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20191112 City CouncilEDMONDS CITY COUNCIL APPROVED MINUTES Novem ber 12, 2019 ELECTED OFFICIALS PRESENT Dave Earling, Mayor Adrienne Fraley-Monillas, Council President Michael Nelson, Councilmember Kristiana Johnson, Councilmember Thomas Mesaros, Councilmember Diane Buckshnis, Councilmember Dave Teitzel, Councilmember Neil Tibbott, Councilmember ALSO PRESENT Zach Bauder, Student Representative 1. CALL TO ORDER/FLAG SALUTE STAFF PRESENT A] Compaan, Police Chief Phil Williams, Public Works Director Patrick Doherty, Econ. Dev & Comm. Serv. Dir. Shane Hope, Development Services Director Scott James, Finance Director Dave Turley, Assistant Finance Director Jessica Neill Hoyson, HR Director Shannon Burley, Deputy Parks & Recreation Dir. 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 5th Avenue North, Edmonds. The meetingwas opened with the flag salute. 2. LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Councilmember Teitzel read the City Council Land Acknowledge Statement: "We acknowledge the original inhabitants of this place, the Sdohobsh (Snohomish) people and their successors the Tulalip Tribes, who since time immemorial have hunted, fished, gathered, and taken care of these lands. We respect their sovereignty, their right to self-determination, and we honor their sacred spiritual connection with the land and water." 3. ROLL CALL City Clerk Scott Passey called the roll. All elected officials were present. 4. APPROVAL OF AGENDA COUNCILMEMBER TIBBOTT MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER BUCKSHNIS, TO APPROVE THE AGENDA IN CONTENT AND ORDER. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. 5. APPROVAL OF CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS COUNCILMEMBER TEITZEL MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER BUCKSHNIS, TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. The agenda items approved are as follows: 1. APPROVAL OF COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES OF NOVEMBER 4, 2019 Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes November 12, 2019 Page 1 5. AUDIENCE COMMENTS Darrol Haug, Edmonds, relayed he has had the privilege to work on three volunteer studies related to parking, 1) Economic Development Commission, 2) Mayor's staff that involved Council and a couple citizens, and 3) the parking scoping team comprised of staff, Councilmembers and one citizen. At the Council's request, public engagement was accelerated and about three months ago, public meetings were held and an online survey conducted that received 705 responses. He commented on the engagement and thoughtful remarks in the survey as well as the respondents' wishes to move forward on some of the issues. Tonight's presentation about the survey will provide details of the study but not much regarding recommendations. He referred to an email he sent to Councilmembers listing his recommendations. Key to everything is data, collecting the correct data necessary to make good decisions to help balance enforcement, timing and user issues. A review of the 2003 study illustrates the types of data necessary to make those informed decisions; updating that data would be very valuable. He recognized public engagement was important to Council; the timing couldn't be better now that the elections are over. He urged the Council to look at his recommendations, review the material staff will present, reengage the public and offer ideas about how to move forward. Laura Johnson, Edmonds, reported every day in the United States, eight children will be the victims of unintentional shootings and unsecured firearms. It is a leading cause of death among children in the United States. It may be a curious child who unbeknownst to their parents knows where the gun is hidden, plays with it and ends up shooting themselves, a sibling or friend. In 2016 this happened to 3,000 children, 127 of whom died. It may be a depressed teen who in a moment of desperation and easy access to an unsecured firearm ends up taking their life. In 2016, 1,100 children died by firearm suicide. In most cases it was with a parent's unsecured weapon. Studies have shown that having a gun in the household significantly increases the risk of adolescent suicide and youth suicide is on the rise in Snohomish County. It may be another student entering a school and targeting classmates. A recent Washington Post review of school shootings by minors found 80% of the guns used in school shootings were either taken from the shooter's home or that of a relative or friend. The scenarios play out day after day, but as a country, we are doing little to nothing to stop it even though we know exactly how to prevent it — firearm safe storage and child access prevention laws. Studies have shown that approximately one out of three handguns are kept loaded and unlocked and most children know exactly where their parents keep the gun. In fact 75% of first and second graders know where their parents keep their firearms ad 36% admitted to handling weapons and their parents had no idea. Ms. Johnson continued, this is not a gun rights issue; it is a public health issue. Unsecured firearms in Edmonds homes means the entire community is not safe. Someone else's negligence can directly impact your life. Firearm safe storage and child access prevention laws would almost entirely eliminate unintentional shooting deaths among children. These are not controversial methods but rather to make them explicit; we assume that gun owners already follow them which is a faulty assumption. She attended the Superior Court hearings and listened to written testimony of one of the plaintiffs describing how he keeps his firearm loaded and unsecured in his home even when his grandchildren are present. Many gun -owning families are unaware of the statistics and she recommended they be made aware for our safety and theirs. These laws, coupled with public education, are how to address this issue in Edmonds. She applauded the work the Council has done so far and encouraged them to continue their efforts. Heather Damron, Edmonds, urged the Council to appeal the court order regarding the firearms safe storage ordinance. Every day a hundred Americans are killed with guns and hundreds more are shot and injured. The effects of gun violence extend far beyond these casualties. Gun violence shapes the lives of millions of Americans who witness it, know someone who was shot, or live in fear of the next shooting. She unfortunately is a statistic; many people in her life have been destroyed, terrorized and forever changed due to the effects of gun violence, both physically and emotionally. She has absolutely had enough and is Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes November 12, 2019 Page 2 committed to do what it takes to curb this epidemic and she hoped the Council was too. In summer 2018, a majority of Council made a bold decision to stand up to the gun lobby to put the safety of citizens first. The Council added another safeguard to keep guns out of the hands of children and those who are a danger to themselves or others. Safe storage saves lives. This was the right decision, a responsible and healthy decision for the community. Federal and state governments are not acting to end guy violence; Edmonds led the way, taking the helm to show other communities that we are not controlled by the gun lobby and put the safety of our citizens first and foremost. The court's decision is worth challenging. The children of Edmonds deserve a Council who will be bold and stand up to the gun lobby's tactics, ,who will keep pushing and will not back down. She spent the last 10 months speaking with citizens from all parts of Edmonds; the resounding theme is public safety and gun sense legislation falls right into that category. Reasonable citizens and gun owners understand the logic behind keeping firearms properly secured and stored. Some gun owners need a little guidance and encouragement to secure their firearms, much like seatbelt laws. If we can add an extra safeguard to keep guns away from children, we have to do it. If it will save one life, we are beholden to do whatever we can for the health and safety of our community. Jenna Nand, Edmonds, relayed someone posted on a social media site today that several neighbors saw two Hispanic people in the neighborhood and assumed they were casing houses. When confronted, they said they were lost. She said when discussing gun ownership in the community, it is important to consider who is disproportionately affected by gun violence, primarily young men of color. If the community does not want the next Trayvon Martin to be a boy in Edmonds, there needs to be more emphasis on community policing and how to engage with neighbors. Edmonds is changing demographically; there are more people of color moving into the community and there is a low income population coming from Seattle via Aurora. When people are scared they reached for their guns which can have disastrous consequences. She suggested a establishing a policy for residents to respond when they see suspicious activity in a way that is not confrontational or tragic. Roger Hertrich, Edmonds, referred to one of the City's franchisees, Frontier Communications, pointing out none of the criteria for considering a franchise addresses actual service to the community. The franchise agreement addresses areas where they can expand, limitations, etc., but the City is unable to enforce the franchisee not providing service to a resident. In his case, his land line was left unconnected for a week. There are a lot of problems with cable companies and Frontier is the worst. He said it may be lucky that Frontier is changing their ownership. He suggested the City's legal department include a requirement regarding service to the customer. After a month without TV and a week and a half without a telephone, he reluctantly changed to Comcast. With regard to the parking survey, he questioned how many people would read and answer all the question in a 118 -page survey. Nora Carlson, Edmonds, spoke on behalf of neighborhood safety, specifically the intersection of 96" & 224t''. She submitted a request to the traffic calming program but was denied. Her request was for a 4 -way stop to slow drivers down in both directions. Staff at Westgate Elementary have reported that drivers are driving through the crossing guards at that intersection. They have called the police but nothing has been done to make it a 4 -way stop or other solution to keep children and adults safe. She will continue to monitor the situation and urged the Council to do what they can to assist with safe crossings. 7. PUBLIC HEARING 1. PUBLIC HEARING OF THE PROPOSED 2020-2025 CAPITAL FACILITIES PLAN/CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM City Engineer Rob English provided a diagram showing components found only in the CIP and only in the CFP and components found in both the CIP and CFP. The CIP contains 6 -year maintenance projects with funding sources, the CFP contains long range (20 -year) capital project needs, and both contain 6 -year capital projects with funding sources. Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes November 12, 2019 Page 3 Mr. En Iish provided a summary of CIP fund numbers and the department managing each fund: Fund Description Department GF Building Maintenance Public Works 112 Transportation Public Works 125 Capital Projects Fund Parks & Recreation/Public Works 126 Special Capital/Parks Acquisition Parks & Recreation/Public Works 332 Parks -Construction (Grant Funding) Parks & Recreation 421 Water Projects Public Works 422 Storm Projects Public Works 423 Sewer Projects Public Works 423 Wastewater Treatment Plant Public Works Mr. English reviewed: * 2019 Pavement Preservation * 6.5 lane miles * 13 curb ramps o $1.8M project cost * 2019 — 89" Place Retaining Wall * 2019 — 84" Ave Overlay Project o Stormwater and 2 -inch overlay project * 212th St to 220th St (1/2) mile * 17 curb ramps & 918 feet of new storm pipe o Overlay will be done in spring * CIP 2020-2025 o New column with the decision package number added to the report * 112 Street Fund 2020 Projects o *2020 Pavement Preservation Program (DP 95/96) o *Hwy 99 Revitalization Project(DP 98) o Dayton St Walkway; w/o 8' Ave (DP 99) o *Citywide Pedestrian Crossing Project (DP 100) ■ HAWK signal at SR 524 & 84th Avenue ■ Convert signal at 232n1 & SR 104 to full signal *REET Contribution Transportation — 126/125 Funds 2020 Projects o Pavement Preservation Program (DP 95/96) o Hwy 99 Revitalization Project (DP 98) o Citywide Pedestrian Crossing Project (DP 100) o Pedestrian Safety Program (DP 10 1) o Guardrail Installation (DP 102) o Traffic Signal Upgrades (DP 103) o Traffic Calming Program (on-going) Utility Funds (photo of Five Corners reservoir recoating project) o 2019 — Dayton St Utility Improvement Project ■ Phase 1 ( 3`d to 5t'') ■ 1,200 ft Watermain ■. 1,200 ft Storm pipe ■ 1,350 ft Sewer pipe Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes November 12, 2019 Page 4 ■ New pavement Section ■ Phase 2 (5t'' to 9th) next year o 2019 — Seaview Infiltration Project ■ Water Quality Treatment ■ 4 Infiltration Wells ■ $670k Project Cost (Grant & Local Funds) • Water Utility Fund 2020 projects 0 8,000 ft of Watermain Replacement ■ Phase 10 Annual Replacement (DP 77) ■ Phase 11 Annual Replacement (DP 73) ■ Swedish & 76th Ave Replacement (DP 75) ■ Dayton St. 3rd to 9th Utility Improvements (DP 99) o Overlay streets affected by replacements (DP 74/76) Stormwater Utility Fund 2020 projects 0 4,900 ft of Storm Pipe Replacement ■ Phase 1 Annual Replacement (DP 82) ■ Dayton St 3rd to 9th Utility Improvements (DP 99) o Seaview Infiltration Facility Phase 2 (DP 79) o Willow Creek Daylighting Design (DP 80) o Ballinger Regional Facility pre -design (DP 84) o Perrinville Creek Flow Management Projects (DP 88) Sewer Utility Fund 2020 Projects 0 2,500 ft sewermain replacement ■ Phase 7 Annual Replacement (DP 93) ■ Phase 8 Annual Replacement (DP 89) 0 6,300 ft of CIPP pipe rehabilitation ■ CIPP Sewer Rehab Phase 2 (DP 90) ■ Dayton St. 3rd to 9th Utility Improvements (DP 99) o Lift Station 1 Metering & Flow Study (DP 91) o Lake Ballinger Sewer Trunk Study (DP 92) o WWTP — Pyrolysis Project (DP 94) Parks & Recreation Deputy Director Shannon Burley reviewed: • CIP Criteria / PROS Plan o Assess resources and capacity o Embrace opportunity o Connect and expand o Enhance identity o Advance big ideas o Activate o Maximize Parks CIP 2019 o Seaview playground — complete o Seaview Tennis courts and restrooms — complete o Olympic Beach restroom and beach ranger station — complete o City Park Walkway — Fall/Winter project o Gateway Sign — Fall/Winter project Parks CIP 2019 and 2020 Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes November 12, 2019 Page 5 o Fishing Pier Rehabilitation - Winter/Spring completion o Yost Pool Repairs (DP 104) Fund 125 Parks CIP 2020 o Marina Beach Park (DP 106) Fund 125 * Council Priority #2 ■ $30,000 for design ■ $1,500,000 grant outreach - Local Parks (RCO) $500,000 - Water Access (RCO) $500,000 - ALEA (Federal) $500,000 ■ Project $3-4 Million Parks CIP 2019-2020 o 4t' Ave Cultural Corridor (DP 107) Fund 125 ■ Council Priority #6 • $350,000 to design - $50,000 in 2019 - $100,000 in 2020 - $200,000 in 2021 ■ Construction estimate $3.5-5M ■ Economic Development & Arts combined project ■ High priority in cultural plan and creative district work plan Parks CIP 2020 o Community garden (DP 108 and 112) ■ Council Priority #2 ■ $300,000 Land Acquisition - Fund 126 ■ $24,000 monthly payments - Fund 125 ■ $200,000 per year through 2025 = additional $1 million for land acquisition o Outdoor Fitness Zones (DP 109) Fund 125 ■ $75,000 carryforward ■ Grant match ■ Mathay Ballinger Park ■ Civic Park Parks CIP/CFP 2019-2020 o Waterfront Redevelopment (DP 110) ■ Council Priority #2 ■ $2,681,065 carryforward ■ Total Project $4.8M ■ Waterfront walkway project separate ■ Funds 125, 126, 332 & Park Impact Fees o Civic Park (DP 111) ■ Council Priority #2 ■ $1,990,000 budget request ■ $1,000,000 REET 2 ■ $137,380 REET 1 ■ $852,620 Park Impact Fees ■ 50% Design ■ 90% in December ■ Yost Park water mitigation ■ Submitting for permits RFP Feb / Mar ■ Break ground May/June Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes November 12, 2019 Page 6 ■ One year to construct ■ Presenting to Council 12/10 ■ Community fundraising campaign led by Rotary to raise remaining $400,000 for inclusive playground • Parks CIP 2021-2025 o Future Improvements: ■ Anderson Center Field/Court/Stage Repairs ■ Brackett's Landing Improvements ■ City Park Improvements ■ Maplewood Park Improvements ■ Pineridge Park Improvements • Seaview Park Improvements ■ Misc. Unpaved Trail / Bike Path Improvements ■ Land Acquisition Mr. English reviewed the CIP/CFP Schedule ■ July o City staff begins development of capital budgets • August/September o Submit proposed Capital budget to finance o Prepare draft CFP and CIP • October o Planning Board; Public Hearing (October 9th & 23rd) ■ November/December o Nov 4th Presentation of Capital Decision Packages o Nov 12th Public Hearing o Adopt CFP w/ Budget into the Comprehensive Plan Councilmember Teitzel referred to the intersection improvement at Hwy 99 and 234"' Street, relaying that in the CFP, the investment begins in 2023. He recognized there have been a lot tragedies in that area, pedestrians who have been hit and killed while jaywalking. This project is very needed from a safety perspective as there are no pedestrian crossings for a mile north of 238'. He asked if it would be possible to reprioritize that project to move up to possibly start it in 2020 or 2021. Mr. Williams recognized the need, noting the issue was finding the money. There is $9M remaining from the original $10M the legislature granted the City in the last statewide transportation package. The intent in 2020 is to use a portion of those funds to do the interim project, a $918,000 decision package to put in medians along the entire Edmonds frontage to improve vehicular safety. Everyone can agree with the need for more pedestrian crossings on Hwy 99. He described efforts to make improvements on Hwy 99, noting two miles of improvements is estimated at $172M. Staff's recommendation was a project from 224'n to 220" due to the bad accident history in that area; however the capital costs for that were estimated $24M -25M which was reduced to $15M -16M by removing undergrounding of utilities. The City only has $9M available. As the $6M that the legislature set aside for the Edmonds Waterfront Connector will now be returned to the funding pool, Mr. Williams explained staff planned to make a request to the legislature to reprioritize those funds back to Edmonds on another safety project such as Hwy 99. If that $6M could be obtained, added to the $9M, there would be enough to do the first phase of Hwy 99. Absent that, the goal was to do one intersection, 2341". He summarized staff was trying to find a project that fits the available funding or funding that could reasonably anticipated. The $9M could also be augmented with a TIB grant, another state grant program, to do a single project. However, the passage of I-976 is very likely to create major disturbances in the flow of transportation funds from the state to the local level, making it less likely the City will get the $6M back. The intent is to do the interim project next year and design of the 234" intersection. When Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes November 12, 2019 Page 7 the 234' intersection is built will depend on the success in finding more funding. Councilmember Teitzel asked that safety improvements on Hwy 99 be a high priority and moved forward as quickly as possible. Council President Fraley-Monillas commented people getting hit by cars primarily occurs on the south end of Hwy 99, between 238"' and 224' where pedestrians try to cross 7 lanes of traffic particularly near the apartments on both sides of Hwy 99. She suggested considering a different starting place with whatever funding is available. Council President Fraley-Monillas referred to Ferry Storage Improvements from Pine St. Dayton St. and the project description to modify existing lane channelization on SRI 04 to add vehicle storage for ferry users to reduce conflicts between ferry storage and access to local driveways. She asked if that would require building into the marsh or on the other side of the road. Mr. Williams answered that was not the intent; the state approached the City with idea for improving the flow of vehicles in and out of the ferry terminal that they felt would also be good for Edmonds. The best idea for addressing conflicts are still being discussion. It is a difficult issue, particularly at Pine Street where there are a lot of conflicts from ferry line backups. Council President Fraley-Monillas asked if the project would include building more lanes for vehicle storage. Mr. Williams said it was not increasing the impervious surface but making better use of the existing pavement. With regard to Council President Fraley-Monillas' comment about where vehicle/pedestrians accidents occur, Mr. Williams said it is a difficult problem, trying to find a place for a crossing in that two mile frontage. It would be virtually impossible to get the state to approve a midblock crossing like a HAWK signal so that limits improvements to the intersections. The best option is to install a signal that has pedestrian phases which is what the signal at 234th would have. The intent was to add one and select the right place for it. Land uses in that area will also change pedestrian traffic over time; likely both sides will develop more intensely in the future. No one project will fix the issue but the first place a signal was appropriate was 234th. He acknowledged it was not as far north on the alignment as some would wish but further south would be too close to other signals. Council President Fraley-Monillas referred to the island turnarounds in Shoreline. Mr. Williams said Hwy 99 is safer in Shoreline due to wider median that provides some refuge for a pedestrian. The interim project is a C -curb which does not provide any pedestrian refuge. He concluded the signal at 234th is part of the eventual final answer. Councilmember Buckshnis relayed citizens questions regarding how the location of traffic calming, guardrails, bike lanes are determined. Mr. English answered with regard to the traffic calming program, a call for projects from the community is done at the beginning of the year; residents can submit requests for traffic calming on their street. The engineering staff does a speed survey to determine the percentile speed, looks at the roadway geometry and scores each application. Based on the score, the projects are prioritized for funding. The available funds, $15,000, is not a large amount and typically only funds 1-2 requests. There are typically 8-10 requests per year. With regard to guardrails, in the past, Engineering and Public Works developed a list existing guardrails or where guardrails were needed and prioritized the list. When funding was allocated last year, staff reevaluated and prioritized the lists. The top projects were funded in 2019 and the same approach was used to fund guardrail projects in 2020. Mr. Williams recalled a location where staff felt a guardrail made sense but the community did not want it. There are numerous existing guardrails that need to be replaced as well as locations where staff feels there should be a guardrail, and guardrails are not inexpensive. Councilmember Buckshnis referred to citizens' concerns with bike lanes eliminating parking. Mr. Williams said the plan for bicycle and pedestrian improvements, updated in 2015, identified routes for bike lanes. Often it is not possible to buy new right-of-way so the existing right-of-way needs to be divided up to find Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes November 12, 2019 Page 8 the 10 feet for bike lanes in each direction which usually means a road diet, reducing a 4 -lane road to 3 lanes (center turn lane and a travel lanes in each direction). He referred to 212"' where there are bike lanes in both directions and traffic flows just as well or better than before. Bike lanes provide a place for bicycles but also provide 5 feet between the sidewalk and the traffic, making it more comfortable for pedestrians and not punishing vehicles. Councilmember Mesaros reinforced the concern with pedestrian safety on Hwy 99, acknowledging the shortage of funds. He supported developing a long-term plan to solve the problem incrementally but sooner rather than later, recognizing that the passage of I-976 may mean later. Developing a plan shows citizens that the City recognizes the issue and has a proposed solution. Mr. Williams commented it was not just I- 976, the impacts of the passage of I-976 are unknown but there will be less money to compete for. The issue is also at the federal level, the way federal funds are distributed and the priorities have changed dramatically in the last three years and grants for the types of projects the City does are less available and much harder to get. He summarized less state and federal money makes it more difficult, but not impossible. The City has $9M available after funding the interim project and staff believes 234' would be the right project. Councilmember Mesaros agreed 230h was a great place to start but a plan for future improvements needs to developed. Mayor Earling opened the public participation portion of the public hearing. Joe Scordino, Edmonds, commented having pieces of projects in both the CIP/CFP is very confusing. He recommended the Council consider merging the two documents so all the projects and costs are in one place. He found discrepancies between the documents and missing numbers, specifically in the Edmonds Marsh restoration. For example, the narrative is wrong in the CIP and the CFP, stating the daylighting is through Edmonds Marsh; Edmonds Marsh is already daylighted, the channel is being daylighted through the Unocal property. The CFP states there are three components to the overall marsh restoration, one of which is redevelopment of Marina Beach Park, but Marina Beach Park is in the CIP so it is unclear whether the $16M in the CFP includes Marina Beach Park. He suggested either the two documents needed significant scrubbing so the numbers matched or a simpler solution would be to combine them. He also could not discern whether there was any plan for using the $1.3M marsh restoration fund that the Council set aside. Costs also need to be anticipated; although the property transfer to WSDOT has been delayed, he felt the problem with WSDOT agreeing to allowing the channel across their property was compensation. The City should consider what it will cost to acquire or get an easement for that portion of land and include that in the CIP/CFP so there is a realistic cost estimate for the Edmonds Marsh restoration. The CFP shows the Edmonds Marsh restoration as a stormwater project which he said needs to be changed. Nora Carlson, Edmonds, recalled she had applied for funding under the traffic calming program and was told very few residents had submitted requests. She questioned how many projects had been submitted and how many were funded in 2019. She recommended the intersection of 96th & 224" be seriously considered for a 4 -way stop or some way to slow traffic and prevent drivers from speeding through the area particularly when there are crossing guards at the intersection. Hearing no further comment, Mayor Earling closed the public participation portion of the hearing. He relayed staff's recommendation to schedule approval of the 2020-2025 CFP/CIP on next week's agenda. Councilmember Buckshnis commented the amount budgeted for stormwater and for parks for the Edmonds Marsh had changed drastically between the previous two years and this year; stormwater was initially $5- 1 OM and was now $16.6M. If the marsh restoration is a utility project, she asked if the cost would be passed on to utility ratepayers. Mr. Williams answered the Edmonds Marsh is an important asset for the stormwater system which allows that fund to help fund the overall restoration of the marsh. There will need to be matching funds, likely more than the $1.3M that is currently set aside. There are a lot of funds programmed Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes November 12, 2019 Page 9 in 2022 to provide the City's portion of that project. Staff is pursuing all the grants they can find; however, that effort has been held up due to the ownership issue. When the project was initially added to the CIP, it was assumed 75% grant funding would be obtained; the other 25%, approximately $4M+, will come from City funds. Councilmember Buckshnis said she did not know if utility ratepayers would think it was advantageous to have their utility rates pay for a capital project. In the 2017 and 2018 CIP, there was $6M from parks capital and the difference was from stormwater. She suggested a better balance between stormwater and parks. Mr. Williams said the grant funds can be put in any fund, the source of the matching funds to acquire the grants is more important. When the project gets to design and build, it will likely be done by Engineering and Public Works. The funds have been allocated from stormwater which does not mean that is how it would be executed or what the project will ultimately look like. It is thought to be a $16.65M project, an amount that has increased over the years. Councilmember Buckshnis said in WRIA 8 grant funding, stormwater is a huge part but they generally see a better balance of funds in parks capital. She expressed concern the utility funds have $16.5M for the project. Mr. Williams answered the intent is to provide the least amount of local dollars to accomplish the project and staff will seek as many grants as possible. The local funds will need to come from somewhere; right now it is assumed a large share, above and beyond the $1.3M, will come from the stormwater fund. Councilmember Buckshnis suggested taking a comprehensive look at the entire project including perhaps purchasing some of the property. Mr. Williams said the goal is to get the property for free; if it is surplused to the state and its highest and best use is "developed as a natural resource area," it will not have much value to WSDOT. If there is a price to pay, he was hopeful it would be in-kind and the actual cash would be minimal or nothing. If that is not possible, he recommended paying as little for the property as possible although he was uncertain that owning the property was quite the right decision to make yet. Although the property was cleaned up and a cap placed on it, that does not mean no contamination remains and whoever owns the property is responsible. If the City was allowed to daylight Willow Creek through the property without buying it, that would be ideal. Councilmember Buckshnis recalled Windward suggested talking to the WSDOT mitigation division. Like Mr. Scordino, she found the different numbers in the CIP and CFP confusing. Mr. Williams said the reason the CIP and CFP are separated is the CFP is required by the state for a particular purpose and only the projects that qualify are supposed to be included. Ms. Burley agreed the CIP and CFP were confusing. She has learned throughout the process that there are many ways to put the puzzle together and the constant is that it changes. She was not surprised that it looked different in previous years, and said it will likely look different next year. As the City starts to apply for grants, the project will swing back toward parks because several of the grants the City plans to apply for will be parks related and matching funds will be stormwater. The current exercise is fund balance and where potential grants and grant opportunities are positioned. Councilmember Mesaros asked for an opportunity to talk offline with Mr. English and/or Mr. Williams regarding how to incorporate crossings on Hwy 99 into the CIP/CFP documents. Council President Fraley- Monillas asked to join that conversation. Council President Fraley-Monillas suggested staff speak with Ms. Carlson about the intersection she referenced. Mr. Williams said if she applied, the project was screened which can be reviewed with the her. It was the consensus of the Council to schedule approval of the 2020-2025 CFP/CIP at the November 19" meeting. Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes November 12, 2019 Page 10 8. ACTION ITEMS ORDINANCE AMENDING THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WITH THE PUBLIC FACILITIES DISTRICT Finance Director Scott James explained this ordinance will add a second addendum to the Interlocal Agreement between Snohomish County, Snohomish County PFD, the City and Edmonds PFD. The addendum will incorporate changes that the state legislature made to RCW 82.14.390 that add provisions that allow the county PFDs to extend the sales and use tax fee, which is paid directly from the state's General Fund, from 2026 to 2041. COUNCILMEMBER BUCKSHNIS MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER MESAROS, TO APPROVE ORDINANCE NO. _, AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTION AD DELIVERY OF ADDENDUM NO. 2 TO INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT FOR DEVELOPMENT OF THE EDMONDS CENTER FOR THE ARTS. Council President Fraley-Monillas referred to paragraph 4 in the Agreement Section, "The Agreement shall continue in full force and effect until such time as all bonds, short-term notes and other obligations issued by the City PFD for the financing or refinancing construction of the Edmonds Centre for the Arts are fully paid and redeemed or until December 31, 2041, whichever comes first." and asked if there was a schedule. Mr. James answered the PFD currently does not have outstanding debt that extends to 2041. This will provide the Edmonds PFD the ability to issue debt that will extend to 2041. The PFD cannot not do that without approval of the ILA. Council President Fraley-Monillas inquired about the PFD's current debt. Mr. James answered last year the City refinanced a bond for the PFD via bank loan through First Northwest Bank and the City put up $2.8M. The PFD'S original bond issue was $7M which has approximately $2.96M remaining. Council President Fraley-Monillas asked when that would be paid off. Mr. James answered 2026. If the PFD chose to issue additional debt through 2041, Councilmember Johnson asked whether the City of Edmonds would be the guarantor of that debt like it has been in the past. Mr. James answered City Council approval is required for the Edmonds PFD to issue debt and there is no requirement for the City to guarantee any new debt that was issued. The PFD has been working on a strategic plan to prevent the need to ask the City for additional funds. Councilmember Johnson clarified before the PFD could issue any additional debt, they would need to ask the City Council's permission. Mr. James answered yes. Councilmember Mesaros said in meeting with the PFD Board, they are not contemplating any more debt, but want to pay off their debt. This new agreement puts them in a better position. Paying off the debt by 2026 will put them in a superior position. The PFD plans to make a payment to the City by the end of the year. Considering the PFD launched the ECA at the start of the recession, they have recovered nicely and the City provided help when needed and they are now flourishing. Mr. James clarified there the PFD has three loans: 1. Payable to First Northwest Bank for $2.5M 2. Contractual obligation to the City from the first $7M bond issue is $2.96M 3. Contingent loan the City issued has a balance of $1.176. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. 2. APPEAL OF COURT ORDER RELATED TO FIREARM SAFE STORAGE ORDINANCE Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes November 12, 2019 Page 11 City Attorney Jeff Taraday explained the City Council adopted Ordinance Nos. 4120 and 4131 in 2018 which are now codified in ECC Chapter 5.26. A lawsuit was brought against the City asserting that the safe storage and unauthorized access provisions of these ordinances are preempted by the provisions of state law, specifically RCW 9.41.290. On October 18, 2019, a Snohomish County Superior Court Judge ruled that Section 020, the safe storage provision, violates the preemption provision of state law and that the plaintiffs did not have standing to challenge Section 030, the unauthorized access provision. A copy of the court's order is included in the packet. The City has 30 days from October 18, 2019 to file an appeal. He said he would not get into the merits of the matter as those have been discussed confidentially. The decision for the Council is whether to appeal or not. COUNCILMEMBER MESAROS MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCIL PRESIDENT FRALEY- MONILLAS, TO ADOPT ORDINANCE NO. 4162, TO APPEAL THE RULING. Councilmember Mesaros referred to the statistics provided by Laura Councilmember Johnson, agreeing this is not about gun rights, it is about public safety. He would regret reading something in the news about a child in Edmonds that lost their life due to the careless storage of a firearm. The Council has limited authority but he believed this was well within the Council's authority and should be pursued for the safety of the City. Councilmember Johnson disagreed with Councilmember Mesaros. She believed Snohomish County Superior Court was correct when they said the state preempts the City in this regard. The City is a creature of the state and only gets the rights and authorities granted to it by the state. It is a public safety issue which is the role of the state legislature. She did not support appealing the court's ruling. She was 100% in favor of safe storage of guns but did not think this was the best way to go about it. Councilmember Teitzel recalled when the City Council considered the ordinance, there was a petition drive for a ballot measure, I-1639. At the time the Council considered the ordinance, it was not clear whether I- 1639 would make it to the ballot; it did and was passed over by 60%, indicating the voters of Washington State want safe storage, restrictions on assault rifles, etc. He was concerned that the Council took action before knowing what would happen with I-1639; I-1639 is now in effect as well as the ordinance. He agreed with Councilmember Johnson that the state has authority over this issue now that I-1639 is law. The assault rifle restrictions took effect on January 1, 2019 and all other provisions of I-1639 took effect July 1, 2019. I-1639 has provisions for safe gun storage and for enhanced background checks and restrictions on assault rifle, measures he wholeheartedly supported. Common sense guns laws are needed in the state and I-1639 does that. Now that I-1639 is in effect, it obviates in a large part the need for a separate Edmonds ordinance; therefore, he did not support the appeal. Council President Fraley-Monillas commented it is ironic every time there is a shooting, preaching occurs from the dais about the need to do something or Councilmembers feeling bad. She agreed with Councilmember Mesaros, there's very little the City Council can do but this is something the Council can do to keep children in Edmonds safe. It doesn't cost the City anything as Everytown is paying for the attorneys. It is a travesty for people to say they want to do something and then not support efforts to do something. She assured she did not want to take people's firearms away, she just wanted them locked away from children. Councilmember Tibbott agreed with Councilmembers Johnson and Teitzel regarding the authority that rests with the state. With regard to safe gun storage, he pointed out the importance of voluntary storage by responsible gun owners. The reality is even with a trigger lock on a gun, it can be removed by a criminal after they are stolen. A friend told him it took him 12 minutes to lock up his gun and 2 minutes to unlock it using a bolt cutter. He was unsure what was envisioned would be as effective as what is being portrayed. He would prefer to give the state law an opportunity to work, an opportunity for citizens to abide by the rules of that law. The City is being represented with pro bono legal services but he questioned how much it Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes November 12, 2019 Page 12 was costing the City with legal presentation in court and being sidetracked from issues that are considerably more immediate now that the state gun law is effective. He did not support appealing the court ruling and would like to see the state law fully in effect and prove that it is doing its work. Councilmember Nelson expressed support for the appeal. He explained the purpose of this law was to prevent gun violence specific for children. Every day we wait, another child is shot and killed. I-1639 and the City's safe storage law are different; the City's law requires gun owners to safely secure their firearm when it is not in use to prevent a child from getting access and hurting and killing someone. The key word is prevent; 1-1639 is different. It provides liability after somebody gets hurt or killed; it encourages someone to security their firearm but does not require it. Preventing gun violence is not someone else's responsibility; it is all our responsibility. I-1639 was the result of the loss of life and the failure of local, state and federal government to enact meaningful laws to prevent gun violence. The citizen initiative passed because legislators failed to do their jobs. Maybe some people can wait for children's safety; he could not. Councilmember Nelson shared a story from a grandmother who lost her grandson due to access to a gun. On October 14, 2017, my grandson Edgar was shot and killed by his close friend. Edgar was just 13 years old. The friend who shot him in the chest and face after he found a loaded shotgun in his grandfather's room at their home in Kelso was sentenced to five months in juvenile custody and charged with second degree manslaughter for this tragic accident. The boy's grandfather, the adult who irresponsibility left his gun loaded in the corner of his bedroom with the safety off and easily accessible to anyone, faced no charges at all. During the trail he testified that he told his grandchildren not to touch his gun. He took no further steps to keep them from accessing his gun. Before Edgar was killed, I did not realize gun owners could be so negligent about child safety. I wasn't aware that in Washington State almost nothing can be done to hold gun owners accountable for irresponsibly storing their firearms. I-1639 changed that. The Comprehensive Gun Violence Prevention law incentivizes people to securely store their firearms by holding irresponsible gun owners accountable if a child or legally prohibited person accesses their gun or causes someone harm. Councilmember Nelson pointed out the difference between I-1639 and the City's ordinance; under the initiative, the owner would be in jail. Under the City's law, the child would never have been able to access the gun in the first place because it would have been safely secured. He concluded we don't have to agree on safe storage legislation, but do not say it is someone else's responsibility to keep our children safe. We all have a role in preventing gun violence. Councilmember Mesaros referred to Councilmember Tibbott's comments about time/cost for the City and asked how much time Mr. Taraday was devoting to the matter. Mr. Taraday answered his role has been very small thus far. The City has been the beneficiary of some generous pro bono legal services provided by Everytown and the Summit Law Group. He has attended court hearings primarily so he will be able to answer general questions from the Council and others and to monitor the progress of the case and ensure the pro bono lawyers are doing a good job which he said they were. He has not been involved in the briefing or discovery. He will occasionally participate in strategic type conversations with the pro bond counsel but it is not a significant burden on his time. Councilmember Mesaros asked if anyone else from the City participated in those discussions. Mr. Taraday answered no one else from Lighthouse Law Group and no other City staff to his knowledge. Councilmember Buckshnis expressed support for an appeal. The City was a leader when the ordinance was passed and she recalled being stunned by statistics which are more up-to-date now. She supported the City continuing to be a leader by appealing the ruling. With regard to the pro bono work the City is receiving, Councilmember Tibbott asked whether that was funded through Everytown. Mr. Taraday explained Everytown is a nonprofit organization that is essentially the anti -NRA. Councilmember Tibbott asked where Everytown is located. Mr. Taraday said their offices Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes November 12, 2019 Page 13 are in New York City. Councilmember Tibbott summarized the City is receiving funds from New York City to move this through the appellate court. Mr. Taraday assumed Everytown got their money from donations as well as Jessica Goldman at Summit Law group who has been donating her time. Councilmember Tibbott commented there are no strings attached to the pro bono work the City receives. Mr. Taraday answered there are not. Councilmember Teitzel recalled Councilmember Nelson said for penalties to apply to a gun owner for violating a provision of I-1639, the gun had to be used to injure or kill someone. That is incorrect; secure gun storage Section 5b addresses that specifically, it states if the gun is simply accessed by a prohibited person and is carried or exhibited in a way that causes concern, then the provisions apply which could include a felony to the gun owner. Councilmember Teitzel said he wholeheartedly supports common sense gun laws. As legislator, it was important to base his position on facts and data. The question from a factual perspective is are our citizens safer under the provisions of I-1639 versus the ordinance Edmonds passed in 2018; he believed citizens were as safe under the provisions of I-1639. UPON ROLL CALL, MOTION CARRIED (4-3), COUNCIL PRESIDENT FRALEY-MONILLAS AND COUNCILMEMBERS NELSON, BUCKSHNIS, AND MESAROS VOTING YES; COUNCILMEMBER JOHNSON, TEITZEL AND TIBBOTT VOTING NO. Mayor Earling declared a brief recess. 9. STUDY ITEMS 1. REVENUE SOURCES AND FUND BALANCE Finance Director Scott James referenced the Budget in Brief. He reviewed: • Context o The economic prospect for Edmonds will continue to be strong, barring some major incident 0 2020 revenues see only 0.81% growth over 2019 o Increasing property values o The Puget Sound economy continues to be one of the healthiest in the country o Home values continue to increase and housing sales remain healthy • Record Economic Expansion o Economy is in 126t' month of continued economic growth o Surpasses the past 120 month recovery record that ended in 2001 (Source: NBER) • Unemployment rate holds steady o Graph of unemployment rates October 2010-Ocotober 2019 for Edmonds, Washington and United States • Revenue Trend analysis (all funds) • Expenditure Comparison (all funds) o Increase due to carryforward projects from 2019 to 2020 • Revenue Trend Analysis (General Fund) • Changes in Property Values 2011-2019 • Ten Year Assessed Property Value change before adding new construction Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes November 12, 2019 Page 14 2011 -7.5% 2012 -10.0% 2013 -4.5% 2014 10.3% Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes November 12, 2019 Page 14 2015 11.0% 2016 8.6% 2017 11.4% 2018 11.5% 2019 12.6% 2020* 6.9% *County Assessor Estimat3e Assessed Property Values & Regular Property Tax from New Construction Sales Tax Overview 2011-2019 2011 $4,690,244 2012 $5,007,511 2013 $5,429,060 2014 $5,976,940 2015 $6,811,908 2016 $7,007,914 2017 $7,409,525 2018 $8,548,782 2019 $8,500,000 2020 $8,450,000 o Change in Sales Tax Revenue by source Chart of October 2018 compared to October 2017 Chart of October 2019 compared to October 2018 o Sales Tax Overview trend line ■ 2 Year Look at Construction Trade Sales Tax Category with Trend Line — Highest point November 2018 - $196,786 — Lowest point April 2019 - $95,929 Housing Unit Permits Issued 2010 — 10/31/19 Year Single Family Duplex Multi -Family Total Units 2010 18 0 21 39 2011 15 0 89 104 2012 27 0 0 27 2013 36 0 0 36 2014 46 14 43 103 2015 53 0 4 57 2016 41 0 97 138 2017 60 4 120 184 2018 1 57 1 4 1 1 1 62 1/1/19-10/31/19 1 20 1 2 1 26 1 48 Strategic Outlook Total Revenues & Expenditures 2017-2024 Analysis Strategic Outlook General Fund Fund Balance 2017-2024 Analysis Real Estate Excise Tax Revenues 2010-2020 2010 $1,258,249 2011 $1,087,997 2012 $1,500,000 2013 $1,838,329 2014 $1,866,320 2015 $2,743,379 2016 $2,588,124 2017 $3,019,706 Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes November 12, 2019 Page 15 2018 $3,538,825 2019* $2,900,000 2020* $2,700,000 *Estimated • Trans ortation Benefit District 2009-2020 2009 $168,498 2010 $589,545 2011 $639,180 2012 $640,944 2013 $652,837 2014 $623,111 2015 $687,421 2016 $701,024 2017 $698,283 2018 $706,276 2019 Est $697,000 2020 Est $697,000 o Passage of I-976 eliminates collection TBD funds Councilmember Johnson observed the Opioid Response budget has dropped from $250,000 in 2018 to $50,000 in subsequent years. She asked if that was a policy change the Council made. Mr. James answered there were a number of amendments brought to Council last year for consideration, including moving money to the Edmonds Marsh and ultimately setting aside $1.3M for the marsh, $17,000 for a lobbyist, and other changes that used funds from the Opioid Response Fund. Councilmember Johnson recalled the Council created the Homeless Response Fund and haven't spent anything but are carrying that amount forward, approximately $275,000 for the two response funds. Mr. James explained in 2018 a budget amendment was submitted to move $250,000 from the General Fund to the Homeless Response Fund. Since then a study was produced and presented to the Council that cost approximately $25,000. Council has not created an action plan to address the Homeless Response Fund. A new commission was formed to discuss homelessness and he expected an action plan would be prepared in the future to address how those funds would be used. 2. PARKING SURVEY RESULTS Mr. Williams parking study Survey Monkey, summarized results. He presented: • Background o Public Survey proposed to help provide scope and focus to proposed Parking Study o Survey was qualitative in nature and conducted to better understand the community experience around issues of parking and access before embarking on study o Online survey open from July 24 to August 12, 2019 o Publicized through downtown business organizations (DEMA and Edmonds Downtown Alliance); social, print, and online media; and the City website. o Total of 705 responses received • Key takeaway o Respondents were concerned about access and downtown character, not just parking • What we learned o Who took the survey? ■ Edmonds Residents (82%) • Downtown Residents (24%) ■ Regular visitor to Edmonds (60%) Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes November 12, 2019 Page 16 ■ Employee of DT Business (11%) • Owner/manager of DT Business (7%) ■ Persons with Impaired Mobility (5%) o User group concerns • Edmonds residents (82%) - Rate parking conditions as AVERAGE - 70% willing to walk two+ blocks to reach destination ■ Downtown residents (24%) - Rate parking conditions as slightly FAIR to AVERAGE - Comfortable walking three or more blocks to destination - Least auto -dependent of user groups Is Regular visitor to Edmonds (60%) - Rate parking conditions as slightly FAIR to AVERAGE - Comfortable walking two to three blocks to destination ■ Employee of downtown businesses (11%) - Rate parking conditions as AVERAGE to slightly DIFFICULT - Prefer to park within one to three blocks from work - User group least supportive of decreased time limits and increased enforcement ■ Owner/Manager of downtown business (7%) - Rate parking conditions as AVERAGE to slightly DIFFICULT - Prefers to park one to three blocks from work - User group most supportive of curb space management and sidewalk/streetscape improvements ■ Persons with Impaired Mobility (5%) - Rate parking conditions as AVERAGE to DIFFICULT - Prefers to park on same block as destination, but may walk up to two blocks - Most auto -dependent user group o On average the experience of parking is not seen as too difficult ■ 3.03 average rating Easy 71 10.2% Fair 148 21.3%) Average 237 34.1%) Difficult 167 24% Extremely difficult 73(10.5%) Development Services Director Shane Hope reviewed: + What we learned: 0 68% of users are willing to walk two or more blocks to reach their destination; o However, some mobility -challenged individuals are most impacted by having to park over one block from destination o Poor sidewalk conditions in some areas make parking further away an even greater challenge for mobility -challenged individuals o Saturday Market and special events commonly cited as cause of parking issues o Some desire for additional ADA parking on Main St. o Lack of consensus whether parking is an issue 0 5 8% of respondents stated they would utilize alternative modes of transportation if it were more convenient. o Bus (29%) and bike (23%) were cited as the modes most available to respondents after walking (59%). ■ Unfamiliarity with the bus schedule, inconvenience of bus stop locations, and infrequency of service were cited as reasons for not taking the bus Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes November 12, 2019 Page 17 ■ Not owning a bike, distance traveled, and feeling unsafe on the roads were cited as reasons for not biking. o Electric bikes were cited as a way to address steep hills out of downtown o No surprise: Metered parking is not popular * 85% of respondents commenting on the subject were opposed to metered parking Economic Development/Community Services Director Patrick Doherty reviewed: • What we learned o Edmonds character is important. Walkability is a key characteristic of downtown. o Transportation should be looked at holistically o Support for structured parking was mixed... o Positives included increased capacity for future growth. o Negatives were cost, impacts to views, and additional induced traffic o Employees commented that they have to move their cars throughout the day. ■ (Note: employee parking permits allow employees to park for longer than three hours) o Further study of the employee permit system is needed to determine if the issue is lack of parking or non -participation in the program o Tick marks are very popular ■ Most motorists comply but some are still learning how to use them o New after-hours (shared parking) program is also very popular o Better management of existing parking (63%) and sidewalk/streetscape improvements (32%) were the transportation improvements respondents were most interested in o The scope of a future Parking Study needs careful consideration, given survey responses that parking is almost always available within reasonable distance. o Issue of employee and resident parking passes has been raised but currently City doesn't have good collective data & analysis on this Mr. Williams, Ms. Hope and Mr. Doherty reviewed what's next: • Tick marks have been added throughout downtown — up to 850 spaces • Use drone to collect data on utilization of existing parking (fall, winter, spring) • Publicize after-hours parking and City Hall parking • Sound Transit Parking and Access Improvements o Will present to City Council 12/3 what learned and plans regarding parking access improvements o Map of draft ideas — Sound Transit funds cannot be used for operational expenses o Fund provided via $40M split between Edmonds and Mukilteo • Considerations for potential study: o Issues raised during survey o Quantified analysis of on and off street parking utilization o Review of resident and employee parking systems o Parking structure pros, cons, costs, etc. o Sound Transit system access and parking improvements • Survey results are available on the City's website homepage www.edmondswa.gov Council President Fraley-Monillas said she did not hear a lot about parking enforcement other than mention in the surveys about too much or not enough enforcement. She asked if any hard data was available regarding parking enforcement. Mr. Williams answered the only thing the survey highlighted was employees of downtown businesses did not support increased enforcement although he assumed most people would not like more enforcement. Enforcement has been increased via funding the Council provided. Ms. Hope offered to provide the actual percentage of people who wanted more or less enforcement. Mr. Doherty explained this is a public opinion survey. In the survey responses, people did not Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes November 12, 2019 Page 18 complain or even comment about enforcement. The ones who indicated the importance of enforcement were the downtown business owners because enforcement ensures turnover. Council President Fraley-Monillas said there is one full time parking enforcement and two part time. She asked how many tickets are being issued and what they are being issued for. She suggested comparing that to prior years when there was only 0.5 FTE doing enforcement. She pointed out parking enforcement cost $100,000-110,000/year including benefits and she was curious if the City was getting bang for their buck with more parking enforcement. Mr. Williams recalled Chief Compaan compiled some data regarding increased parking enforcement. Ms. Hope reminded this was a public survey; other elements of a study such as enforcement have not yet been undertaken. Councilmember Tibbott found it curious that employees only want to walk 1-3 blocks but the business owners want enforcement. He questioned whether there was a difference between office businesses and retail businesses. Mr. Doherty said a lot of the answers were open ended where respondents provided comment. People who have parking passes are obviously daily parkers so possibly their patience with a daily 3-4 block walk in the dark and weather is less than the occasional shopper or restaurant patron walking 2-3 blocks in good weather when they decide to come to downtown. He summarized there was some self- selection related to how someone views their walk to/from parking. Councilmember Tibbott said he was curious about what was really needed. The survey revealed the people who regularly work downtown need reliable parking. Mr. Williams said the employee parking program as well as residential parking permit program and the impact they have on downtown parking needs to be considered in a study. Councilmember Tibbott identified three areas of focus, 1) disability parking as well as a pull-out for loading/unloading, 2) sidewalk improvements, and 3) how many special event days impact parking and whether there was opportunity for alternative parking on those days. Councilmember Buckshnis agreed there needed to be further study of the permit parking. She recalled someone suggesting the ECA parking lot could be used when the facility was not busy, noting it was difficult to determine which days they were busy. She suggested negotiating the use of lots downtown during the day for permit parking. She felt bad for downtown employees, noting not all employees have permits which requires walking a considerable distance. She referred to comments about lowering the parking limit from three hours to two hours, noting there was a mixed response to that option. She suggested a pilot project and changing it back if there were complaints. If the City purchased a trolley, she suggested consideration be given to how the trolley could assist with parking. She summarized the City needed to consider these issues before hiring a consultant to do study. Councilmember Teitzel recognized staff for their work. He appreciated staff s response to suggestions from the open house and the survey about managing existing parking inventory better like the tick marks and after-hours parking. He relayed an expectation to get better data before proceeding with a parking study such as doing the drone flyovers. Mr. Williams said drone flyovers were done in mid-September and early October and he anticipated doing it twice in the winter and again in the spring to produce data for a study. There is some utility to having early/late fall data, holiday data and early spring data. Councilmember Teitzel referred to Sound Transit parking at the waterfront and asked if there was potential to use the Sounder parking lot on days the Sounder does not run, especially weekends. Mr. Williams said the drone flight in September and October when the weather was fantastic showed an amazing amount of available parking in the waterfront area on Friday and Saturday. Ms. Hope commented consideration would need to be given to whether that location meets the desire to park 2-3 blocks away. 3. 2020 BUDGET REVIEW Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes November 12, 2019 Page 19 COUNCILMEMBER MESAROS MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER TEITZEL, TO EXTEND THE MEETING TO 10:30 P.M. MOTION CARRIED (6-1) COUNCILMEMBER JOHNSON VOTING NO. Mayor Earling relayed he and Council President Fraley-Monillas discussed the Council having Q&A tonight but heard there may be interest in offering amendments tonight. He was concerned if Council began offering amendments tonight not knowing what other amendment will be made, they may change their mind based on future amendments. Staff is present tonight to answer questions. Council President Fraley-Monillas commented she has seen some budget amendments and assumed the Council would present budget amendments tonight. After discussing it with Mayor Earling, she agreed it may be counterproductive to begin the amendment process tonight. Mayor Earling suggested setting a deadline for all amendments which would solve the issue of passing some amendments before other amendments are proposed. Councilmember Buckshnis said she submitted questions to staff and did not plan to propose any amendments until she received answers to her questions. She felt it was premature for Council to propose amendments until staff has provide answers to questions. Council President Fraley-Monillas suggested selecting a date for Council and staff to submit amendments. Mr. James suggested all amendments be provided between now and November 19". Staff has received a number questions (Round 1) and plans to answer them via email to Councilmembers, post the Q&A to the website and include them in the Council packet. If Councilmembers want Q&A included in the Council packet, Round 2 questions need to be submitted by end of day Wednesday. Council President Fraley-Monillas suggested all Council and staff amendments be submitted and questions answered by November 26th. Councilmember Tibbott supported Q&A at the Council meeting as some questions produce more questions. He supported having all amendments submitted by November 26" but anticipated some discussion would need to occur at Council meetings. Mr. James said the directors are here tonight to begin answering Council questions. Council President Fraley-Monillas said she was trying diligently to avoid a City Council meeting on December 17`h but the budget discussion/approval of the budget could be extended to December 17' if necessary as there is nothing else on the agenda. She hoped to have the final budget approved by December 10th Councilmember Nelson referred to DP 24 related to rifle ballistic shields, observing there are 10 handgun shields and 10 patrol vehicles and the rifle -rated shields would be in 3 patrol vehicles plus the street crimes unit. Chief Compaan answered the decision package is for four rifle -rated shields to replace existing shields that are beyond their working life. Councilmember Nelson observed those are in supervisor vehicles. Chief Compaan answered they are in designated vehicle. Councilmember Nelson asked if Chief Compaan was interested in increasing the number of rifle -rated ballistic shields to have them in all ten patrol vehicles. Chief Compaan answered that probably was not necessary as they are heavier and more cumbersome. Councilmember Buckshnis preferred to wait and get answers to the questions she submitted last week. Council President Fraley-Monillas asked if November 26"' was reasonable to have amendments and questions submitted. That date was acceptable to Council. Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes November 12, 2019 Page 20 Mr. James said staff is here to answer questions or Councilmembers can forward questions to staff in advance of the meeting. Mayor Earling urged Councilmembers to submit questions no later than next week. 10. MAYOR'S COMMENTS Mayor Earling commented everyone was exhausted from watching the Seahawks and Sounders games, noting both games made for a fun weekend in the region. H. COUNCIL COMMENTS Councilmember Teitzel reported yesterday's Veterans Day celebration was very well done and he applauded all the veterans that attended including several WWII veterans. He expressed his appreciation for the veterans' service. Council President Fraley-Monillas thank everyone who ran for office and said she was glad the elections were over. Councilmember Mesaros reported he also attended the Veterans Day event where several WWII veterans were honored. The years when there will be that opportunity are numbered. He was pleased to turn on KING 5 news after the Seahawks game and see Edmonds Veteran's Plaza featured including an interview with Buck Weaver, a 100 year old WWII veteran who is looking forward to the Mariners playing in the World Series. Councilmember Buckshnis thanked the veterans for their service. She did not watch the Seahawks game but heard on the plane that they had won. She watched the Sounder party, commented it was a great weekend to be a Washingtonian. Mayor Earling relayed South County Fire is in the process of hiring a new fire chief. As Edmonds contracts with South County Fire, he was invited and plans to participate in the selection process this Friday. He anticipated a wise choice would be made from the three finalists. 12. CONVENE IN EXECUTIVE SESSION REGARDING PENDING OR POTENTIAL LITIGATION PER RCW 42.30.I10 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 10:13 p.m_ DA O. EALING, MAYORCO PASSEY, CITILLE16K Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes November 12, 2019 Page 21