Everett Council of Neighborhoods

Council of Neighborhoods Meeting Minutes Feb 22, 2016 Meeting was called to order at 4pm. Agenda and minutes of the previous meeting were approved. Attendance: Roger Hoot, Michael Trujillo, Kari Griffith, Carol Gogarty, Jay Isaacs, Kari Griffith, Colleen Kain, Lisa Harrison, Elly Smith, Shelley Weyer, GeorgaDee MacLeod, Art Olson, James Prissel, Andrea Tucker, Victor Harris, Mary Alexander, Dennis Dudder, Ethel McNeal, Guy Ginty, George Lockeman, Teresa Schultz, Vanessa Randall Excused: Karen McAllister, Steve Bugge, Tom Norcott, Jim Grieco Citizen Comments: None Mayor Stephanson: Mayor listed all the neighborhoods where he had previously resided in Everett. He listed Delta, Pinehurst, Valley View, Blvd Bluffs, Port Gardner, and now lives in the Northwest neighborhood. He thanked the members for their service on the council and welcomed the new members. He announced that Charter review will meet next week on March 3 in the Human Resources training room on 5th floor of the Wall Street Building. Information is available on line and meetings are being filmed. Michael is on the Charter review committee. Mayor then took questions from the council. Why is city asking for help with rentals for low barrier housing? Mayor responded that the Everett rental vacancy rate is below 2%. Landlords are resistant to housing people in low barrier housing. He also reported the city is negotiating on a piece of property, out north. He anticipates it can accommodate about a 70 unit complex. City will work with Catholic Community Services to build it. City has asked legislature for funding to build it and project is getting positive vibes. Are there any existing buildings that could be used? Mayor responded that he had comments on this at a library discussion with a good turn-out of lots of new faces. He received a suggestion to use Trinity Lutheran housing for low barrier housing. He said as soon as we know we have the property in north Everett, we will do significant outreach. According to reports from Salt Lake, their units in Salt Lake didn’t have problems with behavior outdoors, once the residents were housed. Question was raised about Port acquisition of the former Kimberly Clark Mill site. Mayor responded he thinks this is very wise move and could be best use. Port may use eminent domain to acquire if they can’t purchase it. The Port will need some of the property for their own use and could lease portion to ship builder and ship repair such as Foss Maritime. Plan has potential to create jobs. Example – Foss Maritime has several hundred people working in South Lake Union, 95% live in Snohomish County. Question was raised about closing golf courses, if they are closed, what would become of those parks? Would they be rezoned? Mayor responded it is early yet to know how this will go. In mid 1990s, Legion course was renovated and it was very popular, no longer so popular, seeing huge decline is use. How will we continue to provide quality golf? One possibility is to keep open as park space and make Walter Hall into a corporate course for seniors to play, shrink the golf course. Volunteers of America is trying to locate a community center, which may be able to go there. No firm plans - Parks will look at issue for better part of a year, not emergency situation. Mayor again thanked new members for stepping up to represent their neighborhoods on the council. City Council Liaison: Council President Scott Murphy Council President Murphy described several staff changes over last few weeks, Deborah Wright has retired. He thanked her for her good work for the city. Pat McClain is retiring also. City Council will hear a Port update presentation on Wednesday at 12:30 at City Council. It will cover more than the Kimberly Clark site. At that meeting there will be three new police officers being sworn in. The next public safety meeting is next week Wednesday at 5:30pm prior to the council meeting and is open to public. The committee is working on the Fitch study, looking at fire department organization. He is planning to get out to all the neighborhood this year and visited Cascade View earlier this year. He expressed thanks to the members for their service, and for stepping up. He closed saying his door is always open, give a call or make an appointment. Offices are on the 9th floor. Question about the Lodging tax – and update on grants. Response - The Advisory committee met, has list of recommended grants. $150,000 being granted. This week’s meeting will discuss. Public comments will be taken. City and Community Reports: Allan Giffen, Director of Planning – Allan described staff changes in last year. Quite a few - with 19 Planning positions, 7 changed in last year. Two new, capable people to introduce are the new long range planning manager David Stalheim, and housing and community development manager Becky Ableman-McCrary. David Stalheim – he described his past experience as former planning director in Wenatchee, Clallam county, Ashland, Oregon. Long range planning involves the comprehensive plans, development regulations and neighborhood plans. He is kicking off a review of Metro District plan, including downtown, the Transit station, and Broadway area. He is working with staff taking a look over the next year at the plan for those communities. PSRC is looking at this area as primary growth area for housing and jobs. David is living in Riverside, walking to work. Commuting home on weekends to Bellingham on public transit. Question about historic preservation – David said Paul Popelka will be ongoing historic preservation staff contact. David interned on historic preservation right out of college. Interested in historic preservation and accommodating growth. Question about mother in law and attached housing regulations. How are we going to take on 60,000 more people to accommodate them into housing on existing sites? David responded that we need to find ways to show how it can be done and try to implement that. Maybe find some ways outside downtown area. Mother-in-law apartments need to be in scale and character with the neighborhood. Becky Ableman-McCrary - is now working with Garfield Park on improvements there using block grant funds. She spent the last ten years in Lake Stevens, also worked with Snohomish County planning, and in Woodinville. Glad to be here in Everett and have neighborhood groups, and interaction opportunity. She is focusing on housing and community development and helping the team working on low barrier housing. She would be happy to work on projects in neighborhoods. Question about affordable housing support in legislature. Response - Seattle is likely to be looking to extend property tax exemption to improve value of property when housing is fixed up. Question - Is 60,000 population growth a lot? Becky responded that this level of growth is probably aggressive, and it is challenging to add that much more housing. Mini grants reviews are underway - approval letters are in the works and will be out later this week or early next week. Clarified match for funds, sign in sheets, and tracking volunteer hours at meetings when discussing mini grant projects. Website review – Wendy showed how to use city website and to navigate around and how to post items to the calendar. She also showed the group the Notify me feature to sign up of city news items on several topics. Teamwork: The council reps discussed school-focused outreach and best practices for welcoming new attendees and residents at meetings. Also reps were encouraged to offer events that gather people in and offer something different, rather than assuming folks all want to go to neighborhood meetings. Mini grant funds can help neighbors host events that attract those who may have no interest in meetings but want to feel connected. Social Media, social practical – Wendy encouraged reps to take the poll on social media offered by the library. A new Council rep and new chairperson orientation session is to be scheduled. Watch your email. Neighborhood Reports: Bayside – no report Boulevard Bluffs – No meeting in January. Meeting this week with Dept of Ecology and Boeing abut Powder Mill Gulch. Cascade View - 18 attended, has a police report, Officer Eddie Golden was guest speaker. He is the dynamic crime prevention officer at 257-7497. Neighbors are planning a goodwill project to set up a positive activity which will be a work party for neighbors to clean up a resident’s yard/property. They are also planning to involve area businesses, to help with materials needed for the project. Delta – had 13 people, no police report. A business owner on Broadway attended and spoke about beautifying the Broadway corridor. Mayor will be speaking in March. Glacier View – some neighbors held a meeting to develop better communication, met at HopeWorks café, which was recommended. HSG – had about 30 people, Lynn Sterbenz was the speaker from Everett Emergency Management and got people talking. They had a new police officer. Also discussed the upcoming Easter Parade and egg roll in March. Lowell – Had a police report, discussed Riverfront site, developer contractor work in which Lowell trail was affected. DOE and city are keeping closer eye on critical area. Lowell is planning on partnering with Glacier View on clean up and possibly NNO events. Northwest – 32 attended. Police report. Gene Fosheim will be next guest speaker. Topic was a sewer update from construction committee. Pinehurst – 14 people, two officers attended. Lynn Sterbenz, Everett Emergency Management , spoke at meeting. A rep from school district will speak at meeting tomorrow night. Pinehurst residents are discussing the March 12 trail clean up – volunteers meet at Cascade Parking lot. All are welcome. Port Gardner – about 25 people attended, had a police report. Planning an event at Wetmore Plaza for Easter egg hunt. Also asking county for space to hold hunt. Riverside – 24 present, had police report, held a successful auction for Old Dog Haven. South Forest Park – 6 people attended, had a police report, reviewed ideas for upcoming grant projects, showed slide show of last year’s projects. Valley View – 17 attended, had police report, Sarah LaVelle with Everett Emergency Management gave talk and gave the group a tour of the Emergency Operations Center at South Precinct which was very informative. Everett School District is guest next time. Discussed mini grant also. View Ridge – 12 people attended. Dennis showed a map of changes at CEMEX on Glenwood. Police report, discussed upcoming events. School District speaker is coming this month. Announcements: Top 5 Items to report: Port interest in KC mill site Added three new police officers Two new planning dept people – David Stalheim and Becky Ableman-McCrary Check out new city website Introduce yourselves at meetings Meeting adjourned at 5:58pm. Next meeting on March 28 Minutes prepared by Wendy McClure