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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11/22/94TAPE #1248 UNAPPROVED DRAFT COUNCIL APPROVED CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES NOVEMBER 22, 1994 #0014 #0035 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, Tuesday, November 22, 1994, at 5:30 P.M., with Council President Sherril Huff-Menees presiding. Council members present were Morrie Dawkins, John Law, David Farr, A1 Colvin, Carlos Montgomery, Bob Winters, Lon Overson, and Richard Neville. Also present were City Attorney Ian Sievers and City Clerk Kathleen McCluskey. The meeting opened with the Pledge of Allegiance led by Council President Huff-Menees and Invocation given by Reverend Michael Smith of the Bremerton Unity Church. CONSENT AGENDA A. Minutes of Meeting - November 9, 1994 #AB94-244 M/S/C/U(Neville/Dawkins) presented. to approve the Consent Agenda as 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/Overson) on November 22, 1994, the Council does approve for payment those vouchers included and further described as follows: 180158, 180159, 180186 through 180331 in the total amount of $178,821.64; and Regular Payroll for the period ending November 15, 1994, in the amount of $585,639.57. 7A - APPOINTMENT OF BEVERLEY LUCKEY-SHORT TO THE CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION, #AB94-245 There are vacancies on the Civil Service Commission. It is recommended one of the vacancies be filled by Beverley Luckey- Short. Mayor Lynn Hotton stated Mrs. Luckey-Short has a strong background in employment and currently works for Employment Security for the State of Washington. She is very interested in job placement for not only adults, but younger people in the community and has been very involved as a volunteer in the Camp Fire Program. Mayor Horton was impressed with her credentials that included her being a Board member of Holly Ridge and active in PTA and the Bremerton #0142 TAPE #1248 City Council Reg. Mtg. Minutes November 22, 1994 Page 2 of 9 School System. The Mayor reminded the Council that Mrs. Lucky- Short did apply for the vacant District #8 position and believes she will be an asset to the Civil Service Commission. Public comment - none. President Huff-Menees stated she too was very impressed with Mrs. Luckey-Short's qualifications during Council's interview process and was pleased that she now desired to serve the City in this capacity. Mayor Hotton noted several Council members had commented to her that Mrs. Luckey-Short was the kind of person the City looks for to serve on Boards, Committees and Commissions. When talking with Mrs. Luckey-Short about the possibility of serving on the City's Planning Commission or Civil Service Commission, she indicated she felt the Civil Service Commission would be a better place for her to serve considering her interest and background. Mr. Overson stated he dealt with Mrs. Luckey-Short when she served with the Navy and at that time she showed superior qualities and he trusts, based on that and the interview before Council, she will serve the City very well. M/S/C/U(Overson/Montgomery) to confirm the appointment of Beverley Luckey-Short to the Civil Service Commission. President Huff-Menees made the following announcements: (1) Immediately following this Council meeting there will be a Council Executive Session to discuss "litigation" as well as "personnel", followed by a brief Study Session to have a discussion on a proposal from the Council Retreat. (2) Council Study Session - Monday, November 28, 5:30 P.M., in the Council Conference Room, a continuation of the 1995 Budget Review. COUNCIL MEMBER REPORTS Mr. Winters reminded everyone of the Clean and Sober Dance on December 9, at the Westside Improvement Club, sponsored by the DWI Victims Panel and AGAPE Unlimited. Also on Monday, December 26 he will hold a District #9 meeting where he will review a year in Council and what has been accomplished over the past year. He wished everyone a happy and safe Thanksgiving Holiday. Mr. Colvin wished everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. He wanted to affirm that the action taken by the Council President at the November 21 Study Session was correct in not allowing the public to participate in the discussion during Council's review of the 1995 budget. He asked the City Attorney to explain why -the Council President acted in the appropriate manner. Ian Slevers, City Attorney, explained although Study Session meetings are open to the TAPE #1248 City Council Reg. Mtg. Minutes November 22, 1994 Page 3 of 9 public, it is not a time for the public to participate. Council holds such meetings to receive staff input and to discuss matters among themselves. Mr. Dawkins wished everyone a Happy Thanksgiving and cautioned everyone to drive carefully if they are traveling over the holiday. Mr. MontuomerV extended a Happy Thanksgiving wish to everyone. On Thursday, November 17 he held a District #8 meeting. He appreciated the input given by Pat Harris, Parks and Recreation Director, at that meeting, especially during the discussion on Forest Ridge Park. He hopes more people will come out to future District #8 meetings and he encouraged more participation so that the public can become better educated on City issues and share their concerns as well. Mr. Law noted Mr. Montgomery did hold a good meeting, which he enjoyed. He announced there would not be a December Neighborhood meeting for Council District #3. He wished everyone a pleasant Thanksgiving holiday. Mr. Farr extended his best wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving and encouraged those who had not bought their turkey yet to purchase it in Bremerton. Mrs. Huff-Menees reported she also attended Mr. Montgomery's meeting and those that did attend had lots of interesting comments about what they would like to see in their parks, particularly Forest Ridge Park. She also encouraged the public to attend the neighborhood meetings because it is an opportunity for them to voice their concerns and wishes. She wished her fellow Council members, staff, Mayor and citizens of Bremerton a Happy Thanksgiving. MAYOR'S REPORT Mayor LYnn Hotton cautioned those having to drive over the holiday to please not drink and drive. She is in the process of forming some labor/management committee meetings under a new format that gets people involved in a more proactive manner to start taking about issues before they escalate to the point where people are unhappy and running on emotion. Recently, members of the Police Department attended several training sessions on Diversity Training and Dispute Resolution. And, Sexual Harassment Training sessions have been held for all City employees as well as.managers. She also wished everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. PUBLIC RECOGNITION Gordy Byrd reported he attended Council's budget review Study Session on November 21, and found it very interesting. During that TAPE #1248 City Council Reg. Mtg. Minutes November 22, 1994 Page 4 of 9 meeting, Council discussed how to measure the money taken in during the time an event was taking place in the downtown area. He felt there should be some simple way to measure the income derived during a specific period of time. He gave a run down of recent contributions to his Byrds Nest Shelter program. Lastly, he wished Shannon Cook a happy 23rd birthday. Don Atkinson, Bremerton Main Street Association, announced for the third year they are sponsoring a Holiday Downtown Window Decorating competition. This years plan is to decorate windows in vacant buildings and those participating include churches, individual families, service clubs, businesses, government workers, school classes, the Vocational Skill Center and the City Council. The PACK Team is in the process of installing christmas lights on trees along 4th Street, which will be lighted on Saturday at 4:00 P.M. The Ginger Bread House will open on Saturday and Sunday, at BuNell and Pacific. Santa and Mrs. Clause will arrive at 11:00 A.M. on Saturday at 4th and Pacific and also at 11:00 A.M., a Treasure Hunt in the downtown area will start at Yesterday, Todays and Tomorrows. A noted author will be signing books at Yesterdays at 2:00 P.M.. Shannon Cook reminded everyone of the Festival Of Trees at the Kitsap Pavilion starting on November 25. She was pleased to report she will be starting a new job at Holly Ridge on December 1. 7B - INTERGOVERNMENTAL COOPERATION AGREEMENT WITH KITSAP COUNTY TO EXPLORE MANAGEMENT ORGANIZATION8 FOR PUBLIC ACCESS TELEVISION, #AB94-246 County-wide Cable Access programming is now possible with the completion of the County's franchise negotiations. The Mayor and staff are interested in pursuing a contract with a private consultant, jointly funded by the County and the City, to explore alternative management organizations to provide Public, Education, and Government Access. The attached agreement provides the County with authority to enter into a contract for those services and ill the City for our proportionate share. The County Administrative Services Director and City Administrative Services Director will work closely with the consultant. Kathleen McCluskev, City Clerk, added the City's share is not to exceed $5,000 and may actually be less than that.amount. Public comment - none. Mr. Overson pointed out that according to the proposed time line progress on this proposal is as predicted. He sees this as an excellent approach to maximize Bremerton's access cable program. Mr. Neville stated he concurred with Mr. Overson's comments and TAPE #1248 City Council Reg. Mtg. Minutes November 22, 1994 Page 5 of 9 serving as a member of the Cable Advisory Committee, it will provide an excellent opportunity for the City to expand its facilities and bring in the County that will expand government access to all of the people in Kitsap County, not just the residents of Bremerton. Mr. Winters stated he felt it was important for the public to understand that the dollars coming from the County will increase the amount of funding to update equipment and provide a wider range of programming. Mr. Colvin asked if this proposal would allow County residents to view Bremerton City Council sessions? President Huff-Menees stated yes and Bremerton residents will be able to view County government in action. Mr. Dawkins questioned if County Government meetings will be televised? He wasn't sure how long their meetings will last considering past attendance has brought out as many as 100-200 people. Mr. Farr pointed out the time line shows that a Community Resource Team will be appointed by the City/County in January of 1995. He asked for an explanation of the opportunity for public involvement through the establishment of that group. Mrs. McCluskey stated what is anticipated, and subject to what the consultant recommends, is that the process be stated initially by getting a lot of feedback from the community of what they want in the way of public access. It is proposed that the Team be comprised from a broad section of County and City individuals interested in public access. Once that group is formed, they would then hold some focus meetings, talk with various community groups and individuals, and over a period of time would asses what they would like to see in the way of public access. The information obtained by the Community Resource Team will also help the City with its Cable refranchising process by determining if the public wants .1-2-3 channels of public access, would they prefer more programming, do they like public access, do they want more education and do they want more government coverage. Once that information is gathered, the consult will work that into a recommendation back to the Council and County Commissioners. Mr. Law stated the presentation made to the Council Fiscal and Budget Committee was outstanding and from that he had two observations, one being that with the objective of having three government channels available, he would hope there would be the requirement that the Cable companies not shorten the number of channels now available. #1040 TAPE #1248 City Council Reg. Mtg. Minutes November 22, 1994 Page 6 of 9 Mr. Winters pointed out some people believe the City has a lot of control on what is being broadcast on the access channel. He asked Ms. McCluskey to explain how the appointment of a Board of Directors would work in this new format of organization? Mrs. McCluskev explained there would be an independent Board Of Directors (independent of the County or City), who would formulate their own operating rules and regulations, although the consultant will provide the basis for that process. In terms of programming, the City would not have any say about what goes on the air and would be totally controlled by the Board of Directors and the operation staff of the cable access channel. Under FCC Rules there is not a lot of control on what is broadcast on public access, however, it cannot be pornographic or indecent, but in terms of content it is fairly wide open. This proposal would remove the City one step further and in the City's view it would be a true public access run by the citizens and Board of Directors, with decisions made by them under the guidance of the FCC rules. M/S/C/U(Montgomery/Winters) to approve Interlocal Agreement with Kitsap County to explore PEG access organizations. 7C - KITSAP PHY8ICIAN8 SERVICE8 GROUP ENDORSEMENT IV, #AB94-247 The City has contracted with KPS since 1990 for provision of medical services. Due to the accelerated growth of the medical reserve, the City and KPS realigned rates in 1994 to more accurately reflect usage. The reduction of rates impacted the administrative fee which was based on a percentage of net premium. We have spent the better part of 1994 negotiating the administrative fee and conversion fee. The result has been an approximate $3,000 reduction of administrative fees and elimination of the $5,000 conversion fee. It is proposed that the attached endorsement be accepted for the period 1/01/94 to 12/31/94. Kathleen McCluskey, City Clerk, pointed out that this is a 1994 contract and the reason it has taken so long to finalize has been the process for negotiating the fees and the issue over the City's Medical Reserve account. This action will finalize the Administrative Fee and the premiums that the City has charged throughout the year, and it elaborates on a section of the old contract that had to do with organ transplant and provides some further benefit in terms of payment and the definition of what is covered. GordV Byrd questioned the intent of this proposal. Mrs. McCluskey briefly outlined the information stated above. Mr. Dawkins pointed out the City has had an excellent relationship with KPS for five years. #1184 TAPE #1248 City Council Reg. Mtg. Minutes November 22, 1994 Page 7 of 9 M/S/C/U(Overson/Winters) to accept the proposed endorsement for the period 1/01/94 to 12/31/94. 8A - WEST MONROE AREA ANNEXATION 75% PETITIONAND ORDINANCE (FIRST READING), #AB94-248 Property owners of the area described asthe West Monroe area, have finalized a 75% Petition conforming to the City Council's requirements as ordered at the July 20, 1994 meeting. According to RCW 35.13.125, the Council must now hold a public hearing for discussion on this matter. Any interested persons may appear and voice either approval or disapproval for this annexation. Following the hearing, the Legislative body must 1) approve the ordinance annexing the area on the first reading, and pass it on the second; or 2) reject the annexation. President Huff-Menees asked the "Appearance Of Fairness/Conflict Of Interest" question with all members being seated. Terrie O,Neill, Municipal Services Coordinator, explained this is the final step of the West Monroe Area Annexation. The City has policy statements that explains two reasons why the City likes to annex: (1) to give the City a stronger economic base; (2) to reduce the impacts of areas around the City utilizing City services. This annexation area meets both of those criteria. The annexation area is made up of 3 1/2 acres and located at the corner of Kean and Werner Road. The proposed ordinance accepts the area into the City and establishes the geographic area. The annexation area is located within a County island surrounded by Bremerton City limits. If approved, the annexation area would assume a proportional share of the City's indebtedness. The area is already served by City water and City sewer service is available and there are applications pending for City sewer service. Police and Fire are both within a 4-minute emergency response, so it is a logical annexation area. The annexation area is made up of 20 parcels and a majority of those owners have consented to the annexation, thereby making a greater than 75% of those owners consenting on a petition to annex. There are eight homes located in the area and one new structure (garage). Four of the homes are occupied, but three homes are vacant - two up on blocks, one a trailer and one home was destroyed by fire last week. GordV Byrd asked if the annexation area is known as Knollwood? Mrs. O'Neill stated no, Knollwood is located at the top of Werner within the County island, but not included in this annexation. TAPE #1248 City Council Reg. Mtg. Minutes November 22, 1994 Page 8 of 9 Mr. Law stated the residence located on Werner Road about 1/3 the distance from Madison Street and the two houses up on wheels look like candidates for abatement. He questioned can the two houses up on blocks be abated and what are the time frames if we have to start at "ground zero" to do something with them? Dave Nelson, Building Official, stated the two houses currently up on cribs or blocks were moved from the Kean Street location. It is his understanding that a call was made to the County for information about what is happening with those buildings. It is his understanding that one of the houses up on cribs/blocks is being abated by the County and one was potentially approved to be moved onto another lot in that area, however, he does not have confirmation that is the current status. He toured the area this afternoon and found the burned house was demolished and knocked down, another housewas collapsed down to where the roof is sitting on the ground and there are three other residences, two of which are in fairly substantial condition. At least half of the structures are candidates for abatement, however, he did not know if they are currently under abatement by the County. Mr. Law stated if we cannot document that the County has done any abatement proceedings, what would be the time frame for the City to carry out an abatement? Mr. Nelson stated under the abatement process time must be allowed for the owner to obtain permits to either repair the facility or do the demolition. The City's definition of a reasonable time frame is 30 days to obtain necessary permits and 60 days, to complete the work with the potential of at least one extension putting it out to 120 days if repair work is being done. If a demolition permit is acquired, the owner is given 60 days to carry out the work and no extensions are given. Mr. Overson pointed out the petition contains signatures of the owners of the existing residences and apparently they are aware of the condition of those buildings. Mrs. O,Neill stated the petition contains signatures from all but one of the owners that currently live within the annexation area as well as signatures from Bill Sesko and Chuck Haselwood, who own property where some of the homes are presently stored. Mr. Farr noted the ordinance states the official Zoning Map will be amended to reflect the annexed property as SF-3. He asked Mrs. O'Neill to explain how the zoning determination is made when property is annexed. Mrs. O'Neill explained during the initial phase of the annexation during.the 10% petition, Council gave her three directions: (1) that this was an acceptable area to annex; (2) wanted them to pay taxes even though they had not had the opportunity to vote on all of them; (3) to accept it under a default zoning, which means administratively assigning zoning that would be as close a match to what the County has currently zoned that area until 60 days following the annexation. The Planning #1652 TAPE #1248 City Council Reg. Mtg. Minutes November 22, 1994 Page 9 of 9 Commission has already developed their recommendation for zoning of the annexation area and it should be before Council in a few short weeks with a final zoning recommendation. Mr. Overson stated the annexation area involves three streets, Bloomer Street, Monroe Street and Madison Street. He questioned if he understood correctly that Monroe was the only street that exists. Mrs. O,Neill explained Bloomer Street does exist as does Madison Street, however, it is unimproved and does not have curbs and gutter. The alleyway in the middle isn't visible, however, it is in the plat. The other road is inside of Mr. Barcelon's property and she believes he is petitioning for a vacation of some of those rights-of-way. Mr. Overson stated then the logical proposal would be vacated as described, but nothing has happened so far. Mrs. O'Neill stated that process cannot be started until the property is annexed into the City. M/S/C/U(Colvin/Dawkins) to approve the ordinance on first reading, annexing an area known as the West Monroe Area and fixing the effective date of annexation. With no further business meeting adjourned at 6:35 P.M. KATHLEEN L. M~CLUS~EY, City Clerk SHEdMEN C~u~~ City of BremerfNo~~'~ KLM/SH-M/me cc: Normal Distribution File/Vault