HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020-01-27 City Council Minutes Approved City Council Minutes—January 27, 2020
Mayor Laurie Gere called to order the Anacortes City Council meeting of January 27,2020 at 6:00 p.m.
Councilmembers Jeremy Carter,Anthony Young,Ryan Walters, Christine Cleland-McGrath, Carolyn Moulton,
Bruce McDougall and Matt Miller were present.
The assembly joined in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Announcements and Committee Reports
Planning Committee: Mr. Walters reported from the committee meeting earlier in the evening at which those
present discussed next steps in response to the moratorium on bonus height provision in the R4 zone west of
Commercial Avenue and also the status of the Critical Areas Ordinance which had been recommended by the
Planning Commission and would be presented to City Council in February.
Public Comment
No one present wished to address the Council on any topic not already on the agenda.
Consent Agenda
Mr. Miller moved, seconded by Mr. Young,to approve the following Consent Agenda items. The motion
carried unanimously by voice vote.
a. Minutes of January 21, 2020
b. Approval of Claims in the amount of: $554,022.08
The following vouchers/checks were approved for payment:
EFT numbers: 96043 through 96087,total$270,559.37
Check numbers: 96088 through 96123,total$286,872.75
Wire transfer numbers: 262537 through 262689,total$778.44
OTHER BUSINESS
Presentation: Community Action of Skagit County
Bill Henkel,Executive Director of Community Action of Skagit County,presented Community Action's annual
report card for 2018 and elaborated on new programs,new facilities and upcoming events. Mr. Henkel thanked
Council for its financial support in 2019 and for putting an affordable housing sales tax on the ballot on
February 11. At the conclusion of his presentation Mr. Henkel encouraged collaborative housing advocacy
efforts between Community Action and Anacortes.
Presentation: 2020 Census
Darlene Brown, Everett Field and Recruiting Manager for the United States Census,reported on the 2020
Census recruitment effort in the area,referring to her slide presentation which was included in the packet
materials for the meeting. Ms. Brown explained the importance of counting all residents, outlined the
recruitment process, summarized the timeline for census field work,and encouraged Anacortes community
members to apply.
Mayor Gere invited members of the audience to comment on this agenda item. No one present wished to address
the Council.
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Resolution 2072: Legislative Priorities
Public Works Administrative Manager Nicole Tesch presented draft legislative priorities and supported issues
for Council input and potential adoption via resolution. Ms. Tesch's slide presentation was added to the packet
materials for the meeting.
Councilmember requested the following revisions to the draft materials.
Supported Issues Platform
• Water Resiliency: Revise first sentence for more clarity.
• Local Government: Revise to reflect the trail rehabilitation as a City rather than a tribal project.
• I-976: Remove specific reference to I-976, instead referencing more generally funding
transportation improvements.
• Workforce Development: Revise to add"CTE [career and technical education]"after"classroom".
• Climate: Mr. Miller disagreed with supporting the governor's low carbon fuel standard. Mr.
Walters and Mr. McDougall supported the issue statement as drafted.
• Education: Possibly combine the Anacortes School District and Thriving Youth blocks.
• Transportation: Include mention of paving South Commercial Avenue.
Legislative Priorities One Sheets
• Affordable Housing&Homelessness: Revise to add reference to addressing root causes of
homelessness and housing for the aging population; add reference to the actual number of
undeveloped lots in Anacortes; emphasize that 32%of Anacortes households spend more that 30%
of income on housing;possibly remove the definition of affordable housing as redundant for
legislators.
• Municipal Fiber: Revise to mention attracting and retaining human capital; include the geographic
and financial scope and scale of the project at build out.
• International Ferry: Revise to add"... with a lower environmental footprint and increased
efficiency."
• Maritime Industry: Include absolute number of jobs in the sector, or percentage of total Anacortes
jobs that are in the maritime sector.
Mr. Young suggested that the materials incorporate reference to rural economic development.
Ms. Tesch indicated she would make the requested changes and bring the resolution back to Council for
adoption at its regular meeting on February 3,2020 immediately prior to Legislative Day in Olympia on
February 5.
Mayor Gere invited members of the audience to comment on this agenda item.No one present wished to address
the Council.
Parks and Recreation Comprehensive Plan
Parks&Recreation Director Jonn Lunsford presented the draft Parks and Recreation Comprehensive Plan dated
January 27,2020 which had been revised since its most recent presentation to City Council on December 16,
2019. Mr. Lunsford summarized those revisions,referring to his slide presentation which was added to the
packet materials for the meeting.
Councilmembers expressed satisfaction with the draft but asked that the community survey results be moved to
an appendix so that the information could be retained without implying statistical significance. Mr. Walters
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asked that the plan come back to Council for approval by resolution on the Consent Agenda at the next City
Council meeting with that one change.
Mayor Gere invited members of the audience to comment on this agenda item.
Arlene Cook,2318 Forest Park Lane,asked Mr. Lunsford where the proposed bike skills park project fit into the
comprehensive plan since it was not mentioned in the document.
Mr. Lunsford responded that the skills park was proposed to be located inside the Anacortes Community Forest
Lands and so would be addressed in the ACFL Comprehensive Plan rather than the Parks and Recreation
Comprehensive Plan.
No one else present wished to address Council on this topic.
Mr. Walters noted that other jurisdictions do not include the term comprehensive in their parks plans. Mr.
Lunsford said he would research the origin of that terminology and see if it was required by the RCO.
Mayor Gere invited the public to a presentation by the Anacortes Community Task Force on Opioid Risks and
Prevention at the Anacortes Public Library on Wednesday,January 29, 2020, from 7 to 8:30 p.m.
There being no further business,at approximately 7:50 p.m. the Anacortes City Council meeting of
January 27,2020 was adjourned.
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