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City Council Study Session Minutes— February 22, 2010
At 7:40 p.m. Mayor Pro Tern Brad Adams called the regularly scheduled study session of
February 22, 2010 to order. Nick Petrish, Erica Pickett, Brad Adams, Bill Turner and Cynthia
Richardson were present. Kevin McKeown and Brian Geer were absent (excused).
Anacortes Futures Project Roundtable
Mitch Everton of the Chamber of Commerce opened an unprecedented joint meeting of the
Anacortes City council, Port of Anacortes Commission and Anacortes Chamber of Commerce for
a roundtable discussion of the Anacortes Futures Project. Mr. Everton introduced the Anacortes
Futures Project Steering Committee: Dick Nelson, Bob Hyde, Mark Bunzel (not present),
Courtney Orrock, Mike Trafton, Stuart Janke, Duncan Frazier, Laurie Gere, and Mayor Dean
Maxwell (not present).
Mr. Everton noted that the Steering Committee is charged with keeping the project on track and
on schedule, overseeing a professional facilitator, producing a finished report by late 2011,
keeping the process transparent, and establishing and monitoring committees that will address
the issues raised in the visioning process. Mr. Everton asked what the three boards present
would like from the Steering Committee in terms of reporting.
Mr. Everton gave a brief synopsis of the Anacortes Futures Project and its work to date. Updates
were presented to the Anacortes City Council on July 13, 2009 and January 25, 2010. Mr.
Everton asked those assembled to address 1) how to effectively get citizen input, 2) what to do
with the input, 3) how best to keep the elected officials present informed, and 4) the proper role of
the professional facilitator.
Before beginning their comments, Keith Rubin (Port Commission), Jim Clarke (Chamber Board),
Bill Short (Port Commission), Peter Whiting (Chamber Board), Bill Turner (City Council), Matt
McKay (Chamber Board), Erica Pickett (City Council), Pat Mooney (Port Commission), Brad
Adams (City Council), Mike Trafton (Chamber President), Steve Hopley (Port Commission),
Cynthia Richardson (City Council), Suzanne Knutson (Chamber Board), Zee Hogan (Chamber
Immediate Past President), Ray Niver (Port Commission) and Nick Petrish (City Council)
introduced themselves.
Mr. Rubin expressed enthusiasm for this collaborative project. Mrs. Richardson said that the
process of community dialog will be as important as the end product and should include as many
community groups as possible. Mr. Adams observed that the Anacortes Futures Project is now a
household word in Anacortes and recommended town hall meetings to create a comfortable
atmosphere for citizens to brainstorm what they would like to see in Anacortes in the future in all
sectors. Mr. Trafton said the Chamber of Commerce is very excited about the project and that the
Steering Committee is looking for ideas for conducting the public visioning process. Mr. Petrish
praised the project for being undertaken by Anacortes citizens, not outside consultants. He
suggested that the Steering Committee key in on what is doable and focus on prioritizing projects.
Mr. Hopley expressed his support for the project and praised its initial report and the draft RFP for
the facilitator. Regarding public input, Mr. Hopley said the project needs to take a broad look at
the future, not just at the economics but at other sectors as well; he called economic development
a means to broader ends. Mr. Mooney said the top priority should be creating jobs so children
who grow up in Anacortes can continue to live here. Mr. Turner expressed support for the
process. He said City Council struggles with the many competing interests in town and he would
like the project to seek input from as many different business interests as possible and then
prioritize where to begin. Mr. McKay said as a small business owner and father of two children he
has an interest in how the Futures Project will affect all ages. He said he would like the school
district to be involved in this process. Mr. Short said he is pleased with the make up of the
Steering Committee. He is concerned about livability in Anacortes and said he does not want
Anacortes to be destroyed like other small towns where density and traffic have become too great
Anacortes City Council Study Session Minutes February 22, 2010 1
and where parking is a problem. Mr. Clarke said he'd like the project to be sure not to shut the
door on possibilities but to open the process to new ideas including looking to other communities
to see how they have grown and developed in ways the community admires. Mr. Rubin echoed
Mr. Clarke. He suggested the visioning process should include as broad a group as possible and
encourage unlimited imagination. Mr. Rubin said once the community's desires are defined the
Port can recruit businesses to fit that vision. Mr. Trafton observed that a strong stable economy is
what makes possible the lifestyle citizens appreciate. Ms. Hogan said that she wants her children
to be able to continue to grow here, noted that small business owners need to be able to own
their buildings, praised the City's infrastructure, and suggested that affordable housing needs to
be incorporated in town. Ms. Knutson expressed faith in the potential of Anacortes and urged
incorporating the viewpoints of Anacortes youth in the project. Mr. Whiting expressed excitement
about the project and hope that the collaborative nature of the enterprise will yield useful results.
Mr. Niver praised the Futures Project report and discussed the perspective and role of the Port of
Anacortes in the process. Mr. Mooney suggested very open brainstorming during the visioning
phase of the project before prioritizing ideas and against stressed the need for developing jobs in
Anacortes. Mrs. Richardson agreed with Mr. Niver that the Port's objectives may not always be
the same as those of other entities but said the value of this process is for each sector to discover
where their objectives can assist one another. Mr. Turner said Anthony's Restaurant came to
Anacortes because the town was ready for it and suggested the Futures Project needs to arrive
at a consensus of what Anacortes wants so it can invite in the businesses to fit that vision. Mr.
Adams thanked the Steering Committee for the effort it is undertaking to collect a diversity of
viewpoints. Mr. Adams stated that Fidalgo Bay is the geographic center of the plan and is
currently underused; he said he was glad that MJB is participating in the project to work with the
community on a plan a majority will buy into. Mr. McKay challenged everyone present to talk to
constituencies, collect opinions and bring that information back to the Steering Committee. Ms.
Hogan asked the Steering Committee to look at what kind of retail,jobs, and living wage
employment the community wants to have by 2025. Mr. Clarke noted the challenges facing the
Steering Committee and the facilitator. Mr. Niver noted that the Port's economic base is different
from the City's;the Port is not funded by retail sales and property taxes but the Model Toxics
Control Act (MoTCA) tax is funding the Port's current extensive clean up efforts. Mr. Short
acknowledged the need for affordable housing in Anacortes, the inevitability of growth and
increasing density, the broad involvement of the Port in the town's economy, infrastructure and
recreation, and the problem of absentee landlords downtown.
Mr. Everton asked for concluding comments. Mr. Trafton asked the Steering Committee to
provide not only a vision but also an implementation strategy. Mr. Turner asked for a prioritization
of what the community wants. Ms. Hogan thanked the Steering Committee for undertaking the
next phase of the Futures Project. Ms. Knutson expressed enthusiasm for the project. Mrs.
Richardson praised the RFP for the consultant and appreciated its phased approach. Mr. Everton
announced that anyone who wants to communicate with the Steering Committee is welcome to
do so through him via email (meverton@anacortes.org).
There being no further business, at approximately 8:38 p.m. Mayor Pro Tem Adams adjourned
the regularly scheduled study session of February 22, 2010.
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