City Council Committee Agendas

City of Mount Vernon Economic Development Committee Minutes from February 19, 2014 Council member Joe Lindquist called the meeting to order. Present were Council members Gary Molenaar, Ken Quam, Dale Ragan and Mark Hulst. Mayor Jill Boudreau and staff members Jana Hanson, Ana Chesterfield, Ken Lee and Jerry Dodd were also in attendance. Minutes: Mr. Molenaar moved, second by Mr. Quam, to approve the minutes from October 16, 2013 as presented. Motion carried. Engineering Services Division Update: Mrs. Chesterfield provided an update of engineering projects currently under review and those that have been completed. As a result of the upswing in the economy new commercial development is coming in along with several developments that had expired are being re-submitted. All take considerable time to review and inspect. Mrs. Chesterfield has been working on streamlining some of the processes; such as implementing a new inspection line which is a valued service to developers and builders (previously calls were made directly to the inspector which did not allow for tracking); and processing right of way permits via email. Other items under review for improvement are the stormwater facility maintenance, updating the Engineering Standards, and the fee charged for the right of way permits. This fee has not been increased since 1999. Currently, it is not consistent with other municipalities or the time staff spends on processing and inspecting once completed. Downtown Design Standards: Mrs. Hanson noted the last discussion regarding this item occurred in 2012. If there is Council interest she will invite the Downtown Association to a committee meeting for further discussion. Mr. Quam stated he has spoken with business owners who are under the impression that design standards will be expensive and any new development would have to be built with a theme. He recommended forming a committee with Council members, staff and business owners. Mr. Hulst feels design standards may be too stringent. He questions what will happen with existing buildings, and how new development will be designed. The consensus of the Council is for a middle ground approach. Mrs. Hanson will schedule the Design Committee to meet with Council for further discussion. Code Enforcement/Mold: Ken Lee, Code Enforcement Officer, provided a briefing on code enforcement cases for 2013. The majority of cases involve junk, debris and vacant homes caused by foreclosures. When necessary he partners with Bill Makai from Parks and Scott Sutherland from Solid Waste, for removal and disposal of large items. Mr. Lee stated he has researched the issue regarding mold in rentals but the City’s municipal code does not address it. This specialized inspection requires training, testing and possible displacement for the tenants. Mr. Lee refers tenants with mold complaints to use the Washington State Page 1 of 3 Landlord-Tenant Act which has a provision for mold abatement. Mr. Ragan feels this is a landlord-tenant, or Health Department issue; not the City’s business. Planning Commission Appointments: Mr. Hulst inquired how a vacancy is filled and advertised. Mrs. Hanson provided a brief overview of the planning commission appointment process. A Notice of Vacancy is published although in the past the former Mayor appointed a person without publishing a notice. Population Projections/Employment Allocations: This analysis is helpful with planning processes and the comprehensive plan update. Since this analysis the City has completed a Buildable Lands analysis which shows we have the ability to house the population forecasted by the Office of Financial Management. There was a brief discussion on employment and what draws people to this area. Mrs. Hanson offered to have further discussion at a study session. Building Permit/Development Activity: A year end activity report was provided which highlighted residential and commercial development for 2013. Development activity dropped slightly between October through December but is increasing again. New commercial development is occurring along with interest in existing buildings. Economic Pod Activity: A NextTech meeting with John Cook is scheduled tomorrow. The attendance has grown to over 80 people including Congresswoman Susan Del Bene. A large technology event is scheduled for October. An aerospace roundtable with Alex Pietsch, director of Aero Space for Governor Inslee’s office, is planned for this May or June. Mrs. Hanson stated the IPZ (Innovative Partnership Zone) has been very successful in bringing a variety of entities together, and collaborating to create a thriving economic base. It has brought new programs to Skagit Valley College as well. Jail Update: Mrs. Hanson provided a timeline of the jail processes. The final EIS should be issued next week. It will address a number of impacts. A cost matrix to develop either site is also being prepared. The Christiansen site has a one acre parcel to the north that should be included if this site is chosen. Mrs. Hanson stated the Christiansen site is the largest site for commercial development in the downtown. Re- zoning of both properties will be reviewed by Planning Commission and City Council. The EPF process will follow. This will likely occur June through September of this year. Mr. Molenaar inquired if built downtown would the jail be subject to design standards. Mrs. Hanson stated not necessary, however design can be addressed under the EPF process. Miscellaneous: Mr. Hulst asked for an overview of the Planning Commission public hearing on the proposed marijuana ordinance. Mrs. Hanson stated out of the six people that attended 2 spoke in opposition; and 2 spoke in Page 2 of 3 favor of the ordinance. Mr. Quam stated Planning Commission member Tom Waller complimented Jana Hanson and Kevin Rogerson on providing clear answers during the hearing. Mayor Boudreau stated there has been a lot of misinformation and untruths circulating regarding siting the jail at the Christianson site. She stressed the City should have more decision making when choosing a site. As leaders we have an obligation. There being no further business the meeting adjourned. Page 3 of 3