MEETING OF THE CITY OF
CONNELL,
The regular semi-monthly meeting, of the City Council of
the City of
PRESENT:
Mayor
STAFF:
City Administrator Art Tackett, City Attorney Terry Tanner,
Planning-Building Clerk Jed Crowther, Fire Chief Bob Koch and Deputy City
Clerk-Treasurer Maria ChavezPeńa.
VISITORS: Jim
Riddell; Larry Hueter, CRCC; Roger Bailie, Planning Commission; Jake Hollopeter,
Anderson Perry and Assoc; Sterling Joyner; and Kathy Bingham, Franklin County
1)
WA State Liquor Control Board – Special Liquor license for the Chamber
of Commerce for July 4th at
2)
Motion:
Councilmember Mosbrucker moved to approve the Consent Calendar as listed;
a)
Minutes of the
b)
Minutes of the
c)
Warrant Register of
d)
Payroll Register
e)
Motion to surplus vehicles as listed on attachment
Councilmember Pruett seconded motion.
Motion carried unanimously.
Councilmember Boyer expressed
that there had been some concern in regards to the dust from the new fields in
Staff would look into setting up a sprinkler for dust control.
Mayor Walton made the following additions to the Agenda:
18 a) Interlocal Agreement with
Motion:
Councilmember Pruett moved to approve the agenda as amended. Councilmember
Quinton seconded motion. Motion
carried unanimously.
CLOSED RECORD HEARING – ANIMAL KEEPING
City Administrator Tackett advised that the Planning Commission held a
Public Hearing in regards to the keeping of fowl (chickens and roosters) and
pigeons. No comments were heard from
the public. Planning Commission
recommended that the keeping of fowl and pigeons be deleted as an accepted use.
Attorney Tanner clarified that even with the new ordinance those residences who currently were zoned for fowl and had fowl were grandfathered in and would be able to continue to keep the fowl until such time as they stopped.
Councilmember Mosbrucker inquired about enforcing existing ordinances instead of changing ordinances. If the issue was the noise of the chickens or roosters then the noise ordinance should be enforced.
Councilmember Boyer expressed that the current ordinance allowed for three chickens, if the home owner had more then three they were in violation of an existing ordinance and that he agreed with Councilmember Mosbrucker that existing ordinances should be enforced.
There was some discussion as to who was in charge of animal control.
Councilmember Klindworth inquired about hiring an Animal Control person to enforce the code.
Councilmember Mosbrucker voiced that he did not think there was a need to hire another person when there were people who were employed to enforce ordinances and should be enforcing those ordinances.
Attorney Tanner advised that chickens could be banned in the entire city then those residences who currently had chickens would not be grandfathered in and would have to comply with the new ordinance. It would not be a zoning issue, it would however be a change to the criminal code.
Motion:
Councilmember Klindworth moved to remand Ordinance No. 802 to be rewritten
to do away with all fowl in the City limits.
Councilmember Pruett seconded motion.
Motion carried unanimously.
CLOSED RECORD HEARING – APARTMENTS
City Administrator Tackett reported that apartments were not spelled out specifically in the zoning ordinance.
Motion: Councilmember Mosbrucker moved to adopt Ordinance No. 803 amending text to Chapter 17 adding apartments to permitted uses in Residential High Density. Councilmember Pruett seconded motion, motion carried unanimously.
CLOSED RECORD HEARING – AMENDING ZONING MAP
City Administrator Tackett reported that there were two areas being
rezoned. A parcel of land belonging
to Mr. Bennett that had previously been requested to be rezoned to Residential
Low Density and had been inadvertently left out.
This change was to correct the oversight.
The second rezone was to change the zoning between
Motion: Councilmember Klindworth moved to adopt Ordinance No. 804 rezoning property from Agriculture to Low Density and from Light Industrial to Commercial General. Councilmember Mosbrucker seconded motion. Motion carried unanimously.
OPEN PUBLIC HEARING – RECREATIONAL VEHICLES
Mayor Walton opened the Open Public Hearing at
City Administrator Tackett advised that the Planning Commission had put together some guidelines for Council review.
Mayor Walton asked for public comments.
Jim Riddell, 3036 HW 260 E., expressed that he had been contacted and was under the understanding that Tullamoor would not be affected by this ordinance if adopted by City Council as it was a Planned Unit Development. He voiced his concern that some of the items would be restrictive and would be a detriment to his project if it pertained to his development.
City Administrator Tackett explained that when a Planned Unit Development (PUD) was done it did not fall under current zoning regulations. The purpose of the PUD was to have different densities of mixed use. It was an interactive process between the Planning Commission and the developer.
Mr. Riddell discussed some items of concern with the proposed RV Park
ordinance and expressed that if the RV park were constructed correctly and
managed correctly length of stay would not be a problem. There were people who
live full time in RV parks. Mr. Riddell commented in regards to fees and the
requirement of maximum gross density of 2,000 square feet.
He also felt that some items needed clarification such as bathroom
facilities.
Roger Bailie, 1618 E. Ash, advised that the intent of the Planning Commission was to establish a minimum gross density per space of 2,000 square feet, not a maximum. This area included open areas and roads.
There being no further public comment Mayor Walton opened the Public Hearing to comments from the Council.
Councilmember Boyer inquired as to why the limiting of RV parks to a minimum size of four acres.
City Administrator suggested Council look through the ordinance and bring back comments at the next meeting.
Attorney Tanner clarified that the fee for the permit was only for RV’s placed at a mobile home park not for RV’s placed at a RV park. Attorney Tanner further clarified that Mr. Riddell was correct in that if he went with a Planned Unit Development it specifically stated that the zoning ordinances could be deviated from so long as approved in the planning process.
Mayor Walton discussed street size requirements.
Councilmember Mosbrucker thanked the Planning Commission for doing the leg work on the RV Park ordinance and voiced his concern about being to restrictive and deterring someone from building an RV park.
Councilmember Klindworth pointed out that the type of RV park being constructed by Mr. Riddell was more an upscale park where the RV park that was needed in Connell was one for prison construction workers who just needed a place to park and hook up, and would probably go home for the weekend. Cost should be kept down and perhaps not require hook ups to all spaces. Councilmember Klindworth inquired about treating all RV parks as PUD’s.
Attorney Tanner advised that Council set some frame work for approval or disapproval of RV parks.
Councilmember Boyer and Councilmember Mosbrucker volunteered to sit on a committee to review RV park development standards.
Mayor Walton closed the Public Hearing at
USDA PHASE III –
Motion: Councilmember Quinton moved to accept the approval of the completion of the Control Valve project. Councilmember Pruett seconded motion, motion carried unanimously.
Motion: Councilmember Mosbrucker moved to pay Estimate No. 3 to Quality Backhoe Services in the amount of $564.85. Councilmember Pruett seconded motion. Motion carried unanimously.
Motion: Councilmember Quinton moved to release retainage and pay Estimate No. 4 to Quality Backhoe Services in the amount of $1,315.00 contingent upon receiving approval from L & I and Department of Revenue. Councilmember Pruett seconded motion. Motion carried unanimously.
Mr. Hollopeter commented that with the conclusion of this project is was the end of a 4.8 million dollar infrastructure improvement project that had involved six contractors over a period of three years and thanked the Council for allowing Anderson Perry to help them.
WATER SYSTEM PLAN PRIORITIZATION
Well # 8 and CRCC upgrades were already moving forward. The next significant project wouldn’t be until 2008.
Council discussed funding sources for the projects.
DOC INFRASTRUCTURE – BID AWARD
Councilmember Klindworth inquired about a fallback plan in case the City was unable to secure the easements.
City staff would be meeting with Bureau of Reclamation on June 2nd
at
Tabled until the June 12 meeting.
STREET IMPROVEMENTS
City Administrator provided a number of street improvements that had been budgeted and scheduled for the summer with the exception of the Burke Street Crossing, in the amount of $52,500, which had not been included in the budget.
Councilmember Klindworth commented that the last time Council had tried to connect Burke Street the City Council had a roomful of Lutheran’s who were opposed to the project.
Council discussed the proposed street improvements and costs.
Councilmember Boyer suggested advertising so that others could take advantage of the asphalt.
Councilmember Mosbrucker expressed that he would like to see the City spend the $50,000 on fixing existing streets before building a new one, unless there was a safety need.
Councilmember Klindworth questioned the reasoning for one section of town to wait until the City provided curbs and grades while another section of town did LID’s and paid for their own.
This item was tabled for further discussion at the Public Hearing at the June 12 meeting.
ENGINEERING AGREEMENT FOR POOL EQUIPMENT BID
City Administrator Tackett advised that the Department of Health required a professional engineer to sign off on these types of projects.
Motion: Councilmember Pruett moved to approve the Engineering Agreement with Anderson Perry to prepare the bid for pool equipment in the amount of $10,000. Councilmember Quinton seconded motion. Motion carried unanimously.
ENGINEERING AGREEMENT FOR WELL NO. 6 ASSISTANCE
Motion:
Councilmember Boyer moved to enter into an engineering agreement for Well
No. 6 with Anderson Perry. Councilmember
Mosbrucker seconded motion, motion carried unanimously.
City Administrator Tackett advised that the City was a part of the Columbia Basin Ground Water Management Association who was applying for $850,000 and was requesting a support letter.
Motion:
Councilmember Klindworth moved to authorize Mayor Walton sign a letter of
support for the appropriations request. Councilmember
Boyer seconded motion. Motion
carried unanimously.
INTERLOCAL
AGREEMENT WITH
City Administrator Tackett reviewed the Interlocal Agreement with
Attorney Tanner discussed the need for this section and that it should be reworded to allow parties to negotiate an agreeable fee.
Motion:
Councilmember Boyer moved to accept the Interlocal Agreement between
B/F COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS – Councilmember Kent Mosbrucker
Discussed the Commute Trip Plan – a study done on the time it took for workers to get to work.
FIRE DEPARTMENT – Fire Chief
1) Completed a fire inspection and fire drill at CRCC.
1) In the process of moving back into the Court House.
MAYOR’S REPORT – Mayor Walton
Expressed the need for a rural fire truck due to all the rural land inside city limits. Would be placed on the next agenda for discussion.
Mayor Walton recessed the meeting at
Mayor Walton reconvened the regular meeting at
REAL ESTATE CONTRACT
Mayor Walton presented a real estate contract with Varsity LLC to purchase 4.8 acres of land southeast of US Bank on the east end of Hawthorne Street, in the amount of $46,800 to close on June 30th.
Motion:
Councilmember Klindworth moved to sell the land described.
Councilmember Pruett seconded motion.
Motion carried unanimously.
There being no further business
to be heard before the City Council, Mayor Walton adjourned the meeting at