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City Council Minutes—May 13, 2013
At approximately 7:00 p.m. Mayor Dean Maxwell called the regularly scheduled Anacortes City Council
study session of May 13, 2013 to order. City Councilmembers Eric Johnson, Ryan Walters, Erica Pickett,
Bill Turner, Cynthia Richardson and Brian Geer were present. Brad Adams was absent.
Samish Indian Nation -Water Quality Monitoring Report
Planning Director Ryan Larsen introduced Adam Lorio, Outreach Coordinator for the Samish Indian
Nation Department of Natural Resources. Mr. Lorio presented an update on the department's Fidalgo Bay
Water Quality Monitoring program which has been monitoring stormwater outfalls since 2005 and since
receiving EPA funding in 2010 has monitored over 40 outfalls, twice per month, to intensively characterize
the Fidalgo Bay watershed as to water quality. Mr. Lorio listed the parameters measured and analyzed as
part of the study, then provided a more in depth look at the results for one of those parameters, fecal
coliform, at the various outfall stations located in Anacortes. He concluded that some of the upland sites
exceed state standards but that all of the marine water sites remain below the state geomean threshold.
Mr. Lorio stressed that that his department wants the study data to be useful to and used by local
decision makers and said that all the Water Quality Monitoring Program reports are available on the
tribe's website. Councilmembers discussed with Mr. Lorio the potential for public education efforts to
address water quality. Mr. Lorio thanked City staff Don Measamer and Rob Hoxie for their help tracing
outfalls and drainages.
Tourism Promotion Area -Presentation from Chamber of Commerce
Don Wick, Executive Director of the Economic Development Association of Skagit County(EDASC),
reported on the county-wide Tourism Promotion Area project to create a Tourism Bureau in Skagit County
to play to Skagit's strengths when marketing the region to tourists. Mr. Wick introduced Terica Taylor who
is coordinating the project for EDASC and Stephanie Hamilton, Executive Director of the Anacortes
Chamber of Commerce. Ms. Hamilton advised that the Chamber Board continues to support forming a
TPA and reported that hoteliers in Anacortes also support the effort. She outlined the benefits of the TPA
and reminded that the funds raised are not a tax but rather a fee paid by hotel guests who are used to
paying similar fees in other locations. Ms. Taylor elaborated that the fee would be$2 per room per night
for hotels with more than 40 rooms and said there would be four such hotels in Anacortes by the end of
the summer. Ms. Taylor summarized the details of the mechanics of the TPA. She said she would be
back at the regular City Council meeting on May 20, 2013 to ask Council to authorize the mayor to enter
into an interlocal agreement with Skagit County to form the TPA and that after all Skagit County cities had
decided whether or not to participate, the city attorneys from the participating cities would finalize the
terms of the interlocal agreement.
WA Cities Insurance Authority Risk Management Presentation
Human Resources Director Emily Schuh introduced Debbi Sellers, the City's Risk Management
Representative from the Washington Cities Insurance Authority(WCIA)to present the risk profile for
Anacortes for the period 2008-2012. Ms. Sellers outlined the history, structure and governance of WCIA.
She explained that WCIA members are split into five actuarial groups based on the number of employee
hours worked per year and said rates for each city are calculated based on its losses over past five full
years and its total worker hours in comparison to other members in its actuarial group Ms. Sellers then
reviewed in detail the City's latest risk assessment report including its risk profile, loss summary, loss
severity, loss frequency, average claim cost and cost per worker hour. She commended Anacortes on its
loss history including the relatively low frequency and severity of claims for a city of its size.
There being no further business, at approximately 8:30 p.m. the regularly scheduled Anacortes City
Council study session of May 13, 2013 adjourned.
Anacortes City Council Study Session Minutes May 13, 2013 1