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2005, 04-26 Regular Meeting MinutesMINUTES City of Spokane Valley City Council Regular Meeting Tuesday, April 26, 2005 Mayor Wilhite called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m., and welcomed everyone to the 65th meeting Attendance: Diana Wilhite, Mayor Rich Munson, Deputy Mayor Dick Denenny, Councilmember (arrived late) Mike DeVleming, Councilmember Mike Flanigan, Councilmember Steve Taylor, Councilmember Absent: Gary Schimmels, Councilmember Dave Mercier, City Manager Nina Regor, Deputy City Manager Cary Driskell, Deputy City Attorney Ken Thompson, Finance Director Cal Walker, Police Chief Marina Sukup, Community Development Director Mike Jackson, Parks and Recreation Director Neil Kersten, Public Works Director Steve Worley, Senior Engineer Greg "Bing" Bingaman, IT Specialist Chris Bainbridge, City Clerk INVOCATION: Pastor Stan Hudson, Valley Adventist Church gave the invocation. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Mayor Wilhite led the Pledge of Allegiance. ROLL CALL City Clerk Bainbridge called roll; all present except Councilmember Schimmels. It was moved by Councilmember DeVleming, seconded, and unanimously agreed upon to excuse Councilmembers Schimmels from tonight's meeting and from the May 3, 2005 meeting as he recovers from knee surgery. APPROVAL OF AGENDA After City Manager Mercier mentioned he would like to speak briefly at the end of the meeting, on the topic of conveyance of the corridor for Appleway extension, it was moved by Councilmember DeVleming, seconded by Councilmember Flanigan, and unanimously agreed upon to approve the agenda. INTRODUCTION OF SPECIAL GUESTS AND PRESENTATIONS Mayor Wilhite invited Katherine Tunsel, Chair of the Lilac Festival and currently serving as President of the Association for 2005, to speak on their Festival and pins. Ms. Tunsel introduced Susan Jones, Treasurer; and Cecilia Stevenson, Vice President of Royalty. Ms. Tunsel invited Council and all present to participate in the upcoming Lilac Festival, and she then distributed pins to all Councilmembers. She mentioned that the parade is scheduled for May 21 and that Mayor Wilhite will be participating in that parade. COMMITTEE, BOARD, LIAISON SUMMARY REPORTS Councilmember DeVleming: reported that he gave a presentation to the Catholic Daughters of Washington State Convention last weekend where his presentation was the slide show of the City's 2004 accomplishments report; he also mentioned that today was his first meeting with the 911 Board. Councilmember Denenny: stated that he attended last Thursday's Health Board retreat; that he also attended an STA (Spokane Transit Association) meeting where it was agreed to participate in providing transportation for the 2007 National Figure Skating Championships; and that he has been involved with the interview process to hire a new CEO for the STA, with the final three candidates coming to a social gathering later this week. Council Meeting: 04 -26 -05 Page 1 of 6 Approved by Council: 05 -10 -05 Councilmember Flanigan: explained that he also attended the Health Board's retreat where they are discussing the Board's priorities for the District, and including input from senior staff so everyone has a better understanding of where the Board wants to go, and of the issues facing staff, and that it was a very positive meeting. Councilmember Taylor: reported that he attended last weekend's INTEC meeting where they learned that INTEC lost the majority of its State funding and that they will meet later to determine INTEC's future regarding further operating funding possibilities; and that the Convention and Visitor's Bureau is close to making a final decision on their CEO and hope to have that selection finalized in about two weeks. Deputy Mayor Munson: explained that the City's Finance Committee met last week and went over funding issues connected with the request for the budget amendment; that last Wednesday he attended the State of the City address; he also attended the April 21 STA meeting with Councilmember Denenny; and that he and Mayor Wilhite went to Fairchild Air Force Base to help welcome a North Dakota unit temporarily deployed to Fairchild. MAYOR'S REPORT: Mayor Wilhite explained that she bagged groceries at Rosauers as part of a fundraising effort; that she attended the Japanese ceremony at the STA, and then attended a picnic to honor those who had died from work related injuries and also members of the armed forces from Washington who were killed in Iraq; that she attended a ground breaking for a new business, and also attended the Mayor's meeting in Airways Heights. Mayor Wilhite then read the proclamation for "Older American's Month." PUBLIC COMMENTS Mayor Wilhite invited public comments. Richard Brantley, 1107 S Maraiam Sherwood Forest: said he has been paying taxes for 25 years; he is a supporter of the valley, and feels it should have been a city long ago; he explained that sewer installations have enhanced property values, and in speaking with some realtors regarding a road patch job proposed in Sherwood Forest, homeowners won't enjoy the same enhanced value and their properties could be devalued. He suggests if we can't get the job done correctly to wait until there is enough money; that those roads need help; and he spoke of life of a patch compared with a total repave; he said that he will be happy to have a future road levy; and suggested that people might not have been informed enough on the last road levy which did not pass, and just because it was voted down, doesn't mean people don't want good roads. Diane Smith, 2802 N Bowman Road; she thanked the Mayor and Council for issuing the Proclamation for Older American's Month, and said that this brings recognition to seniors and the things they do to volunteer in the community, such as helping children read, and assisting Meals on Wheels; and she encouraged Council to support financially any programs that would help the seniors. Nick Beamer, 1611 E Ave, Spokane: spoke concerning the Proclamation for Older American's Month, and mentioned the organization "Area Agency on Aging" which serves seniors in various communities including here in the valley; that he wanted to make Council aware of this organization's existence, and he distributed copies of a handout discussing an upcoming May 26 Governing Board Meeting. Steve Durgin, 1108 S Maraiam, Sherwood Forest: said that he has lived here for 15 years; he is a licensed civil engineer in Washington and has many years experience including construction experience; that he wrote a letter to the Mayor, and he thanked her for the telephone call; that he has concerns about the project as there is a good opportunity to doing the paving job; that the road has been deteriorating for a while, and this is a good opportunity for curb to curb paving, and it would be cost efficient. He explained that there are cracks in the road and many areas in bad shape which should be paved within two to four Council Meeting: 04 -26 -05 Page 2 of 6 Approved by Council: 05 -10 -05 VOUCHER LIST DATE VOUCHER Number(s) TOTAL VOUCHER AMOUNT 04 -08 -05 6594 -6625 342,551.79 04 -15 -05 6626 -6665 416,234.26 GRAND TOTAL 758,786.05 years; that he was not told about the project and that it would not include curb to curb; most people he talked to were not aware and they'll be surprised with the ongoing job; that if the people were informed he feels a lot would have stepped up and paid extra money; he was a supporter of the incorporation and feels we should have resources to do it, and he suggests we postpone the job and do it right. He stated that he was told they are victims of bad timing and of the failure of others to do the job; that there was a lack of communication on the last levy (which he voted for); that he seeks a way to get this done and is ready to pitch in and help. 1. PUBLIC HEARING: Proposed 2005 Budget Amendment — Ken Thompson Mayor Wilhite opened the public hearing at 6:33 p.m. and invited Finance Director Thompson to explain the proposed amendment. Mr. Thompson explained that this hearing on the amendment of the 2005 budget is in keeping with statute requirements; that staff generally brings Council amendments to the budget twice a year. Director Thompson then went over the proposed changes and the reasons for those proposed changes as noted on the attached documents. Mr. Thompson also briefly explained some of the reserve accounts, the carryover amounts, and mentioned that the newly approved employee positions are in place in this budget. Mayor Wilhite invited public comments. Tony Lazanis: said this is good news for the City; the figures show a good tax base; that revenues are likely to go up; and it is good to build the reserves. Robert Clark, 1318 S Park Drive: encouraged staff and Council to fund complete curb -to -curb paving after sewer work is put in for the reasons stated previously. Ken Carmer, 1103 S Maraiam Street: said his background is in budgeting; that he supports paving streets as an efficient use of funds. There were no further public comments, and Mayor Wilhite closed the public hearing at 6:52 p.m. 2. PUBLIC HEARING: Amending 2005 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) —Neil Kersten Mayor Wilhite opened the public hearing at 6:52 p.m. Engineer Worley then explained the amendment to the 2005 TIP as shown on his Request for Council Action form; and added that this is more of a housekeeping item to amend the 2005 TIP based on those projects which did receive funding. Mayor Wilhite invited public comment; no comments were offered and Mayor Wilhite closed the public hearing at 6:55 p.m. 3. CONSENT AGENDA Consists of items considered routine which are approved as a group. A Councilmember may remove an item from the Consent Agenda to be considered separately. (Note: Council may entertain a motion to waive reading and approve Consent Agenda.) a. Approval of Regular Council Meeting Minutes of April 12, 2005 b. Approval of Payroll of April 15, 2005 of $111,079.10 c. Approval of the Following Vouchers: It was moved by Councilmember DeVleming and seconded by Councilmember Flanigan to waive the reading and approve the Consent Agenda. Vote by Acclamation: In Favor: Unanimous. Opposed: None. Abstentions: None. Motion carried. NEW BUSINESS 4. First Reading Proposed Ordinance 05 -018, Amending 2005 Budget — Ken Thompson After City Clerk Bainbridge read the ordinance title, it was moved by Deputy Mayor Munson and seconded by Councilmember Denenny to advance Ordinance 05 -018 to a second reading. Finance Director Thompson explained that this would begin the implementation for the amendment to the budget. Council Meeting: 04 -26 -05 Page 3 of 6 Approved by Council: 05 -10 -05 Mayor Wilhite invited public comment; no comments were offered. Vote by Acclamation to advance the ordinance to a second reading: In Favor: Unanimous. Opposed: None. Abstentions: None. Motion carried. 5. Proposed Resolution 05 - 006 Amending 2005 TIP — Neil Kersten It was moved by Deputy Mayor Munson and seconded by Councilmember DeVleming to approve Resolution 05 -006. Mr. Worley explained that this resolution adopts the amended program which was previously explained. Mayor Wilhite invited public comments; no comments were offered. Vote by Acclamation: In Favor: Unanimous. Opposed: None. Abstentions: None. Motion carried. PUBLIC COMMENTS Mayor Wilhite invited public comments; no comments were offered. ADMINISTRATIVE REPORTS: [no public comment] 6. Fair Board Presentation — Erin Gurtel and Dolly Hughes Fair Director Dolly Hughes thanked Council for the opportunity to present, and introduced Marketing Coordinator Erin Gurtel. Ms. Gurtel went through her PowerPoint presentation and gave an overview of the events held at the facility, and extended an invitation to the Mayor and Council to the Fairgrounds in May for a tour. 7. Economic Development Council Presentation — Jon Eliassen and Theresa Sanders Executive Vice President for Business Development Theresa Sanders thanked Council for tonight's opportunity to present the EDC's Quarterly Update. She also asked Council to please excuse Jon Eliassen who is in Washington D.C.; and then introduced colleagues Jim Huttenmaier and Robin Toth. Ms. Sanders went through the presentation and explained that this is the first of a quarterly presentation to show Council where the EDC is going, and of its focus. There was then brief discussion and questions from council on what the City can do to make it easier for EDC to entice outside businesses in our City; to which Ms. Sanders responded that a readiness and an ability to respond helps create "shovel- ready" programs for commercial development; and to have an accelerated permitting process where possible, along with infrastructure development and knowing and communicating where the development should occur. Mayor Wilhite called for a short recess at 7:36 p.m., and resumed the meeting at 7:46 p.m. 8. Mobile Data Computers and Jail Staffing — Cal Walker and Mark Sterk Spokane Valley Police Chief Walker explained that this issue was previously taken before the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) to discuss the request to upgrade their technological needs in the form of Mobile Data Computers (MDC); he explained to Council that the MDCs are similar to laptop computers; that the current computers are now seven years old, and as they age and new technology becomes available, the current computers become more obsolete, and as they break down, finding replacement parts for outdated computers becomes difficult. He explained that the computers are kept in the cars and that the lower temperatures in the winter and warmer temperatures in the summer are factors to keep in mind; that these new computers are the first part of automatic field reporting, and he explained the benefits of going paperless. Chief Walker then explained the benefits of acquiring the new technology, and the drawbacks and problems of retaining the old, and explained some of the budget aspects of the project, adding that based on formulas already in place for Valley funding, the Valley's percentage of funding this technology would be approximately $200,000. Chief Walker added that the BOCC approved their portion of funds for this project, and in doing so, Marshall Farnell offered some options for consideration if we choose to participate and fund this, and that they didn't want to ask for 2005 contributions and are willing to pay upfront and allow the City to pay in optional formats of a one- time 2006 payment or $49,000 over several years. Council Meeting: 04 -26 -05 Page 4 of 6 Approved by Council: 05 -10 -05 Discussion then ensued regarding the desired number of units, the cost of each (approximately $6800); the ability to have all the units working together and interrelating; sharing equipment; owned equipment (about 44% would be owned by city of Spokane Valley); whether interest would be charged if the City paid over several years (Sheriff Sterk says there would be no interest charged); and of the desire to discuss this project with the BOCC. City Manager Mercier asked if this acquisition was part of the overall communication upgrade and plan that was under discussion in several jurisdictions over the last few years, and Chief Walker indicated this is a separate issue. Mr. Mercier added that he and Sheriff Sterk have been discussing communications, and Mr. Mercier has asked that Sheriff Sterk notify Mr. Mercier's office any time conversation is held between the Sheriff and the BOCC that has cost and /or operational impacts for the City of Spokane Valley. Sheriff Sterk added that he and Mr. Mercier have discussed doing a better job of parallel tracking of information between the BOCC and City Council, and that Sheriff Sterk has made a commitment to make every effort to do so; and that he wants the City to be a part of the planning phases. Sheriff Sterk then went through his PowerPoint presentation on jail staffing. Sheriff Sterk discussed the closing of the Valley Precinct Jail approximately 18 months ago; and said that they would like to see that re- opened; and that 2007 would be plausible as they could have trained staff ready by then. Further discussion included other incarceration options such as Benton County; and other incarceration costs including transporting costs; video surveillance was mentioned; and the estimated cost of adding two additional floors to the current building was stated as $47 million, which includes expansion of laundry, kitchen, and warehouse. Sheriff Sterk also mentioned that he cautioned the BOCC on the tent idea, as it is staff intensive. Other discussion included the cost for the psychotropic drugs for the incarcerated mentally ill; financial responsibility for incarcerated felons (the County), and for incarcerated misdemeanors (the City); cities building their own jails; the number of outstanding misdemeanor warrants; repeat offenders; the desire to reduce crime; and uncollected revenues. 9. Sign Code Discussion — Marina Sukup Community Development Director Sukup explained that Council was previously briefed on the progress of the Sign Committee, that the Planning Commission held a public hearing, and Council discussed the proposed ordinance in January, March, and April, and on April 5, 2005, Council requested additional information relative to advertising copy on private benches within the public right -of -way, maintenance of directional signs on Appleway, and political signs. Ms. Sukup gave a history of the Appleway directional signs, the bench advertising with Sunset Outdoor Advertising, and discussed Mr. Driskell's April 18, 2005 "Treatment of political signs" memorandum, along with the "Sea Tac" treatment of political signs. Discussion then ensued regarding going out for bids for bench advertisers; the treatment of benches as "official signs;" right -of -way obstructions; contractual agreements to cover liability and other issues; regulating benches; handicapped accessible benches; followed by further discussion on Appleway directional signs; maintenance of those signs; traffic control manual requirements; directional signs size; and financial obligations for placement and maintenance of those directional signs. It was moved by Councilmember Taylor and seconded by Deputy Mayor Munson to extend the meeting until 9:30 p.m. Vote by Acclamation: In Favor: Mayor Wilhite, Deputy Mayor Munson, and Councilmembers Taylor, Flanigan, and DeVleming. Opposed: Councilmember Denenny. Abstentions: None. Motion carried. After further discussion on the political sign question, including enforcement of regulations, it was determined that the City would not be in a position to monitor and /or regulate placement of every political sign, and did not want to adopt regulations that were not enforceable; and therefore Council gave no consensus concerning political signs. There was Council consensus to set up contractual arrangements for the benches; and to proceed with the second reading of the ordinance on May 10, 2005. In conclusion, Mr. Mercier stated that the directional signs were treated under the traffic manual and therefore, our sign ordinance does not need to address that issue; and as such the management of the sign program on Appleway is a separate issue. It was decided that the next step would be that staff report to Council on Council Meeting: 04 -26 -05 Page 5 of 6 Approved by Council: 05 -10 -05 the above- mentioned issues, and Council will discuss the management of the sign program on Appleway, and whether to limit such a program only to Appleway. 10. Pavement Cut Policy — Neil Kersten, John Hohman, and Marina Sukup Public Works Director Kersten stated that an initial draft of a pavement cut policy with the City of Spokane and Spokane County, was presented to Council several weeks ago, and mentioned that the County's policy began approximately one and one -half years ago. Mr. Kersten explained that at that time, we were severally short- staffed and therefore did not participate; and after another year, the County completed their policy. Mr. Kersten stated that if Council desires, staff will further pursue the history of the policy and report back on which issues changed, and why, to help us determine if we want to make any changes. He stated that the Policy is vague in many areas and needs uniform interpretation; the policy is complex with four tier levels based on the age of the street and five different categories of streets. Mr. Kersten also explained that under the matrix on page nine, the modified policy is allowed on minor arterials and collector arterials over six years old, and on principal arterials over twelve years old; and allows joints at the centerline of lane. However, Mr. Kersten suggested that in keeping with our current policy, that all arterials be cut to the lane line and that no cuts be allowed to the center of lanes. Community Development Director Sukup added that implementing such a plan would be data maintenance intensive; and keeping abreast of the permitting process would require additional staff, and the start-up costs to create the database would be difficult to estimate. Discussion then ensued regarding the difficulty in calculating permit fees to allow for cost recovery; the number of staff we currently have compared with the number of staff already on board at the County level; the number of permits issued now annually; and the inspection process. It was then moved by Councilmember Taylor to adjourn. There was no second and the motion was not considered. It was then moved by Deputy Mayor Munson and seconded by Councilmember Denenny to extend the meeting to 9:40 p.m. Vote by Acclamation: In Favor: Mayor Wilhite, Deputy Mayor Munson, and Councilmembers Denenny and DeVleming; Opposed: Councilmembers Taylor and Flanigan. Abstentions: None. Motion carried. Councilmember DeVleming stressed the importance of putting this issue on a future agenda as soon as possible as the construction season is upon us. Councilmember Taylor expressed his desire to see this issue early in the agenda. It was moved by Councilmember DeVleming and seconded by Councilmember Taylor to adjourn. Vote by Acclamation: In Favor: Deputy Mayor Munson, and Councilmembers Taylor, Flanigan, DeVleming and Denenny. Opposed: Mayor Wilhite. Abstentions: None. Motion carried. The meeting adjourned at 9:33 p.m. iristine : ainbridge, City Clerk g LsLitutr2 Diana Wilhite, Mayor Council Meeting: 04 -26 -05 Page 6 of 6 Approved by Council: 05 -10 -05 NAME PLEASE PRINT TOPIC OF CONCERN ADDRESS TELEPHONE �AetitCio o n. S s,. E ,/ rk Cr 1 (Q7 5. hr9 ai R r• ,7' g 2 �. � �c6c l ► J iqii- Sm /Vir 40CLImP7 /A V - of p,) Al ,40e .` 9.;, -5 9S 1/ 4 , • 41. r Steve b.x LA, 1' . . u . -4. IA l . , SLer, Co r eS— u i 1 per. , / - a.fh 53g - 320 ' Ito C. mtg. 41,., 52h)-a 3 9 `f PUBLIC COMMENT SIGN-IN SHEET SPOKANE VALLEY CITY COUN MEETING DATE v - r} - OS G1TQ$4 COMMENTS ON ITEMS NOT INCLUDED ON THIS AGENDA. PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD. YOUR TIME WILL BE LEMITED TO THREE MINUTES