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HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-30-2004 CommitteeoftheWhole CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE August 30, 2004 5:00 PM Council Chambers MINUTES The Auburn City Council Committee of the Whole met on August 30, 2004 in the Council Chambers of Auburn City Hall, 25 West Main Street in Auburn. The meeting was called to order at 5:00 p.m. Mayor Peter B. Lewis and the following Councilmembers were present: Sue Singer, Nancy Backus, Bill Peloza, Roger Thordarson, and Lynn Norman. Councilmember Rich Wagner arrived at 5:02 p.m. Councilmember Cerino was excused. Staff members present included City Attorney Daniel B. Heid, Public Works Director Dennis Dowdy, Finance Director Shelley Coleman, Human Resources/Risk Management Director Brenda Heineman, Parks and Recreation Director Daryl Faber, Fire Chief Russ Vandver, Planning and Community Development Director Paul Krauss, Police Chief Jim Kelly, Information Services Director Lorrie Rempher, Community Development Administrator David Osaki, Planner Bill Mandeville, Project Engineer Jennifer Dvorak, Water Utility Engineer Tim Osborne, Traffic Engineer Laura Philpot, and City Clerk Danielle Daskam. Auburn Way/Main Street corridor study and pedestrian improvements Project Engineer Dvorak presented information on the Auburn Way/Main Street corridor project. Approximately $30,000 has been received via the Growth Management Act to update certain portions of City documents as they relate to the Downtown Plan. The project focuses on Auburn Way between Cross Street and 4th Street NE. A consultant has been hired to identify issues along the Auburn Way corridor, perform public outreach, develop a draft report, and prepare a final report that is due December 2004. To date, the project has identified conditions along the corridor, and one of two community meetings has been held. Following the meeting this evening, alternatives will be developed for the corridor, which will then be submitted to the public for comment. The final study, due in December, will be presented to the State. Page 1 City of Auburn Council Committee of the Whole Meeting Minutes August 30.2004 Ms. Dvorak reviewed the outcome of the community meeting where the public was asked to comment on elements of the Downtown Plan. The public also commented on several action items that correlated to the vision statements. Citizens expressed support for creating a safe pedestrian environment, but also expressed support for maintaining their available parking. Ms. Dvorak provided three maps to the Council which highlight three key questions: Should a wider pedestrian zone take precedence over on-street parking for businesses? Should a wider pedestrian zone take precedence over traffic lanes, thereby increasing traffic congestion on other City arterials? Should landscape medians take precedence over left turn access? Ms. Dvorak noted that a landscaped median is only viable for the area between Cross Street and Main Street. Ms. Dvorak reviewed the three concepts for the project: 1) landscaped median; 2) widening of sidewalks, which removes parking; 3) safer pedestrian access which includes raised medians, refuge islands, identifying crosswalk locations, examining signal timing, and crosswalk bulb-outs. Ms. Dvorak stated that the safer pedestrian access preference conflicts with a public preference for more left turn lanes. Director Krauss commented that the parking in the project area is not a static situation. He noted that the development of the justice center includes dedicated parking but also includes 2-3 hour limited parking. Councilmembers discussed a dedicated left turn on Main heading west and a left turn signal on Auburn Way at Main Street. Traffic Engineer Philpot agreed that the signal change would be considered. Mayor Lewis suggested that the proposed change be evaluated after the Justice Center opens. Councilmember Norman stated her preference for giving up parking to ensure safer pedestrian access and preserving traffic lanes. Ms. Dvorak stated that although the area residents and businesses favored preservation of the on-street parking, the residents and business owners would be satisfied with a holistic solution that addressed their parking concerns as well as pedestrian safety concerns. Page 2 City of Auburn Council Committee of the Whole Meeting Minutes August 30. 2004 Councilmembers briefly discussed the option of a pedestrian skybridge over Auburn Way at Main Street. Councilmembers discussed the left hand turn lane on Auburn Way North to access the Safeway and Rottles parking lots, and indicated a preference for maintaining the ability to utilize the left hand turn lane at this location unless accident history indicates otherwise. Councilmember Singer indicated a preference for wider sidewalks rather than wider medians. Councilmembers discussed the need to address downtown employee parking and maintaining left turn lanes at intersections. Councilmember Peloza inquired as to how many parking spaces would be affected by the design concepts. Ms. Dvorak responded that alternatives will be developed and presented to the Council for review. Councilmember Peloza expressed concern with a proposal to remove parking for the downtown businesses. Councilmember Norman suggested installing more benches for pedestrians and incorporating artwork in bench designs. Mayor Lewis also spoke about the need for additional street lighting. Councilmembers indicated a preference for wider pedestrian zones versus on-street parking, preservation of traffic lanes versus wider pedestrian zones (but not increasing the number of traffic lanes), and left-turn lanes versus landscaped medians. City Hall Plaza Councilmember Singer led the discussion regarding a proposal to renovate the City Hall plaza. She noted the high cost of the original renovation proposal and suggested replacing only the bricks and leaving the concrete areas intact. Councilmembers suggested obtaining bids for the replacement of the bricks with separate quotes for the front and back portions of the plaza. Councilmember Wagner suggested looking at continuous cement replacement as an option. Council was advised that the City Hall plaza landscaping renovation will be separate from the pavers/concrete work. Page 3 City of Auburn Council Committee of the Whole Meeting Minutes August 30.2004 Non-Motorized Plan, including trail/bike lane improvements and how to fund The Council briefly discussed elements of the non-motorized transportation plan and transportation bike lanes versus recreational bike paths/trails. Councilmember Singer referred to the draft Park Plan's proposed projects and funding plan. Council discussed the funding options for park projects, including the proposal for implementing park impact fees. Parks and Recreation Director Faber advised that many of the park grants previously available from the State Interagency Committee for Outdoor Recreation (lAC) no longer exist. Councilmember Wagner recommended that the City analyze its total cost for new housing and how it relates to surrounding jurisdictions. Director Faber reported that Parks, Planning and Transportation staff will meet this week to discuss the 27ih/Green River corridor and how it will link to C Street. Several acquisitions along the Green River will be needed in order to complete a transportation trail. Director Faber briefly spoke regarding the possibility of grant funds from the lAC for extension of White River Trail and the Green River Trail. It was noted that a recent public survey of the City's park system rated maintenance of existing parks as the first priority with the creation of walking links in the community as the second highest priority. Demographics presentation: the changing face of Auburn Planner Bill Mandeville presented information on the changing demographics of the City. Auburn is one of the fastest growing cities in the State among cities of 20,000 and more population. It is anticipated that with continued annexations, the City's population will grow to 65,000 by year 2010 and to 85,000 by year 2020. Over the past twenty years, Auburn has become increasingly diverse. In 1980, approximately eight percent of the City's population consisted of people of color; in the year 2000 approximately 20% of the population consisted of people of color. Between 1990 and the year 2000, the Latino population has increased 56% and the Native American population has increased 54%. It is estimated that by the year 2020, approximately 30% of the City's population will be people of color or Latinos. Page 4 City of Auburn Council Committee of the Whole Meeting Minutes August 30. 2004 Auburn has approximately 750 households that are linguistically isolated, meaning that no one in the household over the age of 14 speaks English. The households primarily include Eastern Europeans and Hispanics. According to the 2000 Census, approximately one-third of Auburn's households have children. Approximately 31 % of Auburn's married families are couples with no children, and 29% of Auburn's households are adults living alone. The average size of Auburn's households is 2.47 people. With the annexation of Lea Hill combined with new developments in South Lakeland (Pierce County), Auburn's household size appears to be increasing. Mr. Mandeville presented information on Auburn's income levels. The median household income has increased significantly with the annexation of Lea Hill. The median household income for the Lea Hill area is $65,000. The median household income for the North Lakeland area (King County) is $75,000. According to the 2000 Census, the median household income for Auburn is $39,208; however, with the continued growth in the Lakeland area the median income is expected to increase significantly. Mr. Mandeville pointed out that manufacturing income is still the predominant income for Auburn households; followed by education and health; retail; arts and entertainment; construction; and professional services. Mr. Mandeville compared the educational attainment of the citizens. There is a significant increase in the number of residents who have post high school education, and the number of residents who do not have a high school diploma is decreasing. According to Census data, Auburn's median age is increasing. In 1990, the median age was 31.6 years; in 2000, the median age increased to 34.1 years. Golf Course Capital Projects & Clubhouse Parks and Recreation Director Faber presented information on the draft final recommendations for the proposed golf course clubhouse. The limiting factor for the clubhouse is the available parking space. The facility has 180 stalls available. Therefore, the maximum sized restaurant that could be located at the golf course is 100 seats. Requests for qualifications and interest were distributed to several restaurant firms to solicit interest in restaurant concessions. The City received two responses. Staff then conducted a financial analysis of the proposed 100-seat restaurant assuming a 20-year bond issue funded by golf Page 5 City of Auburn Council Committee of the Whole Meeting Minutes August 30.2004 course fees. The analysis revealed there is a two-year gap in funding. The current contract for golf course concessions expires in 16 months. Director Faber reported that the golf course revenues are stable, but slightly lower due to weather and construction on two holes. Director Faber proposed distributing a formal request for proposals asking for funding cooperation and perhaps negotiating a reduced percentage of food and beverage concessions in exchange for contributions to capital. Director Faber also suggested converting the practice area to a teaching area and driving range to generate additional revenue. Councilmember Peloza expressed concern with the overall golf experience at the Auburn Golf Course, noting that two holes are under construction at the same time during the prime golfing season. Councilmember Peloza proposed establishing a golf advisory· board to advise the City Council. Director Faber explained that it was more cost effective to renovate two holes at the same time. Mobilization costs were reduced, and the cost to connect the drainage and irrigation systems for two holes was reduced. Free certificates for a round of golf will be given to league players in appreciation for their patronage and patience during construction. Director Faber reported that he and Doug Campbell are meeting tomorrow to discuss implementation of a winter card rate. Councilmember Wagner suggested creating an LID among the property owners abutting the golf course that would provide them free access to the golf course. Councilmember Singer suggested eliminating the admission tax from golf course fees and dedicating the equivalent amount to the clubhouse construction. Director Faber stated that it is his intent to work closely with the current contractor and look for direction from the Council for a clubhouse project in 2006. Other Discussion Councilmember Thordarson questioned whether there is a master plan for the Miles gravel pit. Planning and Community Development Director Krauss stated that the pit restoration and reclamation is under the jurisdiction of the state. Director Krauss reported that Miles recently sold the gravel pit to the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe. Council briefly discussed operation of the School District's pool. Council also discussed senior swim time at the new YMCA facility. Page 6 City of Auburn Council Committee of the Whole Meeting Minutes Auaust 30. 2004 Councilmember Peloza inquired regarding cultural training between the City Council and Muckleshoot Indian Tribe. Mayor Lewis reported that the joint meeting has been postponed indefinitely until the Tribe approves the training. Councilmembers also briefly discussed concepts for a community center. It was suggested that school children submit their ideas for a community center. There being no further discussion, the meeting adjourned at 7:07 p.m. APPROVED THE .I¡'f!L DAY OF OCTOBER 2004. peter~r -" ~~ Danielle Daskam, City Clerk '---- ---, - Page 7