HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014-08-11 City Council Minutes Approved City Council Study Session Minutes—August 11, 2014
At approximately 7:00 p.m. Mayor Laurie Gere called the regularly scheduled Anacortes City Council
study session of August 11, 2014 to order. Roll call found present City Councilmembers Eric Johnson,
Ryan Walters, Erica Pickett, Brad Adams, Liz Lovelett and John Archibald. Matt Miller was absent.
Anacortes School District Facilities Bond Discussion
Anacortes School District#103 Superintendent Dr. Mark Wenzel and Project Manager Marc Estvold
provided an update on the District's upcoming facilities bond. Dr. Wenzel emphasized that the District's
focus is getting students college and career ready to give them strong options when they graduate from
high school. He described the Facilities Committee that was formed to represent a broad spectrum of the
community, consider options for the high school, and recommend a bond proposal to take to the voters.
Dr. Wenzel underscored the goal of a fiscally responsible bond proposal, based on needs not wants. He
explained the need for flexible learning spaces to meet 21st Century learning objectives and described
how the existing high school building does not meet that need. He outlined the many data collection
activities and feedback options the Facilities Committee engaged in.
Marc Estvold, 3302 Oakes Avenue, discussed the Facilities Committee's process. He reported that an
architect was selected in December to perform a Schools Condition Audit which found the middle and
elementary schools in fair to good condition but the high school in very poor condition. Mr. Estvold listed
items that need immediate attention at the high school including safety features, building settlement,
cracks and seismic upgrades; the need for mechanical, electrical and plumbing work to avoid expensive
repairs on systems that have passed their life expectancy; a roof that needs replacement and worn
finishes. He said the Facilities Committee looked at how to address those needs, researched whether
building a new building or modernizing the existing building made more sense, and reviewed four
potential sites for a new building. Mr. Estvold said the Committee recommended building a new building
for the educational facilities on War Memorial Field but renovating the existing gym and Brodniak Hall. He
said discussion was continuing on the improvements needed at Rice Field, Brodniak and the gymnasium.
Dr. Wenzel then discussed how the proposed new building will improve learning, both during construction
and for the next fifty years, and will be able to accommodate expanded student body of up to 1000
students. Dr. Wenzel advised that a new high school could cost$80-$100M which would increase taxes
on a $300K home by$150-$230 per year. He said the need is urgent and that the longer the changes are
postponed the more they will cost. Dr. Wenzel displayed a comparison of school tax rates in seven
districts with similar assessed value to Anacortes and showed that Anacortes has the lowest rates by far.
He closed with the observation that Anacortes students deserve more and called this an opportunity to
become a leader in the state for educating local kids. Dr. Wenzel then responded to councilmember
questions about the proposed changes and suggestions about information and statistics to emphasize
when explaining the proposal to voters. Mayor Gere applauded the District's community driven process.
Anacortes Police Department Strategic Plan 2014-2018
Police Chief Bonnie Bowers presented the Anacortes Police Department's 2014-2018 Strategic Plan.
Chief Bowers explained why the plan was needed and listed the many resources used to develop the
plan including Mayor Gere's Listening Tour results, ASD Healthy Student Assessments, the
APD Community Survey, the Envision Skagit 2060 Plan, state crime statistics, historical department
budget data and an internal SWOT (Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats)Analysis of the
organization. The Chief reviewed the department's vision statement, mission statement and core values
and noted that the mission statement had been amended to include identifying those who are most in
need of police assistance. She said the department performed a call analysis to determine who has the
greatest need for police services and found, in descending order, mentally/physically/drug impaired
citizens, children, the homeless, the elderly, and then businesses, property owners, other residents and
guests. She listed perceived community vulnerabilities including drugs, cybercrime and fraud, property
crime, violent crime and impaired drivers and traffic safety.
Chief Bowers said in the next five years the department would be focusing on Crime Reduction, Crime
Prevention/Community Well Being, Traffic/Pedestrian Safety, Personnel Development and Organizational
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Management. She then discussed at length the many steps planned by the department to address these
focus areas.
Ms. Lovelett commented on the positive difference the Boys and Girls Club makes in the lives of young
people and praised efforts to train officers to deal with mental health issues. Chief Bowers mentioned the
department's Innovative Services Fund that assists the Boys and Girls Club, the Island Hospital youth
mental health program and domestic violence services. Mr. Adams asked for more information about the
nature of drug issues in Anacortes. Mr. Walters praised the National Night Out and efforts to fight
cybercrime and ensure pedestrian safety. Mr. Archibald praised the foot and bicycle patrols. Mr. Johnson
observed that the APD is often the first level of social service provider in town and praised the officers'
efforts and skills in this area. Ms. Pickett agreed.
Council Objectives for the 2015 Budget
Finance Director Steve Hoglund began by summarizing the 2015 budget schedule as required by the
RCW and comparing it to the current Anacortes budget schedule. He indicated that both schedules would
be posted on the City website.
Mr. Johnson remarked that page 17 of the current City budget indicates that during March and April
Council and Mayor set goals and objectives for the budget but that had not happened during his tenure
on the Council. He said that's why the Council Finance Committee was proposing defining some
objectives. He shared examples of how some other cities set budget goals and policies. Mayor Gere
referred to earlier discussion with Mr. Johnson on this topic during which it was agreed to move toward
that for the 2016 budget.
Mr. Walters offered more background for the draft resolution of budget objectives included in the Council
packet which would introduce City Council input into the budget pending a larger public outreach effort in
the future. He indicated that in recent history by the time Council reviewed the mayor's proposed budget
revisions were discouraged so this would be a way to influence the budget earlier in its development. He
reviewed objectives listed in the draft resolution. Mr. Walters then shared a handout listing examples of
what other cities include in their budgets regarding what each department does. He reviewed Section 2 of
the draft resolution suggesting that the Anacortes budget should include each department's goals, an
overview, a list of its positions and salary ranges, and metrics indicating the services the department is
providing, beginning in 2015 where possible but likely for 2016. He invited feedback from his colleagues
on the proposed list of objectives.
Ms. Lovelett said she would like to incorporate a .5% or 1% social services line item to provide grant
opportunities to community groups that are providing critical services to vulnerable citizens. Mr. Adams
said the points were well taken but that a resolution nominally expressing Council objectives would
require discussion by the Council as a whole. He expected that discussion to alter the draft list somewhat.
Ms. Pickett suggested that the Council packet should have reflected that the resolution was proposed by
two councilmembers.
Mayor Gere observed that the conversation had been started and that the full Council appeared to want
to continue the discussion. She said that she would meet her deadline to present a balanced preliminary
budget and then Council would have to make some hard choices about what can be funded. The mayor
said she wanted to engage in a discussion with Council about the appropriate level of General Fund
reserves which she would be cautious about spending. She encouraged ongoing discussion as the
budget is developed, presented, revised and eventually adopted.
Mr. Adams said he really liked Section 2 of the proposed resolution. Mr. Archibald said that a resolution
stating Council budget objectives would give councilmembers a means to provide input before the budget
starts, which in turn would give the public a way to get its concerns into the budget through its elected
representatives. Ms. Lovelett called the proposed resolution a first step and said she was glad to see it as
a draft. Mr. Adams said he liked the idea of having community conversations about budget objectives
each spring. Mr. Archibald inquired what the process for that would be and asked what the next steps are
to set it up. Mr. Walters agreed that action items should be set and called the draft resolution an
incremental step in that direction. He again asked for substantive feedback on the listed objectives. Mr.
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Johnson asked if that could be addressed further two study sessions in the future. Mayor Gere said that
was fine but that she would continue developing the preliminary budget scheduled to be presented to
Council on September 22. Mr. Hoglund observed that Mayor Gere had invited Council and public input on
the budget at the June 16 Council meeting. Mr. Adams agreed that more discussion was needed. Ms.
Pickett observed that funding isn't infinitely elastic and staff really has to wrestle to the ground the budget
for basic services. She said it would be tricky for Council to weigh in on constructing the budget. Mr.
Walters countered that Council can in fact make decisions about what constitutes basic services and how
to fund them, that is Council's job.
Mayor Gere said that all the objectives in the draft resolution had been talked about previously and that
she would consider them as she developed the preliminary budget. She supported giving
councilmembers time to consider and then resuming the discussion at the next study session. She called
it a great start of a good discussion and of Council developing its governance role in the budget. Ms.
Lovelett urged using the discussion as a means of giving constituents more opportunity for input. Mr.
Walters reiterated the need to discuss and establish the appropriate level of cash reserves and
appropriate reasons to draw them down.
Mayor Gere summarized that the discussion would resume at the August 25, 2014 study session and in
the meantime she would be working on the preliminary budget.
There being no further business, at approximately 9:00 p.m. the regularly scheduled Anacortes City
Council study session of August 11, 2014 adjourned.
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