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City Council Study Session Minutes—July 11, 2011
At 7:34 p.m. Mayor Maxwell called the regularly scheduled Anacortes City Council study session of
July 11, 2011 to order. Eric Johnson, Nick Petrish, Erica Pickett, Brad Adams, Cynthia Richardson and
Brian Geer were present. Bill Turner was excused.
Council Subcommittee Process
Mr. Geer proposed streamlining the subcommittee process into study sessions to bring all
councilmembers up to date on committee reports and items before they are presented for action at a
regular City Council meeting. He suggested that each committee would recommend which of its items
would move forward to a study session. Mr. Geer said this would allow all councilmembers to digest what
the committees were discussing and recommending before having to vote. After study session discussion
councilmembers might wish to send something back to committee or move it forward to a regular meeting
agenda. Mr. Geer asked Planning Director Ryan Larsen to investigate how other area cities manage their
subcommittees. He encouraged making the considerable work of committees more evident to the public.
Mrs. Richardson said this was an excellent idea and agreed committees can determine which of their
items warrant discussion at a Study Session before going to a regular meeting. She suggested that Mr.
Larsen could draft some guidelines for the process. Mr. Adams agreed this was a good idea and
encouraged standardizing the process. Mr. Adams also proposed adding a Subcommittee Reports
section to the agendas under Mayor/Council Communication or at study sessions. Mr. Johnson asked if
this would be an opportunity for councilmembers to discuss items that didn't arise in committee but rather
from Ward constituents. Mayor Maxwell said councilmembers are always welcome to discuss such items
under Mayor/Council Communication. The mayor said that if an item is on the agenda for action Council
might want the relevant committee to provide a briefing first. Councilmembers agreed that Mr. Larsen
should investigate the idea further.
Review Capital Facilities Plan (CFP) New Protects
Finance Director Steve Hoglund briefly described the structure and function of the annual 6-year Capital
Facilities Plan (CFP). He said a CFP is required by the Growth Management Act and also enables some
projects to qualify for grant funding. Mr. Hoglund reminded that the CFP is a planning document, not a
budget, and CFP items are not necessarily funded. He said State law requires a CFP update every two
years but Anacortes updates its CFP every year to keep it meaningful and accurate. Mr. Hoglund said a
public hearing would be held on the CFP at the July 18, 2011 regular City Council meeting and Council
would then be presented with an ordinance to adopt the CFP. Once adopted, the CFP would be finalized
and the voluminous document made available for public review on the City web site and at City Hall. Mr.
Hoglund said staff's intention for the current meeting was to review the new items that had been proposed
to be added to the plan during the current year for completion in the 2012-2017 time frame. Mayor
Maxwell clarified that capital projects are typically those worth $15K or more.
Public Works Director Fred Buckenmeyer then reviewed the list of new projects, most of which were
proposed by Public Works. He said Operations Manger Sandi Andersen and Fleet Services Supervisor
WiL Ludemann were present to answer questions.
Reviewing the new Transportation projects, Mr. Buckenmeyer said the 2012-2017 CFP completes his
goal of including all federally designated routes in the city in the CFP. Mrs. Richardson asked for
clarification of terms. Mr. Buckenmeyer said the Federal Highway Administration designates some routes
using its own criteria and there are grant opportunities available for those routes if they are included in the
CFP. Mr. Buckenmeyer reminded that the cost estimates in the CFP are planning level estimates only
based on average construction costs for the type of construction. Mrs. Pickett noted that the March Point
Road Overlay and Reservation Road Upgrades are in the Anacortes Urban Growth Area but not inside
the city limits so Skagit County has jurisdiction there. Mr. Buckenmeyer concurred and said the city and
county could jointly apply for grants for those projects.
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Mr. Buckenmeyer explained the two new projects in the General Government section: new open source
library software and repainting the W.T. Preston snagboat for the museum.
Mr. Buckenmeyer then reviewed the new projects in the Equipment Rental section, all of which replace
existing equipment that has served out its useful life. He noted that only one small item is scheduled for
inclusion in the 2012 budget and the rest will be planned for in future years.
Mr. Buckenmeyer said the Water Department has two new items: new streaming current monitors to
replace the existing ones at the Water Treatment Plant that are failing and rehabilitation of The Pointe
booster station.
Mr. Buckenmeyer said the Sewer Department has two new items: upgrading the Ferry Terminal pump
station and replacing the belt filter press filtrate pump station inside the Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Mr. Adams thanked staff for explicitly including bike lanes in the transportation projects. He observed that
project T-812, Heart Lake Road North to K Avenue, covers a very long and meandering sequence of
streets and asked if this is really all one project. Mr. Buckenmeyer explained that the FHWA designates
this as one route. He added that with a total estimated cost of over$3M it is likely the project would be
split into smaller projects if actually budgeted. Mr. Adams said he would like to see all the transportation
projects prioritized but realized grant funding sometimes re-orders what projects are completed. Mr.
Buckenmeyer noted that there is a total of over$35M of street projects in the CFP over the next six years.
Mr. Geer noted that some of the vehicles scheduled for replacement are well past their expected life span
and thanked staff for maintaining them so well. Mayor Maxwell said every piece of equipment has a
depreciation schedule but if it is still useful after it is fully depreciated the City continues to use it.
Mrs. Richardson asked that bike lanes be explicitly mentioned on the Anaco Beach Road project (T-810).
Mr. Buckenmeyer said they were not intentionally excluded and can be added to the description.
Mr. Johnson asked why no sidewalks were listed as part of the Kingsway Overlay project (T-806) and
asked if this project was waiting for the completion of the Pennsylvania Avenue reconstruction. Mr.
Buckenmeyer agreed that the Skyline Subdivision lacks sidewalks in many places but said that project is
unrelated to the Pennsylvania Avenue project. Mayor Maxwell added that if property owners want a
sidewalk they can form a Local Improvement District (LID) and said that when Skyline was built
development standards didn't require sidewalks.
Mr. Petrish inquired about the location of the Reservation Road Upgrades (T-801). Mr. Buckenmeyer and
Mayor Maxwell clarified that it runs from SR20 south on Reservation Road to Stevenson Road.
Mr. Adams asked if Pump Station #14 (SPS-1201) is the ferry terminal pump station and if it serves the
Washington State ferries only. Mr. Buckenmeyer said yes. Mr. Adams said the State should pay for that.
Mr. Buckenmeyer said the City has repeatedly requested that but State cooperation has not been
forthcoming. Mayor Maxwell said some cost recovery is available in the rate structure.
There being no further business, at approximately 7:58 p.m. the regularly scheduled Anacortes City
Council study session of July 11, 2011 adjourned.
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