City Council

Oak Harbor City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes Date August 25, 2021 CALL TO ORDER Mayor Pro Tem Munns called the meeting to order at 2:00 p.m. Due to COVID-19, There was both a physical meeting location and a virtual meeting per WA Proclamation 20-28. The meeting was viewable live via YouTube at www.youtube.com/cityofoakharbor or could be viewed on Channel 10. Public Comments are not normally included for Council Workshops). ROLL CALL City Council Present: Staff Present: Videoconference Mayor Robert Severns- Absent City Administrator Blaine Oborn Mayor Pro Tem Munns Finance Director David Goldman Councilmember Tara Hizon- Virtual Development Services Director David Kuhl Councilmember Jeff Mack- excused Associate Planner, Ray Lindenburg Councilmember Joel Servatius- Virtual Project Engineer Brett Arvidson Councilmember Erica Wasinger Parks Operations Manager Don Crawford Councilmember Jim Woessner- Virtual Central Services Supervisor Sandra Place Councilmember Millie Goebel- Fire Chief Ray Merrill excused Police Chief Kevin Dresker Human Resources Director Emma House Harbormaster Chris Sublet Assistant City Attorney Anna Thompson Senior Services Administrator Liz Lange City Administrator Assistant Lisa Felix Communications & IT Manager Sabrina Combs Also in attendance: City Attorney Grant Weed of Weed, Graafstra & Associates MAYOR Mayor Pro Tem Munns presided over the meeting on behalf of Mayor Severns. Noting there were no items on the agenda for action, she did not call for the roll to be taken. DEVELOPMENT SERVICES a. Central Business District Zoning Code Revision Workshop Meeting Minutes August 25, 2021 Associate Planner Lindenburg reviewed the update regarding concepts to be fixed in the Oak Harbor Municipal Code amendment as presented initially in 2020. Through 2020, staff developed a draft ordinance and supporting definitions to affect those changes and presented a final draft to the Council for adoption on January 5, 2021. In working with the updated Code it became apparent that some of the intended changes to the Code were not reflected in Ordinance No. 1914 as adopted. Mr. Lindenburg reviewed the additional language updates to provide further clarity. Staff will bring the Code Amendment to the Council at a later date. Mayor Pro Tem Munns provided her respective comments and questions. b. Gisvold Annexation Request Development Services Director Kuhl reviewed the item regarding the request by Bradley and Ashley Gisvold that their property, parcel R13326-340-2000, located on Goldie Road, be annexed into the City limits. Director Kuhl noted the property is contiguous to the City to the east across Goldie Road and adjacent to the Mobius Loop industrial complex to the North and the Veterans of Foreign Wars to the south. Staff has no objection to the annexation request. Director Kuhl noted with every annexation, there is an increase in demand on the City’s fire and police protection services. RCW 35A.14.120 requires the City Council to consider the request within 60 days after the filing of the notice of intent. The decision to accept the annexation is scheduled to come before Council on September 7, 2021. Director Kuhl also noted that in accordance with RCW 35A.14, the annexation petition should have signatures from 60% of the annexation area. Police Chief Dresker noted the property was wooded and inquired to the proposed uses. Mayor Pro Tem Munns noted Ashley Falk was present in Council Chambers, representing Triple C Construction who has an interest in development of the property and invited her to make a statement as to the proposed uses of the property. Ms. Falk noted the proposed use was for storage units and an office for the construction company, who had created plot and site plans. Councilmembers Woessner and Wasinger provided their respective comments and questions. c. Current Developments and Model Home Code Updates Development Services Director Kuhl Provided an update on the status of current development projects and the Model Home Code updates. • Marin Woods on Swantown Road has construction permits and has started infrastructure work (46 homes) • Howard’s Point has model homes complete and open. Most of the homes are under construction (19 homes) • Garry Oaks on SR 20 has a new owner, DR Horton, and they are reviewing and refining the plans now (135 homes) • Scenic Heights has two models ready for permits (11 total home are planned) • Hillside PRD, has civil approval. Staff is working on the development agreement with meetings planned for the next few weeks (192 lots with 70 homes in Phase 1) Director Kuhl reviewed the updates to the Model Homes Code and those developments moving forward under the new Code. Workshop Meeting Minutes August 25, 2021 Staff will provide an overview of the City’s GIS system implementation and the sign code in September. Also scheduled for the September workshop is an update on Broadband. Councilmembers Servatius and Woessner provided their respective comments and questions. Regarding the progress of Broadband. Director Kuhl, City Administrator Oborn, and Project Manager Arvidson provided an update on permitting and networking with Island County, Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and the City of Anacortes. City Administrator Oborn will provide an email update to all of Council. Anacortes has made some changes and Staff is waiting on permitting approval from WSDOT. FINANCE a. American Rescue Plan Act – Council Subcommittee Update Finance Director Goldman provided an update and overview as follows: • The City will receive a total of %6,578,122 in APRA funding. • Funds must be obligated by December 31, 2024 and expended by December 31, 2026 • On July 13, 2021 the City Council created an ARPA subcommittee consisting of three Councilmembers and relevant City staff. The subcommittee has met twice so far and a list of projects/initiatives was evaluated and broken down into logical subsets. The figures reviewed today are a mix of rough and more precise estimates. Staff is looking for Council direction on whether to pursue the ideas. Departments were asked to prioritize the items they submitted, but it will be up to Council to provide final overall priorities, with the Council direction to staff being to provide evaluation criteria. Eight evaluation categories were chosen: • Capital Improvement Plan/Budget Priority Item – it was thought these projects and initiatives reflected the Council’s vision, goals, and objectives • Health/Safety – projects or initiatives related to health, safety, or security, to include facilitation of remote work or customer access and social distancing measures • Economic Recovery – projects or initiatives related to Oak Harbor’s economic recovery • Restarting/Resuming – projects or initiatives related to business or city operations resumption • Phase 1 Effective Management – ensure that funds and/or programs are tracked and reported correctly and allocated efficiently • Phase 1 Immediate Response - provide assistance to those most in need; ensure essential workers are prepared and equipped; getting City facilities open safely; helping the wider economy reopen; ensure employee retention and competitive workforce. • Phase 2 Resilience and Investment - ensure that Public Safety gear and equipment, and training is optimized; install resiliency and security improvements for facilities and technology infrastructure; continue with economic development investments. • Phase 2 Innovation and Optimization - work productivity investments and process improvements; effective positioning for future workforce needs; effective improvements to ensure customer services. Workshop Meeting Minutes August 25, 2021 Subcommittee consensus included: • Focus on projects that the City Council has prioritized in the biennial budget or 6-year capital plan. • Look for ways to fund operational expenses/projects/initiatives with ARPA funding in lieu of using the City’s scarce resources. • Ensure that we put in place effective program/grants management via the creation of a term-limited finance/grants manager position (through December 31, 2024). • To assist in reopening and continued efficient operations, restore the Program Assistant position for the Senior Center (ARPA funded through December 31, 2024). Director Goldman reviewed the next steps, to include City Council input for the following Committee recommended budget amendment to use ARPA funds for: • Hiring of a term-limited finance/grants manager position (through December 31, 2024) • Restoration of the Program Assistant position for the Senior Center (ARPA funded through December 31, 2024 and then funded conventionally) The Committee is considering other immediate needs for: • Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) funding • Items from Phase 1 and prioritization lists The Committee will continue to work on further prioritization and provide future recommendations to the City Council. Councilmembers Woessner, who participates on the Committee, also summarized the Committee’s deliberations thus far. Councilmembers Servatius provided questions regarding Engineering and Development staffing, which were addressed by City Administrator Oborn and Director Goldman. Councilmember Hizon urged the Council to address and move forward with the immediate staffing needs and first steps. Staff will bring a budget amendment to Council for consideration next month. b. Public Safety Needs Analysis: Cost, Funding Options and Outreach Plan Finance Director Goldman, Fire Chief Merrill and Chief of Police Dresker reviewed the item regarding current levels of service and projected needs for both the fire and police departments. Both Chiefs provided information on current and projected service level volumes, operating expenses, response metrics and infrastructure challenges and needs, including the need for an additional fire station on the southern area of the City and staffing requirements. Councilmember Servatius Mayor Pro Tem Munns provided his comments and questions. Director Goldman reviewed three funding method options in depth: • Levy Lid Lift (property tax) • Excess Levy (property tax) • Public Safety Sales Tax (sales tax) Director Goldman also reviewed the statutory maximum levy rate for the City and how it is derived. He also provided an explanation of the validation for excess levies, which, in addition to the 60% supermajority vote requirement, must have a voter turnout of at least 40% compared to the most recent general election. In closing, Director Goldman provided a cost breakdown for fire and police services and potential Workshop Meeting Minutes August 25, 2021 construction and timing options. Communications and Internet Technology Manager Combs reviewed outreach options to educate the public with clear information. All presentations can be found in the meeting video at www.youtube/cityofoakharbor.com Councilmembers Servatius, Woessner, Wasinger, and Mayor Pro Tem Munns, provided their respective comments and questions. City Administrator Oborn also provided clarification regarding Safety Sales Tax. LEGAL DEPARTMENT a. Ordinance No. 1934: Creating a New Chapter of the Oak Harbor Municipal Code (OHMC) 3.100 entitled “Procedures Governing Acceptance of Donations” City Attorney Weed reviewed the item regarding the proposed ordinance. RCW 35.21.100 provides that “Every city and town by ordinance may accept any money or property donated, devised, or bequeathed to it and carry out the terms of the donation, devise, or bequest, it within the powers grant by law. If not terms or conditions are attached to the donation, devise, or bequest, the city or town may expend or use it for any municipal purpose.” Attorney Weed recommended the City have an ordinance in place to denote and improve the City’s process with respect to donations and to comply with state law. This ordinance will be brought forward for Council consideration in September. There were no questions or remarks by Council. PUBLIC WORKS a. Windjammer Park Rotary Pedestrian Bridge Report from Parks Department In response to a request by Council, Parks Operations Manager Crawford provided a report detailing the history of the Pedestrian Bridge project, including expenditures to date from the project’s inception in April of 2020. The total project authorization to date was $82,955.86 and the total project cost to date was $80,418.10. Total authorized funding for the project included $40,000 from the “Sleeper Pit funds” and $30,000 from the General Fund for a total of $70,000. Increases in construction costs were encountered as existing wooden beams and bridge planks could not be re- used and the new hardware provided did not meet marine grade specifications and had to be upgraded. Staff subsequently requested a budget amendment of $15,000 to cover all outstanding costs. Mayor Pro Tem Munns provided her respective comments and questions. ADMINISTRATION a. City Administrator’s Report City Administrator Oborn noted the report included details from all departments and operating areas and had been condensed at the request of Council. Workshop Meeting Minutes August 25, 2021 Councilmembers Woessner requested a report to Council at a future meeting regarding the, use of the City’s biosolids and plans for distribution and marketing. Mayor Pro Tem Munns noted the hiring of an Interim Public Works Director and inquired about the timeline for hiring a permanent Director. City Administrator Oborn reviewed the plan moving forward, which will include Council in the process. CITY COUNCIL There were no additional reports by Council. ADJOURN There being no further reports or discussions, Mayor Pro Tem Munns adjourned the workshop meeting at 4:46 p.m. Certified by Julie Lindsey, City Clerk Workshop Meeting Minutes August 25, 2021