City Council

CITY OF UNIVERSITY PLACE MINUTES Regular Meeting of the City Council Monday, November 18, 2024 1. CALL REGULAR MEETING TO ORDER Mayor Figueroa 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 Present Present N Councilmember McCluskey Councilmember Flemming Present Present O Councilmember Grassi Mayor Pro Tem Wood Present Present FF Mayor Figueroa Present Staff Present: City Manager Sugg, City Attorney Kaser, Finance Director Blaisdell, Administrative Services IA Director Petorak, Police Chief Burke, Public Safety Administrator Hales, Community and Economic Development Director Briske, Operations Manager West, Public Works Director Ecklund, and City Clerk Genetia. IC Guests: Public Safety Advisory Commission Chair Calhoun, Park Advisory Commission Chair Wolfe. L 3. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE D Councilmember Boykin led the Council in the Pledge of Allegiance. 4. APPROVAL OF AGENDA O MOTION: By Mayor Pro Tem Wood, seconded by Councilmember Worthington, to approve the agenda. The motion carried. C 5. PUBLIC COMMENTS – None. U 6. CONSENT AGENDA M EN MOTION: By Mayor Pro Tem Wood, seconded by Councilmember Worthington, to approve the Consent Agenda as follows: A. Approve the minutes of the November 4, 2024 Council meeting as submitted. T B. Receive and File: Payroll for period ending 10/31/24; Claims dated 10/17/24 and 10/31/24. C. Receive and File: Certificate of Recognition for Anna Ruth Challender’s 100th Birthday. D. Authorize the City Manager to enter into a contract with Plumb Signs, Inc. for an approximate amount of $165,613.96 to implement the wayfinding signage plan and waive any noncompliance with the City’s purchasing policy. E. Authorize the City Manager to sign an amendment and ratify a Change Order to the Professional Services Agreement with Otak, Inc. to provide additional efforts for the 27th Street Business District Plan. F. Authorize the City Manager to approve purchase order to Pierce County in the amount of Seven Hundred Sixty-Four Thousand Nine Hundred Thirty-Five Dollars and Twenty-One Cents ($764,935.21) to cover current and future costs associated with the Interlocal Agreement with the City of Lakewood  City Council Minutes of November 18, 2024 Page 2 and Pierce County for the design, permitting and construction of the bridges and boardwalk of the Chambers Creek Canyon Trail. G. Adopt a Resolution establishing the City’s 2025 legislative priorities. (RESOLUTION NO. 1058) The motion carried. PUBLIC HEARING AND COUNCIL CONSIDERATION 7. PUBLIC HEARING: 2025-2026 BIENNIAL BUDGET Staff Report – Finance Director Blaisdell reported that the proposed 2025-2026 Biennial Budget is a balanced and conservative budget that assumes a continuation of the 2024 level of service to the community. The 2025-2026 budget is a status quo with inflation assumed for expenditures and includes a U 3.8% COLA for all staff in 2025 and an estimate of 4.05% for 2026. The City continues to provide the best service it can, meeting all of its contractual obligations while exercising prudent cash management and N maintaining its strategic reserve at 15% of the operating budget. O Director Blaisdell addressed Council’s previous questions regarding the Parks CIP stating that Market Square Spray Pad is being removed for funding for further reevaluation. The Market Square Resurfacing FF will be fully funded by REET. She also addressed the Municipal Facilities CIP for the Public Works Shop expansion stating that the City is within the OSHA guidelines in determining the number toilets required for the number of employees. IA Council consideration of the 2025-2026 Biennial Budget is scheduled for December 2, 2024. Public Comment – None. IC MOTION: By Mayor Pro Tem Wood, seconded by Councilmember Worthington, to continue the adoption L of the 2025-2026 Biennial Budget to December 2, 2024. The motion carried. 8. PUBLIC HEARING: 2025 PROPERTY TAX LEVY D OC Staff Report – Finance Director Blaisdell stated that the City is authorized to increase its property tax annually up to the lesser of Implicit Price Deflator (IPD) or one percent (1%). The IPD is more than 1% which means that all local governments in Washington may increase their property taxes by 1% levy limit U in 2025. The statutory limit results in an increase in the levy of $107,073. This amount consists of the maximum allowed increase of 1.01% from the previous year and includes revenue from new construction, M improvements to property, and any increase in the value of state-assessed property, any annexations that have occurred and administrative refunds. EN The property tax levy increase is commensurate with the 2025-2026 biennial budget estimates. To implement the increase for 2025, it is necessary for Council to adopt an Ordinance imposing an increase in the regular property tax levy. Public Comment – None. T Council Consideration – MOTION: By Mayor Pro Tem Wood, seconded by Councilmember Worthington, to pass an Ordinance requesting the Pierce County Assessor to levy property taxes for 2025. The motion carried. (ORDINANCE NO. 784) 9. CITY MANAGER AND COUNCIL COMMENTS/REPORTS City Manager Sugg informed Council of the upcoming annual Tree Lighting event on December 6 starting at 4:00 p.m. This event will include Photo with Santa session, music, and other holiday festivities.  City Council Minutes of November 18, 2024 Page 3 Councilmember Grassi thanked the staff for their work on the Veterans’ Memorial Day celebration ceremony. She reminded the community of the Thanksgiving dinner event at Curtis Junior High; wished Ms. Ruth Challender, who celebrated her milestone day last week, a happy 100th birthday; and informed the public that CCP will be hosting a Thanksgiving luncheon for seniors this Friday. Additionally, she reported her attendance at the South Sound Military & Communities Partnership meeting. Councilmember Worthington reported his attendance at the Veterans’ Memorial Day celebration and thanked City staff for their work on the event. He reported on attending the National League of Cities’ (NLC) annual conference and shared his views on the values of educational and engagement opportunities the conference has extended. Mayor Pro Tem Wood represented the City at the Veterans’ Memorial Day celebration event. He thanked the Pack 148 Cub Scouts, 16th CAB, Washington Guard First Corp Band, Clan Gordon Pipe Band, and the U veterans and supporters for their attendance and participation. He also thanked the City staff for putting the event together. Mayor Pro Tem Wood attended the South Sound Military and Communities Partnership, N and shared highlights and key issues discussed at the meeting. O Councilmember McCluskey also attended the NLC Conference and shared her observations of site visits she took as part of the host city mobile workshops. She also attended the Zoo Trek Authority meeting and FF shared information on its operations and project updates. Councilmember Boykin, too, attended the NLC Conference and shared the benefits realized from engagement opportunities and working sessions provided at the conference. He remarked on the IA significance of South Sound Military and Communities Partnership issues. IC Mayor Figueroa attended the NLC Conference and shared his perspective from information he gathered at sessions and interactions with other city leaders. He expressed his pride in the City’s accomplishments. STUDY SESSION 10. L CITY COMMISSIONS’ 2025 PRELIMINARY WORK PLAN D Public Safety Advisory Commission Chair Calhoun recapped the Commission’s 2024 accomplishments and C presented its 2025 work plan. Public Safety Advisory Commission’s workplan concept and focused efforts are towards the following objectives: O • Commission Education/Updates on Public Safety Issues including sex offender management, fireworks U discussions, and monitoring impacts of recent Court decisions affecting homelessness response. M • Traffic/Pedestrian Safety involving continued gathering of information to identify methods to increase public safety and be able to share findings/recommendations with Council. EN • Look for cross-collaboration opportunities with other City Commissions where issues may have public safety overlap, and potential follow-up to Public Safety Advisory Commission and Park Advisory Commission’s Kobayashi Park safety recommendations. • Public Education/Community Engagement including working with Council and public safety staff on T identifying community public safety focus group opportunities to gather information from the public, supporting UPPD and West Pierce Fire and Rescue with public safety forums and other outreach efforts, engaging with community organizations and facilitate two-way communication between these organizations and the City Council, and supporting City staff and Council initiatives and messaging regarding public safety issues. Councilmembers provided comments in support of the Commission’s 2025 objectives and offered ideas that would augment their cross-collaboration efforts and encouraged review of Council’s 2025-2026 goals for opportunities to align the Commission’s efforts related to those goals. There was interest in having a progress report from the commissions on a regular basis rather than at the end of year, meeting collaborations with Council, and highlighting the City Commissions and the work they do.  City Council Minutes of November 18, 2024 Page 4 As part of both Commissions’ 2024 work plan, Public Safety Advisory Commission Chair Calhoun and Park Advisory Commission Chair Wolfe informed Council of their discussions, findings, and park safety recommendations for Kobayashi Park. Councilmembers expressed interest in the concept of the park stewardship program, including consideration of legal responsibility. Park Advisory Commissioner Chair Wolfe recapped the Commission’s 2024 accomplishments and presented its Commission’s 2025 Work Plan. Parks Advisory Commission’s work plan entails the following objectives: • Assist City staff in completing the Creekside Park master plan with the selected consultant from fourth quarter 2024. U • Assist City staff with completion of the Paradise Pond parking lot and entry design. N • Implement park safety recommendations from the 2024 joint commission meetings and as directed from City Council. O • Follow-up from the completed 2024 Cirque Park site study, identify potential funding sources to implement Phase 1 construction. FF • Evaluate if the landscape staffing model has been working effectively throughout the summer season. • Coordinate and assist in planning of a hybrid model youth sports and recreation program. IA • Overall assessment of current practice and ways to implement an online park facility rental system. IC Councilmembers provided comments that are supportive of the Commission’s work plan, with interest in the parks facilities rental/reservation system, coordination of efforts in the planning of youth sports and recreation program, Creekside Master Plan and park access, possible addition of the Market Square splash L pad to its 2025 work plan, and meeting collaboration/engagement with Council. They were also encouraged to review Council’s 2025-2026 goals for opportunities to align the Commission’s efforts related to those goals. D C Councilmembers expressed their gratitude to the Commissions and their members for their selfless service and the significance of the work they provide. O Mayor Figueroa made a cautionary remark on comments with regard to Commission reports and Council meeting engagement with Commissions as to not to be misconstrued as directions from Council. 11. U ADJOURNMENT - The meeting adjourned at 8:14 p.m. No other action was taken. Submitted by, M Emy Genetia EN City Clerk T