HomeMy WebLinkAbout11142001City Council of The City of Port Townsend
Minutes of the Special Session on November 14, 2001
The City Council of the City of Port Townsend met in special session this fourteenth day
of November, 2001 at 6:30 p.m. in the Port Townsend Council Chambers of City Hall,
Mayor Geoff Masci presiding.
ROLL CALL AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Council members present at roll call were Joe Finnie, Allen Frank, Vem Garrison, Geoff
Masci, Syd Lipton and Alan Youse. Bill Wolcott was excused. Staff members present
were City Manager David Timmons, City Attorney John Watts, Finance Director
Michael Legarsky and City Clerk Pam Kolacy.
OPEN RECORD PUBLIC HEARING
PUBLIC HEARING
ORDINANCE 2780
AN ORDINANCE FIXING AND ADOPTING 2002 PROPERTY TAX LEVIES
Mr. Masci opened the public hearing and read the council rules of procedure. He asked if
any council members had any interest to disclose in connection with the hearing. There
were none.
City Manager Timmons updated the council on changes to the preliminary budget. He
noted that this information is part of the big picture for the 2002 budget which includes
the zero percent property tax increase contained in the proposed ordinance.
The changes since the first iteration of the manager's budget include:
Elimination of city interlude utility taxes.
Elimination of General Fund inter-fund professional services charges.
Institution of a General Fund administration overhead cost allocation of 10% in lieu of
inter-fund charges. (This change results in capital projects now paying a fair share of
administrative burden.)
Critical evaluation of all budgets for refinements to enhance revenue projections and trim
expenses.
Staffing vacancies to be filled in stages over the next year to achieve cost savings.
Factoring in 1.7% cost of living increase for non-represented employees.
Increase of the General Fund subsidy to the Street Fund.
Increased Council commitment to non-profit service providers.
Elimination of debt service costs for proposed utility defeased debt services.
Enhancement of Water and Sewer Fund balances due to new administrative overhead
allocation method.
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He stated that a revised budget would be distributed during the first part of the next week.
Public comment:
None
Mr. Frank moved to suspend council rules to allow adoption this evening. Mr. Lipton
seconded. Mr. Frank then ,Mthdrew the motion.
Motion: Mr. Frank moved for the first reading of Ordinance 2780. Mr. Youse seconded
The motion carried unanimously, 6-0, by voice vote.
Motion: Mr. Frank moved to defer adoption to the meeting of November 15, 2001. Mr.
Youse seconded The motion carried unanimously, 6-0, by voice vote.
ORDINANCE 2781
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF PORT TOWNSEND ESTABLISHING A
VOTER APPROVAL REQUIREMENT TO UTILIZE BANKED REAL PROPERTY
TAX CAPACITY, AND HEREBY ADDING A NEW CHAPTER 3.48, BANKED
REAL PROPERTY TAX CAPACITY--VOTER APPROVAL, TO TITLE 3,
REVENUE AND FINANCE, OF THE PORT TOWNSEND MUNICIPAL CODE.
City Attomey Watts stated that Council member Frank requested preparation of an
ordinance codifying the results of Proposition No. 1 passed by the voters on November 6,
2001. Proposition No. 1 provides that council obtain voter approval before imposing
upon real property any banked real property tax capacity.
Public Comment:
Freida Fenn: stated she trusts the wisdom of the voters and feels they like to be
empowered by getting more information. She expressed concern that in the annual
budgeting process between council and citizens, the process is very complicated - city
budgeting is not a simple matter and is one of the primary tasks which the City Council is
elected to perform. She expressed concern that them are no education requirements built
into the ordinance and feels this does not empower the voters by giving them access to all
information and may hamper the council in making adjustments for inflation. She stated
that it will politicize the budget process by trying to oversimplify a complex process. She
added that her understanding was that the council must vote to direct staff to draft an
ordinance, rather than having an ordinance drafted per request of a single member, then
brought before the full council for a vote. She requested that the full ordinance text be
read into the record.
Ms. Kolacy read the ordinance text into the record.
Motion: Mr. Frank moved for the first reading of Ordinance 2781 with action to be
deferred to the November 15, 2001 meeting. Mr. Garrison seconded
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Mr. Finnie commented that although he respects the opinion of the voters, he has often
expressed his opposition to the proposition process; he has consistently prepared to be a
good council member and would vote for tax increases even in the face of the majority
view of the citizens if he feels those expenditures are warranted.
Vote: The motion carried 5-1, by voice vote, with Mr. Masci opposed.
ADJOURN
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 7:43 p.m.
Attest:
Pamela Kolacy, CMC
City Clerk
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