City Council

CITY OF UNIVERSITY PLACE MINUTES Regular Meeting of the City Council Monday, May 20, 2024 1. CALL REGULAR MEETING TO ORDER Mayor Pro Tem Wood called the Regular Meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. 2. ROLL CALL Roll call was taken by the City Clerk as follows: UCouncilmember Boykin Councilmember Worthington Excused Excused N Councilmember McCluskey Councilmember Flemming Present Present O Councilmember Grassi Mayor Pro Tem Wood Present Present FF Mayor Figueroa Excused Staff Present: City Manager Sugg, City Attorney Kaser, Public Works Director Ecklund, Police Chief Burke, IA Community and Economic Development Director Briske, Lisa Petorak (virtual), and City Clerk Genetia. 3. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE IC Mayor Pro Tem Wood led the Council in the Pledge of Allegiance. L 4. APPROVAL OF AGENDA D MOTION: By Councilmember McCluskey, seconded by Councilmember Flemming, to approve the agenda. The motion carried. 5. PRESENTATIONS O C Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Proclamation – Mayor Pro Tem Wood presented a U proclamation to Lua Pritchard, Executive Director of the Asia Pacific Cultural Center, declaring the month of May 2024 as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and called this observance to the attention of all our citizens. M EN Color it UP Contest Winners – Mayor Pro Tem Wood, along with Public Works Director Ecklund, presented certificates of recognition to Charles Wright Academy and Curtis Junior/Senior High School student winners of the Color it UP contest. 6. PUBLIC COMMENTS – None. T 7. CONSENT AGENDA MOTION: By Councilmember McCluskey, seconded by Councilmember Flemming, to approve the Consent Agenda as follows: A. Approve the minutes of the May 6, 2024 Regular meeting as submitted. B. Receive and File: National Cities, Towns and Villages Week Proclamation. C. Authorize the City Manager to execute an amendment to the Professional Services Agreement with SoftResources in the amount of $76,800 for consulting services for the implementation of the new ERP system.  City Council Minutes of May 20, 2024 Page 2 D. Authorize the City Manager to execute a Local Agency Agreement with Sitts & Hill for survey services, as required for construction of the Grandview Drive Safe Routes to School project in the amount not to exceed One Hundred Twenty-Three Thousand Two Hundred Sixty-Three Dollars ($123,263.00). E. Adopt a Resolution providing City Council’s intent to designate certain additional areas of the City’s Northeast Business District as a Residential Target Area and setting a public hearing. (RESOLUTION NO. 1041) The motion carried. 8. CITY MANAGER AND COUNCIL COMMENTS/REPORTS City Manager Sugg invited the public to the Duck Daze Parade event on June 1, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. He indicated the festivities will continue with various activities and vendors at Market Square along with the U West Pierce Fire & Rescue’s open house and Pierce County Sheriff and University Place Police Department’s display. N Councilmember Grassi encouraged the public to attend and support the Duck Daze event. She reported O that she met with the Director of Community Connection Place and other small business owners; attended the ribbon cuttings for Radical Nutrition and Pro Chiropractic and the Pierce County Prayer Breakfast event. FF Councilmember Flemming attended the Pierce County Prayer Breakfast event. He recognized Jason Gauthier, Manager of the South Sound Affordable Housing Partners (SSHĀ³P). IA Councilmember McCluskey commented on SSHĀ³P’s management and achievements. She commended IC staff for organizing/coordinating the Color it UP art contest and commented on Asia Pacific Cultural Center’s vision and projects. Mayor Pro Tem Wood also attended the Radical Nutrition and Pro Chiropractic ribbon cutting events and L commented on the amazing Color it UP art submissions. He also invited the public to attend the Duck Daze community event. STUDY SESSION D 9. HB-1406 FUNDS OC Community and Economic Development Director Briske, along with SSHĀ³P’s Manager Jason Gauthier, provided information on the use of HB-1406 funds. Mr. Gauthier indicated that HB-1406 allowed U participating cities and towns to receive a portion of existing sales and use tax as a credit against the state sales tax. The City receives approximately $25,000 annually and can be collected for 20 years. There is a M cap of what can be collected. From June 2020 through April 2024 the City has collected $99,707. He provided background information on how HB-1406 funds can be used as well as information on services EN that are already being deployed in the City by either the government or non-profit organizations. The HB-1406 funds are eligible to be used for affordable and supportive housing projects to serve households earning at or below 60% of the median income of the county or city that is imposing the tax. The eligible uses include: T  Acquiring, rehabilitating, or constructing affordable housing, including new units within an existing structure or facilities providing supportive housing services.  Operations and maintenance costs of new units of affordable or supportive housing.  Rental assistance to tenants.  Effective June 6, 2024 the funds can be used to serve households earning up to 80% Average Median Income (AMI) if funds are used for the development of affordable homeownership housing. Director Briske requested feedback/direction from Council on how to proceed with the use of funds. After discussion, the majority opted not to pool the City’s HB-1406 funds with the County’s and instead chose to invest the funds in a local program that would ensure maximum benefit to University Place residents.  City Council Minutes of May 20, 2024 Page 3 10. CIRQUE PARK FEASIBILITY STUDY/SURVEY RESULTS Public Works Director Ecklund provided an update on Cirque Park’s feasibility study. He indicated that the City is working with a consultant in programming of the space (gravel lot) at Cirque Park. The consultant worked with the Park Commission for feedback, conducted two surveys and held a public meeting last month. Through that process, the consultant has developed a preferred option based on the various comments received from the public – the top priorities include sports courts as well as splash pad/water features with play area and seating opportunities alongside it. He noted that the survey and public meeting showed a fair amount of concerns about a bigger feature such as a community center which they believe would result in higher taxes; hence the reason for why the focus shifted to lower maintenance uses of the Park. Director Ecklund presented the design concepts for the preferred option consisting of three sets of use for sports courts which would be striped for pickleball, basketball and tennis to maintain flexibility (this would be programmed by the park staff based on demand) and potential shading cover for all weather play; U splash pad/water feature; restrooms; open lawn space; supporting parking for the facility; and walking/bike trails around the wetland area of the Park. He also presented renderings of options for splash pad/water N features and sports courts shading concepts. O The next steps will involve the consultant doing one more in-depth survey and continuing to refine the preferred option based on additional comments received from the public. Staff will then come back with a FF final preferred option and potential phasing plan. Council provided feedback on the concept and design of the water features, most preferring an interactive splash pad/water feature; restroom, parking, and open lawn locations; ADA parking; the inclusion of seniors IA in the concept; roofing material and maintenance; and elevated open lawn option. A concern on liability issue was raised. 11. IC WAYFINDING SIGNAGE REPORT L Community and Economic Development Director Briske, along with the City’s consultant Holly Williams of KPG Psomas, reported on the design process and the progress made on the wayfinding signage project. The City is developing a City-wide wayfinding signage plan to provide signage at strategic locations, to D guide the public to key destinations including the three business districts. This effort supports the City’s desire to bolster commercial growth and development by providing a worry-free experience for residents C and visitors alike as they navigate through the streets of University Place. The project team developed O concept design alternatives for City staff, stakeholders, and Commissioners to review the proposed concepts and provide feedback on the overall aesthetics including colors, materials, and architectural style and to determine whether they complement the City’s existing signage and reflect the unique identity of U University Place. Ms. Williams presented renderings of wayfinding concept design alternatives for vehicular scale, pedestrian/bicycle scale, district signs, electronic message board and/or information kiosk, and parking sign for Council feedback. M EN The next step for this effort is public engagement to solicit additional feedback on the concept alternatives which will help determine a preferred concept to move forward with for final design, cost estimating, and implementation. Staff and the consultant will be conducting a visual preference survey at Duck Daze. T The council provided feedback on the choice of design and color, with majority preferring Concept #1A (Collegiate Contemporary). 12. ADJOURNMENT - The meeting adjourned at 9:00 p.m. No other action was taken. Submitted by, Emy Genetia City Clerk