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HomeMy WebLinkAbout3233 Resolution RESOLUTION NO. 3 Z3 A RESOLUTION establishing primary goals of the City of Pasco for the ensuing calendar years 2010-2011. WHEREAS, the City of Pasco organization desires to focus the allocation of its resources toward primary goals selected to fulfill the vision of Pasco's future, as held by its elected representatives; and WHEREAS, the City Council conducted Community Forums on January 12, 20 and 26, and February 3 to elicit the concerns of residents and business owners alike about the present condition of the city, as well as thoughts and suggestions for Pasco's future; and WHEREAS, the city managerial staff has shared with the City Council its concerns for the present as well as visions for the future of the Pasco community; and WHEREAS, the City Council conducted a goal setting retreat on Saturday, April 3, 2010 to discuss all the various concerns for the present as well as visions for the future; NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PASCO, WASHINGTON,DO RESOL VE AS FOLLOWS: Section 1. That the following goals shall be considered primary goals for the City of Pasco for the ensuing two years (calendar years 2010 and 2011): • Water Rights: water is the life blood of any community and water rights have become a potential legal constraint for many communities around the state. While the "quad cities" water rights permit obtained several years ago provided a partial solution for Pasco's water rights needs, it did not alleviate the need to acquire more water rights to accommodate past as well as future growth. Thus, the city will employ all appropriate efforts to ensure adequate water rights are secured for the Pasco community. • Industrial Development: the Pasco community relies on one of the lower "per capita" assessed values (total taxable property value divided by total population) in the state. The city needs to foster more industrial investment to increase the non-residential tax base and, in turn, improve the ability of local public agencies to deliver needed services. . The city has worked diligently with its partners (Port, PUD, County, etc.) to create "development ready" industrial sites, particularly the Heritage Industrial Center, Foster Wells area and along the SR12 corridor. The city will partner with the Port, TRIDEC and others to actively market the particular development opportunities offered by those industrial areas. • Public Safety Building: the explosion of residential growth in the city over the past decade has led to a rapid increase in city staff, necessary to sustain and improve municipal services. The Police Department is now overcrowded and the municipal court lease at the Franklin County Courthouse will expire in 2012; construction of a "public safety building" (to house both functions) will solve immediate space problems and concurrently provide long-term solutions for the balance of City Hall space needs. To that end, the city will strive to put a funding plan in place for construction of the public safety building by 2011. • Lewis Street Overpass: the underpass (now 70 years old) is showing signs of deterioration, posing an eventual threat to public safety as well as potential harm to the BNRR system extending over it. A replacement overpass has been planned, representing not only a solution to the public safety and railroad integrity concerns, but a significant positive influence for downtown revitalization as well; however, the project cost ($30 million) is well beyond the city's financial capacity. Nearly S4 million of state and federal funds have been obtained for right-of-way acquisition and preliminary design of the project. The city will work diligently to obtain state and federal funding commitments for at least 85% of the Lewis Street Overpass project construction cost. • Emergency Communication: for more than 30 years, the city has relied on the Franklin County Sheriff for emergency communication services (police and fire). The current and future operational constraints of the existing VHF radio system, combined with the rapid physical expansion of the city, present an increasingly ineffective and costly emergency communication system for the city's emergency service personnel and citizens alike. A qualified consultant has completed its analysis of options and the City Council will select and complete implementation of the best option to improve the emergency communication system for the city. • PWRF: the Pasco Processing Center, initially created by the Port, city and PUD only 15 years ago, is already fully developed and contains more than $200 million of private investment. Presence of the food processing plants was largely influenced by the city's Process Water Reuse Facility (PWRF), which has proven to be a cost-effective and environmentally responsible means of disposing of the plants' process water. Unfortunately, the PWRF is at full capacity, so no new food processing facilities (nor expansion of existing users) can be accommodated by the city. The city will work with the Port to determine expansion opportunities associated with the PWRF. • Road 68 Congestion: the extent and nature of urban growth on the plateau, combined with the limitations imposed by the current configuration of the Road 68 interchange at I-182, have led to a pattern of intolerable congestion at the intersection of Road 68 and Burden Blvd. Though the city has made numerous improvements in that vicinity to resolve the problem, the remaining solutions affect the I-182 interchange at Road 68 and are, therefore, subject to approval of a resistant WSDOT. To overcome that resistance, the city will endeavor to forge a cooperative plan with WSDOT for Road 68 congestion relief. Primary Goals—2010-2011 Page 2 • Sewer Plan: with the rapid expansion of the city on the Plateau and an official population projection of 87,000 in 2027, the Franklin County Commission recently expanded the city's Urban Growth Area (UGA) to the northwest and even further expansion is expected as time goes by. One of the more fundamental service obligations of the city is to provide for extension of its utility system. Sewer service, in particular, can constrain appropriate development and become more costly than necessary if not planned carefully. Thus, the City Council will adopt a new comprehensive sewer plan for the Pasco UGA. • Broadmoor Development: in view of its geographic setting in the region and its ease of access afforded by the adjacent 1-182 freeway, the vacant and underutilized lands north of the Broadmoor interchange present great potential for regional-scale development. The city, in conjunction with affected land owners, has completed a strategic development plan to accommodate the preferred scope of commercial development. To realize that plan, the city will work with appropriate commercial brokers and land owners to market the preferred development plan for private investment, with the expectation of at least one such development commitment within two years. • UGA Development Standards: development within the city's boundaries must comply with the city's urban development standards; Franklin County, responsible for managing urban development in the unincorporated portion of the Urban Growth Area (UGA), does not apply Pasco's standards. Consequently, portions of the UGA are being developed in a fashion which, after eventual annexation, will require additional public (taxpayer) expenditures to correct the urban development deficiencies being permitted now by Franklin County. The city will make every effort to ensure that the city and County apply uniform development standards within the UGA. • Downtown: as have many older urban centers, the downtown business district continues to struggle in its effort to revitalize itself. The City Council believes that downtown revitalization efforts require a new organizational structure to effectively marshal current and emerging resources (CBC, Pasco Chamber of Commerce, Pasco Downtown Development Association, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and city); thus, the city will identify and establish the most effective organizational structure for revitalization of the downtown area. • Gang Suppression: Pasco has managed its gang problems relatively well, but the problem requires constant vigilance. Gang activity seems more prevalent in some other communities throughout the mid-Columbia region; it could lead to escalation of such criminal and nuisance activities in Pasco. To minimize the opportunity for escalation of gang activity, the city will collaborate with other communities throughout the mid-Columbia region to combat the gang problem. • "A" Street interchange: WSDOT is planning for a future interchange near east "A" Street at SR12. When constructed, such an improvement is likely to have significant influence on development opportunities and the need for municipal services. To prepare for those changes, the city will evaluate anticipated effects of the proposed interchange on the current urban growth boundary as well as future development and municipal service expectations. Primary Goals—2010-2011 Page 3 • Rivershore: over the past decade, the city has made notable improvements along the shoreline, lowering the levees and widening the pathways so citizens of all ages can enjoy the Columbia River. Yet more can be done to foster more use of the shoreline and take better advantage of the unique assets represented by the river. To that end, the city will update the "master plan" for rivershore improvement and commence implementation of its recommendations. • Regional Centers: each of the Tri-Cities (Kennewick, Richland and Pasco) has created its own Public Facilities District (authorized to develop and operate "regional centers," such as convention centers, stadiums, performing arts centers, etc.); however, none of the Public Facilities Districts possesses the financial capacity to individually finance the scale or variety of regional facilities which would improve the duality of life within the region. It is the express intent that Pasco continue to work collaboratively with its neighboring cities to jointly plan for the development of"regional centers." Section 2. The City Manager is hereby directed and authorized to formulate appropriate implementation strategies to achieve the goals set forth hereinabove, consistent with appropriation policies and procedures. PASSED by the City Council of the City of Pasco at a regular meeting this 19th day of April, 2010. Matt Watkins, Mayor Pro-Tern. ATTEST: �,OQA � o C i. "" 1•�.an---�� Debra Clark Leland B. Kerr City Clerk City Attorney Primary Goals—2010-2011 Page 4