Land Use & Environment Committee

City Hall City of Olympia 601 4th Avenue E Olympia, WA 98501 Information: 360.753.8447 Meeting Minutes Land Use & Environment Committee Thursday, September 26, 2013 5:30 PM Council Chambers 1. ROLL CALL Present: 3 - Chair Steve Langer, Committee Member Julie Hankins and Committee Member Jeannine Roe OTHERS PRESENT Staff Present: Community Planning and Development Director Keith Stahley, Community Planning and Development Deputy Director Leonard Bauer, Deputy City Attorney Darren Nienaber, Principal Planner Todd Stamm, Housing Program Manager Anna Schlecht, Downtown Liaison Brian Wilson Guests Present: Thurston County Homeless Coordinator Theresa Slusher, The People's House Executive Director Meg Martin 2. CALL TO ORDER Chair Langer called the meeting to order at 5:33 p.m. 3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 3.A 13-0753 Approval of August 26, 2013 Land Use & Environment Committee Meeting Minutes The minutes were approved. 4. COMMITTEE BUSINESS 4.A 13-0751 Status Report on Low Barrier Shelter Options and Definitions Ms. Schlecht presented the guest speakers and discussed the opportunity for Council to set criteria for the low barrier shelter. Ms. Slusher outlined the need for a low barrier shelter and gave a presentation entitled “Low Barrier Shelter - What is it and how does it fit into the homeless housing City of Olympia Page 1 Land Use & Environment Meeting Minutes September 26, 2013 Committee and services system of care”. She agreed to email the presentation to the Committee members. Presentation Discussion Included: - Clarification about how people are targeted. - Role of Sidewalk if the low barrier shelter will be the entry point for all Thurston County homeless people. - “Travelers” - does Olympia have a greater problem than other communities? Comparisons should not be made city to city. Failure of many systems (mental health, economy, family, communities, employment, etc) are factors. - A coordinated single entry point will be the best approach to getting people into permanent housing if possible. - Beefing up the parts of the system (ER, prisons, mental health clinics, etc.) to better prepare people who are at risk of homelessness. - Inquiry about the sex offender controversy; there is a good approach in place to deal with them. Ms. Martin gave a presentation entitled “The People’s House: A Program of Interfaith Works” and provided a handout of the presentation. Presentation Discussion Included: - Safety Plan - expected protocol involving individuals, buildings, neighborhood and community; designated outdoor areas must be adequate. - How referrals would happen for people with drug and mental health problems - two different models have been advocating abstinence and harm reduction . - Formal intake process - timeline and alignment with County goals. - Clarification about alcohol use - there will be no drinking on site. Public Comment Included: - Concern about drug addicted residents, effects on the neighborhood, impacts on children, and needles issue. - Currently there are no zoning regulations regarding the proximity of shelters and neighborhoods; an amendment would have to be made to current regulations. - Private businesses will also provide support and should be solicited. - City staff and Council address the wider issue of shelter placement . Chair Langer said more information will be provided to the full Council on this topic in order to cultivate a wider understanding and implement comprehensive planning efforts. Committee Member Roe asked that the full Council be provided with a list of all current facilities in order to access the current impact and future use. City of Olympia Page 2 Land Use & Environment Meeting Minutes September 26, 2013 Committee Information about other communities will be provided at the next meeting. The report was received. 4.B 13-0735 Briefing on Annual Annexations Mr. Stamm provided an overview about annexations in general and said the City cannot annex beyond the urban growth boundary. He commented on the various areas of the map and outlined staff proposals of two work plan elements : Conclude the area 9 & 10 process, and renew discussion with the Lacey Fire Department and Thurston County regarding area 4. He discussed public outreach and said fiscal analysis should be done for areas of 1, 2 and 5 due to size and complex issues and to determine the implications of annexation. He noted preliminary fiscal studies will take 1 year and can be provided to Council after completed. Questions and Discussion Included: - Annexations are not always beneficial and fiscal consideration is paramount. - All parties must be taken into consideration and brought into the conversation. - Potential for getting the service boundaries straightened out. School systems were able to define areas and cities could also do it. - The County would like islands addressed. - County/City agreement regarding annexations and the County's relationship to the process. Mr. Nienaber spoke about the County’s relationship to the process and said the County supports the annexation. The Fire District is being served by Lacey although they have to travel through Olympia to serve this area. What are the next steps in talking to District 3 regarding District 4? Mr. Nienaber recommended that the problems be solved at the same time. There is a certain time frame for the jurisdiction to reply before action can happen. The services are currently provided by Olympia which is not always appropriate because of the difference between urban and rural situations. Street standards are not necessarily applicable either. Public Comment Included: - The law has changed regarding the interlocal agreement method. - Notices sent did not mention the annexation method for area 9; it was an oversight that information about the method was not provided to area 9. - In area 4 current reports indicate a big swing in property value in the last year and needs to be reexamined. - How can residents be paying for fire protection bonds to both Olympia and District 3? Lacey bonds cannot be waived by the City of Olympia. City of Olympia Page 3 Land Use & Environment Meeting Minutes September 26, 2013 Committee - The new law requires personnel to be hired for new annexations. The law has been grandfathered in and the law has not been changed on the books. - There have been many regulatory changes at the state level. An annexation expert was promised but never retained. - An area 4 resident has been paying a surcharge that allows him to decide whether he wants to be annexed. Will that be for naught? - If the City takes over the area, what will the impact be on residents who are not financially able to incur greater expense? Property taxes usually go down but private utility charges may increase. Mr. Stamm said home values have changed because of the recession. He will double check the acreage discrepancy. The report was received. 4.C 13-0668 ORAL REPORT: Status Reports and Updates (Alcohol Impact Area and Downtown Project) Parking Meters Mr. Wilson reported parking meters have been updated and have generated a positive response from the public. Alcohol Impact Area (AIA) Mr. Wilson discussed voluntary and mandatory bans on certain high-alcohol beverages. He reported he met with representatives from Seattle and exchanged information on Seattle programs. More reports will be forthcoming about outlying areas. Containers cleaned up from downtown were primarily from seven brands with high alcohol content. Mr. Wilson recently attended a meeting for Mandatory Alcohol Service Training. He indicated a report will be completed, a public hearing will be convened and a decision will be made after that. Mr. Nienaber explained that the Liquor Control Board does not have adequate or clear standards and this is problematic. Discussion Included: - More products can be put on the list if staff can get the statistics regarding consumption. - A ban on all beverages over 5 ounces could be requested. - The Board may come back with a modified ban. Chair Langer recommended the City stand its ground on a mandatory ban. The public hearing will be the time for submittal of letters. Committee Member Roe requested the Committee attend the public hearing; she said the Liquor Control Board City of Olympia Page 4 Land Use & Environment Meeting Minutes September 26, 2013 Committee has been swayed by numbers and it would be good to mobilize a response. Committee Member Roe asked if the letter from Tammy Schuler was addressed; Mr. Stahley said she had been contacted. The report was received. 5. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 8:45 p.m. City of Olympia Page 5