Shoreline City Council Meeting November 25, 2013

Shoreline City Council Meeting 

November 25, 2013

By Devon Vose Rickabaugh

Interim City Manager Debbie Tarry announced that the Sound Transit Board had decided that  the light rail  preferred alternatives in Shoreline are stations at NE 145th and NE 185th Streets  with 500 stall parking garages at both stations. “We are very excited that this is a preferred alternative.”  More information.

A neighbor near Densmore and 155th  reported that a disabled man in wheelchair was hit by a car because he decided to use the road to get to Aurora instead of  the rutted foot path where his wheelchair gets stuck. She said “our neighborhood has needed a sidewalk for years and we used to be on the preferred list. I don’t think we need a sidewalk on 20th and Richmond Beach Road.” Councilmember Eggen requested a follow up report on the accident.

The Council heard a community presentation on the Ronald Commons Project which would be a mixed-use development with 62 units of permanent housing for individuals and families whose incomes are at or below 30% or 50% of Area Median Income and a 12,000 square foot Hopelink Service Center that will include emergency feeding services, adult education classes, energy assistance and emergency financial assistance programs to residents of Shoreline and Lake Forest Park.  The Project  is a joint effort between Compass Housing Alliance, Hopelink and Ronald United Methodist Church which is providing the property.  The project needs to acquire funding before it can proceed, but all the plans must be in place before requesting the funding from  the state, the City, and other sources. For more information click on the Community Group Presentation on the Council agenda.

In action items the Council authorized the City Manager to execute a contract with Gary Merlino Construction Company in the amount of $26,910,578.70, plus a 10% contingency, for completion  of the Aurora Corridor Improvement Project (N 192nd to N 205th Street), and waive the 1% for the Art contribution for this project. Councilmember Hall said that since there were no art elements in this part of the project and that it was more costly than anticipated  that waiving the 1% for the arts seemed reasonable.

The Council voted to adopt the 2014 budget of $71,900,000 and proposed 2014-2019 Capital Improvement Plan of $76.5 million.

The Council also voted to adopt the 2014 property tax levy of $10,349,308. and the general obligation bond levy of $1,710,000, resulting in an estimated levy rate of $0.264 per $1,000 of assessed value.