HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes 03/15/2016 CITY COUNCIL MEETING
Port Angeles, Washington
March 15, 2016
CALL TO ORDER SPECIAL MEETING:
Mayor Downie called the special meeting of the Port Angeles City Council to order at 4:32 p.m.
PRESENT:
Members Present: Mayor Downie,Deputy Mayor Kidd,Councilmembers Bruch,Collins,Gase,Merideth and
Whetham.
Members Absent: None.
Staff Present: City Manager McKeen,Attorney Bloor,Clerk Veneklasen and A.Fountain.
TRAINING:
City Attorney Bill Bloor provided Public Records training.
Manager McKeen introduced Mike Connelly,an attorney who provides lectures and training on all aspects of
governmental operations including compliance with ethics rules and the Open Public Meetings Act.He said that Mr.
Connelly's training is provided at no cost by the Washington Cities Insurance Authority as a member benefit that
ensures cities receive consistent training.
Mr. Cormelly presented the first part of the Public Officials Training.Topics included:
• Authority and Responsibilities of Councilmembers and City Manager
• Code Cities and Second Class Cities
ADJOURNMENT:
Mayor Downie adjourned the Special Meeting at 5:36 p.m., noting that the Public Officials Training would resume
during the regular Council meeting.
CALL TO ORDER-REGULAR MEETING:
Mayor Downie called the regular meeting of the Port Angeles City Council to order at 6:00 p.m.
ROLL CALL:
Members Present: Mayor Downie,Deputy Mayor Kidd, Councilmembers Bruch,Collins, Gase,Merideth and
W hetham.
Members Absent: None.
Staff Present: City Manager McKeen,Attorney Bloor,Clerk Veneklasen, C. Delikat,K.Dubuc,C.Fulton,B. Smith
and B. Olson.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE:
Councilmember Collins led the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.
CEREMONIAL MATTERS PROCLAMATIONS & EMPLOYEE RECOGNITIONS
1. Port Angeles School District Winners of the Martin Luther King,Jr.Race Equality Essay Contest
Dr. Marc Jackson,superintendent of the Port Angeles School District,and School Board Member Josh Jones joined
Mayor Downie in recognizing winners of the school district's Martin Luther King,Jr.Race Equality Essay Contest.
Superintendent Jackson announced the winner's names, school and teacher. Students in attendance came to the front
of the Chambers to be recognized and receive a certificate. Winners were:
PORT ANGELES CITY COUNCIL MEETING—March 15, 2016
151 Place,Grade 6: Jenna Sanders,Roosevelt(Prorok)
2"d Place,Grade 6: James Saskowsky,Franklin(Kays)
31 Place Tie,Grade 6: Kimberly Thompson,Jefferson(Toth)
311 Place Tie,Grade 6: Hunter Robinson,Roosevelt(Prorok)
Is1 Place,Grade 5: Astrid Mrvegren-Uecker,Jefferson(Biasell)
2nd Place,Grade 5: Jacob Miller,Dry Creek(Schaefemieyer)
3"Place,Grade 5: Kaitlyn Busch,Roosevelt(Doran)
I"Place,Grade 4: Cayden Stuart,Roosevelt(Hartman)
2nd Place,Grade 4: Kathryn Jones,Franklin(Thomason)
3rd Place,Grade 4: Jamie Robinson,Roosevelt(Haller)
I"Place,Grade 3: Cami Bohman,Jefferson(Murphy)
2"d Place,Grade 3: Carter Shearer,Roosevelt(Kuch)
3rd Place Tie,Grade 3: Nathan Basden,Roosevelt(Reynolds)
3rd Place Tie,Grade 3: Brazen Harris,Roosevelt(Mordecai-Smith)
I"Place,Grade 2: Milo Smith,Roosevelt(Nickerson)
2,,d Place,Grade 2: Annabell Lynn Lester,Roosevelt(Haskins)
31 Place,Grade 2: Clare Bowechop,Franklin(Keegan)
I"Place,Grade 1: Joshua Freeman,Jefferson(Chang)
2nd Place,Grade 1: Savannah Lachner,Jefferson, (Mattie)
3'Place,Grade 1: Audrey Tesreau,Jefferson,(Chang)
I"Place,Grade K: Stella Fradkin,Franklin(Baccus)
2nd Place Tie,Grade K: Evelyn Johnson,Roosevelt(VanRossen)
2nd Place Tie,Grade K: Olivia Lightfoot,Franklin(Baccus)
3rd Place,Grade K: Moira Martino,Roosevelt(Sheahan)
TRAINING CONTINUED:
Mayor Downie announced that the meeting would return to the special training that began at 4:30 p.m. and had
wrapped up in order to accommodate the families that had come for the Martin Luther King Jr.Awards recognition.
Mr. Connelly continued the Public Officials Training. Topics included:
• Ethics and the Port Angeles Code of Ethical Conduct
• Who the City Attorney represents
• Rules of Procedure
• Common Council Liability Exposures
• Open Public Meetings Act
PUBLIC HEARINGS:
1. Olympic Medical Center Street Vacation 16-01
Councilmember Whetham recused himself, due to his wife's employment with Olympic Medical Center, and exited
the room. Mayor Downie opened the public hearing. There being no public comment,Mayor Downie continued the
matter to April 5,2016. Councilmember Whetham returned to the Chambers.
PUBLIC COMMENT:
Laurel Hargis, 3755 Canyon Circle, spoke against community water fluoridation.
John Proctor,2123 West Fourth Street,President of the Olympic Peninsula Fly Fishers Club,asked Council to restore
funding for the Kids'Fishing Derby.
Page 2 of 5
PORT ANGELES CITY COUNCIL MEETING—March 15, 2016
Anne Murray, 306 Lopez, spoke in favor of engaging the public in the comprehensive planning process. She
encouraged meetings be held in neighborhoods rather than in government buildings,and that citizens drive the goals
of the plan.
Muazzez Eren, 110 East Thirteenth Street, gifted Council a small timer and batteries for use timing speakers during
the public comments sections of the meetings.
Dan Bateham,207 Wolcott Street,spoke about the many problems in the City.He asked four of the councilmembers
to resign.
LATE ITEMS TO BE PLACED ON THIS OR FUTURE AGENDAS as determined by City Manazer
or Councilmember-
It was moved by Whetham and seconded by Bruch to:
Discuss funding for the Lincoln Park Kids' Fishing Derby on this agenda.
Motion carried 7-0.
It was moved by Whetham and seconded by Merideth to:
Move the proposed agenda for the joint Council-Tribal meeting from the Information section to an action item on
the agenda.
Council discussion followed. McKeen noted that the item could be move from City Manager Reports to Other
Considerations if the Council desires. Council discussion followed. Bruch stated that she works for Lower Elwha
Klallam Tribe and will be abstaining from any vote.
Motion carried 4-2,with Gase and Kidd opposed.
CONSENT AGENDA:
It was moved by Whetham and seconded by Bruch to approve the Consent Agenda to include:
1. Expenditure Approval List: 212012016 to 31412016,for$4,574,410.20
2. Public Safety Advisory Board Appointments
3. 18°i Street Reconstruction,Project TR16-99/Final Acceptance
4. Professional Services Agreement for Comprehensive Plan Public Involvement
5. WSDOT Certification Acceptance Qualification Agreement
Motion carried 7-0.
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS:
1. Tolling Agreement for Potentially Responsible Parties(PRP)
Councilmember Bruch said she is abstaining due to her employment with the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe. Attorney
Bloor spoke regarding the agreement. He said the purpose of the proposed agreement is simply to toll the statute of
limitations issues,which means to suspend those issues just as they exist now while reserving all parties' rights and
positions. The purpose of tolling the statute of limitations is to allow the parties time for settlement negotiations of
natural resources damages(NRD)claims. If the PRPs enter into the Tolling Agreement and commence negotiations,
and settlement negotiations fail,then nothing is lost.However, if the negotiations are successful,it would benefit all
parties.
It was moved by Whetham and seconded by Collins to:
Authorize the City Manager to enter into the attached Tolling Agreement and to make minor modifications to the
Agreement if necessary.
Motion carried 6-0 with Bruch abstaining.
2. Appointment of Board of Ethics to Review Complaint(3)
Mayor Downie,Deputy Mayor Kidd and Councilmember Gase recused themselves from the selection process.
It was moved by Bruch and seconded by Merideth to:
Have Councilmember Collins take over[as chair].
Motion carried 4-0.
Page 3 of 5
PORT ANGELES CITY COUNCIL MEETING—March 15, 2016
Mayor Downie,Deputy Mayor Kidd and Councilmember Gase exited the Chambers.
Manager McKeen said a complaint invoking the City's Code of Ethical Conduct was filed on March 1,2016,and as
directed by Chapter 2.78 of the municipal code,Council is to assemble a three-member board from a pool of pre-
approved applicants to review the complaint. The board's findings will be forwarded to the full Council.He said this
is the third ethics complaint filed against City Councilmembers in the past month.
Council stated their board member choices for the record.
It was moved by Bruch and seconded by Merideth to:
Appoint Ken Williams,Danetta Rutten and Diana Tschimperle to Board of Ethics(3).
Motion carried 4-0,with Downie,Kidd and Gase abstaining.
Mayor Downie,Deputy Mayor Kidd and Councilmember Gase returned to the Chambers.
3. Kids' Fishing Derby(Late item added to agenda)
Councilmember Whetham said that the City had cut funding for the Kids' Fishing Derby which would be in its 20"'
year,and he asked that Council restore funding for the event. Council discussion followed.
Parks and Recreation Director Corey Delikat noted that funding for the Derby has been cut as part of Council's
Priority Setting process,but that the City is still co-sponsoring the event so that the group can be on the City's
insurance. He said the City also gave the group free access to the ponds,building,tables and chairs for the event.
Council discussion followed.
It was moved by Whetham and Merideth to:
Fund the Kids' Fishing Derby in the amount of$400.
Motion carried 4-3,with Gase,Collins and Kidd opposed.
4. Joint Tribal-Council Agenda for meeting with the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe
Councilmember Bruch said she would not participate in the discussion because of her employment with Lower
Elwha Klallam Tribe.Manager McKeen said there were four items on the agenda for the upcoming Joint Tribal-
Council meeting.He said that he can't remember the last time the two bodies met together and that City staff was
excited to move in a positive direction of working more collaboratively with the Tribe.He spoke briefly about the
agenda items:
1. Mural Project
2. Carnegie Library Lease
3. Economic Development Efforts
4. Coordination of the Elwha Dam Removal and Restoration
Councilmember Whetham expressed concerns about item#2—the Carnegie Library Lease. Council discussion
followed.Manager McKeen said that the Carnegie Library Lease might be an action item at the joint meeting,so if
there are issues,or Council is not in agreement then the item should be discussed before bringing it to a joint-
meeting. Further Council discussion followed.
It was moved by Whetham and seconded by Collins to:
Pull item#2 from the joint agenda until it can be fully vetted by Council.
Based on Council discussion,Manager McKeen said he would pull item#2—the Carnegie Library Lease from the
joint agenda.
Motion withdrawn by action of the City Manager.
CITY COUNCIL REPORTS:
Fluoride Ad Hoc Committee Update—Councilmember Collins said the group met,although one of members could
not attend. He said that at its first meeting the committee covered ground rules and had a healthy discussion of
alternatives. The group plans to sort through those alternatives at its next meeting. Bruch said she gave the members
homework which was to come up with other viable alternatives as well as questions for staff.
Collins said he'd like Council to look at funding summer day care.
Page 4 of 5
PORT ANGELES CITY COUNCIL MEETING—March 15,2016
Councilmember Gase said he attended the Port Angeles Education Foundation fundraising dinner that 146 people
attended to show their energy and enthusiasm for kids.
Mayor Downie hosted the Mayor of Sooke,B.C.,Rick Kasper. He said Mayor Kasper shared with him that there are
13 municipalities in greater Victoria and 4 of them—including Sooke—that have their own sewer treatment plants.
He also attended the Port Angeles Education Foundation fundraising dinner as well as an employee recognition
event at Clallam Transit.
Councilmember Bruch said she attended an all-day meeting with Seventh Generation.The company explored the
City for sustainability and efficiency practices. She suggested working with the Tribe to see if the City can partner
with them to measure the area's carbon footprint.
No other reports were given.
INFORMATION:
Manager McKeen spoke regarding the reports included in the packet,noting the update on Indigenous Peoples' Day
and the 2015 Port Angeles Police Department year-end report. He said that staff will notify Olympic Peninsula Fly
Fishers of Council action on the Kids Fishing Derby,and that he will amend the agenda for the upcoming Joint
Council-Tribal meeting.
SECOND PUBLIC COMMENT:
Anna Campbell, 510 East Lopez Avenue,asked Council to stop community water fluoridation.
Jim Bourget,313 Northridge View Drive,spoke against water fluoridation.
Dale Wilson,Fourth Street,spoke against councilmembers' legal fees being paid by the City.
Sherrie Williams,23313 57°i Street East Buckley Washington,said she is concerned about how the fluoride debate
issue was handled. She said more people like herself are interested in moving to the community,but that it's not as
inclusive of the voice of the people as she had hoped.
Muazzez Eren, 1110 East Thirteenth Street,said she was glad to see Council support the Kids Fishing Derby.
It was moved by Kidd and seconded by Whetham to:
Adjourn the meeting.
Motion carried 7-0.
ADJOURNMENT: Mayor Downie adjourned the meeting at 9:21 p.m.
m
P rick Dowme,Mayor J nnifer feneklasen,City Clerk
i
a
Page 5 of 5