2020-02-12 Planning Board Packet- 0� L1UM0
Agenda
Edmonds Planning Board
xq. BRACKETT ROOM
121 5TH AVE N, CITY HALL - 3RD FLOOR, EDMONDS, WA 98020
FEBRUARY 12, 2020, 7:00 PM
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLES
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.
1. CALL TO ORDER
2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
A. Approval of draft minutes
3. ANNOUNCEMENT OF AGENDA
4. ADMINISTRATIVE REPORTS
5. RETREAT DISCUSSION
A. City Attorney Training and Discussion
B. 2020 Planning Board Calendar
C. Reflection
6. PLANNING BOARD CHAIR COMMENTS
7. PLANNING BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS
8. ADJOURNMENT
Edmonds Planning Board Agenda
February 12, 2020
Page 1
2.A
Planning Board Agenda Item
Meeting Date: 02/12/2020
Approval of draft minutes
Staff Lead: Michelle Martin
Department: Development Services
Prepared By: Michelle Martin
Background/History
Approval of Minutes
Staff Recommendation
Approval of January 22nd, 2020 meeting minutes
Narrative
Meeting minutes attached
Attachments:
PB200122
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CITY OF EDMONDS PLANNING BOARD
Minutes of Meeting
January 22, 2020
Chair Robles called the meeting of the Edmonds Planning Board to order at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers, Public
Safety Complex, 250 — 51 Avenue North.
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLES
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.
BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT
Daniel Robles, Chair
Mike Rosen, Vice Chair
Nathan Monroe
Carreen Nordling Rubenkonig
Roger Pence
Conner Bryan, Student Representative
BOARD MEMBERS ABSENT
Matthew Cheung (excused)
Alicia Crank (excused)
Todd Cloutier (excused)
READING/APPROVAL OF MINUTES
STAFF PRESENT
Kernen Lien, Environmental Program Manager
Shannon Burley, Deputy Director, Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services
Jerrie Bevington, Video Recorder
BOARD MEMBER MONROE MOVED THAT THE MINUTES OF DECEMBER 11, 2019 BE APPROVED AS
PRESENTED. BOARD MEMBER PENCE SECONDED THE MOTION, WHICH CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
BOARD MEMBER PENCE MOVED THAT THE MINUTES OF JANUARY 8, 2020 BE APPROVED AS
PRESENTED. BOARD MEMBER MONROE SECONDED THE MOTION, WHICH CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
ANNOUNCEMENT OF AGENDA
The agenda was amended to add discussions on Planning Board Member expectations, community outreach opportunities,
off -site public meetings and populating the Board's agenda. The remainder of the agenda was accepted as presented.
AUDIENCE COMMENTS
There were no audience comments.
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DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DIRECTOR REPORT TO PLANNING BOARD
Chair Robles referred the Board to the Development Services Director's Report that was provided in the packet. Board
Member Pence asked if anything in the Puget Sound Regional Council's (PSRC) draft Vision 2050 Plan would impact the
Board's 2020 Workplan. Mr. Lien noted that staff is scheduled to provide an update to the Board on the PSRC's Vision 2050
Plan on March llt''. Staff will also provide an update on the Buildable Lands Process on March llth. He said he does
anticipate that the plan will result in any immediate changes to the City's Comprehensive Plan.
Board Member Rubenkonig requested staff s response to the latest news report that the legislature will be looking at funding
to address the homeless issue. Mr. Lien said he is not familiar with this legislation. Board Member Rubenkonig pointed out
that the Housing Commission will host an open house on February 12", which is the same night as the Planning Board's
retreat. Mr. Lien said he anticipates that the open house will start at 6 p.m. with a staff presentation, followed by public
input. The open house will likely last 1.5 to 2 hours.
Board Member Rubenkonig requested information about the projects the Youth Commission is working on. Ms. Burley
responded that the Youth Commission has had two youth forums, bringing peers in to talk about challenging topics such as
homelessness, opioid crisis, sexual orientation, etc. They will present an annual report to the City Council at their next
meeting.
PARKS, RECREATION AND CULTURAL SERVICES UPDATE
Ms. Burley presented the update, first noting that the City will interview three candidates for the Parks, Recreation and
Cultural Services Director position on January 31It.
She reported that staffing has been a bit of a challenge for the past several
months, as there are some large capital projects in the works. She specifically reported on the following:
Civic Park. This is one of the largest projects in the department's history. The Planning Department will present
the Conditional Use Permit and Variance applications to the Hearing Examiner on January 231. The project is
under permit review now, and is considered to be fully funded. The 90% engineer's estimate came within $65,000
of budget. The goal is to do as much of the Yost Park water mitigation as possible in house. It is felt that the
current design will capture all of the parking lot runoff and provide an adequate opportunity for it to be dispersed on
site, saving the City a significant amount of money. If the project becomes too complex, the City will seek outside
support. The intent is to go out to bid for the project in late February or early March so the project can start in mid -
May. It will take approximately 12 months to complete,
• Waterfront Redevelopment Project. They are making good headway on the building, itself. The contractor has
chosen to do the building envelope first, followed by the parking lot. The pilings will arrive in February, and they
are getting ready to break ground on the parking lot and beachfront restoration in early February. Test pits were dug
this week, and some interesting things were found under the existing parking lot.
Edmonds Marsh and Marina Beach Park Project. The marsh restoration project has not moved forward.
Because the City doesn't own the land, it cannot submit for grants at the scale required for the full restoration. They
will continue to work on this project from a variety of angles. Marina Beach Park is owned by the City and this part
of the project can move forward. While they are unlikely to break ground until they know what the plan is for the
marsh, they can work to secure grant funding from the Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO). They are
currently working to add some technical specifications to the Marina Beach Master Plan to prepare it for the grant
application process.
• Fishing Pier Rehabilitation. There are a few points under the fishing pier that still need to be repaired before the
project can be considered complete. The City has contracted with a scaffolding company and the repair work will
be done in house. The work is schedule to start in the next few months, with completion after a few weeks. Board
Member Monroe asked if the lawsuit against the contractor has been resolved, and Ms. Burley answered
affirmatively. Board Member Monroe asked if the project would still fall within the original budget, and Ms. Burley
answered yes.
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4th Avenue Cultural Corridor. They have received approval for additional design funding for this project in
2020, and they are hoping to receive funding in 2021 to complete the design. The next step will be acquiring
funding for construction. The project has been reduced to a much smaller scale ($3 to $4 million), but many of the
elements are new and non-standard to the City because they are artistic. Board Member Rubenkonig asked Ms.
Burley to describe the features included in the design. Ms. Burley answered that, in addition to lighting, the plan
also calls for art installations, seating, painted crosswalks with temporary art, new drain systems that are artistic in
appearance, removing the curbs, etc. Many of these installations do not fit nicely in the current code, so the process
will have to evolve over time. She reminded the Board that the Edmonds Center for the Arts (ECA) is a partner in
the project. The degree to which the ECA can contribute will also be a critical timing piece for the project. She
anticipates the project will continue to progress, but it won't be on a fast track because it is so unique.
Vice Chair Rosen asked why the project was scaled down. Ms. Burley said the original plan was estimated to cost
between $9 and $10 million. After doing some research, it was determined there was insufficient external funding
opportunities for projects of this type. The scaled -down plan represents the funding the City is likely to be able to
secure. Vice Chair Rosen asked if phasing would be an option for the project. Ms. Burley agreed that phasing
would be an option, but she questioned if the original concept is even viable in this location. The revised project
will still be consistent with the initial vision for the corridor. The primary change was removing the portion of the
project that would have rebuilt the entire ECA property, which is now considered a Phase II project. Most of the
focus at this time will be closer to Main Street. They are hoping to receive some economic development grant
funding from the RCO. A survey for the 41 Avenue Corridor was completed last year and identified a number of
encroachment issues along the street that will require the City to work with the landowners.
Chair Robles asked if there has been any discussion about the concept of closing off the 41 Avenue Cultural
Corridor to accommodate an event, and Ms. Burley answered that the design intends for the area to be closed off for
events. There are also discussions about whether or not the street should be one-way and if there should be parking
on both sides of the street.
• Outdoor Fitness Zones. The City received a grant from Verdant Health for this project. Part of the work will be
done in house and part will be contracted. They hope to install an outdoor fitness zone at Ballinger Park this year.
A second part of the grant is to provide fitness opportunities at Civic Park. Chair Robles asked if the fitness
equipment would be clustered into one area or spread out along a walkway. Ms. Burley answered that the
equipment would be clustered at Ballinger Park, but located in various locations at Civic Park.
Community Garden. A design review meeting was held several months ago to supply the information necessary to
continue forward with the land acquisition. The individual who owns the property has signed it over to the City in
her will, but was really hopeful they could do some work on in prior to that time. They are still working on how to
make that happen for her. Board Member Rubenkonig asked where the property is located, and Ms. Burley said it
backs up to Yost Park on Bowdoin Way and is a 1-acre parcel. Board Member Rubenkonig also asked about the
anticipated monthly payment of $24,000, and Ms. Burley said they are in the process of negotiating the price with
the landowner that includes $300,000 to acquire the land and a $2,000 payment would be made each month to the
homeowner. The monthly payments would total $24,000 per year. Ms. Burley pointed out that land acquisition
dollars are included in the Capital Improvement Plan in the out years.
• Recreation and Athletics Activities. The City offered 725 classes in 2019 and 130 summer camps, and over 2,350
people participated in league athletics in 2019. The Daddy Daughter dance is sold out again this year, and about
1,250 people participated in the Fitness Expo at the Woodway Edmonds High School. There were two outdoor
movie nights in 2019, and the first Paws in the Pool Day was held at Yost Pool. Chair Robles asked Ms. Burley to
clarify the relationship the City has with Sno-King Soccer. Ms. Burley answered that they lease an office space in
the Anderson Center at the non-profit rate. They also rent a number of fields.
• Environmental Education. They do a significant amount of work around environmental education, including the
Discovery Program, which offered 73 classes and camps and 130 classroom sessions. The City sponsors the Willow
Creek Fish Hatchery and Watershed Fun Fair, the Puget Sound Birdfest, and multiple volunteer events. Other
activities include Seaview Science Day, Owl Prowl with the Pilchuck Audubon Society, Urban Tree Workshop,
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raingarden tours and information sessions, ranger talks, beach walks, Earth Day events, and visitor stations and
touch tank at the end of the fishing pier.
Board Member Rubenkonig asked how the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Department came to sponsor the
Urban Tree Workshop. Ms. Burley responded that the workshop brings citizens together to teach them about tree
maintenance, planting the right trees in the right places, etc. The workshop falls under the Parks Department
because it has an environmental education section that has 1 full-time and 1 part-time staff member. They are
constantly working to figure out what the community has interest in with regards to the environment and then offer a
variety of classes to meet that need. She anticipates that more will be done in the area of education and outreach in
the coming years since the events seem to be popular. The cost of participation is very low or no cost because they
are put on by the City. Everything that is done from an environmental education perspective is programmed in THE
CRAZE.
Chair Robles asked if the department's programs are at 100% capacity and if there is any other outlet to advertise
the programs besides THE CRAZE. Ms. Burley said she is excited to have the capacity to focus on this issue, and
she is currently conducting a survey to find out how participants hear about the programs. Currently, there are 500
responses. About 75% of the respondents heard about the programs via THE CRAZE. They try to utilize Facebook,
but the challenge is that there is just too much information to post on the City's shared page. In many cities, the
parks and recreation departments have their own social media pages. She encouraged the City to continue to look
into these opportunities. The City has an incredible database of users, and they send out emails letting people know
when the next registration is coming up. She hopes to use this opportunity more in the future. Chair Robles pointed
out that the Planning Board is also doing some soul searching relative to public outreach, and he sees an opportunity
to include the Parks Department's needs in this discussion. Ms. Burley summarized that a lot of the City's
communication is reacting to situations it is put in, and there is opportunity for proactive outreach, as well. It isn't
hard to zero in on what peoples' interests are and then proactively reach out to constituents who have a particular
interest. Social media has some great tools to do outreach to targeted segments of the community.
Park and Cemetery. In the most recent budget cycle, the City Council approved a full-time arborist position. This
person will be working heavily on the Urban Forest Management Plan implementation. Nearly 2,000 staff hours
were specifically focused to tree planting and maintenance in 2019, combined with 117 volunteer hours. There were
15 weekend volunteer projects led by the Parks Department. The holiday lights, flower basket, and corner park
programs take up a fair amount of the City's resources, but they are well loved by the community. The cemetery
mapping project was completed in 2019, with the exception of the columbarium. They were able to do a complete
GIS of the remainder of the cemetery, update records, and put all available information into a computer system that
is searchable and editable.
Arts and Culture. The department is heavy into cultural planning, with the 4' Avenue Cultural Corridor and
Creative District. We are almost ready to issue a call of a public artist to support art installations at the Library
Book Drop and Civic Park. The department also sponsors the Write on the Sound Conference, On -the -Fence
temporary art installations, art exhibits at the library, summer park concerts and winter library concerts. The
gateway sign is in production and will be installed this summer, and the Department is currently conducting a winter
film series in conjunction with the library.
Board Member Pence said he participated on the Citizens Committee that helped develop the gateway sign. He
requested clarification on the anticipated installation date. He said that when the committee completed its work in
late September of 2019, they were not envisioning it would take so long. Ms. Burley responded that it takes time to
get the sign fabricated and permits are also required from the Washington State Department of Transportation
(WSDOT). Although WSDOT has signed off on the location, they have not issued a permit yet.
• Youth Commission. The department oversees the Youth Commission, and its members are very involved in the
community. They are currently focused on bringing groups of their peers together, and they plan to report what they
have heard from their peers to the City Council next week. This year, they are working to help the commission be a
bit more in concert with the City Council, and each member will be assigned a City Council meeting to follow and
report back. Council Member Johnston has been assigned as the commission's liaison.
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Board Member Monroe asked for an update on the beach walkway connection, and Ms. Burley said it is currently in litigation
and will not get done this year. Board Member Monroe asked if the work at Yost Pool has been completed, and Ms. Burley
answered that the boiler has been replaced and all of the planned repairs were made in 2019. More repairs will be done in
2020, including replacement of some chlorine injectors and the grates around the outside of the pool.
Board Member Monroe asked how the City would solicit community input as they proceed with the 4' Avenue Cultural
Corridor Plan. Ms. Burley said the process will involve a lot of community input. Just recently there was a community
meeting and all of the property owners along the street were invited to provide input. It was a good opportunity to
demonstrate how the property owners were encroaching into the public right-of-way. Effort will also be made to engage the
general public. Board Member Monroe observed that the 41 Avenue Corridor Project is similar to a roadway project because
it involves parking, stormwater, etc. Ms. Burley explained that because the project is an artistic installation, it falls under the
purview of the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services and Economic Development Departments. However, they are
working closely with the Public Works Department so that needed utility work can be done at the same time. Board Member
Monroe voiced concern that if the parking is eliminated and 4' Avenue is made a parade street that is one way, he doesn't
think the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services and Economic Development Departments are the best groups to make these
decisions. The plan should involve the Public Works Department, as well. Ms. Burley agreed. She said the homeowners
have an interest in making the street one way, but their strong preference is to keep parking on both sides of the street. The
current design has parking on both sides. She summarized that, at this time, the plan is far from its final form.
Board Member Monroe noted the Pine Street Park Project and asked if similar work is being done in other areas of the City,
as well. Ms. Burley said the Pine Street Park Project is funded by the Magic Toyota Foundation and is a volunteer project to
make updates to the park.
Board Member Monroe commented that, although the City chose to use a design/bid/build process for Civic Field, the project
would have been an excellent candidate for a design/build process. He asked if that was even considered. Ms. Burley said
the decision was made several years ago, and she doesn't know the history behind it. Board Member Monroe suggested that
the design/build process be considered for future projects. Ms. Burley said she doesn't have enough experience to have a
strong opinion one way or another, but the design/build process has more flexibility built into it, as issues that are
encountered can be resolved in real time. She said one of the most important things they are looking for in a new parks
director is someone who has park planning and development experience. Board Member Monroe asked that they make
contract background part of the rubric of discussion with the three candidates for the position.
Chair Robles noted that the lack of convenient parking around the City's parks has come up numerous times. He asked if
there is a broader parking map that people can use to find parking when visiting Civic Park. For example, perhaps the
parking area in the ECA could be used by Civic Park visitors during the daytime hours. He voiced concern that, as currently
proposed, parking for Civic Park will be deficient. Ms. Burley explained that Civic Park is being designed to be a
significantly more passive use than active use. The current track and baseball field, which draw large numbers of visitors,
will be replaced with a walking track for passive use. They anticipate people coming at all hours of the day and not in
concentrated time periods. They have gone element -by -element through the park to evaluate usage, and there are very few
elements that will draw more people in a concentrated time than the current park does. In fact, she argued that the current
park draws a higher concentration of people at individual times for individual events than the new park will. The new park
will likely bring more people, but they will be spread throughout the day and week. In addition, they have evaluated the
existing parking around the park and found it is nearly always empty during the day. Also, the fire lane along 6' Avenue will
be removed and six parallel parking spaces will be added in that location. They are also encouraging the summer market to
move to Civic Park, which means all of the parking in their current location would be available, as well. She agreed that
parking in the downtown is a challenge, but she is not convinced that Civic Park will make these challenges greater. The
decision to not provide parking was brought before the City Council on two occasions. She acknowledged that large events
at Civic Park will bring in more people than there is capacity for from a parking perspective, and she plans to put pressure on
the promoters to acquire extra parking opportunities and providing ways for people to get downtown.
Chair Robles said that as a kid, there were always places for young people to hang out. He asked if there are still places like
this in the City. Ms. Burley answered that park hours are dawn to dusk, which doesn't allow an opportunity for young people
to hang out after dark, primarily because they are not well lift. It is not necessarily a safe situation., but Civic Park will have
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the ability to light up the soccer field on a rental basis. She advised that they have a terrible vandalism problem in all of the
parks. The teen center provides a great opportunity for youth, but it is an actual facility as opposed to a park location that is
open in the dark. The parking lot at Brackett's landing stays unlocked all night, and it is the heaviest hit from a vandalism
perspective. It is a tricky balance. Chair Robles said youth -friendly neighborhoods are important to consider, perhaps
establishing a volunteer constable rather than a police officer. It is important to create a place for people, especially youth, to
go. Ms. Burley noted that the Waterfront Center is supposed to be a multi -generational facility, and a lot of the department's
programming will take place there during the evening hours. They are looking to provide a lot of fun teen programming, and
the Youth Commission has been tasked with providing recommendations.
Chair Robles asked how the Board can help the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Department. Ms. Burley said she
appreciates the offer, but she doesn't have a list prepared. Getting a new director is the single biggest thing that will help the
department. A lot of the work has been trickling down to the other staff. Development of Civic Park is a priority right now,
and so many things are tied up in the timeliness of the project. If they want to develop the park at least to the current design,
they need to get going. There can always be future phases and add-ons to the surrounds of the park. The Waterfront Center
is another large project that is moving forward now. These two projects have stretched the staff s capacity, and support from
the Board and other City departments is helpful. She said she would work with the Planning Division to see if there are areas
where the Board can help.
PLANNING BOARD EXPECTATIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR COMMUNITY OUTREACH
At the request of Chair Robles, Board Member Pence explained that "committee of the whole" is a process similar to a
retreat, where the Board discusses and asks questions in a format that is convivial to conversation and exchange. It is a way
at arriving at a consensus in a more organic process than normal and avoids situations where proposals are thrown out and the
Board has to work out their recommendations via motions and amendments. It can be helpful to agree on the parameters of a
proposal before a draft is formulated. Chair Robles suggested the Board practice using this approach on the next few topics
that come before them, starting with brief discussions tonight related to community outreach and Planning Board
expectations.
Board Member Pence said he was hoping the Board could discuss community outreach in more detail at their upcoming
retreat. Depending on the Board's goals, community outreach could become complicated. Community outreach is often an
agency or body of public officials putting out information to a targeted audience and then getting a response back from a
portion of that audience. For complicated projects, he prefers the term "community engagement," which is a little more
organic and multi -directional process. In a community engagement effort, citizens talk to each other and to public officials.
He is hoping that the Housing Commission can use this approach in their upcoming public forums. Chair Robles pointed out
that the Development Services Director won't be in attendance at the Board's retreat to discuss community outreach because
she will be attending the Housing Commission's open house.
Vice Chair Rosen agreed that "engagement" is a better term than "outreach." He suggested there are some guiding principles
that should be considered in advance of the retreat to help guide the conversation. He explained that it important to
understand that not everything the Board does will be relevant to everyone. As a government body, the Board must be
agnostic to media and timing as opposed to simply inviting the public and then noting when no one comes. The Board also
needs to be clear on why they are engaging with the public: informational purposes, data collection, defining an issue,
collecting opinions, empowering others to make decisions, helping people through change management, mitigating impacts,
etc. The process and tools for engaging the community will be different for each situation, but the Board needs to be able to
define success using key performance indicators. He summarized that it is way overdue for the Board to expect people to
show up at a time and place that is convenient to the Board or the process. He suggested this discussion should be a huge
part of the Board's retreat. Hopefully, the City has learned the lesson that they need to do better, and the Board carries a
heavy burden to be part of that change.
Chair Robles suggested a hybrid approach where the Board sets a goal to get 5 to 10 people to each meeting. The idea is that
those who attend will discuss the issues they heard at the meeting with their friends on social media. Vice Chair Rosen felt
this would be the wrong metric and would not necessarily reach the right people.
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Board Member Rubenkonig suggested that another element of community outreach should include educating the public about
the Board's role in the public process. The goal would be to make the Planning Board process less complicated and
imposing. One of the Board's goals should be to empower people to participate. Board Member Pence agreed that should be
part of the conversation on outreach. He said he's been frustrated by the City's poor web presence. There should be a
Planning Board page that explains the Board's role and process in language that ordinary citizens can related to. It is
important to have an open and accessible information source so that when people hear about an issue, they can quickly find
information. In order to bring the public to their meetings, the Board must offer something that has value to them. The
Board must frame its work to make it of interest to a broader audience.
Board Member Monroe suggested that community outreach or engagement should be the topic of a more in-depth discussion
at the Board's retreat. He cautioned that the Board's efforts towards public outreach should be done in coordination with the
City's other boards and commissions. He agreed that the City's web pages are not great, but he questioned the Board's
ability to change this on their own. They need to enlist the help of other boards and commissions, as well as the City
Council.
Chair Robles summarized that, at the retreat, the Board will have an in-depth discussion regarding community engagement,
performance indicators, educating the public on what the Board does, value-added meetings, and collaborating with other
groups.
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OFF -SITE PLANNING BOARD MEETINGS
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Chair Robles explained that an off -site meeting is different than a retreat. There are complexities in terms of coordination E
with staff, public access, recording, etc. He advised that, absent a compelling reason to do so, the Board has been advised
against having off -site meetings. He invited the Board Members to share their thoughts on what might be considered a 13
compelling reason to do so. o
Board Member Monroe suggested this would be a topic to discuss with the City Council. An off -site Planning Board o
meeting could be used as a test run. This would allow all of the logistics to be worked out at the Planning Board level where a
the consequences of failure would be less than that of the City Council. He suggested that reasons for holding off -site Q
meetings could include expanding the community input and not being too downtown focused. N
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In order to hold an off -site meeting, Board Member Pence said there must be an agenda that is of interest to the public. There c
must be a clear reason for doing an off -site meeting, such as the ability to attract a larger or more diverse audience. m
Otherwise, video recordings of the Board's meetings are available for the public to review. a-
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Board Member Rubenkonig suggested the Board discuss what locations might be appropriate for off -site meetings. She felt
that the Lake Ballinger area would be one such site. Vice Chair Rosen cautioned that the topic and audience should drive the z
location. If the intent is to engage the public, the meetings need to be at times and in locations that are easily accessible and
where people feel comfortable. Engagement needs to be on the public's terms, and people will only become engaged if there Q
is something in it for them. They need to be sensitive to the audience, and a face-to-face experience might not be the right
environment to engage an audience in some situations. Using community leaders who speak a language that is more
comfortable with the audience might be a better way to engage.
Chair Robles summarized that the criteria for off -site meetings should include: go to the public, topic and geography
dependent, and a potential test run at the Planning Board level. He commented that implementing the concept will require
City Council support and good, solid rationale.
POPULATING THE PLANNING BOARD AGENDAS
Board Member Monroe observed that many of the Board's agenda have been light. He questioned if meetings should be
cancelled if there are insufficient items to fill the agenda. He expressed concern that the Board is being underutilized. They
need to figure out some top -down ways to get things on their agenda. This may require discussions with the City Council
and/or Mayor to figure out how the Board can best help them. Currently, staff is either too busy or the Board is not
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communicating in a way that works for them. The Board needs to take responsibility for solving this issue. He would like to
have enough items on the agenda to require, at a minimum, 1.5-hour meetings.
Board Member Pence said he can only recall one issue of real substance that the Board has dealt with in the 7 or 8 months he
has been on the Board, and that was the street vacation issue. He said he has had more than one former Planning Board
Member talk to him about how light their agendas are compared to previous years. He wants the Board to get more involved
in the important issues facing the City.
Board Member Rubenkonig recalled that the housing discussion got started at the Planning Board level as Board Members
raised issues and shared information and research with each other. Several of the concepts that are currently being discussed
relative to housing were first raised by the Board, including detached accessory dwelling units and the missing middle. She
summarized that the Board must be proactive in identifying issues that are important to the public. Chair Robles stressed the
importance of populating the record sot that Planning Board discussions come up when people search the internet for
information about controversial issues.
Board Member Pence suggested that, at their retreat, the Board should identify two or three issues they think need to be
moved forward and discuss how the Planning Board can contribute to the process. Chair Robles noted that, currently, the
Board reserves about 10% to 12% of each agenda for this purpose. Board Member Pence agreed that is appropriate, but they
should carefully select issues that the Board has the resources to act upon.
Board Member Monroe agreed that the Board should use 10% to 12% of their agendas to discuss the issues they want to 5
move forward. However, that is separate from how to populate the Board's agendas. E
REVIEW OF EXTENDED AGENDA 13
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Chair Robles referred to the Extended Agenda, which only goes through the end of April. At the retreat, he would like the
Board to prioritize the items on the extended agenda and fill in the agenda for the remainder of the year. At the conclusion of 0
the retreat, the Board can forward their recommendations for the extended agenda to the City Council. Vice Chair Rosen a
recalled that, based on the Board's last discussion, the intent is to prioritize the items they want to advance in 2020 and Q
populate the full -year Extended Agenda. The agenda items will include those identified by staff and the City Council, as well N
as items the Board wants to pursue. The Board Members agreed that the intent of this effort is to make staff's job easier by
utilizing the Board's abilities. Co
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Board Member Rubenkonig suggested that an additional topic be added to the list of "recurring" topics on the Extended a
Agenda. They need to schedule regular Planning Board Reports to the City Council, as well as an opportunity for Board
Members to provide input about what should be included in the reports. Up to this time, the burden has been on the Chair E
and Vice Chair to prepare the reports and present them to the City Council. z
Chair Rosen agreed to prepare a summary of the Board's discussion and draft an agenda for the February 12' retreat. Q
PLANNING BOARD CHAIR COMMENTS
Chair Robles commented that there is a new website by the Woodland Park Zoo for identifying carnivores or city wildlife.
This would be important information to share with the community.
PLANNING BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS
Board Member Rubenkonig said she really likes to have a paper copy of the Planning Board packets available at the Parks,
Recreation and Cultural Services office. She asked Mr. Lien to relay this information to Ms. Martin.
ADJOURNMENT
The Board meeting was adjourned at 8:45 p.m.
Planning Board Minutes
January 22, 2020 Page 8
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5.A
Planning Board Agenda Item
Meeting Date: 02/12/2020
City Attorney Training and Discussion
Staff Lead: City Attorney Jeff Taraday
Department: Planning Division
Prepared By: Rob Chave
Background/History
The Planning Board holds a retreat each year.
Staff Recommendation
N/A
Narrative
This item will include training on quasi-judicial proceedings with city attorney Jeff Taraday, followed by
general Q&A with the Board.
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5.6
Planning Board Agenda Item
Meeting Date: 02/12/2020
2020 Planning Board Calendar
Staff Lead: Daniel Robles
Department: Development Services
Prepared By: Michelle Martin
Background/History
The Planning Board holds a retreat each year.
Staff Recommendation
N/A
Narrative
The objective of this exercise is to create a tentative 2020 schedule. This will involve prioritizing the
topics that we identified together with the planning division staff. The objective is to reach a consensus
on a plan that will be forwarded to City Council for a joint meeting.
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5.0
Planning Board Agenda Item
Meeting Date: 02/12/2020
Reflection
Staff Lead: Daniel Robles
Department: Planning Division
Prepared By: Rob Chave
Background/History
The Planning Board holds a retreat each year.
Staff Recommendation
N/A
Narrative
Community Engagement: This topic explores how we see ourselves engaging in two-way conversation
with:
Mayor - monthly meeting
The City Council -joint meeting, meeting minutes
Planning Department - populating agenda, 90-120 minutes.
Civic Organizations - joint meetings, "How can we help you"?
Citizens of Edmonds - Social Media, CPB posting / website.
Performance Indicators: How do we measure ourselves? What simple measurements can we observe
which can indicate our success and/or shortcomings as it related to serving the city leaders and citizens.
What do we do? Explain what the Planning Board does: What value to we add to city governance.
What do the citizens need to know about us and how can we assist them in engaging with city leaders.
(Staff Note: Planning Board duties are contained in ECC 10.40 - see Attachment 1)
Populate the public record: The city Search engine indexes our meeting minutes. The public record is
our most important tool. We can "articulate" this tool for citizens if they know how it works. When,
how, and why should we populate the public record with a specific objective?
Special Topic:
Planning Board Offsite. The idea is to try locating a planning board meeting in the community where a
planning board agenda item / public hearing is most relevant. For example, an agenda item / hearing
related to, say, Lake Ballinger or Rt 99 community could be held in that respective community. The
reasons for this are as follows:
1. Timely Engagement
2. Trial / Test case for City Council and other Boards to do the same.
(Staff Note: The Planning Board has occasionally held "off -site" open houses or information
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meetings for special topics or major initiatives when extensive outreach is sought. This type of
meeting has not been done for public hearings, which are of more general community interest and
require a formal setting and the ability to videotape the session.)
Conclusion: Consensus will be shared with Planning Division staff for feasibility / advancement
Attachments:
Attachment 1: ECC 10.40 Planning Board Purpose and Duties
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Edmonds City Code and Community Development Code Chapter 10.40 PLANNING BOARD Page 1 of 3
5.C.a
Chapter 10.40
PLANNING BOARD
Sections:
10.40.010 Purpose.
10.40.020 Planning board.
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10.40.030 Coordinated report — Citizens economic development commission. °
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10.40.010 Purpose.
The purpose of this chapter is to provide for the creation of a planning board pursuant to Chapter 35A.63 RCW,
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and provide for its membership, organization, operation, and expenses. The planning board shall generally serve 3
in an advisory capacity to the city in regional and local planning and specifically assist in the development of the
comprehensive plan and zoning ordinance and their successive review and amendment from time to time. The
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board shall have the additional duties specifically set forth in this chapter and such ad hoc duties as the city c
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council may from time to time assign to it. [Ord. 2342, 1983; Ord. 2170 § 2, 1980].
10.40.020 Planning board.
A. Appointment. There is created the planning board, consisting of seven members. Each member shall be
appointed by the mayor, subject to confirmation by the city council.
1. Members of the board must be residents of the city of Edmonds.
2. Although the city of Edmonds is not divided into political or geographical wards, it is the intent of this
section that said board membership shall maintain a reasonable balance of geographical distribution
throughout the city of Edmonds.
3. It is the intent of this section to maintain a diversified representation of occupations and experience on
the planning board. To this end each appointee shall be considered for board membership according to
his/her field of experience, among other factors.
4. An alternative member shall be appointed to serve in the event any regular member is absent or
disqualified for any reason. In the event a regular member is absent or disqualified for any reason, the
alternate shall have all the powers of a regular member, including the right to vote on board decisions. The
alternate shall be subject to the same attendance requirements as regular board members. In the event that
a regular position on the board shall be declared vacant, the alternate shall be deemed to fill such vacancy
for the remainder of the unexpired term.
B. Term. In order to provide for continuity of membership, members shall be assigned a position number. The
initial term of each position shall expire as set forth below, with subsequent terms being for four years each, and
Edmonds City Code and Community Development Code is current through Ordinance 4167, passed December 3, 20
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5.C.a
Edmonds City Code and Community Development Code Chapter 10.40 PLANNING BOARD Page 2 of 3
until the successor is appointed and confirmed:
Position One - 1982 Position Five -
Position Two - 1982 Position Six -
Position Three - 1983 Position Seven -
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Position Four - 1983 Alternate - g
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C. Powers and Duties. The planning board shall serve in an advisory capacity to the mayor and the city council
in the following matters:
1. The board shall advise on all amendments to the comprehensive plan contained in ECDC Title 15 (except
fees). This includes reviewing all elements of the plan on a periodic basis and reporting to the mayor and
city council on the need for changes in the plan. It also includes holding public hearings and making
recommendations to the mayor and city council on proposed changes to the plan, to the text of the zoning
regulations, and also to the zoning map in the case of rezones, as provided in ECDC Title 20. Review of
and recommendations for the plan may be prepared as a whole or in successive parts.
2. The board shall advise the mayor and city council on all parking matters that involve an amendment or
other modification to any city ordinance or code section within the jurisdiction of the board.
3. The board shall serve as an ongoing park board and advise the mayor and city council on all matters
relating to the acquisition and development of all city parks and recreation facilities.
4. The board shall do research and investigation on specific projects assigned to it by the mayor and city
council. The board will analyze data collected, arrange for public participation, and organize its findings.
The board will then present its findings to the mayor and city council detailing a summary of pertinent data,
public contribution, alternatives available, and may, if appropriate, recommend a course of action, giving
reasons for such recommendation.
5. The board shall have such other powers and duties as contained in Chapter 35A.63 RCW, as may be
amended from time to time, that are not otherwise specifically delegated to the hearing examiner or other
specific staff or agency of the city.
D. Operation.
1. The city planning division shall provide regular staff services to the planning board. Other city
departments shall provide staff services as requested by the planning board.
Edmonds City Code and Community Development Code is current through Ordinance 4167, passed December 3, 20
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5.C.a
Edmonds City Code and Community Development Code Chapter 10.40 PLANNING BOARD Page 3 of 3
2. The city council shall establish an annual budget for planning board operations for services in addition to
regular staff services. Should the planning board and planning staff determine that a particular project
requires services in addition to those normally provided by the city staff, then an estimate of needs
detailing the type of assistance and funding required shall be presented to the city council for approval
before that project is undertaken.
3. Four members of the board shall be the minimum number necessary to constitute a quorum for the
transaction of business; provided, that the vote of not less than three members shall be necessary to take _o_
action on any particular item before it.
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4. The board shall hold regular meetings on the second and/or fourth Wednesdays of each month at 7:00
p.m. at the Edmonds city council chambers. Cancellation of a regular meeting, or a different location for a
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regular meeting, shall be announced at the last regular meeting preceding the affected meeting, if possible, '
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otherwise the change will be advertised in the regular manner.
5. The city council shall meet periodically with the planning board at a city council meeting in order to
review and update planning board agendas. The intent of this section is to stimulate continuing
communication between mayor, city council and the planning board in an effort to identify and solve the
problems facing the city of Edmonds. Nothing herein shall be construed to limit the manner in which items
are placed on a planning board agenda nor the topics that may be considered by the planning board.
6. The board shall adopt rules of procedure and rules governing election and duties of officers of the board;
provided, however, said rules shall pertain only to the internal procedures of the members and said rules
and procedures may be questioned only by members of the board and do not give standing to question said
procedures to nonmembers or other parties. [Ord. 3421 § 1, 2002; Ord. 3094 § 1, 1996; Ord. 2659, 1988;
Ord. 2656 § 4, 1988; Ord. 2433, 1984; Ord. 2342, 1983; Ord. 2196 § 1, 1981; Ord. 2170 § 3, 1980].
10.40.030 Coordinated report — Citizens economic development commission.)
In addition to its other duties, the planning board shall review and consider strategies for economic development
in conjunction with the citizens economic development commission. Such strategies shall be designed to
improve commercial viability, tourism development and activity within the city of Edmonds. The planning board
and citizens economic development commission shall report to the city council on or about its first meeting in
December 2009 regarding its joint recommendations. This duty shall sunset on December 31, 2010. [Ord. 3735
§ 2, 2009] .
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The provisions in the ordinance codified in this section shall automatically expire and sunset on December 31,
2010, unless sooner repealed or amended by act of the Edmonds city council.
Edmonds City Code and Community Development Code is current through Ordinance 4167, passed December 3, 20
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