You can look at projects that are currently being worked on in Bellevue via the following link. Over 16,000 permits were issued in 2021. Projects that year amounted to over $1B in construction value. buildingbellevue.bellevuewa.gov
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Staff note that higher development caseload, combined with more complex projects, longer times to hire staff, and new hires not having as much experience as what's needed to immediately jump into complex projects, is creating challenges.
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Majority of requested staff would be inspectors. Staff say there would be significant impact to experience of customers if the positions, which would be funded exclusively through development fees, were not to be approved. These positions would add 10-20% capacity to these teams.
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DM Nieuwenhuis wants more info on if 12 positions are enough for the next 4-5 years and if that position split is right for what they need. Staff believe their process in coming up w/ these numbers is "quite reliable." This is meant to address immediate need.
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CM Zahn: wants to know what FTE need will look like over next couple of years. Says it would be helpful to have a sustainability position within the department to support its work. Staff say that incorporating sustainability would require support from the City's General Fund.
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CM Lee, again citing the importance of technology, is asking if further investments in technology are needed to help streamline the process. Also echoes desire from other CMs to understand what anticipated future need is.
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Staff say they're looking to the next budgeting process for funding for any additional staffing or technology investments that are needed.
CM Stokes wants further discussions on what incorporating sustainability into everything the city does could look like.
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CM Robertson asks why these positions are FTEs and not LTEs (Limited Term Employment). Staff say recruiting for LTE positions has not been as successful. Would be interested in adding a code drafter position in the future. Staff say that would have to be funded from General Fund.
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Supports incorporating anticipated staffing needs into budget discussions later this year.
Mayor Robinson: appreciates the positions being fee-supported and lauds staff for the virtual permit portal.
Motion passes unanimously, the 12 FTE positions are approved.
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Final agenda item is on the Council meeting format and allowing CMs and commissioners to still participate remotely even after work returns in-person.
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This predates my time of live-tweeting Council meetings, but before COVID, Council had 3 different meeting structures on different days of the month.
Since COVID, Council's used the same meeting format for each meeting, allowing study session discussions to occur at all meetings
Staff say Council meetings are expected to return to in-person meetings starting April 18th, and they're recommending Council maintain the one meeting format, as it allows for more flexibility on what they're able to discuss in a given week.
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CM Robertson supports moving to one-agenda format, saying it's made things more efficient during COVID. Seems to oppose having hybrid in-person and virtual meetings, saying that it's been "hard" for other cities to implement and that remote participation would be "disruptive."
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Would only want remote participation of boards & commissioners to be allowed by specific Council resolution, such as if there's another public emergency or if a particular member is deployed. Mayor wants answers to Robertson's questions put on hold until next part of presentation
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CM Zahn asks if public will still be allowed to comment remotely, staff say that current WA order is to allow for hybrid meetings and remote public participation. Citing all the work Council has to do, Zahn supports also meeting the 5th Monday of the months that have one.
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CM Lee has concerns with leaving the 3-meeting process that the city's used for a while. Says extended study sessions allow for CM discussion that is reflective of public involvement. Wants an option that maintains ability for extensive dialogues.
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DM Nieuwenhuis says that the 1-agenda format seems to allow for the same amount of work and dialogue, just in a different format. Staff confirms 1-agenda format still allows for robust study session discussion. DM supports a future check-in to make sure format still works.
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Mayor Robinson supports one-agenda format, wants to keep 5th Mondays free, saying that the Council can always add the meeting if needed.
CM Lee appreciates DM's comments and will support the motion.
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Meeting format motion passes unanimously, now looking at rules about remote participation. Before COVID, CMs and boardmembers could only participate remotely w/ body's approval and only up to 4 times/year.
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Restrictions on CMs would reinstate when in-person meetings start, but not restrictions on boards.
Therefore, Council would need to take action if they want to impose restrictions on boardmember being remote OR if they want to remove CM restrictions on remote participation.
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A summary of the different actions that Council could take this evening. Boards and commissions could also decide for themselves what rules they want around remote participation.
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Mayor Robinson notes that mobility & childcare concerns have limited some people's participation on boards & commissions. Supports option 3 above in leaving it up to individual boards. DM Nieuwenhuis supports flexibility for boards, but wants to implement previous rules for CMs.
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CM Lee appreciates the convenience of remote meetings, but says that being together is "the most important thing because [with remote meetings] you miss a lot of intangibles." Seems mixed on allowing boards & commissions to have remote participation of members.
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CM Barksdale is curious how the rules were arrived at before. "We're all adults...we can leave that flexibility. What matters more is that people are participating, instead of stipulating how they participate." Notes barriers that expectations for in-person can create.
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CM Zahn says it's about creating a space for inclusion & flexibility. Has concerns about leaving it to boards & commissions to decide if those values aren't driving the conversation.
CM Stokes would want it to be consistent across all boards and commissions.
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CM Robertson again says that hybrid meetings are difficult to manage, with people not knowing when they should speak or interrupting. Boards and commissions have a lot to deliver on, she says. "If we're going back in person, we're going back in person."
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She's also framing it as an issue of accountability and effectiveness, saying people on the phone might not be looking at the presentation or feel as accountable to their colleagues or the public. Would only support exceptions to that for medical exceptions w/ Council approval.
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Mayor Robinson says the technology has improved to where it won't be like previous phone meetings that were difficult to manage. Thinks the city is missing out on a lot of people from applying to serve by not enabling remote participation.
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DM Nieuwenhuis believes it needs to be consistent across boards & commissions, but agrees with Mayor that barriers prevent some people from even applying to positions. Seems to want in-person to be the default, but allowing flexibility for remote participation.
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CM Lee echoes CM Robertson comments around accountability. Supports her proposal but also wants to involve boards & commissions in the decision-making process.
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CM Barksdale says the Council is conflating "attendance with participation" and that members are still accountable even participating remotely. Says the city can learn from other cities that are doing hybrid meetings, like Redmond.
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CM Zahn: "I think about focusing on outcomes and not butts in seats." Says establishing expectations for what city needs from boardmembers does not preclude allowing for flexible participation. "I believe we can figure this out and create space for inclusion that hybrid allows."
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City Clerk says that staff have been working "for months" on implementing the technology to allow for hybrid participation of the public and is confident it could work for CMs and boardmembers. So yeah, this should be a no-brainer.
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CM Stokes questions the optics of Council participating remotely right now and making a decision to not allow boards and commissioners to do the same. Says that not allowing remote participation would shut out so many people and that the city isn't "walking the talk."
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Importantly, CM Robertson, who is most strongly in support of mandating a strict return to in-person with only case-by-case exceptions, has herself had her video off this whole meeting because she's feeling under the weather.
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CM Robertson brings it back to accountability and her support for allowing for medical exceptions. But it's important to note that when the default is for in-person meetings, that's going to make it so a lot of people don't even *apply* to the positions.
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Now citing how when she was on the planning commission, she brought her baby and young children to the meeting, "because it was really important that I was accountable to staff, my colleagues, and the public."
Again, not seeing how remote == unaccountable.
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CM Zahn wants to make sure Council is looking at accountability "not as showing up in person, but at participation & engagement." CM Stokes noting it's not just about people already on a body, but about people who might be good on a commission that have a situation hindering them
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CM Lee seems to be saying that he supports the city living its values, but wants to make sure it's doing so in the way that's getting the most bang for the buck, doesn't know if devoting this much time to this one small issue is worthwhile to larger goals of equity & inclusion.
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Final motion is for Council to allow for up to 3 boardmembers & commissioners to participate remotely at a given meeting, with a lookback in a year to gauge effectiveness. 6 supporters, CM Lee abstains, which counts as a yes vote.
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With that, meeting adjourns! Certainly an interesting discussion to cap off the night. Again, can't get past the irony of the CM with her video off being the one to strongly push for all-return to all-in person w/ exceptions, instead of allowing flexibility be the default.
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