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HomeMy WebLinkAbout091012 CITY OF PORT TOWNSEND MINUTES OF THE WORKSHOP OF SEPTEMBER 10, 2012 CALL TO ORDER The Port Townsend City Council met in workshop session on September 10, 2012, in the Council Chambers at 540 Water Street. The meeting was called to order at 6:30 p.m. by Mayor David King. ROLL CALL Councilmembers present at roll call were Robert Gray, David King, Kris Nelson, Catharine Robinson, Deborah Stinson, and Mark Welch with Michelle Sandoval excused. Staff members present were City Manager David Timmons, City Attorney John Watts, Public Services Director Rick Sepler, Public Works Director Ken Clow, Senior Planner Judy Surber, and City Clerk Pam Kolacy. UPDATE ON POOL STATUS AND PRELIMINARY RENOVATION ESTIMATE Public Services Director Rick Sepler reviewed the packet materials. He talked about the difference between capital funding and operations funding. He stated that fee schedules are being examined in comparison with peers such as Port Angeles and Bainbridge Island. Fees currently fund about one third of operational costs so staff is exploring a modest fee increase that would fund half of the operations cost. Mr. Sepler said that the City has approached the County about having a meeting to discuss Proposition 1 funding and to discuss inclusion of the Mountain View pool in the list of regional facilities supported by the funding. He also discussed the long term viability of the pool facility which has significant capital repair needs and systems in need of repair. If any of these systems fail, a long pool closure could result. City Manager David Timmons reviewed potential funding sources, including the Department of Ecology (for the boiler) and the Department of Commerce which has provided funds for the Port Angeles pool. Mr. Timmons also noted that pool employees have voted to unionize and he is not yet sure what affect that may have on operational costs. He also spoke about reaching out to the County for a Prop 1 funding discussion and noted that for the next budget year costs are rising but the revenue base is flat. There was further discussion about potential costs for 2013, sources of funding, and the potential for a lease extension on the Mountain View facility. City Council Workshop September 10, 2012 Page 1 of 3 UPDATE ON TOWN MEETING/COMMUNITY CONVERSATION PLANNING Mr. Sepler presented an overview of the plans for the upcoming town meetings. He asked that Council members contribute their ideas regarding several key questions relating to the town meetings. Mr. King said he hopes to receive guidance on a fairly specific 3 - 5 year future with emphasis on what we should be doing in a worst case budget scenario using only the resources currently available. Mr. Gray stated that citizens will want to talk about specific issues, particularly concerning finances and financial sustainability. Priority spending is an important issue. Ms. Stinson noted that the Council needs guidance from the community on how the budget can reflect the values and priorities of the community and input regarding the budget process. Mr. Welch stated his concern that discussion of specific issues will draw specific groups of people so he does not want the community to see this as a referendum process. If enough people show up on a specific project that will receive priority and there instead needs to be a look at the big picture. Ms. Nelson stated that both the short term and long term financial plans for the city are important to address. The distinction between what we must fund and what we would like to fund is important and the community's interests and values should be reflected in the discretionary items. Ms. Robinson said that if we are looking at the arc of the three planned meetings, the outcome should be general direction from the community about how to go forward in the next few years. The needs and financing have to come together. The Comprehensive Plan and other plans are in place but we don't have a multiple year financial plan. There was further discussion of the logistics of the meeting, the desirability of having a diversity of the population attend, and how to do outreach both before and after meetings. It was noted that town meetings are advisory, with the information included by the council in their deliberations and a potential ultimate decision by the voters at the ballot box. Community members need to hear each other and understand the multiple points of view. External items affecting the budget process include national, state and local elections, changes in the parks system, the mill, potential for the Customs House, and slower than expected economic recovery. It was noted that the community should hear that there may be opportunities arising from these various challenges and the Council should be open to any possibilities that are offered. City Council Workshop September 10, 2012 Page 2 of 3 Mr. Timmons stated his presentation will focus on the issues and the state of the city as an organization - not the state of the community. There was agreement that the meetings should build on each other and that people should be made aware that there is more than one meeting. Invitations will be issued to other jurisdictions and community groups. ADJOURN There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 7:45 p.m. Attest: f !Pamela Kolacy, MMC City Clerk City Council Workshop September 10, 2012 Page 3 of 3