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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes 01/13/19942659 CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING Port Angeles, Washington January 13, 1994 CALL TO ORDER - The joint meeting between the Port Angeles City Council and the Clallam County SPECIAL MEETING: Commissioners was called to order by Lawrence Gaydeski, Chair of the Board of Commissioners, at 8:30 a.m., at the Clallam County Courthouse. ROLL CALL: Council Members Mayor Sargent, Councilmen Braun, Doyle, and Hulett, Present: Councilwoman McKeown, and Councilmen Ostrowski and Schueler. Commissioners Commissioners Gaydeski, Duncan, and Cameron. Present: Staff Present: Manager Pomemnz, Clerk Upton, and County Administrator Rumpeltes. The meeting opened with introductions made around the table, and Commissioner Gaydeski noted the need to adjourn the meeting no later than 11:00 a.m., in view of other commitments on behalf of those in attendance. Commissioner Gaydeski thanked everyone for attending and indicated this meeting could be viewed as a new beginning. Mayor Sargent noted this is a new Council and, at a time of shrinking budgets, she stressed the importance of cooperation between the City and County governments to do the best that can be done for the taxpayers. Urban Growth Urban Growth Area Boundaries: Before discussion commenced on the matter of the Area Boundaries Urban Growth Area boundaries and in the interest of appearance of fairness, Councilman Doyle advised the group that his wife had been involved in a potential sale of property in the Morse Creek area, west of the proposed urban growth area. Commissioner Gaydeski indicated the issue at hand is the boundary on the east end of Port Angeles. He inquired as to whether the City and County wanted to "run the courser by going through the hearings process at the State level. In the ensuing discussion, Commissioner Cameron adamantly supported the County's proposed boundary in order to retain the commercial designation of the properties involved. He has been advised by County staff that the designation could be lost if the property is not included in the urban growth area. He indicated it would be unfair to the property owners to lose the designation and, therefore, significant property value. Additionally, he felt the City would not be held responsible for paying for the provision of services/infrastructure. The landowners would be required to pay for the services. Commissioner Gaydeski emphasized the fact that the City would retain the right to decide to annex or not to annex the referenced property. Just because property is included in the urban growth area does not mean it is an absolute for future annexation. Lengthy discussion ensued, and in response to an inquiry from Councilwoman McKeown, Commissioner Gaydeski indicated the County cannot, according to staff, retain the property and the commercial designation. Mayor Sargent indicated the matter needs to be resolved and in view of the fact there is a new Council, she suggested it would be appropriate for the Council to discuss the urban growth area and the desired boundary on the east end. It was agreed by the City Council members that the matter would be addressed with an answer being provided prior to February 24, which is the date set for the appeal to be heard. Commissioner Cameron assured the group that the City will be involved in the management of that area with the County, and there must be joint planning at all times. Discussion followed concerning the input received from the property owners of the area during the public hearings on establishing the boundary lines. Prison Prison: Consideration was given to whether the City/County wanted to pursue the siting of a 1936-bed correctional facility in the area. The Department of Corrections has asked ali those interested to submit applications no later than January 31, 1994. It was noted a representative from the Department of Corrections will be meeting with various officials later this morning on the proposed facility. Interest has been expressed by the City, the County, and the EDC. - 1 - 2660 January 13, 1994 Prison (Cont'd) Having been involved in the siting of the Clallam Bay facility, Commissioner Gaydeski shared his experiences with the group and noted the proposed facility may stand a better chance if sited east of the Elwha. He reviewed the positive and negative aspects of a correctional facility and considering the possible beneficial economic impact, he felt serious consideration should be given to pursuing the matter further. Discussion was held concerning the criteria and the need for appropriate infrastructure, housing, available work force, transportation and the like. It was agreed the various entities in the area need to come to agreement as to whether an application should be submitted, and an ideal site should be identified. The group considered the possible impact to the area, and Mayor Sargent advised the group that she had lived in Walla Walla without feeling any negative impact from that prison. Councilman Ostrowski inquired as to possible impact funds from the State, and Commissioners Gaydeski and Duncan reviewed what had occurred at the time the Clallam Bay facility was constructed. It Was emphasized that the State assists in the costs associated with the infrastructure. After lengthy discussion, it was agrex~d time is of the essence in this matter, and the Commissioners and Council members decided to have a smaller representative group meet the next day to discuss potential sites. The City Council strongly felt it important to seek input from City residents on the matter before proceeding any further; a public hearing has been scheduled for January 18, 1994, after which time the Council will be in a better position to make a determination. In the meantime, representatives from the City and County will meet Friday, January 14 at 2:00 p.m., to consider possible sites. Criminal Justice Criminal Justice Funding: Commissioner Duncan provided a status report on the Funding meetings held by the Criminal Justice Committee and the discussions pertinent to criminal justice funding. The committee has identified priority issues, such as the need for a 24-hour patrol in the County, swift adjudication of juvenile cases, family court as a preventative program, the identification of alternatives to corrections, and offender supervision. Elements of the current law/justice system include: police (City, County & State), courts, prosecution, public defense, juvenile system, and corrections (incarceration, probation & parole). Commissioner Duncan advised the group that the County recently passed an ordinance approving the optional sales tax for criminal justice funding. Funds should be received by the different entities by July. The Criminal Justice Committee will be moving forward in making a recommendation as to how those, funds are expended. The Department of Corrections has been contacted in order to assist the committee with the writing of a plan. County Administrator Rumpeltes explained how the sales tax can become a ballot issue if one person files notice within seven days of an intent to obtain petition signatures. Discussion followed concerning the disbursement of funds, and the City Council members agreed a decision cannot be made on how the money will be spent until after the time the committee submits a recommendation. Further, the group considered the benefits of cooperation and involvement between the various agencies in order to provide optimum public safety services throughout the County. Because of the lateness of the hour and the need for several attendees to move on to other meetings, it was agreed the City Council and County Commissioners will meet again in the near future to discuss solid waste issues. ADJOURNMENT: Meeting adjourned at 10:35 a.m. c %y ,3 -2-