19790529 City Council Minutes380
May 29, 1979 - Work Meeting
The regular meeting of the Edmonds City Council was called to order. at 7:30 p.m. by Mayor Pro
tem Ray Gould in the Council Chambers of the Edmonds Civic Center.. All.present joined in the
flag salute, following which Mayor Harrison arrived.
PRESENT
Harve Harrison, Mayor
Mike Herb
John Nordquist
Ray Gould„
Tom Carns'
Larry Naughten
CONSENT AGENDA
ABSENT
STAFF PRESENT
Katherine Allen Charles Dibble, M.A.A.
Leif Larson, Public,Works Director
John LaTourelle, Community-Devel. Dir.
Irene Varney Moran, City Clerk
Fred Herzberg, City Engineer
Marlo Foster, Police Chief
Art Housler, Finance Director
Jack Weinz, Asst. Fire Chief
Wayne Tanaka, City Attorney
Jackie Parrett, Deputy City Clerk
Councilman Gould asked that Item (C).be removed from the Consent Agenda. COUNCILMAN CARNS
MOTION: MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN.-
OUNCILMAN NORDQUIST,, TO APPROVE THE BALANCE.OF THE CONSENT AGENDA. MOTION
CARRIED.'''The approved portion of the Consent Agenda included the following:
MOTION:
MOTION:
(A) Roll call.
(B) Approval of Minutes of May 22, 1979.
(D) Authorization for Mayor to sign contract rezone for Lot 5, Willowbrook
Division #1, and adoption of Ordinance 2072 rezoning such property, in
accordance with Council action of May 22, 1979.
(E) Passage of Resolution 440, setting June 26, 1979 as date for hearing on
preliminary assessment roll--5th.Ave..sidewalks.
PROPOSED ORDINANCE VACATING PORTION OF.,75TH.AVE. W. AND PORTION OF NORTH MEADOWDALE
ROAD IN ACCORDANCE WITH COUNCIL ACTION.TAKEN MAY 15, 1979. LItem C on Consent Agenda]
Councilman Gould stated that during.the recess following the subject action a number of
people had talked to him and indicated -they did not understand what the City was doing. He
suggested it might be appropriate to have a second reading of the ordinance to give the people
a second chance to voice their concern. Other Council members fe.l.t.it would be all right to
discuss the action to clarify to the public what was -happening, but they felt there should not
be another public hearing and there should be no more testimony. COUNCILMAN GOULD MOVED,
SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN NAUGHTEN, TO SCHEDULE A SECOND READING OF THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE TO
VACATE A PORTION OF 75TH AVE. W. AND A PORTION OF NORTH MEADOWDALE RD. ON JUNE 11, 1979.
MOTION CARRIED.
COUNCILMAN CARNS MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN NAUGHTEN, TO PASS RESOLUTION 441 (not on the
agenda')`, COMMENDING JACK F. COOPER FOR HIS SERVICES AS A DEPARTMENT HEAD. MOTION CARRIED.
This resolution will be presented at a ceremony on.May 31.
COUNCIL
Councilman Nordquist introduced Scott.Danielson of Parsons & Brinkerhoff who discussed the
final draft of the intermodal study. Mr.. Danielson explained their recommendations regarding
the long-term intermodal transporation terminal study. He noted that the City was considering
making the traffic on Railroad Ave. one-way and -he suggested a delay of that decision. Copies
of the study will be provided to the Council. Councilman Carns asked if there had been a report
from the State Highway Department regarding SR524 indicating they will comply with the Council's
decision that right-of-way will betaken equally from both -sides of that street. Public Works
Director Leif Larson responded that they had indicated they were going ahead with the first
phase and they are studying the second phase and will be replying.to the City. Councilman
Carns asked that the State Highway Department be requested to send the City a letter stating
that they intend complying with the Council's intent -that 5' will be taken from each side of
the street for the right-of-way.
MAYOR
Mayor Harrison advised there would be a short Executive Session following this meeting to
discuss personnel and property matters.
Mayor Harrison stated two people were in the audience from.the Seaview Park area and they had
brought to his attention that the problem of noise and traffic.still existed there. He suggested
a possible solution to the problem may be to restrict the use of that park to children 10 years
of age and less." He said he would like to work with the Parks and Recreation Division to -see
if they could reschedule the older users to other parks. The Council indicated the Park Board
should work.on this problem. COUNCILMAN NORDQUIST MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN GOULD, THAT
THE SEAVIEW PARK PROBLEMS BE REFERRED TO THE PARK BOARD FOR CONSIDERATION AND THAT A REPORT AND
RECOMMENDATION BE GIVEN THE COUNCIL IMMEDIATELY. AFTER THE NEXT PARK BOARD MEETING. MOTION
CARRIED. Councilman Carns was not present for the vote.
DISCUSSION OF BRACKETT'S LANDING, UNION OIL BEACH, AND LAEBUGTEN.WHARF AREA
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The Staff had prepared a report stating the problems and suggested solutions. 'Community
Development Director John LaTourelle noted that one solution had been to move the traffic one
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May 29, 1979 - continued
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way (north) on Railroad Ave., and.he.suggested that be deferred in light of the.intermodal report given
this evening: Councilman Carns said,he had been going to the waterfront frequently'and.had noted a
large increase in police activity. Police Chief Marlo Foster.said'they have been averaging 10-20
citations at Brackett's Landing each evening, mostly"for.parking and illegal possession and consumption
of alcohol. Councilman Carns said the Police Department:is.down in manpower and he could not imagine
this amount of police activity being.continued without other areas suffering. He discussed the
various solutions the Staff had suggested.and did not.fi'nd'them adequate, some of them requiring
funds which are not available. He noted that last evening.he.had seen more Edmonds residents at
Brackett's.Landing than in the past, and he attributed that..partly.to the policing which has been
occurring, but he felt the problem would.. increase as soon as the policing is reduced. He suggested
that all parking, except for the handicapped,'be eliminated...from Brackett's Landing as he did not
feel the City should tolerate the illegal activities occurring.ther.e. Mr. LaTourelle responded that
parking is needed in the area. He -said the problem occurs. -mainly in the evening hours, but the
beach is used on summer afternoons by families. One of the solutions the Staff had suggested was to
close the parking lots at Union Oil Park and Brackett's Landing at 8:00. p.m. It was now suggested
that those lots be closed to entering traffic at 8:00 p.m. so that families spending the evening
there would not have to leave. Councilman Gould noted that there are two schools of thought regarding
the waterfront. One group of residents along the beach is looking to the City for protection of
their property and privacy. Another group says the beaches are a part of the City and they should
be able to utilize them. He felt.the Council should be careful -not to take the kind of.action that
defeats the use of the beaches. Councilman Herb'commented that everybody can use the beaches but
they must comply with the rules, and the young people who go down there do not observe the rules and
it intimidates everybody else, so that one group takes over the beaches. He noted that there is
very much to do in this area for recreation, and that the City had no obligation to preserve either
of these beaches for anyone who was not willing to follow the rules. He was opposed to eliminating
MOTION: the parking. COUNCILMAN CARNS THEN MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN NAUGHTEN, THAT THE PARKING LOTS
Amended AT UNION OIL BEACH AND BRACKETT'S LANDING BE CLOSED TO ENTERING VEHICLES AT 8:00 P.M., STARTING
IMMEDIATELY, AND THAT THE SITUATION.BE REVIEWED AT THE OCTOBER.2,.1979 COUNCIL MEETING. Councilman
Gould suggested it might be better to.,go by daylight instead of a definite 8:00 p.m. It was also
commented that October was too far away to reassess the situation. COUNCILMAN.CARNS, WITH THE
Amendment APPROVAL OF THE SECOND, AMENDED HIS MOTION TO SET JULY .3, .1.979'. FOR�'.REVIEW'-OF`=THE; SITUATION.' :COUNCILMAN
Amendment HERB THEN MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN GOULD, THAT THE CLOSING TIME BE ONE -HOUR BEFORE SUNSET.
(14ithdrawn)Police Chief Foster stated that by that.time of night the activity will have increased beyond control.
He also was not -in favor of such an indefinite time. THE MOTION TO AMEND WAS WITHDRAWN, AS WAS THE
SECOND. THE MAIN MOTION THEN CARRIED.
DISCUSSION.OF DEVELOPMENT ADMIN.IST,RAT.ION.:PROCESS
Community Development Director John LaTourelle had submitted.a report outlining the proposed program.
The first part of the program consists.of.an analysis of the City's development review procedures
and is being done by a consultant,..Fel,.ix Reisner. He had recommended that the City adopt a hearing
examiner system and create a permit coordinator position —The second part of the program involves
rewriting and revising the City's development regulations... Several chapters of a proposed Community
Development Code were submitted.. .Councilman Carns expressed concern about 20.80.020 B of the
proposed new Code because he felt it was too structured. He felt that people should not be required.
to speak or provide input at a public,.hearing in such a specific order. The intent of this section
was discussed. Felix Reisner gave.a brief summary of the hearing.examiner concept. The Council
felt all board and commission members should know about the proposal to have a hearing examiner.
MOTION: COUNCILMAN HERB MOVED, SECONDED BY,COUNCILMAN GOULD, THAT.EACH AFFECTED BOARD AND COMMISSION MEMBER
BE SENT A WRITTEN NOTICE TO ATTEND..THE.SCHEDULED JUNE-11, 1979 DISCUSSION OF THE ADMINISTRATION
DEVELOPMENT PROCESS. MOTION CARRIED..: Mr. Reisner asked if he should continue work on the hearing
MOTION: examiner process. COUNCILMAN NORDQUIST,MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN CARNS, THAT THE HEARING EXAMINER
CONCEPT BE PURSUED IN DETAIL. MOTION CARRIED.
REPORT FROM SENIOR CENTER ON VIEWING TOWER
MOTION:
Councilman Nordquist said he had attended. the Senior Center. Board of Directors' meeting and he
reported that they do not want the viewing -tower but they would like to have the funds put into the
expansion of�a part of building...He noted, however., that progress has already been made into the
working drawings and that it would be wise to set aside those funds for contingencies which undoubtedly
will arise as work progresses. COUNCILMAN NORDQUIST MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN CARNS, THAT THE
LETTER FROM THE SENIOR CENTER BOARD OF,DIRECTORS BE ACCEPTED,.IN WHICH THEY STATE THAT THEY DO NOT
WANT THE VIEWING TOWER, BUT THAT.THE.000NCIL RECOMMENDS THAT THOSE FUNDS BE USED WHERE NEEDED IN THE
VERY NEAR -FUTURE ; BUT NOT FOR BUILDING EXPANSION,'WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY WILL BE A CONTINGENCY
FUND FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE BUILDING FUND. MOTION CARRIED.
There was no further business to come before the Council, and..the meeting adjourned to Executive
Session at 8:55 p.m.
IRENE VARNEY MORAN, Ci Clerk
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HARVE N. HARRISON, Mayor