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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017-07-10 City Council Minutes Approved City Council Minutes—July 10,2017 Mayor Laurie Gere called to order the regular Anacortes City Council meeting of July 10,2017 at 6:00 p.m. Councilmembers Eric Johnson,Ryan Walters,Erica Pickett,Brad Adams,Liz Lovelett,Bruce McDougall and Matt Miller were present. The assembly joined in the Pledge of Allegiance. Announcements and Committee Reports Mayor's Award of Merit Presentation to Nicole Johnston: Mayor Gere read a statement recognizing Recreation Manager Nicole Johnston to whom the mayor had presented the Award of Merit at the recent ribbon cutting for the Storvik Park Spray Pad. 4th of July Celebration Report: Parks &Recreation Director Gary Robinson reported on the 4th of July patriotic program,town photo,parade,Rock the Dock concert and fireworks display. He thanked the many staff members, community volunteers and donors who made the annual celebration such a success. Mr. Robinson's slide presentation was added to the packet materials for the meeting. Appointment of Virginia(Bunny)Heiner to the Historic Preservation Board: Mayor Gere asked Council to confirm her appointment of Virginia(Bunny)Heiner to the Historic Preservation Board for a term ending December 31,2019. Mr. Johnson moved, seconded by Ms. Lovelett,to confirm the appointment of Ms. Heiner to the Anacortes Historic Preservation Board. The motion passed unanimously by voice vote. Public Comment Chuck Bush, 2308 Forest View Lane, encouraged Council to fight the WSDOT roundabout plan for Sharpes Corner. Mr. Bush reported that westbound traffic in the left lane of SR20 was recently backed up to the Ford dealership. He said WSDOT was pushing a roundabout in order to avoid a more expensive alternative improvement but said that the money spent on the roundabout would not solve the traffic problem at that intersection. Mr. Bush suggested that more lanes were needed to accommodate the traffic volume. He said he would rather see the intersection stay the way it was until Olympia could be convinced to fund a better solution, such as a one-lane westbound overpass to southbound SR20. Ms. Pickett asked if Mr. Bush had been able to attend any of the WSDOT open houses about the project. He said he had not. Ms. Pickett acknowledged skepticism about roundabouts locally. Anthony Young,2020 27th Place,representing neighbors along 27th Place,requested Council to instruct staff to allow the neighbors to move forward with selective tree removal in the Native Growth Protection Easement adjacent to their properties consistent with preliminary plat conditions and a June 15,2017 letter of approval from Planning Director Don Measamer. He distributed copies of referenced documents which were added to the packet materials for the meeting. Mr. Young read from minutes of the September 15, 2003 City Council meeting approving the Pleasant Slope Addition Preliminary Plat. Mr. Young indicated that a resident of adjoining Creekside Village had objected to the selective tree removal plan prepared by a professional arborist and that Parks&Recreation staff were reluctant to allow tree removal pending consensus among all neighbors. Mr. Walters and Mayor Gere explained that the cited 2003 agreement between Vintage Investments, Inc. and Creekside Village Homeowners Association was an agreement between private parties over which City Council did not have enforcement jurisdiction. Brad Fox,2014 27th Place, said that the Parks Department was controlling tree removal in the NGPE and that the 27th Place neighbors simply wanted to re-establish their views according to the agreement in place when the plat was developed. Anacortes City Council Minutes July 10,2017 1 Mr. Johnson requested a staff report on the matter. Mayor Gere indicated she would discuss the issue further with the Planning Director. Consent Agenda Mr. Johnson moved, seconded by Ms. Lovelett,to approve the following Consent Agenda items. The motion passed unanimously by voice vote. a. Minutes of June 26, 2017 b. Approval of Claims in the amount of. $580,545.75 c. Resolution 1990: Authorizing the Write-Off of Miscellaneous Billing Balances Deemed Uncollectible d. Contract Modification: Heart Lake Road Cape Seal(17-006-TRN-001) The following vouchers/checks were approved for payment: EFT numbers: 85523 through 85593,total$341,806.24 Check numbers: 85512 through 85522 and 85594 through 85647,total $100,602.60 Wire transfer numbers: 217595 through 218378,total $6,197.70 OTHER BUSINESS Samish Indian Nation Land Conveyance Act Samish Tribal Chairman Tom Wooten,2300 33rd Street,requested Council support of HR 2320 to take seventeen properties totaling 96.67 acres of land owned by the tribe into trust status for non-gaming purposes for the benefit of the tribe. Chairman Wooten summarized the history of the effort to convert the land to trust status,both before the Bureau of Indian Affairs and before Congress. His slide presentation was added to the packet materials for the evening. Mr. Wooten displayed the properties in question,two of which totaling approximately 1.5 acres were inside the Anacortes city limits. He noted the gaming prohibition included in the bill and said the intended uses for the land would not change. He concluded that HR 2320 had been repeatedly introduced by Representative Rick Larsen who had suggested letters of support from neighboring jurisdictions. In response to questions from Mr. Miller and Mr. Walters, Chairman Wooten indicated the tribe's intent to continue to abide by its interlocal agreement with Anacortes regarding provision of services and payment in lieu of taxes. Mr. Walters encouraged beginning preparation of a successor interlocal as the 2003 agreement would expire in 2023. In response to a question from Mr. McDougall, Chairman Wooten advised that in spite of language accommodations neighboring tribes were likely to continue to oppose passage of HR 2320. Mayor Gere invited members of the audience to comment on this agenda item.No one present wished to address the Council. Mr. Johnson moved, seconded by Ms. Pickett, to authorize the mayor to sign the letters included in the Council packet in support of HR 2320 to Senator Maria Cantwell, Senator Patty Murray and Representative Rick Larsen.Vote: Ayes—Walters,Pickett,Adams,Lovelett,McDougall,Miller and Johnson. Motion carried. Community Action of Skagit County 2016 Impact Report Bill Henkel,Executive Director of Community Action,reported on the agency's service to Anacortes residents over the preceding year. His handouts were added to the packet materials for the meeting. Mr. Anacortes City Council Minutes July 10,2017 2 Henkel thanked Mayor Gere,Mr. Johnson and Anacortes resident Cory Ertel for serving on the agency's board. He complimented Anacortes on its open and inclusive governmental process and expressed support for the current effort to develop a community resource center in town. Mr. Henkel shared success stories from the Senior and Disabled Volunteer Services program in Anacortes,then presented highlights from the Anacortes and Skagit County Impact Reports for 2016. He described the project to acquire a new building in Burlington to allow Community Action to provide safety, confidentiality, and discretion to its clients including children and enhance co-location for other social service providers serving the same client base. Mr. Henkel emphasized the way Community Action was able to partner with Anacortes and its service providers including the Anacortes Family Center to most efficiently serve those in need. Ms. Lovelett and Mr. Johnson thanked Mr. Henkel for Community Action's services and collaboration. Resolution 1989: Heart Lake Aquatic Vegetation Management Plan Mr. Robinson presented a draft resolution outlining a non-binding policy concerning budget allocation for Heart Lake milfoil and algae management as requested by Council at its June 19,2017 meeting. He summarized the history of the quarry and Conservation Easement Program(CEP) funds. Mr. Robinson reported that the approximately$2M in the CEP fund generates about$20K annually and that approximately$40K of combined quarry revenue and CEP interest were spent annually on forestlands operations. Mr. Robinson recommended that Council reserve the majority of those funds for future acquisitions. Mr. Robinson responded to councilmember questions about the projected ongoing costs of the vegetation management. Ms. Lovelett asked that the policy explicitly address which portions of the work would be performed in house and which portions would be contracted out. Parks and Forestland Operations Manager Jonn Lunsford elaborated on the expected annual treatments. Mr. Walters asked how funds identified in the policy would be set aside for vegetation management. Finance Director Steve Hoglund advised that a separate cash account could be established in Fund 113. Mayor Gere invited members of the audience to comment on this agenda item. Brian Wetcher, 814 26th Street,recounted the history of the creation and management of the quarry and forest endowment funds. Mr. Wetcher argued against using Conservation Easement Program donations to fund vegetation management at Heart Lake and supported using the quarry fund for such capital projects but allocating general funds as well to keep the quarry fund healthy for future needs. No other members of the public wished to address Council on this topic. Mr. Miller supported the draft resolution and asked that the project be added to the Capital Facilities Plan. Mr. Johnson asked what would happen to quarry revenues when that agreement expired in 2025. Mr. Robinson said the contract might or might not be extended. Councilmembers discussed with Mr. Robinson the ongoing planning efforts for parks and the revisions to those plans over time. Ms. Lovelett emphasized the large number of other parks projects desired by the public. Mr.Adams observed that both the conditions of acquiring Heart Lake from the state and the recommendation from the Forest Advisory Board called for managing the lake for recreational purposes. Mr. Adams moved, seconded by Mr. Johnson,to approve Resolution 1989 as presented. Mr. Walters moved, seconded by Ms. Lovelett,to amend Section C of draft Resolution 1989 to strike "From City Funds other than the Quarry Funds or monies typically allocated for Parks and Recreation purposes"and leave"In future biennia through 2028:".Vote: Ayes—Pickett,Adams,Lovelett, McDougall,Miller,Johnson and Walters. Motion carried. Vote on amended motion: Ayes—Adams,McDougall,Miller,Johnson and Pickett,Nays—Lovelett and Walters. Motion carried. Anacortes City Council Minutes July 10,2017 3 Climate Chante Preparation and Response Mayor Gere explained that Transition Fidalgo had requested that the Council sign an open letter to the international community and parties to the Paris Agreement from U.S. state,local,and business leaders. In preparation for a discussion of that request,the mayor asked Public Works Director Fred Buckenmeyer to summarize the green initiatives undertaken and planned by the city to date. Mr. Buckenmeyer distributed copies of his slide presentation,prepared by Conservation Manager Russ Pittis,which was added to the packet materials for the meeting. He summarized the city's many initiatives to achieve energy savings, carbon emission reduction and climate adaptation including boiler and lighting retrofits, installation of PV solar panels on three city buildings, active participation in the PSE Green Power Challenge and Georgetown University Energy Prize competitions,resource conservation public outreach programs, operating hybrid,propane powered and all electric fleet vehicles,and enrolling in the PSE Green Direct wind energy program to make municipal building electrical use carbon neutral. Mr. Johnson asked that the very informative slide presentation be posted on the city website. Mr. McDougall asked staff to calculate the tons of carbon emissions saved by the city's combined efforts. Several councilmembers noted that the energy conservation initiatives also saved taxpayer dollars. Mr. McDougall,Mr. Walters,Ms. Pickett and Mr. Johnson supported signing the open letter. Mr. Adams and Mr. Miller were very supportive of the local conservation initiatives but not inclined to address international agreements,which Mr. Miller said were outside City Council's scope. Several councilmembers cautioned against becoming involved in partisan politics and several argued that committing to climate change action was not a partisan issue. Mayor Gere concluded that the topic should come back for further discussion. There being no further business,at approximately 8:08 p.m. the Anacortes City Council meeting of July 10,2017 was adjourned. Anacortes City Council Minutes July 10,2017 4