HomeMy WebLinkAbout06/27/2000 Adjourned Meeting 386
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CITY OF YAKIMA, WASHINGTON
JUNE 27, 2000
ADJOURNED MEETING
The City Council met in session on this date at 7:30 a.m., in the
2nd Floor Training Room, at the Police Station /Legal Center, 200
South 3rd Street, Yakima, Washington, Mayor Mary Place presiding.
Council Members Clarence Barnett, Henry Beauchamp, Lynn Buchanan,
Larry Mattson, and John Puccinelli were present. Council Member
Bernard Sims was absent and excused. Staff members present were:
Dick Zais, City Manager; Glenn Rice, Assistant City Manager;
Marketa George Oliver, Administrative Assistant to the City
Manager; Rita Anson, Director of Finance and Budget; Chris
Waarvick, Director of Public Works; Ray Paolella, City Attorney;
Bill Cook, Director of Community._ - & Economic Development; Al
Gillespie, Fire Chief; Don Blesio, Police Chief; Kay Adams, City
Engineer; Denise Nichols, Parks & Recreation Division Manager;
Shelley Willson, Streets & Traffic Division Manager; Rick
Pettyjohn, Information Systems Division Manager; Doug Maples,
Code Administration Division Manager; John Haddix, Public Works;
Bob Desgrossellier, Senior Engineer and Randy Tabert, Engineering
Technician II.
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Mayor Place called the meeting to order at 7:40 a.m.
REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING USE OF STATE FUNDS "IN
LIEU" OF MVET REVENUE
City Manager Zais said he would like to discuss the backfill
funding first'and then move on to the grind & overlay program.
City Manager Zais said the County received four times the amount
of money the City did from the State. The City has received
$237,000 and will receive $474,527 in 2001. He said staff was
recommending using the funds for grant matching, public safety
overtime, technology, park maintenance, stormwater, and temporary
salaries in Personnel, the Clerk's office, Purchasing, etc. He
said very little of the funding is allocated toward restoration
of reductions taken last December and, for the most part, those
should stand until the economy turns around.
Council Member Barnett said the funding was not adequate for the
irrigation system for the cemetery. Chris Waarvick, Director of
Public Works, said that the cemetery irrigation project was
eliminated in the MVET reductions and this is only one piece of
the former project.
Council Member Puccinelli asked what Parks waters with when the
irrigation water is off. Denise Nichols, Parks & Recreation
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Division Manager, responded that it varies depending on the park.
Council Member Buchanan asked why the City would need to water
after the irrigation season is over. Mrs. Nichols said staff is
concerned if irrigation goes down for a few days as it can
significantly impact the greens.
Council Member Barnett asked if this money should be used to
offset the difference between what the grant was to fluoridate the
City's water supply and what the costs are projected to be. City
Manager Zais responded that utilities are supported by a rate base
and this money is coming into the General Fund. It is extremely
rare for the General Fund to subsidize a Utility Fund. Council
Member Buchanan said a citizen commented to him that the Council
always seemed to find the money to do projects. For example,
citizens were told that there was no money to erect the fence at
the cemetery and the project was done. In all actuality, there
was $40,000 for that project. If we keep telling people there is
a shortfall here, and then we keep finding the money for it, there
will be more questions about government financing.
Council Member Mattson asked if backfill funds will be highlighted
in the budget this fall. Mr. Zais said this is a separate line
item in the revenue side of the budget. If Council approves this,
staff will have to come back with a budget appropriation, and that
will be tracked separately. Mayor Place asked for consensus to
have staff come back with legislation. Council directed staff to
bring back the appropriate legislation.
REVIEW OF YAKIMA AVENUE DESIGN PLANS
Mayor Place asked Bill Cook, Director of Community & Economic
_Development, to discuss the grind and overlay project for Yakima
Avenue. Mr. Cook indicated there is $1,700,060 budgeted to do
this project. He asked the City Engineer, Kay Adams, to provide
Council with project details. .Mr. Adams said that staff would
like to go out to bid next week and have the bids come back at
the end of July. The work will be done through the months of •
August, September and October. Mayor Place said she wanted to
make sure that ample notice is given to the merchants that
construction is going to be taking place in front of their
business. Council Member Puccinelli asked if the major
intersections will be done at night. Mr. Adams responded the
plan was to do most of the paving at night. Mr. Puccinelli asked
about cutting into the street right after this project is
finished and Mr. Adams responded some lines are being put in as
this project is underway and then there will be a 5 year
moratorium on street cuts. City staff has been notifying
businesses about the moratorium. Council Member Mattson asked if
there is a procedure if someone needs to do a cut during the
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ADJOURNED MEETING
moratorium. If someone needs to make a cut, they will be
responsible for repaving that section of street.
Mr. Cook discussed a potential Local Improvement District (LID)
being considered by the Westside Merchants Association for
sidewalks, but it will not impact this project. Mayor Place
asked about the sidewalks on Yakima Avenue between Front and 1st
Street. Mr. Adams said the way the ordinance reads, the adjacent
property owner is responsible for the sidewalk. There is no City
funding currently to assist in sidewalk rehabilitation. The City
does have a 50/50 program for sidewalks, where the owner pays 50%
of the cost and the City pays 50 %. However, there is no funding
for it.
Mr. Cook discussed the Whistle Ban project and how the grind and
overlay project will be coordinated with it. Mr. Adams and
Senior Engineer, Bob Desgrossellier, talked about the video
information gathered to date through the Whistle Ban project.
Mr. Desgrossellier said that bids will be opened on June 28th for
this project. Staff met with Burlington Northern last week and
they have signed the agreements. He reported that Burlington
Northern should be making some upgrades in mid - August.
Mr. Cook brought up the issue of left turn lanes at 1st and 4th
Streets that had been discussed by the Downtown Area
Redevelopment Committee (DARC). He said the City is not
currently planning to do any left turn lanes. Mr. Adams added
that the drawings Council Members were presented do show some of
these options, but the options are not planned as a part of this
project. Council Member Beauchamp said that the City needs to
include specifications so that there is workforce diversity on
this project. Mr. Adams said that, because the funding is City
and State money, any goals or quotas in specifications about
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minority involvement are prohibited because of Initiative 200.
However, staff will aggressively advertise the project and remind
the contractor that the City has a 10% goal.
Council Member Puccinelli said Yakima Avenue is the City's main
street and with ClientLogic and some other businesses just moving
into town and considering there will not be another project on
Yakima Avenue for 10 years, he thinks the left turn lanes should
be added to this project. Mayor Place asked where the money
would come from to do that. Mr. Adams said the cost for the left
turn lanes would average between $25,000 and $80,000, probably
closer to $80,000. Council Member Puccinelli said it is $80,000
and it is not only necessary for Yakima Avenue to be successful,
but also for the success of the side streets. It seems to him
that now is the time to do that. He said it is an $80,000
investment by the City and the sales tax generated by the
improvement should more than take care of it. Mayor Place
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expressed concern about narrow lanes resulting from adding left
turn lanes. Council Member Puccinelli said that there are always
narrow lanes in larger cities' downtown areas. Council Member
Buchanan mentioned that the Department of Transportation has
information about what they call a 'shy' distance; that drivers
feel cramped when the lanes are narrow and are more likely to go
over or hug the yellow line. Council Member Barnett asked for
staff to clarify the $80,000 cost estimate versus the $410,000
cost outlined in the memo. Mr. Adams explained that the cost
outlined in the memo included sidewalks, instead of just the left
turn lanes. Council Member Puccinelli talked about the problem
of turning left off Yakima Avenue and then running into one way
streets and how this could impact businesses on the side streets.
Mayor Place said that prohibiting left turns is an option and may
be the price of growth. Mr. Puccinelli was in Seattle and San
Francisco where the lanes are very narrow and traffic still moves
quickly. Council Member Mattson asked how many people are
turning left off Yakima Avenue. Shelley Willson, Streets and
Traffic Division Manager, said staff had recently undertaken a
count at the intersection of 2nd Street and Yakima Avenue. There
were 81 cars making a left turn northbound and 42 making a left
turn southbound out of 900 cars. There was a collision and two
close calls during that time. Turning north onto Second Street
from Yakima Avenue was the most problematic area. Mayor Place
suggested the idea of eliminating left turns in some of the
problematic intersections.
City Manager Zais said staff would like a decision from Council
today regarding the grind and overlay project. He suggested if
there was general consensus on the design, staff could move
forward and also create a design alternate. Council could then
see what the bid would be for the project with and without the
addition of left turn lanes. When bids comes in, staff and
Council can reconvene and see what the price is and if money is
available for it. Council Member Puccinelli reminded Council
that ClientLogic is going to change the complexion of downtown.
There was consensus to move forward with the City Manager's
suggestion. The City Manager announced that ClientLogic signed
the lease with the Mall yesterday.
Lynne Kittelson asked about empty conduit saying at one time
there was discussion about putting empty conduit in for future
expansion and she did not see that in this project.
Mr. Desgrossellier said current companies have been notified, but
with the fast -paced climate of technology, especially
communications, it is difficult to know what companies will
spring up in the future. Council Member Puccinelli asked if the
City can put in PVC pipe under the ground as part of the project
and then sell it. Mr.' Adams said that would be expensive,
however, staff was planning to put some piping in under the
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ADJOURNED MEETING
railroad track because it is difficult to get permission to work
on that area of the roadway.
The meeting adjourned at 8:35 A.M.
READ AND CERTIFIED ACCURATE BY : ,/ ' . /sr ; ,: ®p
CO,P'CIL MEMBER e:
DATE
COUNCIL MEMBER
D/ ATE
ATTEST:
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CITY CLERK RY PLACE, 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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