← Back to City Council Digest

City Council Regular Meeting Auto captions

Monday, October 6, 2025

7:00 PM · 2h 16m · Council Chambers, 135 E. Sunset Way, Issaquah WA
Topics tracked across meetings:
Sole Source Authorization for SCADA and Telemetry Projects AB 9088 1/2
Title 18 Tree Code Update AB 8989 4/4
Public Safety Sales Tax AB 9051 3/3
Substance Abuse Prevention Month Proclamation ID 1863 2/2
Arts & Humanities Month Proclamation ID 1859 2/2
Section
Topic
3. SPECIAL BUSINESS
3a
Fire Prevention Week Proclamation ID 1860
5 min · packet pp.5
Topics: Public Safety
Staff report:
CITY OF ISSAQUAH Mayor's Office WASHINGTON 130 E. Sunset Way I P.O. Box 1307 Issaquah, WA 98027 (425) 837-3020 issaquahwa.gov
3b
Hindu American Heritage Month Proclamation ID 1861
5 min · packet pp.7
Topics: Arts & Culture
Staff report:
SPECIAL BUSINESS b) CITY OF ISSAQUAH Mayor's Office WASHINGTON 130 E. Sunset Way | P.O. Box 1307 Issaquah, WA 98027 425-837-3020 issaquahwa.gov
3c
Substance Abuse Prevention Month Proclamation ID 1863
5 min · packet pp.9
Staff report:
CITY OF ISSAQUAH Mayor's Office
3d
Code Enforcement Officer Appreciation Week Proclamation ID 1858
5 min · packet pp.11
Topics: Public Safety
Staff report:
CITY OF ISSAQUAH Mayor's Office
3e
Arts & Humanities Month Proclamation ID 1859
5 min · packet pp.13
Topics: Arts & Culture
Staff report:
CITY OF ISSAQUAH Mayor's Office
5. CONSENT CALENDAR
5a
Accounts: Payables and Payroll of Oct. 6, 2025, $6,962,188.34 ID 1784
Carried 6-0
Approve · packet pp.15–26
Topics: Budget
Staff report:
Finance Department P.O. Box 1307 Issaquah, WA 98027 PH: 425-837-3050 www.issaquahwa.gov
Roll call:
Moved by Council President Walsh · seconded by Deputy Council President de Michele
In favor: Barbara de Michele, Zach Hall, Kelly Jiang, Tola Marts, Chris Reh, Lindsey Walsh
5b
Minutes: City Council Regular Meeting, Sept. 2, 2025
Carried 6-0
Approve · packet pp.27–30
Staff report:
CONSENT CALENDAR b) 09-02-25 City Council Regular Meeting Minutes Page (0000) CITY OF ISSAQUAH City Council Regular Meeting 7:00 PM Council Chambers September 2, 2025 MINUTES 135 E. Sunset Way
Roll call:
Moved by Council President Walsh · seconded by Deputy Council President de Michele
In favor: Barbara de Michele, Zach Hall, Kelly Jiang, Tola Marts, Chris Reh, Lindsey Walsh
5c
Citywide SCADA Cellular Communications Upgrade AB 9072
Carried 6-0
Approve Resolution; Authorize · packet pp.31–64
Staff report:
City Council approved, as part of the adopted CIP and the biennial budget, Project TC017, Upgrade SCADA System Project, to upgrade the City’s Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system communication protocol to private APN cellular and to continue upgrades to related SCADA components. S&B, Inc. (S&B) is the City’s existing SCADA integrator and provides engineering and design services related to the City’s SCADA system.
Roll call:
Moved by Council President Walsh · seconded by Deputy Council President de Michele
In favor: Barbara de Michele, Zach Hall, Kelly Jiang, Tola Marts, Chris Reh, Lindsey Walsh
5d
Dynamic Message Sign Upgrades Project (TR081-RR) AB 9075
Carried 6-0
Award Bid · packet pp.65–69
Staff report:
City Attorney Review Rachel Bender Turpin City Attorney Review Date: October 2, 2025
Roll call:
Moved by Council President Walsh · seconded by Deputy Council President de Michele
In favor: Barbara de Michele, Zach Hall, Kelly Jiang, Tola Marts, Chris Reh, Lindsey Walsh
5e
Amendment to Interagency Agreement with Dept. of Enterprise Services, Energy Program (Upgrades at Public Works) AB 9080
Carried 6-0
Authorize · packet pp.71–96
Topics: Climate
Staff report:
The City of Issaquah approved its first Climate Action Plan in December 2021 which directed staff to identify opportunities to reduce Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions and energy use from City facilities. In 2023, City staff began identifying decarbonization strategies and projects at existing facilities. This work began with energy benchmarking as part of the Issaquah Clean Buildings Program with MacDonald Miller. Results from the energy benchmarking informed the beginning of an energy audit process which reviewed energy savings and decarbonization opportunities at multiple City facilities, including Public Works. Following preliminary audits and detailed investment grade audits, the City identified energy savings projects to pursue during 2025–2026 that are within budget and that would reduce GHG emissions, natural gas use, and energy bills. Additional energy savings projects were…
Roll call:
Moved by Council President Walsh · seconded by Deputy Council President de Michele
In favor: Barbara de Michele, Zach Hall, Kelly Jiang, Tola Marts, Chris Reh, Lindsey Walsh
6. REGULAR BUSINESS
6a
Public Safety Sales Tax AB 9051
Adopt Ordinance · 45 min · packet pp.97–106
Topics: Land UsePublic SafetyBudget
Staff report:
The State Legislature passed Substitute House Bill (SHB 2015) during the 2025 session. This law became effective July 27, 2025. The new law sets up two new pathways for cities to fund public safety needs: 1. A three year $100 million grant program for hiring, retraining, and training new police officers and co-responders; and 2. A councilmanic 0.1% local sales tax authority for public safety and criminal justice needs.
6b
Title 18 Tree Code Update AB 8989
Adopt Ordinance · 45 min · packet pp.107–238
Topics: Land UseTrees
Staff report:
In May 2023, the City Council adopted a major update to the Land Use Code. This update included a complete rewrite of the Tree Preservation code, following extensive public input, as well as feedback from Boards, Commissions, and the City Council. The initiative was the result of a multi-year, cross-departmental effort aimed at preserving and enhancing the City’s tree canopy, while also promoting sustainable development in alignment with the Issaquah Climate Action Plan.
9. GOOD OF THE ORDER
9a
Upcoming Council Meetings
10. EXECUTIVE SESSION
10a
Executive Session Pending/Potential Litigation per RCW ID 1919
15 min
0:06 Welcome everyone. I'm calling the
0:08 October 6 council meeting to order.
0:10 Council member Joe may arrive late or
0:13 may not be able to make it tonight. So,
0:15 I just want to let everybody know he has
0:16 an excused absence. Uh, as a reminder,
0:19 we continue to have a remote aspect to
0:21 our meetings and both staff and members
0:23 of the public may be participating in
0:25 tonight's meeting remotely via WebEx.
0:28 Um, the next item on the agenda this
0:30 evening is the pledge of allegiance and
0:32 I welcome you all to join.
0:36 >> I pledge algiance to the flag of the
0:39 United States of America and to the
0:42 republic for it stands one nation
0:46 indivisibley
0:48 and justice for all.
0:52 >> We have a fabulous audience this
0:55 evening. I don't think those at home can
0:57 see the people that are here, but we
0:59 have several proclamations and it's just
1:01 a a wonderfully big full room this
1:03 evening. We are going to start with ID
1:06 1860, fire prevention week proclamation,
1:09 and I'm inviting East Side Fire and
1:11 Rescue Fire Marshal Mark Lawrence and
1:14 Chief Ben Lane to the lectern with
1:16 Council Member Hall.
1:21 They're the guys in the uniforms. Yes.
1:27 Uh well, I'll just say briefly, um see
1:30 you. As uh the chair of the East Side
1:32 Fire and Rescue Board of Directors, it's
1:33 my honor to give this one tonight. And
1:35 thank you both for being here with us.
1:38 Whereas the city of Isqua is committed
1:40 to ensuring the safety and security of
1:42 all those living in and visiting our
1:44 city. And whereas fire is a serious
1:46 public safety concern both locally and
1:48 nationally. And homes are the locations
1:50 where people are at greatest risk from
1:52 fire. And whereas home fires cause 2,890
1:57 civilian deaths in the United States in
2:00 2023, according to the National Fire
2:02 Protection Association, and a home fire
2:05 occurs every 93 seconds somewhere in our
2:09 nation. And whereas smoke alarms send
2:12 smoke well before you can, alerting you
2:15 to danger in the event of fire in which
2:17 you may have as little as 2 minutes to
2:19 escape safely. and working smoke alarms
2:22 cut the risk of dying in reported home
2:24 fires in half. And whereas Isiqua
2:27 residents should be sure everyone in the
2:29 home understands the sounds of the smoke
2:31 alarms and knows how to respond. And
2:33 residents who have planned and practice
2:35 a home fire escape plan are more
2:37 prepared and more and will therefore be
2:40 more likely to survive a fire. And
2:43 whereas East Side Fire and Rescue first
2:45 responders are dedicated to reducing the
2:47 occurrence of home fires in home fire
2:49 injuries through prevention and
2:51 protection education. And whereas East
2:53 Side Fire and Rescue provides all hazard
2:55 response service to respond to fire,
2:58 medical hazardous materials, technical
3:00 rescue and emergency service needs to
3:03 the city of Isiqua. And whereas the city
3:05 of Isqua and Eastside Fire and Rescue
3:07 work together to protect and educate the
3:09 community regarding fire prevention and
3:11 safety. Now therefore, Mayor Lupali, the
3:14 mayor of the city of Isqua does hereby
3:16 declare October 5th through 11th, 2025
3:19 to be fire prevention week in the city
3:21 of Isiqua. And we encourage the
3:23 community to support efforts to prevent
3:25 fires and be prepared by practicing a
3:27 home fire escape. We ask the community
3:30 to join us in thanking Isqua's public
3:32 and fire safety servants, East Side Fire
3:34 and Rescue. Thank you.
3:36 [Applause]
3:44 >> Good evening,
3:47 Council Mayor. During Fire Prevention
3:49 Week, East Side Fire Rescue extends our
3:52 sincere appreciation to the Isiqua City
3:55 Council for your continued support,
3:57 unwavering dedication to public safety.
4:00 Thank you for being steadfast partners
4:03 and safeguarding our community.
4:05 Together, we are making Isiziqua a safer
4:07 place to live, work, and visit. Thank
4:10 you respectfully. Thank you.
4:18 And we'd love to get a photo of you all.
4:32 Thank you.
4:35 Thank you very much, Council Member
4:36 Hall. The next item under special
4:38 business is ID 1861, HinduAmerican
4:42 Heritage Month Proclamation,
4:44 and Deputy Council President Barb.
4:47 Michelle is going to the lectern to meet
4:49 up with local members of the Hindu
4:51 American Foundation, including Previne
4:54 Bodke and others in attendance.
4:57 >> Thank you. And it's a real honor to be
5:00 able to give this proclamation. I've
5:02 been welcomed to many uh celebrations in
5:05 the Hindu community. Hi Suresh and
5:07 always been very welcome so graciously
5:10 so I am really honored to be able to do
5:12 this. So proclamation whereas Hindu
5:15 Heritage Month is celebrated every
5:18 October which coincides with major Hindu
5:20 holidays such as devotri and and by the
5:24 way feel free to correct my
5:25 pronunciation.
5:28 uh whereas Hindu-Americans in Isiqua
5:30 represent a variety of ethnic
5:32 backgrounds including individuals of
5:34 Indian Pakistani Bangladeshi
5:38 Malaysian Indonesian Afghani Nepali
5:41 Bhutanese, Sri Lankan, Fijian, Caribbean
5:46 and uh European descent. And whereas
5:49 there are estimated 1.2 2 billion Hindus
5:51 worldwide and approximately 2.5 million
5:55 Hindu Americans living throughout the
5:57 United States and whereas our community
6:00 has benefited from the many innovations
6:02 of Hindu Americans including Ayurvedic
6:05 correct
6:06 >> thank you medicine classical art dance
6:09 music meditation yoga literature and
6:12 community services and whereas we commit
6:15 to embracing diversity and inclusion by
6:18 paying tribute to Hindu heritage through
6:20 education acknowledgement and
6:22 celebration within our community. And
6:25 whereas the city of Isiqua is proud to
6:27 recognize the positive influence of
6:29 Hindu Americans on Isiqua's economic
6:32 vitality, growth, and well-being.
6:35 And now therefore, Mary Lupali, mayor of
6:39 the city of Isiqua, does hereby proclaim
6:41 October 2025 to be Hindu American
6:44 Heritage Month in the city of Isiqua and
6:48 urges the community to join in special
6:50 observance and celebration of Hindu
6:53 Heritage. In witness whereof, she has
6:55 here to set her hand and seal of the
6:58 city of Isiqua on this sixth day of
7:00 October 2025.
7:02 Would you like to speak?
7:10 Honorable Mayor Lou Pauli, esteemed
7:12 members of the city council,
7:14 distinguished guests, and my fellow
7:16 residents of Isqua. Namaste.
7:20 On behalf of the Hindu-American
7:22 community, it is our sincere honor to
7:24 accept this proclamation recognizing
7:27 October as Hindu American Heritage
7:29 Month. We are profoundly grateful for
7:32 this official recognition which not only
7:34 celebrates our heritage but also
7:36 highlights our place as a vital thread
7:39 in the vibrant tapestry of this city.
7:43 This proclamation is more than just a
7:45 piece of paper. It is a powerful
7:47 statement of inclusion. It validates the
7:50 experience of generations of Hindu
7:52 Americans who have made a home here
7:55 contributing to our community's growth
7:57 and prosperity. It tells me that our
8:01 cultural and relig religious heritage is
8:04 respected and valued by our city and it
8:07 serves as a beacon of hope for a future
8:10 defined by understanding and mutual
8:13 respect. The Hindu community sustained
8:16 commitment to service in Isakqua area
8:19 has been ongoing for more than eight
8:20 years. As part of the national SEA
8:22 Diwali initiative to address food
8:25 insecurity, the community annually
8:27 donates food to the Isiqua Food Bank and
8:30 in recent years has expanded these
8:32 efforts to include homeless shelters
8:34 throughout the Seattle area. This past
8:37 year, the community further deepened its
8:39 civic involvement. A Hindu organization
8:42 was among the participants in the Isuka
8:44 Salmon Day parade. The community also
8:47 held a universal oneness day celebration
8:50 to celebrate the Isukqua city police and
8:53 first responders.
8:55 Furthermore, the Guru Vandana program
8:58 was established to formally recognize
9:00 the commendable work of teachers within
9:03 the Squa School District and our
9:05 honorable
9:07 city council member Barbara attended for
9:09 the past few years.
9:12 This year's activities are part of a
9:14 broader history of volunteerism which
9:17 includes adopter road programs, blood
9:19 donation drives, engagement with seniors
9:21 through yoga and exercise and
9:24 contributions to organizations like the
9:27 garage teen cafe through volunteer work
9:30 and broad and board participation.
9:34 For many of us, the month of October is
9:36 particularly special. Filled with
9:38 festivals like Navaratri and Diwali,
9:41 which celebrate the triumph of good over
9:43 evil and knowledge over ignorance.
9:47 This proclamation adds another
9:48 meaningful layer to our celebrations,
9:51 affirming that our city celebrates with
9:53 us. We are proud to call Isakiqua our
9:56 home and we appreciate the city's
9:58 commitment to fostering a diverse and
10:01 inclusive environment where everyone can
10:03 thrive. We look forward to continuing
10:06 our work alongside all of our neighbors
10:09 to build an even stronger, more
10:11 connected community for generations to
10:14 come. Thank you.
10:20 That was fantastic. Um, for this
10:22 picture, we have a lot of folks that we
10:24 should have come up and uh, council, if
10:27 you want to all stand up behind, I'm
10:29 sure we can fill this up and take a
10:31 fantastic picture.
10:33 >> Great comments.
10:52 That is so kind.
10:56 >> You're going to have to do a little
10:57 organizing.
10:58 >> Yep.
11:09 >> Scooching.
11:11 Yeah.
11:37 That was great. Thank you.
11:41 [Applause]
11:42 Thank you. That was fantastic. I love
11:45 you.
11:48 Our
11:52 next special event this evening is uh I
11:56 our special business is ID1863
11:59 substance abuse prevention month proclam
12:02 proclamation
12:03 and council president will go to the
12:06 giants and meet with influence the
12:08 choice executive director Marne Moraldo
12:10 plus students from the tech or teens
12:13 encouraging community health to the
12:15 lectern and I think we have Na Dwan and
12:18 Ardra Arwin and do we have any others up
12:20 there that I miss?
12:23 >> Evie Dlo.
12:24 >> Okay.
12:25 >> Excellent.
12:26 >> Fantastic.
12:27 >> Oh, council president.
12:30 >> Well, it is lovely to see you all. We
12:32 very much appreciate all the
12:34 contributions that influence the choice
12:36 brings to the community and then getting
12:38 students involved in really the advocacy
12:41 and keeping their community safe is
12:43 really wonderful.
12:45 So the proclamation, whereas substance
12:48 use by young people exists on a spectrum
12:50 from experimentation to life-threatening
12:53 overdose. And while many of our youth
12:55 abstain, a combination of peer pressure,
12:58 social expectations, family history,
13:01 environmental factors, and genetics can
13:04 place some young people at greater risk.
13:07 And whereas according to the 2023 Isiqua
13:10 School District Healthy Youth Survey,
13:12 12th graders reported the following
13:14 rates of past 30-day use, which is
13:17 consist considered consistent use.
13:20 Vaping products 8%, alcohol 13%,
13:25 cannabis 9%, and combined alcohol and
13:28 cannabis at 3%. Whereas many of our
13:31 young people do not develop the skills
13:33 needed to productively manage adolescent
13:35 development substance-free and
13:38 prevention efforts can strengthen these
13:39 protective factors. And whereas
13:42 prevention has a greater long-term
13:45 impact than later intervention by
13:47 redirecting early risk into healthy
13:49 behaviors, educational success, and
13:52 lifelong productivity.
13:54 And whereas prevention is also highly
13:57 costeffective. Research by the National
13:59 Institute on Drug Abuse demonstrates
14:01 that every $1 invested in proven
14:04 prevention programs can save as much as
14:06 $10 or more in later treatment, health
14:09 care, and criminal justice costs. And
14:12 whereas strengthening pro protective
14:14 factors such as family engagement,
14:17 school connectedness, positive peer
14:20 relationships, and social emotional
14:22 learning while reducing risk factors
14:24 benefits all youth and contributes to
14:27 safer, healthier communities. Now
14:30 therefore does Marylu Pauly, mayor of
14:32 the city of Isiqua, hereby proclaim the
14:34 month of October 2025 to be substance
14:38 abuse prevention month in the city of
14:40 Isiqua and encourage all residents to
14:42 join in promoting healthy choices for
14:44 youth, supporting evidence-based
14:46 prevention efforts, and working together
14:48 to reduce substance use and its harmful
14:50 impacts on young people.
14:53 Thank you.
14:55 Are you making some comments? Come on
14:57 up.
15:01 Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. My
15:04 name is Arra Arwin and I'm a freshman at
15:07 Skyline High School and a proud and
15:09 long-standing member of Tech, which is
15:11 Teens Encouraging Community Health,
15:14 Influence, a Choice, and the city's
15:17 youth leadership. Thank you to esteemed
15:20 members of the council board and all
15:23 members here for recognizing October as
15:26 substance youth prevention month. This
15:29 symbolic recognition is so powerful
15:32 because it reminds us that every
15:35 statistic is a young person, a family or
15:39 a friend whose life can be shaped by the
15:42 choices they make today.
15:45 I got involved with prevention efforts
15:47 just after elementary school, and
15:50 learning about substance use early on
15:52 changed how I saw things. Studies from
15:55 the National Institute on Drug Abuse
15:58 shows that students involved in
16:00 prevention programs are 30% less likely
16:03 to engage in risky behaviors like vaping
16:06 or drinking. That kind of impact
16:10 matters. Through my work with tech, I've
16:13 seen how prevention empowers students.
16:16 Whether it's peer support, mentoring, or
16:19 social emotional learning, these tools
16:22 help us make healthier choices.
16:26 One student once told me that being a
16:28 part of a prevention group gave them the
16:30 courage to say no when they were being
16:34 pressured by their peers to vape. That
16:37 moment may seem small, but it changed my
16:41 life and it definitely changed theirs.
16:44 Prevention isn't about saying no, but
16:47 it's about creating stronger and safer
16:49 communities.
16:51 It helps students succeed, families
16:53 communicate better, and schools becoming
16:56 a more supportive places. Of course,
16:59 challenges are like teen vaping and
17:02 alcohol use are still real. Personally,
17:06 I turn to art, music, and outdoor
17:08 activities like paddle boarding and
17:10 hiking to deal with that stress. And I'm
17:12 very lucky to have a strong support
17:14 system. But not everyone does. And
17:18 that's why we need to continue to invest
17:21 in prevention and listening to young
17:24 people is so important. So, it is my
17:27 honor and pleasure to receive this
17:29 proclamation on behalf of Tech Influence
17:32 of Choice and all of our prevention
17:33 partners. Thank you for shining a light
17:36 on this issue as together we can help
17:39 every student grow up safe, healthy, and
17:44 most importantly
17:46 substancefree.
17:48 Thank you.
17:57 I want to be high on life and not on
18:00 drugs. This is how we want to wire our
18:02 younger minds of today. My name is Nisha
18:05 Devon and I'm a junior at Isiqua High
18:07 School. I'm a part of Tech Teens
18:10 Encouraging Community Health under the
18:13 Isiqua Teen Council. I want to thank you
18:16 for recognizing substance abuse
18:18 prevention month as October.
18:21 Substance use prevention is something
18:23 that affects every community, including
18:26 ours. Many teens turn to vaping,
18:29 alcohol, or other substances as a way to
18:31 manage stress, pressure, or emotional
18:34 pain.
18:35 That's why prevention isn't only about
18:37 saying don't use. It's about addressing
18:40 what leads young people there in the
18:43 first place.
18:45 That's why prevention isn't just about
18:47 awareness. It's about creating
18:49 environments where young people feel
18:51 supported enough to make healthy
18:52 decisions for themselves.
18:55 Through tech, I've learned how important
18:57 it is to have open and honest
18:59 conversations. Not judgment, not fear,
19:02 just real dialogue about what teens are
19:05 actually facing. When schools, families,
19:08 and city programs work together, we can
19:11 all actually change the culture around
19:13 substance abuse and mental health.
19:16 There's still a lot of work ahead. More
19:18 education, more access to resources,
19:21 more room for creative policies to be
19:23 enacted into laws. and more support for
19:26 programs that provide safe spaces for
19:28 teens to talk.
19:30 But pro proclamations like this show
19:33 that our city is committed to protecting
19:36 youth and building a healthier future
19:38 for everyone. Thank you to the council
19:40 for recognizing this month and for
19:42 continuing to support prevention efforts
19:45 in our community.
19:47 [Applause]
19:52 I think we'll step up and we're gonna
19:53 take a picture.
19:56 >> And also, just in case folks don't know,
19:59 Marne Maldo is also currently a school
20:01 board member who is retiring in
20:02 December. And we appreciate her for all
20:04 of her service on the school board.
20:24 And thank you too, Sesh, for being up
20:25 here.
20:30 >> Thank you, Council President.
20:34 Uh, the next item under special business
20:36 is ID 1858, code enforcement officer
20:39 appreciation week proclamation. And I'd
20:40 like to invite council member Ray to the
20:42 DAS to recognize city of Isiqua code
20:45 enforcement officer Lori Dunning. And
20:48 I'm Do we have Lori
20:50 >> with us on video? Fantastic.
20:54 >> So Chris will be talking about Lori as
20:57 her face floats in the air above him. I
21:01 might just make uh director Dolly come
21:03 up and and stand next to me so so I have
21:06 somebody so I don't get nervous up here
21:08 all by myself.
21:09 >> That's nice.
21:11 >> There's Lori
21:12 >> there. Thank you.
21:16 Whereas code enforcement officers
21:18 provide for safety, health, and welfare
21:20 of citizens in the community throughout
21:22 the state of Washington through the
21:24 enforcement of local codes or ordinances
21:26 dealing with a variety of issues of
21:28 building zoning housing public
21:30 nuisance environmental health and
21:33 life safety. And whereas code
21:36 enforcement officers have challenging
21:38 and demanding roles and often do not
21:41 receive the recognition for the job
21:42 their jobs they do in improving the
21:46 lives and the working conditions for the
21:47 residents and businesses of the local
21:49 community. And whereas the role of many
21:52 co code enforcement officers has
21:55 expanded in recent years with the
21:57 increased number of foreclosed and
22:00 blighted properties in communities
22:02 impacted economically.
22:04 And whereas code enforcement officers
22:06 are dedicated, highly qualified
22:08 professionals who share the goal of
22:10 preventing neighborhood deterioration,
22:12 enhancing and ensuring safety and
22:14 preserving values through knowledge and
22:17 application of housing zoning and new
22:20 nuisance codes and ordinances. And
22:24 whereas the Washington Association of
22:26 Code Enforcement wants to recognize and
22:29 honor code enforcement officers and
22:31 professionals all across the state of
22:33 Washington and bring awareness to the
22:35 importance of code enforcement to the
22:37 community uh communities of the state of
22:40 Washington. Therefore, Mary Lupali, the
22:43 mayor of the city of Isqua, does hereby
22:45 proclaim this week, October 5th through
22:48 11th, 2025 to be code enforcement
22:50 officer appreciation week. Thank you,
22:52 Lori. Um, in the city of Esqua and
22:55 invites the community to join us in
22:57 thanking uh Esqua's code enforcement
22:59 officer for the uh her outstanding
23:02 service and contribution uh to the city.
23:05 So,
23:06 >> thank you.
23:07 >> Lori, would you like to say something?
23:09 >> I would. Hopefully, you can hear me.
23:11 >> We can.
23:12 >> Thanks.
23:13 >> Perfect. Thank you. Thank you to
23:15 Honorable Mary Lupali. Um we'll miss you
23:18 in your retirement. Um and esteemed
23:20 members of the council. Sorry I can't be
23:22 there today, but um in order to serve
23:24 the public, I have to get up awful
23:26 early. So, I appreciate you're letting
23:27 me do this from my kitchen. Um just to
23:30 let you know that I appreciate your
23:31 honoring my profession, which I chose 17
23:34 or 18 years ago, and I've served here in
23:37 count in Isaguana now for four years. Um
23:40 and it's been challenging. Um and I
23:43 learn something new every day. I face
23:45 different um complaints every day. and
23:47 I'm happy to serve the residents, the
23:49 businesses, and the visitors um of
23:52 Isiqua every day. So, thank you for this
23:54 honor.
23:55 >> Thank you, Lori. We appreciate you.
24:00 >> I I'm going to entrust your proclamation
24:03 to uh Director Dollywal. So, if she
24:06 doesn't get it,
24:06 >> she's trustworthy.
24:08 >> You know where to go. So, we're I'm also
24:10 going to make you take the picture since
24:11 you're not here.
24:16 >> Oh, yeah.
24:22 Thank you very much.
24:24 >> Thank you.
24:24 >> Thank you all.
24:26 >> Thanks, Lori. Thank you, Council Member
24:28 Ray. The last item under special
24:30 business this evening is ID 1859, Arts
24:34 and Humanities Month Proclamation. And
24:37 um Council Member Jiang is going to go
24:39 to the podium. And we're inviting up the
24:41 city of Isiqua arts program
24:42 administrator Amy Dukes and arts
24:45 commissioner commission members Carolyn
24:47 Thains, Tina Hayes, and Kimberly
24:49 Capiststein to the lectern. And ladies,
24:51 did you bring anybody else? Did I get
24:53 you all? All right. Thank you for
24:56 coming.
24:58 Thank you all for coming. Um, and before
25:01 I read the PL proclamation, I will say I
25:03 love the newest public art installation
25:06 um out at the Reineer Trail. Very
25:08 beautiful. If you haven't been there
25:09 yet, go check it out. It's really cool.
25:12 Um, okay. So, now to the proclamation.
25:14 Whereas the month of October has been
25:16 recognized as National Arts and
25:18 Humanities Month for three decades by
25:19 the National Endowment of for the Arts,
25:21 the White House, Congress, and thousands
25:23 of arts and cultural organizations and
25:25 communities across the country. And
25:27 whereas the arts and humanities enhance
25:29 every aspect of life, improving our
25:30 economy, enriching our civic life,
25:32 driving tourism, and exerting a profound
25:35 positive influence on education. And
25:37 whereas the arts and humanities help
25:39 diverse communities explore their
25:41 history and culture with the support and
25:43 partnership of local educational and
25:45 cultural institutions. And whereas the
25:47 arts are a proven civic engagement tool
25:48 and can bring people together across
25:50 difference in challenging times. And
25:52 whereas educational research shows that
25:55 the arts help to foster discipline,
25:57 creativity imagination self-exression
25:59 and problem solving skills while also
26:01 helping to develop a heightened
26:03 appreciation of beauty and
26:04 cross-cultural understanding. And
26:06 whereas the nation's arts and cultures
26:08 sector, nonprofit and commercial,
26:10 represents an over1 $1 trillion American
26:12 industry, which is 4.4% of our national
26:15 GDP and supports 4.85 million American
26:18 jobs. And whereas Isiqua is home to a
26:20 vibrant community of arts, culture, and
26:22 humanities organizations, creative
26:24 businesses artists makers and
26:26 creative workers that positively impact
26:28 our city in immeasurable ways. Now
26:30 therefore, I, Council Member Kelly Jen,
26:32 on behalf of Mary Lou Paulie, Mayor of
26:34 the City of Isiqua, do hereby proclaim
26:36 the month of October 2025 to be Arts and
26:39 Humanities Month. Um, so
26:48 thank you, Mayor and Council. Just want
26:50 to say thanks for having us and
26:52 acknowledging um October as National
26:55 Arts and Humanities Month. And we hope
26:57 you will all get out and um celebrate
26:59 the month by taking part in a local arts
27:01 and culture offering. Um if you need any
27:04 ideas, visit isqua um.com is a great
27:07 spot to check the calendar. There's so
27:10 many things happening. So thank you.
27:12 >> Thank you ladies.
27:26 Really
27:33 nice. Thank you, Council Member Jiang.
27:35 Thank you, ladies.
27:37 Uh, we're going to take a twominut
27:39 recess just to allow folks who don't
27:41 want to stay for the meaty part of the
27:42 meeting the time to leave, but council
27:45 members, it's not going to be a break
27:47 time. We're just going to have a quick
27:48 two minutes. Thank you.
27:57 I don't want to lose all you guys to
27:59 minutes is short.
28:05 >> Thank you.
28:19 >> Oh, thank you so much. Lovely.
28:37 Well, it's pretty quiet, so I think I'm
28:40 going to start up again if that's okay.
28:42 City clerk, the next part of our program
28:45 this evening is audience comments. And
28:47 this is when members of the public may
28:48 address the council, whether you're in
28:50 person with us tonight or virtually.
28:52 Those who signed up in advance to make
28:54 comments will be called upon first. And
28:56 if you're joining us virtually and would
28:57 like to make comments, please raise your
28:59 virtual hand or send the host a chat
29:01 message. If you're on the phone, that
29:03 means press star three. And if you've
29:04 joined by computer, it could be the hand
29:06 icon. If you're in the room and did not
29:08 sign up, I will ask for other speakers
29:10 before closing this portion of the
29:12 meeting. And city clerk, has anyone
29:14 signed up to speak for general audience
29:15 comments?
29:16 >> Yes.
29:16 >> Thank you.
29:18 So, if you're making comments this
29:19 evening, you're invited to address the
29:21 council regarding matters that are
29:22 directly related to ISQUA's programs,
29:24 projects, services, or events. Comments
29:26 related to political campaigns are not
29:28 permitted. Please direct your comments
29:30 to the whole council and not
29:32 individuals. And while this is not a
29:33 question and answer session, we will
29:35 contact you to follow up if needed. When
29:37 you are recognized online, unmute your
29:39 microphone for virtual attendees. If
29:41 you're in the room, please step up to
29:42 the le lectern in the center and there
29:44 is a button on the base that will turn
29:46 on the mic and it will indicate so by
29:48 being read. State your name and address
29:50 or relationship to the city. Speak
29:52 clearly and pause frequently and limit
29:54 your comments to 5 minutes. If you're
29:56 attending virtually and you don't
29:58 respond after your name or phone number
29:59 or your connection is lost, we are going
30:01 to have to continue with the meeting and
30:03 please rejoin if you can. Personal
30:06 attacks, obscene language, derogatory
30:08 remarks, and disruptive behavior will
30:09 not be permitted. And public comments,
30:11 written and verbal, are important aspect
30:13 of the public process, and the city
30:15 takes your comments seriously. We thank
30:17 you for taking the time to address us.
30:20 Um, city clerk, can you please identify
30:22 the first person signed up?
30:23 >> Yes, Kina Dupi.
30:27 >> Kina Kleina,
30:28 >> come on up, Kina.
30:34 Uh, good evening. My name is Kleina
30:36 Dupi. I live at Providence Point at 3661
30:41 224th Place Southeast.
30:46 Um, I am also president of the
30:49 Providence Point Umbrella Association.
30:52 I'm here speaking tonight not only as
30:55 president of the association but also as
30:57 a concerned resident of the um of this
31:01 beautiful city of Isiqua surrounded by
31:04 trees. When we moved to Isiqua 7 years
31:07 ago from Belleview, we were delighted to
31:10 discover that that um Isiqua residents
31:14 love trees as much as Belleview loves
31:16 trees. Our tree canopies are valuable
31:20 asset both environmentally and
31:23 aesthetically.
31:24 However, I'm here tonight to share our
31:26 concerns about fire risk mitigation, not
31:30 only of Providence Point, but also our
31:33 entire Isiqua community. Many of our
31:36 residential neighborhoods are surrounded
31:38 by poorly maintained wooded areas. The
31:41 bomb cyclone in December made the
31:44 consequences of not adequately
31:47 maintaining our tree canopies quite
31:49 apparent.
31:51 There's still ongoing cleanup work from
31:54 an event that happened almost a year
31:56 ago.
31:58 This year, Providence Point worked in
32:00 conjunction with Rich's Landscaping, A+
32:03 Arborous
32:05 with extensive experience with fire
32:07 mitigation in California, and East Side
32:10 Fire and Rescue to develop a plan to
32:13 remove underbrush and ladder trees to
32:16 establish a divable zone in one of our
32:19 villages. The day before the goats, part
32:23 of the removal team, were scheduled to
32:26 arrive, we were instructed to halt all
32:29 work. A natural natural growth
32:32 protection easement had been identified
32:35 on the property. The areas were on
32:38 slopes. Goats can manage slopes, but
32:42 they eat all plants, including protected
32:46 ones. If there were an allowance
32:50 for underbrush to be removed even by
32:53 goats and lading of trees with selective
32:56 removal of diseased or dead trees, we
33:00 would have made a significant move to
33:03 protect the area from wildfires, saving
33:08 potentially saving lives and property.
33:11 and more likely the natural growth of
33:13 plants would have been regrown.
33:17 Could we agree that a natural protection
33:20 growth easement in some areas would be
33:24 minimally impacted for the greater good?
33:27 There are times when exceptions to the
33:30 rules make sense.
33:33 We value our tree canopy and recognize
33:36 the environmental importance. There are
33:39 concerns about a plan that alters canopy
33:42 coverage to a significant extent.
33:46 Replacing healthy mature trees with ones
33:49 that would take 20 years to reach the
33:52 height of six feet
33:55 for canopy cover 9 ft lower than the
33:59 current code. That seems
34:02 counterproductive.
34:04 Can we not come to a compromise that
34:06 would protect our safety and allow for a
34:09 somewhat smaller tree canopy? The city
34:13 of Isiqua has asked its citizens to
34:15 serve on various commissions and
34:17 committees to make decisions
34:22 of that have a significant impact on the
34:25 safety of our residents and our homes as
34:28 well as our environmental concerns. This
34:32 is a substantial responsibility for them
34:34 to undertake which could have long
34:37 lasting consequences for our
34:39 communities.
34:41 It's now time for the city council to
34:44 make the right choice for the future on
34:47 this issue.
34:49 We appreciate the commission and the
34:52 staff's work and we support we support
34:57 this proposed amendment to the code
35:00 which enables not only us but other
35:04 areas in Isiqua to consider
35:08 embarking on fire mitigation plans.
35:12 Thank you.
35:13 >> Thank you, Kina.
35:15 City clerk, who is next on our list this
35:18 evening? Susan Glicksburg who is with us
35:20 virtually.
35:22 Susan, I'm going to make you a panelist
35:24 now.
35:27 You should now have have the option to
35:29 unmute and can choose to turn your video
35:31 on.
35:42 >> We can see you, Susan, but you're still
35:44 muted.
35:48 How's that? Cass, can you hear me?
35:49 Perfect.
35:50 >> Yeah. Sorry, I'm used to Zoom, not WebEx
35:52 anymore. Um, my name is Susan Glicksburg
35:56 and um, I live in Montro. Um, I'm also
36:00 on the Montro um, homeowners association
36:04 board as the governmental affairs chair.
36:07 And I've been um, coming to meetings um,
36:11 about the tree code. uh came to the
36:13 environmental committee meeting, the
36:15 planning committee, and the city council
36:18 subcommittee and have made comments. Um
36:21 I do appreciate um the changes that have
36:24 been made to the tree code. Um
36:26 specifically the onetoone
36:28 um if you take down a tree, you put up
36:31 another tree. Um however, I think
36:33 there's still more work that needs to be
36:35 done to improve the code. Um, I'm going
36:38 to make some comments that are my own
36:39 comments and then I'm going to try and
36:41 represent um Richard Cirrus's comments
36:44 um also on the homeowners board um and
36:47 hopefully under five minutes. Um so
36:50 again I appreciate the work that um that
36:53 uh everybody has done with the public on
36:56 this. Um but I still think there are
36:58 some issues and one is that there is the
37:01 tree cover calculated by lot size. Um
37:05 lot size gross lot size it uh is uh it's
37:10 it doesn't seem like a good idea. The um
37:13 there is plantable parts of a lot and
37:16 then there is unplantable parts. So you
37:20 could have a lot that has a lot of
37:22 structure and infrastructure like
37:24 driveways and patios and not have a lot
37:27 of places to plant trees. So I think
37:29 consideration or reconsideration of that
37:32 um should be done. Um also simplifying
37:35 the tree code. It's really difficult to
37:37 read through all the sections and figure
37:40 out what's applicable to a homeowner. um
37:43 if a table could be provided with the
37:45 tree types and then um whether an
37:48 arborist report was required or not,
37:50 whether a permit was required or not,
37:52 and whether that was a fee permit or
37:54 not, um would be helpful. So, it's
37:57 currently too confusing. Um also
38:00 addressing the permit cost, and we've
38:02 talked, we've mentioned this before. Um
38:04 Isiqua has the highest permit cost of
38:07 the area. We um Richard did a whole sort
38:10 of survey of up and down the east side
38:12 and um Isqua has the highest permit
38:14 costs for trees. Um also address whether
38:17 replacement trees um are required when
38:20 an owner has a tree fall on their house.
38:23 There ought to be some sort of exemption
38:25 or relief provided because this seems
38:28 like a pretty extreme case and they're
38:29 already dealing with a tree in their
38:32 house. um emergency removal. Um in the
38:37 uh code right now, it does allow for
38:39 removing a tree if it's on a structure,
38:41 but it says nothing about whether it's
38:43 blocking a driveway or a road. So maybe
38:48 um expanding the wording on that. And it
38:50 also says that the emergency removal is
38:53 for um inclement weather events. And
38:56 I've lived here 28 years and trees have
38:58 fallen um in non inclement weather
39:02 events. They just sometimes fall. So, um
39:06 and if it falls into a house, it that
39:08 should be allowed for emergency removal.
39:11 Um also, I'm going to go ahead and do
39:14 Richard's. He agrees again that um the
39:16 canopy should be calculated as a percent
39:18 covering plantable area, not gross area.
39:21 He says it better. Um, there should be
39:23 general a general maintenance section
39:25 where homeowners can see a list of
39:27 exemptions not requiring an arborist or
39:29 a permit like any significant tree
39:32 within 10 ft of a structure. Um, that is
39:35 in the nuisance definition or it should
39:37 be in the nuisance definition. Um, any
39:40 significant dead, diseased or dying
39:42 tree. Um, a photo should provide
39:45 adequate proof. any fallen tree that is
39:48 down due to natural causes as this would
39:50 not cover someone downing a tree on
39:52 purpose um and exempt from replacement
39:56 for up to two trees per lot. So other
39:59 areas up and down the east side do allow
40:02 um a lot to take out two trees per year.
40:05 Um and then um the scenarios dealing
40:09 with new developments should have their
40:11 own separate requirements.
40:13 um he agreed with me on the table
40:16 something to clarify requirements by
40:18 tree type. Um and if permit costs were
40:22 reasonable like $50 per permit,
40:25 then you could do something like what's
40:27 done with the backflow testing where an
40:30 arborist would go and clear the permit.
40:34 Um and this would also hopefully um keep
40:38 uh unlicensed operators from doing work
40:40 in the area. So, that's basically our
40:43 comments. I've also submitted these by
40:45 email. So, um that's all I had to say.
40:49 >> Thank you, Susan.
40:52 >> Um city clerk, has anyone else signed up
40:54 this evening? Yes, Marne Maldo. Marne,
40:57 come on up.
41:03 Uh thank you, mayor, members of the
41:05 council. My name is Martne Moraldo. I'm
41:07 the president of the Isiqua School
41:09 Board. I couldn't close out my 16 years
41:12 on the school board without one more
41:14 chance to come before you to speak about
41:16 property and zoning.
41:19 Um I was recently made aware that the by
41:22 by the end of the year the council may
41:23 be considering a resoning of the
41:25 Belleview College property in the Isquon
41:28 Highlands adjacent to Grand Ridge
41:30 Elementary School. During your
41:32 conversations about that, I am hopeful
41:34 that you will also consider whether the
41:36 current zoning would be beneficial for
41:38 other public facilities. Obviously, I'm
41:41 considering the potential future needs
41:43 of the district. I know that given our
41:45 recent reduction in students over the
41:47 past 5 years, um that may seem odd, but
41:51 I'm also thinking of the needs of the
41:53 district many years from now. As I
41:55 consider the changes in zoning that
41:57 include significant long-term growth
41:59 throughout Isiqua, there will likely
42:01 come a time when additional school
42:03 buildings are needed. I am hopeful that
42:06 there can be an extension of the current
42:08 zoning to allow time for the district to
42:11 evaluate whether a portion or all of
42:13 this property would be viable for future
42:16 educational services and warrant con
42:19 continuing its current zoning. So with
42:22 that part of my comment finished, I
42:24 would also like to take the time to
42:26 thank you for your partnerships
42:27 throughout the years with the district.
42:30 I have appreciated working with um the
42:32 working relationships that I've
42:34 developed with you and I will miss that
42:36 greatly. So, I thank you so much for
42:39 your service to the community.
42:42 >> Marne, thank you very much. You will be
42:43 missed and we never get tired of hearing
42:46 you talk about land use and zoning. I
42:48 promise. Um city clerk, has anyone else
42:51 signed up to speak?
42:52 >> Yeah, we have another another virtual
42:54 participant who'd like to speak who's on
42:56 the phone. last two digits 14. I'm going
43:01 to make you a panelist now.
43:04 Believe it's star six. That unmutes you
43:07 if you want to give that a try.
43:18 And phone in caller, I'm going to
43:21 actually send you a request to unmute.
43:27 Ah, that's good. Okay, the mic is open.
43:30 Go ahead.
43:36 >> Hi, this is Steve Pura in old time for
43:40 about 16 years. Can you hear me? Okay,
43:42 >> perfectly Steve.
43:45 >> Thanks. I'll be somewhat brief. I had
43:47 two items that I will categorize
43:49 briefly. First, I'll call political, not
43:53 to be political or candidate centered.
43:56 Uh, a couple thoughts occur to me. One
43:57 is that along front street and
44:02 wood street there is a good number of
44:04 various campaign signs that are put up,
44:06 which is fine. I hope everybody votes
44:09 the candidate of their choosing
44:12 and participates in policy
44:14 decisions that their preferred
44:16 candidates will make. My concern is that
44:22 pass this area fairly regularly and
44:24 often see a number of these signs down
44:27 and pulled out and left on the ground.
44:30 I'm hoping this is just a strange
44:32 confluence of wind or
44:35 patterns that are blowing them down and
44:37 somebody's not taking them out. That
44:38 would just be bad for him in our already
44:40 current
44:42 uh political climate.
44:44 So, I just hope that's not happening. I
44:47 again hope everybody does vote and be
44:50 involved in the process. The second
44:52 related issue I wanted to pass on. I
44:55 noticed that the Zukqua is hosting a
44:58 candidate forum for the school board and
45:01 city council positions
45:03 coming on Wednesday,
45:06 October 8th, two days from now. I hope
45:08 people will tune in to that and better
45:10 inform their choices.
45:13 The next topic is uh in the recent as it
45:18 city council the whole meeting when
45:22 trying to prioritize items for next take
45:25 up the brief reference was made to
45:28 whether or not the city could or would
45:32 be implementing
45:34 artificial intelligence.
45:36 There were two questions and not to go
45:38 too deep down the rabbit hole. I'm not
45:40 suggesting Skynet or the Matrix will
45:42 take over. That's a separate question or
45:43 issue.
45:45 I think it's a relevant public
45:46 discussion on whether or not
45:49 the city and
45:52 I guess the world wants to look at what
45:54 the impacts and use will be in decision
45:56 whether or not to implement artificial
45:58 intelligence and artificial general
46:00 intelligence and artificial supervisory
46:04 institution
46:05 intelligence what that impact has on our
46:08 own community and our world. So, I just
46:11 think there's a good esoteric chance to
46:13 have good public discussion on this
46:16 issue.
46:18 That includes my comments, the
46:19 president. Thank you.
46:20 >> Thank you, Steve. And just a note on the
46:23 campaign signs that you see down in our
46:25 city, if our landscape crews are
46:27 working, they place the signs on the
46:29 ground rather than collect them in order
46:31 for them to do the maintenance. So, that
46:33 may be a piece of it as well.
46:36 >> They seem to be random and they don't
46:38 seem to be in
46:42 random cate random candidates rendered
46:44 at random positions. It doesn't seem to
46:49 central in any particular area. So, I
46:51 just wanted to point out, but I'll take
46:52 that your input as just that or not
46:54 continue talking. So, I'll shut up.
46:56 Thank you.
46:57 >> Thank you, Steve. Uh, city clerk, is
46:59 there anyone else signed up for
47:00 comments?
47:01 >> No.
47:02 >> I'm looking around the room. We do have
47:03 a lot of folks here tonight. Um, could
47:05 you just raise your hand and indicate
47:06 whether or not you'd like to come up
47:08 provide additional comments?
47:11 Come on up.
47:22 My name is Jay Sternoff. I reside at
47:25 22611 Southeast 44th Place in uh Isiqua,
47:30 which happens to also be uh in the
47:33 Providence Point neighborhood. Uh I've
47:36 read through uh the presentation
47:38 documents today, glanced at them. I
47:41 don't have a photographic memory, but
47:42 the total presentation was for tonight's
47:45 agenda was 132 pages. Uh with that said,
47:50 uh the uh specific one that I'm
47:53 intrigued with is the Isqua tree
47:55 ordinance. And I first have to say that
47:59 uh uh it is uh the tree ordinance is a
48:03 big step towards fire prevention and I
48:06 strongly encourage the the council to
48:09 pass it this evening. The only question
48:12 I have is that when you look at the
48:16 definition under 18102240
48:19 specifically says a typically height of
48:22 a uh mature tree should be at least 15
48:25 ft. Uh currently in Isiqua
48:30 over the last 5 years the zoning in in
48:33 the Providence Point area was 25% uh uh
48:38 canopy. It was then raised to 65% in
48:42 2023.
48:43 And then in 2024,
48:46 it was modified that uh uh and I'll I'll
48:52 I'll read the section of what was
48:54 modified, but it changed that 15 ft
48:58 under uh 1812
49:00 812060.
49:02 It says the tree canopy target set
49:04 forth. The tree canopy coverage is
49:07 measured in the percentage of the canopy
49:09 and uh and the existing trees for the
49:12 rejected canopy coverage to be provided
49:14 planted immature trees shall uh achieve
49:18 that canopy in 20 years. The second
49:22 section which is now C says the tree
49:26 canopy and I'm I'll paraphrase that was
49:30 uh 15 feet for a mature tree has now
49:33 been reduced to 6 ft.
49:36 So I guess in conclusion I'm strongly
49:40 objecting to those two sections
49:42 remaining. However, I s I strongly
49:45 encourage you to pass this ordinance
49:47 today and then immediately review those
49:50 two sections because how do I say this?
49:53 Uh the only thing in common with myself
49:57 in 20 years is in 20 years I'm not going
50:01 to be six feet. I'll probably be six
50:03 feet under.
50:05 >> Thank you Jay for the opportunity.
50:09 >> Thank you.
50:09 >> But I wanted to bring that up. Thank you
50:11 for your time.
50:13 Looking around the rest of the room,
50:14 would anyone else like to make some
50:16 comments this evening? Please raise your
50:17 hand. Come on up, Connie.
50:27 Hey, Connie Marshall live on Squawk. So,
50:30 one, you guys have a tax increase
50:33 tonight that has been through virtually
50:35 no public process, which the state says
50:39 you can do. And I'm here to say, should
50:42 you should you really not talk to your
50:44 community when you have a tax increase?
50:47 Should you just do it and they won't
50:50 notice?
50:52 I don't think it's appropriate if you
50:53 want to actually represent your
50:55 community to disregard that they might
50:57 even care about a tax increase. So two,
51:00 if you are going to ill-advisedly do the
51:02 tax increase without community input,
51:05 then it should be focused. I think it
51:08 was proposed at the subcommittee meeting
51:11 on a specific use and I would uh say
51:15 that that should be capital facilities
51:18 because you all are really really achen
51:21 to do some work on the uh police
51:24 station. This would give you $2.2
51:26 million toward that end per year. So
51:32 there's that. Two tree canopy. You will
51:35 have noticed I sent out a lot of emails
51:38 on the tree canopy in the subcommittee
51:40 meeting. The uh environmental board and
51:43 PPC were misrepresented in what their
51:45 positions were and I said it over and
51:48 over over in emails. So I don't think
51:51 that the um position of the subcommittee
51:55 was based on true information. Uh so
51:59 please consider that. Now, the fire
52:02 thing
52:04 could could probably should be passed.
52:08 The changing to zoning from
52:11 neighborhoods
52:13 gets us nowhere in particular, so should
52:16 not be continued. If you decide you want
52:19 to change the percentages for the
52:21 neighborhood because you find them super
52:23 awkward, then I think CPD should come
52:26 back with those percentages and you
52:28 could do that with the neighborhood
52:29 structure.
52:31 The other thing that is not working in
52:32 this code that was entirely unadressed
52:35 was that we have not staffed the city to
52:40 provide the ability for people to plant
52:42 trees offsite
52:44 and in their own neighborhood or offsite
52:49 out of their neighborhood. So when they
52:51 try to do this, we have no pathway. And
52:54 so then we seem to jump from, gee, plant
52:58 a tree on your own property to pay
53:00 $1,000.
53:01 And so when I talk to people who are
53:05 supposed to be trying to figure out
53:07 where to plant trees, there's just no
53:09 system to accommodate the community to
53:12 do that. We have a very tenuous system
53:14 with our public spaces, but it's totally
53:17 understaffed. We don't have the capacity
53:20 to figure out where to plant those
53:21 trees, how to maintain them or anything
53:23 of that nature. So we don't have any
53:25 support in this code and that is
53:28 actually its major flaw. It is not that
53:31 it's neighborhoods or zoning, right? So
53:34 I would uh address that. The last thing
53:38 is the cost of the permit. If we had a
53:41 community arborist that was for the
53:43 community, then when people paid their
53:46 fee, they would be getting an arborist
53:49 working for them. Right now, they pay
53:52 for the arborist and then the city does
53:53 a peer review. And so, the people are
53:56 paying for the arborist. They're paying
53:58 for the permit. They're paying for their
54:00 tree to be taken down and for a new tree
54:03 or two or three or whatever that is.
54:06 It's really expensive. And the city,
54:09 what's the city getting? The city is
54:11 supposed to be getting a 55% tree cany
54:14 canopy, which we want as a goal, but
54:16 it's totally on the backs of the
54:18 community to pay for it. I think the
54:21 community needs to pitch in and help get
54:23 us our tree canopy at 55% if that is our
54:26 community goal. So, to me, that
54:29 compromise is to have a a a community
54:34 arborist that works for the people. All
54:37 right. So, there's more to say, but I've
54:40 written it down before. I really don't
54:42 want you to pass this code as is. Parts
54:45 of it, but not all of it. Oh, I have 44
54:48 seconds. One last bit. So, the idea that
54:52 I heard at the subcommittee is we're
54:54 going to pass it and then we're going to
54:55 come back at the beginning of the year
54:56 and do it again. Now, next thing you're
54:59 going to ask me for tax dollars, and I'm
55:02 going to say, "How much money are you
55:04 wasting passing something and then doing
55:07 it again? We do it for streets. We do it
55:09 for parks. And now we're going to do it
55:11 for trees." And I resist. I really do.
55:15 Don't ask me to pay more money for
55:17 things when y'all just do it over and
55:19 over and over again. Thank you.
55:22 >> Thanks, Connie. going to check the room
55:24 one more time if anyone wants to make
55:27 public comment tonight and whether
55:29 anyone else is online.
55:32 I am not seeing any more hands. I'd like
55:34 to thank all those who took time to talk
55:36 tonight about the tree code and various
55:38 different aspects of it as well as a
55:42 potential Belleview College development
55:43 agreement extension. Um some general
55:46 information and comments about down
55:49 campaign signs, candidate forms, and AI.
55:52 Uh thank you for sharing your thoughts
55:54 and comments with our council this
55:57 evening and uh just as a reminder you
56:00 can always reach your city council at
56:02 city council isawwah.gov
56:05 anytime you want to send your comments
56:07 in. So thank you very much. We're going
56:09 to move to the consent calendar and I do
56:11 not have any remarks on the consent
56:13 calendar this evening. Are there any
56:15 committee chairs or chair designs who
56:17 would like to report on any of the
56:19 consent calendar items? I am seeing
56:22 headshakes. No.
56:24 Okay.
56:25 Uh the consent calendar was distributed
56:27 to council in advance and so if
56:29 authorized the items on the consent
56:30 calendar will be considered together and
56:32 approved by one motion. Have the
56:34 payables and payroll been reviewed?
56:36 >> They have.
56:37 >> Thank you.
56:38 >> They have.
56:39 >> Thank you. Does any council member
56:41 desire to remove any item from the
56:42 consent calendar and consider it under
56:44 regular business?
56:46 Not seeing any indication. Um could we
56:48 get a motion? I move we approve the
56:51 consent calendar as distributed.
56:54 >> Second.
56:55 >> It has been moved and seconded to
56:58 approve as presented. All those in favor
57:00 signify by saying I.
57:01 >> I.
57:02 >> I.
57:03 >> Those opposed. That carries 6 and0.
57:07 We're going to move into the regular
57:08 business portion of our meeting which is
57:10 AB9051.
57:12 The first item, public safety sales tax.
57:15 The council received a presentation on
57:16 this item at the September 15th city
57:19 council meeting and asked questions of
57:20 staff. The item is now returning for
57:22 council action and I'm going to invite
57:24 finance director Kristen Garcia to
57:26 present this item. Welcome Kristen.
57:30 Thank you mayor and good evening members
57:31 of council and good evening members of
57:34 the public here in the audience and
57:35 those that may be viewing online. Um
57:38 staff and council have had an
57:40 opportunity to discuss the option of the
57:43 public safety sales tax at the July 12th
57:46 council retreat and again at the
57:47 September 15th council meeting. So
57:50 tonight I wanted to provide a brief
57:52 recap of why we're exploring this
57:55 option, why we have a need for it, uh
57:57 what is the public safety sales tax and
58:00 what it can be used for. And I also
58:02 wanted to follow up and provide
58:03 information um that council had
58:06 requested at the previous meeting. So at
58:08 the September meeting, we had talked
58:10 about some of what's driving the cost
58:11 increases for public safety. Um for
58:14 example, as population increases, demand
58:17 the the demand on our services also
58:20 increase. Um we might need more
58:22 programs. We might have a need for more
58:23 officers. the cost of public safety as
58:27 well of as well as other city services
58:29 aren't immune to the effects of
58:30 inflation. So the cost of doing our
58:33 business continues to increase. We also
58:35 have unfunded legislative mandates like
58:38 the reduction of case loads to public
58:40 defense. We also want to offer a
58:43 competitive salary and benefit um
58:45 schedule so we can recruit and retain
58:47 the most talented um staff. And police
58:50 work is becoming more complex. We have
58:52 the need for uh behavioral health,
58:55 homelessness, and other programs.
58:58 On top of that, our current revenues are
59:00 limited. Cities don't have a lot of
59:02 options to grow new revenue. Um our
59:05 property tax is limited to a 1% cap. Um
59:09 and that doesn't keep up with the cost
59:11 of inflation. And other city revenues
59:13 like retail sales and BNO tax um support
59:16 other city services. So, we have a a big
59:19 demand on our existing revenue.
59:22 And Isiqua isn't unique to these
59:24 challenges. Um, cities do have limited
59:27 what resources are available to them and
59:30 we don't have new revenue options that
59:32 become available to us very often. So
59:35 earlier this year, the state legislature
59:37 passed um, House Bill 2015 as a new tool
59:40 for cities to use to help address their
59:42 funding gaps related to public safety.
59:46 What the bill does is is it allows
59:48 cities to impose a public safety sales
59:50 tax through adoption of an ordinance.
59:54 The sales tax is a onetenth of 1% tax.
59:58 If imposed, it would increase sales tax
1:00:01 rate from 10.3% to 10.4%.
1:00:05 It would generate about 2.2 million per
1:00:08 year. And the tax has a broad range of
1:00:10 uses that can support the public safety
1:00:13 and criminal justice systems. It can be
1:00:15 used for recruitment and retention of
1:00:17 officers, training, public defense,
1:00:20 domestic violence services, programs for
1:00:23 homeless or behavioral health, or other
1:00:25 costs either directly or indirectly that
1:00:28 support public safety or criminal
1:00:30 justice.
1:00:32 Um, I do want to make note that there
1:00:34 are also grant funds available that can
1:00:37 be applied for. that as a se separate
1:00:39 bucket of money, but for tonight's
1:00:41 purposes, I was just focusing on the
1:00:43 public safety sales tax option. Um, so
1:00:47 that's a recap of the public safety
1:00:49 sales tax, what it is, um, how we can
1:00:52 use it, and I do want to address some of
1:00:54 the questions that came up from the the
1:00:56 last council meeting. So, the council
1:00:58 had asked what some of our neighboring
1:01:00 cities were doing. Uh, we have Kent that
1:01:02 already adopted the ordinance. They are
1:01:04 imposing the tax in January. We have
1:01:07 Reon who has done a first reading of the
1:01:09 ordinance with the with the committee
1:01:11 and recommending adoption of the
1:01:13 ordinance and then Belleview Redmond
1:01:15 both Kirkland are discussing it. I was
1:01:18 also recently at a um statewide
1:01:21 conference speaking with other cities
1:01:23 not necessarily neighboring to our
1:01:25 jurisdiction but just so you know cities
1:01:27 are actively discussing um this option.
1:01:31 The other question that came up is how
1:01:33 do we intend to use the funds? Um
1:01:36 administration and we're continuing to
1:01:38 explore how the tax proceeds can best be
1:01:40 utilized. Um but we do have a a couple
1:01:42 of ideas um based on our current needs.
1:01:45 We would like to set aside some funding
1:01:47 for facilities to address long-term
1:01:50 needs and improvements to our current
1:01:51 public bas public uh safety facility. We
1:01:55 also want to use some for public
1:01:57 defense. We are anticipating some cost
1:01:59 increases for public defense. So, we'd
1:02:01 like to use some of the money for that.
1:02:03 We'd also like to use some of the money
1:02:04 to support existing costs for fleet. So,
1:02:07 meaning what the general fund is
1:02:09 currently paying for for our vehicle
1:02:11 replacements. We'd like to use some of
1:02:13 the money for that. We'd also like to
1:02:16 use some of the money to pay for
1:02:17 existing costs for police officers and
1:02:20 for retention and recruitment purposes
1:02:23 and then set aside some for capital
1:02:25 equipment um to support our public
1:02:28 safety programs.
1:02:30 If the council decides to move forward
1:02:32 with adopting the ordinance, the next
1:02:33 steps are would be to send our
1:02:35 eligibility requirement to the criminal
1:02:37 justice training consortium. That portal
1:02:40 is now open. So we are able to now
1:02:42 submit our eligibility. And then of
1:02:44 course there's the adoption of the
1:02:46 ordinance and submitting that to the
1:02:48 department of revenue. Um I would also
1:02:51 like to note that the department of
1:02:52 revenue only accepts sales tax requests
1:02:55 three times per year. So, just in terms
1:02:57 of timing, uh, if the council wants the
1:03:00 tax to be effective January of 2026, we
1:03:03 would need to adopt the ordinance and
1:03:05 submit that to the department of revenue
1:03:07 by October 17th. The next opportunity
1:03:10 would have would be to have the tax
1:03:12 effective in April and submittal of the
1:03:15 ordinance uh, by January 16th. And
1:03:18 administration is recommending adoption
1:03:21 of the sales tax ordinance. And that
1:03:24 mayor concludes my presentation.
1:03:26 >> Thank you very much, Kristen. Um, does
1:03:29 council have any questions at this time,
1:03:31 council president?
1:03:33 >> Thank you. And thank you, Kristen. I
1:03:35 appreciate following up on the questions
1:03:37 that we had. um you've provided some
1:03:40 potential uses um of this, but by
1:03:45 adopting the um sales tax increase at
1:03:49 this point, we are not committed to or
1:03:53 signing up for those. We these are
1:03:55 rather good alternatives, good ways that
1:03:59 we could utilize that, but it will
1:04:01 actually be through our midbanium budget
1:04:03 process that we will make the decisions
1:04:05 of how to use that. Correct.
1:04:06 >> That is correct. Tonight's action would
1:04:09 only um authorize imposing the tax and
1:04:12 then through our midbanium budget
1:04:14 process would we make any final
1:04:16 determinations on the use of tax. These
1:04:18 were just um meant as suggestions on
1:04:21 what we're seeing for current needs, but
1:04:23 we would have further discussion.
1:04:25 >> Okay. And then I know one of the other
1:04:27 questions was does this go into a
1:04:29 dedicated fund or into the general fund?
1:04:32 We would set up a dedicated fund
1:04:34 specifically for this tax so we can um
1:04:38 account for how it's spent.
1:04:39 >> Yeah. Because there are certain
1:04:40 limitations on how it can be spent. This
1:04:42 can't be just used for anything. This
1:04:45 has specific um needs and requirements.
1:04:47 Correct.
1:04:48 >> That is correct. This is a a restricted
1:04:50 revenue source which means state law
1:04:52 dictates the specific uses and we have
1:04:55 to follow what state law is. There's
1:04:57 also annual reporting requirements. So
1:04:59 setting up a dedicated fund to
1:05:01 specifically track the uses uh makes
1:05:04 that process a little bit more efficient
1:05:05 and it also is more transparent and
1:05:08 accountable.
1:05:09 >> Thank you.
1:05:10 >> Additional questions from council member
1:05:13 Marts.
1:05:15 >> Was this plan developed um in
1:05:17 collaboration with the chief's office?
1:05:19 >> Um yes, we've been working in
1:05:21 coordination with Chief Swan.
1:05:23 >> Thank you.
1:05:24 additional comments or questions
1:05:29 >> wait
1:05:30 >> sorry additional questions
1:05:33 questions. Okay. Um and this was in uh
1:05:38 at a cow or at a committee earlier.
1:05:42 >> It was a committee of the whole I
1:05:44 believe the September 15th.
1:05:45 >> Thank council president. Um
1:05:49 let's yeah let's do some comments. If it
1:05:51 was an account that would be appropriate
1:05:54 for a motion.
1:05:55 >> Yeah. I move to adopt ordinance number
1:06:02 enacting an additional sales t sales and
1:06:05 use tax of onetenth of 1% for criminal
1:06:08 justice purposes as authorized by
1:06:10 RCW82.14.345
1:06:14 and adding a new section 3.04.027
1:06:19 027 to the Isiqua Municipal Code.
1:06:24 >> Second.
1:06:24 >> It's been moved and seconded. Council
1:06:26 discussion. Let's start with council
1:06:27 president.
1:06:28 >> Yes. Thank you for this. Um Kristen, I
1:06:31 really appreciate the way that you laid
1:06:33 this out. You have clearly demonstrated
1:06:36 um the additional costs that we are
1:06:39 experiencing in the area of public
1:06:40 safety, including um state requirements
1:06:43 to limit the number of case load for our
1:06:46 public defenders. Uh we also have quite
1:06:49 limited um financial options for
1:06:53 increasing revenue to keep up with our
1:06:55 increasing costs from inflation and
1:06:58 making sure that we are bringing in the
1:07:00 best and the brightest um staff members
1:07:03 and being able to recruit and retain
1:07:04 them. I've heard quite clearly from the
1:07:08 community and we saw during our um our
1:07:12 community survey how important public
1:07:13 safety is to our community. And so I am
1:07:17 very much in favor of this. I will be
1:07:19 very interested to talk with council
1:07:21 about the best uses of this fund. Um I
1:07:25 think we clearly have a need for public
1:07:28 safety facilities and I would like to
1:07:31 make sure we are utilizing that to the
1:07:33 best ability there so that we can reduce
1:07:36 the um additional ask to the community.
1:07:41 Um, but I also clearly understand that
1:07:43 we have some of these additional costs
1:07:45 that will also need to be addressed. So,
1:07:48 I I just very much appreciate the
1:07:50 ability to clearly state why this is a
1:07:53 need in our community. Um, and so that
1:07:56 the community understands that. Thank
1:07:58 you. Thank you.
1:07:59 >> Uh, Deputy Council President.
1:08:02 >> So, so thank you so much and again I
1:08:05 agree. Uh, great presentation. Um I
1:08:09 wanted to speak specifically to the um
1:08:12 the items that are proposed and uh as
1:08:14 has been mentioned and I agree that the
1:08:17 focus is is on facilities and that's
1:08:19 very important but I wanted to talk to
1:08:22 another priority for me which is the
1:08:24 funds for public defense.
1:08:27 Um the most important thing we can do
1:08:29 for equitable justice in Isiqua is to
1:08:31 provide indigent and low-income people
1:08:34 with uh public defenders. And as we
1:08:37 know, uh, public defenders have been
1:08:39 underpaid for decades. And this has led
1:08:41 to a statewide crisis in the number of
1:08:44 public defenders that are available. Um,
1:08:47 and the quality of the uh representation
1:08:50 that lowincome and indigent people uh
1:08:53 receive if they in fact uh uh are
1:08:58 engaged in the in the court system. uh
1:09:01 sometimes for very minor issues that can
1:09:04 turn into big things for people uh if
1:09:06 they're not uh well defended. So if we
1:09:10 are able to make the decision tonight,
1:09:12 we would be able then to deliberate
1:09:14 knowing that those funds are available
1:09:15 and uh as the council president said, we
1:09:18 will then be as we go through the budget
1:09:20 process, we'll be looking at these
1:09:21 things. But uh it is very important to
1:09:24 me that uh looking at the folks in our
1:09:27 community who are least able to afford
1:09:30 professional legal advice uh being sure
1:09:33 that they are provided with public
1:09:35 defenders. So uh I will also be
1:09:37 supporting this motion and uh I think
1:09:40 that uh the importance to both our
1:09:44 facilities but also the equity that we
1:09:46 provide to our citizens is or excuse me
1:09:48 our residents is uh really really
1:09:50 important to me. Thank you.
1:09:52 >> Thank you, Deputy Council President.
1:09:53 Just want to let you know too that SCA
1:09:55 is still Sound Cities Association is
1:09:56 pushing back at the state level. The
1:09:59 your comments on making sure people have
1:10:02 adequate public defense 100% support it.
1:10:05 The state said they would pay and
1:10:06 because they won't, many cities that
1:10:08 have poor populations will spend more of
1:10:10 the one.1%
1:10:13 on public defense than cities that do
1:10:15 not have it. And so we have some equity
1:10:17 components in application unless the
1:10:18 state really steps up. So, we're still
1:10:20 pushing back, but you're 100% right.
1:10:22 They deserve the best representation
1:10:24 they can get. Uh, any other council
1:10:28 discussion?
1:10:31 All right. Um, if there's no I thought I
1:10:36 missed you. Okay. Go,
1:10:39 >> Council Member Zach.
1:10:41 >> Thank you. Um, I just wasn't I wasn't
1:10:43 sure. Um uh just cuz I agree with
1:10:45 everything that's been said, we've
1:10:46 demonstrated the need um in this setting
1:10:49 quite a bit and of course the community
1:10:51 has told us how important community
1:10:53 safety is um many times over many
1:10:55 community surveys. Um they've also
1:10:57 highlighted cost of living, right, as an
1:10:59 important thing and I think it's just
1:11:00 okay for us, it's important for us to
1:11:02 acknowledge that tonight that this is a
1:11:04 tough decision as well. Our hands are
1:11:06 tied in terms of the tools that we have
1:11:07 available to us for revenue. um
1:11:10 especially as need in public safety and
1:11:13 criminal justice continues to bloom or
1:11:15 to balloon. Um and because we're so tied
1:11:17 to these tools, it just makes it a very
1:11:20 difficult decision for um tonight. Um,
1:11:22 so, um, I would just hope that as we
1:11:25 continue to put together the midby, as
1:11:26 we have a conversation about what kind
1:11:28 of what the plans are and how we're
1:11:29 going to, um, put together, um, spending
1:11:32 for this new fund that we involve
1:11:34 community in that as much as we can so
1:11:36 they have a good understanding of
1:11:38 exactly what they're getting for what
1:11:39 they're paying for. That's all. And I'll
1:11:41 support the motion tonight.
1:11:42 >> Great suggestion, Council Member Ray.
1:11:45 >> Thanks. Um, sorry, I just did my Zach
1:11:48 alternated.
1:11:52 as Council Member Hall was was speaking,
1:11:54 it really did occur to me that one of
1:11:56 the things about this particular um, tax
1:12:00 structure. Well, a is it's super
1:12:03 aggressive. I just want to channel my
1:12:05 inner council member Marks. It is a
1:12:07 super aggressive tax, but because we are
1:12:09 a com a commercial hub for the region,
1:12:12 it also um draws revenue from people
1:12:15 outside of Esqua who take advantage of
1:12:17 our public safety services when they are
1:12:19 in town. So there's an um I won't use
1:12:22 the word equity, but there's a matching
1:12:24 component here that I like where those
1:12:26 consuming the services are are helping
1:12:28 to defer some of the costs. So I think
1:12:30 this this makes sense. I think the need
1:12:31 is really clear for public safety and we
1:12:33 hear it all the time. Um, and tonight's
1:12:35 really not about what are we going to
1:12:37 spend it on. That's for another day to
1:12:38 to hash that out. But I think the need
1:12:41 is really clear and the funding
1:12:42 mechanism is probably as good as we can
1:12:46 get given the tax structure in the state
1:12:47 of Washington.
1:12:48 >> I would use the word nexus. I thought
1:12:50 that's what you're
1:12:51 >> Nexus would be great.
1:12:55 >> Okay. Uh, we've almost heard from
1:12:56 everybody. Just another opportunity.
1:12:58 Council member Jiang.
1:12:59 >> Yeah. I just want to um again, you know,
1:13:02 thank Director Garcia for this great
1:13:03 presentation. um as well as your great
1:13:05 presentation in our retreat earlier this
1:13:06 year as well as in the September 15th
1:13:08 council meeting. Um also want to echo
1:13:10 what um I've been hearing, you know,
1:13:11 from my council colleagues about the
1:13:13 fact that the fact that the only way
1:13:15 that we can raise revenue to pay for
1:13:17 public safety is by adding sales tax is
1:13:20 not great, but because the need is so
1:13:22 strong, you know, it's we don't really
1:13:25 have other options. So, I will be
1:13:28 supporting this tonight. Um, I also
1:13:31 really appreciate that we're going to be
1:13:32 setting up a dedicated fund and doing
1:13:33 reporting on this. Um, and something
1:13:36 that I've heard from the community is
1:13:37 that, you know, we'd like to see more
1:13:39 just like budget transparency in
1:13:40 general. So, to the extent that we can,
1:13:42 you know, have information about, you
1:13:44 know, what is this.1% sales tax going
1:13:46 towards, I think that would be great.
1:13:47 And I think it would also be great for
1:13:48 us to be doing that for some of these
1:13:50 other special.1% sales taxes that we've
1:13:52 been uh that we've adopted like the
1:13:54 affordable housing sales tax. Um, so
1:13:56 look forward to seeing, you know, what
1:13:58 types of um, you know, public
1:13:59 information we're able to provide about
1:14:01 this so that, you know, our residents
1:14:02 and folks that shop in Isqua know where
1:14:04 their extra sales tax money is going and
1:14:06 can feel like they're getting good value
1:14:08 for the uh, tax dollars that they're
1:14:10 putting in.
1:14:11 >> And council member Jen, um, are you
1:14:13 speak are you uh, requesting that maybe
1:14:15 during the budget process as as there's
1:14:17 a review of a fund that that's the kind
1:14:20 of information you'd like to see? That's
1:14:21 the time when you would like to see that
1:14:23 information?
1:14:23 >> Uh, yes.
1:14:24 >> Okay, great. Thanks. Is that all? Any
1:14:27 more comments? Round twos? Nope. Okay.
1:14:31 Uh, the motion before the council is to
1:14:33 adopt ordinance number 3113 enacting an
1:14:35 additional sales and use tax of onetenth
1:14:37 of 1% for criminal justice purposes as
1:14:40 authorized by RCW82.14.345
1:14:44 and adding a new section 3.04.027
1:14:47 to the Isiqua Municipal Code. And all
1:14:50 those in favor, please signify by saying
1:14:53 >> I. I. Those post that carries
1:14:57 unanimously 6 and0 we are going to move
1:14:59 on to the next regular business item
1:15:01 which is AB8989
1:15:03 the title 18 tree code update and I'd
1:15:06 like to invite community planning and
1:15:07 development director Minnie Dollywal to
1:15:09 present this item. Welcome Minnie.
1:15:13 >> Good evening madame mayor and members of
1:15:15 the council. Um, let me quickly share
1:15:19 here.
1:15:31 Um, so tonight, um, I'm here to present
1:15:34 a tree preservation code amendments. Um
1:15:39 um and our recommendation is to adopt
1:15:41 the proposed ordinance uh amending uh
1:15:44 chapter 18102 and 18812 of Isiqua
1:15:49 Municipal Code uh collectively the tree
1:15:52 preservation regulations. Um in terms of
1:15:56 uh the process um the city did a major
1:15:59 overhaul of title 18 um and council
1:16:02 adopted it in May of 2023. Since that
1:16:05 time we started implementing some of
1:16:07 these regulations and uh our commitment
1:16:10 was if uh things come up that we would
1:16:13 not wait a long time uh that we would do
1:16:16 annual amendments and so on. So you all
1:16:19 have touched some of those fixes um on
1:16:22 an annual basis in 2024 and 2025. Uh
1:16:26 however the the tree code um amendments
1:16:28 were a little bit more on the policy
1:16:30 side uh which went through the whole uh
1:16:32 more elaborate process with
1:16:34 environmental board and planning and
1:16:36 policy commission. We started this work
1:16:39 um with planning and policy commission
1:16:41 in April. um had a couple of meetings
1:16:44 with them. Uh a couple of meetings with
1:16:46 environmental board uh or maybe two or
1:16:48 three um and then um and went to the
1:16:53 subcommittee planning policy um
1:16:55 development committee and we are here uh
1:16:58 to present their recommendation. Um the
1:17:01 main policy changes that you see as part
1:17:03 of this um assortment of uh amendments
1:17:06 for the tree regulations
1:17:09 um are there's this methodology of
1:17:12 calculating our tree canopy target. So
1:17:15 climate action plan has a goal of
1:17:17 achieving our uh canopy target of 55% by
1:17:21 2040. Um and these regulations sort of
1:17:25 implement that goal. uh and um we had
1:17:30 come up with um a methodology to use it
1:17:33 by neighborhood and the data that we had
1:17:36 at the time was based on the city's
1:17:38 canopy study which was done for the
1:17:41 entire neighborhood. So potential
1:17:43 planting area percentage was for a
1:17:47 neighborhood but it was not all
1:17:49 developed lot lots. It was a combination
1:17:52 of uh open space and developed property.
1:17:55 So we didn't have good information in
1:17:57 terms of the percentage. Uh I think
1:17:59 during that update we um the the request
1:18:03 was to go with the potential planning
1:18:05 annexation areas. So we've realized that
1:18:08 using that percentage at an area wide
1:18:11 and applying that on a lot by lot basis
1:18:14 was not fair um because um for these
1:18:17 smaller lots we couldn't come up with
1:18:19 larger percentages that were required
1:18:21 for canopy coverage. So which meant more
1:18:23 off-site planting and more fee in lie of
1:18:26 um and it wasn't um tied to the impact
1:18:30 uh that was coming up. So for instance
1:18:33 the only time uh homeowners can remove
1:18:36 their trees are if they're hazardous or
1:18:38 they're nuisance. So no healthy trees
1:18:40 can be removed. But removal of a hazard
1:18:42 tree required all the percentage of the
1:18:45 canopy percentage to be met. So it
1:18:47 wasn't the impact was a dead tree, a
1:18:50 problem tree being taken out, but you
1:18:52 had to replant or meet the requirements
1:18:54 of that percentage which was pretty
1:18:55 high. Um so instead uh we looked at lot
1:19:00 sizes uh in different neighborhoods.
1:19:02 That work happened with the middle
1:19:03 housing work and that attachment is in
1:19:06 your packet. Um and um the consultant
1:19:10 looked at potent you know what
1:19:12 percentages make sense based on land use
1:19:14 and lot size. Um so that was discussed
1:19:18 with both environmental board and
1:19:20 planning and policy commission and their
1:19:21 recommendation is to um do this because
1:19:24 it does it will help uh the larger
1:19:26 percentage. You heard some testimony
1:19:28 today in terms of um perhaps the
1:19:31 neighborhood method is the way to go but
1:19:33 reduce your percentages uh and that'll
1:19:36 that's something we we can have that
1:19:37 conversation at a future broader context
1:19:40 after we have more uh targeted data for
1:19:44 uh canopy coverage. So, we are
1:19:45 undertaking some of the the newer canopy
1:19:47 study with King County and working with
1:19:50 our urban forester Dan Hints um and
1:19:53 seeing if we can get um data based on a
1:19:57 neighborhood developed areas and
1:19:59 non-developed areas and that's the
1:20:01 conversation that will inform those
1:20:02 future conversations. Um we've as part
1:20:05 of these changes we've simplified the
1:20:07 regulations for removal of hazard and
1:20:09 nuisance. Like I said, the replacement
1:20:11 is one to one, not what um you have to
1:20:15 bring up to the entire percentage. Um
1:20:18 we've also clarified that the canopy
1:20:20 coverage uh requirements, those
1:20:22 percentages are triggered with new
1:20:24 development or major redevelopment. Uh
1:20:26 not if you're doing a tenant improvement
1:20:28 and things like that. Um the we've also
1:20:31 added some flexibility for tree
1:20:33 retention in central Isiqua. So you
1:20:36 still have your 25% retention
1:20:37 requirements, but you can request if you
1:20:40 meet the criteria like you have to take
1:20:42 trees down because you are required to
1:20:44 do frontage improvement or utility lines
1:20:47 or where the clump of trees is where
1:20:49 your building is going to be. Uh
1:20:51 anecdotally, we know that most a lot of
1:20:53 these trees are probably parking lot
1:20:55 trees. So um that we would end up
1:20:58 preserving, but they wouldn't probably
1:21:00 make it. So we're giving some more
1:21:01 flexibility. But coupled in with that
1:21:04 flexibility is that you still have to
1:21:06 replant what you take down and you and
1:21:08 those don't count towards your 25%. So
1:21:12 at least there's not a net loss and
1:21:14 there's an incentive for people to try
1:21:16 and preserve those tree larger trees
1:21:19 because you get to count them towards
1:21:20 your 25%.
1:21:22 So that's the the main policy changes
1:21:24 that that are in front of you today. uh
1:21:27 quickly um I won't read through all of
1:21:29 this but uh you know the feedback from
1:21:31 environmental board uh included not just
1:21:35 the regulations piece but also you know
1:21:37 should we do more code testing how are
1:21:39 we using the tree fund for um they
1:21:41 wanted to have some sort of an approach
1:21:43 with homeowner association that they
1:21:46 heard from uh maybe one permit for all
1:21:48 of the different trackcts as opposed to
1:21:50 one permit per track kind of a thing.
1:21:52 And so those are all implementation
1:21:53 things that we will fold their feedback
1:21:56 into how we implement regulations. Um
1:22:00 they also talked about public education
1:22:02 and and more uh simple regulations for
1:22:06 single family um requirements. Um they
1:22:09 were for the central flexibility
1:22:11 requirements and such. Um and um
1:22:16 planning and policy commission, you
1:22:18 know, some of the highlights were they
1:22:19 were um wanted to us to add a category
1:22:23 where the lots were less than 5,000
1:22:25 square feet because some of our uh lots
1:22:28 are smaller and so we we added that. Uh
1:22:31 they talked about tree giveaway program.
1:22:33 So a plugin for any community members
1:22:35 that may be listening. Um that is coming
1:22:38 up. Uh there is a website that you can
1:22:40 sign up for. You need to sign up online
1:22:42 and then pick up your trees at Pickering
1:22:44 Barn. Um and about 275 trees will be
1:22:48 given away free u by our wonderful parks
1:22:51 department. Um
1:22:54 and um the other feedback was wildfire
1:22:57 code updates. You heard some of that
1:22:58 testimony today. Uh there is a provision
1:23:00 that allows some of the removal for tree
1:23:03 uh for wildfire risk but more work on
1:23:06 that is needed um because the wildland
1:23:09 urban interface code that the state is
1:23:11 working on those maps are coming out
1:23:14 next year by next summer is what they
1:23:17 tell us and so we had briefed council on
1:23:20 the wildland urban interface codes with
1:23:23 Jared emergency management and the
1:23:25 building code building official. So more
1:23:28 conversations will occur on wildfire
1:23:30 risk assessment uh once those maps come
1:23:32 out. Uh what they mean particularly for
1:23:34 a city like Isiqua where you have
1:23:36 overlapping requirements for critical
1:23:38 areas. You know you may be in a stream
1:23:39 buffer and you may be in a steep slope
1:23:42 and and such. So um those provisions
1:23:45 will be discussed in the future. Um the
1:23:49 environmental board feedback we got
1:23:51 their input on five policy questions. uh
1:23:54 their detailed feedback is included in
1:23:56 the letter that is also in your packet.
1:23:58 You heard some testimony today about
1:24:00 misrepresentation.
1:24:02 So I do have a slide in here once we get
1:24:04 to the policy question about what uh the
1:24:06 feedback we received from environmental
1:24:08 board and planning and policy
1:24:09 commission. Um so um you know there were
1:24:13 about eight questions we posed to them
1:24:15 but we also got feedback beyond these
1:24:17 questions. Uh the first one is was um
1:24:22 should the city wave the requirement for
1:24:24 one to one tree replacement if the seat
1:24:26 if the if it's a pretty treed lot and
1:24:29 the site meets or exceeds the canopy uh
1:24:31 target. This is where um I think I'd
1:24:35 like to clarify. Um so both planning and
1:24:38 policy commission and environmental
1:24:39 board recommended onetoone replacement
1:24:41 because that fixes the problem people
1:24:43 were having by taking one tree down. and
1:24:45 you had to plant 10 that wasn't
1:24:47 commiserate with the impact of what
1:24:49 people were recommending. Environmental
1:24:51 board discussed this topic. Um in the
1:24:54 end they did say just keep it simple and
1:24:57 keep a onetoone replacement um
1:25:00 regardless of how many trees a property
1:25:02 owner has on their property. uh planning
1:25:05 and policy commission recommended what
1:25:07 uh is in your packet at this point um
1:25:12 which was onetoone replacement. Uh
1:25:15 however, if if a property currently
1:25:18 meets or exceeds the canopy coverage
1:25:21 that um uh you do not you can get you
1:25:25 can go through that process and show how
1:25:27 you have a tree lot and you are meeting
1:25:29 meeting a percentage therefore you do
1:25:31 not need to replant. So Minnie, I'm just
1:25:34 going to check in with Council Member
1:25:35 Mars. Um, do you want to ask something
1:25:37 on this policy question number one? So
1:25:41 >> I want to ask something about what she's
1:25:42 talking about.
1:25:43 >> Great. Great. Go ahead.
1:25:44 >> So have we looked at um the all the
1:25:47 stuff you're talking about is really um
1:25:50 sort of at the margins where people are
1:25:53 uh attempting to be in compliance with
1:25:56 our with our code and and the options in
1:25:58 front of them. Have we did we look at at
1:25:59 all penalties for non-compliance?
1:26:01 Because I live on squawk and I love
1:26:04 living on squawk and we're very proud of
1:26:06 our canopy on squawk. We have 5,000
1:26:08 people and they're more or less hidden
1:26:09 underneath a deep canopy. Um, but we've
1:26:12 had a number of instances in the last
1:26:14 few years where people have just torn
1:26:16 out a whole bunch of historically
1:26:18 significant trees. And the penalties
1:26:20 that they got, I'm pretty sure are less
1:26:22 than the value of the increase in their
1:26:25 home that resulted from um the increased
1:26:27 view that they got from tearing out all
1:26:29 those beautiful trees. So, did we look
1:26:31 at all at at penalties for just gross
1:26:33 non-compliance?
1:26:37 >> Yeah. So, um, we we will be talking
1:26:41 about fees when on November 10th with
1:26:43 you, um, because we, you know, some of
1:26:45 the testimony today was, uh, the expense
1:26:47 of the permit and all that kind of stuff
1:26:50 for non for removal of ille, you know,
1:26:53 illegally cutting down trees. Um, the
1:26:56 currently the fees are double double the
1:26:59 amount of fees for your uh, tree permit,
1:27:01 but the intent there is also to get
1:27:03 compliance from them. So then you look
1:27:06 at what the impact is. You know, if they
1:27:08 took down two trees that they shouldn't
1:27:09 have taken down, then then they have to
1:27:11 replant those trees. Um, so we didn't
1:27:15 have a big discussion about whether that
1:27:18 the the monetary penalties for that
1:27:20 versus getting them into compliance for
1:27:24 planting those trees or both. But
1:27:25 >> you understand the concern. If somebody
1:27:27 increases the value of their property by
1:27:29 $200,000 by taking out a essentially a
1:27:31 grove of trees and we charge them 70,000
1:27:34 or 80,000 I think is what happened in
1:27:36 the one case on squawk. Like that's a
1:27:38 financially advantageous position for
1:27:40 them to take non-compliance breaking the
1:27:43 >> Yeah.
1:27:44 >> As it's currently written.
1:27:45 >> Yeah. During this update, there wasn't a
1:27:47 big focus on that element.
1:27:49 >> Given that that has happened in recent
1:27:52 years several times on squawk, it seems
1:27:54 a real concern. It's not it's not a sort
1:27:56 of a whatif concern. It's it's it's
1:27:58 happened in recent years and it seemed
1:28:00 an economic decision to improve improve
1:28:02 lots.
1:28:04 >> So I think what you're hearing is that
1:28:06 it's not in your package tonight but as
1:28:08 many had said um there is ongoing work
1:28:12 on the code and so it sounds like this
1:28:14 is something you'd like to discuss with
1:28:15 the rest of council about it.
1:28:16 >> Very much so. Thank you
1:28:18 >> council Jang.
1:28:19 >> Um so I just pulled up our tree code uh
1:28:22 municip is aqua.mmunicipal.codes codes
1:28:24 uh 18.812.160
1:28:27 violations and enforcement. In the civil
1:28:29 penalties, there is a section that says
1:28:31 the extent of the penalty must be
1:28:32 determined according to one or more of
1:28:33 the following. 1B seems the one that's
1:28:36 capital B point one point lowercase B is
1:28:39 um the economic benefit that the
1:28:41 violator derives from the violation as
1:28:43 measured by the greater of the resulting
1:28:44 increase in market value of the property
1:28:46 or the value received by the violator or
1:28:48 savings of construction costs realized
1:28:50 by the violator performing any act in
1:28:51 violation of the chapter. So, it seems
1:28:53 like we do have in our code basically
1:28:55 saying you can hit them with the civil
1:28:57 penalty equal to the increase in
1:28:59 property value. I think it's more of a
1:29:00 question of enforcement.
1:29:05 >> Wow, you're into code.
1:29:09 Um, I think that's great and I think
1:29:10 council member Mertz's concern goes to a
1:29:12 couple of recent incidents and so I
1:29:14 think there's probably a follow-up
1:29:15 discussion you'd all like to have about
1:29:16 that. Um are there any questions on
1:29:19 policy question one or should we have um
1:29:21 director Dolly Wall keep going?
1:29:24 >> Okay. Okay. Director. Um so the next one
1:29:28 was uh this is the biggest change. So
1:29:30 going from a neighborhood potential
1:29:32 planting areas to average lot size and
1:29:36 zoning type um and establishing a a
1:29:39 percentage um for those. Uh so here's
1:29:42 sort of a case study in Talis where the
1:29:45 lot sizes range from about 2,000 to
1:29:47 3,000. Under the old method, the
1:29:49 required canopy was 73% because it took
1:29:51 into consideration all your open spaces
1:29:54 and and protected NGP areas. Um but on a
1:29:58 lot by lot basis those were hard to
1:30:00 meet. Um and under the new method the
1:30:03 canopy coverage for each lot is 25%.
1:30:06 Most lots can meet this. Um and if they
1:30:09 can there's a fee in loo uh or planting
1:30:12 off-site options available. Um for
1:30:15 Oldtown um the canopy coverage under the
1:30:19 old method was 33% because there aren't
1:30:21 protected open spaces and things like
1:30:23 that. So that was pretty close. Uh under
1:30:25 the new method it just goes by up by 2%.
1:30:28 So 35%
1:30:30 um is the option here um for a 9600
1:30:35 square foot lot. Um the applicability uh
1:30:40 section I talked about that briefly. Um
1:30:43 in the current code anytime you touched
1:30:45 a tree any kind of tree you had to meet
1:30:47 the percentage uh under the proposed
1:30:50 amendments only for new development and
1:30:52 redevelopment or if you want to get a
1:30:54 pass from replanting uh you can go
1:30:57 through that exercise of showing that
1:30:59 you meet the percentage.
1:31:02 uh if you're taking a dead, dying or
1:31:04 diseased, you know, hazardous tree or a
1:31:06 nuisance tree. Um
1:31:09 the replacement ratios a hazard or
1:31:12 nuisance is 1 one landmark trees which
1:31:14 are larger trees as 1:2 replacement. Um
1:31:18 central flexibility
1:31:21 um is again this is where the city's
1:31:23 most designated growth is but a lot of
1:31:27 trees are parking lot trees. Um but if
1:31:30 you can show that it's needed for your
1:31:34 and you meet this criteria A through F
1:31:38 uh then you can be approved this
1:31:40 deviation um to plant on you know and
1:31:43 then you'll have the option if you do
1:31:45 take down you can't preserve 25% of the
1:31:49 diameter of the trees uh then for every
1:31:52 tree for every 6 in of diameter removed
1:31:56 you need to plant one tree in addition
1:31:59 to meeting your 25% requirement.
1:32:02 Um, so here's an actual project that
1:32:05 development commission recently
1:32:06 approved. There's a stream on one corner
1:32:09 here. Most of the trees outside of the
1:32:11 stream buffer um were difficult because
1:32:15 this is getting torn down and rebuilt
1:32:17 into town homes. uh having some more
1:32:19 flexibility that um provides some of
1:32:22 those frontage improvements but still
1:32:24 meeting the canopy coverage goals is
1:32:26 sort of the intent uh with these edits.
1:32:30 Uh wildfire mitigation,
1:32:32 we consulted with East Side Fire and
1:32:34 Rescue. Uh they used the National Fire
1:32:38 uh Protection Association's standards.
1:32:41 um wildland urban interface guidance is
1:32:43 still under um development uh by
1:32:47 department of natural resources. So we
1:32:49 will have to revisit this uh once that
1:32:51 is out. Uh one of the comments we
1:32:54 received from the fire department was
1:32:55 perhaps uh we could use anyone who uses
1:32:58 this NFPA standard. Uh but I think what
1:33:01 we said we we trust that if Epher is
1:33:05 using this NFPA there's going to be more
1:33:08 um um balanced approach uh versus um
1:33:12 opening it up and we may need to revisit
1:33:14 that when we uh get some more guidance
1:33:16 on that. um understanding that this may
1:33:19 result in some canopy um which is less
1:33:22 than the targets but it isn't permitted
1:33:24 use to take it down uh except for if you
1:33:27 have critical areas that that exemption
1:33:29 that allowance doesn't apply to you. Um
1:33:34 so um planning and policy commission
1:33:36 deliberated and passed it on to council
1:33:40 for adoption. They gave us some things
1:33:42 that they wanted us to present to you.
1:33:45 um that there is some language that
1:33:47 supports that down trees do not require
1:33:50 an arburous report. Um that we do
1:33:53 explain the central Isiqua flexibility.
1:33:55 Um also homeowner association permitting
1:33:59 is examined. So that's a more of an
1:34:00 implementation piece which we are ready
1:34:02 to do. Um they also wanted to clarify
1:34:05 the interplay between critical area code
1:34:07 and tree code and that some of those
1:34:10 exemptions don't apply. So the language
1:34:11 was added in there. Uh there was some
1:34:13 awkward language about onetoone
1:34:15 replacement uh no more than and this
1:34:18 that. So we've clarified that. Um they
1:34:21 also got comments from u the tribes who
1:34:25 said um that there are these culturally
1:34:28 uh protected trees and um so we Dan Hint
1:34:32 and I met with the tribes uh we
1:34:35 presented you know unfortunately there
1:34:37 at that point we they don't have an
1:34:39 inventory that they want to publish uh
1:34:41 that here are all the culturally
1:34:43 modified trees. Um but if but there's
1:34:46 more of an educational piece. The city
1:34:49 has a heritage tree program. those can
1:34:50 be nominated uh and go through that
1:34:53 nomination process. But we did add a
1:34:55 definition of a culturally modified tree
1:34:59 and so that's in the code which is
1:35:02 similar to what we have in our urban
1:35:04 forestry program um plan urban forestry
1:35:08 plan. So planning and development
1:35:11 >> if you want to take go back to that
1:35:13 slide council member Mertz
1:35:15 >> I hope I hope it's buried in here. Um,
1:35:18 why are we still protecting cottonwoods?
1:35:23 I thought I thought we had a I thought
1:35:25 we had a plan to get rid of cottonwoods
1:35:27 in the city. I see cottonwoods are in
1:35:29 the are in the uh system of
1:35:32 prioritization of of trees. I I thought
1:35:35 cottonwoods were uh we're getting rid of
1:35:37 those as a city.
1:35:39 >> I will have to look into that. I my
1:35:41 understanding is, you know, it it's also
1:35:42 where they are. So if they are next to a
1:35:45 stream, they're pro probably shading the
1:35:48 stream. So then it's still a significant
1:35:50 You're looking at the code
1:35:52 >> language.
1:35:53 >> Yes.
1:35:54 >> Okay. I can look through that and get
1:35:57 back to you.
1:35:58 >> Yeah. I I just I I remember a few years
1:36:00 ago we said we decided cottonwoods were
1:36:02 nuisance trees.
1:36:03 >> Um and this doesn't seem to make any
1:36:06 specification for where they're located,
1:36:08 just their their existence.
1:36:10 >> Yeah. So uh when we did the whole tree
1:36:12 code um update in 2023, we created a
1:36:16 city's preferred tree list and updated
1:36:18 it with graphics and all that. It's not
1:36:20 embedded in the code. So it's a living
1:36:22 document and as we have learned more
1:36:25 through this urban forestry position
1:36:27 that was funded through you know that
1:36:29 that's something that environmental
1:36:30 board actually made the recommendation
1:36:32 council. Thank you for uh you know uh
1:36:34 providing funding for that position that
1:36:37 has developed that program has developed
1:36:39 and so that list uh we got through um
1:36:43 and you know that can be amended and
1:36:46 kept up without council action um
1:36:49 because climate change is happening a
1:36:52 lot is being you know adaptability of
1:36:54 some of these drought tolerant trees and
1:36:56 and such uh can can occur. So, there's a
1:36:59 lot of learning going on about which
1:37:01 trees um make sense and which don't
1:37:04 given some of those changes here, but
1:37:06 I'll look into the cottonwood part.
1:37:08 >> Thanks. I mean, this body has in and I'm
1:37:11 going to say it was a few years ago and
1:37:13 some then somebody's going to tell me it
1:37:14 was 15 years ago, but um we we this body
1:37:17 has it at some point said we want to get
1:37:19 rid of cottonwoods. They don't serve any
1:37:21 purpose um for the city.
1:37:23 >> Native.
1:37:25 >> They are native serve purpose.
1:37:28 Thanks.
1:37:30 >> Uh, okay, Minnie, if you want to move to
1:37:31 your next slide.
1:37:32 >> Uh, yes. So, um, planning, development,
1:37:34 and environment committee met on
1:37:36 September 9th. They recommended adoption
1:37:38 of the proposed amendments, uh, with a
1:37:40 request to revisit this topic for a
1:37:42 broader discussion. Um, and so we are
1:37:46 here today and our recommendation is to
1:37:48 adopt these changes.
1:37:50 >> Thank you. And I'm going to move it over
1:37:53 to Council Member Hall, chair of the
1:37:55 Planning, Development, and Environment
1:37:58 Committee, and ask if you want to
1:38:00 summarize the committee's recommendation
1:38:01 on this item.
1:38:03 >> Um, yeah, sure. I I presented this a a
1:38:06 little bit at our last council meeting,
1:38:08 too. But just a reminder that um these
1:38:11 things came up through code users,
1:38:13 through residents interacting with the
1:38:15 code and and were then identified with
1:38:17 staff and then went through this
1:38:18 process, which we're thankful for.
1:38:20 um you know as just part of the title 18
1:38:22 overhaul people interacting with the
1:38:24 code but also the bomb cyclone. So lots
1:38:26 of learning in these places. Um, as a
1:38:28 reminder, we had a really long meeting
1:38:30 about this in committee in search of
1:38:31 something that could be um, very simple
1:38:34 and easy to use from a code users
1:38:36 perspective, but also um, we we started
1:38:38 to find ourselves getting into a
1:38:41 rebalancing conversation about where
1:38:43 should it sit between our ICAP goals and
1:38:45 our tree canopy and not being overly
1:38:48 burdensome on residents and how do we
1:38:50 define that? And we thought, okay, this
1:38:52 is really deep conversation, hearkens
1:38:55 back to even, you know, the chart that
1:38:56 we did on goals and outcomes for the
1:38:58 title 18 overhaul. So, we clearly need
1:39:00 to um address what staff and our boards
1:39:04 and commissions have identified as areas
1:39:06 of need in community while also
1:39:08 acknowledging that there's a lot of work
1:39:10 to come and we need to get specific
1:39:12 about that and define how we go about
1:39:14 doing that in the new year. So that's
1:39:16 what you see tonight is um some updates
1:39:19 to and also I should just say too that
1:39:23 would not be redoing what we've just
1:39:25 done. It would be doing something
1:39:27 different, something very different. So
1:39:29 um again a much more larger conversation
1:39:33 uh to come and I think that's everything
1:39:35 that we talked about in committee unless
1:39:36 any of the committee members wanted to
1:39:38 add anything else. That's Mary.
1:39:40 >> Yeah, I think one of the things that
1:39:42 came up in the committee was that, you
1:39:44 know, kind of the original reason why we
1:39:46 were talking about tree code right now
1:39:47 is because, you know, a lot of a lot
1:39:50 more residents were using the tree code
1:39:52 in the aftermath of the bomb cyclone.
1:39:53 And so that was kind of the origin of
1:39:55 needing to come back and say, okay, you
1:39:57 know, we adopted this tree code, it's
1:39:59 not completely working, and we need to
1:40:00 have some fixes so that folks can, you
1:40:03 know, remove trees that fell on their
1:40:04 home or things like that. Um, and so I
1:40:07 think this,
1:40:09 uh, update to the tree code accomplishes
1:40:11 those original objectives of making sure
1:40:13 that folks have the flexibility they
1:40:14 need to, you know, clean up from the
1:40:15 bomb cyclone. We're now almost a year
1:40:17 out from that. So, I think we really do
1:40:19 need to pass this to give folks the
1:40:20 flexibility. Um, but also, I think, you
1:40:22 know, moving forward, figuring out what
1:40:24 do we want the tree code to be long term
1:40:26 in terms of, you know, do we want the
1:40:28 tree canopy requirements to be by
1:40:30 neighborhood versus by zoning is kind of
1:40:32 an open question. you know, what are the
1:40:34 goals of having this tree code? Um,
1:40:37 we've talked a lot about how we want it
1:40:39 to be, you know, something that is
1:40:41 simple for users to use or just easy to
1:40:44 understand so that people can follow the
1:40:45 rules. Um, whereas in the, you know,
1:40:49 code itself, the seven objectives
1:40:52 listed, numbers one through six are
1:40:54 basically we want to keep as many trees
1:40:55 as possible and number seven is we want
1:40:57 to, you know, protect public safety. And
1:40:59 so I think as we revisit as we look
1:41:03 forward to you know looking having a
1:41:06 deeper look at the tree code in general
1:41:07 I think the first step really is going
1:41:08 to have to be defining what are the
1:41:10 objectives what do we want the tree code
1:41:11 to do and then from there figuring out
1:41:14 what the updates are. I think this
1:41:15 update was a bit more I mean by nature
1:41:18 it had to be more reactive to what we
1:41:19 were hearing from the community. And
1:41:21 then through this process we heard a lot
1:41:22 more from the community about you know
1:41:24 different issues with the tree code and
1:41:26 how it affects everything from you know
1:41:29 goats to uh redevelopment. And so I
1:41:32 think um you know I think we need to
1:41:35 pass these updates right now just to
1:41:38 give folks the flexibility but we also
1:41:39 do need to have a much deeper discussion
1:41:41 next year.
1:41:42 >> That is great. Thank you both for
1:41:43 touching on the fact that you are trying
1:41:45 to com uh accomplish many things where
1:41:48 plans actually are not in agreement and
1:41:51 may not be in agreement. You're going to
1:41:52 have to find that compromised place for
1:41:54 it. So that is that's a tough challenge
1:41:56 always for council. Um thank you for
1:41:59 that report out. Uh let's go to council
1:42:01 questions.
1:42:09 >> trying to figure out how to ask this in
1:42:10 a really um
1:42:13 concrete way. How do we maintain the
1:42:15 tree canopy if I don't have to um
1:42:20 replace a tree that I cut down with
1:42:21 something that's of the same size and uh
1:42:26 canopy for 20 years?
1:42:29 I'm just trying to figure, you know, are
1:42:31 we going to go and just kind of draw
1:42:33 down on the existing canopy over time
1:42:35 because we're replacing mature big trees
1:42:38 with small little trees with little can
1:42:40 little canopies.
1:42:42 Yeah. So, you know, I mean the tree
1:42:44 canopy study is a is a good benchmark
1:42:47 for studying where we are in
1:42:49 relationship. How do we achieve our goal
1:42:51 of 55%. It's going to happen with
1:42:53 regulations. It's going to happen with
1:42:56 greenera team that you know keeps track
1:42:59 of how many wonderful trees that they
1:43:01 planted to the funding that the you know
1:43:04 and the programs that council funds and
1:43:07 like tree giveaway programs and such.
1:43:09 So, uh, keeping up that tree canopy will
1:43:13 occur through programs, funding, and
1:43:16 regulations. So, it'll take all three to
1:43:18 kind of get us, uh, to our 55%. Yes,
1:43:21 they will there can be tempor, you know,
1:43:24 temporary loss of of a big tree being
1:43:27 taken out. But those trees get removed
1:43:29 with development and redevelopment.
1:43:31 single family homeowners or, you know,
1:43:33 people on their lot. Uh, the only time
1:43:35 you can take down a tree is if it's
1:43:37 dead, it's a nuisance or a hazard tree.
1:43:40 So, you can't take down a healthy tree.
1:43:42 Um, but I see what you're saying that if
1:43:45 we don't have a onetoone replacement,
1:43:48 uh then
1:43:49 >> potentially.
1:43:51 >> Yeah. And even if you do have a one to
1:43:52 one, you're replacing a little one, a
1:43:54 big one with a little onearily. And so
1:43:56 you've got a big timing gap where we're
1:43:59 going to start to see a decline. And and
1:44:02 that's why I asked you the question
1:44:03 about, you know, why why is it that we,
1:44:06 you know, you don't even have to do one
1:44:08 to one if you're hitting the the canopy
1:44:10 on your parcel or on that lot because at
1:44:14 least that way we we were we're kind of
1:44:16 hedging that we're, you know, we are
1:44:17 over subscribing in this lot and that
1:44:20 makes up for where we're under
1:44:21 subscribed. My only concern is is that
1:44:23 we're going to find ourselves on the
1:44:25 wrong uh wrong trajectory in terms of
1:44:28 tree canopy. Um and I want to say in the
1:44:31 short term, but I think it's probably if
1:44:32 this is what we do, it's probably in the
1:44:34 forever term because it'll it'll it'll
1:44:37 just keep cycling. So I and I'd love to
1:44:39 hear from my colleagues, too, because I
1:44:40 know you guys have spent tons of time
1:44:42 talking about it and I've only read
1:44:43 read, you know, the the red line, so I'
1:44:47 really be curious.
1:44:48 >> Council member Jen, followed by Council
1:44:49 President.
1:44:51 Yeah, I think the whole thing with trees
1:44:53 because I thought I thought about it a
1:44:54 lot since you know we had our committee
1:44:56 meeting is that they really are you know
1:44:58 a form of public infrastructure in terms
1:45:00 of you know the services that they
1:45:01 provide in terms of storm water you know
1:45:03 preventing landslides and things like
1:45:05 that and I think you know as a city as a
1:45:09 city we are responsible for
1:45:10 infrastructure and so we can do things
1:45:12 like you know plant trees on city- owned
1:45:15 rightways um and I think historically a
1:45:19 lot of cities have kind of had this idea
1:45:20 like trees are infrastructure and if you
1:45:22 just happen to have trees on your land
1:45:24 then it is public infrastructure and
1:45:25 we're not going to do anything to help
1:45:26 you with that and if it you know falls
1:45:28 on your house and you also have to
1:45:29 replace it and we're going to make you
1:45:30 pay for it three times. Um and so I
1:45:33 think you know kind of having that
1:45:35 perspective that it is infrastructure
1:45:37 for the common good and we need to
1:45:39 figure out how to support that. Um you
1:45:41 know for folks that have trees on their
1:45:43 lot if they can replant it on their lot
1:45:44 that's great. Um and you know if we want
1:45:47 more trees in the city then we need to
1:45:48 figure out where's the right place to
1:45:50 put them for example in city rightways
1:45:52 and city parks um potentially sometimes
1:45:54 you know there's areas on private lots
1:45:56 where it might make sense to do that and
1:45:58 but I do think that it is something
1:45:59 where it is you know public
1:46:01 infrastructure and we as a city need to
1:46:04 kind of treat it as such instead of
1:46:07 necessarily assuming that you know just
1:46:09 because you have a tree that's already
1:46:11 been there for a long time like for
1:46:12 example if you have a cottonwood tree
1:46:13 that's been there for a long time if it
1:46:15 just suddenly breaks, then you know,
1:46:18 should it be your responsibility to
1:46:19 plant a different species of tree that's
1:46:21 going to be as big as a cottonwood tree
1:46:22 was going to be in 20 years? Uh, knowing
1:46:25 that cottonwood trees grow massively and
1:46:27 also are structurally unsound. I think,
1:46:29 you know, just figuring out what the
1:46:30 right balance is of um, you know, city
1:46:33 investing in that infrastructure versus,
1:46:35 you know, pushing that responsibility
1:46:36 onto private residents is really
1:46:37 important.
1:46:39 Also, council member Ray, in this city,
1:46:42 I cannot believe you are not going to be
1:46:44 measuring repeatedly where you are. So
1:46:48 hopefully we never get to that scenario
1:46:50 of only in the decline of percentage.
1:46:52 Deputy, council president,
1:46:55 thank you. And I'll reply to that idea
1:46:57 when we're in uh conversation mode. But
1:47:00 um going on questions, can you talk to
1:47:03 me a little bit more about wildfire risk
1:47:06 because obviously there is concern about
1:47:10 you know tree canopy and keeping up our
1:47:14 canopy but there's also a concept of
1:47:17 healthy forests versus just number of
1:47:21 trees and that wildland um urban
1:47:25 interface and the influence it has on
1:47:28 risk on households. So, where are we on
1:47:32 that? Is there anything that we are
1:47:34 doing that is
1:47:36 negating the ability of HOAs and
1:47:40 homeowners to protect their properties?
1:47:44 Where does that sit?
1:47:46 >> Yeah. So, um the concept of wildland
1:47:49 urban interface is uh two-part. So,
1:47:52 there's also the structure hardening
1:47:53 pieces. So, you know what what do what
1:47:56 kind of a lot of these embers fall on
1:47:57 the roof? What kind of class A
1:47:59 construction do you have on the wood on
1:48:01 your roof? Do you have those bird blocks
1:48:03 that you can, you know, uh, light up
1:48:05 your insulation? You know, can you have
1:48:08 different type of a construction for
1:48:10 that purposes? Uh, a lot of it is, um,
1:48:13 understory brush. So, if you can keep 5T
1:48:16 clear from your structure, that goes a
1:48:19 long way. So the a lot of this stuff is
1:48:22 is being discussed and you know um
1:48:25 learned by other cities that are dealing
1:48:27 with it um or other regions that are
1:48:30 have been dealing with wildfires longer
1:48:32 than um Pacific Northwest. Um but also
1:48:35 wildfire risk in eastern Washington
1:48:38 versus western Washington is slightly
1:48:40 different and that's where department of
1:48:41 natural resources really coming up with
1:48:44 uh the health of the forest l you know
1:48:46 is also important but how much is uh
1:48:50 clearing of you know how much how much
1:48:52 room do you need to clear around your
1:48:55 homes to safely protect you from the
1:48:58 wildfire is still a question mark in
1:49:01 this region until we learn more through
1:49:04 this um department of natural resources
1:49:06 study. So we don't have we don't know it
1:49:09 all at this point. Um we will be we are
1:49:12 watching where what kind of you know
1:49:15 maps come out. Uh we've also learned
1:49:17 that like in Oregon when those maps came
1:49:19 out uh insuranceances got dropped for
1:49:22 homeowners and so you know that's also
1:49:24 something to watch out for because that
1:49:26 doesn't help anyone. Um, so there
1:49:29 there's different layers of complexity
1:49:32 that comes with wildfire risk
1:49:33 protection. Um, and we'll have many
1:49:36 conversations with council and emergency
1:49:38 management as we learn more about that.
1:49:40 But as far as tree regulations go, um
1:49:44 you know there's also science around
1:49:47 what type of trees are more
1:49:49 fireresistant and will that adaptation
1:49:52 happen in climate with climate change
1:49:54 over time and can that be started
1:49:56 quickly so that the kind of vegetation
1:49:58 that you plan doesn't burn that quickly.
1:50:00 So lot more to come around that for for
1:50:04 this goound. we've allowed uh you know
1:50:06 if the if East Side Fire and Rescue goes
1:50:09 and does these assessments on a parcel
1:50:11 by parcel basis and they're not saying
1:50:14 clearcut everything around you um but
1:50:17 they're making those kind of you know
1:50:18 don't put any deadwood around your
1:50:20 structure close this out those kind of
1:50:23 common sense things that they're
1:50:24 requiring but like if there's branches
1:50:27 overhanging your roof they're asking
1:50:29 those pruning uh so in a limited way um
1:50:32 that's what this code allows folks to
1:50:37 >> Okay. So, I'm trying to understand is
1:50:39 there anything in our code that limits a
1:50:43 homeowner or property owner's ability to
1:50:47 have wildfire risk like mitigate their
1:50:50 risk? Um,
1:50:53 >> yeah, our existing code didn't have
1:50:54 anything. So, there's a provision that
1:50:56 we added in here saying if you get this
1:50:59 assessment from Eastside Fire and
1:51:00 Rescue, then you can you qualify for
1:51:03 tree removal.
1:51:05 Okay. So, we consider that a pathway
1:51:07 that increases
1:51:10 their ability to mitigate risk.
1:51:12 >> Correct. But where it gets complicated
1:51:13 is you have critical areas.
1:51:16 >> So the the test under the critical area
1:51:19 code is the state law of no net loss.
1:51:21 But you know uh so you have to be care.
1:51:25 So that's not fixed with the tree code.
1:51:27 That'll come after the wildland urban
1:51:29 interface
1:51:30 >> growth protection is
1:51:31 >> correct. Which we have a lot of. Yes.
1:51:33 >> Yeah. So, our understanding is the next
1:51:36 step for that is really working with the
1:51:39 state and the wildland urban interface.
1:51:41 >> best management practices. Yes.
1:51:43 >> Thank you.
1:51:45 >> Uh, Council Ms.
1:51:47 >> I mean, the problem with all that as a
1:51:50 homeowner's home whose home adjoin is
1:51:53 adjoined to a 5,000 acre open space is
1:51:56 that anything more than 20% is critical
1:51:58 slope and you can't and shouldn't take
1:52:01 those out. your your risk from slide on
1:52:04 Squawk Mountain is far higher if you
1:52:07 were to put a 100 foot buffer around
1:52:08 your home. Um you've got a lot more risk
1:52:10 from slide than you ever would that
1:52:12 you're going to um get hit with a with a
1:52:15 wildland fire. I mean the the the
1:52:17 challenge for the areas of the city that
1:52:19 are really I mean this valley is not at
1:52:21 risk from a wildland interface fire.
1:52:23 It's Squawk Mountain, it's Cougar, it's
1:52:26 uh you know the edge of the plateau and
1:52:29 all those places have critical slope,
1:52:31 right? So, we're severely limited in our
1:52:33 ability to respond to wildland and urban
1:52:35 interface fires. And the folks on
1:52:37 Squawk, the strategy is to just get off
1:52:39 the mountain if there's a if there's a
1:52:41 fire.
1:52:43 >> Additional questions?
1:52:47 I am not seeing any questions. Um, uh,
1:52:51 Chairman Hall, would you like to make a
1:52:53 motion? Do you have a motion in front of
1:53:00 I can hand it to you.
1:53:08 >> Got it.
1:53:10 >> Thanks. I move to adopt ordinance number
1:53:13 >> 3114
1:53:14 >> amending chapter 18.102
1:53:17 definitions and 18.1 or 18.812
1:53:22 tree preservation of the Isiqua
1:53:25 Municipal Code.
1:53:28 Second.
1:53:29 >> It's been moved and seconded. Um, let's
1:53:32 go to council discussion.
1:53:36 Council president.
1:53:39 Thank you. So, this is a really complex
1:53:43 one. This is something that we did have
1:53:45 a long conversation in the planning
1:53:47 development environment committee. It
1:53:49 also went through the environment board
1:53:51 and um the planning commission.
1:53:54 It had a lot of feedback from residents
1:53:58 and I think where we have come to is
1:54:02 these are necessary changes for several
1:54:06 reasons including our ability to
1:54:08 continue to respond to the bomb cyclone.
1:54:11 But we have not hit this out of the
1:54:13 park. The idea and I especially
1:54:17 appreciate the resident who came in and
1:54:19 showed here's what it looks like for all
1:54:21 of these other cities. Here's what the
1:54:23 costs are. Here's, you know, the simple
1:54:26 form that they have on their website
1:54:28 that shows you whether or not you need a
1:54:30 permit or what the um what your ability
1:54:36 We the way that we have created this
1:54:38 code does not make it easy for people to
1:54:41 comply and I think that puts us at a
1:54:44 disadvantage. It means that we are not
1:54:46 providing the customer service to our
1:54:48 community. So, I look forward to a
1:54:50 future time when we can really dig into
1:54:53 this and like uh council member Hall
1:54:56 said, talk about our goals and outcomes
1:54:58 chart, you know, because there are
1:55:00 several areas of tradeoff. There are
1:55:03 things of, you know, if you're requiring
1:55:07 somebody to keep every single tree, even
1:55:09 if it's a parking lot tree, that limits
1:55:12 the ability for a plot of land to be
1:55:15 redeveloped and provide lowerc cost
1:55:17 housing. There is the wildfire
1:55:21 mitigation risk. There's the idea of do
1:55:25 we want to keep every tree or are we
1:55:28 just going for canopy or do we want a
1:55:31 healthy forest that can survive and
1:55:33 thrive and has less wildfire risk. So I
1:55:36 I think there are a lot of conversations
1:55:38 that need to be hap uh need to occur.
1:55:42 But at this point, it's really, really
1:55:45 important to recognize that our previous
1:55:50 said that any tree that got removed,
1:55:51 whether or not it was a hazard tree or
1:55:53 whatnot, um, had to have this big canopy
1:55:58 coverage replacement that often made
1:56:01 that absolutely impossible on some of
1:56:03 these lots. And so this we are saying a
1:56:06 it only needs to be applied when there
1:56:09 is 50% plus redevelopment. You can do a
1:56:12 onetoone tree replacement. Um and it
1:56:17 provides some adjustments for the areas
1:56:20 of the central Isiqua area which I think
1:56:23 are really important for recognizing
1:56:25 what those trees in those parking lots
1:56:27 currently look like. Um, I think there
1:56:30 are still some areas to talk about here,
1:56:33 but I'm pleased that we have made this
1:56:36 progress. Um,
1:56:39 I'd like to look at in the future, how
1:56:42 do we avoid having something go through
1:56:45 so many areas, um, so many commissions
1:56:49 without an understanding of, um,
1:56:54 some of the other problems that the
1:56:56 community has faced. But I also
1:56:57 understand that we needed to make this
1:56:59 um flow through for the benefit of
1:57:02 residents. Um so I will be supporting
1:57:05 this. Thank you.
1:57:06 >> Other comments.
1:57:10 >> Um I've already spoke a little bit. Um
1:57:12 and I agree with what's been said. Um so
1:57:15 I'll keep it brief. I I just wanted to
1:57:16 say um although we're talking about like
1:57:19 what an reimagined tree code might look
1:57:21 like and things to do in the future,
1:57:23 staff did exactly what they were
1:57:25 supposed to do here. like they the the
1:57:28 charter for them was listen to what
1:57:29 communities problems were and then come
1:57:32 up with ways to adjust the code and have
1:57:35 solutions to those specific problems.
1:57:37 That is completely different from us
1:57:39 saying we really need to talk about
1:57:41 simplicity and all that. So anyone on
1:57:43 staff that touched these codes updates
1:57:46 um met with community I know you met
1:57:48 with several members of out in community
1:57:50 as well. Um just a deep thank you from
1:57:53 the committee, from the full council for
1:57:55 for doing all that work.
1:57:58 >> Uh council member Jen.
1:58:00 >> Yeah. Um as I've mentioned before, I'll
1:58:02 be supporting this tonight. I think just
1:58:05 going zooming out from, you know, the
1:58:07 specific aspects of tree code to, you
1:58:09 know, how are we going to achieve our
1:58:10 tree canopy? I think there's one aspect
1:58:12 of it that is like, you know, how do we
1:58:14 make sure people aren't just cutting
1:58:15 down trees willy-nilly, which is part of
1:58:17 the tree code, but there's also the how
1:58:19 do we invest in growing our tree canopy
1:58:20 and getting more trees? Um, and also,
1:58:22 you know, preserving the existing trees
1:58:24 that we have. For example, there's a lot
1:58:26 of uh trees in rightways that have
1:58:28 invasive ivy growing on them. You know,
1:58:30 should we be doing green is aqua
1:58:32 programs to maintain those trees that we
1:58:34 have, which are public infrastructure.
1:58:36 Um, so I look forward to, you know,
1:58:38 adding that aspect to the discussion
1:58:40 because I think, you know, the tree code
1:58:41 is one aspect of it, but then also the
1:58:43 how do we invest in making sure our
1:58:46 trees are healthy and getting more of
1:58:47 our trees that are also healthy is also
1:58:49 a key part of our conversation. Um, and
1:58:51 I think, you know, overindexing on we
1:58:54 don't want to cut down any trees while
1:58:57 ignoring, you know, while putting less
1:58:59 emphasis on, um, or I guess we want to
1:59:01 balance that with emphasis on we want to
1:59:03 make sure that we have the trees that we
1:59:04 need, that these trees are healthy, and
1:59:06 that's going to come through things
1:59:07 other than just the tree code.
1:59:10 Additional comments, discussion?
1:59:14 Seeing none, uh, we have a motion on the
1:59:18 table. adopt ordinance number 3114
1:59:21 amending chapter 18.102 definitions and
1:59:24 18.812 812 tree pres tree tree
1:59:26 preservation of the Isiqua Municipal
1:59:28 Code and all those in favor signify by
1:59:30 saying I
1:59:33 >> those opposed and that carries six and0
1:59:36 Minnie I just want to thank you team um
1:59:39 just not only for the excellent work you
1:59:40 did on the entire title 18 project but
1:59:42 your commitment to going through this
1:59:44 list of additional items and to be able
1:59:46 to pivot like you could after a bomb
1:59:48 cyclone to take on a community issue
1:59:51 like this and address what you asked. I
1:59:52 think it's always an opportunity and we
1:59:55 always learn that we want to have more
1:59:56 uh conversation about other things, but
1:59:59 you did hit it out of the park. Your
2:00:01 team did what they were asked with the
2:00:02 resources you had. You did a great job.
2:00:04 But I think there's a lot of information
2:00:06 that came up tonight that told us and
2:00:08 informed us what the next conversation
2:00:09 is going to look like. So, thank you
2:00:11 very much.
2:00:13 Okay, at this point in time, we are
2:00:15 going to move to committee and regional
2:00:17 reports and we'll start with Council
2:00:19 Member Jen.
2:00:20 >> Great. I have one report from the K4C
2:00:23 electeds committee. So we met last
2:00:25 Friday, October 3rd. Um this is a
2:00:28 smaller group than the full K4C elected
2:00:30 group. We had some great discussions
2:00:32 about the climate commitment act. So um
2:00:35 council member Neil Black from Kirkland
2:00:37 reported that he attended a business
2:00:38 forum where the climate commitment act
2:00:40 was a huge topic of discussion and
2:00:42 basically you know there's a lot of
2:00:43 skepticism from the business community
2:00:45 about the value that we are getting for
2:00:47 these tax dollars. Um, and so, you know,
2:00:50 I think one way that cities can
2:00:52 potentially come to the table is by
2:00:53 actually advocating for, you know,
2:00:55 making sure that the investments we're
2:00:57 making are actually getting the best
2:00:58 value for our money cuz there is, you
2:01:01 know, the voters have said by like a 30
2:01:03 point margin that this is something that
2:01:04 we want to do, but we do need to make
2:01:06 sure that, you know, with this $1
2:01:07 billion a year, we're actually getting
2:01:09 the best value for the money. Um, and so
2:01:12 I, you know, pushing for more
2:01:13 transparent and datadriven allocations
2:01:15 of this money, making sure we're getting
2:01:16 good value in terms of, you know, carbon
2:01:19 abate abated per dollar invested. Um,
2:01:21 those are the types of things that I
2:01:23 think, you know, as city as cities, we
2:01:25 should be looking for our state to be
2:01:28 doing. Um, so more to come on that, but
2:01:30 it was it was a great discussion because
2:01:32 I think, you know, that kind of just
2:01:33 came up and we uh chat about that. Um,
2:01:36 there's also going to be a K4C working
2:01:38 session, I believe, in the King County
2:01:40 offices on um October
2:01:44 uh I think 20.
2:01:49 Okay, it's later in October. There's
2:01:51 going to be a bigger um you know, work
2:01:53 session for city council members um
2:01:55 across King County to talk about uh you
2:01:58 know, some of the different climate work
2:01:59 that we're doing. So, I will be
2:02:00 attending that as well.
2:02:02 >> Council member Jen, if you could check
2:02:03 in with me. The South Cities Association
2:02:04 is also requesting for additional data
2:02:06 for transparency for the climate
2:02:08 commitment act funding in terms of
2:02:09 different graphics showing uh where the
2:02:12 most polluted areas are and whether or
2:02:14 not the funding is being spent in those
2:02:16 neighborhoods that are most impacted. So
2:02:17 since I don't go to KC4 K4C and you do,
2:02:20 I would like to connect with you and
2:02:21 make sure if we're going to make an ask
2:02:23 of the state legislature that we put
2:02:24 them together.
2:02:26 >> Yes, definitely would be happy to do
2:02:27 that. And I've also personally read
2:02:29 through the reports from Department of
2:02:31 Ecology and uh I think they have a lot
2:02:34 of room to improve.
2:02:35 >> Yes, they do. Okay. Council uh Council
2:02:38 Member Joe is has an excused absence
2:02:40 this evening and we're going to go to
2:02:41 Council Member Hall.
2:02:43 >> Believe it or not, no report this
2:02:45 evening. Yeah.
2:02:46 >> Wow. We will move to Council Member Ray.
2:02:49 >> Uh no report.
2:02:50 >> Wow. Council member Martz.
2:02:52 >> Thank you, Madame Mayor. Um, council
2:02:54 services safety and parks committee met
2:02:56 on Tuesday, September 30th. Uh, first
2:02:59 thing we looked at was water leak
2:03:00 adjustment policy. Uh, we recommended to
2:03:03 add the ordinance as presented to the
2:03:05 consent calendar of the October 20th
2:03:07 city council meeting. Uh, we felt that
2:03:10 the proposed policy seemed reasonable
2:03:12 and fair. It was uh presented in the
2:03:15 context of ba basically it allowed a a
2:03:18 one-time uh a standard policy of having
2:03:21 a one-time adjustment. Um the the
2:03:24 amounts involved seemed reasonable. It
2:03:26 was compared against other
2:03:27 municipalities. Um so we're not a
2:03:29 outlier in being particularly generous
2:03:31 on this. Um proposed policy requires
2:03:34 customers to pay for the water used and
2:03:36 associated infrastructure maintenance
2:03:37 cost just not at the regular water
2:03:39 conservation rates. That's how the
2:03:41 adjustment uh works. So we recommended
2:03:44 bringing that back on consent. Uh then
2:03:46 we we had a briefing on ebikes um from
2:03:49 from Chief Schwan and uh basically that
2:03:52 we recommended to add this to the
2:03:54 October 28th services, safety and parks
2:03:57 committee meeting to review a draft
2:03:59 ordinance that would be be prepared and
2:04:01 presented by staff based on feedback. So
2:04:03 our feedback was that police officers
2:04:05 need to be supported and have the tools
2:04:06 and training needed for enforcement of
2:04:09 our ebike policy. This is a safety
2:04:11 issue. uh there
2:04:14 there was support for public education
2:04:17 opportunities in in addition to
2:04:19 enforcement options uh for the IPD. We
2:04:22 also said we'd like to see support be
2:04:24 added for our legislative priority list
2:04:26 and advocate for state legislative
2:04:28 action. Um and um then there was an open
2:04:32 question about whether the city should
2:04:34 create its own rules or wait for state
2:04:36 legislative action. I think we
2:04:37 definitely want to um put in place
2:04:41 enforcement mechanisms for existing
2:04:44 legislation, but I think there's a hope
2:04:45 that uh the state will take more action
2:04:48 um because there's just there's just
2:04:51 this uh legislative hole um uh into
2:04:54 which ebikes fit and that's causing a
2:04:58 public safety issue.
2:05:00 Um and then um the Sound Cities uh
2:05:04 public issue Sound Cities Association
2:05:06 public issues committee is coming up
2:05:08 this Wednesday, October 8th. Uh we are
2:05:11 going to uh review for action a letter
2:05:15 on indigent defense case load standards
2:05:17 to the legislature. I just want to
2:05:19 highlight one paragraph, Kelly, out of
2:05:24 uh out of uh our letter, which is in
2:05:26 right to council services in the 50
2:05:28 states, the Sixth Amendment Center notes
2:05:30 that Washington state is one of only
2:05:32 eight states that require local
2:05:33 governments to provide a majority of the
2:05:35 funding needed to support indigent
2:05:37 defense services at the local level. The
2:05:39 paper also outlines that state funding
2:05:41 as opposed to local funding of indigent
2:05:43 defense services is proven to be the
2:05:46 most stable and equitable source of
2:05:47 funding. Hopefully, our state
2:05:49 legislators will make of that what they
2:05:51 will. Uh and
2:05:55 and then uh the other item is going to
2:05:58 be uh for culture doors open
2:06:00 presentation. So when the King County
2:06:02 Council passed the uh forculture levy,
2:06:05 the regional policy council stipulated
2:06:07 in the ordinance that forculture was
2:06:09 required to have a communication plan to
2:06:11 jurisdictions regarding the use of the
2:06:13 levy funds. For cultures presentation to
2:06:15 the PIC is the first step in that plan
2:06:18 to provide some basic context and begin
2:06:20 engaging pick in a discussion of how for
2:06:22 for cultures and sound cities should
2:06:24 communicate going forward. This is also
2:06:27 I will just say editorially pick getting
2:06:29 back on track to representing value for
2:06:33 our city.
2:06:34 >> That concludes my report.
2:06:36 >> Deputy council president.
2:06:38 >> Uh I have no report tonight. Thank you.
2:06:40 >> Wow. Council president.
2:06:42 >> Thank you. I had two meetings on October
2:06:45 the 2nd. The Puget Sound Regional
2:06:47 Council's Growth Management Policy
2:06:49 Board. um agenda included we saw cities
2:06:53 and county within the county working
2:06:56 together to create pre-approved ADU
2:07:00 plans. Um all of the cities came
2:07:02 together and it cost them $10 to $20,000
2:07:05 to create these architectural plans of
2:07:08 ADUs that fit every single one of their
2:07:10 cities um codes. And so they've just
2:07:14 adopted that and then also talked about
2:07:17 ways to maintain it. I thought it was
2:07:19 really interesting idea.
2:07:20 >> Um we took a look at our um potential
2:07:23 state legislative agenda. Uh we had a
2:07:26 report on the regional senator regional
2:07:30 regional centers monitoring. So as you
2:07:33 know we have a uh regional center in the
2:07:36 central plan and ours is not uh
2:07:40 accommodating the amount of growth in
2:07:42 housing or jobs that um it was intended
2:07:46 for. And so they're trying to understand
2:07:50 how do we work with this when some of
2:07:53 the regional centers are exceeding the
2:07:56 capacity and others have not um gotten
2:07:59 to that point. I made several comments
2:08:02 about hey uh we haven't actually gotten
2:08:04 the transit that would support that
2:08:06 >> light rail.
2:08:07 >> Yep. So um encouraged them to allow for
2:08:11 circumstances such as that um rather
2:08:14 than changing. that another alternative
2:08:16 they had proposed for some of the
2:08:19 centers that are not yet meeting those
2:08:21 targets um was potentially um county
2:08:25 uh centers. So, it's a continuing
2:08:27 conversation. They just wanted to get
2:08:28 some of our feedback um on that as they
2:08:31 continue thinking through what the
2:08:32 regional centers look like. Um and then
2:08:35 there is also a proposal out there to
2:08:38 change the board membership for GMPB.
2:08:42 Um, right now SCA, the Sun Cities
2:08:46 Association appoints I want to say
2:08:49 something like six seats. Um, and there
2:08:53 are only a few cities within King County
2:08:55 that have dedicated seats. Um, and the
2:08:59 proposal on board is basically to take
2:09:02 any city that has over 80,000 population
2:09:06 within this several county area and give
2:09:10 them dedicated seats. And so for King
2:09:13 County, that would reduce the other city
2:09:17 um appointment to only one. So you would
2:09:20 end up with Belleview and Redmond and
2:09:24 Kent and Auburn and all of those having
2:09:27 their own dedicated seats on this. So
2:09:31 considering this is a regional council
2:09:34 um and the growth management policy
2:09:36 board. So that is one policy that is out
2:09:39 there. I would be happy to hear from
2:09:40 anyone. It is something that came up as
2:09:43 um PSRC is kind of evaluating
2:09:47 how their boards are made up and what
2:09:50 the representation looks like. Um and
2:09:53 then the King County affordable housing
2:09:54 committee met and we talked about
2:09:57 legislative priorities and our work
2:09:59 plan. And that concludes my report.
2:10:02 >> Thank you, Council President. There will
2:10:03 be an executive session this evening to
2:10:05 discuss pending or potential litigation
2:10:07 for RCW42.30.1101.
2:10:08 30.110
2:10:10 pern 1 PN I and it's expected to take
2:10:12 approximately 15 minutes. So, as
2:10:16 everybody on the east side knows, Salmon
2:10:18 Day's weekend was a huge success. It was
2:10:21 wonderful, and I couldn't be more proud
2:10:23 of our town, our community, our
2:10:25 volunteers, our chamber, and uh all of
2:10:28 our organizations like the salmon bakers
2:10:30 that come on us um that make this such a
2:10:33 fantastic, fantastic event. So, it was
2:10:35 slightly gloomy weather, but it was
2:10:37 still nice to see so many people come
2:10:38 together and support our local
2:10:40 community. Many, many thanks to the
2:10:42 Isqua Chamber of Commerce and their team
2:10:44 for organizing this beloved event and to
2:10:46 all the partners who were involved to
2:10:48 make sure this was successful weekend.
2:10:51 There are a couple of upcoming events.
2:10:53 There's a Sycamore community meeting on
2:10:55 Wednesday, October 8th, where the city
2:10:56 is hosting a community a meeting at
2:10:59 Gibson Hall to talk about some upcoming
2:11:01 projects happening in the Sycamore
2:11:02 neighborhood. We'll give an update since
2:11:05 our last meeting we had with this group
2:11:07 back in April 2024. We'll share what's
2:11:09 new and we'll talk through the projects
2:11:11 that are getting close to construction.
2:11:13 We'll also cover what to expect, answer
2:11:15 your questions, and highlight
2:11:17 environmental stewardship information.
2:11:18 There'll be a short presentation and
2:11:20 plenty of time for conversation. Uh
2:11:22 we're doing this to keep them all in the
2:11:24 loop so that they can hear um so that we
2:11:27 can hear your thoughts. So, please drop
2:11:28 by anytime during our openhouse hours.
2:11:31 There is a Talis Residential Association
2:11:34 annual meeting it on Wednesday, October
2:11:36 8th at Cougar Mountain Middle School at
2:11:39 6 PM and city representatives will
2:11:41 attend to provide an update on important
2:11:43 community topics and be available to
2:11:45 answer questions from the residents. The
2:11:47 Talis community residents are all
2:11:49 encouraged to attend. There is a
2:11:51 candidate form for city council and
2:11:53 Isqua school board. Get to know the
2:11:54 candidates for city council and the
2:11:56 Isiqua school board at the upcoming
2:11:58 candidate forum hosted by Kuanas Club of
2:12:00 Isiqua and the Isiqua branch of the
2:12:02 American Association of University
2:12:04 Women. Candidates will answer community
2:12:06 submitted questions and share their
2:12:08 perspectives on key issues. The forum
2:12:10 continues Wednesday, October 8th at 6:30
2:12:13 p.m. in City Hall South and is open to
2:12:15 the public. And if you can't make it in
2:12:18 person, you will be able to watch it
2:12:19 live on channel 21 or on the city's
2:12:21 YouTube channel. And the last event is a
2:12:24 town hall on climate action. And I'm
2:12:26 inviting the community to join me at the
2:12:27 Isqua Library on October 15th for a town
2:12:30 hall on climate action. We'll celebrate
2:12:32 our community's successes in
2:12:33 sustainability and climate action and
2:12:35 hear what's coming next in the climate
2:12:36 action plan update. You'll have the
2:12:38 opportunity to interact with staff and
2:12:40 community partners to provide your input
2:12:42 on this update and other sustainability
2:12:43 initiatives that are happening in our
2:12:45 city. The event behead held at the
2:12:47 Isiqua Library on October 15th from 6:00
2:12:49 to 7:30. I hope to see you all there.
2:12:52 We are going to move into good of the
2:12:54 order. And who has any items? Uh I have
2:12:57 a couple of meetings to announce.
2:12:58 Council President.
2:13:01 >> Yeah. Um I just wanted to second the uh
2:13:05 celebration of salmon days. It was truly
2:13:08 wonderful. And um as I was talking to
2:13:11 city administrator Bob Quitz, the idea
2:13:13 that you can look around town today
2:13:16 >> and recognize everything that was here
2:13:18 over this weekend is truly truly
2:13:21 remarkable. So a wonderful job not only
2:13:25 running a successful
2:13:27 Salmon Days event, but also just
2:13:31 disappearing it overnight um is is
2:13:35 really quite remarkable. And so I wanted
2:13:37 to thank the chamber for that. Um,
2:13:40 looking ahead into fun activities, um,
2:13:44 the pumpkin derby is coming up. Uh, this
2:13:48 year, uh, Deputy Council President D.
2:13:51 Michelle is going to be leading the way
2:13:54 on creating our pumpkin derby for
2:13:57 members of the community. This is a
2:13:59 staff event that we utilize to create
2:14:02 just a wonderful opportunity to come
2:14:05 together and uh we take pumpkins, we put
2:14:09 them on carts and we race them down an
2:14:12 area and so the council has our own cart
2:14:16 and I think we've made it down one time.
2:14:19 >> It's not easy.
2:14:20 >> Yeah.
2:14:21 >> We we have a rocket scientist so we need
2:14:23 to get involved in this. Anyway, uh
2:14:26 looking forward to that time. I would
2:14:28 love to get anyone involved. So, please
2:14:30 do contact Barb um if that is something
2:14:33 you are interested in doing. Thank you.
2:14:35 >> That's great. Um I'm just going to add
2:14:37 in that council president and I have
2:14:39 been responding to Sound Cities
2:14:40 Association about um what committees,
2:14:44 boards people would like to sit on.
2:14:46 There are a couple of vacancies coming
2:14:48 up from council members or the mayor
2:14:50 that are leaving that are important
2:14:52 seats for the city of Isqua to be
2:14:54 sitting in. So there'll probably be some
2:14:56 requests for you to consider adding some
2:14:59 of these to ones that you currently have
2:15:01 or if you are looking to add some new
2:15:03 ones because we want to make sure we
2:15:04 don't lose the footprint that we have in
2:15:06 the region which is pretty strong
2:15:08 probably one of the strongest for any
2:15:10 councils in King County to be honest we
2:15:11 have a pretty good one. Um any more good
2:15:14 of the order before I go to a couple of
2:15:15 meetings. Okay, there's a committee of
2:15:18 the whole on Monday, October 13th, and
2:15:20 the anticipated agenda items include the
2:15:22 north south traffic study and the 202526
2:15:25 midbian budget adjustment. The next
2:15:28 regular council meeting is Monday,
2:15:29 October 20th. Anticipated agenda items
2:15:32 include public hearings on the property
2:15:34 tax levy and midbayanium budget
2:15:36 adjustment, the utility rate study, and
2:15:39 the Washington State Department of
2:15:41 Transportation transfer development
2:15:43 rights development agreement extension
2:15:45 for Belleview College. And city
2:15:47 administrator, I know we also put out a
2:15:49 survey about a potential additional
2:15:51 council meeting.
2:15:54 >> Yes, madame mayor. We're asking the
2:15:55 council to consider a special meeting on
2:15:58 Monday, October 27th. uh to consider mid
2:16:01 bianium budget issues.
2:16:04 >> Thank you. So, we're waiting to make
2:16:05 sure that that is a date that works for
2:16:07 everyone, but maybe just we'll throw it
2:16:09 out there for now. If there's nothing
2:16:11 else under the order, I'll go to the
2:16:12 executive session. Um this is ID
2:16:17 1919 pending potential litigation per
2:16:20 RCW 42.30.1101
2:16:23 PNI. Uh we're having this session
2:16:25 tonight to discuss pending potential
2:16:27 litigation. The item is expected to take
2:16:30 approximately 15 minutes and there is no
2:16:32 action anticipated to follow in open
2:16:34 session and we are going to enter that
2:16:36 executive session at 9:18.
2:16:42 Going to ask the city clerk to move the
2:16:43 city council and any staff into the
2:16:45 separate session.

Attendance

Council / Members (6)
Barbara de Michele
Zach Hall
Kelly Jiang
Tola Marts
Chris Reh
Lindsey Walsh
Staff (4)
Wally Bobkiewicz, City Administrator
Andrea Snyder, Deputy City Administrator
Rachel Bender Turpin, City Attorney
Tisha Gieser, City Clerk
Excused
Russell Joe

Motions and votes (3)

approve the consent agenda as presented. . a)
Moved by Council President Walsh · seconded by Deputy Council President de Michele
Carried 6-0
In favor: Barbara de Michele, Zach Hall, Kelly Jiang, Tola Marts, Chris Reh, Lindsey Walsh
Adopt Ordinance No. 3113, enacting an additional sales and use tax of one tenth of one percent for criminal justice purposes as authorized by RCW 82.14.345; and adding a new section 3.04.027 to the Issaquah Municipal Code. b)
Moved by Council President Walsh · seconded by Deputy Council President de Michele
Carried 6-0
In favor: de Michele, Hall, Jiang, Marts, Reh, Walsh
Absent: Joe
Adopt Ordinance No. 3114, amending Chapter 18.102, Definitions, and 18.812, Tree Preservation, of the Issaquah Municipal Code.
Moved by Councilmember Hall · seconded by Councilmember Jiang
Carried 6-0
In favor: de Michele, Hall, Jiang, Marts, Reh, Walsh
Absent: Joe