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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05/08/1990 Adjourned Meeting 483 MAY 8, 1990 CITY OF YAKIMA, WASHINGTON ADJOURNED MEETING • 1. INFORMAL DISCUSSIONS AMONG COUNCIL MEMBERS The City Council met in session on this date at 7:00 A.M. at the Restaurant at the Airport in Yakima, Washington for the purpose of conducting informal discussions regarding City business. Mayor Pat Berndt, presiding, Council members Lynn Buchanan, George Pechtel, Skip Semon and Bernard Sims present on roll call. Council member Henry Beauchamp present after 8:25 A.M. Council member Clarence Barnett absent and excused. City Manager Zais, Assistant City Manager Stouder, and City Clerk Roberts also present. Council members continued their discussion regarding the visioning process. Assistant City Manager Stouder distributed a draft • revised fact sheet, which suggests one or two broad based community meetings. An interim steering committee could then make a preliminary outline of the task committees needed. This effort could be launched in September, then refining the structure of the task force subjects could begin. He stated that YCDA had a mini - visioning session and something like that could be a beginning point. (Council member Beauchamp present 8:25 A.M.) Council member Sims expressed concern that without a specific leader to coordinate this project, it may never come to fruition. Mayor Berndt suggested the first meeting be by invitation only and not necessarily be an open meeting, which would require a Council Committee. Council will take the leadership role of kicking it off, but then it would be a community based effort. Council . member Sims suggested that Jay Grandy be added to the list of community leaders who could participate in the initial process of this project. Mayor Berndt stated she would provide Council a list of names and requested that any changes to that list be given to her. Council members debated whether a leader should be selected by Council or whether a leader should emerge from a meeting of several community leaders. Mr. Stouder suggested Council might want to speak individually with some of these leaders about the • project, interim functions and technical support. It was the consensus of Council to identify .six to eight.community leaders, talk to them, ' and ask them to meet and see if a leader comes out of that group. The next step being, getting a larger group of the people on that initial list to get involved. Mayor Berndt suggested Mel Arnett, YMCA, be added to the list of possible leaders including Phil Tullar, Rick Linneweh, Greta Bryant, Nick Temple, Jim Whiteside, and Jay Grandy. Dean Starr, Fred Iraola and Frank Gutierrez were added to the secondary list of names started at the last discussion. Mayor Berndt stated this initial group would develop a structure and then the individual committees will develop the task force committees. She said that, hopefully, the list of initial leaders will be completed in 24 hours. Council member Semon inquired about the status of the report on addressing the law and justice .issue without the County's participation. City Manager Zais reported the timing for that report is possibly early June. He stated that if this is placed on the ballot, Chief Green wanted an opportunity to identify a core group of people to work toward passage of the bond issue. He said the County favors putting the 911 issue on the November ballot, so if the law and justice issue is placed on the ballot, it would be advantageous to place it on the September ballot. He stated there is still the question of a special Legislative session to address law and justice needs, which may be called for the first week of June. Council member Semon suggested a meeting with the Legislators prior to the June special session. City Manager Zais stated that his office has been trying to schedule a meeting with the Legislators, possibly for May 23rd. Mr. Semon spoke about the letter - writing campaign he initiated with the Legislators telling them Yakima has a special problem that is beyond Yakima County's AAD /1 4 8 4 MAY 8, 1990 ADJOURNED MEETING • ability to deal with and it's not just a local problem; therefore special legislation is needed. Mayor Berndt stated there are two problems; an international trafficking problem, which is not a local problem, and our local drug use problems. The timing of addressing this issue is critical so as not to give the State an impression that Yakima does not need any financial assistance. Council member Buchanan reported on the status of the CWU aviation school, commenting that local legislators are not very supportive of locating that school in Yakima. He expressed concern that houses are being built by the airport, and in the future those houses will have to be purchased for airport expansion: He said that the County Commissioners are going to have to do something to stop the residential development in that area. Mayor Berndt commented that a meeting with the County Commissioners regarding the airport would be in order. She further commented that Commissioner Tollefson indicated the college is not interested in locating the aviation school in Yakima. City Manager Zais suggested that the Air Terminal Board members be invited to a meeting with the County Commissioners to discuss airport operations. It was determined that Council member Buchanan and another Council member, together with an Airport Board member, will meet with the County Commissioners. The next topic for discussion was trees. Mr. Stouder stated the last discussion with Council resulted in a request for staff to come back with some other suggestions to deal with the street tree issue. Mayor Berndt interjected that Council also talked about getting a citizen group together to study this issue. Council member Sims shared information about a meeting he attended including Council members Pechtel and Semon regarding future planning for a second downtown mall. If the City wants to prevent malls at locations other than downtown, then there should be a plan in place for assembling additional property in the downtown, area for a mall, and suggested a consultant should be hired to do a land assemblage study. Council member Pechtel commented that he was contacted last week by someone who had been contacted by a multi- million dollar developer who wanted to know if there was property in the downtown area for another mall. Council member Semon pointed out some downtown properties which could possibly be considered for such a development. City Manager Zais asked Council members if they would be interested in going to. Richland this Saturday for the Eastern Washington Cities meeting. Council member Pechtel indicated he could attend. Council member Sims asked for an outline on the issues of: law and justice, 911, EMS, joint training facility for Fire and Police, and central dispatch. He would like a one page summary of how these issues can be combined. Mr. Sims proposed that an outline be done with the dollar cost, the funding source and how this all: comes together. City Manager Zais stated staff can do that. 2. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at the hour of 9:00 . • '' • READ AND CERTIFIED ACCURATE BY: 4 1► L $• • MEMBER 7 DATE ///./ OOUNCIL 1 viE' DATE ATTEST: ,AS 9,%/t CITY CLERK MAYOR AAD /2