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HomeMy WebLinkAbout6-20-2024 PC Meeting Mintues0iok-M mill Pasco PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES City Hall - Council Chambers 525 North Third Avenue Pasco, Washington THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 2024 6.30 PM CALL TO ORDER City of Pasco Planning Commission meeting was called to order at 6:30 p.m., by Chair Jerry Cochran. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Acting Chair Lehrman led the Pledge of Allegiance. ROLL CALL Commissioners Present: Rosa Torres, Mitchell Moffitt, Kim Lehrman, Paul Mendez and Abel Campos, a quorum was declared. Commissioners Excused: Dana Crutchfield, Rachel Teel, Jay Hendler, and Jerry Cochran Staff Present: Kristin Webb, Community and Economic Block Grant Administrator and Carmen Patrick, Administrative Assistant II WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS Acting Chair Lehrman explained the Planning Commission is an advisory board made up of volunteers appointed by City Council. She further explained the purpose of the Planning Commission was to provide recommendations to City Council regarding changes to the City's Comprehensive Plan, Land Use Updates, Block Grant Allocations and Zoning Code. The Planning Commission is tasked with considering the long-term growth and development of the community, the impact of land use decisions on community, livability, economic opportunity, housing affordability, public services, and the environment. Acting Chair Lehrman reminded the audience tonight's proceedings were being broadcast live on City of Pasco's Facebook page and on Charter Cable PSC Channel 191 and will be rebroadcast several times during the next month. She stated the meeting was also being recorded and could be watched on City of Pasco's website, which is Pasco-wa.gov. Click on the VIDEO ON DEMAND link and make your selection there. Chair Cochran stated copies of the meeting agenda were available on the back table. She then asked that everyone silence cell phones to prevent interruptions during the meeting. For those present this evening, when you are given the opportunity to address the Commission, please come to the podium, speak clearly into the microphone, and state your name and city of address for the record. Acting Chair Lehrman reminded the audience and the Planning Commission that Washington State Law requires public meetings like the one being held this evening not only be fair, but also appear to be fair. In addition, Washington State Law prohibits Planning Commission members from participating in discussions or decisions in which the member may have a direct interest or may be either benefited or harmed by the Planning Commission's decision. An objection to any Planning Commission member hearing any matter on tonight's agenda needs to be aired at this time or it will be waived. Planning Commission Meeting Minutes Page 1 of 7 June 20, 2024 Acting Chair Lehrman asked if there were any Planning Commission members who have a declaration at this time regarding any of the items on the agenda. ❖ No declarations were heard. Acting Chair Lehrman asked if anyone in the audience objected to any Planning Commission member hearing any of the items on the agenda. ❖ No declarations were heard. Acting Chair Lehrman stated the Planning Commission needed and valued public input explaining it helped the Commission understand the issues more clearly and allowed for better recommendations to City Council. Furthermore, in many cases, this could be the only forum for the public to get facts and opinions placed into the official record and City Council will use to make the Commission's decision. He encouraged those present to take full advantage of this opportunity. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Commissioner Mendez moved to approve the May 16, 2024, meeting minutes, seconded by Commissioner Moffitt, motion passed unanimously. OLD BUSINESS None PUBLIC HEARINGS A. 2025 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program Allocations MF# BGAP2024-003 Kristin Webb summarized the 2025 Community Development Block Grant annual work plan and allocation in a few points: • The Head approves a Five-year Consolidated Plan outlining goals and strategies for funding over the next five years. • The consortium will begin work on the 2029 consolidated plan in July, submitting an annual action plan each year to guide activities. • At the end of each fiscal year, the Consolidated Annual Plan Evaluation Report (CAPER) evaluates the performance of the annual action plan. • Citizen participation is mandatory throughout, with opportunities for public comment. For 2020-2024, the goals include: • Increasing and preserving affordable housing through down payment assistance and owner - occupied rehab programs. • Supporting community development, neighborhood revitalization, and economic development through projects like Peanuts Parks. • Providing homeless interventions and public services through initiatives like those by YMCA and the Arc of Tri-Cities. The available funds for 2025 amount to $677,540. Planning Commission Meeting Minutes Page 2 of 7 June 20, 2024 2025 CDBG Program Timeline: May 31 — Application Deadline June 20 — Planning Commission Public Hearing July 18 — Planning Commission Action July 18 — End Public Comment Period for AAP August 12 — City Council Workshop August 19 — City Council Action Update Allocation for final submission to HUD Kristin Webb addressed the Commission regarding the HOME Program Allocation and the funds available this next year, which will be $216,160.00. Applicants: YMCA of Tri Cities, Rob Wilkinson represented and stated, our ask this year, we've asked for 30,000, which is a $5,000 increase, and we've done so just due to the rising cost of staffing and the associated costs to do business and to keep our rates affordable. Second thing I'll mention is the Y has been in collaboration with the City of Pasco for over 40 years operating the Martin Luther King Center. We're over in the Kurtzman Park, right next to Virgie Robinson Elementary School. We're a drop -in center, primarily for the residents of East Pasco. You can get an annual membership for $10, and then day passes are for $2. We also offer within the center, we have a weight room, gymnasium, homework center, game room, and other amenities for the residents of East Pasco. Excuse me. I'd also mention that we run organized soccer league four times a year, which we offer at a fraction of the cost of playing in other leagues. We have over 1,700 kids that participate in that program, and we have over 3,000 that visit the center on an annual basis as well. Arc of Tri Cities, Donna Tracy, Recreational Services Manager, stated we serve individuals with developmental disabilities, and we serve them from birth through their adult life. The Arc does a variety of services, and we've been in the community 65 years, and we're a safety net organization that helps make sure individuals with disabilities are included. These funds are used throughout the year for us to be able to offer programming. We do a day program that serves about 200 individuals per week as a safety net, helping families have a break, making sure their families are not isolated. Jolina Wiesenfeld, 5712 W Sylvester stated she loves the Arc, and has been using them for 10 years now, the staff and friendship are much appreciated. Domestic Violence Services of Benton and Franklin Counties, Angie Pacheco. We've been in services for over 21 years in the Tri Cities, primarily in Benton County. We do provide services out of the Pasco Courthouse for a lot of our clients. We are here requesting assistance for $70,000 to assist us with providing services with two low-income advocates that would come out of the Pasco area to be able to service our monolingual clients that we provide service to. We service about 3,000 families per year, and our goal is to service over 800 families in the Pasco area. The majority of our clients are female. 90% of our families are low-income Planning Commission Meeting Minutes Page 3 of 7 June 20, 2024 population. Our services that we provide are a 24-hour shelter, and we can house up to eight families at a time for 30 days plus. Most of those families, when they come to us, are homeless families that have come because of intimate partner, domestic violence, and we help provide them housing as well. We have a 24-hour crisis line where we average taking phone calls of over 250 per month. We have an advocacy program, which is what we run out of the Pasco Courthouse, helping with families on the legal issues that they're going through, trying to file restraining orders. We also do housing, and we are finishing up a 10-unit project that we started in partnership with the State of Washington Commerce, and we're going to be doing 10 affordable units. We also provide a summer camp for our youth in the community that's available within both counties. Impact Compassion Center, Jennifer Felicitas, Executive Director stated one of the reasons why we created the organization is being here in our community and wanting to do whatever we can to impact our community that we live in. That's extremely important to me and to our organization. We are requesting approximately $44,200 for our Homeless Prevention and Intervention program. A portion of that will be for hiring direct program staff. We do work with a lot of homeless individuals. Our building is in downtown Kennewick. However, we do provide services to people throughout the Tri Cities and Franklin County. This funding, if we get this, will help us not only to keep their homes or maintain their existing homes if they are in jeopardy of losing them, which many are. We'll help them to maintain and keep a stable home for their family, prevent them from being homeless by working directly with them, with the landlords, money management tools, life skills like organization, working at just figuring out what their budget is, organization and working with the landlords will help them apply for the housing programs that exist in the community. We're very familiar with what is out there and what's not out there. Housing Authority of the City of Pasco and Franklin County, Matt Truman, Executive director stated what I'm asking for in this particular grant is to help with our Locals Development apartments. The background on these units are they were purchased in the early 1990s from the Department of Commerce with the expectation that we would be able to upkeep them and renovate them. As you can see from some of the slides, we were able to get through seven out of the eleven buildings before our funding ran out. Since that time, we've basically been trying to catch up with trying to update these buildings as much as we can through the limited funding that we have. As you can see, when there are funds available, we try to find every dollar we can to upgrade these buildings and to do what we can. The reason that we need CDBG funds is because these are affordable. Through the Department of Commerce, we can only charge 50 to 80% of AMI. Plus, that's our mission is to help the neediest in our community. City of Pasco Parks and Recs. Department, Jesse Rice for Brent Kabalik. First, we're proposing new playground equipment for downtown, specifically Memorial Park, Sylvester Park, or Volunteer Park. Currently; our city lacks exclusive accessible sensory playground features. While we can't install a full playground, we can add standalone features like touch, texture, and music elements. These additions would cater to community members who can't use traditional playgrounds but still want to participate. We estimate the playground enhancements will cost around $100,000, covering various Planning Commission Meeting Minutes Page 4 of 7 June 20, 2024 features ranging from several thousand to tens of thousands of dollars. These funds would support adding sensory and accessibility features to the playgrounds. Moving on to our second request, Peanuts Park North requires refurbishment to transform the currently outdated and uninviting space into a vibrant community asset. The proposal includes leveling the park, repaving surfaces, and installing multi -use sports courts such as half basketball, pickleball, and futsal. We have secured initial funding from previous projects and a state grant that must be utilized by next June, totaling $50,000. Our final request pertains to upgrading equipment at the Pasco Specialty Kitchen, a vital resource for local food entrepreneurs. With equipment dating back to 2003, improvements are needed to support current and future businesses. We are seeking $35,000 to replace outdated equipment and potentially add specialized tools to facilitate growth and innovation. City of Pasco Community and Economic Department, Troy Hendren. Good evening, I'm Troy Hendren, the Building Officer and Fire Marshal for Pasco. I'm here to request continued funding for our code enforcement staffing to support the rental program and address blight in low and moderate -income areas in 2025. Established in 1997, the rental program addresses unsafe living conditions in unmonitored rentals, which contribute to neighborhood blight and decreased property values. Council's collaboration with CDBG has helped fund this initiative, which operates under the International Property Maintenance Code. Currently, Pasco has 6,500 licensed rentals, with an expected increase to 9,000 by 2025. Despite this growth, we only have one full-time rental inspector and one full-time temporary rental inspector conducting 3,400 to 3,800 inspections annually. Funding requested will cover 70% of their salaries, with the remainder from rental licensing fees. This support is vital to meet community needs, national objectives, and council's goals for fair housing. City of Pasco Code Enforcement, Rosanne Johnson, Lead Code Officer for Pasco. Last year, we received $10,000 for our community outreach program and successfully hosted our first event in June. Our efforts aim to maintain Pasco as a clean, safe, and healthy place through voluntary compliance with the International Property Maintenance Code. Despite limited staff and increasing demands from a growing population, we've expanded outreach through city events, community meetings, and educational campaigns. We focus on addressing blight, abandoned properties, and improving housing conditions in low to moderate -income neighborhoods. For 2025, we request $10,000 to continue these efforts. This funding will support two cleanup events, enhance educational materials, and cover operational costs. These events foster community pride, connect residents, and educate them on city codes. Future plans include a citizen academy to engage residents in civic activities and neighborhood -driven initiatives. Our goal is to reduce code violations and strengthen community -government relations through education and collaboration. Thank you for your continued support. Community Development Block Grant Administrator, Kristin Webb. I'll be discussing our next application for the Facade Improvement program requesting $25,000 to enhance the exterior of a local business, funded by CDBG to beautify commercial areas. In 2023, we successfully upgraded two facades on Fourth Street and Court Street with new paint and windows, significantly improving their appearance. Planning Commission Meeting Minutes Page 5 of 7 June 20, 2024 Next, our CHIP Minor Rehab Program seeks $125,000 to rehabilitate at least five owner - occupied homes. Since 2021, we've renovated 17 homes, addressing critical needs like roofing, siding, windows, and safety improvements such as smoke alarms. Lastly, we'll apply for program administration funds covering salaries, training, and supplies to sustain these efforts. We may also consider an application for commercial residential conversion pending HUD guidance. Thank you for considering these vital community improvement initiatives. So, this public hearing will stay open until the next meeting where recommendations will be brought to the Planning Commission, and then we'll close it at that time. B. 2025 HOME Program Allocations and Work Plan Kristin Webb stated since 1996, Pasco has been part of a home consortium with Kennewick and Richland, qualifying for federal HOME dollars. Richland administers 10% of the entitlement, and Habitat for Humanity manages 15% as the Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO), currently focused on a project in Kennewick with 14 houses. Pasco's estimated entitlement funds for 2025 are $116,160, with an additional $100,000 expected from program income, primarily from down payment assistance repayments. We budget $98,080 for rehabilitation and acquisition, aiming to acquire, renovate, and sell homes to low-income families, recycling funds for future projects. Down payment assistance receives $10,000 for one anticipated allocation, given current purchase limits set by HUD at $347,000. Tenant -based rental assistance, administered by Community Action Connection (CAC), receives $98,080, supporting rental aid across the consortium. Program administration is budgeted at $10,000 to cover staff costs for program management. Thank you for your attention to these allocations supporting affordable housing initiatives in our community. WORSHOP None OTHER BUSINESS None ADJOURNMENT Chair Cochran stated with no other business, I recommend a motion to adjourn. Commissioner Moffitt made a motion to adjourn the meeting, Commissioner Mendez seconded, motion passed unanimously. Meeting adjourned at 7:54 pm. YouTube link to watch full meeting: Pasco Planning Commission, June 20, 2024 - YouTube Respectfully submitted, Planning Commission Meeting Minutes Page 6 of 7 June 20, 2024 l� Carmen atrick, Administrative Assistant II Community & Economic Development Department Planning Commission Meeting Minutes Page 7 of 7 June 20, 2024