04-12-2022 PRHSPSC MINS
K:\PRHSPS Committee\2022\04-12-2022 Minutes.doc
City of Federal Way
City Council
PARKS, RECREATION, HUMAN SERVICES & PUBLIC SAFETY COUNCIL COMMITTEE
Tuesday, April 12, 2022
5:00 p.m.
SUMMARY
Committee Members Present: Chair Walsh and Council member Assefa-Dawson
Committee Members Excused: Council member Norton
Council Members Present: Council President Kochmar and Deputy Mayor Honda
Staff Members Present: Joanna Eide, Assistant City Attorney, Commander Ray Bunk, Autumn
Gressett, Contract Administrator, John Hutton, Parks Director and Mary Jaenicke, Administrative
Assistant II.
Chair Walsh called the meeting to order at 5:00pm
BUSINESS ITEMS
Approval of Minutes
Committee member Assefa-Dawson motioned to approve the March 8, 2022 minutes as written.
Chair Walsh seconded. Motion passed.
Northwest Thermal Hydronics, LLC Retainage Release
Staff Gressett stated that Parks staff is requesting that City Council accept the project to replace the water
heaters at the Federal Way Community Center as complete and authorize staff to release the retainage.
Committee member Assefa-Dawson asked how long the water heaters last. Staff Gressett answered that
she was unsure but she would let Council know prior to the City Council meeting. Committee member
Assefa-Dawson moved to forward accepting the water heater replacement at the Federal Way
Community Center as complete and authorize staff to release the $2,250.00 retainage to the April
19, 2022 consent agenda for approval. Chair Walsh seconded. Motion Passed.
Amendment No. 2 to the Pierce Transit Extra Duty Police Services Agreement
Commander Bunk provided the background information. The City entered into an agreement with Pierce
Transit for Federal Way police officers to work extra duty at various Pierce Transit stations and facilities
in Federal Way. The Federal Way Police Department is increasing the billing to Pierce Transit by 5.7%
to cover increases in 2022 and there will be an additional increase of 5.2% in 2023. Committee member
Assefa-Dawson moved to forward the proposed Amendment to the April 19, 2022 consent agenda
for approval. Chair Walsh seconded. Motion passed.
Acceptance of Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs Officer Wellness Program
Grant Funds.
Commander Bunk provided the background information. The Federal Way Police Department will
receive a grant in the amount of $18,200 from the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs.
The grant will support mental wellness by providing a Mental Health Professional (MHP) on site to meet
with police officers and civilian staff. In 2021 the second ranking cause of death to officers was suicide.
The MHP will be there approximately four hours a week on average. Committee member Assefa-
Dawson stated that this is a very important issue and asked if there were other ways to increase the
funding. Commander Bunk stated that if this program is successful he will come back and ask the City
Council for more funding. Committee member Assefa-Dawson moved to forward the WASPC Grant
Agreement to the April 19, 2022 consent agenda for approval. Chair Walsh seconded. Motion
passed.
PARKS, RECREATION, HUMAN SERVICES & PUBLIC SAFETY COUNCIL COMMITTEE
Tuesday, April 12, 2022 Summary
Page 2
Agreement Between the Washington Traffic Safety Commission (WTSC) and the Federal Way
Police Department to Provide Grant Funding for Traffic Enforcement
Commander Bunk provided the background information. The WTSC created a walker/roller grant; they
want police officers to focus on pedestrian violations. The emphasis will be on changing the behaviors of
people riding hover boards, skateboards and electric scooters to reduce collisions with motor vehicles.
This is a $5,000 grant and it will be utilized by the Traffic Unit and the focus will be on Hwy 99.
Committee member Assefa-Dawson moved to forward the WTSC Grant Agreement to the April
19, 2022, City Council consent agenda for approval. Chair Walsh seconded. Motion passed.
Ordinance: Reckless Use of Fentanyl in Public Spaces
Staff Eide presented the proposed ordinance regarding the reckless use of Fentanyl in public spaces. Staff
Eide’s presentation included information on Fentanyl. It’s a synthetic opioid usually used to treat
patients with chronic or severe pain after surgery. It’s similar to morphine, but a lot more potent.
Fentanyl has become a large part of the illicit drug market because of its potency and availability, it’s
also very cheap to produce. Two milligrams of fentanyl can be fatal; in 2020 fentanyl was the drug that
was most involved in overdoses in Washington state. There has been an increase of people smoking it
instead of ingesting it other ways. Staff Eide reviewed the proposed ordinance; it’s a gross misdemeanor
offense that is specific for the reckless use of Fentanyl in public places. It’s punishable by up to 364 days
in jail, a $5,000 fine, or combination of both; these are the standard penalties that are associated with a
gross misdemeanor crime. The ordinance also defines what a “public space” is. The ordinance is based
on a legal theory similar to the reckless endangerment state law. Staff Eide’s presentation was followed
up with questions from the Committee members and Council. There was discussion on why the
ordinance specified Fentanyl; should the ordinance address smoking any illegal drugs? Staff Eide
answered that the problem is that this ordinance is constructed following the same legal theory as
reckless endangerment and in order for a person to be found guilty of reckless endangerment there has to
be a risk or an actual occurrence of serious injury or death of another person by the activity that that
person is engaging in. The reason why Fentanyl is being focused on is because of its potency level and its
rapid increase of being widely available on the illicit market, widely available in public and the increase
of people smoking Fentanyl generally and in public places. Deputy Mayor Honda and Committee
member Assefa-Dawson both stated that they have concerns with this ordinance. They do not want to
have something on the books that the City won’t be able to enforce. Staff Eide stated that it was
constructed to be enforceable given the elements of the offense that were written into the ordinance and
the way it follows the theory of reckless endangerment. Committee member Assefa-Dawson moved
to forward the proposed ordinance to First Reading on the April 19, 2022, Council meeting agenda.
Chair Walsh seconded. Motion passed.
Other Business
None
NEXT REGULAR MEETING
May 10, 2022
ADJOURNMENT
Meeting adjourned at 6:11 p.m.