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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023-01-17 City Council Minutes Approved Anacortes City Council Minutes - January 17, 2023 Call to Order Mayor Matt Miller called to order the Anacortes City Council meeting of January 17, 2023 at 6:00 p.m. Councilmembers Jeremy Carter, Ryan Walters,Anthony Young, Christine Cleland-McGrath,and Carolyn Moulton were present. Councilmembers Amanda Hubik and Bruce McDougall participated in the meeting remotely via Zoom. Pledge of Allegiance The assembly joined in the Pledge of Allegiance. Executive Session Potential litigation per RCW 42.30.110(1)(i) (30 minutes) Mayor Miller announced that City Council and the City Attorney would convene in Executive Session per RCW 42.30.110(l)(1)for approximately 30 minutes to discuss potential litigation or litigation. The mayor advised that the regular meeting would then adjourn with no final action having been taken. Councilmembers Jeremy Carter,Anthony Young, Ryan Walters, Christine Cleland-McGrath, Carolyn Moulton, Bruce McDougall and Amanda Hubik attended the executive session. Announcements and Committee Reports Mayor Miller announced that he would remove item 8.b. - Settlement Agreement: Pacific Pile and Marine, from the agenda and move item 6.c. -Resolution 3107—Declaring an Emergency and Waiving State Competitive Bidding Requirements for the Repair of the 36"Water Transmission Pipeline to item 8.b. under'Other Business'. He continued by remarking that,weather permitting, restoration work would commence the week of 23 January on the Tommy Thompson Trail Trestle. Finance Committee Mr.Young reported from the Finance Committee meeting held on January 11, 2023. The topics discussed included the possible change in banking services to Savi Bank,the end-of-year budget outlook, Community Development Block Grant funds, and the pending Molly Lane Fire Station purchase and sale agreement. Economic Development Committee Mr.Young reported from the Economic Development Committee meeting held the previous week. The topics discussed included the upcoming agenda of accomplishments to move forward in the area of economic development in concert with other local entities,goals and associated timelines for achievement, and stakeholder interviews that will inform the strategic approach moving forward. Port/City Liaison Committee Mr.Young continued reporting from the Port/City Liaison Committee meeting held on January loth, 2023. The topics discussed included the resignation of Mr. Verdoes from his position of Port Commissioner,the phased master plan for north basin development, ongoing conversations between the Council and their Port counterparts, Pier 2 stub wall and runoff control measures,tsunami planning and preparation,the phasing out of the Transit Shed for public events and a possible replacement venue,the planned re-opening of the Tommy Thompson Trestle in the spring, and ongoing damage assessment at Ship Harbor from the recent king tide. Skagit County Law and Justice Council Mr. Carter reported from the Skagit County Law and Justice Council meeting held the previous week. The topics discussed included strategies for dealing with behavioral health, community courts,and homelessness, an update on the Northstar Project that is in the implementation phase, and a contact database for individuals who need services that is shared among local agencies for streamlined access to services. Anacortes City Council Minutes- January 17,2023 1 Public Works Committee Ms. Moulton reported from the Public Works Committee meeting held earlier in the evening. The topics discussed included solid waste services and tote sizes,the Samish Early Learning Center interlocal agreement coming before the Council on February 23rd, and a pending $550,000 hydro-excavator purchase that will come before the Council on February 6th and would be delivered in early 2024,and an emergency declaration for the repair of a water main near the water treatment plant. Anacortes Housing Authority Board Appointment Mayor Miller reported on Anacortes Housing Authority Board appointment of Susan Rooks to a 5-year term effective through December 31, 2027. Civil Service Commission Appointment Mayor Miller reported on the appointment of Mike Ward as Alternate Civil Service Commissioner, effective February 1, 2023 through December 31, 2026 and Mary-Ann Gutierrez to Regular Civil Service Commissioner, effective through the end of the current term, December 31, 2024. Historic Preservation Board Appointment Mayor Miller presented the proposed appointment of Kevin Harris to a new 3-year term effective through December 31, 2025 to the Historic Preservation Board. Mr.Young moved, seconded by Mr. Carter,to confirm the appointment of Kevin Harris to the Historic Preservation Board. The motion carried unanimously by voice vote. Museum Advisory Board Appointments Mayor Miller presented the proposed re-appointments of Libby Walgamott and Judith Zersen to the Museum Advisory Board for a new 4-year term that will expire December 31, 2026, and the re-appointment of Dana Webb to the Museum Advisory Board. Mr.Walters moved, seconded by Mr. Carter,to approve the reappointment of Libby Walgamott, Judith Zersen, and Dana Webb to the Museum Advisory Board. The motion carried unanimously by voice vote. Public Comment Mayor Miller 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 Ms. Moulton moved, seconded by Mr. Carter,to approve the following Consent Agenda items. The motion carried unanimously by voice vote. a. Minutes of January 3 and January 9, 2023 b. Approval of claims in the amount of$743,169.52 The following vouchers/checks were approved for payment: EFT numbers: 105229 through 105297,total $297,940.67 Check numbers: 105298 through 105321,total $388,954.04 Wire transfer numbers: 316333 through 316772,total $56,274.81 Public Hearings Resolution 3104: Adopting a Housing Action Plan as a Guiding Document with Recommendations for Future Housing Policy,Planning, and Regulatory Amendments to Improve the Availability and Affordability of Housing for the Entire Community Planning, Community, and Economic Development Director, Don Measamer, introduced Resolution 3104, Adopting a Housing Action Plan as a Guiding Document with Recommendations for Future Housing Policy, Planning, and Regulatory Amendments to Improve the Availability and Affordability of Housing for the Entire Community. He mentioned that the Housing Action Plan includes recommendations for future housing policy, planning and regulatory amendments and was compiled through stakeholder interviews, community survey, an Anacortes City Council Minutes- January 17,2023 2 existing conditions report, a public meeting and tonight's public hearing. He mentioned some changes to the resolution as proposed by the Council and concluded that staff recommended approval. He then introduced Mr. Scott Bonjukian and Bob Bengford of Makers Architecture, Planning and Urban Design,who outlined several amendments to the plan referring to a slide presentation that was included in the packet materials for the meeting, including additional options for the R2A and the R3 Zones. Mayor Miller invited members of the audience to comment on this agenda item.No one present wished to address the Council. At approximately 7:08 p.m., Mayor Miller closed the public hearing. Mr.Walters wondered what quick wins that Makers found could be realized by the Council over the next two months,mentioning an April deadline for appeals to the Growth Board hearing protection as the timeline basis. Mr. Bonjukian responded that cottage housing be allowed in all zones where possible,updates to the lot sizes, adjusting provisions to where single-family uses are allowed in medium and high density zones, adjustments to front yard setbacks, and minor adjustments to the R4 bonus height program. Mr.Walters asked Mr. Measamer if the staff would pursue those items. Mr. Measamer responded that he would work with Makers over the next two weeks to identify which items were possible in that time span. Mr.Walters commented that in adopting the resolution the Council would not necessarily move forward all of the suggested measures and mentioned that the document would be available for public reference on the Anacortes website. Ms. Moulton echoed Mr. Walters sentiments and mentioned that the Housing Action Plan is timely with proposed state legislation on these issues. She concluded by thanking the consultants for the additional options related to 'missing middle' housing. Ms. Cleland-McGrath thanked the consultants and underscored the importance of the context the plan will provide for informing the update of development regulations for the Council and the public over the next year and a half. She concluded by thanking Mr.Walters for coming across the grant funding for the Housing Action Plan. Mr.Walters detailed the proposed changes including shortening the title and removing expanding single-family market rate housing. RYAN WALTERS moved, seconded by CAROLYN MOULTON,to Approve Resolution 3104 adopting the Housing Action Plan. Vote: Ayes -JEREMY CARTER,ANTHONY YOUNG, RYAN WALTERS, CHRISTINE CLELAND-MCGRATH, CAROLYN MOULTON, BRUCE MCDOUGALL,AMANDA HUBIK.Nays -None. Result: Passed Other Business Agreement with Anacortes Family Center on Alternative Response Team Fire and Emergency Medical Services Chief, Bill Harris, introduced the proposed agreement with the Anacortes Family Center for an Alternative Response Team, detailing the grant from the Association of Washington Cities and the services that the Alternative Response Team would provide. He introduced Community Paramedic, Steve Monrad,to answer any detailed questions from the Council. Mr.Walters asked if the term of June 30 was a limitation of the grant funding. Chief Harris responded affirmatively. Mr.Walters followed up by asking if we knew why the Association of Washington Cities (AWC) is associated with the grant. Chief Harris responded that their involvement was a means to pass through funding from the state legislature to municipalities. Mr.Walters pointed out that the City has done a good job of starting the community paramedic program and gathering funding,but suggested that staff gather data to inform the needs for the 2024 budget process to ensure that these services could continue through alternative funding sources. Chief Harris responded that he would do the analysis and report it to the Council for the 2024 budget process, and added that Mr. Monrad has been tasked with developing performance metrics. Mr.Walters continued that the metrics would need to be carefully developed to ensure that there would be no gaps in services. Mr.Young emphasized that the initiative would be data driven to quantify the impact of the program on the community so that it remains an effective intiative. Mayor Miller added that Community Paramedic Steven Monrad is the perfect person to perform that analysis. Ms. Cleland-McGrath stressed that in addition to Anacortes City Council Minutes- January 17,2023 3 the data, she would like to see the associated challenges,failures, and disconnects to inform discussions with Skagit County and the State. Chief Harris mentioned the importance of the social navigator in connecting individuals with needed services. Mr.Young mentioned an anecdote of an interaction with a homeless individual as an example of the necessity of following up on the administrative processes associated with access to needed services and benefits. Mr.Walters asked about the qualifications for the mental health professional and social worker as proposed in the agreement. Chief Harris responded that the mental health professional would be a masters-level professional per the recommendation of the Anacortes Family Center and does not include a designated crisis responder(DCR) as part of the agreement. Mr.Walters followed up by asking what the specific duties of the social worker and mental health professional were. Mr. Monrad responded that AWC is involved because they were looking for a count of the crisis beds throughout the state and that the grant funding would be available next year. He continued that the social worker,who is currently a counseling student with substance abuse disorder treatment and recovery navigator experience,would primarily accompany Mr. Monrad three days per week in his duties,which range from dealing with elderly individuals and emergency calls. The mental health professional duties are still being developed with a yet to-be-determined blend of field and office sessions. Ms. Moulton asked Mr. Monrad if AWC has reporting requirements. Mr. Monrad responded that the reporting requirements are minimal and Chief Harris added that Mr. Monrad is writing a report that will include suggestions to take the program further. Chief Harris added that he believed this will be a successful program and that the need will be demonstrated for continuing it beyond the next six months through continued grant funding and possible future partnership with the North Sound Accountable Community of Health. Ms. Cleland abstained from the vote because she is on the board of the Anacortes Family Center. CAROLYN MOULTON moved, seconded by ANTHONY YOUNG,to authorize the mayor to sign the contract with the Anacortes Family Center to provide funding for the Alternative Response Team. Vote: Ayes -JEREMY CARTER,ANTHONY YOUNG, RYAN WALTERS, CAROLYN MOULTON, BRUCE MCDOUGALL,AMANDA HUBIK.Nays -None. Abstentions - CHRISTINE CLELAND- MCGRATH. Result: Passed Resolution 3107—Declaring an Emer2ency and Waiving State Competitive Bidding Requirements for the Repair of the 36"Water Transmission Pipeline Water Treatment Plant Manager, Brian McDaniel, introduced Resolution 3107 that would declare an emergency and waive state competitive bidding requirements. He detailed the casualties in the water system that occurred on January 11, 2023 due to a pressure spike in the system that caused a gasket to fail in a transmission main. He added that water is still being transported via a redundant supply route,but that repairs are urgently needed to ensure the availability of an additional supply route. Mr.Walters asked what the rough order of magnitude for the cost of repair was. Mr. McDaniel responded that it could be roughly up to $1 million. RYAN WALTERS moved, seconded by BRUCE MCDOUGALL,to approve Resolution 3107. Vote: Ayes - JEREMY CARTER,ANTHONY YOUNG, RYAN WALTERS, CHRISTINE CLELAND-MCGRATH, CAROLYN MOULTON, BRUCE MCDOUGALL, AMANDA HUBIK Nays -None. Result: Adjournment There being no further business, at approximately 7:40 p.m.the Anacortes City Council meeting of January 17, 2023 was adjourned. Anacortes City Council Minutes- January 17,2023 4