Everett Council of Neighborhoods

Council of Neighborhoods Meeting Minutes May 23, 2016 Meeting was called to order at 4:05pm. Agenda and minutes of the previous meeting were approved. Attendance: Carol Jensen, Roger Hoot, Michael Trujillo, Kari Griffith, Steve Bugge, Carol Gogarty, Tom Norcott, Colleen Kain, Elly Smith, Michael Rinner, Shelley Weyer, Art Olson, James Prissel, Andrea Tucker, Victor Harris, Mary Alexander, Dennis Dudder, Jim Greico, Ethel McNeal, George Lockeman, Teresa Schultz Staff: Allan Giffen, David Stalheim, Carolyn Urbanchock, Richard Tarry Citizen Comments: Michael Gerredotte, has been volunteering and trying to organize to clean up encampments, wants to team up with churches, volunteers. He has already cleaned up encampments in several areas. He expressed concern about attracting more people who are homeless and frustration that police officers “hands are tied” with current laws. He wants to see changes made to local laws and more community involvement in clean ups of encampments. Mayor Stephanson: Mayor acknowledged outgoing executive committee members Andrea Tucker, Dennis Dudder, Victor Harris and GeorgaDee MacLeod. He thanked them for their service on the Council. He reported that the Charter Review committee’s work is going to city council in June. Go to city website everettwa.gov/charterrieview to look at details. Metro Everett project is moving forward. Public comments can be submitted on line through the new tool “Community Voice” forum. There is a survey on line until June 10th. City staff will discuss further during the meeting today. West Marine View Drive corridor improvements will be underway very shortly and are to be completed by end of year. Improvements to Rucker for pedestrian friendly changes will start at end of 2016 and finish in 2017. Low Barrier housing – city has identified a potential site for low barrier housing after a search city-wide. Lead staff are working with Public Works and Fire department to develop housing on site that does not impact these essential operations. On-site case management will be provided at the housing. So far, residents’ comments show concerns about neighborhood impact but similar housing programs in other cities don’t have problems in their experience. Mayor is mindful of potential impacts, and there will be plenty of opportunity for comment. Planning Commission took action and city council will take action on code amendment in June to allow some changes to zoning code to allow special housing on public property. Two embedded social worker positions are now in the budget - first person will be starting in June. Our police officers are taking Crisis Intervention training, 40 hours. Everett is one of only two cities taking this level of training. Police efforts are focusing on getting help for people to get them off the street, reduce negative experience on the street. Tough social community and city problem. Another new project underway is a work crew which began in April - fines being worked off by work crew by doing clean up tasks on the street. This has been very successful as well. Last Friday, Boeing opened and had a ribbon cutting for the composite wing building. Some 1,500 individuals in the trades worked on building construction. At the Navy, three new destroyers are arriving this year, one more next year. More Navy families will be coming to Everett. Grand Ave Park pedestrian bridge construction will start at end of 2016 and finish in 2017. Port is getting ready to move the Weyerhaeuser building to Boxcar Park at the waterfront, and the farmers market was very packed yesterday. Light rail is coming to Everett in the ST3 package – by end of week we will know more about the package. Mayor sees the need to get Sound Transit to move scheduled arrival here by 2035 – under discussion is a station stop on way to Boeing, a stop at 99 airport road, a provisional stop. Need to have this planned and ready if federal funding becomes available. WSU building going up and is scheduled to open next year. Legislative session awarded $580,000 to start organic agriculture degree program. Another degree being developed is software and data analytics. Also Elson Floyd College of Medicine will open by 2019 with 15 students doing 3rd year of study here in Everett. Providence and Everett Clinic in community will host these students. Questions: Low barrier housing – several concerns – what happened to site in north Everett? Housing Authority could not provide vouchers and financing needed to assure the project’s success due to heavy concentration of low income housing already in area. One person said she is leery about impact on neighborhood as a result of a shelter. Mayor responded about fear of unknown, but everything we have learned about housing elsewhere, they are not seeing people in and out, on street, etc. Thorough outreach will be done going forward. We don’t want to be pushing population around instead of addressing need. Vacancy rate in Everett makes scattered site housing very difficult. Carol Jensen stated she is very supportive of more housing. Carol had questions about what will be process for Charter review going forward. Mayor explained that the Charter review committee recommends to City Council, which has the freedom to consider other items not included by Charter Review Committee. The schedule is not set yet but within the next three to four weeks. Michael asked about housing and low barrier vs. clean and sober. Difference is staffing and case management. Mayor responded that finding treatment and housing is very difficult, the embedded social worker spend many hours helping find services and treatment. For people who are chronically homeless, with addictions, mental illness, the need is for housing and more treatment options. Having people on the street is affecting our quality of life. Victor – How fast are we moving? How fast will we see residents moved into all neighborhoods? Mayor responded this is not transitional housing, some people will stay to end of life, some will be able to become healthier and move on. How fast can we build this program? Our goal is to break ground next spring, have about $3 million in funding now, but developer will need to raise about $14 million to build first 70 units, will ask for federal and corporate funding. Steve Bugge asked about people on the street. Housing will help us track people more effectively. Mayor is convinced we need to respond to need for housing. Who are the chronically homeless? Mayor – we know who the chronically homeless are – very expensive to provide emergency services. George – whole community needs to invest in this effort, more likely to be successful. Mayor responded – we are working on several options, and what do we need to do over time is still to be decided. City Council Liaison: Council President Scott Murphy could not be here, Councilmember Tuohy attended on his behalf. She thanked everyone who has been involved in neighborhoods. Councilmember Tuohy is the Council Liaison for library and historic commission; library now has all of Everett High School’s yearbooks on line and are working on Cascade High School now. The Library board is also talking about the future of the south Everett branch. Mayor is asking for update, need to have a review of library status. Also she chairs the Public Safety Committee, which meets every month and a half to follow up on concerns of residents. Streets Initiative is also frequently discussed. Topics include CHART program, made up of criminal justice, emergency response, researchers, and social workers who meet and track use of services, rank the users to identify chronic users and recommend support for individuals. Judy invited residents to forward information to her with any concerns related to public safety. Ethel asked about shopping carts left on the street. How can we get city council support to get these carts off the street? Stores are trying to get monitors out to keep carts at the stores. Need to find out where the carts are abandoned. Wendy offered to assist with that information. Steve Bugge asked about concerns from other cities about over-militarization of police forces and abuse of civil rights. Councilmember Tuohy responded that she has confidence in police chief. Shelley asked about 911 call system, and problems with the new system now being established. Chief Gordon is working with others on resolving the problems with New World system. Shelley also asked about crime statistics. Crime statistics are not available right now, neighbors make things sound like things are worse than they are. Perception that city is withholding information. This system is also being redeveloped and will be up soon. Low barrier housing – need to have articles in newspaper with Mayor. People are not reading it on the web, need to have Mayor be available to respond to concerns. Library is doing coffee hour events with councilmembers and with Chief Templeman. City and Community Reports: Metro Everett Planning Update - David Stalheim – Planning staff in long range planning – This area includes 600 acres of central part of Everett. Goal is to revisit downtown and station area plans, evaluate those plans and whether any adjustments are needed. Doing a lot of outreach methods such as an on-line survey available until June 10. A lot of responses have come in so far. Communications staff – Community Voice everettwa.gov/community voice – this is a city sanctioned blog about Metro Everett. Citizens can add your voice and can get responses from the city and create conversation threads. Also doing more traditional outreach methods like an open house – over 60 people showed up. Sent out over 3,000 postcards. Local newspaper coverage helped. Early results from meeting suggest vision is pretty much on track, but needs some fine tuning, but there is plenty of time to make some actions happen. Themes – 1) quality development within area, high concentration of residential and commercial development, and protection of historic resources are common comments. 2) Making connections – how people get around, walking, biking, transit, connections between neighborhoods, downtown, harbor, residential neighborhoods. Important to make people more aware of transit services available. 3) Third theme is clean and active and safe environment, more activity downtown in evenings, people feeling comfortable and safe in the areas where things are going on. Making people places – outdoor seating for restaurants, clean and safe such as code enforcement, clean properties. A key goal is to encourage dialogue about the area. 6 Year Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP) – Richard Tarry - Engineering Services Manager from Public Works – Small change to the TIP to add high capacity transit – Lynnwood to Everett Extension. The TIP is a rolling list and goes year to year covering a 6 year planning span. The TIP allows staff to identify opportunities for funding going forward that are not covered by Sound Transit proposal. List is not financially constrained, not in priority order but in order of when they were put on list. The TIP will go to Planning Commission is early June. Appendices are in comprehensive plan. Generic names are listed as programs, once a project is identified, it gets a name. Bond Street projects on list – involve BNSF and may not move forward – stay on list 3rd Avenue is still on list – not a project but un-opened right of way is an asset, which city could decide to move forward on in future. Teamwork: Nominations – Elections were held after each person gave their statements. Chairperson – Shelley Weyer and Victor Harris Vice Chair - Roger Hoot and Ethel McNeal Secretary – Jim Greico – unopposed Elections results – Officers for 2016-2017: Chairperson - Shelley Weyer, Northwest Vice Chair – Roger Hoot, Boulevard Bluffs Secretary – Jim Greico, Twin Creeks Past Executive – Andrea Tucker, Port Gardner Schools outreach – Carol Gogarty met with the principal at Lowell Elementary school, had very positive meeting and looks forward to improved communications. Also in preparation for August meeting with School district, neighbors will send Wendy the names of the two people from each neighborhood, who plan to attend the district luncheon with principals and vice principals. Monte Cristo Committee meeting for event planning will be held on June 7 at 4pm and Councilmember orientation will be held on June 7 at 6:30pm. Wendy will send out location confirmation for which Wall Street Building room will be used. Neighborhood Reports: South Forest Park – Mayor visiting next month Pinehurst - Mayor visits tomorrow Northwest – Seattle Children’s will be partnering with Providence Hospital open house May 25 HSG – Cemex rep willing to speak to residents – Tom is organizing an on site tour. Pinehurst/Beverly Park – Thanks to Gary James, neighborhood now has a Facebook page. Delta neighborhood – Instead of a meeting, they are having a board game night, at Baker Heights on June 21st. Announcements: None Top 5 Items to report: Charter Review continuing process Low Barrier Housing site selected Metro Everett continuing outreach July 4th parade New officers leading the Council of Neighborhoods NextDoor not gospel Monte Cristo Awards Meeting adjourned at 6:05pm. Next meeting on June 27, 2016 Minutes prepared and respectfully submitted by Wendy McClure