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WASH (NGTON
PLANNING & COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT
COMMITTEE
January 28, 2008
MINUTES
I. CALL TO ORDER - 5:00 PM, COUNCIL CHAMBERS
Chair Lynn Norman called the meeting to order at 5:00 p.m. in the Council
Chambers located on the first floor of Auburn City Hall, 25 West Main Street,
Auburn, WA. Committee members present were: Chair Lynn Norman, Member
Backus and Member Wagner. Also present were Planning, Building and
Community Director Cindy Baker, Policy, Codes & Environmental Programs
Manager Steve Pitcher, Senior Planner Chris Hankins, Director of Human
Resources/Risk and Property Management Brenda Heineman, Parks and
Recreation Director Daryl Faber, Risk Manager Rob Roscoe, Street Systems
Engineer Seth Wickstrom, Economic Development Manager Dave Baron, Mayor
Pete Lewis & Planning Secretary Kirsten Reynolds.
Audience Members included: Jake Dexter, Wayne Osborne
II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
January 14, 2008
Discussion/Clarification: Wayne Osborne, audience member, should be added to
the official record.
Member Backus moved to approve the minutes from the January 14, 2008
meeting as submitted, seconded by Member Wagner
Minutes approved unanimously 3-0.
III. ACTION
A. .Resolution 4077 -West Main Public Art Project
Parks and Recreation Director Daryl Faber informed the Committee that
the West Main Art Project went over budget by $9,083; originally the
project was approved in 2006, it was supposed to be fast tracked but did
not happen. The three elements that increased the cost of the project
were attributed to the cost of steel increasing, redrafting the footings and
storage of the dragonflies. The other costs associated with the project,
not associated with the contract, were the cost of building the footings;
this work has already been done so it just requires a budget line transfer.
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Plan_nin~ and Community Development Committee Minutes
January 28, 2008
Director Daryl asked PCD to authorize staff to amend the contract with
Tom Askman and Lea Anne Lake dba Enigma Lake Art Co. by $9,083
for completion of West Main Public Art Project.
Chair Norman asked if this budget transfer needed to go through Full
Council. Member Wagner asked for the breakdown of the costs. The
storage and Insurance totaled $4,383. The materials and engineering
were combined into one fee.
Member Backus moved to support the transfer of the additional
funds for the 2006 public art piece; seconded by Member Wagner
Motion was approved unanimously 3-0.
Member Backus moved to remove the Resolution No. 4077 from
the action items on the PCD agenda; Member Wagner seconded.
Motion was approved unanimously 3-0.
B. Ordinance No. 6162 -Manufactured Homes
Policy, Codes & Environmental Programs Manager Steve Pilcher
overviewed this series of amendments to the Zoning Code that
establishes siting and design standards for manufactured homes.
The changes would bring the code into consistency with state law.
Mr. Pilcher reviewed the Planning Commission's recommendations
and revisions to the draft Ordinance:
1) Recommendation to add a definition for modular homes - to clarify
the differences between manufactured homes, modular homes and site
built homes. The PCD Committee concurred that it was not necessary to
make this distinction. However, they did request see additional language
be added that clarify that a manufactured home must be connected to all
utilities. Mr. Pilcher will make the changes and provide a final draft in their
boxes.
Member Backus moved to have Ordinance No. 6162 forward on to full
Council with the suggested amendments; seconded by Member Wagner.
Motion was approved unanimously 3-0.
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Planning and Community Development Committee Minutes
January 28, 2008
IV. DISCUSSION
A. Parking Spaces in Sound Transit Station -New item added at meeting
Risk Manager Rob Roscoe came to the table at the request of PCD to talk
about the City's costs for the parking spaces located in Sound Transit's
garage. Mr. Roscoe informed the Committee that each space incurs an
annual maintenance cost of $550. Discussion took place around the new
parking permits being sold verses the actual costs to the City. Mayor Lewis
talked about recouping the maintenance costs to help fund future parking.
The cost of the permits being sold is approximately $5.00 per a day.
B. Resolution No. 4302 -Waiver of Permitting fees -
Director of Human Resources/Risk & Property Management Brenda
Heineman talked about having this as a Resolution; some cities do this as
an internal policy. Because impact fees can not be waived it would prove
to benefit the tax payers to waive the permit and building review fees for city
projects; tax payers are already paying for administrative services. This
would be fewer costs for the tax payers and help get public projects done.
Clarification was made that on any and all public project the City must be
the sole proprietor; no outside partnerships would be allowed to participate
in this process.
Members of the Committee were in agreement and expressed support of this
idea.
C. 2008 Save Our Streets Program -
Street Systems Engineer Seth Wickstrom came to the table to answer any
questions the Committee had regarding the proposed streets to be overlaid in
2008. Mayor Lewis asked for the downtown streets to be identified; there was
a commitment made last year that at lease one of the downtown streets
would be worked on. The downtown streets were taken off the map so Mayor
Lewis identified the following areas that could fit the bill: M Street to Auburn
Ave and from Hwy. 18 to 8th Street. Chair Norman inquired about the total
miles - Mr. Wickstrom stated it equaled approximately nine miles. Part of the
funding will come from the General Fund and part is REET funded.
D. Electronic Message Boards -
Policy, Codes & Environmental Programs Manager Steve Pitcher and Senior
Planner Chris Hankins reviewed the Planning Commission's (PC) public
hearing and recommendations on proposed code changes:
PC recommended allowing the signs in the C1 zones, but only along
collector, minor or principal arterial street frontages. The Committee agreed
with this recommendation. Discussion took place concerning whether to
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Planning and Community Development Committee Minutes
January 28, 2008
allow these signs in the downtown core. Mr. Pilcher noted that if electronic
message boards are to be allowed, the downtown design standards would
also need to be amended.
The main issue discussed was the perception of and look of the downtown
area if electronic changing message signs are allowed PCD agreed with the
PC's recommendation by not allowing electronic message board signs in the
DUC zone.
The committee also discussed the PC's recommendation to allow the signs in
the Institutional zones, but being restricted to locations along the arterial
street frontages and restricting their hours of operation between 10 a.m. - 6
p. m.
Staff will make the changes and bring back as an action item at the next
meeting.
E. Business License Fees -
Policy, Codes & Environmental Programs Manager Steve Pilcher asked for
direction on increasing certain license fees and relocating fees from City
Code to the City's fee schedule.
Staff is proposing to rise the initial business license fee from $50 to $100.
The $100 fee would cover approx. two hours of staff time for setting up and
reviewing a new license application. The annual renewals take approximately
15 to 30 minutes. The fees haven't been raised in five years.
The original idea of tracking business licenses was to find out who and what
businesses are operating in the community and to only recover the costs
associated with the processing of license applications. Member Wagner
expressed concerns of raising the fee for small home businesses; it should
not become a hardship.
Mayor Lewis asked staff to create a chart that shows all staff involved in
establishing a new business license and what the actual costs are in setting
them up. He also asked for a list comparing fees from surrounding Valley
Cities and Federal Way.
F. Business Improvement Area (BIA) Fees -
Policy, Codes & Environmental Programs Manager Steve Pilcher talked about
the history of the BIA fees and last year's rate increase. Staff was asking the
Committee to consider limiting the use of collected revenues to capital
projects only. The BIA Ordinance was never put in to the City Code. Chair
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Planning and Community Development Committee Minutes
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Norman talked about the history how the BIA was originally set up; there
needed to be at least 60% of the downtown businesses on board to get this
started. The City had to be the conduit ensuring that the fees were collected
then given back to the Association to be used. The intent was to have joint
activities and advertising paid for to promote events and the downtown
businesses. The BIA was discussed; they set the rate and provided
oversight. The ADA set the budget and decides the program; they were
not allowed to manage their own money.
Chair Norman felt the ADA's history is vital to understand before moving
forward. The group is getting very fragmented; involvement is sparse in
the group. Mayor Lewis asked Chair Norman to spread the word to any
ADA members that haven't been involved to get involved now. Mr. Pilcher
will provide a copy of the State RCW authorizing BIAs for review; legal staff
will be asked to be present on this topic when it is next discussed.
V. INFORMATION
A. Chair Norman discussed a letter received from the Pierce County Regional
Council asking for elected official nominations to serve on the Zoo/Trek Authority.
This letter will be brought to the Committee of the Whole.
B. Chair Norman had several topics of discussion from the community:
1) Who do residents go to for requesting street lighting in the new annexation
areas? Mayor Lewis stated they should first call his office with the request.
2) How the Urban. Separator requirements work and if residents have another
process to go through for development? Staff will provide more information to
PCD on this subject at the next meeting on February 11, 2008.
3) Green zone -still looking for the right consultant to follow through
with the project.
4) Vision 2040 draft was approved at the Growth Management Board.
Chair Norman talked... have specifics on what could be done -work
with staff.
C. The PCD Matrix was reviewed only for items needing to be updated.
* Member Wagner noticed that the Farmers Market was added; he
would like to see the vision of the market and division of responsibilities.
This topic will be on the next meeting agenda; Mayor Lewis will invite
Councilmember Peloza to be present on February 11, 2008.
D. Code Update -Steve Pilcher talked about meetings that have been happening.
The first meeting included a half dozen people from the development community
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and the second meeting incorporated small business owners, realtors, small
builders and Nancy Wyatt from the Chamber. Staff facilitated the meetings to
gather information form the groups on how the city code has been useful and
how staff can make improvements to the code.
VII. ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business to come before the Planning and Community
Development Committee, Chair Norman adjourned the meeting at 6:55 p.m.
APPROVED THE ~ ~ DAY OF
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