens Economic Development Committee meeting was called to order at 6:03 p.m. by Chair Frank
Yamamoto in the Brackett Room, 121 5th Avenue North, Edmonds.
COMMISSIONERS PRESENT
Bruce Faires
Stacy Gardea
Darrol Haug
Beatrice O'Rourke
Evan Pierce
David Schaefer
Rich Senderoff
Kerry St. Clair Ayers
Bill Vance
Rob VanTassell
Rebecca Wolfe
Frank Yamamoto
Marianne Zagorski
COMMISSIONERS ABSENT
Don Hall
Betty Larman
Mary Monfort
Bruce Witenberg
PLANNING BOARD LIAISON
Kristiana Johnson
STAFF PRESENT
Stephen Clifton, Community Services/Economic
Development Director
Cindi Cruz, Executive Assistant
Rob Chave, Planning Manager
Frances Chapin, Cultural Services Manager
Jeannie Dines, Recorder
PUBLIC PRESENT
Ron Wambolt
Eric Anderson
Tony Shapiro
Kathleen Taylor
Natalie Shippen
1. INTRODUCTION AND COMMENTS BY CHAIR — NONE
2. AMENDMENTS TO AGENDA — NONE
3. APPROVAL OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION MINUTES OF APRIL 21, 2010
COMMISSIONER ZAGORSKI MOVED TO APPROVE THE MINUTES AS AMENDED (ADD
COMMISSIONER WOLFE'S FIRST NAME IN THE FIRST PARAGRAPH UNDER ITEM D ON
PAGE 4). COMMISSIONER O'ROURKE SECONDED THE MOTION. MOTION CARRIED
UNANIMOUSLY.
4. REPORT FROM SUBGROUPS
a. Land Use
Planning Manager Rob Chave reported the subgroup discussed priorities and selected neighborhood
commercial centers, specifically identifying a process for Five Corners and Westgate. The subgroup is
interested in developing a process that could be used for one or both of these areas as well as replicated
for other neighborhood centers.
The City has a contract with Cascade Land Conservancy (CLC) as a Leadership City that includes 25
hours of CLC staff time on a project of mutual agreement. Neighborhood planning and public visioning is
Citizens Economic Development Commission Approved Minutes
May 19, 2010
Page 1
one of the things CLC does. To leverage the City's and CLC's resources, he has also been in contact with
a professional planner who is an instructor at the University of Washington regarding using this as a class
studio (a multi -disciplinary team of graduate students and instructors that work on a class project) in
January 2011. The estimated cost of their involvement would be $20,000-$25,000. The project scoping
process would determine whether to undertake one or both neighborhood centers.
Mr. Chave explained another option is "studio light" where the UW instructor would involve a group of
graduate students in the project. The advantage of this option is lower cost and it could be done sooner
such as fall quarter 2010. The disadvantage is it would not be as broad an effort as the class studio and
would not involve other disciplines and other instructor resources. He recommended the university studio
approach if possible. The intent would be a team approach consisting of City staff, CLC and the UW
students and the EDC.
He envisioned the process would include neighborhood meetings and the end result would be a master
plan and implementation tools. Mr. Chave reviewed a potential schedule for the team approach, beginning
with the assembly of the team, refining the scope and identifying who would be involved in each activity.
He envisioned CLC's involvement would be at the beginning of the process primarily public
participation. The UW students would use the information gathered to identify a range of alternatives and
create visuals, standards, and implementation tools.
Mr. Chave offered to return at the EDC's next meeting with a further refined process that includes the
scope, costs, funding source and schedule for the Commission's consideration. The EDC could then
forward a recommendation that includes a request for funding to the City Council. If the UW was not able
to be involved, he recommended working with CLC on Westgate because a great deal of work has already
been done with regard to Five Corners.
Discussion followed regarding the UW instructor determining whether she was interested in the class
studio or studio light approach, advantages of involving graduate students with up-to-date knowledge,
whether to focus on one or both neighborhood centers, ability for CLC and UW students to collaborate,
importance of proceeding with the development of options immediately following visioning, duplication
of effort that could allow both neighborhood centers to be done at once, the EDC's participation in the
process, opportunity for the university's participation to attract younger people to the city, opportunity for
housing that was more affordable in Westgate due to its location on a transit route, and consideration of
various housing types in the process including affordable housing.
Mr. Chave assumed if the university studio process began in January 2011, it would be complete by May
2011. It was the consensus of the Commission for Mr. Chave and the land use subgroup to proceed as
described.
b. Strategic Planning and Visioning
Commissioner Senderoff reported previously the subgroup discussed why a strategic plan was needed and
promoting the concept to the City Council. The subgroup's meeting this month focused on what should be
in a strategic plan and defining path for moving forward. The subgroup reviewed draft components of a
strategic plan based on similar efforts in Vancouver, Washington, and Edmonton, Canada.
Commissioner Senderoff described the difference between visioning and a strategic plan; visioning may
be an element of a strategic plan, a strategic plan addresses priorities and provides a guide for
implementing and for tracking progress. A strategic plan will also coalesce related plans such as the
Comprehensive Plan, will include a market scan analysis to inventory unique aspects the city offers, and
should include community prioritization of city capital expenditures, programs and services.
Economic Development Commission Approved Minutes
May 19, 2010
Page 2
He reviewed the subgroup's action items:
• Finalize recommendation to the City Council by early summer so that the Mayor can include
funds for the strategic plan development process in the next budget. Mr. Clifton will contact
consultants for an estimated cost.
Ms. Chapin and Mr. Clifton will develop a draft document that addresses details of the strategic
plan process for review by the subgroup.
Mr. Clifton explained the subgroup's discussions have focused on three phases, 1) why a strategic plan
was needed and how it will be used, 2) what components make up a strategic plan, and 3) an
implementation strategy for creating a strategic plan.
Discussion followed regarding information a consultant would develop via a market scan analysis, a
strategic plan as a roadmap for a specific period of time that includes priorities and steps for achieving
those priorities, the list of unfunded high priority capital expenditures that was presented to Council,
prioritizing the EDC's funding requests to Council, and the estimated cost of a market scan analysis. Mr.
Clifton offered to provide the Commission the list of unfunded high priority capital expenditures and the
City Council minutes with their discussion regarding the unfunded projects.
With regard to prioritizing the EDC's requests for funding, Mr. Clifton suggested the EDC submit their
recommendations to staff by July/August so that they could be discussed with the Mayor's budget
committee and included in the budget as decision packages. The Mayor presents the budget to the Council
in October and the budget is typically adopted in late November.
C. Technology
Commissioner St. Clair -Ayers explained the subgroup met with Finance Director Lorenzo Hines and CIO
Carl Nelson to discuss costs incurred to date, baseline operating costs, and various business models. She
summarized the subgroup was conducting groundwork regarding the revenue potential of fiber optics.
Commissioner Haug referred to a document Councilmembers were sent regarding how a town in North
Carolina botched their fiber optics project, explaining the Citizens Technology Advisory Committee
(CTAC) considered and avoided those issues early in the process. The intent of working with Mr. Hines is
to provide provable/documentable data. He commented on the tremendous potential to optimize the value
of fiber optics; the challenge is how drive a portion of that revenue to the City.
Discussion followed regarding the Port of Whitman County's fiber optics project, revenue potential via
fiber optics, need for potential customers to have their own information technology staff and ability to get
fiber to their location, and misconceptions regarding fiber optics due to a lack of understanding.
Commissioner St. Clair -Ayers offered to have Mr. Hines make a presentation regarding fiber optics to the
EDC.
d. Tourism
Chair Yamamoto reported the subgroup is reviewing other cities' websites and discussing advertising and
other opportunities to market the City.
Commissioner Wolfe asked how a person could donate a decorative public water fountain where you can
fill water bottles for a location provided by the City. Ms. Chapin suggested contacting Parks &
Recreation.
Commissioner Vance offered to research how to establish Edmonds as a cruise port. Commissioner
Zagorski advised the Port's Associate Executive Director was instrumental in bringing cruise lines to
Seattle.
Economic Development Commission Approved Minutes
May 19, 2010
Page 3
5. MARKETING
Mr. Clifton explained there are two funding sources for marketing: lodging tax (allocated by the Lodging
Tax Advisory Committee ([LTAC]) and the City's Economic Development budget. He referred to a
spreadsheet Ms. Cruz prepared illustrating LTAC and Economic Development Department expenditures
and potential advertising opportunities. He explained Ms. Cruz, Ms. Chapin, Chamber Director Jan Vance
and he have been meeting with radio and television stations, publications, and video producers to discuss
advertising opportunities. He described current advertising such as KPLU radio, Budget Travel and
ExperienceWA.com. He announced Sunset Magazine plans to publish an article regarding Edmonds in
their July issue. The City has also been featured in several publications at no charge including 425
Magazine, Seattle Metropolitan, NW Yachting, and National Writers Digest.
Discussion followed regarding the difficulty quantifying the number of people who visit Edmonds as a
result of advertisements, ability to track visitors to websites, information gathered via polling done at the
Taste of Edmonds and the Waterfront Festival, tracking calls generated by advertisements via 800
numbers assigned to each ad, staff s efforts to enhance the visitors guide portion of the City's website,
and advertising targeted at specific demographics.
6. STEVENS HOSPITAL
Mr. Clifton reported Mayor Haakenson had lunch with Swedish's CEO and Mr. Chave and he met with
two representatives of Swedish Medical Center to offer their services to help facilitate the merger of the
two hospitals as well as determine what help they need from the City to make the merger successful. They
also discussed ancillary uses around the medical center, businesses that might be attracted to a Swedish
satellite hospital, etc. He described the availability of fiber optics in close proximity to the hospital.
Swedish informed them have a 30 year lease; Swedish will operate the hospital and plans to invest $100
million in the facility particularly in technology.
The City's CIO Carl Nelson is talking with Swedish's IT staff regarding the capabilities of fiber optics.
The Swedish representatives were very appreciative of staff s outreach and expressed their willingness to
host a community meeting to describe their plans. Mr. Clifton advised a presentation and Q&A will be
scheduled in Council Chambers later this summer. He anticipated the presentation would be recorded for
broadcast on Channel 21.
7. FUTURE AGENDA TOPICS AND NEXT MEETING DATE — JUNE 16, 2010
Staff email Commissioners a revised date for the June meeting due to the Arts Festival preview
party on June 16
Discuss the EDC's sunset date and whether to recommend to the City Council that the EDC's
timeline be extended or it become a standing committee
8. MISCELLANEOUS
In light of Councilmember Orvis' resignation, Commissioner Zagorski inquired whether the EDC should
request another liaison. Mr. Clifton explained the person selected to fill the vacancy typically takes over
the Councilmember's committees. He offered to confer with Council President Bernheim regarding the
appointment of another Councilmember. Commissioner Zagorski commented this was an opportunity for
the Council to appoint a Councilmember rather than the new Councilmember taking over the liaison
position.
Planning Board Member Kristiana Johnson relayed that she had reported the activities of the four
subcommittees to the Planning Board. Planning Board Members also receive the EDC minutes. She
reported on the following Planning Board agenda items:
Economic Development Commission Approved Minutes
May 19, 2010
Page 4
May 12: The Planning Board held a public hearing on proposed sign code amendments to clarify
the definition and establish criteria for wall murals or artwork. The Board recommended the
proposed ordinance as well as recommended the City's fees associated with the application and
review of murals be waived. She pointed out murals and artwork draw people to the community
as well as promote Edmonds as art community.
June 23: A public hearing is scheduled to address a conflict in the sign code regarding the number
of signs allowed for multi -tenant structures. The Planning Board considered several options
presented by staff, the public hearing is on an option that would allow up to three signs per
business regardless of location and would provide for a directory -type sign for multi -tenant sites.
There would be no change in the maximum total sign area.
9. AUDIENCE COMMENTS
Tony Shapiro, Edmonds, recalled his previous description to the Commission of a land use issue on
2201h where vacant property could be developed for medical use. A large clinic in Edmonds is seeking
additional space in the City and has identified property in that area. A Comprehensive Plan amendment
will be necessary; however, an application was not submitted by the December 31 deadline to be
considered this year. He urged the EDC to express their support to the City Council for an expedited
Comprehensive Plan amendment to allow this clinic to remain in Edmonds. He advised neighborhood
meetings are scheduled at Edmonds-Woodway High School on May 24 and June 21.
Ron Wambolt, Edmonds, recommended the EDC provide input to the Mayor this summer as he will be
presenting the budget to the City Council in October.
Eric Anderson, owner of Five Corners Shopping Plaza, commented as a result of the process
conducted by former Economic Development Director Jennifer Gerend, the Comprehensive Plan was
amended to allow up to four stories at Five Corners and Firdale Village. However, the zoning at Five
Corners has not yet been changed to be consistent with the Comprehensive Plan. He suggested the EDC
concentrate on Five Corners, Firdale Village and Westgate, noting additional density would be necessary
to make redevelopment feasible. He urged the City to tell the property owners what they wanted.
0111" tQ1
With no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 8:05 p.m.
Economic Development Commission Approved Minutes
May 19, 2010
Page 5