League of Women Voters

Kiffi Summa, Observer

Special City Council Meeting -  All members present, Agenda approved.

There was only one item on the agenda for this special meeting; the reconsideration of  "Items Related to Community Events Program"

Councilor Buckheit had asked for this reconsideration, and tonight  Councilor Zweifel presented a motion which had  4 bullet points intended to put the council in a mode to re-evaluate their former decision making process into a more analytical one,  based on this year's experience with in-kind grants for  community events . She emphasized that  at the beginning of their terms this council had said they wished to be open to re-evaluation of their own decision making.

After a 45 minute discussion, which included some public comments, the Council voted 5-2 to retain their earlier decisions and process.

Adjourned to Work Session.

Work Session - All members present except Councilor Jon Denison.

Item #1 - Review and Comment on C1-B commercial district regulations  in Draft land Development Code

Four members of the  Planning Commission, as well as Dan Olson, City Planner, and Brian O'Connell Community Development Director, joined Chair Tracy Davis in presenting a new commercial zone designation to the Council. Most simply, the C1-B designation would combine the current C-1 district (core downtown) and the C-2 which has been the Downtown Fringe District.

The goal would be to look to the future in that the new district would reflect the standards of the downtown while not 'cloning' them.  This would be  an effort to enlarge the pedestrian feeling of the downtown area regardless of the Highway 3 corridor. Councilors Buckheit and Pokorney focused on many problems and possibilities; in the end C. Buckheit summed up with the thought that this was a big issue that needed more consideration than just 'gut reactions' tonight.

There was some additional discussion of standards for the Highway 3 corridor further to the south, down to County Road 1, which included some  thoughts about corporate franchise architecture.

Councilor Pownell asked Chair Davis if the Planning Commission had discussed setting aside land for future school sites, and also for the  siting of churches.  Ms.Davis said they had had preliminary discussions with the school district; Mr. O'Connelll replied  that federal law would become involved  in doing so for a church.

Item #2  - Budget (Financial Group)

For some time there has been discussion of a citizen advisory group with strong financial expertise. Administrator Walinski  asked how the Council would  see this group being assembled, and what the group should look at.

C.  Buckheit stressed that they should be allowed to look at anything they found relevant and that  it was essential they be independent.

C. Pokorney also felt that everything should be 'on the table'; they should look at relevant city documents with a "financial eye".

Administrator Walinski felt the depth and scope of the group's work would be limited by the time constraints put on them by Council.

Mayor Rossing was most interested in looking at "outcomes",  guessing that long term strategies would be most useful.

Re: the time constraints imposed on the group, Mayor  Rossing said 'to get folks we want on there, we have to give them an end date'. Administrator Walinski agreed.

It was agreed that the group should be comprised of under 10 members, and have an initial 90 day work period.

Names may be submitted to the Mayor for her appointment to the  financial  advisory work group.

Item #3 - Communications Policy

Melissa Reeder, the City's IT  Director, brought a Community  Events matrix with recommendations for related communications  to each of the 4  subject areas: Local Projects, Community Projects, New Initiatives by  Council, and Regulatory Meetings.

Relevant communication techniques were discussed for each of  these subject areas, with the focus on how to better comunicate with  citizens without significantly increasing the costs.

C. Pownell felt it is necessary to develop more innovative ways to reach a  broader range of citizens; Mayor Rossing felt that citizens must take some responsibility to inform themselves through the standard media outlets  offered. C.  Pokorney emphasized the usefulness of e-mail alert systems, such as those being  used for the 4th Street infrastructure project. C. Pokorney also made a statement that  he felt "our communications have not been community building", and  cited  an example  that he felt was positive: a forum  about the new rental housing ordinances, held at a local church, that had an open town meeting feel to it.

Ms. Reeder also provided  information on the emergency management system for council to review.

Item #4 - Discussion on upcoming meeting with City of Dundas on Shared Services

Administrator Walinski said he had spoken with Dundas City  Administrator McCarthy as to what subjects should be discussed at their joint meeting next  Monday. ( July 19, 7 PM, NF City Council Chambers)

C. Pokorney said most important: "what saves Money"; C. Buckheit countered with "what increases efficiency and saves money". C. Pownell felt that shared police and fire services were a very timely subject for discussion. The joint sewage agreement came up with Administrator Walinski noting that it took almost  30 years to achieve that; C. Pokorney   stated that it was most important for the two communities to have an overriding policy to work together.  Mayor Rossing stressed not  valuing collaboration so highly that it overrode the needs of each citizenry.

A Few  Items of Additional Discussion:

Administrator Walinski brought the idea of a Public Forum on the City Budget, August 23rd; there will be more  information forthcoming with the next water bill. The format   might be to have a 4-5 minute open mic question by a citizen and then a reply from Council,  or the Council might ask the citizen questions. All major groups/ organizations in the city would be noticed, as well as the general citizenry.

C.  Zweifel then asked to have the cutting of the Spanish language interpreter's job to be reconsidered on the next agenda.

The last announcement of the evening  was from Joel Walinski, with a  letter distributed to  the Council announcing his resignation as of September 3rd; and his acceptance of the City Administrator position in Leavenworth, Washington.

C. Pokorney raised the issue of  'who does what  and when', considering that this council is in its last 6 months, i.e. will this council hire a  new administrator, will there be an interim designated; who best to do this, next council or this one?

The Mayor said this problem would be the subject of discussion at the next Council Meeting.

*** NOTE: An important consideration for LWV members, and all citizens:  from the Observer's  point of  view, this resignation is a major stumbling  block to the pursuit of a new city Safety Center, and its 14.4 million dollar referendum this November.

The  question would be this: Mr. Walinski has often said the  'City' does not have the Staff to pursue two major projects at the same time (safety Center and Library) so how could a facility project of  the size and cost indicated by the referendum be pursued with an  interim,  or even a newly hired administrator?