CITY OF ILWACO
City Council
Regular Meeting – October 8, 2007
CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Hubbard called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m.
ROLL CALL
Present: Mayor Hubbard, Council members David Jensen, Dave Fritts, Fred
Marshall, Ron Willis, and Mike Cassinelli.
Also: City Treasurer Melissa Busby, Acting City Planner Mike Desimone, LBPD
Chief Flint Wright, and IVFD Chief Tom Williams.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Motion to approve the September 24, 2007, as written by Marshall.
Seconded by Jensen. Motion passes unanimously.
STAFF REPORTS
Williams commented that the Wednesday after the last council meeting
the Long Beach Fire Department and the Ilwaco Volunteer Fire Department
responded to a fire on the roof of Heidi’s Inn in Ilwaco.
Gary Kobes, Project Manager, reported that there is a Fire Station Rebuild
meeting with the Insurance adjuster tomorrow, and there is a Community
Building Renovation Budget meeting on Wednesday.
Mike Desimone, Acting City Planner, stated that Amy Ammer was gone
and that the City has received notice that the County is giving 60 days before
they will be terminating services.
Don Parsons, Planning Commission member, spoke of the Sidewalk issue
that was discussed at the last Planning Commission meeting.
Busby requested the first Budget Workshop be Monday, October 15, 2007
at 4:00 PM because the Visitor’s Bureau will be giving a presentation at that time.
Council requested a later time. Busby will check with Visitor’s Bureau to see if
that fits their schedule. Meeting set for 5:00 PM.
COUNCIL REPORTS
Cassinelli wanted it known that the planter boxes in town have garbage in
them, and there are cement garbage cans in the City Shop that can be finished
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October 8, 2007
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and placed near the planters for use. Believes that the City should budget for
additional garbage cans.
Marshall commented on the Federal Appropriation for the Discovery Trail.
Is currently a House Bill, but needs Senate approval before moving forward for
the funding. Also, the comments from IVFD Chief Williams last meeting about
the Fire Hydrants are currently being looked at improving the form by Brandy
Ferguson, Deputy City Clerk. Marshall has been doing some analysis of the
Waste Water Treatment Plant loading, and there are increases and the analysis
lends itself to suggest the increases are coming from State Parks.
MAYOR’S REPORT: Mayor reminded everyone that the bi-annual Hydrant ndthFlushing will take place October 22 through October 25, 2007. The
Water/Sewer Audit is currently about 1/3 of the way complete, and anticipate it
taking until the end of the month. The City has been approved for the additional
funding needed for the Baker Bay #1 and #2 Pump Stations by RCAC (Rural
Community Assistance Corporation). Mayor stated that the Cranberrian Fair was
going on October 12th -14th, and that the Water Music Festival was happening
next weekend. Also, wanted people to be sure and attend the Ilwaco Town
Meeting sponsored by the Ilwaco Merchants Association tomorrow night with
Council Candidates Mike Cassinelli and Don Parsons at 6:00 PM for the meet and
greet, and 6:30 PM for the question and answer portion.
CITIZEN COMMENTS
Don Berger, Vandalia resident, questioned where the City was on the
Comprehensive Plan update. Berger stated that it is supposed to be in by
12/31/07. Willis questioned Parsons about Public Hearings and deadline.
Desimone spoke up and stated that the County deadline has been extended to
2010, but didn’t know for sure if that was true for the City. Berger mentioned
that the Comprehensive Plan was supposed to be done every 5 years, and it was
last done in 1997.
BUSINESS ITEMS
#1 – Public Hearing – Hilltop School Parking Variance
Mayor opened the Public Hearing at 6:23 PM.
Desimone presented Ammer’s letter to council. The Ocean Beach School
District is requesting a parking variance at the Hilltop School location. A variance to parking standards was granted May 3, 2005, to modify the parking standard
from 91 required spaces to 39 parking spaces. At the time, Hilltop School was
proposed to be utilized as a middle school. Due to lower enrollment, the Ocean
Beach School District is proposing to use Hilltop School as a combined middle
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October 8, 2007
Page 3
and high school once the renovations are completed. The existing Ilwaco High
School has been proposed to be closed. The Ocean Beach School District
Superintendent informed staff that the high school student parking will continue
to occur at the Ilwaco High School site, located approximately 630 feet to the
North on Brumbach Avenue NE. A sidewalk has been proposed to be
constructed to ensure students were not walking on the roadway. Fifty parking
spaces at Hilltop would provide parking for all the staff.
The Planning Commission held a public hearing on September 4, 2007,
and recommended to City Council the following:
1. Set up a citizen’s council in cooperation with the school to ensure
public comments are included in decision process.
2. Review a signage and/or residential parking zone for the blocks
surrounding the Hilltop School.
3. Review infrastructure needs (paving, sidewalks, curbs) adjacent to
the school.
The Planning Commission also forwards three possible resolutions brought
forward at the September 4, 2007, meeting, including:
1. Creating more parking at the site of the current bus barn or upper
field or creating a residential parking only area.
2. Student/staff enforcement of school parking policies, and
3. Covering the future sidewalk on the East of Brumbach Avenue NE.
Rainer Houser, Superintendent of Ocean Beach School District, spoke for
the applicants. Houser stated that only the staff will park at the site and that
students will park at the current location of the High School. The Ocean Beach
School District will police parking and will have stickers for the cars.
Ann Saari, 414 NE Fir, lives directly across from the Bus Barn and read
from her current letter to the council opposing the parking variance. The school
district is asking for 50 parking spaces variance, but her calculations/drawings
only show 43 spaces available. Saari’s concern is that the streets and front yards
will fill up with tardy kids’ cars illegally parked. Saari requests the council to
deny the variance.
Mark Simmons, Principal, states that the school is a function of the
community and it is not a School District problem only or a Community problem
only. Feels there should be signage on the streets that the students must then
obey. There will be consequences for students arriving late and parking illegally.
Students must be prepared to accept those consequences.
Cassinelli commented that grown adults have parked illegally before on
construction jobs he’s been involved with in other cities and wanted to know how
the School District will address the illegal parking.
Houser stated that the enrollment has been declining over the last eleven
years from 1400 students to 900 students. They anticipate the plateau to be
820-850 students within the next few years. Issue to trying to make this work,
and to assume that the kids can’t walk from the parking lot to the school is too
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October 8, 2007
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much of an assumption. The school district will run 1 shuttle bus from the
Parking lot to the school during inclement weather for those students wishing to
use it. There will be assigned staff parking with stickers and the students will
also have to register their vehicles. The school district will do as much
monitoring they can.
Cassinelli wanted clarification on “monitoring”. Houser responded that Ocean Beach School District has current personnel that patrols parking lots, but
would like help from LBPD during the beginning of the school year.
Willis stated that LBPD is not staffed to actively patrol the parking issues. Agree that school and city needs to work together for a solution.
Chief Wright confirmed Willis’ statement, and stated that LBPD cannot tow cars from private property, only on private roads if in the right-of-way.
Cassinelli proposed a working group to include citizens, the School District, a councilmember, and Chief of LBPD. Would like the school district to hold
meetings and bring back to the council a workable solution.
Jensen agreed to help design/develop a plan for parking and is not sure a variance is needed at all, but a plan consensus is the key.
Marshall questioned if this is a legal issue or a community cooperation issue. At some point the existing High School will not have any students
attending there. Original variance dealt with Hilltop as a Middle School only.
Mayor closed Public Hearing at 6:56 PM.
Cassinelli would like clarification from the City Planner as to if a Variance is even needed because of the existing parking lot at the current High School.
Also, need to make sure a committee is established to come up with a solution to
the parking situation. Discussion followed.
Cassinelli made a motion to table the variance. Motion seconded by Willis. Motion passed unanimously.
#2 – Continuation of Public Hearing – Laws Short Plat & Road Variance
Mayor opened Public Hearing at 7:04 PM at the applicant’s rebuttal
portion of the Public Hearing.
Discussion followed. Council requested clarification from the City Planner
as to how close the 120 days time limit is as of tonight. More discussion
followed.
Cassinelli moved to continue the Public Hearing until the Council receives
a written rebuttal from the applicant to the October 22, 2007, meeting. Willis
seconded the motion. Discussion followed. Motion approved, 3-ayes, 2-nayes.
#3 – Recommended Temporary Library Location
Jensen recused himself from this issue because the potential awardee, Mazal, is a client of his.
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October 8, 2007
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Kobes presented the Lease Agreement again with the change to the
lighting requirement on page 3 of 13 of the Commercial Lease Exhibits.
Fritts made a motion to enter into the Lease Agreement with Mazal as
presented. Willis seconded it. Motion approved, 4-ayes, 1-abstain.
#4 – Establish Monthly Workshop & Agendas for Community Building and Fire Hall
Willis is requesting more insight and overview on both projects until
finished. Mayor stated that there will be budget workshops coming up and
asked Kobes if he could provide a written monthly report to the council instead.
Kobes agreed to provide written monthly reports. Discussion followed. Willis
made a motion to hold monthly workshops for the Community Building and Fire stHall at 5:00 PM in advance of the 1 Council Meeting of each month. Cassinelli
seconded the motion. Approved 4-yes, 1-abstain.
#5 – Support for the “Gateway Community Feasibility Study”
Cassinelli presented the request for support of $500 from the City for the
Gateway Community Feasibility Study. Cindy Mudge, director of the Destination
of the Pacific, was present to answer any questions. City has already shown
support by passing a resolution and writing letters to our Congressmen. Motion
was made by Willis to give $500 to support the Gateway Community Feasibility
Study. Motion seconded by Jensen. Unanimously approved.
DISCUSSION ITEM
#1 – Establish the Start of the Discovery Trail in Ilwaco
Willis presented the issue as to where the Discovery Trail should end or begin. Believes council should get moving and make a decision soon. Marshall
thinks the best solution suggested would be adequate signage showing route to
the end of the Trail where the condor is or to downtown. Discussion followed.
Willis suggested the Condor be the start and/or end of the Trail. Jensen
suggested mapping with suggested routes. Cassinelli recommended waiting until
after budget to look at routes. Nothing decided.
CLAIMS & VOUCHERS
Vouchers audited and certified by the auditing officers as required by RCW
42.24.080 and 42.24.090 have been reported on a listing, which has been made
available to the Council members as of this date October 8, 2007. The Council
for the City of Ilwaco by vote does approve for payment these claims included in
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October 8, 2007
Page 6
the above list and further described as Claims #26704- #26749 for $97,166.43, and Vouchers #807459 - #807495 for $45,783.97 for a Grand Total of $100,044.77. Fritts moved to approve the Claims as submitted. Motion seconded by Willis. No further discussion. Motion to approve unanimously carried.
Chief Williams requested to re-advertise the sale of the surplus property because no bids were received.
No further business appearing, meeting adjourned at 7:45 pm.
___________________________
Doug Hubbard, Mayor
___________________________
Melissa Busby, City Treasurer