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City Council Minutes— February 22, 2011
At 7:30 p.m. Mayor Pro-Tem Brad Adams called the regularly scheduled Anacortes City Council meeting
of February 22, 2011 to order. Roll call found present: Nick Petrish, Erica Pickett, Brad Adams, Cynthia
Richardson and Brian Geer. Kevin McKeown and Bill Turner were absent. Roll call was followed by the
Pledge of Allegiance.
Minutes of Previous Meeting
Mrs. Richardson asked that the Minutes of February 7, 2011 be corrected, under Unfinished Business, as
follows: "... and that the change had bccn circulated to all councilmembers via email and that he had
distributed hard copy of that change to each councilmember's mail box." Mrs. Richardson moved,
seconded by Mr. Geer, that the minutes of February 7, 2011 be approved as corrected. Vote: Ayes—
Pickett, Adams, Richardson and Geer. Motion carried. Mr. Petrish abstained because he was not present
at the February 7 meeting.
Citizen Hearings
No one present wished to speak on any item not already on the agenda.
Manor/Council Communication
Presentation of 2011 Skagit Valley Tulip Festival Poster
Nancy Jankelson and Terry Brazas representing the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival presented the city with a
copy of the 2011 Tulip Festival poster by Camano Island artist John Ebner. They thanked Anacortes for
its ongoing support of the festival. Mr. Brazas reminded the audience that the festival's economic impact
is$15M-$20M each year.
Appointments to Anacortes Arts Commission: Cory Hunter and Elisabeth Oakes
Mr. Geer moved, seconded by Mrs. Richardson, to approve Mayor Maxwell's appointments of Elisabeth
Oakes and Cory Hunter to the Anacortes Arts Commission for terms expiring December 2013. Mr. Adams
thanked the appointees for their service. Vote: Ayes—Adams, Richardson, Geer, Petrish and Pickett.
Motion carried.
Proclamation of Library Centennial
Mr. Adams read aloud Mayor Maxwell's proclamation declaring March 2011 to be Anacortes Public
Library Centennial Celebration Month. He announced the March 5, 2011 kickoff festivities at the library.
Mr. Petrish asked if the Arts in Anacortes pamphlet that councilmembers had received in their mail boxes
had been mailed to all citizens. Mrs. Richardson said it had not but that that pamphlet, which includes
photos and locations of public art around the city, is available at the Visitors Information Center and at
City Hall. Mr. Petrish suggested mailing copies out with city bills.
Consent Agenda
Mr. Petrish moved, seconded by Mr. Geer, to approve the following Consent Agenda items. Vote: Ayes—
Richardson, Geer, Petrish, Pickett and Adams. Motion carried.
Approval of Vouchers/Cancellation of Warrants
Council voted unanimously that the following vouchers/warrants audited and certified by the City's
Auditing Officer (Finance Director) and subsequently reviewed and approved by the Council Finance
Committee on February 10, 2011 and February 17, 2011 are approved for payment as of this date
February 22, 2011.
Claims Warrants
February 2011: Warrant Numbers 59174 through 59337 in the total amount of$384,030.74
Anacortes City Council Minutes February 22, 2011 1
EFT
February 2011: Warrant Numbers 59164 through 59173 in the total amount of$2,903.99
Pre-Written Claims
February 2011: Warrant Number 59163 in the total amount of $33,377.18
Payroll for February 18, 2011 in the total amount of$541,932.58
Warrant Numbers 35661 through 35694 in the total amount of$33,350.69
Direct Deposit Numbers from 38669 through 38847 in the total amount of$335,037.87
EFT Numbers from 1243 through 1248 in the total amount of$173,544.02
Cancellation of Warrants
February 2011: Warrant Number 59123 in the total amount of$795.38
Public Hearing: Community Development Block Grant 2011-2012 Action Plan - Open 30-Day
Comment Period
Assistant Planning Director Don Measamer advised that the CDBG program requires the city to hold two
public meetings each year to obtain citizen input and respond to proposals and questions. He said the
present meeting opens the 30-day public comment period to obtain community comment on the needs of
low income families and individuals within the city. He said the second meeting in April will be to respond
to proposal and questions and review and approve the funding distribution. Mr. Measamer advised that
the draft action plan is available on the city website and from the Planning Department. Mr. Measamer
asked for a motion to open the public comment period. Mrs. Pickett moved, seconded by Mrs.
Richardson, to open the public comment period. Mrs. Richardson asked if the applications already
received are also publicly available and whether additional applications can still be submitted. Mr.
Measamer said the open application period ended January 31, 2011 so only comments are now being
accepted on the action plan. He said the applications are available to the public. Mrs. Richardson asked if
the applications received would use all the available funding. Mr. Measamer said he would find out. Vote:
Ayes—Geer, Petrish, Pickett, Adams and Richardson. Motion carried.
Closed Record Hearing: Stone Ridge 3-Lot Re-Plat
Senior Planner Libby Grage announced that H Avenue, LLC had requested preliminary approval of a 3-lot
subdivision which would be a re-subdivision of Lot 6 of the Stone Ridge short plat recorded in September
2006. She pointed out the project site south of 32nd Street and west of H Avenue. Ms. Grage summarized
access and infrastructure that was installed as part of the Stone Ridge short plat and said the proposal
complies with maximum permitted density of the R2 zone. Ms. Grage advised that this short subdivision
would normally be processed administratively but because it was part of a previously recorded short
subdivision recorded within the last five years state law requires the applicant to submit a formal standard
subdivision application. She reported that after its public hearing on January 26, 2011 the Planning
Commission recommended approval with the conditions recommended by staff and no appeals were
filed. Mr. Adams asked if the applicant had originally intended to subdivide Lot 6 to end up with eleven
lots total rather than the nine approved under the short plat. Mr. Measamer said the original intention isn't
known. Mrs. Pickett clarified the uses of short plat, standard subdivision and PUD processes. Ms. Grage
confirmed that the lot sizes all comply with the R2 zoning. Mrs. Richardson asked if the condition
requiring sidewalks on both sides of the street meant on 32nd Street. Ms. Grage said yes and in fact that
sidewalk is already installed. Mrs. Richardson suggested two additional conditions based on information
in the record. First, "Drainage improvements to direct site drainage away from lots on G Avenue shall be
installed," and second, "Fire and emergency access acceptable to the Fire Department for the three new
lots shall be provided from 32nd Street." Mrs. Pickett concurred with Mrs. Richardson, noting that these
common conditions should nevertheless be explicitly stated. Mrs. Pickett moved, seconded by Mr. Geer,
to approve the proposal based on the Planning Commission recommendation with the two new conditions
suggested by Mrs. Richardson. Vote: Ayes— Petrish, Pickett, Adams, Richardson and Geer. Motion
carried.
Closed Record Hearing: Vintage Investments 8-Lot Re-Plat and Conditional Use Permit
Anacortes City Council Minutes February 22, 2011 2
Mr. Measamer advised that Vintage Investments, LLC had proposed a preliminary plat for an 8-lot single
family subdivision on two parcels in the R2 zone and a Conditional Use Permit to access four of the lots
via access easements. He displayed the proposed project site off Navigator Lane adjacent to Oakes
Avenue east of San Juan Passage. Mr. Measamer said this proposal is a re-subdivision of two lots that
are part of a recent subdivision that was recorded in the past five years so state law requires the applicant
to file an application for standard subdivision. He explained that the original 9-lot short plat includes the
completed roadway, utilities and an easement for the Guemes Channel Trail. He added that the required
fire apparatus access road between lots 6 and 7 was not part of the original short plat but is rather a new
condition on the current proposal and will be constructed prior to final plat submittal. Mr. Measamer
reported that after its open public meeting on January 26, 2011 the Planning Commission recommended
approval of the preliminary plat and Conditional Use Permit with the addition of a condition requiring
vehicular turnarounds for lots 3, 4,6, 7 and 8. He said no appeals have been filed and that staff
recommends approval consistent with the Planning Commission recommendation. Mrs. Richardson
asked if the new fire access will be paved. Mr. Measamer said yes, it will meet Fire Department
requirements for ingress and egress and will probably have removable bollards on Oakes Avenue but
staff and the developer will have to work with WSDOT to meet their requirements. Mrs. Richardson
suggested that fire access might provide a pedestrian and bicycle route into the development off of Oakes
Avenue. Mr. Measamer said staff had not discussed that possibility with the developer and raised some
potential complications due to driveways. Mrs. Richardson asked staff to follow up with the developer. Mr.
Measamer agreed. Mr. Adams endorsed Mrs. Richardson's suggestion and said he would consider
making it a condition. He noted that City Council supports pedestrian access through neighborhoods for
safety. Mr. Geer said he lives in the area and that this is not a necessity for this development because
there is not a lot of pedestrian traffic in the area. Mr. Geer opposed conditioning the project to require it.
Mrs. Pickett said the Planning Commission has been working for years to get pedestrian connections for
both adults and children and that it would be far sighted to work towards that in this case. She suggested
addressing the question with the developer before approving the proposal. Mr. Measamer warned of
potential litigation issues in asking for a public access easement at this point but suggested adding a
condition that, "City staff shall work with the developer to establish a possible mutually agreeable public
access in the area of the fire access." Mrs. Richardson said if this was plat without paved fire access it
would be overreaching for Council to ask for a trail between lots 6 and 7 but here where there is already
pavement and public access of a sort the City would not be asking the developer to give up any real
estate and that the easement could be worded so homeowners would know before purchasing the
property that the public may walk on the street. She added that practically people will probably do it
anyway so she suggested making it legal and appropriate. Mrs. Richardson moved, seconded by Mrs.
Pickett, to approve the plat with the addition of Mr. Measamer's suggested condition. Mr. Geer asked if
Mr. Measamer's suggested condition is legal. Mr. Measamer said staff would review it with City Attorney
Brad Furlong and would report back to Council. He noted that the project will have to come back before
City Council for final plat approval so the question can be addressed at that time. Vote: Ayes— Pickett,
Adams, Richardson, Geer and Petrish. Motion carried.
Resolution: Redesicination of Hazardous Materials Incident Command
Fire Chief Richard Curtis advised that a 1982 state law required jurisdictions to designate an Incident
Command (IC) agency for hazardous materials incidents. He said Skagit County Department of
Emergency Management (DEM) is no longer able to fill that role due to budget cuts and has asked each
jurisdiction to designate the Washington State Patrol as its IC agency. Chief Curtis asked Council to
approve the proposed resolution to do that. Mr. Geer asked about response time if WSP is the city's IC
agency. Chief Curtis said the State Patrol will dispatch right away depending on other calls at that time.
He added that the Anacortes Fire Department and Skagit DEM will respond anyway so in a practical
sense very little will change, it simply means the State Patrol will have the responsibility of coordinating all
resources on the scene. Mr. Geer moved, seconded by Mrs. Richardson, to adopt Resolution 1819
designating Washington State Patrol as the Hazardous Materials Incident Command Agency for the City
of Anacortes. Vote: Ayes—Adams, Richardson, Geer, Petrish and Pickett. Motion carried.
There being no further business, at approximately 8:15 p.m. Mayor Pro-Tem Adams adjourned the
regularly scheduled City Council meeting of February 22, 2011.
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