City Council - Regular Meeting

And so I went to likebody.

My name is Doug and this Wednesday, January 14th as 6:30 and I'd like to call this council meeting to order. Director Lyn roll call please. We have Francancy here. Gay here. here. Hover here. Moingham here. Nimber here. Fredo here. Ragic here. Shaw here. Swore here. Taylor here. And Wilson here. And Maril

here. Thank you. Um if you'd like to stand close to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Right. Thank you. Going to start off today. Um, elections open the floor for nominations for the 2026 council president. Does anybody have a nomination? Um, mayor politics.

Oh, I'm sorry. Director Clemens is going to administrative cleans go over the process. Thank you, Mayor. Um, so the voting process that we're going to undergo today is um if there are two people who are nominated, we'll just have the two vote off. Then if there are three we will take or three or more we'll take the top two from the first round and then we'll do a second round with the top two and then that's how we'll continue. Okay. Are there any questions regarding that process? That's the process that we've used in the pasture. Okay. Thank you. Okay. I'll just I'm going to start at this end with Sure.

Thank you mayor. Uh I would like to nominate the current president. I'd like to see the continuity given the nature of the change council second.

Nobody else want nobody else wants. Yeah. Is there anybody else? Okay. All in favor of Well, we need to do the call. Okay. Uh Francancy, uh Gen Podkin four. Hard four. Moham, Nipper, Fredo, Ratchet, Shaw, four, Taylor, and Wilson. All right. Thank you.

War wins. They should say the vote. Yeah. Okay. Um so with that, because she is also the past president, um we will need to vote in two at large members for the committee on committees. Okay. In process to nominate someone. I do not nominate myself. Started that. This is for the first at large. Yeah. First advis to nominate council member.

Second there another nomination I nominate council member Frie second. Is there another nomination back to diretory? So this will be between Fredo and Francancy. Um okay. Okay, so we have Francancy Francie Francie Podkin Francie Hubbert Francingham

Francber Taylor Francie Wilson Fr Okay, so uh Francie wins 12 sir. All right. So now we're going to say start down here. I would like to again nominate council member second nominations

dipper predo ko Fredo Shaw swore Taylor Fredo Wilson Hey Fredo has it with 12 months. Thank you. You sounded like a gang. So now we present for the um approval of the agenda. Motion to approve tonight's agenda. Second and first and second. Yes.

We need to have a motion to remove today's presentation. The recipient is not able to be here. Is that the housing presentation? Yeah.

Okay. Thank you. All in favor? I thank you. Make a motion to approve the agenda as amended. Second is there any discussion all in favor? Hi.

I will go back to the go to public comments and read this a little bit here so that we're all on the same page. Um, the public may comment on subjects of interest not listed on the agenda or items listed on the consent agenda. The city of Aberdine requests that you provide your full name. If you reside in Aberdine, please also include your award number. If you do not reside in Aberine, please state the city in which you live. Please limit your comments to three minutes to ensure we already have sufficient time. I also wanted to remind uh two other things. Um there is a piece of paper on the podium and please when you give your comments sign in especially if you'd like us to um contact you or talk about anything. Um this is a public meeting which means it's open to the public and we it's so that we're transparent but it does not mean that we engage with the public during this meeting. So, um, all right. Is there anybody who'd like to come Steve from and what I want to comment about I I was told that we have a right to vote on this um EM plan here and they sent me a letter they weren't supposed to I found out and it's stated the price of what they want and they want $67 every two months for for the emergency vehicles and that sort of thing and and what I

don't understand is we voted this down by the country regular vote and we voted it down. We didn't want that added in there, you know, and now they're going to do do it. It sounds like it's going to go no matter what we say, it's going to go through. And the problem with that, they need to take care of the problem where the problem is and that's that's the uh jail over here. It's not even happening. But our participants responsible for that, I guess. But to bring those people to the hospital when they get hurt, sick, or or whatever's problem, get shot, uh they they need to figure out another way rather than have our emergency vehicles go there and get them and bring them their own way and then get them back. That sort of thing. I mean, they need to figure out a way of spending money better than than doing it that way. Taking it from us. That's wrong. But we voted it down. We didn't want that in there. I mean, I've been I've been here for over 20 years, so I know what's going on, you know. But, uh, as far as a hospital goes, they do have an option. I don't know. very many people know about it, but it's a it's called a lift flight and that's a helicopter light up light that will pick you up and take me to Seattle. Only takes about a half hour to get there. I talked to a person that use this and it's only $70.

$79 for a whole year. No matter how many times you use it, it only cost one time for the year. $79. So, they need to start thinking smarter like this. And um that's what I'm talking about. It's just not right the way they're trying to do it. And and and there's a lot of people I talked to today feel that uh that that charge that 30 $34 charge is in there now should not even be in there. It should be optional. They shouldn't have to be forced to pay it, but sir, your time's up. Okay, you finish your sentence.

My time's up. Okay. All right. Well, I pretty much said it. And if you want somebody to contact you, you can put your information down there and they'll contact you to explain this better. Well, it's it's just a smarter way of thinking. I think you know the way I said they got to figure out a different way.

Thank you, sir. Is there anybody else who would like a comment? Yes, sir. Hello, my name is Dylan Batty. I'm from Aberine. I've been here my whole life and I'm here to introduce my uh project. It's called Line. It's going to be downtown. It's going to be a place where people can uh come in and socialize. We pay $15 a day, 24 hours a day for for $15 and you can come in there and showers, laundry, you know, have like the mini theater, all kinds of activities, whatever you want to do for the NA meetings, a meetings can meet there or whatever needs to happen. Plus, uh people can learn valuable information about uh you know, anything that they can do to help themselves. Cuz when you are able to wake up, take a shower, brush your teeth, and get a plan going in your morning time, you usually have more chance of having a better day. I come and find out, you know, and it seems like this will be able to help them as well as be a cool place to go cuz I'm have like video games and it's going to be it's going to be cool. So, it's going to be big time. I mean, I've spent a long time on this and I've got every everything figured out. I got a couple business plans for you guys, too. Going to hand out. I don't know if I hand out be happy to finger but okay. Um so yeah that's what I'm doing introducing that. Thank you for your time and goodbye. Thank you.

Yes.

Yes. My name is Amal from board three. I also wanted to bring up the EMS returnee adjustment. Um I did not see the notice that came out the new world in the middle of November about that. I did I am kind of upset that I didn't receive a notice until what would have been 45 days before was going to be due. When I called to find out more information on what was approximately almost 100% increase on that fee, um I was told that it because of the backlash from the public that it was being revoked. When I went online to Aberine's website, I could not find the report. It was no the link to it was um broken. So, it wasn't there or would have been removed. So there was no way to me for me to find out who did the financial report and how they came up with these few little lines that were provided in this letter that say progressive increases early. There was no more verification on that. And I'm not sure if we were supposed to be allowed to vote on that or not, but I would think that um yeah, there needs to be more transparency in the future about something that increase 100% during utility bills. You see that this is happening across the region especially in Brian and now it's a lot of people are very fe fearful that this is going to be the same thing over here in Aberdine where our utility bills are running a minimum of $150 a month and yeah $300 bills every two months in one billion is unash or our electric bills thinking of it personally that should be I I don't know how that should be approved. It should definitely be um looked at better the budget should be

reviewed better uh being improved and definitely have more time for public instance. And thank you Congress. I'd like to just kind of address what the gentleman spoke on the EMS and the lady just spoke and let them kind of know a little history on that. Um, we did vote that we did vote not to have that and then uh the city formed a committee of people to decide to uh put a proper plan together and step and advise the council on uh whether we should have it or shouldn't have it. And these were made up some of the new council members that are being seated tonight. and uh they came before the council and there was almost a dozen of them and they all decided that it was time for it to be increased. Prior to this time, the money that they're doing, it was taken out of the general fund. But the city administrator said that if the general fund was used and we were going to be bankrupt in three years, they don't seem to understand that businesses have to cut back on overhead. When you're running a business, you have to come back on overhead and take it there. We've got many directors that we really don't need. And we've got a city administrator that we really don't need. We're not that big and we can do without. And there's other ways to cut. But to build the people, we went from uh $37 to $67. It's going to go up again next year in 2007 and again in 2008. And that isn't even counting what you're going to get when your water goes up. So, we're looking at tremendous skills,

but they did just vote themselves in a new ways. I understand. Thank you. Is there anybody else that would like to comment?

Say word one uh really quick. I'm sure you probably already know why I'm up here. December 10th, the council voted to repeal the uh inless ordinance that we had approved that would have raised the rates. Um and we were supposed to be getting some new information about what transpired, you know, to bring us to the point of needing to repeal that. Um as far as I'm aware, that information hasn't been given. I had also asked for information uh regarding what those rates would mean to be since uh I think you said it was 2006 is when the error in billing started. Are there free funds that are going to have to happen? I have a lot of questions about that in the last meeting. So I understand that you're not engaging with the public, but the transparency sake given that this just happened in a previous meeting, most people here are here to talk about the EMS. Thank you. you. Is there anybody else?

All right, back to you. Thank you. Thank you. Uh, hi, I'm Ralph Woom, Ward 4. Uh, last November, I came up here to talk about a cleanup that was being done. City donated some garbage bags for us. We did that on November 28th. uh out of Morrison and Riverfront Park. We picked there were 15 people that showed up. We picked up so much trash. So, thank you to the city. Uh an officer came by to check on us afterwards and um we left the bags and left the message. It was just really great. It wasn't great that there was a big dead sea lion, but I understand that that's like just an act of God, right? Um it was I just my report to the city of Aberdine, it smelled terrible. Okay, so moving on. Um I want to say a couple of other things. um that are basically kudos. Uh the on Fifth Street by Finch, that road had had a a buckle in it for a really long time. That's recently been paved over and fixed. And both when I'm driving and when I'm biking, it's really noticeable. Such a nice improvement. Thank you for that. And then I know recently, I think a week and a half ago or so, we had so much rain. uh my my peers in Olympia and beyond uh my son in Bellingham complaining about the flooding and I was looking around and saying I I don't know what we're doing different. I don't know if it's sandbags or I don't know if it's like cleaning the gutters but we don't have the flooding that we've had from here past like downtown State Street has been overloaded with water and that didn't happen this time while the rest of the state was under some significant water. So, I don't know if that's a difference in what we're doing or if the rain just avoided us, but it was really really cool to see that that we didn't have some of the problems that other people were having because of the rain. Thank you. Thank you. Les Balden awarded for um just uh this evening you're going to be asked to

approve the hotel motel tax uh expenditures and I just wanted to encourage you to do that. you know, the the the hotel motel tax committee looked it up the expenses and one of those is the history 95 to downtown window exhibits and just wanted to let you know that last week a group went into the Moors building uh corner of Broadway in Wishtown and all of the the inside of the windows is clean. The outside about 3/4 is clean. We ran out of water. Um but we'll get the rest of those clean and there'll be new um a photo exhibit in there before the end of the month. And then we move on to the next building. This is part of an America 250 program and we'll be promoting it throughout the state and hopefully encouraging people that are driving by to go and that I pull over and and uh you know fill up some of our uh empty downtown windows. So, we've got uh 12 buildings that we've identified and we're working with owners to make that happen. So, thanks for your support. Thank you. Any other public comments? Motion to refer to tonight's defense agenda which includes the minutes of December 10th meeting and council payable payroll resolution 2025-

second is there any discussion yes Doug I am going the item repealing resolution 2510 being removed to the consent agenda. It's not appropriate to be a consent agenda item if it's not normal course of business requ u especially being asked on the first meeting of the year to repeal work by a previous council and there's no supporting material in the agenda packet for it as well. So it's really an inappropriate application to have it in the consent agenda. I'm asking that it be removed as allowed by MRC guidance.

Thank you. Yeah. Do do I have a second motion? Second. Thank you, director. Would you like to come? Yeah. This was um a formality that was recommended by our attorney to include it in because it's already been voted on and approved by the council to repeal it. Um I believe that our attorney did look online and can probably explain that to you, but again, this was a formality. just have it in there as the paperwork that went with the actual vote itself because it was our last thing we've repealed that had to be

I understand that and I've gone back and looked at some of the last few meetings I had putting something like that in the consent agenda I think is inappropriate and whether it's just a matter of housekeeping or whatever also putting in the consent agenda to repeal you're asking us to vote in the consent agenda so I'm being asked to vote for something I have no information on and that isn't appropriate and I would I'm I think we have to do better on things like that especially when it comes to a consent agenda. Okay. Um again this was a

um again this is an item that our attorney had recommended that we move forward with because it had already been voted on and it was approved by why are we voting on it again? Why are we being asked to vote on it again? Um because regardless where the attorney stands on that, the procedure on this seems to be broken there. Um I would love Alex's online her attorney and I would look for her to

and I you know I want to save the reason for it. I can understand if there are administrative reasons but let's remember um I still don't have my city email. There's nothing in the packet that uh goes with this requested action. And a consent agenda is us voting to approve it. And a consent agenda is normally simple, non-controversial items that are housekeeping that do not need further action. Now, if this was in the agenda as a standalone item with appropriate background, that's great. Consent agenda should not be there. Is there anybody else who likes their comments? She's okay. Alex, do you have

Yeah, just for clarification, um Ruth had advised me that the um the rates had been repealed, excuse me, had been adopted by resolution and then repealed by motion. And it's um more legally correct that anything that's adopted by a resolution needs to be repealed by a resolution. So, it was just kind of an administrative housekeeping. Um, not intended to to be anything substantive, but um, of course, you can pull anything off the consent agenda and discuss it.

Did I have a second? You don't need a second. No, you're pulling an item. Okay. All right. All in favor of the item

of amending the consent agenda to repeal or to take to remove item C Repealment resolution 2025 cash opposing Huh? Um, no. No. Fredo,

no. Roger. No. Shock. Yes or no. What? Yay. Yay. Swarp. No. Taylor. Yay. Wilson. knows when it was nine and we have three yeses. Okay. So I don't consent agenda. All right. So do we have a first and second for that to approve the consent agenda?

Before we approve the consent agenda take any correction. Um, under the minutes from the December 10th meeting, um, it's listed as administrator fundings making a motion to repeal that resolution. It was not administrative funds at this meeting.

Motion to approve the consent agenda as amended. Second discussion in favors. There you go.

Okay. And and then also just for council folks, just so you know, um please don't comment or respond until I acknowledge you and I haven't got to call your name, but at least look at you and let you know that you're the one that's bringing up the topic. Okay. Thanks. All right. All right. So, now we're moving on to the vote of office where we're going to swear in our student council represent folks right up here today. Justin Jacobs and Josh Josh. Sorry. Maybe that's right down here. Stand right here. And are you on the camera? This is the camera being done. Right hands up, please. Um, this is the oath of office. I do solemnly swear.

You just repeat after me. I swear that I Your name. I, Justin Jacobs. I Thank you. will support the Constitution of the United States. Will support the Constitution of the United States. support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Washington. And the Constitution of the State of Washington Constitution received and that I will fulfill or faithfully and impartially perform and discharge the duties. I will faithfully and partially discharge the duties. I will faithfully and partially discharge the duties

of the Aberine City Council's Dable Council representative. as the average city council student representative the average city council student um according to the law to the best of my ability to the law to the best of my ability according to the law to the best of my ability congratulations want them to sign it first or Yeah. Yeah. Just they'll sign it. Thanks.

And we, you know, we didn't really, if you guys want to stay for the whole meeting, you're welcome to, but um you're not required to stay for today's full meeting. Today, you can stay.

Okay. Um thank you. The next I'm really excited that we have students on here because one of the biggest problems we have in our city I think is we only have third places inut from the students and young people and everything. This is a great opportunity. um the mayor's report. I just wanted to um I wanted to thank public works for fixing the street that the gentleman mentioned here because we love kudos in the council meetings and then we can get them. So thank you. That's all I have. Are there any council reports?

You know very council report. I apologize in advance. Um I met with the parks board. Um we discussed the transition including our parks director and duties and responsibilities have been reallocated across the rest of city staff. Um key things that people will be interested in is that Austin and Craig will be reporting to administrator Clemens and the maintenance department will be reporting to director Sanger turf project for pioneer gray is moving along very well putting together a method oh sorry excuse me they're putting together a method to get feedback from community about park usability. We held the interviews for the student council representative on Monday. I also requested that we modify the process for this to allow us to select a student for the 2627 school year by the end of the current year and so on. Uh this will ensure that we have a student participant for the entire school year and allows them this summer to prepare for their role and requested that a form was placed on the podium for contact information to be provided by those who share public comments if they wish to have us follow up without having to stay for the whole meeting. I've also requested that we attempt to do two rounds of town halls this year. More information on that to come. I attended the legislative session hosted by GWI and we heard from state reps and senators about what to expect in the short session that started this week. A reminder to newly elected council members that the AWC elected officials essentials webinar series starts on January 30th. This is an excellent way to learn more about your role and work towards your certificate of municipal leadership should choose to work on that. And it is offered to you for free. I'm pleased to share that I will be participating in the GBHI leadership program this year along with council member Fredo which starts next Thursday and I'm working towards my advanced CML with a goal of having this completed by the end of this month

as well just like to point out that as council people are on the committees part of the committee is taking notes so that you can report back to the entire council we all can't attend uh every committee meeting area various. So if you can take some notes and do just exactly what council privilege did and inform the rest of the council of a little bit about what happened this I mean you have to but really nice mers I took part in the museum collection committee we got more items running through the session and it also took part in two new one on the east end and one on the west end of the east a walkway mayors um I have submitted a report to all of you and that's in front of you. Um, one of the things that I would like to point out is um, 2026 looks like it's going to be a very engaging um, year for council that it could potentially be this is in alignment with your strategic plan. You can reach out to the community and there's going to be feedback especially in preparation for the strategic planning session the whole plan for 2027. Um, so I would like to hear feedback on town halls, another round of emails for all of you. Um, I've received a little bit of feedback from the finite committee, but I'll I'll send out an email to all of you kind of understand

how you would like that to look. Um, we'd also like to launch a communitywide satisfaction survey as well, which again could be the strategic plan. Um, and then we'll also post the annual budget workshop, which will be open to the community as well to get community feedback. Um, this was our uh my first couple weeks um overseeing the parks and recreation department and it's been a pretty busy uh 2026 already for Austin and Craig and myself. So, and the team. So, uh we did discover some room damage to the Ken Wait scoreboard room. We don't know what the costs are, but um we're going to see if it is above the $25,000 deductible. Um there was some graffiti also at Pioneer Park and Finch Park. Um our public works team is working to correct that. They've already um addressed Pioneer Park and we'll move on to Finch Park once there's a break in the weather. Um, there was a high-speed chase uh yesterday, I believe, and um the person who was um eluding law enforcement ran into the fence just where the uh billboards are as you come into town on the gateway property. And so that kind of like is a spot where we like to put tunas. Our beautifification team likes to put tunas of public work. will be um fixing that issue, looking at it tomorrow and fixing that now that state patrol has wrapped up their investigation. Um we also had some activity out at the uh log pavilion. So Austin Weber has been who is a parks manager has worked with um uh Commander Steve Timmans to move the LBT mobile surveillance unit which is proving so far to be a very good investment for the city. Um it's really acted as a deterrent for those

problematic areas that we've had around the city. So kudos to the council for making that decision. we we've really noticed um that there's been less activity where we place that and um like council president Sar said I did meet with the parks uh budget or excuse me the parks board for the first time and went over the 2026 parks budget with them and the capital improvement plan and we discussed potential priorities. I'll be working with them at our next meeting to talk about properties that they potentially want to surplus. Um so we'll be revisiting that. On Friday, we launched the museum update or excuse me, the museum RFP for a museum operator. Um, that has been approved by the legal department for advertisement. So, I'm able to get that up on Friday and it will also go up on the website. Um, I think there was a comment about um the the lack of flooding around the city and so I want to give huge kudos to Rich Sanger and his team for the proactive work that they have done um over the course of the last year um which is really driven by the performance metrics every quarter as you see like staff they hold staff accountable. It's a very good tool. Um that team, the storm water division team is led by John Bowers. And so I really want to give um big thanks to him and and Rick for their hard work in making sure that our catch basins are clean. And there's also some proactive work that we've done as far as communications go. Um the mayor has gone on the radio several times and has reminded people to just kind of clean out the you know the storm water drain. So, I kind of have been seeing that as I do my walks around and drives around the city. Um, people are trying to keep the the storm water drains and then clear as well as our street network has has tried to be proactive as well. So, um, but there's more reporting that's going out

here tomorrow. I will be in Olympia um testifying before um the House Budget Committee to ask them not to raid the public trust uh fund to remind them of the levy project and the commitment that the state has made to funding um partially funding the project. So if you have any questions, I'm open to any questions you might have. It was actually on the um museum update when you're looking for someone. Have you thought of a way to approach um indigenous people to see? I know that as I was uh canvasing um people have mentioned that they would love to be part of their museum in some way to attract more indigenous visitors and that might be a good place to start. When we had um a first like an initial design when we were designing the 118 West Wish building, um the historic group, the group that has been the history 9520 group had proposed a portion of the the museum be dedicated to first peoples. And so um yes, I think that's a very good idea. and from the manager um you know as we're moving forward with the project and if there's a dedicated site to museum I'm sure that's something that they'll consider.

Yeah. Also, we spoke with Nation about that and there I probably to be a part of that's fantastic. Thank you. pretty much.

So, I'm just I'm just kind of speaking to some of the things that I have on the agenda this evening. Um, the first of which is the ELAC grant recommendations that were reviewed for the board. Um these are we have 13 applicants for a total of $138,700 that are being recommended um for approval by ELAC committee. We met back in December presentations for all the applicants. Um and this is something that you you guys can approve as presented or you can amend the amounts as well. So just kind of a little bit of background especially for some of the new council members. These are the lodging tax grants and they're the purpose of them is to help bring you know more people to abine increase overnight stays increase money that's spent in the area. So the focus is to help fund you know emotion debts and those sorts of things people. Um then the next thing is the investment policy. Uh so the purpose of this policy is really to establish uh some parameters and just the necessary framework for us to be able to uh kind of expand our investments and uh diversify into some longer term investments rather than just using the benefit of LGIP which is done through the state. Uh the policy was written based off of a template from the Washington Public Treasures Association. So it is in compliance with all state and federal regulations and it really maps out the types of things that we can invest in and things that we can't and it's really focused on state investments, investments that will be liquid when we need them to and things that can be long-term when we need them to. Um the approved uh investments are the Washington state agencies, treasuries,

corporate notes, bonds, and non-negotiable CDs. So we don't do any, you know, we can't do any stock market type things or anything risky like that. So it's all pretty safe stuff. Um so anyways, that's the investment policy that's on the agenda. And then we also have a surplus policy that we are bringing forward and this is for the surplus of personal property of the city. So this doesn't deal with real property and it also doesn't deal with seized or forfeit forfeited property from the police department. Um and this again is just going to give us some framework to be able to make sure we're consistently surplusing and disposing selling or disposing of city property that is no longer needed for city business. Thank you.

Thank you. Any other directors have reports and we'll move on to presentations. Any presentation no presentation. Sorry. And we have request for council action with finance chair. Make a motion request for the city council award the 2026 lodging taxended and authorize the mayor to sign the grant agreements with each organization.

Um first and second. Is there any discussion council motions or not? Like to make a motion to amend the out approvals by removing the award for $18,200 to inner mountain foundation. A little bit of background on that decision. There's no guarantee that that project will be focused on Aberine. Much of the discussion during the ELAC meeting was about the county as a whole and descriptions about the project were vague. Historically, the city has also not had paid to be featured in the news program. Second has been a first and the second to remove the $18,200

the interal. Is there any discussion on this? All in favor? So you still have the first and second. Is there any discussion on? Yes. Yes. I think that traffic.

Oh yeah. Um the committee decided that the majority of people who apply for the ELTAC grant um or have events and they're using Eltac dollar build that into their request for tra build the traffic control into their request. Um, however, I know that there was some concern about the farmers market and because they are like high volume users of traffic control, especially during the summer months. Um, but the farmers market didn't seem to have applied for any ELAC funding. Um, and so they felt comfortable removing that from the um from the number of requests that were made. Just myself personally, I'm pretty non-event cost a lot of money putting on an event and a lot of time and the city offers to pay any portion of that huge uh sum of money you're trying to come up with that makes that event happen quite easily. Then if you got you can't do it because you can't afford under $1,600 or something. So my opinion happened. All right. So um there's still voting. Is there any more comment on this? So we're approved now. We're voting to approve.

Yeah. as amended. All in favor?

I next we have a resolution requesting the city council adopt the surplus and personal property policy by resolution. I first and second is there any discussion on this? That's person I've been reading through it. It's great. Um, in section one under requirements, it does say that there's going to be a yearly I think if there I think there's a typo on it report to council. might we uh add or just develop when that's going to be and that or can be in cycle with budget process so we can take advantage of that information. Yes. Thank you. Thank you. Is there any more discussion? All in favor I oppose asks Next we have request to seek uh council adopt the investment policy by resolution. Is there any discussion on this council?

Yeah. Yeah. And going through it in depth. Um, I'm really comfortable with how it lays out and I'm Thank you for explaining where the the temple came from. I was curious if we had a previous policy. Okay, that's a great answer. Um, and I'm really comfortable with the the responsibility vesting in the city administrator and the finance director. I think when you get down to section, I think it's 15, um, it starts allowing that responsibility to drop in the staff and I think there's some gaps in that level of responsibility from the governance stand. Um, and I don't want to get in the way of things, but I I I think that needs to get looked at. Not to be because it needs to be the nuts and bolts need be handed off so other people can do it. But the responsibility needs to not be diluted as it goes down the hill because we don't have a real strong explanation of the training and the level of responsibility. just from a government stand.

I think the wording is the finance director doesn't well and then it it actually does drop it down to being assigned a staff in that wording. So I think that's more on the transaction and then you get into this responsibility issue. So we're looking at the actual and I think that's that's great. I you know I think there's not I'm not against it. I think it's great. I think you just really want to watch because when things go wrong in that kind of an event well and and it's really common to have an issue of who was responsible where in the chain of what happened.

Thank you. Is there any more discussion? Hi.

Thank you. It passes. Next we have last we have requesting the city council authorize the surplus of 1995. I do second. Okay. Is there any discussion on

votes? Okay. Thank you. All right. And we'll move on to public safety. Chairperson. Uh we have no uh actions for council. No public works chairperson. All right. We have two items on today's agenda. They're both about the reservoirs. So, let's get into it. Uh the first one is requesting city council authorize the public works environment to award the project and authorize the mayor to sign the plunger experiment with codings and green.

Any discussion on this? So, there's been a motion and a second to approve it. So all in favor I oppose that passes. Thank you. All right. Our second item is requesting city council authorize the public relations department to award their C services contract and authorize the mayor to sign a contract with it. Accept this report. Second. There any discussion on none? All in favor to accept this report? Hi.

Thank you. Now everyone to special agenda items for council regard a motion for city council to adopt the attention description and create the job classification for an MTP for the service and professionalist. Second. Is there any discussion on this? All in favor? I

We have a motion for city council to approve the hiring of lateral police officer at the top of the police officer case. Second is discussion on this favor of accepting this request. Awesome. Thank you.

And under appointments, we have appointments from the library board. I move this second. Is there any discussion on this? All in favor of accepting oppos. Thank you. Congratulations and right so now we're going to go back to public comments few minutes if anybody else has any further public comments your name and your board or your state I'll rush you at the same time okay then thank you is there anything for the good of the order

um I have some things um Ruth reached out to us today and asked of us some things that we might want to um work on for 2046. And I have just a couple of things that um I'm kind of interested and she's looking into which hopefully will not make me very popular, but because of all the concern about the EMS rates, I'm just interested in in doing some investigation into uh what it would be to privatize EMS um just to have some research on that. There are cities that do that and sometimes there's a huge cost savings involved with that and the fact that people are so limited um on their money that they have to put towards eth the fact that it keeps going up every year. I would just like to investigate just do some research on privatizing and seeing um what that would mean and what cost savings there would be and also of course risks. So that's something I'd like to see. I'd like to also, I've mentioned this in the past, but I'd like to have a report from our local 501c3s. Have them come and talk to the city council about the funds they receive, how they're used, the things that they're accomplishing, especially in light of um kind of what's going on throughout the country with abuses on government monies. And um so I would like to kind of have a general idea as a council of where those things are going, especially in light of our, you know, our community struggling. So, that's one thing I'd like to see. And the last thing I'd like to see that I've asked for in the past is they have a report on DOC housing in Aberdine. Um, there are um this is an inexpensive place inexpensive place to buy property and to convert property. Um, and it was my understanding we used to be downtown in the old world building. We've had a department of corrections upstairs from us. It was my understanding that DOC um if you were put in housing here that you had to be from Grace Harbor. Um and I'm

not sure if that's still in place, but there I'd like to know how many doc housings we have. You know, people um the city's not informed when someone starts doing that. In fact, we found out, you know, within the last year, someone came in and said two different places were being built on Jerry Street. They hadn't even applied for permits. Um, I think that's the only, you know, step that we took as a city was to make sure that they got permits to be remodeling the way they were remodeling. But I would like to investigate that because it is a concern to the citizens that um, you know, housing can be purchased inexpensively here and converted, you know, and you could have someone next door across three doors down, you know. So that's something in the city council I think that those three things I think I'd like to see us focus on just let the citizens know that we care about their concerns.

I just want to know that nonprofits you're only talking about Eltech. So I'm, you know, I'm talking about, you know, when we moved here, um, you know, 14 years ago, we had built a community action program. We had a lot of nonprofits joined, you know, Catholic services and moral right group, etc., etc., you know, and people were mentioning to me that there's a lot of housing that's been built. The housing got occupied. You know, just where are dollars going? you know, especially when people, you know, are paying a lot in taxes and rates keep going up for people in Aberdine that are have very limited um income, you know, and I, as I mentioned, I was on the radio this morning, you know, for my family, you know, $35 doesn't hurt us, but some people it really hurts. It really hurts. They're so limited on the amount of money that they have, and the fact that things keep going up every year are very painful. So, I would like to see us save money. Um especially when we as a city tend to you know get involved in projects that we end up you know not doing and we paid hundreds of thousands of dollars towards the project. So I would like to see a turnaround in those kind of things you know just because I think we need to do our due diligence and let our constituents know that we're doing everything we can to make it possible for them to stay in their house and live especially as an older person. So that those are some things I've had to work on. I'll reach out, you know, I can send individual emails to people and just say this is something you interested, you know, but I would like to see us work on that.

All right. Thank you. Anything else would be like we're going into an executive session for council to enter into executive session for no more than 35 minutes under RFCW 42.3010 30110 where litigation or legal risks in which an alternative prior practice of the agency is identified when part of the discussion of engagement or legal risk is likely the result of an adverse legal or financial consequence to the agency action is not anticipated after the second to go into executive session

we're going we'll be back at 8:15 Thank you everybody for coming.

Yeah. Motion to repeat second. All in favor? Opposing? We're back in session. 8:14 15 accept to motion. Second. Thank you all in favor. Thank you. Thank you guys for coming. Appreciate it.