08-09-16 MinutesYELM CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING
TUESDAY, AUGUST 9, 2016 MINUTES
1. Mayor Pro -Tem Wood called the meeting to order at 6:00 pm.
2. Roll Call Present: JW Foster, Molly Carmody, Bob Isom, Tad Stillwell, Joe DePinto
and Russ Hendrickson.
3. Agenda Approval
16-092 MOTION BY TAD STILLWELL TO AMEND THE AGENDA AND REMOVE THE
EXECUTIVE SESSION FROM THE AGENDA. SECONDED BY 7W FOSTER.
16-093 MOTION BY BOB ISOM TO APPROVE THE AMENDED AGENDA. SECONDED
BY RUSS HENDRICKSON. MOTION CARRIED.
4. Special Presentations -none scheduled
5. Public Comment -
Scott Bannister, Yelm resident does not agree with the process to appoint a new
Mayor. He does not think that Council should go into an executive session and
that would be illegal. Mayor Pro -tem Wood explained that the executive session
was removed while Mr. Bannister was out of the room.
Danielle Bustle would like to know what goes on in this meeting. Mayor Pro -tem
Wood explained what the meeting is about.
6. Consent Agenda
Minutes - July 26, 2016 & Study Sessions July 27, 2016 & June 29, 2016
Payables - Checks #67331 - #67426 Totaling $854,013.77
16-094 MOTION BY BOB ISOM APPROVING THE CONSENT AGENDA AS
PRESENTED. SECONDED BY RUSS HENDRICKSON. MOTION CARRIED.
7. Public Hearing - none scheduled
8. New Business -
a. Appointment of Mayor to fill unexpired term
16-095 COUNCILMEMBER HENDRICKSON NOMINATED COUNCILMEMBER FOSTER
FOR MAYOR. NOMINATION SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER ISOM.
Hearing no other nominations, Mayor Pro -tem Wood called for a vote. Aye -Foster,
Isom, Hendrickson and Mayor Pro -tem Wood. Abstained -Carmody, Stillwell and
DePinto. Motion carried.
Janine Schnepf, City Clerk administered the Oath of Office to Mayor Foster and he
took the Mayor's seat.
Authorization for Adding Staff Position, City of Yelm Police Department
Todd Stancil explained that as the City of Yelm has been rapidly growing over the
past several years the staffing for the Yelm Police Department (YPD) has not. In
2009, the YPD consisted of 14 commissioned officers and served a population of
approximately 5,000 residents. Today the department employs 12 commissioned
officers with a population of almost 9,000 residents. To continue to provide the
quality service to the community is it essential that additional staffing be added to
the police department. Adding an officer can take months or even up to a year. At
this time, we have a potential quality applicant that has applied and preliminary
background looks positive. The ability to add a quality lateral applicant that could
begin serving the community within 1-2 months instead of 1 to 1.5 years would be
a tremendous benefit to the community. Councilmember DePinto stated Yelm has
needed another position in the Yelm Police Department for a long time. Mayor Pro -
tem Wood stated that it has been a budget and funding issue.
16-096 MOTION BY JOE DEPINTO AUTHORIZING AN ADDITIONAL EMPLOYEE FOR
THE YELM POLICE DEPARTMENT. SECONDED BY TAD STILLWELL. MOTION
CARRIED.
C. Professional Services Agreement with RH2 Engineering Inc. Water System
Plan Update
Chad Bedlington, Public Works Director stated that Council approved the initial
expense for the project via Ordinance No. 1008 (the 2016 Budget) within the 404 -
Water Capital Improvement fund providing for $250,000 in budgetary expense for
the Water System Plan Update. The date, $190,000 of the $250,000 has been
committed to RH2 Engineering to complete this project. On February 23, 2016, City
Council approved the authority to enter into a Professional Services Agreement
(PSA) with RH2 Engineering to complete the Water System Plan Update (WSP). The
original scope of work did not have Geographic Information Systems (GIS) work
tasks. That information was not readily available at the onset of the project
request, but has now been scoped to determine the appropriate budget to
complete the fieldwork and associated data analysis. City staff is currently working
to update the WSP with RH2 Engineering and is approximately 35% completed with
the project. With the addition of the GIS scope of work, the City will be provided
with extremely valuable and accurate information about our current water system.
RH2 Engineering is already under contract to perform field calibrations of the water
system, so the addition of the GIS scope of work will capitalize on their staff
already being mobilized to perform similar field data acquisition for the WSP
update. Councilmember Carmody asked how much money was in the Water Capital
Improvement fund. Chad was not sure of the exact amount in the fund currently.
Councilmember Isom stated that this project was previously budgeted but that this
portion of the project was removed to be completed at later date, so a budget
amendment would not be required. Chad stated that was correct.
16-097 MOTION BY BOB ISOM AUTHORIZING MAYOR FOSTER TO ENTER INTO A
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH RH2 ENGINEERING, INC. TO
COMPLETE GIS SERVICES ASSOCIATED WITH THE CITY'S WATER SYSTEM
PLAN UPDATE FOR AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $34,000.00. SECONDED
BY JOE DEPINTO. MOTION CARRIED.
d. South Sound YMCA Feasibility Funding Agreement
Bill Brandon, Interim City Administrator stated that at the June 29th City Council
Study Session Councilmember Joe DePinto brought forward a proposal, under
Council Initiative, to collaborate with the South Sound YMCA to determine the
operational potential of locating a YMCA facility in Yelm. The City Council, by
majority vote, approved on July 12, the authority for staff to negotiate and prepare
an agreement with South Sound YMCA for the Mayor's signature, to collaborate
with the YMCA to hire a market research firm to determine the feasibility of
locating a "Y" facility in Yelm. The approval authorized the expenditure of $10,000
as the City's share of the feasibility cost. The agreements allow for the City of Yelm
joint ownership with South Sound YMCA the results of the study. The Study would
provide the City an opportunity to evaluate future delivery of parks and recreation
services, either directly or in partnership with others.
16-098 MOTION BY BOB ISOM TO APPROVE AND AUTHORIZE MAYOR
TO SIGN THE ATTACHED FUNDING AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF
YELM AND THE SOUTH SOUND YMCA IN THE AMOUNT OF $10,000.00.
SECONDED BY TRACEY WOOD. MOTION CARRIED.
e. Resolution No. 569, Fire Impact Fee Update
Grant Beck, Community Development Director stated that the Growth Management
Act authorizes City's and County's planning under the act to collect impact fees in
order to ensure that the current residents and businesses of the jurisdiction do not
subsidize infrastructure improvements need to accommodate growth. Impact fees
may be collected for Schools, Transportation Systems, Parks and Fire Authorities,
and must be based on adopted Capital Facilities Plans. Impact fees may not
account for 100% of new capital acquisitions. The City of Yelm first began
collecting Fire Impact Fees in 2005, at which time the City contracted for fire
protection services with Yelm Fire District No. 2. Between 2005 and 2008, the fee
was 21.6 cents per square foot of new construction. The fee was raised to 32 cents
per square foot of new construction in 2008. In 2010, the residents of Fire Districts
2 (Yelm), 17 (Rainier) and the Cities of Yelm and Rainier voted to form a Rural Fire
Authority. This eliminated the contract for fire protection services between Yelm
and Fire District No. 2 and meant that a portion of property taxes collected from
the property owners in the City of Yelm was redistributed to the new Fire Authority.
Because the citizens of Yelm are now directly supporting the Fire Authority through
property taxes at the same level as County and Rainier property owners, and
because only City residents were paying a fire impact fee, the City Council
eliminated the fee. This action was taken with the understanding that Yelm would
revisit this matter when all residents within the Authority were subject to the same
standards. These fees would be consistent in the City of Yelm, the City of Rainier,
and the residents of unincorporated Thurston County within the Fire Authority.
Councilmember DePinto asked the fees collected by neighboring Cities and the
effect these fees have on the current citizens of Yelm. Grant stated that our rates
are consistent with other cities and the impact fees are intended for new
development. Joel Baxter with Olympia Master Builders expressed his concerns
with the proposed fees. Mr. Baxter stated that fire protection is a basic service that
benefits all the residents of the City of Yelm equally and does not believe it would
be fair to fund the basic needs of the Fire Authority on the backs of new
development fully. The 2014 National Association of Home Builders study found
that in the Olympia Metropolitan area, whenever you increase the cost of housing
by $1,000 you price out 207 families. Instead of adding additional costs on to
construction that you continue to encourage growth and pay for capital
investments through stable long term property tax growth. If there is an additional
need for funding for the Fire Authority, the cost should be shared equally amongst
all those who benefit. Councilmember Wood asked if the property owners in Yelm
pay anything currently to the Regional Fire Authority. Grant answered that part of
their property taxes paid to Thurston County go directly to the Fire Authority. The
needs assessment is for future needs of the Fire Authority.
16-099 MOTION BY BOB ISOM TO ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. 569 ESTABLISHING AN
UPDATED FIRE IMPACT FEE PURSUANT TO SECTION 18.16.090 YELM
MUNICIPAL CODE. SECONDED BY TRACEY WOOD. Councilmember DePinto
urged the Council to really consider this action and the impact it would have on
new construction and believes this should go the people for a vote. Councilmember
Carmody agreed with Councilmember DePinto and would like to discuss this issue
in depth at the next Study Session rather than voting on it now. Discussion
followed on the process to remove item. Mayor Foster referred to Brent Dille,
Attorney for the City of Yelm for the correct process for the motion and called for
the vote. Ayes- Isom, Stillwell, Wood and Hendrickson. Opposed- Carmody and
DePinto. MOTION CARRIED.
9. Old Business - none scheduled
10. Mayor and Council Initiatives
Councilmember Carmody clarified her abstaining vote for the Appointment of
Mayor by saying that she does not have an issue with JW Foster as Mayor rather,
the process in which it was done. The governing body has 90 days to replace the
Mayor and Councilmember Carmody believes it should have been advertised to the
public and applications for the position accepted. Councilmember Carmody feels
the process was rushed and the City was not properly prepared for this process
and that is why she abstained.
Councilmember Stillwell congratulated Mayor Foster on his new position.
Councilmember Stillwell reported that Michael Kincaid, Thurston County Economic
Development Board is raising funds to gain business growth in our area.
Councilmember DePinto stated the reason he abstained from voting on the
Appointment of Mayor was for the lack of transparency and public involvement in
the process. Councilmember DePinto thanked those people that encouraged him to
seek the Mayors position. He congratulated Mayor Foster and will support him
100%.
Councilmember Hendrickson congratulated Mayor Foster and reported that
AlertSense will go live on September 1. AlertSense is a program that will alert
residents of an emergency via email, text or phone call. An alert can go out to a
specific area in Thurston County chosen by Chief Stancil.
Mayor Foster stated that the Council would discuss the redistribution of
committee assignments soon. Mayor Foster thanked Council for their support in the
Mayors Appointment and the audience for attending the meeting. Mayor Foster
intends to be open and listen to everyone's concerns. Mayor Foster thanked the
Fire Department for attending and stated that SE Thurston Fire Authority is the
third busiest fire department in Thurston County behind Lacey and Olympia and the
largest in geography. The Council vacancy will be advertised for two weeks in the
local newspaper and we will be accepting applications for the position. The new
Councilmember must be a citizen of Yelm city proper for a year and be registered
to vote.
11. Executive Session - none scheduled
12. Correspondence included -
Yelm Chamber of Commerce, What is happening August 2016
Margaret Clapp email dated 8/2/16 supporting JW Foster for Interim Mayor
Letter from Yelm Business Association Board of Directors supporting Joe DePinto
for Interim Mayor
16-100 MOTION BY TRACEY WOOD TO ADJOURN, SECONDED BY MOLLY CARMODY.
MOTION CARRIED.
13. Adjourned at 6:42 pm.
��-- Attest:
JW Oster, Ma or ori Mossman, Deputy City Clerk