HomeMy WebLinkAbout04/18/2000 Adjourned Meeting 2 331.
CITY OF YAKIMA, WASHINGTON
APRIL 18, 2000
ADJOURNED MEETING WITH THE
YAKIMA REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION
The City Council met in session on this date at 11:30 a.m., in the
2nd Floor Training Room, at the Police Station /Legal Center, 200
South 3rd Street, Yakima, Washington for a luncheon meeting with the.
Yakima Regional Planning Commission (RPC). Mayor Mary Place,
presiding, Council Members John Puccinelli, Lynn Buchanan, Larry
Mattson, Bernard Sims, and Henry Beauchamp were present. Council
Member Clarence Barnett was absent and excused. Dick Zais, City
Manager; Glenn Rice, Assistant City Manager; Marketa George Oliver,
. Administrative Assistant to the City Manager; Bill Cook, Director of
Community & Economic Development; Don Skone, Planning Manager; and
Dan Valoff, City Planner were also present. Others present
included: Regional Planning Commission members Dan Robison; Dennis
Kelly; John Hodkinson; Derek LaFramboise; Steve Erickson, County
Planner; Aubrey Reeves, Union, Gap Mayor; and Lynne Kittelson,
Northeast Yakima Neighborhood Association.
LUNCHEON MEETING WITH THE YAKIMA REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION
Mayor Place called the meeting to order at 11:30 a.m.
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Mayor Place welcomed everyone and provided some background
information about the Council priorities and vision and mission.
She then went through the established Council priorities.
Don Skone, City Planning Manager, provided some background
information on the Regional Planning Commission. He discussed the
Growth Management Act and described some amendments to the
Comprehensive Plan. This is the first year that amendments to the
Plan have been undertaken. Property owners have until the end of
April to file for a plan amendment if they wish to do so. He hopes
to be finished with the process by the Fall of 2000.
Dan Robison, Regional Planning Commission, asked who comprised the
Joint Board. Mr. Skone .responded that it was comprised of
representatives from the City Council, County Commissioners and
Union Gap. The Plan was passed approximately 1 1/2 years ago.
Mayor Place asked how many amendment applications the County had
received. Steve Erickson, County Planner, said the County had
received a few inquiries and they will refer them, as appropriate,
to the City.
The group discussed which issues had been the most contentious, such
as density and sidewalks. Mr. Skone spoke about the transportation
system, indicating he expects it to be an on -going major issue. He
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APRIL 18, 2000 - ADJOURNED MEETING
WITH YAKIMA REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION
talked about the level of service and how if the City could not meet
the level of service within its existing resources, that it would
need to be reduced.
Mr. Skone said that the Urban Area is the service responsibility of
the City of Yakima and the City Council intends to annex those areas
that the City services. The City has an on -going annexation program
that is not always popular. The question often comes up whether or
not someone can have services without annexing, which would be a
Council policy decision.
Mr. Skone further discussed the amendment process. He said the City
has received eight map amendment requests, but only one official
application with the appropriate fee had been submitted. Council
Member Puccinelli requested staff contact all of the people who had
submitted letters of interest to remind them of the timeline. .He
did not want anyone to miss the deadline and feel as though the City
had not fulfilled its obligations.
The Council and Regional Planning Commission discussed how to
publicize the amendment process in addition to the notices that have
been placed in the paper. Mayor Place asked Mr. Skone to announce
the process at the City Council meeting to be televised later today
and make sure the notices were on the City and County websites. She
also asked him to explain the amendment process.
Mr. Skone said after the City receives an application for amendment,
Planning staff analyzes each application and prepares a report for
the City Council. After a study session on this, a public hearing
would be scheduled. A discussion ensued about the shortage of
industrial land within the City limits. Mr. Skone said there was
also a shortage of land for multi - family zoning. Council Member
Puccinelli said that the City did not have a lot of land to zone for
industrial use. Mr. Kelly, an RPC member, said the challenge was
not whether the land was zoned properly or whether it had utilities,
but Yakima does not have the buildings that many employers are
seeking. Mayor Place said the County SIED Board is trying to
address those issues. She said adequate telecommunications is
another critical issue, in addition to sewer and water.
Mr. Kelly asked about forming a port district. Mayor Place said
that although the window of opportunity was closed, a request could
be made to the Legislature that it be re- opened. Mr. Rice said that
there was the ability to expand the existing Port of Sunnyside.
Council Member Sims asked if Mr. Kelly saw an opportunity with
regard to a port district that he thought Yakima should be pursuing.
Mr. Kelly talked about how Boise, Idaho had used certain economic
development tools to increase the standard of living and economic
opportunities in the area. Mr. Zais said that the agricultural
industry opposed a port district in the past and the group promoting
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APRIL 18, 2000 - ADJOURNED MEETING
WITH YAKIMA REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION
it had decided not to pursue it further until the agricultural
industry either endorsed it or remained neutral on the issue.
Mr. Rice discussed the decrease in sales tax revenue. He said the
State Administration needed to provide Yakima with basic tax
incentives and credits, like was done for Vancouver a few years ago.
There was a lengthy discussion about the dire economic environment
the Yakima Valley is currently experiencing. The group also
discussed what was needed to revitalize the community, such as a
trained workforce, attracting high- technology companies, etc.
. Council Member Puccinelli said that the RPC had very important
decisions to make, especially those revolving around transportation.
Mr. Hodkinson said new businesses were already being denied their
approval to locate in Terrace Heights because of the traffic count.
Council Member Sims said the City of Yakima has to contend with the
amount of water allocated for this area. He said agriculture could
easily disappear and Yakima will not look the same in 20 years.
Council Member Mattson said in the Western States, about 80% of
water is used for agriculture and water sharing is an issue.
However, the State of Washington does not have the tools in place to
address those kinds of water issues, even though it is needed.
Mr. Robison asked how the new West Side or West Valley Neighborhood
Plan fits into what the RPC does. Mr. Erickson said there were some
transportation and environmental issues the planning group was
trying to address with this Plan. The planning effort was also
looking at economic development because of the desire to have an
employment /industrial node in that area.
Mayor Place thanked everyone for attending and stated again that the
'City Planning Manager should speak at the City Council meeting and
outline the Comprehensive Plan amendment application process.
The meeting adjourned at the hour of 12:46 p.m.
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City Clerk / Mar y Place, Mayor
Minutes prepared by Marketa George Oliver. An audio tape of this meeting is
available in the City Clerk's Office
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