Jan. 26 Council Meeting
Hawks & Herons at 192
Council started with a special meeting, before opening their regular meeting and ending in an executive session. The trifecta!
SPECIAL MEETING
The special meeting was a refresher on public records by Melissa Drewry from the Local Government Public Records Consultation Program at the Office of the Attorney General. She presented some history and context on the public records act and noted that Washington State and Florida have the highest requirements for transparency in the United States. Washington also has high penalties for failure to properly disclose.
REGULAR MEETING
Roll called, land acknowledged, allegiance pledged, and consent agenda passed. Mayor Herbig read a proclamation for Black History Month in February, and the Seahawks were our answer to “Where’s the fun?” this week.
BALLOT MEASURES (Questions: bondlevy@nsd.org, more info at www.nsd.org)
Council heard a presentation on the three ballot measures regarding Northshore School District. NSD relies on voter-approved measures for 30% of essential funding and has to come to voters every four years to renew existing funding.
Education Programs & Operations levy will help lower class sizes (EP&O is 15% of over-all budget), that have increased for grades 4-12 over the last three years due to budget deficit.
Capital projects bond goes to major projects primarily (such as the Inglemoor HS replacement, Leota, Shelton View and expansion of Kokanee). They also pay for building site/safety improvements, seismic safety, safety/security/technology, fields and playgrounds.
The technology levy renewal goes for refreshing classroom devices, as well as helping to pay for curriculum and modernizes the school district’s systems.
What does this mean for residents? Per thousand dollars of assessed value, the new bond is lower -- $3.20 down from $3.28. Rates per thousand dollars do typically go down over time because assessed values increase, and new construction creates more contributors so your “slice of the pie” decreases.
Councilmember Marshall inquired about Kenmore Elementary field improvements. Presenters said they struggle with wetlands on that site, but they expect it to be one of the first things they look at. It will be a turf field, they don’t know about lighting since it isn’t a standard for elementary schools.
DM Sasson requested follow-up on a public comment about public access to school playgrounds. Presenters said that there is daylight access, but this is hard in the winter. Kenmore Middle School was supposed to be on the docket, and may be one of the ongoing projects from 2022. It’s larger than most fields and an odd shape, so it took extra design work. They try to keep the schools as open as possible, depending on outside activity that has happened on the site.
CM O'Cain said that she heard from students at Inglemoor when she was there that it was hard for them to comprehend the massive multi-million dollar project when they’re losing their teachers.
Proposed Resolutions to support all three measures were adopted unanimously by council.
PROS Plan – Presented by Todd Hall, Debbie Bent & Planning Commissioners
The Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces (PROS) plan is required to be updated every six years so that the City can maintain eligibility for funding. This is primarily a compliance document with an inventory of existing resources and options for expansion, not a directive.
CM Loutsis commented that there is a noticeable lack of facilities for teens and older residents in our community, both indoor and outdoor. We have a lot of open, natural space, and playgrounds for young children. Teens who are looking for an active place to spend time end up using facilities for younger children for want of other options.
CM Marshall said that the Logboom Pier is a DNR lease and asked about maintenance cost, as well as about an expansion of the play area around city hall. Staff said that there’s a small amount of money for a feasibility study for an inclusive playground, but moving this project forward would require more budget allocation and identification of funding. The cost of pier maintenance is unknown but Staff will report back.
PROS plan will come back on the consent agenda for the next meeting.
STAFF REPORTS
KAPE – John Vicente. Transportable cameras were supposed to go into effect in January in new locations, but the King County Courthouse has had a backlog of tickets and hearing requests so this has been paused. CM O’Cain asked if the signs should specify that they are 24-hour enforcement and asked about cost vs. revenue for the program. Stephanie Lucash said they were tracking it and would get back to council.
Teri Kilgore, City Manager – Met with 1st District reps and center last week, told them that we were looking for funds for pedestrian access from 522 to the Burke-Gilman Trail, as well as upgrading the back-end of MyBuildingPermit.com, if they find some change in the couch cushions. They have also been talking to KCSO about how we would handle a Minneapolis-type situation if it comes here.
COUNCILMEMBER REPORTS
All council members, other than CM Culver, expressed thanks to Derek Wycoff for his contributions to Brew Row through 192 Brewing, and sadness that it’s closing. Several councilmembers spoke about ICE.
CM Marshall mentioned an email that council received from a local teen about creating a youth committee, and he looks forward to discussing this at the retreat (if not sooner).
