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HomeMy WebLinkAbout091712 CITY OF PORT TOWNSEND MINUTES OF THE BUSINESS OF SEPTEMBER 17, 2012 CALL TO ORDER AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE The Port Townsend City Council met in regular session on September 17, 2012, in the Council Chambers at 540 Water Street. The meeting was called to order by Mayor David King at 6:30 p.m. ROLL CALL Mayor King announced that Ms. Nelson would be arriving late. Councilmembers present at roll call were Robert Gray, David King, Kris Nelson, Michelle Sandoval, Deborah Stinson, and Mark Welch with Catharine Robinson excused. Staff members present were City Manager David Timmons, Public Works Director Ken Clow, Public Services Director Rick Sepler, Police Chief Conner Daily, City Clerk Pam Kolacy, and Officer Bill Corrigan. CHANGES TO THE AGENDA There were no changes to the agenda. COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC Public comment Barbara Lubert - Mountain View pool Nancy Shipley - Mountain View pool. Emily Mandelbaum regarding hearing assisted devices available for the public in Council Chambers. Anita Edwards - Mountain View pool Barbara Starr - Mountain View pool Anna Ankerbrand - Mountain View pool Leona Gifford - Mountain View pool Clyde Snyder- Mountain View pool CONSENT AGENDA City Council Business Meeting September 17, 2012 Page 1 of 8 Bills, Claims and Warrants Vouchers 118621 through 118624 in the amount of$2,318.80 Vouchers 118640 through 118733 in the amount of$233,581.73 Vouchers 118747 in the amount of$413.15 Advisory Board Appointments: Planning Commission: Kirit Bhansali (Position 6, filling unexpired term ending December 31, 2014) HAPN: Craig Wier (Position 8, Term expires March 28, 2014) Laura Lewis (Position 9, Term expires March 28, 2014) Lodging Tax Advisory Committee: Nathan Barnett (Position 11, Collector, Term expires May 1, 2015) Mark Cole of Main Street (Position 12, Ex-officio/Nonvoting, Term expires May 1, 2015) Motion: Michelle Sandoval moved to approve the consent agenda. Mark Welch seconded. Vote: motion carried unanimously, 5-0 by voice vote. Ms. Sandoval commended John Eissinger for his service on the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee. UNFINISHED BUSINESS Resolution 12-035 Authorizing the City Manager to accept a loan from the Washington State Department of Health, Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSFR) to Fund the Mandated Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Facility Resolution 12-036 Authorizing the City Manager to accept a loan from the Washington State Public Works Board Trust Fund for the 5 MG Reservoir Replacement Project Resolution 12-037, Authorizing the City Manager to Accept a Loan from the Washington State Public Works Board Trust Fund to Fund the Mandated Long- Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment facility. Ms. Nelson arrived at 6:48 p.m. Consensus was to take the first three items of Unfinished Business en bloc. Mr. Timmons reviewed the packet materials, noting they are on the Council agenda for the second time to allow for more discussion. Mr. Gray had several questions which were addressed by staff regarding funding City Council Business Meeting September 17, 2012 Page 2 of 8 options, the need for the reservoir replacement, deadlines for submitting the contracts, the local match (from system development charges), and the relationship of the projects to utility rates. There was no public comment. Mr. Gray stated he believes these items should have higher visibility and that they should be considered after the rate study is complete so the impact on ratepayers is known. Other Councilors noted that discussion about these projects has been extensive and there has been little public interest to date, that the projects are mandated, and the Council has done its best to minimize the expenditures associated with the projects. It was also noted that considering all three items represent such a large expenditure, it was good to schedule them at consecutive meetings. Motion: Michelle Sandoval moved to approve Resolutions 12-035, authorizing the City Manager to accept a loan from the Washington State Department of Health, Drinking Water State Revolving Fund to fund the mandated Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Facility, Resolution 12-036 authorizing the City Manager to accept a loan from the Washington State Public Works Board Trust Fund for the 5 MG reservoir Replacement Project, and Resolution 12-037 authorizing the City Manager to accept a loan from the Washington State Public Works Board Trust Fund to fund the Mandated Long-Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment facility. Mark Welch seconded. Vote: motion carried, 5-1 by voice vote, Robert Gray opposed. Resolution 12-042, Requesting the Olympic Region Clean Air Agency (ORCAA) to Obtain Air Quality Data in the Port Townsend Area to Assure our Citizens that Air Quality does not Present Health Risks Mr. Timmons reviewed the packet materials and noted the Special Projects Committee has revised their recommendation regarding a resolution and a letter to the Olympic Regional Clean Air Agency. Public Comment Linda Smith stated that Port Townsend Paper Company should not be singled out as the only source of particulate or asked to fund additional monitors. She added that there is great support for the co-generation project. Bill Wise, Chair of Team Jefferson stated that PTPC is socially responsible and the Council should not send an anti-business message with their action. Jim Todd stated that citizens deserve good air quality and obtaining more scientific data can only be helpful. Phil Johnson, member of the Olympic Regional Clean Air Agency, stated that the Blue Heron School monitor has been reading steadily for 19 years so the air quality City Council Business Meeting September 17, 2012 Page 3 of 8 baseline has been established. The agency is looking at moving that monitor to 9th and Hancock on the roof of Seaport Landing Assisted Living Center. The agency has applied for a grant for a second air monitor and has a good chance of getting it because of the co-generation project and because the community is very concerned. Eveleen Muehlethaler representing Port Townsend Paper, stated that as PTPC is a major source of air emissions and is considered a point source, the company measures their emissions directly. With the co-generation process, PTPC will be doing even more monitoring and that is where they want to be focused. She added that the Mill supports monitoring for total air quality and will do their part by monitoring their own emissions. She provided a copy of a letter to the Jefferson County Board of Health which was also presented to the Special Projects Committee. Mr. Welch stated he will not support the action proposed. He believes ORCAA is already putting forth their best efforts to monitor air quality and must be a good steward of their resources. He does not believe the letter is needed and in addition he does not believe politics should enter the scientific realm. He is not convinced that the City has a reason for interferring in the good job that is already being done. Council discussion continued, with members noting that the messaging is important so that citizens know the Council is concerned about their health. Changes were suggested to the documents to remove specific references to PTPC. Motion: Kris Nelson moved to approve Resolution 12-042, Requesting the Olympic Region Clean Air Agency (ORCAA) to Obtain Air Quality Data in the Port Townsend Area to Assure our Citizens that Air Quality does not Present Health Risks amended with the following changes: in the resolution, change 1 C to remove "does not hold that opinion,"(sentence to read "The City of Port Townsend wishes to reassure its citizens with data'); on page 2 eliminate paragraph 2 and 3 of the resolution which correspond with paragraphs 3 and 4 of the letter, correct spelling error in Recital D, and confirm that the resolution indicates this information will be transmitted to ORCAA. Robert Gray seconded. Vote: motion carried, 5-1 by voice vote, Mark Welch opposed. Implementation of"Single-Use Plastic Bag Ban" Ordinance City Manager Timmons reviewed the packet materials. He stated that staff has determined, after consulting with the state auditor, that reusable bags for the general public cannot be purchased with lodging tax funds. The recommendation is to rescind the September 4 motion to purchase 10,000 reusable bags and ask staff to determine an alternate recommendation. Possibilities discussed included bags provided directly by DM Disposal, exploring availability of cloth rather than plastic bags, looking at a bag exchange or asking volunteers make bags, and reviewing offers from businesses to provide a certain number of free bags to customers. There was no public comment. City Council Business Meeting September 17, 2012 Page 4 of 8 There was brief discussion with further review of the options. Members felt there still is a need to provide bags for members of the community who may not be able to afford to purchase the number of bags they might need even at a low cost. Motion: Kris Nelson moved rescind the Sept. 4 motion to purchase 10,000 bags with lodging tax dollars, and take action on an alternative approach as City Council deems appropriate. Deborah Stinson seconded. Vote: motion carried, 5-1 by voice vote, Michelle Sandoval opposed. NEW BUSINESS Proposition 1 - Sales Tax - Consideration of Funding Strategy; Letter to BOCC City Manager Timmons stated staff would like Council to address what position the City would take on future allocation of the Proposition 1 funds so we could go forward with a plan we all agree upon and understand. Mayor King reviewed the issues and stated he would like Council guidance. He noted that the packet contains several items, including an accounting of the one follow-up meeting that occurred after the Exploratory Regional Parks and Recreation Committee report was issued. In addition, the Jefferson County Resolution addressing use of Proposition 1 funds was distributed. A letter received just prior to the meeting from Board of County Commissioners was also distributed. The final ERPRC report recommends that the City and County collaborate on forming a Metropolitan Parks District (MPD). If the District plan is unsuccessful, a collaboration between the County and City to operate these facilities should be established. Mr. King stated that the City is concerned that one of the principal recreation assets in East Jefferson County is the Mountain View swimming pool and that the current preponderance of funding for all recreation facilities, including the pool, currently lies with the City. Even if a MPD is created, there will be no funding available until 2014 at the earliest. The City and County must work on the collaboration process for providing recreational facilities and services. Mr. King stated that he has not made a representation that the City would cut off its share of Proposition 1 funding; however he added we cannot sustain the pool, Memorial Field and the Community Center forever. It was noted that according to the Interlocal Agreement, the entities are supposed to have a plan in place by October 31 but there have not even been any meetings since July. It may be necessary to consider an extension to the agreement. Ms. Sandoval, a member of the committee, shared concerns that although the committee was advised that a small group from within the original committee would come together and get public input about the future course of action, that has not taken place. It appears that the County has unilaterally scheduled meetings without City Council Business Meeting September 17, 2012 Page 5 of 8 including other members of the committee. Public comment Bill Miller regarding Proposition 1 funding and interlocal agreement. Kathleen Kier, Quilcene regarding informational meetings in Quilcene and the Tri- Area. Phil Johnson, County Commissioner addressed benchmarks, outreach by the County, and a potential extension of the Interlocal Agreement deadlines. Stan Healey, Quilcene, regarding Interlocal Agreement deadlines. Rick Jahnke noted that city residents are also county residents and pay a disproportionate share for parks and recreation facilities. Phillip Morley, County Administrator, stated the discussions regarding lack of financial resources and formation of an MPD should be separate. Linda Herzog, Quilcene, regarding City and County cooperation to solve serious facility questions. Ms. Sandoval stated that ignoring contractual deadlines without proper extensions is not acceptable. She added the City has a contract with the voters as well as a contract with the County and contract terms must be recognized and honored. Mr. Gray stated that all facilities should be available to all county residents and it is a mistake to try and separate facilities as city or county. He said things need to get moving and if deadlines change there should be agreement about those changes. Mr. Welch supported Ms. Sandoval's comments and noted the timing of these discussions has not always been satisfactory from the City's viewpoint. Ms. Stinson noted that the voters supported this in good faith and they need to know we have a high priority for recreation, including the pool. She added it is important to look at the overall picture of parks and recreation and to create the collaboration plan in addition to the potential MPD. She added that a deadline later than October 31 would not be in sync with the budget cycle. Ms. Sandoval agreed there must be discussion about the priorities. Meetings need to be scheduled according to the planned process, benchmarks and recommendations. She stated we need to go forward with the small group from the ERPRC committee as envisioned by the ERPRC. Police Vehicles - State Local Program, Resolution 12-043 Providing Notice to the State of the City's Intent to Seek Reimbursement Under the Local Program City Manager Timmons reviewed the packet materials. He stated the interest for the City Council Business Meeting September 17, 2012 Page 6 of 8 proposed state lease program the City is using is 1.13%. Officer Corrigan reviewed the number of vehicles needed, stating that currently there are several police vehicles which have high maintenance costs. There was no public comment. Motion: Mark Welch moved to authorize the City Manager to execute agreements for the police vehicle and equipment purchase and related accessories as outlined in the agenda bill, and to submit and execute required documentation to the state that the City intends to participate in the LOCAL program; and 2) approve Resolution 12-043 Providing Notice to the State of the City's Intent to Seek Reimbursement Under the Local Program. Deborah Stinson seconded. Ms. Nelson expressed concern because this is the beginning of a challenging short term for the City budget and committing this aggressively to equipment replacement may not be good timing. She also noted that if the Equipment Rental Fund is being overfunded, the City should examine the funding practice. Vote: motion carried, 5-1 by voice vote, Kris Nelson opposed. Letter of Support for Marine Tourism Bill Mayor King introduced the issue. Mr. Welch and Mr. Gray reviewed the recommendation from the Special Projects Committee. Mr. Gray noted that this issue came forward very quickly and there were some questions outstanding from the committee. Ms. Nelson disclosed that she was on the Chamber advocacy committee for this issue. There was no objection to her participating. Mr. Gray raised the point that this bill does consider a corporation to be a person which is in conflict with Council's prior action. It was noted that that section of the bill has existed for some time and is not the section that would be changed if the current measure is passed. Public comment; Diana Talley asked that Port Townsend be the first city in the state to endorse the marine tourism bill. She said this would send a clear message to the legislators that the marine trades are a huge economic part of our community. Endorsement would be a method of advocating for the marine trades. She stated the bill would simply create parity in treating out-of-state vessels whether they are registered as an LLC or a person. This would allow them to stay in cities like Port Townsend, which are marine destination locations and have many amenities to compliment the marine trades. Ms. Sandoval noted that for future reference in most cases where the Council is asked to support state legislation, the packet includes information on both sides of the issue. City Council Business Meeting September 17, 2012 Page 7 of 8 Motion: Mark Welch moved to authorize the Mayor to send a letter of support for SB 6248. Robert Gray seconded. Vote: motion carried unanimously, 6-0 by voice vote. PRESIDING OFFICER REPORT Mayor King stated that he has been working with Deputy Mayor Nelson and staff on the upcoming town meetings. CITY MANAGER REPORT Mr. Timmons reported that the City has received a renewal of the Department of Justice domestic violence prevention grant; that the tentative schedule for Council budget deliberations has been added to the calendar; and announced that an executive session will be scheduled for October 1. SUGGESTIONS FOR NEXT OR FUTURE AGENDA, REGULAR MEETING AND/OR STUDY SESSION COMMENTS FROM COUNCIL Ms. Sandoval reported that she was invited to Bellingham to talk about local initiatives such as LION and Quimper Mercantile in connection with a program on downtown revitalization. EXECUTIVE SESSION ADJOURN There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 10:10 p.m. Attest: -}A I'l Pamela Kolacy, MMC City Clerk City Council Business Meeting September 17, 2012 Page 8 of 8