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HomeMy WebLinkAbout04/13/1993 Adjourned Meeting 1 208 - CITY OF YAKIMA, WASHINGTON APRIL 13, 1993 ADJOURNED MEETING The City Council met in session on this date at 7:00 a.m. in the Board Room at the Yakima Center, Yakima, Washington. Council Members present were Mayor Pat Berndt, presiding, Clarence Barnett, Henry Beauchamp, Lynn Buchanan, Skip Semon and Bernard Sims. Council Member Brado present after 7:30 a.m. Also present were City Manager Zais, Assistant City Manager Rice, and City I/ Clerk Roberts. 1. INFORMAL DISCUSSION AMONG COUNCIL MEMBERS Mayor Berndt asked for volunteers to be on the Rob Vickers radio talk show. Council Member Beauchamp volunteered to be on the show. Council members discussed the proposed airport expansion. The Airport Board is conducting meetings to get public input. Union Gap is not in favor of the expansion. Staff also provided updated information to Council on the Broadway Fire District status. The City has annexed enough of the District's area to create a significant loss of revenue to the District. Union Gap is annexing property; however, it is not providing utility services. The four -party agreement delineated the urban service areas, under which Union Gap agreed to provide utility services within their service boundary. Council Member Sims asked why minutes are taken of executive sessions when it is not required by law. City Manager Zais explained the minutes are a written record of directions given to staff by Council. Council Member Sims requested an update of the Terrace Heights water issue. City Manager Zais stated the developer submitted a letter to the County requesting water service for the industrial park they want to develop. A Council Committee was formed to meet with the County on this subject; however, the County had no desire to meet with us. We are on hold until they decide where they want to go, unless the developer requests a meeting. New Vision has given this development its reluctant approval, due to its being in the flood plain. They know they can't get CERB funding. Council Member Barnett asked if a response has been received from the County to our jail letter. Mr. Buchanan reported that no response has been delivered. City Manager Zais stated the City's letter showed the cost of what staff thinks the City should be billed, which would be about a $200,000 cost savings. The County is aware they have a responsibility because there is a signed agreement that the City would provide $650,000 to help build the minimum facility in exchange for a reduced jail rate. .Apparently 1 208 APRIL 13, 1993 - ADJOURNED MEETING the County is billing based on an aggregate rate of the two jail facilities, not the lower = -minimum security rate. Council members discussed 911 consolidated dispatch. One drawback to consolidated dispatch is the fact that the City would have to bear the cost of the 911 dispatch services and I/ most likely would have to retain personnel to do the clerical work currently performed by the dispatchers. Another issue is the City would only have one representative on the Board, but would fund about half the budget. Also, the City would lose revenue from entities contracting dispatching services from the City. The City could purchase the equipment for consolidated police and fire dispatch through SunCom. Mayor Berndt stated this issue is becoming very political. She stated that Dave Atherton reports the City is only slightly over 30% usage, rather than the 40 -45% usage we think we have. She stated Mr. Atherton is going to provide information on his figures for the next Administrative Board meeting. She stated she would like to review this with the Council Public Safety Committee prior to that meeting. Mayor Berndt also described a situation which occurred, necessitating the clarification of the authority of the Administrative (operations) Board, and the County over pay raises for the director. She reported the County is planning to remodel the former Safeway building to house SunCom, EMS and Emergency Management. Although the City pays for these services, they have not talked to us about their plans, which would increase our contribution to Emergency Management. City Manager Zais reported that he, Mayor Berndt, Bill Brado and Skip Semon are invited, along with Glenn Rice, to attend a briefing with Collie Martin, CH2M Hill, regarding the I -82 project. A County Commissioner, a DOT representative, Gary Lukehart and Dan Hesse will also attend. We expect to hear about choices and options and then Council will have to talk about what direction to take. We know we have to look at something different. He spoke about the discrep between the original estimates and those now being given. Mr. Rice stated there is a 30 -35% difference from the high to low range. CH2M Hill has been asked to explain the increases. I/ Council members discussed the termination of the current Dial -A -Ride contract which is on this afternoon's agenda. Council Member Semon stated the Council Transit Committee has met with the current provider to try to resolve the problems, however, the problem of discourteous drivers, late arrivals;or non -shows still occur. People- for - People, the replacement provider, will broker the service, so it is likely they may contract with Diamond Cab, the current provider. 2 2 APRIL 13, 1993 - ADJOURNED MEETING Mayor Berndt announced that Tom Hall and his supporters will attend the Council meeting to ask Council to place an issue on the ballot which will allow the public to vote on whether to ban smoking in all buildings open to the public. She stated that when they made the original request, there was some support for this concept if it were done state -wide. Council Member Semon voiced his objection to additional regulations on the businessman by government, particularly since people don't have to patronize businesses that allow I/ smoking on their premises. Discussion followed regarding the Joint Board meeting which was held, the vacant position on the Joint Board and the formation of the Capital Improvement Committee. It was the consensus of the Council that if an individual lives inside the city limits or owns property or a business inside the city limits, that individual could be considered for this committee. Glenn Rice invited Council members to stop by the office this Thursday at about 11:15 a.m. to meet the regional director of the EPA, who is passing through town. Brief reports were also given concerning the Selah trolley issue, a potential request for a curfew for the youth, and the parking on the sidewalk situation by Carey Motors. The meeting adjourned at 9:00 a.m. READ AND CERTIFIED ACCURATE BY: i �_ Z . C U +CIL MEM R DATE awd/atee 1 -mil COUNCIL MBER DATE ATTEST: CITY CLERK MAYOR I/ 3