Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

Looks like we may have lost Commissioner Manley.

I'm here.

Oh, you are. There you are. I didn't see you up on my screen. Well, good afternoon, everyone. Welcome to the November 5th, 2025 Planning Commission. I'd like to call the meeting to order. Can I have a roll call, please? Okay.

Chair Drukiewicz? Here. Vice Chair Manley?

Here.

Commissioner Lewis? Here. Commissioner Starr? I don't see her online. I think she may not have been able to make it here. Commissioner sons.

Yeah.

Commissioner Burke.

Yeah.

And Commissioner O'Leary.

Yeah.

Okay, we have a quorum.

Perfect. Before we begin, I'd like to say the Planning Commission is principally an advisory board to the Pierce County Council. Actions taken by the Planning Commission on almost all agenda items will be forwarded to the County Council as a recommendation for consideration and final action. And with that, I'd like to welcome our two new commission members, Commissioner Burke and Commissioner O'Leary. Welcome. We look forward to working with you.

Thank you very much.

Thank you. First item on our agenda is the approval of the August 26, 2025 meeting minutes. Any questions or comments?

Motion to approve the August 26, 2025 minutes.

I second the motion.

OK, we have a motion and a second. Any questions or comments? Seeing none, I'll call for the vote. Okay. Chair Djokovic? Aye.

Vice Chair Manley?

Aye.

Commissioner Lewis? Aye. Commissioner Starr, who is now present. This is the vote for the meeting minutes. I'll move. Yes. Okay, thank you. Commissioner Sanzmo?

Aye.

Commissioner Burke?

Aye.

Commissioner O'Leary?

Aye.

Okay. The minutes are approved. Motion carries, thank you. Our first item, our only item on the agenda today is the 2026 amendments to the capital facilities plan element. And with that, I'd like to turn it over to staff for their presentation.

Is that me? Yes. Am I sharing? OK. Thank you. When you're ready. Thank you. Let me share. Just get my, where did my Teams go? Hold on. OK, share.

OK. Share.

OK, can everyone see? Are you seeing? What are you seeing?

It hasn't shown up yet. Read.

OK. Excuse me for the technical. Okay. Not what I want. Okay. Now can everyone see my screen?

Yes, we can.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for hanging with me there. My name is Reed Bennion. I'm the Assistant Director of Budget Performance with the Finance Department here at the County. Thank you for having me, Chair Jurkovic and the rest of the Planning Commission. I'm here to talk to the Capital Facilities Plan. I'd like to, first of all, apologize. I know this meeting was not originally planned and had to be put on your calendars. I'm new to my role and had a scheduling miscommunication that resulted in us having to get this put on the calendar last minute. So this afternoon, I'll be covering a high level introduction to the capital facilities plan. I'll include some background on the overall capital facilities plan process. I'll provide the financial review of what's included in the 2026 through 31 capital facilities plan, and then close out with some capital projects. I have, my background is more on the financial side, but there are staff, I think, in the audience that if there are specific questions about projects, they should be able to field those as well. So the purpose of the capital facilities plan is to provide a financial plan that ensures adequate public facilities on a schedule, which allows facilities to maintain adopted levels of service with the projected growth of the community and the impacts of new development. The capital facilities plan is just one element of the comprehensive plan, which is required by the Washington State Growth Management Act. The capital facilities plan includes six years of financing capital improvements that support the Pierce County's current and future population growth. Having that long-term capital plan facilitates growth management, fiscal management, the prioritization of employment centers, the phasing of urban growth, and it also provides us with some eligibility for grants and loans. The CFP supports multiple goals of the comprehensive plan that includes ensuring infrastructure is adequate to support the growth of the community. It allows us to address and eliminate existing deficiencies in facilities and meet the needs of future development or redevelopment. And then we also use realistic financial funding to plan for that future growth. On the process, the capital facilities plan is updated every biennium, every other year, and coincides with the creation of the biennial budget. County departments set priorities within each of their respective areas. Below, I'm showing all of those elements that make up the CFP program. Those with an asterisk by them have already been shared with the Planning Commission back in August, I believe. So I won't be speaking to those today. I think you've reviewed those plans and I think forward those on. Upon completion of the department's capital facilities plan, these plans are reviewed by the county's finance department and the county executive during the budgeting process. The draft plan has been presented to the planning commission, which we're doing today, per review of that plan, that it's consistent with the comprehensive plan and for a public hearing. Then the plan is forwarded on to county council. I did provide a pretty similar presentation to the county council's CDEC committee this week, so they are familiar with a lot of the plans that are there already. And then the county council, after it is forwarded to them, will adopt the CFP by resolution concurrent with the operating budget. And then the capital improvement plan, the CIP, sets the budget for the first two years of the CFP. Lots of acronyms. This chart here identifies expenditures by program and year for the 26 through 31 capital facilities plan. As a note, this chart does not include the Transportation Improvement Program, which is a more detailed document that is updated annually. The largest expenditures within the next six years is the sewer utility with a six-year capital facilities plan total of $450 million. To finance those programs, revenues are generated in multiple ways. There's taxes and fees are collected by programs for non-dedicated purposes. This includes property taxes, licenses, impact fees, real estate excise tax, and other similar revenue streams. Service fees are collected by programs for dedicated purposes. For instance, this would include sewer utility fees. Grants and contributions will fund specific projects or purposes and can be from the federal government, state government, or other entities. And unfunded projects are those which we have not yet identified a funding source. This chart compares the capital improvement program for 2027 and 20, sorry, 26 and 27 to the prior biennium. This biennium is about 2.5% or $8.1 million. the previous biennium. And that includes the financial piece of it. The action we're looking for today, the staff is seeking, is for the Planning Commission to recommend the capital facilities plan be submitted to the County Council with funding that is consistent with the Pierce County Comprehensive Plan and county planning policies. And if there is no questions, I will briefly cover some of the capital projects, but I'll pause right here for questions if there are any.

Do we have any questions from Planning Commission members at this point?

Excellent. Okay. So again, I won't be sharing the capital plans for the airport, ferry, sewer utility, surface water utility. or water utility and those plans were already shared and reviewed by the planning commission. But I will be providing a high level review of projects here. And then staff are largely in attendance from parks, PPW and facilities. So the emergency management capital facilities plan starts on page 14 of the CFP. There are two projects listed here. The Raven Hall project will implement coverage to Raymond Hall and expand radio system coverage. And then the Three Sisters Radio Project will install power lines and emergency generator to the Three Sisters Radio site, which is largely funded by a state grant. In the juvenile court, sorry, general administration section starts on page 23 of the CFP. The Facilities Management Department manages the Pierce County's general administration buildings. A $13.8 million project for design and renovating space for the election center is included in the CFP, as well as $6.1 million for the city-county building justice center improvements. And there's a $5 million project for the justice center improvements and administration building project for security upgrades. office and courtroom renovations and building improvements. In the juvenile court, which starts on page 39 of the CFP the capital facilities plan includes the juvenile court $2.4 million for the reimagining the juvenile justice project. to initiate design efforts in advance of constructing a new juvenile justice facility, as well as a $1.4 million HVAC replacement project and security electronics and hardware replacement at Reagan Hall. Parks and Recreation Department starts on page 43 of the CFP. The Parks Department plans to spend about $106.4 million over the next six years parks, trails, and other facility improvements. The projects are split into four regions and system-wide improvements. Significant projects include implementation of phase one of Orange Gate Park, Gagne Playfield improvements, and the Parkland Community Trail, which will connect Sprinker to Pacific Lutheran University. Sheriff's sorry roads and buildings facility start on page 64 CFP the planning and public works maintenance division operates out of three primary facilities, the central maintenance facility. The East county maintenance facility and West county maintenance facility the CFP includes projects associated with the central and West facilities they include an asphalt tank replacement. at the West facility and LED lighting retrofit at the central maintenance facility, as well as roof insulation at the central maintenance facility. Sheriff's corrections starts on page 76 of the CFP. Sheriff corrections manages the jails Significant projects include $2.6 million in miscellaneous jail improvements, including security improvements and the conversion of dry to wet cells, and $1.6 million for a new jail renovation study and schematic design. Sheriff law enforcement capital facility in the capital facilities plan starts on page 81. The sheriff law enforcement has 11 facilities in their inventory. In 26 through 31, the capital facilities plan includes site improvements and construction for a new mountain attachment, improvements for the property storage facility, and improvements to the sheriff's range to provide ADA compliant restrooms and more sinks for hand washing stations. And in solid waste management that begins on page 78 of the CFP the two projects for 2028 through 2031 are unfunded and are both related to the pretty. Transfer station to expand the compost the composting facilities out there, as well as expansion of the transfer station. And that is what I have. always stop sharing. Happy to take questions. And again, there is staff here addressing other questions. We are asking for the planning commission to forward the capital facilities plan to the council for panel consideration.

Thank you. Thank you for your presentation. Before I take any questions or comments from planning commission members, I'd like to open the public comment portion of our meeting. Sarah, is there anyone from the public that wishes to provide any comments on what was presented?

There is no one in the room, but I'll call for public comment online. If you are online on Zoom, please press the raise hand icon or star nine on your telephone keypad if you would like to provide public comment. Okay, it doesn't look like there's anyone who would like to provide public comment.

Okay, thank you. I'll close the public comment portion of our meeting. Is there any questions or comments from planning commission members on this agenda item? Commissioner Burke.

Yeah, I understand these amendments and administrative updates keep the capital facility current with the county's 26, 27 budget. I do have one question for the record. How is the county ensuring that these ongoing capital investments are resilient to the growing impacts of climate change and population growth over the next six years?

The climate change piece, I cannot answer, but the projects... are considered the anticipated growth of the county as provided by the Office of Financial Management. And so the different departments set level of standards, they adopt levels of standards, the number of roads and the number of facilities available to the public overall, considering how far it's gonna grow, and then they plan on the capital, their capital plans, then grow their facilities or their the capital plan, sorry, then supports that anticipated growth as divided and adopted in the county code and do a great job of answering that. Sorry. We have Thank you. We have growth projected. So in through 2031. We anticipate the county population will be just over a million people with about half of those people living in the county. And so that is all incorporated and understood by the various departments as they're developing their capital plan. They need to make sure that the facilities that they maintain are sufficient to service that additional population.

Thank you.

Any other questions or comments from planning commission members? I'm not seeing any. I will entertain a motion on this agenda item.

I move that we approve this.

So I have a motion to approve the 2026 amendments to the capital facilities plan element of the Pierce County Comprehensive Plan as presented. Do I have a second? I second. Okay, I have a motion and a second. I'll call for the vote.

Chair Drukovich? Aye. Vice Chair Manley?

Aye.

Commissioner Lewis? Aye. Commissioner Starr?

Aye.

Commissioner Sonsmo?

Aye.

Commissioner Burke?

Aye. Aye.

And Commissioner O'Leary?

Aye.

OK. Vote is unanimous. Motion carries. So with that, I'll close this agenda item. Looks like we have a reminder of a special meeting on November 18th at 9.30. That one, are we recommending in person on that, Sarah? Come as you please.

If you want to be in person, feel free. It will be back in the public hearing room, not in this Pantages room. But online is welcome as well, especially if you aren't able to attend due to other, you know, not being in state, for example. Um, but yeah, that should be the last one for this month. And that will be for some parks, uh, parks work.

Okay. I just want to remind my fellow commission members that if you cannot make the meeting, please let staff know right away. It's important for us to make sure that we have a quorum at our meetings so we can, um, cure these agenda items and manage them accordingly.

Thank you everyone for responding on such short notice. Thank you.

Do we have any other business to attend to? No, that is the last item. All right. With that, I'll adjourn the meeting and we'll see you all on the 18th. All right. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you.