HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014-04-07 City Council Minutes Approved City Council Minutes—April 7, 2014
At 7:00 p.m. Mayor Laurie Gere called the regularly scheduled Anacortes City Council meeting of April 7,
2014 to order. Roll call found present: Eric Johnson, Ryan Walters, Erica Pickett, Brad Adams, Liz
Lovelett, John Archibald and Matt Miller. The assembly joined in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Citizen Hearings
Eric Alvensleben, co-owner of In Stitches Quilt Shoppe at 820 Commercial Avenue, addressed the issue
of 2-hour parking on Commercial Avenue near his business. Mr. Alvensleben said that the police
department was not enforcing the parking and questioned the point of having 2-hour parking signs if they
weren't going to be enforced. He said parking needed to be enforced equally. He said he had been told
vehicles with disabled parking stickers can park wherever they want for as long as they want but that an
ordinance could limit that to four hours. Mr. Alvensleben said parking is frustrating for everyone in the
Wilson Hotel block because Wilson Hotel residents park all over. He said giving the Wilson Hotel
residents designated parking is fine but they shouldn't take up business parking three days in a row. He
asked that the parking time limits be enforced.
Mayor/Council Communication and Committee Reports
Proclamation of Arbor Day: Mayor Gere read a statement proclaiming April 18, 2014 to be the celebration
of Arbor Day in Anacortes and invited all citizens to recognize the occasion.
Proclamation of Child Abuse Prevention Month: Mayor Gere read a statement proclaiming April 2014 to
be Child Abuse Prevention Month in Anacortes and invited all citizens to observe the month with
programs and activities that help prevent child abuse and provide for children's physical, emotional and
developmental needs.
Mr. Adams reported from the Planning Committee which met earlier in the evening. He said the
committee discussed a number of ongoing topics including Titles 16, 17, 18, 19 which are still being
revised by staff and the committee; the proposed parking ordinance which is still being developed;
development code edits currently being reviewed by the Planning Commission; the assisted living
definition which will be addressed by the committee; the Willette Business Park which will be discussed at
an upcoming study session; and the matrix showing permitted and conditional uses in each zone
currently being developed by Ms. Grage.
Unfinished Business
Resolution 1885: Public Participation Plan
Senior Planner Libby Grage presented a draft resolution adopting a Public Participation Plan for the 2016
Comprehensive Plan update process consistent with the mandates of the Growth Management Act. Ms.
Grage said the draft Public Participation Plan was last reviewed by Council at its March 3, 2014 regular
meeting but that action on the plan had been postponed pending discussion of the proposed Community
Advisory Committee. Ms. Grage recommended approval of Resolution 1885 adopting the Public
Participation Plan. Mr. Johnson suggested a link to the Comprehensive Plan Update materials on the
main page of the City website. Mayor Gere said she would talk to the webmaster. Mr. Johnson also
inquired about the possibility of public service advertising on Comcast. Mr. Johnson moved, seconded by
Ms. Lovelett, to adopt Resolution 1885 adopting a Public Participation Plan for updating the
Comprehensive Plan per RCW 36.70A.130. Mr. Walters clarified with Ms. Grage that the timeline included
in the plan is tentative. Vote: Ayes—Walters, Pickett, Adams, Lovelett, Archibald, Miller and Johnson.
Motion carried.
Resolution 1888: Establishment of a Community Advisory Committee
Ms. Grage presented a draft resolution establishing a Community Advisory Committee (CAC)to assist
with the City's 2016 Comprehensive Plan update. She said Attachment A to the resolution was a draft
committee charter revised to reflect the CAC's purpose, membership, roles and responsibilities, activities,
Anacortes City Council Minutes April 7, 2014 1
meetings and structure based on feedback provided by Council at the March 10, 2014 study session. Ms.
Grage said the 12-member CAC would include four members from each of the three wards. She
emphasized that the CAC would be a research and analysis body, not a decision making body, and could
draw on the expertise of a roster of volunteers on the Technical Advisory Panel (TAP)to provide
assistance with specific topics.
Ms. Pickett clarified the role of the Technical Advisory Panel, noting that its members would not attend all
the CAC meetings, that CAC could accept information and input from many sources other than the TAP,
and that all meetings of the CAC and its subcommittees would be open to the public.
Mr. Walters said that since the CAC would be advisory to both the Planning Commission and the City
Council its members should be confirmed by Council. Mayor Gere said it was her intention to present a
slate of CAC members to Council the following week. Mr. Johnson noted that the Talent Bank Application
used to solicit CAC and TAP members says most appointments are made by the Mayor and confirmed by
City Council. Ms. Grage said TAP members would be called upon as needed and would not necessarily
be approved by Council. Mr. Walters said that CAC members should be confirmed by Council but not
TAP members and asked that Resolution 1888 be amended to state that CAC members would be
confirmed by City Council. Mr. Johnson asked that the list of TAP members be made public. Mr. Miller
said that was not really necessary since Council was ultimately responsible for the outcome of the
process. Mr. Johnson requested adding a comment into Resolution 1888 that appointments to the TAP
shall be made known to the Council. Ms. Grage suggested putting that in the Charter. Mr. Walters
suggested just before the Committee Attendance section.
Mr. Adams moved, seconded by Mr. Miller, to approve Resolution 1888 establishing a Community
Advisory Committee to assist in updating the City's Comprehensive Plan as amended. Vote: Ayes—
Pickett, Adams, Lovelett, Archibald, Miller, Johnson and Walters. Motion carried.
Consent Agenda
Ms. Lovelett corrected the spelling of her name in the minutes of March 24, 2014 and moved, seconded
by Mr. Johnson, to approve the following Consent Agenda items. Vote: Ayes—Adams, Lovelett,
Archibald, Miller, Johnson, Walters and Pickett. Motion carried.
Approval of Vouchers/Cancellation of Checks
Council voted unanimously that the following vouchers/checks audited and certified by the City's Auditing
Officer(Finance Director)and subsequently reviewed and approved by the Council Finance Committee
on March 19, 2014, March 26, 2014 and April 2, 2014 are approved for payment as of April 7, 2014.
Claims
Check Numbers 71806 through 71809 in the total amount of$11,547.96
Check Numbers 71818 through 72043 in the total amount of$1,095,994.17
EFT Numbers 71814 through 71817 in the total amount of$65,041.88
Pre-Written Claims
Check Numbers 71810, 71812 and 71813 in the total amount of$27,136.50
Payroll for March 20, 2014 in the total amount of$584,212.78
Check Numbers 39354 through 39376 in the total amount of$22,947.02
Direct Deposit Numbers from 53143 through 53332 in the total amount of$349,328.58
EFT Numbers from 1650 through 1654 in the total amount of$211,937.18
Payroll for April 4, 2014 in the total amount of$933,901.05
Check Numbers 39377 through 39425 in the total amount of$35,886.47
Direct Deposit Numbers from 53333 through 53535 in the total amount of$609,977.60
EFT Numbers from 1655 through 1659 in the total amount of$288,036.98
In the same motion Council:
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Approved the minutes of March 17, 2014, March 20, 2014, March 24, 2014 (as corrected)and
March 27, 2014 as if read; and
Approved the Early Learning Public Library Partnership Interlocal Agreement.
Public Hearing: 2014/2015 CDBG Review of Citizen Input and Public Services Request
Interim Planning Director Don Measamer reported that Anacortes receives approximately$91,000 each
year of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)funding from HUD based on the population of the
city. He said the grant requires at least two public hearings which are typically held during City Council
meetings but said that CDBG Action Plans are not subject to City Council approval. He summarized that
of the total CDBG funding each year a maximum of 15% may be allocated to public services, a maximum
of 20% may be allocated to administrative costs, and the remainder must be allocated to capital projects.
Mr. Measamer provided an extensive list of prior capital projects built with CDBG funding. Mr. Measamer
said this year the City had received two requests for the 15% public services funding, from Community
Action of Skagit County and the Anacortes Family Center, both of which provide social services in
Anacortes. He noted that both groups presented their requests to Council at the March 17, 2014 regular
meeting. Mr. Measamer added that the 20% of the grant allocated to administrative costs did not ever
cover the actual staff cost to administer the complicated, paperwork intensive grant. Mr. Measamer
requested public comment and Council direction on where to award the public services funding. He
recommended against dividing the funds between two recipients due to the small amount of money and
the significant paperwork involved for each recipient. He added that the City does give $5,000 per year to
Community Action out of the General Fund, separate from the CDBG grant.
Lynn Christofersen, Community Services Director of Community Action of Skagit County, clarified that
Community Action is a large organization serving all of Skagit County. She said the $5,000 Community
Action receives from the City of Anacortes goes to the Critical Needs program, which receives funds from
other cities as well. She explained that is different from the senior and disabled services funded by the
CDBG grant. Ms. Christofersen thanked Council for the City's ongoing support. She then described work
done in the past at the Skagit County Food Distribution Center with CDBG capital funding.
Dustin Johnson, Executive Director of the Anacortes Family Center, thanked Council for considering
changing the status quo and keeping the CDBG public services money in Anacortes to serve those
desperately in need.
Ms. Pickett said that splitting the public services funding would not be very useful to either party. She said
she would not like to see Anacortes fail to support Community Action and lauded its efficiency with the
funds. Ms. Pickett asked that Council consider granting a similar amount from the General Fund to the
Anacortes Family Center. Ms. Pickett moved to send the CDBG money to Community Action. Motion died
for lack of a second. Mr. Measamer clarified that this was not an action item, staff was only looking for a
consensus from Councilmembers on a direction.
Ms. Lovelett said that Community Action does tremendous things but they aren't specifically working in
Anacortes and this grant is supposed to deal with local issues. She said the Anacortes Family Center
directly supports people here in town who desperately need services. Ms. Lovelett said she would rather
see the money go to the Family Center and noted it would be a larger portion of the Center's budget.
Mr. Miller said one useful tie breakers when deciding between good causes is to look at overhead. He
said he didn't know the overhead rate for either of these organizations but noted the six pamphlets
provided by Community Action at the last presentation.
Mr. Johnson said Community Action does amazing work to serve a wide variety of people and has its own
family center which gets $25K of CDBG funding from other sources. He said since it opened in 2009 the
Anacortes Family Center has never received any CDBG funding for ongoing support(public services). Mr.
Johnson said the tradition of sending the CDBG public services funding to Community Action predates
the opening of Anacortes Family Center and said now Anacortes needs to support the Family Center.
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Mr. Walters observed that Community Action is doing work in Anacortes and as a bigger organization is
better able to handle the reporting requirements. He said Anacortes should give its CDBG public services
funding to Community Action and should give another$15,000 to the Anacortes Family Center out of the
City budget.
Mr. Adams said he'd like to see the money split 50/50 but if Council isn't willing to do that he'd lean more
towards the Anacortes Family Center to give them an opportunity. He said if General Fund money is
available in addition, it should be budgeted as part of next year's budget process, with a public hearing,
not just all of a sudden now.
Mr. Archibald said Community Action already gets money from the General Fund. He called the
Anacortes Family Center the heartbeat of the town and said its clients are citizens of this community and
are going to give back to this community. He said he would definitely lean toward giving the CDBG
funding to the Anacortes Family Center.
Ms. Pickett reminded that Community Action uses it CDBG funding to help elderly and disabled residents
of Anacortes stay in their homes. She asked who would do that work if Community Action did not receive
funding to do it. She noted that Community Action is set up to do that work very efficiently and suggested
the City would have to find a way to give Community Action funding for it.
Mr. Walters said the City had a $400,000 surplus last year and there's no reason the City can't give
$15,000 to both groups. He said both groups are providing needed services in the community that make a
really big difference to the recipients. He said a budget amendment could handle it. Ms. Lovelett agreed
but said awarding the CDBG funds to Community Action might leave the Family Center in limbo and said
the $13,000 would have a bigger impact on the budget of the Family Center. She supported moving a line
item into the City budget for the Family Center.
Mr. Adams said Community Action would not go away without the CDBG money which is a small portion
of their budget. He said the only decision before Council at the moment was where to direct the CDBG
public services funding and that the General Fund budget could be discussed separately.
Mr. Johnson agreed and said he worried more about the homeless than about seniors who have houses
that need work. He supported the Anacortes Family Center for addressing immediate, pressing problems
of homelessness. Mr. Archibald agreed.
Mayor Gere asked Mr. Measamer if Council needed to take action on this topic. Mr. Measamer said there
was no required action on Council's part. He said if Council could not reach consensus the typical
process would be for staff to continue the allotment to Community Action. He said an alternative might be
to allow the CDBG funding to go to one agency and then find money in next year's budget for the other.
Mr. Miller said that would open up requests from a number of worthy groups. He said the decision needed
to be made on the CDBG funding.
Mr. Walters suggested having a vote. City Attorney Brad Furlong advised that Council would need to
amend the agenda to take action on this item because it had been advertised for discussion only.
Mr. Adams moved, seconded by Mr. Johnson, to amend the agenda to take action on Item 7a, 2014/2015
CDBG Review of Citizen Input and Public Services Request. Vote: Ayes— Lovelett, Archibald, Miller,
Johnson, Walters, Pickett and Adams. Motion carried.
Mr. Johnson moved, seconded by Ms. Lovelett, to grant the 15% public services component of the
2014/2015 CDBG grant funds to the Anacortes Family Center. Mr. Walters argued that this would be the
worst distribution of resources because the AFC is a smaller, less sophisticated organization and would
be better served by a direct allocation from the City General Fund without the onerous reporting
requirements. Mr. Johnson replied that the AFC is smaller but not less sophisticated, that it has
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administered very large grants before, and that it is capable of handling the reporting requirements. Vote:
Ayes—Archibald, Miller, Johnson, Pickett, Adams and Lovelett. Nays—Walters. Motion carried.
Final Plat Application: Channel Landing (LPS-2012-0001)
Ms. Grage presented a final plat application from Channel Landing, LLC. She noted that Council had
approved the preliminary plat on April 1, 2013. She said the Public Works Department had inspected the
public improvements and based on the small number of outstanding items recommended approval of the
final plat subject to provision of a performance bond in the amount of$27,000. She outlined the timing of
the performance bond and the required 2-year maintenance bond and said the traffic impact fees had
been paid. She said all other applicable conditions of preliminary plat approval had been completed and
conditions required to be met for building permit issuance were identified on the face of the plat map. She
said at its March 26, 2014 meeting the Planning Commission recommended approval of the final plat.
Mr. Walters asked about the incomplete items. Ms. Grage referenced the March 13, 2014 memo from
Steve Lange of the Public Works Department which listed six incomplete items with an estimated
completion cost of$18,000 and recommended approval of the final plat with a performance bond in the
amount of$27,000 (150% of estimated cost). Mr. Measamer explained that the fire lane road and the
sidewalk ramps were constructed but required correction. Councilmembers discussed the public access
path between this development and its neighbor up to Oakes Avenue.
Mr. Walters moved, seconded by Mr. Miller, to approve the final plant for Channel Landing as proposed
with the bond requirement. Vote: Ayes— Miller, Johnson, Walters, Pickett, Adams, Lovelett and Archibald.
Motion carried.
Contract Award: WWTP PLC Migration (QCC)
City Engineer Matt Reynolds requested Council approval to contract with Quality Controls Corporation
(QCC)to provide system integration and controls work for the first segment of Phase II of the WWTP
Controls System Upgrade Project. Mr. Reynolds explained the controls system at the wastewater plant
and the phased project to replace obsolete programmable logic controllers with a single new controller
and transfer functions to the new controller. He emphasized the importance of the controls upgrade for
proper and efficient operation of the plant. Mr. Reynolds recommended awarding a contract to QCC in the
amount of$73,245.60. Mr. Walters moved, seconded by Mr. Johnson, to authorize the contract with
QCC. Vote: Ayes—Johnson, Walters, Pickett, Adams, Lovelett, Archibald and Miller. Motion carried.
Mayor Gere advised that the meeting would be continued to 7:00 p.m. on April 14, 2014 for the purpose
of presenting to Council a slate of names for the Community Advisory Committee for the 2016
Comprehensive Plan Update.
Executive Session (15 Minutes): Real Estate Discussion per RCW 42.30.110(1b, c)
At approximately 8:15 p.m. Mayor Gere announced that Council and City Attorney Brad Furlong would
convene in Executive Session for approximately 15 minutes to discuss a potential real estate acquisition
about which open discussion could result in terms unfavorable to the city and that there would be no
action taken following the executive session.
There being no further business, at approximately 8:30 p.m. the regularly scheduled Anacortes City
Council meeting of April 7, 2014 was continued to 7:00 p.m. on Monday, April 14, 2014 in the City Council
Chambers.
Anacortes City Council Minutes April 7, 2014 5