HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020-07-27 City Council Minutes Approved Anacortes City Council Minutes — July 27, 2020
Mayor Laurie Gere called to order the Anacortes City Council meeting of July 27, 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
Confirmation of Library Director: Mayor Gere requested confirmation of her appointment of Jeff Vogel as
Director of the Anacortes Public Library effective August 1, 2020. The mayor summarized Mr. Vogel's
qualifications as detailed in the packet materials for the meeting. Mr. Walters moved, seconded by Mr. Miller,to
confirm the appointment of Jeff Vogel as Library Director. The motion carried unanimously by voice vote. Mr.
Vogel thanked the mayor and City Council for the opportunity to serve the city in his new capacity.
COVID-19 Update: Mayor Gere reported current COVID case statistics for Anacortes and Skagit County. She
described her visit to the Skagit County testing site and expressed hope that the site would eventually serve as a
vaccination site instead. The mayor summarized the governor's latest restrictions on social interaction.
Finance Committee: Mr. Carter reported from the committee meeting the prior week. He said the committee had
previewed Mr. Hoglund's finance update and budget discussion that would be addressed later on the agenda.
Personnel Committee: Ms. Cleland-McGrath reported from the committee meeting the prior week. She noted
with regret that Human Resources Director Vanessa Bronsema would be leaving the city but that Ms. Bronsema
was working on extending bargaining unit agreements,planning the search for a new director and arranging
interim coverage for her position.
Planning Committee: Ms. Moulton reported from the committee meeting earlier in the evening. She summarized
the topics discussed including potential use of CDBG funding for rental assistance to low income residents,the
Critical Areas Regulations update which would come to Council for consideration in August,the Shoreline
Master Program update, city-owned property on West 5t1i Street that could potentially be used for affordable
housing, opportunities for tiny homes to be placed on land owned by religious organizations, status of the city's
Small Business Stabilization grants, staffing needs in the Planning Department, and the upcoming installation of
the parklets on Commercial Avenue to expand outdoor restaurant seating capacity. Mr. Walters added that the
committee supported filling the currently vacant Senior Planner position. He also clarified the procedures for
updating the Critical Areas Regulations,which had been followed consistent with city code.
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 Mr. McDougall,to approve the following Consent Agenda items. The motion
carried unanimously by voice vote.
a. Minutes of July 20,2020
b. Approval of Claims in the amount of: $483,055.50
c. Interlocal Agreement with City of Burlington for Dark Fiber Lease#20-169-FBR-001
Anacortes City Council Minutes July 27, 2020 1
The following vouchers/checks were approved for payment:
EFT numbers: 97705 through 97741,total$333,499.48
Check numbers: 97742 through 97747,total $28,350.85
Wire transfer numbers: 271034 through 271416,total $121,205.17
OTHER BUSINESS
Monthly Finance Update and COVID-19 Impacts
Finance Director Steve Hoglund presented the monthly update on the city's financial position,referring to the
graphs and charts that had been included in the packet materials for the meeting. He compared actual vs.
budgeted revenue streams to each other and to the same point the prior year. He noted that shortfalls in some
streams were significant but not as severe as had initially been feared and that some revenue streams such as
utility tax and permit fees were coming in greater than budgeted.
2021 Budget Planning
Mr. Hoglund invited Council feedback on the option of reverting to annual budgeting for 2021. He said staff
recommended that change given the difficulty of projecting revenue streams due to COVID-19. Mr. Hoglund
also recommended maintaining the provisions of Resolution 2082 calling for a hiring freeze where possible and
for deferring purchase of all non-mandatory equipment. He addressed his expectations for both revenue and
expenditure reductions in 2021,referring to his slide presentation that had been included in the packet materials
for the meeting. Finally,Mr. Hoglund reviewed with City Council the budget goals established in 2016. He
solicited Council input on any amendments to those goals.
Councilmembers were generally supportive of adopting an annual budget for 2021. Mr. Walters asked the
mayor to bring Council a budget proposal that included the hiring freeze but listed any specific exceptions to
that freeze, included the deferral of purchase of any non-mandatory equipment, and in all other ways was a very
conservative budget with the exception of spending to maintain city infrastructure that would become unusable
without adequate spending, including the pavement network. Mr. Walters also supported pushing the budget
process as late in the year as possible to allow the most accurate forecasting.
Resolution 2096: Extending the Duration of Resolution 2082 Providing Temporary Procedures to
Respond to the COVID-19 Epidemic
Mr. Hoglund presented Resolution 2096 to extend the terms of Resolution 2082 through September 30, 2020,as
directed by City Council at its meeting on July 20,2020. Mr. McDougall asked if staff was implementing
technology that would allow public participation in virtual meetings. Mayor Gere confirmed that technology
would be in place for the August 10, 2020 City Council meeting.
Mr. Miller moved, seconded by Mr. Young,to approve Resolution 2096 as presented. Vote: Ayes—Young,
Walters, Cleland-McGrath,Moulton,McDougall, Miller and Carter. Motion carried.
There being no further business, at approximately 7:00 p.m. the Anacortes City Council meeting of
July 27, 2020 was adjourned.
Anacortes City Council Minutes July 27, 2020 2