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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes 04/16/2002 4642 CITY COUNCIL MEETING Port Angeles, Washington April 16, 2002 CALL TO ORDER - Mayor Wiggins called the regular meeting of the Port Angeles City Council to order at REGULAR MEETING: 6:00 p.m. ROLL CALL: Members Present: Mayor Wiggins, Councilmembers Braun, Campbell, Erickson, Headrick, Rogers, and Williams. Members Absent: None. Staff Present: City Manager Quinn, Attorney Knutson, Clerk Upton, B. Collins, M. Connelly, G. Cutler, D. McKeen, T. Riepe, Y. Ziomkowski, T. Reid, N. Wu, and C. Kochanek. Public Present: P. Lamoureux, L. Lee, D. Dolloff, W. Pugnetti, E.J. Beckett, K. Smith, T. Price, and L. Rasmussen. PLEDGE OF The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Cub Scout Pack 686, Den 3, and Cub Master ALLEGIANCE: Joanne Meilink. PUBLIC CEREMONIES, 1. Chamber of Commerce Report by Russ Veenema PRESENTATIONS AND PROCLAMATIONS: Russ Veenema, Executive Director of the Port Angeles Chamber of Commerce, addressed the Council regarding the advertising and marketing strategies for the Port Chamber of Commerce Angeles area. Using a power point presentation, Mr. Veenema showed the breakdown Report by Russ Veenema of the total amount of funds, $234,000.00, used for these purposes. He further delineated advertising venues, showing various ads as they have appeared and the changes in advertising appropriate to the seasons. A TV commercial for the City and surrounding area was also shown. In addition to the marketing strategies, Mr. Veenema spoke regarding Special Event Funding which totals $48,525.00,just under the $50,000 budget. Each event will receive more publicity because of this additional funding. Vacation Planners were distributed to the Council members, and Mr. Veenema then described the percentage of increases in the number of tourists to Port Angeles, room tax increases, town-wide occupancies, sales increases, as well as visitors to the web site. In closing, Mr. Veenema addressed the marketing opportunities that the City is missing with the delay in opening the Rayonier Trail and urged the Council to complete the project as quickly as possible. Parks & Recreation Director Connelly provided an update on the proposed completion of the trail, specifying that this is a joint effort between Parks and Public Works. The current prospective date for construction is sometime this summer. Once approvals and bid options are completed, the project should move along at a more rapid pace. The right-of-way certification is what is holding up the process at the present time. Following questions from the Council, Public Works & Utilities Director Cutler informed the Council that the right-of-way process is quite lengthy, at which time Councilmember Rogers offered to provide any assistance necessary to move the project along. -1- 4643 CITY COUNCIL MEETING April 16, 2002 Chamber of Commerce Returning to the podium, Mr. Veenema informed the Council of the Chamber's interest Report by Russ Veenema in moving the Visitor Center to the new Gateway Center once it is complete. He (Cont'd) acknowledged a question from Mayor Wiggins in that the Chamber is willing to participate financially in this endeavor. Mr. Veenema announced the new History Weekend event for Port Angeles in October. In conjunction with that event, having attended Seattle's underground tour, Mr. Veenema stated that Port Angeles has as much to offer people as Seattle. With regard to future tours in the City and the Laurel street issue, he felt that the Laurel Street area should not be filled in as this area holds much history. Mr. Veenema closed by thanking the Police and Public Works Departments for their assistance in the Meltdown Ride and the Kayak demonstration. National Telecommuni- 2. National Telecommunicators Week - April 14 - 20, 2002 cators Week - April 14- 20, 2002 Mayor Wiggins read the Proclamation and then presented it to Communications Manager Naomi Wu of the Port Angeles Police Department. Police Chief Riepe, stressing how important communications are for operations and public safety, expressed gratitude to Ms. Wu and the staff for their outstanding work. Transit Employee 3. Transit Employee Appreciation Day Proclamation Appreciation Day Proclamation Councilmembers Braun and Williams, following Mayor Wiggins' reading of the Proclamation, accepted the certificate on behalf of the Clallam Transit System. LATE ITEMS TO BE Councilman Williams introduced Barbara Kitchens, Washington Association of PLACED ON THIS OR Realtors, Government Office, who spoke on current changes in legislation. She FUTURE AGENDA: mentioned and described the following bills: House Bill 1395, a rural economic development bill asking for allocation counts for housing units from the County and providing for additional zoning within the commercial regions for light industrial that will allow the City to take less allocation count numbers for Clallam County as a whole; House Bill 2466, a multi-family rehabilitation bill designed to provide an exemption for up to ten years for private property owners on their private property tax formerly utilized because of the high population count of 50,000- which has been reduced to 30,000, making it possible for smaller cities to be eligible for rehabilitation monies and tax exemption status for the owners of property zoned multi-family; House Bill 2498, an industrial land banks bill which enables Clallam County to look at some land bank issues and take care of developments outside City limits; House Bill 2557, a metropolitan parks district bill which provides a pilot plan to establish funding for acquiring property for parks and for completing light operations and maintenance; and House Bill 2697, an economic vitality bill which increases the mandatory element section to eight with an economic development element and an element for parks and recreation. Economic Planning & Policy Guides were given to the Councilmembers to assist in learning about possibilities arising from the new legislation. Ms. Kitchens also reviewed Senate Bill 5841, a comprehensive plan update bill which expunged the review date and extended it to December 1, 2004, increasing' the overall review to a seven-year cycle; and Senate Bill 5832, a short plat bill which asks for cooperation with the County in the overall comprehensive plan and which will allow a short subdivision to be a maximum of nine units, not four units. It will also help with density clustering and group housing in a rural lower area. Following a brief question and answer session, Ms. Kitchens thanked the Council for their time and hoped that the information would prove useful to them. E~ J. Beckett, 421 East 12th, owner of Beckett's Bike Shop, encouraged the Council to stay in touch with the progress of the trail work, having elected them to lead the City to economic prosperity. By opening a downtown business, Ms. Beckett has shown faith that this will come about, yet, the completion of the Waterfront Trail seems to be held -2- 4644 CITY COUNCIL MEETING April 16, 2002 LATE ITEMS TO BE up by the existence of City-owned property which needs to be fenced. She expressed PLACED ON THIS OR hope that the City will seek efficiency in opening the Trail through the Rayonier site as FUTURE AGENDA: she needs to keep her business afloat. (Cont'd) Paul Lamoureux, 602 Whidby, addressed the Council to clarify comments he submitted at a previous Council meeting on the matter of a stormwater utility. He maintained his support for the stormwater program and, with regard to future planning, stated that if a government mandate states this should be accomplished, and if it is not necessary and the government is not going to fund it, then he is concerned. Referring to Ms. Kitchens review of legislation, Mr. Lamoureux stressed that if a mandate is dictated, funding should be provided; but if a choice is given, then we must perform responsibly. He urged the Council to act carefully regarding future rate structures and future taxing. Kathe Smith, 607 East 4th Street, asked for clarification from Director Cutler on expediting the Trail through the mill and asked if Public Works could begin writing the specifications for the construction now, rather than waiting for the State's approval so that at the point when the state approves the plan, it could immediately go out to bid. Director Cutler responded that Zenovic & Associates is currently working on the construction portion of the Trail and that upon receipt of certification of right-of-way and receipt of funds, it would go out to bid. He would not propose an advance bid until everything is in place for the funds. Responding to Ms. Smith's question regarding certification which was extended to March 29, 2002, Director Connelly stated that the certification is still being worked on by Zenovic & Associates and that the contract amendment that was approved had a contract deadline of April 29, 2002. WORK SESSION: None. FINANCE: 1. 2002 Electric Design Consultant Selection 2002 Electric Design Director Cutler reviewed the two rebuild projects and summarized the process for Consultant Selection evaluation of the qualified firm. He noted the effort to package like work in order to save the City money. Councilman Campbell moved to authorize the Mayor to sign an agreement with R. W. Beck for electrical engineering design services at a cost not to exceed $95,350.00. Councilman Braun seconded the motion. In response to an inquiry as to whether conduit would be installed for fiber, Director Cutler indicated the project needs to include coordination of the right-of-way but that he did envision installation of conduit for the future use of SCADA. A vote was taken on the motion, which carried unanimously. Phase III Downtown 2. Phase III Downtown Waterrnain/Sidewalk Loan Application Watermain/Sidewalk Loan Application Director Cutler briefly described the application and matching water funds and addressed questions from the Council. He noted that, if funds are used from the Drinking Water Revolving Loan, then the sidewalk portion could not be included in the work. Coun¢ilmember Erickson moved to authorize the Mayor to sign the Public Works Trust Fund (PWTF) loan application certification in an amount not to exceed $1,980,000 for Phase III of the Downtown Watermain/Sidewalk Replacement Project and, further, if the loan is approved, authorize the Mayor to execute the PWTF loan agreement provided that the loan amount does not exceed $1,980,000. Councilman Williams seconded the motion. Prior to the vote, Councilman Williams expressed his approval of the motion and inquired about the area from Railroad to Front on the West side of Laurel and from Laurel to Oak on the North side of Front as relates to the underground. He added that this area has adequate clearance, yet it does get a little shallow from the area of Zak's to the comer of Oak. That particular area, along with an area further east, has been considered for reservation in exchange for paving or abandoning the underground area in the last phase. Having considered the benefit for the downtown of trying to save the underground, in his -3- 4645 CITY COUNCIL MEETING April 16, 2002 Phase III Downtown opinion, it wasn't worth the fight at this point. However, Councilman Williams Watermain/Sidewalk expressed his desire to draw a line in the sand concerning Laurel Street between Front Loan Application (Cont'd) and First. Referencing previous discussion he introduced before the Council, Councilman Williams further expressed interest in preserving the underground for purposes of economic development. C0uncilmember Rogers supported Councilman Williams' position, adding that the area was featured on Weekend Magazine and it is important to take a hard look at something before permanent decisions are made. In response to Councilman Headrick's inquiry, Councilman Williams affumed the existence of underground on Front between Laurel and Oak, which has a clearance of between 10 and 12 feet around the comer from Washington Mutual to Budget Tapes. He indicated that specific area was part of the continuing utility corridor from the time after the streets along First and Front were raised and bulkheads installed with fill between the bulkheads. Councilman Williams further clarified his intention to support the preservation of the entire underground on the west side of Laurel between Front and First. Following further brief discussion, a vote was taken on the motion, which carried unanimously. Consultant Selection for 3. Consultant Selection for 2002/2003 Water & Wastewater Projects 2002/2003 Water & Wastewater Projects Following Director Cutler's summary of the Water and Wastewater projects and brief discussion, Councilman Braun moved to authorize the Mayor to sign an agreement with Skillings-Connolly, Inc. for engineering support services in an amount not to exceed $160,000. Councilmember Rogers seconded the motion, which carried unanimously. Amendment No. 1 to 4. Amendment No. 1 to Engineering Services Agreement with Parametrix, [nc. Engineering Services Agreement with After summarizing the amendment, Director Cutler mentioned the modifications to the Parametrix, Inc. contract, highlighting the additional work of design issues in the bluffarea at the landfill where some items have been exposed and also mentioned an additional compliance item. Councilmember Rogers thanked staff for including budget numbers in the packet information. After further discussion, Councilmember Rogers moved to authorize the Mayor to sign Amendment No. 1 to the Agreement for Professional Services with Parametrix, Inc., increasing the not-to-exceed total of the agreement to $607,9'/0.00. Councilman Campbell seconded the motion which carried unanimously. Break Mayor Wiggins recessed the meeting for a break at 7:45 p.m. The meeting reconvened at 8:00 p.m. CONSENT AGENDA: Councilmember Eriekson moved to accept the Consent Agenda to include: 1) City Council Meeting Minutes - April 2, 2002; 2) Electronic Payments - April 5, 2002 - $1,639,480.40; 3) Check Register - April 5, 2002 - $604,148.89; 4) Payroll information for March 31, 2002; and 5) Water Materials Bid Award (meters). Councilman Braun seconded the motion, which passed unanimously. CITY COUNCIL Councilmember ROgers attended the Peninsula Development Authority meeting; met COMMITTEE with Mayor Walt Schubert on landfill issues, development, and annexation; and worked REPORTS: on the Telcom issue. Councilman Braun and the Public Safety Committee toured the Police and Fire Departments. He thanked Fire Chief McKeen and Police Chief Riepe for their hospitality. He also attended the Real Estate Committee meeting and the appreciation function for Board and Commission members. Reading a letter received expressing support of the skating fink, Councilman Braun added that he is grateful for the continuing input and support from the community. -4- CITY COUNCIL MEETING 4646 April 16, 2002 CITY COUNCIL Councilman Campbell informed the Council that the Conference Center Review COMMITTEE Committee met and reviewed the Due Diligence Response from Ehm Architects and has REPORTS: (Cont'd) determined that the requirements for this phase of the project have been met. Further work, however, still needs to be done regarding parking, the business plan, the marketing plan, and the conditions under which the City's $100,000 would be paid to the developer. Councilman Headrick attended the Law & Justice meeting on April 3, 2002, at which time it was decided to change of method of selecting a chair. The meeting also centered -around escalating jail costs and the possibility of enacting an additional 1 / 10 of 1% sales tax. Mayor Wiggins mentioned the AWC Conference in June and the need for voting delegates. It was agreed that Mayor Wiggins and Councilmembers Williams and Campbell would serve as voting delegates. Councilman Headrick agreed to serve as an alternate to Councilman Williams should he be unable to attend. Additionally, after brief discussion, it was agreed that the Council would conduct a retreat on Saturday, June 15 from 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 Noon at Mayor Wiggins' lake cabin. ORDINANCES NOT None. REQUIRING PUBLIC HEARINGS: RESOLUTIONS: None. OTHER None. CONSIDERATIONS: PUBLIC HEARINGS - None. QUASI-JUDICIAL: PUBLIC HEARINGS - None. OTHER: INFORMATION: Manager Quinn mentioned the Finance Committee meeting on Thursday, April 25; the RTPO meeting on Friday, April 19; the Community and Economic Development meeting Friday, April 19 at 7:30 a.m.; and the Lodging Tax Commission meeting scheduled for Thursday, April 18 at 2:00 p.m. Mention was also made of Benefit Dump Day on Sunday, April 21. Due to the AWC Conference, it was agreed to move the June 18 Council meeting to Monday, June 17. Discussion was focused on the Coast Guard communication on racist activities in the community; Chief Riepe added that the Police Department has written a letter of response and feels that the community is working well with the Coast Guard on cultural diversity, adding that the City is not responsible for the actions of all its citizens. Councilmember Rogers indicated she is working on a Chamber of Commerce committee on this particular matter, and she urged a coordination of responses. Councilman Headrick asked that copies of the correspondence be provided to the Council and that the issue be placed on the next agenda for discussion. The Council briefly discussed the Waterline Leak Detection 2002 results and noted th~tt one week for detection may not be enough; they will consider the possibility of exlending the detection for another week. Manager Quinn noted the Consultant -5- 4647 CITY COUNCIL MEETING April 16, 2002 INFORMATION: Contracts report on page 45 of the packet. Discussion ensued regarding the MCC (Cont'd) contract completion and the status report on the Fire Hall roof repairs. EXECUTIVE SESSION: The meeting adjourned to Executive Session at 8:50 p.m. to discuss litigation for 30- 45 minutes. RETURN TO OPEN The meeting returned to Open Session at 9:30 p.m. at which time the Council SESSION: engaged in a general discussion to better understand the connection between the City's Comprehensive Plan Amendment considering the future land use of the Rayonier Mill Site, and the current impacts of existing industrial zoning and the proposed cleanup schedule managed by the State Department of Ecology. With recent changes by the State Legislature, the requirements for Comprehensive Plan review have been deferred until December of 2004. It was clear that both the community and company desire to achieve economic development of the site; however, the process and push for this achievement may be different. The Council expressed concern that we do not know the results of the sampling plan yet, and this information may be useful in the future for imposing the cleanup standard and long- term land use vision. ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned at 10:18 p.m. Glenn Wiggins, Mayor Becky J. uP~ Ct~ Cl-e~-k - -6-