Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout05/18/2010 04B-3 Minutes 05-05-2010 Council Economic Development Committee s B _3 • Yakima City Council Committee Meeting Minutes Council Development Committee Wednesday, May 5, 2010 2 :30 p.m. Council Members present: Maureen Adkison, David Edler, Bill Lover Staff: Dick Zais, Michael Morales, Doug Mayo, Joan Davenport, Vaughn McBride Proposed CDBG Investment: Michael Morales introduced John Finke from the National Development Council (NDC). NDC has done economic development work for the City for several years, including work on Section 108 loans. Mr. Finke related that there are needs for two very significant local business projects that exceed the City's current Section 108 capacity, so he suggested the NDC Grow America Fund. The Grow America Fund leverages CDBG Economic Development funds with a Small Business Administration loan program. Mr. Finke and Mr. Morales outlined the program. The Committee unanimously moved to forward the proposal to the full Council with a recommendation to approve. The proposal was made earlier in the day to the Council Neighborhood Development Committee, and they were also in favor of the proposal. Mill District update: Yakima Bears Manager K. L. Wombacher talked about the plans the Bears are working on with the Mill District developer. The goal is for the ballpark / community gathering place to be part of the first phase of development. A consultant is working on the funding package. Mr. Wombacher expects the funding package and conceptual design to be done by mid - summer. They hope to break ground in the spring of 2011 and have the new park ready for the 2012 season. He and Bears owner Mike McMurray expressed appreciation to the Council for their support. The Committee asked to be kept in the loop as development proceeds. Request from Yakima Farmers' Market: The current area available to the Farmers' Market is South Third Street from Yakima Avenue (north) to the northern -most Post Office driveway between Chestnut and Walnut (south). However, Market Manager Don Eastridge explained that the Post Office lobby is no longer open on Sundays, and the Market would like to be able to extend south to Walnut as necessary from week to week. It is understood that the configuration would change should the Post Office decide to reopen on Sundays. Vaughn McBride asked if the Committee would care to pursue a new contract for the Market at this time, since the current contract is set to expire at the end of this year. The Committee unanimously agreed to forward the request for the change in area, and the request for a new contract, to the full Council with a recommendation to approve both. Lincoln Avenue underpass update: Doug Mayo reported on progress for the underpass construction. Traffic is scheduled to be rerouted onto MLK on June 2. Engineering staff has completed a community awareness campaign. Staff is in the process of scheduling a ground breaking ceremony that will occur sometime between June 14 & June 22. The Committee would like monthly updates on this project. Capitol Theatre expansion: Doug Mayo, Capitol Theatre CEO Steve Caffery, and Barbara Cline from Traho Architects gave a detailed update about the progress of the . current and a future expansion projects at the Capitol Theatre. Completion of the first phase is scheduled for late summer. The Committee would like monthly updates an this project. Grant applications: Mr. Mayo shared that Engineerinq� has applied for $900,000 to match with an existing $200,000 to do improvements on 64 Avenue between Tieton Drive and Nob Hill. In the near future applications will be done for the Safe Routes To School sidewalk program (for 80 Avenue sidewalk, traffic signal at 72 & Mead, sidewalk from 58 to 63 on Chestnut), and pedestrian / bike safety grants for Powerhouse from 28 to Englewood and 16t Avenue from Fruitvale to Madison. Use of downtown parking lots for events: Allied Arts has requested use of the SW quadrant of the parking lot on South 2nd Street (Olive Garden) on the first Friday in October for staging for the Fresh Hop Ale Festival. Chris Waarvick and Mike McMurray reported on the recommendations from the Parking Commission. The Parking Commission is in favor of the use for this one event, but with stipulations. The Commission wants to pursue further discussion and a formal policy. In addition, Allied Arts must pay for the use of the parking, and they must communicate with the affected businesses early enough so that the businesses have a chance to comment. CDY will help find suitable parking for the day for the patrons that are displaced. David Edler commented that CDY discussed the matter at their last meeting and were not totally in favor of the closure from a downtown business perspective. Chairman Adkison concurred, saying that parking in the area can be hard to find. The Committee recommended that this matter be forwarded to the full Council to consider the recommendation from the Parking Commission. Request from Port of Moses Lake: The Port of Moses Lake has asked if the City is interested in being included in their Foreign Trade Zone service area. Mr. Morales briefed the Committee on the advantages and noted that there would be no cost to the City, or to Yakima County, to be included. The Committee recommended that a letter of support be 410 sent. Continuation of sidewalk sign discussion: Joan Davenport prepared a fact sheet as directed at the last Committee meeting, and the Legal Department is working on a memo regarding the regulation of content. When the "content" memo is complete, the fact sheet and the memo will be sent from the City Council to the downtown business organizations for their review and so that they can discuss the matter with Council. Ms. Davenport noted that no changes to the Municipal Code or to enforcement will occur while the matter is under consideration. Planning for capital facilities infrastructure presentation: Dick Zais said this item will be ready for extensive discussion at the Committee's meeting on June 2. Other Business Bill Lover reminded staff about his request for a legal opinion regarding banning campaign signs in the downtown area. Mr. Edler asked to have updates regarding adult businesses at the meetings of the Economic Development Committee. Ms. Davenport reported that the public hearing for the proposed gentlemen's club has been set for May 28. Mr. Edler reported that he has received some negative comments from downtown businesses about carrying out the feeding of the homeless project on South Naches Avenue. He would not be surprised if the issue comes before Council in the near future. Mr. Waarvick said that Miller Park has been suggested as an alternate, and he believes it is being considered. • The Committee briefly discussed the downtown PBIA, noting that the current assessment will expire a year or so from now. They suggested that work should begin now to achieve the percentage required to keep the assessment in place. The next meeting of the Council Economic Development Committee is scheduled for Wednesday, June 2, 2010, at 2:30 p.m. IiitGLm,wp -, (�iS Ci .� - 13-1 . 0 _ �Z Maureen Adkison, Chair Date • • .