HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015-03-27 City Council Minutes Approved City Council Minutes—March 27, 2015
At 8:00 a.m. Mayor Laurie Gere and City Councilmembers Eric Johnson, Ryan Walters, Erica Pickett,
Brad Adams, Liz Lovelett, John Archibald and Matt Miller attended the advertised Mayor-Council Budget
Retreat convened in the Reid Harbor Room of the Northwest Educational Service District 189 offices at
1601 R Avenue in Anacortes. They were joined by Finance Director Steve Hoglund, Police Chief Bonnie
Bowers, Parks and Recreation Director Gary Robinson, Fire Chief Richard Curtis, Administrative Services
Director Emily Schuh, Public Works Director Fred Buckenmeyer, Planning Director Don Measamer,
Library Director Sheri Miklaski, and Museum Director Steve Oakley. The City Council took no action at
this meeting.
Mayor Gere and Mr. Johnson described the purpose of the meeting, to ensure that the budget reflects the
priorities of the community and allocates resources accordingly. Mayor Gere introduced Mike Bailey,
Finance Director at the City of Redmond, to facilitate the session.
Mr. Bailey shared an overview of a variety of budgeting approaches taken by different municipalities in
Washington.
Staff and councilmembers shared their impressions from the community budget open house held on
March 10, 2015. Mr. Adams shared a constituent concern about the extent of the reliance on outside
consultants. Ms. Lovelett reported that the community members she spoke with appreciated the
opportunity for involvement. Mr. Archibald solicited suggestions from Mr. Bailing about making community
workshops maximally productive.
Mr. Hoglund led a review of the results of the budget priorities survey conducted March 10 through
March 25, 2015, noting that the results had been posted on the city website and distributed at the
beginning of the meeting. Councilmembers focused on the response to Survey Question 10 regarding
budget priorities and Question 12 regarding satisfaction with services provided. Mayor Gere summarized
the strong public interest in street improvements, the generally high satisfaction with City services and the
high importance of public safety. Councilmembers discussed how future surveys might be restructured to
provide additional information.
Mr. Archibald urged that revenues as well as expenditures be considered in the budget discussions.
Mr. Bailey led councilmembers and department heads in an exercise of setting policy guidance for the
budget in terms of broad goals for the city government and suggested that those be refined and formally
adopted by Council, preferably by resolution. Councilmembers drafted the following seven broad goals
and engaged in discussion of what each might entail: Community Enrichment, Public Safety, Community
and Economic Development Planning, Essential Infrastructure, Stewardship and Conservation of Natural
Resources, Enhancing Health and Social Services, and Effective Government Management.
Councilmembers and department heads then brainstormed specific initiatives that might be addressed by
the 2016 budget in service of those goals.
Mr. Bailey counseled councilmembers on proceeding through the process to define next steps to achieve
the goals, allocate resources through the budgeting process, and develop means of measuring the
effectiveness of budget initiatives.
Mayor Gere endorsed a proactive rather than reactive approach to budgeting and provision of services.
There being no further business, at approximately noon the advertised special Anacortes City Council
meeting of March 27, 2015 was adjourned.
Anacortes City Council Minutes March 27, 2015 1