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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01/03/96TAPE #1348 CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES COUNCIL UNAPPROVED DRAFT JANUARY 3, 1996 #0010 The regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Bremerton was called to order in the City Council Chambers, 239 4th Street, Bremerton, Washington, Wednesday, January 3, 1996, at 5:30 P.M., with Council President Sherril Huff-Menees presiding. Council members present were Bob Winters, Cecil McConnell, Carlos Montgomery, John Law, David Farr, Richard Neville, and Lon Overson. Council member A1 Colvin was absent. Also present were City Attorney Ian Sievers and City Clerk Kathleen McCluskey. The meeting opened with the Pledge of Allegiance led by Council President Huff-Menees and Invocation given by Pastor James Berentson of Our Saviour's Lutheran Church. CONSENT AGENDA A. Minutes -- November 29, 1995 #AB96-001 M/S/C(Neville/Farr) to approve the Consent Agenda as presented. Vote On Motion: In Favor: Overson, Neville, Farr, Montgomery, Winters, Huff-Menees Abstained: Law, McConnell Motion carried. CLAIMS/CHECK REGISTERS There are no claims or checks this evening. President Huff-Menees welcomed new councilman Cecil McConnell who is attending his first City Council meeting. COUNCIL MEMBER REPORTS Mr. Winters wanted to address the citizens who came to him and expressed their disappointment in the way he voted regarding the development of the downtown waterfront project. He stated that he loves the City of Bremerton and wants to see the waterfront development happen. He stated he didn't ask many questions during the meeting because the City Attorney had already addressed the concerns he had. He stated this year he intends to work even harder on his research, and will be asking questions and voicing his concerns. Mr. McConne11 announced the first District 2 Meeting Tuesday, January 9, at 6:30 PM, at Fire Station No. 3, which is located at 31st Street & Olympus Drive. TAPE #1348 City CouncilReg. Mtg. Minutes January 3, 1996 Page 2 of 5 Mr. Montgomery wished everybody a better year than we had last year, and stated Council will do their best. Mr. Law announced the District 3 Monthly Meeting will be held Tuesday, January 16, at 7:00 PM, at the Senior Center located at 13th & Nipsic. The topic will be the Downtown Development Plan, and asked citizens to bring their concerns and questions. Mr. Farr welcomed Mr. McConnell to the Council. Mr. Neville reminded everyone of an upcoming Neighborhood Information Network meeting on Tuesday, January 9, at 7:00 PM, at the Neighborhood Christian Center located at 5th & Warren. There will be a presentation by Mayor Lynn Horton. This is the meeting that was cancelled last month due to the wind storm. Mr. Overson said his goodbye again to Councilman Dawkins, and hoped he was watching. He complimented The Sun newspaper on the excellent article about Morris and his career with the City. He also welcomed Mr. McConnell. MAYOR'S REPORT Mayor Lynn Hotton began by wishing everyone a happy new year. She then wanted to address comments made by people regarding the City leasing 30,000 square feet, or any other space, on the waterfront. Comments attributed to the Mayor were printed in the newspaper, and quoted her as saying that City Hall would have to be moved. She wanted to make it clear that she has never said we need to move City Hall. What she has said, is that at some point, the City will have to do something with City Hall. The building has some difficulty with handicapped accessibility, and there is a perpetual problem with the roof leaking. It has been almost 30 years since anyone has really looked at this facility. She has spoken to Fletcher Wright about what might be in the future for City Hall, since they are in the development business and they already have a plan for downtown. It seemed prudent to ask how they envisioned City Hall in the future, and that is as far as the discussion went. She has no idea how the rumor was started, but wanted to point out that even if there was some truth to it, she can not do anything without City Council approval. When, and if, the time comes for the City to look at the future of this building, it is her responsibility to look at the present facility and give Council her recommendations based on expert opinions. She has asked technical people to look at the Parks Department because that is a building that is also of great concern because of several problems caused by age. She felt it was very important to clarify this issue with the public. TAPE #1348 City Council'Reg. Mtg. Minutes January 3, 1996 Page 3 of 5 Mayor Hotton then read the following Proclamations: January 1996 as NATIONAL RADIO MONTH. Don Atkinson, KITZ Radio, accepted, and stated how much he is enjoying being in the radio business. He appreciated this recognition, and the opportunity to serve the public. He stated this week they have brought on the NBC network, and they were pleased about that, and intend to continue making more improvements. Mayor Hotton stated it was really nice to have a local radio station back in Kitsap County, and thanked them for their efforts. January 15, 1996 as MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. DAY. Reverend Cleveland Willjams, Ebenezer African Methodist Episcopal Church, accepted, and stated this was indeed a good year. Three days into the year, and already receiving this proclamation. He thanked the Mayor for the words read. He stated that Martin Luther King stood as a giant among all of us, and because of what he has done, our government has decreed a national holiday on January 15. Here in Kitsap County and the City of Bremerton, we want to go and commemorate the Dr. Martin Luther King at the Kitsap County Martin Luther King Day Celebration program to be held at the Kitsap County Pavilion, 1200 Fairgrounds Road, Two Superior Court Judges from King County will be guest speakers, the honorable Norma Smith Huggins, and the honorable LeRoy McCullough. All four school districts of Kitsap County will be involved, and the youth will present a 500-word essay on what the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King means to them, and they will display art work depicting the era of the Civil Rights movement. He personally invited all of the Council members, the Mayor, all other City officials, and all constituents of Kitsap County to attend, and come as "we continue to march on in history to making this a better place for all of us to live". PUBLIC RECOGNITION Elizabeth Bue11 brought up the scotch broom issue, and wondered what the City is going to do about it. She pleaded with the City to come up with a solution quickly. Carol Atkinson, Bremerton Mainstreet Association, next Thursday, at 1:00 PM, they will be having their first official Blackberry Festival meeting of the year. She invited anyone who wanted to come and help or volunteer. The meeting has been scheduled in the Bremerton Police Resource Center, located on 4th Street. Peter Myers, a resident of the "buffer zone" voted-in November 16, 1995 by Council, quoted an official statement made by the Mayor that night, that "she would not condemn the property owners from their homes until an all-out effort was made to acquire the property through negotiations". First, he stated, he received a TAPE #1348 City Council'Reg. Mtg. Minutes January 3, 1996 Page 4 of 5 low, below-market offer he believed was unfair. He called it a flat, "take-it-or-leave-it" offer presented to him on September 11, 1995. Second, he made a counter-offer through his lawyer the end of November. Since then, he has heard nothing, just dead silence from the City. He always thought "negotiations" meant a process, a back-and-forth thing. He feels this is not what is being done. eordy Byrd, Bremerton resident, told of meeting up with a family he had previously known when he was in a foster home back in 1962. He had not seen this family since, and was happy to meet up with them again. He wished everyone a happy new year, and asked everyone to be kind to one another. 7A - APPOINTMENT OF WANDA L. BUTLER TO THE PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION, #AR96-002 There are vacancies on the Parks & Recreation Commission. It is recommended that Wanda L. Butler be appointed to fill one of the vacancies. Mayor Hotton stated that Ms. Butler is a retired teacher, with a masters degree. She taught Health and P.E. for many years in the South Kitsap School District. One of the things she feels very strongly about, is that the City needs to do a better job of marketing its Parks programs, which the Mayor wholeheartedly agrees with. Public comment - none. Mr. Neville asked if this appointment would then make a full commission? Mayor Horton stated no, that there are still vacancies. Two appointments will be forwarded to Council soon, and interviews are scheduled for one final spot. Mr. Neville then asked if there was still time for citizens in Bremerton to come down and apply for a position? Mayor Hotton stated absolutely, she is always looking for qualified and interested people for the City's Boards and Commissions. She wanted to add that she has been delighted with the response from the public to the most recent requests for applicants. She also stated that applications are taken year-round. Mr. Winters asked what qualifications the City is looking for in an applicant? Mayor Hotton said, regarding the Parks Commission, somebody who has expertise or an interest in some aspect of the City's Parks program, and the interest can be varied. She said the most important thing was a sincere desire and interest in the Parks system, or whatever Board or Commission the person would be applying for. She then looks for a "mix", or a diverse population on the Commission that reflects the City's demographics, and also how well they will function together. TAPE #1348 City Council'Reg. Mtg. Minutes January 3, 1996 Page 5 of 5 #0785 Mr. Overson asked if the applicants need to be from the City of Bremerton? Mayor Morton stated yes, except for a few exceptions. M/S/C/U(Neville/Montgomery) to confirm the appointment of Wanda L. Butler to the Parks & Recreation Commission. With no further business meeting adjourned at 6:02 PM. KATHLEEN L. McCLUS City ~'Hxty of Bremerton ~ KLM/SH-M/me cc: Normal Distribution File/Vault Clerk