CITY OF NEWCASTLE COUNCIL MEETING MARCH 18, 2014 ACTION LIST 1. City Council Minutes Special and Regular Meeting March 4, 2014 MOTION: Councilmember Simpson moved that the meeting minutes from the March 4th meeting be approved as revised. VOTE: 7 in favor, 0 against, 0 abstentions. Motion carried. Deputy Mayor Drescher noted correction to seconder of motion to approve social media policy, change in name of homeowners' association referenced, person who led pledge of allegiance. Councilmember Simpson requested the audit of bills be summarized in the minutes as done previously. 2. Ordinance Amending Home Occupation Parking Standards Code MOTION: Deputy Mayor Drescher moved to adopt the ordinance to amend the zoning code to allow offsite parking for home occupations in the R1-R48 zone districts. VOTE: 4 in favor, 3 against, 0 abstentions. Motion carried. 3. Resolution Approving Social Media Policies MOTION: Councilmember Bisset moved to approve the proposed resolution adopting social media policies as presented. VOTE: 7 in favor, 0 against, 0 abstentions. Motion carried. MOTION: Councilmember Jensen moved to strike the first "whereas" on page 24. Councilmember Simpson seconded. VOTE: 3 in favor, 4 against, 0 abstentions. Motion failed. MOTION: Councilmember Jensen moved to on the fourth "whereas" strike the word "two" and the words "Twitter" and "Facebook." VOTE: 7 in favor, 0 against, 0 abstentions. Motion carried. Councilmembers later clarified that the intent of this motion is to remove the references to "Facebook" and "Twitter" wherever it appears in the resolution. 4. Discussion of Council Liaison to the Community Activities Commission MOTION: Councilmember Bisset moved to extend the Council liaison position until the end of the year, December 31, 2014. VOTE: 3 in favor, 4 against, 0 abstentions. Motion failed. 5. Revised City Manager Contract MOTION: Councilmember Dulcich moved to amend the agreement for City Manager services effective January 1, 2014, to increase the salary provision in section four of the agreement to 130,000 per year and to the new subsection five which was added last year that provided two merit days change that to read two merit days for 2014. VOTE: 6 in favor, 1 against, 0 abstentions. Motion carried.
CITY OF NEWCASTLE COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES MARCH 18, 2014 12835 NEWCASTLE WAY, SUITE 200 NEWCASTLE, WA 98056 The following is not a verbatim transcript. An audio recording of the meeting is available. SPECIAL MEETING 6:00 P.M. EXECUTIVE SESSION At 6:00 p.m. Mayor Steven Buri called to order an executive session pursuant to RCW 42.30.110(1)(i), to discuss with legal counsel representing the City matters relating to City enforcement actions. He announced the Council would be in executive session for approximately one hour. Mayor Buri, Deputy Mayor John Drescher and Councilmembers Carol Simpson, John Dulcich, Mayor Crispo and Gordon Bisset, City Manager Rob Wyman and City Attorney Dawn Reitan were present for the executive session. ADJOURNMENT No final action was taken. The executive session concluded at 6:59 p.m. REGULAR MEETING 7:00 P.M. CALL TO ORDER Mayor Steven Buri called the regular meeting of the Newcastle City Council to order at 7:05 p.m. ROLL CALL City Clerk Sara McMillon conducted Council roll call. The following individuals were present: Council: Mayor Steven Buri, Deputy Mayor John Drescher, and Councilmembers Lisa Jensen, Carol Simpson, Gordon Bisset, Rich Crispo and John Dulcich Staff: City Manager Rob Wyman, City Attorney Dawn Reitan, Community Development Director Tim McHarg, Public Works Director Mark Rigos and Finance Director Christine Olson Other Officials: Community Activities Commission Vice Chair Linda Newing CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL/REGULAR MEETING March 18, 2014 Page 1 of 7
FLAG SALUTE Councilmember Simpson led the flag salute. PRESENTATIONS David Della, Public Sector Manager for Waste Management, provided a presentation on Waste Management's 2013 Annual Report. He was assisted by Joel Kohlstedt, Education Outreach Coordinator for Waste Management. Senior District Manager Alan York was also in attendance. PUBLIC COMMENT Allison Dildine, a Newcastle resident, said she is concerned about the Puget Sound Energy (PSE) Energize Eastside Project. She is concerned about project plans and how they will affect the community, housing values, views and public health. She asked the Council to support residents in routing the project elsewhere or requiring undergrounding of lines. Clyde Moore, a Newcastle resident, said he and his wife Jean Garber would like to express their concerns about PSE's potential enlarging of the power service to include 125-foot tall monopoles. His biggest concern is about the installation of footing for each tower and the possible rupture of the Olympic Pipeline, which runs in the same corridor as the power poles. Other residents of Olympus are concerned about views and aesthetics and other construction impacts. Mayor Buri commented that PSE representatives will attend the next regular meeting of the City Council to answer questions concerning the Energize Eastside project. Larry Johnson, a Newcastle resident, addressed the Council about the PSE Energize Eastside project. He said he is able to assist the City in a legal capacity due to his background in this area. The project affects everyone who lives in Newcastle, not only people living in the Olympus Subdivision. He encouraged the Council to compare its regulations to Bellevue's to make sure Newcastle has the same legal protections. He distributed written questions to City Manager Wyman. COUNCIL COMMENT Councilmember Dulcich reported that Friday he attended a meeting of the Eastside Transportation Partnership (ETP). An ordered list of projects to be funded was reviewed. ETP members discussed a car tab tax ballot measure. The group decided to discuss this topic in May after it is voted on. Councilmember Bisset commented on the importance of St. Patrick's Day to his family. Councilmember Jensen reported that last week she attended a Renton economic update event. Renton's Mayor Law mentioned there may soon be a new store at The Landing shopping area in Renton. CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL/REGULAR MEETING March 18, 2014 Page 2 of 7
Councilmember Simpson briefly discussed power transmission in Newcastle. She requested that at the next meeting, staff provide more information about what the City can do in regards to the PSE Energize Eastside Project. She reported that she attended a meeting of the Metropolitan Solid Waste Management Advisory Committee last Friday. The committee is reviewing financial policies for the King County Solid Waste Division, and will take final action on the policies in May. Plans for a facility in Factoria will move forward this year. Deputy Mayor Drescher discussed a March 12 meeting of the Sound Cities Association's (SCA) Public Issues Committee. At this meeting, he requested that an occurrence from the previous meeting be recorded in the meeting minutes. The occurrence was when the SCA's executive director influenced the outcome of a vote by requesting some committee members leave the room, Deputy Mayor Drescher said. Committee members voted to keep the minutes as written due to a concern about setting a precedent for the minutes. REPORTS Mayor Burl reported on his efforts to solicit sponsorships for City events. Organizations and people who sponsored events last year have done so again this year. Finance Committee Councilmember Dulcich reported that the committee discussed preparations for the formulation of a six-year financial plan. Members also discussed the possibility of establishing a separate development services fund to be used for tracking development-related expenses and revenue. Community Activities Commission Vice Chair Newing encouraged the Council to retain the Council Liaison to the Community Activities Commission position. This role is not an additional expense to the City and has assisted in connecting the group to elected officials. Commissioners discussed the Volunteer Appreciation Event and felt it was highly successful. The event was a good foundation for building interest in volunteerism. Mrs. Newing said the Commission has formed a subcommittee to review the City's guidelines and standards for signage throughout parks, trails and historical sites. The Commission will review a recommendation at an April 9 meeting. With the hiring of new staff support, summer event details and preparations are quickly moving forward. The Commission's way of working is by forming subcommittees. Event subcommittees have assisted staff in completing event preparation work. At the previous meeting, the Commission also discussed completion of this year's work plan. Many work plan items have been accomplished. The new Community Activities Liaison has been making connections with Coal Creek YMCA staff to collaborate on bringing new activities to the community, she said. Commissioners are also working with Newcastle Historical Society members on cemetery cleanup activities. City Manager Wyman CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL/REGULAR MEETING March 18, 2014 Page 3 of 7
1. This year's legislative session ended without the adoption of a supplemental capital budget, so Newcastle's proposal for funding a May Creek pedestrian crossing was not approved. Representative Senn will continue to work towards funding the project in future sessions. 2. Installation of new street lighting on Newcastle Golf Club Road will begin tomorrow and last for three days. New LED lights will be installed on 22 existing poles between the YMCA and 155th Avenue. 3. Members of staff are attending PSE Community Advisory Group meetings for the Energize Eastside Project, and the next one is March 27. Members of staff have submitted questions to PSE that will be answered at the April 1st meeting. 4. Mr. Wyman said his term as the Police Oversight Committee chairperson should end this Thursday. He will continue to represent Newcastle on the contract negotiating team. 5. A pet licensing canvasser will be visiting residences in Newcastle on weekends from April 5 to April 27 and on May 4 in an effort to ensure pets living here are properly licensed as required. The canvasser will be easily identifiable with a county name badge and logo shirt. Mr. Wyman answered Council questions concerning pending development projects and police oversight negotiations. Councilmember Jensen requested that the City post a photo of a door to door solicitor tag on the City's website so someone will know if a tag is legitimate. APPROVAL OF FINAL AGENDA MOTION: Councilmember Lisa Jensen moved to approve the final agenda. Deputy Mayor Drescher seconded. Councilmember Simpson moved the minutes to General Business for discussion. VOTE: 7 in favor, 0 against, 0 abstentions. Motion carried. GENERAL BUSINESS City Council Minutes Special and Regular Meeting March 4, 2014 Councilmember Simpson requested that a summary listing of the audit of bills be included in the minutes as in the past. MOTION: Councilmember Carol Simpson moved that the meeting minutes from the March 4th meeting be approved as revised. Councilmember Jensen seconded. VOTE: 7 in favor, 0 against, 0 abstentions. Motion carried. AB 14-013 Ordinance Amending Home Occupation Parking Standards Code CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL/REGULAR MEETING March 18, 2014 Page 4 of 7
Community Development Director McHarg provided an introduction to the agenda bill. He said the ordinance proposed amends the City's zoning code to allow offsite parking for home occupations in residential zoning districts if a set of criteria is met. The code amendment would resolve a situation where a widely known, well established home occupation business in Newcastle constructed a parking lot on an adjacent property for safety reasons, which is not permitted by current regulations. Mayor Buri opened a public hearing on the proposed zoning code amendment at 8:05 p.m. Tim Thompson, a Newcastle resident, stated that he is in favor of the proposed amendment. Suzie's Swim School has operated at this location for many years. He has lived in the neighborhood for seven years and has not experienced any problems. The road fronting the business is narrow, and the parking lot creates a safer situation. Mr. Thompson said he lives directly across from the parking lot, and it has been a nice addition. He said he thinks in this particular situation the parking lot does not have an impact, due to large lot sizes in the area. He said he is in favor of case by case determinations. He urged the Council to support local businesses. Mike Urban, part owner of Suzie's Swim School, said the parking lot provides safety to children who receive lessons at his home occupation. He said none of his immediate neighbors have had complaints. The primary concern is the safety of children and adults, and installation of the parking lot accomplishes this goal, he said. City Manager Wyman commented that he received input from Rebecca Strand, a Newcastle resident, in opposition to the proposed ordinance. He said he has also received input from Marlene Winter, a resident of Renton, has voiced her opinion that the ordinance should be approved. Hearing no further comment, Mayor Buri closed the public hearing at 8:10 p.m. RECESS The Council recessed at 8:10 p.m. and Mayor Buri reconvened the meeting at 8:17 p.m. GENERAL BUSINESS Director McHarg answered Council questions concerning the proposed zoning code amendment. MOTION: Deputy Mayor Drescher moved to adopt the ordinance to amend the zoning code to allow offsite parking for home occupations in the R1 through 48 zoning districts. Councilmember Dulcich seconded. Councilmembers debated the proposed motion. VOTE: 4 in favor, 3 against, 0 abstentions. Motion carried. Councilmembers Crispo, Bisset and Simpson voted against the motion. The Council approved Ordinance 2014-487: An ordinance of the City of Newcastle, Washington, amending Section 18.18.120 of the Newcastle Municipal Code, Off Street Parking Plan Design Standards, to allow offsite parking for home occupations in the R1 through R48 Zones, and establishing an effective date. CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL/REGULAR MEETING March 18, 2014 Page 5 of 7
AB 14-023 Resolution Approving Social Media Policies City Attorney Reitan explained that the resolution presented adopts social media policies, which provide a framework for how the public should be using the City's social media sites. Councilmembers considered the resolution last month, but requested more time to review it. Since that time, some revisions have been made that give the policy a more positive tone. Following Council discussion, MOTION: Councilmember Gordon Bisset moved to approve the proposed resolution adopting social media policies as presented. Councilmember Dulcich seconded. MOTION: Councilmember Lisa Jensen moved to amend the motion to strike the first "whereas" statement. Councilmember Simpson seconded. VOTE: 3 in favor, 4 against, 0 abstentions. Motion failed. Councilmembers Jensen, Crispo and Simpson voted in favor. MOTION: Councilmember Lisa Jensen moved to, in the 4th "whereas", strike the word "two" and "Facebook" and "Twitter." Councilmember Simpson seconded. VOTE: 7 in favor, 0 against, 0 abstentions. Motion carried. Mayor Buri called for a vote on the motion as amended. VOTE: 7 in favor, 0 against, 0 abstentions. Motion carried. Councilmembers by consensus clarified that the intent of the motion was to strike the words "Facebook" and "Twitter" wherever they are found in the resolution. The Council approved Resolution 2014-577: A resolution of the City Council of the City of Newcastle, Washington, adopting policies for social media sites operated and maintained by the City of Newcastle, and establishing an effective date. AB 13-082 Discussion of Council Liaison to the Community Activities Commission City Clerk McMillon explained the resolution creating the Council Liaison to the Community Activities Commission established an ending date of March 2014. Commissioners have found this position to be of great assistance, and the Commission is formally recommending to the Council that the position be established permanently. If established permanently, an amendment to the Council Rules of Procedure would be appropriate. The Council may also approve a new resolution. MOTION: Councilmember Gordon Bisset moved that we extend the Council liaison position until the end of the year, December 31, 2014. Councilmember Jensen seconded. CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL/REGULAR MEETING March 18, 2014 Page 6 of 7
Following discussion of the motion, VOTE: 3 in favor, 4 against, 0 abstentions. Motion failed. Councilmembers Jensen, Crispo and Bisset voted in favor of the motion. AB 14-024 Amended City Manager Contract MOTION: Councilmember John Dulcich moved that the City Council amend the agreement for City Manager services effective January 1, 2014, to increase the salary provision in section four of the agreement to $130,000 per year and to the new subsection five, which was added last year, to provide two merit days, to change that to read "two merit days for 2014." Councilmember Bisset seconded. VOTE: 6 in favor, 1 against, 0 abstentions. Motion carried. Deputy Mayor Drescher voted against the motion. PUBLIC COMMENT Suzie Urban, owner of Suzie's Swim School and a Newcastle resident, thanked the Council for approving offsite parking for home occupations. The ordinance will allow the business to continue operating and serving the community. PLANNING CALENDAR REVIEW City Manager Wyman said there will be a study session on traffic and parks impact fees in April. He said he expects many members of the public to attend the April 1 meeting to discuss the Puget Sound Energy Energize Eastside project. He proposed that the Town Hall meeting be held Tuesday, June 3. Councilmember Bisset said the Council Rules of Procedure require that a topic be placed on a Council agenda within two meetings of a request from two Councilmembers. This would require the Council to discuss state marijuana regulations at the upcoming meeting. ADJOURNMENT 9:33 p.m. With no other business to come before the Council, the meeting was adjourned. APP VED: ATTEST: C Steven J. Buri, Mayor Sar cmillon, City Clerk, CMC CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL/REGULAR MEETING March 18, 2014 Page 7 of 7