Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout03/07/2000 Business Meeting 290 • • CITY OF YAKIMA, WASHINGTON MARCH 7, 2000 • BUSINESS MEETING 1. ROLL CALL The City Council met in session on this date at 2:00 p.m., in the Council Chambers of City Hall, Yakima, Washington, Mayor Mary Place, presiding. Council Members Clarence Barnett, Henry Beauchamp, Lynn Buchanan, Larry Mattson, John Puccinelli, and Bernard Sims present on roll call. City Manager Zais, City Attorney Paolella (present after 2:30 p.m.) Assistant City Attorney Peterson, and City Clerk Roberts were also present. 2. INVOCATION /PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE An Invocation was given by Council Member Puccinelli, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance led by Council Member Beauchamp. 3. OPEN DISCUSSION FOR THE GOOD OF THE ORDER A. PROCLAMATIONS (IF APPLICABLE) • CAREFUL, CONFIDENT KIDS DAY • KIDNEY AWARENESS MONTH • APPRECIATION FOR LES & DEBBIE HENN (CONTR IBUTION TO DARE PROGRAM) • DRUG AND ALCOHOL AWARENESS MONTH Mayor Place announced that April will be "Paint Out Graffiti" month in Yakima and announced that supplies can be donated by putting them into the computer boxes with the cow pattern at City facilities. She also stated that if anyone viewing wants to volunteer, s /he can do so by calling 576 -6657. Starla Gable accepted the Drug and Alcohol Awareness Month proclamation. Ms. Gable presented the City with a framed graphic of the theme, "I'm a Hero in 00." Linda Larkin - Slegel accepted the Careful, Confident Kids Day proclamation declaring March 14"' as Careful, Confident Kids Day. Council Member Puccinelli presented a proclamation to Les and Debbie Henn for their contributions to the DARE program. He said they have been involved for seven years and have donated kids meals to 1,200 graduates annually. Mayor Place also presented them with a plaque from the Police Department. Mayor Place said that the City is sorry to have to cut the DARE program. Mr. Henn thanked the City and the Police Department for the opportunity to participate. 291 MARCH 7, 2000 Melinda Vigesaa from the National Kidney Foundation accepted the proclamation declaring March 2000 as Kidney Awareness Month. There is kidney screening available to the public at Wray's Thriftway throughout March. 4. CONSENT AGENDA Mayor Place referred to the items placed on the Consent Agenda, questioning whether there were any additions or deletions from either Council members or citizens present. It was the general consensus to add Item No. 10. The City Clerk then read the Consent Agenda items, including resolutions and ordinances by title. It was MOVED BY SIMS, SECONDED BY BUCHANAN, THAT THE CONSENT AGENDA, AS READ, BE ADOPTED. The motion carried by unanimous roll call vote. (Subsequent paragraphs preceded by an asterisk ( *) indicate items on the Consent Agenda handled under one motion without further discussion.) *5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF THE FEBRUARY 1, 8, 15 AND 29, 2000 ADJOURNED MEETINGS AND FEBRUARY 1 AND 15, 2000 BUSINESS MEETINGS The minutes of the February 1, 8, 15 and 29, 2000 Adjourned meetings and February 1 and 15, 2000 Business meetings were approved, having been duly certified accurdte by two Council members and no one present wishing to have'said minutes read publicly. 6. PRESENTATION OF CERTIFICATE TO TIM JENSEN BY STATE TREASURER MIKE MURPHY Mike Murphy, State Treasurer, presented a Certificate of Appreciation to Tim Jensen, Accountant for the City of Yakima, for his contributions to the State Treasurers on the Statewide Custodial Services Team. Mr. Jensen thanked Mr. Murphy and Mayor Place for the presentation and said that he thought the Custodial Team did a great job, especially for smaller cities. 7. PUBLIC HEARING ON APPEAL OF DENIAL OF ISSUANCE OF TAXI DRIVER'S LICENSE FILED BY JIM McKINNEY Mayor Place announced that the appellant had requested Council discuss the appeal in executive session, so it would be discussed under Item No.20. 8. AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION Jim Morrison spoke and asked the Council to discuss making " The Big Apple" the City's official nickname. He said the Apple Cup was played in Washington and the golf course has an apple on the 17 green. In 1856, the first apple trees were 2 29 MARCH 7, 2000 planted in the Yakima area. He said New York City already has this nickname, however, Yakima's claim to the nickname precedes New York's and we could challenge them for it. It would sound warm and welcoming to have this nickname. Council Member Barnett asked how the City could use the logo if he has it copyrighted. Mr. Morrison said that he would permit the City, as a non - profit entity, to use the logo with no charge. Council Member Sims asked who was behind it, whether it was the fruit growers, packing houses or was it a civic group. Mr. Morrison said it was just people with whom he had spoken that would like to see this occur. Beverly Morgan, 1313 West Browne Avenue, Apartment 130, spoke about the poor handicap accessibility in Yakima. She said the sidewalks are not in good shape for any handicapped person, not just those confined in wheelchairs. Mayor Place said that the City is trying to make improvements to the sidewalks and curbs as money becomes available. Council Member Beauchamp asked how many curb cuts were needed. Chris Waarvick, Director of Public Works, said it would take a great deal of time to identify those intersections without wheelchair access. He said it was much more economical to put those curb cuts in as an intersection is built. Staff was requested to see if ramps could be constructed at intersections until funding becomes available to properly improve them, particularly mentioned were 16 Avenue and Lincoln and 3 rd and " B" Streets. Council Member Mattson said that this would be a good project for the Bicycle /Pedestrian Committee. Lynne Kittelson pointed out the 1974 N.G. Jacobson Report referenced in Ordinance No. 1720 regarding the downtown area that discusses the idea of a fountain. She said there is.a lot of good information in the report and suggested staff should read it. 9. CONSIDERATION OF REPORT AND PETITION TO REINSTATE FUNDING FOR SUMMERTIME OPERATION OF LIONS POOL Denise Nichols, Parks and Recreation Division Manager, introduced the petition which addressed the closure of Lions Pool for the summer. James Stewart, 1415 Jefferson, said he has gone to Lions Pool for the past 4 -5 months and it is the only form of exercise he can do. He has three prescriptions that indicate he cannot be in the sun. He mentioned the Millennium Project and said it was junk the City was putting in. Mayor Place said that the City was not providing any funding for the Millennium Project. She said the City had to make cuts because of I -695 and that included cuts to other programs, including the DARE program that was discussed earlier in the meeting. 3 293 MARCH 7, 2000 Ms. Nichols reported that although Lions Pool will have to be closed for a short period of time this summer, it is because of I -695 that the closure was necessary. She reported that the "Y" has a great summer program available for $30 that is comparable to the City's three -month pass.. Jill Sauve, physical therapist, spoke on behalf of Providence Medical Center, reporting that 20 -30 patients use Lions Pool for therapy and exercise. Lions Pool is the only pool accessible for , handicapped patients. Mayor Place asked about Providence becoming a partner to keep this pool open. Ms. Sauve said she would take that proposal back to the administration. Larry Ratts, 902 North 6 Street, addressed the Council as a nurse and asked if there were other alternatives to keep Lions Pool open, such as the partnerships mentioned by Mayor Place. He said that Lions pool is usually full, but not just of swimmers. There are a lot of water walkers and people receiving therapy. He said that the City aquatics program had saved his life. He said the cost for a season pass is $60 and if the fee were raised to $75 or $80, perhaps the shortfall could be recovered enough to keep the pool open. Mayor Place pointed out that the City could not do that without a vote of the people. Mr. Ratts said there could also be corporate sponsors. Council Member Sims asked what the savings is for closing the pool. Ms. Nichols said the net cost savings would be close to $35,000 after the revenue loss has been deducted. Mayor Place asked about other repairs, other than Franklin Pool. Ms. Nichols said she was not aware of any, but sometimes maintenance needs crop up as the pools are opened. James Stewart, 1415 Jefferson, spoke again saying that the "Y" has handicapped accessibility problems. The " Y" has three handicapped parking stalls outside its door. Linda Brost, 2706 Butterfield Rd., spoke in support of keeping Lions Pool open for the senior citizens who cannot afford memberships to the YMCA, the physically impaired people who use the pool for therapy and exercise, and those citizens who cannot be exposed to the sunlight. The intended closure of Lions pool is devastating. Nancy DeHart, 3601 Castlevale, #39, commented that Lions Pool provides her with a chance to exercise. She understands that I- 695 damaged the City's revenue, but something needs to be done. The seniors in this group who water walk do not have other opportunities to get out. 4 294 MARCH 7, 2000 Sandy Blackburn, 6702 Ahtanum Road, said parking for handicapped people at other facilities is not as good as at Lions Pool. Susan Erickson, 1310 South 16 Avenue, has been going to Lions Pool for 10 years. She took her kids to Lions for swimming lessons. Outdoor swimming is not always possible because of the weather. There are 300 people who go to the pool daily. Ms. Nichols said she was delighted to hear all the testimonials about the benefit of Parks and Recreation programs. She said that there is a lift for the handicapped at Eisenhower pool during the summer. Jill Sauve, 110 South 9th Avenue, said to the best of her knowledge, the Hoya lift has never been moved and the ramp getting up to the pool is extremely steep. Terry Svain, 315 South 3rd Avenue, suggested that other budget cuts should be considered, as well as reducing hours at other pools so that the reduction in hours at Lions Pool could be restricted. He said it is also time for a rate increase, even realizing that it would need to be voted on by the public. He offered to chip in some money to keep the pool open. Ms. Nichols reminded the Council that other pools were also going to be operating with fewer hours. Mr. Waarvick said that there had been a number of administrative reductions made. Greta Bryan, 4823 Snow Mountain Road, as Chairman of the Board of the YMCA stated the " Y" is interested in working as closely with the City as possible to address,this problem. She said the " Y" is offering a reduced rate membership for the summer, which is less than what the seniors pay for a pass at Lions pool and they would have the full use of all of its facilities. She also said the facility is handicapped accessible after some recent improvements were made. Jackie Naasz, 130 Burnt Circle, Naches, said she could not water walk at the " Y" because there is a drop off in the pool and she cannot swim. Larry Ratts, 902 North 6 Street, supports having another pool geared just towards this exercise. He said that Parks staff has done a great job with what they have. Mayor Place asked Denise Nichols for any recommendations. Ms. Nichols suggested she continue discussions with area organizations to see if there can be some financial assistance to keep the pool open. Council Member Barnett suggested United Way. Council Member Puccinelli said he was a big proponent of 5 295 MARCH 7, 2000 getting private financial partners, and that might work for next . year, but asked what Council would do this year. He voted to close Lions Pool, but after hearing the stories today, he thinks the Council needs to look for a way to keep the pool open. Council Member Beauchamp was grateful to the citizens for coming and giving Council a perspective on how valuable this pool is and it would be great to have another pool just for this activity. Ideally, he would like to find a way to keep the pool open. Mayor Place said that the Council would like Ms. Nichols to keep looking for funding. She said if Council reinstated funding for Lions, then Council would need to cut something else. Council Member Mattson said he thought Council did a good job last fall by spreading the cuts out over many groups *10. CONSIDERATION OF RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING REMOVAL OF TREES AT 20, 22 AND 26 NORTH 2 ND STREET RESOLUTION NO. R- 2000 -25, A RESOLUTION authorizing the removal of four Sweetgum trees located in the City right -of -way at 20, 22, and 26 North 2 nd Street, Yakima, Washington. *11. RECONSIDERATION OF FINANCE 2000 BUDGET POLICY ISSUE REGARDING ACCOUNTING STAFFING MODIFICATION The report and staff recommendation to approve alternative reductions and not downgrade one Accountant position in the Finance Department was approved. *12. APROVAL OF 2000 FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY ISSUES The 2000 Federal Legislative Priority Issues list was approved. *13. APPROVAL OF 1999 YEAR -END REPORT FROM THE SUBSTANCE ABUSE COALITION The 1999 Year -end Yakima Gang Prevention - Intervention Report from the Substance Abuse Coalition was accepted. *14. APPROVAL OF REPORTS FROM THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT: A. 4 TH QUARTER 1999 TREASURY REPORT The 4 th Quarter 1999 Treasury Report was accepted. B. JANUARY 2000 REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE (BUDGET) REPORT The January 2000 Revenue and Expenditure (Budget) Report was accepted. 6 296 MARCH 7, 2000 *15. APPROVAL OF 4 QUARTER 1999 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROJECTS REPORT FROM ENGINEERING The 4th Quarter 1999 Capital Improvements Projects Report was accepted. *16. APPROVAL OF FINAL CONTRACT PAYMENTS FOR: A. APPROVAL OF FINAL CONTRACT PAYMENT FOR 1999 STREET OVERLAY PROJECT NO. 1868 PERFORMED BY COLUMBIA ASPHALT AND GRAVEL (REVISED FROM FEBRUARY 15, 2000 AGENDA) (STANDARD MOTION V -B - ACCEPT PROJECT AND APPROVE THE FINAL PAYMENT) The report from the City Engineer, dated February 24, 2000, with respect to the completion of the work on the 1999 Street Overlay Project No. 1868, performed by Columbia Asphalt & Gravel, was approved, the work accepted and payment of the final estimates as therein set forth was authorized. .B. TIETON DRIVE SEWER REHABILITATION PROJECT NO. 1885, PERFORMED BY COLUMBIA PUMPING & CONSTRUCTION, INC. (STANDARD MOTION V -B - ACCEPT PROJECT AND APPROVE THE FINAL PAYMENT) The report from the City Engineer, dated February 22, 2000, with respect to the completion of the work on the Tieton Drive Sewer Rehabilitation project No. 1885, performed by Columbia Pumping & Construction, Inc., was approved, the work accepted and payment of the final estimates as therein set forth was authorized. *17. FIRST READING OF ORDINANCE AMENDING THE 2000 BUDGET AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS FOR 1999 ENCUMBRANCES (NO ACTION REQUIRED THIS MEETING; SECOND READING SCHEDULED 3/21/00) An Ordinance amending the 2000 budget and appropriating funds for 1999 year -end encumbrances, having been read by title only, was laid on the table for two weeks, until March 21, 2000. *18. CONSIDERATION OF LEGISLATION RELATING TO PRE - HOSPITAL PARTICIPATION GRANT: A. RESOLUTION ACCEPTING GRANT FROM THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH FOR TRAUMA CARE RESOLUTION NO. R- 2000 -26, A RESOLUTION authorizing the Yakima City Manager to accept a " Prehospital Participation Grant" check for $1,200.00 from the State of Washington, Department of Health, Office of Emergency Medical and Trauma Prevention. These funds, described in the " Trauma Care Services Funding Act of 1997" , are distributed to verified agencies for expenditures made for the purposes of the state trauma care system. 7 297 MARCH 7, 2000 • B. FIRST READING OF ORDINANCE AMENDING THE 2000 BUDGET AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS INTO THE EMERGENCY SERVICES FUND (No ACTION REQUIRED THIS MEETING; SECOND READING SCHEDULED FOR 3/21/00) An Ordinance amending the 2000 budget and appropriating funds for the purchase of trauma equipment, having been read by title only, was laid on the table for two weeks, until March 21, 2000. 19. OTHER BUSINESS It was MOVED BY SIMS, SECONDED BY BARNETT, TO APPOINT ROD BRYANT TO THE PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION. The motion carried by unanimous voice vote. It was MOVED BY MATTSON, SECONDED BY BUCHANAN, TO APPOINT DIANE TURNER TO THE BICYCLE /PEDESTRIAN ADVISORY COMMITTEE. The motion carried by unanimous voice vote. Information Items: Items of information provided by Council were: Press Release from Irrigation Division regarding Start of the 2000 Irrigation Season. 3/1/00; Agenda for the March 8, 2000 Yakima Regional Clean Air Authority meeting; Agenda for the March 1, 2000 Community Review Board meeting and minutes of its February 16, 2000 meeting; HUD News, " Cuomo and Kasich Announce HUD Policy to Sell Homes to Local Governments for $1 Each." 3/1/2000; Notice of the March 2000 Meetings of the Blue Ribbon Commission on Transportation Meeting; Third and Fourth Quarter 1999 Municipal Court /Probation Office Statistics; Yakima Valley Visitors and Convention Bureau 1999 Annual Report; Notice re: Amendment Request No. 1 to the Chehalis Generation Facility Site Certification Agreement. 2/28/00; Article from March 2000 Scientific American, " Running the Dam Gauntlet" ; and Article from the March 2000 Governing, " The E- Commerce Dilemma." 20. EXECUTIVE SESSION REGARDING PROSPECTIVE LITIGATION The Council members moved into Executive Session at 3:40 p.m. for quasi - judicial purposes to consider the appeal of James McKinney as requested in Item No. 7, to then return to open session to make a decision. Following the conclusion of the Executive Session, the Council returned to open session at 4:00 p.m. It was MOVED BY BUCHANAN, SECONDED BY MATTSON, TO UPHOLD THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND DENY THE TAXI DRIVER'S LICENSE TO MR. McKINNEY. The motion carried by unanimous voice vote. Council Member Beauchamp asked staff to review the ordinance to see if more flexibility can be incorporated to give Council the ability to issue a license without jeopardizing the City. Council Member 8 • 298 MARCH 7, 2000 Sims asked staff to provide statistics to support the three - violation grounds for denial. It was MOVED BY SIMS, SECONDED BY BUCHANAN, TO MOVE INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION AT 4:10 P.M. FOR APPROXIMATELY 45 MINUTES TO DISCUSS PROSPECTIVE AND PENDING LITIGATION, WITH IMMEDIATE ADJOURNMENT THEREAFTER TO MARCH 21, 2000 AT 7:30 A.M. AT THE POLICE STATION /LEGAL CENTER FOR A STUDY SESSION REGARDING PRETREATMENT PROGRAM, THEN TO MARCH 21, 2000 AT 11:30 A.M. FOR A LUNCH MEETING WITH THE YAKIMA HOUSING AUTHORITY BOARD AT A LOCATION TO BE ANNOUNCED. The motion carried by unanimous voice vote. 21. ADJOURNMENT AT 5:15 P.M. TO MARCH 21, 2000 AT 7:30 A . M . AT THE POLICE STATION /LEGAL CENTER (2ND FLOOR TRAINING ROOM) FOR A STUDY SESSION REGARDING PRETREATMENT PROGRAM, THEN TO MARCH 21, 2000 AT 11:30 A.M. FOR MEETING WITH YAKIMA HOUSING AUTHORITY BOARD Following the conclusion of the Executive Session, the meeting adjourned at 5:15 p.m. READ AND CERTIFIED ACCURATE BY: AASIOb CE!UNCIL/ EMBER IA 'E CoUNCIL MEMBE D E ATTEST: d' ' =L� CITY CLERK MAR LACE, MAYOR Minutes prepared by Marketa George Oliver. An audio and video tape of this meeting are available in the City Clerk's Office 9