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Home My WebLink About07/03/1990 Adjourned Meeting JULY 3, 1990 CITY OF YAKIMA, WASHINGTON ADJOURNED MEETING • 1. ROLL CALL • The City Council met in session on this date at 11:30 A.M. in the YMCA . "Y" Men's Meeting Room. Mayor Pat Berndt, presiding, Council members Henry Beauchamp, Lynn Buchanan, George Pechtel, and Bernard Sims present. Council rimember-Skip Semon present after 12:30 P.M. Council member Clarence :Barnett absent. City staff . members present were City Manager Zais, City Attorney Vanek and Deputy City Clerk Lovell. Representatives of - the CIP Committee present were Assistant City Manager Stouder, Director of Community & Economic Development Glenn Rice, Supervising Associate Planner Joan Davenport, Fire Chief Gerald Beeson, Public Works Director Jerry Copeland, Parks & Recreation Manager Dave Flaherty, Transit Manager Bill Schultz, Director of Engineering & Utilities Dennis Covell, Director of Finance and Budget John Hanson and Wastewater Superintendent Chris Waarvick. • 2: 'SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING WITH CIP'CCMMITTEE - .City Council T members met •with ° City's Capital Improvement Commitee (CIP) to review the City's Capital Improvement efforts. Council members have received copies of the material that has been published in the budget and refined annually. Assistant City Manager,Stouder said that establishment of priorities by the City Council for comprehensive utility plans in 1984 and 1985 began a comprehensive staff -wide and community -wide approach to capital. improvements. The Capital Improvement Committee, consisting of all department heads and key management staff, has been working together for five years to coordinate planning and discuss "big picture" ideas. The Committee assists individual departments with specific projects, and has evolved into a good forum for presenting and testing ideas. The name of the Committee has actually changed to the Metropolitan Yakima Comprehensive Plan Committee to reflect the scope of the working group and paths taken. Assistant City Manager Stouder turned the meeting over to Mayor Berndt so that Council members could ask questions and discuss the program. Public Works Director Copeland said the City is facing immediate - years of challenge and controversy. Maintaining reasonable traffic carrying capabilities on arterials requires hard decisions, or the alternative will be a congested traffic circulation system contributing neither to growth nor to the quality of life in Yakima. His immediate concerns are arterials and mini - markets. A mini- market on every arterial corner contributes little to the economy and much to traffic system congestion. Recent statistics show traffic at some intersections in Yakima is increasing at the rate of 10% per year. Currently, staff does not have the tools to deal with the engineers representing developers. INb have no traffic model and no arterial usage plan to project growth in the immediate future. The Public Works Department has checked with cities throughout the state to see how they are dealing with similar situations, and they are all basically developing traffic -1- ADJOURNED MEETING - JULY 3, 1990 37 models to help them in their planning. Yakima will, need to do the same to be able to deal with developers. • Mayor Berndt reported that she,. Council member Barnett and County Commissioner Tollefson met with Hearing, Examiner Phil Lamb last week. Mr. Lamb confirmed that the- review process has become very complicated, with developers utilizing,.large sums of money and professional ,staffs to support their, proposals.. Mr. Copeland said the City needs to be better prepared.to.deal with developers. Council member Sims asked what is necessary to create models, and Mr. Copeland replied that it could be addressed through the Comprehensive Plan. Mr. Copeland stated that Washington Avenue is probably the only arterial without obvious congestion. If people • west of 16th Avenue can't get downtown easily,. Council efforts for a growing downtown will be futile, as developers will encourage their clients to locate a shopping center on the west side. Council member Beauchamp asked if the congestion is caused by development or population growth, and Mr. Copeland said that it was a combination of both elements. All services are , being strapped, - and every .aspect of the Department is busier than ever before. Mayor Berndt observed, that .40th Avenue., the City's last north /south route has already exceeded its capacity, and proposed development near .the freeway will further complicate the situation. Mayor Berndt asked haw the long range plan for..north /south routes is going to be addressed: Assistant City Manager Stouder answered that it will be considered in the Comprehensive Plan,. which will update the current.. Land. Use Plan.. The Growth Management Act has motivated the City to begin working in..this direction. • Public Works Director Copeland said we cannot develop a model until the Planning Department generates a Comprehensive Plan. In the meantime, only stop -gap planning can be done. Assistant City Manager Stouder cautioned that we cannot set land use development standards based on past controversy, because it is the nature of business to keep Council member Pechtel felt the Council p '' has been fence too long, and needs to decide if they are going to make a commitment to develop and support the Downtown ;. Plan:Council.niember Sims reported that and Council members - , . Pechtel and Semon with the - three major downtown anchor stores last week. The retailers feel the Plan is driven to keep the anchors where they are, but their customers are telling them they are not conveniently'located. Mayor Berndt felt it is critical to keep development within the city limits of Yakima. Public - Works Director Copeland feels - if Yakima -- grows, people absolutely need to have good arterials to get across town. We need to decide which streets are going .to be arterials and try to maintain them. Assistant City Manager Stouder said the Council's dilemma is to represent the •community interest vs. the profit motive. Council member Sims felt the Council should not over- . regulate, but a logical plan for growth is needed. Council member Semon did not feel it was the City's responsibility to determine the merchandising mix in the community. City Manager Zais stated that the City cannot put a moratorium on growth until the Comprehensive Plan is completed, and the current plan will have to be used as a guide. Community & Economic Development Director . • -2- 3 d 8 ADJOURNED 'MEETING - JULY 3, 1990 Rice stated that a preponderance of rezone requests in itself demonstrates a need,' and it is time to start looking'at changes. City Manager Zais reported survey, data from Graham Tollefson ' ' indicated. in a survey 10 years ago that 88% of the people in the area favored maintaining the agricultural base of the County. A recent survey indicated a figure of less than 300: These figures ' show 'a significant change in the direction of the urban area. 'Mayor'Berndt advised Council that recent state legislation to limit land subdivision and increase septic tank standards will have an impact on city services. .Council member Semon asked if there is a lack of commercial land for development in the City. 'Mr. Rice said that land is available, although not always affordable or located in • the desired area. Council member Semon feels there is plenty of room for'growth, and that alternative sites are reasonable for businesses that create their own traffic. City Manager Zais that staff is working to answer questions raised 'at the four recent Downtown meetings. Another meeting will be scheduled to review the answers and concerns before the Downtown Plan is.given to Council to finalize. Staff feels that Chapter, 6, the implementation chapter, should be a new process and should not be a part of this Plan. Council member Semon felt that Chapter 6 should not be written at this time since it will be an ongoing, changing process rather than a final document. (Council member Beauchamp absent after 1:15 P.M.) City Manager Zais referred to the memo he and Wastewater Superintendent. Waarvick prepared in response to ,questions from Council members concerning the Cost of Service Study. This is an important topic that will be addressed very soon by. the Council. 3. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 1 :30 P.M. READ AND CERTIFIED ACCURATE BY: // � i�� : '•UNCIL mER DATE A 4 4 1Id _ ' _lJ. �..'11 COUNC MEMBER V DATE if ATTEST: Qa 4.44 CITY CLERK MAYOR Minutes prepared by Deputy City Clerk Lovell. • - -1-