HomeMy WebLinkAbout2012-09-24 City Council Special Minutes Approved 9 c ,,
City Council Minutes—September 24, 2012
At 7:00 p.m. Mayor Dean Maxwell called the advertised special Anacortes City Council meeting of
September 24, 2012 to order. Roll call found present: Eric Johnson, Ryan Walters, Erica Pickett, Brad
Adams, Bill Turner, Cynthia Richardson and Brian Geer.
Resolution: Asking Skagit County to Process a Proposed UGA Expansion for the City of
Anacortes
Planning Director Ryan Larsen summarized the history of this item as previously discussed at City
Council meetings on August 20, 2012 and September 4, 2012 and presented a draft Resolution 1850 for
Council's consideration supporting the continued processing of the Urban Growth Area expansion
application by Skagit County and asking the County to consider removing Parcel 19696 owned by Robert
Separovich from the application. Mr. Larsen reported that at the September 4, 2012 meeting Council
requested an outline of the County process for UGA expansion requests and also asked how a delay in
adopting the draft resolution would affect the County process for processing the expansion application.
He said staff provided answers to those questions in the memo dated September 18, 2012 that was
included in the evening's City Council packet. Mr. Larsen reported that at the September 4, 2012 meeting
Council requested a revised site plan for the proposed Tethys bottling plant. He said that the plan was
received on Friday, September 21 so was provided to councilmembers separately from the other packet
materials.
Mr. Larsen addressed Council's question about the seven year period for UGA modification. He said
Skagit County Code Chapter 14.08.020(5) says that each UGA boundary may be considered for
modification once every seven years. The seven year period shall begin the year immediately following
the County's completion of its GMA-mandated seven-year comprehensive plan update. He said the
current seven-year window for UGA boundary modifications runs from 2008-2015. He said the UGA
boundary would also be addressed during the 2016 comprehensive plan update.
Public Works Director Fred Buckenmeyer then reviewed some timelines addressed in the City's water
agreement with Tethys. Mr. Buckenmeyer said site selection must happen by December 1, 2012,
including providing the City with a legal description and map of the chosen property. He said permit
applications must be submitted no more than two years after site selection. Finally, occupancy and use
must occur either 24 months from issuance of permits or 42 months from permit application. Mr.
Buckenmeyer also reminded that the expiration of the contract does not relieve the City water utility of the
duty to serve the development with water pursuant to the Skagit County Coordinated Water System
Supply Plan which obliges Anacortes to serve all customers within its designated service area.
Mr. Geer explained his support of the opportunities that could be provided by the UGA expansion and
moved, seconded by Mr. Turner, to approve the UGA for further discussion.
Mrs. Richardson and Mr. Johnson each spoke at length to correct misconceptions that had arisen during
the public discussion of the project. Mr. Johnson suggested waiting to approve this application for two
more months to put the UGA request in context of the final site chosen by Tethys. Mr. Walters moved,
seconded by Mr. Johnson, to postpone consideration of the motion until December 1. City Attorney Brad
Furlong said to take precedence over the motion on the table the motion must be a motion to table and
must be to a date certain. Mr. Walters moved, seconded by Mr. Johnson, to table until December 1. As a
point of order, Mrs. Richardson reminded that that there is no City Council meeting on December 1. Mr.
Walters moved, seconded by Mr. Johnson, to table until December 3, 2012. Vote: Ayes—Walters,
Adams, Johnson. Nays— Pickett, Turner, Richardson and Geer. Motion failed.
Mr. Turner spoke to the complexity of the proposed project and the good faith efforts made to date by
Tethys. Mrs. Pickett gave examples of current businesses operating successfully in Anacortes that might
have seemed too large when first considered. Mr. Geer reiterated the need to plan for industrial
Anacortes City Council Minutes September 24, 2012 1
expansion to provide jobs for the next twenty years. Mr. Geer called for the question. Motion died for lack
of a second.
Mr. Adams spoke in support of manufacturing jobs but said staff had indicated that waiting to consider the
resolution until December 1 would not affect the process. He said knowing where Tethys proposed to
build would help Council make an educated decision. Mr. Walters enumerated additional information
needed to make a decision and contrasted the current UGA application with the UGA expansion process
underway in Sedro-Woolley. He urged not voting down the UGA expansion application at the current
meeting but reconsidering it after receiving more information. Mr. Geer cautioned against sending an anti-
business message. Mrs. Richardson and Mr. Turner spoke in favor of allowing the County process to
move forward. Mr. Johnson and Mrs. Pickett indicated there would be future opportunities for
councilmembers to consider the common good and hear from the public regarding this project. Mr.
Walters argued that City Council would not have opportunities to condition the proposed Tethys project,
only to zone the parcel if it were added to the Anacortes UGA.
Vote: Ayes— Pickett, Adams, Turner, Richardson, Geer and Johnson. Nays—Walters. Motion carried.
There being no further business, at approximately 8:23 p.m. the advertised special Anacortes City
Council meeting of September 24, 2012 was adjourned.
Anacortes City Council Minutes September 24, 2012 2