Notes from Shoreline Council meeting October 5, 2020

Pam Cross, reporter

Shoreline City Council Meeting

October 5, 2020

Notes by Pam Cross

The meeting was held remotely using the Zoom platform.

Mayor Hall called the meeting to order at 7:00pm.

All Councilmembers were present.


Report of the City Manager Debbie Tarry

COVID-19 Update

Unfortunately case numbers in King County have risen sharply with a 40% increase within the past few days. Shoreline’s cases remain low, at an average of under one case per day, thanks to Shoreline residents taking prevention measures seriously.

As the weather cools, we will be spending more time indoors and it is important to keep up safety precautions to reduce the risk of transmission. Face coverings are required in all indoor public places, and outdoors when you may be unable to maintain at least six feet of distance from others. Do what you can to improve indoor ventilation by opening windows as much as you can. Keep surfaces clean and sanitized. Businesses are required to enforce the use of face coverings for all customers and visitors. Masks are also required in common spaces like elevators and public hallways, even when you are alone in those spaces. The safest thing you can do is to stay home if at all possible.

Get tested at the first sign of illness.

More information available at shorelinewa.gov/covid

North King County Enhanced Shelter Information

A video of the September 22 community meeting is available at shorelinewa.gov/NKCenhancedshelter

There is also project information and answers to many of the questions and concerns from the meeting. Council will be discussing interim regulations for R48 that would allow the enhanced (low barrier) shelter at 163rd and Aurora at next week’s Council meeting.

Help Name a Park!

Shoreline is getting two new parks:

• 709 N 150th St in the Westminster Triangle Neighborhood
• 1341 N 185th St in the Meridian Park Neighborhood

Everyone is invited to submit suggestions for names by October 15 to shorelinewa.gov/nameapark

Climate Change Champions Series

This free series is taking place on Tuesdays over seven weeks. You can attend any or all parts. The City of Shoreline is partnering with Washington State University to offer this educational and action series. Most seminars will have two speakers and last up to two hours with opportunity for online discussion.

For more information: shorelinewa.gov/climate

Free Fall Gardening Seminar: Fall Prep for a Luscious Lawn

Shoreline is partnering with local gardening experts to help you learn to revive and restore your lawn this fall. The next one is this Wednesday, October 7 at 6:30pm. You need to RSVP at shorelinewa.gov/calendar and more information is available there as well.

Indigenous People’s Day Storytelling Event Saturday, October 10 11am-12pm

In honor of Indigenous People’s Day, Roger Fernandes, a member of the Lower Elwha S’Klallam Tribe and Fern Renville will share cultural stories which connect to Shoreline’s indigenous history and current day. Fern Renville is an enrolled member of the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate, but also carries her grandmother's Omaha and Seneca-Cayuga blood.Registration is limited to 100. RSVP at shorelinewa.gov/calendar

Public Reminders

None

Council Reports

None

Public Comment

Due to the number of speakers, time was limited to 2 minutes each. Complete comments can be listened to in the video of the meeting available on the Shoreline website.

The following speakers were opposed to the location of the planned Enhanced Shelter (previously referred to as the Navigation Center) at 163rd and Aurora.

• Barbara Twadell, Shoreline
• Vinay Venkatesh, Shoreline
• Margaret Willson, Shoreline
• Sudeeptha Jothiprakash, Shoreline
• Nancy Morris, Shoreline
• Jaqueline Kurle, Shoreline
• Diane Pfeil, Shoreline
• Dicky Leonardo, Shoreline

Major General Raymond W. Coffey, Shoreline

• He supports the use of the Veteran’s Recognition Plaza as provided by Ordinance 900 item 8(d) but requested some changes.

Douglas Cerretti, Shoreline

• He also supports Ordinance 900 and agrees with the changes proposed by MGEN Coffey. He had some questions about the permitting process.

Gerard Jeunesse, Everett, on behalf of his mother Elizabeth who lives in Shoreline

• The Ziply Fiber franchise renewal is coming up. He relayed a story of poor service provided by Ziply when he tried to cancel his mother’s account. Written comments were provided to Council.

The following speakers expressed concern about retaining Shoreline’s Tree Canopy. Too many trees are still being cut down throughout the City. We need better codes or enforcement of current codes.

• Rebecca Jones, Shoreline
• Bergith Kayyali, Shoreline
• Gayle Janzen, Seattle, a member of Save Shoreline Trees

Approval of the Agenda adopted by unanimous consent.

The Consent Calendar adopted unanimously by roll call vote.


Study Items

8(a)Discussion of the 2019 Annual Traffic Report,

Presentation by Kendra Dedinsky, City Traffic Engineer and Captain Anthony Garza, Shoreline Police

This detailed report is available at:
http://cosweb.ci.shoreline.wa.us/uploads/attachments/cck/council/staffreports/2020/staffreport100520-8a.pdf

The objectives of the Annual Traffic Report are to provide a summary of collision and traffic data, improve safety by identifying collision trends and high accident locations, and to use this information to prioritize improvements and enforcement resources.

Shoreline’s rate of collision per 1,000 population remains lower than overall King County, but the rate is trending up. Arterials account for only 27% of the total roadway miles, but experience 92% of injury collisions, and 96% of pedestrian collisions.

Pedestrian versus motor vehicle collisions for 2019 remain level with 2018 numbers at 19, with a continued upward trend since 2010. In 2019, bicyclist collisions (alone or with motor-vehicle) set an encouraging new downward trend. 5 of 8 pedestrian/bike collisions are at intersections along Aurora. Signal controllers will be replaced in 2021/2022 to allow pedestrian safety signal phasing to be implemented.

Driver distraction remains a significant causal factor in general, while speed as a causal factor remains relatively low. Travel speed (the posted speed limit or excess of it) is still a very important factor in the frequency and severity of injuries.

Richmond Beach Road. There was a recent tragic accident between 3rd and 8th. The City did receive some grant funding and plans to implement a mid-block pedestrian crossing by the end of 2021.

Collision reduction strategies will include speed limit review for some key arterials, engineering standard updates, and ongoing education (radar speed feedback, yard signs).

Capt. Garza

Citations dropped from 5,196 to 4,117. The drop in citations was a result of King County staffing problems (7 deputies short). Additionally, they were working with Target Zero / Washington State Traffic Commission on some DUI emphasis, and Click it or Ticket, as well as distracted drivers (cell phone usage).

There was a problem with abandoned vehicles. Citizens complained they received no response to their reports of abandoned vehicles. Shoreline PD worked with the City to gain access to the database so they could see and respond in a more timely manner. This seems to have solved the problem of reports falling through the cracks.

They will continue with a combination of balanced enforcement and education to reduce collisions. Unfortunately, due to COVID, they haven’t been able to do much traffic enforcement. Now that we have ways to reduce COVID transmission, they are finally getting back up to speed (sic) on traffic enforcement.

DISCUSSION

When looking at speeds, do you just look at arterials?

Reply: We focus on arterials because of volume of traffic. We respond case by case basis on local streets when we get complaints, either by monitoring or enforcement - or both. All local streets are set at 25mph, our lowest local limit. We looked at a 20mph local streets limit in 2018 but Council did not support it at that time.

What is the cause of the increase in the number of accidents, especially on Aurora since it was re-designed to reduce the number of accidents?

Reply: There is no specific cause but there are a few factors involved: more pedestrians using Aurora for access to/from buses, general growth along Aurora, and access points near intersections. For example, a vehicle making a left turn onto Aurora crosses 2 lanes and a BAT lane. If a driver on Aurora is illegally using the BAT lane to get around stopped or slowed traffic, he could strike the left turning car.

There are always going to be distracted drivers or someone who has been drinking. People who don’t wear seatbelts. We are trying to engineer traffic patterns to allow for this human element. More tickets won’t change the problem. We need to design infrastructure based changes.

Reply: You are correct. However Washington State data is currently showing ticket numbers are going down and collisions are going up. Citations are a part of the whole, as is education.

Do you have data on type of vehicles involved? SUV? Sedan?

Reply: Yes, it is tracked. We haven’t found the type vehicle to be a contributing factor for Shoreline.

Next year’s report should be interesting. We’ll have to have an asterisk by 2020!


8(b) Discussion of Emergency Resolution No. 466 – Revising the Implementation Plan and Adding Funds for the City’s CARES Act Relief Funds and Authorizing the City Manager to Amend the Interagency Agreement with the Washington State Department of Commerce for Coronavirus Relief Funds and Implement Subsequent Agreements

Bethany Wolbrecht-Dunn, Community Services Manager

In June, Council approved use of Federal CARES Act funds of $1,691,100. Governor Inslee has awarded additional CARES Act funds, with Shoreline’s share being $845,550.

Eligible uses for Relief Funds fit into six major categories:

1. Medical expenses,
2. Public health expenses,
3. Payroll expenses,
4. Expenses of actions to facilitate compliance with COVID-19-related public health measures,
5. Expenses associated with the provision of economic support (including grants to small businesses to reimburse the cost of business interruption), and
6. Any other COVID-19-related expenses reasonably necessary to the function of government.

City Direct funds will go to staff redirected to COVID work, unemployment, telecommuting expenses, PPE, social distancing implementation (plexiglas shields, additional sanitizing), and distance learning support.

The program for Business grants would expand to other businesses.

Human Services is concentrating on food access.

There are challenges because these are estimated expenses. Unemployment is particularly hard to estimate. This is why they ask for the City Manager to have the flexibility to reallocate funding as necessary.

And, importantly, these funds need to be expended by November 30, 2020.

DISCUSSION

None

This will come back on the Consent Calendar Oct 12th.


8(c) Discussion of Ordinance No. 905 - Authorizing a One-Year Extension to the Right-of-Way Franchise with Northwest Fiber LLC (dba Ziply) Originally Granted to Verizon Northwest Inc. (Ordinance No. 522) to Construct, Maintain, Operate, Replace, and Repair a Cable System Over, Along, Under, and Through Designated Public Rights-of-way in the City of Shoreline

Christina Arcidy, Management Analyst, gave the presentation

The current franchise covered 12 years. The proposed one-year extension will allow staff time to negotiate a new long-term franchise agreement for cable service in the City. Northwest Fiber LLC (dba Ziply) requested an extension due to their recent acquisition of Frontier.

In response to a question by Council, in 2008 the City requested Verizon to expand their service area to the entire city. Verizon did not agree to this. Details of the cable franchise history in Shoreline is available in the staff report.

DISCUSSION

None since nothing is changing in the extension

This will come back on the Consent Calendar


(d) Discussing Ordinance No. 900 - Amending Shoreline Municipal Code Chapter 8.12 to Establish the Purpose and Authorize Guidelines for Use of the Veterans Recognition Plaza at City Hall

Susana Villamarin, Senior Management Analyst, made the presentation

The Plaza, dedicated May 2016, was developed and partially funded by the Shoreline Veterans Association. An important component of the Plaza is the names of veterans engraved in bricks that form the base of the Plaza. Family and friends of these veterans have donated funds to construct and support the Plaza and to have their loved ones memorialized at the Plaza. It is considered park land and is open for general public enjoyment but there are no guidelines for its use.

Shoreline Veterans Recognition Plaza
Photo by Jerry Pickard

There are currently no guidelines or policies in place to indicate the importance of the Plaza as a place for recognizing veterans and their service to our country. Staff believe it is important to provide, in a meaningful way, that the intent of the Plaza is to honor veterans.

The proposed code amendment directs the City Manager to develop administrative rules for use of the plaza. The Shoreline Veterans Association and the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services / Tree Board (PRCS/Tree) were consulted and provided input.

Proposed administrative rules will outline qualifying events, display period of time and locations where items may be left, suitable and unsuitable items for the Plaza, and guidelines for their removal.

There will be a permitting process to avoid conflicting events.

DISCUSSION

There were some public comments about priority for Veterans events. We should try to avoid the Veterans “bumping” another event that has already been scheduled. The Veterans have a pretty set schedule so they could schedule well in advance to avoid the possibility of being unable to schedule a planned event.

Reply: there is no priority for Veterans at this time. It is something we could look into.

City Manager Debbie Tarry: agrees that the Veterans’ events could be scheduled pretty early on to prevent any conflict.

Has there ever been a request to use by an outside group (other than Veterans)?

Reply: Not that she’s aware of.

Debbie Tarry: We’ve had a couple where it was used as part of the whole City Plaza. An event in the Plaza and another event on the Memorial would present a conflict.

Any displays there that were undesirable?

Reply: some chalk drawings that we washed away.

During some of the protests at City Hall, the Veterans were concerned and they showed up to have a physical presence there in order to protect the Memorial from damage. But having these regulations will make it easier for the City to ensure appropriate use of it.

How far in advance can someone request a permit?

Reply: There is no limit on that. It could be a year or two in advance.

Is the City required to get a permit for City use?

Reply: The City is not required to get a permit, but they need to schedule in order to make the date(s) unavailable for other use.

So the City could block off certain dates saying they’re going to use it for a city sponsored event?

Reply: Yes

This staff driven proposal is a way to avoid future problems. It’s not something the City will micro-manage. We can’t say no to political events because that is against the law. Council is confident the City Manager, together with feedback form the City Attorney, can come up with the rules for use of the public space.

This will come back on the Consent Calendar on October 19.

Meeting adjourned.