HomeMy WebLinkAbout07/14/2006 Adjourned Meeting / Study Session 107
, ADJOURNED MEETING /STUDY SESSION
JULY 14, 2006 - 8:30 A.M. - 10:00 A.M.
COUNCIL CHAMBERS - YAKIMA CITY HALL
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Present:
Council: Mayor Dave Edler, presiding, Council Members Ron Bonlender,
Micah Cawley, Norm Johnson, Bill Lover, Neil McClure, and Susan
Whitman (present after 8:42 a.m.)
Staff: City Manager Zais, and City Clerk in Training Moore
2. Study Session regarding the Yakima Safe Community Action Plan
Mayor Edler opened the session stating his goal was for Council to agree on what we
, hope to accomplish with the proposal and define what to present to the public. City
Manager Zais described the additional information that had been supplied. He clarified
that on a notation under Council Member Lover's proposal, he had identified $800,000
as service reductions, and we identified it as service cuts. He has asked that we change
it to spending reductions and wanted to be sure to point out it is not the same $800,000
previously identified from Parks and Streets, but comes from different places.
Police Chief Granato responded to questions that had been asked about exactly how the
emphasis patrols will work. They are being developed based on a survey looking at
concerns and priorities. The patrols partner with different agencies. He described the
training the officers will have and emphasized they are moving from a reactive to a
proactive mode in areas plagued by crime. He described the process in detail covering
block watches, crime analysis, code enforcement, and conflict resolution among
neighbors. Measurable results were discussed. They hope to get at least 20% reduction
• in the crime rate over the four year program. Council Member Lover pushed for 20%
reduction each year, but Chief Granato explained the hiring and training process and
said it was unlikely they could be on board and effective quickly enough to see that
measurable of results the first or second years.
Council Member Johnson described an alternative program he prepared with Council
Member Cawley to bring in 22 police officers and eliminate the deputy police chief
position. It supports the increases for the jail and probation at 100% and reduces the
remaining portion of the original proposal by 50 %. Council Member Cawley criticized the
City's budget and said he would be looking at it in detail to determine how to fund their
proposal. Council Member Bonlender spoke against increasing the Gambling Tax as
proposed. Council Member Cawley commented that he felt gamblers would pay and
that they contribute to the problem and should pay more to help fix it. Council Member
Lover commented on the proposal stating he was satisfied with the program but debated
how to fund it.
The Council moved into a discussion on the utility tax lid. Mayor Edler clarified that the
lid was put in place a long time ago and that we may be the only community left doing it.
Council Member Bonlender agreed that it might be time to eliminate it and suggested
staggering it over a few years until it is totally gone. Council Member Johnson
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JULY 14, 2006
STUDY SESSION — SAFE COMMUNITY ACTION PLAN
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mentioned concern of the impact a lid lift would have on the hospitals and schools.
Finance Director, Rita DeBord, explained information supplied by Pacific Power
regarding how many accounts would be affected by the lid lift. The Council continued
their debate on the lid lift, the number of officers, and the Deputy Chief position. Also
discussed was replacing the suggested increase in the gambling tax by a $170,000
spending reduction.
Judge Susan Woodard explained that receiving only 50% support will not fully address
the crime problem. They have asked for on -line staff, not administration. She alluded to
how much manpower she could hire utilizing the Deputy Chief's salary and asked the
Council to take a critical look at keeping as much funding in those other services.
Other points made during the discussion were:
• Shift the entire library tax gain over to the proposal
• Keep the Court system at the original proposed number
• Eliminate the idea of a gambling tax increase
• Vote to go to a city district park system before utility tax vote
• Include an additional code enforcement officer
• Ideas for using CBDG dollars for code enforcement
Mayor Edler summarized that we have arrived at between $3.3 and $3.4 million in what
we believe are the revenues we can ask the citizens to participate in, based on 1.5%
utility tax and a partial removal of the utility tax lid. It was the consensus of Council to
discuss finalizing the actual proposal details following the hearing on the regular
business meeting next week.
3. Audience comments (9:45 a.m. — 10:00 a.m.)
None
4. Adjournment
McCLURE MOVED AND BONLENDER SECONDED TO ADJOURN. The motion
carried by unanimous voice vote. The meeting adjourned at 1 Cy 3 a.m.
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READ AND CERTIFIED ACCURATE BY _ _.
COUNCIL MEMBER DATE
. _ l9li
COUNCIL ME eER DATE
ATTEST:
CiT LERK / .." EDLER, MAYOR
Minutes prepared by Linda Watkins. An audio and video tape of this meeting are available in the City Clerk's Office
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