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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023-02-13 City Council Minutes Approved Anacortes City Council Minutes - February 13, 2023 Call to Order Mayor Matt Miller called to order the Anacortes City Council meeting of February 13, 2023 at 6:00 p.m. Councilmembers Jeremy Carter, Ryan Walters,Anthony Young, Christine Cleland-McGrath, and Carolyn Moulton were present. Councilmembers Bruce McDougall and Amanda Hubik participated in the meeting remotely via Zoom. At approximately 6:09 p.m., Ms. Hubik lost remote connectivity to the meeting due to a power outage. Pledge of Allegiance The assembly joined in the Pledge of Allegiance. Announcements and Committee Reports Mayor Miller shared an update on the Tommy Thompson Trail trestle reconstruction project,thanking Strandberg Construction, Culbertson Marine,the Parks Foundation and other donors for their efforts and support,noting that decking is being replaced on the trestle and a March re-opening is anticipated with enhanced security improvements. Planning Committee Ms. Moulton reported from the Planning Committee meeting held earlier in the evening. The topics discussed included Shoreline Management Program revisions with integration of the Critical Areas Ordinance in coordination with the Washington State Department of Ecology(DOE). The revised plan will come back before the Council with an open public comment period that will address the changes being made. If adopted by the Council,the final plan would be sent to DOE for approval. Port/City Liaison Committee Mr. Carter reported from the Port/City Liaison Committee meeting held the previous Tuesday. The topics discussed included keeping public restrooms open, clean and safe for use while protected from vandalism;the Depot Pavilion as an alternate events location for the City with the closure of the Transit Shed; and a proposed new port facility that would support ships pumping off waste subsequent to new regulations restricting ships from dumping waste out at sea. Housing Affordability and Community Services Committee Mr.Walters reported from the Housing Affordability and Community Services Committee meeting held the previous Thursday. The topics discussed included a discussion with an unhoused resident's experience navigating the different housing assistance programs in Anacortes, low income utility discount program enrollment and eligibility requirements, interviews with the Street Outreach Team and their progress and challenges,particularly on T Avenue. Public Comment Mayor Miller invited the public to comment on any item not on the agenda. Bill Mihelich of Anacortes addressed the issue of the proposed tax increase to support the fire and police departments, remarking that the taxes in Anacortes are already high and that he would have difficulty supporting the proposal. He mentioned the ongoing project on 32nd Street where the distance between buildings is approximately 10 feet,two houses on one lot on I Avenue that he thought were against development regulations,two houses on the south side of the roundabout on 12th Street, one of which appeared to be encroaching on the alley. He related that he had lived in Anacortes for over 60 years, and characterized the aforementioned instances as examples of the city changing in a negative way, and expressed a desire for the city to look healthy and nice like it used to. Anacortes City Council Minutes- February 13,2023 1 Bill Perkins of Anacortes wondered if there could be charts produced detailing how the workload for the fire and police departments has increased over the years. He asked for a chart to illustrate how many homeless there are in Anacortes to determine if there is a correlation between increased call volumes for fire and police and homelessness. He related an example of a recreational vehicle parked on T Avenue, asking why it is not subject to the same rules and regulations as those who choose to camp in public places such as Washington Park, and proposed that camping be restricted to designated areas. He wondered where the definition of affordable housing comes from and asked if we have achieved any of our goals in the affordable housing projects undertaken so far?He mentioned the new development on R Avenue and 32nd Street,pointing out that the offered rents do not equate to affordability based on the local median income and that the multi-unit structure creates a neighborhood parking problem, as inadequate on-site parking is provided. He concluded by wondering if the actions to address homelessness are working, asserting that offering homeless assistance will only attract more distressed individuals and that those who are senior citizens have had ample time to make decisions in their life that would help them avoid poverty, otherwise they have not done too well in managing their lives. Mayor Miller mentioned that information on the proposed levy lid lift was recently added to the Cif Anacortes website. Consent Agenda Ms. Moulton moved, seconded by Mr.Young,to approve the following Consent Agenda items. The motion carried unanimously by voice vote. a. Minutes of February 6, 2023 b. Approval of claims in the amount of$703,795.93 The following vouchers/checks were approved for payment: EFT numbers: 105509 through 105537,total $417,911.99 Check numbers: 105538 through 105554,total $244,674.09 Wire transfer numbers: 317876 through 318842,total $41,209.85 Other Business Ordinance 4041: Adopting New AMC Chapter 2.86 Regarding Compost Procurement City Attorney, Darcy Swetnam, introduced Ordinance 4041: Adopting New AMC Chapter 2.86 Regarding Compost Procurement, referring to a slide presentation that was added to the packet materials for the meeting. Mayor Miller mentioned attending the Regional Solid Waste Board meeting where this issue was a central discussion topic,adding that on the positive side,there is already an organic collection contract in place with Waste Management. Mayor Miller invited the public to comment on the agenda item.No one present wished to address the Council on the agenda item. Mr.Young remarked that the intent of the legislation was good and that he and his spouse compost at home. He mentioned that the ordinance will help enrich the soil and,with a bit of encouragement and education,will be a positive development for the planet and the community. Mr.Walters commented that he was glad that the matter was before the Council to comply with the statutory deadlines and doing the work that the legislature mandated. He lamented the amount of food and yard waste that is regularly placed in the solid waste system where it is shipped to the Roosevelt landfill by rail. He related that his family uses their yard waste bin to recycle food waste,and encouraged those who do not have yard waste bins to cooperate with their neighbors who have one to deposit their food waste there instead of placing it in the solid waste bin. He remarked that he had offered amendments to the Comprehensive Plan to incentivize Anacortes City Council Minutes- February 13,2023 2 the city to find compost collection services at a cheaper rate than what is in place now, as he added that the cost of having the yard waste bin is considerable. He continued by detailing the benefits of compost to stormwater management and lauded the legislature for realizing that there is a local preference for those cities that provide organic collection services. He proposed that the effective date be explicitly annotated in the ordinance so that staff have a clear expectation of when the ordinance goes into effect. Mayor Miller echoed Mr.Walters suggestion of neighborhood cooperation in collection of organic materials. Ms. Moulton mentioned that she works for Lautenbach Recycling and recused herself from voting on this matter. She mentioned that 35%of the waste that is introduced into the solid waste system is food waste, and that there are many uses for compost, including stormwater cleaning, erosion control,weed control and soil nutrition. Contract Award: Hydro-Excavation Truck Purchase#23-059-ERR-001 Water Treatment Plant Manager, Brian McDaniel, introduced contract 423-059-ERR-001 for the purchase of a hydro-excavation truck. He detailed the purchase,mentioning that it is part of the Capital Facilities Plan and, after contract execution,will be received within 14-16 months to allow for the vehicle to be manufactured. It will be in service in 2024 or 2025. Mr.Walters mentioned that the vehicle was discussed in the public works committee. He asked why the truck is a useful tool. Mr. McDaniel responded that the system uses vacuum and high pressure water to excavate a 12- inch diameter hole and effectively pull the soil away from the area, leaving the existing utility and surrounding utilities largely undisturbed. The system also helps in reducing work area footprint, amount of time on a job site, impact on traffic. and use of personnel and other equipment. Mr.Walters mentioned that at$50,000 per year over an expected 10-year service life,the value would be realized in labor cost savings and risk to neighboring utilities. Mr.Young mentioned that the cost is significant,though the value is provided in the costs that are avoided in damaging other utilities,minimizing the use of other equipment, and eliminating some of the potentially risky work that workers perform in utility repair operations. ANTHONY YOUNG moved, seconded by CAROLYN MOULTON,to authorize the mayor to sign contract 423-059-ERR-001 with Owen Equipment Company for the purchase of a Hydro Excavation Truck. Vote: Ayes -JEREMY CARTER,ANTHONY YOUNG, RYAN WALTERS, CHRISTINE CLELAND-MCGRATH, CAROLYN MOULTON,BRUCE MCDOUGALL. Nays -None. Result: Passed Resolution 3110: Waiving the State Competitive Bidding Requirements for the Purchase of a Used Boma2 Asphalt Roller Public Works Director,Henry Hash, introduced Resolution 3110 to waive the State competitive bidding requirements for the purchase of a used Bomag asphalt roller. He mentioned that the operations division has a small roller and that a larger roller has been rented on occasion during the summer paving season. He estimated that a new unit costs $55,000 and that staff had found a used unit for$30,000 that would be delivered to the city for inspection and trial with no obligation. Mr.Walters expressed his compliments to the staff for producing the ordinance that specified cost and number of rollers. He mentioned that another roller had been purchased in the recent past, and expressed support for acquiring the proper equipment to perform the required tasks, especially at a discount. He cautioned that, as a general matter,we should be careful to purchase the appropriate equipment the first time and thus avoid multiple acquisitions of the same tool. He asked which account would fund the purchase. Mr. Hash responded that it was included in the current year's budget,but that he would need to find the exact fund number. Mr. Walters pointed out that this resolution authorizes the purchase, so there is time to determine the appropriate fund,and wondered if the pavement management fund would be appropriate. Mr. Hash agreed this would be an Anacortes City Council Minutes- February 13,2023 3 appropriate funding source, and added that the existing roller is used for smaller projects such as sidewalks, and that this new roller would be used for asphalt grading. Mr.Young remarked about his fiduciary responsibility for public funds as a Councilmember, and expressed his approval of staff bringing forward a proposal on its own that would realize significant cost savings for the city and community for equipment and labor costs that would be necessary to otherwise contract this work to a third party. CAROLYN MOULTON moved, seconded by JEREMY CARTER,to approve Resolution 3110 waiving the State competitive bidding requirements for the purchase of a used Bomag asphalt roller. Vote: Ayes -JEREMY CARTER,ANTHONY YOUNG, RYAN WALTERS, CHRISTINE CLELAND-MCGRATH, CAROLYN MOULTON, BRUCE MCDOUGALL.Nays -None. Result: Passed Adjournment There being no further business, at approximately 6:50 p.m.the Anacortes City Council meeting of February 13, 2023 was adjourned. Anacortes City Council Minutes- February 13,2023 4