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Home My WebLink About03-27-2000 - MinutesMEDINA CITY COUNCIL/PLANNING COMMISSION STUDY SESSION MINUTES March 27, 2000 Medina City Hall 4:00 P.M. 501 Evergreen Point Rd. CALL TO ORDER Mayor Becker called the Joint Study Session of the Medina City Council/Planning Commission to order at 4:04 p.m. City Council: Councilmembers Suzanne Cohen, Paul Demitriades, Jim Lawrence, Thomas Morgan, Mary Odermat, Steve Preston and Mayor Daniel Becker. Planning Commission: Commission Members Miles Adam, Gari Andreini, Robert Brog, V. Chair Mark Nelson and Todd Nunn Staff Present: City Manager Doug Schulze, City Attorney Kirk Wines, City Planner Jenny Schultz, Public Works Superintendent Carl Burris, Roth Hill Consultants Greg Hill, Kevin Goss, Pam Henderson, Kelly Snyder, Pete Super and City Clerk Kristen Finnigan. ANNOUNCEMENTS Mayor Becker announced that there would be an executive session at end of the regular meeting. CONSENT AGENDA Councilmember Lawrence moved to approve the February, 2000 personnel warrants which had not been approved at the regular Council Meeting. Seconded by Councilmember Cohen, all were in favor and the following items were approved: City Council Study Session March 27, 2000 Page 2 A. February Personnel Warrants - #17118 - #17176 $106,221.25 REPORTS Councilmember Morgan reviewed a memo that the Tree Preservation Committee had written to the City Council and City Manager. He explained that the Committee was convinced, on several levels, that the City of Medina has a critical situation with respect to the loss of trees, community ambiance, and wildlife habitat and that the City's existing ordinances needed major revision. He went on to explain their suggested plan of approach to the problem: OBJECTIVES OF TREE PRESERVATION COMMITTEE: 1.) To bring Medina's tree preservation and landscaping ordinances (primarily MMC Chapters 12 and 18) and actual current practices into line with the Comprehensive Plan, especially the section which encourages the preservation of trees (page 13). 2.) To bring Medina's ordinances into line with the best management practices of those progressive cities in the region that have already enacted legislation. 3.) To place Medina in a favorable position with respect to the Endangered Species Act (especially salmon and eagle habitat) as it relates to shoreline management of trees, vegetation and the resultant reduction of siltation and water pollution in Lake Washington. METHOD OF APPROACH TO THE PROBLEM: 1.) Authorize Otak , City Landscape Consultant, (Keith Bates) to develop a catalog of large, historic and significant trees and tree stands in the City of Medina, as soon as possible. 2.) Enact short-term emergency changes to existing ordinances in MMC Chapter 12, including the requirement of a permit from the City arborist for the cutting of any significant tree, definition of any tree over 4 inches in diameter as a significant tree, 100% replacement of large trees with the largest possible nursery stock, maintenance of replaced trees, reforestation of all sensitive areas subjected to development (e.g. Steep slopes, tram corridors), increased fines for violation of the ordinance, etc. City Council Study Session March 27, 2000 Page 3 3.) Develop, in the next 6 to 12 months, a more comprehensive ordinance for tree preservation and landscaping to meet the above objectives emphasizing preservation, replacement, reforestation and maintenance by incentives and enforcement. NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES Mayor Becker reported that he had attended the National League of Cities Conference in Washington, D.C., and that his recommendation was for the City to apply for membership to the group, at a cost of $300 for the year. ESA 4 (d) RULE DISCUSSION Mayor Becker introduced Will Stelle, Regional Administrator, National Marine Fisheries Service, and also Councilmember Ted Frantz from the Town of Hunts Point. He also thanked the Planning Commission Members for attending the meeting. Gregory Hill, Roth Hill Engineering introduced his company's Government Affairs - Team: Kevin Goss, E.I.T., Designer, Pam Henderson, Government Affairs Liaison, Kelly Snyder, Government Affairs Liaison and Pete Super, Project Technician. Roth Hill's team then presented an overview of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and how it relates to the City of Medina. The "take" (i.e. killing or harming of Puget Sound Chinook Salmon and Bull Trout, including degradation of their habitat) was discussed. Potential impacts were considered, as well as potential consequences of non-compliance. Response options were discussed, including participation in meetings and watershed planning activities, review of proposed rules and regulations and commenting on proposed rules and regulations. ESA - Next steps dates were discussed: April, 2000 - NMFS 4(d) Rule (Draft) April, 2000 - Tri-County Framework (Draft) June, 2000 - NMFS 4(d) Rule (Final) WRIA Planning - Ongoing Will Stelle, Regional Administrator, National Marine Fisheries Service commented that the presentation had been basically correct. He said that his agency encouraged the state to look at the way that it exercises their programs and decide what adjustments that they would be able to make to provide for City Council Study Session March 27, 2000 Page 4 conservation. He said that, on the County level, terms and conditions would need to be adopted to accommodate ESA safe activities Shoreline management was discussed. Mr. Stelle said that the Department of Ecology (DOE) was taking a very hard look at what kind of changes to make. Reasons for implementing a Stormwater Management Program were discussed, with the goal of the program described as being for pollution prevention and habitat protection. Stormwater management utilities and their funding were discussed. Concerns regarding Sensitive Areas Ordinance and roadway maintenance were also brought forth as well as the use of pesticides. The consensus was that the City would be guided through the process and it was necessary to wait until the Final 4(d) comes out, to review and understand its application to the city, responding if appropriate, at that time. Mayor Becker announced that Roth Hill would be addressing Stormwater Management Systems at the April Council Meeting. MEDINA PARK PROJECT The Mayor announced that there had been a recent development regarding the Medina Park Project. He said that AGI was back on the job and that it was anticipated that the project would now be completed. BUILDING PERMIT AND RELATED ISSUES There was no discussion relative to this issue, as the sub -committee's work was determined to be still underway. UNDERGROUNDING OF UTILITIES An Ad hoc Committee, including Mayor Becker, City Manager Schulze, Planning Commission Members Andreini and Brog, City Councilmembers Lawrence and Morgan, was established to study the possibility of undergrounding of utilities. City Council Study Session March 27, 2000 Page 5 EXECUTIVE SESSION At 5:52 p.m. and under authority of RCW 42.30.110, Mayor Becker announced that the Council would hold an executive session to discuss personnel matters, immediately following a five-minute break. ADJOURNMENT On a motion by Councilmember Cohen and a second by Councilmember Demitriades, the executive session was concluded and the Council meeting adjourned at 7:00 p.m. r Daniel Becker, Mayor Attest: K isten Finniga City Clerk