City Council Committee Agendas

This meeting was recorded and summarized using AI technology. After a thorough review by staff members to ensure the accuracy, clarity, and relevance of the content, this summary was made publicly available. September 17th 2025, Parks and Recreation Committee Topics: • Volunteer program update: o There are nine distinct community organizations and businesses contributing to ongoing park maintenance. Some examples of these groups are the Skagit Breaking Free Club, which handles Edgewater Park litter pickup operations with regular scheduling, and New Earth Recovery manages Riverwalk cleanup responsibilities as part of community service integration o 20+ individual park stewards provide volunteer efforts in the parks and along the trails. Projects relate to beautification and habitat care, cleanup and stewardship, and community engagement. o There are also School-based service-learning partnerships developing with high school students through the Skagit Fisheries collaboration for youth volunteer engagement. o In November, the Parks Department hosts a volunteer recognition event that serves as an annual appreciation ceremony for all contributing community members • Fall and Winter Community Events o Veterans Food Drive is coordinated with the Skagit County Veterans Office. Staff place boxes out at churches, city hall, library, and the parks office to collect donations starting in October through the middle of November. o Rededication of the Joseph Berg Memorial will take place at Pine Square on Veterans Day, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the memorial. o Illuminight Event will take place on January 30 at the Riverwalk. o Kids' Choice Valentine Ball will take place on Feb. 7 at the Library Community Room. • Explore Outdoors Programs – Family Nature Programs  o Three Explore Outdoors programs – Spooky Species, Oct. 18 at Hillcrest Park, Birds of Winter, Jan. 10 at Edgewater Park, and Botany at Bonnie Rae Park on February 28. • Specialized Programs o The Parks and Recreation Department currently coordinates with the Cascadia Club. Cascadia Club is a nonprofit organization that offers activities serving adults with developmental disabilities in Skagit County. The program takes place at Hillcrest Park on Mondays and Wednesdays. The Parks and Recreation Department sponsors the monthly dances that occur at Hillcrest Lodge. o The Parks and Recreation Department also sponsors a free Sensory Indoor Recess program on Fridays, October – March, from 2-4 pm. This program allows for a calm and sensory-friendly space for youth to play and parents to connect. • Bonnie Rae Park o Bonnie Ray Park is starting to transform the park into what was envisioned during the Parks and Recreation Open Space Plan process. ▪ Volunteer work parties have helped clean up the planter beds. ▪ Volunteer groups like Cascadia Club, Parent 2 Parent, and Sensory Indoor Recess are helping to plan a Sensory Garden. ▪ Parks Department will be preparing the site for a Pea Patch to be installed. Staff will also be installing a waterline and preparing a parking area. Action items: Jennifer Burner • Contact the Leadership Skagit program regarding potential sensory garden funding and project collaboration • Inspect and address overgrown vegetation around the downtown Mount Vernon glass sculpture near the Co-Op Special Presentation: North Star Regional Collaboration Proposal: • Request for Mount Vernon to allocate opioid settlement funds to a funding pool across Skagit County cities, to fund three priority intervention projects o Funding formula based on actual settlement receipts, incorporating population, crime data, and overdose death statistics for equitable distribution across participating jurisdictions o Regional approach philosophy recognizes that substance use and housing issues cross municipal boundaries, requiring a coordinated county-wide response o Timeline for city council decisions scheduled for October-November 2025, with implementation beginning early 2026 following formal agreements o Inter-local agreement structure proposed through county administration for streamlined fund distribution and project oversight • Project #1: • Skagit Star Center startup funding represents $1.5 million investment in a 48-bed crisis stabilization, detox, and co-occurring treatment facility o 75 staff hiring and training requirement for 24/7 operation capability with a February 2026 opening target date o $12.5 million annual operating cost sustained through insurance billing and Behavioral Health Administrative Services Organization support for uninsured individuals o Cost-effective alternative to emergency room visits and jail utilization for behavioral health crisis response o Law enforcement drop-off capability provides first responders with an appropriate treatment-focused alternative to current limited options  o One-time funding commitment with no ongoing municipal financial obligations beyond the initial operational startup period Housing Continuum Gap Analysis and Solutions • Project #2: • Bridge housing model addresses the critical transition period between medical detox completion and treatment bed availability with a structured accountability environment o $75,000 annual per-bed cost estimate based on provider billing rates for extended detox bed utilization or dedicated recovery housing bed allocation o Abstinence expectation with regular UA testing provides a higher accountability level than traditional low-barrier shelter options o 10-15 daily jail releases, with approximately half returning to homelessness or unsafe housing, creates a steady demand for transitional services o Two-week average gap period between detox completion and treatment bed availability represents a high-risk relapse window requiring intervention o Provider interest confirmed from Pioneer Human Services and existing recovery housing operators for service delivery models • Project #3: • Recovery housing capacity expansion targets evidence-based residential treatment environments with proven success metrics o $650,000 two-year funding allocation supporting $325,000 annual capacity through lease-to-buy housing models and operational subsidies  o $7,000-$10,000 per bed annual subsidy requirement with resident contribution up to $450 monthly maximum for shared living arrangements o Seven existing Oxford Houses are currently operating with immediate waiting lists of eight people when new capacity opens o SAMHSA best practice designation for both Oxford Houses and Recovery Residences with documented outcomes including lower substance use, improved income, and reduced incarceration rates o Limited capacity for specialized populations , including women, families with children, and individuals with significant behavioral health needs requiring targeted expansion Community Court Performance and Integration Update: o 400 active participants represent a significant expansion from zero services under the previous system, with a 70-80% program completion success rate o Mount Vernon accounts for 59 participants demonstrating substantial city-specific impact from county-wide program implementation o 90% substance use disorder prevalence with 70% co-occurring mental health conditions requiring integrated treatment approaches o 52 individuals are currently housed across multiple programs, including New Earth, Rise, Martha's Place, Friendship House, and Tiny Homes, with varying success outcomes o New Earth and Rise programs show the highest success rates due to accountability structure, including chores, community meetings, and structured recovery programming o Housing availability remains the primary success factor, with gaps between services creating high-risk periods for program participants o Integrated service delivery coordination demonstrates collaborative model effectiveness across multiple agency partnerships o Weekly staffing meetings include the iOS team, Crisis Response Team, Community Court, and Recovery Cafe for case coordination and resource sharing  o Cross-jurisdictional service delivery recognizes that unhoused populations move across municipal boundaries, requiring regional cooperation o Medical Assisted Treatment program actively operating in jail with long- acting injectable options providing month-long protection upon release o Specialized populations programming includes Cascadia Clubhouse partnerships and sensory indoor recess for individuals with developmental disabilities City Council Discussion: Council Governance and Procedural Discussion: • Committee structure reorganization consolidates six committees into four with mandatory quorum participation requirements o Finance and Parks combination meeting on the third Wednesday monthly, replacing the alternating schedule format o Public Works and Library integration scheduled for the second Wednesday monthly sessions o Public Safety standalone committee maintaining current structure and meeting schedule o Development Services retaining independent committee status with a monthly meeting requirement o Committee of the Whole, chaired by the Mayor Pro Tem, for city-wide policy discussions and strategic planning • Virtual participation protocols establish clear notification requirements with technology support provisions o 5 pm notification deadline on the last business day before the meeting ensures adequate technical preparation time o Business day specification accommodates weekend and holiday scheduling while maintaining operational efficiency  o Technology provision responsibility falls to the city administration for successful virtual attendance capability o Special meeting applicability extends virtual participation options beyond regular council and committee meetings • Public comment refinements align with constitutional requirements while maintaining meeting efficiency o Three-minute individual time limit reduced from the previous five-minute allocation for improved meeting flow o Committee meeting discretionary public input allowed when solicited by the committee, but no formal public comment periods o First Amendment compliance through removal of ambiguous decorum language that could restrict protected speech o Disruption-based enforcement focusing on actual meeting interference rather than content-based restrictions on public expression Action Items: Kevin • Revise the council rules document to reorganize the committee meeting schedule to reflect current practice • Remove ambiguous decorum language from Section 1 and retain only disruption- based enforcement provisions • Update salary structure language to reflect Auburn's per-meeting attendance compensation model as a reference City Clerk • Implement revised agenda request deadline of Monday preceding scheduled council meetings • Record executive session purposes as required by updated state law