City Council Work Session

TUMWATER CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION MINUTES OF VIRTUAL MEETING May 28, 2024 Page 1 CONVENE: 6:00 p.m. PRESENT: Mayor Debbie Sullivan and Councilmembers Peter Agabi, Michael Althauser, Joan Cathey, Leatta Dahlhoff, Angela Jefferson Eileen Swarthout, and Kelly Von Holtz. Staff: City Administrator Lisa Parks, City Attorney Karen Kirkpatrick, Community Development Director Michael Matlock, Finance Director Troy Niemeyer, Police Chief Jon Weiks, Fire Chief Brian Hurley, Water Resources and Sustainability Director Dan Smith, Parks and Recreation Director Chuck Denney, and Sustainability Coordinator Alyssa Jones Wood. COMMUNITY Director Niemeyer reported the proposal approved by the Council for a HUMAN SERVICES $25,000 pilot program was originally for mobile home repairs for PROGRAM – HOME Tumwater residents. Following discussions on the focus of the program, REPAIRS: staff learned the City cannot limit the program to mobile home repairs and must include all home repairs for low-income residents to avoid any conflicts for gifting of public funds. Staff is seeking guidance prior to initiating the program. Because of the lack of staff capacity to administer the program, staff contacted some non- profits to administer the program. Two organizations for consideration include Habitat for Humanity and Rebuilding Together. Both organizations have local offices with local volunteers. The organizations have similar programs and follow the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) guidelines for income eligibility. Habitat for Humanity utilizes volunteers and future property owners to build homes for both small and larger projects. Rebuilding Together has no specific requirements and focuses on smaller and larger projects. Staff recommends utilizing an existing contract with Rebuilding Together through the Community Human Services Program requiring only a contract amendment for future consideration by the Council. Councilmember Dahlhoff asked about applicability for seniors because of the need of seniors in manufactured home parks. Seniors are a federally protected class. Director Niemeyer said he would follow up with the City Attorney on the parameters of the program. Several Councilmembers commented on their support of the proposal. Councilmember Jefferson asked about the possibility of including veterans within the program as well. City Attorney Kirkpatrick advised that based on the parameters of the budget amendment, the program was intended for senior housing repairs. At this time, the proposal is to move forward with a senior repair program. TUMWATER CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION MINUTES OF VIRTUAL MEETING May 28, 2024 Page 2 Staff is seeking guidance on which non-profit to select to administer the program. The program is targeted to low-income seniors. Director Niemeyer said staff is recommending contracting with Rebuilding Together. Staff will draft a contract amendment for consideration by the Council. The Council requested adding the amendment to Council Considerations to enable announcement of the program to the community. MUNIFIN 201 – DEBT: Director Niemeyer said the review is the third in a series of four educational series focused on debt with a focus on larger projects. The City last issued substantial debt in 2011 for the golf course with smaller debt issued in 2019 for fire apparatus. Debit is borrowed money paid back over time comprised of principal and an interest component. Borrowing money is typically from a bank to secure a loan. The City can also seek loans from a bank; however, the bank loan limit is not sufficient if the project is large. Other loan options for the City include the state’s Public Works Trust Fund or Clean Water State Revolving Fund from the Department of Ecology. The programs are competitive and require an application and selection. If the City qualifies and was selected, plans and rates would be excellent. Other options include municipal bonds or local program (non-competitive) requiring a process with statutory limits. Debt in general is considered good or less than good. The City has only assumed good debt, such as debt that increases net worth or assists in generating income in the future. Debt not considered good decreases net worth or does not generate income, such as credit card debt or payday loans. The disadvantage of debt is interest. Benefits of debt includes the ability to save cash flow instead of using cash for purchasing or building, ensures reserves are intact, and enables the City to buy now and pay later. Director Niemeyer described the advantages and disadvantages of saving money versus assuming debt. A “matching principle” is fundamentally accrual accounting documenting revenues generated or the benefit from an asset purchased or constructed matched to the corresponding expense to ensure accurate financial reporting and consistencies between accounting periods. Director Niemeyer shared an example of a fictional project of a $30 million golf course driving range the department plans to fund by cash. In that scenario of not using a matching principle and reporting the project on a cash basis, the financials would reflect a substantial expense in the first year and no expenses for the next 29 years (assuming a 30-year useful life). TUMWATER CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION MINUTES OF VIRTUAL MEETING May 28, 2024 Page 3 Essentially, it would create inaccurate financials and a substantial imbalance between revenue and expenses reflecting a huge loss in one year and potentially massive profits in future years. The preference is matching revenue and expense to ensure accurate financial statements and an appropriate comparison from year-to-year, accurate profit and loss statements, and the ability to evaluate the performance of the asset. The City’s accounting process spreads the cost over a period of the useful life to match revenues and expenses regardless if the transaction was cash or debt. Bond financing is typically used for large projects. General Obligation Bonds are bonds the City issues that are not connected to a specific revenue source. Examples include maintenance and operations facilities, a new park, or a new City Hall. Revenue bonds are tied to a specific revenue source, such as a utility project, a water storage tank, or water main projects. Those projects can be financed with revenue bonds as it enables matching revenues to expenses with future users helping to pay for the project. The Washington State Constitution guides the City on debt. For non-voted debt, the City can issue up to 1.5% of the City’s assessed value or approximately $93 million. Non-voted debt is often considered councilmatic debt as it does not require voter approval. Seeking debt above the assessed value, the Council can request a vote by City citizens to seek up to 2.5% of assessed value with special provisions for parks and open space and utilities for an additional 2.5%. Councilmember Dahlhoff asked about any prior debt assumed by the City. Director Niemeyer replied that in 2011, the City issued debt for major work to the golf course. The debt was fully paid in 2022. Councilmember Cathey asked whether obtaining debt essentially increases taxes. Director Niemeyer said it is dependent upon the project and how funding for a project is structured. If the City receives sufficient revenue to cover the debt payment, taxes are not increased. Councilmember Althauser asked about the level a project should be in terms of generating revenue that would enable the City to secure a bond using the revenues to pay down the debt. Director Niemeyer replied that the City would need to demonstrate through either revenue currently collected or data and projected revenue that the project would generate sufficient revenue to pay for the bond payment. For example, it would likely be difficult for the City to substantiate that the revenue generated from a community pool would be sufficient to make the bond payment. Councilmember Althauser asked whether there is a metric as a guide to identify bonding capacity based on revenue streams. Director Niemeyer TUMWATER CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION MINUTES OF VIRTUAL MEETING May 28, 2024 Page 4 replied that when the City requests funds using general obligation bonds, the bonding agency reviews the City’s financials, reserves, and projected revenues as part of a due diligence review requiring several months to complete. Councilmember Agabi asked whether the City’s assessed value is based on the current or previous year. Director Niemeyer explained that each fall, the Thurston County Assessor’s Office provides a new assessed value used for assessing the next year’s property taxes. Director Niemeyer displayed an example of a repayment schedule for a $30 million loan for a term of 20 years. The City also incurs a credit score based on a lettering system. The City received a Standards and Poor AA rating for the last bond issue. The City has a good bond rating. When the City paid off a bond in 2022, the bond rating was removed leaving the City technically with no rating. Financially, the City is doing well with appropriate reserves and strong revenue. It likely another debt issuance would generate an AA rating or possibly higher. THURSTON Coordinator Jones Wood updated the Council on actions and CLIMATE accomplishments included in the Thurston County Climate Mitigation MITIGATION PLAN Plan during 2023 and 2024 regional initiatives the Thurston Climate IMPLEMENTATION Mitigation Collaborative is pursuing. UPDATE: Within the Buildings and Energy Sector, Tumwater completed more LED lighting retrofits at City facilities, launched an all-electric building webpage, achieved SolSmart silver designation, and began a Solar + Storage Feasibility Assessment for City Hall and Tumwater Library. Within the Transportation and Land Use Sector, Tumwater began the Comprehensive Plan Periodic update to include a new Climate Change Element. The Transportation and Engineering Department completed preliminary engineering for traffic signal controller and detection upgrades, continued construction of the three roundabouts at Trosper Road and Capitol Boulevard, identified the right-of-way required for the X Street roundabouts, began the design of the Linwood Avenue Sidewalk project, and secured school Safe Routes grant funding for the 2nd Avenue Pedestrian and Bicycle Improvement project. The Green Team completed an internal Fleet Electrification Plan estimating the replacement of 66 vehicles with electric vehicles (EV) and creating a roadmap for fleet EV charging and gasoline consumption reduction. The information helped the City receive a grant from the Department of Commerce to fund 10 EV chargers for fleet use. The Council approved the new state Energy Code establishing requirements for EV charging, EV ready, and EV capable for any new development. TUMWATER CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION MINUTES OF VIRTUAL MEETING May 28, 2024 Page 5 Within the Water and Waste Sector, the City completed an Investment Grade Audit of City facilities. The audit identified $4.5 million of efficiency retrofits and installations that could improve the City’s operations and reduce emissions by 114.8 metric tons annually. Staff is requesting some funding for some of the projects in the City’s next budget cycle. Efforts under the audit will assist the City in meeting the requirements of the Clean Building Performance Standards established by the state. Three different compost-related initiatives in 2023 included composting at some City events, composting at City facilities, and incorporating the purchase of compost in some capital and landscaping projects. The City of Tumwater led efforts to improve the proposed Washington Wildland-Urban Interface Code. In 2023, the City began efforts to update three sections of City codes related to trees, which will be restarted in August as the Wildland-Urban Interface Code was clarified. The City received a grant from the Department of Nature Resources (DNR) to complete an inventory of trees on City properties. Staff continued efforts in the development of the Habitat Conservation Plan. Progress in 2023 within the Cross-Cutting Sector included updating the City’s Sustainability webpage and hosting six interns from The Evergreen State College Center for Climate Action and Sustainability. The Thurston Climate Mitigation Collaborative is comprised of the four jurisdictions (cities of Lacey, Olympia, Tumwater, and Thurston County). Work has progressed on two regional initiatives involving the Residential Home Energy Score Model Ordinance and the Residential Energy Efficiency and Electrification Campaign. Both initiatives will be presented to the Council at the end of the year or early next year for consideration. The Collaborative is drafting a model ordinance requiring U.S. Department of Energy home energy scores at the time of listing real estate. The home energy score is a standardized asset-based rating system for home efficiency that considers the structure of the home as opposed to occupant behavior. Similar ordinances have been adopted by many other local governments in the Pacific Northwest and across the country. The ordinance would include subsidies for low and moderate-income households to promote participation. Step 1 of the Home Energy Score Model Ordinance is in progress with the development of a memo of policy concepts by the Thurston Climate Mitigation Collaborative staff team with recommendations for review by the Community Advisory Workgroup for feedback. The workgroup is comprised of approximately 15 community members with different lived TUMWATER CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION MINUTES OF VIRTUAL MEETING May 28, 2024 Page 6 experiences to provide insight and to improve recommendations moving forward. Councilmember Cathey commented on the number of renters living in the City and the difficulty of including renters in different types of programs or landlords not conducive to the programs. She asked how staff anticipates including that segment of the housing population within the goals of the programs. Coordinator Jones Wood advised of several types of approaches, such as the website for the Green Building Registry where tenants can review the home energy score of their residential unit. However, home energy scores are not applicable to stacked multifamily or manufactured homes at this time. Efforts are planned to expand the program after the Department of Energy expands its program by adding different types of structures. At this time, renters of stacked multifamily units and manufactured homes are not included in the program, but plans are in progress to include those types of housing units. Residential homes recently listed for sale are required to provide a home energy score to enable potential buyers to access the information on the website. However, for existing rental homes, owners are not required to obtain a home energy score for the property unless the owner lists the home for sale. It is also possible for property owners to obtain loans through the Washington State Housing Finance Corporation for special energy loans to finance some improvements in addition to the mortgage, as well as a Fannie Mae energy-related home mortgage product to help finance energy improvements identified in a home energy score audit. The next step is stakeholder engagement with the City of Olympia contracting through competitive solicitation for a consultant to facilitate six focus groups of different stakeholders. Following the work of the Community Advisory Workgroup, the policy memo, and the focus groups on the draft model ordinance, staff will present the draft to the City Council for feedback. The second regional initiative underway is the Residential Energy Efficiency and Electrification Campaign, a multi-pronged approach with step 1 completed of a web-based information hub at www.wa.switchison.org. The website is hosted and financed by Thurston County, City of Olympia, Pierce County, City of Tacoma, City of Seattle, and King County for the benefit of all Washington residents to obtain information on ways to electrify a home and sources of energy contractors. Additionally, the program includes an advisory support service to assist residents navigate the process of electrifying equipment in homes. The initiative will be promoting home electrification and possibly supplementing federal and utility incentives and offer turnkey installations for low to moderate-income homeowners. State funding is available for up to 150% of area median income to replace different equipment. TUMWATER CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION MINUTES OF VIRTUAL MEETING May 28, 2024 Page 7 Staff was recently informed that the City received an award of $477,540 to support the program. More information will be released following the granting agency formally announcing the award later in the week. Other climate actions progress not tied to a strategy in the Thurston Climate Mitigation Plan include: • Supporting the Tumwater Tree Board • Adding rechargeable battery recycling at “Clean Up Drop Off” Event • The City’s Climate Disclosure Project (CDP) score increased from “C” to “B” in 2023 • The Tumwater Tree Board distributed 100 native plants and 50 packets of native wildflower seeds to the community during Arbor Day in 2023 • The Tumwater Green Team adopted environmental purchasing requirements for City operations Councilmember Dahlhoff inquired as to whether any discussions have focused on shifting purchasing to carbon-neutral furniture or preferences for manufacturers and/or distributors of products to address the carbon footprint as well. Coordinator Jones Wood said that at this time, those issues have not been addressed; however, future activities would be added. Additionally the environmental purchasing policy is phased and after 2025 it was important to align product cost increases with the new budget request. Additional phasing could be explored in the future. The team is considering toxics and supporting local sources as shipping is a major component of a product's carbon footprint. Councilmember Swarthout inquired about program resources for recycling equipment replaced with new energy efficiency equipment. Coordinator Jones Wood advised that the program currently does not offer information for recycling used appliances. Bulk waste is accepted by the Thurston County HazoHouse at the county landfill. Older appliances in working condition could be donated to Habitat for Humanity or other nonprofit organizations. It is also possible to break down appliances to recyclable parts to reduce waste. She added that she plans to explore options. Councilmember Cathey recommended inviting the interns separately to attend a future work session to share information about their efforts in different program areas. Coordinator Jones Wood said she is attending the Center for Climate Action and Sustainability at The Evergreen State College to recap work of the interns and the different projects. The first project for the City was the completion of climate change impact-focused review of the street tree list and a separate intern project conducting TUMWATER CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION MINUTES OF VIRTUAL MEETING May 28, 2024 Page 8 surveys and interviews and learning how to perform grounded theory qualitative research with the City’s highest residential water volume users. URBAN FORESTRY Coordinator Jones Wood updated the Council on the status of MANAGEMENT implementation actions in the Urban Forestry Management Plan. PLAN IMPLEMENTATION Of all the actions scheduled in the Urban Forestry Management Plan, 80% UPDATE: of the actions are on track or in progress with only 20% of actions delayed mostly because of the delay in amending City urban forestry codes. The Urban Forestry Management Plan includes five concepts with the first focusing on “Grow.” Work is underway on revisions and updates to the three sections of codes for street trees, tree and vegetation protection, and landscaping. The review of updates to the codes will be reinitiated in August during a joint meeting of the Tree Board and the Planning Commission. Staff completed an evaluation of the size and diversity of trees on City- owned properties. Multiple meetings have been held with the Tree Board and stormwater staff to address actions of creating a relationship between stormwater and the Tree Board. The first action was a joint field trip visiting potential stormwater sites for planting. The Tree Board completed an initial review of non-regulatory programs and incentives to increase the canopy. At the Arbor Day celebration this year at Historical Park, all plants were distributed before the end of the event, which is a first. Normally, plants are left over after the event. The next concept of the Urban Forestry Management Plan is “Protect.” In February, Transportation and Engineering, Water Resources and Sustainability, and Parks operations staff attended four-hour training on principles of urban forestry by DNR staff. The Tree Board reviewed non- regulatory programs and incentives to protect existing canopy. In 2023, the City launched the Heritage Tree Story Map and completed a tree inventory of City properties to assist in identifying tree trimming needs of existing trees and priorities. “Manage”: is the next concept in the Urban Forestry Management Plan. The tree inventory includes a maintenance plan to help prioritize, schedule, and estimate the costs of tree maintenance on City properties. A Park staff member is pursuing ISA Arborist certification and three staff members in Transportation and Engineering and Water Resources and Sustainability are interested in pursuing certification as well. The City’s only certified arborist retired recently from the Parks and Recreation Department. Staff and the Tree Board distribute resources to residents and business owners on proper tree care. An element of the tree code updates includes TUMWATER CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION MINUTES OF VIRTUAL MEETING May 28, 2024 Page 9 a review of the approved street tree list to account for lessons learned from other jurisdictions, information from DNR, on-the-ground information from operations staff, and best available science on climate change impacts on tree species and the ability to adapt to shocks and stressors over time. Efforts continue on integrating the tree inventory data with the City’s work order systems to recognize trees as natural assets of the City’s asset management system. Staff estimated the value of some ecosystems services provided by City forests. “Fund” is another concept in the Urban Forestry Management Plan with more accurate cost estimates identified for funding required to maintain trees on City properties. Water Resources and Sustainability is working to establish the nexus between stormwater and urban forestry with new stormwater permit requirements for tree canopies to obtain some funds to support urban forestry. The City received a grant from the U.S. Forest Service to help fund a full-time urban forester beginning in 2025. The last concept of the Urban Forestry Management Plan is “Engage.” One example was during Falls Fest, the City sponsored Carbon Jenga games teaching participants a simplified carbon cycle and an opportunity to discuss roles of carbon sinks, such as forests and other ecosystems. Staff engaged volunteers to conduct the Tree Inventory and Maintenance Plan project, staff participated in Thurston Climate Action Team’s tree group during the year, and the City retained Tree City U.S.A. certification for the 28th consecutive year. Completion of the Tree Inventory and Maintenance Plan was funded by a $40,000 grant from DNR and $20,000 from the City’s Tree Fund. The plan includes: • Tree Inventory o Street Trees (existing data) o City-owned properties • Analysis of Tree Inventory • Replacement Value • Environmental Benefits • Pets and Pathogens • Tree Maintenance Needs • Tree Maintenance Cost • Priority Planning Analysis A consultant completed a tree inventory of all City-owned properties except the golf course. Existing street tree inventory was available from 2018 and updated to reflect tree removals. Large forested areas were TUMWATER CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION MINUTES OF VIRTUAL MEETING May 28, 2024 Page 10 inventoried using a sample-based approach as opposed to counting trees individually, due to funding. All other City properties had each tree assessed and inventoried. The most prevalent species of trees are Norway maple, Callery pear, and red maple. In natural areas, big leaf maple, Douglas fir, red alder, and western redcedar were the most prevalent. Maintaining diversity of both species and age is important. The City should reduce reliance on species of maple tree to promote greater resiliency. The current replacement value of trees on City properties is approximately $11.9 million accounting for the historical investments over time and not necessarily ecosystem service values. Not all ecosystem services can be counted or monetized; however, by using a tool from the U.S. Forest Service called i-Tree some ecosystem services can be counted or monetized by examining specific trees, their proximity to buildings, size, and other parameters to calculate values of ecosystem services for air pollution, sequestering carbon, storing carbon, and stormwater interception, etc. Ecosystem service values annually of inventoried trees in Tumwater include: • 2,181 pounds of NO2, SO2, PM 2.5, and 03 are intercepted (value $5957) • Sequesters 26.7 tons (24.4 metric tons) (value $548) • Contributes to the avoidance of more than 829,870 gallons of stormwater • To date, trees stored 1,968 tons (1,785 metric tons) of CO2 (Value $335,667) • Cultural Ecosystem Services = priceless Ecosystem service values for natural area trees in Tumwater include: • 8,733 pounds of NO2, SO2, PM2.5, O3 are intercepted (value $27,898) • Sequesters 159.4 tons (144.6 metric tons (value $27,182) • To date, trees stored 4,002.7 tons (3,631.2 metric tons (value $685,654) • Cultural ecosystem services = priceless Councilmember Dahlhoff asked whether the iTree program could be demonstrated for the Council and whether it is possible to enter a specific tree to identify risk assessment and the dollar value and how those metrics can be compared. Coordinator Jones Wood explained that there are different iTree tools. One iTree tool assigns ecosystem services values to individual trees. In terms of risk, the tool does not measure risk. However, staff is working on ways to incorporate ecosystem values with decision- TUMWATER CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION MINUTES OF VIRTUAL MEETING May 28, 2024 Page 11 making for land use changes. Staff has initiated some conversations and plan to meet to begin discussing options in more depth to develop a process the Council and staff could pursue. Coordinator Jones Wood reported big leaf maples provide the highest value of ecosystem services for the City’s forest on City properties. Big leaf maples contribute to more atmospheric carbon removal, removal of air pollutants, avoids runoff, and provides $18 in value per tree annually. The project assessed a City-owned forest for susceptibility to 44 emerging and existing pests and pathogens. Approximately 95% of inventoried trees are susceptible to one of the pests or pathogens. The consulting arborist spent an average of five minutes assessing each tree in areas where trees were counted. Based on the inventory and prevailing wage, there is approximately $3.4 million of needed tree maintenance work on City properties. The Urban Forestry Management Plan recommends four-year maintenance cycles for urban and community forests. Of the required maintenance work, the estimated budget need is $850,839 every year for the next four years to catch up with deferred maintenance. Coordinator Jones Wood displayed a series of maps depicting priority- planting areas, areas for prioritized planting based on stormwater benefits, urban heat island effect, environmental health disparity data, and areas based on a number of census data points for social equity, income, and unemployment for both private and City-owned properties. The grant from the U.S. Forest Service provides 50% of the funding for hiring a full-time urban forester for three years and provides 100% of the funding for the following: • Installing ambient air temperature monitoring throughout the City • Expanding and improving the City’s tree giveaway program • Conduct 25 tree health assessments each year for residents in Tumwater living in disadvantaged communities • Street tree trimming subsidy for residents of Tumwater disadvantaged communities for properties responsible for street trees adjacent to private property Disadvantaged communities are defined from the federal definition of EPA Inflation Reduction Act Disadvantaged Community. The City’s match for all programs would be funded by 50% for the urban forester’s position. Councilmember Von Holtz cited the City’s efforts on preserving the urban forest and the irony of the City’s plan to remove a 400-year old tree. TUMWATER CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION MINUTES OF VIRTUAL MEETING May 28, 2024 Page 12 Councilmember Swarthout inquired as to the location of the information on trees on the City’s website. Coordinator Jones Wood said some information on trees is located on the Community Development Department webpage and some is on the Water Resources and Sustainability Department webpage. The update of the website has been delayed pending new code changes the City plans to move forward on in August. Coordinator Jones Wood addressed questions from the Council and offered to add the Council to the TreeKepper program to enable access by the Council. Information is also available at the TreeKeeper website without an account; however, maintenance recommendations for each tree would not be available. Information on specific trees in the City can be obtained by the department managing the tree(s). All information on the Davis-Meeker oak has been provided to the Council. The lack of tree plantings in 2023 was because staff was identifying priority-planting areas. Some willow trees were planted as part of wetland restoration projects. In response to an inquiry from Councilmember Cathey as to why the Davis-Meeker oak tree was not assessed as part of the most current inventory, Coordinator Jones Wood explained that the inventory did not include all City street trees as the preexisting 2018 street tree inventory data were available and grant funds were only sufficient to add to the inventory. It is likely that in the future, City interns would assist in updating the inventory. No street trees were included in the in-depth review as part of the project because of preexisting data. Trees included in the inventory for the project were located on City properties that were not street trees in the right-of-way but received assessments for maintenance needs and identification of primary defects (diseases, pests, etc.). A large Garry oak near Walmart was treated based on a recommendation by the City’s contract arborist. MAYOR/CITY City Administrator Parks reported on the mailing of the 2023 Water ADMINISTRATOR’S Quality Report to approximately 15,000 households. The report covers REPORT: the City’s work in 2023 for water quality. This year the report was printed on 30% recycled paper saving approximately $2,500 in printing costs by locating a lower-cost printer. Activities during the summer in Tumwater include a Tumwater Youth Program Appreciation Dinner on Wednesday, May 29, 2024 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Old Town Center. The Council is invited to attend by RSVP. The Community Development Department is hosting an open house at City Hall on May 29, 2024 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. to share information and receive comments on the Comprehensive Plan Periodic Update on the Housing Element. TUMWATER CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION MINUTES OF VIRTUAL MEETING May 28, 2024 Page 13 The Parks and Recreation Department is sponsoring an event as part of the National Trails Day on June 1, 2024 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Tumwater Hill Park to include a leisurely stroll along the ¾-mile trail, sharing of information on Tumwater’s and the state’s trail systems, a scavenger hunt, and distributing trash bags to participants to help pick up trash. On June 8, 2024, Tumwater is hosting Dog Days from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Pioneer Park. Mayor Sullivan thanked Councilmember Von Holtz for her attendance to the Memorial Day commemoration on her behalf. Councilmember Cathey inquired about the status of the sign near the Davis-Meeker oak tree reporting that the tree had been delisted from the City’s Heritage Tree Program. City Administrator Parks responded that the sign was removed and was not intended to be a misstatement but rather a public notice that had outlived its noticing period for the Historic Preservation Commission meetings. Councilmember Cathey inquired about future opportunities for the Council to discuss or receive an update on the Davis-Meeker oak tree that enables an opportunity for public comment. City Administrator Parks advised of the City’s adherence to a legal proceeding regarding the tree. The Council will receive an update through either an executive session or another venue. The City Attorney will recommend the process for an update. Staff is discussing the possibility of a community outreach process that would include ways to commemorate and honor the history of the oak tree moving forward when the time is appropriate in lieu of current legal proceedings in process. The City promotes public comments from the community at any time. The schedule does not include any meeting or conversation about the tree outside of the legal process or the community outreach process under consideration following the conclusion of the legal proceedings. If changes occur with respect to the legal proceedings, future actions would be difficult to forecast at this time. Councilmember Dahlhoff commented on information she received from a constituent about a joint meeting of the Tree Board, Parks and Recreation Commission, and the Historical Preservation Commission concerning the Davis-Meeker oak tree. She asked about the process for notification to the Council with respect to the joint meeting. Mayor Sullivan eventually sent an email cancelling the meeting. She assumed the meeting was cancelled because of the legal process. She asked whether the Council would receive notification of any joint meeting. City Administrator Parks said the Council discussed the joint meeting and date during a presentation at a prior work session. An email notification was sent to the Historic Preservation Commission, Tree Board, and the Parks and Recreation Commission announcing the meeting with a follow up announcing the TUMWATER CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION MINUTES OF VIRTUAL MEETING May 28, 2024 Page 14 meeting. However, because of the legal proceeding, the announcement of the meeting did not occur. For any process moving forward, the Council will receive notification. The joint meeting was to enable an opportunity for different subject matter experts in their advisory capacity to the Council, to provide a platform for the community to provide input for evaluation by the bodies to submit any recommendation to the City Council. The Davis-Meeker oak tree is a recognized heritage tree. The City’s code specifically addresses heritage trees, how trees are listed, future actions surrounding heritage trees, and an exemption for hazard trees to secure a permit for removal. ADJOURNMENT: With there being no further business, Mayor Sullivan adjourned the meeting at 7:56 p.m. Prepared by Valerie L. Gow, Recording Secretary/President Puget Sound Meeting Services, psmsoly@earthlink.net