2011, 08-30 Study Session Minutes MINUTES
SPOKANE VALLEY CITY COUNCIL
REGULAR MEETING
STUDY SESSION FORMAT
Spokane Valley City Hall Council Chambers
Spokane Valley, Washington
August 30, 2011 6:00 p.m.
Attendance:
Councilmembers Staff
Tom Towey, Mayor Mike Jackson, City Manager
Gary Schimmels, Deputy Mayor Cary Driskell, City Attorney
Bill Gothmann, Councilmember Mark Calhoun, Finance Director
Dean Grafos, Councilmember John Hohman Community Dev. Director
Brenda Grassel, Councilmember Mike Stone, Parks & Recreation Director
Chuck Hafner, Councilmember Neil Kersten, Public Works Director
Arne Woodard, Councilmember Mike Basinger, Senior Planner
Carolbelle Branch, Public Information Officer
Chris Bainbridge, City Clerk
Mayor Towey called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m.
1. Library Services in Spokane Valle�ug Stumboueh
Via his PowerPoint presentation, Branch Services Manager poug Stumbough gave an overview of the
services of the Spokane County Library District. Mr. Stumbough explained the Library's service area,
how it is governed and fmanced, the infrastructure of their ten branches and website, gave a use sampling
and service history including history of the Valley Library building; spoke of their five-year trend and of
the materials, programs and services they provide for the community; mentioned their 20-year facilities
master plan, and of the recent needs assessment with the associated three phases of plan priorities
improvements.
2, Social Service Outside Asency Funding Requests — Mark Calhoun
Finance Director Calhoun briefly explained the process for receiving these requests for funding, and
asked that councilmembers submit their recommendations to him no later than 4 p.m. September 14, after
which time he will prepare combined information and allocation averages for Council as they consider the
funding allocations at the September 27 council meeting. Councilmember Gothmann said the site selector
was removed from the total, which reduced the amount by $15,000, and he therefore moved to set
$1 S0, 000 as the total allocation for all outside agency requests. The motion was seconded, there was no
public comment, and council voted unanimously in favor of the motion. At Mayor Towey's invitation, the
following social service agencies made their presentation to council: (a) Big Brothers Big Sisters, (b)
Coalition of the Responsible Disabled, (d) Greater Spokane Substance Abuse Council, (e) Project Access,
( fl Spokane Valley Partners, (g) Spokane Valley Veterans Forum, (h) Valley Meals on Wheels, and (i)
YWCA. It was noted that staff received word from (c) Community Minded Television that they would
not be able to attend tonight, but were still interested in receiving funding.
Mayor Towey called for a recess at 7:23 p.m. and reconvened the meeting at 7:36 p.m.
3. Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Pro�xam — Mike Basin�er
Community Development Director Hohman explained that tonight is a working session to get the details
of the plan, item by item, and that it is clear council needs to review those details and supply staff with
edits. Director Hohman said a problem with the plan is that the Department did not give an administrative
report to council in the beginning in order to get necessary feedback on what over-riding issues council
would like to address; and said this is a change he'll institute, and to begin these processes, stafFis here to
Council Study Session Minutes August 30, 2011 Page 1 of 5
Approved by Council: September 27, 2011
get in context of what council wants to see in the plan, and then process that back through the Planning
Commission and hearings if necessary, or council could conduct public hearings. Director Hohman said
there is a lot of information to present at once and he encouraged Council to ask questions as staff moves
through the document. Senior Planner Basinger went through the PowerPoint presentation, which
included an explanation of the purpose of the Bike and Pedestrian Master Program (BPMP). Discussion
included comments from Mayor Towey that he feels the focus should be on sidewalks and bicycles
equally, and Councilmember Woodard remarked that he feels sidewalks should have a higher priority.
Councilmember Gothmann asked if the statistics suggest we have a pedestrian or bike problem, or both,
and Mr. Basinger replied it seems to be a little of both, as many times the bike facility acts as a buffer to
the pedestrian on the sidewalk. Councilmember Hafner mentioned the lack of sidewalks, especially for
children walking to and from school and suggested that sidewalk safety for everyone should be first, with
bike paths second; and Councilmember Woodard agreed we have a lack of sidewalks, especially in
residential areas, and mentioned his preference for paving curb to curb with sidewalks. Councilmember
Grafos ageed with the need for both sidewalks and bicycle paths, but to first focus on the plan, and
suggested making edits to the goals and policies in order to have a more common sense approach; and
mentioned he is not sure if this needs to be in the city's comprehensive plan, but does want a balanced
bike plan to encourage families to come to our city. Councilmember Grassel suggested making changes
so the document is more of a guide than a mandate, and to perhaps be more broad and general and not so
detailed. Councilmember Woodard asked about ancillary facilities on page 18 of the plan, and Mr.
Hohman said in order to address the details further, this topic will be rescheduled; and it was noted that
not all councilmembers had their copy of the plan on hand. At approximately 9:00 p.m., it was moved by
Deputy Mayor Schimmels, seconded and unanimously agreed to extend the meeting for an hour.
Councilmembers concurred with staff making the following suggested or similar edits, and to schedule a
future meeting to discuss the entire document in track-change format:
• To generally change the word "will" to "can"
• Change directives such as "ensure" to "encourage," and "maintain" to "strive to maintain"
Network and Facilities Goal & Policies
� Goal BP-1 Provide a comprehensiv bikeway and pedestrian system
connecting residential neighborhoods with parks, schools, commercial areas, trails,
and employment areas within the City and to adjacent jurisdictions.
Policies
� BP-1.1 Encoura� bike lanes, shared use paths and sidewalks throughout
the city.
I BP-1.2 Encourase�s�e bicycle parking facilities a�e�s�i�e� at commercial and public
facilities as well as places of employment.
BP-1.3 Work with Spokane Transit Authority to develop safe, comfortable and secure pedestrian
amenities and bicycle parking facilities at transit stops as well as bike racks on transit
vehicles.
� BP-1.4 Encourase� sidewalks, bicycle facilities and shared use paths as part of
development where applicable.
BP-1.5 Encourage , ', ' new streets, parking
lots and other pedestrian activity zones to include trees, planting s�ps, bollards and other
treahnents to create an effective safety and visual buffer between the sidewalk and the
street.
BP-1.6 Coordinate on regional non-motorized efforts in partnership with adjoining jurisdictions
and with the Spokane Regional Transportation Council.
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Approved by Council: September 27, 2011
I BP-1.7 Eee�e��pPursue joint funding applications for implementation that will expand the
regional bikeway and pedestrian networks.
� BP-1.8 Strive to �maintain pedestrian, bicycle�-a�vehicle �te�eec�e�, and emergency
response access rights when street closure or vacation requests are processed.
BP-1.9 Use technological advances as available to update and maintain the bicycle and
pedestrian network, including but not limited to barcode scanning technology at
I wayfmding stations, alternative paving options, ete. [asked to have this re-worded to
include such thin�s as nedestrian safety crossing measuresl
Safety and Accessibility Goal and Policies
Goal BP-2 Reduce the number of bicycle and pedestrian injuries through development of safe
and accessible routes for bicyclists and pedestrians of all ages and abilities.
Policies:
BP-2.1 Work to develon £�s�bicycle and pedestrian facilities that meet recognized design
fnote: check with public works concernin� which reco�ized design standards aze being
referred to herel standards for safety and accessibility.
I BP-2.2 Strive to have �e-� bicycle routes and shared use paths ere properly signed and
marked a�� to address personal safety.
� BP-2.3 Work to develo safe bicycle and pedestrian crossings of major arterials,
railroads, I-90 and the Spokane River through use of innovative treatment where
appropriate.
� BP-2.4 Encourase�ie�esse enforcement of pedestrian and bicycle safety rules on City streets and
bikeways.
� • , .
Promotion and Education Goal and Policies
Goal BP-3 Implement comprehensive education and encouragement programs targeted at all
populations in the City.
Policies:
I BP-3.1 Continue to work and coordinate�rg with the Spokane Regional Health District, the Safe
Routes to Schools program, the Sheriff Department, SCOPE, Commute Trip Reduction
and other entities concerned with bicycle and pedestrian safety to create education
programs focused on safe bicycle riding, walking and motorist activity.
�-3-�
> >
� BP-3.23 Provide current and easily accessible information about pedestrian walkways, the bicycle
network, bicycle programs and bicycle parking.
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Approved by Council: September 27, 2011
Implementation, Funding and Maintenance Goal and Policies
Goal BP-4 Seek funding from all available sources to implement and maintain bicycle and
pedestrian facilities as well as ongoing education and enforcement.
Policies:
BP-4.1 Maintain a prioritized and phased implementation plan that takes into consideration the
( scope, cost and benefits of a facility;, the available funding opportunities, and the need
for availabl°�''� staff.
BP-4.2 Include facilities as described in this Bike and Pedestrian Element as part of the annual
transportation improvement program (TIP) where feasible.
BP-43 Review and monitor opportunities for multi-modal grant funding as they become
available.
Councilmember Grassel suggested we eventually develop a brochure of our city to place at hotels, motels,
and other establishments; and suggested we include some coordination between road projects and bike
plans, similar to the situation at Mission Trailhead. Director Hohman said he appreciates council's
feedback and said staffwill examine the document to ensure we are not duplicating our directives.
4. Solid Waste Update — Neil Kersten
Public Works Director Kersten said tonight he wanted to specifically review the alliance agreement, and
he brought Council's attention to the included Comprehensive Plan Chapter 13, which he said is a
resource document for council to review as it covers a lot of the history, participants, and issues, including
how the system works as well as several alternatives addressed by the SWAC (Solid Waste Advisory
Committee), including that committee's recommendations in section 13.6 on pages 13-29. Mr. Kersten
said the intent is to extend the agreement for another three years, and Mr. Jackson added that we could
convey that intent via a short letter; said there are other entities with agreements which don't expire until
2015 or 2016, and suggested extending our ageement would not be a problem. Mr. Jackson and Mr.
Kersten both agreed tonight is a precursor for tomorrow's joint meeting on this topic with the Board of
County Commissioners. Discussion included mention of the renegotiated contract Spokane City has with
Wheelabrator; that an extension of three years would not prevent us from further discussing the
agreement; and several aspects of the draft ageement including the voting process with the small cities
having veto control over any action and the suggestion that they should not have majority control; budget
shortfalls and the suggestion that members should not have to make up differences if they arise; that the
system should be controlled and run by the tipping fee; that the capacity constraint section needs to be re-
written as the obligation should be under the alliance if capacity issues arise as there is no way for
Spokane Valley to develop a system to handle overflows; the issue of section 8.2.1 concerning
withdrawing and that large cities should not be permitted to withdraw; and that the duration needs to be at
least twenty years. Councilmember Woodard expressed his opinion that we not extend the contract. City
Manager Jackson said there are other sections of the agreement to consider, that the previous summit
stressed that the system be regional, and said it would be difficult to have a regional system without the
City of Spokane; and said it needs to be financially sustainable and environmentally responsible, and said
he feels Mr. Kersten's suggestions are excellent and he is hopeful the Alliance will pursue the study.
5. Advance Agenda — Ma,yor ToweX
Mr. Jackson mentioned that the bike helmet discussion is scheduled for September 20; and that speed
limits have been added to the list of pending items.
6. Council Check-in — Mavor Towey
There were no council comments.
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Approved by Council: September 27, 2011
7. City Manager Comments
City Manager Jackson reminded council that he will present the Preliminary Budget at next week's
council meeting, and that this year as opposed to previous years, staff is proposing to separate recurring
expenses and nonrecurring expenses; and also to no longer appropriate the ending fund balance as a
portion of the general fund, but to propose a 1% contingency of the total general fund that could be used
in case of emergency or other circumstances that would cause us to dip into the ending fund balance; he
said this process will protect the ending fund balance from being spent. Mr. Jackson said he will cover
this in more detail next week.
It was moved by Deputy Mayor Schimmels, seconded and unanimously agreed to adjourn. The meeting
adjourned at 9:45 p.m.
�
ATTEST• Thomas E. Towey, Mayor
/ '
hristine ainbndge, City Clerk
Council Study Session Minutes August 30, 2011 Page 5 of 5
Approved by Council: September 27, 2011