HomeMy WebLinkAbout2019-11-12 City Council Minutes Approved City Council Minutes—November 12,2019
Mayor Laurie Gere called to order the Anacortes City Council meeting of November 12,2019 at 6:00 p.m.
Councilmembers Anthony Young, Ryan Walters,Brad Adams and Carolyn Moulton were present.
Councilmember Bruce McDougall participated in the meeting via telephone. Councilmembers Eric Johnson and
Matt Miller were absent.
The assembly joined in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Announcements and Committee Reports
There were no announcements or committee reports.
Public Comment
Mike Pearl said he spoke as a member of a group of citizens that had many concerns about the 65-foot-tall
apartment building proposed for 18th Street and 0 Avenue. Mr. Pearl responded to a recent letter to the editor of
the Anacortes American from former city councilmember Cynthia Richardson regarding public notification
about the project and the development regulations update under which the project application was filed. Mr.
Pearl contended that there had been a secretive process regarding the project. He said his concern was the public
awareness program compared to who want and need and deserve the information.
Rene Janzen, 713 34th Street, addressed the 5-story building proposed for 18th Street and 0 Avenue. Mr. Janzen
shared copies of a height impact flier he was distributing in the community and asking citizens to use to share
opinions with councilmembers. He asked councilmembers to let him know in the subsequent few weeks if they
were receiving comment. Mr. Janzen reiterated his comments at previous meetings, objecting not to 5-story
buildings or to affordable housing but to its placement in the proposed neighborhood and the impacts on parking
and traffic. Mr. Janzen also discussed the likely rents in the proposed building and said they were not affordable
according to established definitions.
Consent Agenda
Mr. Young moved, seconded by Mr. Walters,to approve the following Consent Agenda items. The motion
carried unanimously by voice vote.
a. Minutes of October 30,2019 and November 4, 2019
b. Approval of Claims in the amount of: $257,273.15
c. Resolution 2063: Setting the City's Year 2020 Property Tax Regular Levy Increase
The following vouchers/checks were approved for payment:
EFT numbers: 95206 through 95257,total$122,068.64
Check numbers: 95258 through 95294,total $57,526.59
Wire transfer numbers: 258505 through 258770,total $13,665.79
PUBLIC HEARINGS
Continued Public Hearing: Ordinance 3058: 2019/2020 Budget Mid-biennial Review and Modification
Mr. Hoglund recapped his prior slide presentation regarding the mid-biennial budget review which had first
been presented on October 14,2019, including changes to both projected revenues and expenditures by
department for 2020. Mr. Hoglund also reminded Council of staffs proposal to automatically roll unspent funds
from the first year of a biennial budget into the second year of the biennium, and to reduce the budget for the
second year by the amount of any overspending in the first year(exclusive of payroll). Mr. Walters reported that
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the Finance Committee was generally supportive of that approach but suggested formulating the mid-biennial
adjustments as policies and adopting them as such. He also urged beginning development of the 2021-2022
biennial budget early in 2020 as a zero based budget. Mr. Adams asked staff to report back on whether biennial
budgeting had proven beneficial or if the city should consider reverting to annual budgets.
Mayor Gere invited members of the audience to comment on this agenda item.No one present wished to address
the Council.Mayor Gere closed the public hearing.
Mr. Adams moved, seconded by Ms. Moulton,to adopt Ordinance 3058 authorizing the 2019/2020 Mid
Biennial Review budget changes.Vote: Ayes—Young,Walters,Adams, Moulton and McDougall. Motion
carried.
OTHER BUSINESS
Ordinance 3052: Updating AMC Chapter 12.50,Street and Alley Vacation
City Attorney Darcy Swetnam introduced Ordinance 3052 for first reading. Ms. Swetnam summarized the
reasons for the chapter rewrite and reviewed the proposed new code,referring to her slide presentation which
was added to the packet materials for the meeting. Ms. Swetnam responded to councilmember questions and
encouraged continued input from the council and public. She offered to bring back a revised edition of the
ordinance for consideration at the November 25, 2019 meeting.
Mayor Gere invited members of the audience to comment on this agenda item.
Brian Wetcher, 814 26th Street,noted that vacations adjacent to the ACFL had traditionally resulted in the city's
half of the vacated property being incorporated into and managed as part of the ACFL. Mr. Wetcher also noted
the large number of unvacated plats inside the ACFL. He asked how the proposed new code would affect those
situations.
Ms. Swetnam responded to Mr. Wetcher that the ordinance as drafted would grant the 50%of a vacated property
adjacent to city owned property to the city,not specifically to any subcomponent thereof.
No one else present wished to address Council on this topic.
Mayor Gere concluded that the ordinance would come back for additional consideration at the
November 25,2019 City Council meeting.
Anacortes Fiber Internet Update
Municipal Broadband Business Manager Jim Lemberg presented his regular monthly update on the municipal
fiber network,referring to his slide presentation which was added to the packet materials for the meeting. He
reported the customer sign up rate,presented financials, summarized the network installation status, outlined
several regional connection developments, and introduced a proposed snowbird policy. Mr. Lemberg responded
to councilmember questions on various aspects of his presentation. Mr. Walters requested staff to provide more
information on snowbird policies of competing providers.
Mayor Gere invited members of the audience to comment on this agenda item.No one present wished to address
the Council.
Memorandum of Understanding: Fidalgo Island Water System
Public Works Director Fred Buckenmeyer presented for a first read a proposed MOU regarding transferring the
South Fidalgo Island Water System from Skagit County PUD to the City of Anacortes water utility.Mr.
Buckenmeyer's slide presentation was added to the packet materials for the meeting. He responded to numerous
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questions from the Council and Mayor Gere regarding the state of the PUD infrastructure,the structure of the
agreement, and the expected benefits to Fidalgo Island customers and the regional water system from the
proposed change. Mr. Walters and Ms. Moulton requested that staff provide specific additional and updated
documents to the Public Works Committee and to full Council prior to its next consideration of the MOU. Mr.
Buckenmeyer clarified that the proposed MOU would allow staff from both agencies to continue to work out the
details of the transfer,which would be formally effected by a separate subsequent agreement that would come
before Council for action.
Mayor Gere invited members of the audience to comment on this agenda item.
Brian Wetcher, 814 26th Street,urged Council to write into the MOU that existing service levels would be
maintained and not expanded. He said this would avoid future pressure to expand service to allow for spot
development and higher densities outside the Urban Growth Area.
Jim Irving,4308 Orchard Avenue, supported the proposed acquisition but encouraged the city to look carefully
at the condition of the existing piping. He noted the large cost to replace failing pipe, as well as other equipment
such as pump station controls that might not be compatible with current Anacortes systems.
Mr. Buckenmeyer responded to Mr. Wetcher,noting that sewer rather than water is what controls growth in
rural south Fidalgo Island. He also responded to Mr. Irving,noting that Anacortes had hired two separate
engineering firms evaluate the PUD system and they hand concluded that it was in reasonably good condition.
Mayor Gere said that this item would come back to Council for further consideration in the near future.
There being no further business,at approximately 7:30 p.m. the Anacortes City Council meeting of
November 12,2019 was adjourned.
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