HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020-07-20 City Council Minutes Approved Anacortes City Council Minutes — July 20, 2020
Mayor Laurie Gere called to order the Anacortes City Council meeting of July 20, 2020 at 6:00 p.m.
Councilmembers Jeremy Carter, Anthony Young,Ryan Walters, Christine Cleland-McGrath, Carolyn Moulton,
Bruce McDougall and Matt Miller all participated in the meeting in absentia via video conference.
Announcements and Committee Reports
COVID-19 Update: Mayor Gere reported current COVID case statistics for Anacortes and Skagit County. She
noted that cases were still trending up and that the county remained in Phase 2 of the Safe Start Washington
plan. She emphasized the need to wear masks in public.
Fiber Committee: Mr. Walters reported from the committee meeting the prior week. He said the committee had
urged the fiber team to increase the rate of customer installations, including hiring new employees if necessary.
Mr. Walters deferred further discussion to the fiber staff report later on the agenda.
Public Works Committee: Ms. Moulton reported from the committee meeting earlier in the evening. She
elaborated on topics discussed including the March Point cape seal project which would appear later on the
agenda, the status of the wastewater treatment plant outfall project,the potential Genifuel project at the
wastewater treatment plant,progress on the water treatment plant clearwell project and decommissioning of the
old water treatment plant,the selection process for the new Operations Manager,progress on acquisition of the
South Fidalgo water system from the PUD, agricultural water customers,progress in the pavement management
program, and recognition of the department in national trade journals.
Ms. Cleland-McGrath reported that the Mayor and members of the City Council Public Safety Committee had
attended the swearing in of two new police officers, Colin Norris and Stuart Rhodes.
Public Comment
Per Section 3 of Resolution 2082 Ratifying Proclamation of Emergency and Providing Temporary Procedures
to Respond to the COVID-19 Epidemic, adopted by the Anacortes City Council on March 16, 2020, the public
comment portion of Council meetings and any scheduled public hearings were temporarily suspended to
discourage public in person attendance of City Council meetings. The public was encouraged to comment via
email or written comment addressed to: City Clerk, P.O. Box 547, Anacortes, WA 98221. Public comments
received prior to the meeting become part of the record for the meeting,just as if presented in person.
Consent Agenda
Mr. Miller moved, seconded by Ms. Moulton,to approve the following Consent Agenda items. The motion
carried unanimously by voice vote.
a. Minutes of July 13,2020
b. Approval of Claims in the amount of: $379,322.63
c. Contract Modification: March Point Area Cape Seal Repairs#20-112-TRN-001
The following vouchers/checks were approved for payment:
EFT numbers: 97616 through 97669,total$334,522.34
Check numbers: 97670 through 97704,total $23,242.94
Wire transfer numbers: 270998 through 271202,total $21,488.47
Anacortes City Council Minutes July 20, 2020 1
PUBLIC HEARINGS
Closed Record Decision Hearing: CUP-2019-0002: Grand View Cemetery Expansion Conditional Use
Permit
Associate Planner Tess Cooper presented an application for a Conditional Use Permit to permit a 4.8 Acre
(209,088 square foot) addition to the west side of the existing Grand View Cemetery facility,to include
additional grave sites, access roads improvements, restroom,parking,utilities, and landscaping. Ms. Cooper's
slide presentation was added to the packet materials for the meeting. Ms. Cooper noted that staff had updated
the packet materials prior to the meeting and had circulated those updates to Councilmembers via email. After
summarizing the application and the project and reviewing the landscape plan,Ms. Cooper reported the staff and
the Planning Commission recommendations to City Council that the CUP be approved.
Ms. Cooper and Parks&Recreation Director Jonn Lunsford responded to councilmember questions regarding
how far into the future the proposed expansion would meet the city's needs.
Mayor Gere invited parties of record who wished to address the Council to call in to 360-293-1904.
Inger Christensen, 501 Hillcrest Drive,the neighbor immediately adjacent to the proposed expansion,
questioned staff about the location and configuration of the fencing and landscaping between her property and
the proposed project, about which trees would be removed, and about a planned dog walking trail along the west
side of the proposed expansion. Ms. Christensen expressed concern about public access to the low visibility area
between the security fence and the privacy fence. She asked that the project's neighbors be kept informed about
the project as it progressed.
No other parties of record wished to address the Council.
Mr. Walters requested a definitive timetable for the roadway improvements called for in recommended
Condition 8. He also asked that the Parks Department cease composting vegetation at the cemetery. Ms.
Moulton supported requiring a shorter timeframe for the sidewalk improvements but disagreed that the
composting site presented a problem.
Mr. Walters moved, seconded by Mr. McDougall,to approve CUP-2019-0002 subject to staffs recommended
conditions of approval,with additional constraints that the sidewalk improvements be constructed within two
years of completion of construction[of the expansion],and that no composting be allowed at the cemetery. Mr.
Miller proposed amending the motion to require composting at the cemetery to cease no later than two years
after completion of construction [of the expansion]. Mr. Miller's amendment was adopted by unanimous
consent. Vote on amended motion: Ayes—Young,Walters, Cleland-McGrath, McDougall, Miller and Carter.
Nays—Moulton. Motion carried.
Public Hearing: Ordinance 3065: Amending 2019-2024 Capital Facilities Plan
Finance Director Steve Hoglund introduced Ordinance 3065,referring to his slide presentation which had been
included in the packet materials for the meeting. He noted that the immediately subsequent agenda item was
Ordinance 3066 which would amend the budget to align with the revised. Mr. Hoglund reported that no public
comment had been received regarding Ordinance 3065 during the two-week advertised public comment period.
No members of the public wished to address the Council on this agenda item. Mayor Gere closed the public
hearing.
Mr. Young moved, seconded by Ms. Cleland-McGrath,to adopt Ordinance 3065 amending the 2019-2024
Capital Facilities Plan. Vote: Ayes—Walters, Cleland-McGrath, Moulton,McDougall,Miller, Carter and
Young. Motion carried.
Anacortes City Council Minutes July 20, 2020 2
OTHER BUSINESS
Ordinance 3066: Amending 2019-2020 Biennial Budget
Mr. Hoglund referred Council to his presentation of Ordinance 3065 which had just been approved.No
members of the public wished to address the Council on this agenda item.
Mr. McDougall moved, seconded by Ms. Moulton,to approve Ordinance 3066 amending the 2019-2020 budget.
Vote: Ayes—Cleland-McGrath,Moulton,McDougall,Miller, Carter,Young and Walters. Motion carried.
Access-Anacortes Fiber Internet Update
Administrative Services Director Emily Schuh provided the regular monthly update on Access Anacortes Fiber
Internet. Ms. Schuh's slides were added to the packet materials for the meeting. She reported on GPON
customers, customer counts by area, 2020 aerial expansion areas,non-GPON customers,budget preparation for
2021,the need to hire additional staff if increasing the rate of installation was desired, and ongoing marketing to
additional potential customers. In response to a question from Mr. Young,Ms. Schuh explained how fiber
installation staff were working within the construction requirements in place for COVID-19.
Mr. Walters polled his colleagues on their support for hiring additional fiber staff to increase the rate of
installations. Mr. Young expressed his support. Ms. Cleland-McGrath and Mr. Miller supported increased
staffing if material on hand, customer demand and training were all available to make additional staff optimally
efficient. Ms. Cleland-McGrath also supported facilitating internet access for students, seniors and low-income
households affected by COVID-19,possibly using CARES Act funding. Mr. McDougall and Ms. Moulton
concurred.
Resolutions 2082/2085 Ratifying Proclamation of Emergency and Providing Temporary Procedures to
Respond to the COVID-19 Epidemic
Mr. Hoglund summarized prior Council action to establish temporary procedures in response to the COVID-19
pandemic. He noted that the current resolution would expire on July 31 and inquired if Council wished to take
additional action on procedures.
Councilmembers considered extending Resolution 2085 through August,through September, and through
December, 2020 and eventually reached consensus on extending Resolution 2085 through September, 2020. Ms.
Moulton suggested suspending Section 3C of Resolution 2082 which prohibited public comment and public
hearings at City Council meetings. Councilmembers generally agreed. Councilmembers discussed possibly
allowing for in person City Council committee meetings, but deferred changes to the current procedures until
the next occasion on which they would be reviewed, likely late September 2020.
Authorizing Resolution 2095: Thompson Trail Trestle Planning Grant
Parks and Recreation Director Jonn Lunsford presented Resolution 2095 to allow the city to apply for and
accept RCO grant funding for a large portion of the costs for a feasibility study to replace the causeway and
trestle on the Thompson Trail with a new structure to improve tidal flows,remove creosote and benefit habitat
in Fidalgo Bay. He referred to the packet materials for the meeting. Mr. Lunsford noted that the city would not
be providing any of the matching funds out of city funds.
Mr. Young moved, seconded by Mr. Walters,to adopt Resolution 2095 as presented.Vote: Ayes—Moulton,
McDougall,Miller, Carter, Young,Walters and Cleland-McGrath. Motion carried.
There being no further business, at approximately 8:15 p.m. the Anacortes City Council meeting of
July 20, 2020 was adjourned.
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