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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11/14/1989 Adjourned Meeting • 315 NOVEMBER 14, 1989 ADJOURNED MEETING - BUDGET REVIEW • The City Council met in session on this date at 8:30 A.M. in the Council Chambers of City Hall, Yakima, Washington. Council members present were Mayor Pat Berndt, Clarence Barnett, Henry Beauchamp, Jerry Foy, and Bernard Sims. Council member Lynn Buchanan absent and excused: City staff members present were City Manager Zais, John Hanson, Director. of Finance and Budget, and City Clerk Roberts. DEPARTMENT OF ENGINEERING AND UTILITIES Engineering Engineering personnel available to respond to Council's questions was Dennis Covell, Director of Engineering and Utilities. Council member Barnett expressed concern about using part of the $188,000 . tax refund from the State for the new Urban Comprehensive Plan. He commented that the refund should be applied towards a reduction, in sewer rates or to cover some of the additional costs to lessen the''increase in the future. Council member Foy also objected to using funds from other departments to fund this Plan, which has not been approved'by the Council. City Manager Zais commented that particular policy issue was left unbudgeted. There was discussion about a different procedure to review the proposed budget, by first reviewing all policy issues, and then the individual division budgets. Water /Irrigation Ty Wick, Water Division Superintendent, was present to respond to Council's questions. Mr. Wick responded to Council's questions on the performance statistics on pages 491 and 493, utility relocations for the vacation of "A" Street, and the policy issue on page 515, Corrosion Control Pilot Program, and the policy issue on page 514, Addition of Service Vehicle to Fleet. Referring to page 500, Council member Barnett asked that the percentage in footnote 1, be changed from 11.8% to 13% in the final budget document. At Council member Sims' suggestion, City Manager Zais briefly described the in -lieu tax, which is a revenue - raising measure, starting three years ago to assess an additional 2% on City utilities to be used for Parks operations. He further reported that a recent legal interpretation indicates the private purveyor of water inside the city limits could be considered a utility and be subject to this tax. He stated the revenue, at a 6% tax rate, would be about $25,000 per year. Council member Foy asked that that be brought to Council as a policy issue. Council member Barnett asked if the legal opinion could be provided in the material for this policy issue. Mr. Wick also responded to Council's questions regarding the policy issue to Conduct a Water Treatment Plant Filter Study /Media Replacement Project. Council member Foy suggested the specs could be written in such a way to require vendor to demonstrate his product. Referring to the ditch charges on page 524, Council member Barnett suggested that the citizens be notified by inserting a notice with their bill, that the ditch charge increase to the City affects their irrigation rates. POLICE Following a brief recess, Police Chief Pleas Green, Captains Nina Vereb, In Blesio and Reed Follansbee, and Marsha Devine, Administrative Assistant, were present to respond to questions concerning the budget for the Police Department. Council member Barnett commented it appears this budget seems to be implementing what Council already approved as a policy issue in the past. Chief Green addressed the need for a holding facility, citing the overcrowding of the County jail and the early release of some offenders due to lack of jail space. He stated that staff has been discussing a joint facility with the County. Council members briefly discussed the unbudgeted policy issue on the Police Pension Funding, Mr. Hanson stating this report is informational and no action is required. /1 • 3 1 6 NOVEMBER 14, 1989 ADJOURNED MEETING - BUDGET REVIEW Referring to the policy issue on page 238, Purchase a Twenty -Five Foot Tandem Axle Trailer, Council member Foy asked for Council support on this request and that $3,000 be added to this request for equipment and a communication board. Chief Green referred to the travel budget for his Department, which increased due to increased staff levels, and stated the travel /training budget is .3% of the Department's budget. FIRE Fire Chief Jerry Beeson, Deputy Fire-Chief Gene Martin, Battalion Chief Gary Vance and Dave Bachmann, temporary acting Battalion Chief, were present to respond to Council's questions. Referring to the performance statistics on page 245, Council member Barnett suggested staff might wish to segregate the actual fire emergencies from the other items included in this category, i.e. make a separate category for calls responding to people locked out of their homes, gas wash incidents, false alarms, etc. There was discussion concerning the capital outlay request for a MERV Unit, on page 268, and it was the general consensus of Council to add this item as a separate budget policy issue. Council members discussed the policy issue to propose that Yakima County and the Air Terminal pay a proportionate share of the operation and maintenance costs of Fire Station No. 4. Chief Beeson commented that staff is developing a formula to calculate the other entities' share in providing mandated airport protection. City Manager Zais commented staff would like some Council involvement in these negotiations. Chief Beeson stated the Department's travel budget was increased by approximately $3,000 to provide training to the radio technician on the new radios installed in the City fleet. City Manager Zais stated the issue of the fire station closure will be brought back to Council after the first of the year. COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Capitol Theatre Steve Caffery, Manager, and Millie Dickson, Operations Manager, were available to respond to Council's questions. Council members discussed the policy issue on page 211, Increase Management Fee, particularly its lack of a proposed funding source. Mr. Caffery said the item on page XLIV included a preliminary figure, which staff and the Board will review before coming back to Council with a firm recommendation. John Hanson said that that $50,000 amount will be deleted from the major policy issues. Council member Foy stated he thinks we should look at the criteria to extend the hotel /motel tax beyond 1995. Council members discussed the ticket prices, which have increased, and the seating capacity of the Theatre contrasted to Tacoma's Pantages Theater. Council members also discussed the marketing of the programs at the Theatre. Jeanne Connors, President of the Capitol Theatre Board, mentioned that they have not raised the rates for local non- profit users for about ten years. Planning In order to accommodate citizens in the audience wishing to address this issue, it was the general consensus of Council to discuss the policy issue on page 151, Increase Development Application Fees. Keith Daniels, Yakima Association of Realtors, stated his Association reviewed this issue and arrived at about a 25% overall increase, which they think is more reasonable and justified (copies of their proposal were distributed to Council) . He commented there are sane costs that need to be borne by the developer and people changing their zoning, however, the Association believes the public is benefitting from these various rezones and developments. He said the Association would also like all future increases in these fees to equal the Federal cost of living index or 5%, whichever is less. Jerry Sturgill, representing Central Washington Home Builders Association, presented a letter, which he read, requesting the fee increase for Class 1 reviews be deleted. He said there is no charge for that today. Bob Shampine, Code Administration Manager, responded to Council's questions regarding the fee increase last year. Council member Foy stated that according to Mr. Sturgill's letter, a commitment and promise was made last year to not increase fees for the next three years. He asked Mr. Sturgill if the Board is saying that if the City doesn't honor that promise, then at least adhere to the Realtor's proposal. Mr. Sturgill stated they are supporting the Realtor's proposal, with this one /2 NOVEMBER 14, 1989 317 ADJOURNED MEETING - BUDGET REVIEW exception. Don Skone, Planning Manager, outlined the projected revenue from the increase in fees; approximately $13,000 annually and an additional $12,500 from Class 1 reviews. Since the County has an identical fee schedule, they are waiting to see the , Association of Realtors' and Central Washington Home Builders Association's reaction to this proposal, before increasing their fees. Mr. Daniels stated the Yakima Association of Realtors will support their proposal, with the amendment offered by the Central Washington Home Builders Association to delete the fees for Class 1 reviews. Council members discussed the Realtors Association request to increase future fees by the Federal cost of living 5%. Mr. Shampine disagreed with that proposal, stating staff and the Association should maintain a cooperative budgeting effort, by determining what kind of service that department provides. He reported that next year the Housing Committee will introduce legislation establishing an educational program for builders, which they will need to maintain their license. He said that will be funded by a surcharge on the building permit, adding about $15. It was the general consensus of the Council to adjourn at 12:15 P.M., and if time allows, following the Council meeting, convene to continue budget review of the Community & Economic Development Department. • 1 READ AND CERTIFIED ACCURATE BY: . /, 4N1 I % ! 4 j 4 4 4 A/ 3 "- IC/ COU / I L MEMBER LATE // • Co • CIL MEMBr ? DATE • (;;?-112„t MAYOR ATTEST: ' 1co -v CITY CLERK • • • • • • • /3