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Home My WebLink About11/12/2013 Study Session 487 YAKIMA CITY COUNCIL STUDY SESSION November 12 2013 City Hall -- Council Chambers 9:30 a.m. Executive Session regarding Real estate or land and property acquisition 10 a.m. Council Study Session regarding 1) Winter Homeless Shelters 2) Pit Bull / Dangerous Dog Ordinance and 3) Transit Issues -- MINUTES 1. Roll Call Council: Mayor Micah Cawley, presiding, Assistant Mayor Maureen Adkison, Council Members Sara Bristol, Kathy Coffey (arrived at 10:03 a.m.), Rick Ensey, Dave Ettl and Bill Lover Staff: City Manager O'Rourke and City Clerk Clear Tee 2. 9:30 a.m. Executive Session regarding Real Estate or Land and Property Acquisition Executive Session was held and adjourned at 9:45 a.m. 3. 10 a.m. Winter Homeless Shelters City Manager O'Rourke briefed the Council on the proposed conditions for the homeless shelters. The following people spoke in support of emergency winter homeless shelters: Ken Trainor with Sunrise Outreach; Lisa Reinmuth, City resident; Ken Jones, City resident, Minister of the Unitarian Church; Tim Sullivan, non - resident, with Yakima County Human Services; Erin Black, City resident, and Executive Director of the YWCA and representative of the Homeless Network of Yakima; David Helseth, City resident and Pastor of Englewood Christian Church; and Bob McLaughlin, City resident and former principal at Davis High School. After Council discussion, Ensey moved and Bristol seconded to accept the winter homeless shelters with the conditions listed. The motion carried by unanimous roll call vote. 4. 10:10 a.m. Pit Bull /Dangerous Dog Ordinance City Manager O'Rourke noted the City received a request for reconsideration of the ordinance banning pit bulls. Codes Manager /Fire Marshall Joe Caruso briefed Council on the history of the ordinance. City Prosecuting Attorney Cynthia Martinez reported they have 18 pit bull cases pending, with 7 cases already closed for the year. Council Member Coffey asked how they know a dog is a pit bull. Mr. Caruso stated Animal Control Officer Ben Zigan is recognized by the Courts as an expert witness on the matter. Mr. Zigan explained how he can determine if a dog is a pit bull. Council Member Coffey asked how many dangerous dogs are on file with the Animal Control Division. Mr. Caruso stated there are none. The following people spoke in favor of eliminating the City of Yakima ordinance regarding the Page 1 "of 3 488 Breed Specific Law banning pit bulls: Becki Pascua, city resident; James Boyer, city resident; Yvette Lippert, city resident; and Ryan Low, city resident, who provided the Council with a proposed draft for changing the ordinance. The following people spoke in favor of retaining the ordinance: Lynn Buchanan, City resident, and noted he was on the Council that adopted this ordinance; Joe Willis, City resident; Doug Robinson, non - resident, who stated his daughter Darla grew up in West Valley, moved to California, where she rescued two pit bull dogs that attacked and killed her when she was four months pregnant. Council Member Ensey read a letter supporting the ordinance from Jim Keightley, City resident and Council Member Ettl read a letter from the Yakima Police Patrolman's Association, which is strongly in support of the existing ordinance. Council Member Bristol asked if Animal Control had received a request regarding a pit bull as a service dog inside City limits. Mr. Caruso stated the dog was not a pit bull; therefore, the request wasn't necessary. After further Council discussion, Ettl moved and Coffey seconded to hold off on making a decision to allow time to consider the information provided at the meeting today. The motion carried by a 6 -1 roll call vote with Lover voting no. 5. 11 a.m. Yakima Transit Proposal Acting Public Works Director Scott Schafer presented a PowerPoint presentation on Transit routes and costs. He stated the cost savings from eliminating route 8 would be approximately $300,000 annually. The fleet is aging, and the useful life of a bus is about 14 years. A third of the fleet is older than that and historically they have been buying used buses that are already beyond the useful date when purchased. Tom Hanson with Washington State Department of Transportation, Public Transportation Division, reported the City of Yakima's commuter bus to Ellensburg is one of the highlights of Eastern Washington second only to Pullman. He stated they are happy to help the City if they need any additional assistance, but feels City staff has done a great job of analyzing the situation. The following people spoke in favor of keeping the routes as they are: Royal Schoen, City resident; Robert Strader, City resident; Linda Sellsted, spoke on behalf of Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic; Connie Yay, Clinic Director at Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic, who expressed concern for their clients who utilize the bus. After Council discussion, Ensey moved and Lover seconded that the service to Ellensburg and other areas outside the City limits be a complete cost recovery. The motion failed by a 5 -2 roll call vote with Ensey and Lover voting yes. Cawley moved and Adkison seconded to approve option 2. The motion carried by a 5 -2 roll call vote with Ensey and Lover voting no. 6. Adjournment Ensey moved and Adkison seconded to adjourn to the next Council Business meeting on November 19, 2013 at 6 p.m. in the Council Chambers. The motion carried by unanimous voice vote and the meeting adjourned at 12:31 p.m. CERTIFICATION Page 2 of 3 489 / (- READ AND CERTIFIED ACCURATE BY CIL ,__ZDATE / C ME ER r 6Z -rte -lam OUNCIL MEMBER DATE FT: Ceg a - CITY CLERK �.1 '177' 0,1. YOR ;g / C * Page 3 of 3 •