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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10-23-2017 MinutesA ftof� WASHINGTON CALL TO ORDER City Council Study Session PWCC October 9, 2017 - 5:30 PM Council Chambers - City Hall MINUTES 10;Watch the meeting LIVE! XfdWatch the meeting video Meeting videos are not available until 72 hours after the meeting has concluded. Deputy Mayor Largo Wales called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers of Auburn City Hall located at 25 West Main Street, Auburn. /p�:;.111HF1ll Councilmembers present: Deputy Mayor Largo Wales, Bob Baggett, Claude DaCorsi, John Holman, Bill Peloza, and Yolanda Trout -Manuel. Councilmember Rich Wagner arrived at 5:31 p.m. Mayor Nancy Backus and the following department directors and staff members were present: City Attorney Daniel B. Heid, Police Commander Steve Stocker, Community Development and Public Works Director Kevin Snyder, Assistant Director of Engineering Services/City Engineer Ingrid Gaub, Innovation and Technology Director Paul Haugan, Assistant Director of Community Development Services Jeff Tate, Human Resources and Risk Management Director Rob Roscoe, Environmental Services Specialist Maggie Gipson, Economic Development Manager Doug Lein, Capital Projects Manager Ryan Vondrak, Assistant Director of Innovation and Technology Ashley Riggs, GIS Specialist Alice Pence, and City Clerk Danielle Daskam. II. ANNOUNCEMENTS, REPORTS, AND PRESENTATIONS Councilmember Holman announced today is Columbus Day, which is a federal holiday, but not a state holiday. He also noted that Indigenous Peoples Day was celebrated at the state capitol in Olympia today. Councilmember Holman acknowledged the contributions of Italian Americans to the quality of life in the city of Auburn. III. AGENDA ITEMS FOR COUNCIL DISCUSSION A. Ordinance No. 6658 -Modifying the Business Improvement Area Governing Provisions (Hinman) An Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Auburn, Washington, creating a new chapters of the Auburn City Code related to the Auburn Business I mprovement Area Economic Development Manager Doug Lein presented Ordinance No. 6658 related to the Business Improvement Area (BIA). Also in Page 1 of 7 attendance were members of the BIA Committee of Ratepayers Giovanni DiQuattro, Ronnie Roberts, Laura Theimer, and Bob Klontz. Manager Lein stated the BIA was originally established in 1988 by Ordinance No. 4293. The BIA ordinance was amended in 2007. The current Committee of Ratepayers has worked diligently to update the BIA ordinance with the following changes: creates a new chapter in Title 2 of the city code, and modifies exemptions to the special assessment. The range of fees is dependent on the range on square footage of retail space. Two exemptions were maintained for government and 501(C)(3) nonprofits with five or less full-time employees. The ordinance retains the BIA boundary and fees. IV. PUBLIC WORKS AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DISCUSSION ITEMS Councilmember Rich Wagner, chair of the Public Works and Community Development Special Focus Area, presided over the meeting during discussion of the Special Focus Area items. A. Sound Transit Auburn Station Access Improvement Project Update (30 Minute Presentation) Community Development and Public Works Director Snyder introduced Chelsea Levy, Government and Community Relations Officer for Sound Transit, and Sandra Fann, Project Engineer for Sound Transit. In early 2017, Sound Transit initiated the alternative development and screening phase for the Auburn Station Access Improvements Project, which will construct a second parking garage and install non -motorized improvements in and around downtown. Throughout 2017, Sound Transit has worked with the Citys Transportation Advisory Board, residents, citizens and businesses to identify potential parking garage sites and options for non -motorized improvements. The last presentation to Council was on August 14, 2017. Ms. Levy reported that Sound Transit would like to designate a preferred parking garage site by the end of November. She stated that Sound Transit is looking for the City of Auburn to designate a recommended site. Ms. Fann reviewed the project timeline, which anticipates the parking garage will be open in 2023. Ms. Fann also recapped the goals and objectives: improve access to transit at the station, advance environmental sustainability goals of Sound Transit and the community, implementation of improvements in a timely manner, and support regional and community goals. Ms. Fann reviewed the four sites recommended for further analysis and the rating criteria. Site 1 provides approximately 545 net sites. Key considerations include Page 2 of 7 reasonable access for cars and passengers, higher potential for traffic congestion, and property development rights and constraints that may impact cost. Site 2 provides approximately 580 net sites. Key considerations include reasonable access for cars and passengers, lower potential for traffic congestion, and property acquisition, site constraints, business relocation, and pedestrian bridge that will influence cost. Site 3 provides approximately 525 net sites. Key considerations for this site include: easiest access for passengers and cars, lower potential for traffic congestion, and an extremely constrained site that requires more garage structure per stall. Site 4 provides approximately 550 net sites. Key considerations include: could be connected to existing garage for easy access for passengers, reasonable access for cars, higher potential for traffic congestion, and property acquisition and site constraints will influence cost. In response to question from Councilmember Peloza, Ms. Levy stated a significant amount of parking will be added to the Sound Transit line over the next few years, but adequate parking will never be possible. Therefore, it is important to make the access improvements and non - motorized improvements. Ms. Fann reviewed the potential priority for non -motorized improvements. The estimated cost for the highest priority improvements is $0.9 million. Ms. Levy reviewed the public outreach summary, particularly the open house held on September 19, 2017. Ms. Levy reported that Sound Transit officials met with the Auburn Transportation Advisory Board on September 27, 2017. Assistant Director Gaub reported that the Transportation Advisory Board meeting on September 27, 2017 did not have a quorum of its 15 members. Of the members and audience present, there was support for: maximizing the amount of parking for the chosen site and minimizing traffic impacts including ingress/egress of the garage. There was a lack of support for Site 3 (existing Sound Transit surface lot west of the station) and Site 4 (the union hall south of the station). Councilmember Wagner recommended Sound Transit look at alternative proposals and requested language in the recommending resolution. The matter will be considered at the October 16, 2017 Council meeting. At 6:54 p.m., Councilmember Wagner recessed the meeting for a 10 -minute intermission. The meeting reconvened at 6:54 p.m. B. IT Update on Emerging Technologies (Haugan) (10 Minutes) Page 3 of 7 Assistant Director of Innovation and Technology Ashley Riggs, provided information on emerging technologies via three videos and a live demonstration. The three short videos were all recorded with the use of the City's drone program. The first video was of the Auburn Golf Course, and will be used for marketing and on the golf course web site. The second video was a 3D model of downtown. The third video displayed use of aerial imaging and elevation data to create a model. Assistant Director Riggs also demonstrated a virtual GIS system that allows one to view underground assets, such as utility lines, and their attributes. C. Capital Project Status Report (Snyder) (10 Minutes) Assistant Director of Engineering Services/City Engineer Gaub and Capital Projects Manager Vondrak presented the Capital Projects Status Report. The capital project group is currently managing 33 active projects with a total cost of $54 million. Of these projects, 11 are in the design phase and 21 are under construction. Councilmembers reviewed the status report and briefly discussed the following projects: Project C222A, 277th — Auburn Way North to Green River Bridge; CP1218, Auburn Way South Corridor Safety; CP1507, Auburn Way North Pavement Preservation; Project CP1107, Fulmer Wellfield Improvement Project; Project CP1513, 22"d Street NE and I Street NE Intersection Improvements; Project CP1511, M Street SE Improvements; Project CP0767, Mohawk Plastic Wetland Mitigation Monitoring; Project CP1520, B Street NW Reconstruction; Project CP1701, Auburn Way South Dynamic Message Sign; Project CP1317, Water Meter and Billing System Improvements; and Project CP1416, F Street SE Non -motorized Improvements. D. Customer Service Dilemmas - Session 1 (Snyder) (10 Minutes) Assistant Director of Community Development Services Tate reviewed two customer service dilemmas that are typical for his staff. Assistant Director Tate stated the discussion this evening is a continuation of the study session discussion held on August 28, 2017, which included an overview of the various types of development activities conducted by staff. He stated the customer service dilemmas challenge the City in its attempts to balance the interests of various customers and their competing needs. The first scenario was a request from an applicant for expedited permit approval where project financing is dependent upon permit approval. Assistant Director Tate outlined the considerations in the scenario and different approaches to assist the customer. Page 4 of 7 The second real-life scenario was a request from an architect to approve plans for a warehouse in a C-3 zone, where the owner has already spent $30,000 in building and site design work, and an occupant for the building. However, warehouses are not allowed in the C-3 zone. Director Tate questioned whether City staff should be able to flex to find a way to approve the plans in order to satisfy the customer so that the City does not appear unfriendly to development. E. Ordinance No. 6660 - EP to M-1 Area -wide Rezone (Snyder) (10 Minutes) Assistant Director of Community Development Services Tate presented Ordinance No. 6660, which was discussed at the September 25, 2017 study session and provides for an area wide rezone from Environmental Park (EP) zone to M-1, Light Industrial. Assistant Director Tate explained when Council adopted the 2015 Comprehensive Plan amendments (Ordinance No. 6584) the EP zone was eliminated as a zoning designation. The elimination of the EP designation in the Comprehensive Plan resulted in an inconsistency with the zoning regulations, and it is important to eliminate the inconsistency. Assistant Director Tate reviewed principles and considerations. Land use policy decision should be based on: awareness of market forces, balancing both the public and the private short-term and long-term needs and interests, maximizing the public's return on investment on land uses, and the original concept of the EP zone envisioned the development and use of incentives to help lure green industry. Assistant Director Tate noted properties zoned EP on the north side of Main Street are primarily small parcels that are already developed with a mix of light manufacturing uses and single-family homes. EP zoned lands located on the south side of Main Street consist of larger parcels with nearly no existing residential uses. For those parcels that are already developed, all of them are non -conforming. Assistant Director Tate reviewed the Planning Commission's recommendation relative to Ordinance No. 6660 and four possible motions for Council's consideration. Motion 1 — adopt the Planning Commission's recommendation to adopt Ordinance No. 6660. Motion 2 - remand Ordinance No. 6660 back to the Planning Commission for further consideration. Motion 3 — accept the Planning Commission's recommendation to adopt Ordinance No. 6660 for only the geographic area defined as properties located south of Main Street and remand back to the Planning Commission for reconsideration the area defined as the properties north Page 5 of 7 of Main Street. Motion 4 — Council scheduled its own public hearing on Ordinance No. 6660. Deputy Mayor Wales spoke in favor of moving on and changing the zoning by adopting Ordinance No. 6660. Councilmember Wagner spoke in favor of Motion 3. Councilmember Peloza spoke in favor of remanding the ordinance back to the Planning Commission. Mayor Backus recommended adoption of Ordinance No. 6660 to eliminate the inconsistency between the Comprehensive Plan and the zoning code. There was no other discussion. VI. NEW BUSINESS There was no new business. VII. MATRIX A. Matrix Deputy Mayor Wales directed the Council's attention to the matrix. Councilmember Wagner requested that the subject of traffic calming in residential neighborhoods be added to the general discussion items at the November 27th study session. Councilmember Peloza expressed concern about the infrequency of the special focus area meetings. He stated under the old system of Council committees, the committees were meeting on a monthly basis, and in the current system of special focus areas, he is unable to bring items forward in a quick manner. Councilmember Peloza complained that he recalled under the committee system that staff members were bringing more topics for discussion, while under the special focus area format the chair and vice chair must come up with topics for discussion. Deputy Mayor Wales stated all special focus area chairs collaborate with staff on the items to be brought forward. Deputy Mayor Wales suggested discussing the special focus areas scope of authority. Councilmember Peloza requested the item "police calls for mental health issues" be added back on the October 23rd special focus area. Councilmember Baggett recommended moving "Council budget priorities" Page 6 of 7 to the November 27th special focus area. VIII. ADJOURNMENT There being no further discussion, the meeting adjourned at 9.03 p.m. APPROVED this 2 day of ���� , 2019. BILL PELOZA, DEPUTY MAYOR Shawn Campbell, City Clerk Agendas and minutes are available to the public at the City Clerk's Office, on the City website (http://www.aubumwa.gov), and via e-mail. Complete agenda packets are available for review at the City Clerk's Office. Page 7 of 7