Council Extends Discussion of 2012 Property Tax Levy to Third Public Hearing

After much public discussion in the last few weeks at both City Council meetings and budget workshops over a nearly decided upon 89 cent per $1,000 assessed value rollback of property taxes amounting to $912,000 in revenue for the city, the Council opted Monday night to hold off action to set the 2012 levy in favor of a third public hearing on the matter. (Read prior Patch coverage on the subject: | )

Monday's meeting was the second of two public hearings on the topic, but there was no public comment on the tax levy.

Council heard during from several members of the Enumclaw police department including Chief Jim Zoll about the vital need to fill a vacant officer position going into 2012. This issue appears to have driven the decision to hold off on action.

Councilman Rich Elfers, who had been in favor of not rolling back the 89 cents in order to help fund the officer position, asked his fellow councilmembers for other ideas to support the department.

It was best to not rush into looking at how to fund the one position for one year -- perhaps in the long-run it was better to support the hiring of even two or three officers, said Councilman Jim Hogan. "If we bring on an officer now, we may be looking at this next year," he said. "Rather than have the police department live beyond its means, we need to establish what is the police department that we want and then fund it accordingly."

Hogan suggested one way to support the position in the future was to 'bank' the 89-cent rollback.

When a city like Enumclaw levies less than the maximum increase in property taxes allowed under state law, explained Finance Director Stephanie McKenzie, it can 'bank' what wasn't levied and retains the right to levy higher taxes later, if necessary.

But in order to reserve banked capacity, Council has to pass an ordinance to bank the amount, and an ordinance did go before Council for a first reading Monday night on the very issue.

According to McKenzie, the city's allowable levy for 2012 was $2.3 million, and if it proceeds with the 89-cent rollback, it would only be collecting $1.3 million of that, which leaves a banked capacity of about $1 million. The city currently as a banked capacity of about $45,000 from 2011.

City Administrator Mike Thomas explained to Patch last week that Council would go to voters in the form of an advisory vote to ask for such a deferred tax increase.

No action was taken with regards to the banked capacity as the ordinance was a first reading only.

Councilman Sean Krebs agreed the process shouldn't be rushed and suggested a workshop early in 2012 for Council to seriously look into funding the position. "There's too many questions to be asked and answered this late in the budget process," he said. "If it can be shown to Council that there is in fact a need, and we can debate that and it's justifiable, and we could bring it to the citizens and ask them to support a tax increase, than I'm more than willing to do that as soon as possible within the year of 2012."

Councilman Jeff Beckwith further 'muddied the waters' when he reported that Fire District No. 28 was ready to set its 2012 levy at $1.09 per $1,000 assessed value, so the city's proposed 89 cent rollback would not be dollar-for-dollar.

According to Fire Chief Joe Clow, the district's looking at collecting about $1.1 million in property taxes for 2012 -- compared to the $912,000 proposed city rollback.

In Other News:

1) Meadow Park Preliminary Plat: All six councilmembers (Glen Jensen was absent) approved this ordinance that would allow for 9.98 acres north of and adjacent to Rainier Trails Park on 244th Avenue S.E. to be subdivided into 24 single-family lots, a park, and two stormwater management tracks.

Community Development Director Erika Shook addressed a concern from Council regarding the poor level of service related to traffic at the intersection of Warner Avenue and Semanski Street. The plat approval, once developed, would impact traffic at the intersection, but that intersection is expected to fall below city service standards with or without the development, she said. Several other projects have already been approved that would also impact the intersection; the workaround is that each have a requirement to contribute their fair share of the cost of fixing the intersection -- this plat project would be no exception.

The city has this project listed in its 2012-2017 Transportation Improvement Program as a high priority project, she said. Consequently, it meets requirements of the Growth Management Act that address development concerns. The improvement should be completed within six years of when the development occurs after a final plat has been approved.

Dan Schaafsma, of Concept Builders, made the plat request on behalf of applicant Garrett Van Beek.

Councilmen Kevin Mahelona and Mike Ennis offered to recuse themselves from the vote if there were concerns of conflicts of interest since they both live close by; there were none voiced at the meeting.

2) Comprehensive Plan Amendments: Council passed seven ordinances related to three site-specific amendments to the city's comprehensive plan.

They were:

• Fiske Apartments: Changing 9.21 acres from single-family residential to multi-family residential and changing zoning designation from R-2 (Moderate Density Single-Family Residential) to R-4 (Multifamily Residential) 
• JE Work: Changing 37 acres from single-family residential to mixed density residential and changing zoning designation from R-2 to RHMP (Residential Mobile Home Park) 
• Finn Investments/Dave Treat: Changing roughly two acres from commercial to multi-family residential and changing zoning designation from Highway and Community Business to R-4. The proposal also includes a zoning code amendment eliminating the maximum size of an assisted living facility, which is currently 60 units. Instead, size is determined by the size of the building that meets development standards required by the zoning code.

Hogan and Mahelona opposed the Fiske Apartments and JE Work amendments citing budget constraints and timing, respectively. Hogan suggested possibly revisiting these when Council reviews amendments to the comprehensive plan for 2012.

Krebs argued, "This is rezoning and not approval for construction or development." If there was a concern about the police officer position, "I believe we'll have the police department potential understaffing issue resolved by the time" the amendents are in place, he said.

Read Patch's prior coverage on the | .

3) 2012 Budget: There were no comments made during the first of two public hearings on the 2012 budget. Council touched on several topics related to the budget, including funding the Chamber of Commerce, Green River Community College, Enumclaw Youth and Family Services, and the city library.

Krebs also brought up the possibility for the city to begin charging Maple Valley cost plus for court services the city provides. Currently, Enumclaw is not recovering the costs associated with the court, he said. The city has a new proposal that would help to recover 100 percent of operating court costs, but that's not enough. "If we're providing a service to Maple Valley that has nothing to do with our citizens, we should be recouping more than 100 percent," he said.

4) Increase in Solid Waste Rates and Charges: Public Works Director Chris Searcy reported that due to an increase in King County's transfer station fees from $95/ton to $109/ton for next year and a 40 percent mid-year increase in charges for disposing of yard waste at Cedar Grove Compost, the city will have to increase garbage rates by 2 percent and yard waste rates by 5 percent for 2012. In doing so, the city can avoid the need for a larger rate increase in the next few years, according to Searcy as this would put the solid waste utility fund's 2012 ending fund balance at more than the minimum level required by the city's reserve policy.

Beckwith said he disagreed with the approach and would rather rate payers keep their money until it's clear what the funds would be needed for.

There was no action as this was a first reading.

5) Citizens Seek Parking Change: Enumclaw resident Marla Thompson brought a petition forward for Council with regards to the city's municipal code on all-day parking:

No person shall park or stand any vehicle upon any street or public way for a period exceeding 24 hours, regardless of any other regulation then in effect. When any vehicle is parked or stands for a period exceeding 24 hours, the vehicle is deemed to constitute a hazard or obstruction to traffic or is deemed an abandoned vehicle and may be impounded as provided in EMC 10.32.020. (Ord. 1261 § 1, 1979).

Thompson said her petition asks for an amendment to the ordinance to take into consideration the rights of landowners and tenants to park their vehicles on streets. Police are not consistent in how they are citing offenders, she said.

Her petition concerns an area bounded by Griffin Avenue, Washington Avenue, Porter Street and Fell Street.