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Home My WebLink About07/05/1988 Business Meeting 38.5 • _. - ,,..,i.-,- •••, :., -.i JULY 5,' _1988 • . . . • • BUSINESS MEETING 1. ROLL CALL•z. ,_ • ' -The -City- Council met .in session on this date at 2:00 .P.M. :yin the Council-Chambers, of City Hall, Yakima, Washington. .Mayor Pat Berndt, presiding, Council . members. Clarence Barnett,: Henry Beauchamp, Lynn Buchanan, Lynn. Carmichael,= -Jerry •Foy and .Bernard Sims present on roll call. City Manager Zais, City Attorney Vanek, • City- Clerk- Roberts and Deputy City Toney also present. 2 . INVOCATION .. - - ... _ • .. _ - The Invocation was-'given by- Council- member Foy. ; . 3. OPEN DISCUSSION FOR THE' GOOD OF _THE ORDER' - : - ,-' Mayor Berndt gave a brief report on the recent'trip to Washington . D :C :iby- Assistant City Manager:Stbuder and herself ;on'behalf of the -enhancement project. Mayor Berndt reported' that Mr: Stouder represented] the ' 'City very well ' _in the •testimony_ he gave' regarding this issue: - _ -- - _ ., , . _ . 4 . AUDIENCE I PARTICIPATION'S ; t ' ' ' f . ' - I•- - Mayor Berndt recognized and welcomed Representative Shirley Doty seated in the audience today. - '= . . 5. ' CONSIDERATION -OF.: RESOLUTION APPOINTING ANN:-:PARK -: THE AIRPORT TREASURER `. -t. _ +.. _ • ✓:.i _ • There being= no ' discussion o this item, and Resolution No..* D -5474 . having been read by title, it :was MOVED by ::Buchanan, seconded by . Sims, to adopt the resolution. Unanimously carried by roll call ..vote. -- : - . , c RESOLUTION D-5474, .A JOINT.RESOLUTION by the Yakima-City Council and the Yakima County Commissioners appointing Ann Park, Treasurer .. •,_ to: the Yakima-Air Terminal. - - • • - - - - • - . -6. PUBLIC- HEARING:. ON• TH& FINANCING' PLAN -`FORt WASTEWATER FACILITIES COMPREHENSIVE- CAPITAL 'IMPROVEMENT PLAN (PLEASE BRING - MATERIAL 'PREVIOUSLY-DISTRIBUTED) ., ' ' -''' • - = - This being the time set for the hearing on the Financing.'Plan on the Wastewater Facilities - Comprehensive Capital `Improvement Plan, Assistant City Manager Stouder commented briefly stating this is • one of two a scheduled :public 'hearings to receive comment on the Comprehensive Sewer - Financing' Plan: He stated the. itself has no meaning without an implementation.gplan and a-means.to finance • ' -i - - ' the = ''implementation - proposal. Mr' : -'' Stouder . •'stated the' of • - today's ,-meeting-is .-to -discuss financing 'for • the proposed improvements and how that will effect the'sewer rates. He stated the financing• plan.is'�entirely'- locally funded; :the City may receive • federal assistance in the next severalLyears,but -that_is: uncertain . with the increased transfer of financing and responsibility to the local' level. He stated the proposed increase-to citizens would - be -$3.00 a• 'month -more than the citizens currently.: pay. He asked - Chris Waarvick . ,. 'Wastewater :.Superintendent; ,,to,... the overhead -j - slide and video presentation.- - -at. ' thin -• time..=' ,,The• slide •presentation- pictured the , present.; Wastewater 'Treatment Plant facility and the • 1988'UtilitylRate - Survey Listing by Single Family • -Sewer Rate: He reviewed some of the rates currently being- charged ' by - 'other communities in-Washington State 'and •repeated :that . staff is • proposing approximately a $3.00 -a month increase-for the. average householders. He stated the Financing Plan contains a number of recommendations for short and long -term, and reviewed. these as listed-on the Executive `•Summary • Chart • I . These: recommendations involve staffing, equipment purchase and• capital - construction • A/AD /1 . 386 JULY 5, 1988 needed to achieve the objectives outlined by federal and state mandates. He stated Executive Summary Chart II of the Financing Plan discusses a series of options to achieve the revenue requirements to implement the federal and state mandates. He reviewed Options 1, 2, 3 and 4, stating staff is recommending Option 4 to implement the _1989 activities with.a 16% general rate.increase in 1988 and 1989, .96% Outside Utility Surcharge, septage_ rate increase and use of._operating reserves. (The 96% surcharge increase is equivalent to an additional 5.4 0 rate .increase .) ._ . Mr.. Waarvick stated Executive Chart III is a longer view beyond the one and two year period of what needs to be considered. He stated the recommended option was Proposal One, a 16% increase for 1989 and 1990 and consider another adjustment in 1992 if needed. Proposal Two increases the rates up .front, Proposal Three is a one time, two year rate with supplemental as required with an adjustment in 1991 and, Proposal Four . is to ,increase the rate equally through 1993. Mr. Waarvick stated the Financing Plan also contains information on past rate increases and the reasons for.._such increases; i.e. in 1981-the-impact of our. increased -responsibilities in terms of Wastewater Treatment, in 1982 litigation costs were responsible for the rate increase and in 1983 a state tax increase caused rates to increase and then the proposed rate increase,of Option Four in the Financing Plan. Next, Mr. Waarvick circulated a picture .of a man standing on a large ball of grease which had been removed from the sewer system. Mr. Waarvick then presented a video_ illustrating some of the difficulties experienced in the collection systems. Some of the problems observed on the color television monitor were infiltration of irrigation water,. off -set, joints in, the. lines, tree roots, grease, rocks, and other debris._ Mayor Berndt opened the public hearing, asking those who wish to speak to state their name and address for the record. Larry•-Mathews of.805 South ,17th Avenue, Yakima,. referred to the material he had asked the City Clerk to. distribute, prior_to the meeting and read his testimony into the record. Assistant City Manager Stouder responded to Mr. Mathews statement that there have been no changes made from._ the June,_7 _ ,of the Comprehensive Sewer Financing Plan, stating it would not be appropriate to make changes at this point because this is the first public hearing held on the and to make changes prior to this time would be very to the .public. • John Klingele, 1312 West Walnut, Yakima,. commented that the 16% rate increase has. been justified .in that this particular document outlines how the .money will .be spent. He also commented he is surprised that there is not a number of County residents present . today to .object to the 96% . rate they .will..be _paying for sewer service. Mr.. Klingele stated he does, not to see rates increased,•but can ,see where this is needed and can be:put to good use in improving.our system. • City...Manager.Zais. stated that in Mr. Mathews' ,testimony he made two. assertions with regard to the City violating the State constitution in. it's rate making .and : commented City staff is not aware. of any violation that presently exists. He stated there are provision in state :law that deal with differential .classes of rates and that has ..been incorporated' in _ rate making by . the City .. Council for several. decades:. He stated if Mr. Mathews is aware _of some provision. that the City is unaware of,'perhaps Mr. Mathews' legal counsel can discover that for us. _ Council..,_member. Barnett stated two weeks ago he had requested a breakout. showing,the- ,increases due to State and Federal mandates imposed.. on the, Wastewater Treatment Plant since it was A/AD /2 387 JULY 5,,.1988 constructed. He - commented he believes this information is , necessary to justify the rate increases that have been recommended by staff. Mr. Stouder responded staff intends to provide that • information, but has not had time to prepare that as yet. Council member Foy responded to Mr. Mathews' comments in his - testimony in which he states "it appears everything is cut and -dried and public hearings are a formality and mean very little. Mr. Foy stated he is offended by that comment - because a lot of hours have gone into this plan and no final decisions have been . - made as yet. He stated he hopes the public will ignore these negative comments and participate in the public hearings "'on the Water /Sewer Comprehensive Plan. Council member Foy urged the public to consider the source of the comments made by Mr. Mathews. 7. OTHER BUSINESS • ' None • • Information items: •Items of information supplied to Council were: Transit Operations Report for May'1988,•Memo from Director-of . Community & Economic Development regarding Yakima County Reassessment, 6/24/88; Memo from Code Administration Manager regarding PCB Spill, 6/22/88: Letter from Cooke Cablevision, Inc. regarding notification .of intent to adjust basic cable service rate, 5/31/88; Letter of appreciation Ito office Housing and Neighborhood.Conservation from Marjory K. Zachman.for assistance in obtaining property, 6/22/88; • '- Notice of Housing Services Center public meetings on community needs and proposed funding priorities in-the federal funds and Agenda for the June 22, 1988 District Board of Health Meeting and minutes of its May 11, 1988 meeting. 8'. ADJOURNMENT' . • There being no further business to come before the Council,- it was MOVED by Carmichael, seconded by Buchanan, that this meeting be -'adjourned at the - 'hour of 2:35 - -P.M. -Unanimously-'carried lby- voice vote. _ READ AND CERTIFIED ACCURATE'B / ' :i .. �� /fi J iL i1�/ CO M ,j4 E • AlCedau,' o � - J 62t ATTEST: •" , CO CIL MEMB DATE • - CITY CLERK, CMC MAYOR Minutes prepared by Deputy City Clerk Barbara J. Toney, -CMC. • _ • b • • • • A/AD /3