City Council Committee of the Whole · Tuesday, November 12, 2024 · City Council Digest

3. AGENDA ITEMS

2025-26 Budget: Deliberations COM 0077

Andrea Snyder, Assistant City Administrator · packet pp.5–50

Topics: Budget

▶ Watch from 0:33 Open packet at p.5 ↗

Staff report:

At the Oct. 28, 2024 City Council Committee of the Whole meeting, staff provided an overview of the 2025-26 Proposed Budget, including: • 2025-26 Budget Priorities • Forces on the budget • A General Fund Overview • Proposed new revenues • Departmental Budget Highlights and Impacts

2933 segments .txt ↗

0:07 ↗ good evening everyone I council

0:09 ↗ president Walsh call the November 12th

0:12 ↗ Committee of the whole meeting to order

0:15 ↗ um as a reminder we continue to have a

0:16 ↗ remote aspect to all of our meetings

0:19 ↗ both staff and members of the public may

0:22 ↗ be participating in tonight's meeting

0:24 ↗ remotely via

0:26 ↗ WebEx we looking over our agenda agenda

0:30 ↗ we've got a a public comment and then a

0:33 ↗ single agenda item Comm 0077 the 2025

0:37 ↗ 2026 budget

0:39 ↗ deliberations so we will start with um

0:43 ↗ public comment so members of the public

0:46 ↗ May address council at this time in

0:48 ↗ person or virtually those who signed up

0:50 ↗ in advance to make comments will be

0:52 ↗ called on first um if you're joining us

0:55 ↗ virtually and would like to make

0:57 ↗ comments you'll look for the raise hand

1:00 ↗ icon if you're on a computer or

1:01 ↗ smartphone or if you're on the phone

1:03 ↗ you're going to press star three if

1:06 ↗ you're in the room and did not sign up

1:08 ↗ uh I will ask for other speakers before

1:10 ↗ closing this portion of the meeting so I

1:13 ↗ will take a moment and ask the clerk if

1:16 ↗ we have anybody signed up or indicating

1:17 ↗ a desire to speak yes council president

1:20 ↗ we do okay um for those making comments

1:24 ↗ you're invited to address the council

1:26 ↗ regarding matters that are directly

1:28 ↗ related to isqua program

1:31 ↗ projects services or events comments

1:33 ↗ related to political campaigns are not

1:35 ↗ permitted please direct comments to the

1:38 ↗ whole Council and not individuals while

1:40 ↗ this is not a question and answer

1:42 ↗ session we will contact you to follow up

1:44 ↗ if needed when recognized if you're

1:47 ↗ virtual you're going to unmute your

1:48 ↗ microphone or in person you'll step up

1:51 ↗ to the lecturn and press the button so

1:53 ↗ that it lights up in red state your name

1:56 ↗ address and relationship to the city

1:58 ↗ speak clearly and pause frequently and

2:01 ↗ limit your comments to 5 minutes if you

2:03 ↗ are attending virtually and do not

2:05 ↗ respond after your name or phone number

2:07 ↗ is called or if your connection is lost

2:09 ↗ unexpectedly the meeting will need to

2:11 ↗ proceed and you're encouraged to Jo

2:13 ↗ rejoin the meeting if able personal

2:16 ↗ attacks obscene language derogatory

2:19 ↗ remarks and disruptive behavior will not

2:21 ↗ be permitted um public comments written

2:23 ↗ and verbal are an important aspect of

2:25 ↗ the public process the city takes

2:27 ↗ comments seriously and we thank you for

2:29 ↗ taking the time to address us so clerk

2:31 ↗ can you please identify the first person

2:33 ↗ who signed up to

2:34 ↗ speak yes council president Judy Eckland

2:37 ↗ would like to speak to the committee

2:39 ↗ right come on

2:48 ↗ up Judy if you push the the button there

2:52 ↗ on the base of the

2:55 ↗ unit there we go thank you

3:00 ↗ good evening Madam mayor and all of the

3:02 ↗ council members here my name is Judy

3:04 ↗ Eckland and I've been a resident in

3:06 ↗ isqua for 15 years and I've volunteered

3:09 ↗ for the Downtown iscoa Association for

3:12 ↗ 12 in fact this afternoon I was

3:15 ↗ outputting pink decorated shoes in the

3:19 ↗ Planters to promote our Legally Blonde

3:22 ↗ that opens

3:23 ↗ tonight and we need more shoes if any of

3:26 ↗ you have any heels in your back closet

3:28 ↗ please let me know

3:32 ↗ um so

3:34 ↗ volunteering I have had the experience

3:36 ↗ of meeting so many wonderful people and

3:38 ↗ residents because downtown is quo Asian

3:42 ↗ um is inclusive we want the residents

3:46 ↗ the people that live here that work here

3:48 ↗ the people like to visit here we want

3:51 ↗ them to be all comfortable and come back

3:53 ↗ and they do and in volunteering downtown

3:56 ↗ I meet lots of people from other areas

3:58 ↗ that wish they lived here

4:01 ↗ and um I'm also able to promote

4:03 ↗ businesses they comment on the on the

4:05 ↗ flower putts thank you for doing that I

4:07 ↗ said well thank thank the grain supply

4:10 ↗ thank squawk Mountain Nursery because

4:12 ↗ they provided the plants they want to

4:14 ↗ know where to get a glass of wine they

4:16 ↗ want to know where to get a greeting

4:17 ↗ card then I have the people that come

4:20 ↗ through that just come here to walk

4:22 ↗ around because they like it so much I

4:24 ↗ have a friend coming to visit over the

4:26 ↗ holidays I said well let me check the

4:28 ↗ calendar and see what's going on around

4:30 ↗ here she's only visited one other time

4:32 ↗ she said oh well I just want to stay in

4:34 ↗ isqua she said that's like a a Norman W

4:36 ↗ Rockwell

4:38 ↗ experience so I asked the city to

4:41 ↗ continue with their funding because I

4:44 ↗ like the the the Norman Rockwell

4:47 ↗ experience and I want to continue this

4:51 ↗ thank

4:52 ↗ you thank you

4:55 ↗ Judy um do we have somebody else signed

4:57 ↗ up yes we do Le

5:01 ↗ Ash

5:02 ↗ thank

5:04 ↗ leani pardon

5:08 ↗ me so hi I'm I'm Leilani Ash and I am a

5:12 ↗ resident here in isqua hello Madame

5:15 ↗ mayor and city council thank you for

5:17 ↗ letting me

5:19 ↗ speak so I have been

5:23 ↗ a volunteer with downtown isqua for

5:26 ↗ three years forgive me if I tear up

5:30 ↗ it has become such an important part of

5:34 ↗ my life and not just for me but for my

5:38 ↗ family of

5:40 ↗ 13 I am the only one that lives in isqua

5:43 ↗ and they're all

5:45 ↗ wannabes they

5:46 ↗ spend nearly all their time in issaqua

5:50 ↗ when they're not

5:52 ↗ working um helping volunteer with the

5:55 ↗ Downtown isaka

5:56 ↗ Association whether it's the isqua go

5:59 ↗ apples my 15-year-old granddaughter

6:04 ↗ is um in her words she's the owner of

6:08 ↗ the Apple press she is the one that

6:10 ↗ knows how to run it um my four-year-old

6:15 ↗ granddaughter will hand out stickers and

6:19 ↗ long cards and anything else that she

6:22 ↗ can hand out to people just to meet

6:25 ↗ people and be part of

6:27 ↗ isqua um to my 40 yold daughter

6:31 ↗ who this uh Christmas season will be an

6:34 ↗ elf uh up and down Front

6:37 ↗ Street um along with my brood of 13 I

6:41 ↗ also bring into

6:43 ↗ town um not me but downtown isqua and

6:46 ↗ the programming um fenders on Front

6:49 ↗ Street um Confluence Music Festival the

6:54 ↗ the gas station Blues um various friends

7:00 ↗ from northern Cal as far as away from

7:01 ↗ Northern California who come up and will

7:05 ↗ stay 2 three four nights in isqua and

7:10 ↗ enjoy everything from fins beastro to

7:14 ↗ Capri sellers to big picture um all

7:18 ↗ because of the programming that comes

7:21 ↗ from downtown

7:23 ↗ isqua um we've

7:26 ↗ had nine people just in the last three

7:29 ↗ years no I have to I I'll take that back

7:32 ↗ six people in the last three years move

7:35 ↗ from Northern

7:36 ↗ California to be close to isqua whether

7:40 ↗ they their jobs are in issaqua or the

7:44 ↗ surrounding area but all of their time

7:46 ↗ is spent um with our programming that

7:50 ↗ the Downtown isqua Association is

7:53 ↗ providing which happens to be free to

7:58 ↗ everyone um um regardless of their

8:01 ↗ social status or their financial

8:04 ↗ status or their age the the the gas

8:08 ↗ station Blues regardless of your age

8:10 ↗ bring It come on down and and enjoy the

8:13 ↗ music it's free and it's wonderful a

8:17 ↗ great day to to to go over to um

8:21 ↗ levitate and grab a burger and fries and

8:24 ↗ bring it to the gas station blues and

8:27 ↗ sit with your family and have have a

8:29 ↗ meal

8:31 ↗ so I my request to the city council is

8:34 ↗ please consider continuing the funding

8:37 ↗ for the Downtown isqua Association so

8:40 ↗ that we can continue bringing

8:42 ↗ in people from out of state out of town

8:46 ↗ out of out of County um even our own

8:49 ↗ residents right here to help them enjoy

8:52 ↗ everything that the Downtown isqua

8:54 ↗ Association um provides so thank you for

8:59 ↗ letting me speak today thanks Leilani

9:02 ↗ anybody else signed up to speak yes

9:05 ↗ council president Corby

9:07 ↗ castler

9:12 ↗ Corby good evening everyone um

9:16 ↗ congratulations council member Victoria

9:19 ↗ hunt um I just wanted to reiterate what

9:22 ↗ we've heard from our volunteers first of

9:25 ↗ all Dia is not an island unto itself

9:27 ↗ what it is is the community

9:30 ↗ our volunteers our businesses they all

9:32 ↗ comprise what Downtown isqua Association

9:35 ↗ is we do not have membership fees we're

9:37 ↗ not a chamber of commerce we bring the

9:39 ↗ voices together so that everyone has an

9:42 ↗ equal voice that's just a little

9:44 ↗ backdrop I want you to contemplate

9:47 ↗ $30,000 as an investment into downtown

9:50 ↗ Isa Association which would help keep

9:53 ↗ everything alive Music Arts engagement

9:57 ↗ activity liveliness people in the

9:58 ↗ streets bringing pedestrians into the

10:01 ↗ businesses $30,000 in

10:05 ↗ addition 90,000 back to the city if they

10:08 ↗ invest $330,000 they get a return from a

10:11 ↗ tax incentive credit program and I'll

10:13 ↗ talk a little bit more about that um I I

10:16 ↗ really want to think about what would

10:20 ↗ downtown look like if we did not have

10:22 ↗ that activity we've done a lot of

10:24 ↗ surveys and in those surveys people from

10:27 ↗ all over come you know from redond we

10:29 ↗ don't have a downtown we want to come to

10:31 ↗ isqua it's historically hip we've

10:34 ↗ branded that as a community based on the

10:36 ↗ voices of everyone again our businesses

10:39 ↗ other organizations other nonprofits the

10:41 ↗ government the city we are all Dia we're

10:45 ↗ proud of our hometown we want to

10:47 ↗ continue to generate revenue for the

10:50 ↗ City by helping our businesses and I can

10:53 ↗ tell you talk to your constituents ask

10:55 ↗ them what do you need most in downtown

10:58 ↗ they'll say activ

10:59 ↗ bring its people people don't come just

11:02 ↗ because nothing's happening every

11:05 ↗ weekend you will see people in the

11:06 ↗ streets going into our businesses our

11:09 ↗ business is saying things such as

11:11 ↗ vendors on front is the most important

11:13 ↗ day of the year Bar None because there

11:16 ↗ are another no other restaurants they

11:18 ↗ line up they go into our restaurants and

11:21 ↗ they thank us profusely that's just one

11:23 ↗ example there's so many more our

11:26 ↗ downtown is our pride and joy it makes

11:30 ↗ isqua special let's invest 25 cents on

11:34 ↗ the dollar an unprecedented program

11:37 ↗ because we're a Main Street program that

11:40 ↗ people who are not Main Street do not

11:42 ↗ have invest

11:43 ↗ $30,000 get $90,000 back that we can

11:47 ↗ keep in our city rather than putting it

11:49 ↗ in the mail and sending it elsewhere so

11:52 ↗ please talk your constituents find out

11:55 ↗ what they need in a downtown how do we

11:57 ↗ keep it moving like Lively instead of

12:00 ↗ just a thorough Fair thank you very much

12:03 ↗ thanks Corby we have anybody else uh

12:07 ↗ signed up to speak no council president

12:09 ↗ nobody else has signed up previously

12:12 ↗ okay uh I noticed we have two people who

12:14 ↗ have joined us uh since I started we're

12:17 ↗ doing public comments uh if either of

12:20 ↗ you would like to address Council if

12:22 ↗ you've got some comments we would be

12:24 ↗ happy to have you up

12:26 ↗ here are you interested

12:30 ↗ great one at a time or together you guys

12:32 ↗ can come up to the um lecture right

12:35 ↗ there we've already got the microphone

12:36 ↗ on you'll tell us your name um and kind

12:40 ↗ of your relationship to the city and

12:42 ↗ then you'll have five minutes to make

12:43 ↗ comments

12:52 ↗ so so um at this point we've got an open

12:56 ↗ public comment which is just what you

12:57 ↗ were hearing from other residents um so

13:00 ↗ if you have something to speak on that

13:02 ↗ would be great otherwise we're going to

13:04 ↗ go into our meeting we'll probably do

13:05 ↗ like an hourlong

13:07 ↗ presentation um well half an hour or so

13:10 ↗ and then um some questions from us

13:12 ↗ before the next public comment

13:13 ↗ opportunity so just want to give you a

13:16 ↗ chance if you don't want to stay that

13:19 ↗ long come on we won't we don't

13:22 ↗ bite we're really good come on up there

13:26 ↗ so just state your name your

13:27 ↗ relationship to the city and what you

13:29 ↗ have to say yeah hi I'm uh James I'm

13:33 ↗ just uh like a senior at isqua high

13:36 ↗ school and I wanted to attend this uh

13:39 ↗ city council meeting in particular to

13:41 ↗ like uh pose a question because I saw on

13:43 ↗ the website it's talking about um I can

13:46 ↗ adjust it um budgeting it's talking

13:48 ↗ about budgeting um for the city of

13:50 ↗ issaqua and I had been speaking to a lot

13:53 ↗ of people at the the garage like that

13:56 ↗ youth nonprofit Cafe right near the

13:59 ↗ community center and a lot of people

14:02 ↗ there are um people from like lower

14:04 ↗ income backgrounds who live in the isqua

14:06 ↗ area or at least if in like the isqua

14:07 ↗ school district you know they commute to

14:09 ↗ isqua high school and they stay around

14:11 ↗ in issaqua at least you know five days

14:13 ↗ out of the week and through speaking to

14:15 ↗ people there uh a lot of people were

14:17 ↗ expressing like concern over public

14:19 ↗ transportation and like the like what

14:22 ↗ the future of funding for it might look

14:23 ↗ like especially with the um Metroflex

14:26 ↗ program and along with um the recently

14:29 ↗ um I'm not sure if recent we could say a

14:31 ↗ year is recent but um some of the like

14:33 ↗ cancelled uh bus routes like throughout

14:36 ↗ isqua and people were just expressing a

14:39 ↗ lot of interest about what public

14:41 ↗ transportation and what like funding for

14:43 ↗ it might look like so that's why I

14:45 ↗ wanted to come here today to kind of

14:46 ↗ pose a question on what funding can we

14:49 ↗ expect for like uh like public

14:52 ↗ transportation isqua or if that is a

14:55 ↗ more of like a countywide question but

14:57 ↗ that's what I have to pose

15:00 ↗ fantastic thank you for your comments

15:02 ↗ I'll just say this we don't have the

15:05 ↗ opportunity as a council at this point

15:07 ↗ to respond just like we didn't do to the

15:09 ↗ other residents but I want to let you

15:11 ↗ know that if you want to start a

15:12 ↗ conversation you can email city council

15:15 ↗ at esqua wa.gov um or we will be

15:19 ↗ speaking on that topic and more um later

15:22 ↗ would you like to make any

15:25 ↗ comments I promise we don't bite

15:33 ↗ okay

15:38 ↗ great hi I'm Jenna I'm just um a

15:42 ↗ resident here in isqua I've been living

15:43 ↗ here since I was eight um yeah I just

15:46 ↗ have the same concern I've talked with

15:48 ↗ students at the garage um again like

15:50 ↗ predominant lower income who said that

15:52 ↗ they'd heard some rumors that like with

15:55 ↗ new budgeting for city of isqua there

15:57 ↗ might be like cutting of Metroflex and l

15:59 ↗ or there might be like more cutting of

16:02 ↗ bus routes and I just wanted to like

16:04 ↗ reemphasize what James had said which is

16:07 ↗ that um like there are low-income people

16:10 ↗ in this car who do need the Metroflex

16:12 ↗ and do need like public transit so I

16:14 ↗ know you can't respond to that right now

16:16 ↗ and like in order to start a dialogue

16:18 ↗ might need an email or such um but I

16:21 ↗ hope that there can be like productive

16:25 ↗ conversation and like them these

16:28 ↗ programs which are like really

16:29 ↗ fundamental for like people in our

16:31 ↗ community um and like

16:36 ↗ remain thank you so much we always

16:38 ↗ appreciate hearing from residents and

16:41 ↗ understanding what what's happening with

16:44 ↗ you guys just like we uh heard earlier

16:46 ↗ from the DIA volunteers um anybody else

16:49 ↗ indicating online a desire to speak uh C

16:52 ↗ president nobody online has indicated a

16:54 ↗ desire to speak at this time okay well

16:57 ↗ again we always love hearing from our

16:59 ↗ residents we heard from um three uh

17:03 ↗ people from DIA two volunteers um just

17:06 ↗ about the city funding issues and then

17:09 ↗ we heard from uh two students about uh

17:13 ↗ the advocacy for Metroflex and kind of

17:16 ↗ what the impact and what the

17:18 ↗ availability of the budget would be so

17:20 ↗ thank you guys um at this time we've got

17:23 ↗ our one budget item um on the agenda

17:27 ↗ which is Comm 0077

17:29 ↗ the 2025 2026 budget uh deliberations

17:33 ↗ presented by Andrea Snider the assistant

17:35 ↗ City

17:36 ↗ administrator thank you thank you

17:39 ↗ council president Walsh um with me here

17:42 ↗ today A Supporting Cast uh to really do

17:45 ↗ the bulk of the presentation for us uh

17:48 ↗ I'm just kicking it off but uh we have

17:50 ↗ Public Works director Emily Moon uh

17:53 ↗ Community planning and development

17:54 ↗ director Minnie Dolly wall is joining us

17:56 ↗ from overseas and also administrative

17:59 ↗ Services director otam manahan um but I

18:02 ↗ will kick us off uh so the purpose for

18:05 ↗ today is to follow up on some of the

18:07 ↗ issues there we go follow up on some of

18:09 ↗ the issues raised by city council at uh

18:12 ↗ the October 28th Committee of the whole

18:15 ↗ regarding the 2526 proposed budget so

18:18 ↗ specifically those interests that seem

18:21 ↗ um to be to Bubble up to the top for

18:23 ↗ Council were Metroflex the light rail

18:26 ↗ study the housing and parking studies as

18:29 ↗ well as the fleet fund we got a lot of

18:30 ↗ questions about each of those items

18:32 ↗ there are many more questions we

18:33 ↗ received from Council we have attempted

18:35 ↗ to answer those in the packet for you

18:37 ↗ this evening if you have additional

18:39 ↗ questions or follow up on anything

18:40 ↗ that's presented to you in the packet

18:43 ↗ please let us know of course we're happy

18:44 ↗ to provide any information that you

18:46 ↗ desire but it seemed like these four

18:47 ↗ issues really um Rose to the top for the

18:50 ↗ most of council members so we wanted to

18:51 ↗ spend some time today addressing them

18:54 ↗ the direction needed for today is really

18:56 ↗ just asking are you is is Council um

19:01 ↗ does council agree with the

19:02 ↗ administration's recommendation as

19:04 ↗ presented in the proposed budget to

19:06 ↗ cancel the city's contribution to

19:08 ↗ Metroflex postpone the light rail study

19:12 ↗ U postpone the housing and parking

19:14 ↗ studies and also to keep the fleet fund

19:17 ↗ budget as proposed those are the four

19:19 ↗ questions really for today on addressing

19:22 ↗ each of those four

19:24 ↗ items um so with that I would like to

19:27 ↗ welcome Public Works director Emily

19:40 ↗ Moon good evening city

19:43 ↗ council so I'll be following up on some

19:47 ↗ of the questions that you have posed

19:48 ↗ about Metroflex and providing a little

19:51 ↗ information about the service to

19:54 ↗ date so the first slide shows weekday

19:58 ↗ weekday only rides per quarter and I'll

20:01 ↗ point out the obvious it's been on the

20:03 ↗ rise since we first started which was to

20:05 ↗ be expected has been leveling off a

20:08 ↗ little bit as uh we have stopped pushing

20:12 ↗ as much marketing uh for the program

20:15 ↗ there was a big launch where we

20:17 ↗ saturated the community with signage and

20:20 ↗ social media and other means of

20:23 ↗ communicating the new

20:25 ↗ service this is a similar Trend as you

20:27 ↗ will see in other slides as well that

20:30 ↗ King County has experienced and other

20:33 ↗ communities that have started up

20:36 ↗ Metroflex so our weekday rides per

20:39 ↗ quarter last quarter that we have data

20:42 ↗ for through September uh was 43 rides

20:47 ↗ per

20:49 ↗ weekday in terms of ridership we have

20:52 ↗ also seen pretty similar pattern real up

20:55 ↗ Tick in that first from the first

20:58 ↗ quarter to the second quarter of the

21:00 ↗ service our ridership has increased

21:04 ↗ pretty steadily until this last quarter

21:06 ↗ where it sort of leveled off a little

21:08 ↗ bit

21:12 ↗ again and shared trips is an objective

21:15 ↗ of the program to ensure that we have

21:18 ↗ efficient use of the system there's a

21:20 ↗ sweet spot for shared number of trips

21:23 ↗ and uh number of riders that can be

21:25 ↗ accommodated certainly with each vehicle

21:29 ↗ so we are hitting the Target that we

21:30 ↗ have uh thus far L to see that higher

21:33 ↗ but again that's uh partly about demand

21:35 ↗ partly about resources as well and so

21:38 ↗ our shared trips have remained fairly

21:41 ↗ fairly

21:43 ↗ constant in terms of weight times per

21:47 ↗ quarter uh we've seen that be fairly

21:50 ↗ consistent as well uh one thing that I

21:54 ↗ will note is shortly after we had

21:58 ↗ started the service around that second

21:59 ↗ quarter time frame Metroflex added a

22:03 ↗ fourth vehicle to service isqua and that

22:07 ↗ was in part because of the de demand

22:09 ↗ that they were seeing but also um hoping

22:11 ↗ to make sure to hold constant uh on the

22:15 ↗ weight times and um make sure that they

22:18 ↗ were servicing the whole uh service area

22:22 ↗ um having that availability of a vehicle

22:29 ↗ there's also some questions that we

22:31 ↗ received about who is using the service

22:34 ↗ it's a hard question to answer we have a

22:36 ↗ lot of anecdotal evidence uh but

22:40 ↗ Metroflex does not require anyone to

22:43 ↗ submit demographic information as they

22:46 ↗ book a trip they don't collect anything

22:49 ↗ um as someone enters one of the vehicles

22:52 ↗ uh so we don't have that but we do have

22:54 ↗ some useful information I think in the

22:57 ↗ heat maps that get on a quarterly basis

23:00 ↗ from Metro this is just an example week

23:04 ↗ of October 21st U we think it's a good

23:07 ↗ example because it it shows a pattern

23:09 ↗ that we see repeated uh throughout each

23:12 ↗ quarter you can see our top destinations

23:15 ↗ are are two Transit centers uh the

23:18 ↗ transit center and the parking ride in

23:19 ↗ the highlands uh isqua High School Talis

23:23 ↗ which is in a

23:25 ↗ multifam um area um family housing area

23:30 ↗ and isqua Commons but you can see single

23:33 ↗ dots spread out throughout town uh the

23:38 ↗ Clusters the that are darkest in color

23:41 ↗ that deep purple color um those haven't

23:44 ↗ really changed over time um in some

23:47 ↗ cases they have become more intense you

23:50 ↗ actually have to aggregate a little bit

23:52 ↗ with your your mind's eye a bit if you

23:54 ↗ see the iscoa High um there's several C

23:58 ↗ circles that are that rich color but

24:00 ↗ you'd have to kind of combine them to

24:02 ↗ see the overall usage

24:07 ↗ there I can also share just a little bit

24:09 ↗ of that anecdotal uh evidence about who

24:13 ↗ is using it I think the heat map speaks

24:15 ↗ to that you've got Shoppers you have um

24:19 ↗ folks that are uh living in some of our

24:22 ↗ higher density neighborhoods you have uh

24:25 ↗ High School age students that are using

24:27 ↗ this service quite a bit so some of that

24:31 ↗ anecdotal evidence that we have is some

24:33 ↗ feedback that we received as we went to

24:36 ↗ various boards and commissions last

24:37 ↗ spring um we heard from Human Services

24:41 ↗ uh Department as well in the city that

24:45 ↗ uh they were receiving a lot of feedback

24:48 ↗ from writers about how valued the

24:51 ↗ service was um they told us at that time

24:55 ↗ that

24:56 ↗ their biggest benefit was in accessing

25:00 ↗ Oldtown and Gilman for uh shopping um

25:05 ↗ also the commons area for shopping and

25:08 ↗ they said metrox Flex has improved

25:11 ↗ access to businesses within isqua that

25:13 ↗ were not previously accessible via bus

25:16 ↗ particularly basic needs in downtown

25:18 ↗ isqua area and that they were receiving

25:21 ↗ a lot of feedback from students that

25:23 ↗ they have used it to take um trips to

25:27 ↗ grocery stores

25:29 ↗ and uh also uh to the food bank and

25:33 ↗ other locations in downtown and along

25:36 ↗ Gilman

25:37 ↗ Boulevard lastly we also have received

25:40 ↗ quite a bit of feedback from iswa School

25:42 ↗ District staff who have uh from time to

25:45 ↗ time reached out to us and have voiced

25:48 ↗ appreciation for the service and even

25:50 ↗ more so a desire for more of it uh to

25:53 ↗ service different neighborhoods but also

25:56 ↗ uh different hours of operation

25:57 ↗ different days of the

26:02 ↗ week I was going to say I think we've

26:04 ↗ got just one more slide on Metroflex but

26:06 ↗ go ahead question it's on the map so if

26:09 ↗ that's all right thank you um the I just

26:12 ↗ wanted to confirm while there are

26:14 ↗ multiple dots at multiple places in

26:16 ↗ Talis and you have Talis multif family I

26:18 ↗ believe that the large purple dot which

26:20 ↗ is the highest um uh density of writers

26:24 ↗ ship is Rose crust um at Talis and I

26:28 ↗ just wanted to confirm that that's

26:29 ↗ correct thank

26:36 ↗ you okay uh you also asked some

26:40 ↗ questions about current funding I'm uh

26:42 ↗ confirming for you that we have cut

26:58 ↗ also wanted to give you a statistic the

27:01 ↗ city's cost per trip then um averages

27:04 ↗ out to $27 24 or at least it did for the

27:10 ↗ most recent

27:11 ↗ quarter I spoke earlier about the fact

27:14 ↗ that we have about four vans in our

27:17 ↗ Fleet on average you know the county

27:21 ↗ shifts resources around to meet demand

27:24 ↗ so some moments in time we actually

27:26 ↗ could have one more vehicle we could

27:29 ↗ have one fewer um when our contract was

27:34 ↗ established we

27:37 ↗ were paying the equivalent of one Van's

27:41 ↗ use one operator's time um and Essence

27:45 ↗ and so city has gotten a little bit more

27:48 ↗ out of the county over the last year as

27:51 ↗ they have had to try to meet the demand

27:53 ↗ in our

27:55 ↗ community we did approach King County

27:57 ↗ and we asked about their ability to help

28:01 ↗ fund uh City's cost share for the second

28:05 ↗ year of the contract they are not able

28:08 ↗ to do that again we're Midway through

28:11 ↗ this two-year agreement uh we have

28:14 ↗ provisions of course to terminate um but

28:17 ↗ they have already established their

28:20 ↗ provision of service to our community

28:22 ↗ and other communities and did not have

28:24 ↗ available budget to uh put toward this

28:27 ↗ program

28:29 ↗ I also wanted to share that King County

28:34 ↗ has been very consistent in their

28:36 ↗ response to us that they attempted to

28:39 ↗ negotiate in good faith and offer this

28:42 ↗ program uh to the city to help meet uh

28:45 ↗ the needs that they saw in our community

28:47 ↗ they wanted to be partners with us we

28:49 ↗ spent quite a bit of time over the years

28:51 ↗ trying to come up with what is the best

28:53 ↗ way to service our community especially

28:56 ↗ after cuts to uh bus

28:59 ↗ Transit and we jumped the queue in a way

29:03 ↗ because we had been having those

29:05 ↗ long-standing discussions with them and

29:07 ↗ because of the reductions in bus service

29:10 ↗ to our community and

29:12 ↗ others King County had

29:14 ↗ established after implementation of

29:17 ↗ Metroflex and after they began seeing a

29:19 ↗ lot of jurisdictions have interest in

29:21 ↗ the program they reestablished some

29:24 ↗ criteria for expansion of the program

29:27 ↗ and that expansion

29:29 ↗ criteria uh is called their service

29:32 ↗ guidelines and that really speaks to

29:35 ↗ their desire to ensure equity and

29:39 ↗ service particularly attention to um

29:43 ↗ Equity priority areas so those are areas

29:46 ↗ in our region that um have higher

29:49 ↗ density of low to moderate income uh

29:53 ↗ residents provide access to jobs and

29:56 ↗ Community assets and

29:58 ↗ um their second tier is really about uh

30:02 ↗ meeting communities that want to partner

30:05 ↗ with them so we were sort of that second

30:07 ↗ level criteria when uh they they agreed

30:10 ↗ to help us start this program

30:14 ↗ here I also understand that city council

30:17 ↗ has asked some questions about why

30:18 ↗ samamish doesn't contribute and I think

30:21 ↗ we've address that before but to

30:23 ↗ reiterate that their program started

30:26 ↗ much earlier than ours did and again um

30:30 ↗ the way in which King County was

30:31 ↗ thinking about service expansion

30:33 ↗ differed a little bit at that time but

30:35 ↗ the primary reason why they are

30:37 ↗ servicing city of samamish without a

30:39 ↗ contribution from the city is because

30:42 ↗ they have had a more significant

30:44 ↗ reduction in transit services than the

30:46 ↗ city of isqua and still to this day they

30:48 ↗ have fewer transit services than the

30:52 ↗ city of isqua has and that's anticipated

30:54 ↗ to Comm to continue um in the near

31:00 ↗ future lastly I wanted to provide some

31:03 ↗ background on the Consolidated grant

31:06 ↗ that we have applied for uh knowing that

31:09 ↗ it's always good to try to get uh

31:11 ↗ outside funding we uh try to put our

31:14 ↗ name in the Hat for this wash dot Grant

31:17 ↗ that's passed through uh Puget Sound

31:19 ↗ Regional Council and this grant would

31:22 ↗ help us to offer Metro Flex uh for a

31:26 ↗ 2-year period running from July 2025 to

31:29 ↗ June

31:31 ↗ 2027 so the grant would cover about 90%

31:34 ↗ of the city's costs there is a

31:35 ↗ requirement for a City match our City

31:37 ↗ match would be about

31:41 ↗ $59,000 and we won't know if the city is

31:45 ↗ going to be awarded that Grant until May

31:49 ↗ of

31:50 ↗ 2025 however um there are steps to this

31:54 ↗ process we will get a little bit of

31:56 ↗ information back we think at the end of

31:59 ↗ November um not enough to count on fully

32:03 ↗ but a good indication of the likelihood

32:06 ↗ of the city to receive that Grant and

32:08 ↗ we'll certainly be keeping you informed

32:11 ↗ of

32:12 ↗ that director Moon before we move on

32:14 ↗ since I know the next one is light rail

32:16 ↗ I think we've got some interest in

32:18 ↗ questions about the Metroflex program so

32:21 ↗ um Deputy council president D Michelle

32:24 ↗ followed by um council member Mart

32:28 ↗ uh thank you Emily and thank you for

32:30 ↗ your Outreach to Metro was there any

32:33 ↗ discussion uh it says there's no

32:35 ↗ additional available uh funding for year

32:38 ↗ to the contract but was there any

32:39 ↗ discussion about uh future funding uh

32:43 ↗ Beyond uh the two-year period and um any

32:47 ↗ indication that there might be funding

32:49 ↗ in the future no we we didn't get into

32:51 ↗ that topic that would certainly be a

32:54 ↗ topic that we would need to engage in

32:56 ↗ and about another five six months when

32:59 ↗ we are ready to

33:00 ↗ renegotiate hopefully years three and

33:03 ↗ four if um we are going to continue this

33:07 ↗ service Council Mars thank you council

33:10 ↗ president a couple questions can you go

33:12 ↗ back to the map for a second

33:14 ↗ sure so I'm struck can you help me

33:18 ↗ understand why there's so much more

33:20 ↗ ridership in the highlands than there is

33:22 ↗ in squawk Mountain because squawk

33:24 ↗ mountain is one of the places that

33:25 ↗ historically we've said

33:28 ↗ that the lack of Transit is is

33:30 ↗ particularly difficult and yet it's

33:33 ↗ essentially unused Ona and it looks

33:35 ↗ heavily used in the highlands can I

33:36 ↗ understand why yeah and I could only

33:39 ↗ offer sort of my subjective opinion

33:42 ↗ about why that might be the case we

33:44 ↗ don't of course have any survey um to uh

33:49 ↗ share as rationale for that what I can

33:52 ↗ say is if there was a neighborhood that

33:55 ↗ received a lot of uh marketing about the

33:58 ↗ service it was it was definitely squat

34:01 ↗ because our intention was to provide

34:03 ↗ this service um where there was a lack

34:05 ↗ of Transit service and so we focus very

34:07 ↗ heavily on both squawk and

34:10 ↗ Talis my personal opinion is

34:15 ↗ perhaps uh the residents that live on

34:18 ↗ squawk have gone without for so long

34:21 ↗ there are a lot of households therefore

34:23 ↗ that have private

34:26 ↗ Automobiles and um that's the dominant

34:29 ↗ nature of how they get around where uh

34:33 ↗ Highlands for

34:35 ↗ example uh since very early time has had

34:38 ↗ access to BU bus routes has had the park

34:40 ↗ and ride um so that's that's just my

34:43 ↗ best guess yeah it's it's funny because

34:46 ↗ I mean we have lots of uh also folks who

34:48 ↗ are aging in place on squawk that could

34:51 ↗ potentially benefit so it's just

34:54 ↗ surprisingly disappointing uh my next

34:56 ↗ question is when you talk talked about

34:58 ↗ ridership and I think you said it was

35:00 ↗ approximately 3,000 per quarter um in

35:03 ↗ the most recent how does that compare to

35:05 ↗ a bus or set of buses like order of

35:08 ↗ magnitude how does that it's a great

35:10 ↗ question I don't have that statistic for

35:12 ↗ you so I'd have to get back to you on

35:14 ↗ that okay next question is you said it

35:16 ↗ was $27 per trip you know how that

35:18 ↗ compares to buses like how efficient is

35:21 ↗ this compared to bus travel that's an

35:24 ↗ excellent question too and I would have

35:26 ↗ to ask Metro to help me to calculate

35:28 ↗ that okay and then the last question is

35:30 ↗ you mentioned about samamish and

35:32 ↗ samamish having started a program sooner

35:34 ↗ but isn't and forgive me I don't

35:37 ↗ understand um funding for Metro as well

35:39 ↗ as some but they're only partially in

35:41 ↗ the tax District that pays for Transit

35:44 ↗ are they not or am I confusing that with

35:46 ↗ Sound Transit I believe that's

35:49 ↗ correct okay so and yet they they get it

35:52 ↗ fully covered even though only some of

35:54 ↗ their folks pay Transit know seeing head

35:58 ↗ head scratches

36:00 ↗ no hi council member Mars uh so you were

36:04 ↗ correct when you said that a portion of

36:05 ↗ them are within the Sound Transit taxing

36:08 ↗ area but they all are a part of King

36:10 ↗ County which King County Metro um is a

36:14 ↗ King County service I see okay different

36:16 ↗ different funding set up all right thank

36:18 ↗ you that was my question uh council

36:20 ↗ member Ray thanks um council president

36:23 ↗ um do you know what share of the total

36:25 ↗ cost of Metroflex we're paying versus

36:27 ↗ Metro is

36:28 ↗ paying I don't have their total cost of

36:32 ↗ service uh there are uh substantial

36:36 ↗ costs that we are not sharing in so you

36:38 ↗ can't just um logically apply that math

36:41 ↗ of one vehicle they're providing four

36:44 ↗ therefore we are paying 25% it's far

36:47 ↗ less than that for the actual cost of

36:49 ↗ the service far less which way

36:53 ↗ sorry Metro is paying more than 75% okay

36:57 ↗ of the cost great and then um on the The

37:01 ↗ Daily uh Rider numbers by quarter so the

37:04 ↗ 43 so that's uh that's rides not

37:07 ↗ necessarily Riders so assuming people

37:09 ↗ are going to and pro so likely so 20

37:12 ↗ people a day sort of is where we're at

37:14 ↗ right now 21 is I I I think that's

37:18 ↗ possible um I think what we have

37:22 ↗ on on here

37:27 ↗ yeah those are those should be the

37:29 ↗ writers ship per quarter slide

37:32 ↗ demonstrates um oneway trip

37:36 ↗ counts great thank you

37:41 ↗ sure okay let me ask that again I did a

37:44 ↗ quick background math um the 30 the

37:49 ↗ 38 if that's quarterly if I divide it by

37:52 ↗ 13 weeks and a quarter and five week

37:54 ↗ days that would get me 46 rides so are

38:00 ↗ we

38:01 ↗ [Music]

38:03 ↗ estimating yeah I'm just confused

38:05 ↗ because one's Rider ship and then the

38:07 ↗ other one is weekday rides um correct so

38:10 ↗ excluding Saturday

38:12 ↗ rides yeah but rides versus Riders so if

38:15 ↗ somebody is a two and fro two trips

38:20 ↗ would they be counted as

38:22 ↗ one two rides but one Rider

38:28 ↗ they would be counted as uh two rides

38:33 ↗ and one Rider I guess believe so but the

38:37 ↗ writers ship the writers ship

38:40 ↗ statistic again includes Saturday

38:44 ↗ data okay got it got it got it okay uh

38:49 ↗ any other questions on Metroflex well no

38:52 ↗ I just want to get some clarity there

38:53 ↗ because the math doesn't work if that's

38:55 ↗ if the one chart we're looking at that

38:56 ↗ says wrer ship says

38:58 ↗ 3,000 and that includes weekends and

39:02 ↗ then the weekday says 43 per day um I

39:06 ↗ you know I could get from 46 to 43 using

39:08 ↗ a weekend but I can't get

39:10 ↗ from

39:12 ↗ um 80 92 to 43 using weekend so I mean

39:19 ↗ it seems to me like the writers ship

39:21 ↗ number really is the number of trips by

39:24 ↗ during the quarter not the number of

39:26 ↗ individuals per

39:28 ↗ order maybe we can get an email

39:31 ↗ clarification yeah I'll I'll I'll try to

39:33 ↗ spell it out yep something because we

39:35 ↗ just want the numbers to put is sure

39:42 ↗ sure so I know we've got a few other

39:45 ↗ topics going on so thank very much what

39:48 ↗ comes up

39:53 ↗ next thank you council president Walsh

39:56 ↗ um I see Minnie has pulled up her video

39:59 ↗ Minnie I'll just help control the slides

40:01 ↗ for you from

40:05 ↗ here Andrea good evening council members

40:09 ↗ and members of the community in

40:10 ↗ attendance tonight um so light rail

40:14 ↗ study a little bit background in terms

40:16 ↗ of a sound transits estimated schedule

40:19 ↗ uh so this graphic was part of the light

40:21 ↗ rail planning guide that Council was

40:23 ↗ previously briefed on and we undertook

40:25 ↗ this um uh you know work on the light

40:28 ↗ raail planning guide in in earlier this

40:30 ↗ year and past year um so Sound Transit

40:35 ↗ at this time is saying the planning

40:37 ↗ Alternatives development will start in

40:40 ↗ 2027 so at that that's the official

40:42 ↗ kickoff of the Sound Transit planning

40:45 ↗ process you know before their design and

40:48 ↗ construction which ranges from about

40:50 ↗ total if you take the Alternatives

40:53 ↗ development as well as the environmental

40:56 ↗ review and preliminary design is about

41:00 ↗ uh five fiveish years four to five years

41:03 ↗ um but that will that is plann to start

41:06 ↗ in

41:07 ↗ 2027 um so what the esqua light rail

41:11 ↗ study process uh is prior to Sound

41:15 ↗ Transit officially starting off their um

41:18 ↗ alternative development process um and

41:21 ↗ and the purpose of this is really uh to

41:24 ↗ provide feedback that's unique to isqua

41:28 ↗ with uh based off of robust public

41:30 ↗ Outreach um and a community's vision for

41:34 ↗ where uh the station should you know

41:36 ↗ some of some of the policy objectives as

41:38 ↗ well as some of the uh the higher level

41:40 ↗ thinking process for what what what Mak

41:43 ↗ sense for isqua in terms of the uh

41:46 ↗ Alternatives that should be evaluated uh

41:48 ↗ so that that would feed into the

41:50 ↗ partnership with Sound Transit and Metro

41:53 ↗ uh and doing some of the leg work ahead

41:55 ↗ of time for it to be a mean meaningful

41:58 ↗ partnership when the time is right um

42:01 ↗ next slide

42:03 ↗ Andrea thank you um so this really just

42:06 ↗ shows um Sound Transit uh starts the

42:09 ↗ Alternatives development in 2027 with

42:12 ↗ their uh all the different Alternatives

42:14 ↗ that they come up with they would do an

42:15 ↗ environmental review for all of them

42:18 ↗ before a preferred alternative is

42:20 ↗ selected um and uh on the right hand

42:23 ↗ side you'll see uh the recommendations

42:26 ↗ from the light study of the station

42:29 ↗ alignment and planning that starts at

42:31 ↗ the local level to inform the process at

42:34 ↗ the sun Transit level in 2025 and

42:37 ↗ 2026 um at the local level there are

42:40 ↗ other things that would feed into in

42:42 ↗ terms of uh you know what is it the

42:45 ↗ existing conditions is it the Future

42:48 ↗ Vision for the area and and which one

42:50 ↗ you know uh outweighs which which one uh

42:54 ↗ that then feeds into what sort of land

42:56 ↗ use discussion and legislative updates

42:58 ↗ are needed for instance um you know does

43:02 ↗ it make sense to have the different

43:03 ↗ types of mixed uses the type you know

43:05 ↗ maximum on parking numbers uh creating a

43:09 ↗ Transit oriented uh development overlay

43:11 ↗ and such after the first couple of years

43:15 ↗ um next slide

43:18 ↗ Andrea um so the light drill study is

43:21 ↗ $200,000 per year um I think this is

43:25 ↗ talking about the total number for the

43:27 ↗ the bium budget um and the scope of the

43:32 ↗ study is really uh the existing

43:34 ↗ conditions and future analysis that then

43:36 ↗ feed into public Outreach um that then

43:40 ↗ establishes the the isqua's preferred uh

43:44 ↗ you know options for station area

43:45 ↗ planning and Analysis and does some

43:48 ↗ alignment analysis um the impact of uh

43:51 ↗ delaying this is potential you know we

43:54 ↗ we tried to put some potential things

43:56 ↗ for you all to consider

43:57 ↗ uh missed opportunity to coordinate with

43:59 ↗ I90 Crossing project uh potentially

44:02 ↗ limited input in Sound Transit

44:04 ↗ Alternatives development and uh some

44:07 ↗ sort of you know uh an ability to miss

44:09 ↗ out on public Outreach uh before Sound

44:13 ↗ Transit officially kicks off their

44:15 ↗ process um at this time we have not

44:18 ↗ applied for any granted or Grant funds

44:20 ↗ or are aware of anything that's in the

44:23 ↗ hopper next slide

44:27 ↗ so that's light rail study uh the other

44:30 ↗ component um that was also part of uh

44:34 ↗ 2023 2024 budget uh was housing and

44:37 ↗ parking study so a little background on

44:40 ↗ this how it came about was when Title 18

44:42 ↗ was wrapping up uh there was a future

44:45 ↗ updates list and Council prioritized

44:48 ↗ three items from the future updates list

44:50 ↗ and provided funding is part of the last

44:52 ↗ uh bium budget um and what we got out of

44:57 ↗ uh we have not started any work on

44:59 ↗ either one of those studies uh in the

45:02 ↗ meantime um I'll I'll walk briefly in

45:05 ↗ terms of the dollars it's

45:06 ↗ $130,000 for housing stud uh for the

45:10 ↗ parking study and $200,000 for the

45:12 ↗ housing study um the scope of the

45:15 ↗ housing study really at the time of

45:18 ↗ Title 18 update was perhaps to look at

45:20 ↗ more diversity of housing types and and

45:23 ↗ what can be done uh to increase that

45:25 ↗ diversity um since that time uh we got a

45:28 ↗ grant for $100,000 uh and we engaged

45:31 ↗ with Eco Northwest to do some economic

45:34 ↗ analysis and evaluation of three of the

45:37 ↗ city's adopted housing action plan items

45:41 ↗ one of them was uh should we expand

45:43 ↗ inclusion or res zoning outside of

45:45 ↗ central isqua another one was how can we

45:48 ↗ remove barriers for condominium

45:49 ↗ development and such um and through that

45:52 ↗ work uh you know some of the the action

45:55 ↗ items that we've shared previously with

45:57 ↗ Council uh staff then picked up the

46:00 ↗ three top things from that work that

46:02 ↗ potentially we could work on uh one of

46:04 ↗ them was um you know through that

46:07 ↗ process we learned that perhaps there's

46:09 ↗ could be some more incentives that isqua

46:11 ↗ could consider for expanding the

46:13 ↗ inclusion resoning program and maybe

46:16 ↗ looking at the development density bonus

46:18 ↗ and recalibrating it so it's actually

46:21 ↗ useful um in the incent uh in terms of

46:24 ↗ the incentives that actually work but

46:27 ↗ the parking study uh the you know the

46:30 ↗ the scope at this time uh is to consider

46:34 ↗ city-wide requirements uh and and with a

46:37 ↗ focus on Central isqua and also do some

46:39 ↗ sort of an economic analysis of how you

46:42 ↗ know parking regulations can and cannot

46:45 ↗ uh enhance the development uh

46:48 ↗ activity um so we don't have any

46:51 ↗ potential housing grants uh or parking

46:53 ↗ grants at this time uh some of the

46:56 ↗ impacts of this um you know we don't

46:59 ↗ think there's significant impact uh

47:00 ↗ because we already have some of these

47:02 ↗ existing programs and regulations in

47:04 ↗ place um the city's doing a lot of work

47:07 ↗ with missing mle updates that's going to

47:09 ↗ continue uh the first uh at least six

47:11 ↗ months of

47:12 ↗ 2025 um that'll help the city um you

47:16 ↗ know meet the diversity of housing goal

47:17 ↗ from our housing action plan um also to

47:21 ↗ note was the multif family tax exemption

47:23 ↗ was expanded in 2024 for the Pioneer

47:26 ↗ program which is a pilot program and

47:29 ↗ also for shelter development agreement

47:31 ↗ and perhaps it may be good to give some

47:33 ↗ time to see the results of these Council

47:35 ↗ actions um and uh lastly uh there's also

47:40 ↗ this uh Bill six

47:42 ↗ 65 that has now eliminated the

47:45 ↗ requirement for structured parking so

47:47 ↗ the city is going to spend some time uh

47:50 ↗ you know understanding the requirements

47:52 ↗ of that bill and making some code

47:54 ↗ amendments to comply with those state

47:56 ↗ requirements um what we learned through

47:58 ↗ the work with Eco Northwest was uh the

48:01 ↗ parking standards were perhaps um

48:04 ↗ impacting some sort of development

48:06 ↗ feasibility and so we wanted to that

48:08 ↗ that was part of what we also wanted to

48:09 ↗ study with a parking study but with this

48:12 ↗ bill uh you know and that requirement

48:15 ↗ for 50% of the parking has to be

48:17 ↗ structured parking um we cannot have

48:20 ↗ that requirement in our codes so that

48:22 ↗ potentially could significantly improve

48:24 ↗ development phib feasibility before we

48:28 ↗ uh you know uh consider additional City

48:29 ↗ incentives perhaps next slide

48:35 ↗ Andrea I think we've got a question here

48:37 ↗ director doly wall um go ahead council

48:40 ↗ member hunt thank you council president

48:43 ↗ on um SB

48:46 ↗ 6015 um could you explain a little bit

48:49 ↗ more when that goes into effect and

48:52 ↗ also uh explain a little bit more about

48:56 ↗ the extent of that law and would it

48:58 ↗ completely eliminate Structure Parking

49:00 ↗ um yeah that that law hasn't yet been

49:04 ↗ examined by the council um so that would

49:07 ↗ be great to get more

49:09 ↗ information uh yeah we can we can

49:11 ↗ provide a little more uh by email uh you

49:13 ↗ know we have just started digging into

49:15 ↗ it ourselves uh we did participate and

49:18 ↗ provide some comments during the

49:19 ↗ legislative session on it uh what I do

49:22 ↗ know is some of the so there's not a

49:25 ↗ requirement for the city to have any

49:27 ↗ structured parking which for cities like

49:30 ↗ isqua it's it can be challenging because

49:33 ↗ uh we the last thing we want in central

49:36 ↗ is requires more surface parking uh but

49:39 ↗ perhaps uh development itself is going

49:41 ↗ to you know self-correct and Market will

49:44 ↗ not produce a lot of uh surface parking

49:46 ↗ because the land values won't support

49:49 ↗ structured parking but the but the

49:50 ↗ cities can't regulate that you have to

49:52 ↗ build the structure to meet your parking

49:54 ↗ requirements so we need to understand

49:57 ↗ what that how that could impact uh

49:59 ↗ Central isqu planning process for us or

50:02 ↗ future development uh some of the other

50:05 ↗ nuances in that were uh really if you

50:08 ↗ have a gravel parking lot uh the cities

50:10 ↗ cannot require additional uh you know

50:13 ↗ those part those are grandfathered so to

50:15 ↗ speak and the cities can't require those

50:17 ↗ to be paved um things of that nature so

50:21 ↗ uh but in terms of the timing uh we are

50:24 ↗ considering uh bringing this forth

50:26 ↗ planning policy commission as part of

50:28 ↗ the next year's work plan so therefore

50:30 ↗ the parking you know we uh I think it's

50:33 ↗ in the next slide in terms of what we'll

50:34 ↗ be working on related to parking and I

50:37 ↗ can speak at that time but um yeah so

50:39 ↗ for parking you know we we have to look

50:42 ↗ at the missing middle uh legislations

50:44 ↗ and Adu legislation so there're going to

50:46 ↗ be some code amendments related to that

50:48 ↗ uh we are also in the middle of figuring

50:50 ↗ out electric vehicle um requirements and

50:53 ↗ the state requirements are now ahead of

50:56 ↗ C's requirement so um but we also

51:00 ↗ learning uh that we have uh this this is

51:03 ↗ a requirement that kicks in with

51:04 ↗ substantial Redevelopment which can

51:06 ↗ happen often if you have an older

51:08 ↗ building and you're just doing an

51:09 ↗ improvement which can then trigger a lot

51:12 ↗ of requirements for Transformer upgrades

51:15 ↗ and such which then uh are becoming uh

51:18 ↗ somewhat of a concern for businesses so

51:20 ↗ we want to be have thoughtful

51:21 ↗ conversations on that um and see where

51:24 ↗ the state law is where isqua was where

51:27 ↗ what the community wants and make a

51:29 ↗ meaningful uh recommendation to council

51:31 ↗ and then also work on the structured

51:33 ↗ parking requirements so instead of

51:34 ↗ studying additional parking regulations

51:37 ↗ we'll be focusing on these three bullet

51:39 ↗ points and then for the housing um you

51:43 ↗ know like I spoke missing middle work

51:45 ↗ continues uh we'll be evaluating the

51:47 ↗ Pioneer program uh we also have to get a

51:50 ↗ regional growth Center uh certification

51:52 ↗ from

51:53 ↗ psrc um fan Regional Council

51:57 ↗ uh what we have you know staff would

51:58 ↗ also uh is committed to working on

52:01 ↗ inclusionary zoning affordable housing

52:04 ↗ uh we have real dedicated staff who will

52:07 ↗ continue to work with Arch uh to see

52:09 ↗ where uh if there are small tweaks and

52:12 ↗ things or or bigger policy questions we

52:14 ↗ can discuss with planning policy

52:16 ↗ commission and bring forth to Council on

52:19 ↗ how we've structured a development

52:21 ↗ density bonus if there are any

52:23 ↗ additional changes that are needed um

52:25 ↗ but we are not and planning to undertake

52:27 ↗ a full multif family tax exemption

52:30 ↗ analysis uh some of these things are

52:33 ↗ interconnected so expanding inclusionary

52:36 ↗ zoning and development density bonus uh

52:40 ↗ it's the bundle of incentives generally

52:42 ↗ that works uh but we can start the the

52:44 ↗ work with looking at one of them

52:46 ↗ initially uh and and with art support

52:49 ↗ and not any other consultant

52:52 ↗ support I think that concludes our

52:55 ↗ presentation

52:57 ↗ okay we'll um go ahead and go through a

53:00 ↗ few questions here council member

53:04 ↗ Ms tell me again um SB

53:07 ↗ 6015 would in a sentence do

53:13 ↗ what uh it it requires us to eliminate

53:18 ↗ uh any garage parking structured parking

53:21 ↗ we we cannot require anyone building a

53:23 ↗ new building remodels or anything like

53:26 ↗ that to have any sort of structured

53:28 ↗ perking and we believe that would uh be

53:32 ↗ inclusive of any structured parking that

53:36 ↗ sound transit would

53:38 ↗ build that that law would cover parking

53:41 ↗ for Sound

53:43 ↗ Transit uh we can look into it uh I mean

53:47 ↗ po it's here in this conversation is it

53:51 ↗ not yeah

53:54 ↗ so okay so um let me go to my other

53:57 ↗ question who decides I mean you're going

54:00 ↗ to need a lot of land for 500 parking

54:02 ↗ stalls so some of it you know the market

54:05 ↗ will will configure so for some Transit

54:08 ↗ yes it's expensive to build Structure

54:10 ↗ Parking but surface parking the land

54:12 ↗ prices are probably going to be so cost

54:14 ↗ prohibitive to build a 500 parking

54:16 ↗ surface parking too but yeah okay good

54:20 ↗ question so my next question is why do

54:22 ↗ you use 500 as a

54:24 ↗ number well I think that's part of the

54:26 ↗ representative uh sd3 project for isqua

54:29 ↗ that was on the

54:31 ↗ ballot so okay so it's so we have so

54:36 ↗ Sound Transit has cooked in only a 500

54:40 ↗ stall uh parking structure at the end of

54:42 ↗ the

54:44 ↗ line okay that is how well we don't know

54:47 ↗ but they haven't fully started their

54:49 ↗ process but what they presented to the

54:51 ↗ voters was based on uh the station and

54:54 ↗ one parking garage of 500 working spaces

54:58 ↗ I asked because I was looking at the

54:59 ↗ MARTA layout in Atlanta comparably sized

55:02 ↗ Metro and the uh ends of the line on the

55:05 ↗ MARTA systems are 2500 parking c not not

55:09 ↗ 500 uh so then my other question is who

55:13 ↗ decides and

55:15 ↗ when for which ones well in the timeline

55:19 ↗ that you showed who makes the ultimate

55:21 ↗ decision on what uh our our station

55:26 ↗ looks like and when um yeah so the local

55:31 ↗ jurisdictions have the permitting

55:32 ↗ Authority so is will have the permitting

55:35 ↗ Authority The Sound Transit board has

55:37 ↗ the final funding uh station alignment

55:41 ↗ and uh selection process Authority uh

55:44 ↗ but obviously you know we want to work

55:46 ↗ in Partnership uh to to get to a uh a

55:49 ↗ place where before it goes to the Sound

55:51 ↗ Transit board uh it it meets the local

55:55 ↗ uh needs and objectives and those are

55:56 ↗ factored in as Sound Transit kcks off

55:59 ↗ their station uh planning and Alignment

56:02 ↗ process I'm sorry I'm still not entirely

56:05 ↗ clear if if let's say there's an option

56:09 ↗ that's 500 units of surface parking and

56:12 ↗ there's another option that's 500 units

56:14 ↗ of structured parking who gets to decide

56:18 ↗ which one gets

56:20 ↗ built so if the city is legally able to

56:23 ↗ have regulations that require one one

56:26 ↗ way or the other then Sound Transit

56:28 ↗ obviously will be required to meet the

56:30 ↗ city's local

56:32 ↗ permitting Authority or or rules and

56:35 ↗ regulations so it all depends um on what

56:39 ↗ the city's rules and regulations are and

56:43 ↗ and but the programmatically how much

56:45 ↗ the size and scale uh you know unless

56:48 ↗ the city has a requirement for X number

56:50 ↗ spaces and things like that so all of

56:52 ↗ that needs to be fully studied and

56:54 ↗ evaluated I think it's a little

56:55 ↗ premature for us to be speculating uh

56:59 ↗ the number um at this point it's more

57:02 ↗ about what's the goal for some you know

57:04 ↗ for the station is it a community that

57:07 ↗ you know greatly connects our folks that

57:10 ↗ live or is it where closer to employment

57:13 ↗ more employee related so I think as part

57:16 ↗ of the light rails uh planning guide

57:19 ↗ there were few options um evaluated you

57:22 ↗ know close to tr existing Transit

57:23 ↗ centers close to high density

57:25 ↗ residential close to high employment

57:28 ↗ centers and things of that nature that

57:30 ↗ then inform what the needs for isqua are

57:33 ↗ and then of course for some Transit

57:35 ↗ regionally what makes sense uh because

57:38 ↗ the the alignment will serve not just

57:40 ↗ the isqua residents but beyond yeah I'm

57:44 ↗ I'm sorry I'm still confused let's say

57:45 ↗ both options are permissible in our code

57:49 ↗ a 500 unit uh surface parking and a 500

57:52 ↗ unit structured parking who decides and

57:55 ↗ when in the time timeline that you were

57:56 ↗ showing because I don't see final

57:58 ↗ decision in that timeline maybe I missed

58:02 ↗ it I final So yeah thank you thank you

58:06 ↗ Andrea um I also have Thomas valdres who

58:09 ↗ led the um Lightrail study guide um in

58:13 ↗ attendance virtually and we also have

58:15 ↗ Kristen Lon sorry I apologize for not

58:18 ↗ introducing you earlier so we have two

58:20 ↗ members of the community Planning and

58:21 ↗ Development here as well and I will turn

58:23 ↗ over to Thomas after I speak to this

58:25 ↗ graph briefly so I think here what you

58:29 ↗ see the second is the planning

58:31 ↗ Alternatives development so that's the

58:33 ↗ route and station alternatives are

58:34 ↗ developed and preferred alternative is

58:37 ↗ identified so Sound Transit does that

58:40 ↗ but our hope is that it's a partnership

58:42 ↗ and we we uh inform um because we have

58:46 ↗ the most local knowledge of uh of our

58:49 ↗ city so we know the existing conditions

58:52 ↗ what the future will withhold and I

58:54 ↗ think Sun Transit would would work in

58:57 ↗ partnership with us it doesn't get

59:00 ↗ actually selected until later when they

59:03 ↗ also have to do uh environmental review

59:06 ↗ so the environmental impacts of the

59:08 ↗ alternatives are studied so you cannot

59:10 ↗ pick one alternative that has the most

59:12 ↗ impact because you are obligated to look

59:14 ↗ at impacts and choose the one that is

59:17 ↗ the preferred so there's a preferred

59:19 ↗ alternative from an environmental impact

59:20 ↗ statement uh analysis environmental

59:23 ↗ review analysis that comes up then s

59:26 ↗ Transit goes to final design um and

59:30 ↗ obtains the private properties the

59:31 ↗ easements and such uh then it builds but

59:35 ↗ there's a sound transit board action

59:37 ↗ that happens uh before all of the that

59:41 ↗ um starts so council member Mars if I

59:44 ↗ may this is Deputy City administrator

59:46 ↗ Snyder um just to answer your question

59:48 ↗ very succinctly Sound Transit gets the

59:51 ↗ final say in the scenario that you posed

59:53 ↗ so if it seems like surface or

59:56 ↗ structured parking are allowed in our

59:59 ↗ code Sound Transit would have the final

1:00:01 ↗ save because they pay the bill um and

1:00:03 ↗ they have final say on the design so

1:00:06 ↗ that decision would occur in we estimate

1:00:09 ↗ 2033 to

1:00:12 ↗ 2034 thank you for this succinct

1:00:16 ↗ answer and Andrea I just want to clarify

1:00:18 ↗ know the slides went from Light Rail

1:00:20 ↗ study to the housing and um parking

1:00:24 ↗ study those are different concepts and

1:00:27 ↗ it's my understanding the

1:00:30 ↗ SB uh

1:00:33 ↗ 6015 is about residential structured

1:00:37 ↗ parking not anything that would relate

1:00:39 ↗ to S Transit it's really about the

1:00:41 ↗ city's ability to codify our own

1:00:45 ↗ requirements for structured parking the

1:00:48 ↗ idea that structured parking is very

1:00:49 ↗ expensive and sometimes is a barrier to

1:00:51 ↗ certain types of development um and so

1:00:54 ↗ what this does is it preempts local

1:00:56 ↗ control of things like how we dictate

1:00:59 ↗ parking in our city so it's beyond Sound

1:01:01 ↗ Transit you're right it's for all types

1:01:04 ↗ of development so that would be

1:01:05 ↗ residential commercial

1:01:08 ↗ Etc I'd like to get a clarification on

1:01:11 ↗ that at some point via email because

1:01:13 ↗ reading the final bill report it

1:01:15 ↗ specifically says residential so I want

1:01:17 ↗ to make sure great and we we can thank

1:01:19 ↗ you for that and we can absolutely do

1:01:21 ↗ that as Minnie said this is something

1:01:22 ↗ that we're trying to dig into a little

1:01:23 ↗ bit more uh and really find out what it

1:01:26 ↗ means especially for our specific codes

1:01:28 ↗ and how we may need to change our code

1:01:29 ↗ in the future so thank you okay so

1:01:32 ↗ before we move on to the next subject

1:01:34 ↗ which is the fleet fund and Replacements

1:01:37 ↗ any other questions on light rail or

1:01:40 ↗ housing and parking stud okay thank

1:01:45 ↗ you thank you uh director Dolly wall and

1:01:49 ↗ especially for joining us overseas to

1:01:50 ↗ make that presentation I'd like to

1:01:52 ↗ welcome up administrative Services

1:01:53 ↗ director autum manahan to talk about the

1:02:00 ↗ fund good evening council members I'm

1:02:02 ↗ otoman administrative Services director

1:02:04 ↗ and my department includes Fleet um so

1:02:07 ↗ I'm here tonight to provide an overview

1:02:08 ↗ of the proposed Replacements and new

1:02:11 ↗ acquisitions in Fleet that are in the

1:02:12 ↗ proposed budget about 75% of the

1:02:15 ↗ proposed Acquisitions are

1:02:17 ↗ Replacements about a million of that is

1:02:19 ↗ carryovers from this year uh we've had

1:02:22 ↗ some challenges due to supply issues on

1:02:24 ↗ attaining all the vehicles that we had

1:02:26 ↗ funded

1:02:28 ↗ previously uh in addition our uh 2023

1:02:31 ↗ study so a study we completed last year

1:02:34 ↗ found that about half of our motorized

1:02:36 ↗ Fleet units are older than the

1:02:38 ↗ recommended life cycle life cycle for

1:02:40 ↗ their class so um we are way behind on

1:02:44 ↗ our

1:02:45 ↗ Replacements our replacement goal is to

1:02:48 ↗ minimize the total cost of ownership and

1:02:50 ↗ when it comes to maintenance uh there

1:02:53 ↗ are some other impacts of retaining an

1:02:55 ↗ aging Fleet that includes staff

1:02:57 ↗ productivity due to unreliable Vehicles

1:02:59 ↗ Parts availability if you have older

1:03:01 ↗ vehicles finding Parts could be a

1:03:03 ↗ challenge uh older vehicles emit more

1:03:05 ↗ pollution and then there's also

1:03:07 ↗ increased safety of course when you're

1:03:08 ↗ purchasing newer models of

1:03:12 ↗ vehicles before we move on council

1:03:15 ↗ member

1:03:16 ↗ hunt thank you a quick clarification on

1:03:21 ↗ older than the recommended life cycle

1:03:23 ↗ for their class does that mean that 49%

1:03:27 ↗ of the city's cars are older than are

1:03:31 ↗ are Beyond The Life Time of like they

1:03:35 ↗ should have been replaced and so they're

1:03:38 ↗ older than the optimal time that it

1:03:40 ↗ should be replaced exactly yes so in our

1:03:42 ↗ Fleet study we worked with Consultants

1:03:44 ↗ that have worked with fleets all over

1:03:46 ↗ the country I believe um and they have

1:03:48 ↗ provided some standards for replacement

1:03:50 ↗ of vehicles depending on their class and

1:03:52 ↗ as they assessed our Fleet back uh last

1:03:55 ↗ year about half were past um the

1:03:58 ↗ recommended life cycle for age when it

1:04:00 ↗ comes to Vehicles so we've been delaying

1:04:02 ↗ you know purchasing and replacing

1:04:04 ↗ vehicles for a while and that's starting

1:04:05 ↗ to catch up which you'll see a bit more

1:04:07 ↗ too in another graph but um hence why

1:04:10 ↗ there is so much in the proposed budget

1:04:11 ↗ around replacement for vehicles yeah

1:04:14 ↗ okay

1:04:16 ↗ thanks so a quick recap of uh these

1:04:20 ↗ Replacements a significant amount is

1:04:22 ↗ funded by utilities so water sewer and

1:04:24 ↗ storm of about three million

1:04:26 ↗ um in vehicles and Equipment uh next up

1:04:29 ↗ is then police followed by Parks um both

1:04:31 ↗ in Recreation and

1:04:33 ↗ operations uh as well as Public Works

1:04:35 ↗ has some shared vehicles uh in streets

1:04:39 ↗ and then both Community planning and

1:04:40 ↗ development and executive have one

1:04:42 ↗ vehicle each that are up for

1:04:46 ↗ replacement the other 25% of the

1:04:49 ↗ Acquisitions are proposed as new uh

1:04:51 ↗ vehicles and equipment and these are all

1:04:53 ↗ fully funded by utilities these

1:04:56 ↗ Acquisitions include Hydro um EV I

1:04:59 ↗ always cannot pronounce this word

1:05:01 ↗ excavation truck a cargo van utility

1:05:04 ↗ trucks for uh new FTE that are in the

1:05:06 ↗ proposed budget a larger perious surface

1:05:09 ↗ cleaning machine a remote controlled

1:05:11 ↗ steep slope Mower and a small dump

1:05:17 ↗ truck uh just a quick overview of the

1:05:19 ↗ fleet fund this is our uh main customers

1:05:21 ↗ so our main customer is Public Works

1:05:24 ↗ followed closely by police and then

1:05:29 ↗ parks and if you look at it by

1:05:31 ↗ allocation by fund uh the general fund

1:05:33 ↗ is the main funer for the fleet fund

1:05:36 ↗ followed by utilities and then

1:05:41 ↗ streets so as I mentioned we completed

1:05:44 ↗ the fleet Study last year that

1:05:45 ↗ recommends we create a more leveled plan

1:05:47 ↗ for replacing vehicles to avoid any

1:05:49 ↗ really large expenses in certain years

1:05:51 ↗ which you can see here in the darker

1:05:53 ↗ columns on this graph the study provided

1:05:56 ↗ us typical replacement schedules of

1:05:58 ↗ vehicles uh by their class as a starting

1:06:00 ↗ point and using that we have created

1:06:02 ↗ very detailed tool the factors in age

1:06:05 ↗ annual usage the type of vehicle to help

1:06:08 ↗ us plan out a more leveled approach

1:06:10 ↗ moving forward when it comes to

1:06:12 ↗ Replacements um but for now as you can

1:06:14 ↗ see we have a very large backlog if you

1:06:16 ↗ look at 2023 that we're attempting to

1:06:18 ↗ start to address now uh within the

1:06:20 ↗ proposed budget that will get us uh on

1:06:22 ↗ the right

1:06:23 ↗ track also wanted to mention to which I

1:06:26 ↗ did before as we presented the proposed

1:06:27 ↗ budget we're also recommending another

1:06:29 ↗ mechanic FTE as part of the proposed

1:06:31 ↗ budget in the past 20 years we've added

1:06:34 ↗ 78 vehicles to our Fleet and 220 pieces

1:06:37 ↗ of equipment without adding additional

1:06:39 ↗ staff to our shop this causes some

1:06:43 ↗ productivity challenges and delays in

1:06:45 ↗ repair and maintenance so we're

1:06:47 ↗ definitely playing catchup and this

1:06:48 ↗ budget uh starts to address some of

1:06:50 ↗ those challenges we've seen in Fleet uh

1:06:52 ↗ we look forward in the next couple of

1:06:54 ↗ years to doing more work with in the

1:06:55 ↗ fleet fund to do more best better cost

1:06:58 ↗ allocation back to departments and funds

1:07:01 ↗ uh as well as refining this replacement

1:07:03 ↗ tool once we get back on track to start

1:07:06 ↗ implementing a leveled plan for

1:07:09 ↗ Replacements and with that I can answer

1:07:11 ↗ any

1:07:15 ↗ questions council member

1:07:18 ↗ Joe thank

1:07:20 ↗ you botam thanks for that presentation

1:07:23 ↗ uh the prior presentation The Talk

1:07:25 ↗ talked about EV requirements for

1:07:27 ↗ residential housing triggered this

1:07:29 ↗ question in my mind as you were talking

1:07:31 ↗ about the fleet um you outlined the

1:07:33 ↗ other considerations for um costs in the

1:07:36 ↗ fleet fund replacement uh slide 15 that

1:07:39 ↗ you had and I was wondering if there are

1:07:42 ↗ if there's been an accounting or it's an

1:07:44 ↗ issue at all to have both a EV Fleet and

1:07:48 ↗ a gas powerered Fleet at the same time

1:07:51 ↗ and whether having those two at the same

1:07:52 ↗ time um increases the cost or reduces

1:07:55 ↗ the cost for our overall Fleet and

1:07:57 ↗ that's probably a question that's beyond

1:07:59 ↗ your presentation today but I was just

1:08:01 ↗ curious whether or not moving to one or

1:08:03 ↗ the other would save us money or it

1:08:05 ↗ makes sense for us to keep both so um if

1:08:08 ↗ that could be a question that could

1:08:10 ↗ perhaps be answered by email in the

1:08:12 ↗ future I'd appreciate it sure thank

1:08:16 ↗ you council member Ray thanks um hey

1:08:19 ↗ onam you mentioned um that some of the

1:08:22 ↗ funds that we're spending in 2025 are

1:08:25 ↗ planning to spend 2025 or unspent from

1:08:29 ↗ 2024 um so how are we how does that get

1:08:33 ↗ accounted for I mean is it end up in

1:08:36 ↗ ending fund balance and then carried

1:08:37 ↗ forward is it new money what's let's

1:08:40 ↗ listen to the

1:08:43 ↗ CFO hi council member right thank you

1:08:45 ↗ for the question um yes so at the end of

1:08:50 ↗ 2024 is when there's a final budget

1:08:52 ↗ amendment typically in a typical year

1:08:55 ↗ and and we also do reauthorizations so

1:08:57 ↗ those reauthorizations from 2024 funds

1:09:00 ↗ or from one banian budget to another

1:09:01 ↗ occur with reauthorizations so it would

1:09:04 ↗ be returning to council for council's

1:09:06 ↗ approval um at the end of the year or

1:09:08 ↗ beginning of next year so is it

1:09:11 ↗ reflected now in ending fund balance

1:09:13 ↗ because we didn't spend it uh yes it

1:09:16 ↗ would be reflected in ending fund

1:09:18 ↗ balance at the end of 20124 if we don't

1:09:20 ↗ spend it and I think one of the reasons

1:09:22 ↗ why we haven't spent it all is because

1:09:23 ↗ of a supply issue and being able to get

1:09:26 ↗ them when we wanted to get them in the

1:09:28 ↗ first place and then I just have to ask

1:09:30 ↗ this question because um $7,000 or

1:09:34 ↗ $60,000 for a single vehicle seems like

1:09:36 ↗ a lot for um not that we don't like the

1:09:39 ↗ executive department but what's all

1:09:42 ↗ included in the that that cost estimate

1:09:45 ↗ because that seems like a lot for a car

1:09:48 ↗ or is it something like an arbored

1:09:53 ↗ car you know I can I can get back back

1:09:55 ↗ to you on the exact model that we used

1:09:57 ↗ for the cost estimate on the vehicle for

1:09:59 ↗ those there's not a whole lot of

1:10:00 ↗ upfitting I would assume it's mostly

1:10:02 ↗ just the vehicle

1:10:07 ↗ acquisition this is uh Kelly kusman our

1:10:09 ↗ fleet

1:10:11 ↗ manager good evening city council the

1:10:15 ↗ some of the estimates are sound elevated

1:10:17 ↗ um but we're trying to match the great

1:10:20 ↗ candidates for transition to electric

1:10:23 ↗ vehicle and some of these steps cars are

1:10:26 ↗ those and you're looking at a you know a

1:10:29 ↗ factor that wildly ranges from you know

1:10:33 ↗ $330,000 to 5x um when you start talking

1:10:37 ↗ about different models of the fleet so

1:10:40 ↗ when we're looking at staff cars we're

1:10:42 ↗ looking at transitioning to electric and

1:10:45 ↗ some of them like CPD there is some

1:10:46 ↗ upfitting because that is now a mobile

1:10:48 ↗ office we've got computer docking

1:10:50 ↗ stations and stuff like that and storage

1:10:52 ↗ items in there that answer your question

1:10:56 ↗ that is perfect thank you very much for

1:10:57 ↗ that thank

1:11:01 ↗ you any other questions before I get

1:11:04 ↗ into mine okay um so talking to other

1:11:09 ↗ City councils they have a f like a list

1:11:14 ↗ of vehicles that they're going to

1:11:16 ↗ replace each year what the models are

1:11:18 ↗ what their goals are for replacing them

1:11:21 ↗ which come first all of that where are

1:11:24 ↗ we in that process

1:11:25 ↗ and then if we don't have that how are

1:11:28 ↗ you choosing the ones in this next

1:11:30 ↗ budget and how can we evaluate whether

1:11:33 ↗ those are the right decisions for what

1:11:36 ↗ our needs are sure so yes we have

1:11:38 ↗ developed a tool and we'll be retooling

1:11:41 ↗ that as we have worked on more of a

1:11:43 ↗ level plan hopefully and doing some

1:11:44 ↗ catch up in this proposed budget so we

1:11:46 ↗ do have that tool it goes out many many

1:11:49 ↗ years um it's wonderful to start to see

1:11:51 ↗ these leveled kind of steps as we go

1:11:53 ↗ through replacement of of certain vehic

1:11:55 ↗ Vehicles it's quite exciting to map out

1:11:57 ↗ and see um we you know we talked about

1:12:00 ↗ this too this if you want to if

1:12:02 ↗ council's interested in getting into the

1:12:04 ↗ details of certain vehicles have

1:12:05 ↗ priority over others when it comes to

1:12:07 ↗ priority you know we don't include

1:12:10 ↗ vehicles in our Capital Improvement

1:12:11 ↗ planning and so that could be an

1:12:13 ↗ opportunity in the future if Council

1:12:15 ↗ wants to get more into uh the details

1:12:17 ↗ around vehicles and again priority or or

1:12:22 ↗ importance um but besides that we're

1:12:24 ↗ looking at Aid we're looking at the

1:12:26 ↗ typical use of the vehicle I mean Patrol

1:12:28 ↗ vehicles for example with police have a

1:12:30 ↗ lot of usage um age is another Factor

1:12:33 ↗ too and then a lot of it too is just the

1:12:35 ↗ eyes and ears of the folks in our Fleet

1:12:36 ↗ shop uh who know our our vehicles and

1:12:39 ↗ what may need replacement sooner rather

1:12:40 ↗ than

1:12:43 ↗ later okay I'm still going to end up

1:12:45 ↗ struggling with this idea because you're

1:12:47 ↗ talking about you know three million and

1:12:49 ↗ things like that part of it is about the

1:12:52 ↗ accounting practices of moving money you

1:12:55 ↗ know and covering with the remaining

1:12:58 ↗ Fleet fund balance for certain areas but

1:13:02 ↗ not for others is there anything else

1:13:05 ↗ you can give

1:13:06 ↗ on how we evaluate whether that's the

1:13:10 ↗ right amount of

1:13:11 ↗ money I can provide the a detailed list

1:13:14 ↗ of all the vehicles that are part of the

1:13:15 ↗ proposed budget for for this BM if

1:13:18 ↗ you're interested just to kind of see a

1:13:20 ↗ bit of the age of some of the vehicles

1:13:22 ↗ what we're talking about as far as types

1:13:23 ↗ of vehicles um and some of those

1:13:25 ↗ decision points most of them as you can

1:13:28 ↗ see from this graph are about age a lot

1:13:30 ↗ of these vehicles are way past their

1:13:32 ↗ just their useful

1:13:36 ↗ life

1:13:38 ↗ okay just hard as you're comparing

1:13:40 ↗ between the needs of Metroflex and the

1:13:43 ↗ planning studies and then being given

1:13:46 ↗ this with 3.2 million of trying to

1:13:50 ↗ figure out where that goes but okay uh

1:13:53 ↗ two more council member Ray council

1:13:55 ↗ member Hull um sorry I didn't mean to

1:13:58 ↗ jump yeah um how many vehicles do we

1:14:00 ↗ have all told all rolled up I mean this

1:14:02 ↗ represents over this 20-year period how

1:14:07 ↗ many are we replacing I mean I think

1:14:09 ↗ there's probably some new some ads as

1:14:11 ↗ well as Replacements how many are in our

1:14:13 ↗ our full Fleet or how many are we

1:14:14 ↗ proposing to replace uh yes both oh

1:14:18 ↗ okay currently it's 178 178 licensed

1:14:23 ↗ vehicles um but that is just Vehicles we

1:14:26 ↗ also have off-road and construction

1:14:27 ↗ equipment and trailers um specialized

1:14:30 ↗ equipment that goes into that and that

1:14:32 ↗ number then inflates up to about

1:14:34 ↗ 650 by the time we're everything we look

1:14:37 ↗ at in

1:14:38 ↗ Fleet the but this number here that

1:14:41 ↗ we're looking at for Replacements that's

1:14:42 ↗ the 179 not all the the fun off-road

1:14:46 ↗ construction cool stuff and I I can't

1:14:48 ↗ count all this in the moment so I can

1:14:50 ↗ send you an email with that because

1:14:51 ↗ there's this combines both equipment and

1:14:54 ↗ vehicles okay

1:14:58 ↗ good question council member Hall just a

1:15:01 ↗ super quick question do we um in Fleet

1:15:03 ↗ do we buy outright or do we Finance

1:15:06 ↗ Vehicles as well or is it some sort of

1:15:07 ↗ mix we buy

1:15:11 ↗ outright we typically buy outright but

1:15:13 ↗ that depends uh sometimes there's really

1:15:16 ↗ expensive things that we buy like a dump

1:15:19 ↗ truck might be $1.5

1:15:21 ↗ million um so we might spread those

1:15:23 ↗ costs out over time it really depends on

1:15:26 ↗ the

1:15:27 ↗ vehicle and have we done our I'm just

1:15:29 ↗ thinking of like a eer when we were

1:15:31 ↗ thinking about our own asset management

1:15:33 ↗ and came up with some interesting

1:15:35 ↗ financing options have we done our own

1:15:37 ↗ kind of self-analysis of what we feel is

1:15:40 ↗ appropriate to finance to save money now

1:15:42 ↗ versus longterm depending on what the

1:15:44 ↗ vehicle we we do that depending on the

1:15:47 ↗ the equipment that we have to purchase

1:15:49 ↗ so we look at that um especially when

1:15:51 ↗ you're talking about apparatus fire

1:15:53 ↗ apparatus those are big do as well and

1:15:56 ↗ so it depends on what we're buying and

1:15:58 ↗ we look at the interest rates of the

1:16:00 ↗ time and the other terms right so um

1:16:02 ↗ there's a lot of factors that we would

1:16:03 ↗ need to take into account that are

1:16:06 ↗ timely and so creating a long-term plan

1:16:09 ↗ um sometimes those factors change over

1:16:12 ↗ time okay

1:16:14 ↗ thanks great questions okay so looks

1:16:18 ↗ like we're done with Fleet fund so end

1:16:21 ↗ of the budget timeline

1:16:26 ↗ great thank you very much so um looking

1:16:30 ↗ at our timeline we're here at this

1:16:32 ↗ moment uh November 12th that's outlined

1:16:34 ↗ in red budget deliberations we have next

1:16:37 ↗ week as well so um we want to provide

1:16:40 ↗ any information that Council um requests

1:16:43 ↗ we have written down a few of your

1:16:45 ↗ questions this evening that we will be

1:16:47 ↗ responding to November 25th is when we

1:16:50 ↗ anticipate property tax adoption

1:16:53 ↗ December 2nd is the final budget hearing

1:16:56 ↗ um we also have additional opportunities

1:16:59 ↗ to discuss Budget on December 3rd with

1:17:03 ↗ uh potential final budget adoption on

1:17:05 ↗ December 9th that said if Council feels

1:17:08 ↗ like um we don't need all of those extra

1:17:11 ↗ dates we could adopt the budget as soon

1:17:14 ↗ as December 2nd following the final

1:17:16 ↗ budget hearing if Council so

1:17:20 ↗ chooses so again some of the direction

1:17:23 ↗ needed related to tonight's agenda

1:17:25 ↗ is does the council agree with the

1:17:27 ↗ administration's recommendations set

1:17:29 ↗ forth in the proposed budget to uh

1:17:33 ↗ cancel the city's contribution to Metro

1:17:35 ↗ Flex to postpone the light rail study

1:17:38 ↗ beyond the next bium unless other

1:17:41 ↗ funding becomes available postpone the

1:17:44 ↗ housing and parking studies again unless

1:17:46 ↗ other funding becomes available if we

1:17:48 ↗ discover different grants Etc um and

1:17:51 ↗ then to keep the fleet fund budget as

1:17:53 ↗ proposed

1:17:56 ↗ we seek your direction this evening

1:17:58 ↗ thank you okay so I know we've asked a

1:18:01 ↗ lot of questions but I'm sure there's

1:18:02 ↗ going to be more so we'll start with

1:18:04 ↗ questions and then see if there's any

1:18:07 ↗ comments go ahead council member Ray

1:18:08 ↗ thanks and I'm I'm I wish I I I had

1:18:11 ↗ written down I don't know I missed it

1:18:12 ↗ earlier but this is a uh Metroflex

1:18:14 ↗ question and we talked about the

1:18:16 ↗ potential for a grant to cover um the

1:18:19 ↗ Metroflex cost what are the termination

1:18:22 ↗ Provisions in our agreement with Metro

1:18:25 ↗ so what do we have to give them to get

1:18:27 ↗ out uh we have to provide Metro notice

1:18:32 ↗ at least 180 days I believe before the

1:18:36 ↗ service change so they typically would

1:18:39 ↗ change service on a on a couple of

1:18:41 ↗ chosen dates per year and so that um

1:18:44 ↗ would mean that actually going into 2025

1:18:47 ↗ we would still have Metro Flex service

1:18:50 ↗ for quite a few months before the date

1:18:52 ↗ in which we could cancel it by contract

1:18:56 ↗ all right let me I I'm just doing a

1:18:58 ↗ little timeline here

1:19:00 ↗ so if we don't fund it we're still going

1:19:03 ↗ to we would we would s do a termination

1:19:05 ↗ no

1:19:07 ↗ termination um end of the year it would

1:19:10 ↗ take effect in end of June

1:19:13 ↗ is or what you know within a few days

1:19:17 ↗ um the grant that we're hoping for we're

1:19:20 ↗ expecting beginning of third quarter if

1:19:23 ↗ we get it

1:19:26 ↗ so I mean we're just kind of like

1:19:28 ↗ between a rock and a hard place on a

1:19:29 ↗ timing uh Continuum aren't

1:19:32 ↗ we there's a few unknowns that are

1:19:34 ↗ rather inconvenient yes that's like a

1:19:37 ↗ rocking hard place yes yes all right

1:19:43 ↗ thanks um I'm GNA just uh cap on that uh

1:19:47 ↗ is the amount needed to cover that

1:19:50 ↗ portion already in the budget

1:19:55 ↗ uh in preparation for this evening we

1:19:57 ↗ discovered there was a slight error

1:19:59 ↗ where that was not included um but uh we

1:20:02 ↗ will include it for the adopted budget

1:20:05 ↗ because we have contractual obligations

1:20:07 ↗ to provide this service and can we get

1:20:10 ↗ the amount that that is and whether that

1:20:13 ↗ then adjusts

1:20:15 ↗ the given an

1:20:17 ↗ email that said

1:20:25 ↗ is that inclusive

1:20:27 ↗ of that period of time that is so that

1:20:31 ↗ was the total needed to fund Metroflex

1:20:34 ↗ for the next bium is 522,000 in change U

1:20:38 ↗ on a per annual basis that's

1:20:41 ↗ 262,000 um so we would need to budget a

1:20:44 ↗ portion of that 262,000 to cover our

1:20:47 ↗ contractual obligations for

1:20:50 ↗ 2025 so

1:20:52 ↗ technically if we chose to extend the

1:20:56 ↗ service while the cost is

1:21:01 ↗ 525,000 the additional cost is really I

1:21:06 ↗ mean basically if we're saying we have

1:21:08 ↗ to pay for it for the first six months

1:21:11 ↗ anyway we're on the hook for that um so

1:21:15 ↗ what we're talking about when we're

1:21:16 ↗ negotiating how much money um we would

1:21:20 ↗ need to cover would be closer to the 375

1:21:23 ↗ 400 whatever

1:21:25 ↗ is for the remainder to cover it for the

1:21:27 ↗ BM yeah yes and if you'd like a more

1:21:30 ↗ specific breakdown of costs we can

1:21:32 ↗ certainly provide one I see a lot of

1:21:34 ↗ nods so we can do that great okay uh

1:21:37 ↗ council member Hall uh thank you and I

1:21:40 ↗ agree I should have asked these

1:21:41 ↗ questions earlier when people were

1:21:42 ↗ speaking I have one on Metroflex um one

1:21:45 ↗ on light rail

1:21:49 ↗ um um I know it's expensive but given

1:21:51 ↗ kind of where we've been asking

1:21:53 ↗ questions

1:21:55 ↗ um council's thoughts on Metroflex I'm

1:21:57 ↗ just curious if staff have considered

1:22:00 ↗ what cost-saving options might be

1:22:02 ↗ available to fund Metroflex through the

1:22:05 ↗ bium is that something beyond the grant

1:22:08 ↗ that staff have put any brain power to

1:22:09 ↗ thinking you know what might be kind of

1:22:12 ↗ options here or is that not

1:22:17 ↗ happening cost saving options like

1:22:19 ↗ reducing the contract and the scope of

1:22:22 ↗ the contract reducing other areas of the

1:22:23 ↗ budget to to find room for Metro FL I

1:22:27 ↗ see I think we're looking for council's

1:22:29 ↗ direction this evening if that's what

1:22:31 ↗ council would like the administration to

1:22:33 ↗ do then we will take note and we can

1:22:35 ↗ come back with our

1:22:38 ↗ recommendations okay so that would

1:22:39 ↗ follow whatever policy Direction Council

1:22:42 ↗ would give one way or the other okay

1:22:43 ↗ that's correct

1:22:45 ↗ um for the light rail study um I guess

1:22:50 ↗ this is really more of the comment but

1:22:51 ↗ I'm wondering if we've had a chance to

1:22:53 ↗ touch base with Shelly about this I mean

1:22:54 ↗ this seems like it could be a comp

1:22:56 ↗ competitive budget Proviso at the state

1:22:58 ↗ level to to reach out to our state

1:23:00 ↗ legislators within the operating budget

1:23:02 ↗ um and I'm just wondering if we've had

1:23:04 ↗ any conversations or if the staff would

1:23:06 ↗ be open bringing this up at the

1:23:08 ↗ legislative breakfast next week um we

1:23:11 ↗ can certainly raise the question with

1:23:15 ↗ Shelly oh I I guess um but we can

1:23:19 ↗ certainly raise that question with

1:23:20 ↗ Shelley and get back to you maybe just

1:23:23 ↗ something to on okay

1:23:26 ↗ thanks okay any other questions at this

1:23:30 ↗ time okay so it looks like we're good on

1:23:33 ↗ questions so I will just take a moment

1:23:35 ↗ and see if we have any um members of the

1:23:39 ↗ public online that might be interested

1:23:41 ↗ in making

1:23:44 ↗ comments yes council president we do

1:23:47 ↗ okay so if anybody's online wants to

1:23:50 ↗ raise their hand or press star three if

1:23:53 ↗ they're on the phone we would love to

1:23:59 ↗ hear council president Connie Marsh

1:24:01 ↗ would like to speak to the council

1:24:03 ↗ Connie I have made you a panelist you

1:24:05 ↗ can now unmute and turn on your camera

1:24:09 ↗ Connie okayy I'm here at

1:24:12 ↗ boxes um hi all

1:24:16 ↗ so I'm gonna start with I guess irony

1:24:21 ↗ I've spent so many years

1:24:24 ↗ with the city and its Mobility master

1:24:28 ↗ plan trying to figure out how to get

1:24:30 ↗ people out of their cars and into

1:24:32 ↗ Transit and and yet we're looking at a

1:24:35 ↗ budget that reduces Transit and invest

1:24:41 ↗ hugely in

1:24:43 ↗ vehicles and I gotta say it sort of

1:24:46 ↗ makes my brain hurt on a larger level

1:24:50 ↗ higher up than you've been discussing um

1:24:56 ↗ um and

1:24:58 ↗ it's so incredibly awkward uh then I

1:25:02 ↗ want to talk a little bit about Asset

1:25:05 ↗ Management because you have buildings

1:25:09 ↗ that are in Decay that now you want to

1:25:11 ↗ tear down and now we have a fleet that

1:25:14 ↗ hasn't been taken care of in a long time

1:25:17 ↗ and I'm wondering how we got here and

1:25:20 ↗ how we make sure that this will never

1:25:23 ↗ happen again again and I sort of feel

1:25:26 ↗ like funding everything and just

1:25:28 ↗ accepting it as it is is is not holding

1:25:32 ↗ the city's feet to the fire to create a

1:25:35 ↗ construct for the entire city on how we

1:25:39 ↗ caretake The public's facilities so that

1:25:43 ↗ then the public does not end up

1:25:46 ↗ losing um things that it values like uh

1:25:53 ↗ parks and bus service and um nonprofit

1:25:58 ↗ funding because the city has not kept up

1:26:01 ↗ in it in sort of a linear way with its

1:26:04 ↗ responsibilities because I feel like the

1:26:06 ↗ public is

1:26:08 ↗ losing here um through no fault of our

1:26:11 ↗ own because we just keep

1:26:13 ↗ paying now uh the next one I'm going to

1:26:17 ↗ talk about is I'm confused that the city

1:26:20 ↗ council does not seem to be asking more

1:26:23 ↗ about the non profits in the past the

1:26:26 ↗ nonprofits had a day where they would

1:26:28 ↗ come in and talk about the things that

1:26:31 ↗ they were going to do in a year because

1:26:34 ↗ they're sort of the community volunteer

1:26:37 ↗ group and uh they compound the work that

1:26:42 ↗ can be done in a city yet they have been

1:26:47 ↗ segregated out from the city council and

1:26:50 ↗ they're

1:26:50 ↗ mainly funded by staff and so so this

1:26:54 ↗ interface of our our nonprofits and the

1:26:59 ↗ things that we volunteer for are no

1:27:01 ↗ longer connected to our elected

1:27:05 ↗ officials except for in the most distant

1:27:08 ↗ of ways and that disturbs me because I

1:27:11 ↗ don't see it working very well in some

1:27:14 ↗ areas so I would request that the city

1:27:18 ↗ council ask to have one of those nights

1:27:21 ↗ where it gets to be introduced to to the

1:27:24 ↗ nonprofits and what they do and what

1:27:26 ↗ their funding means to them during the

1:27:29 ↗ budget cycle um the most disturbing one

1:27:33 ↗ of course is Downtown isqua Association

1:27:36 ↗ whose stripping of funding did not even

1:27:39 ↗ show up in the budget it just sort of

1:27:42 ↗ appeared to the side and that is not

1:27:44 ↗ transparent to the community and um and

1:27:49 ↗ it so it seems disingenuous where it

1:27:52 ↗ says 12% reduction mainly in 2026 yet

1:27:56 ↗ one of the nonprofits is having their

1:27:59 ↗ funding drastically reduced with no

1:28:01 ↗ public visibility in the budget so

1:28:06 ↗ um

1:28:08 ↗ uh oh one last one I've gone to several

1:28:11 ↗ meetings where the theme of the budget

1:28:14 ↗ was wow we aren't making enough

1:28:17 ↗ money um but really the theme of this

1:28:19 ↗ budget is we're making the same amount

1:28:21 ↗ of money it's just we have these

1:28:23 ↗ expenses that are spiraling up and so I

1:28:27 ↗ would like to see the same theme in all

1:28:30 ↗ of the meetings that discuss the budget

1:28:33 ↗ in this city be it um because the people

1:28:38 ↗ are confused do we need to make more

1:28:41 ↗ money or do we need to maintain

1:28:46 ↗ costs and they're a little bit different

1:28:48 ↗ conversations perhaps though this never

1:28:51 ↗ comes through in any of our how do we

1:28:52 ↗ fund things conversations

1:28:54 ↗ perhaps the community can make itself

1:28:57 ↗ more money if we support more businesses

1:29:00 ↗ and we figure out how to Market our city

1:29:03 ↗ more robustly and we can make more money

1:29:07 ↗ without just having to tax people

1:29:09 ↗ wouldn't that be Brilliance but nobody

1:29:11 ↗ ever talks about it okay now I'm done

1:29:14 ↗ thank you very much for going through an

1:29:15 ↗ excruciating

1:29:18 ↗ budget thanks Connie and do we have

1:29:20 ↗ anybody else online indicating desire to

1:29:23 ↗ speak

1:29:29 ↗ council president uh nobody else has

1:29:31 ↗ expressed the desire to speak okay and

1:29:33 ↗ I'll note there's no members of the

1:29:35 ↗ public in the audience remaining so um

1:29:39 ↗ at this point I'm looking to

1:29:42 ↗ counsel um we've got um a few questions

1:29:48 ↗ up there for questions related to does

1:29:51 ↗ the council agree with the

1:29:52 ↗ administration's recommendation

1:29:55 ↗ um that we want to hear about and I'll

1:29:57 ↗ also just put a little bit of pressure

1:30:00 ↗ note on here this is a shortened budget

1:30:03 ↗ cycle um so the administration really

1:30:05 ↗ needs to hear from us um if there are

1:30:08 ↗ going to be any opportunities for

1:30:11 ↗ changes or just understanding how we can

1:30:14 ↗ get the budget um through the end at

1:30:16 ↗ this point so I will open it up for

1:30:22 ↗ comments council member Ray i' like to

1:30:25 ↗ go first um so just I'll take the four

1:30:27 ↗ questions I'll take them in order um the

1:30:30 ↗ first one this is a hard one around

1:30:31 ↗ Metroflex because there's a lot of U

1:30:34 ↗ support for it but it's also very

1:30:36 ↗ expensive and it's extremely expensive

1:30:38 ↗ if I factor in not only the city's

1:30:40 ↗ contribution but the Metro's

1:30:42 ↗ contribution to it so um I don't have a

1:30:46 ↗ strong recommendation here um we are on

1:30:48 ↗ the hook um or are obligated to for half

1:30:52 ↗ the year essentially

1:30:54 ↗ of Metroflex um so my my initial

1:30:58 ↗ thinking on Metroflex is we fund the

1:31:02 ↗ first year and then we um check in on

1:31:05 ↗ our grant and that way gives us some

1:31:06 ↗ time and some buffer there um I do that

1:31:10 ↗ with great reservations because a year

1:31:11 ↗ of Metroflex is an FTE so that's

1:31:13 ↗ somebody we're laying off that we could

1:31:15 ↗ fund if we weren't funding Metroflex and

1:31:17 ↗ I I'm looking at everything I'm looking

1:31:19 ↗ at in terms of FP that we're having to

1:31:21 ↗ let go so that's my that's my Touchstone

1:31:24 ↗ um the light rail study in 2025

1:31:28 ↗ 2026 um I didn't see a number and I

1:31:31 ↗ don't didn't look at the budget so I'm

1:31:32 ↗ not 100% sure what that cost is but if

1:31:35 ↗ we're going to be ahead of the power

1:31:37 ↗ curve in 2027 when the alternatives are

1:31:40 ↗ being looked at by Sound Transit we need

1:31:42 ↗ to have done our homework and have

1:31:43 ↗ everything lined up so that we are ready

1:31:45 ↗ when they are ready so I think if

1:31:47 ↗ there's a way to fund that we

1:31:49 ↗ should um I think we should postpone the

1:31:52 ↗ housing and parking study is

1:31:54 ↗ U interesting but that's one where I

1:31:56 ↗ think we have some

1:31:57 ↗ flexibility and then finally on the

1:32:00 ↗ fleet fund um it's a lot of money I

1:32:03 ↗ think we can sharpen our pencils there

1:32:06 ↗ is always an opportunity to smartly

1:32:10 ↗ defer capital investment that's what

1:32:12 ↗ this is um but it's balancing off the

1:32:14 ↗ cost of Maintenance and the cost of

1:32:16 ↗ parts and the cost of downtime and all

1:32:19 ↗ those things but um I think that the

1:32:22 ↗ proposed budget for Fleet seems um

1:32:25 ↗ awfully High to me on a forever basis

1:32:28 ↗ and that's what it looks like so um

1:32:30 ↗ there I think that there is some we can

1:32:33 ↗ absorb some risk there and I think this

1:32:35 ↗ is what council member Hall spoke to a

1:32:36 ↗ little bit um and look for some

1:32:39 ↗ alternatives for how we uh um how we

1:32:44 ↗ fund uh the

1:32:46 ↗ fleet uh replacement so those are my

1:32:50 ↗ thoughts great okay I know as Deputy

1:32:53 ↗ Council president D Michelle and then

1:32:55 ↗ I'm just going to go down the

1:32:58 ↗ line great thank you so um over the last

1:33:03 ↗ couple of weeks since our last

1:33:04 ↗ discussion the item that I have heard

1:33:07 ↗ the most from the public about is

1:33:10 ↗ Metroflex um yesterday at the um

1:33:14 ↗ Veterans Day celebration I heard from

1:33:16 ↗ senior citizens who said they really

1:33:19 ↗ really are uh learning to rely on this

1:33:22 ↗ um I've certainly heard from the garage

1:33:24 ↗ and how important it is to their being

1:33:27 ↗ able to get kids there and kids are

1:33:29 ↗ using it um and the school uh district

1:33:32 ↗ is also seeing that and then just random

1:33:35 ↗ people people uh somebody I think Emily

1:33:38 ↗ said we really did a lot of saturation

1:33:41 ↗ of the community and people have kind of

1:33:44 ↗ embraced Metroflex as this is our

1:33:47 ↗ Metroflex and so I've just run into

1:33:50 ↗ people randomly who say why are we

1:33:51 ↗ cutting Metroflex and so they're

1:33:53 ↗ concerned about it so um to me that says

1:33:58 ↗ that we've got a community that is uh

1:34:01 ↗ really invested in this project and uh

1:34:04 ↗ would like to see it continue and um I

1:34:07 ↗ think this bods well in terms of a

1:34:09 ↗ long-term investment in uh What uh

1:34:12 ↗ Connie Marsh talked about uh getting

1:34:14 ↗ people out of their cars and into a

1:34:16 ↗ transit system so the big question is

1:34:19 ↗ it's uh it's expensive and how are we

1:34:22 ↗ going to fund it um I uh tend to agree

1:34:26 ↗ with uh council member Ray that can we

1:34:29 ↗ at least commit to one more year uh and

1:34:32 ↗ see how that Grant comes out um and how

1:34:35 ↗ would we pay for it well can we look at

1:34:38 ↗ my beloved pavement Management program

1:34:41 ↗ and see yeah oh okay

1:34:44 ↗ sorry can we look at the Beloved pavment

1:34:47 ↗ Management program and see if there's a

1:34:50 ↗ couple hundred thousand that we might be

1:34:52 ↗ able to cut there or uh again can we as

1:34:56 ↗ as council member Ray say can we sharpen

1:34:58 ↗ our pencils around the fleet fund uh and

1:35:00 ↗ see if we can just find some extra money

1:35:04 ↗ to at least do for another year and then

1:35:06 ↗ see if there's going to be grants

1:35:08 ↗ available and also but I mentioned

1:35:10 ↗ earlier talked to Metro about can we get

1:35:13 ↗ into their budget cycle for uh funding

1:35:17 ↗ in a in a later budget cycle from Metro

1:35:20 ↗ so

1:35:22 ↗ um I also thought that uh that director

1:35:26 ↗ Dolly wall made a a good case for

1:35:28 ↗ continuing the light rail study U and

1:35:30 ↗ getting ready for for that um and uh so

1:35:35 ↗ I would support that if we could if we

1:35:37 ↗ could find the money or if we can find

1:35:39 ↗ grants uh for that um I think we can

1:35:42 ↗ postpone the housing and parking studies

1:35:45 ↗ and as I've said I agree with let's um

1:35:48 ↗ sharpen our pencils a little bit more

1:35:50 ↗ around the fleet fund and see if we can

1:35:52 ↗ reduce that that's a dramatic increase

1:35:54 ↗ in funding uh when we're facing some

1:35:57 ↗ very tough issues so um I also wanted to

1:36:01 ↗ um if I could just take a point of

1:36:04 ↗ privilege here and uh correct something

1:36:06 ↗ I said at the last uh deliberations that

1:36:09 ↗ we had I misread the uh budget um and I

1:36:13 ↗ had this corrected by uh uh Deputy

1:36:16 ↗ Administrator um Snider um there is not

1:36:20 ↗ not going to be any changes to um the

1:36:23 ↗ grant funding uh Human Services grant

1:36:26 ↗ funding and so I just wanted to clarify

1:36:28 ↗ that especially hearing Connie Marsha's

1:36:31 ↗ comments uh I I misread that and I

1:36:34 ↗ misspoke at the last meeting and I just

1:36:36 ↗ want to be sure that anybody in the

1:36:38 ↗ public that was listening to that should

1:36:40 ↗ be assured that there are not going to

1:36:42 ↗ be cuts to the grants that have already

1:36:44 ↗ been awarded for the Human Services um

1:36:47 ↗ and so I hope that we can get that

1:36:49 ↗ information out to people thank you and

1:36:52 ↗ to add to that just to clarify there are

1:36:55 ↗ proposed 12% cuts to certain nonprofits

1:36:59 ↗ who are not in the Human Services space

1:37:02 ↗ can you uh detail what those are or who

1:37:05 ↗ the there are proposed cuts for 2026 so

1:37:09 ↗ for the second half of the bium by 12%

1:37:12 ↗ which is what we've asked most of the

1:37:14 ↗ city departments to reduce their budgets

1:37:16 ↗ by in order to balance this budget um so

1:37:19 ↗ we're asking our some of some of our

1:37:21 ↗ nonprofit Partners to do the same

1:37:24 ↗ nonprofit Partners such as the friends

1:37:26 ↗ of isqua salmon hatchery the um isqua

1:37:30 ↗ Alps Trails Club friends of Lakes mamish

1:37:33 ↗ State Park um those

1:37:36 ↗ organizations and uh isqu isqua history

1:37:38 ↗ museums as well thank you council member

1:37:44 ↗ Mars uh thank you madam council

1:37:46 ↗ president um so I'm not ready to cut

1:37:49 ↗ Metroflex yet if we were going to cut it

1:37:51 ↗ now or six months from now I'd want a

1:37:54 ↗ better understanding of the total cost

1:37:56 ↗ model both for us and for in County I'd

1:38:00 ↗ want to hear from Metro about um whether

1:38:03 ↗ there's other solutions to help try to

1:38:05 ↗ keep this in place um I I would also

1:38:08 ↗ want to get my arms around this idea

1:38:09 ↗ that it's extremely expensive compared

1:38:11 ↗ to what like is it really how how does

1:38:13 ↗ it compare to the regular bus service is

1:38:16 ↗ it twice as expensive okay well that

1:38:18 ↗ wouldn't be extremely expensive on a per

1:38:20 ↗ ride but if it's 10 times then then that

1:38:23 ↗ is a lot but let's not do that I I

1:38:25 ↗ really like council member Ray's

1:38:27 ↗ suggestion of just extending it a year

1:38:29 ↗ giving ourselves some time to find other

1:38:32 ↗ funding sources that represents a small

1:38:34 ↗ incremental cost over going for six

1:38:37 ↗ months and then shutting it down so I

1:38:38 ↗ think that's the right solution rather

1:38:40 ↗ than um the administration trying to

1:38:42 ↗ contort itself around trying to give me

1:38:44 ↗ all the answers to a million Financial

1:38:46 ↗ questions uh on the second thing

1:38:49 ↗ postponing the light rail study I

1:38:50 ↗ continue to be incredibly worried about

1:38:53 ↗ the fact that um everything nowadays

1:38:55 ↗ costs a lot of money and uh Sound

1:38:58 ↗ Transit is going to be out of money or

1:39:00 ↗ they're going to have about um three

1:39:02 ↗ cents in their pocket when they get out

1:39:03 ↗ to isqua and go to do our project and

1:39:05 ↗ they're going to have to do it as

1:39:06 ↗ cheaply as possible and that's going to

1:39:08 ↗ mean surface parking and which we don't

1:39:11 ↗ want to see and we all have a vision of

1:39:14 ↗ what that endof the-line uh parking

1:39:16 ↗ structure looks like and it won't be

1:39:18 ↗ what we want to see I'm looking at the

1:39:20 ↗ parking structure my brother lives in

1:39:21 ↗ Sandy Springs Georgia which is the North

1:39:23 ↗ end of the the end of the North Line red

1:39:26 ↗ line I think for Marta and they have I'm

1:39:30 ↗ looking at the 22 you know the two 1250

1:39:32 ↗ stall parking structures that would be

1:39:35 ↗ we would be lucky if we got the giant

1:39:37 ↗ parking structures because what we would

1:39:39 ↗ get is 2500 stalls of surface parking

1:39:41 ↗ which would be not anything in the same

1:39:45 ↗ time zone for what our residents want so

1:39:48 ↗ I I don't know how to solve this problem

1:39:50 ↗ it's inherent to the fact that

1:39:52 ↗ everything costs a ton of money money

1:39:54 ↗ and Sound

1:39:55 ↗ Transit I mean they'll be lucky to have

1:39:57 ↗ money to build service parking by the

1:39:59 ↗ time they get to isqua much less

1:40:01 ↗ building of the kind of uh Transit Hub

1:40:05 ↗ that we all think our city needs so the

1:40:08 ↗ the whole thing is filled with is rif

1:40:12 ↗ with uh perel and I don't know what to

1:40:15 ↗ do but if uh being a lite and throwing

1:40:18 ↗ my clog into the machine by pushing back

1:40:21 ↗ the uh light rail study does that I I

1:40:25 ↗ just until until I see something that

1:40:28 ↗ makes me think that sound transit will

1:40:29 ↗ have more than $3 when I get to isqua um

1:40:32 ↗ I'm going to be I'm going to be dubious

1:40:34 ↗ about a process that allows them to

1:40:36 ↗ decide it because not that they would do

1:40:38 ↗ it through any kind of malevolence they

1:40:39 ↗ would do it because that's all that they

1:40:40 ↗ can afford so uh sure throw my blog into

1:40:44 ↗ the into the machine as as the Lites did

1:40:47 ↗ on on number three this whole thing we

1:40:49 ↗ need to we need to hear about this sb615

1:40:52 ↗ and what it does and doesn't do I'm

1:40:54 ↗ tired of Olympia uh taking away uh legal

1:40:59 ↗ Authority from municipalities for

1:41:01 ↗ whatever good cause they think they have

1:41:03 ↗ the right to do especially when they

1:41:04 ↗ won't fund the things that they claim to

1:41:07 ↗ care about uh and then the fleet fund

1:41:09 ↗ budget I don't know I'm not an expert on

1:41:11 ↗ vehicles we have people who are experts

1:41:13 ↗ on vehicles I don't have a big emotional

1:41:15 ↗ attachment to it I will say on the

1:41:17 ↗ subject of

1:41:18 ↗ nonprofits in the good old days we would

1:41:21 ↗ have a day at services and safety and

1:41:24 ↗ Parks back before it was called services

1:41:25 ↗ safety and park and it would be it would

1:41:28 ↗ Bas basically be a showand tell and all

1:41:30 ↗ the nonprofits would come in and they

1:41:32 ↗ would produce materials commensurate to

1:41:34 ↗ the size of organization that they were

1:41:36 ↗ to show us how they were spending our

1:41:38 ↗ money and the public would show up and

1:41:42 ↗ uh it was a wonderful opportunity to

1:41:44 ↗ highlight how these organizations were

1:41:46 ↗ using our money and somehow we have lost

1:41:49 ↗ that in the process and so were I to be

1:41:53 ↗ Lu luy enough to be chair of services

1:41:55 ↗ safety and parks in two years I would

1:41:57 ↗ love it if we had something like that

1:42:00 ↗ where uh you know we saw the light of

1:42:02 ↗ day these organizations came in and and

1:42:05 ↗ did a robust enthusiastic explanation to

1:42:08 ↗ us on how they spend our money I think

1:42:10 ↗ it'd be good for them and I think it'd

1:42:12 ↗ be good for us thank you for letting me

1:42:15 ↗ monologue okay let me just make sure I

1:42:17 ↗ understood what you said about the light

1:42:18 ↗ rail study by throwing your clog into

1:42:22 ↗ that do you

1:42:24 ↗ mean no no I get that but are you

1:42:28 ↗ suggesting that postponing the light

1:42:30 ↗ rail study or doing the light rail study

1:42:32 ↗ would achieve your goals I believe

1:42:35 ↗ postponing it okay just wanted to thank

1:42:37 ↗ you for thank you for that clarification

1:42:39 ↗ yeah absolutely until such time as they

1:42:42 ↗ have a funding mechanism that would

1:42:44 ↗ arrive with more than $3 in at the time

1:42:46 ↗ when they believe you said three cents

1:42:48 ↗ and that may

1:42:50 ↗ be I'll only two orders of magnitude

1:42:53 ↗ difference yeah that exactly exactly um

1:42:57 ↗ I want to hear we are having some WebEx

1:43:00 ↗ issues or yes we are okay are we okay to

1:43:05 ↗ continue or we're live streaming on

1:43:07 ↗ YouTube so the meeting is is still

1:43:09 ↗ happening Live on YouTube and we're

1:43:11 ↗ working on the WebEx issue right now

1:43:13 ↗ okay fantastic and then Deputy City

1:43:17 ↗ administrator oh that was okay fantastic

1:43:20 ↗ great okay going down count council

1:43:23 ↗ member

1:43:26 ↗ hunt thank you um so firstly this is a

1:43:30 ↗ budget overall that focuses on really

1:43:32 ↗ important things because it is a

1:43:34 ↗ difficult budget year and I think the

1:43:36 ↗ mayor and the administration are

1:43:37 ↗ absolutely right to focus on the really

1:43:40 ↗ important high level things that are the

1:43:43 ↗ the uh fosi of this budget which

1:43:46 ↗ includes equity and

1:43:48 ↗ sustainability um this budget does

1:43:50 ↗ reflect a lot of reductions including uh

1:43:53 ↗ layoffs of people that were doing really

1:43:54 ↗ great work for the city and we discussed

1:43:56 ↗ that last last time we met but I did

1:43:59 ↗ want to set that context Metroflex the

1:44:03 ↗ way I see it is one of the programs that

1:44:07 ↗ really does make contributions in a

1:44:10 ↗ concrete way towards equity and

1:44:11 ↗ sustainability in the city I um I don't

1:44:15 ↗ agree with canceling our contributions

1:44:18 ↗ um I agree with my fellow council

1:44:19 ↗ members who have spoken on this about

1:44:21 ↗ continuing the program uh last meeting

1:44:25 ↗ we had a hopelink representative come

1:44:27 ↗ and speak to the uh value of the program

1:44:31 ↗ for clients of hopelink we've had um

1:44:35 ↗ we've had seniors speak to the

1:44:37 ↗ importance of this program for them

1:44:39 ↗ students that came earlier this evening

1:44:41 ↗ and spoke about the importance in their

1:44:43 ↗ lives and also advocating for lowincome

1:44:46 ↗ um

1:44:48 ↗ folks and uh you know also in in in the

1:44:53 ↗ map that was shown Rose crust which is

1:44:56 ↗ uh imagine housing low-income housing um

1:44:59 ↗ I believe 30 to 60% Ami in my

1:45:02 ↗ neighborhood that's where folks are

1:45:04 ↗ using this service so it is I think a

1:45:06 ↗ really

1:45:07 ↗ important service for those in our

1:45:09 ↗ community that are using it um we did a

1:45:12 ↗ pilot program to learn about where

1:45:14 ↗ neighborhoods would use this and it is

1:45:16 ↗ true that our

1:45:19 ↗ our theories going into the program or

1:45:22 ↗ hypotheses some of those did not um did

1:45:25 ↗ not work out the way we thought but

1:45:28 ↗ that's part of why we did a pilot right

1:45:29 ↗ and I think what we're seeing is that a

1:45:31 ↗ lot of folks in apartment buildings

1:45:33 ↗ across the city um and those multif

1:45:35 ↗ family housing they are using this

1:45:37 ↗ program um and I would like to make sure

1:45:39 ↗ that we continue to support uh this both

1:45:43 ↗ from the sustainability meeting some of

1:45:45 ↗ our goals of having people not not have

1:45:48 ↗ to rely on a car to get around and um

1:45:52 ↗ and for the equity

1:45:54 ↗ impacts

1:45:56 ↗ uh I I agree with extending it a year

1:46:01 ↗ however because I think it's really an

1:46:03 ↗ important program and because we're

1:46:05 ↗ committing to doing a two-year budget um

1:46:09 ↗ I I would advocate for putting it

1:46:12 ↗ funding in for the two years I agree it

1:46:15 ↗ would be wonderful and amazing if we do

1:46:17 ↗ get a grant and we don't have to worry

1:46:19 ↗ about funding it out of the city's Fund

1:46:21 ↗ in the second year but as a as a city

1:46:23 ↗ and as a council we committed to this

1:46:25 ↗ two twoyear banial budget and because of

1:46:28 ↗ all of the policy reasons and because of

1:46:30 ↗ the value to the community I would

1:46:34 ↗ vastly prefer funding it for the two

1:46:36 ↗ years over the program and then

1:46:37 ↗ hopefully we do hopefully it's a

1:46:39 ↗ non-issue in the second year and we get

1:46:40 ↗ a grant but if not I want to continue to

1:46:43 ↗ fund

1:46:45 ↗ this on the housing oh sorry on the

1:46:48 ↗ light rail study I agree with uh council

1:46:52 ↗ member Mars in that I think we can put

1:46:55 ↗ this um on we can postpone this I think

1:46:59 ↗ we also have had great conversations

1:47:01 ↗ with the community over the last recent

1:47:04 ↗ uh year or so um to make sure that we

1:47:08 ↗ have that feedback about what the

1:47:09 ↗ community wants to see we have started

1:47:12 ↗ the process of planning um and I think

1:47:16 ↗ that we we do have some time here

1:47:19 ↗ because of the light rail schedule so uh

1:47:22 ↗ given the current budget situation I

1:47:24 ↗ think this makes a lot of sense to

1:47:25 ↗ postpone it on the housing and parking

1:47:28 ↗ studies we in the Planning Development

1:47:31 ↗ and environment committee uh of this

1:47:33 ↗ Council have been talking about the

1:47:35 ↗ missing

1:47:36 ↗ middle um housing provisions and how we

1:47:39 ↗ can use you know the Eco Northwest

1:47:43 ↗ recommendations as well as the as well

1:47:46 ↗ as the uh cities or the states rather's

1:47:49 ↗ um new laws that have been passed and

1:47:52 ↗ you know how we can use the combination

1:47:55 ↗ of those two things and I think

1:47:59 ↗ that with between that and between the

1:48:03 ↗ uh what sounds like a very important

1:48:04 ↗ parking um regulation that has recently

1:48:07 ↗ come down that we have not yet looked at

1:48:09 ↗ in planning development environment I

1:48:10 ↗ think we have a lot to work

1:48:13 ↗ through without the study and I also

1:48:16 ↗ agree that we will learn through this

1:48:18 ↗ pilot um and through the mfte that was

1:48:21 ↗ that's in the the pilot um so I think

1:48:24 ↗ for all those reasons postponing the

1:48:25 ↗ housing and parking study does make a

1:48:27 ↗ lot of sense and I'm uh I'm satisfied

1:48:30 ↗ that we have lots to work through on the

1:48:32 ↗ policy side to help make some progress

1:48:34 ↗ on missing middle housing um in the

1:48:38 ↗ meantime and then on the fleet fund

1:48:43 ↗ um as far

1:48:45 ↗ as when we where we look at what to fund

1:48:49 ↗ the Metroflex program with I did wonder

1:48:52 ↗ if we might phase in this approach to

1:48:56 ↗ funding the fleet fund um and so not do

1:48:59 ↗ as much catching up I also think that

1:49:02 ↗ the pavement management especially since

1:49:04 ↗ council member D Michelle mentioned it

1:49:06 ↗ that was the thing that I was thinking

1:49:08 ↗ about as well and the reason I was

1:49:09 ↗ thinking about that as a as a potential

1:49:12 ↗ savings and I welcome feedback from the

1:49:16 ↗ administration and from staff but the

1:49:17 ↗ reason I was thinking about that too is

1:49:19 ↗ because we did have a lot of recovery

1:49:21 ↗ funding over the last years and and we

1:49:22 ↗ did a lot of pavement management and I

1:49:25 ↗ think the community really has has

1:49:27 ↗ noticed and appreciated that but that

1:49:29 ↗ pavement uh you know that was a lot of

1:49:31 ↗ work that was done over a short period

1:49:33 ↗ of time which was possible because of um

1:49:35 ↗ funding Federal funding that will will

1:49:38 ↗ no longer be available but I do think it

1:49:40 ↗ potentially could be seen as buying us

1:49:42 ↗ sometime um to slow down our city

1:49:45 ↗ contribution for a little bit while we

1:49:47 ↗ adjust to that so those were my thoughts

1:49:50 ↗ on on potential savings

1:49:55 ↗ thank you uh council member

1:49:57 ↗ Hall um sure thank you I won't um repeat

1:50:01 ↗ what's already been said but walking

1:50:03 ↗ through the questions here um I agree

1:50:06 ↗ that I'm not ready to say no on

1:50:10 ↗ Metroflex yet or to cancel Metroflex I I

1:50:13 ↗ want to have a kind of a broader

1:50:14 ↗ conversation about where what options

1:50:18 ↗ might exist for finding cost savings to

1:50:20 ↗ fund Metroflex through the

1:50:23 ↗ spum um pavement management is one I

1:50:27 ↗ asked a question just today about the

1:50:28 ↗ open space um Park acquisition program

1:50:32 ↗ and how often we spend down that

1:50:33 ↗ $500,000 a year that's there so just I

1:50:36 ↗ guess it would be it would be good to

1:50:38 ↗ come back to council and have kind of a

1:50:40 ↗ conversation about um here here's what

1:50:43 ↗ the options would look like here's how

1:50:45 ↗ much it would hurt and um then we can

1:50:46 ↗ have a policy discussion up here on the

1:50:48 ↗ Das about whether or not we want to move

1:50:50 ↗ forward with something like that I guess

1:50:53 ↗ um my mind in this basis funding for

1:50:55 ↗ Metroflex isn't isn't just about funding

1:50:57 ↗ for Metroflex it's also I mean you've

1:51:00 ↗ talked we've talked about hearing from

1:51:01 ↗ residents but also it was one of the top

1:51:03 ↗ things that we hear in the community

1:51:04 ↗ survey is um support for public

1:51:06 ↗ transportation and then um I think two

1:51:11 ↗ that it shows our commitment to King

1:51:13 ↗ County Metro itself when they start to

1:51:15 ↗ think about what communities in King

1:51:17 ↗ County support public transit and what

1:51:19 ↗ communities in King County should we be

1:51:21 ↗ prioritizing when we draw new routes so

1:51:23 ↗ I also think it's just important to

1:51:25 ↗ continue to underline that isqua is a

1:51:26 ↗ community that

1:51:28 ↗ supports um public transportation but um

1:51:31 ↗ again I I guess I'm just saying I would

1:51:33 ↗ like to have the conversation more not

1:51:35 ↗ necessarily saying no to the

1:51:37 ↗ administration's recommendation yet

1:51:39 ↗ because I also understand why it's up

1:51:41 ↗ there makes perfect sense to me um for

1:51:45 ↗ the light rail study um I agree with all

1:51:47 ↗ the reasons that's been said that it can

1:51:49 ↗ be postponed although I think that there

1:51:51 ↗ is a a good opportunity to have

1:51:53 ↗ conversations with our state legislators

1:51:55 ↗ um um one of our state legislators is on

1:51:58 ↗ the Appropriations Committee so that

1:51:59 ↗ would be a good person to talk to about

1:52:02 ↗ would this be an attractive Budget

1:52:04 ↗ provisor on the operating budget and the

1:52:05 ↗ transportation budget so on and so forth

1:52:07 ↗ um the housing and parking studies

1:52:16 ↗ um okay welcoming us back in after we've

1:52:20 ↗ gotten our technical difficulties

1:52:22 ↗ addressed um hopefully things will go

1:52:25 ↗ smoother I will go back to council

1:52:27 ↗ member hall because I know you were I

1:52:31 ↗ know at some point in the middle of the

1:52:34 ↗ conversation you know your comments

1:52:37 ↗ there I had quite literally just

1:52:40 ↗ finished so

1:52:42 ↗ um not entirely sure what to do except

1:52:45 ↗ for to say some of the context staff and

1:52:48 ↗ people in the room have now but maybe

1:52:50 ↗ I'll just run through for the sake of

1:52:51 ↗ the public a quick answers to the

1:52:53 ↗ direction needed questions that we have

1:52:55 ↗ here um I had thought that it was too

1:52:58 ↗ early to say yes to cancelling the

1:53:00 ↗ city's contribution to Metroflex and

1:53:02 ↗ wanted to to see some options for

1:53:04 ↗ Council to consider um okay with

1:53:07 ↗ postponing the postponing the light ril

1:53:09 ↗ study acknowledging that this is a good

1:53:10 ↗ topic to bring up with the legislature

1:53:13 ↗ um somewhat hesitantly okay postpay

1:53:16 ↗ postponing the housing and parking

1:53:17 ↗ studies but wanting to have a broader

1:53:20 ↗ conversation around

1:53:23 ↗ the scope of work there the scope of

1:53:24 ↗ work in the work plan what's left to do

1:53:26 ↗ in the Eco Northwest report in having

1:53:28 ↗ kind of a policy discussion amongst

1:53:30 ↗ Council about what makes sense for the

1:53:32 ↗ bium recognizing that some of that's

1:53:34 ↗ required and then um supportive of

1:53:36 ↗ keeping the fleet fun Fleet budget Fleet

1:53:40 ↗ fund oh my God Fleet fund budget as

1:53:43 ↗ proposed acknowledging work and and and

1:53:47 ↗ um asking the question is there any more

1:53:48 ↗ risk that could that could be absorbed

1:53:51 ↗ in that fund and um asking for a

1:53:54 ↗ response to that um and then a couple of

1:53:57 ↗ other additional things I wanted Council

1:54:00 ↗ to talk about in the future which was

1:54:01 ↗ the park and open space acquisition

1:54:03 ↗ program and the tdrs and L clip

1:54:05 ↗ feasibility study that was funded in the

1:54:08 ↗ previous budget and I'm not quite sure

1:54:10 ↗ if that if we did that work or not yet

1:54:13 ↗ and that I think was it so

1:54:16 ↗ thanks excellent council member Joe all

1:54:19 ↗ right I'll be as succinct as possible

1:54:20 ↗ because I know the hour is late um I

1:54:22 ↗ would like us to continue to look at not

1:54:25 ↗ counseling

1:54:26 ↗ Metroflex uh I would like to know what

1:54:28 ↗ we would need to cut if we do keep

1:54:32 ↗ Metroflex for um both of the years in

1:54:35 ↗ the Bal budget coming up I agree with um

1:54:39 ↗ council member hunt that if we're going

1:54:41 ↗ to commit to it we should commit to it

1:54:43 ↗ for the two years of the bay in budget

1:54:45 ↗ but I do want to see what we would lose

1:54:47 ↗ or what would not be um given uh to our

1:54:50 ↗ citizens if we do um keep Metroflex um

1:54:55 ↗ postpone the light rail study Beyond

1:54:57 ↗ 2526 yes that's just fine however I

1:55:00 ↗ would just ask that the administration

1:55:02 ↗ do the usual diligence that they always

1:55:05 ↗ do to keep us informed if we think that

1:55:08 ↗ the timing is coming near uh to start

1:55:12 ↗ that study uh you know give us a

1:55:14 ↗ six-month um kind of lead time so that

1:55:17 ↗ we can see if we need to scramble mid

1:55:19 ↗ year or uh at the end of year 1 in the

1:55:22 ↗ budget to um try to find money to make

1:55:26 ↗ that happen I think it's vitally

1:55:27 ↗ important that we um time that study so

1:55:31 ↗ that we don't lose the work we've done

1:55:32 ↗ on the I90 uh overpass underpass

1:55:35 ↗ Crossing along the way and um we have

1:55:38 ↗ seen what has happened with Mercer

1:55:41 ↗ Island for instance when they didn't do

1:55:42 ↗ their planning in advance they got a

1:55:45 ↗ product that was terrible they got a

1:55:46 ↗ product that was so terrible they had to

1:55:48 ↗ sue um Sound Transit we want to be uh

1:55:52 ↗ kind of in the opposite position where

1:55:54 ↗ we uh have planned have heard back from

1:55:57 ↗ our citizens what they want uh we have

1:56:00 ↗ the the information at our disposal as

1:56:03 ↗ we go and advocate for our citizens and

1:56:05 ↗ for our city uh with Sound Transit along

1:56:08 ↗ the way so um the administration does a

1:56:11 ↗ great job of of Looking Over the Horizon

1:56:13 ↗ a little bit I'd ask that they uh keep

1:56:15 ↗ that on their their radar going into um

1:56:18 ↗ 25 and

1:56:20 ↗ 26 postpone housing parking studies yes

1:56:24 ↗ uh the cities that that I have uh um

1:56:28 ↗ visited are struggling with uh

1:56:32 ↗ 1337 uh adus 1110 midal housing uh the

1:56:37 ↗ other elements that are along with it

1:56:40 ↗ and they have their hands full with

1:56:41 ↗ trying to get the those um pieces in

1:56:46 ↗ place before the deadline of June of of

1:56:48 ↗ next year alongside the parallel um kind

1:56:52 ↗ of stone that's rolling down the hill of

1:56:54 ↗ the of the comp plan and trying to get

1:56:56 ↗ that done before the end of the year so

1:56:57 ↗ post Point those housing studies I I

1:56:59 ↗ don't have a problem with that because

1:57:01 ↗ as as pointed out during the

1:57:03 ↗ presentation um we need some time to see

1:57:06 ↗ um if the mfte program that we kind of

1:57:10 ↗ uh adjusted a little bit um has is

1:57:14 ↗ working or not we also need to see if

1:57:15 ↗ the Pioneer project uh that has been um

1:57:19 ↗ kind of adopted see how that gets

1:57:21 ↗ adopted how get how that gets picked up

1:57:24 ↗ along the way so we do have some other

1:57:26 ↗ pieces that we probably want to see

1:57:27 ↗ before we dive into a housing and

1:57:29 ↗ parking study a little bit more deeply

1:57:31 ↗ so I do not have a problem with um

1:57:33 ↗ postponing those unless funding becomes

1:57:35 ↗ available um finally on the fleet

1:57:38 ↗ subject um I'm in favor of keeping the

1:57:41 ↗ fleet fund budget as proposed um I know

1:57:45 ↗ that it's uh difficult we're talking

1:57:47 ↗ about big budget items along the way but

1:57:50 ↗ um uh I I think the only caveat would be

1:57:53 ↗ I agree with council president that I

1:57:55 ↗ would just like to see kind of the

1:57:57 ↗ planning for the years and the items

1:57:59 ↗ that might be on the horizon so that we

1:58:01 ↗ can just get a general idea of of the

1:58:04 ↗ overall plan but I I think the budget as

1:58:06 ↗ proposed uh needs to go forward that

1:58:08 ↗ concludes my comments thank

1:58:10 ↗ you excellent okay I'll uh throw my

1:58:14 ↗ comments into the mix so first um I

1:58:20 ↗ appreciated what council member hunt

1:58:21 ↗ said about hey this is a big adjustment

1:58:26 ↗ to our budgets and so recognizing the

1:58:29 ↗ sacrifices that we've already had to

1:58:31 ↗ make at this point and recognizing the

1:58:35 ↗ loss of great employees um who we just

1:58:40 ↗ had to let go given the budget

1:58:43 ↗ circumstances um a member of the public

1:58:47 ↗ asked you know looking at the large

1:58:49 ↗ scale is this an issue of EXP is rising

1:58:53 ↗ or revenues need to be increased and I

1:58:58 ↗ would say yes to both um yes expenses

1:59:01 ↗ are increasing because of inflation yes

1:59:04 ↗ we've got a whole heck of a lot of

1:59:05 ↗ deferred Maintenance and Facilities and

1:59:08 ↗ Fleet that we need to address um but

1:59:12 ↗ also we have structural budget issues

1:59:14 ↗ just because of the way that the state

1:59:16 ↗ has set up our financing but also our

1:59:20 ↗ development patterns our development

1:59:23 ↗ patterns when we've

1:59:25 ↗ got less Des dense housing do not pay

1:59:29 ↗ for themselves the revenue that we get

1:59:31 ↗ off of single family housing is not

1:59:35 ↗ something that pays for the services um

1:59:38 ↗ that are needed to provide for that

1:59:39 ↗ residence whether it's the um roadway to

1:59:43 ↗ get there whether it's the pipes to get

1:59:45 ↗ there whether it's the police and the

1:59:47 ↗ fire services so I really want us to

1:59:50 ↗ make sure that we are addressing that

1:59:52 ↗ because that is something that we have

1:59:55 ↗ some control over at least so that we're

1:59:57 ↗ not digging ourselves into a hole of our

1:59:59 ↗ own doing

2:00:01 ↗ further we also need to talk to the

2:00:04 ↗ state about shared revenue and all of

2:00:06 ↗ that but um I think it's important to

2:00:09 ↗ recognize that right now our expenses

2:00:11 ↗ per acre are probably more than our

2:00:14 ↗ Revenue per acre on many of the

2:00:16 ↗ properties um in the area and that's

2:00:18 ↗ something that we need to understand so

2:00:21 ↗ going to these questions um no I think

2:00:23 ↗ we need to continue with 2 years of

2:00:27 ↗ Metro Flex I think it's INE Equity issue

2:00:31 ↗ for our elderly and our students and um

2:00:35 ↗ people who can't drive with disabilities

2:00:37 ↗ it's also a cost of living issue and

2:00:39 ↗ that's something that residents have

2:00:41 ↗ told us in our surveys that is really

2:00:44 ↗ really important to them um I will also

2:00:49 ↗ note that the pilot program showed High

2:00:51 ↗ use us AG in the denser areas and so

2:00:54 ↗ I'll just throw it in there I think we

2:00:56 ↗ should talk to Metroflex about whether

2:00:59 ↗ keeping squawk in the mix is right or

2:01:03 ↗ whether keep adding the highlands into

2:01:05 ↗ it would be right if we're looking at

2:01:08 ↗ what some of the highest use areas are

2:01:11 ↗ there are areas where we've got

2:01:13 ↗ affordable housing um like up in tus and

2:01:16 ↗ we've got a lot of that up in the

2:01:17 ↗ highlands that isn't covered by this and

2:01:19 ↗ so this would be a great way to help

2:01:23 ↗ improve the lives of people who are

2:01:27 ↗ about a mile and a half away from

2:01:29 ↗ transit um up in the highlands so I'll

2:01:32 ↗ just put that out there uh Light Rail

2:01:35 ↗ study um I agree with council member

2:01:38 ↗ Mars and Hunt um there's time so I'm

2:01:41 ↗ fine to postpone this I'm frankly

2:01:44 ↗ cynical with all of the big budget

2:01:46 ↗ issues with Sound Transit that we're

2:01:48 ↗ going to keep on that time schedule and

2:01:51 ↗ so I'm not feeling all that urgent to

2:01:55 ↗ put our money down on something like

2:01:58 ↗ that when we have a lot of other urgent

2:02:01 ↗ more urgent needs um I also think we

2:02:05 ↗ know our residents and we have the

2:02:07 ↗ direct link there we don't need to pay

2:02:10 ↗ for a study to have robust Community

2:02:13 ↗ conversations about where the preferred

2:02:15 ↗ location should be um and I believe that

2:02:20 ↗ the actual study about a viability of a

2:02:24 ↗ location should be a cost that sound

2:02:26 ↗ transit bears not the local community so

2:02:29 ↗ I would prefer that our Focus be on the

2:02:32 ↗ community engagement side of things and

2:02:35 ↗ I don't think that needs to cost a

2:02:38 ↗ $400,000

2:02:40 ↗ study um regarding the housing and

2:02:43 ↗ parking study I'm actually to okay I'm

2:02:46 ↗ okay to postpone it for a few reasons

2:02:49 ↗ first we're doing a lot with middle

2:02:51 ↗ housing if this was going to delay

2:02:53 ↗ middle housing I would absolutely be in

2:02:55 ↗ favor of funding it but because we're

2:02:58 ↗ already moving forward on that I feel

2:03:02 ↗ pretty okay um also the state level

2:03:05 ↗ structured parking change could have a

2:03:08 ↗ huge impact on mft viability and so I

2:03:11 ↗ agree with council member Hall that we

2:03:13 ↗ should look back at the Eco Northwest

2:03:16 ↗ report because there was data in there

2:03:19 ↗ about what what levers would make that

2:03:23 ↗ potentially viable so I think there is a

2:03:27 ↗ possibility that we could make a tweak

2:03:30 ↗ to a program using in-house um staff and

2:03:34 ↗ our information that we already have

2:03:37 ↗ combined with the state laws because

2:03:39 ↗ we're not getting anything out of it now

2:03:42 ↗ so making a tweak to it does

2:03:45 ↗ isn't you know necessarily going to have

2:03:48 ↗ a worse impact um so that would be my

2:03:52 ↗ preference there um and then the fleet

2:03:55 ↗ fund I I really have a hard time putting

2:03:58 ↗ so much money into this when we have

2:04:00 ↗ these other areas of need

2:04:03 ↗ particularly the um Metroflex so I would

2:04:07 ↗ prefer to take the funds needed for

2:04:10 ↗ Metroflex out of the fleet fund and

2:04:13 ↗ delay some of those Fleet items as um

2:04:18 ↗ the administration sees fit um I think

2:04:21 ↗ we can find the savings here and we've

2:04:24 ↗ got other priorities I also think we

2:04:26 ↗ really need to dive into this and

2:04:28 ↗ understand what are our goals what are

2:04:31 ↗ we achieving here you know I don't even

2:04:34 ↗ know are we looking at EVS um in other

2:04:39 ↗ areas do our investments here match what

2:04:42 ↗ the community expectation is so I really

2:04:44 ↗ want to know that before I'm willing to

2:04:48 ↗ necessarily plop down the full 3.2

2:04:50 ↗ million um I think we can pull a little

2:04:53 ↗ bit out of that in order to fund um fund

2:04:58 ↗ the Metroflex and then I will also say

2:05:02 ↗ Yes we made huge progress on the

2:05:04 ↗ pavement management especially on um the

2:05:08 ↗ sidewalk portion of things the concrete

2:05:11 ↗ management um we already have a huge cut

2:05:15 ↗ to that program in this budget I don't

2:05:18 ↗ think we can go much further on that um

2:05:22 ↗ so I would prefer to keep the pavement

2:05:24 ↗ Management program as it is I am okay to

2:05:27 ↗ potentially look at open space

2:05:29 ↗ acquisition um depending on what the

2:05:32 ↗ information is there whether we've used

2:05:34 ↗ that funding um what the fund level is

2:05:37 ↗ there so I'd be open to that idea but I

2:05:40 ↗ think my top preference is uh to pull it

2:05:42 ↗ out of Fleet

2:05:44 ↗ fund okay before I go back to

2:05:46 ↗ Administration anybody second round of

2:05:48 ↗ comments Deputy council president D

2:05:50 ↗ Michelle thank you a a comment and a

2:05:53 ↗ question that I thought of during the

2:05:55 ↗ break

2:05:56 ↗ um we've talked about uh Metroflex being

2:06:00 ↗ a um an equity issue and um what one

2:06:04 ↗ thing I think that we need to look at is

2:06:06 ↗ uh you know all of our young people

2:06:07 ↗ under 18 use that service for free and

2:06:10 ↗ that's uh mandated by the state of

2:06:13 ↗ Washington and our senior citizens like

2:06:15 ↗ myself have cards that give us a ride

2:06:18 ↗ for $1 instead of the 250 and uh Metra

2:06:22 ↗ also has a program where low-income

2:06:24 ↗ people uh may be able to get either

2:06:27 ↗ rides for free or reduced rides and so

2:06:30 ↗ um the question that was asked about how

2:06:31 ↗ much does it cost per ride um I want to

2:06:34 ↗ be sure when we're uh getting those

2:06:37 ↗ figures um and looking at how expensive

2:06:40 ↗ it is that uh if uh a high percentage of

2:06:43 ↗ the people using that service in isqua

2:06:46 ↗ fit into those categories then it's

2:06:48 ↗ going to be a highly subsidized service

2:06:50 ↗ and it's probably going to be a very

2:06:52 ↗ expensive service um so I just want to

2:06:55 ↗ be sure that uh we take those things

2:06:57 ↗ into consideration as we're Gathering

2:06:59 ↗ the data about how much we're spending

2:07:02 ↗ per ride it's um uh we are helping the

2:07:06 ↗ people in our community who need that

2:07:09 ↗ subsidy uh and the cost therefore may be

2:07:12 ↗ quite a bit higher than an average bus

2:07:15 ↗ ride would

2:07:17 ↗ be uh council member

2:07:19 ↗ hunt thank you I note on the open space

2:07:23 ↗ fund um when we get the information back

2:07:25 ↗ about how it's being drawn down my

2:07:28 ↗ understanding from our previous budget

2:07:29 ↗ conversations and when this has come up

2:07:31 ↗ in the past is that a large or a major

2:07:33 ↗ reason why we keep that fund is so that

2:07:35 ↗ we can be nimble so it is not that we

2:07:39 ↗ spend it down regularly but rather that

2:07:41 ↗ we have that money for when a

2:07:43 ↗ opportunity comes up as has come up

2:07:46 ↗ several times in the last you know seven

2:07:47 ↗ years so there's a large purchase it

2:07:49 ↗ requires a match from the city Rees us

2:07:51 ↗ to be nimble and so um for me the

2:07:55 ↗ information about how regularly we're

2:07:57 ↗ drying that down wouldn't be compelling

2:08:00 ↗ because it's it's there to do that

2:08:03 ↗ matching which allows us to make sure

2:08:05 ↗ that we are taking opportunities to um

2:08:08 ↗ to protect our open

2:08:11 ↗ space any other second round comments

2:08:14 ↗ before I go to the administration ask if

2:08:17 ↗ they have everything they

2:08:20 ↗ need does the Administration have

2:08:22 ↗ everything they need from this

2:08:23 ↗ conversation we do very much thank you I

2:08:26 ↗ think that the mayor however wanted to

2:08:28 ↗ make a few remarks

2:08:33 ↗ okay I'll be quick we're looking a

2:08:35 ↗ little tired tonight so thank you for

2:08:38 ↗ this meeting um I guess the first thing

2:08:40 ↗ I want to say is that your comments and

2:08:43 ↗ your suggestions about where we should

2:08:44 ↗ be looking were super helpful so we did

2:08:47 ↗ get a chance to talk with our interim

2:08:49 ↗ CFO at the break and um great

2:08:52 ↗ conversation tonight one thing I wanted

2:08:54 ↗ to address just quickly is um one of the

2:08:58 ↗ things my Administration has been trying

2:09:00 ↗ to do is give staff the tools they need

2:09:02 ↗ to provide you with better information

2:09:04 ↗ about facilities and asset management

2:09:06 ↗ and you have graciously approved those

2:09:08 ↗ requests and given them the tools they

2:09:10 ↗ need the painful part is the numbers

2:09:12 ↗ aren't good when we're hearing them so I

2:09:14 ↗ do understand why following a

2:09:17 ↗ consultant's recommendation on what we

2:09:19 ↗ should be doing with our Fleet can seem

2:09:21 ↗ rather shocking but the reality is this

2:09:23 ↗ is the first time we've actually

2:09:24 ↗ daylighted it and so thank you for the

2:09:26 ↗ tools and thank you for your

2:09:27 ↗ conversation and your suggestions that

2:09:29 ↗ we sharpen our pencils and take another

2:09:31 ↗ look at that but you have provided the

2:09:34 ↗ administration's team with much better

2:09:36 ↗ resources and being able to track our

2:09:38 ↗ finances our facilities and the other

2:09:41 ↗ assets that we have so I'm very grateful

2:09:42 ↗ for that so I just want to thank you

2:09:44 ↗ tonight W's not here to tell you that

2:09:46 ↗ this was a great conversation so I'm in

2:09:48 ↗ standing in for Wally but also just to

2:09:50 ↗ thank our interim C o um I had thought

2:09:53 ↗ that council member Merz was here in

2:09:55 ↗ 2010 when there was another round of

2:09:58 ↗ very hard conversations for Council but

2:10:00 ↗ he wasn't and so this is really the

2:10:02 ↗ first time this body has had to deal

2:10:04 ↗ with something like this in 14 years

2:10:06 ↗ including the layoffs and thank you all

2:10:08 ↗ for mentioning the fact that that those

2:10:11 ↗ 12% Cuts have been extremely challenging

2:10:14 ↗ and uh very difficult time for staff so

2:10:17 ↗ thank you for mentioning that but you're

2:10:19 ↗ doing you're providing some great

2:10:20 ↗ conversations on what you have to

2:10:22 ↗ balance out in order to make your

2:10:23 ↗ choices to make this Balan budget work

2:10:25 ↗ so very appreciative and thanks for all

2:10:27 ↗ your work

2:10:31 ↗ tonight okay so assuming all of that

2:10:34 ↗ stands true the administration should

2:10:36 ↗ have what it's need so um we've got uh

2:10:39 ↗ go to the order if anybody has

2:10:42 ↗ anything and with that I will say we are

2:10:45 ↗ adjourned at 8:52 p.m. thank you

Approved minutes

Extracted from the next meeting's packet, where this meeting's minutes were approved as a consent-calendar attachment.

Open PDF

Attendance

Council / Members (7)

Barbara de Michele

Zach Hall

Victoria Hunt

Russell Joe

Tola Marts

Chris Reh

Lindsey Walsh