City Council Meeting - 2020-04-20

Detailed briefing

City Council Meeting — April 20, 2020 ATTENDEES: Mayor Matt Peguera; City Manager Victor Sandinsky; Council members John Cups, John Leo, CeCe Johnston, and Mike [surname unclear in the transcript]; Clerk Nick Whitaker; Police Chief Kyle Knight; Assessor Jeff Grimm. • Council approved an extension of utility-payment due dates to June 15. Staff said unpaid utility payments had remained well below 5% of normal collections, while some residents had expressed a need for more time. A public commenter also supported the extension. • The council reviewed city operations during COVID-19. Staff reported reduced or remote hours for most employees, continued essential infrastructure projects, open parks with added enforcement and taped-off play equipment, and a suspension of the harbor’s use-it-or-lose-it rule for seasonal slip holders. Police Chief Kyle Knight said enforcement had been education-focused and had not required enforcement action. • Members agreed to revisit broader COVID-19 questions at the May 4 meeting, after the then-current governor’s order was expected to expire April 30. Topics raised included landscaping and residential contractor work, short-term rentals, boating, public events, and potential economic impacts. No event cancellations were approved at this meeting. • Council adopted Schedule G for transient boating rates, replacing the previously approved Schedule I. Staff said Schedule G represented a 25% increase and followed the Harbor Commission’s unanimous recommendation after nearby municipalities did not adopt the higher schedule. • Council adopted a $150 zoning-permit fee for warehouse and storage buildings. The existing schedule excluded warehouse space from the per-square-foot calculation, which staff said could leave an all-warehouse project with no permit fee. Council asked staff to return with a broader review of the zoning fee schedule. • For the Lakeshore Drive rebuild, council selected Powerline Supply for materials and Kent Power for project work. Staff said the combined cost would be about $113,000, compared with a $200,000 budget. Worth watching: • Council will revisit COVID-19 restrictions and local policy options on May 4. • Staff is expected to review the full zoning fee schedule, including warehouse-space treatment. • The city said it would announce the Lakeshore Drive project start date after contacting the selected vendors. Upcoming: The May 5 election remained scheduled, primarily through absentee voting; council also noted meetings scheduled for May 4 and June 1. Why it matters: The council paired immediate payment relief and lower-than-budgeted infrastructure contracting with a wait-and-review approach to COVID-19 restrictions and summer-event decisions.

No open public follow-ups are linked to this meeting yet.