AUDIO
& DOCUMENTS:
City of Sultan Council Retreat, Oct. 13, 2007, 9:00 a.m. - 2:30 PM
Monroe Library, Monroe, WA
NOTES on our recording and digital audio. Click here if you would like to receive our infrequent email updates.
Agenda Packets & Minutes for this, and previous meetings
For more info on meetings and hearings, visit our TRANSCRIPTION page
G.R.I.T.
NOTE:
Because of the "organic" flow of discussions during certain
agenda topics, if someone wants to find dsicussions related to a particular
area of finance, please contact me (793-6683) or lorettastorm@seanet.com
and I will try to help you find the audio.
Mayor's Message (29 kb pdf document) - Note: No audio is available, as Mayor Tolson did not attend (neither did Bruce Champeaux). City Administrator Deborah Knight gave the welcome and introduction, which is included in Audio File A below, under "Revenues."
Review Operating Funds & Assumptions:
- REVENUES
(880
kb pdf document)
Audio File A, 26:09 min., 4.6 mb - Includes Administrator Knight's introductory remarks and summary, self-introductions of council members and attendees; discussion of property, sales and other taxes.
Audio File B, 15:14 min., 2.7 mb - Includes discussions on "Licenses and Permits" revenue; rundown of development permits issued and expected; comments by Derek Boyd re need to get Comp Plan into compliance; comments re Stacy Criswell acting as per-hour bldg. inspector)
Audio File C, 18:18 min., 3.2 mb - Incudes passports, animal control issues ("Doggie Daycare"), intergovenmental and per capita revenue. ALSO includes discussion re law enforcement issues (and animal control).
Audio File D, 17:05 min., mb) - Info & Discussions re INTEREST FROM INVESTMENTS, and CONTRIBUTIONS & DONATIONS FROM DEVELOPERS. (Approx. halfway into this audio file, Councilman Boyd makes comments re how the city's is "tossing money away" each time it has to go to the GMHB; C/M Blair urges compliance with the Comp Plan and Sultan's code; Boyd urges getting "the expertise on board to do it [the Comprehensive Plan] right" and believes many community members are totally unaware of what's been happening. Seehuus states he wants to know "what went wrong"; etc.
10:30 a.m.: Mid-morning break
- EXPENDITURES
(1.2
mb pdf document)
Audio File A, Pt. 2, 21:22 min., 3.8 mb - Includes discussions re Salaries & Benefits; allocations shown on attach. B-1, B-2, and B-3; shifts from GF to Enterprise; Knight, assumptions made re parks, streets, etc.; Dunn's concerns re water fund imbalance, etc.
Audio File B, Pt. 2, 21:34 min., 3.8 mb - Includes discussion re expense allocations for code enforcement, legal fees ($49K-plus, as some fees distributed to enterprise funds), C-1 shows distributed expenses; Knight's hope that all legal issues "will be handled this year"; Blair question Koenig re auditor's performance audit concerns, Koenig states city is really focusing on getting policies and procedures in written form; brief comments related to the costs of state audits. Discussion re Civil Service Expenses: Knight's assumption/hope that Carol Pepperell's appeal will be resolved in 2007; Slawson's comment that city must reimburse legal fees if decision is "wrongful termination." Discussion re Other Govt. Services, Code Enforcement, Library Annexation Election, Parks Maintenance (& volunteers); possible use of video in selected areas (will be a presentation by "Secure Focus" shortly); discussion of cops technology grant, etc.
Audio File C, Pt. 2, 21:01 min., 3.7 mb - Includes Discussion re "potential burn-out of volunteers"; whether to use city's investment income for general fund shortfalls; Dunn's concerns that interest from enterprise fund investments, once used for GF, will never get paid back and Koenig's assurance that annual resolutions will control that (Dunn uneasy); Blair question re annual $$ needed for park maintenance; Boyd question re how Sultan can develop a park district; Brian Copple's suggestion to use infrafred cameras with telemetry directly to SPD vehicles; Interim Police Chief Larry Marshall cites positive results for City of Goldendale's similar set-up (Chief of Goldendale said it was "best investment" he ever made).
Policy Discussion (This discussion occurred after lunch; pdf document, 135 kb)
- Allocation of property tax - percentage of general fund v. percentage of stree rund
- Allocateion of water connection fees and debt service - capital v. debt
11:46 a.m.: Lunch Break
G.R.I.T. NOTE: After lunch, a brief, informal update was given to council by Sultan Library Manager Jackie Personeous. This morphed into a relatively major discussion and council consensus related to the Library Annexation Ballot issue; one councilman actually tried to make a formal motion for action (regardless, the consensus had already been achieved). Unfortunately, the first 5-8(?) minutes of Mrs. Personeous' update and the council's discussion was not recorded (as explained in my audio note included at the beginning of the audio). However, it was clear by the council's behavior that such group discussions regularly occur, which at least partially explains why this particular council is almost always in lock-step agreement on issues. (To my mind, the consensus on issues, which council members so proudly and publicly tout, proves that the views of a majority of Sultan residents are not being represented.)
Policy Discussions (pdf document, 135 kb)
Audio A, 23:54 min., 4.2 mb - Discussion re Ordinance 957-07 Library Annexation (it will be added as a new discussion item to the Oct. 18th's council meeting)
Audio B, 29:43 min., 5.2 mb - Discussions re property tax levy, 2007 police bonds, debt service, PWTF (Public Works Trust Fund) loan payback; Knight's explanation of inadequate revenues for WWTP (Waste Water Treatment Plant) construction phase.
Department Budgets (pdf document, 320 kb) for the following departments, as listed and published on the City's agenda. During the meeting, the order in which these departments were discussed were rearranged, so they are not presented here as they were published in the City's Retreat agenda.
- Police - Interim Police Chief Larry Marshall - Audio File C, 26:37 min., 4.7mb
- Grants (D. Murphy, first 12 min.) & Economic Development (Rick Cisar, 7 min.) - Audio File D, 20:30 min., 3.6 mb Murphy's comments include a description of her duties, and the status of grant applications; Cisar's comments include Comp Plan compliance issues, building permits, list of 2007 accomplishments, and announcement that the City has received three petitions to annex into the City (Skyridge Estates, Tortorice's property and the Cliff Morris Trout Farm Road propery. Mr. Cisar stated that while all petitions for annexations have been received, only one has been officially filed (Skyridge). However, he has placed that petition on hold. (State law requires that any annexation petition must comply with state's petition law, which specifically outlines the public petition and noticing process and requirements, which have not been followed.)
- Financial - Laura Koenig - Audio File E, 25:24 min., 4.5 mb Goals for 2008 include addressing the state auditor's expressed difficulties/criticism re the lack of central project files inside City Hall, as files are scattered across several different departments; crossing training of employees will continue; hope to complete the building permit module (Springbrook software).
- MISCELLANEOUS ISSUES (included in File E, above): General discussions flowed out of the financial presentation related to possible digitizing all city documents, processing electronic PDA (Public Disclosure Requests), and need/requirement for and process by which emails and other electronic communication subject to a PDA request can be saved/backed up.
- Miscellaneous closing discuscussions (future meetind ates, more efficient (boosted) wireless computer access in council chambers, etc.
The meeting ended at 2:35 PM
NOTES ON OUR DIGITAL RECORDING AND FILES:
- This audio is accurate and complete. However, we urge that people contact the City directly to obtain the final agenda, and certified minutes, ordinances, resolutions or other documents: City Clerk Laura Koenig 360-793-2231. If you receive the automated message, you can bypass it and go directly to her voicemail by pressing "2" and then the pound (#) sign.
- As of the October 26, 2006 council meeting, the city began recording meetings using a Morantz MP3 digital recorder, which has records directly from the microphones to the recorder, thus, clearly than the audio we present here, with is captured from "room" sound from a microphone located near the podium. If you wish to secure a copy of the City's audio, contact Clerk Koenig.
- All of our digital audio files are in MP3 format, playable on Windows Mediaplayer or other MP3-compatible digital device