I was thinking I I have said for a long
time that the most important thing this
council does is the is the budget
because we can uh write ordinances or
not. We can write resolutions or not,
but we better pass a budget every two
years. And so, uh it's super important.
This year is I think probably the first
time where a majority of council has not
been through this full process before.
Um only three of us uh have have been
through a full budget cycle. Um
there is a lot of grace to be given um
as people come up to speed on this sort
of arcane process. Um we have an ace in
the hole which is when I started on
council there's always sort of a budget
zar on the council. there's always
somebody who like speaks the language
forwards and backwards and Mark was that
person at the beginning. So, so now he
gets to be on the other side of the
table um but still having that eagle eye
on finance and and innovation in finance
and I'm I'm really excited that he's in
that role and he will and he will help
us um today. You know, one of the things
about having a lot of folks that haven't
done it before is the administration
wanted to get started early. So, we're
doing this early uh earlier than we have
previously. Uh Wally's going to do some
sort of table setting after I get out of
the way and he's going to talk a little
bit about sort of how today flows into
uh the rest of the budget process and
and how we're sort of looking at a
little bit differently this year. Um we
will we have also added um before we get
to the actual budget item that's on the
agenda today, we're going to do a little
bit of a roundt um with Kristen and
Wally because eagle-eyed people when
they tore into the budget um or to tore
into the packet for today realized that
there's some surprises in there, right?
There's stuff that's surprising even
from Monday night's annual budget
update, right there. And so, um, we're
going to have sort of a and I I said I
asked for this sort of late in the game
and I said, you know, don't even
necessarily have to have slides, but
let's just slow things down for 10 or 15
or 20 minutes and just talk about where
is the city today and these surprises
that are in there will potentially have
profound impacts on the decisions that
we make uh for the budget for the next
two years. So, so I want to I want to
really have a I want to make sure that
all of us
share the same understanding of where we
are at or at least understand the
administration's uh view on where we are
at so that we understand the assumptions
that are hooked into the initial
conversation about the budget.
So, that's all I have. Um, does anyone
have any questions before we get going?
All right, let's dive into it. Um, we
are now at public comment and my
understanding is there may be uh does
does anybody wish to make public comment
at the meeting this evening? All right,
please come forward because the way
we're set up today, we have a microphone
up here and you're going to be best
heard if you're standing here. So, and
I'm going to get out of your way.
>> She should me. So,
>> of course, of course she
>> she of course. All right. Well, good
morning city council members uh both
returning and new. And uh good morning
mayor and city administrator and and
staff and everyone that's here. My name
is Anne Fletcher. I'm a resident of ISA
and um today I want to talk about
priorities, measurement and resources.
Uh priorities.
Today you will be weighing many
priorities. Oh my gosh, I'm sure your
mind is just full of stuff. Um,
one really heavy priority that we
sometimes forget about is climate change
and what this is can do about it. People
for climate action coalition researched
and published 12 critical actions for
reducing greenhouse gas emissions and I
sent you a link last night so that you
can look at it in more in depth. Uh the
document prioritizes five building and
energy, five transportation and two
general actions. One general action is a
community engagement
very important and sufficient dedicated
funding for the priority actions.
The table of contents provides an
outline. So if you don't have much time,
you can look at that. And then it's also
possible to delve into the different
actions to see what other cities are
doing and other places that are um doing
some of these actions that might give us
some ideas.
Okay, moving on to um measurement. So
far, our greenhouse gas inventories show
that we are not doing nearly enough in
priority areas to have significant
impact on emissions. The actions need
integration, more integration with in
the relevant departments and in
particular buildings and energy seems to
be the hardest to address and it needs
the most creative solutions.
Unfortunately, the state, county, and
federal government are not doing enough
to support our cities. and we can
continue to wait for them or we can take
a look at things maybe a little
differently and take some responsibility
to do more of the crucial actions.
In the staff report on the citywide
performance measures, the administration
indicates it did not include the new
measures for the 2025 strategic plan
which include a lot of climate measures
uh due to staff capacity.
So if climate is a priority then we
should have the budget to measure our
performance in order to make the
decisions about our organization and
resources. So I would request that you
please include enough direction and
enough um staffing to provide timely
performance measures.
Thirdly, resources. I sympathize with
budget deficits. I hate that when it
happens to myself and it's horrible when
it happens to a city. But I do not
sympathize with status quo thinking. We
are creative. We are intelligent. We can
do things. And what are the priorities
for the funds that we do have? As our
city council, you have the authority to
approve the plan, make the ordinances,
as TA said, and importantly to provide
the budgetary resources to do what it
will take to lower greenhouse gases. I
ask that you set aside preconceived
ideas about our local capacity
and the federal, county, state context
that you think limits us, you know, and
think about what we might do differently
to show leadership partnership with our
community. We are here ready to work on
this with you and make stronger progress
on challenging issue of climate change.
So today, please keep in mind
climate priorities, measurement and
resources. Thank you.
>> And and I'll ask if there's anyone else
in the public wishes speak at this time.
>> Then with that, audience comments are
closed and we can move on to uh CO267.
Oh, sorry. No, we're gonna
>> table. I'm going to do a little
>> a little bit of introduction. Good
morning, everybody. Um, I've got a
slide, uh, Tisha, that I'd like to put
up. Um, as Council President March said,
um, this is a new team working on a
budget. And I'd like to talk a little
bit this morning about budgeting as a
sport because it really is a sport. It
really takes a team uh, to go through
the process and we have a different
team. And so our hope today from the
administration um is to help this team
be ready uh for the budget process and
it's really a season. And this uh slide
um is from MRC and it kind of talks
about the different parts of the season.
And so I'd like you first to think uh
that we are in the pre-budget or using a
sports analogy we are in the pre-season.
So this is a pre-season game today that
we're having. We have had in the past
only one preseason game and the
administration proposed to council
leadership this year that we have two
preseason games because in order for the
team to be ready for the season which
will start when the mayor presents his
budget in September uh there's work to
be done. And so that first uh uh purple
box that says pre-budget spring summer,
um what MRC recommends is that the
council host a council retreat, that
they have a staff budget objectives
discussion, which we've had and you'll
hear about uh through some of uh
Kristen's presentations, that we
organize community priority forms. So
that may be something that you want to
do. Um we update capital facilities
plans, which we're in the process of
doing. um and that we review and update
financial policies, which is something
that you'll see in the second preseason
game um in July.
>> Notice that's a preseason game got moved
from Saturday morning to Monday night.
>> That's right.
>> We're going to be on television.
>> The bright lights and all.
>> Yes. Okay.
>> Budget night in America. Um so then you
get budget estimates. And so what we've
done with this first preseason game is
we've kind of moved that up because
normally in when we've only had one
preseason game, we would do the budget
estimates and start that process in
July. And so what we've done today is
we're giving you some of those earlier
pre-season estimates, but a lot of times
with pre-season, you're still working
kinks out. And so we're going to walk
through today some assumptions that
we're making. We're going to get
feedback from you as the team. Uh and so
when we come back for your second
preseason game in July, we'll have
better numbers with that. Um again,
revenue and expense estimates, uh the
Kirk compiles all estimates. Again, the
July meeting, and this is a a calendar
that MRSC suggests for all Washington
cities, um is something we have done,
but we are doing that now in a first
preseason game as well as a second
preseason game. The preliminary budget
is when the regular season begins when
the mayor will submit the budget in
September. We have had uh staff
presentations. We've had council
deliberations. And I think it during the
second uh meeting on July 27th, the
council should think about what you want
that regular season budget discussions
to look like. And then uh hopefully uh
we get to the final budget which is uh
has been traditionally in November. Uh
we don't have to do it until the end of
December. Uh we don't want to go into a
postseason. We want to finish the
regular season and have the budget done.
So playoffs, huh? There's no playoffs.
Okay.
>> Hopefully not.
>> Unless Samish is very competitive.
But I also think as we use this analogy
of preseason, another thing that that
teams do in the preseason is they kind
of take stock of the team members. And
so we have a mayor, Mark Mullet. He was
uh originally with the team and then he
changed teams for 12 years and went to
the state senate and now has come back
to this team. But in that time he was
gone in 12 years. What did Mayor Mullet
do? But Mayor Mel wrote the capital
budget for the Washington state senate.
So while perhaps he was a little bit uh
early in his career when he left Isiqua
went to the state senate he comes back
to isiqua with lots of experience about
this game about the budget game and so
he is going to be an important player uh
through this. We have three seasoned
veterans on the team. uh the captain of
the team, the longest serving council
member, has been through this, has seen
this, has lots of experience, is is here
for the council in the clubhouse. He's
the guy who's going to rally the team
once we get into the regular season. Uh
and that's really very important and
powerful. Um we have council member Joe,
uh that veteran again who also left the
team for a while, uh had other
experiences, uh and then came back to
the team. And so, Council Member Joe
brings uh not only the experience from
his prior service on the council, but
certainly having been on the council for
the last few years. Then you have
Council Member Walsh. You know, she
she's bucking for the Hall of Fame. So,
she has been focused on the budget
process. She is the season player. you
know, she starts every game and she is
coming to this budget season, you know,
at the top of her career and so is there
for all the team members with the
experience that she has ready to go so
that when when we get to a clutch
situation, Council Member Walsh with the
details that she has um is really an
important part of that team.
Council member Nichols got got elected
to the team uh this year. You know, he
comes from a completely different realm
of budget. He asked for the budget in a
spreadsheet, ladies and gentlemen. And
so that that that skill bringing that to
the team is so very important. Uh and
then you have two council members who
got called up. So for those of you who
aren't baseball people, you know that
boards of commissions aren't quite the
minor leagues but but got called up and
are now part of the team. So they have
experience, have been playing the game,
have those skills and abilities that
they learned in the minors and they are
now part of that team. So Isiqua is used
to having an all-star team doing the
budget. It has an all-star team this
year, uh but it's a different team. And
so these two pre-season meetings are
really meant to help get that team
together for you all to appreciate the
skills and experiences that you each
bring uh to the table. Um and sometimes
in preseason it's always not smooth and
there'll probably be times today where
there's questions and we have to work
things out. But again, we've got two
preseason games. We'll be ready and
we'll be more prepared for July when we
meet. And one of those call-ups manages
family finances for people for a living.
That's
>> right. I mean,
>> but it's very different.
>> Everybody brings those skills. But then
you look at the support that the team
has. You have Kristen who came here
from, you know, several all-star seasons
with another team, joined the team last
year, mid-season. Uh, and so this is her
first season as your your finance
director. And so she brings those skills
and abilities, but she's got to tailor
them now and wants very much to tailor
them to the needs of the team. And so
she's here with Michael, our new budget
budget manager. You know, he's he's the
rookie in in in the crowd. He's a rookie
uh to this team, has played in for other
teams in Arizona, um other parts of the
country. Uh but he supports that team.
And then you see everyone else that's
here, you know, you know, Jillian uh
Stra who has been here for for a number
of years. Uh we have with us uh Lee who
is still in the minor leagues uh but uh
but is but is looking to to come up to
the majors here pretty soon. Um Jeff
Watling, a season veteran, Andrew
Leoner, a season veteran. Um who did I
miss? Tisha Gizer,
you know, will be elected to the Hall of
Fame immediately upon retirement. Um, so
it's a really, really strong team. So I
hope as we go into today that you think
of it in these terms that we've got two
preseason games. Uh, we will be ready so
when the mayor presents his budget in
September, we're ready to go. So let me
talk a little bit about what we have on
the agenda today. Uh, you're first going
to hear from Julian Stra about the
citywide work plan. Uh, we've had work
plans in various shapes and sizes over
the last several years. Um, this work
plan is different. um it's based on the
mayor's goals versus based on the
strategic plan. So, one of the pieces of
feedback um for from you today is how
does that feel? Um one of the things
that the administration feels is that
the work plans have been a little clunky
trying to take actual current year work
and compare it to a strategic plan
that's meant to be much more long-term.
And so, one of the questions for the
council is how do you want to track
current work? Does this make sense? How
does the strategic plan fit in? Should
we do something separate? Because quite
honestly, we spend a lot of time putting
together reports and we've put this on
PowerBI. So, that makes it a little it's
not a spreadsheet anymore. Uh but that's
important for you to to know because one
of the things that you'll need during
these two preseason games is
understanding what the priorities are.
You've already identified them. We met
in January. Um but make sure that we're
tracking those priorities appropriately.
Uh we're also going to talk about
performance measures.
Many of you on this team are very
focused on performance measures and
performance measures have been built in
different ways over the years. So you
all need to decide now as this team, do
these performance measures make the most
sense for you? They also take a lot of
energy and time to track uh which the
administration's happy to do, but we
want it to be meaningful. So that's
something we'll be talking about today.
Um the park bond renewal um is an
ongoing discussion. Uh it's going to be
a major event uh through the season and
so we want to make sure that the council
has the latest information there. We
also want to give you an economic
development update. Alexis Simmons, our
economic development director,
unfortunately has had some family health
issues that she's been dealing with. So
she's not here. So I think uh council
president maybe we can move that
presentation around so other staff can
get on with their Saturday. Um, and then
as the council president said, before we
get to the main budget discussion, kind
of reflect on what you've heard this
morning. Reflect on what else you'll be
needing um before we get into the detail
because it is um the numbers we're
providing are different. We've never
given you numbers this early. There are
assumptions that we're making, but we
really felt it was really important to
start early. And so again, that you have
these two pre-season meetings that by
the time the budget comes out in
September, you're ready to go. Um, you
have a good working relationship about
how you want to process information, how
you want to make decisions. I think that
will make the process stronger because
again, you want to win. And what's
winning in this this scenario? Winning
is making sure that you as the elected
body that the mayor uh make sure that
the resources we're spending meet
community needs and do it in a way that
is responsible. That is winning. And so
all of this is about building a team
that can win and deliver a budget that
meets your needs as the elected
officials of this community as well as
meets the needs of the community. So I
apologize that we didn't do this sort of
level setting earlier. I hope my few
comments this morning kind of help
characterize what we're going to be
doing in a little bit better way.
>> Thank you, Willie. Does anybody have any
questions before we uh dive in? Well,
I'll just give kind of an analogy of how
I viewed in the capital budget role was
I would meet with all 29 members of the
Senate Democratic caucus in the interim
and in January when session started and
I would just ask them like what are your
priority projects in your district,
explain them to me, get a sense of that.
I would also go to Republican districts
to understand their priority pro
projects. And to me it was helpful and I
think to Wallally's point, the sooner
you know those priorities, the sooner
you can kind of try to fit those pieces
into the puzzle. My hardest challenge as
a capital budget chair was when somebody
came to me the first week of April and
said, "Here's the thing I need to have
done." And I'm like, "Well, crap." We're
like 90% of the way through this
process. And it's really really hard at
that point to get stuff in. So I think
I'm really hoping that we kind of get a
sense from the council on what some of
these priorities are and it isn't like
every time you met with someone and they
said this is my priority project didn't
mean you could deliver that project and
it's full scope but it still helped you
do it and sometimes it just meant you
could start down some of those paths at
that point even if it wasn't all the way
to completion. But I do agree with Bali.
The the sooner that information is out
and I hope people This isn't like a
poker game where it's advantageous to
keep your cards close and then lay them
over in the very final turn the river
gets revealed. It's like no, we want to
see your two cards right away. And that
way it's easier for us to manage the
process.
>> Yeah.
>> Right.
>> No bluffing then.
>> Thanks, Mr. Mayor. Appreciate those
comments. Um, so I think we're ready to
turn to COM267,
uh, the work plan. Um, as the city
administrator mentioned, Gileian's job,
our management analyst,
just a moment and I'll get my
presentation pulled up.
Hey Tisha, it shows that I'm screen
sharing but I'm not.
Let me go ahead and pull it up.
>> Okay.
Maybe try maybe one more one more
attempt. No problem.
>> By the way, my IT error earlier in the
week when I couldn't get things to work
is I plugged my personal laptop into
>> was It's always great when you call it
and they're like, "You have the wrong
device plugged into your computer right
now."
Oh, good tip.
>> Ollie, what are you in this team
analogy?
>> I'm sorry.
>> What are you in this team analogy?
>> Dan Wilson,
>> the manager Wilson
is like Dan Wilson's pitching team.
>> Hey, I thought about that and I didn't
think there was a good
>> general manager.
Yeah,
>> Jerry Dotto.
You could be John Snder. He's had a a
better He's had a better run in the
general manager role than our fellow
people.
>> All right.
>> Thank you. Good morning. My name is
Jillian Stra. I'm a management analyst
in the executive department and I'm here
to talk with you all today about
citywide work plan reporting.
So today we're going to talk about the
new method that Wally mentioned for
citywide work plan reporting the 2026
projects that we're reporting on and
we'll be receiving your feedback on the
products included and if this new method
works.
So we have a few direction needed
questions to kind of shape that
discussion today. First, um, is the
propos proposed method of sharing the
link to quarterly updates and using a
PowerBI dashboard rather than having
this update attached as part of the
council packet uh, preferred by city
council and what changes would you
recommend to improves improve the user
experience of the work plan dashboard
knowing that you all are some of the
primary users um, of this?
So, with that for just a little bit of
background, the administration has
typically established a work plan at the
beginning of the year and shared it with
city council at the January retreat.
given the newness of the administration
um and the turnover in city council and
the other items that needed to be
addressed at the January retreat, this
was pushed to this May retreat. Um so
we've established the the work plan
priorities
um and obviously look forward to hearing
if there are any anything that's
missing. Um but we also have a quarter
one update to share with you so that
we're not lagging in this process.
Typically, we've provided the quarterly
updates that include a description of
the action, a schedule of the active
work, the status of the work as of that
quarter, and a written update covering
what happened that quarter. In the
previous way that we presented it, which
was a word doc attached to your city
council packet, the um the citywide work
plan item was at least 20 pages, if not
more, and there wasn't an easy way to
quickly find information about the
projects that you were interested in.
That's why we've moved to the dash the
dashboard um mode. Um I'll also note
that typically we included the the
capital work plan as well. We haven't
fully figured out the the new format for
that knowing that that was also pretty
time inensive and staff intensive and
resulted in really long um agenda items
for council. So today we're just talking
about citywide work plan reporting. I'll
also note that as part of this process
we we weren't great at delivering the
update in a timely fashion. and it often
occurred about halfway through um the
next quarter by the time we were
reporting on the the previous quarter's
actions. So, taking kind of all of that
into account, we developed a new process
um and we just have a few uh kind of
guidelines here that we were working off
of. So, the goals were to have a quick
reference for you and the mayor for um
and timely updates for the actions that
staff is working on in 2026. We also
want to make sure that that reporting
process is not ownorous for staff so
that they can be doing the work um
that's in the work plan. Uh as well as
everything else when we were thinking
about what actions to report on, we tied
them to the mayor's priorities. Um we
tried to focus on new work. So for
example, implementation of a plan might
not be included on the citywide work
plan, but creation of a new plan might
be or an update to a plan. Um
we focus on items that had significant
staff time or commitment. But I also
want to note this is obviously not
exhaustive or not perfectly perfectly
representative of all the work that the
city does. So this is a quick hit of
35ish actions knowing that there's a lot
more that staff is spending their time
doing beyond what's reported here.
So with that um we have a new process um
and a new dashboard. I'll actually stop
screen sharing this briefly just to show
you the dashboard and what it looks like
to click around.
So give me just a second.
Okay. So, this is um if you are on the
city quarterly updates page um of the
city's website, you could click into
this work plan dashboard and I'll make
it just a little bit smaller so we can
see it
clearly. Um so, here on this landing
page, you have the five main priority
areas. um in the first five boxes left
to right. And then you also have an
other actions bucket for things like the
2728 budget that don't neatly fit into
one of the five other categories but are
still obviously important both because
of the staff time and because of the
council touch points that we anticipate
with that kind of work. Um from here you
also have a quick look at the work plan
progress. So as you get into the actions
you can see whether or not they are on
track or if they're facing challenges.
So, I'll go ahead and quickly click into
getting around town um safely and
easily. And here on this first page, you
see all of the actions that we are
reporting on under this priority area.
So, you can click around on this page
between the text to see the project
description. Um this is brief. It's
meant to be kind of just a quick
overview of what the project is. It's
not exhaustive. And then if you wanted
to get a little bit more information,
you would click on the icon and then
that would have the quarter 1 status
update and save as a qual light rail
probably has updates from yesterday. So
perhaps this wasn't the the best choice
to to show you, but it just shows you a
little bit of the update provided um
earlier this month. It shows you the
action status. Um, and once we have more
quarters of updates, you can kind of
click through to see how this project
has progressed um, throughout the year.
So, with that, I'll stop sharing, go
back to my PowerPoint.
So, that's my overview of the dashboard.
Um, following your feedback today, we're
going to continue to to refine the
dashboard. There are some changes we
know we want to make around including
some more links to um to information so
that people have kind of a one-stop shop
for some of these projects. Um, and we
intend on providing the quarter 2 update
in mid July.
So, with that, here are the direction
questions uh for today and I'm happy to
answer any clarifying questions as well.
Um, I'll I'll start. So, um,
so this was this was a conversation
about the dashboard. Just a few minutes
ago, we heard that we're going to be
focusing going forward more on a we're
going to try to tie things to a work
plan, not necessarily fit every not try
to do effectivity of everything to uh
the strategic plan. But this is very
much this seems to me very much about
the strategic plan and not about I mean
I have in my notes that this is about
the citywide work plan. So I'm a little
confused.
>> So maybe you could bring the the at
least the graphic up. Yeah.
>> So what we've done is in previous years
we've had the strategic plan and so
we've had updates in each category and
we've kind of shoehorned in projects
based on those categories. What we've
decided to do instead is take the
mayor's five goals for the year and then
put the projects in under that because
those are the things we're actually
working on. Many of them come from the
strategic plan, but this is I think a
little bit easier for us to present and
hopefully a little bit easier for the
council to understand. We don't want to
lose the strategic plan and so perhaps
the council can talk about would you
like something separate for that? And
maybe that's not something that's done
quarterly. that's either done annually
or semianually. Um so that that still is
part of this, but this is based on again
Mayor Mullet's uh goals for the year. Uh
we've shared them with the council in
January. Uh we have you know housing,
land use, and mobility really are I
think the consensus three priorities not
only for the mayor but for the council.
And so this work plan addresses the
projects in there.
And yet the front page talks in terms of
the strategic plan.
>> Isn't that what aren't I seeing the six
elements of the strate?
>> These are the these are the five mayor's
priorities. Um they are not
>> um so for example there's get around
town safely and easily protect
>> the strategic plan calls that mobility.
So the strategic plan that's labeled as
mobility. So this is
>> so so there's overlap of course
but these are the mayor's five
priorities. Why does it show me six
colors?
>> There are six colors because there's a
six bucket for other things that don't
fit neatly into the I see
>> the five areas.
>> All right. Uh I don't know who had their
card up first. Lindsay
>> house.
>> Yes, we are doing that.
>> That's good.
>> Um
I think this presentation
works in work plan
and performance measures.
And I'm having a hard time
understanding how we
influence set understand and
track future
touch points for the work plan. So if I
think back to previous council periods,
we would set a work plan for what
council was going to work on for the
year. And oftentimes it would be set
according to the strategic plan or
things that kind of we came up with. And
so some of the examples of that might be
the intelligent transportation system um
or other things that had been identified
as major things that the city was going
to work on that were going to come to
council because there were policy
conversations or budget needed or things
like that. So
calling
like this isn't the work plan
and it also doesn't tell me how we're
doing on that. So I guess is there a
point where we are actually going to
discuss what our work plan is and what
our priorities are or did that just get
deleted for the year with the new
mayor's administration which I
understand I I get it. We've had really
busy beginning of the year, but is this
the new practice in the future that we
don't have a sense of what is coming for
council or how to influence
what we are going to be working on.
>> But I would go back to the January
retreat. So when it came time to the
land use suggestions, you look at the
work plan around those issues, all of it
was I mean I think
Kevin, yourself, I think council member
Walsh and council member Jang, we were
given kind of a long list of things and
if you look at the work plan, what you
see on there is those items that came
out of that January conversation. And so
I think a lot of these things you tried
to bring up, I mean, I think the park
bond similar things. I mean, I think
it's like as we've had the back and
forth, it's kind of a
constant kind of adjusting of what
council's saying is important to them
and how you then incorporate that.
>> But you were asking for us to talk about
new things that we wanted to do in
housing or new things that we wanted to
do in transportation. That doesn't that
adds to what was already on our plate,
which I don't see here necessarily. And
it was asking for feedback in one area.
And one of the things that I think has
been missing is a sense of overarching
what are our priorities?
When should we expect them to come to
council and how do we determine if we're
making progress on those? And so I guess
I bring it up as just this larger
question of
have we done that this year? I would
argue no. And maybe that's fine for the
first year of a mayor's term, but are we
establishing
a new
method of choosing priorities that
discounts having a
start of the year or end of budget cycle
period where we say, "Look, these are
the things that we set in the budget as
priorities that we were going to fund
because one of our jobs as elected
officials is to provide oversight
of the budget that we provide for
x number of items and make sure that
they're making progress.
So I I'm just I'm trying to take a step
back and understand
how do we influence the work plan? How
does the work plan reference the things
that we already said were important to
us in the strategic plan and how would
we utilize data to see when that's
coming to council and whether or not
we're on schedule for those things.
>> So, so in January, I mean I I think we
have a hybrid and so one of the
questions are what do we do in 27? Yeah.
And so I maybe we put that over to the
side for a moment, but u when we came to
the council in January, the mayor
proposed basically three major areas
that he felt that there was consensus
between him and the council. Uh
mobility, land use, and um and and
housing. And so those are the those are
the areas that we've already um on the
land use have a very specific plan. uh
the council had a separate session to go
through that. There are quarters
assigned to that and that's moving
forward. On the mobility side, a big
portion has been sound transit. Uh the
other portion has been the
transportation improvement plan which
has been going through the council
committees and boards and commissions
and that'll be coming back to the full
council for adoption at the end of June.
>> And I think we got feedback from the
council because we had a whole dedicated
meeting just solely on that topic early
on like in early February I think. you
know, and and then the affordable
housing piece is part of the economic
development update today on what we've
been doing to, you know, there's a
there's a policy piece to that, but
there's also a we want you to come build
here piece. And so that's been ongoing.
And so, yes, I think this has been a
hybrid given the changes. Um, we are
proposing that this is a methodology to
report on that. You know, we can put
more detail here on timing and next
touches if that would be helpful. Um,
and then I think the council has to
decide at the conclusion of the budget
season, what would you like a work plan
to look like for 27 and beyond.
>> Okay. So, what I'm hearing is we're not
establishing a new process uh
necessarily for 27 and the
administration is willing to come back
and kind of set that process. What we're
looking at is the
work plan that and I will agree there's
been a lot of council feedback and
everything into um all of these pieces
so the measurement of that work plan in
26 and we can have then feedback on what
other pieces
um can fit into that both in topics and
we're missing any topics because again I
think as you heard from Jillian the the
previous work plans over the last few
years have not really focused on the
core issues that the council was f it it
was more a compendium of pretty much
everything and what the administration
is asking is we don't go back to that
that we would have something that looks
like that perhaps maybe continues to be
around the strategic plan goals but it
really focuses on current year work and
if we need to do something sep separate
that's longer term for the strategic
plan. We're happy to do that and we can
talk about that maybe at another
meeting.
>> And I think like in the get around town
safely or mobility, whatever you want to
call the title, like we'd be honest like
when it came to like what are we doing
with Metroflex? Like we're being pretty
transparent. We don't have we haven't
figured out like we were like okay we
just added the Highlands like basically
the administration's take was we need
six months of data to see if wrership
changes after the Highlands. And so we
basically said that's on pause. light
rail was the opposite. It's like light
rail like that's on accelerator because
the decisions are going to be made. So
like metrlex would basically so I think
if you look at this thing you'll see on
that piece like you're just going to say
nothing accomplished yet because there
hasn't been anything accomplished. So I
think there is ways to track I think
kind of the goals we set out and we're
trying to make it transparent. The ones
where we put a lot of time and energy
and this is what's the result of that
investment. And there's others where
we're just like I've told staff don't
waste. We've hit a pause
>> on the metrlex conversation because we
felt like we didn't have any data yet
and we needed to see the new alignment
play out. So I don't know. I think every
issue but I think to Wally's point we're
really trying to focus on tangible
you know like going back to Anne
Fletcher stuff like we're like we're
switching LED lights like everywhere in
Isqua. like we're really trying to do
tangible changes, not just saying here's
our target. Like when it comes to
electric, we will have the first
electric patrol car on the entire east
side like by the end of this year. It'll
be a Chevy Blazer, all EV and and we're
also adding two other electric like
we're kind of just taking some of the I
think overarching goals we had kind of
in
the bigger strategic plan, but trying to
convert those into super tangible things
we can get done in 2026 and then hold
ourselves accountable to that tangible
sort of progress if that makes sense. I
think that's
I'm calling or council
>> directly on that. Um I think that's
great as long as we don't lose the
strategic plan.
>> Oh yeah.
>> And we have a plan that is presented
soon of when and how that would be
updated.
>> I think that's Yeah.
>> I mean while you alluded I mean I don't
want to get too far out of the you
alluded to the that we need to talk
about how we link back to the strategic
plan. So I think that's we won't please
take that as a to-do. Sure. is if we
call it effectivity in engineering,
right? How do requirements where where
do requirements get validated and
verified, right? And we want to validate
and verify it back to the strategic
plan. So, I want to go to council member
Adair.
>> I believe council member was first, but
I believe you had your first.
>> All right, I'll take take mine. So, one
of my questions in terms of this
dashboard. So, I'll say like I like the
idea of dashboard. I love dashboards.
Again, it's easier to navigate around
and get access. Um, but at the moment I
had some struggles with it working on my
end and maybe this stuff is in there. Is
there to me what all I saw was very
broad stroke updates and I couldn't like
drill into details like I expect to the
kind of details I get out of a packet
which so to me it felt very just like
public facing and not necessarily
council facing in terms of what I was
able to access. And I'm curious, you
know, you mentioned maybe there's more
and maybe there's either more that's
planned to be in it, like the ability to
drill down into, you know, like the on
demand transit, like it just says, you
know, projects on hold. Well, can I pull
more detail onto that? Like I would
normally see in a packet. There would be
support. There would be the contracts
asis. There would be, you know, the
current thing is, you know, scheduled to
last for a year. You know, I'd be able
to see all that kind of detail.
>> But in this system, I can't do that. So
I don't know what if there's mechanisms
to add that kind of linkage of detail or
how we do we have to just ask that one
off each time we want to get into detail
like how would that work?
>> Well that's why we're here. So we want
that feedback. Again
>> we think the system is is as effective
and as as timeconscious as it can be,
>> but we want it to be meaningful.
>> Yeah.
>> And so you're now giving us additional
information to help make it more
meaningful. we'll devote the staff time
to gather all that information because
we can do links to staff reports.
There's all sorts of stuff we can do.
Um, but we didn't want to do that
without this conversation.
>> And I think Jillian highlighted the
balancing act, right? Because our
ultimate goal is tangible results, the
things we're staff having staff do. And
so it's this balancing act of how much
time are we asking staff
>> to shift away from converting to LED
lights to updating the plan about how
many lights we've actually converted
every single week. Like that's the the
just give a really specific granular
example of the balance we're trying to
figure out and guidance from this group.
I think it's helpful because every time
we can put in more information as
Wall-Ally said, but then this group has
to acknowledge like there is a trade-off
with that because you're diverting staff
resources from executing the plan to and
so the guidance we get from this group
is going to be really helpful on finding
that right balance.
Well, it's like I'd say I'd like to see
more. I I personally would want more
detail because for me, I feel like I
can't do much with this information.
It's stuff either I'm already aware of
because we've had meetings about it or,
you know, it's hard for me to get a lot
out of this as I've seen it thus far.
Um, and then I also just wanted to voice
that I am in support of some sort of,
you know, maybe it's, you know, twice a
year or whatever back to the strategic
plan because I feel like, you know, the
mayor, these are your priorities and I
get that and we support those
priorities, but we also, I feel as a
council also need to always have that
big picture view of what's the larger
plan, the 10-year plan, the 20-year
plan. And this I fear focuses too much
on just this year and we need to be
checking in on the larger scale goals.
So, I would still want something
that is more broad, more strategic plan
focused at some point. It doesn't have
to be a quarter though on my own
personal opinion.
>> Who was next between the two of you?
Council member Boyd.
>> Uh thank you. Um I am going to echo
largely what council member Adair said.
I uh
I like the purpose and the intent of a
dashboard as it is public facing. We're
getting we're being more transparent,
getting data out to the community and
I'm sympathetic to the goal of saving
staff time for sure, but I uh but I do
want to whatever we can be tying back to
the strategic plan, I really want to see
that. Um that plan as I understand it
was informed by uh a community task
force. there's a bit of like bubble
grassroots bubble up around it and I'm
not I don't disagree with administrative
priorities but I think that just it
comes from a different place and so I
would love for the dashboard to marry
the two as best we can. Uh
I understand not having a 20page packet
that is you know now not as timely. Um,
can we get some other sort of, you know,
there's a one-pager exact summary of
like the major changes or quarter or
whatever timeline we want that at that
even if it's just got like a, you know,
saving, you know, me time uh, from going
and find, okay, where is the details of
the data as council was saying, and it's
just like a link salad or something
that, you know, now I don't have to go
uh, like to me That's also helpful. I
guess
uh I just want to know what on these are
and I think it might be in there of like
what is what parts of the strategic plan
are these touching and then uh I don't
want to lose sight of the little things.
So for um getting around town easily I
know like Metroflex is a big part of
that. Light is a big part of that. Is
there a way to measure hey we put in a
crosswalk on Black Nugget Road and that
bumped us up like a point half of a
percent. I know. And then I but I'm
trying to thread the needle between well
yeah that's you know 30 more seconds of
staff time to punch that in. But I guess
>> sure
>> people might be able to then better see
oh that happened in my neighborhood
right um if they're really needling
around on it. And then just a usability
thing. This might be operator error but
I cannot toggle between the um oh gosh
where'd it go?
>> It just might be like how Jillian was on
the Is that just me? There's a there's a
few that it's hard to talk about.
>> Okay. Okay. So, that's just like user
feedback and I know it's
>> Thank you.
>> Council member Nichols.
>> So, just on the specific question of do
we like the format or not? Um had a
similar usability
comment. I think it's a good first
draft. Um but I it could probably
benefit from some sort of usability
oversight a little bit. Um there's some
um
accessibility things too that I think
will probably help in terms of font
sizes just to make sure everybody can
actually see it. Um the bigger question
of is this a good idea? I I think it's
fine. Um one of my concerns with going
to dashboards versus written documents
is just on the um the uh the public
records and accountability side of
things and that these things can be
harder to archive if they're archived at
all. Uh, I find it useful to be able to
go back through and see what some of the
things that we have said we've been
doing over the years were and then how
we found them. When a dashboard gets
updated, it's harder to do that. I think
a a reasonable compromise might be um I
don't think this needs a 20page doc, but
I think there's probably some sort of
planning document that exists somewhere
for this dashboard that has these things
laid out. Um, I'm guessing that it's not
just reviewed. It's probably if it's is
that a word doc or some spreadsheet? I
don't know. I'm guessing that exists. If
that could be quickly converted into
something that was just published along
with the agenda whenever there's regular
updates, I think that would be a useful
way to uh get to the spirit of this,
which I appreciate is reducing some of
the overhead associated with tracking
everything we're doing uh without losing
the long-term accountability that comes
from good public records practices.
your main thing is you like it's nice to
have something written down tangible at
the start so you have something you can
go back to to say here was the original
like 12 things or whatever and nice to
have that kind of
>> I do actually yeah so separately I
actually prefer written documents but
that's a personal preference um and that
>> that's a bit arbitrary from the I think
the bigger point is I think it's useful
to have something archived so that
>> yeah that makes total sense
>> like this we have the ability to go back
and see what what's what's different
over
>> your point is the dashboard's created
from that document So a document
argument.
>> Exactly. I'm assuming I'm assuming it
exists.
>> Yeah, it exists.
>> So yeah.
>> So we've already gone super long, but
this is a super important conversation.
Um,
in every job that I have had in my day
job, you've got a CEO sets goals for the
organization that are very high level
and business unit uh VPs set goals,
interpret those goals for their business
unit. I as a director set goals for my
team and I have my team set individual
goals. CEO doesn't care about my
individual members goals, right? They
care about their goals being met and and
probably one level down. Um I and goals
need to be, you know, smart, specific,
measurable achievable relevant time
bound. I think we are I don't think
we've paused metro flags. I think we
have a goal and the goal is and I don't
know if we have a date, but it's
specific. It's go get data right on this
change. It is measurable because it's
it's the data. It's certainly
achievable. we think it's relevant
because we think the metrlex
conversation is relevant back to our
strategic plan. It needs to be time
bound, which is the thing that I don't
always see, right? Uh but if if the if
it says we're going to come back in July
with the data that we've got on on
Metroflex, then that's the we're we're
working the Metrlex and that's what
we're working.
>> I just pause the vendor interview
discussion.
>> Sure. So So stop lights, right? It's
specific. We're going to be implementing
stoplights. Um it's certainly
measurable. I don't know if we need to
say 15 is passable and 10 is not
passable. I don't know but some number
implemented. It's certainly achievable
but certainly relevant time bound right
when are we going to come back and look
at it. So I think all those things the
question is for this dashboard and for
this council where do at what level do
those goals live right and and I think
they do need to be smart. Um I you know
you mentioned you know your three
highest priorities housing, land use,
mobility, right? What is the council
level goal associated with each of those
three that is smart, right? That is time
bound. When do we come back on land use?
What does that look like? And if I
somehow forget where we're at from the
last time we met on the subject, I can
go someplace and look it up and go, "Oh
yeah, that's right." From a council
standpoint, here here's where we're at.
I I think every executive and manager
and individual should know what their
goals are because at the end of the year
you want to say I did a great job,
right? I knocked it out of the park and
you should give me a huge raise, right?
The only way to do that is if you've had
a set of goals that you've been
executing to over the course of the
year. I don't know how that exactly maps
to this particular dashboard. I just
know that what I have heard from council
is is is really wanting and you're
hearing it some today, right? some of
the meats, but it is not how is Joe
Jablonsky doing on the light at sunset
and Newport, right? It is that we're
going to have a date certain when we're
going to come back and we're looking to
see how we're doing. And I think if we
can do that at a high level and really
those three big areas, right, housing,
land use, mobility, I personally would
add public safety. But, um, you know, in
those three knowing and if somebody in
the public says, "How are you doing with
land use?" Right? I want to be I want to
have the answer off the tip of my tongue
from a from a council standpoint, not
from the 200 some odd individuals in
your organization.
>> Yeah,
>> council member Joe.
>> Thank you. Uh like the dashboard
concept, like the fact that the five
priorities that are on there are things
that we think we can get done pretty
immediately. Um, I think about the
dashboard as kind of a a triangle where
a person in the public can come and and
ask about a subject and find that piece
of information. If they need the other
things, they can go to the links along
the way. Um, we want to make it simple
for them to find out the information
that they need in a quick timely
fashion. U, when I go to a website for X
product, if I can find it quickly, I'm
more likely to purchase it or feel
confident that they're doing their job.
Um the one suggestion I would have is um
put the the kind of goal that you're
shooting for and then uh also reflect
how it ties into the budget to show that
we as a council and as administration
are thinking about how to fund that
already. If it's fully funded, you know,
and it's ready to go, that's great. If
it's something that we're still trying
to get county or city uh you know
another uh state to match or or federal
match on there, put that on there to
show the work that we're doing in a very
small timely fashion. Then they can go
to the links for the other reports if
they need to to see how it all ties in.
But just from a council point of view,
it does need to tie into the the
strategic plan as has been mentioned.
>> Yeah. So what I've heard I think is it's
nice to the whatever we create this
document with obviously exists on a word
document. It's nice to publish that
share it. I think it's nice to find the
ways to link this stuff back to how it
incorporates to the larger strategic
plan vision. Those requests to me seem
super reasonable and pragmatic and point
like yes make sure we just have kind of
time and goals and and stuff like that
laid out in there. That all seems super
reasonable.
>> Now, I want to give council member Walsh
the last word.
>> Just wanted to um echo I really like the
way that you mentioned the smart goals
and the fact that you know these are the
things that we are working on.
Appreciate that. Um I think there are
some things that might be missing in
this that are uh going to be touch
points for council over the year that
might be important. But I also liked
what council member Dar said about the
whole update on strategic plan items. I
don't know if we need that quarterly,
maybe twice a year is a useful touch
point, but I do think the oversight and
accountability there is important. And
similarly, I would say on our capital
improvement projects, um, we have a plan
there. It is a both annual and long-term
plan. And again, one of our our
requirements and our goals um in seeing
that data previously was to ensure that
we were making progress on it. And so
that we understand if there is something
that is blocking this plan, maybe it's
budget-wise, it's important for us to
know that, hey, we weren't able to hire
somebody for this or the costs are
rising and other things. And so that
context helps us as we make future
decisions. And so I want to make sure
that that piece of it all doesn't get
lost as well. And
>> and we're comm we can replicate the CIP
plan. I I think that if we could do it
less than quarterly, maybe three times a
year because I think semi
>> twice.
>> Okay. I mean, I'm notice
your head.
>> Yeah, I'll
>> you want to save time. I appreciate the
idea of, you know, people who are
working on the plan are not working on
installing the light. So,
>> so if we do the strategic plan and the
CIP twice a year,
>> does that make sense?
>> I'm seeing thumbs up.
>> And then and then Julian, you said
there's about 35
separate projects within that.
>> So, we will we'll if there's no if
there's anything else you want, please
let us know. Otherwise, we will do a
deep dive because it's easy to do a deep
dive into 35 knowing that we're only
going to have to do strategic plan and
CIP twice a year. You freed up staff
time in order to do that. So, we can do
that. We'll come back at your second
preseason meeting uh in July with an
update.
>> Council member Boyd.
>> I'm sorry. I I Lindsay was supposed to
have the last word, but um I think this
might go into other actions, but I also
I have it on my like budget feedback
when we get to there, too. I just don't
want to also lose I don't want to call
it the little things but because they're
very important but um you know
maintaining arts human services like
there's these big pillars and I just
want to make sure those also don't get
lost those are in the strategic plan in
various ways so I think that's one way
that can tie back but I just you know
would leave this conversation feeling
kind of churn if
>> but that's a valid point this is our
challenge is yeah
>> you're almost like narrowing down to
your favorite children it's hard but
it's is a tough process. And every time
we say those are top three priorities, I
think parks is a pretty big priority for
me. And I look at Jeff, I'm like, man, I
feel really bad every time
housing, land use, and mobility. No,
parks are also important.
>> Housing and land use, sir.
>> Our budgets fire, we never talk about
it.
>> So, speaking of saving time, I'm uh this
was a a really important conversation
and a a major element of having a
meeting like this on a day like today. I
do want to do my best Diana Dawson time
cop and point out that we're about 20
minutes behind schedule. So just as we
think about that going forward, we at a
point where we had CRM O225 economic
development plan and Wally's going to be
presenting that. Uh and let's let's
let's move that around.
>> I can I can do should I should we talk
about the
association stuff while we're on this?
>> I'd love for to be able to have a
Saturday match. So
>> Oh, Lee. Okay, we're going to let go
first. after this thing.
>> 0269 2025 performance measures with Lee
Critcher, executive department intern.
>> Let's do that.
>> And Lee, you have to give them your
background with your Belby College
course and everything. We'll do
>> I can get my screen share.
I just got in the back. She's hanging
out in the kitchen.
>> There are snacks back there. It's a good
place to hang out.
>> Good morning.
>> Oh, look at that. On a pass bill, you've
already passed because you have screen
sharing set up, which is more than I can
do.
>> Good morning, city council. Uh my name
is Lee Critcher. I'm the new executive
department intern with the city of
Esqua. I've been here for about a month.
Uh and it's been it's been a lot of fun.
I've learned a lot and thank you all for
having me. A little bit of background
about me. I am a student in my final
quarter at Belleview College. I'm
attending Belleview College after six
years serving in the Navy and I'm
looking to continue working for local
governments and using the skills I've
learned in college to make a difference
in my community.
>> What did you do in the Navy?
>> I did a variety of things in the Navy.
Um, my ship was broken for the majority
of the time. So I actually worked in a
shipyard. Uh during that time I did a
little over a year of quality assurance
which was kind of like project
management between the Navy and the
shipyard that was doing the ship's
maintenance. I also uh spent the better
part of a year as a data management for
the it's called NTAG Navy Talent
Acquisition Group Pacific Northwest
which was in charge of managing training
for all the recruiting stations from
Montana to Idaho to Alaska. Um
outside of that I was technically a
sonar technician but wasn't at SE much
so didn't do much sonar.
And uh with that, I'm looking forward to
speaking with you all about Isqua's
citywide 2025 performance measures.
>> And now you work for an organization
that is not shipwrecked. We are having
fun.
>> It's a great change.
>> A little bit of purpose. The purpose of
thisformational update is to provide
city council with an annual update on
the citywide performance measures,
providing data and performance from
2025, presenting trends and analysis and
sharing plan changes.
This is anformational update and no
direction is needed from the city at
this time. City council
have a few slides for background. Um,
I'm sure you all know a lot about the
strategic plan, so we'll get through
them relatively quickly, but we'll still
touch base. Uh, the citywide performance
measurement plan was developed following
the 2019 city council adoption of the R
is strategic plan. Since 2021, it's been
used to guide both the administration
and city council in strategic
decision-making. As a companion to the
strategic plan, the measures are
organized by strategic goal area such as
mobility, etc. Um, in 2024, the
administration led an effort to update
the strategic plan so the plan success
measures may better align with each uh
plan area.
The purpose of the Oh,
>> sorry.
we are here. The purpose of the city
strategic plan is to help city
departments set service level standards,
support city council and budgetary and
policy decisions, and to provide
residents with increased transparency
into the city's performance.
>> The city provides this transparency
through its interactive city-wide
performance dashboard where users can
view the current and historical
performance for each measure. It works a
lot like a slideshow. You can navigate
through it and then there are drop downs
so that you can see amplifying data for
each year. It's updated annually and
improvements were made in 2023 to
attempt to make the dashboard more
understandable by a wider audience. Um
before I move on to 2025 performance,
are there any questions on the
background of performance measures?
Nope.
>> Thank you, Council President.
25 update. In this section, I will
briefly cover the city's performance
throughout the strategic plan goal
areas, as well as some considerations
for measures that have not seen
improvement in previous years. In 2025,
the city met or exceeded 62% of
applicable performance measures and was
approaching the target on an on an
additional 18%.
Excluding measures without a determined
goal, the city was approaching, met, or
exceeded targets in over 83 of
applicable measures. The total number of
measures in 2024 is or in 2025 is lower
than in 2024 because we're still
awaiting data on two measures in social
and economic fatality, which we'll go
over shortly. Only 11 of 65 applicable
measures did not meet goal in 2025, and
this is the lowest amount since the
majority of goals were defined for these
measures.
trend of o year-over-year performance.
The city's performance has been on an
upward trajectory since the inception of
the program with the exception of 2021.
In 2025, performance improved in growth
and development and city leadership and
services compared to 2024.
Performance in mobility, social and
economic vitality, infrastructure, and
environmental stewardship remain stable.
The city met or approached 80% of
applicable goals in 2025.
Now, I'd like to share a short summary
of each goal area. I'm going to focus
more on highlighting a few measures of
significant performance or change,
whether they're good or bad.
>> Quick question. Could you kind of
clarify what approaching means like in
terms of data? Like, yes.
>> Like one or two points off or like what
is that really? So approaching is
typically in the realm of within 5% of
goals. Uh it can be 10% if the goal is
higher. Like we have some goals that our
objective is 100%. And 90 would
technically be considered approaching
for those goals.
>> So I had asked for a spreadsheet on what
the numbers were. It's in your email,
but it might have been lost because we
did get a fair number of emails last
couple days. So that's from Lee uh
yesterday at 9:30 in the morning. Thank
you.
Thank you, Council Member Nicholas. Um,
so I, as I said, I'm planning on um
focusing more on a few measures, either
good or bad, of significant performance
instead of listing every single measure
from every goal area. Um, that's to
allow more questions on specific
measures. But once this data is uploaded
into the city's performance dashboard,
you'll be able to look at detailed
narratives for any measure I don't speak
on. Um, 67%
of mobility measures approached met or
exceeded goal in 2025.
Some of those measures of note are that
were met are average public transit
boardings increase for the fifth
consecutive year, an 8.2% increase from
2024.
Um linear feet of sidewalks constructed
totaled over double its goal of 500
linear feet. Approaching targets
included commute mode share which saw a
decrease in the amount of people working
from home over the past few years. So
driving alone increased throughout the
year which stopped the city from meeting
its goal. However, it's important to
note that that change comes from almost
entirely a shift from working from home
to back in the office and most or all
other transportation methods were at
least stable or rose within the year.
Targets that were not met,
linear feet of bicycle facility
constructed annually. The city did not
meet its annual target for 2025, but the
proposed transportation improvement plan
includes numerous projects that will
enhance and build bicycle facilities in
the coming years.
Another goal that was not met was
resident perception of mobility within
Isqua. Satisfaction overall lowered in
2025, but on the upside, public transit
met its goal with a satisfaction raised
by 8.4%.
Uh and the city is exploring how the
application of GIS data analytics
platforms can get shed more in shed more
light on the trends within commute mode
share in the coming years
targets to be determined for this
target. The city is working with GIS
vendors that would be able to provide
the relevant data. Uh we're currently
looking at two vendors. One is Placer AI
which provides data on where people go
in the city and the other is search
light a vendor focused primarily on
transportation data.
>> So so before you move on um I think for
anything that's a target not met or a
target TVD we we should have somewhere
uh a master doc that says what's our
plan to get there. It doesn't have to be
doesn't have to be and thus we will be
fully compliant by the end of the year
but just what's our plan.
>> Yeah.
So um yeah linear feed at bicycle
facility constructed annually. I mean if
we that's a you know if we execute the
capital plan this year as designed we
think we will be there. We think we will
mostly be there whatever.
>> Yeah. Yeah. Sure.
>> Thank you. Council
>> please continue.
>> Oh
>> 500 ft and we didn't achieve that.
>> You you can keep going.
>> Yeah.
For growth and development, 80% of
measures approached met or exceeded
targets in 2025.
For targets met, first permit review
time. In 2025, all categories met their
goal for the first time since 2018. It's
important to note that there were no
preliminary PLA first reviews in 2025,
but this is still a big win for the city
and for the permit center. The city also
met its goal in total number of permits
issued, uh, reaching the highest total
since 2021.
Targets not met include new affordable
housing units created. No new affordable
housing units were created in 2025.
While the city does have an annual goal
of a year-over-year increase, affordable
housing units often become available in
spurts, which means some years will show
either only a few or no new units, and
other years we'll see a cluster. Over
the past 5 years, the city has added 41
new affordable housing units.
Targets not applicable. Total housing
units by type. This provides insights on
the overall housing landscape within the
city, but it does not have an annual
goal since it's dependent upon several
factors. Housing and growth targets are
outlined within the city's comprehensive
plan.
In environmental stewardship, 80% of
measures approached met or exceeded
targets in 2025.
Targets met include tree canopy. tree
canopy was bad, but it's important to
note that it likely will drop below the
goal when measured next due to the
impacts of the bomb cyclone event. Tree
canopy is measured every 3 to 5 years
and should be updated this year.
Percentage of materials diverted from
the landfill. At the May 13, 2025
meeting, the city council approved a
change to this goal to see an annual
improvement leading up to the goal of
70% diversion by 2030.
Overall diversion has improved for the
third consecutive year.
Targets not met. Communitywide
electricity use. There was an overall
rise in electricity use in 2025.
However, something to consider is that
this measure does not account for the
city's uh efforts to reduce overall gas
emissions through either installation of
heat pumps or electric vehicle charging
stations. New measures are proposed in
2026 to allow us to better compare these
measures and more accurately represent
sustainab sustainability measures
efforts as a whole.
Targets to be determined. Percentage of
city-owned streets receiving storm water
treatment. This is the third year of
tracking for this measure and an annual
goal should be determined this year.
Social and economic fatality 100% of
applicable targets set for social and
economic fatality uh were met for the
second consecutive year. However, two
measures are awaiting 2025 data
reporting and this may change the
overall performance when reported.
Additionally, parts of these measures
may vary yearbyear and it's important to
maintain high performance in this area.
Measures met include number of human
services program beneficiaries supported
through city funding for this fifth
consecutive year. Number of businesses
supported with startup training and
development reported an all-time high of
178 businesses.
And finally, participants attending
municipal art fund supported programs
and events met goal for the third
consecutive year. Targets approaching
include percentage of human services
partners achieving one or more goals
reached 98% the highest recorded result
of this measure and number of business
retention visits fell within 6% of its
goal.
Not applicable targets include number of
Isiqua residents receiving support from
the Isiqua Food and Clothing Bank. This
is an indicator of community need and
does not come with a goal of increasing
or decreasing food bank use. Performance
measures awaiting data. Both of the
performance measures for total jobs in
ISQA and PE percentage of people who
both work and live in Isqua come from
external sources. It's usually provided
in June and both will be updated when
the data is received.
>> So I sorry I I have I have a question.
This is specifically for Mayor Mullet
because I know Isqua Food Bank has been
a longstanding passion of yours. What
What do we do with metrics that don't
have targets, right? What do we what do
we do with this metric? Because I I can
imagine a lot of things.
>> Well, I guess it would just be a data
point so people can get a sense of what
the demand is for. I mean,
>> if it goes up,
>> you shouldn't be happy about people
going to the food bank more. But I think
people just want to know as a sense of
kind of where the community is at. Is
the demand on food bank services
>> higher than normal, normal, lower than
normal? I don't know. I mean, it might
be helpful information just to get a
sense of economically,
>> qualitatively is there's really like I
don't Yeah, it's hard to have a target,
right?
>> Because I think a lot of us care a lot
that we have a food bank and that it
does a good job. I just struggle to
figure out what to do with this number.
Right.
>> I think the press might like the number
and be able to compare Reton to Isiqua
to Everett and then do a news story
about food bank usage is up area wide or
just in one area. It's a data point that
we can provide to inform the public. I
think
>> Thank you, Council Member Boy.
>> I think it can also shape our policy
thinking as we're building our budget
where this is an indicator of use. That
means that more people's budgets are
impacted and they are now going to food
bank and so what are like our what is
our city role in responding to that? How
do we alleviate that? Looking at our
human services portion of our budget,
>> you know this Yeah. And it was
interesting because W and I met with the
VP of Costco yesterday and we asked
Claudine, we said, "How many of your
employees live in Isqua?" She goes,
"Holy crap, I don't know. Let me find
out and get back to you guys." It was an
interesting response because I don't
think she'd ever been asked that before.
And so they have 6,000 employees here.
And she obviously was like, I don't know
how many actually live exactly within
the city limit. She's like, I have an
idea that 80% of them live between
Belleview and Soami in is that rough
geographic vicinity, but she really
didn't know. So it'll be interesting.
I'm curious just to get the Costco
employee data point back from her, which
I think she's going to get us. won't
take that long, but I guess it will
happen by the end of next week.
>> Council member deer.
>> Yeah. Well, I was say I think I feel a
use of the the food bank number is that
if it were to change in a significant
way in a year, that should trigger some
sort of action of the why like is it
that no more people don't need it or is
it that the food bank does not have the
resources to deliver, you know? So it's
more that like by tracking it and if
something changes it would trigger an
action for us to find out the why and
address it in one way or the other
depending on what that might be.
>> That that's a great point. I mean any
any kink in the curve is worth
understanding. Yeah. Right. Really of
any measure at a certain point.
>> Yeah.
>> All right. All right. Thanks. I just
wanted to understand because you know
you're rightfully in the places where we
have targets you're rightfully pointing
out how we're doing against those
targets. I just wanted to understand a
little better non-target metrics.
>> Thank you C council presidents.
Moving on to city leadership and
services. 78% of city targets were met
for this measure in 2025. This is a
slight improvement from 2024.
Targets met include police emergency
response and overall response time with
relatively consistent or improving
behavior or behavior performance from
the past several years.
Uh resident perception of overall city
services was also met goal after
adjusting the target in 2024
uh at the May 13, 2024 council meeting.
Targets approaching for 2025 included
language accessibility in city produced
materials and resident perception of
public safety, which saw 80%
satisfaction in 2025, which falls short
of the city's goal of 85% but
outperforms both regional and national
averages.
And targets not met include racial
equity and implicit bias training. focus
shifted to other types of training since
2025 and the city will be returning to
this training in the upcoming years. Um,
demographics of city applicants, staff,
board, and commission members was also
not met and has not reflected the
demograph demographics of Isqua as a
whole since 2023.
Targets not applicable includes debt per
capita. This measure has helped to
evaluate how responsibly the city is
taking care of its debt and whether or
not it's in the position to take on new
debt. But no goal is set for this
measure.
Infrastructure
performance was approaching met or
exceeded 86% of targets for
infrastructure in 2025. This is
consistent with 2024 performance and
besides 2024 is the highest score since
2019.
Targets met include number of wing water
main breaks with zero breaks in 2025.
Number of elicit discharge reports filed
and responded to with the number of
elicit discharge is falling by 75% since
2024.
Targets approaching includes number of
sanitary sewer overflows which total one
while the goal was zero and targets not
forward targets not met. All
infrastructure targets not met fell
within three quarters of their annual
goal.
>> Got a question from council member
Walsh.
>> Um more of a comment. I noticed that
this is the fourth year in a row that we
have not met our target for percentage
of storm water lines cleared. I guess at
some point I'd like to know why and
whether or not we are making adjustments
on that. Well, and I think at the
beginning of this conversation, you came
up with a whole new report which we'll
work on which is a list of all the ones
we didn't meet and why. And so we'll
bring that
>> we'll sort out how long to put together.
We'll bring it to the council.
>> Awesome.
>> Great idea.
>> Thank you.
>> Thank you, Council Member Walsh.
Moving on. Excuse me. Moving on to
positive trends in 2025.
First permit review time met in all
categories for the first time since
2018. public transport
>> and I just have to throw in for new
council members that is unbelievable. So
th this has been a bugaboo for this city
for as long as I have lived in this
city. So this is a huge big deal.
>> Manny's team takes this very seriously.
>> Public transit boardings rising trend
continues for the fifth.
>> Sorry, question from council me.
>> Quick one on that one. Uh on the review
time. So we also do have a bunch of new
state requirements on that. Are the are
we there for the new review time
requirements?
>> Okay, closer.
>> What are you doing? I'm meeting 5290
requirements about the 5290
requirements.
>> Yeah,
>> this can be a quick answer and we can
come back later. I was just this is we
met our goal from last year. Do the new
will we are we going to will we have met
with those numbers or are we on track to
meet the new newly required numbers? I
think there's still progress to make the
fact we'll get your precise answer.
>> Thank you.
>> And landfill diversion overall trend
continued for the fourth including 2024
consecutive year or 2022, excuse me.
New measure focus areas in 2026. There
are new measures to be implemented in
2026.
Um well, let me back up. In late 2024,
the city council approved the adoption
of an updated RA strategic plan and the
plan proposed new measures to close the
gap between what is currently measured
and what would help the public and city
council make more informed decisions
about investments. These are some broad
examples of what some performance areas
that these measures aim to target or
improve. These are not measures
themselves. If you'd like to see a
complete list of new new performance
measures, they can be found in
attachment A grouped by strategic plan
goal area.
>> Council member Nichols has a question.
>> So, I wanted to pick on the mobility one
in particular and see if what our
proposal is is going to get better on
this. Um, so I really appreciate the
spreadsheet that you sent out. Um, I
love I love a good spreadsheet. Um, and
looking at mobility in particular, I
this is a good example where as council
president Mart has pointed out, having
smart goals would be a we don't quite
have them right now. Um, our goal for
mobility is simply reduction or one of
our big goals for commut share is
reducing of driving alone percentage. um
having a goal like that and then having
all of our related goals derived from
that meaning so for example we don't
have a specific goal for vamping or
biking or walking they all just tie into
this
very car ccentric goal the only time we
have
picking up biking as an example we don't
have a goal on improve and increasing
the mode share of biking and this is now
the 12th year where bike mode share has
been decreasing in Isqua we have some
goals around for example increasing the
p the number of linear feet of bicycle
feet of we have a specific number for
linear feet of bicycle facilities it's
500 uh we constructed zero in the past I
guess two to three years um so we didn't
meet that but my point is going to be
when we're when we're constructing these
goals if they all come back to cars
we're going to miss better potentially
better ways to improve even bikeability
as an example in that one bikeability
within a city is simply about the number
of l of um feet of stuff you build. It's
also about the traffic light situation.
Um the the quality of the intersections,
the number of um uh bike stalls
themselves. I don't want to do a deep
dive on that right now. That's not my
point. But the the point is having goals
that tie into something that's unrelated
in some ways will potentially lead us
astray in seeing better fixes that we
could actually afford to do um that
would improve the reality of those um
mode shares for the people that are
using them.
>> That's a great point, Council Member
Nichols.
>> Council member Walsh. Uh, I think I want
to double down on that in either it
sounds like there may be some areas
where we need to rethink the top to
bottom on this in order to achieve our
goals, but I'll also point out what
Mayor Mullet was talking about with um
the LED lights and things like that.
There may be things that we don't
necessarily track, but that help us
achieve our goals. And so trying to
figure out which ones which one of these
things should be on a performance
dashboard and measurement versus which
ones like
are we only doing the things that we can
measure or you know so I don't know
where my thoughts go there but I think
there's a mix of all of that as we
really think about how do we achieve the
goals.
>> So maybe we let Lee Lee you're almost
done right? I
>> okay maybe we get
>> y council president we can let thee
finish and then we can double back to
council member Walsh
>> we we'll come back to a high level
conversation again
>> where from here
>> timing and next steps during my
remaining time with the city I will be
working with data department stewards to
determine the feasibility of new
measures compare performance measures
from other cities and request
clarification as needed from the
administration and city council on
recommended new measures
A plan for reporting these new measures
will be sent to city council in the
second half of 2026. The administration
will provide council a note when the
performance dashboard is updated in the
coming weeks. And finally, the
administration will return to city
council in the spring of 2027 with its
annual update on 2026 performance.
Uh now I'll take any more questions or
if there's any specific recommendations
for new measures or concerns for
previous ones, I'd be happy to take them
now. Thank you,
>> Council Member Ch.
>> Thank you,
>> Lee. Thank you for your service to our
country. I appreciate it.
>> Thank you.
>> People say it all the time, and I know
that you put a lot of different things
on the sideline to go serve. We
appreciate that.
>> Uh during your time in the Navy, you
were in sonar and uh you had a way of
tracking enemy subs or surface
vehicles or whatever you want to call it
all the time. Is there anything out
there that allows us to track bicycle
traffic as council member Nichols has
stated that could give us more
information or better information on
some of these measures that we're trying
to look after? That is a that's a great
question, council member. One of the new
proposed measures in 2026
now is percentage of identified bike,
pedestrian, and vehicle network goals
closed annually. I don't know that that
can necessarily help you track bicycles,
but it may help improve usage of
bicycles. As far as tracking, I was
involved in well, I was present for a a
showcase for Placer AI, one of the GIS
data analytics platforms that the city
is looking to work with. And they using
cell phone data are able to track
people's locations. And this could give
us a much better idea of how many people
are using bikes within the city. and
more importantly what the city is doing
whether what the city is doing is having
a real meaningful impact on the number
of people riding bikes in the city.
>> Okay. Thanks
>> council member.
>> Yeah. A couple measures I'd been
thinking about were one was you know we
have the traffic related collisions but
do that broken down by like collisions
with pedestrians or collisions with
bicycles in terms of the safety of
pedestrian you know people walking and
biking in the city?
>> That is an interesting question. I did
look at I believe it was city of
Kirkland that does have data that
specifically shows the mode of
transportation that resulted in um I
don't believe it was fatal but I believe
it was serious injur injury collisions.
Right now the city is primarily using
census data which involves the severity
of the collision but not necessarily the
the mobility mode of the people
involved.
>> Okay. Um the other one I thought about
in terms I saw that you know we have
total jobs but do we have like average
wages of jobs in Isiqua?
We have
the average um
taxable income from Isiqua businesses.
Uh I don't think that actually extends
to residents,
>> right?
>> But I can take that down and I'm sure
that's something that we could
>> in terms of the live and work in Isiqua.
You know, where are wages looking like?
I think the annual income information is
is available. I've seen it for different
cities. It's maybe not something we're
tracking, but it's readily available, I
think.
>> Yeah.
>> But is it Isiqua jobs for Isiqua
residents or is it all Isqua residents
>> people that work at Isiqua? Here's your
average wage.
>> Okay.
>> So,
>> yeah.
>> Yeah,
>> I think I've seen that.
>> Okay.
Well, Lee, I have I have to say at the
risk of being hyperbolic, this is
possibly the best presentation on
metrics I have seen ever for the city.
The quantity of information you went
through in a half hour. Um, and and this
is basically what I've been asking for
for a long time. Combine that with an
understanding that we're going to uh do
a turn on how do we get the notats and
the TVDs. Um, this is this is huge. So,
thank you very much.
>> Thank you, Council President Marks. You
should know Lee compliments from Council
Marts not come easily.
>> Yeah,
>> you may be new to this, but
>> I will plus one. I will plus one to
that. And also, thank you for asking the
question about what are we doing to um
handle the things that are not met. I
think this is a meaningful moment in our
performance metrics to kind of move that
state of the union forward. So,
>> council member Boy,
>> I might be over my skis here because I
know they set their work plans and
whatnot, but I think it would be really
cool if we could send this to the boards
and commissions
>> if they're interested. I just know like
when I was on tab, a lot of like how are
we measuring things would come up and I
just if they have I know this is, you
know, going to be accessible in public,
but if you know if it's even just
emailed in their packet or something, I
just I think this yeah really great to
share out. That's a great idea.
>> And help them set their strategic future
plans.
>> Yeah.
>> Council member Nichols.
>> So, I know we don't have time to do a
deep dive on these right now, but I
think that there's um I'd like to find
time when we could get some more touch
points on the specific new measures for
2026. I do think these are I think there
there lots of great ideas in here. I
suspect that there would be others that
would come up in further discussion. And
since we're we're one of the main
customers for these data, um
I'd like to get a chance to push on some
both um the goals we have uh not just
new goals. This is a good list of new
measures, but there's some goals in here
that I we're measuring that I I don't
even they I think they might be
counterproductive frankly.
>> Use less electricity.
>> Literally going to point that one out.
Yeah. um like why
>> I I think I'm hearing you say please
don't come to us with a shrink wrapped
package of new goals for us to thumb up
or thumb down but have us be part of the
conversation of what those goals should
look like.
>> Thank you. Yes.
>> How would you like to do that?
>> Like to send your standing committee a
cow?
>> I think a cow. I think these are big
enough that all seven of us should
invest time in them.
>> Great.
>> And I'm seeing head nods to that effect.
>> I'm saying services
>> do an ad hoc committee.
Council member Walsh,
>> I was just going to say I also want us
to make sure that we are willing to let
go of measures that are not serving us
well. Um, so I will add that in because
I don't want every year to be add more
measurements, add more measurements, add
more measurements. So
>> yeah, and we wholeheartedly agree. I
mean, we this is you are our primary
audience. You're not the only audience,
but you are a primary audience of all
this. If it's not useful to you, then
why are we doing it?
And and I want to and I want to point
out one thing in that which is metric
persistence matters right like we
shouldn't be afraid to change measures
if a measure isn't working for us but
there is a value to a persistence in a
metric right and to you the conversation
with council member Dare when we see a
kink in a long-standing measure it's
probably important so I'm I'm all for
looking at some new measures but I I
want to be very careful that I have seen
in the past sometimes we were on a very
aggressive like let's rebaseline the
metrics. Let's rebaseline the metrics. I
don't like the idea of rebaselining. I
like the idea of of making calculated
changes. Um I thought somebody had their
no.
>> Are we done with metrics?
>> So just so I'm clear again, thank you
Lee. Uh and Dale Market Crimp of course
has pieces to all this as well. Um so we
will come back with a cow and I guess we
will we can bring to the cow this report
that you mentioned. So we'll look at the
calendar.
>> Great. Uh, and
>> that'll be a great meeting.
>> Um, you are now in in some respects
three minutes ahead of schedule,
>> but we haven't had the economic
development,
>> but but that's going to be you can
either do that now. Um, I know the mayor
has one topic he'd like to raise and we
can have Alexis's report come back
another time.
>> Uh, let's take a let's let's give people
the 10-minute bio break and then come
back with
>> and then we'll have Alexa.
>> Yeah.
So, please be back at 10:47.
>> Yes, sir.
>> Oh, hey. Um,
>> all right. We're going to turn it over
to the mayor for one element of economic
development.
>> Yeah. I think uh I wanted to talk about
downtown disco association. Before we do
that, I would say Lexus isn't here. I
think a lot of the I'll give an example
of broad economic development like
Governor Greg Wuire spoke to Association
Washington Business this past week. She
spoke for an hour. Within that hour, she
had 30 seconds where she said, "Hey,
thank you. We appreciate the fact that
you're here, you're employing people,
blah blah blah." At the end of the hour,
like the overwhelming response was
they're most grateful for just that
thank you. And I think as Alexis and I
have met with people who want to build
homes in Isiqua, the main message hasn't
necessarily I mean we get into the
nuance weeds of things, but I think some
of it's just been like, hey, we're here
to be your partner so you can build
homes in Isiqua. And it's almost just
like that broad theme similar to how
Greg Wuire's kind of broad thank you
went over really well with AWB. I think
has gone over well with people who want
to build homes throughout the Puet Sound
region of saying, "Oh, isqua's gonna be
a partner I think in that process." So,
I think that's been really positive. I
think Alexis has done a good job. The
the second piece is really tasked Alexis
with kind of looking at the relationship
between the city and downtown
Association and how we kind of take that
to a new level and really just view it
as a partnership. I think the things
we're trying to do to to attract and
bring bring vibrancy to historic Isiqua
obviously directly overlay with the
downtown Isqua association and the thing
I wanted to get feedback from this
council on today was I would like to
come back in June with a kind of a
midyear proposal to do $120,000
investment in downtown Association
knowing this is the way it works is you
then get a $90,000 tax credit, there is
a timing delay. You make the investment
now, your tax credit comes in the
following fiscal year is how that timing
works. So, yes, it net only cost you
$30,000 to make $120,000 investment, but
there is that timing delay. But that
being said is I would like to kind of
and and I will say in talking to their
board chair Christina who's obviously in
the room uh we've had discussions Alexis
and I have around Alexis being on the
board I think to really strengthen the
partnership between the city and
downtown association. We've also kind of
gone over this kind of audit report we
had around what the best practices in
terms of nonprofit governance and having
rotating chair governance models and all
those things have kind of been addressed
and uh but I do think it's important to
kind of highlight our commitment to
historic Front Street that we have this
discussion and so I'm looking because I
think if we get sort of a sense the
council's open to this then I think we
would come back in June with a more
formal funding proposal.
Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Council member
Boyd.
>> Uh, can you explain a little bit more
about that 90 does that the tax credit
is going to the city?
>> What are the parameters of its use? It
has to then put back into economic
development or
>> has to go to an accredited main street
program and downtown Esco Association is
an accredited Main Street program. And
the exact nuances of how that works is
they're allowed to get up to $213,000
of businesses and local organizations
and then donate up. You can get a 4 to1
match but up to that $213,000 limit. And
so this proposal would basically put
them really close to that limit. So, you
know, let's say they've, you know,
raised 90ish thousand dollars from other
people in the community. This would make
sure we're not leaving any of the
potential 4 to1 match dollars on the
table for 2026.
>> Council member J.
>> Oh, thank you. U Mayor, could you uh
talk a little bit about how uh a
partnership with DIA would improve both
our arts grant funding if it does and
our relationship with the ELTC program
and our partners there?
I think uh in the arts funding I think
murals is a great example. I think like
the owner of like the trek building has
that huge gray wall right there. I think
that's prime for a mural. I think
>> working through DIA you have an
opportunity to do things like that. A
mural cost $20,000. The owners of those
buildings are like
>> do a mural. We just don't want to pay
for it. So it's hard. But like I say, if
you want to spend $20,000 on a mural, it
makes 10 times more sense to do it as a
partnership between the city and and
downtown Isqua association because then
in city dollars is really costing you
five, not 20, right? And so I think
we're really I think looking at
opportunities to bring vibrancy in the
arts kind of community, which right
there that creative district obviously
isn't historic front street. it just
makes sense to make those investments
through a partnership with DIA than it
does for the city to be on its own
making those investments. And uh and I
think my kind of thinking going forward
is to make sure like of that $213,000
you're eligible for and the 4 to1 match
that between us and other various
partners, we're making sure that DIA has
the resources so we can kind of invest
in arts, we can invest in all the other
things and ideas that bring vibrancy to
this part of Isiqua.
>> Okay. Thanks, Council Member Nichols.
>> Uh, what kind of uh over Oh,
>> no. It
>> doesn't matter. Anyway, uh what kind of
oversight or control do we get over that
money that we would be?
>> So, I think uh there's a normal board
process that comes up I think at the end
of the year and I think the thought is
with Alexis being on the board, you have
that. And I also think part of this is
just an element of trust is Alexis and I
have been working with, you know, Corby
and Christina and the downtown
association. It's just kind of saying,
hey, here's a lot of, I think, great
ideas of things we could do. Uh, I mean,
bike racks,
you know, there's just so many things
that we're trying to invest in historic
Isiqua. To me, it makes sense to kind of
revisit the partnership between the city
and the downtown association. But I I
feel pretty confident that there will be
a high degree of partnership and
coordination going forward.
>> Are there any guardrail in this
agreement though? Are there any specific
guardrails on what that money can be
used for the council can have input on
or is it kind of a how how close is it
to on the spectrum of detailed statement
of work to blank check where
>> I would say it's in the middle between
that. There's definitely an element of
trust that occurs here. Uh and
yeah, so there's an element of trust
that occurs, but I feel like I trust the
downtown school association as we go
through this process. Uh but I do think
you're not allowed to be 100%
prescriptive, I guess, is is how I think
about it. But you are allowed to have a
presence on the board to make sure
you're part of the discussions as you
and uh so I think I think my impression
from the downtown association is they're
looking for a stronger partnership
between them and the city and so I think
that's kind of what I've heard from them
and I think the start of that is is
we're doing a lot of this work already
as we prepare for you know the idea of
Alfresco on front during the August
weekends and they've been a great
partner in the preparation of leading up
to Alfresco on front which is the five
weekends in August when it would be
pedestrian only from Saturday morning to
Sunday night. Uh but I do think like to
me I want to make sure we're not leaving
money on the table through the main
street tax credit program is kind of my
ultimate
and to really commit to the partnership
through that as well. Council member
Walsh,
>> uh, highly supportive of this idea as a
way to make smart investments in one of
the most burgeoning and economically
successful areas of our town. Um, and I
also appreciate that this is also tied
to moving the relationship forward. Um,
so that we can have something that
coexists rather than bashes heads. Um,
and something that, you know, works
toward mutual success. I appreciate
that.
>> So, um, before I get to round two, um, I
mean, I I love that we have a real
downtown, right? I I came from Eden
Prairie, Minnesota, which is a charming
place to live, but Eden Prairie's idea
of a downtown is the mall, which the
singular accomplishment of that mall is
that they filmed the movie M Rats there.
>> They did.
>> They did. Other than that, it really it
doesn't and it's it's they shoot their
fireworks off at the mall, for instance.
Um, and so, uh, you know, I love that we
have a real downtown. It's part of us
being a real city and not us just being
a suburb.
We spent good money on that audit and so
here's where I'm I just I'm going to be
I guess a bit of a crunch. Um I want to
make sure that the issues that were
brought up in the audit were addressed.
I thought it was a thoughtful audit and
I thought it it raised some things about
how to have a better relationship. Um I
think there's times where um we ask hard
questions of our partners and I think
that that audit pointed to some hard
questions. I'm I'm all for considering
um a new relationship, but um those
issues have to be addressed one way or
the other.
>> I think that's a fair request. I think
uh so Wally I don't want to I think I
would suggest that we come back to the
council with a presentation from DIA
>> before we go forward with the funding
and and we can get that scheduled so
that way great
>> council president Marks you're you can
make sure you're comfortable that
everything's been addressed from the
audit
>> before the financial commitment occurs.
>> I would appreciate that. Thank you
council member Boyd. I uh would also
very much appreciate the presentation. I
do do if we're asking to me I know we're
asking just for feedback. There's no
decisions made but it does feel a little
bit Johnny on the spot for me um to be
comfortable with it. So would love to
hear more. Um and uh sorry I just lost I
was writing this down. Um, is there okay
trying to again thread the needle
between, you know, moving back, not
losing this opportunity of money that is
potentially on the table, but also tying
things back to the existing boards,
commissions, resident input. Uh, I know
like the DIA board, they are going to be
weighing in on what they would want to
do with this. Those are folks that are
in Isqua.
if there's a way to have the relevant
boards. I think council member Joe was
kind of getting at this with elac arts
who I don't some mix of both. I don't
want to be uh and then yeah economic
vitality
this is very conceptual in my brain. I
don't know what one is the best one or
all of that just seems
>> I think all three of those would be
relevant
>> organizing that's city staff work etc.
But um and not as a this is our feedback
you will do this now Dia I just as a
like we strongly encourage and recommend
these are what we would like to
prioritize recognizing that you are the
fiduciary steward of money it sounds
like so that's my input
>> yeah that's super valid
>> all right I'm not seeing any table cards
are you looking for any other feedback
>> I think I just got it so that sounds so
we will come back with a presentation to
the full council idea before there's a
formal vote on on doing the
>> awesome
>> $120,000 of money.
>> Thank you. And with that, we are only 9
minutes behind schedule. We have clawed
our way back. Um so um we will then turn
things
>> we'll turn things over to Director
Watling for the parks department on
potential park bond renewal.
>> All right. Thank you all and I will try
and expedite this switch and uh get
going.
stick with our trend. All right. Well,
thank you um back again. Um I think the
purpose of today's conversation is to um
further here I go again. Great. Um just
continue this discussion uh on uh this
potential opportunity for a park bond uh
renewal going to Isqua voters in
November. uh provide the opportunity for
services, safety, and parks committee
members to uh share some of their
feedback and thoughts uh fresh off of
the meeting and conversation we had on
Tuesday night.
direction we're requesting and um really
seeking is are we getting closer to
consensus um around council support for
the recommendation from administration
uh to move forward with park farm
renewal this November at the 8 cents per
1000 assessed valuation. That 8 cents
value would would demonstrate or is
demonstrative of um an actual renewal.
We're not asking necessarily voters for
additional funding. Um second, uh does
council support the package of projects
uh that we've identified for that 8 cent
uh bond renewal? Uh and then lastly, um
a lot of conversation we had with
services, safety, and parks had to do
with community engagement. Does council
support the idea of us hosting a public
open house, a community meeting uh that
first week in June to gather additional
public feedback um as we continue to try
and move this forward. Um, as you'll see
with timeline, uh, this this does have a
shot clock. Um, and so we're really
again trying to have some real focused
conversation with you. Um, this is now
our third conversation. I've really
appreciated the dialogue we've had. This
is a big deal. Um, thankfully, if I can
just add as a big deal
and a very strategic moment for the city
to consider and it feels time
compressed. Um, I can say from the staff
standpoint and my appreciation to
council um and administration is we're
able to meet this moment because of the
years of work we've been doing. We've
had a lot of community engagement. We've
done a lot of park system planning and
strategic planning and it gives us the
opportunity to meet this moment. So, I I
just I note that so it doesn't feel like
wow this is out of the blue. There's a
lot of pre-work that's been done uh to
to let us to to let us get to this
point. Um I'm not going to go through
all these questions. I just I want to
highlight these uh thank you for the
April 6 conversation we had. Um your
questions um your requested feedback
then went back to services, safety and
parks in sort of these four buckets. Um
you had questions around park capital
funding. We had a conversation around
that. Uh you had uh questions and
feedback around the projects themselves.
We had a lot of discussion Tuesday night
about that. Um you had questions around
vision. What is the vision and purpose?
uh we had uh some conversation around
that. Also in that presentation, if you
haven't had a chance to see it, we did
some research on recent um uh ballot
measures uh that have occurred
countywide um five different measures in
the last five years by different
municipalities. We we talked through
some of that information.
Um, real quickly to to vision. Um,
um, as I said, um, this work is really
born out of the community engagement
we've done, not only with the 2024 plan,
but the 2018 plan. Um, a a vision we put
together with the the park board. Uh
this is an opportunity to re renew the
park bond to build upon the past
investments and advance the vision of
for Isiqua's Creeks to Peaks park system
by enhancing developed parks and school
spaces for more places to play, gather,
connect. Um uh again, this comes right
out of the park plan. Um, if you were to
look at page 10 of the park plan and the
core values, those four core values of
connectivity vibrancy resiliency and
balance again were the the four biggest
words, the four prominent and consistent
voices that this community has said and
how they want their their city park
system to function.
I noted um and I'll note here quickly, I
noted service, safety, and parks. This
is not intended to be a campaign vision.
Um if if we were to move forward with
this uh there would be work by a citizen
group and a campaign campaign group that
would need to uh really I think focus on
what that campaign vision is. Uh quick
slide here. I'm not going to go through
all these words. Um as we start talking
about projects and talking about the the
potential projects and the focus of
them, there were some really important
considerations and filters. Um again we
emphasize this a lot with services,
safety and parks. Um, we really consider
a high value u given um the the monetary
number we have for this potential
renewal to really focus on multiple
medium-sized projects, not have one
large project dominate this. Uh because
we have a community that wants its park
system to do a bunch of different
things. And each household wants the
park system to do something different
than other households. So we really
think um diversifying uh investments
helps us meet multiple needs. Uh we
think things like um if there's a high
level of site complexity or project
complexity uh that could be um that
could be problematic when we we think of
taking something to voters. Uh none of
these projects are fully designed. None
of these projects are fully permitted.
That's not a bad thing and that's not
rare for bond measures. It's just
important for us to note that we're
still going to need to go through a
design process, a community engagement
process. We want projects that don't
have a high level of complexity. We also
don't want to have projects that have a
high level of controversy or community
concern. Um, public engagement does a
really good job of building consensus,
but if we're asking voters to approve on
something before we've done the
community engagement, we just want to be
really careful and cognizant. um
cognizant of that. City of Kirkland did
a did a a levy measure recently that
failed. Um it had a aquatics community
center that I think as I've talked with
my peers there wasn't fully vetted and
so it had a high degree of community
concern and that um didn't have a chance
to be vetted in public engagement
unfortunately was vetted in a in a
campaign.
And then thinking about geographic uh uh
diversity really really important us to
us as well to the recommended package
itself. Um we've seen these numbers.
I'll I'll go through these um really
really quick. Um the rate we're
proposing is that 8 cents per 1000 um
AV. Uh that represents on a million-doll
home an $80 a year investment. Uh what
we feel in messaging is hey is is
relatively simple. Hey residents would
you like that $80 a year back because
it's about to expire or would you
consider further investing that $80 a
year along with everyone else's $80 a
year to do when when combined with some
other leverage with some other revenues
do do 23 to $24 million of investments
in your park system that you've
identified as priority projects. Um the
package of projects again we feel are
super balanced. Um Confluence Park is an
amazing place and an amazing park that
um continues to have opportunity to be
further invested on that northeast
corner where e house is does not feel
like a finished portion of that park. Um
and this project would really um would
really do that.
>> Can you speak to that because that's the
original vision right was it was like
that was like the grand entrance or I
don't know how would you describe I
don't know. There's a grant. Yeah. There
was a master plan done. Boy, Council
President March 15 years ago 15. Yeah.
Yeah.
>> Before Before you got here.
>> Exactly. Exactly. Um but that master
plan really talked about all four
corners of that park being important
gateways. And so that's a gateway that
isn't hasn't been done yet. uh that
master plan also identified a a really
prominent phase, a third phase for that
park uh which could still happen, but
that that phase is on our current
facilities and park maintenance shop. Um
that's not going to be done as part of a
bond measure. Uh but boy, as part of
this bond measure, we could do that
northeast corner and really um help move
the needle on Confluence Park.
uh trail head projects um at at uh Ramos
trail head that really um interesting
these these three trail projects would
touch all three of our Alps. Ramos trail
head is our gateway to West Tiger
Mountain. Um with the acquisitions we
did of Bergsma on Cougar with the
acquisitions we've done with Kilkari and
Wayimouth uh we have 30 acre corridors
now to Squawk and a 30 acre corridor to
Cougar. Uh we think this package doing
the trail work on those corridors, great
timing. A lot of support from Isa Els
Trails Club and all of our enthusiasts.
Community sports fields. Again, how do
we move the needle on um a very land
constrained town? Um providing athletic
fields that those in our community that
want that have that. And we think uh
this partnership um to do community
sports fields at our three elementary
schools would really u be a be quite
frankly a resilient and I would even say
an environmentally friendly way to to
add synthetic turf fields to this to
this community um and geographically
spread out through town and benefiting
an equitable equitable way families um
and and and students uh throughout uh
the city. Other community park amenities
Uh we continually hear our court spaces
with pickle ball growing. Tennis is
actually making a comeback as well. Um
adding um using the lower the lower
fields at Central Park. There's a a a
non-escript grass area between the
parking lot and the fields. Uh there's
enough room there for four tennis courts
and or eight pickle ball courts. Um um
and adding a a plaza space around that
restroom that would really really clean
up that area and um add this um the
pickle ball community is over the moon
excited and ready to to certainly
support that. And then Tibets Valley
Park.
>> This is going to make up for the 48 to1
vote in the Senate where I was the only
person not to vote for pickball to be
the state sport.
>> Well, the state sport
>> your
>> someone had to stand up for the tennis
community.
Tivots Valley Park is a park we know
with with Central Isiqua and our growth
goals of Central Isqua. You've heard me
talk Tivots Valley Park um a park needs
some love and it needs improvement. Um
there's a lot of complexity to Tibets
Valley Park and doing something with the
athletic fields at Tibets Valley Park
and that those those bullets I said
earlier that's super complex and super
complicated and we need engagement to to
answer those questions. But we could um
commit to investments of a dog park and
and a community park-sized play area at
Tibbitz Valley Park would do would do
tremendous work knowing we're about to
have um the tod project right across the
street. Um this is really really
important timing to consider. So that's
the the recommended package. Um, uh,
thank you, Council Member Boyd, for
asking the question for for a map. Um,
if we were to map these, uh, what would
be nine projects in total, um, here's
what it would look like, uh, within the
community. Uh, it doesn't touch every
corner, but it really spreads those
investments out in a large way. Um I
think important to note that um as we
consider any bond package um to do 20ome
million dollars of investment in our
park system, something's going to be
missed. Uh we're not going to meet all
the community needs. Um that said, there
still would be exploration. there would
still be if resources are available some
of our other lowhanging fruit park
capital projects or priorities uh the
acquisition program that we've started
and acquisition strategies that we've
initiated would uh continue uh with or
without this this bond package
you want me to keep going okay
uh and then just real quickly we're
towards the end here timing next steps
again thank you for the conversations
we've had you have a park board that's
really leaning into this and ready to be
a voice as well. Um
following the retreat, we are proposing
that first week in June and doing a
public meeting. We're we would think
hosting that at either Pickering Barn or
the senior center. Uh we're quite quite
certain there'd be a very large audience
very interested in that conversation. Um
at that conversation, we'd really talk
about I think two two things. one, what
we're recommending, what's in it, but
also being honest about what what might
not be in it and what's not in it. Um,
is this the time to invest, is this the
the funding source to invest in a pool?
We'd welcome that conversation. Um um
but have that discussion with the
community. Um ideally then, uh June
15th, uh we're scheduled to have another
conversation with you all. I if we're in
a place that we're comfortable, it'd be
great to have the ordinance approved so
that we can start the work preparing
materials for King County uh elections
um and starting to move towards a
November ballot
>> and I and with that that's share
I think the thought process
first off this was driven while council
member Dare was on the park war I think
it was basically getting a sense from
them of kind of their long list of kind
of some of the priority projects and
trying to incorporate it into this
proposal.
Also acknowledging the size of our
current parks department and saying we
need something we're trying to avoid
being sound transit. We don't want to
say we're going to do all these things
and all of a sudden we're like oh sorry
we ran out of money and everything's
delayed and blah blah blah. So, I think
it's trying to kind of bite off
something that we feel we can actually
actually execute and deliver on. I think
as
Jeff said, this is not like an
all-inclusive attempt to do everything
we would like to do in the park space.
So, I hope people realize
approving this does not preclude having
discussions about other I think exciting
opportunities. I think uh Council Member
Boyd, Council Member Jen have both
expressed interest in North Isqua Park.
I think we've had discussions with
Lakeside and their development of what
that would look like and I think there's
opportunities. I think Jeff and Robin at
parks are constantly pursuing
conversations with the Kelly family
around what those opportunities look
like. That's everything around expanding
Tibbitz comes down to having an actual
formal, you know, assessment of that
property of what its assessed value is
because we can't pay more than assessed
value. So we can't even really move
forward with Kelly family discussions
until we have a agreement. Are they in
agreement that you know the assessed
value seems reasonable to them. So we
didn't include those things in here
because we're trying to make sure the
stuff that's on the list is things that
we're confident we can actually deliver
and that we don't need other things to
break our way. And so like I I
personally think Timoth Valley Park
needs a lot of TLC and I think as we get
light rail, it's the natural place where
we're going to want to put a lot of our
future investments to really bring that
park to its full potential. Uh this is
the starting point of that with the
playground and the dog park, but I think
there's other opportunities that aren't
in this proposal that we still plan to
continue to pursue. But let's go through
all the different questions.
>> All right. So, um, first off, uh,
director Watling, how great that we are
not discussing, uh, but what about
Hillside Park? I just want to mention,
doesn't it feel good that you don't have
to hear the Hillside Park
>> for reference for the new people? That
was definitely
if you go see the uh the movie this
summer, the what's the one about Odicius
and the and his 10-year journey? The
Odyssey. The
>> Odyssey. We had we had a a 10-year quest
to
>> to to do that park. Um after as a city
we resolve the a a park bond, we should
get a refresher on the master plan for
confluence park. Um the the the
centerpiece of that is the actual
confluence of the of the east fork and
the south fork, right? And that's the
problem because it's right next to the
shop. um and and and none of the vision
for how that works. But it's been a long
time since we've had that conversation.
Um I may dis I don't I may disagree with
you a little bit. I I continue to
believe Confluence should be the
centerpiece of our park system because
it can also um trails it has trail
access that Tibbitz doesn't. I think
Tibbitz is great and we should do more
with Tibbitz and all that, but you know,
it's no shock to anybody that I I
continue to believe that um the vision
for Confluence is amazing and it's
incredibly expensive. So after after the
bond, right, after that um I I would
like to politely revisit that master
plan. And then the the the big question
that I have for you, Director Watling,
is you mentioned services and safety and
park on Tuesday. Assume for a second I
haven't had a chance to go watch the
services and safety parks meeting. They
had two things when we came out of full
council that were of particular concern.
They wanted to talk about is the 8 cents
the right size. Right. And then the
second is coming up with a composition
of what we chose off of the the parks
plan um and wanting to understand that
better and can either the chair or you
um give a status for those of us who
haven't had a chance to watch the
meeting. Yeah, that was going to be my
comment is kind of to address that
suspect and I don't know if it's
possible to send one thing that was
included was alternate options for the
rate as well as a few ideas in terms of
the plan which was not in this although
we did support like that coming to this
conversation because there was not a
consensus to say this is the rate these
are the projects for sure there was
still a desire to keep that conversation
going um so I don't know if it's
possible to send that rate of the
comparative you know um because you also
have the list of the different um recent
elections in part you know things that
happened and what those rates were to
compare to. So the committee did still
want that discussion to continue and
there was not a consensus on saying this
is the rate we should stick with 8 cents
and we should stick with these projects
>> but I'm assuming that the alternate
would be to be larger not smaller
>> correct yeah they had we proposed you
know obviously it could be anything but
then there was having it either be 12 or
16 cents was the kind of two alternative
options that were you know listed um and
so yeah so the consensus out of there
was to keep that discussion open and or
to see if there is public input on those
items so that we are delivering what the
public wants out of this bond which I
think may perhaps the town hall is
intended to maybe address that or I'm
not sure about that because the town
hall was needed for information on my
yes
>> yeah multiple things there um yes at at
services safety and parks we did talk
about a couple scenarios
um um I think
most prominent of those scenarios was
Um, if we were to if if there was
interest in including something like a
pool expansion or the the pool
expansion, that is a doubling of this
levy rate. That is going from an 8 cent
renewal and just asking voters to renew
to hey, we want you to renew and tack on
another another amount.
>> Can can you, Dr. Watling, on that
question? And I I don't want to get
ahead of other questions people have. um
for for newer council members, we spent
time in treasure talking to the public
about uh funding uh sources for a for a
pool. Can you talk a little bit about
that because I think probably most
people here weren't there when we when
we we did extensive conversations.
>> Sure. So, so coming out of the pandemic
about 2022, 2023, as the district was
preparing its first bonds to add a
fourth high school, as park staff, we
quickly raised our hand and said, "Hey,
we need to be thinking about the pool.
If if there's a fourth high school, that
already prescribed pool is going to be
an issue and a problem." And so getting
creative, getting innovative, we said,
"Hey, rather than waiting for that when
we're going to build that brand new
shiny pool for $60 million, it's
probably not going to happen. Do we
consider is it is it pragmatic to expand
the pool on its current site?" And so we
launched a feasibility study. That
feasibility study basically came back
and said, "Yeah, it's doable. We could
add another eight lanes um um up on that
Julius Bow campus." Um we then with that
feasibility study um reached out to the
school district. Uh we we recognized in
that funding package we as a city
shouldn't bear that cost alone. Um how
do we partner with the school district
um to have them put put some skin in the
game in terms of that capital
investment? Um and how do we reach out
to the county who back in the 60s and
70s uh built a bunch of of regional
pools in a forward thrust initiative.
And just because
20 years ago they decided pools are now
magically a local service, here cities,
you get to do it. We we don't think
that's necessarily right. And so we
think the the county should have some
funding into that. So um
obviously fast forward now, school bond
didn't pass, school district funding
didn't come. That pool expansion remains
a priority. um uh but um as a priority,
I think it still needs some some
massaging in terms of what the funding
package of that looks like. Um I'm going
to let the mayor speak here, but you
know um
I think to to to speed that up and put
and feel like this funding is the the
time and the moment to do that. Um
there's a complexity kind of those
bullet points. There's a complexity to
the pool expansion. Doesn't mean it's
it's incredibly important, but um there
could be some complexity cons and
concern. Before we go to the mayor, I
was I was maybe I was thinking even
earlier. We did a poll out there both
for the city of Isiqua and for a larger
patch to basically on the interest and
appetite in the community for a pool and
the issue I think you were here for that
I mean it was a while ago but it wasn't
that long ago and the result of that
polling was that uh folks in Isiqua were
very much in favor and would support
doing a pool. The issue was when we
asked in a larger patch which was the
people who would actually be using the
pool and that we would hope I mean it's
roughly co-terminus with the school
district size um the the support was
softer. So that was the issue right here
in the city proper. There's a lot of
support for a pool, but it would be hard
structurally to run a funding mechanism
for uh and I realize we're getting off
potentially giving off from the bond,
but I think it's important to understand
this conversation. The last time it
occurred with data, right, was that the
issue was that
our city would support it, but that
wasn't enough. We would really need a
bigger patch. And the support in that
bigger patch was soft.
>> Yeah. I don't I don't recall that survey
that could that could have possible but
I'm thinking it was a few years ago and
that it was actually before you got
here.
>> I don't recall it either.
>> All right. Well, it's out there. The
date I I would bet any I mean I I
remember this well. I may have the dates
wrong, but that was the conclusion,
right? Is how do you fund it because
it's not a big enough patch is what we
concluded at the time. The city was not
a big enough patch and we weren't
confident that we could sell it to the
patch of folks who would actually use
it. that there's a funding complexity. I
would agree.
>> Well, I think uh
the challenge we've had is I mean the
two big things like elephants in the
room is the Confluence Park example to
move our main facility. You're in that
$50 million plus price tag. So, you have
to find land and do everything else. I
think the pool, you're also in that $50
million plus price tag. And so, like
Jeff said, I don't think those are both
good ideas. I just think we're at this
timing point now where we need to get
something to King County in terms of a
ballot measure and and going back to the
January discussion when we very first
this is actually our fourth sort of
discussion on this topic because it did
come up in January as well.
>> I think the council expressed interest
in in maybe doing a little bit more and
I would say that was
what prompted the 8 cents. To be honest,
the 8 cents is what we approved in 2006.
the 1% property cap naturally sort of
slowly erodess that to the point where
it got down to a nickel. And so I think
the feedback we got from the council was
if if we could do more, it' be better.
And so then we kind of said, okay, well,
we'll just renew at the exact same levy
rate we had from 06, which is the 8
cents, which did enable us to
substantially increase the amount we
could do within this package. And so I
think that's sort of the responsiveness
to the council of trying to be a little
bit bolder in terms of what we
accomplish in this. We thought we were
reflecting from going from the nickel to
the A. Uh I know it came up, can we come
back with what this 12 and 16 cents look
like? And our challenge from, you know,
getting that kind of guidance on
Wednesday morning to now is it's really
hard to come up with anything thoughtful
in terms of community building and input
of what that would look like. And so I
think we find ourselves based on the
timing of saying
we think the park bond renewal thing is
a communitydriven list. Nothing
precludes us from going out and doing
more investments in parks. I think the
administration is open to it and uh and
I think we can have that conversation of
what it looks like. I do think the odds
of us getting public support go up
dramatically if we execute on what we're
proposing here. And so I think our
recommendation is to go forward with the
8 cent proposal knowing if we execute on
it, we kind of build trust in the
community of other things we could do
and knowing that we have opportunities
at both Tibbitz and North Isiqua that we
are going to pursue aggressively
completely,
you know, separate from this park bond
renewal package. And uh and I think we
have I don't know that's kind of our
sense of how we're thinking about it and
approaching it. But I know there's a lot
of things up here. So uh Council
President Marts, you can decide the
order.
>> Well, I I I think Council Member Boyd
was
>> um where where do you even start? Um, I
the North isquat comes up so many times
and I feel like I'm just like I'm still
going to be beating my drum for North
Isqua. Uh, sincerely appreciate the
discussions that we've had director
Wling and um, so I I'm hearing that like
yes, we will turn our attention to this.
It might not be a part of the bond.
We're on a tight timeline for that. So,
I'm still deciding my ultimate feelings
about just, you know, do I do I and I'm
new, so do I trust uh I guess I would
love to have more discussions of the and
this is what we're going to do like
measurable things timeline to meet that
parallel concurrent with the parks bond
that maybe doesn't address that just
because it comes up so many times in
strategic plan. Uh I I'm just pulling a
quote out of there. North Isqua appears
to be an area of priority due to the
existence of high density residential
developments with limited access to
parks and open spaces.
I just talked to my neighbors
very briefly as best as I could before
before this knowing it would come up of
their big thing is walkability. Um I
live off Black Nugget Road. my walk
route, if I just need to go clear my
head, is next to a, you know, four,
five, if you count the turn, lane road
that is, it's not particularly
enjoyable, but it does the job. Just go
touch grass. And so,
>> uh, yeah, I guess that's I just need to
get that out there. That's going to be I
I'm going to keep,
>> you know, clanging on pots and pants
about it. And if the parks bond isn't
the way to address that, I'll figure out
how to be at peace with it. But I I'm
hearing that it will be a focus. I think
I just need more of the how. And
>> and I think it's 100% a focus. I think
we went
>> I personally drove and parked at the
storm water ponds.
>> They're there and was like and we looked
at that and it just doesn't
>> No. Sure. There wasn't a great
opportunity to create anything like you
know the the stormwater pond by LRO has
that nice trail around it. There is
there was no way to replicate what you
have by the stormwater pond by LRO at
the stormwater ponds there. uh because
there's still some homes in the middle
of like that parcel as well which are
privately owned which
>> uh I think the the conversation with
Lakeside is really the land they own on
Iskaw Falls City Road on the south side
you have all that wooded territory
within that because it's very steep
there's actually some waterfalls and I
think I know none of us knew that
existed either and I think the the
conversation with Lakeside is I think
they're open to the idea of like
donating the land but not having like
necessarily to be the one who puts in
all the bridges and all the other
things. So I think they're saying if you
guys are open to building a trail
network similar to what I think Jeff has
proposed on both Bergsma and Kari here
because those are both like 1.8 million
trail projects because you have bridges
going over streams etc. I think they're
very open to that conversation. And so
and then you have a walking trail, but
the challenge is if that is a still a
steep it's like the walking trail sort
of by the Belby College site in the
Highlands which is kind of a steep trail
that goes through the woods and uh and
so but that being said I think there's
an opportunity there and uh and there's
also a part that we space we have by
Swedish on the other side of Swedish
there is kind of a a parcel there that
>> that more in islands. But yeah, a future
neighborhood park
>> and and it's but it's it's been hard to
find in North Isiqua.
>> The geography is tough. It's
>> the geography of it. And so, but those
are our best the best opportunity is
definitely this lakeside partnership
right now, but at this point all those
conversations started from yourself and
council member Jen raising what about
North isqua and so we're really in the
early stages of what our opportunities
are
with those parcels is how I think about
it. And and not to be uh not to in any
way throw any cold water on it, but just
understand if you do better than 10
years, you've done better than Hillside
Park.
>> I was going to that's my I guess if I
can have a followup is just what with
like the like we're in talks with
Lakeside of like what am I going to like
I'm going to be a grandma when but
there's a park in my neighborhood. Like
what does that mean?
>> No, I think you're I don't I don't know
how quick having children.
>> That's a I think the lakeside
conversation is more like the two to
five year window I think is is a sure.
Yeah.
>> Okay. Thank you.
>> So, your kids would have to procreate
very quickly.
>> And onward to council member.
>> Yep. I'm moving on. Um,
so my my direction on this area, I want
to echo what Mayor Mullet said about
sand transit and making sure that we're
not committing to projects that we can't
accomplish with the limited funds. And
toward that idea, I want to push on the
concept of a should we really be
committing park impact fees
along with park bond stuff and saying
that we're going to be able to
accomplish this much when the park bond
money is only going to accomplish this
much. Um, and toward that idea of
complex projects and things that have
historical nature, I I get concerned
that we haven't done
accurate estimates over a lot of things,
including e house. And so I would just I
would rather us commit to less and get
it accomplished than have to come back
to council and say, "Look, we promise
the voters that we're going to get these
eight projects or whatever done." And it
turns out they're going to cost two or
three million more than the grants that
we're assuming we're going to get and
the park impact fees and the park bonds.
this is a lot to commit and not have
certainty on it. So that would be my
first concern.
My second concern is obviously we've
heard from the school community that
they very much very much value
elementary sports fields. First of all,
someone needs to take every single one
of those emails and send it to the
school board so that they recognize that
they are
not meeting the needs of their
community. And I want to make sure that
as we are committing to putting dollars
on that, yes, the school district is
committing to land on it. I'm not sure
we're there on the
use agreement
that meets the $9 million investment
that this community is going to make
on those fields. Yes, this would be
great for the schools, but are we
getting $9 million worth of use out of
it with what the state of the agreement
is there? So, those are my two caution
points on this is moving really fast and
I'm not sure we are there that we can
make the commitments that we're going to
get out of this and can accomplish
what we're saying we're going to do.
And I think do you want to Jeff speak to
because before you can do IB Clark Ridge
there is an actual process where both
the school board the city council have
to sign off on on the use agreement with
each specific field. Is that correct
Jeff? Yes. And if I can if I can add,
great great questions and concerns.
Always a risk, right? Um we've been
talking about this idea of community
sports fields with the school district
staff in particular, their capital staff
for
>> six years. Okay.
>> Six years. I would say specifically the
elementary schools
>> for two years. And specifically the
model and and I I I'm going to sound
like I'm tooting my horn. I'm not
meaning to. Um, this innovative
partnership isn't super innovative. I
did this when I was in the city of
Seamish with the Lake Washington School
District. The East Lake High School
community sports field um has been in in
operation for 20ome years. Um, the city
of Seamish has gotten their investment
tenfold out of that. this premise and
what I've talked to the district about
in terms of the elementary school fields
is that same model that says, "Hey, you
provide the land, we the city provide
the funding, we become the scheduler, we
maintain it. Um, and the community gets
to use it as if it's a park. So, these
will the these elementary school fields
would function as a neighborhood park
field. It would look no different than
Central Park. Um, school district
>> fees would go into the turf replacement
fund for that. Exactly. Then the fees
>> we would manage the fees.
>> The fees we collect again would look
like just like all of our other
synthetic fields. School district staff
has
>> Would it be a gated park?
>> Would it be a gated?
>> I mean currently the elementary schools
have gates and fences around them.
>> There would well the it would be it
would be managed like an elementary
school campus. So during the school day
they're going to
>> Yeah. manage it and not have people
there. But what it how we design it and
what weekends look like, what evenings
look like, what summer looks like in
terms of access, this would look far
different than the 30-year-old headache
that how the school district manages
their middle school fields and high
school fields. Um, there's agreement
from staff. There's agreement from
staff. Um, you might remember two two
years ago I presented the same idea to
the joint council schoolboard meeting.
We had a really good discussion there.
School board seemed to be nodding heads
and and favorable with the model. So, I
hear your concern. Um, I think it's a
valid concern, but I I I think we're
making headway to presenting to the
district this is this is this is a new
model and this model isn't
revolutionary. The Lake Washington
School District has been doing it for a
long long time and it works really
really well. But
>> and I would but council member Walsh to
your point my anxiety is the same as
yours. My my anxiety is like if we
promise it to people and we don't build
it, we literally become Sound Transit.
So I think your fears are super valid.
And uh
I think if I guess we don't have the
slide up the
>> Which one do you want? Well, it just
says the source of funings like the $3
million of grant funding. Like I I think
we're being a little conservative. I'm
not saying
I just think my sense right now is all
these grants you go to the front of the
queue when you bring money matching
dollars to the grants. And I just feel
like the other communities right now
aren't in a position when I talk to my
fellow mayors, everyone's struggling
financially. So they're not in a
position to apply for those grants and
get the matching dollars necessary to
jump to the front of the queue. And I
think the council would be creating a
unique opportunity for us to be better
positioned than our fellow cities and
towns around the Puga Sound because we
would be bringing matching dollars that
they just can't bring right now. And so
I don't know that's the because I had
you're I think I started out exactly
where you are. The fact that I think
that grand number could end up being six
million instead of three million is
where I got a little bit more comfort
zone. But I it doesn't change that
you're bringing up I think the most
important valid concern is we cannot
tell people
>> we're going to build something and not
build it.
>> So then let me put it very bluntly. My
request before the June meeting or at
the June meeting is in order to support
this,
I either need a clear sense that we have
accurate estimates for these projects or
I think at least one project needs to
come off of that because you with what
we have now and with the overs
subscribed toward park impact fees and
grants compared to the bond, I don't
think we're there. So that's my first
ask there. My second ask is
if we are committing to doing $9 million
worth of sports fields at elementary
schools and we don't yet have the
agreement
in place.
How do we make that commitment to the
community? And what's going to happen if
the school board goes doesn't put forth
an agreement that we think is worth our
$9 million? How do we at that June
meeting make that vote
and say yes, we're hunky dory with this
when there are so many uncertainties out
there. So those are my asks because I'm
not there yet. And I just want to make
that very clear. Yeah. to the
administration that I love the projects.
I love the ideas of moving forward. This
is just moving very fast
to be able to say we can accomplish
these things.
>> Appreciate that. Before I move to
Council Member Nichols, just a bit of
housekeeping. I just want to point out
that Deputy Council President Jang has
joined us. Um, and hypothetically, I'm
going to be able to see if she uh puts
uh that she should be able to raise her
hand so she can participate in this
conversation as well. With that, I'll
move to Council Member Nicholas.
>> Okay. I have these are going to be a
little more just than I wanted them to
be because a couple things will come up.
Um
I think the easiest question first uh on
North is it fair to say that um
we could as a hypothetical could we is
there something specific enough in North
Isiqua that has been um
that anyone including you're aware of
that could be traded off into this
package at the moment or
>> does it in any situation require more?
>> Unfortunately not. It's so it's a
complex area. We don't have any land
acquisition lined up and ready. So it'd
be it'd be really hard to say there's
something there there. All right, that
that was the easy one.
>> That doesn't mean we're not going to try
outside of those packets.
>> I I'm not debating that. As a
hypothetical, we could debate that.
>> Given the timeline that's involved, I
think it's reasonable to not include
that at the moment. Um though I I feel
the the pain that uh that the ability to
touch grass requires crossing a strode
seems unfortunate. Um okay. Uh secondly
on the the pool and other expanded
options. So, one of the reasons that I
suggested in our SSP meeting a couple
days ago that we include other options
on the table was to see um in part
because of the speed that this was
moving if commarious community groups
would come out and support it and that
that might be one of the communities
that might. Um since then, I think we've
all seen in our emails that a community
that appears to support a significant
part of this bond has emerged. Um so, my
concerns about that are drastically
reduced. Um, so that said, I do think it
would with the pool in particular. Um, I
we can if we don't fund things, they're
not a priority by almost by definition,
right? So I I don't think we should say
that it's a priority unless we have some
plan to at least establish funding at
some point. Um, I can I can get to this
might not be the right point to do that,
but I would like to see how we can
specifically engage pool users, have a
plan for engaging them, and see if
they'll come forward and organize to the
extent that a community group community
group would need to do so to pass
something like this in the future. I
think that's a multi-year effort
probably to get that level of momentum
growing. Uh but beginning that
conversation perhaps at the same time
when we're otherwise having
conversations on a bond, a parks bond
because we'll have people in the room
there that will have overlapping
interests. We can be honest about them
if the council decides not to go forward
with a larger package at the moment that
this is why. But there's an opportunity
folks get out there and organize if this
is something you want to see because
realistically I don't see this being put
on a school an Isqua school district
bond anytime in the near future. So, if
Visqua residents want it, I think we
have to pay for this ourselves, perhaps
in partnership with King County if we
can find grant funds, etc. Um, but I
think that's that's probably the reality
that will have to be sold at some point.
So, but my my request is to have that be
a specific part of discussion when we're
having these
topics, saying that depending on what
council votes on, this was not in the
current package, but there's a we've we
recognize that this is a long-standing
need of the community, a long trip. It's
a it's a treasured location, has many
uses. Um,
somebody's got to come up and step up
and figure out how to motivate the
community to get behind it. Um, and that
can only be us to so much of an extent.
So, I'd like to see that that idea
teased. Um,
so to be clear on the on the other
options that were presented, um, I
appreciate the thought that went into
those, I would support the an 8 cent,
um, or the administration's proposal
before I mess up the math on it. Um, the
other topics that came up, um, I also
agree with Council Member Walsh, and I
do not want to overpromise either. Um,
and I don't want to do that in a couple
areas. Um, one is just the sheer number
of things that are there. Um, I think it
would be good to look at some of these
things and when we're putting together
the language for the bond, be careful
about in in some places um, writing this
in a way that we have a little bit more
flexibility in case we have unexpected
cost overruns. Um, let's say we start
digging up one of these turfs and we
find something we got to deal with to
remediate. Like that could happen,
right? Um, and then that could eat up a
lot of money very very quickly. Um, so I
I'd like us to be conservative in our
language in the sense that the language
is what we're we're we're truly
promising to the voters. Um, and that
might be around, for example,
specifically what we were promising
tits, for example. I I'm not I don't
want to go into the details right now,
but there's a couple places where I
think we should be careful about where
specifically we promise things on the
schools. I have the opposite sentiment
that we should be very specific about
what we're promising to promise there.
Um I'm also concerned about the relative
position of the cart and the horse at
the moment. Um I don't I think they
might be side by side to some extent. Um
and that uh we have
clearly um that that community has been
um activated um which is great um but
it's not fully within council's control
to just go and build a school there,
right? So I think it would be very it
would be hopefully we can communicate to
that to the public to also try to get
the public uh to be uh stating their
interest in this topic to our our
colleagues at the school district so
that they also understand that this is
something that would be greatly loved
and that would be supported um and that
we that we should get a school use
agreement in place ASAP. So I think that
would be a if to the extent we can get
some updates on that um in whatever form
is appropriate I think that would be
very useful because I think we can also
try to together try to make that go
through um this probably isn't the right
form to go through that but I would
discussion of that agreement and the
details of it I think would be useful at
some point so that we we can know where
else we can perhaps provide some
guidance but both great points by both
you and council member Walsh.
Coincidentally,
um we're hoping and planning as we work
with school district staff to have the
joint use agreement uh to you on June
15th, the same the same evening we'd be
talking blunt. So,
when I think that uh I I definitely some
schoolboard members have said to me that
they would publicly endorse and do
everything they can to push for this
park boundary. like they sound some of
the schoolboard members are just I think
really ecstatic about this opportunity.
Even Harland who sometimes isn't as
ecstatic is is 100% ecstatic and all in
on this opportunity. Uh I think you guys
have both raised I think the valid
question of what happens if you've
overpromised here. Uh I wasn't going to
say it today. This is in the back of my
head is we currently have 1.7 million of
of cash flow that goes to pay debt right
now. You know, 700,000 of that comes off
when the park bond expires. The 061
expires at the end of this year. There
is another trunch of debt does come off
in 2029. And so in the back of my head,
if for some reason we were we were off
by two or three million dollars like you
guys are saying, there is an opportunity
to do Councilmatic debt when our current
councilmatic 20 million debts roll off.
I'm not saying we commit to doing that.
I'm just saying in the back of my head
where I was going is rather than cut a
project that we've told people we plan
to do is I would probably come back to
the council saying when these bonds roll
off when the debt service we have
rolling off in 2020 29 does roll off if
we're over budget on on something
somewhere else we we could have that is
in our back pocket of something we could
consider to make sure we keep the
promises and uh but like I said it's a
nuance it's a little complicated, but it
is in the back of my own head to make
sure we don't end up in the world of of
sound transit.
>> Yeah. And I think we can do both in that
uh certainly, Mr. Mayor, I I trust your
ability to try to think through this the
the finances of this uh in a in a
conservative way that will not get us
into trouble. Uh I think we can also
be careful about our about the specifics
of the wording that we use. um to not to
not falsely set expectations um but then
to also be deliberate in the wording
that we use where we are going to be
making very specific promises
particularly to communities that are
coming out and will likely be some of
the best supporters of this.
>> So um
>> I think that's it on the school use
agreement. Um I just to finish on my
points there as well. Um, I would I I
want to double down on some of the
things that Council Member Walsh said
about the openness of how these should
be. I uh
>> You don't want a $75 card?
>> I don't want a $75 card.
>> So, for those of you the the new the um
the newer school facilities require a
$75 card and they're and the facilities
are all locked. Um so, for example, in
my neighborhood, we can't just go run
around the track uh of the public
facility there. You need to first pay
for it. Um, I want to make I would very
much hope that we do not find ourselves
in a similar situation because I the uh
and I would even hope if we can if we
could use the opportunity to perhaps
help the school district uh learn how to
uh deal with the liability of having
parks that we have clearly figured out
how to handle. That was one of the
comments that came up at the at our
joint meeting that they have to have a
fienna because of liability. Um we have
solved that problem. Perhaps we can
perhaps we can assist. Um though I I
don't want to necessarily tie things
down, but it would be a nice opportunity
to do so if we could. Um so
>> Oh, sorry. Um
I I think that's it. Um so thank you for
putting together this
excellent looking proposal very quickly.
Um, and I think we all love our parks
and we'd all love to see
this or something very similar to it
pass.
Thanks, Kevin. Before we go to round
two, um, I believe Deputy Council
President Jang uh wishes to speak. So,
however we're however we're uh buzzing
her in, I think she's live.
>> Hi, can you hear me?
>> Yep.
>> Yes.
>> Yay. Okay, great. Um, sorry, I'm in
Denver right now. Um,
>> stop sharing. Uh,
>> oh, we're not hearing you.
>> We heard you for a second
>> for a brief shiny moment.
>> Oh, can you hear me?
>> Yes. Now you're back.
>> Intermittently. Please try again.
>> Um, sorry. Okay. Um, yeah, I was going
to say I mean this is like the most
emails we've gotten about anything and
they're all positive, which is great.
that doesn't happen.
Um, so I think the package that we put
together is very good and compelling. I
guess I'm curious about, you know, what
is the status of the joint use agreement
with the school board? What's the
timeline that we expect it to be sent?
Um, and you know, is there something
that we've proposed to the school board
or Yeah. Like what's the
>> Yeah, the the agreement is in its final
draft. It's being reviewed by um both
legal groups. As I just said earlier, um
we have it set to come to you for
adoption on June 15th. Uh what we've
said at the staff level is we want to
make sure this agreement when it goes to
council for adoption and school board
for adoption, it's one it's the same
document and so both groups are are are
um ready to adopt it um at the same
time. So it's right there at the nearing
the end of the finish line.
>> Um will we be shared the final draft? I
mean, I I feel like
it would be helpful probably for us to
see a final draft version so that if
there's any changes that we want to make
that can be reflected in the version we
because I imagine there might be, you
know, some concerns that could come up
as a result of that and I don't want to
like muddle the process and drag it on
further than June because of the tight
timeline for getting the bond on the
ballot.
>> Can work with administration on that.
Yeah.
>> All right.
>> Great. Thanks, Jeeoff.
Uh and then with that I will turn to
council member Adair.
>> Uh yeah I'll make it quick. You know
again I I support this bond. I support
the 8 cents. I support the projects. I
agree. Yeah. Any more you know any more
commitment or you know definitive you
know nature we can get on each project
is great but I also don't see one that
I'd say oh cut this. We should just let
that go. I think they all have a lot of
importance to the community. So yes any
ability to get those more concrete. The
only thing I wanted to add which is just
too hard to talk about North Isiqua and
other things as we talk about these
other projects is isn't correct if I'm
wrong. Isn't there another bond from
2013 that will come up in 2033?
There is a 2013 bond that voters
approved that it was a 20-year bond. I'm
looking at Kristen as I said this. If it
was not refinanced or whatever that
would be expiring. Yes. in like 203
there's a theoretical nature of we get
this bond we do these projects and then
we have a new batch in 2033 to tackle
and hopefully it's north is squa or one
of these other larger things so just as
a thought for these other projects as a
way to talk about if they start getting
brought up talk about them and plan for
them so
>> um a piece of housekeeping I do see that
there's a member of the public that
wants to speak um because we are not
taking action on on this item uh we do
have a uh place in the agenda for public
comment at the close of the meeting. And
so I'm going to hold off on taking
public comment until that time. Uh for
myself, I just want to double back for a
second. In the same way that after
resolving
a proposed bond this fall, you know,
wanting to touch back to confluence, I
think this idea of a pool, I found in my
notes, it was a couple of years ago. Uh,
April 1st, 2013 was the last time we
received a uh we did a extensive survey.
Um, it feels like yesterday, but
evidently it was 13 years ago. So, uh,
so we have some data, albeit not fresh.
Um, so I I I mean, and then at the time
it was about a, uh, parks district,
right? And so I think it's fine to say I
mean what I'm hearing today is consensus
from the council particularly extremely
thoughtful council member Nichols I your
concerns around were we right sized and
I'm hearing you feel good about it. I I
think it's fine to say uh it would be
good at some point in the future to have
a conversation about a pool and that it
might be a parks district because it's
such a massive investment and would be a
regional uh regional uh treasure for
lack I guess for a loaded term. But uh
with that uh council member Nichols oh
no sorry I thought you still had your
Oh, council member Joe. Thank you.
Um, I think I'm the only person on
council that was around in 2006 when we
first approved that bond.
Uh, I'll just confess. Uh,
>> you get a donut for that.
>> I'd get a donut, I guess. But the the
one thing that we kind of took a a
little bit of a risk on was was um
putting money aside to acquire all that
land that we just bought the last couple
years. We put that money aside and it
really made a difference when we went to
uh the state or to other organizations
to say that we had money on the table
just to emphasize what the mayor was
saying. And that allowed us to punch
above our weight to acquire these pieces
of land that we couldn't acquire on our
own. But because we had money at the
table, it allowed us to to make those
acquisitions. Um, so I there's a little
bit of faith that you have to put in
there, which is a little bit of the the
underlying conversation that we're
seeing that our parks department can
bring those projects to fruition using
and leveraging the funds that are there.
Um, they've had a 20-year history of
doing that from where I sit and and I
think that I'm comfortable relying on
them to do that again uh as we go
forward. Um, I I hear the concern about
the the school fields access. Um, I
think I'm the only person here that has
a kid in high school. Um, he was on a
middle school.
>> Yeah, I got two of those.
>> Okay. Well, yeah, I'll just Yeah, you
have a Yeah. Okay. Um, but um, you know,
we we practice up at East Lake all the
time. The practices are 8:00 at night
after the school activities are done or
7:00 at night. Um, there is an access
gate that's that's open because it's
managed by the city. They practice till
8 or 9, 10 o'clock at night and then I
go home and collapse. But the fields are
accessible. I didn't even know that that
was a cityrun field. Just to let you
guys know, I thought it was the school
that was managing it solely and it was
the high school nice enough to to let us
in. So, if the school agreement mirrors
what they're doing already in Seamish,
I'm pretty comfortable with the access
and the way that we have um uh shared
that field or the city has the
opportunity to share that field along
the way. Just to speak to that uh
particular point. I guess the last point
I I would would say is that um fully
supportive of what we're trying to do
here. Uh I think that uh our citizens
deserve to see us think about the
future. I really like what Erica has
said about getting a park in North
Isiqua.
Nancy Davidson, old council member, uh,
walked the area along the creek where
Confluence Park is now and said, "This
would make a fantastic park." At the
time, it was a farm. It was a piece of
property that was a little bit
dilapidated. Um, but she started with
that vision, got the rest of the council
on board with doing that. It wasn't
completed by the time I was done, but
because that vision was talked about,
set, the funding was pursued, it
happened. And I think the conversation
we're having today about the future for
other parks is very fruitful to find out
what is needed for the future for our
park system and our citizens. And I look
forward to continuing that conversation
and hearing about it as we talk about
the bond and get the public feedback as
we go forward. Thank you.
>> Thank you. Uh so we are running about 40
minutes behind because we started 10
minutes late and we took an hour instead
of a half hour to talk about this
important topic. Food is here. Uh what I
would like to do I assume the
administration agrees is a good point to
move on to our next topic
slides for a second. There was feedback
from council that some of the
assumptions it, you know, page one of
the the packet for the budget, there was
stuff in there that was surprising. And
so we wanted to just have a have a
fight, you know, if there was a if there
was a bonfire in front of us, you know,
be sort of sitting around the bonfire
talking about um the state of the city
financially. So um and Kristen Wallally,
>> so let let me provide some initial
comments. Um, as I said at the beginning
this morning, um, you know, this is a
pre-season game because as we look at
the season, um, there are challenges and
there have been challenges, uh, for the
last several years, I would suggest
there are going to be challenges, uh,
moving forward. Um, you know, there's
nothing really fundamentally wrong with
the city of Isiqua's budget, um, other
than the world around us. Um that's the
the biggest challenge that if we were to
do nothing else but provide all the good
services we're providing today, we
wouldn't be able to afford it because
our revenues don't match our
expenditures. So I mean you start with
that base assumption that causes
difficulty. Um, as I said also first
thing this morning, we have a new team
here and this council uh my sense as a
local government management professional
uh has a slightly different priorities
or has the same priorities but perhaps
in a slightly different order uh than
we've had in previous years. And so I
think with the understanding that our
revenues aren't going to meet our
expenditures and that there's differing
priorities, it's important to start
early to talk about uh what those
priorities are informed by what we've
talked about this morning with
performance measures um and other
indicators.
The sooner you all can start talking
about that, knowing that you don't have
an extra $2 million to spend on new
things, I think is valid. what we tried
to do uh with the presentation, which
we'll get to in a little bit, is share
with you where we are currently with the
departments. So, part of what you see is
their submitts, which is something we
haven't really normally shared. We've
usually have gotten past that by the
time we see you in July, but we shared
that to inform you that that that's at
least a data point that's out there. uh
we can get into more specifics about
where we think uh existing revenues are
and what they all those changes will be.
But I think council member Marks um your
invitation to just kind of talk and to
hear from your colleagues and the mayor
where your head is on uh the budget for
the next bianium, you know, given those
general uh initial comments.
So the idea that we can't that we are on
an unsustainable path at this moment was
that the message from last Monday night.
>> You know the the message from last
Monday night was to kind of wrap up
where we were um with the year because
then you know you you talk planning but
then you have the you actually living
the budget and we have to balance the
budget to the best of our abilities. uh
we have revenue uh reserve balances we
have and so we triage uh and I every
year I've done a municipal budget been
responsible for municipal budget there's
always a triage involved because of what
actually happens you know some of your
expenses are a little higher some
expenses are a little lower some of your
revenues are a little higher revenues
are a little lower but actually happens
sometimes takes some triaging uh and so
I think what you heard from us the other
night was really meant to say this is
how we finished 25 um through a triage
process because you know and Andrea you
know I depend on Andrea for many many
things but she's texting me during the
meeting Monday night saying we don't
talk enough about the cuts we make
internally which we never share with the
council because they don't necessarily
have you know a major impact on a major
policy or program but it's something we
trim in order to help bring the budget
in on time and that's again maybe
something we should talk more out. Um,
but no, I think what you're hearing from
us this morning, this afternoon, is
looking forward. And looking forward is
that local governments in the state of
Washington, if not all over America, are
strained because our costs and our
expenses continue to rise faster than
our revenues. So, either we raise
revenues to meet that, we cut expenses,
or some combination thereof. And so with
this new team of council, with the
priorities that you have, I think the
administration feels the sooner we get a
sense of where you're at on those
factors. Are we raising revenue? Are we
increasing expenses? Are we doing
something in between? Are we saying, you
know, this is a a project or program is
a greater priority to this group than
perhaps it was to the previous council?
Uh this is perhaps a less priority. The
sooner we start talking about that, the
easier it is for us to begin uh trying
to balance budget. And it will inform
the discussion that we have in the sec
second pre-season meeting on uh July
27th uh so we can help drill down a
little bit with that.
>> All right. I'd like to go to Deputy
Council President Chang.
>> Great. Thank you, Council President.
Sorry, I had to find my uh unful.
>> Yes. Yes, we can.
>> Great. Um, well, first of all, I want to
thank um, Kristen for sending the
presentation and the line item budget,
which is super helpful and not something
we've received before. So, um, it was
great to dive into that a bit last
night. Um, I would love to see some more
specifics on some of our special revenue
funds. Um, in particular, you know, the
affordable housing sales tax, that's a
dedicated fund that has a very, very
high fund balance. So, you know, even as
a general fund is strained, I want to
make sure that the tax revenues we're
collecting in other areas are getting
put to work in the community. Um, in
particular, I think I sent an email
being like, what's up with this 700K in
this miscellaneous category? Um, so I I
just want to get a better understanding
of that. Um, I'm also really interested
in exploring ways that we could
potentially do capital investments to
reduce operating costs, particularly in
public works. So, I learned recently
that the city of Redmond has developed a
dedicated concrete team that does their
sidewalk improvements. And I've heard
like they can save like 60 to 80% on the
cost of sidewalk projects. And, you
know, especially as we're looking to do
more pavement management to keep up
with, you know, the rate of wear and
tear on our roads. Is there like
equipment that we would need to buy?
It's, you know, h how would that work?
so that we can, you know, bring it in
house and actually potentially save a
ton of money and be able to do more with
less because I think that's kind of the
theme of what we're doing here. Um, I
know this is something that Lynwood is
exploring as well. Um, so yeah, I guess
my question is to the public works team,
you know, are there any ways where
there's some of these contracts where we
could, you know, bring things in house,
get some equipment, and be able to
execute it for a lot less than what
we're paying contractors to do
currently? um in particular in pavement
management area where we're trying to do
more. Thank you,
M.
>> Mr. Mayor, did you want to have
something you want to say? No. Okay.
>> No.
>> Okay. Uh Council Member Walsh.
>> Okay. Um I really appreciate that we've
refocused this conversation a little bit
because I think we're getting a little
bit too much into the weeds. Um, I've
always very much appreciated that Wally
and the city administration have really
been focused on making sure that you
have early input from the council about
what we think are priorities so that we
can form a budget around that.
The other part of forming a budget and
understanding
how to ask for needs and things like
that is having shity on our data. Um
when I look at budget, one of the most
important things for me and I will lay
down a line much like uh council
president Marts does about the uh per
capita um rates. I want to know what the
story is we are telling ourselves and
telling the public about our financials.
I understand the underlying story of hey
we are in a structural deficit because
of the way that we were able to set
revenues
um compared to continued rising
expenses. I think that part is clear.
But what I don't understand when you put
out numbers that say, you know, we're
facing a $780,000
deficit in 2026, but it's going to rise
to a five and $6 million deficit in
2728.
There is no why behind that. There is no
story that it's supposed to be telling
me. And so that gives me a lot of
concern. So I really want to make sure
when we are looking at big picture
numbers that
if there is a change much like with the
performance metrics if we see a change
there should be a reason for that. Um so
please tell the story and the why to us.
Also in order to see what the story is
we need trend lines on our data. And so
looking at what was shown to us last
week compared to today, none of the data
is the same. And so we really need to
get standardized on
and I particularly care about general
fund. I think the way that we budget for
the enterprise funds is completely
different. But for general fund getting
providing us clarity of data and
standardization on something that is um
you know fund balance in
revenue expenses fund balance out. do
that with unrestricted versus restricted
funds
gives us a sense and do that with
historical data gives us what we need in
order to trust the data and have clarity
about what the story is. So that's my
big picture
thing. My second piece when I look at
what this data was trying to tell us is
we need to have a very clear and public
conversation about what our rate of
functions are. When we are doing a
model, which is what any budget is,
there are assumptions that go into that.
And as somebody who's done our budgets
recently, um I recognize how important
those rate assumptions are. We had a
budget three cycles ago where council
member Martz or council president Martz
would consistently say we are budgeting
to spend
$5 million on, you know, people and we
end up consistently spending four. And
so we when we're looking at that ending
fund balance percentage, which is one of
the metrics that we have as a financial
policy, we would consistently say we're
budgeting for 20%. But we hit 30%,
because we're under spending compared to
what our budget says. And then we got a
new finance director and we had that
conversation. We said, "This is really
important to us as council. Why? Why do
we keep missing this? Albeit for a good
reason. And we recognized that
three finance directors ago was assuming
personnel vacancy rates were 100%.
And then this finance director came in
and said, "Hey, but we have data showing
what our personnel vacancy rates are.
Why are we assuming it's 100% when we
know what they've historically been?"
And that got us much closer to our
budget and our actuals matching up. And
so with a new finance director coming in
with your own expertise, which is
fantastic, I need the clarity of what
are the assumptions that we're making
for rates such as personnel vacancy
rates, such as in this document, you
said historically our revenue growth
rates have been 4%. We're projecting 2%
growth rates for this budget. I need to
know why. I need to know what's going
into that and then what are the other
assumptions that are in that model that
we just don't know about because right
now I'm facing not knowing what the data
is, not necessarily having the um
confidence in it. I have other things
that I will speak to on priorities, but
I wanted to set that out of where I am
when it comes to seeing this budget data
and the information that I need in order
to have confidence for this next step in
July and then September. And and let me
if I may, Council Member Marks, um I did
a tremendous disservice to finance
department asking them to give you such
specific numbers so early in the year.
And so a lesson learned for me in this
process is not to ask them to do that
because it causes you to question
judgment. It causes you to have question
where are these numbers coming from. We
should have started in a broader sense.
But again, I think as we look at the
team changing, whatever role I play,
whatever you want to call it, um I'm
trying to read all of you. And so I
don't want uh Kristen or her staff to be
pillared as a decision that was mine.
And so in the future, if we do these two
touches, uh we won't do it so early. In
July, it's a little bit different. We
have more actuals under our belt. Um so
please don't pillar the finance
department. pillar me.
>> I'm I'm I'm not hearing you pillar
anybody. Um I think that
uh I I mean I appreciate seeing this $5
half million dollar number.
There's you know there's there's a
universe where this morning's meeting
is, you know, we'll start with the 2026
budget and tell me what you want to add
and what you want to subtract. I mean
eventually, you know, we we could say
like the way it's going to work in
November is, you know, we're going to
start you with something that looks like
the 2026 budget and uh you're going to
add stuff and subtract stuff. We're
going to get back to zero. That's how it
has often existed in the last 17 years.
Um or there's an austerity budget,
right? And if what you're telling us is
there's an austerity budget and you know
the OP when you get to an austerity
budget, you're like, do you cut staff?
Do you cut programs? You know, an
austerity budget looks very different
than a start with today's budget and add
and subtract until you get back to
something that looks like it. Right? So,
I don't think
um I I don't think I heard anybody
pillaring staff. It was just that if
you're telling us it's an austerity
budget, let's start with why did you
know convince us it's an austerity
budget? Because we're going to take on
the pain if it is an austerity budget
and we have to take on the pain of
cutting programs, right? Cut pickle
ball, cut uh you know, whatever, right?
Cut u squad uh squad cars for officers
that they could take home, whatever it
is, right? If we understand it and
internalize it, we will go accept it and
we will go tell the community we did
what we need to do on this budget. But
an austerity budget really looks
different than a status quo budget. And
when I looked at the packet today, I
thought they're telling us it's going to
be an austerity budget. And I think what
I would like to say is that we see uh
winds of that, but we are not prepared
to call it that yet. And so we want to
at least give the council a heads up
that we are seeing factors that would
indicate that. And again, we've not
given you numbers normally this early.
We are committed that on July 27th, I
think at that point we'll be able to
tell you. But as we sit here uh the
first week of May, we're seeing winds.
I'm seeing wins and I want it a new team
to be prepared for that and we'll give
you more data in July. I wish I could
say, you know, smooth sailing, maybe we
wouldn't have had this meeting. Maybe we
wouldn't have had a budget component. We
would have just talked about uh
performance measures. Um but I'm seeing
some wins.
>> Sure. And and I'm just saying what I'm
hearing from council is help us
understand um those wins, right? And as
we have a conversation this this here
this afternoon, you know, I'm I'm more
cautious if if there's winds of
austerity than I am if everything is
hunky dory. Council member Nichols, uh,
I'll go big picture. First, I want to
just react to that last exchange,
though. I I would I am happy to see
these now. I I think it would be perhaps
the 100% wrong message to see us
reacting and think that we should delay
those in the future. I think it's
totally reasonable to and good to be
saying that these are not to to put very
wide error bounds on these and say we
think it could be anywhere from X to Z.
Um and that would be a helpful bit of
additional context. Not just say this is
the number, but it could be this bad,
could be this good. Those will of course
always be subject to lots of uh
uncertainty in themselves. But having
some idea of that window of uncertainty,
I think that would be the tweak that I
would suggest uh in the future if we do
earlier numbers, not to withhold them
entirely because they're very valuable
at the moment. And I am much happier
seeing these now than I would be in June
and I'm happier seeing them in June than
I would be in July, etc., etc. because
the earlier in advance we get these, the
sooner we can decide or at least uh
start down a path of
sifting through the varieties of paths
that are out there. Um and to that I
think the the the big picture comments
that I have are um
if these numbers are even close to real
we do have to I think any further
conversations have to be focused on how
we bridge those those gaps uh and start
worrying about 2027 budgets in 2026 more
so than just accepting that these
numbers are something we deal with in
the future. I think it will always be
better to do that. The other thing that
I would like to propose is that we not
uh a priority assume um
no new revenue sources are available. Um
they're hard. They may require some
creativity. They may require asking
voters of something. But I have for a
while thought that municipal governments
will at some point find themselves in
the same position that our school
districts are where we our school
districts are placed in a position where
they the residents or where their
taxpayers are provided a level of basic
education. Um and then if their
taxpayers want something on top of that
they have to that those governing bodies
have to go to the voters and ask for
things. oftentimes in
annoyingly uh specific ways that are not
the best way to be doing budget in a
government government but that's where
we are so if we at some point as a
municipality or other municipalities
find ourselves in that situation I think
we have to at least recognize that that
is one possible path out of this it's
painful but that otherwise it becomes a
situation where we have a a um
a city that has come to expect excellent
city services uh our scores for almost
everything. They're always quite good,
right? So people people are happy with
the services they're provided. Um
if we are unable to continue providing
those services at the same level, I
think we should at least ask if what
they would like is for us to raise
further revenue or to cut um and at
least make that a conversation and not
assume that people will only always want
cuts.
Thank you, Council Member Roodier.
>> Uh, yeah, I want to echo that same
comment that I'd like seeing the numbers
now, even if they're highly, you know,
estimated and things like that. I have
in my own work, I deal with tax
estimates and I try to give those
numbers very early and they're very
conservative and I'm always like, this
is just where I'm starting from, but it
it is makes the conversation so much
easier going forward past that to start
at that place. So these are useful to me
and my kind of question to it for this
conversation of like the $5 million
deficit for 27. It's like should we
think of that as
a worst case scenario as a mid-case
scenario? Like what is you know
obviously it's it's it's rough but is
that is that again that's the worst case
or is it that it could be 6 million 7
million like where are we in terms of
the assumption of that so that we know
where we're going forward before things
become more concrete?
and we'll get to that. Okay.
>> Council member watch.
>> Oh, I'm sorry. Council member White.
>> Um, this is my first rodeo. I'll put
that out there with a budget. uh
as I I think I've asked uh director
Garcia this before uh for specific and
it's just probably how I visualize or
things having any like if there's for
the future maybe at the next meeting uh
of a like a here's what we're working
with which I mean I think it is that
like $5 million deficit or whatever but
I don't if it's too granular to do it
almost like pot by pot of where I'm
looking at like what do I the levers
that I want that are even just available
to push and pull. And in my mind, I'm
thinking of this similar as the mayor
mold will know this that sometimes the
Senate with capital. You'd have a all
right each district you got X amount of
dollars for your local community project
funds. Uh and pros and cons of that
because sometimes people get too married
to that particular number, right? When
there's it is I think that would help me
in the future. And so that's feedback I
should have given you earlier probably.
I think it's just I'm I'm just now kind
of realizing like how that would be
helpful for me visualizing it just to
know that like here is the dollar amount
that you're working with that you then
have to make policy decisions on. Maybe
it's in there and maybe I just need to
go study it more or look at it more. But
um
the word auster or the phrase austerity
budget is making me nervous and I know
that we just don't quite know where we
are yet
>> and we're not saying that for the
record.
>> Okay. Yeah, that's
>> wins. I'm talking about wins, but I'm
not prepared to put a label on anything
yet.
>> Okay, then I'll
>> reserve my comment on that and for when
we cross that bridge. Um,
this came up I think on Monday or a
different I'm wondering if we need to do
a almost a like flexibility cushion.
Maybe we have this already for uh since
we're doing bianial budgets of a our
like mid I think it was council member
Walsh had brought up what are we doing
uh the decisions we're making new year
that we want to add something we're
responding to hopefully a community need
that's addressed and so do we need to be
adding that padding within the bienium
I'm not sure what that looks like
uh I'll stop there for now.
>> Sorry.
>> Yes.
>> Over overarching since we're still at
the overarching. Um I I've mentioned
this before. I don't want to lose sight
of the little things we I know like the
general fund that's what people look at,
but just are you know I especially if
the wins aren't good. that I know oftent
times the first things that are at least
on the table to look at for reductions
are oftentimes the things that I think
make city beautiful to live in and so um
that's going to be in the back of my
mind as we're going through the process
at the front of my mind
>> now council
>> thank you um
I think at this time in the budget cycle
it would be really important to hear
from council about like
what are
what are the things the policies that
are important with a budget. So I think
um one of the things I would like to
make sure the new council members know
about is this ending fund balance for
unrestricted funds. um the history that
we've had there where we previously were
going over by a heck of a lot. And then
we right sized it based on a task force
recommendation and spent down some of
that fund, but that coincided with some
budget data issues. And so now we're
facing this
ending fund balance, unrestricted ending
fund balance that in the last budget
cycle was actually at 10% where our
policy is to keep it at 15 to 20%.
And so I think the
beginning portion of the memo that
talked about the way that the mayor and
the administration are looking at this
is really important because I look at
that part and I say I really don't want
to stay at a budget in 2728
that maintains a 12% ending fund
balance. I think we should be looking at
growing that. If what we are saying
coming out of 2526 is we achieved 12%
rather than the 10%. I don't think we
should stay at 12% for this next budget.
And so one of my priorities then is
making sure that we are carving out
enough savings so that we are growing
our ending fund balance.
Um I would like to have a better
understanding and a call out for things
that we achieve as one-time funds. Um
just to get a sense of like maybe we
decide to put oret one time or volatile
funds. Maybe we decide to put REIT aside
as something that funds specific areas
of and REIT is real estate excise tax um
because we get some really large sales
and other years don't. Um using that in
a different way than maybe we have in
the past. Um so that would be important
to me. The other kind of structural idea
that's important to me is that we be
really clear about what our maintenance
needs are as a city. I like to say we've
been really, really good as a city at
stretching that elastic band. You can
see that in our police department right
now. the number of boxes and things that
are in that police department scenario
that they've outgrown that space. Really
good at stretching that rubber band. The
same thing can be said for other
facilities um and the maintenance of
those whether it be roofs or whatever.
So maintenance of our fleets, our roads
and our facilities. And I don't think we
are
we don't have the same plan for fleets
and facilities as we necessarily do for
roads. Roads we have a standard that we
want to meet and what it would what
investment it would take to get there
and we can see whether or not we achieve
that or not. we don't have that same
target or sense of where whether we're
achieving it for fleet or facilities and
I think that is going to come out to
bite us and we've stretched the rubber
band way too thin on that. So those are
some of the big picture things that I'm
thinking about when I look at how we set
up a budget that doesn't even touch any
of my priorities
>> which we will get to. Um, I realize that
we went to round two of conversations uh
before asking council member Joe. Did
you have anything?
>> No, I'm good.
>> You're good for now. Okay. So, I I'll do
my second. So, ending fund balance just
to set the stage for new council
members. It used to be we said we want
to have a policy of between 15 and 20%
and it was often 30 to 40%. And um I led
the charge in saying that was too high
and we were holding on to too much of
the community's money and we weren't
planning right. And so now we're talking
about 10 versus 12 and it's much more
deterministic. Um I share Council Member
Walsh's uh idea that if we get to if we
close the books on 2025 and we find that
in fact we were at 10% or 12%. I mean
the policy is 15% now. It used to be 15
to 20. I was one of the one of the
people that really wanted to pull it
more down towards 15. It's great that we
have some more determinism that we
didn't have previously and let's use
that to try to to inch it back up a
little bit. It isn't the it isn't the
biggest single issue, but it it's an
important issue um on us being able to I
always think about if I see somebody
walking down the street and they say,
"You guys spend too much of my money.
What do I say?" Right? And I I want to
be able to say respectfully, "We don't."
And here's why. And I need the I need
the the tools to do that because our job
ultimately is to take that political
heat, right? The staff should go do
their job and if the public is mad at
the city on how we spend on how we tax
them and how they spend money, they
should come to the seven of us and to
Mark too. He's also elected. Um so
that's so that's our job. Um the other
thing I want to mention for director
Garcia, I'm going to tell you what I've
told all of your predecessors.
>> Uh real dollars per capita, right? That
is my gold standard. Every year I ask,
please give me the majors, police, fire,
parks, IT, you know, as parts of the
general fund. In whatever year you want
to make them in in 2012, in 2015,
whatever you've got, but I want to know,
my hope is that I can go to the
community and say, you know what,
corrected for inflation, corrected for
size, we have been doing what you would
hope, which is hold, which is holding
steady. Now, if that's not the case, we
have to have a conversation about why
that's so. If you want to put in a
factor that deals with construction
costs, I'm willing to hear that because
I think you guys will tell me that
construction costs are increasing faster
than the CPI, right? Um, so whatever,
but you you understand what it is. So,
I'm just letting you know right now and
the sooner we can have that conversation
and just like the just like the goals,
the sooner I can hear's why there's
exceptions, here's why there's a kink in
the numbers, and here's what our plan to
address that is, then again, this comes
back to this. If I see somebody on the
street and they say, "You guys suck
because you take too much of my money."
You know, I want to either say, "You're
right and we're trying to take less." Or
unfortunately, here's why we are where
we are. Because I think Council Member
Nichols said it. You know, the public
does love this city and they love the
services that we provide. And
everybody's sensitive to money right
now. And so we want to, you know, we're
more likely to get somebody stopping us
on the street and telling us that we
suck because we take too much of their
money. But, you know, we're trying to
provide the city that our residents tell
us they love. So, that's my getting off
my soap box and I will then turn uh
Council Member Nicholson down to um just
to briefly respond to something that
city administrator Buffquin said as well
about um perception that the staff is
being pillaried over this. I just want
to personally say that is not my
intention at all um for anything that
I've said or that I will say. Um, I
appreciate that sometimes my compliments
may come across as being pillared, so I
will be cognizant of that. Um, but uh,
thank you for the numbers. The numbers
are what they are. Um, and I think it's
always good to know. Um, then last big
picture comment. Um I appreciate this
will be hard to uh operationalize in in
a government context but a useful a
useful concept that I've utilized when I
have and when I do own P&Ls is to go for
zerobased budgeting as much as possible.
Um meaning you start from scratch you
everything that is in there you're
trying to justify some there's a
threshold for which that becomes very
difficult but the the the difference is
between taking a previous budget copying
and pasting it and moving forward. I
know we don't do either one of those,
but from a philosophical standpoint,
especially if we need to be making cuts.
Um, that's a that's a concept that is
useful to help us understand all of
those line items and to be able to dig
in when appropriate. Uh, and understand
is this here because at some point a
previous council placed this in there
and we don't really know why anymore. um
understanding that's going to happen
rarely, but is that the case or is this
something that is better subject to open
investigation and further uh
prioritization? Now,
I don't see any Oh, I don't see any
other cards up. Um if we are ready to
move into the structured COM252
portion, I would like to ask right now,
we are scheduled to be done at 1:30. I
would like to ask for two and then try
to stick to two if we can. Is is there
anybody who has to leave at 1:30?
>> I thought this was going till two.
>> I thought this was going till
>> So let's let let's try to hold to two.
>> The original calendar said two. I think
we updated at 1:30 which was probably a
>> All right.
>> So director Garcia,
>> the mic is yours.
>> Yes. Well, um thank you Council Member
Marks. I want to thank you for kind of
taking a pause um letting the council
have an opportunity to share some
initial feedback. Um that was very
helpful insight for me to kind of
understand um you know kind of where
everyone is, what level of information
that they want. So I think that will
help inform you know we're kind of all
doing a reset. Um I'm new, we have a new
budget manager, um new mayor, some new
council. So I think this is a good time
to kind of reset, set some expectations
going forward. I have better information
now for when we do the next development
process, maybe how we would start our
kickoff meeting or our budget planning.
So, I appreciate the feedback. Um, and
thank you for taking the time. And
hopefully as I go through the
presentation, some of the questions that
I did hear posy
will be answered. Um, and certainly more
information will be coming forth coming
in July that I think will really
solidify and give us a better picture
where we are. Thank you for kind of
taking that pause.
>> Okay,
>> let's see.
>> All right. I don't know if we want to
recover the Nope.
>> All right. So, um I think we've kind of
already talked about, but the purpose of
today's presentation is really to
discuss and review initial revenue
expense projections. This is we're
planning for the budget. We wanted to
talk about highle themes that we're
seeing that will help inform um council
directions. Staff needs that feedback as
we go and start developing our budgets.
Um I did want to point out that we are
focusing on the general fund operating
budget. Um that tends to be the biggest
focus. Um that's generally where we
start to see budget challenges. So it's
always good to start having
conversations with that. we will be be
be bringing forward um capital budgets
in July. I will talk later at the end of
the presentation about some of the other
things that we'll be bringing forward to
July. Um also want to hear council input
on what else you might like to see based
on what you're hearing today. Um because
again we want to make sure that we're
presenting the information that you
need. Um, I think we've all talked about
the earlier that we all have alignment
in this process and in terms of our
assumptions that will make the process
more efficient as we work through it.
I'm getting back to something Mayor
Mullet said earlier um this morning um
about I don't want to bring a
preliminary budget to council in
September and find out that we're not in
alignment. We haven't met the mark. We
haven't addressed council priorities.
So, I think it's good that we're having
these conversations earlier. Um, and
that's kind of the point of today. Just
kind of set the stage for that. We'll
continue setting those priorities and
expectations as we go through. Um, but I
did want to point that out. So,
direction needed.
So, we are going to seek feedback. I'm
going to be sharing again 50,000 level
view of some very initial projections on
major revenue drivers, major expense
drivers. Again, want to make sure that
the assumptions that we're building into
that are in alignment with council. want
to understand that um that will help
then inform the departments as we take
those priorities back um to them.
That'll help inform the next stage of
the budget process. We also want policy
direction getting back to council member
Walsh um policy direction on meeting
financial targets. On Monday I presented
the final results of 2025. We're at 12%
of unrestricted fund balance. We do have
a policy target uh between 15 and 20%.
We do have some recommendations that
administration will be making but again
that that is policy direction from
council and we would like to understand
that earlier in the process is that will
kind of help inform where we need to
look at revenue expense projections.
Also want input on priorities.
If after today we're going to have some
direction from council, we're going to
go back to the departments and say these
this is kind of the basic parameters
that we need to start working with as we
build the budget. If we are looking like
we're in a deficit position by the time
we get to our July meeting, it would be
helpful to know now kind of where
council's priorities are in terms of
where we might need to focus that work
and fine-tuning those budgets. You know,
are there areas that are completely off
limits? You know, don't look in this
area. Are there programs or projects
that are priorities? So, kind of having
that general understanding will help
inform our next set of work as we go
through the budget process. And then,
are there any other additional
priorities? I I would like to know
earlier in the process if there's things
that we need to start thinking about and
considering as we're putting those
budget assumptions together.
Okay. So, I know this this slide I think
caused a lot of angst. So hopefully as I
kind of walk through and talk about how
these numbers were derived that might
answer some um questions. When we
started approaching this meeting, we
were thinking about how do we come
forward to get just a basic sense on
where we think the budget might be at
this particular point of time. what are
those major trends that we're seeing um
right now that might have major
influences in the budget that then will
kind of direct the rest of our work. So
we we had to come up with some kind of a
baseline budget to get those indicators
and this was actually I know the the
numbers might look alarming. Um but it
was a really helpful exercise because as
we started looking at those highlevel
revenue streams and major expense
streams it did kind of help inform where
we need council input. So there are some
assumptions in the budget that we didn't
make because I I took a pause and said,
"Oh, wait. I don't want to be
presumptuous, for example, on the public
safety sales tax. That's a new revenue
stream that we have. We haven't really
had a policy level conversation. I don't
want to be presumptuous and and put some
assumptions in the budget. So just know
that there are some assumptions that
haven't been developed here. So I'm
going to kind of walk through how we did
get to these numbers and that's going to
drive kind of the rest of the
presentation on where we need council
input. So what we did for this kind of
initial exercise again for budget
planning is we took the baseline budget
of 2026 looked at our major revenue
drivers. Those are the really the the
big four revenues, property tax, sales
tax, utility tax, and BNO tax. We we did
look at those. So we look at historical
trends. How does that compare to where
we landed in 2025? How does that compare
to the 2026 budget? and did build some
assumptions which we'll talk about in
the next couple slides because that will
influence those four revenues if they're
trending big you know in one direction
um if they're going up or down those
have a big influence on kind of the rest
of the budget so we did take a look at
those we also look at our major expense
drivers salary and benefits those are
one of our biggest costs we did make an
assumption we have some CBAs that have
have been settled um they have some
parameters within there so we we we kind
of took a middle-of the road projection
on that
>> collective bargaining agreements in
case.
>> Sorry, collective bargaining agreements.
Yes. Um we also looked at some trends on
um our partner comfort contribution to
East Side Fire and Rescue for Fire. We
have some general idea on what that cost
could look like. So, we did assume that
that's a big cost in the general fund.
Um and then we also asked departments.
We said, "Okay, we're not in budget
development mode, but we do want to know
outside of just general cost of
inflation, what are you seeing that we
need to know about that could make
impacts either on revenue or expenses?"
So, we kind of combined all that
information and that's where this number
came from. So, again, there's some
questions that um will need council to
to help direct on the policy level.
I put this slide in there because I
always think context is helpful
especially um for some of us that are
newer and just trying to understand the
general general fund in general. What
are our major revenue drivers? And so
this is just a pie chart of what the
revenue budget would look like. So we
have our property tax, BNO tax, utility
tax, um and sales tax. Those are about
72% of the general fund revenue. That's
why we focus on those a lot because if
any of those swing in one direction or
another, those can have a huge impact on
the budget. Um, we have other revenues
that come in from state shared revenues
like marijuana tax, liquor excise tax,
um, those kinds of things, gambling tax,
criminal justice excise tax. That's
about 5% of the budget. And then outside
of the big four revenue, we have parks
and community planning that generate the
next largest buckets of money. Um each
of those are about 6% of the budget.
Police does generate some of its own
revenue. Most of that comes from jail
and dispatch services and that's about
4% of the budget. Um court services,
court fines, um court fees, that's about
2%. And then we do have some cost
allocations that's more internal revenue
that's generated for internal services.
We have miscellaneous revenue like
investment income grants. Um, and those
all combined for about uh 3%. So again,
this is just kind of a general
understanding of what are the big
drivers of revenue and how some of those
um can influence the budget.
I also wanted to provide a historical
trend for what we're seeing in in the
big four revenue and that might h kind
of help answer council member Walsh's
question about how come we're seeing a a
different percentage growth rate based
on actuals when when we're comparing
budget to budget and that'll be in the
next slide but first I want to take a
look at um property tax is our most
stable collectibility ility on that is
generally high. Um, but that is limited
to a 1% increase over what we levied
last year plus the value of new
construction. So, just to put that in
context, our 1% increase is about
100,000. Um, I looked at our um average
growth on new construction, that's been
about 127,000 per year. So, generally
speaking, what we can expect for%
increase in property tax plus new
construction each year is about 200,000.
Um sales tax that's had some small
fluctuations. Um it had a a slight dip
in 2023. It flattened out 2024. Had an
uptick between 2024 in 2025, but has
been relatively stable. All these
revenue streams hasn't had major revenue
fluctuations, but they they have been
somewhat stable. Um BNO tax actually has
a similar um pattern to sales tax. We
had a slight dip in 2023, flattened in
2024 and then had a large jump between
2024 and 2025.
The revenues can vary on that um based
on a variety of sources. So we can have
an increase in business or revenue drive
that um like construction activity. So
if we have a lot of construction
activity, you know tax can increase. We
can have an increase in the number of
businesses that also or a decrease in
the number of businesses that can impact
impact that revenue. um or a change in
taxable goods and services. We did have
the state that passed um House Bill uh
5814 that did impact BNO tax.
Um but I think that'll be taken away or
at least slightly reduced. So we did
have a little bit of an uptick, but
that'll probably be taken away in the
next couple years. Um or we can have a
change in tax rates that can um generate
new revenue for BNO tax. City has not
changed tax rates in many many years as
far as I could tell. So the growth is
coming from other factors. Um either
increase in business or increase in
business revenue. Uh utility tax revenue
has had steady growth over the period.
It actually has had the largest growth
out of all the revenues. Um that's
impacted by changes in population,
changes in increases in revenue
generated from the services. Um tax rate
increases or or tax or um changes in the
rate that are on the utility services.
Um so a combination actually of all
those factors have contributed to the
annual growth between that period.
So I put this slide in um again I wanted
to provide a little bit of context as we
bring our revenue assumptions forward to
council and what I was seeing as I was
performing this exercise and kind of
looking at the big four revenue. How has
it historically been performing? How did
we end in 2025? How does that compare to
2026 budget? Um I I found a couple
things that I wanted to talk about
because this is where kind of we wanted
to make sure we have an alignment with
assumptions. Um
so in looking at the actual growth
between 21 and 25 all of those revenues
combined they have been trending upward
and and they're stable. When we look at
the combined growth rate that's about 4%
um per year. When I started trying to do
the budget projections for 2027, um
there was two things that um stood out.
One was I looked at where we landed for
our utility taxes um in 25 and what we
were projecting or what we had budgeted
in 2026 and we were overestimating on
our utility tax revenue. So for example,
in 2026 we had budgeted 9.8 8 million in
utility taxes when actuals came in at
7.7 million. So from my perspective, I I
don't want to base any increases on the
2026 budget. I want to go back to where
the actuals were. I want to see what the
first quarter revenue data looks like
before I apply what my actuals. I point
that out because when you look at budget
to budget between 26 and 27, that
potentially is going to look like a big
decrease. But when in actuality the
actual revenues are trending upward if
that makes sense. That's where when you
look at the overall combined growth
comparing 26 to 27 budget the percentage
growth is lower because I'm I'm
suggesting that we make that adjustment
um when we come to the next budget. So
>> and Kristen I think in that case you
just found where I think we were double
counting one of the utility taxes in a
prediction of a future budget. It was
just a error.
>> I don't know that was an error. I think
it was just hard to understand when we
increase the tax rate on the utility
what that will really generate. So I
don't know. It was just an
overestimation. I I don't want to say
that was an error. But I I want to
correct that because I want to make sure
that we're trying to be at least as
realistic as possible
when we start developing the budget.
>> Yeah. I have a question.
>> Yes. Council member. So, okay, that
scares me. Um, and also really good to
find that. But when you're showing this
here is the top
actuals that you're saying grew at 4%.
>> Correct.
>> But then you're So that would account
for
not including the double counting of the
utility tax because that would be in
budgets.
>> That was in a budget, not
>> that was in budget. Yes.
>> Okay. So you're saying our actuals over
the last four years for our big four
revenue grew by 4%. Yet we are making
assumptions
that our 2026 2027 big four revenues are
only going to grow at 2%.
>> If you're comparing those budgets to
budgets and so that I don't want so if I
bring information forward to council,
what are your comparison points? Right?
Are you comparing what we're projecting
in 27 to where we the actuals or or you
want to compare to 26? So I was trying
to lay the context that if we're looking
at where we landed in 25,
it's going to show between 25 and 27.
Let's ignore 26, but that would be
growth. But I don't know if you're going
to want to look side by side to 26 and
27 and be like, well, how come our
revenues went down? If that makes sense.
So, so if I'm looking at a trend line of
revenue,
>> I would assume you, yes, it's important
in budgets to go, okay, you know, what
did we budget before? What did we what
was actuals? But when I'm looking at
what was our historical rate and what
we're projecting, historical should as
much as possible be actuals
and future should be the assumptions
we're making about budget. And that
allows me to say,
are we suggesting that our growth rate
has cut in half
in the next two years? Because that's
what I'm getting out of that only if
we're comparing budget to budget. That
that's what I was pointing out because
we're budgeting too high for that
element in 26. But if we look at 25
>> because 26 budget was is already pulled
together. Okay.
>> Correct. Does that
>> I think to your point I think council
member Walsh I think the actuals will
come in better than 2%.
>> Exactly.
>> So I think to and going back to council
member Dar's thing is this like a worse
I would think of that 2% like is more
like council dare sort of like this is
>> I don't call it worst case scenario but
I
>> conservative with a small C.
>> Yes. And uh I would not be surprised to
see the actuals actuals come in in that
3 to 4% rate. Yeah.
>> So again, this goes back to my I need to
know the story that the numbers are
telling us. And so if there is something
that it like that okay
>> and that's why I was kind of setting the
stage because I didn't want to get to
July and you see a budget when you're
comparing it to 26 like I I don't
understand if you're telling me that
their actuals actual growth rate is this
but now when I'm comparing to what we
budgeted for it last year how come it
went down?
>> Yeah.
>> And that's why I'm saying
>> I think I need to separate out those
two. ideas. Like it's one thing for you
to say, "Look, the 26 budget had some
flaws in it. You know, the this is how I
would correct it." It's another thing to
tell me our revenue story based on that
issue versus going, "Look, our revenue
story, here's the actuals, and here's
our projection, and our projection off
of those actuals is either up or down or
stable. That's the story I need."
>> Okay. And I think oh
>> well
>> I was just going to say that in general
I completely agree that your best thing
to use in all budgeting is actuals.
>> Actuals like the books now are more or
less closed on 2025. We have actual
data. And so I think I think our goal as
we go forward is to try to tether
ourselves to actual much as humanly
possible. Right now you're in this
transition where we have budgets for
2026. So Kristen's in the challenging
spot of we're going to be comparing the
budgets in 2728 to the budget in 2026
because we don't know the actuals for
2026 right?
>> But I I guess I'm having less anxiety
because I'm in my head still tethering
us to actuals which I think will be
>> tell me that story.
>> Yeah. And and I guess that's kind of
part of why we wanted to have this
conversation is in what context do you
want the story told? So when we bring
budgets forward to council, do you want
to see the historical actuals and ignore
25 and 26 or do you want that context?
That's why I was kind of highlighting
this conversation because I want to know
what what are you going to what are the
comparison points that you want to see.
So that'll be you don't need to answer
that right now, but that'll be part of
the feedback that I'll be seeking kind
of at the end of this presentation. So
I'm being bringing forward meaningful
information and I can tell you that
story based on what we're comparing if
that makes sense.
>> But the short summary on this slide is I
would say the 2% growth rates
>> it's conserved.
>> Correct.
>> You look like you have more to say.
>> I'm done.
>> Okay. Council member Nichols. Um and to
be clear where this number goes is the
2% number what is going into the
projections that the 2027 well all of
the projection what projections
what revenue growth projections are used
on slide five that show those deficits
is that a 2%
>> two yes
>> all right and
>> conservative number that shows
>> so based on what we're projecting for
those big four revenue um combined for
27 seven as compared to what we budgeted
in 26.
>> Yeah. Okay. So, if it's actually closer
to 4%, then it's
>> it's $1 million better.
>> Yeah. Okay.
>> Or $1.3 million better.
>> And and I I have to put the caveat in.
>> We don't know.
>> We don't know.
>> We don't
>> we've got how many months? We have how
many months of real data for 261
and not even that in some cases, right?
We don't have
>> we don't even have the close of first
quarter yet. So that's why I can only
compare to 26 budget because I don't
have 20. So it will definitely be more
meaningful when we have.
>> So historically July is the first time
you would usually utter what you're
modeling out because you have hopefully
if not six months worth of data at least
four or five months worth of data where
now we don't have that. So we're looking
at historical trends and that
>> and you you just spent the last 10
minutes talking about there are pluses
and minuses to looking at that. So, we
need to put the actual pieces in, which
we will again first game of the
preseason. We're just trying to give you
some context.
>> And I think to echo what Council Walsh
has said, that's the with that
additional bit of the story then.
>> Yeah, it helps, right?
>> This all makes sense.
>> And I can I would I think I would much
rather have actuals used when possible
and even rolling some get rolling. Um,
so that's
>> and I think about like a different story
>> and here's an example of so for Ben &
Jerry's they sell ice cream in January.
I then report to Department of Revenue
the last week of February how much sales
tax I owe the state based on what I sold
in January. The state doesn't even give
us how much money we're getting until
the very last week of March. And so
that's our timelike challenge in terms
of actuals is literally you have zero
sense.
>> Makes total sense. We do we do know what
our historical rates are though and if
we just linearly extrapolate those those
would be another that that's a good
piece of context to add that would
probably make this more sense.
>> Ready to move on?
>> Yes. Council member Boyd, did you have
your tag up
>> to get you to let me know that Deputy
Council President Jang had her thumb up.
Deputy Council President J.
>> Okay. Hi. Um, yeah. I guess I think on
this slide the utility tax volume
increase, I mean part of that is that we
raised the tax rate from what what 4.5
to 6%. So that's like a raise in the tax
rate of 33%. So that that makes sense
that we would have a big increase in
utility taxes there. I mean, so I I I
mean I
>> from three to six it three to six
>> the rate of three to four and a half
four and a half to six. Yeah.
>> Yeah. So I I mean I don't really think
we're going to raise utility tax again.
And so I think you know probably makes
sense that that number instead of being
11% growth year would be more in line
with some of the other categories. Um, I
think, you know, I think it'll be good
to see what the once we have some better
assumptions. I think that'll be good.
I'm also curious if when we're comparing
the 2026 budget to 2027 budget, are we
looking at like the reforcasted version
of the 2026 budget, which is like in the
rightmost column of the spreadsheet,
Kristen, that you sent us, or is it like
to the original 2026 budget?
uh the original 2026 budget.
>> Okay. I do think it would be interesting
to see the comparison relative to the uh
reforcasted budget since I think you
know there there are a few adjustments
there that I think like at least the
most recent forecast is probably more in
line with what we're expecting versus
you know what we put together at the end
of uh 2024.
>> All right. I want to do a time check.
How are we doing? Um, I want to save at
least 10 minutes at the end for some
closing comments and public comment and
we have about 35 minutes left.
>> 35 minutes. Okay, I will move along.
>> All right, thank you for the time check.
Okay. Um, I can cover this really
quickly. So, these were some of the kind
of emerging themes as we went through
the exercise to, you know, talk to
departments. What are you seeing? What
are we seeing in the major revenues? So,
I wanted to make it clear this was one
item. We have not assumed anything for
public safety sales tax. Um we do have a
recommendation that I'll have in some
slides from administration but when we
initially adopted that we had some
highle general ideas um facilities
public defense maybe some staffing some
capital equipment but again I didn't
want to be presumptuous and include
anything in the budget because council
hadn't had the opportunity to provide
input. That will be one area that we'll
all be seeking input at the end of the
presentation. affordable housing. Uh we
did create a new fund. I just wanted to
highlight that to council that any of
the numbers that you saw today excluded
affordable housing because as of January
1, we have taken all of that fund
balance out, created a new fund. So you
will see a new fund when we start
looking at all the other city funds. Um
so all the revenues and expenses are now
in that fund. We do also have um a small
ask from the parks department to use
130,000 of the affordable housing fund
to replace some opioid funds um to kind
of reset those grant processes or or the
grants that um historically have been
given out. Um, another item I wanted to
point out that did come out of the
department input is that again if we're
comparing 26 budget to 27 budget not
actuals that um we're looking at a
permit uh building permit revenue
reduction which was um pretty sizable.
So I if we're comparing line item
budgets between 26 and 27 I didn't want
that to be a surprise if you saw that in
July. Um all the other revenues, parks,
PD and court, not seeing anything of
significant there. Those look on track
based on historical trends. We'll
probably see some slight increases.
Didn't see any uh red flags there. Uh we
are expecting um an increase in King
County parks levy. That is a restricted
revenue, but I wanted to point that out
that kind of in relation to the park
bomb levy renewal discussion that
Director Watling just had. uh we'd like
to use um that increase in park levy for
capacity to to help support that process
if we're moving forward. Um the only
other item I wanted to highlight, it's
not significant in terms of um dollars
to the general fund, but it looks like
that we're going to lose our $40,000
economic development um grant that we
get from the Port of Seattle. It is
significant, however, to the economic
development budget because that is
really their primary source of funding.
That's why I put it on the slide. If we
do want to continue that work, the
general fund would need to support that
if we lose that grant.
>> Primary source of programmatic funding.
>> Pro programmatic funding. Yes.
>> Yes. To give out grants.
>> Council member Joe.
>> Thank you. Uh appreciate the revenue
highlights. Uh is there uh are there any
federal grants that we get that are in
danger of being cut or federal grants
that we might be getting this next year
that we should account for?
>> Not on the operating side. Okay.
>> Um no not
>> please proceed.
>> Okay. Um again just providing some
context. Um these are general this is
kind of the different buckets based on
type of where our um resource are
allocated. Um salaries and benefits are
our largest category about 48%
of all costs in the general fund. Um our
fire services that we pay to east side
are about 50% of the general fund. So
that's a pretty big impact. Insurance,
excuse me,
>> is uh about 4% legal professional
services, nine um cost allocations for
technology and fleet about 7%.
Our transfers out uh we do support
street operations, fuel tax doesn't um
cover enough, so the general fund has to
support those operations. And we have
debt service and capital projects. This
is 7% of the budget. And then all of our
other expenses, supplies, repairs,
utilities, grant related expenses,
travel um are about and communications
are about 9%. So again, just kind of
context on where the overall dollars go.
Um the next slide, I just put it in
perspective in terms of department. Um
police and parks and fire are generally
our biggest cost centers, if you will,
by department. So again, just giving
some overall context as we kind of think
about what the overall budget looks
like. Um, okay. A matter of time. I'm
I'm
>> No, I I I Yeah, I have a question. So
when you were showing the high level
towards where did where where's the $5
million price comes from? It was more on
the expense side than on the revenue
side,
>> right? We spent a bunch of time talking
about where revenue where's the big hit?
>> Salaries and benefits right now is is
where the biggest hit is coming from.
salaries and benefits, fire, um, and our
general insurance are kind of the three
biggest drivers of that right now.
>> Okay. All right. Thank you.
>> But I think salary benefits we assume
5%, right? And
>> Right. So that's where we're kind of
talking about these. So again,
>> okay, hold on. Hold on though because 5%
but CPI is what? 3%.
>> We think it could be closer to four. So
>> CPI
>> CPI right now because of the oil shock.
sure
>> has a chance of coming in like at 3.9 to
4.1. So I think Kristen's like the the
3.1 CPI prints since the Iran war have
not been hitting at 3.1. So there is a
chance that CPI could come in.
>> So CPI in December was 3.1 and February
was 3.9. I I can't imagine that's going
to continue to go down. Um our
collective bargaining agreements
typically tie wage increases to CPI. So
we assumed they have a range in the
collective or most of the collective
bargain have a range a minimum maximum.
So we kind of went not at the top end
but not at the low end.
>> You don't see conservative
>> right? So that's what was assumed here.
Um
>> but don't track with CPI
>> and benefits
>> health benefits cost
>> understood right healthcare is
unfortunately they don't
>> but I think you can see slightly
conservative on actual revenue growth
slightly conservative on collective
bargaining CPI increases you combine the
two of those and yeah you're it's a
couple million dollars I mean combined
of conservative assumptions I mean right
there
>> right thank you
>> um some of the other
>> oh yeah deputy council President Jen,
>> great. Thank you. Um, going back to the
previous slide about revenues. Um, so
there was something about, you know,
increased revenue from the jail. I
remember this is something we talked
about in like May of last year. Um, and
and I think in that discussion, one of
the questions that we' had, which I
don't know if we ever really got the
answer to, is like, you know, with the
jail rates, you know, what would full
cost recovery be for, you know, jail
residents from other jurisdictions and
how close are we to that? because I do
think that is something that you know
given the budget situation should
probably take another look at um just in
terms of you know general fund revenues.
>> Yeah.
>> We also thought we could make it like a
hotel option to compete in the Spring
Hill suites. Normally
>> we have an extra 25 beds I think
normally on any given night.
>> Uh a unique
tourist experience
>> special elac grant. Elac grant here we
come. Heads in beds. All right. No.
>> Okay.
>> 35 minutes.
>> 35 minutes. Okay. Um Oh,
>> sorry. 25 minutes.
>> Some of the um other major expenses that
we're seeing, we looked at um historical
trends for fire. The mayor and I had
some initial um conversations with
Epher. So, we're thinking we could see
about a 6% increase. Um obviously, we
don't have that information from Epher
yet, but that's what we built in um
right now. Um I did mention no FTE. So
the salary and benefit budgets right now
are based on the FTEEs that we have
budgeted in 2026. So as salary and
benefits our largest cost, if council
has any direction in that area um please
provide that now um because that that
would be helpful um to
>> the blue box next to that is a very big
one, right? Like this is a big box like
of conservative again.
>> Yeah. And kind of going back to council
member Dare, we we're sort of trying to
build maybe a worst case scenario.
That's why in this initial assumption we
did not uh bake in vacancy rates. I kind
of have a debate internally of whether
we do that or not. I know we we t we do
have vacancy rates but if we do build in
vacancy rates and we have no turnover
now we have a potential for being
overbudget. So again I I didn't build
any in because I felt like that was a
policy question I we needed some
direction from council on.
>> Council member Nichols quickly before we
get to big things. So 6% increase in
fire. Isn't that somewhat low for Epher
over the
>> um I actually
>> it's really close actuals. I
>> I looked at the historic it was 7%
historical actuals and there's three
components to that. There's facilities
fleet and then there general but it was
about a 7% on average.
>> Yeah. So it's higher than six. So
>> and to be honest we made that guess
before the iron war. So we are thinking
right
stuff
>> we thought would be cuz we know the e
first CBA is already done and so we were
kind of going off the 3.1 print when we
did that and now it could be higher.
>> Now we have new information.
>> I highlight the blue box in the sense
that
>> we have 300 FTEEs approved like that is
our budgeted FTE and as of 48 hours ago
we had 282 people working for the city
of Isqua. So, I mean, there's an 18
person delta. Obviously, this is a six-f
figureure number. So, there's some
things there to Kristen's point where
I think she has to lay out like if if we
were to fill every single open FTE right
now, we would have 300 people working
for the city of Isqua like and and so
obviously we're trying to manage that
the best we can from an administration
standpoint. So we're not in the
situation how to lay people off and and
so that's how we've been approaching the
first four months of the year. But once
again, it's another
place where there's some conservative
assumptions. Uh
but even when you remove all
conservative assumptions, I think the
general theme to Wallally's point is
there's not a lot of extra money in this
scenario. But to Wall-ally's other
point, that's why he's not saying the
words austerity because there are some
conservative assumptions in here.
>> Those are your book endings. Stack up
all the bad things. Stack up all the
attention to good things.
>> And it's a normal budget.
>> I got
to put any merit in this, but I'm just
saying I have not been losing sleep at
night over these numbers. So I think but
I also I have the advantage of having
been involved in the nuances of the
numbers the last four months and so it's
uh I just
>> agree I I'm not losing any sleep where
we are right we are so early in the
process. This is really a broad brush.
So I I agree that gives council any
level of um sense that you know we're
not falling off a cliff but we certainly
want to be conservative but um we're so
early in the process that you know we're
kind of looking at things at a high
level. I'm not super concerned at this
point. But you're all from Missouri and
you all want to be shown.
So that's why
>> because because we know you're
>> we'd be doing a disservice.
>> Yeah.
>> Because the revenue growth could come in
at 2%. CBAs could come in CBI could come
in and put us at five and you could end
up dealing every open position. So you I
mean those three things add up to $4
million, right? So we're also can't
pretend like those aren't real
possibilities as we discuss this. Thank
you, Council Member Walsh.
>> Yeah, those are the data points that I
want because you have them in your head.
You've played with them. Um, and so
understanding
what what could be the impact factors,
what are the rates that we're using. Um,
I'd like to know what our personal
vacancy rate has been annually going
back 10 years.
Give me the annuals 10 years. give me
the averages just so that I have a sense
of what that would be. Um
>> say it's been 6 to8% if I
>> based on
>> love to get the data. Um uh fire I think
we you know to that point we do have the
CBA so that's looking pretty good. Um
cost of diesel it takes like
>> don't get us started.
>> Yeah. No, but fire trucks is like
>> we could blow the last 25 minutes by the
price of gas. So
>> miles per gallon and so that thing is
Yeah. Anyway,
>> that's why Mayor Mullins wants to buy
more electric vehicles.
>> Electric fire. So
>> electric fire.
>> So uh very quickly one more thing on
this personnel vacancy rate. I mean I I
completely agree with council member
Walsh. I would go one step further. If
you have 10 to 15 years worth of data,
just go with like negative one sigma,
right? just do the distribution and just
do one sigma on the low side,
>> two sigma if you want to be really
really conservative, but I mean that's
an example of one that it's very easy to
come up with a a number that you can use
for the for it, right? I I use minus one
sigma on things all the time to to just
get a mildly conservative uh estimate on
it. So that that would be probably use
4%
>> and council member
>> I think this is we've been talking about
the like council member had the you know
like low medium high bits of worry
is there I think that this happens at
the state level sometime or oftentimes
things will be passed and then it's a
they'll create a fund as a if X happens
that we've got that like things that we
have already that we want then to if
things come in not as bad as we had
conservatively planned for then we can
do this this and this um is that a
possibility because for me I've got my
like
okay if things are bad and we're just at
somewhat maintenance then I like making
sure there's like no cuts or changes to
the human services, grants, uh, but if
we things aren't, you know, we were
clenching our fists and now we're
letting them go a little bit and so then
now we can actually not just do a cola
for the human services grants, but even
maybe increase them by a bit.
>> So, so I want to answer this. At some
point, we're going to have a list of
things that we want to do, right? And
there are going to be things that
everybody thinks is absolutely
essential. And then there's going to be
other things that people would like and
we're going to stack rank those tiles
and we're going to add them up to a to a
zero number, right? And so we will, you
know, as we get more clarity, as the as
the anti predicted budget for next year
gets closer to something, hopefully we
will arrive in October at a point where
we can finalize and say, you know,
here's what we're going to we all agree
this is what we're going to go with for
next year and then here's what's in and
here's what's out. Right? So the things
you're talking about go into that
>> child list. And I think the the ultimate
challenge is that if you want to go from
12% to 15% any fund balance, you need to
come up with $2 million. And so at some
point people are going to have to decide
that conversation as well because based
on the guidance we receive, that means
you're not doing anything above kind of
your essentials. Like I think I came
into this process thinking I would love
to have slightly more council manic debt
capacity
uh to basically catch up on a lot of
things we just deferred doing. I
obviously have made a presentation
around more street maintenance
investments. Like I may have to walk
away from both of those. I mean it's a
real possibility, right? like I I'm
coming into this budgeting process
acknowledging that some of my own
priorities may get deferred in this
whole thing. But I think to Council
President Mart's point, it's helpful to
walk out with some if there's places
where you're like, don't cut a penny
here no matter what the hell happens, we
want to hear it. Like we want to hear it
like and not from a but hear it from an
actual real stage, not like a grand
standing to show how much we care about
things that we all care about. just so
we have a sense of what is this
council's priorities and that's our
challenge. We don't have to do that
exactly today but we do want that
thought process starting today because
in July if there's places where you're
telling us no matter what you do don't
touch a single penny of this
project or this you know funding element
then we need to know that
>> or that you're not going to adopt a
budget that doesn't have a 15% fun
house. So, at some point, we have about
15 minutes left in this conversation. At
some point, we're going to probably want
to stop and give all seven people a
chance to summarize their thoughts.
>> I I think we can do that now. I think
I've covered what you all need to know.
So, I would love to have that
conversation so we have our kind of our
direction.
>> Awesome.
>> That would be great.
>> All right. Who wants to bowl Russell?
Nice job, Council Member Joe. Boom.
>> Thank you. No, I appreciate the
conservative with a small C budget here.
Uh there's always hope that we can come
in a little bit higher. I like your idea
of, you know, what's our potential
secondary wish list of things that we
can have along the way. Um, I think that
for me it's uh continued the small
project list that you've been
developing, mayor, for transportation
improvements uh is something that's
important to me because I'm hearing from
citizens they really want to have a way
that they feel the city is working to
help them get around town from place to
place when all the regional traffic is
coming through. Um, so I would hope that
you'd keep that as a it's not an
absolute for me, but as a priority as we
look forward um going uh down the road.
And
>> that would fall under the capital budget
discussion most likely in July. Yeah.
But we love that.
>> Yes, absolutely.
>> The other thing is um I I'll just voice
again as I did last year the the danger
that we have for our nonprofits in our
community.
um if we can do anything to preserve
that funding and keep it at the same
level, whether it's um direct money that
we give or support that we're giving as
a financial support organization or a
financial sponsor, uh whatever it is to
help our our nonprofits is very
important to me. I'm kind of speaking uh
channeling Barb DM Michelle right now,
but that's a concern that I have going
forward.
>> So folks know that's roughly $610,000.
We we we gave out $610,000 of direct
grants directly out of the general fund
to his nonprofits or his related
nonprofits.
>> So we will understand the size of that.
>> All right.
>> That's the guidance to know.
>> Council member Walsh.
>> Thank you. um
emergency management.
And I say that because I want to know
from them what we need to do to move the
needle on making our community, you
know, safer, more stable, etc. Whether
that is staff or whether that is funding
a backup battery system or, you know,
whatever those pieces are, emergency
management is really important to me. um
maintenance. So in this budget that
might just be pavement management, but I
would like to ensure that we have a work
plan for getting to what the number
what our target is and how we address
our backlog of facilities and fleet. Um
so that's important to me, but I
recognize not all of it's going to get
accomplished in this budget. um fund
balance I would like to aim for 13 and a
half percent. I think making progress
not perfection is where we need to be
moving. I wouldn't be satisfied if we
stay at 12%. Because I think that
suggests we are almost abdicating our
role of saying this is our target and we
have a plan to getting to there. Um and
then I would say direct human services
for me is more important than the human
services grants.
Both are important but I think our
ability to do direct human services
where we are able to understand what the
inputs and the outputs are and we have
direct control over that expenditure.
>> You mean like the four human service
staff members plus the manager? Yeah.
>> Yep. Yep. Exactly. And so some of that
may be coordination with our nonprofits.
Um
but
>> well the nice thing about those four
positions is we can fund them out of the
40% of the housing.1. So that's a really
nice thing.
>> There are probably 12 other priorities I
have but I will keep it to those areas
are like
>> Yeah. Yeah.
>> That's me.
>> Thank you. Council member Gar. Um
actually echoing similar my actual one
was with emergency management as well.
Um more specifically a second FTE in
emergency management and that I feel the
idea that there's really only one person
that's an expert on our emergency
management is really dangerous in terms
of you know he's in a car accident in
the middle of something. And while I
know we have a bench that steps in, it
just seems to me as a place it's
emergency management. It should have
some level of back redundancy into it.
And that is something that I would
really love to see. Even though
obviously I know we're not conservative,
it's no new, but that's something that I
would like I equally maintenance um in
that in my facilities work. It was
brought up in terms of how many
facilities have problems. We're in the
middle of moving city hall. There's
going to be empty buildings. I don't
know. There seems to be a as as has been
said we're reaching a dangerous point
and I feel in a lot of facilities and I
think we have to figure out at least a
plan to start really addressing that in
a very concrete way. Um we weren't able
to get to I know it was in the there was
the proposal about the uh uh the public
safety sales tax and how that's used. Um
I know that that so that's likely going
to be in the later conversation. I do
want to you know feel that there is more
conversation there. Obviously, we're
using a bunch to upgrade the police, but
like police is such a big part of our
business. I think we need to be really
>> spending some time and thoughtful, you
know, work on that sales tax and how
best we use it to address its budget
issues. Um, and I think that's it for me
at the moment. So, that's what I'll do.
>> Well, we have several people left.
Council member Nichols.
>> Okay. Um, so echoing some of the
mobility statements have been made. Um,
I hope we can I I do like the continued
list of um, small to medium scale
improvements that we can try to tackle.
Um, to be specific on those for cars.
Um, we've had traffic signaling upgrades
that have been in the works in various
ways for a very long time. Um, I think
that would be nice to be able to just
say this is done. Um, I don't know if
that's possible, but it would be nice to
be able to say.
>> Yeah. Yeah. Um or at least say something
is done. Um
>> I think front and dogwood light at front
and dogwood we've heard from people is
>> I think he's talking about
>> I know the signaling stuff.
>> Yeah. Yeah. The it stuff. I'm just
saying in in terms of the other two are
front sunset improvements and
>> one box there being checked off is
better than none.
>> So that's great. Uh bikes and pedestrian
it's as well. Um, I think some of the
more ambitious bike and pedestrian
things that are out there probably don't
fit in that that box, but things like
intersection improvements, those help
cars as well as pedestrians and bikes as
well. And there's some there are
definitely places out there that where
that could be done. Um, echoing council
member Joe's uh comments on nonprofits
also, I think this is a critical
function we provide. I'd also like to
add into that arts. Um this is not a big
bucket that we have to devote towards
arts in the grand scheme of the general
fund but looking at how arts funding is
typic is is
greatly dependent on cinema ticket sales
and uh I do not think that cinema ticket
sales are likely to return to their pre-
pandemic levels. Uh so at some point we
either have to accept continuously
decreasing our funding or stepping up
with our general funds to make that
happen. Um
finally, um briefly on the public safety
sales tax, uh currently we have in there
400,000 increases in public def 400k
increases in public defense, $250,000 to
fleet contributions for the take on car
program and 1.6 million to IPD facility
renovations. I'd also like us to at
least take a look at some of the other
novel things that HP 2015 allows that to
be used for, principally behavioral
health crisis teams and addiction
recovery services and co-responder
models. Uh it's a somewhat rare
opportunity to be able to put a sales
tax towards those kinds of things and I
would hope that we at least evaluate
those and
>> we're sort of Yeah, that's a fair point.
I mean, we're sort of paying for five
staff people out of the 0.1 on housing
that do a lot of the things. I mean,
they I feel like Brenda's team works
really closely with police right now,
but uh
>> but I hear you. And I wouldn't say just
so people know, I'm not saying this led
anywhere. An attempted cost-saving
measure was consider hiring our own
public defenders. So, we're not paying
Valley Defenders $600,000 a year, but
that as we dove into that, it was we
have 500 84% of the cases we file
inquense.
And so that ends up being over 500 cases
a year. The Supreme Court mandate is you
want to get down to 120 per person,
which makes the whole thing not pencil
out. So the attempt to switch to our own
public defenders kind of dissolved in
front of my eyes. Uh but it doesn't so
we are just faced with the reality of
either putting more into the valid
defender contract or or literally hiring
a human to figure out are there less
cases we file because the second you
file a case you have to go to a public
defender. So then I think that this
cost-saving opportunity which I don't
think necessarily is this budget cycle
in public defense but maybe two years
out is do you hire someone to figure out
like so we don't have to do the next
bump up again because I mentioned we'll
pay value defender is $1.2 million.
>> Yeah. in my understood and my I guess my
just to be explicit my my ask for the HP
2015 money in particular is well those
are all important uh is if we can take a
look at those the public defense the
fleet the take on cars um and possibly
the renovations depending on what our
other capital money comes in at um to
see whether we could increase some of
our behavioral crisis team health crisis
teams again other things from the bill
addiction recovery services and
co-responder models um so just if we can
if we can take a look at that and then
briefly on the jail too just to echo uh
deputy council president Jang's comments
um my recollection from the presentation
from mid last year is that for our uh
for the the folks that are sent to us
from other jurisdictions that we are
currently losing money on each of them
um I don't that doesn't make sense to me
I that we're effectively asking esqua
taxpayers to subsidize the cost of other
cities jails inmates um Maybe there's a
better reason for that that I don't
understand, but I think that's a that
feels like some potentially low hanging
fruit that could at least generate
something. Um, and that we have no
obligation to be doing that
that makes any sense to me at least.
>> Yeah, that's I mean it's been an ongoing
discussion. I would say our challenge is
marginal cost versus the overall thing
because we have a fixed cost base. I
think what the other people are paying
is covering the marginal cost but it's
not necessarily covering. So I think our
challenge is if we don't take those
people our fixed costs are still the
same. Our marginal revenue so this is
the balancing act. Does that does not
mean we cannot try to I'm not saying
that we don't necessarily want to take
other people. I'm saying
>> we got to figure out how much I don't
know where we are on that curve.
>> Sounds like an excellent topic for
services safety and parks.
>> Council member Nichols is a member.
>> Uh council member point. Uh I will echo
a good amount of things that I've heard
too. Um on the arts fund I know at one
point I think I was told that that was
for it was double what it is now when
due to the loss of different venues and
whatnot. So um yeah very interested in
seeing what we can do there. I do not
have any kind of magic plan silver
bullet um for that. I'll keep
>> it's gone from 300 to 150 right?
>> Uh it's like 200k now and it was 400.
Okay, that's where they change. Okay.
>> Um, so, uh, and I'm thinking of this too
as we are growing our population,
hopefully building out in if that's
staying static or going down, I I don't
what does that mean for the distribution
of art across the city? There's probably
a better way to phrase that, but um,
so, uh, I'll echo I think I'm third
person or whoever to echo uh,
maintenance for the nonprofits.
maintenance is the basic that I guess is
for me is a do not you know if we're in
I don't want to say austerity then uh
that yeah that's the bottom line for me
for sure. Um I am in uh I'm in favor of
uh take home cars for our police. Um I
think that is a huge benefit. I'll speak
from my personal experience. That was my
standard growing up with my mom. She
always had a take home car.
Um anyways, uh
um
I think this is a best case scenario
position and maybe not something we can
get to now, but um one thing that stood
out to me in the last community survey
was only 61% of folks feel like they
know their neighbors. Um,
what can we do within this is high level
like to address that budget-wise? I
guess we used to have a neighborhood
liaison position that has gone away. I
would need to look more into like how
effective was that. It looks like maybe
they did have more to do just even with
talking to developers and I um but I
don't know. I'd be interested to learn
more about what bringing something like
that would back would look like,
especially with my northeast.
>> Let's go to the social connections thing
at at Blakeley Hall that we did. Were
you there?
>> Yeah, I've done several
>> because we had a big one earlier this
year kind of where we put all the ideas
up on the board where
>> I mean Jillian. Yeah.
>> Was that one of them?
Well, this it was all the entire event
was based on your premise. I mean, this
was a an initiative that wasn't
>> the city doing it. It was the community
doing it.
>> The city had staff supporting it and
everything. Uh I think it's a Okay, but
I hear you.
>> All right. Uh Deputy Council President
Chang.
>> Great. Thank you. Um yeah, I have a
variety of comments. Um, I agree with
Council Member Walsh on the importance
of direct human services. Um, I think,
you know, our police really appreciate
having the mental health professionals
to work with them and I think that's
really great, an important service that
really is tied in with public safety.
Um, I also think, you know, the full
discussion of the public safety sales
tax spending deserves a much broader
discussion. Um, I'm hopeful that, you
know, the renovation costs won't take up
like 80% of the new revenues, which is
what we've, you know, preliminarily
budgeted so far. And to the extent that
we're able to use some of those funds
to, you know, help pay for, um,
behavioral health coordinators, I think
that'd be really valuable. Um, I think
on the affordable, you know, using the
affordable housing sales tax and
behavioral health sales tax to pay for
that aspect of things. So, one thing is
that, you know, we have all this capital
money and we don't have projects to
spend it on. And so if we're really
trying to spend that capital dollars on,
you know, providing the type of housing
that really is the hardest to build, you
know, the transitional housing and
supportive housing, there's a lot of
services that they have to be paired
with. And so if we're spending all of
our operational dollars from that bucket
on other things, then we're not going to
be able to be successful at, you know,
implementing those types of housing,
which is my that's kind of what that pot
of money is used for. So I'm a bit
hesitant on that. Um, but I do want to
see us actually, you know, make some
progress on, you know, setting up a
transitional housing program that's
actually going to work.
Um, and I think on the, uh, and so I
think, you know, to Council Member
Nichols point, I think it does make
sense to potentially look into using the
public safety sales tax to support some
of those, you know, additional aspects
of public safety, uh, like the, uh,
behavioral health coordinators. Um, one
other thing that, you know, we've talked
about is, uh, circulator shuttles. I
believe this, you know, potentially
replacing Metroflex with circulator
shuttles, all coming out of the TBD
fund. We haven't been talking about our
special funds that much, um, today, but
I think that's something I'd be very
interested in exploring. And then
finally, on the neighborhood, um, you
know, connection stuff, I do think
that's an area where figuring out, you
know, what are some really lowcost
things we can do? Like at this
fellowship thing that I was at, you
know, someone mentioned they had a sign
up for people to sign up to help their
neighborhood, help their neighbors in an
emergency. And so, you know, in their
community, they have snow storms. And
so, when there's a snowstorm, people
could say, "Hey, I need help." And then
they get connected with a neighbor who
could help, you know, shovel their
driver or whatever the case may be. And
so, figuring out what are like the
really, really low lift things that we
can do that don't cost a lot of money,
um, I think would be really interesting.
Um, and yeah, I think that's it for me.
All right. Uh before we go to round
twos, I'll I'll add mine. Uh I think
that uh I think council member Walsh's
idea of 13.5% as a target is a great um
something better than holding the line
but not necessarily having to get all
the way to 15. Uh I share Council Member
Adair's concerns and other people's
concerns around emergency management.
Wondering if there's any chance we could
share somebody with another
municipality. Right. Some of the needs.
It's good to have a full-time person,
but um some of the needs for emergency
management is situational, right? And if
Redmond or Kirkland or Belleview had
somebody that they wanted to share with
us um for emergent issues, that could be
a less expensive way than going with an
entire second hire. And finally, I will
say um I would we should at least hold
the line and possibly get to our full
number for uniformed officers for the
IPD. Um we are at 8.1 officers per
10,000 people. that is substantially
below Redmond, Kirkland or Mercer
Island. We spend we also spend less per
resident um considerably less than any
of those cities. Um so I think that uh
we like I said at the very least um keep
all the officers that we have. We'd love
to get to our full strength. There are
times where we only have three uniformed
officers on duty which is too small for
a city of our size. Um and uh it for
those of you who are new to council um
this was really broken four years ago.
um we were we were facing the
possibility of basically being forced to
get rid of our police force and you know
basically prevailing on the the good
graces of King County which runs a fine
county sheriff's office but basically
basically saying like hey can you give
us a police force and we clawed it back
and it's one of those things that I
believe that the number one thing people
want in their city is that when they
flush the toilet it works the number two
thing is that when they turn the tap on,
water comes out. The number three thing
is when they turn the light switch on,
uh, the light switch, the the lights
come on in the room, but the number four
thing is their safety of their home and
their family. So,
>> round two, Council Member Walsh.
>> Well, that only gives us a few things
that we have to do as a city, but I
appreciate that. Um, public safety sales
tax. Um, for me, it is important that we
go about this the right way. when we're
having a conversation about it, um it's
really important that we all agree about
the scope of the IPD renovations before
we set what that value, that annual
dollar amount is rather than setting
that dollar amount and then using it to
justify or give a sense of what we could
or couldn't do. Yeah. So, let's let's
have that conversation and let's have
the conversation about how we want to
allocate the public safety sales tax
because I think there are a lot of good
options there. Um, I also uh appreciate
council member Boyd for bringing up the
neighborhood connectedness. I think
that's really important. I'm not sure
that the previous staff role um achieved
that. Um, but I do appreciate the idea
of connectedness and toward that idea. I
think classes that we do at um parks and
wreck and events that we do help achieve
that and many of those cover their own
costs. And so if there are areas within
parks and wreck, whether that is summer
camps that serve our residents or
afterchool activities or other things
for, you know, seniors and all of that,
I think those are areas where we can
provide services that don't come at a
cost to our budget. And so those are
areas that I would be very interested to
pursue more of. Yeah,
>> balance 13.5. That concludes my remarks.
Thank you.
>> Revity is the soul of W. Um, does the
administration have anything else on
this item at this time?
>> Just to make sure we're clear for the
second pregame of the season. So,
that'll be on Monday the 27th of July.
Um, are you okay having it here here in
this room?
>> Uh, is it air conditioned? council
chambers with
>> Is this room air conditioned,
>> Jeff? This place is air conditioned,
isn't it?
>> There's a heat.
>> I'm sorry. Where
>> this this this room?
Okay.
>> And I'm good with it.
>> So So we will uh come back and talk u
more about the citywide work plan. We
will come back and talk more about
performance measures. We will continue
uh the operating budget uh discussion,
general fund discussion. We will add
capital. We will talk about enterprise
funds. What I've heard is mostly housing
is number one. Um but we'll cover the
others as well. And then another topic
that will also be part of your season is
the legislative agenda. And so we
propose to start talking about that in
July as well because uh that season
seems to get earlier and earlier. Um so
that's what we're thinking about. I
think we it's a threeh hour 4 hour
>> three and a half
>> 5:30 to 9
>> 5:30 to 9 or something like that
>> but you go earlier than 5:30
>> and I also it's very very difficult
>> 5:30 to 9
>> is this a bring your own bag lunch
situation what
>> we have food
yeah we always have food
>> yeah feed us please
>> always um no this has been great I hope
the resetting in the first thing in the
morning was helpful ful exercise, but
you're a great team and you're going to
have a great season.
>> So, we're not quite done yet. We do have
public comment on the agenda. So, I'm
going to ask uh third keys if there uh
can you let's look and see if there's
any indicated interest in public
comment. I think the person who was on
for public comment earlier is not on any
or who had indicated public comment is
not on. I'm not seeing any either. Can
you confirm?
>> Yeah, I think um she indicated she might
join by phone. So, I'm going to go ahead
and unmute the one phone in caller with
us to see if they have anything they'd
like to say. Hold on.
>> Okay, our our phone and caller, you
should have the abil ability to unmute.
Are you interested in making comments?
>> Can you hear me? Okay.
>> Yes. Please, please, please speak up
though. You're a little bit quiet.
>> Oh, okay. Wonderful. Um, yes. So, my
wife was on earlier, but I'm I'm subbing
in right now. And we just wanted to have
a brief comment and a quick question on
the bond.
>> I'm sorry. Can you indicate your name
and your relationship to the city um
before you start?
>> Yeah, my name is Vinnie Richardy and I'm
a parent of a Clark Elementary student
and I also own property in Isiqua.
Um, and we so we just wanted to say that
we're very excited about the ability for
the turf projects to be on the bond for
renewal, uh, especially in regions of
Isiqua that are disproportionately
economically disadvantaged like the
areas around Clark and Isiqua Valley
Elementary. And yesterday, our community
of parents, we received widespread
templates from your council um that
stated that the joint agreement with ISD
was already signed, but from what I
heard today, the joint agreement was not
finalized. And so we've seen that the
communication from this council, it
resulted in a silencing effect on some
of our fellow community. Um and we
really need that support and advocacy.
And so just wanted to point that out
that you know primarily we wanted to
urge the council to be really cautious
in its messaging because people think
that joint agreement is already signed
and done. And then a quick question here
at the end uh for a takeaway from us and
our community. You guys have noted that
um you know we're a very activated
community. We really want these green
spaces and we can also appreciate that
there's a lot of procedural hurdles that
brings the city to justify the
investment to come you know come to a
joint agreement with ISIC school board
as well and so my big question here is
like where should parents like me invest
our time um to try to where should we
direct our advocacy is the hurdle trying
to pressure the Isqua school board to
get into a joint agreement with the
parks department or do you guys have any
other suggestions on how we can kind of
mobilize our very activated community
here?
>> I couldn't.
>> We don't we don't usually do Q&A as part
of a whole committee session. However,
the mayor has indicated that he would be
happy to share his thoughts with you.
>> Well, and I think and I apologize
around the miscommunication. I think we
remain highly optimistic that the joint
service agreement will be signed.
everything is 100% headed in that
direction. And two, we also do think
that the large majority of the
schoolboard members are actually very
supportive of this proposal. And so I
think overall we love your advocacy. I
think as
as we go further, I think the joint
service agreement will be signed next
month and then I think it'll just be,
you know, anything to let the school
board members know that I think that you
guys think this partnership is a good
idea, I think is positive, but uh I
don't think you have to overall I think
you're you're in a good trajectory right
now, I think, of uh where you want to
be, but there
like you've done great outreach, I
think, to the council and and it could
be that that outreach to also let the
school board know that you also think
this partnership is a good idea
wouldn't do any harm. Uh I don't think
>> Yeah. And I just wanted
>> Oh, council member Jang.
>> Hi.
Um yeah, I just wanted to quickly jump
in and say um my apologies for uh the
miscommunication. My understanding was
wrong. Um and I can reply to everyone
with a correction on that. I do think
you know reaching out to the school
board with your support certainly um
would be helpful and you know we're it
seems like we're on track to get that
signed next month. Um so yeah, my
apologies for the miscommunication on
that.
>> Thank you. Um thank you. Thank you,
caller, and thank you for hanging with
us to the end of uh to the end of the
meeting uh when when you and your spouse
had questions earlier on. Thank you.
Thank you so much. Um any any any
further closing comments from the
administration?
>> Thank you for your time, Mark.
>> Thank you. And thank you to the staff.
You did a great job uh supporting this
today. Thank you, fellow council
members, for uh uh a really good
Saturday session.