Okay, welcome everyone. I want to call
the June 1st city council meeting to
order. There are no excused absences.
Everybody is here and I want to start by
asking everyone to join if the for the
pledge of
>> allegiance
to the flag.
The next item of business is special
business ID 2014 Belleview Colleg's 60th
anniversary anniversary proclamation. I
want to invite uh Dr. David May, the
president of Belby College to the left
turn.
Oh, we're going over there.
Okay. Whereas Belleview College was
founded in 1966 and over the past 60
years has become one of Washington's
leading institutions of higher
education, serving more than 600,000
students across the region. I will add
that includes all six of my children.
Whereas Belby College has provided
accessible and affordable educational
opportunities that have benefited
countless students, families, and
workforce professionals in Isqua
community and throughout the east side.
And whereas Belby College supports
students success through academic,
professional, and workforce training
programs that strengthen the regional
economy and create opportunities for
future generations. And whereas Belby
College contributes significantly to the
East King County economy with the
regional study, estimating the college
annually infuses more than $185 million
through its institutional operations and
the economic impact of its graduates.
And whereas Belby College partners with
hundreds of local businesses and
employers across the region that provide
students with work-based learning,
internships, and industry aligned
training programs, helping thousands of
learners each year develop the skills
employees seek high demand fields. And
whereas Belby College provides lifelong
learning opportunities for learners of
all ages across the east side region,
including Isiziqua and surrounding
communities. Now therefore, I, Mark
Mullet, mayor of the city of Isqua, to
hereby proclaim June 1st, 2026 to
celebrate 60 years of Belleview College
and the city of Isiqua, and ask the
community to join me in recognizing and
expressing their appreciation for the
role Belleby College has served in our
community. In witness, whereof, I hereby
set my hand and seal the city of Isqua
on this first day of June, 2026.
Let's do the photo and then I'll give
you the thing. Want to do the photo
first while you're after? We'll do the
photo and then uh
>> do the photo.
>> Oh, we have two photos. I like it.
>> You You came with your own photo crew.
>> It's all yours.
>> Thank you very much, Mr. Mayor. Um,
President Mart, uh, members of the
council, thank you for the invitation.
Thank you very much for supporting the
proclamation, and thank you for just a
couple minutes of your very, very
valuable time this evening. This is a
relationship that extends even more than
60 years. The business and civic
community in Isiqua was part of the push
to create Belleview College in the 1963
and 1965 legislative session. Without
the support of this community, Belleview
College simply wouldn't exist. And as
Mayor Mullet suggested, it has been more
than 18,000 students in Isiqua and the
surrounding area in the last 5 years.
And so we really are educating this
community to live, to work, to play, and
to give back to this community. It's
education, but it's also partnership
with Costco to provide highquality,
lowcost child care for their employees,
for our students, and also for citizens
here in Isiqua and beyond. And so the
partnership extends and has extended
far into the past for 60 more and more
years. And I'm very, very excited to see
where the next 60 years of partnership
between Belleview College and the city
of Isiqua can take us. Thank you very
much.
The next item of business is ID2031s
LGBTQIA+
pride month proclamation. I want to
invite Jason Rey from East Side Pride
Pacific Northwest to the lectern.
Oh yes, come on up. The more the
marrier.
Whereas June is recognized as Pride
Month commemorating the 1969 Stonewall
uprising and honoring the ongoing
struggle for 2SL GBTQIA plus rights. And
whereas Pride Month celebrates the two
spirit lesbian, gay, bisexual,
transgender queer questioning
interex, and asexual plus community who
are our family, friends, neighbors, and
co-workers and who meaningfully
contribute to our community in
innumerable ways. Whereas the city of
Isqua is committed to being an inclusive
and welcoming community where all
residents and visitors regardless of
sexual orientation, gender identity, or
gender expression, feel safe, affirmed,
and empowered to live authentically. And
whereas the city stands in opposition to
discrimination and actions that seek to
erase or marginalize queer and trans
individuals, remains committed to
fostering belonging through inclusive
policies, public engagement, education,
and partnerships year round. Whereas the
city honors the resilience, creativity,
contributions, and leadership of
2SLGBTQIA plus individuals and affirms
its role as a sanctuary of dignity,
equity, and belonging for 2LGBTQI
plus community, their families, and
their allies to demonstrate its
commitment to these same core values for
all residents and visitors. Now,
therefore, I, Mark Mullet, mayor of the
city of Isqua, do hereby proclaim the
month of June to be 2slgpqia
plus pride month in the city of Isiqua.
And I invite the Isqua community to come
together to recognize the contributions
and achievements of the 2slgq IIA plus
community in witness whereof I hereby
set my hand and seal to the city of
Isqua on this first day of June 2026.
We'll do the photo and then you
Thank you, mayor, and thank you, city
council.
As you've mentioned, uh Jason Rey, who
is the East Side Pride Pacific Northwest
is leaison, and my name is Cheryl Smith,
and I'm a leadership member of East Side
Pride Pacific Northwest. Also, most
importantly, I'm here as a proud parent
of a transgender daughter.
This is the first time saying these
words in public.
Why? Because Isaacqua's created a space
where my child can visit and know
they're welcome, safe, and respected.
And I feel safe here, too, as an ally.
Is it proclamation flags, public art,
and window decals send a message to your
LGBTQIA
to us plus residents, allies, and
visitors that all are very welcome.
These are important gestures of
inclusion. Inclusion means continuing to
show up just not in Pride Month, but all
year long. It means supporting policies
that protect queer and trans people like
Juniper Blessing.
It's about partnering with pride
organizations like East Side Pride
Pacific Northwest. It's about
celebrating the lives that we all live
on a daily basis.
Thank you to the city of Isaac for what
you're doing and that you continue to do
for the Pride communities, our families,
and our allies. I'm grateful to be
accepting this proclamation with Jason
on behalf of East Side Pride Pacific
Northwest. Thank you.
The next item of business is ID 2038,
recognition of facilities maintenance
supervisor G Harvey. And I think we're
going to have Autumn come on up to do
the honors.
Yes, Gar, you have to come up as well.
Hi, I'm Autumn Monahan, the
administrative services director, and
I've had the pleasure of working with G
for many years. He has served the
community of Isiqua for 14 years,
leading our facilities team. Um, he is
taking on his next great adventure in
Eastern Washington. We will be very sad
to see him go, but I'm also very excited
that you're taking this next chapter in
your life.
G is an exceptional leader for our
facilities team who oversee a wide
variety of facilities in Isiqua. That's
not just office space, leased spaces,
but also really complex facilities like
a pool or a jail. Um, and it's it's been
a fun ride.
Um, he's always been ready to go for
projects large and small. large projects
like how do we take years and years of
stuff out of city hall northwest before
selling it to small projects like
answering my call two weeks ago when a
squirrel caused a power outage in this
building ahead of a council committee
meeting. Uh he has always answered the
call and um been there to support us
whatever we need. We were just doing
some due diligence on a property we're
purchasing for city hall and G was uh
just scouring every inch of that
building and reported back that he
thinks he knows that building now better
than his own home.
And I would say that's fair to say all
of the buildings you know extremely well
and your historical knowledge of those
properties has been so helpful over the
years.
I'm so grateful for your leadership. I'm
so grateful for your creativity and your
problem solving. I've really, really
enjoyed working with you and it's thanks
to
your years of service that thousands of
people have enjoyed our public
facilities over the years and that
you've enabled all of us as staff to
serve the community as well. And that's
a remarkable legacy. So, thank you so
much and good luck on your next chapter.
>> Thank you.
>> Thanks, G.
You get a plaque. You get a plaque.
>> Genie's passing.
>> Hey, I think it's yours. I wasn't I
wasn't really prepared for that, but
that's okay. Um, I just really want to
uh thank the city for the opportunity um
to be part of the team. It's uh it's
been an honor. It's been a pleasure to
serve the city. Um the staff and you
know all the uh citizens and and my
team. I couldn't have couldn't have done
it without my team. My uh my team is an
important piece. It was a very hard
decision to make. Um but in the end, my
wife's the one that kind of pushed me
through the decision. So again, just
thanks for the opportunity. Um, and I
will miss everything and uh, everything
I've learned here, I'm going to take
with me. So there's a an equestrian farm
that's going to have a little piece of
visiqua in it just from what I've
learned.
>> Where's the first place you're traveling
to?
>> Ellensburg is not your normal first
destination for someone to go to when
they retire.
Okay, the next item of business is
audience comments. Uh comments made in
person or they can be made virtually.
Although I'm trying to figure out how
our virtual thing is working, but I
think it's okay. Uh those of you signed
up will be called on first. If you're on
the phone, you can press star three. And
if you did not sign up, do not panic. We
will give you a chance to share comments
towards the end. And with that, Madame
Clerk, are there folks signed up for
audience comments?
>> Yes, Mayor.
>> Right.
First up, I have uh Robert Row.
I believe I see you online. Mr. Row, I
will uh promote you to a panelist and
from there you should be able to unmute
yourself.
Okay, Mr. Row, I have promoted you to a
panelist. You should be able to unmute
and if you would like to share your uh
video as well, you should be able to do
that.
>> I see it.
>> All right. Is everything Can you guys
hear me?
>> We can.
>> Okay. Um, first I would like to begin by
saying to the east side and Washington
State, happy Pride Month. That is very
important to me having a sister who's
um lesbian and married with two
children. So, that was awesome to hear
the city council announce that.
Um,
it's nice to see you guys again,
especially the mayor.
Uh, I wish I was here to comment about
how awesome it is here to live in Isqua
Highlands
and the convenience what you guys have
done for the Sound Transit bus stops,
the beautiful views.
But I have to say again, man, that the
noise
pollution here is
is insane. Um, I'm I know the comments
that I'm reading are a little bit
different. I'm just paraphrasing from
what I wrote down, but I just like to
know that
what has been done
to combat the noise from these delivery
companies that come at 11:30 at night
um to 12:30 in the morning delivering.
You know, I live here in Discovery West
Apartments
and I have talked a lot about this and I
have sent many complaints. One
officer who I have talked to, I don't
know if it's a real person or not, but
it was a officer
Matthew F.
Um, he had a very hard time
finding out why QCD delivery is
delivering to Swedish Hospital at 11:30
at night when one of the biggest food
deliveries, US food, delivers at the
proper time around 11 and 10 a.m. So, I
I know the mayor is probably getting
tired of this, but I am getting tired of
this, too, you know, because I'm tired
of the lip service that I'm hearing from
his office saying, "Oh, we'll get back
to you." And they never do,
you know. So, I'm I'm requesting the
city council to implement and enforce
IMC
N or 9.22 22
to levy fines of $100 for every offense.
You know, Mayor, I'm asking you
directly, Mr. Mayor Mullet,
would you like it if I parked a semi
in your neighborhood at 11:30 at night?
Sir, it is unacceptable.
I have sent a YouTube link for you guys
to watch and I am more than a hundred
yards away from that hospital what is
necessary
but my whole apartment vibrates so I
thought it was just me. Next time I'm
bringing residence
something must be done.
Thank you for your time.
Thank you very much,
Clerk Mueller.
Thank you. Next on our list is uh Fire
Chief Will AO.
Well, good evening, honorable mayor and
members of the city council. Sorry. Uh
my name is Will Aaho and I proudly serve
as your fire chief for East Side Fire
and Rescue and thank you for the
opportunity to speak tonight. As the
city begins its discussion about the
future of fire service, I wanted to
provide some context for the
conversations currently taking place at
East Side Fire and Rescue Board. For 27
years, the East Side Fire and Rescue has
been built on partnerships. The original
agencies came together to because they
believed that a shared fire service
model could provide highquality
emergency services more efficiently and
more effectively than each agency
operating independently.
That partnership has served our
communities well. Today, Epher protects
nearly 229,000 community members across
277 square miles from 16 fire stations.
We're governed by a board of directors
with representation from each
participating agency along with advisory
members from our contract agencies. At
the same time, Epher's structure is
unique. We do not have independent
taxing authority. Instead, our budget is
funded through contributions from our
partner and contract agencies. That
means each agency must determine how
best to fund its share of regional fire
and emergency services. As costs
continue to increase, that model creates
challenges not only for the individual
agencies, but also for Epher's abilities
to plan for stable and sustainable uh
service delivery.
Because of that, the epher board began
an education process earlier this year
to better understand the available
governance and funding options. Those
options included continuing under the
current interlocal agreement, evaluating
annexation and or merging into a fire
district and considering a regional fire
authority model. At the June Epher board
meeting, the board will be asked whether
there is a direction Epher should focus
on uh for further education and
discussion. That does not replace the
authority of city council, the fire
districts or any individual agencies.
The final decision rests with each
jurisdiction and depending on the option
potentially the voters.
The purpose of Epher's work is to make
sure each community has clear un uh
clear information, understanding of the
available options and has a voice in
shaping the future of the fire service.
I appreciate that Isiziqua is taking an
active interest in evaluating its future
fire service needs. My request is that
the city remain engaged in the epher
process as well so that Isiziqua's voice
continues to be part of the regional
conversation.
East Side Fire and Rescue has
demonstrated for nearly three decades
that collaboration can protect
communities well as we look to the
future. The goal is to ensure the same
level of service remains sustainable,
predictable, and accountable to the
communities we so honory serve.
I am available for any questions um
today. And thank you so much for your
time.
>> Thank you very much, Chief. Are you able
to stay till later in Okay, excellent.
That's awesome. Thank you very much.
Uh Clerk Mueller.
>> Yes. Next, we have Sarah Ryder.
Hello, Sarah Ryder, resident of Talis.
Um, a few things I'm going to talk to
you about today. First thing is my own
thing and then I'm going to represent
the group that you've seen that we've
brought today. The first thing I wanted
to say is that I'm 100% on board with
the tasers for our um police department.
uh to me is very important to give them
the best tools that they can use for
deescalation and their own safety. So I
wanted to say that on behalf of myself
on behalf of the group um we have
started a petition. I'm not going to
read the whole thing. The first part
you've already addressed with your
resolution and we thank you for that. We
thank you that you've heard us. We read
through the resolution. We think it's
awesome. But the second part is we're
still going to push for that city
ordinance. I know that it's on the books
for July, but we want to be very clear
that we still want that. So, we do have
a petition with uh around 200 signatures
from different people around Isiqu. I'm
not sure if I present this to you or not
or how that works.
>> You can bring it forward, city clerk.
>> I'll read I'll read it first and then
>> I just didn't know how the handing of
stuff goes. I want to don't know the
decorum, if you will. Um but any further
consideration of ALPR technology in
Isiqua must be narrow in scope. An
application is possible. Pursue only if
truly required. Citizens rights and
concerns must be protected as strictly
as they can be. Examples of protections
that should be implemented include the
following. Data and imagery collected by
ALPRs owned by the city of Isiqua and
its departments must be stored in secure
closed loop systems owned by Isiqua city
government. must be shown to be
architecturally inaccessible to outside
entities. Must include only license
plates and emphatically must not include
faces or identifying fe physical
features of drivers or passengers of
vehicles. Must not be transmitted to
servers or entities outside of Isiqua.
Must not be stored if it does not
generate an alarm related to a wanted or
missing person, stolen vehicle, active
warrant, or serious criminal offense.
and any privatelyowned ALPRs in the city
of Isiqua must be positioned such that
they do not collect data or imagery from
public streets, from public property or
avenues of travel that the owner of the
ALPR does not own themselves. So, Isiqua
City government has distinguished itself
in the past few weeks by enacting
important initial measures. We thank you
for that so much. We know that you've
heard us. So we appreciate you
responding to our deep concerns that are
held by Isiqua's residents and visitors.
And it is now our opportunity to
distinguish ourselves further by
cementing in a law full and forceful
protections for those same people. We
ask is city government not to waste this
chance. And now I can present our our
list of people if that's cool.
>> Excellent. Thank you.
Thank you very much.
>> There's no one further signed up to
speak tonight, mayor.
>> All right. Is there anybody else in the
audience?
Going once. Going twice. Okay. With
that, audience comments are closed. The
next item of business is the consent
calendar. I do not have any remarks on
the consent calendar. Are there any
committee chairs or chair design who
would like to report on any of the
consent calendar items?
Not seeing anything.
Uh I think our city clerk has minor
updates to announce prior to approval.
>> Thank you, mayor. Per the current
council rules, two corrections were made
to the draft minutes for the May 11th,
2026 committee of the whole meeting,
which is consent calendar item C on
tonight's agenda. Both corrections were
on page two under agenda item B
regarding the IPD Congressional
Community Appropriations Grant. These
corrections were distributed earlier
today to the city council for review.
With approval of the consent calendar,
you will be approving this revised
version of the May 11th meeting minutes.
Additionally, there was a typo located
on AB9183
for the 2025 water main replacement
project WT015.
In the financial information section,
44,548,000
is cited to have been transferred.
However, this should have been $44,548
as cited in the table just below on the
same page.
>> Right. I mean, what's a couple zeros
amongst friends? Uh, okay. The consent
to calendar was distributed to council
in advance if authorized the items on
the consent calendar will be considered
together and approved by one motion.
Have the payables and payroll been
reviewed?
>> They have. They have.
>> All right. I know. I think we need two
of those. Uh, does any council member
want to remove any items from the
consent calendar considered under
regular business?
>> Okay, not seeing any. Is there a motion?
Uh, council president Martz.
>> Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I move to adopt
the consent calendar with the
distributed amendments and scrivener
changes.
>> Second.
>> All right, it's been moved and seconded.
All those in favor? The motion is to
approve the consent calendar as
presented has been moved and seconded.
All those in favor say I.
>> I.
All those opposed? Nay. And that passes
unanimously. The next item of business
is public hearing AB 91135
2027 2032 six-year transportation
improvement plan.
We are going to open the public hearing.
I'm going to invite transportation
engineering manager John Mortonson to
present this item.
>> Thank you very much, Mayor Mullet. Good
evening, council members. I'm John
Mortonson, transportation engineering
manager. Give me a minute. I'll load up
my presentation and talk to you about
the transportation improvement program.
Tonight's topic is the 2027 to 2032
transportation improvement program.
The purpose of tonight's item is to
review the updates to the 2027 to 2032
transportation improvement program and
to hold a public hearing as required by
state law.
The direction that the administration is
seeking from the council tonight are
with regards to the major themes and
changes to the transportation
improvement program. Specifically, the
emphasis on smaller scale projects,
prioritization of performing maintenance
projects over new construction, and the
more extensive use of debt, specifically
funded by the transportation benefit
district sales tax. revenue that will
sunset in the future.
But before I go into those, I want to
give a little bit of a background. The
kind of the hierarchy of how this all
fits together is the city has the
comprehensive plan that has the vision,
goals, and policies that then feed into
the functional plans like the climate
and action plan and the mobility action
plan. And out of those plans, it they
feed into the transportation improvement
program.
A little bit more of a background. The
city is required to adopt a six-year
transportation improvement program every
year according to RCW35.77.010.
And the way the city of Esquad does this
is in odd years like last year, it's the
transportation improvement program is
part of the larger capital improvement
plan. And this is a time when the city
can make larger scale changes. Um
because the city council has the
opportunity to weigh the different
projects, whether it's transportation
project, a facilities project, a park
project. um and many more.
And then in even years like this year,
it's done as a standalone process
and for the most part is a limited
update.
The projects that are in the
transportation improvement program are
used to
establish
impact fees as well as bicycle and
pedestrian mitigation fees. and
the projects that are in the six-year
transportation improvement program. Some
of them are projects that are to help
prepare the city for growth that will be
coming with the regional growth center
as well as other projects though are in
response to community needs.
And inside the six-year transportation
improvement program, there's a project
summary that explains what the project
is, the estimated costs, the potential
funding sources, and when the project
may occur. And I do want to emphasize
that the transportation improvement
program, it is a planning document. It
is not the budget that here later on
this year the council will be
deliberating the two-year bianium budget
and that is the actual budget that puts
into motion
what projects will and will not be done
in the next two years.
So why are projects included in the
six-year tip? Sometimes they establish
uh they satisfy the goals in the
mobility action plan or the
transportation element of the
comprehensive plan. Sometimes they come
out of other plans or studies like the
transit study and I'll talk about a
project that came out of the transit
study. Some of the projects are a result
of feedback that the administration
receives from the community whether it's
through cclick fix or just talking to
residents out in the community.
They also meet the goals of the
administration specifically
the prioritization of maintenance,
implementing small-cale projects that
are have an immediate benefit to the
community and including relieving
congestion for vehicles. And the update
also includes um revisions based on
revenue projections to match current
forecasts.
Inside the this year's packet was um an
update from last year's capital
improvement plan and how the projects
were prioritized with last year's CIP
process which involved legal mandate or
addressing life and safety concerns like
the black nugget retaining wall
community priority. That's a big part of
why we do a lot of these projects like
the Northwest Mammish Road non-motorized
project. Community livability and
quality of life, climate resiliency or
environmental benefit, the ability for
the administration to deliver the
project, replacement or capital
maintenance of existing infrastructure
like the pavement management program.
And a longstanding commitment
As part of this tip process, we spent
the administration spent a lot of time
working on balancing revenue with
expenditures. And there's a number of
pressures that were on under for these
projects. One of them was a delay in
implementing the school zone safety
camera deployment, which reduced revenue
in the school zone safety fund.
This update also proposes
being more aggressive with implementing
debt from the transportation benefit
district to implement projects so that
way the community can receive the
benefits sooner rather than later as
project costs continue to rise.
On the expenditure side, there's demands
for real estate excise tax in last
year's CIP that surpass the revenue that
is coming in. And so as part of this,
the administration had to make some
adjustments to align the actual revenues
that are coming in with the and
expenditures. And then there's a lot of
regional and national global economic
factors creating uncertainty. Oil costs
and diesel fuel costs are a big impact
on the cost of implementing these
projects.
So now I'm going to go over the update
in the proposed 2027 to 2032
transportation improvement program.
The themes of this update were an
emphasis on smaller scale projects that
could be implemented so the community
could receive the benefit rather than
waiting year after year while a project
slugs through design.
Prioritizing maintenance over building
new and the more extensive use of debt
specifically
funded by the transportation benefit
district sales tax that is set to
sunset.
Some of the specific project changes are
for project TR 12, the front street and
sunset left turn improvements that was
added to the six-year
program. And then the Gilman Bridge
rehabilitation project. This was one
that has been in the budget and council
has approved it, but just the timing of
when we do the tip and when we get the
funding for the project, it wasn't in
it. So, it's not a new project. It's
just added as a technicality. Some of
the projects that moved up are the
signalization project at Front Street
and Dogwood, as well as the pavement um
repair job at the location of 190th
Place and 191st Avenue Southeast. This
is a location up the road from the
Cougar Mountain Zoo where the pavement's
in really poor condition. And the reason
why this project was moved up is
There's going to be a new storm water
requirement beginning in July of 2027
that would make this project prohibitly
expensive. And so the goal is to permit
this project before the change. That way
it is a an affordable project.
And a couple projects were moved out
into the future. The central Equiqua
multimodal I90 crossing was moved out.
We the administration recently completed
a planning study that identified a
preferred location for the crossing, but
there are some council concerns about
the project and the overall costs and
how it would look along Gilman
Boulevard. And so that project's been
moved to the future years rather than
advancing it in the next six years. And
then TR84, the transit signal priority
pilot project. And this project was not
moved because transit signal priority
isn't a priority. It still is a priority
for the administration. However, a pilot
project was not the best avenue to go
about doing that when reading King
County Metro's guidelines for transit
signal priority projects that it's
better to do that along. So the let me
back up. The pilot project would have
implemented transit signal priority at
one location, but the guidelines talk
about how it's much better to do it
along a corridor. And there's a certain
bus frequency that the city of Esqua
does not have that is the best practice
for implementing transit signal
priorities. So, it's still a priority,
but the city needs more buses and it the
recommendation from the administration
is to do this as part of a corridor with
buses rather than at a spot location.
I'm going to talk a little bit about the
project TR012,
the front and sunset left turn
improvement projects. So, this has been
a concurrency project in our long-term
project list for many, many years. And
it came to the forefront in 2023 when
the administration did a transit study
that looked at improvements that the
city can do to help improve access,
speed, and reliability of transit. And
this is an intersection that has
currently the 554 bus coming from
Newport Way onto Sunset and then
continuing up to the Highlands and then
in reverse. And then starting this fall,
the revised 556 bus is going to go along
Gilman and then front to Sunset and then
likewise in reverse. And so this project
is intended to improve the speed and
reliability of the bus routes along
here. And what it will do is redesign
the intersection on the west leg for
eastbound traffic. It'll add a through
right turn lane and then have a
standalone left turn lane. And then
what's called phase two. And depending
on what the traffic analysis and the
cost estimate determined as well as a
grant application. Oops.
Hold on.
Stop sharing. Just give me a minute. Oh,
it is not letting me share.
There we go.
All right. Oh, you're back.
>> Wonderful.
And so then the phase the second part of
this project would work on the east leg
of this intersection where it would
convert the existing right turn lane
into a right through lane and then the
existing
through left turn lane would become a
left turn lane. And these improvements
will reduce congestion for everyone at
the intersection, but especially for the
bus movements.
Some of the Now I'm going to talk about
some of the primary drivers for changes
to existing projects. And that one of
the things that we did for the two
Newport projects, the SR900 to 54th and
Maple to Sunset, we created and as well
as the strategic small capital project,
what I call tiplets. So right now,
Newport Way SR900 to 54th, it is TR022.
Well, what we did is we created TR22A,
TR22B, and TR22C. And the reason why we
did it is that project is going to be
constructed in to phases. And we wanted
to show as part of this update how that
project would get constructed in phases
to add a little bit more transparency.
And then the strategic small capital
project. One of the things that this
update did is it identified some
larger small projects that would be good
candidates for the transportation
improvement board's complete streets
grant. And one of the things that the
transportation improvement board likes
is to see projects listed in the public
agency's tip. And so we want to start
listing those to help improve our
chances of receiving external funds as
well as to also show the community the
specific small improvements that the
administration is planning to make.
I mentioned a little bit about TR 101
that that project was moved up in order
to
get permitted before changes to the
storm water requirements.
Um, additional costs were added to
TR033.
That's the Black Nugget retaining wall
to based on where the design's at, the
cost estimate has increased. And then TR
80, 90, 91, and 92. These are all the IT
replacement projects, and those have
been updated based on the current
replacement schedules.
The projects listed here are the ones
that the administration is proposing to
use transportation benefit district back
for that is signalization project at the
intersection of front street and
dogwood. This is one that the
administration has heard a lot from the
transportation advisory board that this
is a priority project.
TR23A Newport Way Maple to Sunset. Um,
next one is a big priority for the
administration. TR028,
Northwest Seamish Road Non-motorized
Improvement Project.
TR99, this is a bridge scour repair
project
for the bridge that goes over Isawak Paw
Creek along Southeast 56th Street. It's
to help protect the
lightweight film material on the east
side of the creek um from potential
damage due to creek scour and the TR 101
190th place and 191st Avenue project.
something to consider for the
transportation benefit district back
debt. The TBD sales tax expires in 2034
and the council at that time may choose
to reauthorize the tax or not.
If the tax is renewed, then TBD revenues
can likely support any debt issued for a
project throughout the life of the debt
service. However, if the tax is not
renewed, then the debt service for these
projects will need to be paid for from
another source such as the general fund.
The transportation improvement program
went to both the transportation advisory
board as well as the environmental
board. I'm going to talk a little bit
about the feedback that the
administration got from those boards. On
March 25th, the administration presented
the tip to the tab and generally the
feedback supported the proposed changes.
Some of the members on the tab
questioned the criteria from the
mobility action plan
and increasing wanted to increase the
objectivity to the criteria in the
mobility action plan that was used to
evaluate these projects. And some
members had questions about the use of
debt as a financial practice and
expressed concerns about additional
non-permeable payment.
The board also highlighted safety
concerns and a preference for bicycle
and pedestrian facilities as a priority
in the tip.
On April 16th of this year, the tip was
presented to the environmental board and
again the environmental board generally
supported the proposed tip updates.
Members noted several corridors for
additional bicycle facilities and the
potential to protect and enhance tree
canopy throughout the tip. and board
members had questions about specific
projects, jurisdiction working with King
County Metro and East Scooter programs.
And then on May 12th, the TIP was
presented to the mobility and
infrastructure committee. And again, the
support was generally or the the
committee generally supported the tip
updates. Members noted the importance of
having the Northwest Seamish Road
non-motorized improvement project as
part of the 2027 to 2028 operating
budget.
Not losing bicycle and pedestrian
facilities while focusing on congestion
relief. And there's a brief discussion
on impact fees.
The direction that the administration is
seeking from the council
are the major themes and changes with
this update. Specificly,
the emphasis on smaller scale projects,
the prioritization of maintenance over
new construction, and the use of debt
specifically
funded by the transportation benefit
district
with tax revenue that is scheduled to
sunset. And we did add a slide to the
presentation to talk about projects that
add bicycle and pedestrian facilities. I
know there are some concerns based on
the performance metrics that were
reported out. And so the proposed
six-year transportation improvement
program has over 16,000 ft of bikeways
proposed to be constructed. And I've got
a list here of the projects that make
improvements to pedestrian or bicycle
facilities.
The timing and next steps.
Right now, we're here on June 1st to
conduct a public hearing.
And then on June 15th, the
administration is going to propose
council adopt the
transportation improvement program. And
then once it's adopted within 30 days,
the administration will
submit the six-year tip to the state.
And that concludes my presentation.
>> Thank you very much, John. Council
member Joe is chair of the mobility
infrastructure committee. Would you like
to summarize the committee's
recommendations on this item?
>> Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Uh we reviewed uh
this particular topic at our mobility
and infrastructure meeting on May 12th.
Um it does highlight uh some of the
topics that were discussed at our May
9th retreat. We appreciate the uh
administration's efforts to find small
projects that we can get done in a
timely manner to show that we're making
improvements uh to transportation in the
city of Isiqua so that people that live
in the city are able to get from point A
to point B, whether it's from school to
Costco or whether it's from um you know
um Target over to uh the the the park
and ride or the park and ride in the
Highlands. Um so we do appreciate the uh
emphasis on the Dogwood uh intersection
stoplight and the sunset stoplight as
well. Um the committee was generally in
favor of the proposal from the
administration. uh there was an emphasis
on um exploring and continuing to
explore uh other ways to get funding
including councilmatic bonds in the
future as a point of conversation for us
so we can continue to make those
improvements along the way. Um, I won't
speak directly for uh, Council President
Marts, but he did uh, put in a pitch for
uh, Council Matter Bonds. And uh, also
wanted to talk a little bit about the
the wall behind Fred Meyer and the
potential uh, liability and the
potential way that we need to seek
additional funding from our partners
with with King County. But overall, the
committee was generally in favor of of
this going forward. Thank you.
>> Excellent. Thank you very much. Uh,
okay. With that, I'm going to open this
public hearing at 7:58 p.m. and we're
going to go back to audience comments.
If you're joining virtually, uh, please
raise your virtual hand or send the host
a chat message. And
clerk Mueller, do we have folks signed
up in the room for audience comments?
>> I don't see anyone at this time with a
raised hand uh virtually. Uh we did have
one individual sign up uh online. Um I'm
unsure if they are virtual or in person.
I have Earl Pigot.
Looking for Earl.
Not seeing Earl online or in person. Is
there anybody in the room who has a
desire to speak in the transformation?
Oh, come on up.
Let's go to the lectern in the middle
and you just have to hit the button.
Thank you. Um, there's a a dangerous
turn on Newport Way.
>> Can you please state your name in
relation I'm so sorry. I do this
relation to the city. Thanks.
>> I'm Margaret Escobar and I live on
Squawk Mountain and I've lived in Isiqua
for
um 25 30 years. Um there's a dangerous
turn of where um sunset goes into
Mountain Park Drive and crosses Newport
Way. I live up on Squawk Mountain and so
I've seen numerous accidents there. Um
both lefts are dangerous. Both if you're
um going straight across and people are
making lefts in front of you. If you're
making a left onto Mountain Park Drive
from Newport Way, um there's a kind of a
rise and you can't see the car coming
and people are very impatient. I mean,
I've seen probably weekly almost hitting
each other and I've seen several um
dangerous
um accidents over the years. Um is there
a plan to put dedicated red light left
turns on that crossing? It's pretty
crowded. It's pretty well traveled and
there's no dedicated like left like you
have to make a left and judge traffic in
order to to it in all the directions. I
think it would be um I know it's costs
money but it would be a move to make the
city safer.
Excellent. Thank you very much. We're
nor what I would suggest is leave your
contact information with our city clerk
and uh and then we can get back to you
in terms of your specific ask and uh by
email. Thank you very much.
>> Is there anybody else in the room who
would like to make
comments? Okay, not seeing any.
The audience comments are now going to
be closed. City council, is there any
objection to closing the public hearing?
Okay, not seeing any. The public hearing
is now closed. We are now going to go to
council questions
uh for John.
Looking looking
council member Nichols.
Thank you. Um first of all, thank you
for the great presentation and all the
work that's gone into this, all the
feedback that's been requested and
implemented. Uh the first question I've
got is on that feedback. Uh one of the
things that you mentioned was that for
both TAP and the environmental board
that they highlighted safety concerns
and a preference for additional bike and
pedestrian facilities as raising in
priority in the tip. Um I appreciated
the list of uh projects that you
presented that included elements that
touch on our uh pedestrian and bike
facilities. Uh but I wanted to know what
was altered in the plan as a result of
that feedback. What was brought was
anything altered to incorporate their
feedback versus what they were
originally presented with.
There were no alterations based on that
feedback.
>> Is there an opportunity to take their
feedback into account and
rep prioritize based on the the board
and commission's feedback?
My preference would be to if there is a
change in the prioritization to include
it as part of the budget deliberations
for the 2027 to 28 budget bienium
budget. Um just because and yes the tip
could technically be changed but my
recommendation would be to if there are
if there is a desire to make changes to
the transportation projects in the next
two years to do it as part of the budget
process not as part of the tip process
but
I think both are possible.
Councilor Walsh.
>> Thank you. Um John, I'm wondering toward
that same concept of pedestrian bike
infrastructure and all of that. Um
how should we determine or kind of
understand the fact that we have
separate um impact fees set up for bike
and pedestrian versus transportation?
Um, do we have a sense whether or not
having a specific much smaller budget
for bike and pedestrian infrastructure
increases
um access to funding for that type of
project or whether it decreases their
focus um within the larger
transportation budget? Do we know how
that funding model impacts our choice of
projects and whether or not we can
effectively do something?
>> Oh, thank you very much. I I love that
question, Council Member Walsh. Um, I'll
try and be concise and not go on too
long of a rant here. Um, because this is
something that I'm really excited for.
So the way Isqua has it right now is
long time ago a council decided that
wanted to fund non-motorized projects
and so the city has a
bike ped mitigation fee that funds bike
ped projects and then as part of our
transportation concurrency where there's
an adopted level of service at
intersections We have traffic impact
fees. And then
I will say that traffic impact fee
funded projects do include bike ped
facilities like Newport Way. Uh the
challenge that we have with the bike ped
mitigation fees is it's a short list of
projects and the city has not updated
the traffic impact fees or bike ped
mitigation fees since 2019.
And since 2019, the city has done a lot
of work to prioritize multimodal
transportation. And the projects that we
want to do with the
non-motorized fees are different than
what we wanted to do back in 2019. And
so the challenge is is there's a short
list and not a lot of the projects on
that list are the projects that we're
hearing from the community that the
community wants us to build. So the
administration has also heard from the
city council a desire to lower traffic
impact fees. And there's been some
changes in state law since the city last
adopted traffic impact fees in 2019. And
that trafficked impact fees can also be
used to construct bike and ped
facilities um that are standalone bike
ped facilities, not just tied to
capacity projects for cars. And so I
think that in the future a good policy
discussion would be how to go about
looking at possibly lowering the traffic
impact fees. What does the city want for
concurrency and how those could be
utilized whether it's for a congestion
relief project for growth from
development or how it could be used for
bike ped facilities. And so I hope I'm
answering your question, but that's how
I see it.
>> Okay. I really appreciate that related
to um the you know what our financial
situation is with this separation and
hearing that we can use some of those
traffic impact fees or mitigation fees
for bike and pedestrian um pieces. But I
think I also heard and I just want to
clarify there that maybe we don't have
the most upto-date list of bike and
pedestrian projects that the community
has said that they're interested in
included in this tip and so is there a
plan to
do a better job of updating that and
maybe taking the the feedback that we
heard from TAB. So I would say that the
projects in the tip are ones that are
community priority that the ones that
are it's the list of projects that can
use the bike ped mitigation fees are
not necessarily the ones that are the
highest priority right now. And I also
would say that when the city updates the
traffic impact fees, one of the things
that I would want to evaluate is merging
those two programs together now that
there's been a change in state law. So I
would say that the six-year tip has a
lot of the community's non-motorized uh
priorities. For example, there's a
project to do a interim sidewalk project
on Isqua Pine Lake Road. That's one in
the nine years I've been with the city.
I've been hearing over and over again
residents saying, "We just want to walk
to the Highlands and then I'd have to
tell them, well, we got this $17 million
project." And then they would say, "I
don't want to wait. I just want to
safely walk." So trying to
implement these projects that we've been
hearing from the community. It just is
instead of using well that wouldn't be a
location probably to use mitigation fees
but u trying to utilize the revenue that
the city has to the best extent possible
to meet the community's desires is what
we're always working for with this
transportation improvement program.
>> All right. Uh so actions being requested
at the June 15th city council meeting.
However, if you have feedback on the
major themes and changes with this
update, this is sort of the time to
share that feedback. Uh,
and oh, Council President Marks.
So, uh, I I had a whole stem winder of a
speech at committee. Um, I'm going to
save that stemwinder speech if I need it
on the 15th. I'm meeting with manager
Mortonson and Director Moon earlier on
the day on the 15th. And uh I I will
just I'll save my STEM minder speech.
It's about TTRO28, which has been uh I
won't go into it. We all know how I feel
about TTRO 28 and how long we've been
waiting uh to uh put sidewalks into uh
South Cove. So hopefully my conversation
will go well and I won't ever share with
that stemwinder speech again. Thank you.
Well, I think and the administration's
been very public that the 2728 budget is
going to fund through bonding the TBD
tax that non-motorized improvement so
they can get into the town. Uh, Council
Member Boyd,
>> um, I have a question, John, and if you
can't answer it, then I I apologize for
not asking you in advance. Um, not
keeping to the no surprises rule here,
but just about the Black Nugget
retaining wall. You mentioned that um
cost has gone up since initial
estimates, but um I know back um on my
TAB days, we had looked at a couple
different alternatives and I don't know
if the cost increased. Uh does it get to
either of those alternatives? I believe
the lowest cost alternative had been
chosen, but if you could just give a
little more context on that, I'd
appreciate it.
>> Yeah, it so the preferred alternative
that is proceeding with design, it is
the lowest cost one. Um, the solution is
to build a retaining wall in front of
the existing retaining wall and the
costs are just due to geotechnical
conditions and needing to do more work
for that.
>> Okay, Council Member Nichols,
>> one more and this is on how things come
off. Um,
are we going to take some things off of
the tip at some point? that I mean the
one that pops out to me is the central
multimotal crossing. Um I wasn't on
council at the time but my recollection
of council's reaction to that was uh not
positive. Um
to be um not as blunt as I could be um
and it's also extremely large. I think
that was hund00 million or something
like that. So that has 20 I think
>> lots of lots of things. Um, when are we
get are we planning to re to address
some of those things that are likely not
within
the realm of things that the council or
the city will actually take on?
>> The answer to that is as part of looking
at the traffic impact fees that will be
considered. And so whenever we do a
concurrency update, we always like to
look at a few of the projects and see if
they are needed or not needed. And the
last concurrency update, a project was
eliminated along Northwest Mammoth Road
that would have widened the already wide
road, one more lane in each direction.
Um, but in order to look at which ones
to take off, it needs to be done
holistically because right now the city
hasn't adopted level of service of at
signalized intersections of D or better
except for six locations where they can
be at E or F. And so if we start taking
projects off, we need to be careful to
make sure that
the city is either able to still meet
the adopted level of service or to
consider other things. So, um, and I
don't know what would happen if the city
does not construct the I90 crossing, but
some of the things that I would want to
look at are when the city got its
regional growth designation, one of the
requirements was to have a crossing of
I90. So, I'd want to have a conversation
with PSRC to see, okay, is that still
the case? Because I'd want the council
to know that as how it would impact
future things with the ESQUA. And then
I'd also want to know, okay, if we don't
construct it, what happens to the rest
of the transportation system because it
does carry a lot of cars in our future
traffic model. Um, also understanding
that it is really expensive and it does
make the traffic impact fees more
expensive. So would the council I if if
and this is a big if if removing that
project would make it so that way
intersections were no longer meeting the
level of service. There's a couple of
levers the council could say well we
want to increase the assumption of trips
that will be done by transit bicycle
walking and then maybe that might solve
it. It could be that the council could
say well we want a lower level of
service because we want we don't want to
do this project. So maybe the level of
service becomes E instead of D. So
there's a number of possible outcomes
that got to go through a policy
discussion before we can start
eliminating those long-term bigger
projects.
>> Deputy President Jen.
>> Um so kind of going on to that policy
question. I mean, so it seems like we're
currently evaluating transportation
projects based on, you know, how well
car traffic is moving through our city.
And given, you know, our future vision
for what type of community we want
around light rail, given, you know, we
have climate goals, presumably we
probably want to reduce vehicle miles
traveled. And so I'm wondering, you
know, is that ever included as a metric
for evaluating transportation projects?
And if so, you know, how would that get
into the policy conversation?
I
>> I'll answer it two ways. So, the first
way is here at Isiqua, we have as part
of the Isqua climate action plan, a goal
to reduce vehicle miles traveled. I
forget the details, but there is a goal
for a reduction and u
we're working on ways to measure it.
Right now, there's regional ways to
measure it. We recently, as of today,
got access to a software subscription
that I think will allow us to be able to
measure vehicle miles traveled. So
that's what we're currently doing to
look at vehicle miles traveled. And then
there are some agencies like the city of
Seattle where instead of having their
level of service be delay at an
intersection, it is vehicle miles
traveled. And so that could be an
alternative. Um, there would be pros and
cons that could be discussed as part of
a policy discussion.
>> Great. Thank you. And do you have a
sense of when that policy discussion
might occur?
>> Well, I will I don't know the exact
schedule. I've been working on it. I do
know that the council did say that
lowering traffic impact fees by the end
of 27 was a very high priority.
>> City administrator.
>> Yes. Thank you, Mr. Mayor, members of
the council. Uh the planning development
environment committee has tasked staff
to uh sort through this uh issue of the
uh all of our impact fees. Um we are
hoping to come back to the committee in
the next 60 days with some ideas with
that. I mean what we are struggling with
is uh the desire to perhaps change the
the trajectory of some of our projects
along with the desire to charge less
fees. And so um we're going to be
bringing some options to PTE. I think at
that point the committee can decide if
they wish to move this up to the full
council for discussion uh or uh discuss
it in committee for some time. But uh
what we're certainly hearing from
planning development environment is is
they would like us to address the impact
fee question sooner than later.
>> Great. Thank you,
>> Council President Marks.
So, I want to expand on uh council
member Nichols comments on the central
Isiqua multimmoal I90 crossing. Uh yes,
your memory is correct. Um it wasn't
necessarily that the council I don't
think the council expressed an opinion
about having a I90 crossing. They
expressed an opinion about the study
that was commissioned and presented to
us and the majority of the council, as I
recall, did not like that study and
chose not to formally accept it. I
believe we paid the nice people uh their
bill, but uh we did not want that study
entered into the record because we had
such concerns about the contents of that
study. Um you know, it is interesting to
hear that that is an essential part of
the future of the city because as I
recall, one of the things that we did
not have in that was a full traffic
study. We did not torsten the problem,
right? Torstston being our uh traffic
consultant who does such amazing studies
for us. I don't believe we got levels of
service associated with that potential
overcrossing and this was one of the
challenges um that this council
considered when choosing not to formally
accept that study. So, um, if in fact
the administration at some point wants
to come back and revisit this topic, um,
I think that a a a pretty comprehens
comprehensive conversation needs to
occur about what that study would need
to contain um to get a a more favorable
response uh from the council. Thank you.
Well, I think I share your concerns that
the project does not seem financially
feasible, but I think to John's point is
we make those kind of changes, we have
to do it thoughtfully to understand the
impact. So, I think that's the plan as
we move forward this year is to figure
out Yeah. what the impacts are. Is it
Yeah, I think there is agreement that
projects
>> Mr. Mayor.
>> Oh, yeah.
>> Director Moon, who's in the audience,
good evening. uh has texted me to let me
remind me that the the city council did
accept the pro uh uh report but not the
recommendations on the report. So just
to make sure that the record's clear,
>> I stand corrected.
>> Uh
okay. So I guess the the guidance we're
looking to get is if this returns on the
June 15th meeting, would after this
discussion having just happened, would
it would the preference to have it be on
consent or on regular business? And I
will reiterate that the budget will 100%
fund TR028 and finally build the trail
from South Copen to town. But once
again, this is looking for guidance.
Council member Joe.
>> Mr. Mayor, I would ask that the public
hearing remain open and that we continue
it to the next council meeting so that
public can have time to analyze this and
then come back and comment and then we
can close it out on the regular agenda
at the next meeting. Be my preference.
Is there a second?
>> Second. There's
>> been a motion and a second. All those in
favor of continuing the public hearing,
please say I.
>> I.
>> I.
>> All those opposed. Nay. Okay, that
passes unanimously. So, we will continue
the public hearing on the tip and then
we will come back on June 15th and we
will have another opportunity for public
input and then at that point the plan
will be to to then go to regular
business and the council can adopt the
DIP or not at that stage. Excellent.
Okay. So, that concludes
that discussion item. We're now going to
go to regular business. Agenda Bill 9178
is Squad Police Department's
Congressional Community Appropriations
Grant. We're gonna have Dale Marky Crim.
We go. Thank you, Mr. Mayor, members of
the council. uh Dale Marquee Crimp,
assistant to the city administrator. Uh
and I am here tonight to present on the
Isiqua Police Department's uh
congressional community appropriations
grant.
The purpose of my presentation this
evening is twofold. One is to seek the
council's approval uh for the acceptance
of the grant uh for conducted energy
devices. I will also uh like Sergeant
Asel call them tasers for the remainder
of the presentation. um for the Isqua
Police Department and to PA seeking uh
council passage of a proposed resolution
outlining the terms of the grant
acceptance, the cancellation of the
flock safety memorandum of understanding
and uh setting a policy requirement uh a
policy adoption requirement for any city
action on automated license plate reader
technology.
Bless you. I don't know where it came
from, but bless you.
Um, the administration is recommending
that the city council approve the
resolution accepting the grant funds and
outlining how the grant funding will and
will not be spent.
But first, a little bit of background or
a lot of bit of background.
So, in taking us all the way back um to
January 2025,
potentially late December 2024, when the
Isqua Police Department was first
considering applying for this grant, um
at the time they actually initially were
considering two separate applications,
one for tasers and one for ALPR
technology.
In conversation with Representative
Shrier's office, the administrator of
the grant, uh it was recommended to them
to combine those two requests into one
single request. Also, it became clear to
the police department at the time that
they were considering this that while
the council was likely quite familiar,
we found out at the last meeting some
very familiar with tasers um on the
receiving end of a taser, um they were
probably less familiar with ALPR
technology and that whether or not our
grant application was accepted, whether
or not that grant application was then
funded, the police department did need
to come to the council to share about AL
LPR technology in the first place, even
though the city had no money at the time
to fund it. Then you can see this
beautiful green line in the middle of
this lovely timeline.
It's meant to represent a long gap, but
it is a very short line. The city was
notified in January of 2026
uh that the the grant request was going
to be funded. This is kind of a long
delay. Um but a lot of time had passed
and a lot had happened in the community
between the original submission of the
grant and finding out that it had been
funded. Um as is shared in the materials
for tonight. Um not only did we have um
act federal immigration enforcement
activity in our community um that really
called into question the safety,
security, and data privacy of flock
safety camera systems. Um, we also had a
new mayor who had an opportunity to meet
with the police department and get clear
on what their priorities were, what the
funding needs were, and what technology
was most needed by the department.
Simultaneously,
uh, around this early January time, our
state legislature was considering
regulation at the state level of ALPR
technology.
So, um, in March and April, we heard
from the community loud and clear, um,
and also members of the council that
there was some extreme reservation
around the city's adoption of ALPR. The
mayor also met with the police
department to get clear with them on how
they wanted to use this money that had
been awarded. And on April 6th, IPD
knowing that um tasers were the singular
priority for them at this point, um they
went back to Axon, who is the supplier
of our taser and our bodywn camera
equipment to get an up-to-date uh quote
about how much it would cost. At that
point, uh, the IPD realized or learned
from Axon that the cost of the tasers,
as originally quoted, were going to take
up nearly all of the gr awarded grant
money. And so they explored other
options for how they might spend the
very small amount, the just over 4,500
remaining dollars in this grant award.
on May 11th, uh folks much closer to
this technology than I came and
presented to the council about both the
grant and the proposal to the new
proposal which I have on the next slide
um on how to spend the money.
So again, just to reiterate as a bit of
background, um there was an initial uh
request
that was made in the grant um
application for tasers and for flax
safety cameras.
That request was updated um when we went
back to Axon to request a new quote for
tasers, finding that it would take
nearly all of the appropriated dollars
of the grant towards tasers.
It was then decided that a better spend
of that remaining $4,500 would be on
replacing um the recently uh broken
interview room camera system in our
police department.
Before I talk very briefly about tasers,
it should be um reiterated the city then
went back to Representative Shrier's
office to ensure that this was an okay
change. That money was granted. it would
this be an okay change to how we spend
the money and that was approved
and now actually Representative Shrier's
website reflects that change as well.
So just a a quick reminder on tasers,
why why the city is requesting money for
tasers, why this was a really important
financial request through this
appropriations um grant. So, as it was
presented by Sergeant Asbel, someone
much more an expert in tasers than I,
um, in consultation with the mayor
earlier this year, they emphasized that
taser replacement was essential at this
point. We have a number of tasers that
are getting very close to or slightly
past their useful life, um, which
reduces safety for both the community
and our officers.
New tasers, as we learned about on May
11th, um provide added safety for our
community and our officers through
updated ways of both signaling that the
uh device is being used and making sure
that it's done successfully and
accurately.
Also, um, and what I thought was was
most exciting, um, as a civilian and
novice, um, is that the these new tasers
would have connectivity to our bodywn
camera system, ensuring that anytime a
taser is taken out of its holster, um,
it activates not just the body camera of
the officer with the taser, but the body
camera of any officers within the
vicinity of the the scene.
And I think it's notable that I'd like
to talk a bit about um the trade-offs
with the ALPR technology and choosing
not to pursue that as part of this grant
process.
Many members of the community, some who
are here tonight, some who are just
here, and oh, some who are standing, um
have shared very clearly their concerns
about the use of ALPR and and of flock
safety systems in particular. Um, while
the original proposal included uh 12
flock safety cameras, this proposal
evolved for valid reasons, not just the
concerns that were named, but also the
the data security and the appropriate
use of the tool. As shared on May 11th,
um, researcher Phil Nef uh shared
research that these systems were being
accessed by federal officers both
through directly and indirectly. um and
the lack of security around how the data
is used and stored brought up a lot of
questions about the technology as it
currently exists. And um as also shared
at that same meeting, ALPR can still be
an invaluable tool for investigative
purposes.
However, no matter the trade-offs, no
matter where you personally fall on the
spectrum of ardent support for ALPR or a
full ban, uh we can all I think agree
that there's a need for a clear policy
that regulates ALPR use in line with
Isiqua's community values before we move
forward in adopting any technology. And
so that's why it came out um of the
proposed use of the grant dollars.
So, the proposal tonight is to approve
the acceptance of the 2026 community
appropriations grant for the purchase of
new tasers and the replacement of
interview room camera equipment.
Specifically, the administration is
recommending that you pass the city
council pass a resolution further
outlining the terms of this grant
acceptance to include the following.
that the money will only be spent on
tasers and interview room camera
equipment that acknowledges the
termination of the city's memorandum of
understanding with flock safety and that
requires an ALPR reader policy be
developed public consider publicly
considered and adopted by ordinance by
city council before any future city
action is taken on this technology.
A bit about why this is the
administration's proposal.
So, we're here June 1. I don't have
quite as uh lovely as a highlight as
John did in his but June 1 today. Um
there are two kind of significant
deadlines that the administration is
working within right now. One is the
June 30th deadline where our current
quote from Axon expires and we would
need to ask for another quote and the
other is the September 30th expiration
of the funds themselves that by which
date we would need to accept those funds
or they we do not get them they go away.
It's not as easy as just saying yes
there is some administrative work that
will need to happen to prepare to
receive to receive the funds. Um, and we
know that I believe a conversation about
automat automated license plate reader
cameras may take longer than a single
meeting. And with this in mind, we want
to make sure that we can act on
accepting the money for the tasers as
quickly as possible and then turn our
focus to making sure we have strong
meaningful policy that regulates a
technology.
So, you can see on here the plan is to
uh come back to council on July 20th to
be able to start that conversation
together as a group.
The options tonight are three-fold. Um
they of course have some nuance within
them, but pass, delay, or do not pass.
The administration is recommending that
we pass the resolution that you pass the
resolution this evening. You may of
course choose to delay, but delaying
risks the taser quote lapsing, the costs
increasing, or missing the window to
accept those grant funds and not
passing. Um, well, I don't think this
has been talked about a ton. Um, the
tasers are going to be in need of
replacement. This is about, you know,
half a million dollars that we have to
accept to spend on essential equipment.
And if we were to choose not to accept
uh the grant award, we would need to
find a new way. The word budget has been
mentioned many times tonight, a new way
to fund this essential purchase um that
would potentially take money out of um
other commitments, whether it be for
police facilities or it be the general
fund at large. So while that might not
happen tomorrow, it will absolutely be
the case over the course of the upcoming
years that this equipment will need to
be replaced.
So again, the recommendation tonight uh
from the administration is to approve
the resolution accepting the grant funds
and outlining how the grant funding will
and will not be spent
and timing and next steps. Following
tonight's meeting, if the resolution is
passed, the administration will take the
necessary administrative steps to accept
the grant award and purchase the tasers.
Um, and also work um to return to the
council when the tasers are purchased.
Given the purchase amount, the dollar
amount is above $300,000, we'd come
back. So, you would know when those are
purchased. And then on the bottom half
of this timeline, you can see the
workaround automated license plate
reader cameras that will come back to
the council. um currently working on uh
some draft policy matrix, but we'll come
back to the council on July 20th to talk
more about that.
And that is where I'll pause.
>> All right. Any questions for Dale?
Looking looking.
There you go, Jay. That is the ultimate
sign of success.
You got in front. Okay. So, not seeing
any questions. Is there a motion?
Council President Marts. I move to
approve resolution number 2026-13
authorizing the acceptance of $452,477
in grant funding from the fisc year 26
discretionary community funding program
for the purchase of tasers and interview
room equipment for the Isiqua Police
Department and restricting any city
action related to automated license
plate reader technology until after a
policy has been adopted by the Isiqua
City Council and authorized the
inclusion of 452,000 $477 in revenues
and related expenditures in a subsequent
2025 2026 budget amendment if needed.
>> Second.
>> All right, there's been a motion and a
second. Is there any council discussion?
Council member Walsh.
>> Thank you, Dale. Great presentation. Um,
I think my concern coming out at this
point was we had talked about this quite
a lot and there was a lot of information
out there. He did a really good job of
explaining to the community that their
message was heard loud and clear and
that not only was that said in words,
but it was also said in the motion and
the way that the presentation was made
to show that okay, not only are we doing
this with the congressional grant
acceptance, but here's the exact pathway
that we are taking. So, thank you very
much for that clarity to the community.
Thank you very much for showing up. Your
voices have been loud and clear and
heard and will be continued to be heard
as we go through the process of adopting
that technology. But this is a check
mark for good community engagement.
Thank you.
>> Thank you very much. Council member
Nichols, you're in the halfway point. I
can't quite tell. Okay, that was okay.
Go go go.
>> Thank you. Um,
didn't I? Yeah. Um, uh, thank you. I
want to second everything that, uh,
Council Member Walsh has stated. Uh,
again, thank you to Dale. Uh, lots of
conversations on this topic over the
past, uh, several months, I think. Um,
and I know you put a ton of time into
this, a lot of work, and, uh, there
you've had to come up to speed on a lot
of new topics as well. Um, also, thank
you to the community for coming out and,
uh, sharing your opinions with us very,
very clearly. Uh, those opinions were
heard, and you can see the results of
those opinions being reflected in what
you're being presented with tonight. Um,
so I'll just be brief and say that I
support the resolution and I'm
comfortable that it satisfies the
community concerns that have come up.
Um, I think this is a a good path
forward, will give us a chance to set
some very clear uh guidelines as
ordinances and uh that we will have more
opportunity for everyone to take a look
at those. They'll be there will be
plenty of time to review them. Uh, and
feedback will again be very uh helpful
in that process. And uh, I appreciate
that y'all will come out for that that
as well. So again, thanks everybody for
the good work and uh all the time that
went into this.
>> Right, Council Member Adair.
>> Yeah, echoing the same thing. I I fully
support this resolution as well as how
you presented it and really made it very
clear to both us, the audience, everyone
who on how we how we got to here, what's
been done and and addressing all their
concerns. And the only thing I'm just
going to really add is just further
encouragement to the community to reach
out to us, to talk to others about what
you want this ordinance to look like.
Um, I personally have a lot of questions
in how to shape this and how how we
address these technology concerns while
helping public safety and what that
looks like. And I'm not positive what it
looks like yet. And so I encourage the
community to continue to reach out to
us, but also to you the rest of the
community so that everyone can give us
that feedback so that we can draft
something that really reflects what our
community needs. So thank you.
>> All right. Thank you very much. Oh,
Council President Marts.
Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Uh, first and
foremost, I want to thank the public.
You know, we are not done uh with the
subject of ALPRs. We This is um to quote
my favorite politician, this is not the
end. Uh this is not the beginning of the
end, but this is perhaps the end of the
beginning. That's Winston Churchill. Uh
so, but the public has been both
consistently passionate and extremely
focused in its feedback. I mean, I I am
I am always sensitive to what uh the
community hears and what our um city
employees hear and and what I have heard
is a real respect for the IPD, but a
real concern about this technology. And
I think that fundamental um point is
extremely important for for everyone to
understand. I want to thank my fellow
council members on this issue. you know,
later on a different issue, you're going
to hear me say that, you know, talk
about the three biggest issues that
we've had as a city in the 17 years that
I've been on. I consider this one of the
three. And the fact that three
ostensively four of our council members
are relatively new um to the council is
is is really quite extraordinary to have
such a major issue come up with so many
um essentially new council members um
and yet still be able to find um the
important conversations with the
administration. Again, we're not done
with this topic tonight, but we're
taking a major step forward in both
addressing community concern and council
concern. So, I want to thank my fellow
council members for this important
discussion and of course I'll be
supporting this. Thank you.
>> Thank you, Council Member Boyd.
>> Thank you, echoing all the thanks for
the um detailed, incredible work that
staff has done and uh to the community.
Um thank you so much for your feedback.
Um and uh again I welcome echo council
member Adair of um
help your feedback will help build what
ultimately our guard rails will be on
any future technology. And uh I've often
uh for me sometimes it's easier to you
know definitively say what we don't
want. I think the community has
definitively said what they do not want
and then sometimes the more difficult
work is deciding what we do want. And so
I look forward to our future policy
conversation on that. Thank you.
>> Thank you very much. And Dale, congrats.
You've been a rock star through this
whole process. And uh if we gave out
gold stars, you would get a gold star.
Uh maybe we should start giving out gold
stars Wally.
Okay. There's no further discussion. The
motion for the council is to approve
resolution number 2026-13 authorizing
the acceptance of $452,477
in grant funding from the fiscal year 26
discretionary community funding program
for the purchase of tasers and interview
room equipment for the Esqua Police
Department and restricting any city
action related to automated license
plate reader technology until after a
policy has been approved by the city
council and authorized the inclusion of
$452,477
in revenues and related expenditures in
a subsequent 2026 budget amendment if
needed. All those in favor, please say
I.
>> I.
>> All those opposed, nay. And that passes
unanimously. Uh the next item of
business is ID 2037 Eastside Fire and
Rescue Long-Term Governance and
Financing Options. And our city
administrator is going to give us a
briefing.
I was just concerned about our facility
staff waiting through this for the next
position, but they said they're okay. Uh
Mr. Mayor, members of the council, good
evening. Uh we've placed on the agenda
this evening at the request of Mayor
Mullet and the council leadership a
discussion regarding East Side Fire and
Rescue uh future organization and
finance issues. Chief AO, thank you for
for coming this evening. I think he did
a nice job of kind of setting uh context
to this. Uh council member Walsh has
shared uh updates uh with the Epher
board's discussions over the last uh
couple of months, but it was the feeling
of Mayor Mullet and council leadership
that perhaps this was an opportune time
for the council to have a larger
discussion about where we are at this
point, what the council feels it needs
uh to instruct its representatives on
the Ephraer board as these discussions
move forward. So, uh, that really is the
the presentation, Mr. Mayor. Um, we're
certainly happy to answer any questions.
Uh, Kristen was on the call, she's no
longer. Uh, but, uh, we'll be happy to
answer any questions, but certainly, I
think between yourself, uh, Council
President Mart, you could lead the
discussion, uh, from the the the talks
that were had last week.
Council President Marter, the uh
I think the fairy board is obviously
going to make a fairly large decision to
decide kind of as we heard I think from
Chief Ajo during the public comments in
terms of the three options going
forward. And I think at council
leadership meeting last week on
Wednesday, I think it was discussed that
well as council president Mars just said
like four of our council members are
fairly new in this process. And I think
the kind of discussion was to maybe
discuss if the council is ready to have
an opinion on those three options
already or if the council would like to
kind of request to get more information
from East Side Fire and Rescue at a
committee the whole meeting so they can
understand kind of what the different
permutations and options look like and
what the impacts are to the community.
And I think that's what prompted this
discussion. And I see council member
Walsh who is our rep bunny side fire and
rescue. Council member Walsh.
>> Thanks. Um, I just wanted to start with
kind of a clarification on what the June
meeting is, but also I'm just very
excited and passionate about this. And
so, I'm sorry if some of my lengthy
updates have given the impression that
things are moving really quickly or that
we're hitting a point of no return. Um,
the Ephro board has really tried to take
a very intentional path in having this
conversation. As some of you who were on
council last uh budget cycle know, we've
had some really difficult budget
seasons. Um, and seeing those costs
increase has been really difficult. East
Side Fire and Rescue really was
established
as an innovation in bringing together,
you know, regional governance for a fire
service, but we did so before the state
had any kind of revenue levers. And so
what we got was this really great cost
savings from shared services. and we end
up with, you know, more services than we
could necessarily do with an individual
fire service. That's why we've seen so
many cities and fire districts move
toward this east side fire and rescue
model. But what we didn't get was any
additional revenue levers. And so when
the state developed this idea of
regional fire authorities, we saw a lot
of communities and fire districts
adopting this. But what East Side Fire
and Rescue tried to do was this very
intentional path of saying, "Okay,
what's our problem statement that's
around these budget issues and that's a
similar um and then reviewing all of our
limited options." So, I'll put it out
there. There's basically three options.
Stay the course and continue having all
of the cities and fire districts fund
via just their revenue model. The second
one is consolidate into a fire district.
Um that gives us additional revenue
options, but we lose a lot of governance
because none of us can represent on that
board. It just becomes an elected fire
district board. And then the third is
explore a regional fire authority that
can give us some of the governance
options as well as um the additional
financing levers. There's a few other
pieces and you know tweaks in there but
those are the three main ideas. So we
were reviewing those limited options and
then discussing the pros and cons of
each of them from three different
perspectives. the residents, what do
they get if we make a change? The
jurisdictions, you know, the cities and
the fire districts and also East Side
Fire and Rescue. So, I wanted to start
with why you've been hearing a lot about
that is because East Side Fire and
Rescue Board has been going through that
conversation and educating ourselves so
that we can make an educated movement
forward. That being said,
the decision point for Epher on June
11th is a vote merely to approve
that the chief begin education of our
member jurisdictions, which is the city
and fire districts.
There is no vote saying
regional fire authority is it all of
that. That decision is the cities and
the fire districts. Um, but we wanted to
ensure that the board's questions were
answered and we could kind of agree on a
general direction before asking the
chief to go into all of those
discussions which we're proposing would
happen from July to October. Um, so I
guess I I want to clarify that the
decision point
is direction and education, but our
direction to the chief is going to be
that each of the cities and fire
districts should go through the full
pros and cons of all of these options
along with the board's recommendation
because it would be too difficult to it
it wouldn't be true to just give one
recommendation and not have that full
conversation out there. Um, and Isiqua
maintains the decision authority on
whether to join a planning committee to
create a fire district or a regional
fire authority. Once something like that
is created, it's about 18 months of
detailed work on what are all of the
levers, what are all of the pieces, and
then everything would go in front of
voters if we went down um that path. So,
happy to answer any questions. I'm sure
the chief can answer a lot of questions,
but I just wanted to clarify there are
no
decisions
in June at the Eastside Fire and Rescue
that tie Isaakqua's hands. It's just
whether or not we feel that we're ready
um from an eastside fire and rescue
perspective for the chief to go out and
start the conversation with each of the
cities.
>> Okay. before I call on Council President
Martz, but I think I mean if I'm looking
at Chief Ajo correctly from his public
comments, I thought there was at the
June 11th meeting going to be a request
to pick one of those three options as a
initial
study path. Is that correct? Mhm.
>> My direction to the chief as vice chair
was that we as a board from Epher make a
recommendation
of a path and use that and present all
of the options to each of the cities
because there is no locking in on
anything because each of the cities
would have to choose to join a planning
committee.
>> Okay. And I'll turn to Council President
Marts. I think at leadership the
discussion was it seemed like the order
was kind of flip-flopped. It seemed like
it would be like let's have the
discussion with the council of how the
options look so the council could kind
of weigh in. But go President Council
President Marts.
>> So I'm a former member of East Side Fire
and Rescue board. Um I I think there's a
lot there's a lot of questions. I don't
know I don't really understand the the
timing all that well right at the
moment. I guess I'm a visual person. and
I like presentations. Um, at the heart
of it, um, and I'm not arguing one way
or the other. I'm just
enunciating the the questions I guess
that I have. At the heart of it, it's a
decision about continuing to carry this
cost ourselves or to potentially move to
an option where somebody else carries
those costs, right? With legislated
options that are different than us
carrying those costs. Um, one of the
things that I haven't seen, I've heard
whispers. People who are for say one
thing, people who are against say
another thing. I would really love to
see comps. I would really love to see
what the actual costs of fire districts
are for residents. What the actual costs
of RFAS are for residents versus the
costs that we have because my
understanding is, and somebody can tell
me if I'm wrong, but we actually
Eastside Fire and Rescue does a pretty
amazing job with the money that it has.
And we have we pay although costs have
been going up um we pay a very
reasonable amount of money still a huge
number but a but for our residents if
you ask our residents how much do you
spend for your $500,000 house or
whatever um that we do very well with
East Side Fire and Rescue. So I that's
part of what I would want to understand
um before going much further. Um and
then I'm still I am honestly still
confused about options and timing. We're
part of a large group. East Side Fire
and Rescue in incorporates three cities
and several fire districts and um
contract cities. And I won't I I tell
you today, I don't really understand how
this, you know, there's game theory on
this whole thing, right? And I don't
really understand how the game theory
works out when there's so many different
organizations, some of whom are not in
as and I hate to use the word rosy
because Wall-E will probably blanch
because I'm sure our finances aren't
really rosy, but our finances are rosy
compared to some of the other partners
in East Side Fire and Rescue and that
gets into some of the conversations. So,
these are all questions that I have and
again I'm not saying we should do one
thing or the other, but they're a bunch
of question marks that I have today
tonight and wondering how we proceed as
a city to get those question marks
answered because I do worry that if we
go down if if East Side as a
organization goes down a certain path,
our options will be limited um after
that decision is made.
>> Thank you, Council Member Boyd.
Um I think it would be helpful for me to
get some clarity when we talk about uh
education. I I guess you can tell me if
my what I'm picturing is correct or not
not of uh if the board effectively gives
their preferred path. Um and then that
means that the chief or representatives
of the chief go to the different member
jurisdictions, cities and the education
portion is them saying this was the
epher board's preferred path. Here are
the other paths and just okay sorry if
I'm just repeating back to you what you
said but okay if that accurately
captures it that's helping me understand
a little better. Thank you. And I think
tonight's discussion is decide if this
council is ready to pick one of those
three preferred paths tonight because
there's not another council meeting
between now and June 11th. So that
decision would have to be made because
Aqua as a member of Epher at this point
is expected to take a position on which
three of those paths to pick and I think
that's the reason we're having this
conversation. Council member Nichols
It seems like there's a good amount of
confusion just around the timing of
different events and when so what the
what so there's confusion around what
the events are, what the timing of those
events are and what the implications of
those events are and also
doors or not. Um that would probably be
a a good presentation. We have a June
8th cow. Um, I appreciate that's not a
scheduled meeting, but that seems like
it might be a good time to if that can
be put together briefly as a overview of
just lay out a calendar. Here's the
decisions that will come. Here's the
ones that are
that we that we really can't walk back
from by statute. Here's the ones that
even though we could walk back from
them, they will h they will put us on a
path that may be harder to walk back
from. and here's the ones that really
are not real decisions at all. They're
moreformational. I think that's the bit
of information that we're lacking at the
moment. Uh I don't think there's any way
we can make a decision tonight. I don't
see how that would be possible. Um but
that seems like the biggest missing
piece that would be good to get out as
soon as possible essentially. Council
member Adair.
>> Uh as uh the other member on East Side
Fire, um I the only thing I'll add to
this in terms of my perspective on it
and the perspective on this decision. Um
you know, I've had discussions with some
members here and I've also, you know,
this has been one of the things on my
mind a lot because I think this is a
very big consequential decision and has
a a ton of complexity to it. So I fully
understand people's confusions, people's
questions on this because every option
has so many different pros and cons and
things to it. So how I've viewed this
June meeting discussion has not been a
this is a point of no return. This is a
um key decision point other than the
board having been presented all the
options. Is there an option that is not
just stay the course that we should add
get more information on? Because one of
the options as mentioned is just stay
the course, leave everything as is. And
so if the board were to decide that,
then everything would stay, nothing
would change. And more that the board's
discussion is about do is any of these
other options worth pursuing? And if so,
we're saying let's pursue one of these
options as a possibility to to do
because everything so many of the
questions to this that what it's going
to cost our residents, what it's going
to be actually can't even fully be known
yet until we into like even like the
planning committee. So, it's more
is this is this something that East Side
Fire should look into and then again
start presenting to the city, start
seeing what city involvement is. And so
that's how I have perceived this this
decision to be made next week is that
are any of these choices worth worth you
know continuing down the path but I do
not see it as any kind of you know
definitive gate that you know requires
anything that is not able to be backed
out of it's really just like should we
proceed should we look into something
that is not stay the course and so
that's how I have kind of perceived this
decision coming up if that helps clarify
anything for anybody else?
>> Council member Joe,
>> thank you. Um,
when I first came on council in 1999, I
didn't request uh East Side Fire and
Rescue as a committee, but I was placed
on East Side Fire and Rescue as as a
committee. And they were going through
the initial growing pains of of a new
organization. And it was um refreshing
and invigorating to see a new
organization get its legs under it under
under it and and to flourish along the
way. But at that time there was and
there always has been discussion of how
to fund the organization, how to
properly make sure that uh all the
members were paying their fair share
etc. This is one avenue of regional fire
authority that needs to be explored and
it was recently put into place by the
legislature. I think we deserve to have
it explored, but we also need to keep in
mind that we probably need more
information. Um,
this last month we we devoted $800,000
in our in our budget to East Side Fire
and Rescue, which amounts to about 13%
of the monthly expenditures. So, it's a
fairly big chunk and we need to make
sure that we understand all the options
before we um give our representatives u
um guidance on how we want to go
forward. So, I would be in favor of
bringing it to a Cal when we have the
appropriate scheduling so that we can
get some of those questions answered. Um
uh and uh I would encourage leadership
to reach out to each of us to um give us
some additional an additional cheat
sheet if you will and then we can ask
our questions from there uh and try to
have a good basis of of uh the issues
that we think are are um at the heart of
things for us right now that can be
discussed at that uh cal whenever it
does get scheduled. Thank you.
Can I ask uh Chief AO would you be able
to answer a question if you I guess on
Council Member Joe's
is there a is is there a time
sensitivity to making this initial
decision on June 11th or is that date
have flexibility to it or what's there I
guess what's the sense like if if the
council were to request to have more
information is it like well we can't
wait because we have to go forward on
June 11th for X Y and Z or what's that
look like? I guess from from Epher's
perspective.
>> Yeah, it's a fair question. Um, excuse
me. Uh, yeah, June 11th is not a a drop
deadad date on that. That was one that
we had um decided upon only because
we've been talking about this since
March as we go through the educational
process. Um, there is two partners that
uh are within East Side Fire and Rescue
that are have already made a decision
and they are moving forward. Um uh
>> is that 38 in in Northbend?
>> Yeah. And so in fact tomorrow night the
city of Northbend is going to appoint
their three planning committee members.
So some of it was to try to get in
alignment uh for the overall
conversation. So there isn't a couple
partners that are getting either too far
out ahead of the rest of either overall.
So we can try to coordinate this as a
concerted effort and maintain East Side
Fire as the original founders were um
deciding uh those we do have some
partners as uh council member Walsh
identified was do have some financial
concerns where they are within two years
that they have to make some decisions.
Um, and being this an 18 months a 2-year
process, uh, the clock is ticking. As
far as East Side Fire, uh, the existing
ILA will expire in 31. So, trying to
coordinate something with, uh, five
partners plus the potential of
incorporating some of the contract
agencies if they so choose, uh, ahead of
the expiration of that ILA can be a
lengthy process. um not only as we
talked about here is educating all of
our elected bodies, but also the
education that the community is going to
to need to understand what the direction
is um from our governing bodies. So
yeah, sorry longwinded.
>> No, no, that's so and then is there an
example like if 38 and Northbend formed
an RFA? Yes, sir.
>> Is there any examples of RF? There's I
mean East Side Fire and Rescue is such a
unique model. I think it was kind of
ahead of its time or still is a unique
model I guess.
>> Yeah.
>> So there's really no examples of RFAS
partnering with like an Epher because
Epher is really one of a kind, right? Is
that fair? So there's really
>> Yeah. There's no other fire departments
districts in Washington state that are
structured the way East Side is.
>> Yeah.
>> So yeah, it's a unicorn from that
standpoint.
>> Yeah. Council member Walsh.
>> Yeah. Uh two statements on this. First
of all, I've talked with the chief. Um
if Northbend and D38 do form an RFA,
they can continue to be a part of East
Side Fire and Rescue even if the other
um jurisdictions do not. That would just
much like we have fire districts that
have um a different funding model and a
fire benefit charge, they could do so
and that would be just their payment.
So, we've asked that question, but one
of the reasons we are moving on this
timeline is because D38
won't have money in two years. And what
does that mean for East Side Fire and
Rescue as an organization? Can we keep
the band together? Can we keep
everything moving? And then if D38 and
Northbend are setting up their own RFA
planning committee,
you know, I know that we could join in
at a later date, but I do get worried
about another organization starting to
make decisions and going down a path
that we then have to push into if we
decide that's the right move for us. So
I think toward what council member Adair
said about the idea of why is the East
Side Fire and Rescue Board making a
decision and a recommendation at this
point is just if we recommend to
continue funding as is. There is no
action for the chief to take to educate
all of the cities and fire districts. If
we do recommend a path forward, then the
goal is to do all of the education on
what are the pros and cons of each of
these
and why the Epher board recommended a
certain path um
but then any organizations can or can't
join in
um or continue paying with the current
model that we have. It just would be it
would continue to take up a very large
portion of our budget if we continue on
um with this same model.
So I guess
Chief Ajo, it seems like the the
decision on June 11 you're saying isn't
like it's not like a drop dead date, but
so the
I guess this would maybe be an offline
conversation. It's just to figure out
like is there time for a committee the
whole discussion to go through some of
the permutations or not. Uh,
and that just becomes a question of what
date makes the most sense for that, I
guess. But council president Marts.
>> Yeah, I just want to plus one council
member Nichols suggestion of bringing it
to a cow, whether it's on the ETH, which
I will unfortunately not be able to
attend, um, or a different date, coming
back with some of the information, in
particular the comps. I I hear council
member Adair. um some of the financials
aren't particularly understood but we
can see right granted epher is a unicorn
okay how do we compare to fire districts
how do we compare to RFAS that are out
there right I have heard a lot of
opinions about RFAS but as you and I
know the the bucks
you the bucks really tell a story all
their own so that plus other
supplemental information um you know I I
mean I hear
There's still this question about game
theory, right? And there's organizations
that are already moving forward and
that's already going to circumscribe
that's already changing the landscape,
but I would like to understand the
landscape um better at that cow whenever
whenever it occurs. Thank you,
>> Council Member Dair. Um, I think my
question is kind of in terms of the
clarity of this discussion we're having
here is that is there are we trying to
get to either an answer on what how
we're supposed to vote on the 11th or
trying to see if East Side Fire can have
not have the decision on that date and
is that what we're trying to get to
today? Um, and that's what I'm trying to
kind of clarify in terms of where where
we're going in today's discussion. um is
yeah what we're trying to say here and
and if if we are saying we need to move
that date is that possible because like
it's not just our voice that's at that
meeting so yeah what that looks like
>> uh deputy president Jay
>> um yeah I think I mean I just want to
reiterate what I think has been said
before which is that this is you know no
matter how you slice it fire is a very
big portion of our city budget second
possibly only to police in terms of our
general so any decision that we make I
do think it is very important that our
whole council is very cleareyed and
knowledgeable about all the different
aspects of it including you know the
funding models what a fire benefit
charge is. I mean I have no idea. So I'm
very much looking forward to being
educated on this. Um I think you know I
I do think it's important for us to as a
council learn about all those different
things before we make a decision one way
or the other. If the decision that's
being made on the 11th really is just,
you know, oh, this is, you know, giving
the chief approval to go to the councils
and educate them about all the different
options. I think that's fine. But I also
think it might be a bit premature to
say, you know, oh, here are the options
that we think are the best ways forward.
I think we do need a full, you know,
exploration of what all the different
options are before we can say, oh, yeah,
this is, you know, the one that we want
to recommend. Unless you know there's
something where it's too too much staff
time to go into all three of those
options in detail and you really can
only choose one. So I guess my question
to you Chief Ajo would be is it
realistic to you know give the full
council an overview of what all the
different options are and what the
potential you know financial etc um
implications would be.
>> Yeah. Uh I already have the PowerPoint
built. We just went through it uh at the
last epher board meeting and I've uh to
answer some of your question, I've
already gone out and started educating
uh some of our contract agencies. In
fact, I've got another presentation to
do tomorrow night uh which is walking
the commission through uh to council
member Walsh's comment earlier. We
didn't want to waste your time if epher
board says no, we're happy with how it
is. So then that puts puts a pin in it
right there. Um, so, uh, it may seem a
little bit out of sequence, um, on
there, but we're just trying to
represect your all of your time.
>> Council member Boyd.
>> Thank you, Chief. If I could ask as the
um I guess newest like alternate member
of the board who hasn't actually had a
meeting yet, could you uh talk a little
bit about the intersections of this um
you know I'm hearing slower decision
point uh with the eerone you know
budgeting process cycle etc.
>> Yeah, those are run uh two independent
timelines. Uh we still have to develop a
2728 budget process. Um uh our first
meeting on that is June 9th with the
subcommittee um uh on that. So the RFA
conversation or the future consideration
conversation
uh that's going to take a lot longer
through the budget process um to come up
with the final determination.
Ideally, we don't have to go through
another budget process like this. Um but
that is a decision for you all to make.
Council member Walsh.
>> Okay. So reiterating what council member
Adair said,
what is the direction for the Epher reps
for this next meeting? and maybe uh
talking to the administration, is it
possible to put something in on the June
8th committee of the whole meeting? I
will say the EA board, it's taken us, I
don't know, probably three or so hours
of education on this to get to the point
where we understand the financials, the
governance model, what the options are,
all of those things. So, I think that
would be a lot to put this council
through on such a quick time frame. But,
I mean, I think council member Walsh,
you just hit kind of the nail on the
head. I think that's why people are
saying, is the June 11th date absolutely
necessary? Because, as I think you just
accurately 100% described, there's two
members of this council who sit on the
Epher board. The presentations have been
very lengthy and complicated. And I
think the conversation of leadership was
can we have one committee the whole
discussion to kind of have a deeper
dive. So the entire council kind of gets
a little more cut up to speed before
there's a you know just trying to I
think I understand your sequencing
question. I think at this point I think
it's uh it's fair to say the education
is not going to be a waste of time. I
think it's going to be valuable. So, I
think the council, every member of the
council feels like they have enough
information to say, "Yes, this makes
sense." And uh I think that would just
be the hope, but I think the the
question is, as you say, we're just one
member of that board. And so, I don't
know if that date can be adjusted to
because I agree with council member
Walsh doing that same and council
president Marks isn't here on the 8th.
So, it would kind of be the committee
the whole
which would be July 13th, I think.
Correct. City administrator would be the
next one after June 8th. And so it's
just a it's not like a timeline given
the big scheme of what we're talking
about. We're talking about a month uh
difference or so. But I think there
would I don't know. That's the question
for this council. I think is is is the
request to have the committee the whole
discussion
so the council can kind of figure out
like
how they would want their ephera reps to
vote during that
vote when it does occur of which of
those three options is the best one to
kind of go down. So, the other part of
the question is,
does the city council feel like this is
one of those doors that you can't go
back through? I think we've tried to
clarify that
at this point the the goal of Epher
making a recommendation and sending the
chief or a representative out to each of
the jurisdictions is like let's educate
but there is no decision there isn't
anything that locks us as a city in to
any changes. we could continue paying
via our current model even if every
other organization within Epher goes a
different pathway. So I I'm not sure
what
the city
councils need to
have the information before that vote
whether that makes sense to me.
Council member Rair.
>> Yeah. Again, I'll kind of clarify like
how was saying my perspective and
position on this has been almost like
that the Ephford board has been
a SSP committee has been a subcommittee
going through digging in all the details
and then saying, "Okay, here's what we
think and now we're going to pass it up
to council." Is how I've kind of seen
this decision as about digging all the
details, seeing what's there, and now
we're going to pass it to the cities to
actually look at this and see what each
city sees. And I feel that once this
decision made it was in June, I was kind
of my perspective has been that it was
going to involve probably quite a few
months of discussions and education
throughout this council on these
different decisions. And so, you know, I
I I'm I'm not positive that even pushing
this decision a month is going to be
enough time to educate this council to
the extent that I think you want to be
educated in terms of making a decision.
Because for me, like saying I've seen
this decision is not this isn't we're
making an RFA. let's do this. This is
okay. This seems worthwhile to get more
information on and now let's send it to
all the jurisdictions to now see what
each individual jurisdiction thinks
about it and if they support it or not
because then if they don't again then
that kills it there as well. So that's
been my perspective of this decision and
um how I'm treating it in terms of what
my thought process.
>> Deputy President Jane. Yeah, I mean I
think that if you know the decision on
June 11th is just okay, is this
something that's worth informing the
city councils about and I think the
answer is yes. Um, and then I think I
mean based on you know the conversations
that I've had with you council member
Adair of like what the steps in the
process are. I think there's a step in
the process which is like we would have
to create a 27 member board with like
three representatives from every
jurisdiction to actually explore the
creation of a regional fire authority.
And I think that would be a path where
it's like then you're really committing
to do it. So I don't think we're at that
point yet. And I do think it's worth it
for us to all become educated about the
issue. And if the vote on the 11th is
should we become more educated about
RFAS, then I would personally, you know,
be supportive of that.
>> But just to clarify, deputy president,
you're saying that's different than
saying this is our preferred route.
You're saying a vote to educate is a
slightly different
>> kind of board decision on the 11th.
Yeah.
>> Yeah. I I think if the vote is a vote to
educate, then I'm in favor of that. And
if it's a vote to educate about RFA
specifically or a vote to educate about
all the options, I would be in favor of
a vote to educate us about all the
different options.
>> Council President Marts.
>> So, I guess I'll just name my concern.
Um, if we were to get back information
that said that every single RFA jams the
meter on price, right, then I would not
be in favor of considering going down
that path because we are a city that can
afford to fund a fire department if the
alternative to our city was a 50%
increase in the cost of fire, even if it
took it off of our shoulders, right, and
put it on an independent agency.
So this is my concern and why I would
like the information in the form of a
cow before this body makes a decision. I
have heard through the rivine that RFAS
jam the needle on cost. If that's not
true,
then it's worth considering. But if it
is true, then I think it would be a bad
decision for us to go down that path. So
that's why I want supplemental
information. I didn't want to go into it
tonight because I don't want to didn't
want to argue about for against RFAS,
but that's the kind of stuff that real
data washes away rumor and and innuendo.
Okay. Uh, city ministry, I'm not sure.
We've had a good discussion. I I don't I
think uh leadership will
be meeting again on Wednesday morning
and we can kind of
Mr. Mayor, members of the the council,
um I think the last point that council
member Jen made is a very interesting
one and maybe worth a little bit further
discussion because I think and please
correct me deputy council president if
I'm misstating this is that there is no
preference in what you said that if the
board if the epher board says let's
educate on these items versus saying
here is a preferred model to educate I
think that's a significant difference
and if the council's this evening is
comfortable with that. Um perhaps that's
sufficient to ask your representatives
to make that distinction. Um I also want
to go back to the council president's
point about our partners. um some of our
partners are not in rosy financial
conditions and I think the circumstances
that they're facing uh and this question
are different than this council's and so
if our representatives are able to share
the concern of the council that says
education is great but preference is not
something that the isqua city council is
comfortable with at this point maybe
that's the right context of a discussion
on June the 11th see what happens have
your representatives report back and
then decide next steps. But I think that
distinction is a very key distinction
that the deputy council president made
and I would ask Mr. Mayor maybe the
council could take a moment to talk
further about that.
I mean, I would agree that the deputy
president Jen suggestion does seem to be
the best because there is I've heard
unanimous agreement from all seven.
Well, I think Council Walsh is very up
to speed already being the primary rep,
but I think that the other I think would
five of the seven would definitely are
all saying very clearly, we would love
to learn more and get educated more. So
I think I think Deputy President Jen
probably did have the best suggestion so
far of a possibility of just framing it
as we're definitely want to be educated
more. Council member Nichols
>> or Walsh.
>> Yeah, I I guess what I was going to say
off of that is you know with my epher
hat on epher vice chair hat on the
request from the board there was to make
a recommendation
um there. So, I think that is going to
be the motion on the table with my
Isiqua City Council hat on. I can go to
that meeting and make a request or an
alternate motion that asks us merely to
say, do we think the current model
doesn't work and the others should be
educated on, you know, or the
jurisdiction should be educated on
options and things like that. So, I'm
comfortable with that. I just don't know
if that's going to be something that
passes the board.
>> And I don't think it's so much the
current model doesn't work. I just think
the current model could be working and
there's still a benefit getting educated
on other options. So I think I've heard
consensus from this council tonight.
Everyone's in favor of getting more
education of what the options look like
in the fire space. So it's not I think
saying the current I don't think you
even have to say that. I think it's just
like the motion from isqua's perspective
would just be we're in favor of getting
more education of what the options look
like in the fire space. Uh council
member Nichols.
>> Yeah, going a bit off of what council
Mal said, my I I appreciate the the idea
from Deputy Council President to try to
make this into more of anformational ask
from the board, but we're not in
control. Um, so we can make that ask,
but or can still
uh decide to take a different path than
we would like since it's a large multi-
agency board. Um, so it it still could
be useful for us to try to schedule some
time assuming it's possible. I don't
know if it is ahead of that simply to
arm our uh representatives with the best
possible set of uh opinion of our best
consensus at that time. Even if it's not
a full fully informed consensus, um it
could be better informed than it is at
the moment.
>> Council member Boyd,
>> I feel like I'm maybe not fully
appreciating the um
board decision point, which is not any
kind of point of no return, uh that says
this is our preferred alternative. I
guess is a hybrid of the education piece
being here are the three different
options you know status quo say the
course etc of the three this is the
board's preferred option but an equal
amount of time is spent on all the other
options and maybe there's some context
given to the discussion of the board
discussion. um we as a city can still
decide, you know, hey, thanks board for
that feedback and the three of us that
would have weighed in on that. It's a
bit weird getting on the timeline there
for me, but um I I don't know. I guess
I'm not
having any particular worry about the we
we can still decide
what our thoughts are on the decision we
have to make. Whatever the board's
preferred alternative is
>> uh council
I didn't see who went first Walsh or
Council Walsh. Go ahead. Um toward
Council Member Nichols point, I can
certainly share around the um
presentation that uh Chief AO has made
to the East Side Fire and Rescue Board,
which does include many of the back of
the napkin things about, you know, the
finances of these two options and what
the governance model is. I would be
happy to give a quick, you know,
PowerPoint or email about here's the
pros and cons of each of the three as
discussed by the board. and I would be
happy to make some goof to the order
comments and further discussion on the
June 8th meeting um after I've sent that
information out because I do think
council member Nichols point of I can
advocate for one way based on this
conversation
um but it isn't at all definitive that I
can change
what the motion is and what comes out of
that board recommendation.
>> Council President Marts.
>> So I have perhaps a question for Chief
AO and it comes back to this whole game
theory thing, right? So let's just say
we get to the 11th and everybody else
says go and Isiqua says we don't know
like we have lots of we have lots of
questions still. How does that change
the landscape? because the possibility
of Isiqua going it alone or forming its
own fire authority with whoever um you
know we have the headquarters we have a
bunch of fire stations we're at the
heart of the district does it
fundamentally change and and and our
partners some of our partners may be
watching this very council member this
very meeting this evening wondering how
isqua is going and hearing that Isiqua
has a bunch of questions does it does it
change the conversation that occurs at
epher
>> yeah anybody that uh looks at um uh
pausing a decision to slow up a
directionfree side. It can have a um a
slowing effect of what does
sustainability look like for the
organization.
That doesn't preclude uh anybody from
going a
uh not a pathway on their own. That's
probably the poor not not a good way to
craft that. It does e epher will still
remain in existence
even though 38 in you know using 38
northb going out for an RFA. Uh each
individual partner has a decision to
make as far as the timing should
something uh be worthy of changing.
So east side as it's currently crafted
can still remain. Now, we do still have
that 2031 deadline that we would have to
address for the ILA
um piece on there. So, and what we've
talked about with Epher leadership is
like, okay, we get to June. Now, our now
our work begins. We've done the easy
part. We've educated the Epher board.
Now, we need to go out and educate each
of our partners and we need to invest
that time into the the partners. So uh
and relying on each of the
representatives that are put forward to
help to provide education to each of the
individual councils and commissions
moving forward. So we've talked about is
there a point of no return. The point of
no return is when you put it to ballot
whatever the decision is or or don't put
it to ballot. That's your point of no
return.
Even if we get into the planning phase
of hypothetically say we all decide that
we're going to go down an RFA, we get in
the planning phase.
>> Um, you can opt out at any point during
during that time.
>> And my question is a little bit
different. It's what if everybody else
is on board? Yes. RFA, go for it
>> except Isiqua.
>> And Isiqua says, "We don't know. Um, we
need more information. We're not sure.
You can't have our vote tonight. Yeah,
>> I know you want our vote, but you can't
have it because we're all concerned and
confused, right? What does that do to
the go forward plan if one of the cities
that is one of the biggest contributors
both in terms of material and dollars to
the current organization is only a a
maybe or a question mark on on the RFA?
>> Question.
I think it was directed at Chief Oh. I
mean,
>> yeah. Uh it doesn't it it doesn't
preclude progress being moving forward
for the overall decisions. So, um it is
a if if the majority of the folks say we
need to continue to towards a pathway,
then we can continue towards a pathway.
Um, if I is quad needs more information,
then I just need to understand what
information you need to help bring uh
inform you so you can be comfortable
with the journey or make a decision to
not. Um, that is still council's
decision. So, it doesn't it doesn't
stop.
>> Thank you, Council Ross.
From a practical standpoint,
if I can't convince the East Side Fire
and Rescue board to go with an
alternative motion, us abstaining or
voting no, I believe is two out of seven
votes. Um, is that correct? Two out of
eight. So
if everybody else votes to move forward
with having a recommendation, I believe
the next step would be all of the cities
and districts get educated. So it would
be no
different
just from a practical standpoint if I
understand the way the voting would
work.
My concern isn't whether we can prevail
on the on the on the 11th. My concern is
that if the economics change, I mean, if
if I were one of our fellow cities, I'm
not going to presume to say which one,
but um you know, the I suspect the
economics look different if everybody
goes in on it versus if there's a
suspicion that down the road Isiqua
might want to do something else because
it can afford to. Uh
that's this is this comes back to this
game theory thing, right? And would the
RFA look different to those other
entities um knowing that isqua is only a
maybe and that maybe we do in the end,
maybe we don't in the end um as opposed
to being go go.
I actually can answer that one. So now I
understand the question a little bit
better. Yes. If Isiziqua says no then or
not now uh it does change the economic
uh landscape for everybody else
because it's assessed valuation it's
resource needs and service level
associated with that. If we're trying to
do something collectively together,
there still is ways to craft it so we
can do it collectively together
and underneath the the existing epher
model, but the funding side of it is
going to look different.
>> Thank you. I mean, there's a lot of
weird permutations out there, right? We
could become a contract city
>> to a new RFA, right? I mean there's a
there's just it has the permutations get
weird very quickly. Thank you.
>> Yes, sir.
>> City administrator.
>> Fascinating discussion and thank you all
for for taking the time. I think there
is one thing that Isakiqua can bring to
the table that will make our partners
pay attention and that's the issue of
scrutiny
that if Isiqua says yes we want to go
down this path we would prefer there not
be a preferred path but understand
partners that we are going to scrutinize
this in our community we have an
expectation of transparency we have an
expectation of sharing full information
and so you all can do whatever you think
makes sense in your community but
understand that we're going to set a
very high bar here in Isiqua. We're
going to have community dialogue. We're
going to ask the kind of questions that
all of you have raised this evening. And
that may be a level that our partners
either haven't thought about or perhaps
aren't prepared to go down. And so I
think the one thing that you can do and
ask your representatives to the Epher
board to do is to signal the scrutiny
that you plan to bring to this. And so
that whatever vote there is ultimately
for Miqua, understand that there will be
lots of community dialogue. there'll be
lots of information shared and the
expectation is that our partner agencies
will be doing the same thing and I think
that may be a very interesting message
to send and I think may game theory
council president very much on my mind
too um that may make some of them have
to pump the brakes to ever so slightly
understanding that the level of scrutiny
the level of transparency that the
Isiqua City Council intends to use may
be different than our partners
Okay, thank you very much chief. Uh I
think with that we are going to
move on.
So I I don't know uh I mean I think it's
been a great dialogue and to be clear
this is the first council dialogue on
this topic as a whole. This tonight that
just happened. Council President Mart,
>> can I just ask if our Epher reps feel
that they are prepared for the meeting
on the 11th?
>> Um, I would say no. Um,
I think what I have heard is an ask
for
making an alternate proposal that does
not include a recommendation. And so
that I have heard and heard enough
members say yes. Um
I don't know if council agrees with what
city administrator said and I don't know
if that alternate proposal does not get
accepted how you want me to vote. So no
>> I mean I I thought
I did I mean I appreciated what uh city
administrator said and that you know I
feel like I said I've I've treated this
decision as a point of while the even if
this even if the board were to make a
recommendation that this is merely like
of the options we think this is viable
so let's pursue it. So even that in and
of itself has not been a
strong recommendation in my own mind.
And so for me being there and being very
open to the rest of the board about the
scrutiny we want to apply to it makes
sense to me and is already where
my plans were. You know I am on the
financial committee for the budget just
this cycle because I want to get dig
into the details of East Side Fire and
know everything. You know were we to
start a planning committee. I do want
that level of scrutiny. So I am
comfortable with that kind of a
statement for our partners to know that
we are going at this with a ton of
detail and a ton of not uh suspicion but
like apprehension like saying I am
person I personally have apprehension
about this decision and thus I think
it's worth pursuing more information on
it but it's something that I want to do
a lot of scrutiny on before making any
kind of final recommendation to voters
of what should happen. So for me, I am
comfortable with that kind of a
statement to be given at the board. Um
but in terms of how the vote functions,
that is a fair question in terms of what
the vote would look like. But my also my
perspective is that vote again does not
tie anything. And even if the rest of
the board says let's go forward, they're
still approving us to bring you know
education materials here. And even if
maybe one of those is emphasized,
I'm will gladly teach everybody about
all the other options too. So, you know,
that's comfortable for me.
>> Okay. And Council President, just before
we go to Cresident Marts, I think to
summarize, I think what Council Walsh
did say is I think there is support on
the council to do Deputy President Jen's
suggestion to say, can we please make
this a motion that we want to educate
our members in their full voting bodies
of the options in front of us? And then
I think it's now there's a shade of gray
of if that motion doesn't pass, what
happens next? Council President Marks.
>> So, um, this is all like a a game of,
uh, diplomacy if anybody's ever played
diplomacy before. Um, I have confidence,
Council Member Walsh, in your leadership
that you can go to that body and say,
and it isn't it isn't whether they will
agree with you and and vote in support,
but I think if you go and you say, I
know so many of you are enthusiastic
about this option, Isiqua is going to be
a hard may be a hard cell. You know, I
encourage all of you to go watch
Isiqua's council meeting and hear what
count isqua's concerns are. For
instance, this evening, I'm going to
propose X as as as a response from what
I've heard from this council, but you
should all the rest of you on the on the
Epher board should understand isqua's
concerns. I think you will convey that
appropriately. And whether that motion
passes or fails, the very fact that you
come back and say that as opposed to go
go go will all those board members have
have I have great respect for. They've
been doing this for a while and they c
and they understand the questions to ask
when one of the core cities says they're
have concerns and have questions and are
not go. Does that is that helpful?
as it yes if you're still fine with if
like conveying that message. Yes. But if
that
amendment or alternate motion doesn't
happen still being able to move forward
like do you want me to abstain at that
point if that motion doesn't happen?
I I think I like council member Adair
view this more like a committee vote
that scrutinizes something and passes up
a recommendation but the council can
absolutely tear things apart and educate
and you know all of that. So I feel
comfortable with moving forward with a
recommendation vote.
I just want to make sure I am not
making a movement that the council does
not agree on. And y'all are trying to do
this with a lack of information and you
know rumor information and all of that
and not knowing what a fire benefit
charge and all of those things. So
obviously much like a committee I've
gone through a lot of those rigors
but don't make the final decisions.
>> I mean to answer your question I don't
think you have a sense of the body
that's that's ready to vote yes on that
moving forward with any of those
options. Right. This body has not looked
at those various options um as as a as a
group. So, I would expect I would hope
that you would vote no. And if it still
moves forward, you you you did your best
to convey what this body said tonight,
which is that we're confused and unsure
which of those options are best and
haven't been convinced that an RFA is
best.
>> Councilor Boyd,
>> can uh part of the education aspect also
be what the vote was? Um I don't know if
that's helpful in this case of we where
if it would did come to um an
alternative proposal
wasn't approved and the majority of the
board moved with uh and so if that's
maybe not what isqua this particular
body wanted to move forward with but at
least uh the education including this is
what each member of the board
had what their concerns were out or I
don't know if that's helping us suade
any of the concerns with this too.
>> Council Rair,
>> uh to Council President Mart's uh point,
my and maybe I'm wrong in terms of this,
but my view is that a no vote at that
meeting is a vote saying we want to stay
the course and we don't want to p look
into any other option. that that's what
a no vote represents at that meeting is
that we've looked at the options of
funding and we're saying don't pursue
them other than just stay the course is
what that no vote represents like saying
the the vote of yes is saying okay let's
continue looking into an RFA or a fire
district and now go educate the the
jurisdictions about it. So, a vote of no
at that meeting would be us saying we
don't want you to pursue any other
uh potential funding source and that's
what a no vote would represent at that
meeting. It'd be my perspective of that
which is why I think that that doesn't
quite convey what your intended message
is. Um because that's the vote again is
saying if we saying if we all vote if
the all districts say no at that meeting
basically no other funding source is
going to be pursued or investigated.
So that's what no represents to me. in
that vote.
>> But I think uh first off, I think
council president Marts made it clear.
He thought council member Walsh and
yourself would have success in
explaining to people that the amendment
proposed by deputy president Jen which
is we're completely supportive of
getting educated. It seems like everyone
in this dis is saying they want to be
educated for more options and uh so and
this council did not pick the June 11th
decision date that was picked by Epher
and that date was picked before this
council was updated on with all the
information they're asking for tonight
and as deputy president Jen said what's
a fire benefit charge so it seems like
you can't make a decision on June 11th
without so but deputy president Jen go
ahead
>> yeah I was going to say I mean
potentially you know the proposal could
be to split split the
uh split it into two votes. One on, you
know, do we want to get educated and
then a second vote on whether there's a
recommendation and then, you know, you
could vote on those items separately
because they are completely different
questions.
>> Uh Walsh or Nichols? Walsh or
Nichols. Then we'll go to Walsh. Um, I
think it's going to be really important
and I I trust you folks fully to do this
to communicate with that vote perhaps
more than what is strictly within the um
the scope of that vote itself. Um so
even if formally voting no means that we
are we would be saying say the course um
implicit in either a no or abstension is
can be many other things and we have
limited tools to communicate that
type of information that could put us in
a better position
further down the line if we do want to
take harder positions or if we do want
to push back in other ways that that
could be a potentially good reason to
take that position. at that type of a
meeting. Um, even if having read the
room, you know that you're not going to
win that vote and it's it's not going to
go a certain way. And this is simply
getting back to Council President Mart's
comments about the game theory of the
situation. I appreciate this is going to
be a potentially difficult negotiation,
but we do have we are in a situation
where we should be able to drive a lot
of that conversation and communicating
that is going to be
beyond the formalities of any individual
vote and what that would mean.
>> Council Walsh.
>> Okay. I'm hearing a second option which
is split the vote. Again, happy to put
that forward as an option. Happy to
represent this city as much as possible.
How do I separate like
as a subcommittee member, you know, if I
was part of SSP or something and
reviewing this, I can vote yes on this
is the recommendation, it should come to
full counsel and then choose to vote no
there. Um,
I guess I am concerned about the idea of
voting no as a recommendation.
Um, if that ends up being the motion,
just based on
how rocky the east side fire
relationship can be. you know, 10 years
ago, we had a certain city to the north
of us suggest that they wanted to take
their toy fire trucks and go home. Um,
and that would have increased our costs
dramatically. So, I guess I'm also
looking at the implications of voting no
suggesting that
we want to do things on our own. I
>> I mean I think people are making it
clear they're not saying that. I think
people are saying that
we're going to I think it'll be crystal
clear the squad preferences.
We're not in a position to take a
position. So please educate us. I mean
deputy president is Jane going back to
the original motion. I think that I
think seems like it's the best path
forward. And uh and and
yeah, and I think the middle ground
between voting no and voting yes is
obviously just abstaining, saying, "Hey,
we we told you what we could support
tonight. We could support a motion to
get us better educated on what our
options are." It seems like there is
unanimous or close to unanimous support
on this council for that option. And uh
so and I still think there's a high
probability that option will pass. I
just I honestly do I think the Epher
board is a very reasonable group and I
think they want to move forward when
they have as much consensus as possible
and I think
I go back to what council president Mart
said. He was confident I think we can
get this motion to be approved by the
board and I agree with him. Council
member Walsh.
>> Okay. And I I hear you on that. I can
move forward. I also agree that it that
is most likely, but at this point I
don't know and I've heard a lot from the
mayor and the council president, but not
necessarily as much from everyone
whether there is authority or
recommendation for a yes, no, or abstain
vote here. And so without more clarity,
I don't know how to do that next
Thursday. So one proposal is I come back
to the committee of the whole on the 8th
and
you know
get feedback then or get feedback here.
I'm looking at council leadership to see
if they have a preference. Uh,
>> sorry, say again.
>> Oh,
>> I'm just saying I I need
feedback that if I cannot get that
through whether there should be
>> she's asking for a recommendation of no,
abstain, or yes. Yeah,
>> I think Council Walsh is saying if so
there's consensus that the goal is for
Deputy President Jen's amendment to
hopefully pass and then the question is
if it doesn't pass I think Council Walsh
is fairly asking for guidance of no,
abstain or yes and see if there is a if
there's four votes for one of those
options. So Council President Marts,
>> I think it depends on what the motion
is. I think if um there's been a
discussion that I am confused and I was
trying to look up the agenda for the
meeting and I couldn't tell from the
agenda for the meeting what the actual
proposed motion is. Right. If it is this
board would like to pursue a regional
fire authority, then I think you should
vote no. If the if the motion is this
board would like to pursue options
including a fire authority and a
regional fire and a fire district and
whatever else. If it's in the spirit
of what I think you have heard from the
majority of the council tonight, not
just the mayor and myself, which is a
which is not being ready to go down a
path for an RFA. Um, but if it's in the
spirit of exploration, then that
follow-on vote you I I personally would
be comfortable with you voting yes. But
if it's we believe that a regional fire
authority is the way for the east side
of King County to go, then I think you
then I think you should vote no because
I don't think this body has said that.
But I think you know that and I think
you'll figure it out. I understand your
concern tonight. I understand you don't
want to leave here without more explicit
guidance and I appreciate that. But I
think you will in the moment accurately
reflect what this body has said tonight.
>> Thank you.
Is there any other comments from Is that
a good way to end it? Is folks okay
ending it there?
Okay. And uh I I know right now Harvey's
wishing he retired just I mean
just one meeting earlier. He's like man
I picked the wrong meeting to retire
from the city of Isiqua. Sorry G.
Okay, we are going to Agenda Bill 9205.
Oh, wait. Agenda Bill 20. Wait. Oh.
Yeah. Agenda Bill 9205. Mid-budget
request to add capital project manager
facilities full-time employees. Autumn,
you're up.
>> Thank you, mayor, and members of the
city council. My name is Autumn Monahan.
I'm the administrative services director
and I promise to be short this evening
in my presentation um which is an
overview of a proposed position for a
capital project manager for facilities.
The administration's recommendation is
to authorize the addition of a capital
project manager full-time position to
the administrative services department.
As a little bit of background, um I was
before you on April 20th where the
council approved an agreement to
purchase a building for city hall
located at 1055 Northwest Maple Street,
freeing up uh 130 East Sunset Way
exclusively for police use um once we
remodel it. The closing is underway for
that purchase. Um I'm excited to say so
we're continuing on that process.
Meanwhile, we have continued design now
for the police remodel to better refine
those costs with our design design firm
DLR group, which helped us before with
the task force work. We also have put
out an RFP for um architect help for the
city hall space planning, uh tenant
improvements, furniture, and all the
things needed to move to city hall. uh
knowing the bulk of work that is ahead
on both of those massive projects, we're
here before you tonight proposing for an
FTE for a proposed capital projects
manager to support that work.
As always, we'll be returning to the
city council as we refine these projects
um with further details and budget both
for the city hall move and for the
police renovation. But as a first step,
we're looking for resources.
The duties of this position include
ensuring successful delivery of these
projects from planning all the way
through to construction, coordinating
with a whole lot of parties including
internal departments, consultants,
contractors,
uh permitting agencies and of course the
community. Um there is a whole lot of
just budgeting, scheduling, all the
things that come with uh uh project
management as well as contact negotiate
contract negotiations and really being
the oversight for consultants.
the priority projects for this position.
Um we we have plenty for the first
several years. Um first with the city
hall move and then with the police
station remodel which will take um
several years to complete.
Quickly a financial overview. This
position will cost fully loaded about
$230,000.
Um if we are successful in hiring a
position quickly, which is my goal, that
would be about $115,000 this year.
Expenses for this position will largely
be paid by the associated capital
projects. And so in the near term, that
includes funds that we have set aside
for the city hall project.
A quick timeline in July, we hope to
have a contract with an architect for
that city hall work to really drill down
on the final space planning and
improvements needed for that building.
Hopefully, we're hiring a position come
August, returning to you with more
refined planned uh for that project,
moving to city hall in the first quarter
of 2027, and then returning to you as
well with refined details for the police
remodel.
And with that, this is the proposed
motion from administration, and I'm
happy to answer any questions.
>> Are there any uh council member?
>> I had quick question. Now, you answered
it via email cuz I was asking about the
numbers cuz like in the provided
description, the salary was 124 to 164K,
but the ask was 230K.
Uh the answer was that that's so you
know, payroll taxes and benefits. It's
really 60 to $70,000 on top of the
salary.
>> Yes.
>> But I will add this is uh this is a much
better value knowing that we have this
body of work for several years than only
paying consultants.
>> True. True. Okay. But just wanted to
triple check that that was the value of
all of that.
>> Yes.
>> Okay. All right. Thank you,
>> Council Member Adair. I learned that the
first week of January and it's a
depressing reality, but it is a reality.
It comes to the president Mart.
>> I will just say the carrying cost in
private industry is higher. So that's
that's actually kind of a deal um
compared to in private industry.
>> Don't tell my employees.
>> Okay. I'm not seeing
any other questions. So, is there a
motion?
>> President Council President Marts.
>> I move to authorize the inclusion of an
additional capital project manager to
the city's 2026 staffing levels.
>> Second.
>> If there's been a motion, a second. Is
there any further discussion? Uh, not
seeing any. All those in favor, please.
Oh, yeah. I'll just repeat the motion is
to authorize the inclusion of additional
capital project manager city's 2026
staffing levels. All those in favor
please say I.
>> I.
>> All those opposed nay and that passes
unanimously.
All right. Thank you very much.
Yes, we are taking a five minute break.
We will be back for the final item.
Okay,
this city council's fivem minute break
is over. Uh invite deputy city clerk
Cassidy Miller to present this item.
It's amendments to council rules of
procedure agenda bill 9137.
Right. Thank you, council. I'm Cassidy
Miller, deputy city clerk,
presenting on the uh council rules of
procedure before you tonight. Um at the
May 4th, sorry, I do not have a visual
presentation. Um at the May 4th city
council meeting, staff and the council
rules ad hoc committee members presented
the committee's recommendations and
answered questions. The city council
then requested amended language to
section 3.11 confidentiality to provide
a process for council members to receive
a non-confidential version of
information upon request. There was
agreement that this item be postponed to
the June 1st council meeting so that
language could be provided. The
following language has been added to
section 3.11 confidentiality. If a
council member wishes to share
information publicly that includes
confidential content, the city council
member may request city staff provide a
version of the information that omits
the confidential content.
The resolution provided in your packet
has been updated to include the revised
language, which is exhibit C. Tonight,
the city council can choose to approve
the resolution adopting the updated
council rules as presented in exhibit A,
or can offer amendments. Three potential
amendments were submitted to the clerk's
office in advance of tonight's meeting.
These were distributed to the council
for review earlier today. Should these
amendments or any others be made, I can
bring them up on the screen to help
ensure that they're captured correctly.
Thank you.
>> Okay, I'm looking at the council.
Are there any questions?
What's Okay, I'm not
see any questions. Uh
I think it looks like everyone's looked
at the rules, so I think we could just
go straight to a motion.
Oh, Council President Walsh, I mean,
Council Member Walsh. So, um,
you're proposing
we had something tabled from the last
meeting, correct? And so, is this a
motion that replaces what we had on deck
or did we not have something tabled?
>> I think this is the entire rules and
procedures that were created. Is that
correct? I think it's everything with an
amendment already updated in the system.
Go ahead.
>> I'm not sure either. I think we have
three amendments tonight for what was
presented in the packet and so I think
that there is something included that
was in the packet was incorporated based
on the council's direction and then
there are three additional amendments.
I am also a very visual person. So, it
would be helpful if we are going to have
a motion um to have something up on the
screen and then potentially have
something available if we are to word
smmith or add amendments. Um because all
I heard was the confidentiality stuff. I
don't know what the other portion, but I
guess a motion hasn't been made, so that
would happen in that realm.
Yes, to my understanding, that's
correct. And I apologize. I um I am not
aware if there was already a motion on
the table or if the item was tabled
before a motion could be made. Um so I
apologize for that, but um the the
presented motion was um and I can pull
that on the screen. um that was provided
by the city clerk uh is is uh to um
approve the the resolution and the and
then adopt the ordinance. Um and then uh
from that um amendments or new motions
or amendments to this motion can be made
uh to um further revise the rules of
procedure before anything is adopted.
So I think
city clerk Miller the question you are
you looking for the original motion and
then the amendments or are you looking
for
>> I can do whatever you need. I am just
looking for my share button.
Let's I would suggest that we take a
nonb breaking two-minute break to let
the the clerk's office figure out
whether we have a standing motion or not
>> or or we can table the entire item to
your next meeting.
>> I I mean I I would like to get at it
tonight. There's just a question of
whether the original mo whether there's
a motion
>> in already. I I think it's it's worth
letting the clerk take a couple minutes
to figure that out and then we can
either um continue that motion or move a
new motion.
>> Okay, we're we're on a two-minute break
to we'll return.
Okay, we're back in session. Uh, city
administrator, update us on where we're
at.
>> Yes. Uh, there is no pending motion. Um,
reading from the staff report, at the
May 4th council meeting, staff and the
rules committee presented the
committee's recommendations. The council
then requested amended language to
section 3.11 confidentiality to provide
a process for council members to receive
non-confidential version of the
information upon request. There was
agreement that this item be postponed
till June 1 so that language could be
provided. The language was provided
section 3.11 confidentiality. If a
council member wishes to share
information publicly that includes
confidential content, the city council
member may request city staff provide a
version of that information that omits
the confidential content. The attached
resolution has been updated to include
the revised language. So what is before
you, Mr. Mayor, members of the council
is that revision and the recommendation
is act is to adopt with that language
included from your May 4 meeting.
>> Council President Marts.
>> Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I move to approve
resolution number 2026-11
amending various sections of the city
council rules of procedure as
recommended by the council rules ad hoc
committee and repealing resolution
number 20008-15
relating to the policy for council
expenditures and adopt ordinance number
3140 amending sections 2.06.110
and 2.06.120 06.120
of the Isiqua Municipal Code relating to
city council meetings in order to align
them with the city council rules of
procedure.
>> Second.
>> Okay, there's been a motion and a
second. Is there any discussion or
additional amendments?
Council member Nichols.
>> Um, thank you. I am motioning to amend
section 3.11 confidentiality. Um,
how do do you want me to read the
amendment in its entirety?
>> Okay,
there it is.
I think they he just wanted to show Go
ahead, Council Member Nichols. But that
is up there and we will have to read it
before we vote on the amendment,
obviously. But for right now, you can
just speak to it. Okay. So, I'll I'll
speak briefly. Uh, so first of all, I
appreciate the city's additions to what
the ad hoc committee brought to us in
the fourth. Uh, the amendment that I
proposed is simply intended to
strengthen some of the concerns were
brought up by council members, president
Martz, and council member Walsh. Uh, to
strengthen slightly the council members,
the council, city council's expectations
of the administration. Really all this
is intended to do is to make something
explicit that from my read of this is it
is at the moment somewhat implicit in
the rule. That information is
confidential only if it could be
withheld under the public records act um
with a narrow exemption for executive
session and litigation timing. And
that's intended to answer council member
Walsh's question about what makes
something not confidential. Um as well
as council member Adair's concern about
labeling something confidential just
because it's awkward etc. though that is
of course strictly hypothetical. Um and
council president Mar Mart's points
about tying this to the public records
act which matters given the penalty here
can't be forfeiture of office in an
extreme case. Um it also is intended to
give a member who questions the
designation a clear path uh to ask the
city attorney to review it and get a
sharable version if needed um and put
that in writing uh to avoid any lack of
clarity there. I also appreciate city
attorney Turpin's review earlier today
and suggestions uh to the amendment I
originally proposed which I incorporated
uh and I would urge adoption.
>> Council member Walsh.
>> Second.
>> There's been a motion a second. Is there
further discussion?
>> Council Walsh.
>> That answers all of the questions that
were brought up. It's very clear
language and I appreciate the clarity
both for staff and council members. Um,
I think this does a good job.
>> Okay, seeing no further discussion, the
amendment for this body is amend section
3.11 confidentiality of the council
rules and procedure and resolution
number 2026-11 by adding to the end of
the first paragraph. In doing so, they
will identify the laws in which the
information will be withheld in response
to a public records request. information
will be designated confidential only
where it would be withheld in whole and
relevant part in response to public
records request under chapter 42.56 RCW
or where it is reasonably likely to
become the subject of a specific
upcoming executive session or relates to
a pending or potential litigation and
adding to the end of the second
paragraph council member questions
whether information has been properly
designated as confidential or wishes to
know the specific sections of the RCW or
other law under which the information is
designated as confidential or in any
time limit for such designation may ask
the city attorney to review the
designation may request a written
explanation and a version that emits
only the confidential contents of the
remainder may be shared. All those in
favor of the amendment, please say I.
>> I.
>> I.
>> All those opposed
and that amendment is adopted.
Other amendments.
>> I move amendment
3.1A.
I'm so sorry. This is my first time
doing this.
>> Do I keep reading it?
>> We can see it. So, you can speak to the
amendment. I'll repeat it before we
vote.
>> All right. Um I uh had asked for some
clarity on effectively this just changes
council leadership to council president
to better clarify um when you would like
to attend remotely. Who gives a thumbs
up for that?
Uh, council Walsh.
>> Second.
>> Got a motion, a second. Is there any
other discussion?
>> Okay. Not seeing any, I will read the
amendment is the section 3.10
apprentices a virtual remote attendance
of the council rules procedure and
resolution 2026-11 by replacing council
leadership with council president in the
sentence. virtual attendance granted for
reasons other than those listed above.
Uh medical issue illness or quarantine
or travel and city business may not
exceed a total of five meetings per year
without approval of council leadership
to be considered an excuse absence. So
it's just basically
you know replacing council leadership
with council president. All those in
favor please say I.
>> I.
>> All those opposed.
That amendment is adopted.
Council president Marts.
>> Thank you Mr. Mayor. I want to move to
the uh proposed amendment to section
4.08 subc sub one
and following uh this evening's pattern
I will speak to it. I said earlier
tonight that I would speak I would say
the three things that have been the
biggest deal um to council in the 17
years that have been on uh Oakrest
pedestrian death uh Chel sites uh it was
only one meeting but it was the it was
the famous 7 hour and 45minute meeting
and of course ALPRs. So in all of these
we were able to accomplish what we
wanted to accomplish without setting
finite time limits on public engagement.
um we did it through um respecting what
we heard and repeating it back to the
public and letting people have
non-verbal support for it. I have seen
people use time limits and game it um by
the choice of speakers and people wind
up feeling scuzzy. So if we didn't need
it for those things, I don't think we
need to have it in the code, which is
why I support this amendment. Thank you.
Second.
>> I'll second him.
>> Okay. There's been a motion, a second.
>> I I'll speak to if I could.
>> Go ahead, Council Member Joe.
>> Uh I appreciate the manner that council
leadership has been able to guide and
navigate us through these uh big issues,
including the recent conversation with
the the flock cameras. Um I do have uh a
great deal of trust in the leadership
that they will be able to um guide the
public participation in a way where
everyone feels seen and heard and valued
along the way and so I am okay with the
amendment uh that's before the committee
and we'll be supporting it. Thank you.
Uh before the council. Thank you.
>> Okay. Not seeing any other discussion.
Uh the motion is to approve amendment
4.4.08
parentheses C parentheses 1 rules of
public participation amend section 4.08
C-1 uh rules for public participation of
the council rules of procedure
resolution 2026-11 by striking and to
set an overall maximum duration for the
public comment period. If maximum
duration is set efforts will be made to
ensure there is an equal opportunity for
individuals to speak in support of an
opposition to an issue. So that both
those sentences would be removed. All
those in favor, please say I.
>> I.
>> I.
>> I.
>> All those opposed, nay.
That amendment is adopted.
Council president's remarks.
>> The hour is late, but um I just want to
thank once again uh clerk Geyser for um
you know, she is a sort of regionally
maybe even statewide recognized expert
um in the field of clerking. and this is
the third or the fourth um major ad hoc
in the last five or six years that that
she has helped uh walk through um and
done a sterling job. So although she's
not here tonight, I just I want to say
thank you so much. We're so lucky to
have her as our chief clerk.
>> Excellent. Okay. And there is no further
discussion. And the motion for the
council is to approve resolution number
2026-11
as amended amending various sections of
the city council rules and procedure as
recommended by the council rules ad hoc
committee and repealing resolution
number 2008-15 relating to the policy
for council expenditures and adopt
ordinance number 3140 amending sections
2.06.110
and 2.06.120 of the Isqua municipal code
relating to the city council meetings in
order to align them with the city
council rules and procedures. All those
in favor, please say I.
>> I.
>> All those opposed, nay.
And that passes unanimously. The next
item of business is Oh,
>> the new rules are in effect.
>> And they've already caused a beverage
spill.
>> Yeah.
Yeah, I was going to put an order.
>> Yeah. Yeah.
>> Okay. It is impressive to see how
quickly the council has already adopted
to the new rules. And with that, we're
going to go to an old rule, which is
committee reports. Council member Boyd.
>> I think this is my last week. Well, I
have I'll have no report. I don't really
actually know how that works with being
an alternate, but um I'm appointed as
alternate to Epher. And I guess my
update is that I am in the queue uh for
being appointed to the Puget Sound
Regional Council's Transportation Policy
Board, but there's a few other steps I
need to clear before that becomes a
reality. So,
>> excellent.
>> Yep.
>> All right, Council Member Dair.
>> Uh I have one report. I had a uh meeting
with the WIA8
salmon recovery on May 21st. There were
two presentations on legislative one was
on legislative updates and planning for
next year's session. Another was on
coastal streams and nearshore
restoration projects. Um but the main
agenda was approval of the grant review
committee's funding recommendations
which included nearly 6.5 million of
grants to go to the to go before the
King County Flood Control District and
Salmon Recovery Boards to be this was
their recommendations for what should be
awarded. Uh included in those were a few
different Isiqua specific grants
including the uh funding for the Isiqua
Miawaki forest like Seamish UWRP uh
repairing stewardship areas along Isiqua
and Tibbitz Creeks weed treatment at the
mouth of Isqua Creek.
Sorry, we're getting late.
>> It's okay. You're fine. You're
>> meeting of six PPD Q in Isiqua Creek and
uh Laughing Jacobs Restoration
Construction. Um, and the next meeting
is an in-person one on July 16th, though
I don't believe I can actually attend
that in person. We will see how that
shakes up. And that concludes my report.
>> Thank you very much, Council Member
Nichols.
>> Uh, thank you, Mr. Mayor. I have no
committees to report on tonight. Coun
Walsh.
>> I can see why you had a hard time
getting to the thing over here. Okay.
Um, I have three reports. Uh, the
planning, development, and environment
uh committee meets tomorrow. topics
include the goals and outcomes chart um
which we made recommendations for
modifications at the last meeting and
they're coming back with um those
changes. Um the clarifying amendments to
title 18 are land use code and the first
two code ordinances for um the building
um better group um which is on stepbacks
and open amenity space. Um east side
fire and race rescue will meet next
Thursday June 11th.
Um, I think we've talked about that one
enough, so I'll leave that there. Um,
uh, ARCH, uh, Council of Electeds, the
Regional Coalition for Housing, met
March 21st, and we received a
presentation on financing and local
funding for affordable housing. Um, we
also provided input on um, how regional
contributions to groups like ARCH should
be given credit for affordable housing
investments um, at the state and county
level. And so Arch is going to advocate
and kind of lobby on behalf of the
cities to say, "Hey, if we contribute to
housing that is built in Belleview or
Redmond um or any other arch city, we
should get credit for it." Now, that
being said, we still need to determine
if the state or King County are really,
you know, how they are evaluating our
five-year mid um comp plan to see
whether or not we are effective at doing
our jobs, whether they're really
counting number of units or rather are
we making movement toward policy. So, I
don't know how that will end up going,
but that concludes my report. All
>> right, council member Joe.
>> Thank you. The mobility and
infrastructure committee uh met on May
12th. Uh we discussed the the um tip
this evening. The other item that was on
the agenda was um discussing
frontage requirements and um taking down
power lines in front of public
facilities as it relates to um Seamish
Water and Sewer District. That'll be
coming back later to the council in
June.
The June 11th meeting meeting is
cancelled
uh for M&I.
Eltech uh met today and uh on the good
side of things, uh the committee decided
to open a new round of funding uh for
what we call this the second shoulder
season, which is a little bit later in
the year. Um $100,000 of funding will be
opened up. awards can go up to $55,000
uh in order to encourage uh large
projects or innovative projects that
might help uh nonprofits or community
groups. Um the idea is to um kind of
grease the wheel or prime the pump, so
to speak, for economic vitality and um
uh helping our local businesses. June
10th, those applications will open up.
uh approximately they'll be due around
July 10th and reviewed by Eltech at the
end of July.
Cascade Water Alliance uh board meeting
will be June 24th. Um and June 16th will
be the finance and intergovernmental
committee that I serve on. That
concludes my report. Thank you,
>> Deputy President Jen.
>> Great. Three reports from me tonight. Um
first, the King County Regional
Homelessness Authority Governing Board
met on Friday, May 22nd. We received
briefings on the continuum of care, 2025
accomplishments in 2026 priorities and
on severe weather shelters in the
region. The King County Flood Control
District Advisory Committee met on
Friday, May 22nd. Um, we received an
overview of the flood control district
project process and we also talked about
some potential tours of flood
infrastructure across the county. So, I
might get to go on some tours, which is
very exciting. Um, and the East Side
Transportation Partnership is meeting
next Friday, June 12th at 8 a.m. in
Woodenville. So, we'll uh go up there
and see everyone in person. And that
concludes my report.
>> Right. Council President Mart.
>> Thank you, Mr. Mayor. The Sound Cities
Association Public Issues Committee will
be meeting next Wednesday, June 10th at
7 p.m. I will not be able to attend. So,
council member Adair will be uh
representing Isiqua on deck that
evening. That concludes my report.
Excellent. The mayor's report, the park
bond renewal open house is tomorrow
night at Pickering Barn from 6:00 to
7:00 p.m. and we'll have all the
projects will be posted and people can
come and ask questions, learn about what
projects are in the park bond renewal.
Garage Pride at the community center
lawn that will celebrate Pride Month in
Isqua. The garage pride is this Friday.
All ages bring the Isqua community
together to celebrate queer joy with an
afternoon of connection, creativity, and
celebration. Enjoy yard games, crafts,
freebies, and a taco truck. Uh this will
be happening on Friday, June 5th at the
community center lawn from 3 to 6:00
p.m. organized by the teens of the
garage and 50 years of Esqua Singers
concert. So celebrate 50 years of music,
community, and tradition with the Esqua
Singers 50th anniversary concert. The
special performance will commemorate
five decades of coral excellence. And so
it's the golden anniversary concert is
this Saturday, June 6th, at the Faith
Church on Inqu.
And that concludes the Makers report.
Good of the order. Council member Joe.
>> Thank you. Um, Mr. Mayor, I'd like to
thank you for your participation as a
keynote speaker at the Memorial Day
celebration. I thought you did a great
job recognizing the service of all of
our uh branches of of the armed forces
and you made some very nice comments. I
also want to acknowledge the three other
council members that were there. We had
a quorum, but we did not discuss any
business. Um, thank you Deputy Council
President Jang,
uh, Council Member Nichols and Council
Member um, Boyd for attending that. Uh,
it was a great event to to go to. Um, I
also wanted to follow our newly adopted
rules. Um, we um, under 3.12, I believe,
I'm supposed to let people know that I
would like to attend the National League
of Cities in November. And if others
want to join and go to that, it will be
an expense over $500 and we would want
to schedule it to go to the order at an
appropriate time for council. So if
others are interested in going going to
Nashville, um please let leadership or
the administration know. Thank you.
>> Thank you very much. I will say we
learned at the memorial service from the
community volunteers who water the the
little new flowers around the blue
memorial that they needed access to a
water tap, which they have been given
this week. And so that problem was
raised and solved. That was uh yeah
really appreciated from that group. So
the upcoming council meetings Monday
June 8th committee the whole will be
right here. It's about climate action
plan economic development plan action
downtown association will present
operations and potential 2026.
Uh Monday June 15th is the city council
regular meeting. We're going to have a
reception for the Isqua Hall of Fame
winner Fred Nestrom at 6:30 p.m. And
then we will discuss the Isqua district
and city joint use agreement which we
met with the school district this
afternoon and we left it on the agenda
for June 15. So that's a good sign.
There is no executive session tonight
and being no further business before
this council is journeying at 10:31. I
cannot claim this was a meeting of
brevity but it is still adjourned.