HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-01-11 City Council Minutes Approved Anacortes City Council Minutes - January 11, 2021
Call to Order
Mayor Laurie Gere called to order the Anacortes City Council meeting of January 11, 2021 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 shared current case statistics for Anacortes, Skagit County,Washington State,
and the nation. The mayor noted the significant increase in cases in Skagit County over the prior month. The
mayor reported on vaccination progress in Skagit County and referred the public to the Skagit County Health
Department for questions about vaccination.
The mayor summarized the 2021 legislative priorities proposed by the Association of Washington Cities. She
encouraged councilmembers to send her any input on local legislative priorities before those were presented to
full Council for consideration and action.
Port/City Liaison Committee: Ms. Cleland-McGrath reported from the committee meeting held the previous
week. The attendees discussed 2020 successes and 2021 projects for each body.
Personnel Committee: Ms. Cleland-McGrath reported from the committee meeting held the previous week. The
discussion centered on topics that would be addressed later on the evening's agenda.
Housing Affordability and Community Services Committee: Ms.Moulton reported from the committee meeting
held earlier in the evening. Topics discussed included the 2021 cold weather shelter program,transition services
for homeless campers at Washington Park, and updating the social services work plan and inventory of existing
services.
Planning Committee: Ms.Moulton reported from the committee meeting held earlier in the evening. The topics
discussed included updating Parks Impact Fees and the 2018 International Building Code that would be
considered later on the agenda.
Public Safety Committee: Mr.Miller reported from the committee meeting held the previous Friday. The
attendees discussed fire sprinkler code which would be considered later on the evening's agenda.
Public Comment
Rochelle Kealoha praised the plan for transitioning homeless citizens in Anacortes. Ms. Kealoha then addressed
the question of masking in public. She said the City should already have implemented enforcement of COVID-
19 masking requirements and cited situations in which masks were not being worn in public,thus endangering
public and individual health. Ms. Kealoha argued forcefully for universal masking in public spaces. She asked
Council to enforce the requirement.
Consent Agenda
Mr. Miller moved, seconded by Mr. Carter,to approve the following Consent Agenda items. The motion carried
unanimously by voice vote.
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a. Minutes of January 4, 2021
b. Approval of claims in the amount of$920,874.11
The following vouchers/checks were approved for payment:
EFT numbers: 99037 through 99081,total$341,631.18
Check numbers: 99082 through 99096,total$576,032.43
Wire transfer numbers: 277976 through 278488,total$7,079.98
c. Contract Modification: Municipal Broadband Network—Library to MSTs Aerial Areas#19-175-FBR-
003
d. Contract Award: Intake Pump Station Redundancy and Resiliency Study#21-013-WTR-001
e. Contract Award: 2021 Janitorial Services#21-014-FAC-001
Other Business
Ordinance 3081: Adopting the 2018 International Building Codes
Planning Director Don Measamer presented Ordinance 3081 which would amend AMC Chapter 19.14 to adopt
the current International 2018 Codes consistent with the Washington State Building Code Council February 1
implementation. Mr. Measamer advised that the previous Friday the state had further delayed implementation of
the 2018 IBC until July 1,2021 due to COVID-19 complications. He called Council's attention to the change in
the International Fire Code to lower the threshold for size of structure requiring an automatic sprinkler system to
3,600 SF. Mr.Measamer invited additional Council discussion of whether to postpone action on Ordinance 3081
until May or June as other regional jurisdictions were doing, and also of the proposed changes in the sprinkler
requirements. He invited Interim Fire Chief Jack Kennedy to explain the rationale for the proposed sprinkler
requirement. Chief Kennedy reported on available staffing in the fire depai anent and the staffing required to
conduct an immanent rescue.
Councilmembers discussed the sprinkler requirement and fire depaitiiient staffing at some length with Chief
Kennedy. They requested additional information about the cost impacts of the proposed sprinkler requirement,
both for installation and for maintenance,in both residential and commercial spaces. Councilmembers also
requested additional information about the size and age of structures involved in structural fires in Anacortes if
that data was available. Councilmembers were generally supportive of deferring action on the ordinance until
later in the spring.
Mayor Gere invited members of the audience to comment on this agenda item.No one present wished to address
the Council.
The mayor concluded that staff would bring the sprinkler topic back to Council for discussion the following
month with additional information,would defer action on Ordinance 3081 until likely May or June in
conjunction with similar action in neighboring jurisdictions, and would continue a separate discussion of fire
department staffing requirements to address immanent rescue protocols.
Resolution 3012: City Leave for Covid-19 Related Absences
Finance Director Steve Hoglund presented Resolution 3012 which would amend the city's personnel policy to
extend the sick leave policy to cover some specific COVID related leave, following termination of federal
benefits for those absences at the end of 2020. Mr. Hoglund referred to his slide presentation which had been
included in the packet materials for the meeting.
Councilmembers discussed the proposal at length,with detailed input from members of the Personnel
Committee. Council requested additional information about all the various types of both paid and unpaid leave
currently available to staff if the policy were to extend currently available leave types to include COVID-related
absences to care for others. Mr. Hoglund advised that the first 2021 pay period would conclude on January 15,
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prior to the next City Council meeting,and requested some direction from Council for processing that payroll.
RYAN WALTERS moved, seconded by CHRISTINE CLELAND-MCGRATH,to adopt Resolution 3012
omitting Section 2.
RYAN WALTERS moved, seconded by BRUCE MCDOUGALL,to amend the motion to add effective dates of
January 1, 2021 through December 31,2021 to Resolution 3012.
Vote on amendment: Ayes -JEREMY CARTER,ANTHONY YOUNG,RYAN WALTERS, CHRISTINE
CLELAND-MCGRATH, CAROLYN MOULTON, BRUCE MCDOUGALL,MATT MILLER.Nays -None.
Result: Passed
Vote on amended motion: Ayes -JEREMY CARTER,ANTHONY YOUNG,RYAN WALTERS, CHRISTINE
CLELAND-MCGRATH, CAROLYN MOULTON,BRUCE MCDOUGALL,MATT MILLER.Nays -None.
Result: Passed
Adjournment
There being no further business,at approximately 6:37 p.m. the Anacortes City Council meeting of
January 11,2021 was adjourned.
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