City Council Special Meeting · Monday, May 22, 2023 · City Council Digest

2. CLOSED SESSION

The purpose of this special meeting is to allow the City Council to recess into Executive Session to discuss property acquisition per RCW 42.30.110(1)(b) and the sale of real estate per RCW to take approximately 45 minutes. Please note, Executive Sessions are closed to the public. Action, if needed, would occur during the open session of a Regular Council meeting

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0:03 ↗ okay welcome everyone I council

0:05 ↗ president Walsh called the May 22nd

0:07 ↗ special committee meeting of the whole

0:08 ↗ order or meeting of the Committee of the

0:12 ↗ whole meeting to order at 7 20 PM uh

0:17 ↗ there are multiple opportunities for

0:19 ↗ public comment at tonight's meeting the

0:22 ↗ first is a general public comment

0:23 ↗ opportunity at the beginning of the

0:25 ↗ meeting or you can make comments after

0:27 ↗ the presentation and counsel question

0:29 ↗ and answer period on the two agenda

0:32 ↗ items on the meeting tonight

0:34 ↗ on that item we have two items we're

0:38 ↗ going to address ID 1431 which is

0:41 ↗ affordable housing goals for future

0:42 ↗ capital investment and ID 1343

0:46 ↗ discussing Police Court and City Hall

0:49 ↗ planning future options and funding

0:51 ↗ so for our first order business public

0:53 ↗ comment members the public can address

0:55 ↗ council at this time in person or

0:58 ↗ virtually those who signed up in advance

0:59 ↗ to make comments will be called on first

1:02 ↗ if you're joining us virtually and would

1:04 ↗ like to make comments you can press star

1:06 ↗ three if you're on the phone or if you

1:09 ↗ join by computer or smartphone you're

1:12 ↗ going to look for your hand icon or send

1:15 ↗ the host a chat message and if you're in

1:18 ↗ the room and didn't sign up I'll ask for

1:20 ↗ other speakers before closing this

1:21 ↗ portion of the meeting

1:23 ↗ so we're going to wait a moment see if

1:25 ↗ anyone wishes to raise their hand clerk

1:30 ↗ did we have any bun sign up to speak

1:33 ↗ Mr President no one signed up on the

1:35 ↗ sign-in sheet but I know that we have

1:36 ↗ several members of the public in the

1:39 ↗ room and we also have a member of the

1:42 ↗ public online who would like to address

1:43 ↗ the committee

1:45 ↗ okay so if there's a member online

1:48 ↗ that's already raised their hand I will

1:50 ↗ let them go I will definitely ask for

1:52 ↗ options so let's

1:56 ↗ um I am going to read over our

2:00 ↗ um item so public comments are an

2:02 ↗ important part of the public process we

2:04 ↗ take them seriously and Factor them into

2:06 ↗ the decisions we make please direct

2:08 ↗ comments to the whole city council and

2:09 ↗ not individuals well this is not a

2:12 ↗ question and answer session we will

2:13 ↗ contact you to follow up if needed when

2:15 ↗ recognized please unmute your microphone

2:18 ↗ for virtual attendees or step up the

2:21 ↗ lectern up here and you're going to

2:22 ↗ press the button until it turns red

2:24 ↗ state your name address and relationship

2:27 ↗ to City speak clearly and pause

2:30 ↗ frequently and limit your comments to

2:32 ↗ five minutes

2:33 ↗ if you're attending virtually and do not

2:35 ↗ respond after your name or phone number

2:37 ↗ is called or if your connection is lost

2:39 ↗ unexpectedly the meeting will need to

2:42 ↗ proceed you're encouraged to rejoin the

2:44 ↗ meeting if able personal Tech subscene

2:46 ↗ language derogatory remarks and

2:48 ↗ disruptive behavior will not be

2:50 ↗ permitted so clerk can you identify the

2:52 ↗ first person who signed up to speak

2:54 ↗ council president Brian R is online

2:59 ↗ uh Brian I'm making you a panelist you

3:02 ↗ should see the option to unmute and turn

3:05 ↗ on your video

3:12 ↗ I believe you're still muted on your

3:14 ↗ side

3:15 ↗ okay can you hear me we can thanks

3:18 ↗ great

3:19 ↗ um thank you I apologize I'm not too

3:22 ↗ prepared I presented or

3:25 ↗ gave comment last month as well I'm part

3:28 ↗ of the ownership and Development Group

3:30 ↗ that owns the Red Robin in Pickering

3:33 ↗ place and in part of the central Squad

3:35 ↗ plan and we've been evaluating and

3:38 ↗ investigating for the past year of how

3:40 ↗ we can get moved forward on a potential

3:44 ↗ for mixed use

3:45 ↗ multi-family on that site within

3:47 ↗ Pickering place

3:49 ↗ per year development objectives and we

3:53 ↗ asked a question with the economic

3:56 ↗ development director as well as your

3:58 ↗ group as well as if we could get into

4:00 ↗ this Pioneer project designation or

4:04 ↗ status because we really need some

4:06 ↗ relief on various areas to to make the

4:09 ↗ project viable the question was

4:12 ↗ subsequently asked about I guess in

4:14 ↗ specificity about you know the

4:17 ↗ structured impact costs as well as the

4:19 ↗ IC zoning classification just to give

4:22 ↗ and reiterate more detail on it the the

4:25 ↗ impact of of structured parking is very

4:28 ↗ significant obviously

4:30 ↗ rents I guess I'll kind of go through

4:33 ↗ the whole the whole thing and it doesn't

4:34 ↗ make this viable at different time rents

4:37 ↗ and Issaquah are lower than other urban

4:40 ↗ communities

4:42 ↗ um like for example for Bellevue and

4:45 ↗ which is the way you see more Garden

4:48 ↗ style type Apartments without structured

4:50 ↗ parking rents are about a dollar a

4:53 ↗ square foot or more less than those

4:55 ↗ other areas where we're building Tod

4:57 ↗ projects at these various stations

5:00 ↗ and also when you layer in the

5:03 ↗ inclusionary housing

5:05 ↗ um without tax abatements meeting

5:06 ↗ without an mft program it it it moves it

5:10 ↗ into the completely unviable area

5:13 ↗ um and so the the parameters that I we

5:17 ↗ spoke about last month was

5:20 ↗ um in the other markets that we're in

5:22 ↗ and along the the Bell red Corridor out

5:25 ↗ to Redmond all those projects are being

5:30 ↗ being developed at 80 Ami some at 10

5:33 ↗ there's a few of them at 20 percent and

5:35 ↗ a majority of those have mft some of

5:38 ↗ those

5:39 ↗ um you can pay in lieu of as well to

5:42 ↗ make them more viable

5:44 ↗ um so in today's I guess in summary in

5:46 ↗ today's market that

5:48 ↗ um you know we need to be at least

5:50 ↗ competitive to where those are and again

5:52 ↗ I the backdrop aside from all the uh the

5:56 ↗ inclusionary zoning aspect which if we

5:58 ↗ drop below 80 makes it unviable but

6:01 ↗ we're also fighting against were a

6:04 ↗ dollar a square foot under so we're at a

6:06 ↗ point where we're looking to to say can

6:08 ↗ we move this forward we're trying to

6:10 ↗ track Capital as it and everybody does

6:13 ↗ their due diligence and they're seeing

6:14 ↗ these deficits that we're trying to make

6:16 ↗ up to make this work and so that in a

6:20 ↗ long story short is why we're asking for

6:21 ↗ you know what could be what aspects

6:24 ↗ could be put into this uh to make this

6:27 ↗ quote unquote pencil has been reported

6:30 ↗ and we're happy to share development

6:32 ↗ performance

6:33 ↗ um and again as a backdrop or recap from

6:36 ↗ from last month we have in the last

6:39 ↗ decade done 29

6:42 ↗ Tod sites in Seattle and Bellevue and

6:46 ↗ Redmond and have several under

6:48 ↗ construction currently have a few

6:50 ↗ stalled because of the current interest

6:53 ↗ rate

6:54 ↗ dilemma but that's even outside of this

6:56 ↗ discussion we hope that all gets worked

6:58 ↗ out in the next two three years but

7:00 ↗ um and and again I think we we really

7:04 ↗ want to ask for could we be in this

7:06 ↗ Pioneer project status and what does

7:10 ↗ that entail and we could share with you

7:11 ↗ and be transparent with you about the

7:13 ↗ numbers both comparatively what other

7:15 ↗ projects are that are able to move

7:17 ↗ forward and where this site and being in

7:21 ↗ Issaquah itself sits so I'm happy to

7:24 ↗ move that discussion forward and happy

7:25 ↗ to be transparent but I'm just very

7:28 ↗ curious about this this program thank

7:30 ↗ you

7:31 ↗ Brian

7:34 ↗ the in the audience anybody interested

7:37 ↗ in making comments at this time

7:45 ↗ so you can yeah if you would like to

7:47 ↗ come you can open up state your name and

7:51 ↗ all of that that would be great

7:53 ↗ great hello I'm Rachel Wright I'm

7:56 ↗ co-chair of the Issaquah Arts commission

7:58 ↗ and a member of the creative District

8:00 ↗ Advisory Board

8:02 ↗ tonight I'm joined by two colleagues

8:04 ↗ from The Advisory Board Juliet and

8:06 ↗ Leslie

8:07 ↗ we understand that the city is looking

8:08 ↗ at space requirements for our growing

8:10 ↗ community in Issaquah

8:12 ↗ we are not here tonight with a specific

8:14 ↗ ask

8:15 ↗ we are here to plan a few seeds to help

8:18 ↗ get people thinking about the reality of

8:20 ↗ our creative Community today

8:22 ↗ and we want to share an emerging vision

8:25 ↗ for a creative Hub in Issaquah

8:28 ↗ we envision a vibrant place where people

8:31 ↗ come together as a community to create

8:33 ↗ learn and share experiences

8:36 ↗ at the Arts commission and through the

8:38 ↗ creative District Advisory Board we are

8:40 ↗ listening to the needs of the community

8:43 ↗ I've spoken with the council before

8:45 ↗ regarding the art commission Grant

8:47 ↗ request and the need for space

8:49 ↗ in our last round of Grant making more

8:51 ↗ than half the applicants plan to use the

8:54 ↗ funds to pay for renting a space

8:57 ↗ in 2019 as Issaquah Was preparing to

9:00 ↗ become a creative District we asked the

9:03 ↗ community for input on the kinds of

9:04 ↗ amenities that they would like to see

9:07 ↗ over 500 ideas were submitted and themes

9:11 ↗ surrounding the need for Creative space

9:12 ↗ emerged in the form of ideas for artist

9:15 ↗ Studios Galleries and a community art

9:18 ↗ space

9:19 ↗ in 2022 we conducted three focus groups

9:22 ↗ structured to capture feedback from Arts

9:25 ↗ Educators emerging artists and

9:27 ↗ practicing artists across these groups

9:30 ↗ we heard the need for classes and

9:32 ↗ activities that support personal and

9:34 ↗ career development in the Arts and

9:36 ↗ promote creativity as a part of personal

9:38 ↗ well-being

9:41 ↗ there is a need to build and strengthen

9:43 ↗ our creative community

9:45 ↗ participants expressed the need for

9:46 ↗ cultivating and promoting creative

9:48 ↗ resources that can connect makers

9:51 ↗ Educators and Spectators in Issaquah

9:54 ↗ alongside all this there is the

9:56 ↗ underlying need for space an

9:58 ↗ approachable and affordable place to

10:00 ↗ create gather and network and quite

10:03 ↗ simply a place in our community to go

10:05 ↗ and be inspired

10:07 ↗ we are looking at these needs through

10:09 ↗ the lens of a creative hub

10:11 ↗ and when we look around Issaquah and its

10:13 ↗ creative District although we are

10:15 ↗ anchored by Village Theater and we have

10:17 ↗ a strong range of businesses that

10:19 ↗ provide music lessons we can see that

10:21 ↗ foundational pieces for the visual arts

10:24 ↗ and creative economy are missing

10:26 ↗ where are the art galleries and artist

10:28 ↗ Studios where is the community center

10:30 ↗ for exhibitions classes and events

10:34 ↗ we are planning and we are partnering

10:36 ↗ this means identifying short-term

10:38 ↗ opportunities while setting a foundation

10:40 ↗ for a long-term home for the Arts and

10:42 ↗ Issaquah

10:44 ↗ short term we are getting a better

10:45 ↗ understanding of of available city-owned

10:48 ↗ spaces if they can be used and how

10:52 ↗ as part of this research we'll be

10:54 ↗ running a few classes through the parks

10:56 ↗ department for real world feedback from

10:58 ↗ instructors and participants we are also

11:01 ↗ piloting the creation of gallery spaces

11:03 ↗ with and within existing businesses in

11:06 ↗ Issaquah

11:07 ↗ finally the Arts commission recently

11:10 ↗ formed a committee to identify and study

11:12 ↗ available spaces that can be rented and

11:15 ↗ revamped for art making artist Studios

11:17 ↗ and hosting creative events

11:20 ↗ our aim is to provide proposal on the

11:22 ↗ steps and resources needed to establish

11:24 ↗ and open a new creative Hub in Issaquah

11:26 ↗ we look forward to updating you on our

11:28 ↗ progress thank you

11:30 ↗ thank you thank you Rachel

11:32 ↗ does anybody else want to speak

11:34 ↗ go ahead

11:38 ↗ hi my name is Julia it's Ripley

11:40 ↗ dunkelberger and I'm a resident of the

11:43 ↗ City of Issaquah and Southco

11:45 ↗ I am also a practicing professional

11:47 ↗ artist

11:48 ↗ a teaching artist I instruct ceramics at

11:52 ↗ the Kirkland Art Center

11:53 ↗ I'm a member of the creative District

11:55 ↗ Advisory Board I'm the president of the

11:58 ↗ Columbia City Gallery in Seattle

12:00 ↗ I'm a creativity researcher

12:03 ↗ and I was an instructor at Art East

12:05 ↗ before they before they left and a

12:08 ↗ previous member of the Issaquah

12:10 ↗ Philharmonic so I've been involved in

12:12 ↗ the Visual Arts and Music in Issaquah

12:15 ↗ since we moved here and

12:18 ↗ 1995 or so

12:20 ↗ so I'd like to share some of my

12:22 ↗ experiences as an instructor and an

12:24 ↗ artist and a musician

12:25 ↗ as a Ceramics instructor at Kirkland

12:28 ↗ Arts Center I have students from

12:29 ↗ throughout the region a number of my

12:31 ↗ students come from would be island one

12:34 ↗ from La Conner Auburn Snohomish North

12:37 ↗ Bend so it's it's pretty broad spectrum

12:41 ↗ of people that they're drawing from

12:43 ↗ they all come for pretty much the same

12:46 ↗ reason we have robust programs with

12:49 ↗ really good instruction thank you

12:52 ↗ and

12:54 ↗ the inspiration and camaraderie that

12:57 ↗ they find within those communities is

12:59 ↗ really really rewarding

13:02 ↗ so the Kirkland Arts Center serves over

13:04 ↗ 400 or 540 students with about 45

13:07 ↗ courses and it kind of Ebbs and flows

13:09 ↗ but that's about the average for per

13:11 ↗ quarter

13:12 ↗ and also offers Open studio times

13:15 ↗ many of the courses since about 2016

13:18 ↗ have been filling within the first day

13:21 ↗ of registration and then have waiting

13:23 ↗ lists for each quarter

13:26 ↗ so there's plenty of space for more art

13:28 ↗ centers in the area

13:32 ↗ um

13:35 ↗ the experience that most students have

13:38 ↗ coming into a classroom and getting to

13:41 ↗ work with an instructor and simply get

13:42 ↗ better at their craft most of them I see

13:45 ↗ would no matter what kind of day they're

13:46 ↗ having when they walk in they feel

13:48 ↗ better when they leave

13:50 ↗ one of the things that they're learning

13:52 ↗ is creative efficacy meaning that they

13:54 ↗ are learning how to come up with options

13:57 ↗ for problems and search for ways to

14:01 ↗ develop Solutions and whether you're

14:03 ↗ working in the visual arts music or

14:07 ↗ you're an engineer or a doctor those are

14:10 ↗ super super important skills so the Arts

14:12 ↗ actually teach us a lot of things Way

14:14 ↗ Beyond learning how to paint properly or

14:18 ↗ throw throw on the Wheel

14:20 ↗ there was a recent cross-cultural study

14:23 ↗ that I found that came out in 2021

14:25 ↗ that looked at 1400 office workers

14:30 ↗ throughout the pandemic from the U.S

14:32 ↗ from Germany and from China and they

14:35 ↗ found that those that participated in

14:38 ↗ Creative Endeavors over the course of

14:41 ↗ the pandemic ended up developing greater

14:44 ↗ creative efficacy they felt better about

14:47 ↗ their ability to actually go out and

14:49 ↗ change their environment or solve

14:51 ↗ problems and they also felt more

14:53 ↗ connected socially and that's one of the

14:55 ↗ things that our communities are really

14:57 ↗ in desperate need of right now

15:00 ↗ so Kirkland Art Center has supported

15:02 ↗ that need by dedicated spaces to mediums

15:04 ↗ which require single use spaces there

15:08 ↗ are a lot of mediums meaning paint or

15:11 ↗ crayon or chalk or whatever that you can

15:15 ↗ use a flexible space for you could have

15:17 ↗ multiple different kinds of classes in

15:19 ↗ one space And Then There are mediums

15:21 ↗ where they don't play well with others

15:23 ↗ unfortunately as a Ceramics instructor I

15:26 ↗ practice one of those Ceramics it gets

15:28 ↗ dusty it kind of makes a mess so we

15:31 ↗ can't do glass fusing in the same space

15:33 ↗ where we would teach ceramics

15:36 ↗ having those dedicated spaces has

15:39 ↗ allowed the Kirkland Arts Center to

15:40 ↗ really develop a robust program in print

15:42 ↗ making and in ceramics

15:46 ↗ that requires space for equipment like

15:48 ↗ and big equipment Kilns Wheels large

15:52 ↗ printing presses

15:54 ↗ as well as spaces for specific messes

15:57 ↗ which are hard to clean

15:59 ↗ um

16:01 ↗ I think as an instructor at Art East and

16:05 ↗ as someone who in the last couple years

16:07 ↗ was on their education committee

16:09 ↗ one of the main reasons why we struggled

16:12 ↗ educationally is because we had a single

16:14 ↗ classroom it was fantastic multi-use oh

16:18 ↗ my gosh I got so many different things

16:19 ↗ going on in there it was really exciting

16:21 ↗ however every single time we taught you

16:24 ↗ had to take the classroom down and clean

16:26 ↗ it from floor to ceiling

16:28 ↗ and because of that students couldn't

16:31 ↗ have long-term projects going on they

16:34 ↗ couldn't come in in between classes and

16:37 ↗ work on projects it meant that we were

16:40 ↗ in a position of only teaching beginners

16:43 ↗ and people that wanted to Dabble we were

16:46 ↗ not able to actually teach people at Mid

16:48 ↗ or end of their practice so those people

16:51 ↗ went to the Kirkland Art Center so if

16:54 ↗ you could just uh summarize at this

16:56 ↗ point Thank you absolutely

16:58 ↗ so as someone who sells in Galleries and

17:00 ↗ shows space has also been an issue I now

17:03 ↗ have a gap you know work with a gallery

17:05 ↗ in Seattle

17:07 ↗ and as a musician and the Issaquah Phil

17:10 ↗ harmonic we have not been able to find

17:12 ↗ space for quite a long time to rehearse

17:14 ↗ or perform in the City of Issaquah

17:16 ↗ despite the name of the farm Mike

17:20 ↗ so as a professional who lives in the

17:23 ↗ City of Issaquah I can't practice my

17:25 ↗ profession in this city and it's really

17:28 ↗ frustrating

17:29 ↗ so I would love as we're working with

17:32 ↗ this committee to be able to continue to

17:34 ↗ find spaces for us to work

17:37 ↗ thank you Julie thank you

17:41 ↗ go ahead Leslie thanks okay

17:44 ↗ um

17:46 ↗ and I am Leslie Moore fluke I was on the

17:49 ↗ Issaquah Arts commission for five years

17:51 ↗ and I'm currently in my fifth year of

17:53 ↗ working with the creative District

17:55 ↗ I retired from Green River College as

17:57 ↗ the dean for branch campuses and had a

18:01 ↗ significant role in the development of

18:03 ↗ three branch campuses over my 25 years

18:05 ↗ there

18:07 ↗ the City of Issaquah has shown its

18:09 ↗ commitment to the Arts in a number of

18:11 ↗ ways from the development of a large

18:13 ↗ public art collection to the ongoing

18:15 ↗ financial support of Village Theater and

18:18 ↗ the decision to become a Washington

18:19 ↗ state creative District thereby

18:21 ↗ declaring a belief in the Arts as an

18:23 ↗ economic stimulus as you know the City's

18:26 ↗ population has grown from 17 to 45

18:29 ↗ 000 in the last 22 years

18:31 ↗ the needs and desires of the community

18:33 ↗ members to spend professional and

18:35 ↗ Leisure Time in artistic Pursuits near

18:37 ↗ home has also greatly increased

18:40 ↗ as Rachel described the surveys and

18:42 ↗ focus groups undertaken in the last

18:44 ↗ couple of years there have been a thirst

18:47 ↗ for art making space

18:50 ↗ the development of an Arts Center is not

18:52 ↗ a small Venture nor is it one that is

18:54 ↗ likely to be taken on by one entity

18:57 ↗ most successful art centers are

18:59 ↗ developed in collaboration often through

19:01 ↗ public and private Partnerships

19:03 ↗ many of these projects start with the

19:06 ↗ donation of a building

19:07 ↗ fundraising and Grant acquisition is

19:10 ↗ used to remodel and Equipment purchases

19:13 ↗ administrative costs are covered by

19:15 ↗ public entities or non-profits

19:18 ↗ program and Rental income need to be

19:21 ↗ sufficient to support direct costs the

19:24 ↗ number of people an art center can

19:26 ↗ attract is directly correlated to the

19:28 ↗ number of classes offered and the number

19:30 ↗ of students that can be included in any

19:32 ↗ given course

19:33 ↗ there needs to be enough diversity of

19:36 ↗ classes across a wide time frame to

19:39 ↗ serve the needs of our creative

19:40 ↗ population in Issaquah

19:43 ↗ let me give you a couple examples of a

19:45 ↗ financially viable art centers and their

19:48 ↗ sizes

19:49 ↗ the Moser community art center in Burien

19:51 ↗ is a good example this is an 8 000

19:54 ↗ square foot Arts Center with half of the

19:56 ↗ space dedicated to pottery and the rest

19:58 ↗ used for artist workspaces and

20:00 ↗ multi-purpose

20:01 ↗ classrooms such as painting and montage

20:05 ↗ a bit larger than Moser is Kirkland Arts

20:08 ↗ Center

20:09 ↗ like Moser they have space for pottery a

20:12 ↗ few artist workspaces and a large

20:14 ↗ multi-purpose space in addition they

20:17 ↗ have a nice size gallery

20:19 ↗ double e sizes is the Jansen Arts Center

20:22 ↗ located in the small community of Linden

20:24 ↗ Washington with a population of

20:26 ↗ seventeen thousand this is a good

20:28 ↗ example of a multi-arse multi-use art

20:31 ↗ center

20:32 ↗ that is the heart of community life it's

20:34 ↗ a 20 000 square foot space which is a

20:37 ↗ former city hall and fire station we

20:40 ↗ imagined as an art center on this scale

20:42 ↗ it means that in addition to Pottery

20:44 ↗ dedicated other art maker spaces Jansen

20:48 ↗ has a room for a gallery and a recital

20:50 ↗ theater

20:52 ↗ Moser is small to Mid Jansen is mid-size

20:57 ↗ what could a larger size offer okay this

21:00 ↗ is thinking really big here

21:02 ↗ the red brick Art Center in Colorado is

21:04 ↗ a good example red brick is a Vibrant

21:07 ↗ Community Art Center a former grade

21:09 ↗ school supported by the city it was

21:11 ↗ designed to create venues for classes

21:13 ↗ and artistic engagement while also

21:16 ↗ offering affordable rent to artists and

21:18 ↗ non-profits that support the Arts in

21:20 ↗ addition to classes Gallery space a

21:24 ↗ recital theater

21:25 ↗ it's long it is a long haul long-term

21:28 ↗ home to working artists and creative

21:31 ↗ non-profits this crossover creates a

21:34 ↗ creative Hub and supportive Network for

21:36 ↗ the Arts

21:38 ↗ Issaquah was the first creative District

21:40 ↗ in King County which is a statement

21:42 ↗ about the value of creativity in our

21:45 ↗ economy however residents travel to

21:47 ↗ Bellevue Kirkland Burien Seattle to

21:50 ↗ engage in the Arts a dedicated Arts

21:52 ↗ Center in Issaquah could be an inclusive

21:55 ↗ home for the visual arts on the east

21:57 ↗ side

21:58 ↗ a place to support this community's

22:00 ↗ growing needs and a destination that

22:03 ↗ contributes to our creative economy

22:06 ↗ so we want you to all keep an open mind

22:08 ↗ as you we know you're looking at spaces

22:10 ↗ right now we know there's probably not

22:12 ↗ anything in the immediate future but we

22:15 ↗ want you to keep your eyes and ears open

22:17 ↗ to anything that you think might

22:19 ↗ work and we're going to be doing our

22:22 ↗ work as a creative District to look for

22:24 ↗ things and we're hoping that we'll be on

22:26 ↗ a journey together for the next couple

22:28 ↗ years to find something that will work

22:30 ↗ for Issaquah thank you

22:32 ↗ thank you Leslie

22:35 ↗ um do we have anyone else in the

22:36 ↗ audience who would like to speak at this

22:37 ↗ time

22:39 ↗ not seeing anyone and do we have anyone

22:42 ↗ else online

22:44 ↗ I see no more virtual hands raised

22:45 ↗ council president okay fantastic well as

22:50 ↗ always written comments can always be

22:53 ↗ submitted at any time to by email to

22:56 ↗ city council

22:58 ↗ issaquah.gov so really appreciate the

23:01 ↗ comments we heard from a developer about

23:04 ↗ the

23:06 ↗ potential for Pioneer projects in the

23:08 ↗ urban core and Rachel Juliet and Leslie

23:11 ↗ came to speak about the need for

23:12 ↗ Creative District space and we always

23:15 ↗ appreciate hearing from the public thank

23:17 ↗ you

23:19 ↗ so the next item of business is id1431

23:23 ↗ affordable housing goals for future

23:25 ↗ capital investment this will be

23:27 ↗ presented by Jen Davis Hayes our

23:29 ↗ economic development manager

23:32 ↗ okay

23:52 ↗ you're going to create a new PowerPoint

23:54 ↗ for us here Jen

23:55 ↗ great idea

23:58 ↗ just loving yep

24:02 ↗ I was trying to share the the

24:05 ↗ program versus the screen yeah

24:07 ↗ this will work still

24:11 ↗ now yes

24:14 ↗ okay it is a Monday isn't it good

24:17 ↗ evening my name is Jen Davis Hayes I'm

24:20 ↗ the economic development manager and uh

24:23 ↗ here tonight to continue the

24:25 ↗ conversation about affordable housing

24:28 ↗ so we were

24:30 ↗ we were here in April's Committee of the

24:33 ↗ whole to talk about affordable housing

24:36 ↗ across the gamut talking about policy

24:39 ↗ Capital Investments and operation

24:42 ↗ Investments tonight we're returning from

24:44 ↗ that conversation to talk about the

24:48 ↗ prioritization of affordable housing

24:49 ↗ goals so we can take that input to

24:51 ↗ develop some proposals of how to invest

24:54 ↗ the remaining affordable housing

24:56 ↗ revenues that are available

24:58 ↗ the other purpose which I did not put on

25:01 ↗ here but is in the slideshow talks about

25:03 ↗ as our caller tonight mentioned in the

25:06 ↗ previous meeting as well is about the

25:08 ↗ Pioneer program and Council last month's

25:11 ↗ asked well let's learn a little bit more

25:14 ↗ about what a primary Pioneer program

25:16 ↗ could be so I have some some digital

25:18 ↗ information about that and again want

25:20 ↗ that

25:21 ↗ um

25:22 ↗ want to share that and better understand

25:23 ↗ if you want to move forward with that so

25:26 ↗ again the direct the direction we're

25:28 ↗ looking for tonight is a prior

25:31 ↗ prioritization of affordable housing

25:32 ↗ goals

25:34 ↗ um you know it's really easy to jump to

25:36 ↗ let's do this let's do that in detail

25:38 ↗ and believe me when I was trying to

25:40 ↗ create this presentation I was ready to

25:41 ↗ talk about this talk about that and so

25:43 ↗ we really are trying to raise it up a

25:45 ↗ level or two and thinking about

25:47 ↗ what are what are the areas that are

25:50 ↗ most important to prioritize we know

25:52 ↗ that affordable housing is challenging

25:53 ↗ and complex and affordable and expensive

25:56 ↗ for development so how can we really get

25:59 ↗ a better

26:01 ↗ prioritization and then have that

26:03 ↗ continued conversation at services

26:05 ↗ safety and parks and getting to the to

26:07 ↗ more the the details and again looking

26:10 ↗ if you're interested in continuing to

26:12 ↗ explore the Pioneer program and I can

26:13 ↗ come back with recommendations around

26:15 ↗ that and then anything else you want to

26:17 ↗ provide before we go off and do some

26:20 ↗ more developing of ideas so the next

26:24 ↗ three slides are a review of what we

26:27 ↗ looked at last time this is the housing

26:29 ↗ continue Continuum image that we started

26:31 ↗ to use and we'll continue to use and so

26:33 ↗ love it that and as we come in future

26:35 ↗ meetings you'll see blocked out where

26:37 ↗ we're talking about for any program so

26:40 ↗ policy or funding

26:44 ↗ and then this is the affordable housing

26:47 ↗ funding sources that again that we

26:48 ↗ talked about last time so there's three

26:51 ↗ sources of funding HB 1590 which is the

26:54 ↗ 0.1 percent sales tax and so our

26:56 ↗ revenues through 2024 again for this

26:59 ↗ biennium is about 9.3 million dollars

27:02 ↗ there are some restrictions for how you

27:05 ↗ use this funding of certain populations

27:07 ↗ UH 60 area median income or below and at

27:12 ↗ least 60 percent of the these revenues

27:15 ↗ have to be used for Capital now for our

27:18 ↗ current proposals we have suggested a 75

27:21 ↗ 25 split so 75 percent for Capital 25

27:26 ↗ for operations so that provides Human

27:30 ↗ Services the funding to build capacity

27:32 ↗ and operations allocations that they can

27:35 ↗ successfully Implement over the next

27:37 ↗ year and a half then for the following

27:40 ↗ years we'll look at that at that

27:42 ↗ percentage display it to what makes

27:45 ↗ sense during that time the HB 1406 again

27:48 ↗ is a state passed through a little less

27:50 ↗ restrictive but still is looking at

27:53 ↗ similar populations and 60 Ami or below

27:57 ↗ we have not allocated any of those

27:59 ↗ resources yet and then the density or

28:01 ↗ what was then renamed to development

28:03 ↗ bonus program we have about what we will

28:05 ↗ have about

28:07 ↗ 1.875 million in that from two projects

28:10 ↗ one of them was the Issaquah worklofts

28:12 ↗ that paid for bonus density and then the

28:15 ↗ next payment we should be receiving soon

28:18 ↗ this year is the 1.25 million dollars

28:20 ↗ that's in the Costco development

28:22 ↗ agreement as their complete their

28:25 ↗ certificate of occupancy for their

28:26 ↗ office space

28:28 ↗ so last meeting

28:30 ↗ these expenditures in this column here

28:33 ↗ were either they've been already been

28:34 ↗ included in the 2023-24 budget they were

28:38 ↗ discussed the last meeting and are

28:40 ↗ either in the budget now or will be in

28:42 ↗ the budget soon so again we talked about

28:45 ↗ allocations of the HB 1590 uh sale 1.1

28:50 ↗ percent sales tax only and so the Motel

28:53 ↗ 6 has both capital and operations

28:55 ↗ funding there rental assistance the

28:58 ↗ behavioral health additional staff and

29:01 ↗ the placeholder are five million dollars

29:03 ↗ for the transit Orient development

29:04 ↗ Opportunity Center Construction

29:06 ↗ so that leaves about 1.8 million dollars

29:09 ↗ left over for that funding

29:12 ↗ um we again we did not uh talk about

29:13 ↗ allocations of that 612 000 that will be

29:16 ↗ available for the state pass-through so

29:19 ↗ that is um available as well we're

29:21 ↗ looking tonight to talk about those two

29:23 ↗ funds so it's just over 2.4 million

29:26 ↗ dollars

29:27 ↗ um to give you an idea of how much we

29:29 ↗ have again we're not going to be talking

29:30 ↗ about we want 1 million to go here one

29:32 ↗ million to go there but

29:34 ↗ um we will come back

29:36 ↗ um our recommendations come back and

29:37 ↗ talk to you about the development bonus

29:39 ↗ program because that is eligible for

29:42 ↗ investments in open space or affordable

29:45 ↗ housing and the criteria in the program

29:47 ↗ doesn't say this is how you should make

29:50 ↗ those decisions so we want to work with

29:51 ↗ parks and we want to work with Community

29:53 ↗ Planning and Development to to look at

29:55 ↗ that and really Define it better and

29:57 ↗ it's a since it's a little different

29:58 ↗ animal we didn't want to throw them up

30:00 ↗ you know throw the money into this pot

30:02 ↗ yet so there may be some additional

30:05 ↗ um uh affordable housing money that's

30:07 ↗ available through this at at you know

30:09 ↗ we'll have that conversation in the

30:11 ↗ criteria that you will get a chance to

30:12 ↗ provide some input to

30:16 ↗ so the image again uh so as we look at

30:19 ↗ the policies that um the city council

30:22 ↗ and previous and past and and current

30:24 ↗ have passed

30:26 ↗ um we really have a really good

30:28 ↗ foundation our comprehensive plan which

30:30 ↗ as you know will be updated this year

30:32 ↗ really covers the entire gamut of the

30:35 ↗ housing Continuum which is great to see

30:37 ↗ and you can see that um follow through

30:39 ↗ with our city strategic plan the housing

30:42 ↗ strategy work plan and also the

30:46 ↗ workforce housing that's mentioned in in

30:49 ↗ the economic development plan which is

30:51 ↗ currently being updated

30:56 ↗ okay this is the wrong

30:59 ↗ I just realized this is the wrong

31:01 ↗ PowerPoint so this was sorry about that

31:05 ↗ um so the uh the city's strategic plan

31:11 ↗ um calls out affordable housing looking

31:13 ↗ at the affordability meets the needs

31:17 ↗ individual individuals across the income

31:18 ↗ Spectrum so again is looking at the

31:20 ↗ whole Continuum a couple of things they

31:23 ↗ mentioned here is to work with face

31:24 ↗ faith-based or other organizations in

31:27 ↗ Partnership to build affordable housing

31:29 ↗ look at city property assets and of

31:31 ↗ course implement the housing strategy

31:34 ↗ work plan I think I may want to get out

31:36 ↗ of this and get to the correct one I

31:38 ↗ apologize for that so if we can uh

31:43 ↗ again apologize I have too many versions

31:45 ↗ I suppose of this that just means we're

31:49 ↗ going to see the final and best version

31:51 ↗ I appreciate that yes yes

31:55 ↗ so let me see I can go to SharePoint

31:58 ↗ again I I pulled it up out there

32:00 ↗ thinking I had it already so my

32:02 ↗ apologies

32:03 ↗ apologies so

32:11 ↗ I think we had we definitely had a lot

32:13 ↗ of uh when we look at the policies of

32:15 ↗ the comp plan and such it was becoming a

32:17 ↗ little uh

32:18 ↗ long conversation so

32:22 ↗ Zach has a question while you're yes

32:24 ↗ please yeah just while you do that to

32:26 ↗ either you or the deputy City

32:28 ↗ administrator

32:29 ↗ um

32:30 ↗ um while you pull that up you know so

32:32 ↗ much of the conversation that we've had

32:34 ↗ on affordable housing and this graphic

32:36 ↗ of the housing Continuum that we're

32:37 ↗ supporting is really great and I think

32:40 ↗ would be new to a lot of members of our

32:42 ↗ community and I'm just wondering if kind

32:44 ↗ of once we have a clear strategy on

32:46 ↗ Capital in addition to kind of what

32:48 ↗ we're doing in the operating side and

32:49 ↗ the planning side would it be something

32:52 ↗ we could do to like put together some

32:53 ↗ informational flyer that we could take

32:55 ↗ with us to listening sessions

32:57 ↗ um because you know the

32:59 ↗ Community survey lists this as a a top

33:02 ↗ three priority that we should emphasize

33:04 ↗ over the next two years so it'd be great

33:06 ↗ to be able to have something that we

33:07 ↗ could hand out to the community and say

33:09 ↗ Here's what we're doing for affordable

33:10 ↗ housing yes that's a great idea and I

33:12 ↗ think that's the beauty of having that

33:14 ↗ image is that it's again we hope to use

33:16 ↗ it a lot so hopefully you won't get sick

33:18 ↗ of seeing it but it is something that

33:20 ↗ tells a story pretty quickly because I

33:22 ↗ think when you say affordable housing

33:23 ↗ people go all over the gamut and so you

33:26 ↗ can be really clear that there's a need

33:28 ↗ for all the Continuum but this is what

33:30 ↗ we're talking about at this moment so

33:31 ↗ thank you and I apologize for that snafu

33:34 ↗ there

33:35 ↗ um so we're back on track so looking at

33:37 ↗ uh so getting into a little bit more

33:38 ↗ detail around the housing strategy work

33:42 ↗ plan so

33:44 ↗ um five of the nine strategies deal with

33:46 ↗ affordable housing so from retention to

33:49 ↗ the new construction of the Tod from

33:51 ↗ accessing additional funding which the

33:53 ↗ city has done by passing the 0.1 percent

33:55 ↗ sales tax to increasing developer

33:58 ↗ provided affordable housing and then of

34:00 ↗ course ensuring that we have housing

34:02 ↗ options for seniors for the unhoused and

34:05 ↗ others that are could be forgotten in

34:07 ↗ this in this process so again we the

34:10 ↗ policies are really great about covering

34:12 ↗ um the whole gamut and then looking at

34:15 ↗ um again for affordable housing from the

34:17 ↗ Human Services component

34:19 ↗ um the importance of housing security so

34:21 ↗ making sure that people there aren't um

34:24 ↗ people can remain in their homes and and

34:27 ↗ also how to respond to homelessness so

34:30 ↗ the funding allocations that have

34:32 ↗ already been made by Council are soon to

34:34 ↗ be in front of council from the 1.1

34:37 ↗ percent sales tax include the rental

34:38 ↗ assistance the Motel 6 pilot program and

34:41 ↗ additional Behavioral Health Staffing so

34:43 ↗ again we've made some some great

34:45 ↗ Investments

34:47 ↗ and this is just a quick summary of the

34:50 ↗ capital Investments

34:51 ↗ um again so I mentioned that Motel 6 has

34:53 ↗ some operating and some Capital

34:55 ↗ Investments and then our five million

34:57 ↗ dollar placeholder for the Tod

35:00 ↗ Opportunity Center is

35:02 ↗ the big investment we have the arch

35:05 ↗ Housing Trust Fund here we do make an

35:07 ↗ investment in that with General funds

35:09 ↗ and so we just wanted to make sure that

35:10 ↗ we acknowledge that as far as capital

35:13 ↗ Investments

35:14 ↗ council member Mart yes

35:17 ↗ um I yeah I have a question about this

35:19 ↗ slide yeah so uh Tod

35:24 ↗ D in terms of the affordable

35:27 ↗ rental is uh 60 to 80 is that right we

35:33 ↗ had some lower I want to say you're

35:35 ↗ jogging my memory from a few years ago

35:37 ↗ like 30 with with um vouchers so that

35:41 ↗ goes down into transitional and

35:42 ↗ supportive then right I mean 30 is it

35:46 ↗ I believe but my question is really

35:48 ↗ around affordable is is generally

35:52 ↗ defined as 80 to 120 right

35:56 ↗ well

35:59 ↗ um

36:00 ↗ or or the uh the the Let's uh Workforce

36:04 ↗ housing let's say oh

36:06 ↗ sure right

36:09 ↗ that can be yes the reason the reason

36:11 ↗ that I ask is I look at this and I see

36:13 ↗ market rate right next to Affordable

36:15 ↗ right and I see a TOD going all the way

36:19 ↗ um and I still wonder if there's a gap

36:21 ↗ between if you say there's that 80 to

36:23 ↗ 120 what's Market

36:25 ↗ compared to uh you know that I suspect

36:30 ↗ Market is a lot more than 120. and so

36:33 ↗ the thing that I think is missing in

36:34 ↗ this picture you look at this and you go

36:36 ↗ oh well you know we have everything from

36:39 ↗ market rate down to subsidized but I'm

36:42 ↗ my question is really is there's still a

36:44 ↗ gap and it's the gap between

36:47 ↗ um the programs that we have in place

36:49 ↗ that we talk about that are Workforce

36:51 ↗ housing and where the Market's actually

36:53 ↗ at

36:54 ↗ that's my question okay

36:57 ↗ I don't know if Andrea if there's any

36:58 ↗ you look like you're ready to inter or

37:01 ↗ inter interject a little bit uh just no

37:05 ↗ I think

37:07 ↗ um I think we'll have to follow up with

37:08 ↗ information to that question thank you

37:10 ↗ and that's a great I think follow-up

37:12 ↗ when I talk to developers as well

37:13 ↗ talking about because they had mentioned

37:15 ↗ yeah we're not at 100 right for above

37:17 ↗ the Ami when we're talking about that so

37:19 ↗ we can we can ask that and kind of get a

37:21 ↗ better feel for that so

37:23 ↗ I have a concern that there's still that

37:26 ↗ missing middle there's still a missing

37:28 ↗ middle there between what we think of as

37:30 ↗ Workforce housing and what it actually

37:32 ↗ costs to live in this community thank

37:33 ↗ you

37:34 ↗ council member Ray all right I'm not

37:37 ↗ sure where I'm going with this so bear

37:38 ↗ with me but the Opportunity Center was

37:41 ↗ really about kind of um Healthcare and

37:45 ↗ I'm trying to figure out how do you

37:46 ↗ rationalize Health Care to affordable

37:49 ↗ housing or is it a fungibility issue

37:51 ↗ that the dollars are going to Tod and so

37:55 ↗ it does it's hard to to track the color

37:57 ↗ of the dollars but it doesn't seem to me

38:00 ↗ that even if a great program support all

38:02 ↗ the way sure but it doesn't seem to me

38:04 ↗ to be about affordable housing so the so

38:06 ↗ just to let you know the 0.1 percent

38:08 ↗ allows the construction for Behavioral

38:10 ↗ Health Services so we're not we're not

38:12 ↗ moving money around or changing the

38:14 ↗ color of money to do this but but Cod

38:16 ↗ was I mean the Opportunity Center was

38:18 ↗ about physical health not just

38:19 ↗ Behavioral Health right right it's both

38:22 ↗ and dental and all that good stuff yes

38:24 ↗ so um so this really will help to

38:27 ↗ provide support for those affordable

38:29 ↗ housing units above but you're right

38:31 ↗ it's it's and it's an important

38:33 ↗ component of the whole project you know

38:36 ↗ um you probably remember many

38:37 ↗ discussions about the Tod and the many

38:39 ↗ pieces around that and so this was an

38:42 ↗ important component that made the whole

38:44 ↗ development work

38:48 ↗ I I think we just want to confirm that

38:51 ↗ before we get too far down that path of

38:53 ↗ spending these dollars on that and if

38:54 ↗ you've already done it super but it

38:55 ↗ seems yes a little bit on the edge to me

38:58 ↗ okay and we can we can show you yeah

39:00 ↗ because I have I have that um

39:02 ↗ the RCW and everything uh there so I

39:05 ↗ definitely can do that

39:07 ↗ okay any other questions before

39:11 ↗ um so I just wanted to mention that this

39:12 ↗ is a little bit of getting into the

39:13 ↗ weeds which we don't want to do tonight

39:15 ↗ but I did in the last meeting I

39:17 ↗ mentioned the Strategic opportunity fund

39:19 ↗ and so this was an idea that we proposed

39:22 ↗ um we haven't I have not worked on any

39:24 ↗ details yet because again we wanted to

39:26 ↗ come back to hear about the goals and

39:27 ↗ prioritization but but the idea is that

39:30 ↗ if we had a opportunity fund that we

39:32 ↗ could provide some direct Financial

39:34 ↗ investment or incentives you could be

39:36 ↗ used to reduce City fees whatever that

39:38 ↗ may be but again we're not here to talk

39:40 ↗ about this tonight but I didn't want to

39:42 ↗ forget about it because it was mentioned

39:43 ↗ in the April meeting

39:48 ↗ so Switching gears for a minute so

39:50 ↗ providing some more information about

39:52 ↗ the Pioneer program so Pioneer programs

39:55 ↗ are intended to provide assistance to

39:57 ↗ the first development in an area that

39:59 ↗ doesn't have that type of development so

40:01 ↗ first office building in first

40:03 ↗ Residential Inn

40:05 ↗ um and as you know there are zero

40:06 ↗ housing units currently in the urban

40:08 ↗ core of central Issaquah plants so many

40:11 ↗ of our policies and Central Squad plan

40:13 ↗ states that housing and affordable

40:15 ↗ housing in this area would be beneficial

40:18 ↗ because the proximate proximity to

40:20 ↗ Transit amenities and jobs and so

40:24 ↗ um

40:24 ↗ on the slide here the top portion is

40:27 ↗ actually

40:28 ↗ um what is currently in the central

40:29 ↗ Issaquah plan again adopted 10 years ago

40:32 ↗ it talks about a recommended

40:35 ↗ implementation strategy now again that

40:36 ↗ did not move forward but they mentioned

40:40 ↗ about uh the relaxed definitions of

40:42 ↗ affordability doing an incentive program

40:45 ↗ to help for initial number residential

40:47 ↗ developments and it even suggested a 200

40:50 ↗ first units in the urban core and 100 in

40:52 ↗ the in the outside the urban core not

40:55 ↗ suggesting this is what we're going to

40:56 ↗ go with I just wanted to show you what

40:58 ↗ was in the plan and then we I worked

41:00 ↗ with Arch to find out about other

41:01 ↗ Pioneer programs in the area and so

41:04 ↗ Kenmore Kirkland and Redmond all had Pi

41:07 ↗ have Pioneer programs or ha or have had

41:10 ↗ because once you do those number of

41:13 ↗ programs the program's over you'll

41:15 ↗ notice in Kenmore it the reduction was

41:17 ↗ about parking minimums and they didn't

41:19 ↗ get any any development so it really

41:22 ↗ that really Rings true for what I've

41:24 ↗ heard from developer as far as what is

41:27 ↗ most important for between the levers

41:29 ↗ especially because of our new Adoption

41:31 ↗ of Title 18 which looks at some pretty

41:35 ↗ appropriate parking levels but both

41:38 ↗ Kirkland and Redmond so all of these

41:40 ↗ areas focus on an area and the and the

41:42 ↗ number of units right and so again once

41:45 ↗ those are are developed the program is

41:47 ↗ no longer available everybody else has

41:49 ↗ to develop at the current level and so

41:52 ↗ again Kirkland and Redmond are no longer

41:54 ↗ available for Developers

41:58 ↗ question on that do you have any

42:01 ↗ information about whether those Pioneer

42:04 ↗ projects then spurred other development

42:07 ↗ or are we just seeing that yes somebody

42:10 ↗ took advantage of the incentive and that

42:14 ↗ was what was built so Arch did say so um

42:17 ↗ so in Kirkland it was the rosehiller

42:20 ↗ Totem Lake and they were really trying

42:21 ↗ to get some development in Totem Lake

42:23 ↗ that's been uh very successful I don't

42:26 ↗ know that you can say that this Pioneer

42:28 ↗ program allowed those other things to

42:30 ↗ happen but there has been definitely

42:32 ↗ been additional development in that area

42:34 ↗ and the Overlake Village again new zones

42:37 ↗ that that the city's looking at trying

42:39 ↗ to get some more develop and and that

42:41 ↗ has started to Spur some additional

42:43 ↗ development so I don't have quantity but

42:46 ↗ they had did they did say it it uh

42:49 ↗ the actual first there was more than 100

42:52 ↗ units that kind of came through so

42:54 ↗ people were trying to get in that

42:56 ↗ development line

42:58 ↗ council member D Michelle

43:02 ↗ sorry turned myself off

43:05 ↗ um when you're talking about relaxed

43:07 ↗ definitions of affordability what does

43:09 ↗ that look like and

43:11 ↗ um how would it be applied

43:13 ↗ yeah that's a great question because

43:15 ↗ sometimes the way I see it I'm like wait

43:16 ↗ lower affordably

43:19 ↗ um so that would actually mean so

43:20 ↗ instead of maybe 60 you allow 80

43:23 ↗ Ami or you require a less percentage of

43:27 ↗ it so there's lots of ways to kind of do

43:30 ↗ it what what Kirkland did was to have

43:32 ↗ lower

43:34 ↗ um lower percentage Ami for the for the

43:37 ↗ first 100 and then the next 50 150 so

43:41 ↗ they kind of tiered it and then Redmond

43:44 ↗ I believe uh just waived affordable

43:47 ↗ ability for the first hundred units so

43:51 ↗ so to follow up so the percentage like

43:53 ↗ we we asked for 10 right now inclusive

43:56 ↗ zoning right a little higher yeah yeah

44:00 ↗ so if we relax that it would be five

44:03 ↗ percent or we could do that we could

44:05 ↗ also ask for a 12.5 at a higher Ami so

44:09 ↗ instead of at 60 we could ask for it at

44:12 ↗ 80 okay thank you or whatever percent

44:14 ↗ yeah

44:20 ↗ um and so I think I believe you you uh

44:23 ↗ know that my role in this this year has

44:25 ↗ been uh pivoted a bit to do some

44:28 ↗ research on Central issue as a whole to

44:30 ↗ find out why development Redevelopment

44:32 ↗ hasn't happened and what those barriers

44:34 ↗ are and so I already had started to talk

44:36 ↗ to developers so it was really timely to

44:38 ↗ add in this question about Pioneer

44:39 ↗ programs so have these had conversations

44:42 ↗ with developers

44:44 ↗ and basically you know focus them on uh

44:48 ↗ things that we can change I was very

44:50 ↗ clear to them up front we just passed

44:51 ↗ our title 18. we are not going to change

44:53 ↗ standards we are not going to look at

44:56 ↗ that right now and as Brian on the

45:00 ↗ public comment mentioned yes there is

45:01 ↗ inflation there is you know High

45:04 ↗ interest rates we're looking at in a

45:06 ↗ general time what has stopped you from

45:08 ↗ looking at Central Issaquah and

45:10 ↗ specifically now a Pioneer affordable

45:13 ↗ housing and a Pioneer program what would

45:14 ↗ help to to move the needle there because

45:17 ↗ again the central Squad plan has been in

45:20 ↗ in existence for 10 years so

45:23 ↗ um so and also to mention every

45:25 ↗ developer is different right so they

45:27 ↗ have a different approach they have

45:28 ↗ different risk tolerance uh they even

45:30 ↗ within a residential they have different

45:32 ↗ housing types of what they consider

45:34 ↗ their their folks and so but there was

45:36 ↗ consist this is what the consistency of

45:38 ↗ what I've heard from folks so

45:40 ↗ um

45:41 ↗ again the risk for being first in the

45:44 ↗ area was a concern the high water table

45:46 ↗ which we hear about a lot so because

45:49 ↗ they especially in the urban core can't

45:52 ↗ build structured parking completely

45:54 ↗ underground and you know maybe can do uh

45:57 ↗ one level if they can make that happen

45:59 ↗ they have to build the structured

46:01 ↗ parking above ground so then they hit

46:02 ↗ their height limit pretty quickly and

46:05 ↗ then they need to build more housing in

46:06 ↗ order to make the project pencil so

46:09 ↗ they're they have the inclusionary

46:10 ↗ zoning affordable

46:12 ↗ requirements and then now they're adding

46:15 ↗ on the density bonus requirements

46:20 ↗ and as as was mentioned before mfte is

46:23 ↗ at many of the other cities and that's

46:25 ↗ how they kind of make that work so

46:28 ↗ um that's just something again we we

46:29 ↗ hear about this but we maybe don't see

46:32 ↗ those next steps of why then how the

46:34 ↗ high water table can impact a

46:37 ↗ development because you're losing

46:39 ↗ rentable space when you're building up

46:41 ↗ right

46:42 ↗ um

46:43 ↗ uh people have talked about that many of

46:46 ↗ the Cities use 80 as their kind of

46:49 ↗ developer provided uh Financial I know

46:51 ↗ that there are some programs that are

46:52 ↗ looking at lower

46:54 ↗ um but a developer mentioned it's hard

46:56 ↗ to get financing for that and again

46:58 ↗ everybody has different financing you

47:00 ↗ know Equity versus Banks but

47:02 ↗ um below at 50 and 60 percent there's

47:05 ↗ different programming and different

47:07 ↗ support services that are important to

47:09 ↗ provide and they're not equipped to do

47:11 ↗ that

47:13 ↗ um talking about the cost of affordable

47:14 ↗ housing so obviously you reduce your

47:16 ↗ rent

47:17 ↗ um you have reduced rent for those units

47:19 ↗ and as council member Martz mentioned

47:21 ↗ we're already at 120 130 140 percent so

47:24 ↗ those costs are now being added on to

47:27 ↗ that percentage and so now you're you're

47:29 ↗ even making it more challenging for that

47:31 ↗ middle uh to afford the market rate uh

47:35 ↗ units

47:36 ↗ um

47:37 ↗ and then you heard again in the comments

47:39 ↗ but this was again from all the

47:41 ↗ developers is that development costs are

47:43 ↗ similar throughout the region but rents

47:46 ↗ are lower here in Issaquah so I know

47:48 ↗ that we've seen articles that say where

47:50 ↗ the most expensive

47:51 ↗ um and looked at a little bit at that

47:53 ↗ last uh article it was a median so I'm

47:56 ↗ not sure if if a couple things if you

47:59 ↗ know we have a higher percentage of new

48:02 ↗ units compared to other cities where you

48:04 ↗ maybe are you know newer units get

48:06 ↗ higher than uh older units or

48:10 ↗ um it could be the size of the bedrooms

48:11 ↗ Etc

48:13 ↗ and and Jen thank you just in the

48:15 ↗ interest of time I'm wondering if you

48:17 ↗ can try to wrap things up and summarize

48:19 ↗ your high level points great thank you

48:22 ↗ sorry about that so uh impact fees they

48:25 ↗ say they're the highest I don't know

48:26 ↗ that we're the highest exactly but uh

48:28 ↗ high impact fees and then predictability

48:30 ↗ and answers early in the project

48:31 ↗ discussions are friends at CPD will be

48:34 ↗ working on that so I know that we'll

48:35 ↗ have that under control with what they

48:36 ↗ just uh improved which they just passed

48:40 ↗ um so for discussion points again

48:42 ↗ wanting to understand better the high

48:45 ↗ level priorities will be coming back to

48:47 ↗ committee to get into the weeds and

48:50 ↗ talking about details before we then

48:51 ↗ return for a full conversation but is it

48:55 ↗ preservation of already affordable

48:57 ↗ housing is it new construction home home

48:59 ↗ ownership rentals certain areas certain

49:02 ↗ Ami level those are just ideas looking

49:04 ↗ for your additions

49:06 ↗ and then for the Pioneer program is it

49:09 ↗ something you want me to continue to

49:10 ↗ pursue come back with a recommended

49:12 ↗ recommended ideas of how to potentially

49:15 ↗ do that are there any other things you

49:17 ↗ want me to consider or information that

49:19 ↗ you'd like when we move when we have

49:21 ↗ that future discussion

49:23 ↗ so we recommend to move forward with

49:25 ↗ these things after we get the priority

49:28 ↗ prioritization to go back and develop

49:30 ↗ funding of recommendations the draft

49:31 ↗ program and return to Safety Services

49:34 ↗ safety and Parks

49:36 ↗ um it mentioned in the in the

49:39 ↗ in the memo that it's it'll be the

49:42 ↗ September meeting I understand we

49:43 ↗ actually have an early August meeting

49:45 ↗ that we will come back to if that makes

49:46 ↗ sense for uh the council and again then

49:50 ↗ we'll have as many conversations that we

49:52 ↗ need to have about this to get to a

49:55 ↗ great place so we can start to um

49:57 ↗ hopefully impact affordable housing in

49:59 ↗ Issaquah and all of that information

50:01 ↗ will be then used as we develop our

50:04 ↗ recommendations for the next biennium

50:06 ↗ budget as well

50:12 ↗ so we have a question I think we're

50:14 ↗ actually going to go into questions just

50:16 ↗ after

50:17 ↗ do we need to summarize any of those

50:19 ↗ slides no okay they're the same slides

50:21 ↗ fantastic so we're going to take

50:23 ↗ questions and then we'll see if there's

50:25 ↗ any public comment and then go into uh

50:28 ↗ feedback council member marks

50:30 ↗ thank you

50:32 ↗ um can you sorry can you go back to the

50:34 ↗ list of you had a

50:36 ↗ bunch of there we go oh nope nope is

50:39 ↗ that the one no I can't even it's it's

50:42 ↗ the one that had like home ownership oh

50:44 ↗ yeah

50:45 ↗ yeah there we go all right so for many

50:47 ↗ many years uh we said that one of the

50:51 ↗ questions or one of the challenges we

50:53 ↗ had about getting people into ownership

50:55 ↗ was condo liability right and um just

50:59 ↗ before uh the world stopped uh the state

51:02 ↗ legislature did in fact enact uh condo

51:06 ↗ liability reform and so one of the

51:08 ↗ questions that I have is

51:11 ↗ um are we looking at how has the you

51:14 ↗ know the the long-sought hope that that

51:16 ↗ would provide an opportunity into

51:18 ↗ ownership for folks

51:20 ↗ um are we starting to see that out in

51:22 ↗ the marketplace and uh you know what

51:24 ↗ does it mean for Issaquah in terms of

51:26 ↗ our options that are different than the

51:29 ↗ options that we had before condo

51:31 ↗ liability yeah that's a great question

51:33 ↗ so as part of the housing strategy work

51:35 ↗ program implementation grant that the

51:38 ↗ city received and Kristen Leeson's

51:40 ↗ working on that was one of the questions

51:42 ↗ and I don't think it's there yet right

51:44 ↗ so she be looking at that it hasn't

51:48 ↗ moved it hasn't been enough of a change

51:49 ↗ to move the market so we will continue

51:52 ↗ as a city to advocate for that with our

51:54 ↗ legislatures but it hasn't um I'm sorry

51:58 ↗ was the the liability not sufficiently

52:01 ↗ addressed by the reform that occurred

52:03 ↗ you said we might still continue to

52:05 ↗ Advocate I thought but we will I I mean

52:07 ↗ I thought we I thought we should have

52:09 ↗ addressed the the condo liability issue

52:11 ↗ but I see one of my fellow council

52:12 ↗ members shaking his head now so perhaps

52:14 ↗ I don't understand the issue well enough

52:15 ↗ thank you

52:17 ↗ yeah and I don't know that I know the

52:19 ↗ issues well enough but we can um that is

52:21 ↗ definitely something as part of What's

52:22 ↗ called the housing action planning

52:25 ↗ implementation plan implementation that

52:27 ↗ uh we'll be in front of council uh soon

52:29 ↗ but that I can get you some more

52:30 ↗ information about that

52:34 ↗ okay uh councilmember D Michelle

52:37 ↗ right um Jen for the preservation of

52:40 ↗ already affordable housing the the three

52:42 ↗ Revenue sources that we've identified

52:44 ↗ and that were the two that we're talking

52:46 ↗ about tonight is that money available

52:48 ↗ for private

52:50 ↗ owners of housing that is Affordable and

52:54 ↗ I'm thinking one example would be I

52:57 ↗ understand the rally Corporation for

52:59 ↗ example has several older apartment

53:01 ↗ buildings where they that they are

53:04 ↗ continue to maintain and that where the

53:07 ↗ rents are fairly affordable uh would

53:11 ↗ would and that's just one example I'm

53:14 ↗ just giving that as an example but would

53:16 ↗ any of that funding be available for

53:17 ↗ private Enterprises who are able to

53:21 ↗ maintain housing that is Affordable not

53:25 ↗ you know right affordable housing and I

53:27 ↗ believe so I need to to do some more

53:29 ↗ research because I need to make sure it

53:31 ↗ doesn't say government non-profit only

53:33 ↗ yeah um but I think the way we would

53:35 ↗ also need to make sure there's some

53:37 ↗ Covenant on the property so it can't you

53:39 ↗ know change when it gets sold Etc so I

53:42 ↗ will definitely look into that but

53:43 ↗ that's I mean that is one of the ideas

53:45 ↗ of how do we we have a list that was

53:47 ↗ done as part of the housing work

53:48 ↗ strategy

53:50 ↗ housing strategy work plan sorry and um

53:53 ↗ and so you know we would go through that

53:56 ↗ list and try to find what might be some

53:58 ↗ ideal candidates so yeah

54:02 ↗ council member Joe

54:05 ↗ thank you very much

54:09 ↗ um Jen Davis was interested in learning

54:12 ↗ more about the mft

54:14 ↗ mfte program yeah how would the city go

54:18 ↗ about uh looking to analyze that and

54:22 ↗ create one uh and and given what we've

54:25 ↗ heard from the developer who spoke

54:27 ↗ tonight

54:29 ↗ um how do we make that uh at a level

54:32 ↗ that's actually going to be used that's

54:34 ↗ actually going to be something that

54:35 ↗ would help us get out of this housing

54:37 ↗ conundra if you could talk a little

54:39 ↗ about the timing and how far out we

54:42 ↗ would expect it before we'd be able to

54:45 ↗ use it a little bit more would be

54:47 ↗ helpful and if you don't know the

54:48 ↗ answers tonight we can certainly get a

54:50 ↗ memoir what have you yeah so um the good

54:52 ↗ thing is we actually have mfte but it's

54:54 ↗ very specific to the Tod project and

54:57 ↗ that site so we could legislatively

55:01 ↗ expand it to where we wanted to

55:03 ↗ um but we would have to look at do some

55:06 ↗ research about

55:07 ↗ um what makes sense as far as levels

55:09 ↗ that you want to look at and if you want

55:11 ↗ to do eight 12 year plus so there's some

55:13 ↗ some components that we would work with

55:15 ↗ Arch and because they actually manage

55:17 ↗ that program for the East Side to do the

55:19 ↗ reporting for that so it would be it

55:23 ↗ would go when I when I looked at it for

55:24 ↗ the Tod we did research about what other

55:26 ↗ cities did what'd that mean for we

55:29 ↗ showed what that meant for that specific

55:30 ↗ property as far as property tax that you

55:33 ↗ would get you don't you still continue

55:35 ↗ to get property tax on the land and

55:38 ↗ Commercial spaces so we did an analysis

55:40 ↗ to show how that would impact and

55:43 ↗ um and and so on so timing wise not sure

55:46 ↗ but if that's something that Council

55:47 ↗ wanted some more research we could put

55:50 ↗ that on the list

55:51 ↗ okay and as you look at the other cities

55:54 ↗ I would ask that you take a look and see

55:58 ↗ the levels that were set and then

56:00 ↗ whether or not the programs were

56:01 ↗ actually used I don't think we want to

56:03 ↗ venture down the path of creating a

56:05 ↗ program like Kenmore did for parking and

56:08 ↗ then not having it be utilized by any

56:10 ↗ and the the developers out there and I

56:14 ↗ guess the other

56:15 ↗ um

56:15 ↗ thought would be you know how how far

56:19 ↗ out can we put that exemption and can we

56:24 ↗ extend the time out so that it is more

56:26 ↗ palatable for developers to do that is

56:29 ↗ that allowed and how far is the limit

56:32 ↗ would be another question I would put

56:34 ↗ forward for you to research okay thank

56:37 ↗ you yeah

56:40 ↗ council member or Deputy council

56:42 ↗ president Hall

56:43 ↗ so as as we look at um I'm interested

56:47 ↗ you mentioned Kristen Leeson's project

56:49 ↗ that she's working on are we looking at

56:52 ↗ you know when the legislature decided to

56:54 ↗ strip us of our ability to have

56:56 ↗ single-family housing in the city

56:59 ↗ um are we looking at

57:00 ↗ do we have any idea yet or have we

57:02 ↗ started trying to figure out what that

57:04 ↗ impact will be because it seems like

57:05 ↗ that's the single biggest change to the

57:09 ↗ marketplace in my 14 years on Council

57:12 ↗ and it seems like there's going to be a

57:14 ↗ sort of before and after and

57:17 ↗ have we started putting our finger on

57:19 ↗ what we think that will do

57:22 ↗ councilmember writes this is Andrea

57:24 ↗ Snyder uh yes we have started the

57:27 ↗ legislature

57:28 ↗ of course just just made that action

57:31 ↗ they have not provided a lot of guidance

57:33 ↗ about how to interpret certain things so

57:37 ↗ we are looking into it we hope to come

57:39 ↗ back to City Council in the community

57:41 ↗ with more information about those

57:43 ↗ impacts to Issaquah and um

57:46 ↗ right now the timing escapes me but in

57:48 ↗ the next couple of months we want to

57:50 ↗ come back to the the city council and

57:52 ↗ begin to discuss what those impacts are

57:55 ↗ thank you

57:58 ↗ Deputy council president Hall

58:00 ↗ oh thank you I forgot one of my

58:02 ↗ questions but I'm sure it'll come to me

58:04 ↗ after I ask the first one so have we

58:06 ↗ also thought about like um

58:08 ↗ so Pioneer program exciting about like

58:11 ↗ incentivizing kind of a place where we

58:13 ↗ currently don't have what we want have

58:15 ↗ we thought about like what are the other

58:17 ↗ kind of creative ways that the city can

58:18 ↗ do the same thing like is there like a

58:21 ↗ specific utility that is kind of cost

58:24 ↗ prohibitive in the area that the city

58:25 ↗ can can be thinking about creative ways

58:28 ↗ to support or anything like that I'm

58:30 ↗ just I'm just curious kind of like how

58:32 ↗ many different angles have we thought

58:33 ↗ about this problem

58:35 ↗ yeah so actually as part of again the

58:37 ↗ why central or Redevelopment hasn't

58:40 ↗ happened in central Issaquah that is one

58:41 ↗ of the things I'll be looking at so I've

58:43 ↗ started those conversations with our

58:44 ↗ Public Works to say capacity and what

58:46 ↗ you know what is that

58:48 ↗ um so I don't know that that's

58:50 ↗ um

58:51 ↗ I don't know the impact of that so can't

58:53 ↗ say that that would make a difference

58:54 ↗ and that's fine yeah as long as that's

58:55 ↗ on our rate like that's great if you're

58:57 ↗ yeah and that's a little bit of why

58:59 ↗ talking so the developers I didn't

59:01 ↗ mention were people that have developed

59:03 ↗ in Issaquah in the past currently

59:05 ↗ looking at it and you know um kind of

59:08 ↗ looked at it but didn't proceed so so

59:11 ↗ we're getting people who have been there

59:12 ↗ done that

59:14 ↗ um and so they you know they if they

59:16 ↗ didn't bring up concern about utilities

59:17 ↗ and I'm like okay they haven't either

59:19 ↗ gotten that far or that wasn't an issue

59:21 ↗ right but again every place every site

59:23 ↗ can be different without

59:28 ↗ um I did remember my other

59:30 ↗ question it comes to Capital

59:32 ↗ priorities with some of these funds too

59:34 ↗ is another option to just um

59:39 ↗ or I guess the question more is what is

59:41 ↗ our current are we currently giving

59:45 ↗ Arch all the contributions that it's

59:48 ↗ expecting from Issaquah or from a city

59:50 ↗ of our size from Issaquah or is that

59:52 ↗ something that we should consider in

59:53 ↗ this all

59:55 ↗ um

59:56 ↗ in the mix too and also sorry there's

59:59 ↗ like three parts of this question now is

1:00:01 ↗ it possible to say you know here's

1:00:04 ↗ here's our contribution like we always

1:00:05 ↗ do but we also have this strategic

1:00:08 ↗ opportunity fund or whatever that would

1:00:10 ↗ fund it if it was within an X mile

1:00:12 ↗ radius of Issaquah or something like

1:00:15 ↗ that is that even something that's

1:00:16 ↗ possible or does arch kind of say no if

1:00:19 ↗ you contribute to the pot it has to go

1:00:21 ↗ to the the whole Arch region

1:00:24 ↗ so it doesn't need to be answered now

1:00:25 ↗ yeah yeah no I can I can definitely ask

1:00:27 ↗ that and so one of the things I expect

1:00:29 ↗ to do after tonight is to work with them

1:00:30 ↗ about developing the next steps and so

1:00:32 ↗ we can definitely talk about that so

1:00:37 ↗ okay not seeing any other questions so

1:00:41 ↗ at this point we have an opportunity for

1:00:43 ↗ public comment but do you have a

1:00:46 ↗ question

1:00:47 ↗ okay go ahead councilmember D Michelle

1:00:49 ↗ you have always been very slow sorry

1:00:52 ↗ about that so uh following up on

1:00:55 ↗ Deputy council president Hall's question

1:01:00 ↗ the Strategic opportunity investment

1:01:02 ↗ fund and I know we're not really focused

1:01:05 ↗ on that tonight but

1:01:06 ↗ is that a way to capture a little bit

1:01:10 ↗ more of the funding that we give to Arch

1:01:12 ↗ for specific Issaquah

1:01:15 ↗ projects is that like our own little

1:01:18 ↗ trust fund or is that the purpose of it

1:01:22 ↗ basically

1:01:24 ↗ um yeah so so the reason we also thought

1:01:26 ↗ of this so there was an opportunity to

1:01:29 ↗ purchase with a non-pro a non-profit

1:01:32 ↗ organization anxiety existing apartment

1:01:35 ↗ community that was affordable and Arch

1:01:38 ↗ said well what money do you have to put

1:01:40 ↗ in it we're like well we have this money

1:01:41 ↗ here but without criteria without

1:01:43 ↗ whatever we're not going to come to

1:01:45 ↗ council and go we think this is a great

1:01:46 ↗ idea because we really again want to

1:01:48 ↗ think about what your goals are and

1:01:49 ↗ where should that be focus on is if you

1:01:51 ↗ want again if you want me to go focus on

1:01:53 ↗ preserving a current uh units that are

1:01:56 ↗ affordable I will go and hit the road

1:01:58 ↗ and start talking to owners and start

1:02:00 ↗ talking to anybody that we have on our

1:02:03 ↗ in our radar so I think having that

1:02:06 ↗ extra amount of money allows us to then

1:02:10 ↗ you know Focus where those goals are so

1:02:15 ↗ yeah thank you very much yeah and um so

1:02:19 ↗ I think throwing that into the mix of

1:02:21 ↗ options that we might have is a really

1:02:24 ↗ good idea thanks

1:02:28 ↗ okay so I'm going to look at the clerk

1:02:30 ↗ to see if we have anyone online

1:02:33 ↗ interested in that might be interested

1:02:36 ↗ in public comment

1:02:40 ↗ council president if anyone I'll tell

1:02:42 ↗ them to raise their hand and someone did

1:02:45 ↗ just raise them oh fantastic they're

1:02:47 ↗ reading my mind love it much appreciated

1:02:51 ↗ sad Brian I have again made you a

1:02:53 ↗ panelist you should be able to unmute

1:02:55 ↗ and turn on your video

1:02:59 ↗ can you hear me we can thank you oh

1:03:02 ↗ great I just I'm listening to the

1:03:04 ↗ conversation and

1:03:06 ↗ um I want to clarify a few a few things

1:03:09 ↗ on uh the various programs and what

1:03:12 ↗ we're seeing in different jurisdictions

1:03:14 ↗ and again I I I'll paint myself as

1:03:17 ↗ somewhat of a quasi expert we we design

1:03:20 ↗ numerous amounts of these have done it

1:03:22 ↗ for 25 years throughout the region and

1:03:25 ↗ involved in

1:03:26 ↗ um

1:03:27 ↗ specifically in these Tod projects so I

1:03:30 ↗ I do know all the competitors I do all

1:03:32 ↗ know exactly what's going on uh for

1:03:35 ↗ clarity about the Pioneer program we

1:03:37 ↗ don't have anyone in Totem Lake but I do

1:03:40 ↗ know uh one group in there that had

1:03:42 ↗ bought the property 15 years ago which

1:03:44 ↗ changes to the Dynamics and the calculus

1:03:48 ↗ on that I can't speak to

1:03:50 ↗ uh the overlay because we do have a few

1:03:53 ↗ projects in there and just completed one

1:03:55 ↗ so while there was some earlier ones

1:03:57 ↗ going in

1:03:58 ↗ um as a Pioneer project we just recently

1:04:01 ↗ completed a 635 unit project the uh

1:04:05 ↗ inclusionary zoning criteria was at 10

1:04:09 ↗ of the units at 80 Ami which included

1:04:13 ↗ mfte which that you know the developer

1:04:16 ↗ worked and it's again a block away from

1:04:17 ↗ the Tod which works really well

1:04:20 ↗ um and again I want to point out

1:04:23 ↗ the dynamic there this is it's outside

1:04:25 ↗ of a it's it's not even a a

1:04:29 ↗ Pioneer project at this state this is

1:04:31 ↗ just a to make the project work at the

1:04:34 ↗ Overlake station

1:04:37 ↗ um right next to the Microsoft campus

1:04:39 ↗ was was at at 10 of the units at 80 Ami

1:04:43 ↗ and with the mft so correlate that to

1:04:47 ↗ Issaquah or you don't have the same job

1:04:49 ↗ basis you have light rail that's 15

1:04:52 ↗ years out if you really want to attract

1:04:54 ↗ people you you at least got to start

1:04:56 ↗ where these other stations are are

1:04:59 ↗ operating at and getting

1:05:02 ↗ um

1:05:03 ↗ inclusionary zoning and we're not seeing

1:05:05 ↗ any of them under the 80 because the

1:05:08 ↗ capital markets won't go to that the

1:05:10 ↗ idea to put in or or incentivize older

1:05:14 ↗ housing product is is a great Tool uh

1:05:17 ↗ again we're building projects they're

1:05:19 ↗ over three hundred dollars a square foot

1:05:21 ↗ just in hard cost to produce these

1:05:23 ↗ nowadays so to expect to produce housing

1:05:27 ↗ at over 300 a square foot with limited

1:05:30 ↗ parking and all the rest

1:05:32 ↗ um and then you discount say if you're

1:05:35 ↗ at 70 Ami so you're taking about 30

1:05:38 ↗ percent or more of the rent income and

1:05:41 ↗ right now your program speaks to about

1:05:43 ↗ 12 and a half percent so you take

1:05:45 ↗ 12 and a half percent of your revenue

1:05:47 ↗ and drop it by thirty percent it does

1:05:49 ↗ devastating things

1:05:51 ↗ um to the value and the the the

1:05:54 ↗ possibility to get anything financed for

1:05:57 ↗ this so the the Dynamics are what and

1:05:59 ↗ we're not talking like a few percentages

1:06:01 ↗ off you're way off the mark of what

1:06:04 ↗ would make this the these projects work

1:06:07 ↗ so

1:06:09 ↗ um I just go back to what Eco Northwest

1:06:11 ↗ had proposed to to your group uh a while

1:06:15 ↗ back of where you can't you really

1:06:17 ↗ shouldn't go under 80 Ami and there

1:06:19 ↗ should be other incentives and again the

1:06:21 ↗ mft program is a good one because it's

1:06:23 ↗ offset with the tax bait whether it's 8

1:06:26 ↗ 10 12 years I don't think that's a big

1:06:28 ↗ issue it's once you get established and

1:06:30 ↗ you get moving what you want to do is

1:06:32 ↗ get some of this housing in place uh

1:06:35 ↗ before the the light rail comes in and

1:06:37 ↗ gets opened so

1:06:40 ↗ um we'd love to participate it I can if

1:06:43 ↗ we I wasn't prepared because we just got

1:06:45 ↗ notice of this on Friday afternoon but

1:06:46 ↗ we can come in with the requisite

1:06:48 ↗ experts we've analyzed this on virtually

1:06:51 ↗ every light rail line both the Seattle

1:06:54 ↗ line and the East Lake line and can go

1:06:57 ↗ through it project by project but I just

1:06:58 ↗ wanted to clarify

1:07:00 ↗ um those those key things thanks

1:07:06 ↗ great thank you Brian

1:07:08 ↗ um do we have anyone else online

1:07:13 ↗ council president I see no more virtual

1:07:16 ↗ hands raised at this time okay fantastic

1:07:19 ↗ well again you can always email US city

1:07:21 ↗ council at issaquah.gov so at this point

1:07:24 ↗ we've got kind of two areas of feedback

1:07:27 ↗ one is this concept of priorities and

1:07:31 ↗ outcomes with a potential Financial

1:07:33 ↗ investment and then the other one is on

1:07:37 ↗ the Pioneer project so so anybody want

1:07:41 ↗ to start on one versus the other

1:07:46 ↗ councilmember hunt

1:07:49 ↗ I will start on the slide that is up

1:07:52 ↗ which is the priorities and outcomes I

1:07:55 ↗ think we should prioritize

1:07:58 ↗ um I think a strong arguments be made

1:07:59 ↗ for prioritizing preservation of already

1:08:01 ↗ affordable housing something that's in

1:08:04 ↗ our strategic our housing work action

1:08:07 ↗ plan it's something we know we do have

1:08:11 ↗ this relatively rare and very important

1:08:14 ↗ asset in our community and you know

1:08:16 ↗ Now's the Time to act to make sure we

1:08:18 ↗ don't lose that also those are people

1:08:20 ↗ that are already living in that housing

1:08:23 ↗ and so it's very important I think that

1:08:25 ↗ we don't um lose that housing stock for

1:08:29 ↗ community members who are already living

1:08:32 ↗ here in Issaquah and already are our

1:08:33 ↗ neighbors so I think

1:08:36 ↗ 2.4 million dollars I mean it sounds

1:08:38 ↗ like a lot but it's not that much if we

1:08:40 ↗ were to try to go out for construction

1:08:42 ↗ of new housing it's pretty expensive so

1:08:45 ↗ I think this could go a long way towards

1:08:47 ↗ preserving some of our already

1:08:48 ↗ affordable and that would make a big

1:08:50 ↗ difference for the for the folks that

1:08:52 ↗ are there

1:08:55 ↗ Deputy council president Hull then

1:08:57 ↗ councilmember D Michelle

1:09:00 ↗ um yeah I was actually feeling very

1:09:02 ↗ similarly thinking along the same lines

1:09:04 ↗ but I have one more level which was that

1:09:07 ↗ if it was near Transit so I was thinking

1:09:10 ↗ you know ways that we can encourage more

1:09:13 ↗ kind of naturally Transit oriented

1:09:15 ↗ development essentially this is aligned

1:09:18 ↗ with some of our goals too the first

1:09:19 ↗ thing I did to prepare for this meeting

1:09:21 ↗ was look to I used to be a member of the

1:09:23 ↗ King County affordable housing committee

1:09:24 ↗ and now councilmember Walsh is taking my

1:09:26 ↗ seat on that but there's this task force

1:09:28 ↗ report that put out and one of the goals

1:09:30 ↗ was

1:09:31 ↗ prioritizing either new construction or

1:09:34 ↗ preservation of existing affordable

1:09:35 ↗ housing near transit or near your

1:09:37 ↗ ability to get around more quickly so I

1:09:40 ↗ think

1:09:42 ↗ you're right 2.4 million dollars isn't

1:09:44 ↗ isn't very that isn't that much and I

1:09:46 ↗ wonder if we can't say maybe we

1:09:48 ↗ prioritize in this first leg the

1:09:51 ↗ preservation of housing

1:09:53 ↗ um near Transit would be

1:09:56 ↗ what my preference would be although I

1:09:58 ↗ just thought of another

1:10:00 ↗ priority that I think actually would

1:10:01 ↗ live above this one in my head and that

1:10:03 ↗ is if the Tod is struggling again it

1:10:05 ↗ needs more than five million dollars I

1:10:07 ↗ want to know about that and this is this

1:10:09 ↗ would be the money that I would think

1:10:10 ↗ we'd want to go to first so that's

1:10:13 ↗ assuming that's not happening then this

1:10:15 ↗ would be the strategy that I'd want to

1:10:16 ↗ go with

1:10:20 ↗ councilmember D Michelle

1:10:24 ↗ yes I think I think you could probably

1:10:25 ↗ tell by the questions I was asking that

1:10:27 ↗ I uh preservation of already affordable

1:10:30 ↗ housing would be my top priority I think

1:10:32 ↗ psrc uh and council president Walsh

1:10:36 ↗ probably knows this better than I do but

1:10:37 ↗ put out uh you know a study showing how

1:10:42 ↗ much affordable housing we're losing so

1:10:44 ↗ we're not only

1:10:46 ↗ behind in the number of new units that

1:10:49 ↗ we need but we're losing we're falling

1:10:51 ↗ behind on the housing that's already

1:10:54 ↗ there so uh and I think that uh I'll

1:10:58 ↗ call it a trust fund the trust fund idea

1:11:02 ↗ where we'd be able to

1:11:03 ↗ utilize that for local expenditures is a

1:11:07 ↗ great tool for accomplishing this

1:11:09 ↗ preservation and then the question I ask

1:11:12 ↗ about would that be available to uh for

1:11:15 ↗ us to

1:11:16 ↗ uh expand that on uh housing that is

1:11:20 ↗ currently owned by private organizations

1:11:22 ↗ I think is something we need to explore

1:11:24 ↗ because there is certainly in our

1:11:26 ↗ community those types of affordable of

1:11:30 ↗ housing that is Affordable that we would

1:11:32 ↗ want to preserve as well and uh those

1:11:35 ↗ are getting more and more difficult to

1:11:37 ↗ maintain with the inflation that we've

1:11:40 ↗ got going on so I think we want to look

1:11:42 ↗ at those and make sure that if there's

1:11:44 ↗ any opportunities to preserve those and

1:11:46 ↗ if the money is could be legally spent

1:11:49 ↗ on that that we would at least look at

1:11:52 ↗ those opportunities as well

1:11:54 ↗ so preservation would definitely be my

1:11:57 ↗ top priority I do think that Council

1:12:00 ↗ Deputy president Hall I will get that be

1:12:05 ↗ able to say that easier one of these

1:12:07 ↗ days has a very good point that if we do

1:12:10 ↗ need more money for the Tod I think of

1:12:12 ↗ course that is our top priority but

1:12:14 ↗ given that we've covered that cost

1:12:16 ↗ preservation would be for sure my top

1:12:19 ↗ priority

1:12:22 ↗ councilman Murray

1:12:24 ↗ thank you I agree that kind of we are

1:12:27 ↗ very blessed in the school to have a lot

1:12:29 ↗ of naturally occurring affordable

1:12:30 ↗ housing and preserving that is

1:12:32 ↗ absolutely essential so I think that's

1:12:35 ↗ um that's for sure I think that's my top

1:12:37 ↗ even over the Tod is we you know we

1:12:39 ↗ can't say we're going to build all this

1:12:41 ↗ buy all this and and at the same time

1:12:43 ↗ we're destroying

1:12:45 ↗ um affordable housing but I think if I'm

1:12:48 ↗ looking at a figure of 2.4 million

1:12:49 ↗ dollars which is a lot of money to me

1:12:51 ↗ but not a lot of money when it comes to

1:12:52 ↗ building

1:12:53 ↗ um housing

1:12:55 ↗ um I kind of would like to see us pursue

1:12:56 ↗ something with Arch and get a multiplier

1:12:58 ↗ effect and that

1:13:00 ↗ um you know maybe they won't build in

1:13:01 ↗ Issaquah but that's okay because we're

1:13:03 ↗ this is a regional problem not an Issa

1:13:05 ↗ problems per se so um that's kind of

1:13:08 ↗ where my head goes don't don't lose

1:13:10 ↗ anything that we've got today but if if

1:13:12 ↗ that's the number we're working with

1:13:14 ↗ let's um let's take advantage of arch

1:13:16 ↗ and and push in that direction

1:13:20 ↗ councilman Mertz uh thank you

1:13:24 ↗ I I feel like I don't have enough

1:13:28 ↗ information

1:13:29 ↗ to have a strong opinion right now I I

1:13:33 ↗ miss Arthur Sullivan from Arch because

1:13:36 ↗ Arthur used to give us more information

1:13:38 ↗ than we even knew what to do with and I

1:13:41 ↗ would come out of meetings with Arthur

1:13:42 ↗ having a much better idea of you know

1:13:46 ↗ heavily you know very very low income to

1:13:49 ↗ low income to Affordable to Workforce to

1:13:53 ↗ Market and I would understand

1:13:56 ↗ uh you know what Ami is currently and

1:14:00 ↗ what it is to be at 80 percent of Ami

1:14:02 ↗ and would have an idea of how our

1:14:05 ↗ existing housing stock compared to what

1:14:07 ↗ the market was looking for because there

1:14:10 ↗ would be you know the number of rental

1:14:13 ↗ units that would come up at any uh you

1:14:15 ↗ know in any given year and I I don't

1:14:17 ↗ feel like I have that right now I mean I

1:14:19 ↗ see from our report card we now consider

1:14:22 ↗ Ami 134 thousand dollars a year year

1:14:24 ↗ which is quite a bit of money so if we

1:14:27 ↗ say that well if you're above 100 and

1:14:28 ↗ 100 of Ami only nine percent of people

1:14:32 ↗ are cost burdened well if if you're

1:14:33 ↗ making over a hundred and thirty five

1:14:35 ↗ thousand dollars a year okay nine

1:14:37 ↗ percent cost burden sounds like that

1:14:39 ↗ that might be doable but

1:14:41 ↗ um you know 2.4 million is not to to

1:14:44 ↗ Echo council member Ray is not a large

1:14:47 ↗ lever in this in this conversation I

1:14:50 ↗ wish I could say that we should partner

1:14:52 ↗ with Arch I haven't seen arch in a long

1:14:54 ↗ time the only thing I've heard from Arch

1:14:56 ↗ is trying to get us involved in state

1:14:57 ↗ level political issues about how

1:14:59 ↗ landlords should work things other than

1:15:01 ↗ that we haven't heard a lot from arch in

1:15:03 ↗ a while and boy I wish that was

1:15:04 ↗ different right now I'm not excited

1:15:06 ↗ necessarily about about giving them more

1:15:09 ↗ money I would like to see as something

1:15:11 ↗ do us I'd like to see us do something

1:15:13 ↗ clever with that 2.4 million but I don't

1:15:16 ↗ know what it is and again my long-winded

1:15:18 ↗ answer is I still feel like I'm not sure

1:15:21 ↗ historically I have always said it's

1:15:22 ↗ about the workforce housing it's about

1:15:24 ↗ that middle 80 to 120. our report card

1:15:27 ↗ really says the 80 to 120s doing kind of

1:15:31 ↗ okay but I don't know if I believe that

1:15:33 ↗ so um I'm just I'm I'm

1:15:37 ↗ not sure what to do with that 2.4 but we

1:15:40 ↗ should do something smart and Innovative

1:15:42 ↗ with it and try something that we

1:15:44 ↗ haven't tried before because if you keep

1:15:46 ↗ doing what you've been doing you keep

1:15:47 ↗ get getting what you get thank you

1:15:54 ↗ councilmember Joe you have anything on

1:15:55 ↗ this otherwise yeah thank you

1:15:58 ↗ appreciate you uh Valen told me there uh

1:16:02 ↗ that's excellent

1:16:04 ↗ um

1:16:04 ↗ thank you for the conversation tonight

1:16:07 ↗ it's been it's been great I think that

1:16:10 ↗ um

1:16:11 ↗ what I would throw out is is we look at

1:16:15 ↗ our Tod project that's

1:16:17 ↗ potentially coming in a couple more

1:16:19 ↗ years and when we started that project

1:16:22 ↗ Tola had a lot more hair and I didn't

1:16:24 ↗ have wrinkles and things like that it

1:16:26 ↗ took a long time to get there right so

1:16:29 ↗ I'll just route that that maybe we

1:16:32 ↗ should use a 2.4 million dollars if we

1:16:35 ↗ can is is a capital investment of

1:16:37 ↗ property investment

1:16:40 ↗ and if it is

1:16:42 ↗ maybe we should be looking at acquiring

1:16:44 ↗ property and putting that 2.4 million

1:16:47 ↗ down now in an area around the future

1:16:50 ↗ site for the Terminus for Sound Transit

1:16:53 ↗ now we talk about you know we want to

1:16:57 ↗ have that sound transit

1:16:59 ↗ Terminus be a location where people can

1:17:02 ↗ get right off the train right off the

1:17:04 ↗ sound transit line and go to their house

1:17:07 ↗ or you know go to a restaurant there and

1:17:09 ↗ not have to get into another car and

1:17:11 ↗ create another traffic trip right if we

1:17:14 ↗ take the 2.4 now start looking around

1:17:17 ↗ like we're doing with some of the other

1:17:19 ↗ space conditions of space and office

1:17:23 ↗ challenges we're having maybe we find

1:17:26 ↗ that piece of property that's big enough

1:17:28 ↗ for us to put a four or five story

1:17:30 ↗ affordable housing unit in the future

1:17:33 ↗ there I know the housing crisis is

1:17:37 ↗ right in our faces right now and I hope

1:17:40 ↗ that the rules that Commerce is working

1:17:43 ↗ for missing middle housing will help

1:17:45 ↗ clarify the things that are going to be

1:17:47 ↗ going forward we're going to see some

1:17:51 ↗ new development that might not have been

1:17:55 ↗ occurring before because of the Adu law

1:17:57 ↗ the C for reform the missing middle

1:18:00 ↗ housing and the permit reform law that

1:18:03 ↗ all came down through this last

1:18:04 ↗ legislative session so

1:18:08 ↗ I know that we have a gap right now I

1:18:10 ↗ hope the the current legislation will

1:18:12 ↗ help fill that Gap in the short term our

1:18:14 ↗ Tod will fill affordable housing in the

1:18:17 ↗ short term and then we look to 2.4 to

1:18:19 ↗ invest in the future uh for a place

1:18:24 ↗ around the Terminus as a longer term

1:18:26 ↗ plan so I'll throw that out for

1:18:27 ↗ consideration thank you

1:18:33 ↗ thoughts on this

1:18:35 ↗ um I think from my perspective the

1:18:41 ↗ um HB 1590 sales tax my mind on that

1:18:45 ↗ says that really should be more of that

1:18:48 ↗ transitional housing because if we

1:18:52 ↗ didn't take that sales tax that would

1:18:53 ↗ have gone to the county and that was

1:18:56 ↗ really the intention so my big priority

1:18:59 ↗ with that is to make sure that we hold

1:19:02 ↗ to the intent of that legislation which

1:19:07 ↗ was really to provide something that

1:19:11 ↗ developers wouldn't

1:19:13 ↗ and so I have a strong preference for

1:19:15 ↗ that 30 to 50 30 to 60 percent Ami

1:19:18 ↗ whether that happened through buying

1:19:21 ↗ existing already existing housing or

1:19:24 ↗ building new or working with Arch I

1:19:26 ↗ don't really have a strong preference on

1:19:28 ↗ that I just really

1:19:30 ↗ think we need to stay committed to that

1:19:33 ↗ concept of 30 to 50 percent because

1:19:35 ↗ nobody else is going to build it it's

1:19:38 ↗ not going to come through developers

1:19:39 ↗ it's not going to come through

1:19:40 ↗ incentives it requires not only

1:19:44 ↗ substantial investments in that building

1:19:48 ↗ or creating that type of housing but

1:19:50 ↗ also supporting it throughout so

1:19:54 ↗ when I'm looking at this 2.4 million

1:19:56 ↗ some of which comes from that sales tax

1:20:00 ↗ I'm really thinking about that I'm also

1:20:02 ↗ thinking about long term that's not just

1:20:04 ↗ going to be 2.4 million over the years

1:20:07 ↗ it's going to grow and I know we have a

1:20:10 ↗ future conversation but I'm I'm already

1:20:12 ↗ thinking about well does it make sense

1:20:15 ↗ to utilize that money now or does it

1:20:17 ↗ make sense to let it potentially grow

1:20:20 ↗ toward a bigger idea much like we've

1:20:24 ↗ been able to do with the Tod project and

1:20:27 ↗ then regarding the preservation of

1:20:28 ↗ naturally affordable affordable housing

1:20:30 ↗ I would really need more information

1:20:33 ↗ particularly as I said considering that

1:20:36 ↗ 0.1 sales tax it requires a focus on 60

1:20:39 ↗ or lower Ami and I just don't quite

1:20:43 ↗ understand how to connect the dots

1:20:45 ↗ between that because I don't think that

1:20:47 ↗ anything that is naturally affordable is

1:20:50 ↗ that affordable in Issaquah and I would

1:20:55 ↗ also have a strong interest in covenants

1:20:58 ↗ something that makes sure that it is

1:21:00 ↗ truly affordable at lower than that 60

1:21:02 ↗ long term I am slightly concerned that

1:21:06 ↗ then if we bought up

1:21:08 ↗ existable existing naturally affordable

1:21:11 ↗ housing

1:21:13 ↗ using some sort of funds or using that

1:21:17 ↗ fund that we would actually have to kick

1:21:20 ↗ people out in order to make it 60 which

1:21:24 ↗ I don't think is something that we're

1:21:26 ↗ interested in so

1:21:27 ↗ again strong preference toward the 30 to

1:21:31 ↗ 60 percent because that's the uh the

1:21:34 ↗ intent of the legislation so Andrea do

1:21:37 ↗ you and Jen do you guys have what you

1:21:39 ↗ need on that portion

1:21:42 ↗ uh yes we do thank you

1:21:45 ↗ so next uh you want to do on this

1:21:49 ↗ okay go ahead

1:21:50 ↗ um so

1:21:51 ↗ there were a couple different priorities

1:21:54 ↗ that different council members had it's

1:21:56 ↗ it I think it would be helpful to get a

1:21:58 ↗ sense when this next comes to us comes

1:22:01 ↗ back to us of how much how far this 2.4

1:22:06 ↗ million dollars would go in those

1:22:08 ↗ different areas for example with the

1:22:10 ↗ preservation of already affordable

1:22:11 ↗ housing how many units we would be

1:22:13 ↗ expected to be able to preserve and

1:22:15 ↗ what's the timeline versus how many you

1:22:18 ↗ know versus what a property along the

1:22:21 ↗ Zone in The Sound Transit area how how

1:22:24 ↗ far 2.4 million would go towards that or

1:22:27 ↗ versus new transitional housing because

1:22:30 ↗ I think that would be very helpful when

1:22:33 ↗ we consider next steps and right now

1:22:35 ↗ they're kind of all considered as

1:22:36 ↗ options but we don't know how far the

1:22:37 ↗ money goes for those different ones

1:22:40 ↗ and I'll also throw in just when it

1:22:42 ↗ comes back it would be great to get a

1:22:44 ↗ summary of what you've heard because I

1:22:46 ↗ think there are a lot of different

1:22:47 ↗ opinions and so it's always interesting

1:22:50 ↗ to get into staff's mind on and what did

1:22:53 ↗ you take from this meeting and do we

1:22:55 ↗ agree that that was what we heard said

1:22:58 ↗ as well so that would be great

1:23:01 ↗ okay next thing they need from us is uh

1:23:04 ↗ council member D Michelle

1:23:06 ↗ okay so question comment so uh one thing

1:23:11 ↗ that

1:23:12 ↗ um you get when you have 30 to 60 Ami is

1:23:17 ↗ many times you need to bring in managers

1:23:20 ↗ and you need uh Human Services

1:23:22 ↗ provisions and all of that needs to be

1:23:25 ↗ organized by you know social service

1:23:28 ↗ agencies and I think uh and I apologize

1:23:32 ↗ to Brian because I don't know his last

1:23:34 ↗ name so Brian sorry but uh I think

1:23:38 ↗ that's what he was talking about when he

1:23:39 ↗ said it's so difficult to pencil out

1:23:41 ↗ that 30 to 60 percent because it's not

1:23:45 ↗ just construction it is the ongoing

1:23:48 ↗ programs that go with that and that's

1:23:51 ↗ what makes it so difficult for a

1:23:53 ↗ developer to pencil that out so I just

1:23:55 ↗ want to bring that up and especially

1:23:57 ↗ when we're going into the discussion of

1:23:58 ↗ the pioneer program

1:24:00 ↗ that

1:24:01 ↗ um

1:24:03 ↗ that if we're looking at

1:24:05 ↗ uh creating more affordable housing we

1:24:08 ↗ have to understand that and there are

1:24:11 ↗ federal supports for 30 to 60 that are

1:24:14 ↗ also there that people can apply for but

1:24:16 ↗ that also is a lot of requires a lot of

1:24:19 ↗ investment as well that there are

1:24:21 ↗ reasons why developers are saying that

1:24:23 ↗ under 80 is a difficult

1:24:26 ↗ thing to take on so just want to bring

1:24:29 ↗ that up and and Jen correct me if I'm

1:24:31 ↗ not correct on on that no you are

1:24:34 ↗ correct oh yeah and I will clarify that

1:24:37 ↗ I definitely am not thinking 30 to 50 on

1:24:40 ↗ the Pioneer program what I'm looking at

1:24:42 ↗ is related to the priorities and

1:24:45 ↗ outcomes for the funding that we have

1:24:49 ↗ um

1:24:50 ↗ if we're the only ones that have money

1:24:52 ↗ that can invest in that I think that's

1:24:55 ↗ important so next thing we need from

1:24:57 ↗ everybody is Pioneer project I'm going

1:24:59 ↗ to try and be quick we are currently 30

1:25:01 ↗ minutes over our timeline so

1:25:04 ↗ um

1:25:05 ↗ anybody want to start

1:25:09 ↗ I'm going to start just so that we don't

1:25:11 ↗ lose time

1:25:12 ↗ um I really appreciate the idea of a

1:25:15 ↗ Pioneer project at this point I'm not

1:25:18 ↗ sure I support it I think I would prefer

1:25:20 ↗ to take the developer feedback seriously

1:25:24 ↗ and use that to make code changes rather

1:25:27 ↗ than necessarily incentivize an initial

1:25:29 ↗ project I think we need to make sure we

1:25:31 ↗ have our ducks in a row on all of the

1:25:34 ↗ areas

1:25:35 ↗ and not just assume that we can decrease

1:25:39 ↗ the number of affordable housing and get

1:25:41 ↗ something I'd like to really make sure

1:25:43 ↗ that we are there for everything I also

1:25:47 ↗ quite honestly think that the value of

1:25:50 ↗ housing in an area near a light rail

1:25:52 ↗ station will increase as we come closer

1:25:56 ↗ to that period of time and that will

1:25:58 ↗ help it pencil out which would enable

1:26:01 ↗ more potential affordable housing in

1:26:03 ↗ that area so I'm not necessarily feeling

1:26:06 ↗ the urgency to get something started in

1:26:09 ↗ that particular

1:26:11 ↗ area I would rather focus on the whole

1:26:14 ↗ area in general and really take that

1:26:18 ↗ developer feedback and the stuff that we

1:26:19 ↗ got from Eco Northwest and make code

1:26:22 ↗ changes

1:26:24 ↗ anybody else

1:26:28 ↗ councilman Ray I didn't want you to be

1:26:30 ↗ the only one I'd like to see more data

1:26:32 ↗ on the effectiveness of the programs

1:26:34 ↗ before making a determination of where

1:26:35 ↗ we go with these my my initial reaction

1:26:38 ↗ is similar to the council presidents

1:26:40 ↗ that you know don't see a need for it

1:26:42 ↗ but I'd like to see more data on where

1:26:44 ↗ it's been where it's been successful and

1:26:46 ↗ what the situation was and then we can

1:26:47 ↗ kind of evaluate and see if it moves the

1:26:49 ↗ needle on the things we want to move the

1:26:51 ↗ needle on

1:26:54 ↗ Deputy council president Hall I'll just

1:26:56 ↗ be quick I I feel the exact opposite

1:26:58 ↗ though and I would like us to explore

1:27:01 ↗ the program and I think the

1:27:02 ↗ recommendation was that for the service

1:27:04 ↗ of safety and parks to do that work so I

1:27:06 ↗ would support them kind of digging into

1:27:08 ↗ this a little deeper

1:27:11 ↗ uh council member hunt then Martz then

1:27:15 ↗ dear Michelle then Joe

1:27:18 ↗ um like Council Deputy president Hall I

1:27:21 ↗ think that this I would like to see us

1:27:23 ↗ continue to pursue the Pioneer project

1:27:26 ↗ program it's in our CIP that we um that

1:27:31 ↗ this would be one of the strategies and

1:27:32 ↗ you know as we realize the as we try to

1:27:36 ↗ get the kind of development that we set

1:27:38 ↗ forth with the CIP which got a ton of

1:27:40 ↗ community input and a ton of Engagement

1:27:42 ↗ I think we should

1:27:43 ↗ um we should use this opportunity to try

1:27:46 ↗ to get um what would be I think the

1:27:49 ↗ first of these sorts of projects I think

1:27:52 ↗ we don't quite know what the specific

1:27:56 ↗ code changes would be to uh to get this

1:28:00 ↗ especially first over this first kind of

1:28:04 ↗ initial inertia and get these first

1:28:06 ↗ project or projects and so this would be

1:28:09 ↗ an opportunity to actually work with the

1:28:12 ↗ developer and get that the specific code

1:28:16 ↗ changes for that specific project and

1:28:18 ↗ then we could learn from that and make

1:28:21 ↗ subsequent code changes so I think the

1:28:24 ↗ first project is probably

1:28:26 ↗ you know might require additional

1:28:30 ↗ conversations I think this would allow

1:28:32 ↗ us to do that and I think it would allow

1:28:34 ↗ us to explore and also you know this

1:28:36 ↗ city has in the past been open to pilots

1:28:39 ↗ and I think this as a sort of pilot or

1:28:43 ↗ Pioneer project would really

1:28:45 ↗ potentially be beneficial setting us

1:28:47 ↗ down the path to realizing our CIP and

1:28:49 ↗ and having this sort of development in

1:28:51 ↗ the central area so I am supportive of

1:28:54 ↗ continuing with this pioneer

1:28:56 ↗ program project

1:28:59 ↗ council members

1:29:01 ↗ as the chair of the services and Safety

1:29:03 ↗ Committee uh I enthusiastically support

1:29:05 ↗ Council Deputy president Hall's

1:29:07 ↗ suggestion to send it to services and

1:29:09 ↗ safety Bring it on I always like more

1:29:11 ↗ work in front of services and safety and

1:29:13 ↗ I know my fellow services and safety

1:29:15 ↗ members do as well I think that you know

1:29:19 ↗ I

1:29:20 ↗ if we do if we if we look at doing

1:29:22 ↗ something Innovative let's look at doing

1:29:24 ↗ something really Innovative like I don't

1:29:26 ↗ want to look at something Innovative and

1:29:28 ↗ have it be like it's a one bedroom with

1:29:31 ↗ you know uh MF you know multi-family tax

1:29:34 ↗ exemption like I I get it we've seen

1:29:37 ↗ that a million times over the last 20

1:29:39 ↗ years

1:29:40 ↗ um you know I think there's some really

1:29:41 ↗ Innovative stuff out there around you

1:29:43 ↗ know very small apartments uh

1:29:46 ↗ I I would be really interested in seeing

1:29:49 ↗ us we as a city have been truly

1:29:52 ↗ Innovative in a number of areas in in

1:29:55 ↗ recent years

1:29:56 ↗ um quite quite beyond our size in the in

1:30:00 ↗ the community and I I would really love

1:30:02 ↗ to see us think outside the box and do

1:30:04 ↗ something really clever if in fact we're

1:30:06 ↗ going to try to do something different

1:30:08 ↗ because all the same old Solutions

1:30:11 ↗ um you know haven't been working for a

1:30:12 ↗ long time thanks

1:30:15 ↗ councilmember D Michelle

1:30:16 ↗ yes I do think that the Pioneer program

1:30:19 ↗ has a lot of potential value

1:30:22 ↗ as I said earlier it it's a difficult

1:30:25 ↗ time for developers to pencil out their

1:30:28 ↗ projects right now it's a very volatile

1:30:31 ↗ time for them and uh

1:30:34 ↗ this will be the first project in the

1:30:36 ↗ central area and so I think we need to

1:30:39 ↗ recognize that they are taking a risk

1:30:42 ↗ and so I look forward to the

1:30:44 ↗ conversations you know

1:30:46 ↗ we don't want to prove something that we

1:30:48 ↗ don't know what the details say but on

1:30:51 ↗ the other hand I'd like to see what the

1:30:53 ↗ proposal might be what they would come

1:30:55 ↗ back with and what we can work out and

1:30:58 ↗ as council member Mart said maybe it'll

1:31:01 ↗ be something surprising and Innovative

1:31:02 ↗ and that would be really exciting so I

1:31:06 ↗ support the idea of going ahead with the

1:31:08 ↗ Pioneer program

1:31:11 ↗ just Echo the support for the Pioneer

1:31:14 ↗ program I think we need to really see

1:31:17 ↗ what's out there and try uh all the

1:31:20 ↗ different levels and see what might work

1:31:22 ↗ and what doesn't work we'll learn from

1:31:26 ↗ that experience and be able to do the

1:31:28 ↗ next project and the next project a

1:31:30 ↗ little bit better as council member hunt

1:31:32 ↗ has pointed out if we just wait for the

1:31:34 ↗ perfect pitch of the perfect opportunity

1:31:36 ↗ to come and it never comes along we're

1:31:38 ↗ not going to get anywhere at all so

1:31:40 ↗ let's try some projects let's see what's

1:31:42 ↗ out there let's see what works and what

1:31:45 ↗ doesn't and why and then we can go from

1:31:47 ↗ there so look forward to hearing more in

1:31:50 ↗ the committee meeting and I'll pencil

1:31:53 ↗ out two and a half hours for that thank

1:31:54 ↗ you

1:31:58 ↗ everything we need on both of these

1:32:00 ↗ items oh

1:32:02 ↗ okay fantastic

1:32:04 ↗ yes we do thank you Council for a great

1:32:08 ↗ discussion we have everything we need

1:32:09 ↗ before we move on to the next item if I

1:32:12 ↗ may a council president

1:32:14 ↗ um note the time it's almost nine

1:32:16 ↗ o'clock this next item we had

1:32:19 ↗ anticipated to be 60 minutes if Council

1:32:22 ↗ wants to continue with this item then

1:32:24 ↗ great certainly staff and the

1:32:26 ↗ administration are prepared if you'd

1:32:27 ↗ like to push this off to another meeting

1:32:29 ↗ at another time we can also do that

1:32:33 ↗ foreign

1:32:35 ↗ just going to take a look at the

1:32:37 ↗ planning calendar coming up trying to do

1:32:41 ↗ you have a proposed one possibility

1:32:44 ↗ though slightly unorthodox would be at

1:32:46 ↗ the next regular city council meeting

1:32:47 ↗ such discussions don't usually happen at

1:32:50 ↗ Council meetings but we do have this

1:32:52 ↗ slated on the planning calendar if we

1:32:54 ↗ needed additional time to discuss this

1:32:56 ↗ item so we could

1:32:58 ↗ um we could take some time to discuss

1:33:00 ↗ this item at the regular council meeting

1:33:01 ↗ knowing that there would be no action

1:33:03 ↗ requested from Council other than good

1:33:05 ↗ old-fashioned discussion

1:33:08 ↗ we do love some good old-fashioned

1:33:10 ↗ discussion and not having it at 9 pm at

1:33:13 ↗ night

1:33:14 ↗ okay I'm hearing some nods any

1:33:17 ↗ objections to the idea I'm in favor of

1:33:20 ↗ keeping going because our staff has been

1:33:23 ↗ here and dedicated their evening but I

1:33:25 ↗ will accede I will do whatever the rest

1:33:27 ↗ of the council would like to do

1:33:31 ↗ yeah good is there anything time

1:33:33 ↗ critical about the decision or the the

1:33:35 ↗ input we're going to provide I mean are

1:33:37 ↗ you going to go out and do something

1:33:38 ↗ today versus in a week or two not over

1:33:42 ↗ the course of the next two weeks no

1:33:47 ↗ okay so I'm feeling like we're kind of

1:33:51 ↗ okay to discuss this at the June 5th

1:33:56 ↗ regular meeting

1:33:59 ↗ okay thank you very much yeah thank you

1:34:01 ↗ for bringing that up otherwise I was

1:34:03 ↗ going to charge right ahead

1:34:06 ↗ um at this point then we're going to

1:34:09 ↗ push off the conversation for id1343 the

1:34:12 ↗ police court and City Hall planning

1:34:13 ↗ future options and funding until the

1:34:15 ↗ June 5th meeting so that leaves us with

1:34:18 ↗ good of the order does anybody have

1:34:21 ↗ anything for good of the order Deputy

1:34:23 ↗ Hans person Hall I do

1:34:25 ↗ um uh I think it was last week sent out

1:34:28 ↗ a quick note to everyone about thanking

1:34:30 ↗ boards and commissions thanks to those

1:34:31 ↗ of you have heard back from I did want

1:34:34 ↗ to just go over quickly the next couple

1:34:36 ↗ weeks and see and if you have any

1:34:38 ↗ thoughts on if you'd like to to join let

1:34:41 ↗ me know and I can send a calendar invite

1:34:43 ↗ your way but um planning policy

1:34:46 ↗ commission is tomorrow night we already

1:34:47 ↗ have councilmember hunt who's going to

1:34:48 ↗ be attending on council's behalf so

1:34:50 ↗ thank you for that I have the calendar

1:34:51 ↗ invite ready to go councilman

1:34:53 ↗ Transportation Advisory Board is this

1:34:55 ↗ Wednesday at 6 pm at Tibbetts Creek the

1:34:59 ↗ Civil Service commissions on this

1:35:00 ↗ Thursday if you have an interest in that

1:35:03 ↗ and then next

1:35:06 ↗ next Thursday is the cemetery board

1:35:12 ↗ and those are the next two weeks of

1:35:14 ↗ boring Commission meeting so if you have

1:35:15 ↗ any interest in doing planning policy

1:35:18 ↗ Transportation Advisory Board civil

1:35:20 ↗ service or Cemetery board just let me

1:35:21 ↗ know thanks

1:35:25 ↗ let's take a moment I was looking over

1:35:27 ↗ kind of future calendar ideas I want to

1:35:31 ↗ make sure that everybody on Council

1:35:33 ↗ knows about the summer employee

1:35:36 ↗ recognition event or Seer which is on

1:35:39 ↗ July 20th from 11 A.M to 3 P.M really

1:35:44 ↗ fun event we'd love to see everybody

1:35:45 ↗ there come out and enjoy hot dogs and

1:35:50 ↗ Beach and all of that

1:35:53 ↗ fun idea so I think we are probably at

1:35:58 ↗ this point good so very much appreciate

1:36:01 ↗ everyone I will call the meeting

1:36:03 ↗ adjourned at 8 56 pm thank you

Approved minutes

Extracted from the next meeting's packet, where this meeting's minutes were approved as a consent-calendar attachment.

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Attendance

Council / Members (7)

Barbara de Michele

Zach Hall

Victoria Hunt

Russell Joe

Tola Marts

Chris Reh

Lindsey Walsh