2012, 03-20 Study Session Minutes MINUTES
SPOKANE VALLEY CITY COUNCIL
REGULAR MEETING
STUDY SESSION FORMAT
Spokane Valley City Hall Council Chambers
Spokane Valley,Washington
March 20,2012 6:00 p.m.
Attendance:
Councilmembers Staff
Tom Towey,Mayor Mike Jackson, City Manager
Gary Schimmels,Deputy Mayor Cary Driskell, City Attorney
Dean Grafos, Councilmember John Holtman, Community Development Dir.
Brenda Grassel, Councilmember Neil Kersten,Public Works Director
Chuck Hafner, Councilmember Mark Calhoun, Finance Director
Ben Wick, Councilmember Mike Stone,Parks&Recreation Director
Arne Woodard,Councilmember Kelly Konkright,Deputy City Attorney
Rick VanLeuven,Police Chief
Steve Worley, Senior Engineer
Henry Allen,Development Engineer
Morgan Koudelka, Sr.Administrative Analyst
Carolbelle Branch,Public Information Officer
Chris Bainbridge, City Clerk
Mayor Towey called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m.
1. Greater Spokane,Inc. (GSI)Update—John Holtman
Community Development Director Holman introduced GSI President and CEO Rich Hadley, and
Business Development Vice President Robin Toth and explained that over the last few months, he and
City Manager Mike Jackson had a series of meetings with all the economic development partners; that
one of the more interesting meetings was with members from GSI where the discussion was programs
they are undertaking and elements Spokane Valley has worked on over the last few years, and that they
looked for areas where we could coordinate and cooperate in the future. Mr.Holman said Mr.Hadley and
Ms. Toth will discuss their certified site program and said there are tremendous opportunities in the future
for staff coordinating with GSI to make recruitment of businesses in our area a valuable undertaking.
By means of his PowerPoint presentation, Mr. Hadley explained that GSI is the associated development
organization officially recognized by the State as The Economic Development Organization for the
region, that it is connected to all the partners; and said because of that, they are required to have, and do
have a wide array of services; concerning recruitment, he said most jobs are with companies that are
already here, and said their second job is to assist with business expansion and retention, and to do that,
they have to do cost comparisons. Mr. Hadley listed some of the agencies they partner with, and said as a
result of this partnership, the collaboration results in a "greater bang for the buck." Ms. Toth went over
some of the 2012 projects; said that the aerospace industries on the east side of the state employs over
8,000 employees and pay more than the average Spokane County employee. Concerning the website
"selectspokane," Ms. Toth said that they are thinking about sponsorships to help with revenue streams
and enhancements on the website; she mentioned some of the new features of the website, and added that
the site now has 370 Spokane Valley property listings. She said they are also working to get the brokers
familiar with the website. Ms. Toth explained that concerning Certified Sites, GSI is working with the
Airport, County, and City of Spokane on shovel ready sites on the West Plains for Aerospace and
Distribution; and that our city is working on shovel-ready sites with one of its local developers; that the
City of Cheney has submitted their Research Park for certification, and a new prospect on a County site is
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also looking to develop a binding site plan that could integrate with that certification program. She
mentioned iSpokane.biz, a new website and of the information contained in a recent Alaska Airlines
Magazine featuring Spokane, as well as promoting the area in the upcoming 2012 Journal of Business
Magazine. Ms. Toth said they want people to make sure there is a strong brand and that the company
knows they are in Spokane Valley, and realize the value the City is bringing for permitting, site
certification,and bringing businesses up to code to continue to help the economy grow.
Ms. Toth explained the benefits of a Port District, and said the last time a proposed Port District was on
the ballot was in 1984 where it lost by a four-to-one margin; she said she feels it is time to look at this
concept again, and she explained that some of the benefits of a Port District include the ability to add an
increment onto property taxes, and said most ports allocate 10-150; and that funding could be used on a
variety of projects throughout the county; she said it is a better tool to grow and develop; and said there
are 75 port districts in Washington and are in most counties except Spokane and Yakima. There was
discussion on the concept of Port Districts and Mr. Hadley said they are gathering information with the
Board of County Commissioners to help put this on a ballot, adding that it would not be this year due to
the Presidential Election, but perhaps in 2013 if the economy improves; he said it would require an
education program preceding an election of about six months to a year; he said we can only have one port
County-wide; that the task force should have completed their information gathering by the end of the
summer. Councilmember Wick said he would Iike more information as this concept progresses, and Mr.
Hadley concurred. Councilmember Grafos mentioned the need for the property on the site selector to be
zoned correctly, as incorrect zoning could be a detriment to a business opportunity To further explain a
Port District, Mr. Hadley said that the boundary of the district and the commissioners, usually three, are
determined at the time of the ballot measure; and that those commissioners would make a determination
on the property assessment after they're elected, adding that he is not aware of any ports that don't have
some form of property assessment; he said without it, it makes doing infrastructure difficult because of
the cost. In response to a question concerning the status of Fairchild Air Force Base, Mr. Hadley said
there are two things he could speak to now: one is the land use study and that they are going through the
process and said the issue is how to prevent sensitive uses inside the area that could impair flight
operations; he said if a development impacts their ability to fly or impairs the Air Force's mission or
encroaches on the Base, that could result in one or more bases closing; he said next Monday night a
public hearing will be held in Airway Heights on their Draft Impact Statement on the casino and the
mixed use development, which he said is right under the flight part for Fairchild and is an encroachment;
adding that no one else could do what is bring proposed; he said it would put Fairchild Air Force Base at
risk because they would have 10,000 fewer airmen, there would be a need to reduce the infrastructure
bases by 30-35%; he said they are a lot of bases and we are in competition with all those other bases; and
they would have to decide which are strategic by mission, location, physical condition, capabilities, and
how they perform their mission. Mr. Hadley said there was another article in the Federal Register today
wherein it was stated if Congress won't approve the base closure process, the Department of Defense
would.
2. H2O Conference Update--Henry Allen
Community Development Director Hohman said this report is in follow-up to a request of
Councilmember Woodard for a review of a breakfast meeting conducted last month, which
Councilmember Woodard attended and which was also attended by Spokane Valley City Development
Engineer Henry Allen. Mr. Hohman said that Development Engineer Allen has been with the City of
Spokane Valley for about six years; that prior to that he lived in various areas throughout the west and has
a great deal of private and public experience that he brings to the City; said he is a very valuable resource
and one of the most technically competent engineers in the region when looking at stormwater issues.
Mr. Allen gave some background about his interest in this topic, and then hit the highlights of the H20's
meeting's guest speaker, Pat Mulroy, from the Southern Nevada Water Authority. Mr, Allen said that the
information given by Mr. Mulroy was that surplus water supplies were gone, and that the fear of running
out of water made for some"brutally-ugly"negotiations; he said the message was, that communities need
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to work interdependently. Mr. Allen summarized the meeting by explaining that Idaho is actively
adjudicating water rights within the Spokane VaIley/Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer, while Washington State is
not, primarily because the legislature has not funded it. Mr. Allen said if the water supply situation gets
contested, it will go to the Supreme Court, and they'll evaluate the water situation on both states based on
what has been adjudicated, which he said is what happened in Walla Walla, Washington; he said Oregon
spent time to adjudicate their water rights so Washington carne out on the"short side;"he said if we don't
know what our water rights are and our needs and future needs, and the matter goes to court, we will be at
a disadvantage. Councilmember Woodard said we need to encourage our legislators to act on this issue.
3. Draft Amended 2012 Transportation Improvement Plan(TIP)—Steve Worley
Public Works Director Kersten said that this is mostly a housekeeping type of item; that each year
Council approves a six-year TIP and as we progress through the year, some changes occur; and to keep
the TIP current, we need to make sure all the projects are included. In response to a question about the
STEP Program (Septic Tank Elimination Program) Mr. Kersten said to his knowledge, Green Haven is
the last of the residential STEP projects. There were no objections from Council to proceed with this item
at the March 27 council meeting.
4. Union Pacific Railroad Agreement for Pines Road Crossing Improvements--Steve Worley
Senior Engineer Worley said that this agreement has been in process a long time, and he went over the
background as per the March 20, 2012 Request for Council Action form, explaining about the WUTC's
(Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission) petition for the railroad crossing improvements;
and said the bottom line is,the railroad owns the equipment within their right-of-way; that they make the
improvements and pay to maintain it, and we are just paying for the relocation work that needs to be done
because of the previous work done on the road; and that the agreement states we would pay the actual
costs. Mr. Worley said if the railroad agrees with their attorney, we hope to come back next week for
final approval of the agreement.
Mayor Towey called for a recess at 7:28 p.m. and reconvened the meeting at 7:42 p.m.
5. Spokane Transit Authority (STA) Agreement, Sidewalk and Transit Accessibility Project #0154 -
Steve Worley
Mr. Worley explained that last year the SRTC (Spokane Regional Transportation Council) issued a new
Freedom Call for Projects; he explained Freedom funds are targeted towards projects that provide new or
enhanced public transportation and public transportation alternatives for individuals with disabilities; and
that eligible projects include sidewalks, accessible bus stops, and shelters. Mr. Worley said that staff
evaluated the new grant criteria and identified projects that they feel have the highest potential to be
funded; that staff coordinated with the STA (Spokane Transit Authority) and the FTA (Federal Transit
Administration) in developing site plans and receiving a categorical exclusion on the environmental
impacts of the project; and that those two agencies approved the authorization of funding for
improvements; although we later learned that the total amount of funds available was considerably less
than originally anticipated. Mr. Worley said the draft agreement between STA and Spokane Valley has
been reviewed by the Public Works and Legal staff;that the required match on the New Freedom funded
projects is 20%. Mr. Worley also went over the location of the projects per the accompanying site map.
There were no objections from Council to proceed with this item at the March 27 council meeting.
6. Safe Routes to School,Call for Projects--Steve Worley
Public Works Director Kersten said that the goals of this program are to address pedestrian and bicycle
mobility and safety near elementary and middle schools; that the program is funded with a combination of
state and federal funds, and applications are due May 2, 2012, and he showed maps of the locations being
recommended by staff for funding, which include Bowdish Road, 8th to 12th Avenue; Park Road-Sinto
Avenue to Indiana Avenue; and Park Road-Marietta Avenue to Buckeye Avenue. Mr.Kersten mentioned
there is no required local match on these funded projects; but that during the ranking of projects,
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preference will be given to projects where the local agency provided matching funds. Mr.Kersten said if
we want to consider a match, 5% would be appropriate; and he said staff can bring this item back next
week and show the impact of a few options for including our matching funds. Councilmember Hafner
said a few members of council are meeting with some students from Bowdish next Monday and they want
to know about possible sidewalks. Mr. Kersten said we are concentrating on elementaty schools first,
then we will progress to middle schools. Mr. Worley added that staff coordinated with the school districts
to find out their highest priorities in terms of getting kids to school and that the schools will partner with
us to educate the kids on how to safely walk to school. Mr. Kersten said he will lay out the total funding
for council's review next week; adding that staff felt we would be doing well to get three projects funded,
and that it takes more time to submit all the projects.
7. Pavement Management Plan—Neil Kersten
Mr. Worley said council and staff went over the Pavement Management Plan at the retreat, and it was
recommended to take this to the City's Finance Committee, which was done; that the goal was to adopt
the plan then look at potential funding for that plan; and Mr. Worley went through his PowerPoint
presentation giving an update on the process. Councilmember Hafner said he believes we are in a critical
stage of road preservation,that we know we can't fund all $11 million, but could get a good start on it; he
said we need to look at funding and start picking up where we lost ground in the last five or six years, and
that we need some sustaining resources and to consider taking every revenue source we have and put it
toward road preservation. Mayor Towey said the finance committee recognizes this will have to be a
"two-prong attack" whereby we implement a preservation plan and also determine the best revenue to fit
that plan; that we get the plan then concentrate on the revenue streams. Mr. Kersten said the Plan is
scheduled to be brought to council next week for approval, which doesn't commit to any funding level,
and that the next step would be to develop a funding plan. There were no objections from council. Mr.
Jackson added that if Council approves the Plan next week, it will be immediately followed by discussion
concerning funding.
8.Animal Control--Morgan Koudelka
Senior Administrative Analyst Koudelka explained that this is an opportunity to discuss the County
Commissioner Mielke's previous presentation concerning a proposed regional animal control facility, and
to then discuss the next steps. Via his PowerPoint presentation,Mr.Koudelka explained that his slides are
the same as a year ago, with the changes italicized; and some of those changes include that SpokAnimal
has reversed course and said they will continue providing animal control services, that it is unknown at
this time if Spokane will participate in the latest proposal,the County has stated that staying in the current
facility is not an option regardless of whether Spokane joins the regional coalition, the Task Force
determined that the option of renovating a City of Spokane owned property was not possible using current
operational dollars; the County decided to pursue a county-wide ballot measure which failed; and the
County has identified a new non-ballot option. Mr. Koudelka suggested Council draft questions for the
County as they pursue their proposal. Councilmember Grafos suggested we let the County buy the
building since they are charged with providing these services, and Mr. Koudelka said we would have to
ask if they'd be willing to do that; then examine what that would consist of annually compared to
operating cost they're estimating for us, and compared with the cost of what we have been paying
annually now. Mr. Koudelka said this last model that Commissioner Mielke provided establishes a
percentage for the City of Spokane that was lower than before;he said that prior to the ballot measure, we
had concerns we might be subsidizing others; and said we feel we need to determine how Spokane's costs
are determined, then look at all the combined costs and what we would be facing if we don't go into that
new building. Mayor Towey asked if three entities share in the cost to purchase the building,would they
share in the liability of the building, and Mr. Koudelka said yes, that there would be liability concerns,
and said it would be simpler if the County owned the building,and we paid our share.
Councilmember Wick asked if Spokane City doesn't join would that building be cost effective for us and
the County, and should we be making a decision on a building before we know how large it needs to be?
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Mr.Koudelka responded that with such a large player undecided,the question remains of what that would
do to our contribution and operating costs, and would we be paying for a facility larger than needed if
Spokane doesn't join. Councilmember Hafner asked how soon do we need to make a decision; he
mentioned the failed ballot, and the projected $5 million new proposed option; he said our City's cost of
$900,000 is just the beginning as remodeling will cost a lost more, and said he feels a contract could be
worked out to address these issues. Councilmember Grafos reiterated that the building should be the
County's and not the City's responsibility; and he asked how much it would cost us to use the facility.
Mr. Koudelka replied that the terms we would be given are unknown. Councilmember Woodard asked if
they included the smaller communities, how quickly would they be able to adjust their figures, and said
he would like to see those scenarios. Further discussion included questions about the level of service;the
amount of space needed; a fixed cost contract for Spokane Valley similar to Spokane's; our City's options
of looking to SpokAnimaI or having it in-house. Councilmember Woodard voiced his opinion that he is
not interested in owning the building; said we will continue to grow and it appears SpokAnimal is not a
long-term option; and that he prefers pursuing the option with the County. Councilmember Grassel said
she would like to see the figures from SpokAnimal of what they could provide as she is concerned with a
building purchase option that includes six acres and a dog park; that we have higher priorities such as
roads; and she would like to look at all options, including how other cities have handled these situations.
Mr.Koudelka said that the County has stated that staying in the current facility is not an option; that they
are looking at moving regardless of the ballot measure, and said if we stay with them, we're moving too,
or we look at other options;he agreed with the need to know how long we have and said we don't know if
the City of Spokane had other timeframes and whether they had a finite amount of time to make their
decision. Councilmember Hafner said he would like the questions pursued with the County to see what
our options are with them; that he favors a contract if we can work with the County; and added that he
doesn't like having to make quick decisions, but rather needs all the facts first. Mr. Jackson said the
current contract we have with the County is ongoing unless either side issues notice of cancellation.
Mayor Towey said he feels we should work with our partner the County. Councilmember Grassel
repeated that we have not heard from SpokAnimal and would like to see their figures on operating costs;
said she doesn't see the need to purchase a building and rehabilitate it and include six acres; and said if
we went along with that, we would be subsidizing a dog park as well; and she again questioned why that
needs to be part of the cost; she said budgets are tight and she wants to see other options so Council can
make the best decision.
Councilmember Grafos added that he too is not interested in buying a building; is interested in a contract
and would like to know the length of the contract they'd require from us; and said he likes the idea of cost
based on usage. Mr. Koudelka said he will find out what the response time would be on the majority of
these questions; and in a few weeks he'd come back to Council with an update; he said he hopes to find
out when the County is planning on vacating the current property and making the move to the new
property, and said that will help us know how much time we have to consider other options.
Councilmember Hafner asked if the County would move ahead with us; and Councilmember Woodard
asked if the dog park would be open to the public or just for the facility use. Mayor Towey asked if there
were any objections to staff bringing back more information including the answers to the above questions.
There were no objections.
At 9:00 p.m. it was moved by Deputy Mayor Schirnmels, seconded acid unanimously agreed to extend the
meeting thirty minutes.
9.Economic Development Committee—Mike Jackson,John Hohman
City Manager Jackson explained that Council had previously suggested forming an Economic
Development Committee to examine some of the infrastructure needs, and other ways for such a
committee to gather information and provide input; he said we are on a short-term push; that there has
been a lot of activity with Mr. Hohman's work plan and with the permit center; said they are looking at
zoning and stormwater work on Sprague; the Gateway to the City at Thierman, and had very good
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meetings with all the economic development partners, and said they are starting to get a better
understanding of the regional emphasis on economic development; that they have been discussing what a
committee might be able to provide; and some of the suggestions they received were to look at the
Department of Commerce and their various levels of economic development, including infrastructure,
roads, bridges, parks, and whether they feel the City is doing a good job; he said we have a great library,
and a great fire district so we're strong there but weak in the organizational level;that they have talked to
our partners and they agree with the idea of a committee, but don't want to overlap; he said this would be
a committee to generate ideas of what can we do to enhance economic development and grow our sense
of community. Mr. Jackson said staff would like to hear from council on the mechanics of putting
together a committee, and said staff is ready to publish the ad seeking committee members if that is
council's direction; or staff could advertise for committee members, and bring back the final format. Mr.
Jackson said the Mayor suggested that whatever the committee proposes, it should also be economically
feasible.
Council discussion and ideas included the desire to move as soon as possible;the idea is to attract visitors
and have our economy grow; invite economic development partners as committee members or for the
committee to have discussions with those partners; the idea of keeping it a small group; that there should
be no political agenda but an informal meeting with key people from different sectors of the community;
to include large multiple property owners, and that the committee members need not be residents of
Spokane Valley. Community Development Director Hohman suggested that staff would have a Scope of
Work for the committee;that they would meet a few times to sort through the ideas of how to reach out to
those individuals, and determine what areas we are interested in expanding; and to focus on how to move
forward and meet with industry drivers. There was also some discussion on advertising versus asking
people to serve. Council concurred to have staff advertise for committee members; that the committee
would include two business owners or leaders, two people from tourism or the hotel industry, two
councilmembers, a citizen at large, and a youth aged 16-19, as well as Mr. Hohman as staff liaison; with
the goal of having the committee finalize their task within four months.
10.Advance Agenda—Mayor Towey
Councilmember Grassel asked if the upcoming town hall meetings could include adding a picture of our
website's homepage and guidance on how members of the public can locate the Council Meeting Agenda
packet, either with or without the backup materials, and to talk about the technology we have available to
the public. City Clerk Bainbridge asked for clarification, if Councilmember Grassel was referring to the
upcoming State of the City Addresses, and she confirmed that was what she was referring to. Mr.
Jackson said we should be able to accommodate that request. Councilmember Grafos asked about the
status of the raised concrete median on Appleway and Barker and that he was expecting further
information from the City Attorney's office. Mr. Jackson said that information was provided, that it was
designed to let Council know that traffic medians are an administrative matter and not a legislative matter;
that a licensed traffic engineer makes that decision; he said there doesn't appear to be much room for
change in that particular issue;he said staff is working to resolve that internally and will let those citizens
know the final decision; he said this involves several issues to consider such as funding for the project,
that it requires the City to plan and design on a twenty-year time flame; and under those particular
circumstances that median is the correct length; and said he doesn't see a lot of latitude or basis for
changes; and said that staff was trying to convey that in that memorandum; that only a licensed traffic
engineer can make the final decision on traffic designs. Councilmembers Grafos and Grassel asked about
the median on 29th and if the City of Spokane has a different rule they must follow. City Manager
Jackson said staff is looking at all the options, and in this particular issue, they know there was a lot of
discussion and consideration; that while we can look at other examples, we must rely on the traffic
engineer; and said it also depends on the distance to the driveway trying to access the intersection, as well
as traffic volumes; that roads and medians are designed to be safe; and in this particular case, it appears
the right decision was made and it is a safe intersection; and to make any changes could expose the city to
liability issues. Mr. Jackson said they will look at the issue at 29th, and will come back to council with
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discussion in terms of what we do regarding infrastructure, and said we are open to demonstrating that we
considered the impacts.
At 9:50 p.m. it was moved by Deputy Mayor Schimmels and seconded to extend the meeting another
twenty minutes. In Favor: Mayor Towey, Deputy Mayor Schimmels, and Councilmembers Hafirer,
Grassel, Grafos, and Wick. Opposed: Councilmember Woodard. Motion carried
11, Council Check-in—Mayor Towey. There were no comments.
12. City Manager Comments—Mike Jackson
City Manager Jackson said Council should now have copies of letters sent out as a result of last week's
council meeting, which included a letter sent in response to a request from Mr. Rick Scott in connection
with the Power Coalition's prevention outreach grant; and a letter to government officials and entities
concerning the Department of Early Learning. Mr. Jackson said the solid waste meeting is scheduled for
March 29, and said he believes that was meant for just the task force, but that he will attempt to get that
confirmed; and said the tour of the County's proposed regional animal shelter building is tomorrow.
Deputy Mayor Schimmels said he agreed with Mr.Jackson's assessment of the meeting geared toward the
just the task force.
There being no further business, it was moved by Deputy Mayor Schimmels and seconded to adjourn. In
Favor: Mayor Towey, Deputy Mayor Schimmels, and Councilmembers Hafner, Wick, Grassel, and
Grafos. Opposed.' Councilmember Woodard Motion carried. The meeting adjourned at 9:54 p.m.
(79
."'''''--"--/21,11L i.°
ATTBST� Thomas E.Towey, Mayor
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Christine Bainbridge, 'ity Clerk
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