City Council Committee Agendas

Mount Vernon Finance Committee Parks & Enrichment Services Committee Minutes March 24th, 2021 Present: Councilmembers Beaton, Brocksmith, Carías, Hudson, Hulst, Molenaar and Morales Staff present: Mayor Boudreau, City Attorney Rogerson, Project Development Manager Donovan, Police Chief Cammock, Finance Director Volesky, Parks & Enrichment Director Berner and Human Resources Director Keator Citizens present: 0 1. Finance Department Police Reclassification • Chief Cammock started the meeting with a request to reclassify one of his currently seven vacant Police Officer positions into a Police Sergeant position. • Chief Cammock described the need for an additional Sergeant based on a recently negotiated work schedule. • The Special Operations Sergeant was used in the interim. • Special Operations spans 7 different functional areas requiring a dedicated supervisor. • The increase in annual cost would be about $9,852 which can be made up by current vacancy savings. • Chief Cammock then would request the replacement for the Police Officer position in a future budget process. Finance Reclassification • Finance Director Doug Volesky also brought forward a request for two reclassifications of positions in the Finance Department. • One would be to reclassify the current vacant Assistant Finance Director position to a Financial Manager position. • This reclassification would equate to about $34,000 in annual savings. • The second request is to reclassify the Records Manager position into the City Clerk. Currently the City Clerk role is the responsibility of the Finance Director. • This position would continue to do all of the current records manager duties and take on other duties such as City Council Support, and preparing legal notices and code publications and codification. • This would cost the City about $6,300 annually which would be offset by the $34,000 savings from the Financial Manager position. 2021 Budget Books • Director Volesky then presented the 2021 Budget Books to Council which can also be found on the Finance Department section of the City’s website. City of Mount Vernon Finance Committee March 24, 2021 2021 Revenue Update (collections thru March) • Sales Tax – $2,018,294 or 27% of the budgeted annual amount. • Traffic Benefit District (TBD) – $474,165 or 29% of the budgeted annual amount. • Real Estate Excise Tax (REET) - $523,199 or 37% of the budgeted annual amount. • Ambulance Services (thru February only) - $331,249, or 22% of the budgeted annual amount. 2. Parks and Enrichment Services Update Parks and Enrichment Services Director Jennifer Berner gave an update on the following: COVID-19 Status with Parks and Enrichment Services • Parks and Enrichment Services staff are readjusting in accordance with the Governor’s Guidelines as updates are posted. • Staff is coordinating the opening of several operations and communicating with organizations, event organizers, and individuals on how to adhere to the guidelines and open up safely. The Guidelines are different and very specific for each operation. • In April the Parks and Enrichment Services will be welcoming back three staff members that were laid off last year; the Recreation Coordinator and two part-time City Work Program Graffiti Abatement Staff that work with juvenile offenders to abate graffiti and do citywide cleanup. Ballfields Open for Play March 22 • March 22nd Bakerview, Kiwanis and Sherman Anderson ballfields opened up for team practices and games. • On Saturday, March 13th Parks staff and a concerted volunteer effort from South Skagit Little League, Mount Vernon/Conway Baseball, the Skagit Valley College Baseball Team, and the Kiwanis Club to get the fields in playing shape. The Parks Department would like to extend a big thank you to the community effort to reopen the ballfields! Sherman Anderson Ballfield • On Friday, March 12th, staff noticed one of the 65 ft. wooden poles that hold up the netting behind the backstop at Sherman Anderson ballfield was weakening. • Staff assessed different options and consulted with engineering staff to develop a plan for securing the pole. • The pole has been secured by installing a second pole next to the failing pole and gusting them together. This is a standard practice within the utility pole profession. • Staff had the remaining poles inspected and found one other pole that was in need of support and the same practice was used to secure the second pole. • This will allow staff to develop a long term plan to redesign the Sherman Anderson backstop and netting. Drive-in Movies • The Parks and Enrichment Services Department has teamed up with Mount Vernon Chamber of Commerce and Skagit Valley College to offer 5 drive-in movies this spring and summer. City of Mount Vernon Finance Committee March 24, 2021 • They will be offered the first Friday of each month starting May 7th at the College’s east parking lot off College Ave. • The movies will be free however you will need to pre-register as there will be a certain number of cars allowed for each showing. Policy and Agreement Updates • Parks and Enrichment staff have been reviewing, creating, and updating policies and procedures that are outdated or need renewals. • The following have been completed: o Mt. Vernon School District Use of Sherman Anderson and Kiwanis ballfields Agreement o Downtown Banner Pole Use Policies and Procedures o City Work Program Procedures o Recreation Instructor Agreements o South Skagit Little League and Mt. Vernon/Conway Baseball Field Use Agreement 3. Miscellaneous, for the good of the order • The Mayor led a discussion with Council on City Council Code and Committee Agenda Requests. o A decision was made that Councilmembers would discuss any Committee Request. o During Committee meeting, under “Good of the Order”, agenda requests would be discussed and decided on by the group. o During Council meeting, when the Mayor asks for committee agenda requests, the Mayor would state that the Council requested whatever was voted on in the committee meeting. The meeting adjourned at 6:56 p.m. Submitted by: Doug Volesky Doug Volesky