MEETING OF THE CITY OF CONNELL , WASHINGTON
FRANKLIN COUNTY , WASHINGTON

May 24, 2004

The regular semi-monthly meeting of the City Council of the City of Connell was called to order by the Mayor at 7:30 pm in the City Hall and was opened with the Pledge of Allegiance.

ROLL CALL

PRESENT:       Mayor Garland Walton, Mayor Pro-Tem Perry Skoglund, Councilmembers, Roel Martinez, Andy Sawyer, and Monica Pruett.

EXCUSED:      Councilmember Ron Boyer

STAFF:            City Administrator Art Tackett , Public Works Director Pat Munyan, Fire Chief Robert Koch, and Deputy City Clerk Maria ChavezPeńa.

VISITORS:      Larry Seibel, Anderson Perry; Gene Stocking, Community First Bank.

CORRESPONDENCE

1)                  AWC – Annual Meeting in Ocean Shores in June.

2)                  Department of Labor – Requested the City sign a proclamation for June 2004 as the 60th Anniversary Local Veterans Employment Representative Program.

Council gave its consensus to authorize Mayor Walton to sign the proclamation.

CONSENT CALENDAR

Motion: Councilmember Pruett moved to approve the Consent Calendar as listed:

Minutes of the May 10, 2004 Regular Meeting, correction to page 4, PAYMENT OF BILLS - corrected “Councilmember Pruett seconded” to “Councilmember Martinez seconded”.

Councilmember Sawyer seconded motion.  Motion carried unanimously.

CITIZEN COMMENT

Councilmember Skoglund noted that he had been contacted in regards to allowing the school utilize a dunk tank at the park for their end of the year celebration.

Public Works Director Munyan recommended a release form be signed to protect the City.

APPROVAL OF AGENDA

Mayor Walton made the following addition to the agenda:

            Agenda Item No. 16 a. Cultural Study for Youth Activity Fields

Motion: Councilmember Skoglund moved to approve the agenda as amended. Councilmember Pruett seconded motion.   Motion carried unanimously.

ORDER OF BUSINESS

USDA – WATER SYSTEM IMPROVEMENTS

            Larry Seibel of Anderson Perry reported on the following:

Phase I –  Two remaining items left to be completed on the punch list, these would be completed by the end of the week.

Phase II – Complaints had been forwarded to Pegram Construction.

Phase III – The new reservoir would go out to bid May 27. Bid opening would be held June 17th and construction would begin during the third week of July.  Schedules G & H would go out to bid June 10th.

STREET PROJECTS - UPDAT E

           Larry Seibel of Anderson Perry reported on the following:

          West Clark Phase II: ML Albright submitted Application for Payment No. 6, release of retainage for Schedules A & B in the amount of $26,138.45.

Motion: Councilmember Skoglund moved to authorize Application for Payment No. 6 in the amount of $26,138.45.  Councilmember Sawyer seconded motion.  Motion carried unanimously.

Clark Street Rail Crossing: Larry Seibel presented an Engineering Agreement between the City and Anderson Perry for the railroad crossing.

Motion: Councilmember Pruett moved to authorize Mayor Walton sign the agreement of up to a maximum of $4,000 with Anderson Perry for the railroad crossing.  Councilmember Martinez seconded motion.  Motion carried unanimously.

          City Administrator Tackett advised that he would be meeting with IAC the week of June 7th and would also attend a TIB workshop to on funding for Adams Street .

WASTEWATER FACILITY  

Larry Seibel reported that Apollo had sent information in regards to the lift station. There would be a group of people going to the site to run some test on May 25.

FIRE DEPARTMENT – SUPPORT VEHICLE

Fire Chief Bob Koch advised that there was the opportunity to pick up a surplus ambulance.  The County Fire Commissioners agreed to purchase it and place on their insurance if the City would house the vehicle.  Fire Chief Koch also advised for the need to surplus the dodge van.

Motion: Councilmember Sawyer moved to authorize Fire Chief Koch surplus the dodge van and for the City to house the ambulance. Councilmember Martinez seconded motion.  Motion carried unanimously.

LAW ENFORCEMENT MOBILIZATION PLAN

City Administrator Tackett provided that each region had put together a Regional Response Plan to provide rapid access and deployment of pre-arranged quantities of law enforcement resources for response to disasters and significant or multiple incidents where an incident commander has depleted all available department and mutual aid resources. There would be no financial obligation by the City.

Motion: Councilmember Skoglund moved to authorize the Mayor sign the Law Enforcement Mobilization Plan.  Councilmember Sawyer seconded, motion carried unanimously.

ORDINANCE NO. 768 – REPEALING ORDINANCE NO. 595 AND ADOPTING THE CRITICAL AREAS ORDINANCE

Mayor Walton presented Ordinance No. 768 relating to environmental protection, adopting Critical Areas Ordinance, appendices and map and repealing Critical Areas Ordinance No. 595 in its entirety.

Motion: Councilmember Skoglund moved to adopt Ordinance No. 595.  Councilmember Pruett seconded.  Motion carried unanimously.

ORDINANCE NO. 769 -  SANITATION RATE INCREASE

          City Administrator Tackett advised that the City had received the yearly sanitation rate increase as provided by the City’s contract with BDI. 

            Mayor Walton read over Ordinance No. 769.

Motion: Councilmember Sawyer moved to adopt Ordinance No. 769 pertaining to sanitation rates.  Councilmember Pruett seconded.  Motion carried unanimously.

WASHINGTON ASPARAGUS COMMISSION

Mayor Walton advised that he had visited with Deena Martin of the Washington Asparagus Commission.  Washington State had lost about 80% of its asparagus growers due to increasing labor costs, competition created by the Andean Trade Preference Act, and changing technological demands.  The Washington Asparagus Commission was requesting letters of support to secure funding for the automation and mechanization initiative for the Washington asparagus industry.

Council consensus was to provide letters of support for the Washington Asparagus Commission.

CULTURAL STUDY FOR YOUTH FIELDS

City Administrator Tackett advised that the IAC grant that had been received for youth athletic fields had been put on hold since staff at IAC was not available. New IAC staff had been assigned to this project but new requirements on Federal money require a cultural study be done. The cost for this would be $3,500.  The grant was increased by 10% due to the hold up.

Motion: Councilmember Skoglund moved to authorize the cultural study be done in the amount of $3,500.  Councilmember Pruett seconded motion.  Motion carried unanimously.

PAYMENT OF BILLS

Motion: Councilmember Skoglund moved to pay the payroll and bills in the amount of $176,674.14. Councilmember Sawyer seconded, motion carried unanimously.

DEPARTMENT REPORTS

FIRE DEPARTMENT – Fire Chief Robert Koch

1)                  Fire hydrants were being flushed

CITY ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT – City Administrator Art Tackett

1)                  Scheduled the Goals and Objectives meeting for June 28th at 6:00 pm

2)                  Met with Dept of Health on updating the Water System Plan.  The City had until the end of the year to have the update completed. The expense to have Anderson Perry complete this plan would be in the FY 2005 Budget.

3)                  The auditor was here and would be mailing out letters to Councilmembers inviting them to the entrance conference.

PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT – Public Works Director Pat Munyan

1)                  Working on an Accident Prevention Program for the City

2)                  Staff was taking care of weeds

3)                  Would be crack sealing the street before seal coating

MAYOR’S REPORT – Mayor Gary Walton

1)                  Advised that the City might want to get a committee to look at the use of Hotel/Motel funds.

MEETING RECESSED

Mayor Walton recessed the regular meeting at 8:35 to go into Executive Session to discuss the purchase of DNR land.

MEETING RECONVENED

The regular meeting was reconvened at 8:55 and the following business was heard before the City Council:

ORDER OF BUSINESS

DNR-PROPERTY SALE

Motion: Councilmember Pruett moved to authorize the Mayor sign the letter of intent with DNR for the properties. Councilmember Sawyer seconded, motion carried unanimously

MEETING ADJOURNED

There being no further business to be heard before the City Council, Mayor Walton adjourned the meeting at 8:56 pm .