HomeMy WebLinkAbout03/07/2000 Business Meeting 290
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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*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.
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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
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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
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