City Staffer Says Development Has Slowed, Will Remain Flat

Opinion:  Yoder

Redmond city staffer writes "development in the City has slowed down compared to previous years and will remain relatively flat in the coming years."  

Overall, development in the City has slowed down compared to previous years, and this has had a noticeable impact on revenue. The decline in development activity became evident in 2023, and based on current trends, we anticipate that revenue from development will remain relatively flat in the coming years. Development revenue plays a crucial role in covering the full costs associated with the development staff. This includes salaries, benefits, and other operational expenses tied to the personnel who manage and oversee development projects within the City. Given the importance of development revenue in supporting these staff members, any fluctuations or declines in development activity directly impact our ability to maintain these roles at their current levels. To mitigate the impact of these fluctuations and protect against downturns in development revenue, we maintain a reserve within the Development Review Services fund (listed below). These reserves are designed to provide a financial buffer, ensuring that we can continue to support the necessary staffing and maintain service levels even during periods of lower development activity.

-- E.Z. Interim Financial Planning Manager, 11/6/2024

The 2025 estimated beginning fund balance for the General Fund is $51.9 million, which is used to fund reserves and contingencies that will be carried over and replenished each budget cycle. The remaining surplus is utilized to fund one-time (money) operating service enhancements, capital investments, and technology projects. The following General Fund reserves and contingencies are included in the preliminary budget:

 

• Economic Contingency ($4,645,228,000)  ("One-time money" is used exclusively for non-recurring expenses.)  
• Salary & Benefit Contingency ($5,365,000)
• Fire Overtime Contingency ($1,600,000)
• Body Worn Camera Program Reserves ($1,340,144)
• Opioid Funding Reserves ($557,000)
• Development Review Services Reserves ($3,619,750)

Source:   2025-26 Preliminary Budget / Expenditures 

Posted:  12/15/2024

Update: Nerdy Notes On The Redmond City Budget

A drive-through voter ballot drop-box is at City Hall

Budgets are boring and probably the last thing on your mind with the Election and Halloween around the corner.  However, I'm a government nerd and wanted to share some of the City Budget Hearing chaos I'm feeling.    

The City Clerk sent me the Budget calendar after I asked for it.  IMO, the calendar could have been written during one of their many briefing meetings to engage the public with the budget early on; but the calendar wasn't formalized until the second, October 1 Hearing .... "kinda bas akwards."  

THE PROCESS:  Three budget hearings are required; and a 4th is optional. Council decided the public would have its usual 3 minutes, instead of 4 minutes to speak in these important Hearings. Of interest, I remember Councilmember Stuart once saying on the Dais that no more than 1 minute for public comment was necessary.  

Now, to get you up to date:  The first Hearing (July 16) 👆was for public input on the "Capital Investment Program," (pg. 23) "Business Technology Investment Program" and a "Departmental Budget Overview."  With public our input, Council may change the Mayor's proposed, Preliminary budget.   

 

The lack of information for the 👆second October 1 Hearing was annoying and poorly timed, as follows:  

• The Hearing immediately followed the mayor's very short 2025-2026 Preliminary Budget (PB) presentation.
• The public had NO TIME to evaluate the PB and speak on it at this Hearing 

NOTICE: PUBLIC HEARING ON CITY BUDGET, November 4

Redmond City Hall 

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a public hearing will be held during the Redmond City Council special meeting on Monday, November 4, 2024, at 7 p.m., at the Redmond City Hall Council Chamber, 15670 NE 85th Street, Redmond, Washington, for the purpose of soliciting comments and suggestions on Mayor Birney's preliminary 2025-2026 biennial budget (in full.)

Community members may present oral comments during the public hearing or provide written comments at budget@redmond.gov. All members of the public are invited to attend the Hearing whether they comment or not.  

BUDGET RESOURCES: Preliminary Budget Summary;  Preliminary Revenue Forecast 

License Plate Readers, 22 Camera Readers To Be Installed

License Plate Reader / Flock

In a 8/5/24 regular meeting Council approved funds to implement the "Flock" license plate reader program.  Installation of 22 cameras and subscription cost for two years are priced at $93,534.40.  It's likely the Mayor will finance the balance through the General Fund or Capital Investment Program.      

THE PROGRAM:   Strategically located intersections are identified within the City to place the "Flock" cameras to capture the most license plates entering and leaving the City limits. 

Councilmember Steve Fields made a point to say the program will not infringe on people's privacy. 

The concept of this approach is for officers and dispatchers to be alerted whenever a “Wanted” or “Hot List” vehicle or vehicle used in the commission of a crime is captured on a Flock camera. Officers will respond to the area and look for the vehicle based on the last known location. Vehicles typically placed on “Hot Lists” include stolen vehicles, wanted persons connected to vehicles, and missing persons. 

-- Re-posted by Yoder, 10/17/24 

   Source 8/5/24 Council meeting

UPDATED OPINION: City To Build a $110 Million "Maintenance & Operations Center"

ONE CITY BUDGET PRIORITY IS:  "VIBRANT & CONNECTED:"  

Under the "Vibrant and Connected" budget category, the city will spend over $110 million for the design and construction a "Maintenance & Operations Center."  This redevelopment will be over twice the price of the new "Senior & Community Center."  Vibrant and Connected?  Not quite. The Center will be located in the SE Redmond Industrial Zone unconnected with the neighborhoods and  downtown. Of course, the Center will be anything but vibrant: a forklift scooting by;  warehouse workers chatting over a sandwich; the bang of small shops.  I don't understand why our elected would classify Maintenance & Operations in the "Vibrant and Connected Priority."  It's misleading and disappointing.  

City Finance Planning Manager Narra wouldn't give:  1) the acreage of the parcel(s), its location in SE Redmond or 3) how it would be funded.

-- Opinion by Bob Yoder, 12/12/2022

Background on the proposed Maintenance & Operations Center. 

by Haritha Narra, Redmond Financial Planning Manager:

"The Maintenance & Operations Center campus encompasses fourteen major and minor building structures including administrative offices, crew support spaces, centralized warehousing and storage, fleet shop, small shops, covered fleet parking and storage, decant facility, fuel station used by all City departments, surface parking, and Parks maintenance office. The current estimated cost for phase 1 and 2 is $100 million over a 7-year period (2027-2033). The M&O Master Plan, which will be conducted in 2023-2024, will provide a finer scope and updated cost estimate for the project."

--Haritha Narra, C.O.R.

Budget Priority: "Vibrant & Connected"

 

Vibrant & Connected  Priority Total:  $249,361,974

Vibrant & Connected Priority: The Vibrant and Connected priority supports a well-planned community that provides a sense of place by funding programs and services, including:

Does a new $110 million "Maintenance and Operations Facility" provide a vibrant sense of place for the community?  It's going to cost over twice as much as the Senior Center!

• Fund Maintenance and Operations Center Master Plan ($500,000) to inform the future design and construction of facility replacement ($109,800,000) 

• Support 1.00 FTE Maintenance Technician for Redmond Senior & Community Center ($196,364)

 • Provide funding to further the City’s affordable housing goals ($10,000,000) 

• Invest additional dollars in human service programs, including the expanded senior lunch program ($2,000,000) 

• Support for small business grants ($800,000) through non-profit organizations helping small businesses, including small business advice, marketing, planning, and translation services 

• Invest in a facilities condition assessment ($200,000) and enhanced building security ($200,000) to protect the City’s infrastructure 

• Fund business technology enhancements for audio-visual infrastructure and homeless outreach case management system ($1,166,500) 

These investments will allow Redmond to continue its commitments to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, environmental sustainability, infrastructure, housing choices, and public safety. 

Select Service Enhancements:  Development Services $17,815,678; Facilities Management $7,631,000; Capital Investment Delivery $7,439,000; Housing & Human Services $6,901,000; Community Economic Delivery $4,616,000; Microsoft Campus Refresh 4,505,000; Lite Rail $2,613,000; Arts & Community events $1,715,000, totaling $53,000,000.

-- Excerpt from Mayor Birney's 23-24 Preliminary Budget

Council Reviews "Senior & Community Centers" Expenses

At today's Committee of the Whole meeting Council reviewed Opsis Architecture’s "contract supplement for construction administration services." It totals $1,412,392.  Opsis is the primary architecture firm for the new Senior & Community Centers. 

Council also took note of the $5,211,638 "maximum amount" payable to Opsis Architecture upon completion..  

2023-2024 Funding sources for the new Senior & Community Centers are, as follows:

$17.116 million: Capital Improvement Program

$1.25 million State Capital Adopted Budget  

$1.648 million Surplus Park Impact Fees from 2019-2020

$2.486 million General Fund available cash from the 2019-2020 biennium and the 2021 fiscal year, 

$9.5 million Surplus REET and park impact fees from the 2021 fiscal year. 

$16 million Councilmanic bonds:  (Councilmanic bonds do not require a vote of the people.  Council members praised Finance Director Chip Corder for managing the issue and locking in a very low rate.

Total:  $48,000,000

-- Bob Yoder,  6/28/2022

UPDADED: Police Chief Lowe Presents Levy Costs

Redmond Police Chief Darrell Lowe

Adjusted 5% for inflation over six years.

Police Chief Darrell Lowe submitted his 2022 Public Safety "ask" to Council at a 3/15 Committee meeting, as follows:  

• Mental Health Professional, *1 Full Time Employee (FTE,) $157,636 (includes services.)
• Police Personnel, 13 FTE, $2,143,603
• Police Support, 3FTE $369,047
• Body-Worn & In-Car Cameras, $934,910 / year for labor and other ongoing expenses. The equipment and maintenance agreement is already purchased.

The Chief's final, approved "ask" added 5 mental health professionals.

TOTAL ANNUAL POLICE LEVY "ASK" IS $3,600,000/ YEAR (35% of the proposed total levy.) The Fire component is ~ 33% of the levy.  Continuation of the 2007 Levy is ~ 30% of the levy.)

After questioning by Councilmember David Carson, Chief Lowe told Council the Body Worn Camera $934,910 expense is primarily for additional staff, all with ongoing yearly salaries. 

• Paralegal
• Deputy prosecutor
• Police Sergeant
• Records person
• IT / TIS person

The remnant is for licensing and storage.

Captain Brian Coats reported  the U.S. Department of Justice gave the City a $170,000 matching grant for body worn cameras. It's use is equipment, software and storage.

If passed, the total annual "Public Safety Levy" is: $10,392,872/year or ~ $28.33/month or ~ $340/year on a $1 million house.  Property taxes will be $0.34 per $1,000 assessed valuation.

-- Bob Yoder, 3/15/2022

    Source:  RCTV / Facebook Live / CCOW-Safety, 3/15/2022

Updated: Council Decides On Senior & Community Center Funding

The proposed $48 million Senior & Community Center adjacent to City Hall will be funded, in part, by $16,000,000 "council-manic" bonds.  These bonds don't require voter approval or increase taxes and will utilize future revenues to pay the bonds.  

Council voted 5-2 (Carson, Kahn) for "Option 3" bonding at their March 8th Study Session.  They chose a $16,814,039, 20-year council-manic bond bearing 3% interest. Total debt after 20 years is $21,000,000.  Interest after 20-years is $5,393,340.

"One-time money" ($16,814,039) from 2021 construction taxes will not be spent. Enormous construction activity in Redmond's urban centers generates one-time money. The City accumulated $11,066,344 one-time money in 2020, as well.  According to the Council President the funds must be used for capital expenditures, not operations. 

Councilmember David Carson prefered "Option 1."  He liked that $2 million in interest is saved up front over the life of the loan.  "Not knowing what could come, paying the price down as much as possible is a safe, conservative route," said Carson.

CM Kahn was present and quiet.  

-- Bob Yoder, 3/15/2022

Construction Revenue Puts City Finances Over The Top

Monthly Finance Report through October 2021 

City councilmembers are usually stone-faced right after the financial report.

General Fund 

· Total revenues are 24.0%, or $17.9 million, above target.

· Sales tax is 89.0%, or $18.3 million, above target primarily due to the high level of development activity. Ongoing sales tax is 37.6%, or $6.7 million, above target. One-time sales tax, which primarily relates to construction, is $13.7 million through October 2021. 

· Utility taxes are 0.23%, or $22,000, below target. 

· License & permit fees are 29.2%, or $2.7 million, above target primarily due to the high level of development activity. 

· Intergovernmental revenues are 20.9%, or $2.4 million, above target primarily due to the American Rescue Act Plan (ARPA) allocation to the City. 

TOTAL REVENUE INCLUDING SALES TAXES:  $64,000,000 above target.  The City exceeds revenue and tax targets month-after-month from construction.  Do we really need Parks and Safety levies?

[Monthly revenues and sales tax have exceeded their target almost every month for the past year.]00,000/

Total expenditures are 14.5%, or $17.5 million, below target due to position vacancies, the timing of one-time expenditures, and the budget adjustments adopted by ordinance on August 17, 2021 that impact 2022 and beyond. Regarding the budget adjustments, staff will fix the planned spend rate in 2021-2022 for the November 2021 financial report. Other Funds 

City Council Approves 5% COLA

Redmond City Council approved a 5% Cost of Living salary increase for union employees Effective January 1, 2022,   (Staff quoted 6.5% as the true rate of inflation.)  Many thanks to Mayor Birney and Council for their transparency on this topic!  The Council took time to ask some very good questions. In the past, union salary plans were buried in the Consent Agenda and never pulled for discussion.  

Per employee visibility, the following are a few maximum salaries:  

• Planner, $104,232
• Principal Planner, $131,076
• Senior Planner, $118,614
• Communications & Marketing Project Administrator, $109,164
• Senior Engineer, $141,660
  
• Administrative Assistant, $71,360
• Communications & Marketing Specialist, $97,824
  
• Environmental Sustainability Program Manager, $101,736
  
• Senior Building Inspector, $107,376
• Senior Accountant, $99,636
• Senior Purchasing Agent, $109,044
• Recreation Program Administrator, $104,408

Several neighbors and LWSD employees informed me they are very unhappy with LWSD salaries and  benefits. So, I'm in the process of  looking into District salaries. The work is not easy because the only way to find District salary information is by Public Record Request.  Sadly, their Public Records site is lacking in transparency.  I've been working to change this for quite some time. 

-- Bob Yoder, 11/4/2021

Monthly Financial Report / Annual Impact Fee Report

 

Key highlights from the Monthly Financial Report through August 2021 include: General Fund

 · Total revenues are 28.5%, or $17.1 million, above target. 

· Sales tax is 80.2%, or $12.9 million, above target primarily due to the high level of development activity, which has generated $10.5 million in one-time construction sales tax through August 2021. · Utility taxes are 0.3%, or $23,000, below target. 

· License & permit fees are 28.3%, or $2.3 million, above target primarily due to the high level of development activity.

· Intergovernmental revenues are 25.0%, or $2.6 million, above target primarily due to the American Rescue Act. 

 · Total expenditures are 16.3%, or $16.9 million, below target primarily due to position vacancies, the timing of one-time expenditures, and the budget adjustments adopted by ordinance on August 17, 2021 that impact 2022 or beyond (e.g., $5.0 million in ARPA funding won’t be spent until 2022, and most of the Police body-worn camera program funding is reserved for 2023-2025). 

Other Funds

$600 Million Emergency Supplemental COVID Budget For King County!

King County Executive Dow Constantine 

Coming up at King County Council, April 19-23

 Next week is packed with action at council, including committee action on the next emergency COVID budget ($600M), a proposal to ban the use of facial recognition software countywide, and the Strategic Climate Action Plan, while full council will take up sending the renewal of the Best Starts for Kids levy to voters.

Here’s what’s coming up at King County Council:

• The $600 million emergency supplemental COVID budget is the seventh supplemental since the pandemic began, and will spend money across a variety of services, including vaccination efforts, community supports, public health response, economic recovery and more. This represents the largest appropriation by far and is likely to warrant a robust discussion at the Budget and Fiscal Management Committee. Once approved by committee, the measure will go to full council by May 11. The committee meets at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, April 20.
  
  
• Full council is set to vote on legislation to renew the Best Starts for Kids levy for another six years. The new proposal would set a first-year levy rate of $0.19 per $1,000 of assessed property value with annual growth capped at 3%. If approved, the proposal will appear on the August 3 primary ballot. Council meets at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, April 20.
  
  

Mayor Birney Presses to Create "Deputy Director" Positions

During Council's business meeting last night a "non-union non represented  pay plan" amendment sparked significant deliberations.

Reclassifying staff members to create three executive positions was at stake: 

1) Council voted 6-0 to hire a "diversity, equity and inclusion program manager."  LWSD has a Director working under Assoc. Superintendent Matt Cunningham doing similar work.     

2) I think the vote was 4-2 against "hiring" a Deputy Executive Department Director.  COO Malisa Files argued she needed all the help she could get.   

3) The vote for a Deputy Director of Technology and Information Services was tied. Mayor Birney broke the tie to approve the position. CM Carson voiced a strong need for the position.

Mayor Birney said she wanted to complete the organizational chart so every Director would have a Deputy.  Her reasons:  succession, "span of control," and it's not part of the budget. 

-- reported by Yoder, 4/7/2021

OPINION: City Of Redmond Should Lighten Up

Dear Mayor and Council - 

Strongsville, Ohio is a vibrant suburban city of 45,000, a short distance from Cleveland.  https//www.strongsville.org. They've taken the following measures to firm up their finances in response to COVID pressures.  The following is an excerpt from the Strongsville, OH website:

"To help combat the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the City of Strongsville’s tax revenues, all full-time city employees not covered under a collective bargaining agreement – as well as the mayor, department heads, service department workers and building inspectors -- will be placed on a 32-hour work week starting ___, resulting in an eight-hour weekly furlough (a 20 percent pay reduction).

The furlough will not affect police, firefighters or dispatchers. All three operations will remain ready to respond. 

Service Department personnel will be scheduled so that workers are available to respond to any potential emergencies.

The furloughs will stay in effect until at least ___. when the city’s finances will be evaluated and a decision made about returning to normal hours. We apologize for any inconvenience."

City Council, this is budget season - please take similar actions to steady our tax revenues. 

--Thank you, Bob

   10/30/2020

UPDATE: The City Of Redmond Budget

Mayor Angela Birney presented the proposed 2021-2022 biennial budget on Oct. 6. In a letter to the Redmond City Council and city community, she stated the recommendations in the budget were produced through Civics Result team of 30 Redmond volunteers, questionnaires, focus groups and **public hearings. 

The city forecasts that revenues from taxes and fees will decline by *$6.3 million in 2020, with expenses outpacing revenues starting in 2021, depleting the fund balance each year through 2026. In light of the economic hardships anticipated in the city, the budget cuts 26 full time positions from the 2020 staffing, including almost 10 Parks Department positions, eight capital investment, utilities and development services staff positions, and four vacant police or fire services staff positions. Some of those positions were also removed due this year as they were unnecessary during the shut downs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Excerpts from the Redmond Reporter. Halely Ausbun, 10/8/2020

Thank you Mayor for your courage and smarts to trim FTE's. Keep it up.

*CARES funding providing $2M this year will lighten the load.

** two public hearings remain

Community Building Update - Chuga, Chuga

"The Council will be asked to make a decision on the Community Building 10/22/20 to move forward so staff can continue without further delay. The Council has an active motion that was postponed from the September 15, 2020 Council Business meeting and will be taken up on the October 22nd Council special meeting. 

The motion made by Councilmember Carson, seconded by Councilmember Kritzer is as follows: Authorize the Mayor and staff to move forward on the construction of a community building on the existing site of the Redmond Senior Center in the size of approximately 42,000 square feet with optional expansion capabilities with costs not to exceed $46.7M and with the funding mechanism of capital improvement program funds and councilmanic bonds." Parks Council Comm. memo 10/6/2020.

Thank you CM David Carson and CM Vanessa Kritzer for your leadership in moving this project on, I've never seen a valuable Redmond project like this one get so bogged down by **bureaucracy.  Yoder

###

Bureaucracy

**"At the study session on July 28, 2020, the Community Stakeholder Group presented the recommendations for the future of the Redmond Senior Center. Throughout the study session discussion, and during subsequent Council discussion, Council had additional questions, which were addressed at the PHS Committee of the Whole on August 4, 2020, the PPW Committee of the Whole on August 11, 2020. The PHS Committee of the Whole on September 1st, and the City Council Business Meeting on September 15th .

Recently, there have been questions about the public engagement efforts, decision points that will be requested from the City Council and the City’s bonding capacity. The need for Community Center and Recreation space to serve everyone in Redmond has been discussed over many years in Redmond. 

In 2009, 327 people engaged in a statistically valid survey to inform the Recreation Buildings Master Plan. This plan called for an 80,000 sf facility and a $69-71M investment to adequately serve the residents of Redmond. This effort was not implemented. 

In 2015, 830 people engaged to help inform the PARCC plan, of which the need for a larger Community Center space was a high priority. 

In 2017, 30-35 people made up the Recreation Stakeholders group who engaged with 3600 people to help inform the Communities Priority for the Future of Redmond Community Centers in 2017.

In 2019-20 the Recreation Stakeholders assisted in engaging 2500 people to help inform their recommendation found in the report, “Envision the Future of the Redmond Senior Center”. 

This has been the longest and most engaged public engagement process for any project in Redmond. In order for staff and the community to move forward with the design and ultimately the construction of the Redmond Senior and Community Center, Council will need to provide direction on the size and scale and financial model to fund the project.

Provided in the presentation and on the Council Question Matrix is a timeline of the capital outlay and decision points needed from the City Council."  Parks Council Comm. 10/6

City In Excellent Financial Shape

The City of Redmond's Director of Finance, Ms. Files, gave a very encouraging monthly finance report to council on January 24th.

1.  All city departments are under budget.
2.  Revenues are up 13% owing to one-time revenue from taxes on construction projects.
3.  Expenditures are lower owing to:
        - $3M economic contingency fund adjustment.
        - $6M salary and benefit savings owing to turnover pay.
        - $2M adjustment of one-time project monies in the general fund.

-- Source:  Council Committee of the Whole meeting, 1/24.

2020 City Pay Plans Approved

The following Pay Plans were approved by Council on their 12/3/19 Consent Agenda.

2020 Redmond City Hall Employees Association (RCHEA) Bargaining Unit Pay Plan Approved By Council:

Midpoint, some RCHEA examples:

Planner $84,708; Senior Planner $96,420 [Highpoint $110,772];  Principal Planner $106,524; Cultural Arts Administrator $89,232; Environmental Scientist $102,373; Engineer SR $115,128; Transportation Strategic Advisor $118,608; Programmer Analyst SR $113,436; Communications & Marketing Administrator $88,704; Building Inspector $80,625; Senior Accountant $80,976

###

Meter Reader $58,440; Maintenance Aid $50,388

###

Non-Represented Employees, (Midpoint) Some examples:

Administrative Assistant $57,996  [$66,636 Highpoint]
Parks, Planning & Cultural Arts Manager $113,268
Police Captain $154,608
Deputy Fire Chief $153,048
Deputy Director Public Works Director/City Engineer $147,695
Deputy Finance Director $133,416
Deputy Parks Director $127,884
Recreation Division Manager $112,344
Security Compliance Manager $139,992
Communications and Marketing Manager $118,360
Emergency Preparedness Manager $118,152
IS Manager $136,272
City Clerk $136,908

Directors are paid significantly more...with bonuses.  

Updated: It's Estimated The Senior Center Will Re-Open In 2.5 - 3 Years

The estimated cost to demolish and rebuild is about $21 million; estimated cost to renovate is $20 million. Owing to the Critical Areas Ordinance, the new building will move 20-30 feet away from the river with possible impacts to the green house.

The Parks and Recreation Director Carrie Hite and Project engineer Eric Dawson updated Council on the status of the Senior Center during their December 3rd Regular meeting. In August, two stucco panels near the loading dock fell off (fortunately no one was hurt) and serious dry rot was found throughout the plywood of the exterior walls. Though the roof is about 30 years old it was in satisfactory condition. Owing to dangerous conditions, the Center was immediately closed on September 9th. Ms. Hite said many of the Center's activities were re-located to 1) City Hall (Bytes Cafe and the conference rooms, 2) Marymoor Village, Old Redmond School House, 3) Grasslawn Arts Center and other places. 

In response to Councilmember Jeralee Andrson's timeline question, Hite said it's estimated the Center will re-open in 2.5 years if renovated and 3 years if demolished and rebuilt. For sustainability Jaralee recommended the waste be recycled.

Ms. Hite suggested an opportunity to expand to 4-stories was possible -- for work force housing, affordable housing, an urban school, etc.  Councilmember Hank Myers said he was by no means in  favor of an expansion. He insisted on rebuilding ASAP; the audience clapped. It seemed a salute, with parting thanks.  (Hank lost to Varisha Khan in the general election by 66 votes; this was one of his last council meetings.)  Hank asked the City to do preventative maintenance on all their buildings on a regular basis, just as people do with their cars.

Councilmember Steve Fields agreed with Hank.  He noted black mold was regularly bleached out of the green house.and had anecdotal evidence someone pushed their hand through one of the walls. He recommended anecdotal feedback be a part of the preventative maintenance program. Councilmember Tanika Padhye asked if the public engagement process would be thorough and fast-tracked.  Ms. Hite suggested a few Public meetings would probably be sufficient.

Council President and Mayor-elect Angela Birney was "encouraged that to rebuild or to fix is about the same, so at least that doesn't seem to be a big task to go one way or the other."  She said over the years she learned a lot about what improvements Seniors wanted in their Center. Angela looked forward to establishing partnerships.  She was "a little sad about the 2-3 years."

Vice President Councilmember David Carson said it was "a chance for amenities to be added."  He was not for renovating or remodeling.   

Hank Myers calculated the city already had the funds to re-build saying $15 million was authorized for Senior Center improvements in November of 2018.  (Unfortunately, the improvements weren't done until it was too late.)  Hank also noted the city was sitting on $6 million of one-time money from the 2017 -2018 budget. Thus, with the $15 million, there's money in the budget to re-build. Hank received another clap.  He was one of my favorite Councilmembers.

Reported by Bob Yoder
12/4/2019