Utility Advisory Committee

City Hall Meeting Minutes 601 4th Avenue E Olympia, WA 98501 Utility Advisory Committee Contact: Andy Haub 360.570.3795 Thursday, November 6, 2014 5:40 PM City Hall, Room 207 1. CALL TO ORDER Chair Curtz called the meeting to order at 5:40 p.m. 2. ROLL CALL Present: 9 - Chair Thad Curtz, Vice Chair Chris Ward, Committee Member Margaret Drennan, Committee Member David Dunn, Committee Member Steve Fossum, Committee Member Jennifer Sievert, Committee Member Dever Kuni, Committee Member Carole Richmond, and Committee Member Michelle Barnett Absent: 2 - Committee Member Carol Law, and Committee Member Loralei Walker 3. APPROVAL OF AGENDA The agenda was approved. 4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 14-1079 Approval of October 2, 2014 UAC Meeting Minutes The minutes were approved with minor edits. 5. PUBLIC COMMENT - None 6. ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM UAC AND STAFF Chair Curtz mentioned he has been involved in the City's Greening America’s Capitols (which is a grant program provided by the Environmental Protection Agency). The group had a discussion on mixing low speed cars and pedestrian/bike lanes. They also discussed potentially changing Capitol Way to two lanes and adding more landscaping. Capital Way is the focus of the grant to provide a greener and more vibrant street. Committee Member Dunn attended the Great NW Clean Water Association conference. He gave kudos to the City of Olympia because during the conference the City’s downtown sea level rise maps were referenced as a model. He also mentioned how the City of Nampa, Idaho structures their Capacity Development Charges and how they are transferable to new businesses that utilize the same building. City of Olympia Page 1 Utility Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes November 6, 2014 Mr. Haub stated the Council is supportive of the volume-based wastewater rates, but not as a part of the adoption of the 2015 utility rates. Council would like staff to move forward with it in January for approval and adoption mid-year. Mr. Haub informed the UAC that Environmental Services Supervisor Joe Roush attended the recent meeting of the Coalition of Neighborhoods to talk about the habitat stewardship program. Staff also expects a request for habitat conservation planning from the group involved with the parcels on West Bay Drive with the heron rookery. Mr. Haub announced the McAllister Wellfield water supply is close to being online. The City’s low impact development (LID) code revision group is actively working. Staff held their first meeting of the Technical Advisory Committee comprised of members of the local development community. Mr. Haub announced the December UAC meeting is cancelled. The next UAC meeting is scheduled for Wednesday December 7, since the first Thursday of the month (which is the UAC's regular meeting date) falls on New Year's Day. Mr. Haub will do further research into the City’s online payment system for paying utility bills. It was brought to his attention by some UAC members that the system defaults to a credit card as the first option for payment (this option has fees associated with it, rather than no fees if the payment is deducted from a bank account). 6.A. PLANNING COMMISSION UPDATE Committee member Richmond gave an update of the current activities of the Olympia Planning Commission (OPC). The OPC has reviewed and approved the Capital Facilities Plan (CFP) with no changes. The OPC was briefed on the results of neighborhood center interviews and questionnaire. Committee member Richmond explained Olympia's Comprehensive Plan identifies 17 areas for future neighborhood center development over the next 20 years. Neighborhood centers are small walk- and transit-friendly activity clusters within neighborhoods that serve the day-to-day retail and service needs of local residents. The Planning Commission's 2014-2015 Work Plan includes briefings about downtown. Three briefing topics were chosen and include 1) trasnportation and parking, 2) understanding natural constraints (which will include sea level rise) and 3) economic constraints and opportunities. The briefings will help the Commissioners and public in attendance increase their awareness about downtown issues as the City prepares for a downtown planning process in 2015. The Council's Land Use & Environment Committee will discuss scoping for the downtown plan at their December City of Olympia Page 2 Utility Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes November 6, 2014 11, 2014 meeting. 7. BUSINESS OF THE EVENING 14-1080 Climate Change and Sea Level Rise Update Public Works Water Resources Engineering and Planning Manager Eric Christensen presented information on sea level rise, how it affects Olympia’s downtown and the City's short- and long-term plan to mitigate impacts. City staff keep the City Council, advisory committees, and the community informed of the issue and risks. UAC members asked clarifying questions and thanked Mr. Christensen for the update. The City will incorporate it's response to sea level rise into in upcoming update of the Storm and Surface Water Management plan. Staff will also create a sea level rise plan to include ways for everyone to reduce carbon emissions. Staff will post Mr. Christensen's powerpoint to the UAC's agenda packet for the November 6 meeting. The report was received. 14-1081 Development of UAC 2015-2016 Workplan Public Works Water Resources Program Assistant Lindsay Marquez presented information on the process and timeline for the upcoming UAC work plan. The planning period for the workplan is April 2015 - March 2016. Requests for work plan items are due to Lindsay by Monday, December 15. City staff will also submit their work plan requests for items they would like to present to the UAC during the 2015-2016 work plan period. The UAC will review and finalize the work plan at the January 7, 2015 UAC meeting. The Council's General Government Committee will review all the City advisory committees' final work plans in February with referral to the full Council for approval in March. The report was received. 8. ADJOURNMENT Chair Curtz adjourned the meeting at 7:46 p.m. City of Olympia Page 3