The Yelm City Council authorized Mayor JW Foster to sign a public services agreement to complete construction phase one of a new dog park, along with an access road on the same site, for $191,100.

The city of Yelm plans to use Barcott Construction to construct a gravel access road at a city-owned parcel of land located on the east side of Rhoton Road in Yelm. During the construction, an independent contractor will provide grading for a new dog park on the parcel.

“What we plan to do is to build the dog park in two phases,” said Project Manager Patrick Hughes at the meeting. “The first phase will include building a gravel roadway to provide construction access for our upcoming water reclamation facility project and also preliminary grading for the dog park. Phase two will see the construction of the remainder of the dog park.”

The gravel access road will be about 800 feet long and 22 feet wide.

Site work will include ditch grading, a bioretention swale, culverts, site grading of approximately 750 cubic yards of stockpiled soil, erosion control, a 20 foot double chain link gate and fence supports.

The work is planned to be completed 20 working days past the city’s Oct. 12 notice of award for the contract, with construction set to begin seven days after the notice.

Councilmember Joe DePinto asked when phase two of the project would be completed, to which Hughes said construction could begin in spring of 2022.

Also at the meeting, the council authorized Foster to sign an interlocal agreement with Thurston County for geographic information systems (GIS) data sharing.

The city and the county have a responsibility for land use planning, infrastructure development, transportation management and resource management within the boundaries of the city of Yelm and its urban growth area, Hughes said. Both organizations use GIS or other spatial information technology to complete the work.

Hughes told the council there is a public benefit to the parties sharing GIS data for cost savings.

The city council also approved the rezoning of two parcels on Railway Road from “industrial” to “moderate density residential,” with city staff and the planning commission both recommending the approval.

As part of a Yelm Comprehensive Plan update, council discussed a package of possible amendments to the unified development code in the Yelm Municipal Code.

Amendments included the allowance of chain link fencing throughout the city, the allowance of drive-thru windows in the central business district for non food or drink items and an increased-density allowance for residential uses in certain commercial zones.

The residential uses and commercial zones change would allow for 32 apartment units per acre as part of a mixed use development, with no more than 66.6% of a parcel being residential, said Landon Hawes, Yelm building and planning manager.

Mixed-use developments would require a minimum of 30% of the commercial-use part of a parcel to be constructed before the residential part is completed, Hawes said. The infrastructure of any remaining commercial development must also be constructed.

The change would not affect the central business district, Hawes said.

The amendments are “part of an effort to create zoning and regulatory flexibility for the citizens of Yelm,” stated the council agenda packet.

The city council chose not to pass the package of amendments with a 4-2 vote. Councilmember Molly Carmody was absent.

Councilmembers Tracey Wood, Holy Smith and James Blair voted against the measure because the amendments were proposed as part of a package and the council wants the planning commission to make some changes to the recommendations. Changes include removing landscaping requirements for those wishing to erect chain link fencing.

Councilmember Terry Kaminski, on the other hand, voted “no” in part because she was against the allowance of chain link fencing in Yelm.

DePinto said he voted in favor of the amendments because some of the businesses most affected by the amendments need them to go through as soon as possible. Councilmember EJ Curry also voted to approve the measure.

At the meeting, Yelm Finance Director Stephanie Dice also gave a presentation on the city’s initial work on its 2021-22 mid-biennium budget.

Retail sales tax is about a third of the city’s revenues in 2022, with property tax bringing in an additional 22% of the revenue and utility tax amounting to 17%. The criminal justice tax, business and occupation tax, intergovernmental monies and charges for services as well as licenses and payments represent roughly the final quarter of the city’s revenues.

Property tax for 2022 is expected to bring the city about $1.5 million in 2022. The first public hearing on the 2022 ad valorem property taxes will be held on Oct. 26 and the second will be held on Nov. 2.

Also on Nov. 2, the city will hold the first public hearing on the preliminary mid-biennium budget ordinance, with the second hearing scheduled for Nov. 23.

Dice said the city is focusing on attracting, retaining and investing in employees as well as achieving a minimum general fund ending balance that equates to 15% of annual expenditures.