The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About05/08/2007 Adjourned Meeting / Study Session 377 ADJOURNED MEETING /STUDY SESSION MAY 8, 2007 8:00 A.M. - 10:00 A.M. COUNCIL CHAMBERS - YAKIMA CITY HALL 1. Roll CaII Present: Council: Mayor Dave Edler, presiding, Council Members Ron Bonlender, Micah Cawley, Norm Johnson, Bill Lover, Neil McClure, and Susan Whitman Staff: City Manager Zais, City Attorney Paolella and Acting City Clerk Watkins 2. Presentation of Council Public Safety Committee proposals re: alternative Safe Community Action Plan In an opening statement, Council Member Whitman said there were two different plans submitted; one from Council Member Cawley and one from Council Member Bonlender and her. In their plan, their goal was to determine what could be done with the $650,000 library money. Council Member Cawley commented that the committee felt it was time to act using existing resources and take it year by year instead of trying to address all the issues at once. Council Member Bonlender said they were recommending action betaken now to avoid complacency settling in. He advised that industry representatives were at all of the meetings where the potential of the utility tax lid lift was discussed. It currently is on the shelf because the committee felt it just wasn't fair for a small group of businesses to pay for a large part of the package. But he suggests it remain in the mix for future consideration. He then reviewed the various items the committee considered to increase revenue. In comparing the two proposals, he said Council Member Whitman and his is more comprehensive where Council Member Cawley's only deals with police. They fear that would clog up the system rather than create efficiencies. They had also discussed bringing a 1% utility tax increase to the voters in November. Council Member Cawley said the committee's conclusion was not to go to the voters in 2007, but to adopt a plan and continue to work on the future. Council Member Lover said it is imperative to reduce spending and live within our means. He claimed that, if it was left to staff, they would always look for new revenue rather than reduce spending. He sees the funding options as 1) increase taxes, 2) reduce spending and services, 3) initiate cost savings programs, and 4) identify spending priorities and spend accordingly. He prefers to see a comprehensive action plan for five years or more with benchmarks. He suggested letting the plan determine the costs and the funding determine the timeline. Currently, we are letting revenue drive the plan. He believes that with the help of citizens, it is possible to make Yakima a safe community. • 378 MAY 8, 2007 — ADJOURNED MEETING Mayor Edler asked for a legal opinion on the Crime -Free Rental Housing program and why have we backed off on it. Cynthia Martinez, Sr. Assistant City Attorney, reviewed the four options for the Crime -Free Rental Housing program. • Impose a fee per unit that the landlords would pay to fund the program - They discovered to impose a fee without regulation would be an unauthorized tax. • Impose a fee with regulation - This option would require staff monitoring to make sure the regulations are met. There is a case with the Washington State Supreme Court currently being reviewed. • Voluntary participation by the landlords, making it a user fee - This would not be a sustainable funding source. Walla Walla funds their program in this manner and has seen a decline in enrollees each year. • Expand the general business license requirement - Again, this option would incur administration costs. The Legal Department recommends waiting until the Supreme Court rules on the most viable option, a fee with regulations. Council Member Lover opined that this is not only a landlord program but that the City is obligated, by ordinance, to inform landlords of police action on their property but are not complying. Rick Ensey, a landlord and Secretary/Treasurer of the Yakima Valley Landlord Association, agreed that landlords are frustrated as they feel they should already be getting notification from the police. He said he would be willing to pay a fee as a show of trust, but if the program disappeared and he still had to pay the fee, he would be very upset. An active discussion ensued. Chief Granato rebutted the non - compliance accusation. Council Member Whitman outlined the details of their alternative, which would add five officers, one for the Crime -Free Housing program. It also includes funding two emphasis patrols this year, and one crime analyst position. The Legal Department would receive a management program and there would be the addition of a Municipal Court Clerk. The expenses would be $736,000 offset by $650,000 library funds, $15,000 from the Occidental annexation, and $71,000 of Law and Justice capital. Council Member Cawley praised the efforts of Chief Granato and the police department while explaining that his proposal focused on the addition of a proactive unit that would target high crime neighborhoods based on crime analysis. This unit would not respond to radio and calls for service. It included seven commissioned officers and promoting one sergeant from within. There would be no funding for Legal or the Court. Judge Susan Woodard addressed the premise that more police equals less crime. She related that, in the past, when they increased by seven officers, their workload increased by 16 %. Cynthia Martinez described the current and expected workloads of the Legal Department and what a new system would do to help the clerks, although it would not increase available attorney time. 2 375 MAY 8, 2007 — ADJOURNED MEETING Mike Morrisette, Yakima Chamber of Commerce, said they prefer the Bonlender/Whitman proposal because it provides funds for overtime emphasis patrols for proactive policing and still helps out the Legal and Prosecuting Departments. Council Member Whitman stated she would like the proposal submitted by Council Member Bonlender and her to be brought forward on the June 5, 2007 Council agenda. Police Chief Granato, responding to a request from Council Member Cawley, empathized with the courts and prosecutors and said we need to look into technology to help reduce the level of stress in all these areas. But, bottom line, we need people on the streets responding to crime and we need to be a proactive department. Council Members commented • Council Member McClure said it is a philosophical question of how the officers would be used. He cannot endorse ignoring the Legal Department and Court. This issue is about the entire criminal justice program. Council Member Lover said that Council Member Cawley's plan comes closest to his desires and positive impacts on the Court and Legal Department can be accomplished with 2008 budget policy issues. He recommends using "just -in- time" when manning personnel positions. Council Member Johnson requested Finance staff to supply breakdown information on the.3% currently being used for the Court and Police. He expressed concern with the idea of hiring people and having to lay them off if the public does not re -enact that funding. Mayor Edier expressed concern about just putting a patch on the crime problem as a reaction to the taxpayers voting no. He is looking for a systematic and comprehensive way to affect crime. He said he is not ready to make a decision at the next Council meeting. If he were to present a plan, he would suggest taking money that is being banked right now and invest in an emphasis patrol and some technology. He expressed disappointment in the rental community that they are not willing to invest in the issue. Council Member Bonlender requested more open and honest debate. The Public mt five meetings more on subject exhausted their ideas. It was Safety the consensus of has Council had to have staff or determine a the date for another and has study exhaust session to discuss the subject. 3. Audience comments No one came forward. 3 376 MAY 8, 2007 — ADJOURNED MEETING 4. Adjournment McCLURE MOVED AND CAWLEY SECONDED TO ADJOURN. The motion carried by unanimous voice vote. The meeting adjourned at 10:08 a.m. READ AND CERTIFIED ACCURATE BY COUNCIL EMBER DATE 9 X/I7 t UNCIL Y MBER DATE ATTEST: -,4(UU 1� J oa- Li fl' CIT ERK DAVID EDLER, MAYOR Minutes prepared by Linda Watkins. A CD and DVD of this meeting are available in the City Clerk's Office 4