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City Council Minutes—January 28, 2013
At approximately 7:00 p.m. Mayor Dean Maxwell called the regularly scheduled Anacortes City Council
study session of January 28, 2013 to order. City Councilmembers Eric Johnson, Ryan Walters, Erica
Pickett, Brad Adams, Bill Turner, Cynthia Richardson and Brian Geer were present.
Jail Coordinating Committee Update
Mayor Maxwell welcomed County Commissioners Ken Dahlstedt and Ron Wesen and Skagit County
Sheriff Will Reichardt to the meeting.
Marc Estvold, Project Manager, and Susan Musselman, Financial Advisor, from the Skagit County Jail
Coordinating Council presented an update on the Skagit County Public Safety Jail Project. Mr. Estvold
reported that the Coordinating Council first projected incarceration figures and then studied three options
for meeting projected demand including renovating the existing jail, building a new jail, and outsourcing
jail services. He outlined the advantages and disadvantages and estimated costs of each option. Mr.
Estvold explained that when both capital and operating costs were considered over a ten-year period,
new construction was the least expensive option and was the option recommended by the Council.
Ms. Musselman then summarized funding options for the new facility. She said property tax based and
sales tax based options were considered, both of which would require voter approval. Ms. Musselman
recommended a permanent 0.3% public safety sales tax increase which would be collected countywide
and would be distributed between the cities and the county according to statutory formulas. She
estimated that a .3%sales tax would generate between $2.7M and $3.3M annually for the County which
would not be sufficient without including the cities' share of the tax. She said the Coordinating Council
recommended placing a 0.3% sales and use tax proposition on the ballot for August 6, 2013 which if
successful would begin generating revenue on January 1, 2014. She also recommended that the parties
sign an interlocal agreement to devote the entire 0.3%to the county to cover both construction and
operating costs for the jail through 2030 as well as some continued prisoner outsourcing during design
and construction of the new facility. Ms. Musselman summarized the recommended specific elements for
such an interlocal agreement.
Mr. Estvold, Ms. Musselman and Sheriff Reichardt addressed questions from Council. The sheriff and
Mayor Maxwell underscored the critical need to reduce crowding in the jail and to ensure that those who
should be behind bars are not released simply because of insufficient space. Ms. Musselman outlined the
tight timeline required to get the issue onto the August 2013 ballot.
Adult Concession Ordinance Review
Planning Director Ryan Larsen announced a February 19, 2013 public hearing before City Council on the
proposed language for the adult concessions ordinance. He reviewed with Council revisions to the draft
ordinance made in response to Council requests at the November 26, 2012 City Council meeting.
Councilmembers generally concurred with the revisions and suggested additional research on and
language pertaining to outdoor movie theatres. Mr. Larsen noted that the exact location of retail uses had
not yet been defined and suggested that Council make a final decision on that after the public hearing on
February 19.
There being no further business, at approximately 8:00 p.m. the regularly scheduled Anacortes City
Council study session of January 28, 2013 adjourned.
Anacortes City Council Study Session Minutes January 28, 2013 1