19790130 City Council Minutes32.0,
January 23, 1979 - continued
MOTION:
RECOMMENDATION TO PURCHASE COMPUTER SYSTEM CURRENTLY LEASED
Finance.Director Art Housler provided a schedule of the proposed funding to purchase the computer
systme currently being leased by the City.. He discussed his reasons for recommending this purchase
and estimated savings of $50,300 over.the next three years, at the end of which time it may be
advisable to sell.the system, and he expecteda resale value at such time of approximatly $12,000 -
$14,000. He felt some streamlining was necessary in-house and that it would take 1 1/2 - 2 years to
do that. He noted that during the next 2-3 years there will be a lot of changes in computer tech-
nology and at -the end of that time the City .should be able to reassess its needs and possibly go to
another system. There was a lengthy discussion as to the merits of -this suggestion. The purchase
price would be $44,269, including sales tax. He did not feel the City was ready to go to a more
advanced system at this time, noting that there have been continued conversions and some of the
methodology now being used is from the older systems and not compatible with the current system. It
is this type of thing that must be worked out of the system. Councilwoman Allen felt more informa-
tion was necessary and that the newer technology should be examined. David Maloney, in the audience,
of 18906 92nd W., felt consideration should be given to purchase or lease another system, possibly
finding something better at a lower price. He noted the assumption that there will be a market for
this system in two or three years and he did not think that was necessarily so. He felt the matter
should be given more study. Councilman Carns noted that Mr. Housler and Mr. Dibble had been studying
this for a number of months and this was their recommendation.after thorough study. COUNCILMAN
CARNS THEN MOVED,,SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN.GOULD, TO AUTHORIZE THE.PURCHASE.OF THE COMPUTER SYSTEM
CURRENTLY BEING LEASED BY THE CITY, AT A PURCHASE PRICE OF $44,269 INCLUDING SALES TAX, AND THAT THE
PROPER PROCEDURES BE IMPLEMENTED TO ACCOMPLISH THE PURCHASE. MOTION CARRIED, WITH COUNCILWOMAN
ALLEN VOTING NO.
There was no further business to come before the Council, and the meeting was adjourned at 9:30 p.m. •
IRENE VARNEY MORAN, C' y Clerk HARVE H..HARRISON, Mayor
January 30, 1979 - Work Meeting
The regular meeting of the Edmonds City Council was called to order at 7:35 p.m. by Mayor Harve
Harrison in the Council Chambers of the Edmonds Civic Center. All present joined in the flag
salute.
PRESENT STAFF PRESENT
Harve Harrison, Mayor
Charles Dibble, M.A.A.
Mike Herb
Leif Larson, Public Works Director
Katherine Allen
John LaTourelle, Community Development Director
John Nordquist
Irene Varney Moran, City Clerk
Ray Gould
Lila Crosby, Administrative Services Director
Tom Carns
Marlo Foster, Police Chief
Larry Naughten
Fred Herzberg, City Engineer
Phil Clement
Jim Jessel, Parks & Recreation Manager
John Wallace, City Attorney
Jackie Parrett, Deputy City Clerk Is
CONSENT AGENDA
Item (C) was removed from the Consent Agenda. COUNCILMAN CARNS MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN GOULD,
TO APPROVE THE BALANCE OF THE CONSENT AGENDA. MOTION CARRIED. The balance of the Consent Agenda
included the following:
(A) Roll call.
(B)
Approval of Minutes of
January 23, 1979.
(D)
Acceptance of Quit Claim
Deed in conjunction with short subdivision - Holt (File S-53-78).
(E)
Approval of increase in
reimbursement rate for use of personal vehicle to 17¢ per mile.
(F)
Authorization to concur
in participation modifications to agreement for Lake Ballinger
rehabilitation.
REPORT ON
BIDS OPENED JANUARY 19,
1979 FOR SENIOR CENTER REROOFING
[Item C
on Consent Agenda
Public Works Director Leif Larson had recommended rejecting all bids and reworking the specifica-
tions to reduce cost, as two bidders exceeded the estimate by 50% and the low bidder did not bid on
the specified work and did not include removing the existing decaying roofing material. He was
asked how the -specifications could be reworked, and he responded that they will be for a hot roof
instead of a cold roof. This was briefly discussed, after which COUNCILMAN CARNS MOVED, SECONDED BY
COUNCILWOMAN ALLEN, TO APPROVE ITEM (C) ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, REJECTING ALL BIDS FOR THE SENIOR
CENTER REROOFING. MOTION CARRIED.
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321
January 30, 1979 - continued
COUNCIL
Councilman Carns announced that Medic l will begin operation on Thursday morning, February 1.
Councilman Carns said he had invited Bob Pantley to address the Council regarding some waterfront
property and a possible dedication to the City. COUNCILMAN CARNS MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN
NAUGHTEN, THAT THE COUNCIL HEAR FROM BOB PANTLEY AT THIS TIME. There was some discussion as to the
propriety of his addressing the Council on this matter at this time. It was pointed out to Council-
man Carns that he recently had advised someone who spoke from the audience that it was the Council's
policy not to take action on.matters brought to the Council from the audience without first being
referred to the Staff. Community Development Director John LaTourelle was asked.if he was familiar
with'Mr. Pantley's proposal. He responded that Mr. Pantley had discussed it with him today and it
fell within the parameters of the CW zone but it was complex and would take time to process through
the necessary hearings. THE VOTE WAS TAKEN ON THE MOTION,WITH COUNCIL MEMBERS CARNS AND NAUGHTEN
VOTING YES, AND WITH COUNCIL MEMBERS CLEMENT, ALLEN, AND GOULD VOTING NO. (Council members Nord-
quist and Herb were not present.) THE MOTION FAILED.
Councilman Clement advised that he probably would not be present next week. He noted that the
Council had been furnished this evening with the Revenue Analysis Report and Expenditure Analysis
Report for last,year and it appeared that interfund payments in terms of revenue to the General Fund
were consistently less than budgeted. He requested that the Mayor ask the Staff to check this, as
well as two other items: the total external revenue budgeted versus the actual, and the actual cash
carryover versus the budgeted amount of cash carryover. He requested the report in two weeks.
Councilwoman Allen advised that she would not be present next week.
• Councilman Naughten proposed changing the name of the Edmonds Elementary School to something like
the Edmonds Community Center or the Edmonds Cultural Center. He suggested there be some discussion
on this. COUNCILMAN NAUGHTEN THEN MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN CLEMENT, TO PLACE ON THE FEBRUARY 20
AGENDA A DISCUSSION REGARDING -THE RENAMING OF THE EMONDS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. MOTION CARRIED.
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1
MAYOR
Mayor Harrison asked for confirmation of his appointment of Ann Wermus to the Library Board. The. -
Council had interviewed Mrs. Wermus prior to this evening's meeting. COUNCILMAN CARNS MOVED, SECONDED
BY COUNCILMAN GOULD, TO CONFIRM THE MAYOR'S APPOINTMENT OF ANN WERMUS TO POSITION 4 ON THE LIBRARY
BOARD, TERM TO EXPIRE DECEMBER 31, 1982. MOTION CARRIED.
Mayor Harrison asked for confirmation of two appointments to the MEBT Committee. COUNCILMAN NORDQUIST
MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN CARNS, TO CONFIRM THE MAYOR'S APPOINTMENT OF ART HOUSLER TO THE MEBT
COMMITTEE, REPLACING JUDIE GILBO. MOTION CARRIED. COUNCILMAN NORDQUIST MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN
GOULD, TO CONFIRM THE APPOINTMENT OF GEORGIA LaBELLE TO THE MEBT COMMITTEE, REPLACING LILA CROSBY.
MOTION CARRIED.
REPORT FROM BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS
Written reports had been submitted from various Boards and Commissions. Lyle Krueger, Chairman of
the Edmonds Arts Commission discussed his report which included proposed Operating Procedures for
the Public Arts Plan, and he asked for the Council's feeling about the plan. Regarding their goals
for Art in Public Places, he said the first piece of art they propose to place will be at the
Edmonds Elementary School. Councilman Carns stated that the only thing he would question in their
public arts plan was in paragraph 6.4.5.(g) which states: "Jury reviews shall be open to the
public, but the jury may choose to cast votes in closed sessions." He felt there should be no
closed sessions, that it should be entirely public. Mr. Krueger responded that this point had been
discussed but it was determined that it would facilitate the judging if the jurors were permitted to
vote in private. The Council was in general agreement that this was a fine document with commendable
goals. COUNCILWOMAN ALLEN MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN CLEMENT, TO ADOPT THE OEPRATING PROCEDURES
FOR THE PUBLIC ARTS PLAN AS OUTLINED IN THE ARTS COMMISSION REPORT. Councilman Carns said he would
vote in favor of the motion, although he was not in agreement with paragraph 6.4.5.(g) as he discussed
earlier. THE MOTION CARRIED..
Karen Columbro, Chairman of the Park Board, briefly discussed her report. She said the Park Board
would be touring the Snohomish County Park on February 13 and she invited interested parties to join
them. Regarding the report from the Architectural Design Board, it was noted that Chairman Chauncy
Wight had suggested dinner meetings prior to their regular meetings and he inquired as to whether
the City could provide funds for such dinner meetings. It was quickly noted that the Board could
not discuss items going before it at such meetings, but policy could be discussed. Community
Development Director John LaTourelle said boards and commissions do not have time to discuss anything
at their meetings except the applications before them and, in order to discuss policy, agendas have
to be rearranged. He thought it would be beneficial if an hour could be set aside for policy discus-
sions and he said it is difficult to get people to come out for special meetings. He thought a
dinner meeting would be a good time for policy discussions, but he was not recommending that the
City provide the funds. He had suggested that the reports from boards and commissions be made twice
a year instead of quarterly as several members had suggested that there was little to report on such
a frequent basis. He suggested that a dinner meeting a month before the semi-annual report is made
would be advantageous. There was general agreement that semi-annual reports would be adequate, but
no action was taken regarding the funding of dinner meetings.
It was noted from the review of.the Board of Adjustment report that no variances or Conditional Use
Permit applications had been denied during the period covered, and possible reasons for this were
discussed. It was suggested that this may speak to the fact that the ordinances are too strict, or
that it may indicate that the staff work was so good that it weeded out those applications that were
not likely to be approved. Councilman Gould commented that Board of Adjustment meetings he had
0
3�c
January 30, 1979 - continued 0
attended had been very "fiery," drawing people's attention and getting citizen input, so he was
surprised that there may be some mechanism to get the troublesome ones withdrawn. He also noted
from the minutes that there is a lot of compromising. Councilman Herb commented that on Conditional
Use Permits they impose a lot of conditions and he felt that was important, rather than if the
application is approved or not.
r.,
Regarding the Planning Commission, Councilman Nordquist had been the recent ex-officio member and he
reported that they still are discouraged at having the number of members reduced. He said they also
are disappointed that many of the things they send forward are changed by the Council. Several
Council members who previously had served on the Planning Commission recalled this feeling when they
had been on the Planning Commission, but one of them commented that you have a different perspective
when you are serving on the Planning Commission from that when you are serving on the Council.
Regarding the number of members, the comment was made that five is a quorum for nine members and
four is a quorum for seven, and if you cannot get four people together, how are you going to get
five. The discussion concluded, at which time Councilman Nordquist left the meeting.
REVIEW OF WHAT MAKES A POLICY DECISION, AS TYPIFIED BY THE 7TH AND ELM SITUATION
Councilman Clement reviewed the situation which caused this to be scheduled for discussion. It had
come to the Council's attention that there was to be some construction at the 7th and Elm site at a
cost of approximately $2,700 which had not been budgeted, but there were funds available in the
,Water/Sewer Fund to do it and the Staff felt it should be done and that the amount involved was not
something that was a policy decision. A woman in the audience had inquired as to how.such construction
was going to occur without the City knowing it. It had been suggested that possibly a dollar limit
should be set for specific review by the Council. As it happened,.this was in relation to the
Water/Sewer Fund which would have money to do such things, but other funds would not. Also, in this
particular case there was a problem of the cutting of some trees. Community Development Director •
John LaTourelle said that the decision inthis case had been made by the Public Works Director, the
City Engineer, and himself, and they decided to grade some of the area, removing blackberry bushes,
and plant some grass there and some low -growing bushes --nothing more. Their landscape designer
had proposed firepits and shelters and had drawn up a plan for such, but the plan had never been
accepted, and Mr. LaTourelle stressed that it was never intended to proceed with that plan. He
added that this was a cleanup project; the site was being used for dumping and the neighbors were
complaining. Councilman Carns felt this kind of thing was administrative policy and not legislative.
Councilman Naughten said he would like to know about capital improvement projects just because they
are visible and people call Council members about them. Mr. LaTourelle added that any plans for
construction have to go to the ADB. Mr. Larson agreed that any outside construction would go to the
ADB, but he noted that improvmeents inside a structure would not. A specific example was given of a
project in which the estimates would come back in an amount higher than that budgeted, and the
project therefore could not be accomplished. Mr. Larson was asked if he would then decide to do
something else with the money and he responded that if the "something else" was not an item specifically
covered in the narrative of the budget they would go back to the Council with it. Mayor Harrison
pointed out that part of this incident related to the cutting of trees, and he asked how much the
Council wanted to be in on that kind of decision. He said the decision was made by the adminis-
tration to help some people with their views by trimming trees without taking them out or damaging
their roots and without damaging the flow of a stream involved. He said he could see no problem
with trimming the tops of the trees so the people could have a view, and he asked if the Council
wanted to be burdened with that kind of.decision. The general feeling was that the Council did not.
Councilman Naughten said he did not feel.the Council should be involved. Councilman Clement said it
was not an issue the Council should be involved in, but it would be different if it was a matter of
taking out the trees. Councilwoman Allen saw no reason why that should be something to go to the
Council, and she felt the Park Department should be able to make those kind of decisions. Councilman
Gould commented that the Council was still a court of last resort and a citizen has the right to go
before the Council with a problem he does not feel has been taken care of satisfactorily. There was
no further discussion.
It was noted that a memorandum had been received from the Public Works Director regarding the
undergrounding of SR 524 and the high assessment to property owners, and asking for advice before
proceeding with an LID. It was decided to place.this matter on the February 13 agenda.
There was no further business to come before the Council, and the meeting was adjourned at 8:55 p.m.
7W, U �*�'�
IRENE VARNEY MORAN, ity Clerk HARVE H. HARRISON, Mayor
•