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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10/27/2015 Study Session286 YAKIMA CITY COUNCIL STUDY SESSION October 27, 2015 City Hall -- Council Chambers 10 a.m. 1. Roll Call Council: Mayor Micah Cawley, presiding, Assistant Mayor Kathy Coffey, Council Members Maureen Adkison (left the meeting at 12:15 p.m.), Tom Dittmar, Rick Ensey, Dave Ettl and Bill Lover Staff: City Manager O'Rourke, City Attorney Cutter and City Clerk Claar Tee 2. 2015 Citizen survey results This item was postponed. 3. 2015 Strategic plan review and proposed 2016 neighborhood partnership initiative City Manager O'Rourke briefed Council on the Strategic Plan and Proposed Neighborhood Partnership initiative. These are all macro challenges for the entire City and he is proposing to add Neighborhood Partnership Committees, as well as create Neighborhood Engagement Manager position with an Administrative Assistant to support this mission. This would repurpose Mr. Tarrant's previous position. This proposal would also add a grant process starting with a $100,000 grant to help incentivize the neighborhoods. Ester Huey, City resident, spoke in support of the proposal, but does not feel each Council member should select a representative from their district. She stated each district should be looked at as a whole, and the new position should report to the City Manager. Carole Folsom Hill, spoke in support of the proposal and believes it should be handled with the same process as other Council Committee structures. GC, Tony Courcy, City resident, stated he has come to many Council meetings and asked questions and only received one response. Luz Gutierrez, City resident, spoke in support of the proposal. The City has had a similar program in the past and the new position should report to the City Manager. She also believes anyone on this Committee should be a City resident. She thinks the current committee process does not work as it is not ethically diverse. After Council discussion, 287 MOTION: Cawley moved and Ensey seconded to approve this as a policy issue for the 2016 budget. The motion carried by a 5-2 vote with Dittmar and Lover voting no, Adkison absent. 4. Resolution authorizing Aquatic Center, associated Ground Lease, Development and Operating Agreements with the Yakima Family YMCA at Chesterley Park City Manager O'Rourke briefed Council on the aquatic agreements and noted the site is central to everything in Yakima. Chesterly Park was bought with state and federal grants and the City will need to find a substitute park for the portion dedicated to the acquatic facility, which would be the new SOZO park and could take over a year to finalize. The final contingency is soil assessments, and the YMCA must generate 80 percent of the funding for this project by the end of 2017. If either party wrongfully terminates the agreement, there is a one million dollar damage penalty. Assistant Mayor Coffey believes it is feasible to put together a committee to review options for a pool on the East side of the City. Dustin Yeager, with the YMCA, stated he worked with City Attorney Cutter on the agreements for the new facility. He believes there are many good reasons to have this pool at this location. It will be a cost sharing partnership, a benefit to the entire community, is centrally located and will be open to everyone with great accessibility. Bob Romero, General Director of the YMCA, presented a PowerPoint presentation on the project. He is very excited about this project and reassured Council they are ready to move forward. The following individuals spoke in favor of the aquatic facility at this location: Russ Meyers, City resident and CEO of Yakima Valley Memorial Services; Ken Marble, City resident; Rick Fairbrook, City resident and President of the YMCA; Steve Mitchell, City resident; Mark Hummel, City resident and Principal of Robertson Elementary; Keith Watson, DO at Pacific NW University; Ricardo Torres, City resident and Paul Larson, City resident. The following individuals spoke in favor of the aquatic facility but believe it should be on the East side of Yakima: Steve Hill, City resident and Vickie Ybarra, City resident. Carol Folsom -Hill, Nick Marquez, Mateo Arteaga, and Jonathan Carter, City residents, feel this project has been fast tracked and should have the new Council's input. Carrie Sattler, City resident and employee at the Yakima Athletic Club, feels it is unfair to private fitness facilities for the City to partner with a non-profit. City Attorney Jeff Cutter briefed Council on a typo, which has been corrected in the contract. After Council discussion, The City Clerk read the resolution by title only. MOTION: Dittmar moved and Ettl seconded to adopt the resolution. The motion carried by a 6-1 vote, Ensey voting no. 288 RESOLUTION NO. 2015-128, A RESOLUTION authorizing the execution of a Master Aquatic Center Agreement and associated Ground Lease, Development Agreement and Operating Agreement providing for the City's participation in the construction of an Aquatic Center in cooperation with the Young Men's Christian Association of Yakima, d/b/a the Yakima Family YMCA, all in accordance with the specific terms and conditions set forth in said Agreements. 5. City cost-sharing policy for Special Events Economic Development Manager Hawkins briefed Council on the item. Mayor Cawley requested Mr. Hawkins bring back an update at a future Council meeting on insurance changes. 6. City Manager recruitment process Mayor Cawley opened the discussion on options for the January transition of the City Manager. It was Council consensus to have a special meeting to discuss this issue. 7. 2016 Preliminary Budget Presentation This item was postponed. 8. Adjournment Motion: Ensey moved and Lover seconded to adjourn to the next Council Business Meeting on November 3, 2015 at 6 p.m. at City Hall. The motion carried by unanimous vote, Adkison absent. The meeting adjourned at 12:30 p.m. CERTIFICATION READ AND CERTIFIED ACCURATE BY ATTEST: ./1,Ae..7 COUNt\IL MEMBkR DATE 1 KiS COUNCIL MEMBER DATE i