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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11/06/96TAPE #1420 UNAPPROVED DRAFT CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES COUNCIL APPROVED NOV 20 1996 NOVEMBER 6, 1996 #0029 #0046 The regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Bremerton was called to order in the City Council Chambers, 239 4th Street, Bremerton, Washington, Wednesday, November 6, 1996, at 5:30 P.M., with Council President John Law presiding. Council members present were Bob Winters, Carlos Montgomery, Sherril Huff-Menees, David Farr, Richard Neville, Lon Overson, Cecil McConnell, and A1 Colvin. Also present were City Attorney Ian Sievers and Acting City Clerk Rich Hanna. The meeting opened with the Pledge of Allegiance led by Council President Law and Invocation given by Pastor Cleveland Williams of Ebenezer A.M.E. Church of Bremerton. President Law made the following announcements: (1) City Council will hold an Executive Session immediately following the Council meeting to discuss "potential litigation" and "personnel". CONSENT AGENDA A. Minutes of Meeting - October 23, 1996 #AB96-252 M/S/C/U(Neville/Montgomery) to approve Consent Agenda as presented. CLAIMS/CHECK REGISTERS Vouchers audited and certified by the auditing officer as required by RCW 42.24.080, and those expense reimbursement claims certified as required by RCW 42.24.090, have been recorded on a listing that had been made available to the Council. M/S/C/U(Colvin/Montgomery) on November 6, 1996, the Council does approve for payment those vouchers included and further described as follows: 203206 through 203351 in the amount of $420,529.34; and Regular Payroll for the period ending October 31, 1996, in the amount of 4867,581.10. COUNCIL MEMBER REPORTS Mr. Winters reported he artended the AWC TELECOMMUNICATION ADVISORY SEMINAR TO PROTECT AND MANAGE PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAYS REGARDING TELECOMMUNICATIONS INDUSTRY, the evolving industry of fiber optics, where conduit should be installed. Prior to the Council meeting, Mr. Winters briefed the City Council on the importance of getting an ordinance in place addressing this issue. He was pleased that Ian Sievers, City Attorney and Paula Johnston, Tax and License Inspector, attended that conference as well. He believes this is the first step of many that the City will have to take to create TAPE #1420 City Council Reg. Mtg. Minutes November 6, 1996 Page 2 of 11 this important utility. On November 1 he attended the Puget Sound Naval Base Association's 50th Anniversary dinner meeting at the Bayview Inn. He related an incident that involved a resident at Westpark, who was concerned about their being evicted from Westpark; however, with the assistance of Councilman Montgomery the situation was resolved in a positive manner. He encouraged the public to stop by the Big Apple Diner in the Kitsap Lake area where they can experience a unique 50's style of dining, and Berto's Place in downtown Bremerton. Mrs. Huff-Menees stated although the votes have not all been counted, there are some election outcomes that we are aware of at this time. She thanked the men and women, who chose to run for public office, both those who will be going on to take public office and those who will be going on to some other endeavor. She believes in most cases those individuals made a sincere effort to connect with their public and provide a meaningful choice. She announced the Charleston Neighborhood Plan meeting will be held on November 7, with the Open House portion from 7:00 - 7:30 P.M., and the Neighborhood meeting starting at 7:30 P.M., at the Bremerton School District Office. she encouraged the public, business owners, residents of the area or interested persons to attend that meeting as it will be an opportunity to provide input and be a part of the planning process for that area. Also, the Citizens Advisory Committee, which has been created to study the alterative for the SR304 to downtown access, will hold an open houses on November 12...City Hall City Council Chambers, and November 13...Bremerton School District Office, from 6:00 - 7:30 P.M.. There will be an opportunity during those time periods for people to view maps of the proposed alternatives in the area and parking proposals. Mr. Farr stated he just returned from vacationing in Mexico, which was very enjoyable, but while there experienced food poisoning. The lesson he learned from that experience was the importance of the Kitsap Health District's role in protecting the public's health through inspection of restaurants. Recently, action was taken by Kitsap County and various cities in the County to ensure that the Health District remains an agency that is responsible to all of us verses becoming just a County department. He feels much safer eating meals in restaurants in Kitsap County than in Mexico. Mr. Neville announced a meeting will be held on November 14, 6:30 P.M., in the City Council Chambers to discuss trees along 5th Street. The purpose of this meeting will be to develop a solution to the problems caused by trees located along 5th Street between Park Avenue and Naval Avenue. This meeting will be hosted by Mr. Neville, the Street Department, Engineering Department and Parks and Recreation Department. He thanked everyone who exercised their right to vote on Election Day. TAPE #1420 City Council Reg. Mtg. Minutes November 6, 1996 Page 3 of 11 Mr. McConnell thanked Andy Parypa and Larry Stone for their dedicated effort in rewriting the City's Charter, which was a ballot measure and approved by the voters. He announced the next District #2 Neighborhood Meeting will be held on November 12, 6:30 P.M., at Fire Station #3. Bill McKinney, City Forester, will make a presentation at that meeting. Mr. Colvin thanked all of the citizens participating in the election process. He recalled not too long ago not everyone had the right to vote and people were charged a Poll Tax before they were allowed to vote. He emphasized we have come a long way towards making this Country one nation under God. He announced the next District #1 Neighborhood Meeting will be held November 21, 1996, 7:00 P.M., at the Parks and Recreation Center, with Mayor Horton as guest speaker along with a presentation by the Sinclair Landing Association. He thanked TCI and the Bremerton Police Department for responding to a citizen's concern. Mr. Law announced the District #3 Neighborhood Meeting will be held on November 19, 1996, 7:00 P.M., at the Senior Center. The subject of discussion will be to review the year and get input from residents as to what they expect from the City in 1997. MAYOR'S REPORT Mayor Lynn Hcrton added her congratulations to the victors in the election, condolences to those who were not elected and "hang in there" to those who are still waiting for the final vote count. She expressed her thanks to Andy Parypa, Larry Stone and Ian Sievers, City Attorney, for the time they spent on rewriting the City Charter, and she appreciates the public supporting that effort with their vote. Mayor Horton reported the Odwalla E. coli issue was discussed during the Health District meeting at the Kitsap Regional Council meeting today. So far, Kitsap County has not had any E-coli reporting from the Odwalla fruit drink and that was attributed to the timeliness on the part of everyone to pull that drink from the shelves. A meeting of the City's Blockwatch Captains was held on November 4. The Blockwatch quarterly report revealed some interesting data relating to the number of burglaries in the City as well as car thefts and some tips on what people can do to prevent/solve crimes. The report stated 82 of all burglaries reported in the City were residential burglaries, and 14% of those were in the east sector, 21% were in the east central sector (bounded on the west by Warren Avenue, north by Sheridan, east by Perry Avenue and south by E. llth Street), 34% were in the central sector (The Narrows west to Naval Avenue), 25% were in the west central corridor (from Naval TAPE #1420 City Council Reg. Mtg. Minutes November 6, 1996 Page 4 of 11 Avenue west and north to Marine Drive, Adele and Marian Avenue) 8% were in the west sector (west from Marine Drive to the City limits), and 6% in Westpark. Of those burglaries, entry was gained in 63% of the burglaries through an open or unlocked door or window with no sign of forced entry. When those burglaries were committed revealed that the most popular days for burglaries were Tuesday and Wednesday (14% each day) followed by Saturday (11%), and in 31% of the burglaries the exact day of the week was unknown. The favorite time for breaking was 6:00 PM to midnight (20%), and midnight to 6:00 A.M. (11%), with fewer burglaries happening during daylight hours. Thefts of vehicles - 125 reported thefts were reported this quarter and that averages more than one per day. Numerous items were taken ... money, purses, wallets, cellular phones, radios. The best way to ward off such thefts is to lock the vehicle or lock valuables in the trunk of the vehicle. Mayor Horton cautioned with the Christmas season coming people should place their purchases in their trunk to reduce the number of stolen items. She was pleased to report the number of Blockwatch programs have increased from 50 to 80 and she anticipates 9-10 more organizing before year end. Anyone wishing to form a Blockwatch in their area can contact the Crime Prevention at 478-5231. She related an incident from Mr. Overson's neighborhood where a member of their Blockwatch assisted in the return of a stolen vehicle within a couple of days of the theft. PUBLIC RECOGNITION Jonathan Scott extended an invitation to the public to attend the 84th Church Anniversary celebration at Ebenezer A.M.E. Church on November 10, 4:00 P.M. Faye MoLamp, Swing City Committee, reminded everyone of the Harvest Moon Dance at the Bremerton Eagles, located on 6th Street, on November 8, 8:00 P.M. to midnight. Admission to the dance is $6.00 pre-sale and $7.00 at the door. Russell Nickerson, Missouri On the Mainland Committee, gave an update on the Committee's efforts to involve veterans organizations and individuals to join in a letter writing campaign to Senators and Congressional Representatives regarding retaining the USS Missouri in the continental United States. The Committee's next meeting is scheduled for November 7, 10:00 A.M., at the Old Bank Antiques, second floor conference room. John Thomas, Bremerton resident, reported his daughter had a good time at the All City Halloween Party and he thanked everyone involved with that event. Now that the voters approved the revised City Charter, he wanted to know if the letters by the Police Chief and Fire Chief waiving their Civil Service status would be removed from their personnel records. TAPE #1420 City Council Reg. Mtg. Minutes November 6, 1996 Page 5 of 11 Teresa Dembicer thanked the Council for being a resource for her in resolving a personal problem. Robert Schneidler, President of the Admiral Theater Foundation, asked that a letter addressed to the City Council from the Foundation be read into the record. Rich Hanna, Acting City Clerk, read as follows: "The Admiral Theatre Foundation Board of Directors gratefully acknowledge and applauds the leadership of the City of Bremerton for the incredible opportunity you have afforded our organization. Your foresight in purchasing the Admiral theatre six years ago has enabled us to provide an incredible gift to the citizens that you represent, and to all of the West Sound region. In less than ninety days the theatre will open to the public. The Admiral Theatre renovation is not an exclusive project. it is inclusive. the renovation is a public-private partnership of historic proportions for this region. The City of Bremerton, Port of Bremerton, Kitsap County, State of Washington, the federal government, numerous private businesses and individuals, foundations, non-profit agencies and corporations have joined forces to rehabilitate the Admiral Theatre into a community center, live performance theatre and educational and multi-use facility. We have a huge audience to please. The Admiral theatre board of directors is determined to deliver arts and cultural opportunities to all residents of the County, regardless of income level, race, religion or physical ability. Significant design improvements have been incorporated into the theatre to promote accessibility for all residents. The sloping main floor and fixed seats have been replaced by a terraced auditorium floor with a handicapped ramp and removable tables and chairs. An elevator has been added (a component that not even the $30 million Paramount Theatre renovation was able to provide) and special considerations have been made for access to balcony seating. A graduated fee schedule will be developed for community non-profit groups. The Admiral Theatre Foundation has promised to provide a regional performing arts facility. We will do that. We have formed alliances with cultural and art entities throughout Kitsap County. The West Sound Arts Council, Bremerton Symphony, Kitsap Opera, Evergreen Children's Theatre, and Peninsula Dance have all reserved future dates in the theatre. The Evergreen Children's Theatre will house its world-renowned puppet collection in the theatre and will provide classes for children in theatre, drama, storytelling and puppetry, as well as produce an annual children's session on stage. TAPE #1420 City Council Reg. Mtg. Minutes November 6, 1996 Page 6 of 11 The Admiral Theatre Foundation promised to be diligent administrators. We have done that. Not a penny has been spent needlessly. We evaluated and then re-evaluated. We negotiated. we pared a $7.8 million budget down to a $3 million miracle. Your theater has all new plumbing, electrical, heating, ventilation and air-conditioning, energy efficient windows, an insulated roof, elevator, more restrooms, new carpet and flooring, new fixtures, a catering kitchen, two concession areas to better serve the public and a wonderful new stage. You have allowed us to create a one-of- a-kind facility that will serve Bremerton proudly. And we thank you. Sincerely, A. H. "Ike" Parker, Chairman of the Board, and Robert C. Schneidler, President." Mr. 8chneidler announced they have just over $250,000 left to raise for the entire project fund. With the cooperation with the City, Kitsap County and federal government they have a $1.5 million Housing and Urban Development loan to complete the project, and they have the cost of that loan lined up to be repaid. It is a true public/private partnership, 55% of their funding comes from private sources and 45% from public sources. They are now planning for the creation of an endowment fund in order to secure future theatre operations. Future events at the theater include: Literacy Council is negotiating to bring MissAmerica to Bremerton as a fund raising activity; the Bremerton Central Lions Club's 1997 Travel Log series; East Bremerton Rotary is sponsoring a fund raising event in February; a Fire Fighters Dance; Evergreen Childlren's Theatre has booked eight shows for 1997; Bremerton Symphony is planning a Pops Concert and Pops & Popcorn Concert for children; and one company has planned a holiday employee party; four class reunions, three weddings, Chamber luncheons, Barber Shop Quartet Competition and Olympic College 50th Anniversary Celebration. Jim Robinson, Chairman of the Construction Committee for the Admiral Theatre Foundation, stated he is a representative of the Foundation board that is on site every day and it falls to him to interface with all who have a part in making this project a reality, not the least of which are various departments of the City. This is not an unusual experience for him, but it is a special project. The cooperation they have had from all of the City departments has been splendid. The project is 68% completed and he anticipates conclusion of the project prior to year end. There are approximately 29 skilled trades people, both men and women, involved in the project on an average day. He noted the Foundation is its own General Contractor, so they have maximized every dollar available to the completion of this project. An interesting phenomenon he has observed is that the people employed on the project, who are paid prevailing rate of wage (total payroll for the project will be approximately $1.5 million), are keenly aware of the fact they are involved in something that is very special to this community and is plainly evident in the attitude TAPE #1420 City Council Reg. Mtg. Minutes November 6, 1996 Page 7 of 11 they bring to the job every day that they are pleased to be involved in the project. He invited Council on opening night to come and see if this pride of workmanship carries over to the finished product. Don Atkinson, KITZ, announced on November 13 KITZ will be participating in welcoming back the USS California and USS Arkansas. Del Knauss, Bremerton resident, stated he was pleased that the voters supported the City's Charter Change Proposition. He stressed the importance for people living within the area that is being re-evaluated, i.e. Burwell Street/Sixth Street/Callow Avenue, as part of the new gateway into Bremerton project, to attend the meeting on November 7. He referenced Sinclair Landing Association Minutes of September 24, 1996, where it stated there were only two alternatives for the gateway route. He pointed out there is a third and that is the "do nothing" option. The SLA Minutes also stated Board member Joan Dingfield commented about the board needing to be organized in order to address the organized opposition they will be encountering. He questioned do we organize our boards to fight neighborhoods? He has heard Council state the downtown is the heart of the City, but he believes if all the arteries, i.e, neighborhoods are killed, there won't be any support for the downtown. Neighborhoods are important. They have listened for over two hours of presentations by the Howard S. Wright Company as to what they want, but Mr. Knauss believes they should be centered on the downtown only. AndV Parpya, Bremerton resident, thanked Councilman McConnell and Mayor Horton for their kinds words; however, the effort in rewriting the City Charter involved lots of people. He felt privileged to have been asked to work with Mr. Stone on this project and he hoped the Council, Mayor and City staff will forgive him for being so "bullish and asking for their assistance" during this process. He thanked Mike Foley, reporter for The Sun, who developed a front page newspaper article that appeared on Election Day addressing the proposed City Charter after having a fairly short period of time to compare the proposed Charter with the City's current Charter. That article was very different than the newspaper article on the proposed Charter that was released the day before. He did not want to "bash" The Sun at this time, but he does intend to write a letter to the Publisher/President of The Sun, which will contain evidence of proof of the contradictory statements even within their own columns. He is very happy that at this point in time 73.3% of the residents of Bremerton voted to approve the revised Charter. He was pleased that such a large percentage of people were not mislead by the one-person Con Committee in opposition to the revised Charter. That individual #1727 TAPE #1420 City Council Reg. Mtg. Minutes November 6, 1996 Page 8 of 11 was very imaginative in The Sun, in the Voters pamphlet and in the Central Kitsap Reporter; and all of his statements were rebutted by those serving on the Pro Committee. He also believes the revised Charter could be a model for other city charters. He did not know the purpose of the opposition, it has not been published in the local newspapers, but he had in his possession a Public Disclosure Act signed by a William Allan Camp, who is also know as Bill Camp, who has submitted a registration to run for Mayor of the City of Bremerton in 1997. He wondered how much of the opposition was against the Charter and how much was to gain name familiarity for that individual. He strongly suggested to that gentlemen that he learn more about the office of Mayor than he knew about the Charter. 7A - REAPPOINTMENT OF LARRY HALL TO THE BOARD OF APPEALS HOUSING/BUILDING CODES, #AB96-253 Larry Hall's term on the Board of Appeals, Housing/Building Codes has expired. It is recommended that he be reappointed to this committee. Mayor Lynn Hotton stated Larry Hall has served on this board for one term and also was a past member of the Parks and Recreation Commission. Based on information from City staff members, Mr. Hall, who is an Attorney, has provided a great deal of expertise to the board. She urged Council to confirm Mr. Hall's appointment as presented. Public comment - none. M/S/C/U(Colvin/Huff-Menees) to confirm the reappointment of Larry Hall to the Board of Appeals, Housing/Building Codes Committee. 7B - PURCHASE OF VARIABLE MESSAGE SIGNS, #AB96-254 Variable Message Signs (VMS) are frequently used or required to notify drivers of traffic revisions during construction projects. The use of VMSs will be required on a number of upcoming City projects including Callow CSO Priority 1, Phase 2, 36" Water Main - Gorst to Reservoir 4, and Kitsap Way. It was determined that the cost for a contractor to lease VMSs for a lengthy construction project exceeded the City's cost to purchase. The VMSs would be placed in the equipment rental pool and be available for use on all City projects. Purchase of two VMSs can be made from Coral Sales Company through an existing Washington State Department of Transportation bid. The cost for two VMSs is $67,724, including sales tax. Funds for this purchase will come from the Water Capital Budget, per the attached budget adjustment. Gene Sampley, Public Works and Utilities Manager, stated in reviewing their needs over the next several significant projects, #1888 TAPE #1420 City Council Reg. Mtg. Minutes November 6, 1996 Page 9 of 11 they will require variable message signs to advise the motoring public as to construction conditions. It was determined that in a very short time the City could pay out the cost of owning two of those signs. Therefore, the proposal before Council is an attempt to economize expenditures and Mr. Sampley urged Council's approval of the request as presented. Public comment - none. Mr. Farr asked if in this day of mandated cooperation between different agencies, could the City explore the idea of making them available to other agencies, i.e. Kitsap County or adjacent communities? Mr. SampleV stated the Interlocal Cooperation Act provides for interagency cooperation for matters such as that including work performed, equipment or any kind of mutual type of services. M/S/C/U(Farr/Montgomery) to approve a purchase order for two Variable Message Signs and the corresponding Water Capital Fund budget adjustment. 7C - WATER SERVICE AREA AGREEMENT WITH SUNNYSLOPE WATER DISTRICT, #AB96-255 Each water system has a designated service area for providing public water service. Bremerton's service area is described in the City's approved Water System Plan. The Washington Department of Health encourages Water Systems to obtain Service Area Agreements with neighboring Water Systems. In the past, there has been an undisputed overlap between Bremerton's service area and the Sunnyslope Water District service area. The attached Service Area Agreement resolves this issue and clarifies each system's service area. Ian Sievers, City Attorney, pointed out the fact that considerable time had elapsed since Kathleen Cahall, Water Resources Manager, presented this issue before the Council Committees, which was due to a mix up with the District in that they removed one paragraph that the City felt was essential and that was presented to our Council Committee. The District passed the agreement without the provision, but after the City explained its position, the District readdressed the issue and approved it with the paragraph, which is paragraph "4" in the agreement. Cities, under State law, have the right to exclude the operation of a Water District within its city and upon annexation may exercise that legislative power. The City did not want to waive or forgive that power and require a mutual agreement if we do happen to annex some of the area covered by the Sunnyslope Water District. The Coordinated Water Act does encourage neighboring Water Districts to get together and coordinate their service areas for facility planning and since the TAPE #1420 City Council Reg. Mtg. Minutes November 6, 1996 Page 10 of 11 County would be the ultimate arbitrator if there was not an agreement, and it would be in the city's interest to approve this agreement that has been negotiated with Sunnyslope Water District. #2095 #2221 Roy McInnis, Bremerton resident, asked what type of volume and what affect will it have on the citizens of Bremerton in the future? Mr. Sampler stated this would have little or no affect on the residents of Bremerton and was more of an administrative adjustment of the boundaries that would be serviced. Some adjustment were made that would put certain properties within the City of Bremerton service area and other properties that would be in the other service area. He noted most of the adjustment was to the south for the service area under consideration. Mr. Colvim asked if the City's assets were sufficient to support the additional load on the City's water supply? Mr. Sampley stated yes. Mr. Colvin asked what liability would the City be incurring by adding another area outside the City limits to its service area? Mr. Sievers states this issue does not have anything to do with the corporate boundaries of the City, but rather its service area for water in an unincorporated area near Gorst. It does not incur any additional liability because other areas were already included in the City's service area to provide water. M/S/C/U(Huff-menees/Montgomery) to approve the Service Area Agreement with Sunnyslope, and authorize the Mayor to execute the same, subject to City Administrative Policies and Procedures. 8A- ORDINANCE NO. 4574 (SECOND READING) LEVYING PROPERTY TAXES FOR COLLECTION IN 1997, #AB96-248 Rich Hanna, Acting City Clerk, stated based on discussions at the Council Study Session on November 5, there was some question of the affect of this ordinance passage on individual home owners within the City. He explained each individual homeowner's circumstance is likely to be different in comparing their property tax bill year over year. The affect of this ordinance will be to increase the City's portion of the property tax rate by approximately 0.28% 1997 over 1996. However, this is only one component of the total property tax rate on any given parcel and other levies would include: State of Washington, School district, Kitsap County, and a variety of junior taxing districts, i.e. Ports, P.U.D., Regional Library District. Public comment - none. M/S/C(Montgomery/Huff-Menees) to pass Ordinance No. 4574 on second reading, levying Municipal Taxes against all the taxable property within the City limits of Bremerton for the year 1996, and #2281 TAPE #1420 City Council Reg. Mtg. Minutes November 6, 1996 Page 11 of 11 approving the assessment roll made by the Assessor County, therefore to be collected in the year 1997. of Kitsap Vote on motion: Motion carried. In Favor: Opposed: Abstain: Montgomery, Huff-Menees, Farr, Neville, Overson, Law, McConnell Colvin, Winters 8B- ORDINANCE NO. 4575 (SECOND READING) AMENDING PARKS PROTECTION ORDINANCE TO ADD ADDITIONAL CITY-OWNED PROPERTIES TO LIST OF PARKS PROVIDED FOR IN BMC 13.12, #AB96-249 Public comment - none. M/S/C/U(Neville/Montgomery) to pass Ordinance No. 4575 on second reading, amending Chapter 13.12 of the Bremerton Municipal Code to add additional City-owned properties to the list of parks provided for in the City's Parks Protection Ordinance. President Law thanked the TV camera crew for their services: Nadine price, Robert Rupe, and Debbie Harris. With no further business meeting adjourned at 6:44 P.M.. KATHLEEN L. McCLUSKEY, City Clerk N~~E. zLAW, Council President City of Bremerton KLM/JL/me cc: Normal Distribution File/Vault