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Home My WebLink About7/28/2015 - City Council - City Council Meeting Minutes - Steven C LacyREGULAR SESSION OF THE CITY COUNCIL CONVENED MAYOR STEVEN C. LACY, PRESIDING JULY 28, 2015 6:30 P.M. ROLL CALL Mayor Steven C. Lacy Councilmember Tim Detering Councilmember Sandra McCourt Councilmember Wayne Barnhart Councilmember Frank Collings - excused Councilmember Chuck Johnson Councilmember George Buckner Councilmember Harry Raab EMPLOYEES IN ATTENDANCE City Attorney Devin Poulson City Clerk Dana Barnard Assistant Police Chief Dan Reierson Community Development Director Lori Barnett Finance Director Nick Gerde Public Works Director/Engineer Greg Pezoldt Executive Secretary/Accounting Assistant Teresa Allen Clerical Assistant Shawn Murison PUBLIC COMMENT(S) Sally Brawley, Director, Eastmont Metropolitan Park District (EMPD), submitted a preliminary draft of the playground they would like to build at Eastmont Community Park, which will incorporate Miss Veedol into the play structures. She said a Feasibility Study conducted by the Trust for Public Lands was presented to the Park Board last week, which pointed out three avenues of funding the Park District could explore for Capital Improvements or moving forward with better financing in the future. She reviewed each option, and said the decision will depend on the message put out to the community, how much community involvement there is, and how much people want to get behind whatever project the EMPD tries to complete. She said the Commissioners requested the Trust put together a poll and sending it out to 300-400 registered voters within the Park District, to see what the community wants, such as a community recreation center, and if they are willing to pay for it. She said the number one item in the Comprehensive Plan that people want is a splash pad. However, it would be a huge cost to install plumbing and treat the water for a splash pad. Clyde Ballard, 19"' and Baker Avenue, East Wenatchee, said a few years ago the City was going to do a joint project on Baker Avenue from 15'h Street to 19t` Street while Douglas County was doing their Baker Avenue Improvement Project. He attended all previous meetings regarding the Baker Street Project, and had worked with the City and County, as he was concerned about right-of-way being taken from the West side of Baker Avenue next to his home. He said he would like an opportunity to be involved in the Baker Project with the City, and if the previously staked out boundaries were followed, the City could do improvements needed without requiring additional acquisition of property. BUDGET ISSUES Finance Director Nick Gerde passed out the Budget Committee meeting packet to Councilmembers for the Thursday, July 30, 2015, Budget meeting, and gave a brief review of what would be discussed. (7) DEPARTMENT REPORT(S) Lori Barnett, Community Development Director — Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program update Community Development Director Lori Barnett said the City Hall Sidewalk Replacement Project has been completed, which was part of the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) compliance review from 2013. She said that all the items that were out of compliance have been completed. The Projects were certified and sent to (HUD). The City received a letter acknowledging that the City is now in compliance. She said the compliance agreement that the City executed with HUD stays in place for five years, and in August of each year HUD does an audit of the City's account to ensure the CDBG funds are spent in a timely manner. She also supplied Council with a reconciliation of the 2014 Annual Action Plan Amendment showing the status of the French Avenue project, and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Barrier Removal project. Lori noted that an email was sent out to Councilmembers from Frontier Communications General Manager Steve Sandman inviting them to a celebration dinner honoring Wenatchee and East Wenatchee as a Quarterfinalist in the "Americas Best Communities" contest being held August 12, 2015, at 6 p.m., and she encouraged them to attend. She said it would be a good opportunity to thank Frontier Communications, and give them praise for providing funding to Wenatchee and East Wenatchee, since both communities are involved in the project. Greg Pezoldt, Public Works Director — Baker Avenue and Highline Drive update 0 Public Works Director Greg Pezoldt distributed and reviewed the Baker Avenue and Highline Drive Construction Options - Cost and Year Summary, and Schedule and Cost Estimates. He discussed expenditures, how the money would be spent, amounts that would come from the City of East Wenatchee, and scenarios of how Highline Drive could be funded, which included a Transportation Improvement Board (TIB) grant, funding through the Surface Transportation Program (STP), or no grant for Highline Drive and funding with 100% local money. Greg said there is a 30% chance of getting TIB money on the Highline Drive Project, and a 50% chance getting STP money. He said the project with the highest need is Highline Drive. Greg said the application he submitted to TIB for grant funding for Baker Avenue assumes the bare minimum cross section of that street. He said, per the TIB grant rules, it has to include bike lanes on both sides of the street, and a sidewalk on one side of the street. Greg noted that it would still require some kind of right-of-way, but they will make the street as narrow as possible while still meeting requirements of the grant. Mayor Lacy said he would like Council to pay particular attention to the costs associated with the Baker Avenue Project, and take a vote as to whether we are going to proceed with this project or not, so we can give the Transportation Improvement Board (TIB) a final decision. He said if we turn down the grant from TIB it will have a negative impact on future applications. Highline Drive is a much more serious need for the City, and he recommends doing Highline Drive regardless. He said the City can afford to do both projects without putting us in a position to where we cannot do our operational budget. However, Baker Avenue will be the largest match we have ever committed to a single project. Mayor Lacy said that Baker Avenue improvements will foster development, it meets all TIB criteria, and the City cash position is nearly debt free, so this might be the best opportunity we have ever had to get that done. Finance Director Nick Gerde distributed the Operational Cash Flow Forecasts from the 2015 Financial Plan. He said he and Greg have gone through every Capital Improvements Project that is in the Plan, and 2 right now we are spending a lot of money in 2016 for Highline Drive, and engineering and right-of-way costs for Baker Avenue. He believes both projects can be completed if we get started now. Councilmember Barnhart is in favor of completing Highline Drive, not Baker Avenue. Councilmember Johnson and Councilmember McCourt are in favor of doing both projects, and Councilmember Raab feels we need to look at other areas that need funding and improvements, and use local money to provide for what our local people need. Councilmember Detering and Councilmember Buckner did not comment, and Councilmember Collings was not present. Council Action: A motion was made by Councilmember Johnson, second by Councilmember Detering, to direct staff to do both the Baker Avenue and Highline Drive projects, with the costs presented. The motion carried, 5-1 (Raab). CONSENT CALENDAR Items listed below were distributed to Councilmember's in advance for study and were enacted in one motion. Council Action: A motion was made by Councilmember Detering, second by Councilmember Raab, to approve the Consent Calendar as presented. The motion carried, 6-0. 1. Consideration of Minutes — Regular Session, July 14, 2015 2. Consideration of Payables and Payroll i. 2015 Pa, a� — As of this date, July 28, 2015, Council does approve check numbers 43848 and 43869 through 43926 in the total amount of $146,208.99. Payables check 43534 was voided. ii. 2015 June Payroll — As of this date, July 28, 2015, Council does approve check numbers 43583 through 43604, 43649 through 43696, and direct deposits on 6/16/2015 and 7/1/2015 in the total amount of $413,610.16. PUBLIC HEARING(S) 15-07-03 Public hearing to receive comments regarding the Draft 2015-2019 Community Development & Housing Consolidated Plan and the 2015 Annual Action Plan for the Community Development Block Grant Program. Presented by: Lori Barnett, Community Development Director Mayor Lacy opened the public hearing at 7:38 p.m. Hearing no comments Mayor Lacy closed the public hearing at 7:39 p.m. REPORT(S) The following reports/minutes were submitted in writing prior to the City Council meeting. • Port of Douglas County Agenda for the Economic Leadership Roundtable meeting held July 16, 2015, and Port of Douglas County Economic Indicators Report for July 2015 — Charts 1-21. - 0 Wenatchee Valley Animal Control — City of East Wenatchee, Quarterly Report, 2nd Quarter, 2015. • Waste Management — City of East Wenatchee, Recycle Pass Back, 2nd Quarter, 2015, and Recyclables Quarterly Report, Quarter 2, 2015. Department of Ecology — Congratulatory letter, 2014 "Wastewater Treatment Plant Outstanding Performance" award. ADJOURNMENT 7:40 p.m. 0LXz GYen C. LA c y pn ayo[-