[{"_1":2,"_98":-5,"_99":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6234979,"mediaKeyId","3408097-4148303c13f24b3e90f570bbb3374fc7","parentId",3408097,"title","Lake Forest Park council debates limited, six‑year property tax levy to shore up public safety and public works","audioSeconds",3267,"startMs",1037000,"endMs",4304000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3408097-4148303c13f24b3e90f570bbb3374fc7&start=1037&end=4304","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3408097-4148303c13f24b3e90f570bbb3374fc7/thumbnail_1037000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6234979/Lake-Forest-Park/King-County/Washington/Lake-Forest-Park-council-debates-limited-sixyear-property-tax-levy-to-shore-up-public-safety-and-public-works","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6234979-fe815125830580e2ec93c052a9d28ab6/orig.mp4?Expires=1776232240&Signature=QEnOziQkAoUnqKGnzlY-iKMsswyuTIrLGoRJxGFOgsFrQ24lKACuvuJwdSNHKEXeeBf3hgH4sHjHmY6W~pv1iCn2XYQN9cda4osUSBSUleV4KJSekRY2yhi-MbkKzL5gXBngUFTr5eUiVHJu6upRpLr4Dmx8Tu9fchEIVgdfUApIa2h88-uTA4AauDx7Q-gt4wVxzC1F66QMJOso34~Fdj1OcEC84webkhjkGJmFr8l5e2gezcQKmmmS34mye8hDHcnKFK15lioCho9vS0YaSNYby9~40TKmr~MWzRHBhms2I0NhufvYVGesRy5Ob9STVwaL0cWfu7rlK6mToN2~TA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Lake Forest Park, WA","date","2025-05-20T17:44:55.65Z","article","Deputy Mayor Furutani presented a proposal on May 19 for a six‑year, time‑limited property tax levy intended to slow the city’s projected erosion of its general fund balance and cover rising public safety and public works costs.

\"If you do that calculation, it's a fairly straightforward calculation...it would end up, generating about 1 and a half little over 1 and a half million dollars in revenue yearly,\" Deputy Mayor Furutani said, outlining a sample 32¢ per $1,000 levy rate and saying the levy would be indexed to inflation after the initial increase.

Why it matters: City staff and council members said growth in 911 dispatch, jail costs, insurance, prosecutor/public defender fees, training and the cost of recruiting and retaining police officers are primary drivers of the structural gap in the general fund. The levy concept is intended to fund three vacant police officer positions and seasonal parks maintenance among other core services.

Council reaction and requests: Councilmembers generally agreed a financing solution is needed but differed on timing and messaging. Councilmember Riddle and others asked staff for a clear household cost example; Finance Director Lindsey Vaughn and City Administrator Hill were asked to provide what the levy would translate to for typical homes and to compute how long current unallocated contingency would sustain operations if the city delayed a levy.

Councilmember Riddle asked for household impact calculations; a subsequent calculation presented by a councilmember during the meeting estimated a $320 annual increase for a $1,000,000 home at the 32¢ rate. Finance Director Lindsey Vaughn is preparing a more precise analysis, including a projection of when the city's fund balance would hit the minimum reserve under current trends.

Council members proposed alternatives and considerations: suggestions included narrowing a potential levy strictly to public safety items, structuring a ramp‑up so the levy phases in while preserving some unallocated contingency, or postponing a levy until more detailed outreach and data are available. Mayor French and several councilmembers emphasized that reserves exist for emergencies but that long‑term pressures are unlikely to abate.

Public comments before the discussion reflected fiscal concern: Alan Keyes told council members they have a \"dual responsibility\" to city government and residents and urged caution about asking voters for a tax increase amid broader economic uncertainty. Jack Tonkin urged sharper internal cuts — suggesting reductions in consultant spending — as another way to find savings.

Next steps and staff direction: The council did not vote on a levy. Staff were directed to develop more detailed materials for public engagement, including: a household cost table for sample home values, a projection showing when reserves/unallocated contingency would be exhausted at current spending trajectories, and options that would limit levy revenues to specified categories (for example, public safety only). Deputy Mayor Furutani said she will refine the one‑page summary and staff will plan community outreach before any ballot measure decision.

The Committee of the Whole scheduled further deliberations and asked Finance Director Vaughn to return with the requested fiscal projections and household impacts.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","May 19, 2025 Committee of the Whole","oneSentenceSummary","Deputy Mayor Furutani presented a proposal on May 19 for a six‑year, time‑limited property tax levy intended to slow the city’s projected erosion of its general fund balance and cover rising public safety and public works costs.","taxTitle","Lake Forest Park, King County, Washington","taxId",71686,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6234984,"Lake Forest Park staff recommend switching permit tracking to iWORKS; council seeks added contract details",141,629000,770000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3408097-4148303c13f24b3e90f570bbb3374fc7&start=629&end=770","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3408097-4148303c13f24b3e90f570bbb3374fc7/thumbnail_629000.jpg","/articles/6234984/Lake-Forest-Park/King-County/Washington/Lake-Forest-Park-staff-recommend-switching-permit-tracking-to-iWORKS-council-seeks-added-contract-details","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6234984-f6c585f0759935bc0b8e2c72896962d7/orig.mp4?Expires=1776232241&Signature=R4YCZvTlQRop43K4mRySiGW~wchAv2H5be7CmTnrwiZmunBhGpakEALP3N7U59LbL645SB9vnrEocGAeF4iVtST92B8NJf2uc4E5~Ncdr0199zyN5R6sxrk1QhcVVlzAej1XJt732rUJqWJRZl~k8n7b6IkQ08IX-bXwcOd35Miydgo9WrW4aOkVDIgkTERilHcgsu6p68kGADXvzuXJzF8PaHq9e9o6DyKRQrL2ZVjf6ChlQF6tcNCqYmoqXxKm9aIusqbtIAuemV954UtbohyBugR8agAUncvRBDNe8cjWnWsaX5273CEM71krey~LvMm2XCRbaZPxMOkM7oVI0g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Community Development Director Mark Hoffman told the Committee of the Whole on May 19 that the city plans to move its permit‑tracking functions to iWORKS and is seeking authorization for the mayor to sign a three‑year professional services agreement.

The proposal would replace a mix of Exela, Avicet and Elavon systems with a single vendor iWORKS for building, planning and right‑of‑way permits. \"Currently, we use a combination of Exela, Avicet, and Elavon to perform that function,\" Hoffman said. He told the committee that iWORKS is \"right sized\" for a small, primarily residential city going digital and that the vendor described daily off‑site backups and a plan to restore operations within 24 hours after an event.

Why it matters: City staff said the change would centralize permit workflows, reduce paper processing and produce cost savings in ongoing operations. Council members expressed support in principle but requested clearer contract language before formal authorization.

Councilmember Liebeau asked that the resolution explicitly include the contract term and price for administrative clarity; Hoffman agreed to add the term and the dollar amount to the resolution for the council packet. Councilmember Riddle asked whether the system is sized to meet the city's needs over time; Hoffman responded the current draft is a three‑year term paid annually and that he does not anticipate the city outgrowing the system for the foreseeable future.

The item was introduced to the Committee of the Whole and scheduled for council consideration on May 22. No formal committee vote was recorded at the May 19 meeting; the presentation and the requested clarifications were the primary outcomes of the discussion. Hoffman said, if authorized, staff would begin a three‑month implementation process that includes workflow setup, data migration and staff training.

Details cited at the meeting: Hoffman said iWORKS maintains off‑site backups and that \"within 24 hours of an event, we will be up and running again.\" He also noted that there is no connection between iWORKS and city drives. Councilmembers encouraged staff to include the contract term and cost in the version submitted for council authorization.

Next steps: Staff will update the resolution to include the contract term and dollar amount and present the agreement for council action at the May 22 council meeting.","Community Development Director Mark Hoffman presented a proposal to move the city’s permit tracking from multiple vendors to iWORKS under a three‑year professional services agreement; council members asked that the contract include term and dollar amount language before final authorization.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6234973,"Lake Forest Park schedules special meetings for middle‑housing code deliberations; June 30 state deadline looms",0,4305000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3408097-4148303c13f24b3e90f570bbb3374fc7&start=4305&end=4305","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3408097-4148303c13f24b3e90f570bbb3374fc7/thumbnail_4305000.jpg","/articles/6234973/Lake-Forest-Park/King-County/Washington/Lake-Forest-Park-schedules-special-meetings-for-middlehousing-code-deliberations-June-30-state-deadline-looms","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6234973-9f776718796bb205b958104bb951b91e/orig.mp4?Expires=1776232241&Signature=Qbvo7j38yokk8wPpaygOQ1ZfVKx6Ax-B9XhTdoxBKmrG33C-zRPPsvL0SdSC72p2DtspxF-uqIubgPu-OR-CoiMOCizOt5KdgKXsau73UfQIRNsH3rCGxeoJtNRoF9t5EfEvtP3WEmZ-80IjjO2MFQNt4MHX9SCHv172bcX3j6ZHTwxHwIvJaCKLwPaZKJdWev12wJHyGgYKz3v933Uhn8gn6mmVDcBRONeWLU1MNxo6hZi2djzhLOWTLaa94zFqLo~mAgZi8TnHqLpOG0QgTNx1yszlktPmqjrU4l4kuefchEYTzSBKmp~cyQEhQ0gccy3389Mz089KizYY5d9TOw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Director of Community Development Mark Hoffman told the Committee of the Whole on May 19 that the city is preparing local code amendments to implement the Department of Commerce model ordinance for middle housing and accessory dwelling units.

Hoffman summarized the required changes as aligning Lake Forest Park's code with the state mandate for tier‑3 cities: \"The biggest change ... you no longer are limited to 1 primary dwelling unit and 1 accessory dwelling unit permitted by rent. The options ... are 2 scenarios. 1, you could have 2 primary dwelling units or duplex by definition, or you could have 1 primary dwelling unit and 2 accessory dwelling units,\" he said. Hoffman emphasized the amendments are market‑rate development allowances and that critical areas and tree protections remain in force.

Why it matters: State law requires local adoption of middle‑housing provisions; the Department of Commerce model ordinance takes effect July 1 if a jurisdiction has not enacted compliant regulations. The city must act before that date to adopt its locally tailored code.

Schedule and outreach: The committee agreed to an introductory council presentation on May 22, followed by a staff‑led special council deliberation on June 9, a public hearing at the regular meeting on June 12, and a possible additional deliberation on June 16 if significant public comment requires further council action. Staff indicated June 26 and June 30 are possible dates for final council action if needed to meet the statutory timeline.

Staff and planning commission role: Hoffman said the planning commission focused on the minimum state mandates and put other policy ideas (for example, affordable housing tools) into a \"parking lot\" for future discussion. He also said SCJ (consultant) work is part of the record but that planning staff will be the principal presenter to council for these meetings.

Next steps: Council members asked for a redline copy of the affected code sections and said staff should continue outreach, including website postings and targeted notices. Hoffman said the full set of amendments is lengthy (roughly 80–85 pages) and that staff will post materials to the city website and make them available for council and public review ahead of the scheduled meetings.","Council and staff set a schedule for considering middle‑housing code amendments that implement the state Department of Commerce model ordinance: introduction May 22, a special council deliberation on June 9, a public hearing June 12, and potential follow‑up June 16 to allow final action before the late‑June deadline.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Lake Forest Park council debates limited, six‑year property tax levy to shore up public safety and public works

Lake Forest Park staff recommend switching permit tracking to iWORKS; council seeks added contract details

Lake Forest Park schedules special meetings for middle‑housing code deliberations; June 30 state deadline looms