REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING
MARCH 5, 2008
Officials in attendance were Mayor Clancy Bauman; Councilmembers Carra Nupp, David Haskell, Barbary Mowrey, Sharon Ludwig, Bruce Nupp, and Roberta McMillin; City Administrator Curt Kelling; City Attorney Pat Monasmith; Clerk/Treasurer Pamela McCart.
Absent: Councilman Greg Rolstad
The Mayor called the meeting to order at 7:00 PM.
Agenda Additions, Deletions, Changes: None.
Audience Comments:
· Lynn Miner, representing the Local Blue Angels Car Club, requested a street closure on May 3rd in order to accommodate their first annual downtown car festival. The show would be operated by the Club members and sponsored by NAPA Auto Parts. Motion by Councilwoman Nupp to allow closure of Second Street from Main to Clay on May 3rd for the Blue Angels Annual Car Festival, seconded by Councilwoman Mowrey. Roll call vote taken with all in favor. Motion carried. The City Administrator added that the function could utilize the municipal parking in case of overflow.
Mail Received and Announcements:
· Motion by Councilwoman McMillin to excuse absence of Councilman Rolstad, seconded by Councilwoman Nupp. Roll call vote taken with all in favor. Motion carried.
· Motion by Councilwoman Mowrey to confirm appointment of Paul Sety and the re-appointment of Doug Sassman to the Planning Commission, seconded by Councilwoman Nupp. Roll call vote taken with all in favor. Motion carried.
· The City Administrator addressed correspondence from Robert Playfair requesting posting of the speed limit on South Park Street as 25 MPH – it is currently posted as 35 MPH although the City Code changed it to 25 MPH in 1977. Motion by Councilman Haskell directing the City Administrator to follow up with the Department of Transportation with regard to posting of the speed limit on South Park to reflect City Code, seconded by Councilwoman Mowrey. Roll call vote taken with all in favor. Motion carried.
· Motion by Councilwoman Nupp to hold a Special Meeting at 6:00 PM on Wednesday April 2nd to discuss liability insurance pools/programs, seconded by Councilwoman Mowrey. Roll call vote taken with all in favor. Motion carried.
Consent Agenda:
· Motion by Councilwoman Ludwig to approve the Consent Agenda consisting of the February 6th Regular Minutes; payment of claim vouchers # 56314 – 56418 totaling $99,431.91; payment of pre-authorized debits to BPA totaling $92,843.00; and payment of payroll warrants #18591 - 18656 totaling $137,209.83, seconded by Councilman Haskell. Roll call vote taken with all in favor. Motion carried.
Committee Reports: None.
City Administrator Report:
· With regard to the burn ban, the C/A stated the County received a $38,000 grant from the Department of Ecology to purchase a larger chipper – they will be getting back to us to schedule use of the chipper – from the County’s perspective they’ll bring the chipper, loader and one staff to assist us with collection events. They’ll move them throughout the other cities/counties but they haven’t set up their schedule yet.
The State legislature continues to fiddle with things -- their latest rendition of this subject matter -- they were working on one for a while that would let you burn for one weekend in April and one weekend in November – that didn’t go through. They have one that was put back on the table for the Senate for a third reading so I don’t know if it will pass or not. This would allow cities of 2,500 or less in population to continue to burn but only after a process is implemented where we would have to come up with an alternate plan for vegetation management and run through a public hearing process to have it approved before the end of June. The law they haven’t passed yet. I know it’s an important subject here but if we get that far and try to go into that process -- that 2500 is not a good limit for us because we’re not that far away from it and it doesn’t make a lot of sense to put a lot of effort into creating an opportunity for us to do something that isn’t going to last. We’ll see what happens with that one.
· We started working with an update of the City’s website. One of the subjects discussed is the update of the City’s logo. I don’t know the history of where the present one came from and what the level of passion is for it. We’ve been looking for something that’s more modern and lends itself better to copying. The Council did not express any opposition to the concept.
Old Business: None.
New Business:
· The C/A stated that in early 2007 during the initial meeting on this annexation staff was directed to proceed. Subsequent to that, the Hearings Board invalidated all of the UGA’s in the County and the matter has been on hold since then. The County has now made it through most of their process of getting it re-authorized -- I don’t think they’re completely through with the Hearings Board yet but they’re very close. This is the twenty acre parcel across from the high school. This public hearing would be the second step of something started last year. Motion by Councilwoman Nupp setting date of Public Hearing for Martin Annexation Request as April 2, 2008, seconded by Councilman Haskell. Roll call vote taken with all in favor. Motion carried.
· Mr. Monasmith read the introduction of Ordinance # 801 Amending the 2008 Budget. The Clerk/Treasurer stated that the proposed amendment had been presented to the Finance Committee. The C/A stated that cash carryovers from 2007 were very good, particularly in the utility funds. The amendment includes purchase of two trucks for the Public Works Department, $85,000 toward the purchase of a dump truck w/snow plow, and a police vehicle. It also includes the hiring of an additional Public Works Employee from the first of April through the end of the year – it really puts you back where you were last year before I started fiddling with the Public Works Department other than the fact that Denise is still there but not doing the same job.
· Motion by Councilwoman Nupp to read introduction of Ordinance # 802 Amending Sections 13.04.030 and 13.04.040 of the Chewelah Municipal Code Regarding Utility Billing and Utility Procedures/Requirements for New Customers by title, seconded by Councilman Haskell. Roll call vote taken with all in favor. Motion carried. Mr. Monasmith read the introduction of Ordinance # 802 by title. The C/A stated that this is an update of fees charged by the Electric Department for call outs after hours and for new installation costs – it is not a change in utility rates.
· Motion by Councilwoman Nupp to authorizing the Mayor to enter into Standstill and Interim Relief Payment Agreement with the Department of Energy through the Bonneville Power Administration, seconded by Councilman Haskell. Roll call vote taken with all in favor. Motion carried. The C/A stated that this agreement is a byproduct of a court case -- BPA was told by the court that they are holding onto more money in reserve than they are entitled to by the federal government and it needs to be returned to the utilities. Most of the small utilities are taking it back -- for us that’s approximately $87,000 – some of the larger utilities are still fighting because some of it will fall into setting their future rates. At this point the intent is to put the entire amount in the reserve fund for stabilization of future rates and also building up money for the upgrade on the (2) 4,000 volt lines (currently, you’re losing a lot of power off these lines that doesn’t get sold at all).
Audience Comments:
· Steve Crisp asked the C/A if an agenda meeting was going to be scheduled for next month regarding Pinebrook. The C/A replied no, that he had not yet received the review from the City Planner with the SEPA information filled out. He added that he would not attempt to configure a timeline until he receives the full packet and has had a chance to review it.
· Councilwoman Mowrey presented a request for repairs to the water fountain by NAPA -- it’s not working. The Council replied that it was a new fountain installed during the Main Street Upgrade and that it was currently off for the winter.
The Mayor adjourned the meeting at 7:40 PM.
Mayor ___________________________ Clerk/Treasurer ___________________________
