HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015-05-26 City Council Minutes Approved City Council Study Session Minutes— May 26, 2015
At approximately 7:00 p.m. Mayor Laurie Gere called the Anacortes City Council study session of
May 26, 2015 to order. Roll call found present City Councilmembers Eric Johnson, Ryan Walters, Erica
Pickett, Brad Adams, John Archibald and Matt Miller. Liz Lovelett was absent. Matt Miller attended the
meeting via telephone.
Mayor Gere announced that City Council agendas and packets for the June 1, 2015 meeting would be
published on the evening of May 27, 2015 due to staff training that day.
Mayor Gere announced that City Council and Planning Commissioner email accounts would be available
again at the end of the week following a server migration.
Mayor Gere invited the public to attend the Community Task Force meeting on June 2, 2015 from 5-6:30
p.m. at the Anacortes Municipal Court facility.
2016 Budget Goals and Process
Finance Director Steve Hoglund displayed and reviewed the goals established at the Mayor-Council
Budget Retreat held on March 27, 2015 and the other materials included in the evening's Council packet.
Mayor Gere underscored that the results of the budget survey conducted in March showed that citizens'
highest priorities were public safety and parks and trails. Mr. Hoglund inquired if councilmembers wished to
provide additional feedback, conduct additional discussion, or possibly pursue a resolution establishing
Council budget goals and objectives as it had for the 2015 budget.
Councilmembers discussed whether the 2016 budget objectives that had come out of the brainstorming
session at the budget retreat should be referred to committees for review and/or prioritization; whether a
budget objective resolution was desired for the 2016 budget; and how to review current programs to see if
they served one of the seven broad budget goals. Mr. Walters urged his colleagues to review the
budgeting memorandum prepared by the Council Finance Committee and included in the Council packet
for the March 27, 2015 budget retreat. Mayor Gere suggested that staff could continue those discussions
with councilmembers in committee prior to preparation of a resolution. Councilmembers generally agreed
that committees would review the objectives identified at the budget retreat and add to or delete items
from the list to arrive at suggested direction to staff as to the highest priority items for the 2016 budget.
Mr. Hoglund then introduced a discussion of the capital project budgeting process. He summarized the
current process through the Comprehensive Plan, Capital Facilities Plan, annual budget, and individual
public works contracts which require Council approval if they are valued at over$30K. Mr. Hoglund
proposed an alternative process which would remove the requirement for Council approval of individual
capital project contracts and would provide more regular updates to Council comparing budget to actual
expenditures for each capital account by project. Council approval would only be required if a budget
amendment would be required at the capital account level.
Mr. Walters requested that the mayor's contract authority be clarified as the first order of business. He
urged constraints on the mayor's authority to enter into any binding contract beyond the routine purchase
of goods and services, at the very least review by the City attorney. Mr. Walters suggested that all
contracts that come before Council be presented using a standard cover sheet providing all pertinent
information about the contract so that more contracts could be approved on the Consent Agenda. Mr.
Johnson observed the cities of Mount Vernon and Redmond do not limit the mayor's contract authority and
requested more information on how that succeeds. He said that regular updates on budget to actual
expenditures by project would help Council better monitor spending and asked if contracts could also be
posted on the City website. Councilmembers discussed the need for staff to have tools to respond quickly
and cost effectively to changed conditions in the field when public works projects are underway. Mr.
Hoglund thanked Council for the productive discussion which would continue as the 2016 budget season
progressed.
Anacortes City Council Study Session Minutes May 26, 2015 1
Skagit-Island Regional Transportation Planning Organization (SIRTPO) Structure Discussion
Public Works Director Fred Buckenmeyer summarized the regional organizations the City of Anacortes is
part of including the Skagit Council of Governments (SCOG)which is the lead agency for the Regional
Transportation Planning Organization (RTPO) and the Skagit Metropolitan Planning Organization (SMPO).
Mr. Buckenmeyer referred to the interlocal agreement updated in 2000 defining the SIRTPO and noted that
at the time of its formation neither Skagit nor Island County had sufficient population to form independent
regional TPOs. Mr. Buckenmeyer explained that some of the members of the SIRTPO wish to dissolve or
withdraw from the SIRTPO, including Sedro-Woolley, Burlington, Concrete and Hamilton. Mayor Gere, the
city's representative to SCOG, said the SCOG board had asked that the elected bodies of each of the
SIRTPO members take an advisory vote on whether or not they wish to dissolve the SIRTPO and report
back at the next SIRTPO meeting on June 23. She added that Mount Vernon, Skagit County and Island
County were all in favor of retaining the current agreement and structure and said staff recommended that
Anacortes also support the continued agreement.
Mr. Walters referenced a May 14, 2015 article in the Skagit Valley Herald regarding the withdrawal of
Sedro-Woolley and Hamilton from the SIRTPO. Mayor Gere recounted the range of opinions between the
eastern Skagit cities to the Island County commissioners. She underscored the many links between
Anacortes and Island County on transportation and other issues and supported continuing participation in
that collaborative relationship. She said the matter would come before Council for an advisory vote at the
June 1, 2015 regular City Council meeting.
Ambulance Rate Update
Mr. Hoglund advised that Skagit County Commissioners had voted to increase ambulance rates and that
the City of Anacortes agreement with Skagit County calls for Anacortes to use those same rates. He
reviewed the rate increases which would be effective June 1, 2015 per the mayor's authority under
AMC 13.54.110.
There being no further business, at approximately 8:12 p.m. the Anacortes City Council study session of
May 26, 2015 adjourned.
Anacortes City Council Study Session Minutes May 26, 2015 2