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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-06-22 City Council Minutes ApprovedAnacortes City Council Minutes - June 22, 2026 1 Anacortes City Council Minutes - June 22, 2026 Call to Order Mayor Ryan Walters called to order the June 22, 2026, Anacortes City Council meeting at 6:00 pm Council members Marcia Hunt, Luke Currier, Anthony Young, Christine Cleland-McGrath and Carolyn Moulton were present. Councilmember Bruce McDougall participated in the meeting remotely via Zoom. Councilmember TJ Fantini was absent. Mr. Currier made a motion, seconded by Mr. Young, without objection to excuse Mr. Fantini. Pledge of Allegiance The assembly joined in the Pledge of Allegiance. Announcements and Committee Reports Mayor Walters announced the Planning, Permitting, and Public Works departments would only be available by appointment starting on July 6, 2026. He pointed out more information, as well as appointment scheduling, is available at the Permitting web page at anacorteswa.gov/permitting. He also mentioned the adopt-a-drain program was still in place, whereby a storm drain could be adopted and named by an individual or group, and the only requirement was to keep the storm drain free of debris so water could flow freely through it. The mayor also reminded the public of the upcoming Open House to discuss the Critical Areas Regulations update that will be held at 5:00 PM on Tuesday, June 30, 2026. He also announced the Grand Opening and ribbon cutting of the expanded Depot Plaza, taking place on July 1, 2026, from 5:00 to 7:00 PM. He also reminded the public registration is required to participate in the 4th of July parade. July 4th festivities kick off with the town photo at 10:00 AM, the parade at 11:00, Rock the Dock starts at 5:00 PM at Seafarers Park, and fireworks will begin at dusk over Fidalgo Bay. This information can also be found at anacorteswa.gov/fourth. He then presented a map of the fallout zone of Fidalgo Bay where fireworks debris will fall, cautioning that boaters need to stay out of that area from noon until midnight of July 4th. Questions can be directed to the Parks department at (360) 293- 1908. Library and Museum Committee Ms. Hunt reported from the Library / Museum Committee meeting held the prior week. The topics discussed included a review of the revisions made to the Library board bylaws and policies, which will be taken to the Library board, likely in July. The committee also discussed the proposed interlocal agreement with the Anacortes School District that would be considered later in the agenda and libraries in the schools, noting that the high school has a librarian, however elementary and middle schools do not have their own librarians. Ms. Hunt mentioned that to restore library services to elementary and middle schools, a jointly funded solution could be explored that is like the School Resource Officer program. The committee also previewed an updated schematic with revisions to the circulation desk. The committee also reviewed year-to-date expenditures, noting that all expenses are on track to planned use. Finally, the committee discussed a proposed interlocal agreement for a county-wide library consortium with four other county libraries, which would include a one-time $30,000 cost to migrate data to a new integrated library system, which would be an improvement over the existing system. Anacortes Library staff and the City Attorney are reviewing the agreement with further discussion likely to come during the coming budget season. Mr. Young noted the Pride event and parade that took place over the weekend, highlighting the efforts of event organizers Mason Cole and Jim Richardson and city Parks and Recreation staff, mentioning how well attended it was by a variety of groups and people, and that the Seattle news station KOMO was there reporting on the event. It was reported that objectively this year appears to be the best Pride event yet in the City of Anacortes. Anacortes City Council Minutes - June 22, 2026 2 Ms. Moulton also reported attending a North Star joint event with the Skagit County Commissioners, mayors and city councils on June 16th at the Skagit County Public Health department in Mount Vernon with Mayor Walters and Ms. Cleland-McGrath also attending in person and Ms. Hunt attending virtually. The event included a presentation on Martha’s Place that serves chronically homeless individuals, discussion of a new North Star three-year strategic plan, and the announcement of a Community Recovery Forum on June 30th from 6-7:30 pm at the Mount Vernon Public Library Commons. Ms. Moulton then went on to talk about the Tree Preservation Committee, or Tree Club, meeting earlier in the day, attended by herself, Mayor Walters, Councilmember Hunt and several citizens, including subject matter experts. The committee reviewed the existing street tree list in consultation with Osborne Consulting, addressing the species of trees that could be affected by climate change, and the impact that may have on tree planting in public spaces in the future, and how best to address those concerns. In recognition of the upcoming 4th of July that will be celebrating the 250th year of the Country's independence, the Mayor and Councilmembers read aloud, in sections, the Declaration of Independence. Public Comment Mayor Walters then 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. Young moved, seconded by Ms. Hunt, to approve the following Consent Agenda items. The motion carried unanimously by voice vote. a. Minutes of June 15, 2026 b. Approval of claims in the amount of $2,141,599.13 The following vouchers/checks were approved for payment: EFT numbers: 115892 through 115961, total $956,686.17 Check numbers: 115936 through 115964, total $362,836.22 Wire transfer numbers: 390494 through 390735, total $822,076.74 Other Business Contract Award: Senior Nutrition Program July-December 2026 #26-184-ASC-001 Parks and Recreation Director Jonn Lunsford presented a slide deck covering main points of the interlocal agreement, which was included in the packet materials for the meeting, on the agreement between the City of Anacortes and Skagit County to provide the Senior Nutrition Program, commonly known as Meals on Wheels (MOW), which would be effective July 1, 2026. The information provided noted that MOW provides over 110 meals per day on Fidalgo Island. The agreement also covers congregate meals, which are meals at the Anacortes Senior Activity Center. Ms. Moulton asked if this amount was relative to historical norms for MOW, and Mr. Lunsford explained the nature of the historical, current, and potential future funding of MOW. Mr. Currier moved, seconded by Mr. Young, to authorize the mayor to execute interlocal agreement #26-184- ASC-001 with the Skagit Council on Aging. The motion carried unanimously by voice vote. Interlocal Agreement #26-149-LIB-001 with Anacortes School District for the Student Card Program Library Director Jeff Vogel presented the interlocal included in the agenda packet, noting this is the same interlocal that has been in place for years, which allows Anacortes School District students to have access to the library via use of their student identification cards. The school district will pay $3,000 to the city in recognition of students who live outside of the city but still use the library. Ms. Hunt asked if the number of students that used this program was known. Only 40 out of 2400 students opted out of this program. Anacortes City Council Minutes - June 22, 2026 3 Mr. Young made positive comments about the program, mentioning that it provides students with an invaluable resource to enrich their knowledge of their own community and the wider world. He also mentioned the diverse nature of the library’s collection. Ms. Cleland-McGrath made positive comments about the program and library use in general, commending the library’s outreach efforts to students throughout their scholastic career. Ms. Cleland-McGrath moved, seconded by Ms. Moulton, to authorize the mayor to execute interlocal agreement #26-149-LIB-001 with the Anacortes School District #103. The motion carried unanimously by voice vote. Adjournment There being no further business, at approximately 6:40 pm, the Anacortes City Council meeting of June 22, 2026, was adjourned.