HomeMy WebLinkAbout11-20-2000 - MinutesMEDINA CITY COUNCIL
November 20, 2000
5:00 PM
SPECIAL MEETING MINUTES
EXECUTIVE SESSION
Medina City Hall
501 Evergreen Point Rd.
At 5:00 p.m. and under authority of RCW 42.30.110, Mayor Becker called the Medina City Council into
executive session to discuss pending litigation. The executive session was adjourned at 5:55 p.m.
CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Becker called the special meeting of the Medina City Council to order at 5:55 p.m. The meeting was
recorded on audiotape.
R(�I _L CALL
Present: Council Members Paul Demitriades, Suzanne Cohen, Jim Lawrence, Thomas Morgan, Mary
Odermat, Steve Preston and Mayor Dan Becker
Staff Present: City Manager Doug Schulze, City Attorney Kirk Wines, Police Chief Michael Knapp, Planning
Director Jenny Schultz, Finance Officer Jan Burdue, Public Works Superintendent Carl
Burris and Interim City Clerk Caroll Wedlund
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Council Member Demitriades announced two upcoming Trans -Lake meetings on November 29, 2000 at the
First Presbyterian Church on Bellevue Way, and a Washington State Department of Transportation open
house from on November 30, 2000 at the North Bellevue Senior Center on 148`h Street. He added that
representatives of the four points communities would be present.
ORDINANCES
ORDINANCE NO. 698 AN ORDINANCE RELATING TO THE PROTECTION AND PRESERVATION OF
LANDMARKS IN THE CITY OF MEDINA• ESTABLISHING PROCEDURES FOR DESIGNATION AND
PRESERVATION OF LANDMARKS; PROVIDING FOR ENFORCEMENT AND PRESCRIBING
PENALTIES FOR VIOLATION; AND ESTABLISHING AN INITIAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC
LANDMARKS
Council Member Cohen requested, and the Council concurred, that Ordinance No. 698 be posted for a
public hearing at the December regular Council meeting. Council Member Lawrence requested that an
announcement regarding this hearing for the future of the Medina Store and City Hall be placed in the
Medina Newsletter. Council Member Cohen requested, with the concurrence of the Council, that a
separate postcard mailing be sent to Medina residents regarding this issue.
ORDINANCE NO. 699 AN ORDINANCE DECLARING A MORATORIUM ON THE DEMOLITION OF
BUILDINGS OF HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE
Council Member Morgan moved, seconded by Council Member Demitriades, to approve Ordinance No. 699
as written. The vote was unanimous. City Attorney Wines noted that this issue would be discussed as part
of the public hearing during the regular December Council meeting.
City Council Meeting
November 20, 2000
Page 2
NEW BUSINESS
RESOLUTION NO. 274 DESIGNATING MEDINA GROCERY AND MEDINA CITY HALL AS HISTORIC
LANDMARKS
Council Member Demitriades moved, seconded by Council Member Preston, that a resolution be prepared
to indicate that, "In accordance with the Medina Comprehensive Plan and requests by the citizens, the
Medina City Council designates two buildings as historic landmarks, the Medina Grocery and Medina City
Hall. " The vote for passage was unanimous, and City Attorney Wines volunteered to draft Resolution No.
274 effective November 20, 2000.
DISCUSSION
2001 PROPOSED BUDGET
Mayor Becker opened the Special Meeting for consideration of the proposed 2001 budget. City Manager
Schulze recalled that the Council had requested an analysis of the building and planning functions for
review and discussion. He presented a slide show for Council and audience discussion and deliberation of
the proposed 2001 budget. City Manager Schulze explained that the analysis included the cost of services,
fees the City was collecting to recover the actual cost of service, overhead and administrative costs for that
service. He explained that the analysis included staff time, consultant time and overhead expenses
associated with building and planning functions. City Manager Schulze pointed out that the permit fees did
not cover the administrative and overhead costs.
City Manager Schulze noted that the consultant billings were sometimes sent several months after the
service had been rendered, and that the City had to track them to the permit and bill the applicant. He
indicated that in some cases, it could be a year or more before the City billed the applicant, which created
collection problems with the applicants.
Council Member Morgan asked the City Manager what clarification changes would be necessary in the
Medina Municipal Code. City Manager Schulze responded that it would involve clarification of the wording,
so that the base fee would be charged based upon the administrative and overhead costs; consulting fees
for permits would be above and beyond the base fee. Council Member Morgan suggested that this change
be implemented early in 2001 in order to institute a tracking function. City Manager Schulze announced
that staff had been reviewing tracking software, and was very near a decision.
City Manager Schulze relayed that the Code was designed so that the Council confirmed the
recommendations of the City Manager. Council Member Lawrence asked about Medina's land use fee
percentages in comparison with other cities. City Manager Schulze responded that the fees were set by
the Uniform Building Code, and that adoption included acceptance of the fee structure. Council Member
Lawrence asked if there was a way to change the fee structure. City Manager Schulze indicated that it was
a percentage of the cost to construct the structure. Mayor Becker stated that the City did not have to
accept the Uniform Building Code, and that it was only a recommendation. City Manager Schulze stated
that the City did not have to adopt the Code, and that the only thing that could be changed in the Uniform
Building Code was the Administrative Section. Any change other than in the Administrative Section would
have to be approved by the State Building Council. He continued that the City could apply to change it, but
if the State Building Council disagreed, the only option would be to write a Medina Building Code. City
Manager Schulze indicated that he could survey some cities and determine if any one had reduced the
percentage. He announced that there was some flexibility in the charge for plan review. Council Member
Lawrence stated that he would like the Council to review such a survey.
City Manager Schulze summarized the three choices for service delivery, including contracting for services,
full time employees, and the current contract/employee option. He referred to the Council packet cost
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November 20, 2000
Page 3
benefit analysis with regard to responsiveness, customer accessibility, accountability and staff coordination,
noting that weights had been assigned for each category.
City Manager Schulze referred to the space options, noting that his information had been obtained from two
real estate professionals, as well as an article from the Seattle Times. He pointed out that the average cost
for space in downtown Bellevue was $34 per square foot. City Manager Schulze added that the land
acquisition/build alternative was based upon an actual offer he had received from a landowner in the
community who was interested in selling. He relayed that the usefulness would be to compare a 20-year
cost to lease with the 20-year cost of a loan for the useful life of a structure. Council Member Preston
requested more information regarding how the City could structure the fee increases. City Manager
Schulze responded that this was a policy decision with which the Council would have to feel comfortable.
He added that typically, the fees were set to cover administrative and overhead costs. He explained that
increasing the fees would involve a little more work to define actual costs and to reach agreement regarding
what the Council believed to be appropriate. This would be weighed against administrative and overhead
costs, reviewing the base fee for each type of permit and identifying permit fees that were lower.
DISCUSSION
2001 PROPOSED BUDGET
Mayor Becker relayed that there was general consensus among Council Members that the City was
subsidizing building permits, and that it was not required to do so. Council Member Morgan emphasized
that the building permit fees should be increased, and that the actual levels could be set in January or
February of 2001. He also noted that the Code should be clarified with regard to the fee levels. Council
Member Morgan stated that the City should also have a better tracking system. Council Member Preston
cautioned the Council that moving the building and planning functions to another location would cost the
City additional money. City Manager Schulze requested clear policy direction regarding whether or not
service should be provided for a code enforcement person. He added that the decision regarding whether
or not that position should be a full time equivalent or a consultant could come after adoption of the budget.
Council Member Demitriades relayed if the Council plugged in a code enforcement position at the
consultant rate, they could later determine whether or not it would be a staff position or a consultant.
Council Member Cohen stressed that the City desperately needed a code enforcement position, and that
the Council should determine the most efficient way to fund it. Council Members Lawrence, Preston and
Morgan concurred that a consultant at the 100 percent pass through rate should fill the code enforcement
position. Mayor Becker agreed, adding that by budgeting for a consultant, if the Council later decided upon
a staff position, there would be a budget savings. Council Member Odermat wanted it to be filled as a staff
position.
City Manager Schulze pointed out that further discussions were necessary regarding capital projects.
Council Member Morgan emphasized that the Council was dealing with a cost overrun issue, as well as an
uncertainty regarding Initiative 722. He added that 80`h Avenue NE needed repairs, and recommended
appropriating some money to define the problem as quickly as possible, but not to appropriate the money
Roth Hill had estimated for that project. Council Member Morgan was also in support of adding a nominal
amount of money for the project on NE 12" Street. He continued that the Fairweather Park completion still
had a deficit of an undefined amount. Council Member Morgan suggested putting the gym upgrade on hold
until the issue could be resolved regarding available funds for 2001. He recommended that a study be
funded to examine the severity of the drainage problems associated with the Indian trail between NE 24th
Street and 84th Avenue NE. Council Member Preston commented that the budget could always be
amended, if needed. Council Member Morgan proposed removing the $490,000 appropriation and adding
$100,000 for the various studies. In that way, the Council could prioritize the projects as soon as they had
a plan. Council Member Cohen indicated that any safety -related projects should not be postponed.
Mayor Becker queried of the City Manager whether anyone had contacted Bellevue Schools to determine if
there was an issue at 80m Avenue NE and NE 81h Street. City Manager Schulze responded affirmatively,
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November 20, 2000
Page 4
adding that the School District had recommended a sidewalk, and had provided a letter of support for
Medina's grant application. However, Medina did not receive the grant. The Council decided by
unanimous consensus that the City Manager should move forward with $100,000 for planning.
Council Member Odermat cautioned that the Council still needed to address the issue of engineering.
Mayor Becker responded that there would be a Council Study session on November 27, 2000.
ADJOURNMENT
Council Member Demitriades moved to adjourn the Regular City Council meeting, seconded by Council
Member Morgan. All were in favor, and the meeting was adjourned at 6:57 p.m.
EXECUTIVE SESSION
At 6:57 p.m., and under authority of RCW 42.30.110, an Executive Session was held for the purpose of
discussion of pending litigation. By unanimous consensus, Council members closed the Executive Session
at 6:57 p.m.
Daniel F. Becker, Mayor
Attest:
,1
Caroll P. Wedlund, Interim City Clerk