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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes 02/09/2004 5167 CITY OF SEQUIM AND CITY OF PORT ANGELES JOINT CITY COUNCIL MINUTES COMMUNITY CENTER SEQUIM, WA FEBRUARY 9, 2004 7:00 P.M. REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING Mayor Schubert called the meeting to order. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE ROLL CALL Clerk Kuznek called roll of the Sequim City Council. Members present: John Beitzel, Ron Farquhar, Don Hall, Bill Huizinga, Patricia Kasovia-Schmitt, Paul McHugh, and Walt Schubert. City Staff present: City Manager Bill Elliott, Public Works Director Jim Bay, Police Chief Ken Burge, Admin. Services Director Marva Dryke, Clerk Karen Kuznek, and Planning Director Dennis Lefevre. City Consultants present: Attorney Craig Ritchie. Mayor Headrick called roll of the Port Angeles City Council. Members present: Gary Braun, Lauren Erickson, Mayor Richard Headrick, Grant Munro, Jack Pittis, Karen Rogers, and Larry Williams. The City of Port Angeles will utilize the minutes of the Sequim City Council. City Staff present: City Manager Mike Quinn, Planning Director Brad Collins, Public Works Director Glenn Cutler, City Attorney Craig Knutson, and Economic Development Director Tim Smith. Mayor Schubert announced that this is a joint meeting of the Sequim and Port Angeles City Councils. He welcomed the Port Angeles representatives. Committee Reports Hall reported that he attended two Planning Commission meetings and the Comprehensive Plan was discussed. INTRODUCTIONS & CORRESPONDENCE Introduce Liisa Fagerlund, new appointee to the Citizens Park Advisory Board Allan Golf and Don Hall introduced Liisa Fagerlund as the new appointee to the Citizens Park Advisory Board. G:\GROUP\CLERK\02092004.doc Page 1 of 6 5168 Fagerlund provided a brief background and stated she looks forward to contributing to the community. She thanked Council for the appointment. latroduce Forest Faulkner, new Planning Commissioner Don Hall introduced Forest Faulkner as the new member of the Planning Commission. Faulkner thanked Council for the appointment. Mayor Schubert acknowledged Dan Engelbertson and Steve Tharinger from Clallam County. Consent Aeenda 1. Approve/Acknowledge a. City Council Meeting Minutes - January 12, 2004 b. City Council Study Session Minutes - January 21, 2004 c. City Council Study Session Minutes - February 4, 2004 d. Sequim Marketing Action Committee Meeting Minutes - November 17, 2003 e. Citizens Park Advisory Board Meeting Minutes - December 9, 2003 f. Claim Voucher Final December 2003 total payments $18,316.13 g. Claim Voucher December 29, 2003 for pay period 12/13/03 to 12/26/03 total payroll costs $94,082.67 h. Claim Voucher December 2003 total payments $889,962.32 i. Claim Voucher January 14, 2004 for pay period 12/27/03 to 1/9/04 total payroll costs $100,671.26 MOTION to approve the Consent Agenda as presented made by Beitzel; second by Kasovia-Schmitt. Carried Unanimously. Mayor Schubert stated the Council received a memo from the Police Department for budgeted items. This item can be approved tonight. MOTION to approve the 2004 budgeted purchase of two marked Crown Victoria police cars in the total amount of $51,482.42, made by Hall; second by Huizinga. Carried Unanimously. ISSUES OF MUTUAL INTEREST - Sequim and Port Angeles Ci.ty Councils Mayor Schubert stated it is important for the cities to work together. If something hurts one city it is also a detriment to the other. 2. Comprehensive Plan Updates Collins stated that the Port Angeles Planning Commission set up the process, which began in September. A citizen committee was appointed to meet with the public and work on this issue. Citizens are invited to the Vern Burton Center for a series of meetings. They can also sign up for an interactive program on the Internet, which allows them to submit their comments. Traditional G:\GROUP\CLERK\02092004.doc Page 2 of 6 5169 meetings will also be conducted in various neighborhoods. The focus is to encourage citizens to get involved. There is a better chance of public involvement through the Intemet. It is hoped to complete the Comprehensive Plan process in June. Lefevre added that Sequim is accumulating data. A land use inventory has begun. He is working with the Planning Commission on various elements of the Comprehensive Plan. The public process will begin as early as possible, which could be April. Some of the districts may be consolidated. 3. Annexation and Growth Management Lefevre reported that the Supreme Court reversed its earlier decision. The city of Sequim has been proceeding with annexations. Quinn stated that he met with County Commissioners today and discussed this issue. The city of Port Angeles needs to annex the UGA. Neighborhood meetings have been held. The City Council will review annexation policies and see what direction they want to go. They are dealing with UGA sewer issues. Karen Rogers advised that environmental issues in their UGA need to be dealt with. There are three major watersheds in the area. There is also a demand for essential services. This will require balance. It comes down to community responsibility. There is a need to protect the major issues of the environment. Quinn added that annexations affect both cities, as well as the county. Everyone needs to look at what is best to serve the citizens of the area. Rogers reported that annexations must stay in compliance with the Comp Plan. Annexations and the Comp Plan all tie together. Sequim and Port Angeles do not need to be in competition with each other. There is a need to map out the respective markets and niches and see how we can mutually serve each other so we all benefit. Pittis stated that the point of use/point of sale sales tax collection could become a real issue. It may take concerted efforts of all to work it out locally. Beitzel reported that Sequim does have some interest in what happens in Carlsborg. There are important issues that need to be faced in the near future. This area is on the edge of major growth. Hall added that there are small pockets of unincorporated areas in Sequim that he would like to resolve. G:\GROUPXCLERK\02092004.doc Page 3 of 6 5170 4. Access to Health Care Beitzel stated there are many issues in Clallam County regarding health care. There are 40 people on a steering committee to deal with this issue. How to deal with the Medicare problem is a major issue. There are issues that need political advocacy. When Virginia Mason shut down, there were several attendees at a meeting. This was created by fear. There is a need to build up with information and political awareness. This needs to happen at all levels of government, and can start with cities. City councils can do something to stimulate interest of the citizens. We need to make people aware of the issues. He has met with Mike Glenn and discussed mechanisms to increase public awareness. He hopes the Council will accept that direction and help to make the citizens aware of what is available in health care. Rogers added that for the last several months work has been done with federal delegates regarding the state of health care on the Peninsula. A matrix needs to be put together showing what is/isn't working. She commends the Jamestown Tribe and Olympic Medical Center. Demographics of the entire Peninsula are very different in the east and west ends of the counties. There is a need to look at the demographics and come up with a solution for the entire community. Everyone has a responsibility to fix the problem. Each community is different so it will take everyone. There was discussion concerning DNR and harvest levels in the county. Port Angeles supports alternative 5, which is a higher harvest level. Support from Sequim would make a difference for the Forks hospital. Funding in Forks has decreased from $1.3 million to $26,000 last year. He does not know the impact on the hospital in Port Angeles. Alternative 5 would push it closer to historic levels. DNR had a formal process to engage in debate. The Port Angeles Council and the County have supported the DNR higher harvest level. Tharinger added there are 6 alternatives. Alternative 5 is the most aggressive and 6 has complications. There is a considerable amount of DNR land in the Forks area. The recommendation was made to send a letter to Doug Sutherland. Munro agreed to provide more information to the City of Sequim. 5. Solid Waste Update Glenn Cutler advised that the Port Angeles landfill is scheduled to close December 31, 2006. The staffs from the City of Sequim and County have been working with the City of Port Angeles on an interlocal for joint use of a transfer station at the Port Angeles landfill. A draft was sent out today. It is most likely the material will be disposed of in Eastern Washington or Oregon. 6. Downtown Parking Farquhar reported that the City of Sequim is completing major downtown renovation. The City has also adopted a new parking ordinance. G:\GROUP\CLERK\02092004.doc Page 4 of 6 5171 Brad Collins stated that the downtown area has their own parking rules. Revisions need to be made so that parking can be universal throughout the city. Several years ago a downtown PBIA was established. Downtown parking has worked well. Rogers reported there was a parking ad hoc committee. They came up with an accepted plan that all downtown businesses have signed off on. There is a need to advocate for cooperative parking. Quinn stated that Port Angeles has a PBIA. He can provide information on how that is formed. There is a need to build vertically and generate more jobs and income in a small area. PBIA has assessments. The City can make recommendations that a PBIA assessment be raised. Tim Smith added that PBIA is a self-imposed tax. It might have been advantageous to include property owners. Port Angeles does not have a business license process. Businesses are identified through utilities. 7. Discuss drafting letter to Legislative delegations concerning the dangers of Highway 101 Beitzel stated that the recent accidents and deaths on Highway 101 were discussed at the last RTPO meeting. The Department of Transportation recommended sending a letter to state and federal delegates. Brad Collins has drafted a letter. It would be appropriate for all three cities to sign. Williams added that it is not just driver error, hurrying, and the need for additional lanes that are causing the accidents. It is a horrible problem. He encourages everyone to address the Legislature and state transportation to come up with a better solution. Collins indicated he would have a letter in the next day or two for the Councils to review. 8. Impact Fees Mayor Schubert stated unless everyone has the same type of fees, it will not work. Quinn feels impact fees will not serve the City of Port Angeles. Their need is for development and growth. Impact fees would be detrimental to growth. It worked very well for King County. It would be problematic in terms of development interest. The City has been looking for ways to create incentives and grow development in their community. There was discussion conceming standardizing fees. This way everyone would be aware in advance of the costs. Impact fees need to apply to residential areas too. Tim Smith stated that as a Sequim citizen, when growth comes it comes in a hurry. It makes sense to discuss the issue. Port Angeles can learn from Sequim experiences. G:\GROUP\CLERK\02092004.doc Page 5 of 6 5172 Rogers added that Port Angeles is faced with the same problems. Subdivisions are coming all at once. Certainty of costs and predictability is important. Mayor Schubert stated that economic development is important to Sequim. He is not recommending fees that price Sequim out of the market. There was also discussion concerning a street utility tax. This would generate additional revenues and pay for improvements. It would also require legislation. GOOD OF THE ORDER Mayor Schubert stated he feels this meeting was very worthwhile. He was happy to hear there is regional thinking. We need to get that message to the public. We all sink or all swim. Economic development is important. What happens with the economy will shape what happens on the Peninsula. Mayor Headrick thanked Sequim council and staff for the invite and sharing of ideas. It was agreed to have a joint meeting in the future in Port Angeles NEXT MEETING DATES FOR SEQUIM CITY COUNCIL Mayor Schubert announced the next meeting dates of February 18 and February 23. Beginning in March the Council meetings will be held at Carrie Blake Park. ADJOURNMENT MOTION to adjourn at 8:45 p.m. made by Hall; second by Farquhar. Carried Unanimously. Respectfully submitted, Karen Kuznek Walter E. Schubert City Clerk M~ ayor B~cky U:pto(q -t,,/ - - - Richard I~'eadrick City Clerk Mayor G:\GROUP\CLERK\02092004.doc Page 6 of 6