City Council

TUMWATER CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES OF HYBRID MEETING February 7, 2023 Page 1 CONVENE: 7:00 p.m. PRESENT: Mayor Debbie Sullivan and Councilmembers Peter Agabi, Michael Althauser, Joan Cathey, Leatta Dahlhoff, Angela Jefferson, Charlie Schneider, and Eileen Swarthout. Staff: City Administrator John Doan, City Attorney Karen Kirkpatrick, Parks and Recreation Director Chuck Denney, and Brianna Feller, Community Engagement Specialist PUBLIC COMMENT: There were no public comments. CONSENT a. Approval of Minutes: City Council Worksession, January 10, 2023 CALENDAR: b. Approval of Minutes: City Council, January 17, 2023 c. Approval of Minutes: City Council Worksession, January 24, 2023 d. Payment of Vouchers e. Ordinance No. O2022-014 – Rental Housing Registration f. Resolution No. R2023-003, Surplus Property g. Fuel Tax Agreement with the Transportation Improvement Board for Tumwater Boulevard Interchange h. Interlocal Agreement with the City of Olympia for Fire Training Center i. Interlocal Agreement with the Washington Department of Transportation for Maintenance of Palermo Treatment Lagoon j. Reappointment of Brent Chapman and Michael Jackson to the Tree Board MOTION: Councilmember Dahlhoff moved, seconded by Councilmember Swarthout, to approve the consent calendar as published. Motion carried unanimously. Mayor Sullivan reviewed the items approved on the consent calendar. Councilmember Cathey joined the meeting via Zoom at 7:04 p.m. COUNCIL CONSIDERATIONS: RESOLUTION NO. Director Denney reported the Brewmaster’s House recently experienced a R2023-005, fire caused by arson. The proposal is an emergency resolution to repair the BREWMASTER’S damage. HOUSE EMERGENCY Director Denney shared current photographs of the house. Damage occurred REPAIR AND at the rear of the house to three rooms. The first is a basement room RESTORATION: containing event supplies and computer/electronic equipment. Directly above the basement room is the back porch. The third story includes a room serving as an office for volunteers to work on archiving materials and information. The fire was started under the deck by a person with a torch TUMWATER CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES OF HYBRID MEETING February 7, 2023 Page 2 igniting a plastic pipe covered in silk fabric that eventually spread to the house. Tumwater police officers and firefighters responded quickly closing Deschutes Parkway to the public and controlling the fire. The Fire Department was able to extinguish the fire quickly limiting damage primarily to the three rooms and four doors. Facilities staff has visited the site, completed some clean up of the site, and secured the house with plywood, as well as securing all doors. The building is secure at this time. The back porch room was the main area affected by the fire destroying most of the room. The upstairs room sustained damage to furniture and to walls after firefighters removed interior siding to check on the potential spread of fire within the wall cavity. The lower storage room with supplies, equipment, and materials was damaged by fire and water. Staff is evaluating other rooms in the house to assess damage to the structure and existing furniture and stored materials. Director Denney reported he met with representatives from the Washington Cities Insurance Authority on two different occasions at the house. The house is insured up to $1 million for both the structure and contents. Repairing the structure should not be too expensive, as it will entail some flooring, joist replacements, and siding replacement. All rooms in the house were affected by smoke from the fire damaging contents, floors, carpets, and some clothing stored within the house. Staff plans to evaluate all contents. The City’s photo archive stored in another part of the basement was not affected. Some of the archival materials in the basement have been removed by staff. Staff is seeking alternative storage space for the photo archives. Potential locations include the state archives office or the Schmidt House as offered by the Olympia Tumwater Foundation. Based on the extent of damage and timeline for assessments, staff anticipates restoring the house at the earliest within nine months. The Washington Cities Insurance Authority is supporting efforts by staff. Staff contacted Heritage Restoration, a company specializing in restoration of historic structures experiencing fire and smoke damage. Staff has selected the company to assist in preparation of a plan for restoration of the house and a plan for addressing the contents of the house. Staff requests the adoption of Resolution No. R2023-005, finding the existence of an emergency and ratifying the Mayor’s Emergency Declaration and Waiver of Competitive Bidding Requirements for Brewmaster’s House Repair and Restoration. Director Denney reported that following approval of the resolution, staff plans to move forward with a service provider agreement approved by the TUMWATER CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES OF HYBRID MEETING February 7, 2023 Page 3 City Administrator to conduct an evaluation for repair and restoration of the house. City Attorney Kirkpatrick reported the statute requires that following approval of the declaration of an emergency, the Council must ratify the declaration and document findings of the resolution. The proposal resolution allows the City Administrator to waive competitive bidding and execute contracts to complete repair and restoration of the house. The cost of the work is unknown at this time; however, the house is covered up to $1 million by insurance. Should the amount exceed the insurance coverage, staff would seek approval by the Council for any additional funds that might be required. Councilmember Jefferson asked whether the City has identified the arson suspect. Director Denney said security cameras were installed at the house and video footage was obtained of the suspect, which was forwarded to the police department. The police department was able to arrest the individual who admitted to committing the arson. Councilmember Althauser requested notification to the Council of any losses of other valuable artifacts that would not be recoverable or salvageable. Director Denney advised that all articles are documented within computer archives and staff will advise the Council of any articles that are deemed non-recoverable. Director Denney responded to questions about the repairs and explained that the assessment would be the first step to identify the cost to repair prior to pursuing repairs and restorative work. MOTION: Councilmember Dahlhoff moved, seconded by Councilmember Agabi, to adopt Resolution No. R2023-005, finding the existence of an emergency and ratifying the Emergency Declaration and Waiver of Competitive Bidding Requirements for Brewmaster’s House Repair and Restoration. Motion carried unanimously. COMMITTEE REPORTS: PUBLIC HEALTH & The next meeting is on Tuesday, February 14, 2023 at 8 a.m. The agenda SAFETY: includes updates on the K9 Program and South Sound Behavioral Hospital. Leatta Dahlhoff GENERAL The next meeting on Wednesday, February 8, 2023 at 8 a.m. includes GOVERNMENT: discussions on the Regional Housing Council interlocal agreement, Urban Michael Althauser Forestry Management Plan Amendments for Tree and Vegetation Preservation regulations, and 2023 Comprehensive Plan Amendments. PUBLIC WORKS: The February 9, 2023 meeting has been cancelled. TUMWATER CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES OF HYBRID MEETING February 7, 2023 Page 4 Eileen Swarthout BUDGET AND There was no meeting and no report. FINANCE: Debbie Sullivan MAYOR/CITY Mayor Sullivan reported on her attendance to the January 27, 2023 Thurston ADMINISTRATOR’S County Realtors Association meeting. She presented a State of the City REPORT: report. Mayor Sullivan reported on her attendance to the first meeting of the Executive Advisory Group for the I-5/Marvin Roads to Mounts Road project. Pierce Transit was represented at the meeting. Mayor Sullivan said she recommended to Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT) representatives that Intercity Transit should be participating because Pierce Transit does not provide service to Thurston County. She also emphasized that the study should be extended to Exit 99 (93 rd Avenue). At the last Intercity Transit Authority meeting, members surplused several transit vehicles valued at $180,000. The surplus vehicles are not available for the agency’s van grant program because funds used to purchase the vehicles were federal funds. Members received an update and approved the contract to improve the Martin Way Park and Ride Lot by adding an additional exit. Members approved Part 4 of the Pattison Street Intercity Transit property upgrades comprised of demolishing the former administrative building and upgrading some maintenance facilities. Members conducted elections. Councilmember Swarthout is serving as the representative for Thurston Regional Planning Council (TRPC). Mayor Sullivan will continue to serve representing the City of Tumwater. The Authority received two mobility grants from WSDOT for rear-door boarding for 55 bus stops and a $6.8 million WSDOT Green Transportation grant for a demonstration project for hydrogen fuel cell buses. The Vanpool Program fee structure has been updated. Ten new van groups formed in January. The Authority received information on the recent action by an Intercity Transit bus driver who saved a person who was lying on the sidewalk by performing CPR. Another bus driver was able to persuade a person not to jump from the freeway overpass on Sleater-Kinney Road. COUNCILMEMBER REPORTS: Eileen Swarthout: Councilmember Swarthout reported on her attendance to the Climate Mitigation Action Steering Committee retreat on January 23, 2023. Staff presented a proposal on implementation of the Climate Mitigation Action Plan. The proposal includes new roles for the parties because of change in conditions when the plan was first adopted. At that time, most of the jurisdictions did not have dedicated full-time staff assigned for climate TUMWATER CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES OF HYBRID MEETING February 7, 2023 Page 5 mitigation. Three of the four jurisdictions have since hired staff. The new structure places more responsibility on staff and is less rigid to enable more overlap between the jurisdictions. At the last TRPC meeting, members discussed the process for evaluation of Executive Director Marc Daily and received a presentation on the Capitol Lake/Deschutes Estuary project. According to the schedule, the 5th Avenue Dam will be removed by 2037. Michael Althauser: At the last Regional Housing Council (RHC) meeting, Councilmember Cox was elected to serve as Chair and Thurston County Commissioner Mejia was elected to serve as Vice Chair. Members discussed the Southport Financial Services proposal to construct 162 apartment units of permanently affordable housing on the west side of Interstate 5. The organization is seeking a public contribution of approximately $2.6 million to qualify for low-income housing tax credits through the state’s Housing Finance Commission. Should the organization receive the local match, the project could move forward. The City of Olympia has committed approximately $1.3 million from its Home Fund Account and the RHC directed staff to explore options for committing the balance of the funds. Staff was asked to draft a policy in the event RHC is approached by other organizations to help fund housing projects. Members discussed the RHC interlocal agreement, finalized some spring funding priorities and RFPs, and discussed the RHC advisory boards. Following the last retreat, staff was asked to explore the inclusion of more lived experience within the decision-making process before rendering funding decisions. The RHC is establishing two advisory boards to focus on affordable housing and homelessness. RHC established some membership criteria for both advisory boards. Leatta Dahlhoff: Councilmember Dahlhoff reported on the delay of radio replacements because of supply chain issues. During the recent Thurston County Communications 911(TCOMM-911) meeting, she learned about the importance of qualified personnel replacing radio equipment as one of the stations experienced a vehicle fire as the radios were being replaced. All Tumwater radios have been replaced. At the last Thurston County Opioid Task Force meeting, members received information on the January 2023 informational visits regarding naloxone access at 45 pharmacies in Lacey, Olympia, Tumwater, and south Thurston County. The three questions to pharmacy staff (naloxone availability, prescription requirement, and age requirement) resulted in inconsistencies at a majority of the pharmacies about the availability of naloxone kits. Most people are unaware of the Statewide Standing Order allowing anyone to access naloxone at a pharmacy without an individual prescription from a doctor, with no age requirement, and no need to assess for Opioid Use Disorder. TUMWATER CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES OF HYBRID MEETING February 7, 2023 Page 6 Councilmember Dahlhoff reported on her recent conversation with a Commissioner from the Thurston Public Utility District (PUD) regarding the district’s recent rate increase. She has been receiving many inquiries from neighbors who receive service from the PUD. One Commissioner requested consideration of scheduling a worksession with the Council as many residents in Tumwater rely on the PUD for water service. Peter Agabi: During the January 25, 2023 meeting of the Thurston Economic Development Council, members were briefed on the intended use of Interstate 5 near Maytown to support an expansive warehouse in the Maytown area. The developer has not submitted a development proposal but wanted to receive feedback. Information was presented on minority business owners in Thurston County and the increase in franchising by minorities. At the last meeting of the Joint Animal Services Commission, members were informed that current animal shelter piping was not conducive to the level of usage required by the animal shelter. The City of Lacey is required to service the facility each month to clear the pipes, which has not solved the issue of blocked pipes creating backup issues. Members approved a budget amendment of $115,000 to repair pipes. Members appointed Victoria Smith to fill the open Commission position. Angela Jefferson: At the January 18, 2023 meeting of the Emergency Medical Services Council, members discussed the current state of healthcare constraints. Today, there is a severe nursing shortage in Thurston County and across the country caused by the explosion in population growth, an increase in 911 demands, hospital demands, and increase in call volume overall. For the first time, over 40,000 calls were documented each year. EMTs are spending up to four hours at local hospitals waiting to unload patients. The longest time for a bed in the emergency room has been nine hours forcing ambulances to remain at hospitals and not able to return to service. The situation is increasing response time with EMS response time dropping to 90%, the minimum acceptable standard for responding to 911 calls. Some initiatives to address the situation include two part-time EMTs stationed at hospital emergency room entrances to assist ambulances in unloading patients. EMTs can monitor and stabilize up to four patients until the hospital can accept the patients. Hospitals are attempting to add 29 more beds. At the Tumwater HOPES Coalition meeting, members reviewed a new action plan update. Approximately 60% of the programs must be evidence- based. One program, SPORT, which teaches youths to reduce the need to use tobacco is not evidence-based. Members agreed not to adopt the program and plan to replace it with two other programs. Members discussed ways to seek a program on fentanyl use. As the drug is new, programs may be limited. However, it is important for the region to move proactively as the use of fentanyl is increasing in the community and in the county. Members discussed new member outreach and identifying potential partners TUMWATER CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES OF HYBRID MEETING February 7, 2023 Page 7 in the community. Some members agreed to place drug-free campus signs at all school entrances. At the Thurston Regional Law and Justice Council meeting, members discussed the Council’s role with Thurston Thrives and the work of the Council’s Strategic Planning Subcommittee. Most of the goals of the 2014 plan have been achieved. Next steps include updating the plan. Members discussed formation of a new program based on San Diego’s model of a Homeless Court Program (HCP). The model is being adopted across the country for homeless individuals with misdemeanor charges. Approximately 2,600 individuals are waiting to resolve their cases within the criminal justice system. The goal of the program is moving those individuals from homeless situations and providing them with mental health services. Councilmember Jefferson reported on her participation in addition to Councilmember Schneider and other City staff to the first battle of the billy goat at Tumwater High School. The intent of the event is build community pride, camaraderie, and teamwork over the course of two basketball games between Tumwater High School and Black Hills High School. Charlie Schneider: Councilmember Schneider reported on Mayor Sullivan’s planned presentation at the Old Town Center on Wednesday, February 8, 2023 at 10 a.m. Since the last meeting, he has been on vacation and did not attend any intergovernmental meetings. Joan Cathey: Councilmember Cathey reported on her attendance to the Regional Housing Council and Solid Waste Advisory Committee meetings. The Regional Housing Council continues to work actively on housing issues within the region. The next meeting of the Olympic Region Clean Air Agency is Wednesday, February 8, 2023. Councilmember Cathey plans to attend the next General Government Committee meeting. ADJOURNMENT: With there being no further business, Mayor Sullivan adjourned the meeting at 7:50 p.m. Prepared by Valerie L. Gow, Recording Secretary/President Puget Sound Meeting Services, psmsoly@earthlink.net