Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - February 11, 2013RENTON CITY COUNCIL Regular Meeting February 11, 2013 Monday, 7 p.m. MINUTES Council Chambers Renton City Hall CALL TO ORDER ROLL CALL OF COUNCILMEMBERS CITY STAFF IN ATTENDANCE SPECIAL PRESENTATION Fire: Employee Recognition AUDIENCE COMMENT Citizen Comment: Ouellette Alleged Effect of Waterline Smart Meters on the Bird Population Citizen Comment: Tabak- Water Fluoridation Mayor Law called the meeting of the Renton City Council to order and led the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag. RANDY CORMAN, Council President; GREG TAYLOR; RICH ZWICKER; TERRI BRIERE; ED PRINCE; DON PERSSON; MARCIE PALMER. DENIS LAW, Mayor; JAY COVINGTON, Chief Administrative Officer; MARK BARBER, Senior Assistant City Attorney; BONNIE WALTON, City Clerk; GREGG ZIMMERMAN, Public Works Administrator; CHIP VINCENT, Community and Economic Development Administrator; TERRY HIGASHIYAMA, Community Services Administrator; IWEN WANG, Administrative Services Administrator; LESLIE BETLACH, Parks Planning & Natural Resources Director; LYS HORNSBY, Utility Systems Director; FIRE & EMERGENCY SERVICES ADMINISTRATOR MARK PETERSON, DEPUTY CHIEF BILL FLORA and DEPUTY CHIEF ERIK WALLGREN, Fire & Emergency Services Department; COMMANDER KATIE MCCLINCY, Police Department. Fire and Emergency Services Administrator Mark Peterson recognized Administrative Secretary I Kathy Michelsohn, Firefighter (EMT) Dave Laha, Firefighter Al Koskovich, and Lieutenant Stephen Rawson as the department's 2012 employees of the year. He reviewed each person's achievements respectively, and expressed appreciation for their outstanding contributions to the department. Additionally, Mr. Koskovich expressed appreciation for the honor, and remarked that he is accepting the award not as an individual, but as a fire service team member. Paul Ouellette (Renton) expressed concern regarding the recent installation of smart meters on the waterline system in the Rolling Hills neighborhood. He stated that since the new meters were installed bird activity has decreased by 90 percent. He remarked that 52 communities in British Columbia have asked that a moratorium be placed on the installation of smart meters pending further investigation of this phenomenon. He stated that the City has plans to install as many as 18,000 meters and each meter transmits four radio signals a day at a frequency of 900 Megahertz. Mr. Ouellette explained that this is a very high frequency that affects small birds and animals. MOVED BY PRINCE, SECONDED BY ZWICKER, COUNCIL REFER THE TOPIC OF THE ALLEGED EFFECT OF WATERLINE SMART METERS ON THE BIRD POPULATION TO THE UTILITIES COMMITTEE. CARRIED. Judy Tabak (Renton) repeated her request from last week that Council peruse the website, fluorideactionnetworktv.com. She read a list of European countries that do not fluoridate their water, and a list of American cities that have either recently stopped adding fluoride or voted to not add fluoride to their water supplies. She remarked that she and other residents are waiting for Council to take action on this issue. February 11, 2013 Renton City Council Minutes Page 38 Lee Lawless (Renton) stated that property owners in his neighborhood are having an easement dispute with one homeowner in the Shamrock annexation area. He explained that a homeowner blocked access to a 50-year old access easement. Mayor Law clarified that the easement in question may have been granted by King County prior to the area being annexed to the City. He stated that Fire and Public Works personnel have studied the issue and determined that the blocked route poses no direct safety issue. Mayor Law also remarked that staff has determined that this is a civil issue and not something the City can resolve. Chief Administrative Officer Jay Covington added that staff is still determining whether this was in fact a public easement or an agreement developed between the property owners. Mr. Covington also stated that the City is working with the property owner believed to have blocked the road; however, the City has no intention at this time to establish a public right-of-way at this location. MOVED BY ZWICKER, SECONDED BY PRINCE, COUNCIL REFER THIS ISSUE OF PROPERTY EASEMENT RIGHTS TO THE ADMINISTRATION. CARRIED. Council President Corman encouraged Mr. Lawless to seek legal advice and not wait for the City to resolve the issue. Audrey Adams (Renton) stated that her request to have the sodium fluoride the City adds to the water supply independently tested was still outstanding. She expressed concern that adding sodium fluoride to the water supply would harm the City's water aquifer. Ms. Adams also remarked that the sodium fluoride bags state that the product is to be used for industrial purposes only, and asked Council what the term industrial means to them. Mayor Law stated that the Administration has previously presented both sides of this issue to Council, and that the City is not in a position to research or argue the validity of whether fluoride is right for all people. He added that he is aware the topic is controversial; however, the City relies on outside government agencies like the King County Public Health Department and the Center for Disease Control to provide advice concerning matters of public health. He also expressed concern that weekly one-sided testimony could potentially be misleading to the public, or could be viewed as a strong assertion that the City is doing something wrong. He invited Utility Systems Director Lys Hornsby to provide Council with an update on this issue. Ms. Hornsby asserted that the study referenced by the citizen, suggesting that children in high-fluoride areas have lower IQs than children in low-fluoride areas, was actually referring to areas where fluoride was found in strengths of ten milligrams per liter of water. She reported that Renton only adds 0.8 milligrams of fluoride per liter of water; which is considered optimum for preventing tooth decay. She stated that scientists conducting the study admitted that it did not apply to water fluoridation as it is used in the United States. Citizen Comment: Lawless- Property Easement Dispute Citizen Comment: Adams- Water Fluoridation February 11, 2013 Renton City Council Minutes Page 39 Ms. Hornsby also asserted that a study regarding heart health and fluoride mentioned by the citizen at a previous Council meeting was referring to the use of radioactive fluoride 18 (18F) that is commonly administered in PET (Positron Emission Tomography) scans to detect arterial sclerosis; and was not referring to heart damage from fluoridated water. She remarked that federal agencies responsible for researching heart health and fluoride have found no link between fluoridated water and heart disease. Ms. Hornsby explained that there is no reason for the City to independently test the sodium fluoride because it is being used for its intended purpose. She explained that all Material Data Safety Sheets have disclaimers stating that the manufacturer does not warranty a product that is not used correctly. She also pointed out that the sodium fluoride, regardless of its country of origin, must meet the United States Environmental Protection Agency's "Standard 60" regulations. She added that in addition to meeting the standards, fluoride manufactures are also subject to on-site inspections and spot inspections. Ms. Hornsby stated that it would be very expensive for European cities to fluoridate their water supplies because they are served by thousands of small water systems. She explained that Europeans use fluoridated salt and milk as ways to add fluoride to their populations. Ms. Hornsby also remarked that although a few American cities are opting out of adding or reaffirming the use of fluoride, more cities continue to add or reaffirm its use than not. Chief Administrative Officer Covington emphasized that the City certainly wants to allow people the opportunity to speak to Council, but there comes a point in time when the things that are being said can have, in effect, almost the same impact as someone running into a crowded theater and yelling fire. He clarified for the record that the fluoride added by the City is diluted by two to three billion gallons of water. He pointed out that fluoride, like anything taken in sufficient, intensified, concentrated quantities, can cause harm. He stated that this why the sodium fluoride bags say for industrial use only; it is not meant to be taken home and eaten. Mr. Covington also emphasized that the City's water supply is potable water, not pure water. He explained that due to government regulations a number of different chemicals and additives are added to the water supply in order to ensure that it is safe for the majority of the population to drink. He acknowledged that there may be a portion of the population that is sensitive to one or more of these additives, but reiterated that for the vast majority of the public it is perfectly safe to drink. Concluding, Mr. Covington emphasized that the City, and Council as policy makers, rely heavily on state, federal, and local agencies to make recommendations regarding public health and safety issues. He stressed that all of these public health agencies have weighed in on the topic and determined fluoride to be safe. He also emphasized that the City is charged to follow the guidelines recommended by these agencies. Additionally, Ms. Hornsby stated that Renton's groundwater supply currently provides water to approximately three quarters of the population. She stated that as the City limits expand, more and more of the water will be coming from outside sources that are already fluoridated. February 11, 2013 Renton City Council Minutes Page 40 CONSENT AGENDA Council: Meeting Minutes of 2/4/2013 CAG: 10-156, Extension of Landscape Maintenance Services, Canber Corporation Community Services: Urban Forest Restoration, WA DNR Urban Forestry Restoration Grant Community Services: MOU with Various Agencies, Establish Joint Human Services Program Police: Increase Patrol Vehicles & Assignments Utility: Emergency Sale of Water, Coal Creek Utility District UNFINISHED BUSINESS Finance Committee Finance: Extension of GIS Analyst Position Ms. Hornsby explained that even if the City ended the practice of adding fluoride to its water supply, the water would still contain some fluoride because the water derived from multiple sources. Ms. Hornsby also stated that the data used to determine how much fluoride could be added to the water supply is not old data, as it was based on advice from the federal government from 2011. Items listed on the consent agenda are adopted by one motion which follows the listing. Approval of Council meeting minutes of 2/4/2013. Council concurs. Community Services Department recommended approval of Addendum #3 to CAG-10-156, with Canber Corporation, in the amount of $104,274 per year, to extend landscape maintenance services for an additional three years, expiring 12/31/2015. Council concur. Community Services Department recommended approval of a Washington State Department of Natural Resources Urban Forestry Restoration grant that will provide free labor with an estimated value of $15,000 for use of Washington Conservation Corps (WCC) crews to assist in the restoration of declining urban forests for the purpose of improving water quality that eventually impacts Puget Sound. Refer to Finance Committee. Community Services Department recommended approval of a Memorandum of Understanding with the cities of Auburn, Bellevue, Bothell, Burien, Covington, Des Moines, Federal Way, Issaquah, Kenmore, Kent (lead), Kirkland, Mercer Island, Redmond, Sammamish, SeaTac, Shoreline, Tukwila, and Woodinville for planning, funding, and implementation of a joint human services application and funding program. Renton's share of the fee is $1,000. Council concur. (See page 41 for resolution.) Police Department requested authorization to increase the number of patrol vehicles by one for the Patrol Operations Division at a cost of $45,000, to allow assigning two officers per patrol car, and to provide for a spare vehicle pool with five retired vehicles. Refer to Finance Committee. Utility Systems Division recommended approval of an Emergency Sale of Water agreement with the Coal Creek Utility District that establishes the terms for determining the availability and quantity of surplus water for sale to the district in the case of an emergency. Refer to Utilities Committee. MOVED BY CORMAN, SECONDED BY PERSSON, COUNCIL APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED. CARRIED. Finance Committee Chair Briere presented a report recommending concurrence in the staff recommendation to approve the extension of a two- year Limited Term Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Analyst position by one year, to February 28, 2014, to allow for completion of work plan items with costs to be paid from the Enterprise GIS project budget. MOVED BY BRIERE, SECONDED BY PERSSON, COUNCIL CONCUR IN THE COMMITTEE REPORT. CARRIED. February 11, 2013 Renton City Council Minutes Page 41 Finance: Conversion of Business Analyst to Systems Analyst/Programmer Position RESOLUTIONS AND ORDINANCES RESOLUTION #4167 Community Services: MOU with Various Agencies, Establish Joint Human Services Program AUDIENCE COMMENT Citizen Comment: Green Crooke - Water Fluoridation ADJOURNMENT Finance Committee Chair Briere presented a report recommending approval of the staff recommendation to approve the conversion of one Business Systems Analyst position (grade A23) to Systems Analyst/Programmer position (grade A21), effective February 16, 2013, to provide application and programming support in addition to business process analysis. MOVED BY BRIERE, SECONDED BY PERSSON, COUNCIL CONCUR IN THE COMMITTEE REPORT. CARRIED. The following resolution was presented for reading and adoption: A resolution was read authorizing the Mayor and City Clerk to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with the cities of Kent, Auburn, Bellevue, Bothell, Burien, Covington, Des Moines, Federal Way, Issaquah, Kenmore, Kirkland, Mercer Island, Redmond, Sammamish, SeaTac, Shoreline, Tukwila, and Woodinville for planning, funding, and implementation of a joint human services application and funding program. MOVED BY BRIERE, SECONDED BY ZWICKER, COUNCIL ADOPT THE RESOLUTION AS READ. CARRIED. Jeanie Green Crooke (Renton) submitted a partial newsletter by local natural medicine advocate Dr. Jonathan V. Wright that highlighted his support of the Harvard Study regarding fluoride and the lowering of the IQ of children. Mr. Covington reiterated that City staff reviewed the study, not the opinions of people who reviewed the study, and that the study actually refers to those water systems that had high levels of fluoride, not low-level systems like Renton's, where only 0.8 milligrams of fluoride are maintained in the water supply. MOVED BY ZWICKER, SECONDED BY PERSSON, COUNCIL ADJOURN. CARRIED. Time 7:57 p.m. )6W^c^' ^ iJalt^^ Bonnie I. Walton, CMC, City Clerk Jason Seth, Recorder February 11, 2013 RENTON CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE MEETING CALENDAR Office of the City Clerk COUNCIL COMMITTEE MEETINGS SCHEDULED AT CITY COUNCIL MEETING February 11, 2013 COMMITTEE/CHAIRMAN DATE/TIME AGENDA COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE (Corman) MON., 2/18 NO MEETINGS (Council Holiday) MON., 2/25 Annual Insurance Review 6 p.m. *7TH FLOOR CONFERENCING CENTER* COUNCIL RETREAT (Corman) THURS., 2/28 8 a.m. -5 p.m. Agenda To Be Determined *Merrill Gardens at Renton Centre, 104 Burnett Ave. S.* FRI., 3/1 8 a.m. -5 p.m. Agenda To Be Determined *Merrill Gardens at Renton Centre, 104 Burnett Ave. S.* COMMUNITY SERVICES (Taylor) MON., 2/25 CANCELED FINANCE (Briere) MON., 2/25 Vouchers; 5 p.m. Increase Patrol Vehicle & Assignments; 2012 Urban Forestry Grant Agreement- Emerging Issues in Revenue Streams PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT (Zwicker) THURS., 2/14 CANCELED PUBLIC SAFETY (Persson) TRANSPORTATION (AVIATION) (Palmer) THURS., 2/14 Operating & Permit Agreement with Pro- 4 p.m. Flight Aviation for their Sublease from Renton Gateway Center; Emerging Issues UTILITIES MON., 2/25 Solid Waste Interlocal Agreement with (Prince) 4 p.m. King County; Emergency Sale of Water Agreement with Coal Creek Utility District; Smart Meter Installations- NOTE: Committee of the Whole meetings are held in the Council Chambers unless otherwise noted All other committee meetings are held in the Council Conference Room unless otherwise noted.