Issues | Eric Johnson - Anacortes City Council | EricJ@CityOfAnacortes.org

Tethys and the Vote on the Urban Growth Area

Tue, 25 Sep 2012 09:42:26 -0700

Two years ago the City of Anacortes signed an agreement to provide up to 5 million gallons of water to Tethys.

In return, Tethys agreed to provide to the city, by December 1, 2012, a map of the property that Tethys would develop, which would be no less than 30 acres in size, served by rail, and located in the city or capable of being annexed.

Although I’m not enthusiastic about bottled beverages, I am not opposed to selling water to an industry that will enable the city to fully man the police and fire departments and to improve our deteriorating streets.

However, given that we are now only two months away from the agreement’s deadline, I thought that we could make a much more informed decision about the city’s request to expand the city’s Urban Growth Area (UGA) on behalf of the Tethys request if we knew how this expansion proposal would fit into the overall land purchase Tethys plans to make.

To that end, I noted in my remarks at Monday’s council meeting that we should delay making any decision on expanding the UGA until the 1^st of December, or until we receive information from Tethys about the location of their 30 acres.

Plastic Bags Update

Mon, 24 Sep 2012 22:38:20 -0700

A group of Anacortes citizens is developing a campaign plan to promote the use of reusable bags and eliminate single-use plastic bags. If you want more information on or would like to take part in this effort, please contact me at ericj@cityofanacortes.org. Expect more developments shortly…

Paper or Plastic or Neither

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 16:23:51 -0800

It's time to start a discussion about banning the majority of plastic bags in Anacortes.

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Seattle Bans Carry-Out Plastic Bags
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The Seattle City Council followed Bellingham's lead and unanimously voted on 19 December to pass Council Bill 117345, a ban on single-use plastic bags by grocers and other retail stores. This vote comes after similar measures were previously passed in Mulkiteo, Edmonds and Portland.

The Seattle ordinance imposes a five-cent fee on paper grocery bags that merchants will use to offset the higher cost of the paper bags and to remind shoppers to bring reusable bags to stores. Residents will still be able to buy plastic bags to line garbage cans, pick up dog poop and bag yard debris. (A long list of exceptions in the Seattle ordinance is noted in the footnote below.)*

The Seattle ordinance was supported by the Northwest Grocery Association, which represents Washington's largest supermarket chains: Safeway, Fred Meyer, QFC, and Albertsons.

Putting an Item on the Agenda

Sun, 23 Oct 2011 15:06:19 -0700

So how does a member of the public get an item on the city council agenda?

The previous post mentioned City of Anacortes Resolution #1374 ("Enacting Procedures to Clarify and Direct City Council Responsibility, Rules, and Meeting Procedures"), which, in Section 4, discusses how any city official or member of public may put an item on the council's agenda.

You can view/download this resolution <here>, but here are the highlights of the procedure:

- Notify the city clerk (in writing, 11 copies) by 4:30pm on the Tuesday before the council meeting of the purpose of your request, the estimated time needed to present the matter. Include written documents or other material that will be referred to during your presentation to the council.

- This is forwarded to the mayor, who will determine whether or not it's convenient to present this item at the next council meeting or whether it should be extended to a following meeting.

- The mayor will also take into consideration the importance of the subject matter, whether it's an emergency matter, and the length of time of the proposed presentation.

Public Meetings - Decorum or Otherwise

Sat, 22 Oct 2011 17:09:38 -0700

There has been some discussion recently about what sort of decorum is desired or required during city council meetings. Particular concern has been expressed about what kind of public expression is allowed and whether this can take the form of hand-held signs or other displays (vocal or non-vocal) by members of the public.

In what's become a mini-term paper on the subject, here's what I understand about the issue, based on information gathered from the Revised Code of Washington (Chap 42.30 ("Open Public Meetings Act"), the City of Anacortes Resolution #1374 ("Enacting Procedures to Clarify and Direct City Council Responsibility, Rules, and Meeting Procedures"), and notes taken at the summer seminar at the Association of WA Cities.

This certainly is not the end of the discussion, and I hope that I receive more enlightenment from the readers of this blog.

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Interruptions
& Orderly Conduct
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Anacortes Resolution #1374 states, "The presiding ofﬁcer (mayor/mayor-protem) shall preserve strict order and decorum at all regular and special meetings of the city council, and shall state all questions coming before the council, provide opportunity for discussion from the ﬂoor at his or her discretion where not speciﬁcally required by ordinance or statutes, announce all decisions of the council, and decide all questions of order. "(1)

Public Comment Sought

Sun, 09 Oct 2011 17:48:14 -0700

Opportunities for Public Comment:

Medical Marijuana Temporary Moratorium (E2SSB 5073): A public hearing at City Council Chambers is scheduled for Monday, 17 October at 7PM, where anyone wishing to comment can do so. Written comments are welcome and can be sent to Ryan Larsen no later than Wednesday, 12 October. (More info here.)

Redistricting City Wards: Monday, 17 October, at 7PM is also the scheduled time for public comment on this topic, with written comments due to Ryan Larsen by 12 October at 5pm. (More info here.)

The sense of the Council is not to redistrict the wards, pending further insights from the community. I noted at the time that I didn't believe redistricting was necessary, given that:

- The maximum deviation allowed between wards set by the Supreme Court is 10%. Ward 3 has a deviation of -6.75% (with Ward 1 at +2.62% and Ward 2 at +4.15%)

- 50% of the potential single/multi-family dwelling spaces left to be developed in the city are in Ward 3.

Looking for a Plastic Bottle Recycling Champion

Sun, 09 Oct 2011 17:41:49 -0700

Is there anyone interested in helping to promote a law in the State of Washington that would impose a 10-cents deposit on plastic bottles?

I saw, in the video "Tapped," that plastic water bottles generally have a recycle rate in the 20% range, despite the fact that the material is in high demand from manufacturers of Polar Fleece, tote bags, and carpets.

The exception is Michigan, which sees plastic bottles returned at the rate of 96.9%.

Michigan has the most expensive bottle deposit (10¢)—but it also has the highest recycle rate.

State Senator Maralyn Chase (D-Shoreline) introduced legislation in February to put a 5¢ deposit on any drink container—glass, plastic or aluminum. Five-cents seems to yield something in the range of a 60-70% recycle rate. So why not promote something that would yield a 97% rate of return?

Senator Chase, according to reports, expected a fight with industry and retail groups, but said her best lobbyists are children who pressure parents to end their wasteful ways.

Tethys Enterprises & the Water Agreement - FAQs

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 14:59:12 -0700

A number of frequently asked questions have been raised about the agreement between the City of Anacortes and Tethys Enterprises, Inc. I will pass these questions along to the City staff in the hope that they will be better enabled to fully address them during the course of the upcoming city council meeting on this issue.

If you have more questions, please add them in the comments section, and they will be passed along.

The FAQs:

- What kind of due diligence has been performed on Tethys Enterprises, Inc?

- Given the population growth expected in Skagit County (up to an additional 100K residents), how much of Anacortes' municipal water supply (in MGPD) will be estimated to support that growth?

- Has there been any discussion from Tethys about the impact of 350 railcars transiting the site each day in terms of motor vehicle traffic traveling northward from Hwy 20? In terms of boat traffic through the Swinomish channel?

- Where will the additional 5-7 miles of rail line be constructed?

On Not Redistricting the Wards

Sun, 18 Sep 2011 21:55:13 -0700

Based on the 2010 census, the ideal population for each of the wards in Anacortes would be 5,259. The population in each ward is:

- Ward 1: 5,397 (deviation of 2.62%)
- Ward 2: 5,577 (deviation of 4.15%)
- Ward 3: 4, 904 (deviation of —6.75%)

Although it would have been possible to balance the population in each ward by splitting an existing voting precinct (Ward 2), the council reckoned that this was not desirable, given that

- The Supreme Court has held that a 10% deviation is acceptable

- The census was only a snapshot in time, and the past trends and future expectations in growth in Anacortes indicate that Ward 3 should expect more growth than other areas in the next 10 years:

In the past ten years, the number of single-family and multi-family units constructed in each ward was:

Ward 1: 290
Ward 2: 439
Ward 3: 629

The estimated additional number of single-family and multi-family units that could be developed by ward are:

Ward 1: 272
Ward 2: 460
Ward 3: 723

Given these trends, which indicate that 50% of the remaining SF/MF homes to be developed lie in Ward 3, the council indicated that it did not support redistricting the wards.

Pennsylvania Avenue Potluck and Ribbon Cutting, Friday, Sep 23 at 4PM, at Tursi Park

Sun, 18 Sep 2011 21:22:27 -0700

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Potluck and Ribbon Cutting
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To celebrate the opening of Pennsylvania Avenue between Jasper Way and West 12th Street, Mayor Dean Maxwell, Parks Director Gary Robinson and C. Johnson Construction invite us to a potluck at 4PM on Friday, 23 September. A ribbon cutting ceremony will occur at about 5pm.

The Rules for the Potluck: Bring anything that you'd like to share. There will be a barbecue available and a few cold drinks as well.

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A Big Improvement
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After almost 150 years of being a dirt road, Pennsylvania Avenue will be paved with 11-foot driving lanes and a 5-foot wide sidewalk. The project also includes

- Underground telephone and power,
- Improved storm water quality to Clyde Creek,
- Street lighting,
- A new 12 inch water line to create redundancy and more water pressure to the west end,
- New sewer infrastructure for future development, and
- Storm drainage.

Medical Marijuana Moratorium

Sun, 18 Sep 2011 20:17:56 -0700

On 6 Sep 11 the city council adopted a six-month moratorium on establishing medical marijuana dispensaries in the city of Anacortes. The ordinance included these provisions:

- Provided for a six-month moratorium in implementing E2SSB 5073, which established a regulatory system to license producers, processors and dispensers of medical marijuana;

- Provided time to study potential problems and to determine if any/what land use controls are appropriate

- Referred the issue to the Planning Commission for further study and recommendation

- Noted that a public hearing on the issue will be conducted within 60 days.

Although the State of Washington's legislation provided for the immediate licensing of cannabis production and distribution facilities, the council believed this moratorium was necessary to study the ramifications on the city's zoning regulations and to provide the safeguards to prevent additional crime within the city.

Personally, I have friends undergoing cancer treatments whose use of medical marijuana transformed those treatments from being unbearable to being minor irritants. However, the unintended consequences of locally growing marijuana were apparently seen in a recent horrific break-in of an alleged marijuana growers home. We certainly need some additional time to reflect on how best to implement this law and provide for the safety of all our citizens.

Anacortes Senior Activity Center Foundation Update

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 09:17:05 -0700

On Tuesday, 30 Aug, Mayor Dean Maxwell and council member Cynthia Richardson and myself attended the annual orientation meeting of the Anacortes Senior Center Foundation.

Since the Senior Activity Center has an important role in our city (both in terms of the volunteers who support its activities and for those who use the facility) here are the Foundation's goals for the coming year and its accomplishments in the past year (from my notes):

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Past Year's
Accomplishments
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- Installed a hearing loop in the Great Room and Kitchen, enabling those with hearing aids to tune into the public address system

- Installed a multi-media system for presentations, lectures, etc.

- Developed an endowment fund investment policy with professional oversight, which resulted in a greater return on investments

- Expanded lunch serving time, with a resultant increase in participation (about 50 every day)

- Reinstated the intergenerational lunches (with the kids from Island View Elementary School)

Open House at Sam Chebeir Residence

Sat, 13 Aug 2011 18:05:25 -0700

Photo: Art Shotwell, Anacortes Now 6/25/11

There has been quite a bit of public discussion recently over the request by Sam Chebeir for the city to give up a public access easement in the Sunset Cove neighborhood in exchange for an easement revision from the CIty of Anacortes.

More on this issue in Art Shotwell's 25 June edition of Anacortes Now and Elaine Walker's 28 Jun report in GoAnacortes

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Invitation to an Open House
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Alan Souders, an attorney representing Mr. Chebeir has issued the following invitation via email to attend an open house at the Chebeir residence (which I plan to attend) :

[Update 8/15/11: The Anacortes City Attorney has recommended, given the quasi-judicial evaluation that the city council may have to make on this proposal, that the council members do not attend this open house. If this or another proposal returns to the council chambers, the council members will make an on-site visit.]

Ladies and Gentlemen –

Pennsylvania Ave Update 8/13/11

Sat, 13 Aug 2011 17:44:34 -0700

At top: Pennsylvania Avenue panorama looking north
In the middle: looking south
At Bottom: Another look at the rock wall

An agenda item for the 8/15/11 City Council meeting will be a contract modification for the rock excavation on Pennsylvania Ave.

Additional rock was encountered during the excavation of the sanitary sewer as well as during the excavation of the east retaining wall. The anticipated rock excavation: 100 cubic yards; the actual amount removed: 685 cubic yards.

Although the price of excavating the rock will rise (by $94K), the rock along the east face may allow the reduction of the retaining wall by half, which may reduce the contract by approximately $35K.

More information is at the City Council Packet Memo, which you can view here.

Behind the Counter at the Building Dept.

Mon, 08 Aug 2011 13:12:40 -0700

There has been some finger-pointing at the Planning and Building Departments of late, with accusations of back-room shenanigans and secret meetings.

To speak to those accusations I'll share my understanding of the process at the Planning Department, particularly in light of my experiences with that department during the Anacortes Family Center's search for a home. I'll also note what accessibility is currently available and summarize some of the changes we should see in the near future that will enhance the visibility of the activity in those departments.

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The Flow of Business
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When anyone, whether it be a developer or a non-profit agency, comes to the building department, they will typically have in hand a rough concept of what they want to build and a rough idea of where they want to build it.

As an example, finding a location for the Anacortes Family Center was a three-year-long process, and during that time we had located a number of possible sites. We discussed these with Ian Munce and Don Measamer, and although they didn't flat-out reject our proposals, they were less than enthusiastic, and they noted that it would be difficult to match our desires to the requirements set forth in the Municipal Code.

Short Course on Local Planning

Mon, 08 Aug 2011 12:12:28 -0700

Thanks to alert citizen Susan Rooks and alert correspondent Sadra Spargo, we've been informed that a short course on local planning (jointly sponsored by the WA Cities Insurance Authority and the WA Dept of Commerce) is available to all interested citizens on:
20 September 2011
6:30 - 9:30 pm
La Conner's Maple Hall (108 Commercial St, La Conner)

(According to the info provided to me by the WA Cities Insurance Authority, the meeting was more restrictive, but Susan found additional info from the WA Dept of Commerce—co-sponsor of the event, who welcome all citizens to attend…WICA may update its web page)

Sign up at the WCIA web site http://www.wciapool.org/Training/T_TrainingSession.asp?SID=1677&tmc=1
You'll need to register at the site if you haven't registered online with WICA before.

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THE COURSE OUTLINE:
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6:30 pm to 6:40 pm WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS
Moderator: Ted Gage

6:40 pm to 7:40 pm THE LEGAL BASIS OF PLANNING IN WASHINGTON STATE
Speaker: Phil Olbrechts, Attorney

Anacortes Community Academy

Wed, 20 Jul 2011 22:19:55 -0700

I hope that by early fall, we will have established a citizen leadership-training and informed-citizen-participation program, the Anacortes Community Academy.

Program Goals:

· Help uncover some of the seeming mystery out of council meetings and the workings of government

· Empower citizens to understand the most effective way to have their sentiments heard by city staff, commissions, and the council.

Curriculum

The core curriculum could include these subjects (but there may be subjects that are more foundational and needed):

• ABC’s of Zoning and Development

• Open Record Hearings & The Appearance of Fairness Doctrine

• Communicating with Government & the Media

• The City’s Budget

• Comprehensive Plans

• The Open Public Meetings Act

Details to be Worked Out

Presentations could be made by the city staff.

At the same time, members of the city council have expressed an interest in presenting some of these classes. Additionally, a number of retired city officials (from Anacortes and elsewhere in Washington) have indicated they would be available to facilitate these classes.

Information Flow, updated

Tue, 19 Jul 2011 22:22:00 -0700

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Update
8/2/11
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The Planning Department is publishing all Public Notices at the City of Anacortes /Planning / Public Notices (at the URL, http://www.cityofanacortes.org/Planning/Notices/index.asp)

Thanks to Ryan Larsen and the staff in keeping this up to date…and Ryan alo notes that the Planning Department will have a new and improved web site up in the very near future.

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7/19/11
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In the short time I’ve been on the city council I've discovered that there is both an abundance and a shortage of information to be found in City Hall.

One area of shortfall, I believe, is in the way we alert the public in posting Notices of Application and Public Hearings.

The Planning Department does post notices and mail letters to the property owners who live within the prescribed distance of the applicant’s property. However, there are often other stakeholders who will have an interest when an application deals with a shoreline or wetland conditional use or if it will affect a broader number of citizens than those who own property within 300-foot radius of the applicant’s property.

Suggested Issues

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 22:03:50 -0700

If you wish to suggest additional issues that need to be addressed in this website or by the City Council in general, please note them in the Comments section at the bottom of this Suggested Issues page.