HomeMy WebLinkAbout030110CITY OF PORT TOWNSEND
MINUTES OF THE BUSINESS MEETING OF MARCH 1, 2010
CALL TO ORDER AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
ROLL CALL
Councilmembers present at roll call were David King, Laurie Medlicott, Kris Nelson,
George Randels, Catharine Robinson, Michelle Sandoval, and Mark Welch.
Staff members present were City Manager David Timmons, City Attorney John
Watts, Public Works Director Ken Clow, and City Clerk Pam Kolacy .
CHANGES TO THE AGENDA
SPECIAL PRESENTATION(S): NONE SCHEDULED
COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC
There was no general public comment.
CONSENT AGENDA
Motion: George Randels moved to approve the following items on the consent
agenda:
Approval of Bills, Claims and Warrants: Vouchers 110289 through 110664 (plus
EFTS) in the amount of $1,686.762.40.
Approval of Minutes: Jauary 25, February 1, and February 6, 2010. (page 4 of 6
January 25 minutes, regarding use of LTAC funds, clarify that "improvements"
refers to "Memorial Field" improvements)
Authorize City Manager to call for bids and award a contract for the installation of
maintenance holes and replacement of sewer lines in the wastewater collection
system.
Authorize City Manager to call for bids and award a contract for One (1) complete
pan and tilt camera with transporter and cable and ree! unit for the Wastewater
Collection Division.
Authorize City Manager to call for bids and award a contract for 11, 000 pounds of
activated odor carbon for the Wastewater Treatment Facility.
Mark Welch seconded.
Vote: motion carried unanimously, 7-0 by voice vote.
City City Council Business Meeting March 1, 2010 Page 1 of 7
PUBLIC HEARING(S):
Ordinance 3034, Amendments to Port Townsend Municipal Code concerning
provisions in the Overlay District in Chapter 17.26 and the Special Height
Overlay District in Chapter 17.28, and correcting a mapping error.
Mayor Sandoval asked if anyone was here with the intention of commenting
during either public hearing. No one in the audience responded. She then
reviewed the procedures for public hearings to cover both scheduled hearings.
No Council member had any financial or property interest to declare in regard
to either public hearing topic.
City Attorney John Watts reviewed the packet materials and provided a height
overlay map which had not been in the packet for the Council's review. He
noted that adoption of the ordinance would resolve a conflict between Chapters
17.26 -Overlay District and 17.28 -Special Height Overlay District regarding
limitations on a block of land zoned for R-II residential (Block 100 of the Port
Townsend Original Townsite). He added that Ordinance 3034A, extending the
interim regulations, is also included in the packet to cover the short period of time
before Ordinance 3034 becomes effective.
Motion: George Randels moved to approve the following actions en bloc : (1)
Waive Counci! Rules and adopt Ordinance 3034, relating to land use and zoning,
concerning provisions in the Overlay District in Chapter 17.26 and the Special
Height Overlay District in Chapter 17.28 affecting Block 100 of the Original
Townsite, and providing that the provisions of the Overlay Disfrict zoning apply in
the event of conflict with the underlying zoning, correcting the official Height
Overlay Map for Block 100, clarifying that only portions of blocks as shown on the
Overlay Map are subject to the Height Overlay, and further correcting a mapping
error on that portion of adjacent vacated Franklin Sfreet. (2) Waive City Council
rules and adopt Ordinance 3034A, extending interim regulations to address a
conflict between Chapters 17.26 -Overlay District and 17.28 -Special Height
Overlay District regarding the height limitations on a block of land zoned for R-ll
residential (Block 100 of the Port Townsend Original Townsite). Kris Nelson
seconded.
Vote: motion carried unanimously, 7-0 by voice vote.
Re-Enacting and Extending Interim Regulation Ordinances
Mr. Watts reviewed the packet materials. The Planning Commission held public
hearings in January and February and has now adopted a recommendation for
Council which will come forward shortly. The extension of the interim ordinances
is needed to keep them in place before final action by the Council.
There was no public comment.
City City Council Business Meeting March 1, 2010 Page 2 of 7
Ms. Nelson asked how many people are affected by not having permanent
regulations in place. Mr. Watts stated he does not know but does not believe the
issue has come up during the process, which included informational mailings,
open houses, and public hearings. He stated that no one, to the City's
knowledge, has had a project delayed because of the interim regulations.
Motion: George Randels moved to waive Council Rules and adopt Ordinance 3031,
Re-Enacting and Extending Ordinance 3019 (September 8, 2009), Relating to Land Use
and Zoning, Adopting an Immediate Interim Regulation on the Acceptance of
Applications for Demolition or Alteration of Certain Structures, Establishing Six Months
as the Tentative Effective Period, and Declaring an Emergency Necessitating Immediate
Adoption of Interim Regulations; Ordinance 3032, Re-enacting and Extending
Ordinance 3020 (September S, 2009) Relating to Land Use and Zoning, Adopting an
Immediate Interim Regulation on the Acceptance of Applications for New Development
or Certain Types of Re-Development Within the City Until the City Finishes the Process
of Code Review and Amendment Relating to Building Size Limitations, Establishing Six
Months as the Tentative Effective Period, and Declaring an Emergency Necessitating
Immediate Adoption of an Interim Regulation; and Ordinance 3033, Re-Enacting and
Extending ordinance 3021 (September 8, 2009) Relating to Land Use and Zoning,
Adopting an Immediate Interim Regulation Re-Designating R-III Zoning Within the
National Historic Landmark District to R-77 Until the City Finishes the Process of Code
Review and Amendment Relating to Zoning in the Historic District, Establishing Six
Months as the Tentative Effective Period, and Declaring an Emergency Necessitating
Immediate Adoption of an Interim Regulation. Mark Welch seconded.
Vote: motion carried unanimously, 7-0 by voice vote.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
A•E Contract Authorization for Design of City Lake Water Line Replacement
Public Works Director Ken Clow reviewed the packet materials. He stated that
the Council, at the January 25 meeting, authorized the City Manager to sign
contracts for evaluating options to repair the City Lake outlet transmission
pipeline, with the expenditure amount capped at $40,000. He explained that the
engineering consultant has developed a broader scope of work with an estimated
cost of $136,765. This scope of work will reduce the chances of unexpected
expenses, ensure the reliability of the water system and minimize the risks
associated with its repair and future operation. Phases II and III will be
reevaluated after Phase I has been completed.
There was no public comment.
Discussion ensued and Mr. Timmons reiterated that frontloading the analysis
makes sense rather than moving forward and realizing that there was a better
alternative.
Motion: George Randels moved to authorize the City Manager to negotiate and
execute professional services contracts related to the development of repair
City City Council Business Meeting March 1, 2010 Page 3 of 7
alternatives and design documents for the repair of the City's water transmission
pipeline at City Lake (Phase I) not to exceed $150, 000. Mark Welch seconded.
Vote: motion carried unanimously, 7-0 by voice vote.
Fire Service: Resolution 10-003, Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Levy
Lid Lift; Resolution 10-004, General Fund Levy Lid Lift; Annexation
Mr. Timmons reviewed the packet materials, noting that several options for
increased revenues for East Jefferson Fire Rescue were discussed at an earlier
workshop. He noted that options presented for the Council include: general levy
lift measure on April 27 ballot; EMS lid lift measure on the April 27 ballot and no
ballot measures but consideration of annexation later this year.
Mr. Timmons asked Chief Gordon Pomeroy to give the Council more information
on the funding needed by the department.
Chief Pomeroy noted that he hoped to double the size of the department in 3.5 to
4 years in response to increased calls for service. He discussed typical
situations where more staffing would be needed.
Mr. Watts reviewed the draft resolutions.
Mr. Watts said that the Fire District has voted to place a proposition to the voters
to raise the EMS levy from 32 to 50 cents per $1,000 of assessed value, which is
the maximum allowed by law. They have also proposed a general levy lid lift
from 56 cents to one dollar per $1,000 of assessed value. If the City were also to
propose a general levy lid lift, which raised the levy from 57 cents to $1.00 per
$1,000 of assessed value, approximately $652,000 additional dollars would be
raised and would be earmarked to the fire service.
Mr. King asked what would happen to the earmarked funds if annexation occurs.
Mr. Timmons noted that the amount would be automatically banked but he is not
clear if the funds could be used for another purpose. The City's intent would be
to avoid "double" taxation on City residents for support of the Fire District. In
theory, an earmarked levy (such as the current library levy) would go away if the
use is no longer funded by the City.
Mr. Randels asked about the timing for a lid lift to take effect. Chief Pomeroy
stated that he understands the vote could be as late as November to have the
levies go into effect in 2011. However, regarding annexation, if the annexation
was to be voted on in August the taxes collected for that new junior taxing district
would not be forthcoming before 2012 because of the special rule regarding
establishing boundaries for fire districts. A vote in August 2010 for annexation
means the boundaries could not be set until August 1, 2011 and taxes couldn't be
collected until 2012.
Mr. Watts stated that the lid lift is not a direction to collect the tax but an
City City Council Business Meeting March 1, 2010 Page 4 of 7
authorization to collect the tax so the City could stop the collection when
annexation occurred. Mr. Watts stated a separate ballot measure to reset the
levy would be another means of revising the levy rate. If the City were to
propose a general lid lift this April and then propose annexation in August, the
City's request to the Fire Board could be accompanied by a Memorandum of
Understanding specifying how it is going to work.
Mr. Welch asked Chief Pomeroy how the current collective bargaining agreement
for the District firefighters compares to other contracts. Mr. Pomeroy noted the
comparables used and stated that the district is in a comparable range due to
keeping salaries equal but decreasing hours in the work week and lowering some
of the built-in overtime.
Ms. Robinson asked about the use of volunteers. Chief Pomeroy said he wishes
to augment the professional staff with well-trained volunteers. However, training
volunteers is as costly as training professional staff. Volunteers cannot
be "paid" except with stipends and it is difficult to maintain a volunteer force at
the level of hours needed.
Ms. Nelson asked about the composition of the Fire District Board and about
county district population in comparison to city population. Chief Pomeroy stated
he believes the populations are nearly equal.
There was further discussion about board representation, and whether dividing
the area into voting districts is a good idea. It was noted that population is the
number of people in the area, not the number of voters.
Ms. Robinson said that if the City is moving toward annexation, the levy lift would
make sense to bridge the gap when there was no funding. Mr. Timmons noted it
is desirable to maintain parity until the point of annexation.
Mayor Sandoval suggested that the City take advantage of the date already
scheduled for a town meeting to discuss annexation and the levies.
In response to Ms. Robinson, Chief Pomeroy noted that service calls are
approximately 85% emergency medical services and 15% fire calls.
Mr. Timmons stated that the City is in a different appraisal cycle than the county.
The City is at full value while the district is scheduled for reassessment next
year. This will have an effect on the respective levy rates.
Motion: George Randels moved to approve Resolution 10-003, Emergency
Medical Services (EMS) Levy Lid Lift, with correction to typo on page 2, (replace
"Board" with "City Council" in last paragraph of Section 7). Laurie Medlicott
seconded.
Vote: motion carried unanimously, 7-0 by voice vote.
City City Council Business Meeting March ], 2010 Page 5 of 7
Consensus was to discuss the general lid lift further at the May 8 meeting. Staff
will report back to answer several outstanding questions
including how annexation would affect a lid lift; whether the revenues can be
specifically designated for a special purpose and discontinued if the special
purpose goes away; whether the contingency can be time sensitive; figures
regarding the actual impact to the taxpayer of various scenarios; and information
on the process and options for City representation on a joint governing board for
annexation district.
Resolution 10-005 of the City Council of the City of Port Townsend,
Washington, Declaring its Intention to Partner with JeffCom for a
Telecommunications Tower at the City Reservoir Site, and not to Lease to
Verizon.
Mr. Watts reviewed the packet materials, noting that adoption of the resolution
would affirm the Council's determination not to enter into a lease with Verizon.
The City will partner with JeffCom for JeffCom to erect a tower that would
accommodate Verizon as well as public interests. He noted this is the
recommendation of the Special Projects Committee.
There was no public comment
Motion: Laurie Medlicott moved to approve Resolution 10-005 of the City Council
of the City of Port Townsend, Washington, declaring its intention to partner with
JeffCom for a telecommunications tower at the City Reservoir site, and not to
lease to Verizon. Kris Nelson seconded.
Vote: motion carried unanimously, 7-0 by voice vote.
NEW BUSINESS
PRESIDING OFFICER'S REPORT
Volunteer Advisory Board Appointments
Public Comment
Forest Shomer, nominated for Parks, Recreation and Tree Advisory Board noted
the need for a strong Council liaison to the committee.
Motion: Mark Welch moved to accept the Mayor's recommendation and confirm
the following appointments:
Arts Commission: Tom Scharf (new appointment to Position 5, term expires
5/1/2012); Rosalind Russell (new appointment to Position 6, term expires 5/1/12).
Climate Action Committee: Barney Burke, PUD Representative; Michael Pollack,
City City Council Business Meeting March 1, 2010 Page 6 of 7
Jefferson Transit Representative; Ayta Taylor, Port Townsend Nigh School
Alternate Representative.
Parks, Recreation & Tree Advisory Board: Rosemary Sikes (Position 1, term
expires 5!1/13); Karen Mckee (Position 2, term expires 5/1/13); Forest Shomer
(Position 3, term expires 5/1/12); Matthew Berberich (Position 4, term expires
5/1/12); Daniel Collins (term expires 5/1/11); Barbara T. Smith (Position 6, term
expires 5/1/11). Kris Nelson seconded.
Vote: motion carried unanimousiy, 7-0 by voice vote.
CITY MANAGER'S REPORT
Mr. Timmons reported on:
Ferry launch marketing strategy discussions;
Update on capital projects;
Farmer's Market has indicated they will not relocate to the Mountain View site;
Compost sale;
Potential for PDA sponsored grant for improvements to Wheeler Theater.
STANDING COMMITTEE REPORTS
Mayor Sandoval suggested that the Council begin hearing standing committee
reports at workshop meetings.
SUGGESTIONS FOR NEXT OR FUTURE AGENDA, REGULAR MEETING AND/OR
STUDY SESSION
COMMENTS FROM COUNCIL
EXECUTIVE SESSION
ADJOURN
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 9:21 pm.
Attest:
"C i
,.
Pamela Kolacy, MMC -
City Clerk
City City Council Business Meeting March 1, 2010 Page 7 of 7