AUDIO & SUMMARY/MINUTES: City of Sultan Council Meeting October 26, 2006

NOTES:

  • Although this audio is accurate and complete, to obtain final "official" agenda, minutes, ordinances, resolutions or other documents based on council actions, contact the City Clerk, Laura Koenig, directly at 360-793-2231.
  • All files in MP3 format, playable on Windows Mediaplayer or other MP3-compatible digital device.

 

 

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PUBLISHED AGENDA:
SULTAN CITY COUNCIL MEETING
319 MAIN STREET
October 26, 2006

6:30 PM Public Hearing on 2007 Property Tax Levy (1.3 mb MP3 audio file)

7:00 PM CALL TO ORDER - Pledge of Allegiance and Roll Call

CHANGES/ADDITIONS TO THE AGENDA (File A, 1:11 min., 211 kb)

COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC: Citizens are requested to keep comments to a 3 minute maximum to allow time for everyone to speak. It is also requested that you complete a comment form for further contact.

COUNCILMEMBER & MAYOR COMMENTS

  • Jim Flower - Misc. re Criswell condolences, Neighbor complaints, CAO, the "Wagley Ditch" and Sultan Harvest -- should offer room at no charge. (File C-1, 2:11 min., 385 kb)
  • Kristina Blair - Various; Wants status of situation re lady being taxed for water heater rental; Sultan Harvest -- still need donations and fact that council quorum will exist (no business transacted, however); CAO - City could lose too much grant money, and feels city is "guardian for future generations." (File C-2, 3:39 min., 644 kb)
  • Derek Boyd - Re code enforcement issues (File C-3, 1:55 min., 340 kb)
  • Bruce Champeaux - Re Maxine Perlbaugh issue; comments on Arndt's statements re buffers; will "dig in his heels" on CAO issue. (File C-4, 2:30 min, 443 kb)
  • Steve Slawson- Re SCT (Snohomish County Tomorrow report); comment re RTID; LVMR moratorium (File C-5, 2:00 min., 352 kb) NOTE: this audio file also includes R. WEIDIGER's brief comment ("Everything has already been covered.")
  • John Seehuus - Re Pearlbaugh comment that he had taken photos ("never did that"); CAO, echos Flower and Champeaux's comments, "I will dig in my heels, too." (File C-6, 1:54 min., 336 kb)

    Rick Cisar (at Tolson's request to respond to/comment on Perlbaugh problem) - Violating propery owner has been cited, working with attorney and Craig Bruner has also been working on this; may have to take legal action. (File C-7, 0:57 min., 169 kb)

  • Mayor Tolson - Described complaint by Burl Champeaux of existing situation where pro-police levy signs have been stapled on top of anti-policy levy signs ("No costs nothing"). (File C-8, 2:41 min., 474 kb)

STAFF REPORTS

1) Public Works - Connie Dunn re SBR intersection activities, scalping of crest of SBR by Timber Ridge developer for better roadway/driver visibility; emergency evacuation scheduled for week of 11/6, but no day will given and no siren will sound; also, been having problems with vehicles on the evacuation trail. (Audio File D-1, 2:18 min., 408 kb)

2) Grant Report - Donna Murphy

  • City lost $1.0 million low-interest loan for WWTP improvements, because of non-compliance with its own Comprehensive Plan (re lack of Critical Areas Ordinance/Plan), with other grant and financial funding sources also at great risk unless city has an approved CAO in place). (Audio File D-2a, 5:48 min., 1.0 mb)
  • Advised of CDBG Workshop; Thanks to Morgan Sound and others for new Audio system; CDBG Date/2nd St. Site visit; SBR ribbon cutting end of November/early Dec. (Audio File D-2b, 2:18 min., 406 kb)
  • Steve Slawson question re grants/funding denials (how many will the city lose?); Murphy states she cannot estimate, "This caught all of us off guard. The Dominoe effect has started." (Audio File D-2c, 0:32 min., 95 kb)

3) Finance - Laura Koenig (Audio File D-3, 1:57 min., 346 kb)

4) Police - Chief Walser (motorcycle auction). Slawson gave kudos to chief/staff re situation where a lady was attacked in her own backyard on 8th near high school by a man in black clothing weilding a baseball bat, who was promptly chased off by her husband, brandishing a 9 mm. (File D-4, 2:48 min., 493 kb)

CONSENT AGENDA (File E, 0:19 seconds, 58 kb): The following items are incorporated into the consent agenda and approved by a single motion of the Council.
1) Minutes of the October 12, 2006 regular Council Meeting.
2) Approval of Vouchers

ACTION ITEMS:

1) Ordinance 937-06 - 2007 Property Tax Levy - 1st reading; includes discussion of annual increase in property taxes versus increased expenses to maintain. (File F-1, 5:36, 988 kb)
2) Ordinance 938-06 - 2007 Police Bond Tax Levy - 1st reading (File F-2, 1:36 min., 284 kb) six ayes, one nay (Champeaux, "for consistency")
3) Ordinance 918-06 - Critical Areas Ordinance - 1st reading: Boyd, Blair, Slawson & Wiediger, ayes; Champeaux, Flower and Seehuus, nay.

Here's the complete 29:47-min., 5.2 mb audio file of entire discussion and vote.

Here are audio files broken down into separate segments:

  • File F3-a (5:17 in., 931 kb): Discussion re bringing back to table; Boyd's comments "far-reaching ordinance, tough for me."); also brief "report" by Cisar re history of actions; mention of mapping in Comp Plan map folio, and opportunity to mitigate critical areas using TDR (Transfer of Development Rights).zoning.
  • File F3-b (4:20 min., 765 kb): Consultant Reid Shockey gave "sales pitch" as to why city must have a CAO. Re how serious state feels about CAO and BAS standards, it will "stick to its guns."
  • File F3-c (1:38 min., 289 kb): Boyd motion (and vote) to bring ordinance back to table for consideation.
  • File F3-d (5:31 min., 973 kb): Slawson - "are these minimum setbacks?" Shockey - yes; Berryman & Heniger did a "good job" of typing them. Boyd: Who has FINAL say on stream types? Shockey: Council does, if CAO is adopted.
  • File F3-e (3:33 min., 627 kb): Flower gives "Wagley is a 100-year-old manmade drainage ditch" speech.
  • File F3-f (3:55 min., 692 kb): Shockey's response to Flower: Drives developers nuts, but such areas are still consider viable and valid critical areas. Flower: What happens if a farmer digs drainage ditch and a fish happens to show up? Shockey's response.
  • File F3-g (5:28 min., 965 kb): Tolson asks for motion; Boyd motions, Slawson seconds. City attorney Cheryl Beyer clarifieds that the vote was for approval on the FIRST & FINAL READING. Dan Barmon and Keith Arndt were allowed to make brief statements.


4) City Administrator Contract (File F-4, 2:16 min., 401 kb) - Beyer requests that approval based on Thom Graaftra's "review and approval as to form."
5) WWTP Scope of Work for Design Contract (File F-5, 2:17 min., 405 kb)
6) Hazard Mitigation Grant Application (File F-6, 2:19, 409 kb) - re for purchase of Chris Diamondes' property re repetitive flood loss.

DISCUSSION:

1) Hearing Examiner - Final Determination on land use issues. (File G, 9:26 in., 1.7 mb)

PUBLIC COMMENT ON AGENDA ITEMS ONLY (File H, 4:15 min., 749 kb)

  • Loretta Storm - various (favors making H.E. final decision authority, in part due to nightmare with plat apps as processed by staff and disposed of by council this spring/summer; the way things are going here with degradation of environment, if nothing changes soon, the typing of streams will probably be going down in typing from Type 3, not up to Type 2; agrees with Barmon that city dependance upon grants hurtful in long run, must have solid commercial tax base for viable future financial health.
  • Gerry Gibson - Re Pro-police levy signs: It was not their group. "We've had damage to our signs, too."

COUNCILMEMBER RESPONSE TO PUBLIC COMMENT ON AGENDA ITEMS

File I, 7:52 min., 1.4 mb - comments by all, plus mayor.