City Council

CITY OF UNIVERSITY PLACE DRAFT MINUTES Regular Meeting of the City Council Monday, June 17, 2024 1. CALL REGULAR MEETING TO ORDER Mayor Figueroa called the Regular Meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. UN 2. ROLL CALL Roll call was taken by the City Clerk as follows: OF Councilmember Boykin Councilmember Worthington Councilmember McCluskey Councilmember Flemming Councilmember Grassi Present Present Present Present Present FI Mayor Pro Tem Wood Mayor Figueroa Present Present Staff Present: City Manager Sugg, Executive Director/Assistant City Manager Faison, City Attorney Kaser, CI Public Works Director Ecklund, Police Chief Burke, Finance Director Blaisdell, Administrative Services Director Petorak, Senior HR Analyst Hands, and City Clerk Genetia. 3. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AL Councilmember Flemming led the Council in the Pledge of Allegiance. 4. APPROVAL OF AGENDA C MOTION: By Mayor Pro Tem Wood, seconded by Councilmember Worthington, to approve the agenda. DO The motion carried. 5. PUBLIC COMMENTS – The following individual provided comments: William Ruchti, Deeply Rooted Nature School. 6. CONSENT AGENDA UM MOTION: By Mayor Pro Tem Wood, seconded by Councilmember Worthington, to approve the Consent Agenda as follows: A. Approve the minutes of the June 3, 2024 and June 10, 2024 Council meetings as submitted. B. Receive and File: Payroll for the period ending 05/31/24; Claims dated 05/31/24. C. Receive and File: 2024 First Quarter Financial Report. D. Receive and File: Juneteenth Proclamation. EN E. Adopt a Resolution establishing the City Council’s goals for the 2025-2026 biennium. (RESOLUTION NO. 1044) F. Adopt a Resolution approving the execution of the First Amendment to Deed of Easements, Covenants T and Restrictions between the City of University Place and Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation. (RESOLUTION NO. 1045) G. Adopt a Resolution adopting the Interlocal Agreement between Pierce County and the City of University Place for Transportation Demand Management implementation. (RESOLUTION NO. 1046) The motion carried.  City Council Minutes of June 17, 2024 Page 2 PUBLIC HEARING AND COUNCIL CONSIDERATION 7. SIX-YEAR TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PLAN 2025-2030 ADOPTION Staff Report – Public Works Director Ecklund presented the City’s proposed update to the 2025-2030 Six- Year Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP) required by state law to be adopted and updated annually. The primary changes to the TIP include the following: UN  The 35th Street Phase 1 project has been removed.  Funding statuses have been updated to reflect recent grant awards: Project 4 – Grandview Intersection Safety Improvements, and Project 6 – Chambers Creek Road Roundabout.  Project schedules and costs have been updated.  Project 46 – 67th Avenue Crosswalk has been added. OF He indicated that approval of the Six-Year Transportation Plan does not commit the City to any financial expenditures. Rather, each project will be reviewed individually by the City Council in each relevant budget cycle as a component of the Capital Improvement Plan. Approval of the Six-Year Transportation Plan, however, does create eligibility for the City to apply for various grant opportunities. Many grant funding sources require a project to appear in the City’s TIP to be eligible. In addition, the TIP provides an indication FI to other jurisdictions of the City’s planning direction for transportation needs. Public Comment – None. CI Council Consideration – MOTION: By Mayor Pro Tem Wood, seconded by Councilmember Worthington, to adopt a Resolution approving the Six-Year Transportation Improvement Plan for years 2025-2030. AL The motion carried. (RESOLUTION NO. 1047) 8. CITY MANAGER AND COUNCIL COMMENTS/REPORTS City Manager Sugg notified Council that the City has submitted a grant application to the Defense DO Community Infrastructure Pilot Program for the Day Island Bridge replacement. Councilmember Boykin expressed his appreciation for the well-attended PartnerUP/Tacoma-Pierce County Chambers of Commerce After Hours event and for the opportunity to engage with business leaders. Councilmember McCluskey reported that she attended the Community Connection’s senior barbeque event N and provided information on the Zoo Trek Authority Board’s business meeting. ME Mayor Pro Tem Wood reported that he participated in the meeting with the Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) Garrison Commander regarding support for the Day Island Bridge. He added that after the meeting, the Commander had conveyed an interest in housing and childcare support/partnership with the City. He CU also shared information on the Climate Conversation meeting he attended. Councilmember Worthington attended the PartnerUP/Tacoma-Pierce County Chambers of Commerce After Hours event and informed Council that he will be going on a ride-along with Police Chief Burke on July 4 fireworks patrol. Councilmember Flemming noted his attendance at the forthcoming Association of Washington Cities’ annual conference and spoke on the benefits of its education programs. He will also be representing the City in AWC’s Legislative Priorities Committee meeting. Councilmember Grassi commended the great work done at the PartnerUP/Tacoma-Pierce County Chambers of Commerce After Hours event. She thanked the community watching the meeting online, T congratulated CHS’s Class of 2024, reported that she gave the commencement address for the Science and Math Institute, participated as a keynote speaker at the Community Connection’s senior barbeque, and announced that Dance Theatre Northwest is looking for volunteers for the upcoming Teddy Bear picnic.  City Council Minutes of June 17, 2024 Page 3 Mayor Figueroa commended Becky Metcalf for a job well done on the PartnerUP/Tacoma-Pierce County Chambers of Commerce After Hours event. He also spoke about the City’s partnership efforts with JBLM, its grant program, and advocating for their interest in housing and after-school youth program. He also attended the Tacoma-Pierce County World Cup briefing. STUDY SESSION 9. EARLY REDEMPTION OF OUTSTANDING BONDS UN As follow-up to Council’s January 2024 retreat discussion, Executive Director/ACM Faison presented the City’s proposal to redeem the $17.1 million remaining balance of limited tax general obligation refunding bonds (half of the City’s $33,480,000 debt). The redemption date for these bonds begins on June 2026. He explained that in preparation for the 2025-2026 budget process, staff is seeking direction from Council to authorize the City Manager to redeem the bonds and to include the repayment of the $17.1 million expense OF in the 2026 budget. General discussion and comments followed regarding the City’s overall savings for the early redemption, the City’s efforts in improving its financial standing and strength in ending fund balance, the overall positive outcome for the early redemption, debt service amount, debt payment period, and the year and the lowest FI amount of cash flow to reflect in the ending fund balance. Staff was directed to bring back a resolution for Council’s consideration at its next meeting. 10. CI VEHICLE LICENSE FEE (TRANSPORTATION BENEFIT DISTRICT) In terms of long-range planning and as a follow-up to Council’s January 2024 retreat discussion, Executive AL Director/ACM Faison discussed the Street Fund and addressed the issue of the fund’s projected negative balance in 2029 in addition to the deficit in staffing in Public Works. He provided an overview of the past Council actions from the time when it first established the Transportation Benefit District (TBD) – In 2013, Council first funded TBD with a $20 vehicle license fee. The fee was increased to $35 in 2018 after Council assumed the District. Increasing the vehicle license fee to $35 did not, by itself, balance the Street Fund DO over the long-term and as a result, Council imposed a 6% utility tax on electric, water, and sanitary sewer service providers; funds from the tax on sanitary sewer were allocated to the Street Fund. Concurrent to the adoption of the utility tax, Council adopted Resolution 936 reducing the vehicle license fee from $35 to $10 with the fee to be reviewed in 2025. Executive Director Faison indicated that at Council’s January 2024 retreat, staff presented several options to balance the Street Funds on a long-term basis, and that there N was general interest in moving forward with a $40 vehicle license fee in January 2026. In preparation for the City’s 2025-2026 biennial budget process, staff is seeking Council direction on how to budget for Street ME Fund revenues and expenses in 2026. General discussion/comments followed regarding pavement maintenance, financial justification and other funding options/opportunities, and vehicle licensing tool authority; some expressed support for the proposal. CU After discussion, staff were directed to bring forward a resolution establishing a $40 license fee for Council consideration at its next meeting. 11. 2024 CARRYFORWARD BUDGET ADJUSTMENTS Finance Director Blaisdell explained that the carryforward adjustments recognize the carryforward of funding from the 2023 budget for re-appropriation in 2024. They are comprised of beginning fund balance adjustments, capital improvement projects, internal service fund carryforwards, and continuing grant funding. She detailed the carryforwards, revenue and expenditure adjustments, and other requested adjustments for Public Works CIP, Municipal Facilities CIP, and Parks CIP. There were unexpected T revenues and expenditure savings in 2023 in the General Fund. Finance Director Blaisdell reported that after deducting the carryforwards and cost adjustments, the remaining amount of one-time monies is $1,474,949. The Council had previously discussed the need to use one-time funds for the cost increases needed for the 67th Avenue project. In April 2024, Council approved an allocation of $1,360,000 for this project from the one-time monies, leaving a balance of $114,948.  City Council Minutes of June 17, 2024 Page 4 Director Blaisdell indicated that the Financial Forecast was updated to include all adjustments. Existing services and legal and contractual obligations can be met with existing revenues through the biennium. There were concerns regarding new request items; public garage capacity for additional EV chargers; discussion on the use of parks impact fees; required grant matching for the project; and decision timeline for grant fund acceptance. At 8:58 p.m., a motion was made and was carried to extend the meeting to 9:15 p.m. UN 12. ADJOURNMENT - The meeting adjourned at 9:08 p.m. No other action was taken. Submitted by, OF Emy Genetia City Clerk FI CI AL DO N ME CU T