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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-05-18 City Council Minutes ApprovedAnacortes City Council Minutes - May 18, 2026 1 Anacortes City Council Minutes - May 18, 2026 Call to Order Mayor Ryan Walters called to order the May 18, 2026, Anacortes City Council meeting at 6:00 p.m. Councilmembers Marcia Hunt, Luke Currier, Anthony Young, Christine Cleland-McGrath, Carolyn Moulton (arrived at 6:01pm), Bruce McDougall and TJ Fantini were present. Pledge of Allegiance The assembly joined in the Pledge of Allegiance. Announcements and Committee Reports Mayor Walters made announcements regarding Public Works Week, National Bike Month, Fourth of July Parade registration and rules for participants, and a Book Fair for Grown-Ups at the library on May 20th at 6pm. He also mentioned upcoming events at the Senior Activity Center, including a Cutting the Cables seminar on May 26th from 10am to 12pm, a Hearing Loss Consultation on May 29th from 9am to 12pm, and a Veterans Hangout on May 29th from 10am to 11:30. He then announced the upcoming Kids Fishing Day at Heart Lake on May 30th from 7am to 12pm and Bark in the Park at Storvik Park on June 13th from 10am to 2pm. Finally, he mentioned coming regulations regarding e-bikes and e-motorcycles for the safety of riders, pedestrians and the community, referring to a slide presentation that was added to the packet materials for the meeting. Finance Committee Ms. Hunt reported from the Finance Committee meeting held May 14th. The topics discussed included the revenue figures for April with lodging and utility tax trending upward. Sales tax, which is based on February receipts, is down from the prior year, but year-to-date is up by 4 percent over the prior year. The committee also discussed the 2025 Annual Report, which will be submitted to the state auditors by the end of this month, and possibly adopting more specific cost coding for better tracking of programs that are currently offered to assist with budget development for 2027 and beyond. Information Technology and Access Fiber Committee Mr. McDougall reported from the Information Technology and Access Fiber Committee meeting held May 12th. Fiber topics discussed included installations to date and revenue to forecasted, which are both running ahead, with the latter due to more gigabit customers than forecasted, and a detailed review of the outage over the weekend of 9-10 May and the steps taken to mitigate future instances. Information Technology topics included the ongoing data migration to the new enterprise resource planning software application, the expansion of city Wi-Fi to the newly expanded Depot Plaza, and a potential cybersecurity data loss prevention service associated with the Microsoft Office 365 bundle that could realize cost savings for the city. Economic Development Committee Mr. Young reported from the Economic Development Committee meeting held May 12th. The topics discussed included trying to reach a goal of getting signage deployed into the community by June 1st in connection with the Skagit Tourism Bureau’s Discover the Magic of Skagit initiative to better attract motorists to Anacortes businesses while passing through the city to and from the Washington State ferry terminal. Mr. Fantini asked about the status of the stakeholder group that had been mentioned in past committee reports. Mr. Young responded that the committee is working with local stakeholders to determine what the needs of Anacortes are before coordinating with other area organizations such as Economic Development Alliance of Skagit County. Anacortes City Council Minutes - May 18, 2026 2 Public Comment Mayor Walters invited the public to comment on any item not on the agenda. No one present wished to address the Council on any topic not already on the agenda. Consent Agenda Mr. McDougall moved, seconded by Ms. Cleland-McGrath, to approve the following Consent Agenda items. a. Minutes of May 11, 2026 b. Approval of claims in the amount of $2,077,510.22 The following vouchers/checks were approved for payment: EFT numbers: 115586 through 115629, total $1,603,900.58 Check numbers: 115630 through 115653, total $457,912.77 Wire transfer numbers: 388685 through 388950, total $15,696.87 c. Contract Modification: Whistle Lake Road Pipe Arch Modifications - Design #25-044-WTR-001 d. Ordinance 5030: An Ordinance Creating Chapter 2.51 in the Anacortes Municipal Code regarding the Anacortes Arts Commission e. Resolution 3216: Adopting Hearing Examiner Procedures f. Special Event: L Ave Block Party Vote: Ayes - Carolyn Moulton, Anthony Young, Christine Cleland-McGrath, Bruce McDougall, TJ Fantini, Luke Currier, Marcia Hunt. Nays - None. Abstentions - None. Result: Passed Other Business Fleet Utilization Report Summary Assistant Public Works Director WiL Ludemann introduced the Fleet Utilization Report, referring to a slide presentation that was included in the packet materials for the meeting. Discussion topics included: • Appreciation for Mr. Ludemann's efforts to save the city money by doing the report internally. • Factors that affect the higher cost for pool vehicles versus assigned vehicles. • Possible policy on what type of vehicle classes would benefit from procurement of electric vehicles. • Insurance savings goes into a fund to pay for repairs below the city's deductible. • Tracking vehicle usage. • The fleet has consumed 44% of the fuel budget as of May 1st. • Classes of vehicles that would be eligible for electrification within the next 5 to 10 years. • Charging capacity for fleet vehicles. • Staying apprised of coming advances in electric vehicle charging technology. • Considering the electric option with every vehicle purchase. • Readability of the report allows the council to readily digest and understand the needs of the fleet. • Appreciation for the maintenance and careful stewardship of public funds for fleet vehicles. Interlocal Agreement #26-042-AFD-002 with Skagit County for Behavioral Health Grant Administration Interim Assistant Fire Chief Steve Monrad introduced the proposed interlocal agreement #26-042-AFD-002 with Skagit County for Behavioral Health Grant Administration, including integrated outreach services for the city, the Skagit County crisis response team, and upcoming collaboration between the Burlington and Sedro- Woolley fire departments. He pointed out that the funding would not have been possible without the establishment of the North Star project, which enabled the city to attain a higher grant award for the collaborative programs it will support. He also mentioned that the total funding award of $270,000 comes from the state and is administered by the University of Washington, which allows for continuity in the Community Anacortes City Council Minutes - May 18, 2026 3 Paramedic program, supports a hotel respite program to assist individuals who are hospitalized that do not have a set discharge plan, and funds additional mental health providers who deploy with local crisis response teams. Discussion topics included: • Grant funding eligibility is increased due to the city's participation in the North Star initiative. • A portion of the grant funding is being given by the city to other jurisdictions throughout Skagit County. Anacortes is the lead agency. • Acknowledgment of the Fire Department proactively and collaboratively seeking funding to address the expected budget shortfall. • Co-response program's role in assisting distressed individuals throughout the community. • The Co-Responder Outreach Alliance and its association with the University of Washington. • Crisis response training for first responders. • The growing need for collaborative mental health care throughout the community in a resource- constrained environment. Luke Currier moved, seconded by TJ Fantini, to authorize the mayor to execute interlocal agreement #26-042- AFD-002 with Skagit County for Behavioral Health Grant Administration. The motion carried unanimously by voice vote. Adjournment There being no further business, at approximately 7:03 pm, the Anacortes City Council meeting of May 18, 2026, was adjourned.