HomeMy WebLinkAbout04/13/2004 Adjourned Meeting 18.7
ADJOURNED MEETING
APRIL 13, 2004 - 7:30 A.M.
COUNCIL CHAMBERS - CITY HALL
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Present:
Council: Mayor Paul George, presiding, Council Members Ron Bonlender, Dave
Edler, Neil McClure, Mary Place, Bernard Sims, and Susan Whitman
(present after 7:44 a.m.)
Staff: Dick Zais, City Manager; Chris Waarvick, Public Works Director; Shelley
Willson, Streets and Traffic Operations Manager; Joan Davenport,
Supervising Traffic Engineer; Bill Cook, Director of Community and
Economic Development; Kay Adams, City Engineer; Bruce Benson,
Supervising Associate Planner; and City Clerk Roberts
Consultant: Ken Harper, attorney
2. Study Session on Transportation Element/Bike- Pedestrian Committee
recommendations on streets standards
Chris Waarvick stated that staff is in the process of assembling recommendations and
data for the update of the Yakima Urban Area Transportation Plan. One important
element in the plan of concern to the development industry is street standards. The
Central Washington Home Builders Associations submitted their comments last Friday
on this subject. They commented on the lack of discussion on feasibility, waivers, and
deferrals. Mr. Waarvick stated that the omission was intentional because discussion
needs to happen in an atmosphere that would allow flexibility. Staff will provide Council
with a list of options regarding deferrals.
Shelley Willson commented that staff has given this same slide presentation, which is
now being presented to Council, to about 300 people in the community since last July.
The salient points covered in the slide presentation, and reviewed, were:
1. The to -do list and common sense included in the plan
2. Want quality streets, but have limited resources
3. Plan is important due to economic development, construction, funding options
4. Condition of streets — critical issues: congestion, pavement conditions,
railroad grade crossings, intersection projects, spot safety needs, school
zones, and sidewalks
5. Street inventory: 84.5 miles of classified streets, 238 miles local access
streets, and 322 miles total City maintained streets.
6. Maps show classified streets
7. Financial investment: over $200 million in pavement, street lights, traffic lights
8. What does Yakima want? — need your guidance
9. Efficient services: spend wisely, incremental improvements can be effective
10. Want livable streets and neighborhoods
11. Reduce congestion
12. Make safety a priority
13. Railroad crossings / grade separation
14. Community choices? Build more lanes or use access restrictions?
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15. Tolerate failing pavement conditions or finance improvements and
maintenance?
16. Sidewalks on one side? Which side? How do you get there?
17. Create walkable, pleasant street
18. Want traffic calming measures?
19. Encourage transit ridership to reduce vehicles
20. Balanced freight transportation is important to have to accommodate large
trucks
Joan Davenport took over the slide presentation at this point:
21. Solutions
22. Complete transportation program including neighborhood safety and livability,
new capacity, system preservation
23. Neighborhood safety and livability — hazard elimination projects in school
safety areas, sidewalks and pathways, traffic signal and intersection
improvements
24. Hazard elimination — safety projects
25. School safety program for 18 elementary schools that are given top priority
for sidewalk construction and safety flashers
26. Sidewalks and pathways
27. Signal and intersection projects can improve traffic flow, safety and air quality,
but are expensive
28. Traffic signals are not the answer for all intersections. Explore alternate and
lower cost options, i.e. roundabout
29. New capacity issues — need to address areas in Capacity Plans; some streets
need to be addressed
30. Priority street projects, future capacity, and severe pavement conditions map
31. System preservation
32. Roadway reconstruction
33. Pavement rehabilitation do not add sidewalks, curbing or utilities; no budget
this year for grind and overlay
34. System operation and maintenance
35. Public participation
36. Your role — your opinion really matters
Council members discussed the use of the second one - quarter percent Real Estate
Excise Tax (REET 2) in conjunction with street improvements. Council Member Place
thought the original intent for the proceeds from that tax was to pay for improvements
to unpaved streets and alleys to improve the air quality. Mr. Waarvick replied that the
Capital Facilities Committee's thoughts were to use those funds for dirt streets;
however, staff prepared a report for Council using a mix of funding for arterial street
preservation, rebuilding, and neighborhood preservation, which would involve REET 2
funds. Council deferred the discussion regarding public utility tax increase. The use of
the REET 2 will be brought to Council with Capital Facilities Committee
recommendations and the state of the Street Division budget. The gap between basic
street maintenance expenses and revenue generated is very large, approximately $1-
$2 million per year.
Council Member Edler related his concern that the citizens don't want another tax and
suggested looking at funding alternatives. He challenged Council to ask the
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community to invest in the community; we should ask, not tell. Council Member
Bonlender responded that Council's leadership role is to make people aware of this
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situation and then make the decisions. Many voters will say "no" to taxes and then
expect Council to figure it out. It is hard to provide more services without having a new
revenue source or reduce service or staffing in another area to fund the new program.
Ms. Willson added another item to the list of potential implementing measures for the
Transportation Plan on page 2 of the report prepared for Council: "Adjustment of
speed limits." The Bicycle /Pedestrian Advisory Committee looked at the existing street
standards. If we build to existing standards, it would mean all of our existing roads
would be four or five lanes, which equates to a huge cost. The Committee indicated on
a map the areas that could face capacity problems within the next 20 years, which
aren't that many. Asked, she replied that they use 800 vehicles per hour per lane to
determine capacity, which is much lower than the normal 1000 vehicles per hour most
cities use. The chart in the report addresses changes to the street standards
recommended by the Bicycle /Pedestrian Advisory Committee relating to 5, 4, 3, and 2-
lane options. The lanes are narrower, with less right -of -way width, but have greater
options under these standards. Mead Avenue couldn't be built to our own standards
between 1 1 th and 16 Avenues. She asked if Council wants staff to continue with this
thought process, create more choices, or stay with the existing standards in the
Municipal Code? The next step would be to look at alternatives where we have
capacity problem areas. Is Council interested in something like this or access
management - less expensive alternatives than building more lanes? She advised
Council that a decision does not need to be made until the end of 2004 or beginning of
2005. Staff will go out to the community again and come back to Council with more
information before a decision is needed.
Ms. Willson reviewed the staff recommendations found on page 2 of the report. Staff
will develop a priority list to use in the Six -Year Plan, bring back access management
strategies, review speed limit adjustments that may be made, and develop plans for
street preservation taking into consideration neighborhood aspects and planning. In
order to improve transit ridership, staff may come back with more transit stops. Staff
also provided Council with comments heard from the community on pages 3 and 4 of
the report; the common theme being that citizens want less expensive options.
Ken Harper commented that this morning's discussion was a review of what the
community's engineering needs might be; different from how the engineering goals get
implemented when dealing with individual developments. We will need further
discussion and direction regarding how the standards get implemented in
developments. What requirements are practicable to have the developer include in
their plans and pay for? Council will be asked to provide guidance in order to provide
better consistency. Mr. Waarvick interjected that the Regional Planning Commission
reviewed the standards, but the feasibility and waiver policy is a Council decision.
3. Audience Comments (8:45 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.)
Clarence Barnett, representing Central Washington Home Builders Association, asked
Council to add more flexibility to Title 12, and commented that by taking out the
phrase, "where feasible ", the Bicycle /Pedestrian Advisory Committee's
recommendations result in less flexibility.
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APRIL 13, 2004 — ADJOURNED MEETING
Council Member Bonlender referred to the Committee's #2 recommendation that it has
authority to provide review or request for deferral, stating he believes that they could
provide Council with a recommendation, but not be the final decision maker. Council
Member McClure clarified that the Committee has no desire to have any kind of
authority on those issues, but were frustrated that Council had given its authority to
one person who had no guidance. The Committee wanted authority to review and
comment on the requests, not make the final decision.
Kay Adams told Council that he is in favor of modifying Title 12; and stated that you
can't ask someone putting together a small project to spend the kind of money it takes
to meet the standards. Council discussed using a panel instead of delegating authority
to one person. Mr. Adams stated that is fine; however, he needs some flexibility to
make on- the -spot decisions.
4. Adjournment
At 9:00 a.m., Mayor George adjourned the meeting.
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CITY CLERK PAUL P. GEORGE, MAYOR
Minutes prepared by Karen Roberts. A tape of this meeting is available in the City Clerk's Office
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