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I call to order this regularly scheduled meeting of the Walla Walla City Council

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for today, September 23rd, 2026.

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Welcome, all of you who have joined us this evening. Would Ms.

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Neitzel please do the roll call for us?

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Yes, Your Honor. Council Member Eskel?

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Here.

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Council Member Outlaw?

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Present.

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Council Member Willis?

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Here.

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Council Member Robinson?

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Here.

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Council Member Brown?

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Present.

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Council Member Moss?

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Here.

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Mayor Rayna?

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Present.

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Thank you very much. Would you please stand up and join us for the pledge of

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allegiance?

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I pledge allegiance

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I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America,

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and to the Republic for which it stands.

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One nation, under God, indivisible with

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liberty and justice for all.

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Thank you. You may be seated.

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We will proceed as per the written agenda this evening.

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The first item in our agenda this evening is public comments.

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This is a time for the public to bring any comments regarding

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city businesses on items that are not already in the agenda.

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If you are here to talk about or provide input into anything that is

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in the agenda for this evening, you can wait until that comes in

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the agenda. In the meantime, this period of time is for any other

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comments that are on items not in the agenda this evening.

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Just to remind you, if some of you haven't been here, you have three minutes to

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provide your input. You can come to the podium and identify

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yourself and

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share that with us.

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Do we have any public input on items not on the agenda?

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My name is Barbara Knudsen, 1011 Home Avenue.

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I'm here today to speak on the proposed critical areas ordinance that is scheduled

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to go into effect in December. I have five sections of creek on my

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property, and close by on neighboring properties.

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We would not be able to make any improvements on either of our homes.

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One has been there for 125 years, the other for 40 years.

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According to the new rules, out of seven acres, I could

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not build anywhere on the seven acres.

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According to the old rules, I could build on five.

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This will lose great value for my property.

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Because of this impact, and because the advertised information was daunting, I

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attended the council work session on Monday.

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During the work session, staff's reluctance to inform

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council of what transpired with the planning commission at their meeting last week

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was very concerning.

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Planning commissions are tasked with listening to the residents and staff and

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forming a decision. Staff did not present the planning commission's decision,

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and this was a first big red flag.

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Ultimately, Council Member Brown did an excellent job of presenting what staff

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failed to put forward.

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During the meeting, Council Member Outlaw questioned simply whether you would be

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able to add to the back of your home.

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The correct answer was no, not if it's within 115

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feet of the creek. But instead, he was given a big word salad

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that he could do it on the side or in the front where there's other

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restrictions that he has to go by,

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and that applies to most city lots.

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We learned from council's question that there would be exceptions.

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However, you'll be required to do your own study and footwork.

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Just the study will be between $3,000 and $5,000 per lot.

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I am estimating the entire package, if you had a professional do it, would be

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$20,000.

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Council Member Eskel asked whether existing home streams would have to be

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replanted in their yards. Again, no real clear answer.

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Weed removal reports, inspections, arborists, all listed in the

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plan, not giving clear information.

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This honestly feels like the first step in government taking control of our

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creekside properties. Clarity needed.

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That was big red flag number four.

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Council asked, "Why is a larger buffer better than a smaller buffer?

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What are the relevant percentages of filtration?" Again, no one

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knew. Big red flag number five. Zero net loss

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explained as using vegetative properties of those who have large properties and

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setbacks to make up for those properties that don't have tree plantings on their

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properties, kind of like stealing property from one property owner to make up for

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another who hasn't done what they should.

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I am respectfully asking that this ordinance be tabled for a period of time to

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obtain studies and community input, and proper notification

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of residents. Thank you very much.

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Thank you very much.

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Any other comment?

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Hello. My name is Vicki McClellan.

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I live at 1212 and 1202 Pleasant Street, and I've been there since

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2000.

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And I am also here to talk about the

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critical area ordinance.

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So,

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our neighborhood, same neighborhood that

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Barbara Knudsen is in, is

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really blessed by the springbeds and creeks that flow to

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Stone Creek. In August, through Facebook posts and an article in "The

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Union Bulletin," I became aware of upcoming changes mandated by the

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state of Washington to the critical areas ordinance that governs the size of

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riparian buffer zones in Walla Walla.

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I've read through the ordinance with the proposed amendments on the city's

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website and attempted to open and make sense of the map provided on the city

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website. Along with many others, I attended the planning commission's

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public hearing on September 14th.

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I have many concerns about the proposed changes.

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Number one, the public hearing was well attended with citizens

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offering remarks, and there were multiple comments that had been sent in ahead of

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the meeting that were well-researched and very clear.

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Still, it seems that many property owners are unaware that they will be affected by

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the change to a 100-foot riparian buffer zone.

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I believe our city has a responsibility to notify all property owners of

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how their land will be affected by the changes to the CAO.

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I believe our city has a responsibility to broadly distribute an accurate

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map that details which addresses will be affected.

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Two,

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the best available science report noted as the justification

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for increasing the riparian buffer zone from 35 to 100 feet

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is very broad and does not address the site-specific conditions

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that are in Walla Walla. There is no detail provided of what improvement can

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be expected by increasing the buffer distance from 35 to 100

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feet, and no detail comparing the effectiveness of a well-planted

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and managed riparian zone of 35 feet versus an

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ill-maintained riparian zone of 100 feet.

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There is no guidance beyond a generic sketch of what constitutes a

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riparian border, and no suggested planting layouts or

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planting selections pertinent to Walla Walla.

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There's no discussion of any difference between a riparian zone along a

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fish-bearing stream

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compared to a non-fish-bearing stream.

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I question how this appliance can be applied to our city.

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Number three, speakers at the planning commission hearing

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brought forward a concern that although existing structures

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and uses will be allowed to remain in their current state, those

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properties may be reclassified as non-conforming.

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Is that correct? What is that? How will we be affected?

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Has the city included this possibility in their review, and

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will property owners be notified?

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Finally, I am concerned by the speed at which these ordinance changes are being

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made. An implementation date of 12/31/26

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gives property owners very little time to make plans and decisions

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for their property, and our city and planning and permitting staff will

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no doubt be completely overrun with requests and plan submissions.

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How will so much work be accomplished in so little time?

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And I know I'm over time here, so I'll say thank you, but I will just close with,

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I believe there is a solution to this.

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I believe that solution is going to take time.

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I believe it will take community engagement.

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And

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I think that as a city, we really want healthy

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riparian borders, but they need to be healthy for our economy,

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they need to be healthy for our residents, and they need to be generated

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by our city, not placed upon us by the state. Thank you.

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Thank you very much for your input. Do we have any other public input?

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Yes, sir.

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Please identify yourself. You have three minutes.

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Thank you.

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And we would appreciate if you use your time.

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Okay. My name is Ron McKay. I live at 1131 East

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Chestnut Street in Walla Walla. My wife and I have lived here for about two

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years. I'm here to speak in opposition to the

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proposed buffer zone.

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My concerns are really with the consequences to existing homes that

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are here.

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Our home is almost entirely within the

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100-foot buffer zone that's being proposed.

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So

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my concerns is what's going to happen to the property value, the

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resale value should this pass, should it go through?

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What happens should there be such a thing as a fire?

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Are we allowed to rebuild? If we want to make any additions or

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modifications to the house, are we allowed to do it since we're within

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that 100-meter buffer? Is this going to have any

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concerns with our insurance

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or possibly the resale value of the home because of what this does?

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So if the proposal is adopted as is currently written,

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it could significantly affect our resale and property value.

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That's my main concern. Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Yes, sir.

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Douglas Demers, 1309 Monroe, Walla Walla.

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Thank you, Mayor and City Council of Walla Walla.

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Walla Walla, the land of many waters.

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I oppose the proposed expansion to 100 foot of

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critical area setback around the numerous waterways, creeks,

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and all intermittent channels within city limits, both fish and

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non-fish bearing. I ask the following questions: Where

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is the list of 1,500 or more affected properties?

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Were the landowners directly noticed about the proposed change that

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radically affects their property besides a Facebook posting

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and a Union-Bulletin advertisement?

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Not everyone follows Facebook or subscribes to the UB.

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Where is the detailed map showing the waterways?

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I found the city-posted map pretty useless for details, and I tried

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the online Washington State Riparian Data Engine and found no

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easy way to find the data.

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In my opinion, the city has the responsibility to provide

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accurate details of the affected properties, including a map of the current

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setbacks and proposed 100-foot setback.

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Does Development Services have a GIS layer or parcel

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list? If so, why is this not publicly

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available?

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The city posting also showed an idealized stream profile,

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active channel, riparian zone, zone of influence, which

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seems to be out of touch with the reality of waterways within the city

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limits. Sagebrush, bunch grass, and zone of

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influence within the city, really?

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Perhaps 150 years ago, that model might be

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realistic, but not now. I doubt if there are more than a couple places

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within city limits that look like the idealized model.

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Although several people in the online discussions have noted that the current

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35-foot setback is not uniformly enforced, a change to

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the ticky box on permit applications asking if more than

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100 feet from waterways rather than the current

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setback would mean automatic rejection of the

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application.

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I urge you to stop rushing this through your process and providing

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proper supporting data and notice to property owners who will be

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affected by this ordinance change. Thank you.

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Thank you very much.

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Yes, good evening.

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Good evening.

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My name is Sharon Schiller, and I reside at 1414

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Topaz Street in Walla Walla,

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and this is about

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public comments.

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Having made public comments intermittently

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after listening closely at city and county meetings,

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I often experience extreme disappointment after being

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shut down in response, as if I am wasting others'

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time

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and therefore wasting my own.

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A

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fallacy that becomes a barrier in discourse

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between members of the public and public officials

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is ad hominem,

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or personal comparisons of occupation that supposedly make the

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elected representatives better than members of the

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public and then carry the weight of government decisions.

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For example, quote, "I am a lawyer," or

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quote, "The public does not understand the scope

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of my job."

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This sets a negative tone and defeats the reason for being up here

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in the first place.

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There is also the argument of word usage and taking offense

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when it is not the intention to offend.

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For example, a public comment is made with a call to action

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after stating a problem. If I ask an

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elected representative to step out of his or her box,

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it is stepping out of the box of everyday routine

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of that person's occupation.

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00:16:10,132 --> 00:16:13,892
It can be done, and there is no obligation to remain

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00:16:13,952 --> 00:16:17,152
there because of one's chosen occupation.

256
00:16:18,292 --> 00:16:22,032
Legal jurisdiction does put a representative in a box,

257
00:16:22,952 --> 00:16:26,192
but we are all part of a larger land mass.

258
00:16:28,092 --> 00:16:32,032
We are in a current time box with deadlines, but we should

259
00:16:32,132 --> 00:16:35,972
never abandon the futures of our children that

260
00:16:36,032 --> 00:16:37,612
we may have brought into the world

261
00:16:38,612 --> 00:16:42,292
and forget the ecosystem that was so kind to

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00:16:42,392 --> 00:16:42,672
us

263
00:16:43,632 --> 00:16:47,552
during our lifetimes and make the excuse that we

264
00:16:47,591 --> 00:16:51,292
had our hands tied, or we were stuck in a box. Thank you.

265
00:16:51,632 --> 00:16:53,072
Thank you very much. Appreciate that.

266
00:16:54,052 --> 00:16:54,332
Yes, sir.

267
00:17:00,032 --> 00:17:03,832
My name is Steven Zilio. I've lived in Walla Walla for 40 year,

268
00:17:04,692 --> 00:17:08,113
and I live on 914 Home Street here in town.

269
00:17:08,752 --> 00:17:12,412
The North Fork of Stone Creek forms the north and west

270
00:17:12,552 --> 00:17:15,672
boundaries of my property. My house was built in

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00:17:15,712 --> 00:17:16,873
1941.

272
00:17:17,712 --> 00:17:20,152
I have owned this property for 26 years.

273
00:17:20,833 --> 00:17:24,792
We purchased our home in large part due to its beautiful location on

274
00:17:24,873 --> 00:17:28,373
Stone Creek. I'm retired, and a large part of our

275
00:17:28,412 --> 00:17:32,372
retirement wealth is in our house, which we own outright.

276
00:17:33,252 --> 00:17:36,932
If the unbuildable setback is changed to 100 feet and my house

277
00:17:37,072 --> 00:17:40,652
burns, can I rebuild it, or do I lose my home?

278
00:17:41,732 --> 00:17:45,052
If this is the case, then certainly my home lose much as of its value.

279
00:17:46,192 --> 00:17:49,872
If in my retirement I need to sell my home or perhaps get a

280
00:17:49,912 --> 00:17:53,712
reverse mortgage, will any bank become involved if my home is

281
00:17:53,772 --> 00:17:55,632
closer to the creek than 100 feet?

282
00:17:56,672 --> 00:17:59,252
What value do my children get from my estate?

283
00:18:00,192 --> 00:18:03,932
The city does not provide sewage service on my block of Home

284
00:18:04,072 --> 00:18:07,712
Street. My septic system is 40 years old this year.

285
00:18:08,512 --> 00:18:12,072
If the field fails, will I be permitted to install a new one?

286
00:18:13,112 --> 00:18:16,752
One of the reasons we moved to Walla Walla is because of the many,

287
00:18:16,932 --> 00:18:20,792
many spring-fed creeks. I'm sure there are hundreds of

288
00:18:20,852 --> 00:18:23,592
homes here within 100 feet of a creek.

289
00:18:24,292 --> 00:18:28,232
This proposed new rule, as I understand it, has the potential

290
00:18:28,252 --> 00:18:31,992
to cause a massive disruption in our community and a large

291
00:18:32,132 --> 00:18:33,072
loss of wealth

292
00:18:34,632 --> 00:18:38,312
To those affected, I urge the city council to reject this

293
00:18:38,392 --> 00:18:41,072
rule and keep the current rules. Thank you.

294
00:18:41,352 --> 00:18:41,772
Thank you.

295
00:18:43,972 --> 00:18:45,572
Do we have any other public input?

296
00:19:00,912 --> 00:19:01,612
Good evening, council,

297
00:19:03,352 --> 00:19:03,912
city staff.

298
00:19:05,392 --> 00:19:07,512
No script, no costume tonight, just me

299
00:19:08,932 --> 00:19:09,532
here again.

300
00:19:11,192 --> 00:19:14,952
I've been here so many times I can't count at this point in the last 18

301
00:19:15,012 --> 00:19:18,112
months. I tried to. I couldn't figure it out. Dozens.

302
00:19:18,912 --> 00:19:20,032
Dozens of times I've been here,

303
00:19:21,272 --> 00:19:25,032
and it struck me that I don't think that any of you actually really realize what it

304
00:19:25,112 --> 00:19:27,092
feels like to be on this side of the dais.

305
00:19:28,452 --> 00:19:30,232
It is utterly disempowering

306
00:19:31,152 --> 00:19:33,292
and deeply, deeply disheartening.

307
00:19:36,432 --> 00:19:39,051
I've worked really, really hard on my comments.

308
00:19:39,792 --> 00:19:41,632
I've worked really, really hard on my research.

309
00:19:42,472 --> 00:19:45,272
I am very, very earnest when I present facts to you.

310
00:19:45,412 --> 00:19:45,432
I

311
00:19:46,312 --> 00:19:50,192
do my research. I have sources. Please ask

312
00:19:50,272 --> 00:19:53,192
me for them or look at the ones that I've presented to you.

313
00:19:54,352 --> 00:19:58,092
I've sent you so many emails. How many of you have ever responded to me?

314
00:19:58,772 --> 00:20:00,432
Think about it. Ever.

315
00:20:01,332 --> 00:20:05,072
For any reason. Even just acknowledging, "Hey, thank you for

316
00:20:05,112 --> 00:20:08,872
sending this email. I received it," which Council Member Brown did

317
00:20:08,972 --> 00:20:12,892
after I sent you a draft ordinance that I sent to you because you

318
00:20:12,952 --> 00:20:16,872
were genuinely, apparently at a loss for what your recourse could be

319
00:20:16,972 --> 00:20:20,832
other than making comments in a NEPA process when it comes to

320
00:20:20,872 --> 00:20:24,352
managing the watershed. I sent you an ordinance that I spent countless hours

321
00:20:24,472 --> 00:20:28,332
drafting, battle testing. I sent it to legal eyes to

322
00:20:28,372 --> 00:20:30,852
give me a second read. Is this actually valid?

323
00:20:30,932 --> 00:20:34,092
Could I bring this as a ballot initiative? Would it pass Mr.

324
00:20:34,352 --> 00:20:35,432
Donaldson's review?

325
00:20:36,252 --> 00:20:39,572
I worked so hard on that, and what did I get? Nothing.

326
00:20:40,272 --> 00:20:43,952
Not a word of acknowledgment. I wasn't ever expecting that you would

327
00:20:44,072 --> 00:20:47,972
actually genuinely consider it, but I would at least hope that you would consider

328
00:20:48,012 --> 00:20:51,772
the earnest effort behind it. So much so that I

329
00:20:51,832 --> 00:20:55,812
honestly, I've done more work to make these comments than I've seen most

330
00:20:55,872 --> 00:20:59,712
of you do in the entire time I've been showing up here to actually weigh

331
00:21:00,152 --> 00:21:04,052
the input of the public, and it's deeply, deeply frustrating to many

332
00:21:04,092 --> 00:21:08,072
of us. I know I share this with many other people who radically disagree with

333
00:21:08,112 --> 00:21:09,232
me on other topics.

334
00:21:10,332 --> 00:21:10,532
But

335
00:21:11,352 --> 00:21:13,252
Council Member Eskel, I'm going to call you out on this.

336
00:21:13,572 --> 00:21:17,432
I was told you publicly apologized for statements that you made that I don't

337
00:21:17,452 --> 00:21:21,172
think you would have apologized for had I not posted them on the Internet in a way

338
00:21:21,252 --> 00:21:23,872
that caused a lot of eyes to see that.

339
00:21:24,432 --> 00:21:28,112
But I was never apologized to. Do you know what it's like to hear someone who's

340
00:21:28,232 --> 00:21:31,992
literally standing behind a bulletproof barrier, who can call upon the chief of

341
00:21:32,032 --> 00:21:33,992
police to post a sergeant outside,

342
00:21:35,172 --> 00:21:36,492
threatening someone for

343
00:21:37,992 --> 00:21:41,932
joking about tasing me? Think about if I were to make that kind of a joke,

344
00:21:42,372 --> 00:21:44,852
how the reaction would be radically different.

345
00:21:45,472 --> 00:21:49,352
I have to be so careful to not get thrown out of here, and

346
00:21:49,932 --> 00:21:52,952
where's the care on your end? I just don't understand.

347
00:21:53,092 --> 00:21:54,512
You owe me an apology for that.

348
00:21:54,912 --> 00:21:56,372
I apologized to the public.

349
00:21:56,532 --> 00:21:57,992
You apologized to the city.

350
00:21:58,592 --> 00:22:00,112
No, I apologized to the public.

351
00:22:00,612 --> 00:22:01,732
Well, sir,

352
00:22:02,792 --> 00:22:06,392
I am an individual who deserves an apology for those comments.

353
00:22:06,572 --> 00:22:07,772
Could you please wrap up your comment?

354
00:22:08,792 --> 00:22:12,472
Thank you. Thank you for giving me a little bit of extra time, just like you gave

355
00:22:12,512 --> 00:22:15,392
this other person time. That's really appreciated. Little steps.

356
00:22:15,472 --> 00:22:16,752
I appreciate the little steps.

357
00:22:16,792 --> 00:22:17,632
That's good. Thank you.

358
00:22:18,092 --> 00:22:18,192
Okay.

359
00:22:18,712 --> 00:22:19,192
Appreciate it.

360
00:22:20,852 --> 00:22:22,132
Any other public input?

361
00:22:26,992 --> 00:22:27,272
Yes, sir.

362
00:22:32,272 --> 00:22:35,352
Good evening, and thank you for the opportunity to comment for three minutes.

363
00:22:35,412 --> 00:22:38,232
I'm RL McFarlane, 3731 Middleitzburg Road.

364
00:22:38,772 --> 00:22:41,632
As you know, I'm an advocate of communication and transparency.

365
00:22:42,352 --> 00:22:45,732
After several events that I experienced as a member of the city council, regular

366
00:22:45,812 --> 00:22:49,032
meeting audience, and council retreat audience between January of

367
00:22:49,192 --> 00:22:52,932
2026 and June of 2026, I'm now going to

368
00:22:52,971 --> 00:22:56,672
add context to my interest in promoting communication

369
00:22:57,012 --> 00:23:00,732
and transparency. I first became involved with communication and

370
00:23:00,852 --> 00:23:04,772
government thanks to the Community Council's 2013 Improving Communication

371
00:23:04,832 --> 00:23:06,912
Among Citizens and Government study.

372
00:23:07,912 --> 00:23:11,812
Through that three-year study that included two years of advocacy, I became extra

373
00:23:11,832 --> 00:23:15,132
involved with attending Port of Walla Walla commissioner meetings, Walla Walla

374
00:23:15,232 --> 00:23:18,412
County Board of Commissioner meetings, and the Walla Walla City Council regular

375
00:23:18,472 --> 00:23:19,952
meetings, retreats, and workshops.

376
00:23:20,332 --> 00:23:23,552
This past January 2026, a new weather front

377
00:23:24,612 --> 00:23:28,352
entered the Walla Walla City Council chambers, best described a few months later by

378
00:23:28,432 --> 00:23:31,272
one council member as a change of culture.

379
00:23:31,932 --> 00:23:35,272
In offering this term, the council member accompanied it by extending thanks to the

380
00:23:35,312 --> 00:23:36,272
newly elected mayor.

381
00:23:37,412 --> 00:23:41,172
As a direct result of this change of culture, I, along with numerous

382
00:23:41,252 --> 00:23:44,292
other public commenters, found ourselves dramatically cut off with the stroke of

383
00:23:44,332 --> 00:23:48,292
three minutes. I can't emphasize enough how dramatic it was, and at least

384
00:23:48,352 --> 00:23:52,332
for me, how startling it was to the point, regardless of how many years I've

385
00:23:52,332 --> 00:23:56,252
been attending and participating in city council meetings overseen by

386
00:23:56,292 --> 00:24:00,192
earlier mayors, I momentarily lost track of what my name was and what I'd

387
00:24:00,232 --> 00:24:04,092
been saying, literally. Now, jump forward to the city council

388
00:24:04,152 --> 00:24:08,012
retreat of May 29, 2026. The agenda for the

389
00:24:08,052 --> 00:24:11,912
retreat was a normal and familiar format to include at the top, "Members of the

390
00:24:11,972 --> 00:24:15,912
public may attend and participate in this regular meeting." At one point

391
00:24:15,952 --> 00:24:19,012
during the council's discussion, I heard something offered that I felt might

392
00:24:19,052 --> 00:24:22,972
benefit from some added context. I raised my hand and was advised I

393
00:24:23,032 --> 00:24:26,672
could not speak. I attempted one more time, I believe, and again was

394
00:24:26,712 --> 00:24:30,072
denied the opportunity, an opportunity clearly extended

395
00:24:30,672 --> 00:24:32,992
to the public, printed at the top of the agenda.

396
00:24:33,712 --> 00:24:35,032
I sat down, totally puzzled

397
00:24:36,012 --> 00:24:39,912
at the extent to which the newly adopted change of culture had overridden what was

398
00:24:39,972 --> 00:24:42,412
published on the council's own meeting agenda.

399
00:24:43,092 --> 00:24:46,676
Now I'm going to jump forward to August of 2026 And a very

400
00:24:46,756 --> 00:24:50,696
diplomatic letter sent from the Walla Walla City attorney to

401
00:24:50,736 --> 00:24:54,516
my personal attorney. Upon receiving a copy of Tim's letter, I noted that he'd

402
00:24:54,576 --> 00:24:58,076
CC'd the entire city council, as well as the city manager.

403
00:24:58,676 --> 00:25:02,076
First, I want to thank Tim for extending what I'm going to refer to as an olive

404
00:25:02,096 --> 00:25:04,416
branch. Consequently, I'm going to do the same thing.

405
00:25:05,236 --> 00:25:09,176
Now, I want to highlight something that you're yet to learn about, at least those

406
00:25:09,216 --> 00:25:12,856
members of the city council who are not aware of the two letters sent on my

407
00:25:12,896 --> 00:25:16,136
behalf to Tim subsequent to May 29, 2026,

408
00:25:16,696 --> 00:25:20,316
prior to Tim's letter to my attorney dated August 19, 2026.

409
00:25:20,856 --> 00:25:24,676
In one of those two letters sent by my attorney on June 23rd and August

410
00:25:24,976 --> 00:25:28,936
7th, in the June 23rd letter, towards the end of the letter, in a paragraph it

411
00:25:29,016 --> 00:25:32,516
states this: "My client hopes to reach a satisfactory

412
00:25:32,596 --> 00:25:36,116
resolution of this problem through discussion, not litigation."

413
00:25:37,456 --> 00:25:38,536
Would you mind closing your-

414
00:25:38,756 --> 00:25:42,036
I'm just going to stop here. I'd like to tell you more what I'm going to be saying,

415
00:25:42,516 --> 00:25:46,196
but no one will know what it is, because you could ask for this to be

416
00:25:46,236 --> 00:25:47,416
continued in

417
00:25:48,276 --> 00:25:49,736
unfinished business. Thank you.

418
00:25:50,076 --> 00:25:50,415
Thank you.

419
00:25:51,736 --> 00:25:53,116
Do we have any additional

420
00:25:54,036 --> 00:25:55,376
public comments? Yes.

421
00:26:00,696 --> 00:26:01,556
Mary Gibson,

422
00:26:02,396 --> 00:26:05,736
938 Home Avenue here in Walla Walla.

423
00:26:06,876 --> 00:26:10,736
I'd like to comment on the critical areas ordinance that

424
00:26:10,776 --> 00:26:11,556
you're working on,

425
00:26:12,436 --> 00:26:16,416
and I'd like to start by thanking the city council

426
00:26:18,216 --> 00:26:18,596
for

427
00:26:19,536 --> 00:26:23,016
your comments and discussion in Monday's work meeting.

428
00:26:25,036 --> 00:26:28,876
I was very encouraged and impressed,

429
00:26:29,456 --> 00:26:29,796
and

430
00:26:31,056 --> 00:26:34,856
I know that represented a lot of work and I'd just like to thank you

431
00:26:35,356 --> 00:26:35,856
for that.

432
00:26:37,216 --> 00:26:37,836
I'd also

433
00:26:38,696 --> 00:26:42,276
like to say that I'm grateful for the planning commission's

434
00:26:42,796 --> 00:26:46,296
work and for their recommendation on how to proceed,

435
00:26:46,896 --> 00:26:49,836
and I agree with the thought that they should have had some

436
00:26:51,116 --> 00:26:53,396
presence at Monday's meeting,

437
00:26:54,235 --> 00:26:57,676
and that we should hear from the planning

438
00:26:57,736 --> 00:27:00,936
commission about their recommendations.

439
00:27:01,056 --> 00:27:04,276
I think a lot of work had been done there.

440
00:27:06,756 --> 00:27:08,016
I'd also like to say

441
00:27:08,876 --> 00:27:09,196
that,

442
00:27:10,356 --> 00:27:13,676
through COVID, some of us became skeptical

443
00:27:14,596 --> 00:27:14,856
of

444
00:27:16,336 --> 00:27:18,836
encouragement to trust the science,

445
00:27:20,596 --> 00:27:24,296
and I think that bleeds over into this situation.

446
00:27:25,136 --> 00:27:28,196
And, I think

447
00:27:28,296 --> 00:27:31,196
skepticism is warranted.

448
00:27:32,236 --> 00:27:35,476
I'd also like to echo some of the comments made earlier

449
00:27:36,456 --> 00:27:38,256
that it would be

450
00:27:39,136 --> 00:27:43,036
very important to some of us to see a detailed map

451
00:27:43,776 --> 00:27:47,316
so that we can see specifically how

452
00:27:47,616 --> 00:27:50,416
this ordinance would affect our properties.

453
00:27:51,756 --> 00:27:55,556
I think in some cases it's very clear, but I think not in

454
00:27:55,776 --> 00:27:59,616
all of them, and I think there are going to be people who are

455
00:27:59,696 --> 00:28:03,596
surprised that it would affect their properties the way

456
00:28:03,676 --> 00:28:04,236
it does.

457
00:28:06,516 --> 00:28:10,396
I think also that if the council

458
00:28:10,456 --> 00:28:14,396
can find a way to lengthen the timeline, that would be

459
00:28:14,476 --> 00:28:16,676
a good thing for our community.

460
00:28:17,516 --> 00:28:17,936
Thank you.

461
00:28:18,436 --> 00:28:19,096
Thank you very much.

462
00:28:21,496 --> 00:28:23,876
Do we have any additional public input?

463
00:28:27,116 --> 00:28:29,696
Seeing none, Ms. Nisell, do we have anyone online?

464
00:28:31,416 --> 00:28:32,436
No raised hands, Your Honor.

465
00:28:32,696 --> 00:28:35,796
Okay. Very well. Thank you all very much for your input.

466
00:28:36,736 --> 00:28:38,636
We'll move on to the next item on our agenda,

467
00:28:39,476 --> 00:28:41,936
and that is our consent agenda for this evening.

468
00:28:42,776 --> 00:28:44,956
There are four items in the consent agenda.

469
00:28:45,976 --> 00:28:47,856
Ms. Nisell, please read those for us.

470
00:28:48,996 --> 00:28:52,716
Yes, Your Honor. Members of council, tonight's consent agenda consists of

471
00:28:52,776 --> 00:28:56,416
items A through D as follows. Item A, resolution

472
00:28:56,616 --> 00:29:00,336
2026-079, authorizes an interlocal

473
00:29:00,396 --> 00:29:04,136
agreement regarding the 2026 Edward Byrne Memorial

474
00:29:04,276 --> 00:29:07,736
Justice Assistant Grant between Walla Walla,

475
00:29:08,576 --> 00:29:10,576
the City of Walla Walla, and Walla Walla County.

476
00:29:11,656 --> 00:29:14,796
Item B, resolution 2026-080,

477
00:29:15,336 --> 00:29:18,796
authorizes a professional service contract with Consor Engineers

478
00:29:19,316 --> 00:29:22,956
to amend the water system plan and develop a watershed control program

479
00:29:23,516 --> 00:29:27,256
for the watershed in the amount of $74,144.

480
00:29:28,576 --> 00:29:31,816
Item C, resolution 2026-081,

481
00:29:32,416 --> 00:29:35,116
authorizes a construction contract with Precision

482
00:29:35,216 --> 00:29:37,236
Concrete Cutting

483
00:29:38,216 --> 00:29:41,896
for the 2026 sidewalk grinding project to reduce

484
00:29:41,996 --> 00:29:44,176
sidewalk tripping hazards in the amount of

485
00:29:44,196 --> 00:29:49,156
$65,618.44.

486
00:29:49,176 --> 00:29:52,956
And item D approves the minutes of the September 9, 2026

487
00:29:53,016 --> 00:29:53,756
regular meeting.

488
00:29:55,016 --> 00:29:58,976
Thank you very much, Ms. Nisell. Bringing it back to council, do we have

489
00:29:58,996 --> 00:29:59,176
any

490
00:30:00,036 --> 00:30:03,416
councilor with an item in the consent agenda that they would like to move to the

491
00:30:03,496 --> 00:30:06,096
active agenda? We have many hands raised.

492
00:30:06,136 --> 00:30:08,756
I'm going to move from left to right, if that's okay.

493
00:30:09,256 --> 00:30:11,656
Your Honor, I request that item B, resolution

494
00:30:11,856 --> 00:30:15,656
2026-080, authorizes a professional service

495
00:30:15,736 --> 00:30:19,676
contract with Consor Engineers to amend the water system

496
00:30:19,736 --> 00:30:23,036
plan and develop a watershed control

497
00:30:23,116 --> 00:30:25,156
program for the watershed in the amount of

498
00:30:25,556 --> 00:30:29,776
$74,144

499
00:30:29,816 --> 00:30:32,436
be moved to the active agenda for further discussion.

500
00:30:32,676 --> 00:30:32,936
Okay.

501
00:30:33,736 --> 00:30:35,676
Item B moves now to the active agenda.

502
00:30:36,156 --> 00:30:36,976
I saw some other hands-

503
00:30:36,976 --> 00:30:37,216
It's mine

504
00:30:37,236 --> 00:30:40,436
... that was yours too? That was you too? Yours too? Yours too. Okay.

505
00:30:40,496 --> 00:30:44,016
So we had a unanimous move to the active agenda.

506
00:30:44,876 --> 00:30:46,936
So we'll move to that item first.

507
00:30:47,776 --> 00:30:51,716
So this is resolution 2026-08, authorizing a professional services

508
00:30:51,816 --> 00:30:55,696
contract with Consor Engineers to amend the water system plan

509
00:30:55,756 --> 00:30:59,696
and develop a watershed control program for the watershed in the amount of

510
00:30:59,716 --> 00:31:01,556
$74,144.

511
00:31:01,756 --> 00:31:03,676
Do we want to do the consent agenda first, get that approved?

512
00:31:04,156 --> 00:31:05,056
We are going to do

513
00:31:06,064 --> 00:31:06,184
So,

514
00:31:08,564 --> 00:31:10,064
we move that into the active agenda.

515
00:31:10,164 --> 00:31:10,404
Right.

516
00:31:10,444 --> 00:31:13,004
We don't generally vote on do we move to the active agenda?

517
00:31:13,684 --> 00:31:13,804
No.

518
00:31:14,024 --> 00:31:14,144
No.

519
00:31:14,784 --> 00:31:15,944
No. We're good.

520
00:31:16,384 --> 00:31:18,784
We're good. Yeah, no, I thought you were moving on to discussing it.

521
00:31:18,904 --> 00:31:21,164
No. I'm reading it so that then-

522
00:31:21,264 --> 00:31:21,844
Okay

523
00:31:21,863 --> 00:31:25,324
... we have a presentation first, and then we have public input, et cetera.

524
00:31:25,404 --> 00:31:27,944
So I'm describing what is now

525
00:31:28,884 --> 00:31:31,284
first item in the active agenda. Ms.

526
00:31:31,364 --> 00:31:34,464
Chamberlain, would that be you presenting this, or is Mr. Klein, or?

527
00:31:34,504 --> 00:31:36,324
I think what Council Member Willis was...

528
00:31:37,764 --> 00:31:37,784
Okay.

529
00:31:37,804 --> 00:31:40,604
Should probably finish the consent agenda, the other items-

530
00:31:40,684 --> 00:31:42,804
Yes, thank you. The rest of the consent agenda-

531
00:31:43,364 --> 00:31:43,664
Hold that

532
00:31:43,684 --> 00:31:44,844
... before we move it to that.

533
00:31:44,884 --> 00:31:45,064
Yeah.

534
00:31:45,884 --> 00:31:46,784
Okay. Thank you.

535
00:31:48,404 --> 00:31:52,144
Do we have any public input on the rest of the consent agenda,

536
00:31:54,564 --> 00:31:55,204
as amended?

537
00:31:56,184 --> 00:31:58,244
So I'm unfamiliar with the process.

538
00:31:59,804 --> 00:32:01,124
I would like to comment on

539
00:32:02,184 --> 00:32:03,964
consent agenda item two.

540
00:32:05,184 --> 00:32:08,904
Yes, that is coming now into an active agenda, meaning we will treat

541
00:32:08,944 --> 00:32:09,823
it separately

542
00:32:10,664 --> 00:32:11,864
in its full. No worries.

543
00:32:13,304 --> 00:32:17,084
I don't believe anybody really knows this process, and as you can say,

544
00:32:18,344 --> 00:32:20,464
I sometimes forget it myself, so we're all good.

545
00:32:21,884 --> 00:32:25,484
Do we have anyone online making any public input on the consent

546
00:32:25,544 --> 00:32:25,944
agenda?

547
00:32:26,864 --> 00:32:27,784
No raised hands, Your Honor.

548
00:32:27,824 --> 00:32:31,424
All right. Bringing it back to council, do we have any questions, comments on the

549
00:32:31,804 --> 00:32:33,264
amended consent agenda?

550
00:32:34,144 --> 00:32:34,384
Yes.

551
00:32:34,544 --> 00:32:35,284
Your Honor, thank you.

552
00:32:35,804 --> 00:32:35,804
Yes.

553
00:32:35,904 --> 00:32:38,804
I just wanted to express appreciation to

554
00:32:39,624 --> 00:32:43,424
the City of Wallowa and the police department for accepting the burn money,

555
00:32:43,864 --> 00:32:46,344
and then working with the Wallowa County.

556
00:32:46,404 --> 00:32:49,644
This is now several years, as I recall, that we've

557
00:32:50,924 --> 00:32:53,244
played this role, and I think it not only

558
00:32:55,244 --> 00:32:59,204
allows for the funds to be properly spent, but for better

559
00:33:00,104 --> 00:33:02,304
operation and collaboration amongst the

560
00:33:03,744 --> 00:33:05,484
police forces in our area.

561
00:33:06,224 --> 00:33:06,664
Absolutely.

562
00:33:07,804 --> 00:33:10,184
Any other comment or question? All right.

563
00:33:10,524 --> 00:33:13,204
How would you like to proceed with the amended consent agenda?

564
00:33:14,283 --> 00:33:14,984
Council Robinson.

565
00:33:15,324 --> 00:33:19,304
Your Honor, I move that the consent agenda be approved as

566
00:33:19,364 --> 00:33:20,824
amended. Second.

567
00:33:21,104 --> 00:33:24,084
We have a motion and a second. All those in favor, please say, "Aye."

568
00:33:24,224 --> 00:33:24,304
Aye.

569
00:33:24,364 --> 00:33:24,864
Aye. Aye.

570
00:33:25,304 --> 00:33:29,244
Any opposed? That passes. So now we get down

571
00:33:29,344 --> 00:33:30,984
to the first item in the

572
00:33:32,184 --> 00:33:34,504
active agenda, as I said before. Ms.

573
00:33:34,564 --> 00:33:37,204
Chamberlain, would you have a presentation on that, or?

574
00:33:37,344 --> 00:33:38,824
It's going to be Director Beeley, and-

575
00:33:38,964 --> 00:33:39,584
Director Beeley

576
00:33:40,024 --> 00:33:40,504
... often-

577
00:33:41,204 --> 00:33:41,504
All right

578
00:33:41,524 --> 00:33:43,044
... others will be available for questions.

579
00:33:43,184 --> 00:33:44,504
Mr. Beeley, welcome, and

580
00:33:45,604 --> 00:33:48,504
our eyes, I think we have a lot of people interested in this.

581
00:33:49,284 --> 00:33:50,004
Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

582
00:33:52,124 --> 00:33:55,804
Again, this is item B from... It got moved from the

583
00:33:55,824 --> 00:33:59,624
consent agenda. This is the contract with Consort Engineers to

584
00:33:59,664 --> 00:34:00,904
amend the water system plan

585
00:34:01,844 --> 00:34:05,804
and develop a watershed control program for

586
00:34:05,864 --> 00:34:09,725
the city. So jumping right in, first with the watershed

587
00:34:09,765 --> 00:34:13,484
control program, this is a requirement for unfiltered systems with the purpose of

588
00:34:13,524 --> 00:34:17,384
protecting the source. So what measures does the city take to

589
00:34:17,444 --> 00:34:20,205
protect that source is really the focus of that program.

590
00:34:20,504 --> 00:34:24,344
These are elements such as our contract with the US Forest

591
00:34:24,384 --> 00:34:26,765
Service for patrols and enforcement.

592
00:34:27,104 --> 00:34:31,004
The watershed is a closed area to the public, so that is an example of

593
00:34:31,084 --> 00:34:33,844
a component of what this watershed control program is.

594
00:34:34,624 --> 00:34:35,004
We,

595
00:34:36,064 --> 00:34:39,705
I would say loosely, have a program that is broken up in a number of different

596
00:34:39,745 --> 00:34:43,304
documents. This effort is to pull everything together into a

597
00:34:43,404 --> 00:34:43,964
singular

598
00:34:44,964 --> 00:34:47,924
program, and to submit that to the Department of Health.

599
00:34:48,124 --> 00:34:51,824
So that is one element of two elements of

600
00:34:51,884 --> 00:34:55,024
this contract proposal with Consort Engineers.

601
00:34:55,464 --> 00:34:57,484
The cost of the watershed control program

602
00:34:58,644 --> 00:35:02,124
development is about $46,000 of the, I think it's

603
00:35:02,124 --> 00:35:05,524
$74,144.

604
00:35:06,364 --> 00:35:08,364
The second component is a

605
00:35:09,824 --> 00:35:13,724
water system plan amendment, and in essence, what this amendment proposes

606
00:35:13,784 --> 00:35:15,164
to do is to align

607
00:35:16,164 --> 00:35:19,984
the city's water service area with the city limits.

608
00:35:20,264 --> 00:35:24,083
So there's some history, and this specific area is the

609
00:35:24,164 --> 00:35:27,744
area north of the water treatment plant out on the east end of town,

610
00:35:28,604 --> 00:35:32,344
that has also been identified as the Mill Creek Gateway Project.

611
00:35:32,544 --> 00:35:36,044
And it is through that application that we realized that that area was not

612
00:35:36,124 --> 00:35:38,524
included in the water service area.

613
00:35:38,684 --> 00:35:41,584
It's part of the city, but not in the water service area.

614
00:35:41,604 --> 00:35:44,964
And there's a long history associated with that property dating back,

615
00:35:46,324 --> 00:35:48,584
give me one quick moment. Moving back.

616
00:35:49,144 --> 00:35:52,424
So I had to do a lot of research on that particular piece of property,

617
00:35:52,504 --> 00:35:54,924
understanding how it came in,

618
00:35:56,724 --> 00:36:00,204
assuming why it was missed in the 2020 water system plan

619
00:36:00,724 --> 00:36:01,264
update.

620
00:36:02,444 --> 00:36:06,044
It dates back to 2005, and there's extensive history,

621
00:36:06,724 --> 00:36:08,264
both with the county and with the city.

622
00:36:08,544 --> 00:36:12,324
Included that history as condensed as possible in the staff report.

623
00:36:14,344 --> 00:36:18,244
In essence, when the water system plan was prepared in 2020,

624
00:36:19,024 --> 00:36:21,164
it was an oversight that that area wasn't included.

625
00:36:21,644 --> 00:36:25,544
If you look back through the history of that particular property, there was

626
00:36:25,604 --> 00:36:28,984
a development agreement that started in the county and then was transferred to the

627
00:36:29,064 --> 00:36:32,804
city, and there were timelines associated with that, and it correlates

628
00:36:32,864 --> 00:36:36,804
based on what I've been able to discern is the expiration of some of

629
00:36:36,864 --> 00:36:37,424
that work,

630
00:36:38,224 --> 00:36:42,204
from years and years ago, happened at the same time that the 2020 water

631
00:36:42,264 --> 00:36:44,664
system plan was being prepared. So it wasn't included.

632
00:36:44,724 --> 00:36:46,444
I think it was an oversight at the time.

633
00:36:46,564 --> 00:36:50,444
So this action would address that, align the

634
00:36:50,504 --> 00:36:53,984
city's water service area with the city limits, because again, that property is

635
00:36:54,024 --> 00:36:54,704
part of the city.

636
00:36:55,944 --> 00:36:59,264
The cost of that effort is approximately 28,000.

637
00:37:00,144 --> 00:37:04,104
Consort, the engineering firm assisting the city with both tasks, will prepare the

638
00:37:04,144 --> 00:37:07,784
necessary documents and submit them to the Department of Health, Office of Drinking

639
00:37:07,844 --> 00:37:08,084
Water,

640
00:37:08,984 --> 00:37:12,664
for their review. And pending their review, the Department of Health, that is-

641
00:37:13,880 --> 00:37:17,840
The water system plan in particular will come back to council

642
00:37:17,980 --> 00:37:21,820
for formal adoption. We do similar processes with the general sewer

643
00:37:21,900 --> 00:37:25,160
plan. If we have to make an amendment to the general sewer plan, those amendments

644
00:37:25,180 --> 00:37:29,040
have to come back to council. Same idea here, making an amendment to the

645
00:37:29,080 --> 00:37:33,000
water system plan, that will ultimately need to come back to council, likely

646
00:37:33,060 --> 00:37:35,580
in 2027, I'm guessing in the springtime.

647
00:37:36,500 --> 00:37:40,420
So it's a longer process. There are specific steps, review steps,

648
00:37:40,940 --> 00:37:43,780
and public notice steps that are associated with that process.

649
00:37:44,700 --> 00:37:46,840
Happy to answer any other questions council has.

650
00:37:47,540 --> 00:37:51,100
Okay, Mr. Reed. Before we move to public input, what is

651
00:37:51,680 --> 00:37:55,440
on the agenda today for us to take action on is entering into the

652
00:37:55,480 --> 00:37:58,620
contract with a consultant to put the information together.

653
00:37:58,920 --> 00:37:59,240
That is correct.

654
00:37:59,280 --> 00:38:01,300
That is what we have. Okay, thank you.

655
00:38:02,960 --> 00:38:06,940
Coming to provide any public input, if you're here to provide any

656
00:38:07,000 --> 00:38:08,620
public input on this matter,

657
00:38:09,800 --> 00:38:13,500
please come to the podium, identify yourself. You'll have three minutes.

658
00:38:13,860 --> 00:38:15,260
We appreciate if you stay with that.

659
00:38:17,220 --> 00:38:20,180
Daniel Clark, 1717 North Main, Walla Walla.

660
00:38:21,080 --> 00:38:24,680
As I mentioned in an email to the council that I sent this morning,

661
00:38:25,400 --> 00:38:29,360
it's highly premature to amend the city's water system plan at

662
00:38:29,400 --> 00:38:33,300
this time to expand the service area to include the MC

663
00:38:33,380 --> 00:38:34,400
Gateway development.

664
00:38:35,240 --> 00:38:38,680
There are many issues regarding the appropriateness of this development

665
00:38:39,160 --> 00:38:43,020
that need to be addressed and decided before taking city

666
00:38:43,120 --> 00:38:44,320
action to accommodate it,

667
00:38:45,140 --> 00:38:47,560
which might not at all be in the public interest.

668
00:38:48,820 --> 00:38:52,340
These include the environmental health risks of such a project,

669
00:38:52,880 --> 00:38:56,760
which would put over 600 new residences in close proximity to the

670
00:38:56,800 --> 00:39:00,700
hazardous facilities at the airport and at the city's water treatment

671
00:39:00,760 --> 00:39:04,640
plant. In addition, the project would make no contribution to

672
00:39:04,680 --> 00:39:08,620
resolving the city's low and middle income housing needs, but would

673
00:39:08,680 --> 00:39:12,540
take out of production several hundred acres of prime agricultural

674
00:39:12,600 --> 00:39:16,220
land, producing over 100

675
00:39:16,240 --> 00:39:19,880
bushels of wheat per acre without any irrigation.

676
00:39:21,260 --> 00:39:24,400
There are also water issues relating to the project's needs,

677
00:39:24,960 --> 00:39:28,680
including the declining level of our aquifers and the

678
00:39:28,720 --> 00:39:32,560
recent damage to our watershed, as well as the project's

679
00:39:32,600 --> 00:39:36,040
proposed water rights transfer and expansion

680
00:39:36,140 --> 00:39:39,720
application filed with the Department of Ecology for a well

681
00:39:39,800 --> 00:39:43,680
five miles away from the site, concerning which

682
00:39:43,760 --> 00:39:46,040
several formal protests have been filed.

683
00:39:47,420 --> 00:39:51,320
Your development services department has also not decided yet

684
00:39:51,380 --> 00:39:55,200
what action to take regarding the environmental impacts of the project under

685
00:39:55,280 --> 00:39:59,060
SEPA, the State Environmental Policy Act, including

686
00:39:59,120 --> 00:40:00,600
any needed mitigation.

687
00:40:01,900 --> 00:40:05,380
I've sent you my own comments on the inadequacies of the

688
00:40:05,440 --> 00:40:07,220
project's environmental checklist.

689
00:40:08,120 --> 00:40:12,060
Many other letters of concern have been filed, as well as with regard to

690
00:40:12,100 --> 00:40:15,340
the environmental issues and the water rights transfer

691
00:40:15,480 --> 00:40:16,100
application.

692
00:40:17,240 --> 00:40:20,480
To bring this before the council tonight for summary action

693
00:40:21,240 --> 00:40:25,080
by you, despite these widespread major

694
00:40:25,140 --> 00:40:28,680
community concerns over the project that have not been addressed,

695
00:40:29,200 --> 00:40:31,720
appears very disrespectful of the public.

696
00:40:33,280 --> 00:40:37,220
The Walla Walla community needs full consideration by you of its concerns

697
00:40:37,840 --> 00:40:41,620
about this development before any action, such as tonight's

698
00:40:41,660 --> 00:40:43,340
proposed resolution, is taken.

699
00:40:44,480 --> 00:40:46,980
Along with others, I request the inclusion

700
00:40:47,920 --> 00:40:51,860
of the MC Gateway project site and

701
00:40:51,900 --> 00:40:55,600
the proposed resolution be denied. Thank you.

702
00:40:55,940 --> 00:40:59,800
Thank you. And just to reiterate, this is really about entering into a

703
00:40:59,840 --> 00:41:03,700
contract. This will come later on, and public input will be definitely

704
00:41:03,740 --> 00:41:04,860
part of that process.

705
00:41:05,700 --> 00:41:06,280
Just to make sure.

706
00:41:07,460 --> 00:41:08,740
Any other public input?

707
00:41:13,760 --> 00:41:17,180
My name is Dorothy O'Brien. I live at 1218 Yellow Hawk Way.

708
00:41:19,100 --> 00:41:22,000
Dan just said pretty much everything I'm going to say. I'm going to try it anyway.

709
00:41:22,340 --> 00:41:23,180
My own words.

710
00:41:24,180 --> 00:41:27,820
Why is the city considering amending its water system

711
00:41:27,900 --> 00:41:30,780
plan for a development that has not been approved?

712
00:41:31,519 --> 00:41:32,620
That was my first question.

713
00:41:33,460 --> 00:41:37,300
There's been no date set for the hearing examiner to receive public

714
00:41:37,360 --> 00:41:37,940
comments.

715
00:41:38,880 --> 00:41:42,360
The list of concerns about this project equals the size of the project

716
00:41:42,420 --> 00:41:43,000
itself,

717
00:41:44,040 --> 00:41:46,260
all of which need to be addressed before being approved.

718
00:41:47,040 --> 00:41:50,940
The claim from MC Gateway that Walla Walla already has the infrastructure

719
00:41:50,980 --> 00:41:54,600
capacity to handle the water needs of 670

720
00:41:54,680 --> 00:41:58,140
single-family residences, 150-room hotel,

721
00:41:58,660 --> 00:42:02,400
80,000 square feet of retail space, and close to 200 acres of

722
00:42:02,480 --> 00:42:05,340
landscaping, while technically accurate,

723
00:42:06,120 --> 00:42:09,960
coexisting water constraints in our watershed is another reality

724
00:42:10,040 --> 00:42:10,580
altogether.

725
00:42:11,560 --> 00:42:15,120
The watershed already has more water rights than physical water

726
00:42:15,200 --> 00:42:19,160
available. Mill Creek frequently suffers from low seasonal

727
00:42:19,260 --> 00:42:21,420
stream flows and high water temperatures.

728
00:42:22,220 --> 00:42:26,140
Our deep basalt and shallow gravel aquifers face steady

729
00:42:26,180 --> 00:42:29,880
decline every year. And while managed by the City of Walla Walla

730
00:42:29,980 --> 00:42:33,580
Public Works Department, the watershed's regulatory jurisdiction is

731
00:42:33,720 --> 00:42:37,040
split between Washington, Oregon, the

732
00:42:37,060 --> 00:42:40,760
Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, and federal laws.

733
00:42:41,220 --> 00:42:45,080
But the water, albeit the most important part, is just

734
00:42:45,220 --> 00:42:48,860
one part of this shockingly large footprint

735
00:42:49,680 --> 00:42:53,480
that is MC Gateway. The aggressive impact

736
00:42:53,580 --> 00:42:57,560
on our roads, our schools, our hospital,

737
00:42:58,580 --> 00:43:02,560
our local resources, indeed the very character of Walla Walla, will

738
00:43:02,600 --> 00:43:06,300
be felt for a generation through the increase of public

739
00:43:06,380 --> 00:43:09,900
tax hikes, levies, and bonds to fund the

740
00:43:09,980 --> 00:43:12,480
exponential upgrade to the infrastructure.

741
00:43:12,980 --> 00:43:16,520
There are no apartments, no duplexes, no tiny houses,

742
00:43:16,920 --> 00:43:19,120
nothing like the comprehensive plan has.

743
00:43:19,936 --> 00:43:23,735
So assumingly, no middle housing, which is the type of affordable

744
00:43:23,836 --> 00:43:26,116
housing that Walla Walla is desperate for.

745
00:43:27,216 --> 00:43:28,596
This is all for the developer,

746
00:43:29,496 --> 00:43:32,576
not for Walla Walla, and it all begins with water.

747
00:43:33,736 --> 00:43:37,716
I predict if this amendment and other concessions like it

748
00:43:38,036 --> 00:43:41,856
get approved, layering the foundation for the hearing examiner,

749
00:43:42,156 --> 00:43:45,656
and ultimately you, the city council, to destroy

750
00:43:46,596 --> 00:43:49,396
one of Walla Walla's most iconic characteristics.

751
00:43:49,776 --> 00:43:52,636
It will also end in water with tears.

752
00:43:53,216 --> 00:43:54,456
Lots and lots of tears.

753
00:43:55,296 --> 00:43:55,676
Thank you.

754
00:43:58,216 --> 00:43:59,636
Any other input?

755
00:44:05,956 --> 00:44:06,796
Jean Dolling.

756
00:44:09,096 --> 00:44:10,736
This entire valley

757
00:44:12,436 --> 00:44:14,496
is a floodplain that we live in.

758
00:44:15,716 --> 00:44:17,736
It's fed by the Blue Mountains. There's

759
00:44:19,656 --> 00:44:22,496
South Fork, North Fork, Mill Creek, Touchet.

760
00:44:23,576 --> 00:44:26,596
We have got a lot of waterways that become floodways.

761
00:44:28,836 --> 00:44:30,296
We're using our water up,

762
00:44:31,436 --> 00:44:35,356
is what we're doing. Our riparian areas have not been

763
00:44:35,456 --> 00:44:39,256
left to work, and anybody that lives along any of the

764
00:44:39,316 --> 00:44:40,276
creeks in town,

765
00:44:41,276 --> 00:44:45,076
including, I can tell you a story a little bit later about August Linky and I

766
00:44:45,136 --> 00:44:47,796
down in the basement with it flooding.

767
00:44:50,896 --> 00:44:54,296
People that live along these creeks will tell you about

768
00:44:54,976 --> 00:44:58,356
hydraulic pressure, because that's what it is,

769
00:44:58,436 --> 00:45:01,756
hydraulic pressure. When the streams run high,

770
00:45:02,076 --> 00:45:05,676
hydraulic pressure flows out into the riparian areas

771
00:45:06,416 --> 00:45:10,056
and starts and recharging the aquifer.

772
00:45:10,516 --> 00:45:14,016
We've got the sub-aquifer, shallow gravel aquifer,

773
00:45:14,556 --> 00:45:18,356
and the basalt aquifer. The city of Walla Walla

774
00:45:18,736 --> 00:45:22,636
has been pumping, fortunately, water into the

775
00:45:22,696 --> 00:45:24,756
basalt wells from Mill Creek.

776
00:45:25,596 --> 00:45:25,896
And

777
00:45:27,016 --> 00:45:30,656
trust me, if you hadn't been doing this after this

778
00:45:31,276 --> 00:45:31,636
fire,

779
00:45:32,496 --> 00:45:34,296
you would be wishing you had.

780
00:45:37,796 --> 00:45:41,376
I don't know how to tell you simply, more than simple.

781
00:45:42,056 --> 00:45:43,736
There's no life without water,

782
00:45:45,056 --> 00:45:47,416
and that's where we're headed. No water.

783
00:45:48,056 --> 00:45:51,736
And we've got all this development going on, and

784
00:45:52,196 --> 00:45:55,816
we're ending up with no water. And people that

785
00:45:56,656 --> 00:45:56,876
are

786
00:45:58,016 --> 00:46:01,736
told that they can't irrigate, they can't have lawns,

787
00:46:02,596 --> 00:46:04,776
don't like it. They're not happy citizens.

788
00:46:05,316 --> 00:46:08,716
There's no life without water. We've got these

789
00:46:09,376 --> 00:46:10,356
malfunctioning,

790
00:46:12,236 --> 00:46:16,076
steep, dry, hard-packed slopes that don't absorb

791
00:46:16,176 --> 00:46:19,096
water, and they're talking about logging.

792
00:46:19,836 --> 00:46:22,976
That is not the thing to be doing. We need to have

793
00:46:23,676 --> 00:46:27,576
durable, fire-resistant foliage on

794
00:46:27,636 --> 00:46:31,296
the mountain slopes so that there's root systems

795
00:46:32,256 --> 00:46:33,116
and natural

796
00:46:34,556 --> 00:46:38,196
biological systems that foliage lives,

797
00:46:38,376 --> 00:46:41,956
dies, decomposes, starts all over again.

798
00:46:43,216 --> 00:46:43,956
Compost.

799
00:46:45,576 --> 00:46:49,276
That soil that is composted would be

800
00:46:50,136 --> 00:46:53,836
absorbing water. We need to get up there into that.

801
00:46:57,756 --> 00:47:00,156
I would like to get up there with some drones

802
00:47:00,336 --> 00:47:04,116
and the

803
00:47:04,156 --> 00:47:07,616
proper artillery and blast into some of those

804
00:47:07,956 --> 00:47:11,516
steep slopes, knock them down to the bottom, and start

805
00:47:11,556 --> 00:47:12,156
terracing.

806
00:47:12,556 --> 00:47:12,836
Thank you.

807
00:47:17,316 --> 00:47:17,596
Yes, sir.

808
00:47:20,796 --> 00:47:21,156
Thank you.

809
00:47:22,476 --> 00:47:24,436
My name's Jacob Coburn, and

810
00:47:25,256 --> 00:47:26,016
just want to start,

811
00:47:26,916 --> 00:47:30,876
just a quick comment. The MC Gateway property has been within the

812
00:47:30,916 --> 00:47:32,496
city limits for over a decade.

813
00:47:33,416 --> 00:47:37,156
Under the Growth Management Act, the city must plan to ensure public

814
00:47:37,216 --> 00:47:41,136
facilities and services are adequate to serve the development at the time

815
00:47:41,196 --> 00:47:41,936
of occupancy

816
00:47:42,756 --> 00:47:46,276
without decreasing service levels below locally established minimum

817
00:47:46,376 --> 00:47:49,456
standards. This is known as concurrency.

818
00:47:50,416 --> 00:47:54,336
The city is just doing its job by updating the city water system plan under

819
00:47:54,376 --> 00:47:58,316
the Growth Management Act and planning for the properties within the city.

820
00:47:59,076 --> 00:47:59,356
Thanks.

821
00:47:59,796 --> 00:48:00,136
Thank you.

822
00:48:04,736 --> 00:48:08,276
Burl McFarland. At first, I'm going to mention the city annexed this over 20 years

823
00:48:08,316 --> 00:48:12,176
ago. It goes back to about 20 years ago with Ilihi, that that became an

824
00:48:12,296 --> 00:48:12,636
island

825
00:48:14,156 --> 00:48:17,316
out in the county, and the only reason that really happened is because it's right

826
00:48:17,356 --> 00:48:19,656
boundary to boundary to the city's water system.

827
00:48:19,756 --> 00:48:22,736
So that's how that got established. I want to follow up.

828
00:48:22,976 --> 00:48:26,896
Dan Clark gave you really good reasons for thinking twice about what's going

829
00:48:26,956 --> 00:48:30,776
on here, and I'm sorry that the mayor tried to downplay it and suggest that

830
00:48:31,096 --> 00:48:33,756
what Dan brought up would be dealt with later.

831
00:48:33,836 --> 00:48:36,236
What you need to deal with tonight is right here.

832
00:48:36,736 --> 00:48:38,316
It's now on the active agenda.

833
00:48:39,396 --> 00:48:43,036
Resolution 2026-080. The part

834
00:48:43,176 --> 00:48:46,876
about the Watershed Control Program that Kai explained, excellent.

835
00:48:47,096 --> 00:48:50,096
Do it tonight. We need it. It's no-brainer.

836
00:48:50,836 --> 00:48:54,356
But it's kind of like an emergency thing. We need to do that now.

837
00:48:55,136 --> 00:48:59,056
But what's happening here that feels really fishy is something that was

838
00:48:59,116 --> 00:49:02,936
forgotten back in 2019, and that was the water system plan update.

839
00:49:03,356 --> 00:49:05,016
It got forgotten. Maybe

840
00:49:05,896 --> 00:49:09,756
really did get forgotten or was it just overlooked because some people were not

841
00:49:09,816 --> 00:49:13,396
focused on that? They were focused on Cottonwood, Bach told Hayden

842
00:49:14,036 --> 00:49:17,956
Mer, and maybe didn't want to think about developing up there

843
00:49:18,016 --> 00:49:19,236
the city. It's particularly...

844
00:49:20,996 --> 00:49:24,536
There is so much going on that is going to delay this project

845
00:49:26,828 --> 00:49:30,768
The normal time to add this to the water system plan is every 10

846
00:49:30,808 --> 00:49:34,328
years, in 2029. There's no rush for you tonight because

847
00:49:35,028 --> 00:49:38,868
right here, and I'm going to forward this to you, here's my comment letter that was

848
00:49:38,928 --> 00:49:42,548
sent to the Department of Ecology during their recent public comment period

849
00:49:43,028 --> 00:49:46,908
about the water right transfer that the MC Gateway project is

850
00:49:46,988 --> 00:49:50,208
moving from north on Lower Waitsburg Road.

851
00:49:50,608 --> 00:49:54,068
So they will potentially double the water they can draw off their property.

852
00:49:55,188 --> 00:49:56,528
Doubling it. Okay.

853
00:49:57,348 --> 00:50:00,668
What they use, that means that they're adding 50% potentially if

854
00:50:01,528 --> 00:50:03,108
they're allowed to move it.

855
00:50:04,288 --> 00:50:07,928
In their documents, they're going to use that added water, 50% more,

856
00:50:08,468 --> 00:50:10,708
for landscaping purposes, which

857
00:50:12,048 --> 00:50:15,748
if you'd been to the early water committee meetings or...

858
00:50:15,888 --> 00:50:18,088
No, actually, I think it was at a workshop, I forget.

859
00:50:18,568 --> 00:50:22,288
But Adrian and our water department, our water department's

860
00:50:22,388 --> 00:50:24,948
wonderful. They're all rock stars, but

861
00:50:25,868 --> 00:50:26,408
sometimes

862
00:50:28,168 --> 00:50:31,927
they're confined by what they're allowed to tell you, and the public can

863
00:50:32,048 --> 00:50:35,828
add more to it. And what Adrian talked about at that meeting

864
00:50:35,888 --> 00:50:39,328
was what happens if you have to run all of your city wells at one time,

865
00:50:39,908 --> 00:50:43,688
if the watershed fire causes you to have to depend

866
00:50:43,748 --> 00:50:44,688
solely on the aquifer?

867
00:50:45,628 --> 00:50:49,088
You potentially run into disturbances. It's called the cone effect.

868
00:50:49,148 --> 00:50:52,508
When if you have several of your city wells close to one another running at high

869
00:50:52,628 --> 00:50:55,048
speed constantly, they screw each other up.

870
00:50:55,628 --> 00:50:55,808
If

871
00:50:57,248 --> 00:51:01,168
MC Gateway, which they have the right to drill, they have a water right

872
00:51:01,208 --> 00:51:02,668
there, but if they add the second one,

873
00:51:03,868 --> 00:51:07,168
they're drilling and pumping right next to your wells.

874
00:51:07,368 --> 00:51:08,948
So you need to pay attention,

875
00:51:10,368 --> 00:51:13,728
and there's no rush. So I would amend tonight, simply remove

876
00:51:14,188 --> 00:51:14,388
the

877
00:51:15,468 --> 00:51:19,428
addition that was forgotten until 2029 when it's the normal time to add

878
00:51:19,468 --> 00:51:19,988
it. Thank you.

879
00:51:20,068 --> 00:51:20,348
Thank you.

880
00:51:21,208 --> 00:51:22,388
Any other input?

881
00:51:36,628 --> 00:51:37,008
Charles Harley.

882
00:51:38,208 --> 00:51:39,008
Leave

883
00:51:40,488 --> 00:51:40,528
it.

884
00:51:40,588 --> 00:51:42,808
It is now your time. Welcome.

885
00:51:45,768 --> 00:51:46,768
Thank you for your patience.

886
00:51:48,228 --> 00:51:49,508
Good evening, Mr. Mayor and Council.

887
00:51:49,568 --> 00:51:52,388
My name is Charles Harley, H-A-R-L-E-Y.

888
00:51:53,008 --> 00:51:56,468
I've lived in Walla Walla for 42 years, very happily.

889
00:51:57,268 --> 00:51:57,568
And

890
00:51:58,788 --> 00:52:02,108
I have a concern. I'm a bit of an acolyte of Dan Clark's.

891
00:52:02,788 --> 00:52:06,148
I have a concern that the city, in its eagerness to

892
00:52:06,288 --> 00:52:10,208
expand, may be overstepping its resources.

893
00:52:11,168 --> 00:52:11,188
I

894
00:52:12,108 --> 00:52:15,888
noticed the need to, I think, drill another well

895
00:52:16,148 --> 00:52:19,348
well out of the city in order to provide

896
00:52:20,288 --> 00:52:22,448
water for this proposed development.

897
00:52:23,468 --> 00:52:25,588
And I have lived in cities

898
00:52:26,588 --> 00:52:29,928
where water has been cut off in the middle of my shower

899
00:52:31,788 --> 00:52:35,688
because the supply of water has been mishandled and abused

900
00:52:36,288 --> 00:52:38,228
by developers on the periphery of the city,

901
00:52:39,148 --> 00:52:41,568
undermining the comforts of the people in the center of the city.

902
00:52:43,088 --> 00:52:43,268
So

903
00:52:45,588 --> 00:52:48,948
I'm inexpert in all these matters, but I just

904
00:52:49,588 --> 00:52:52,388
recommend that the resolution

905
00:52:53,428 --> 00:52:56,148
be shifted from the consent agenda

906
00:52:57,088 --> 00:53:01,008
to the active agenda on the understanding that this will give greater

907
00:53:01,648 --> 00:53:04,008
attention to the proposals.

908
00:53:05,488 --> 00:53:06,488
I might say that

909
00:53:08,088 --> 00:53:10,288
we have tenants ourselves, and

910
00:53:11,248 --> 00:53:15,088
industrial tenants, and we are very much aware of the

911
00:53:15,148 --> 00:53:18,008
need to follow the law on

912
00:53:19,168 --> 00:53:20,948
development matters.

913
00:53:21,748 --> 00:53:23,368
I read Dan Clark's book about

914
00:53:24,428 --> 00:53:28,188
that attempt in the first years of this century to

915
00:53:28,988 --> 00:53:29,768
make a development,

916
00:53:30,688 --> 00:53:32,088
and I just say that

917
00:53:33,148 --> 00:53:37,108
our tenants have always paid the strictest attention to every single

918
00:53:37,208 --> 00:53:38,388
requirement of the law,

919
00:53:39,228 --> 00:53:40,488
that it be followed,

920
00:53:41,488 --> 00:53:42,488
and I hope that

921
00:53:43,368 --> 00:53:45,368
the city will insist on the same

922
00:53:46,268 --> 00:53:47,447
integrity. Thank you.

923
00:53:47,788 --> 00:53:48,148
Thank you.

924
00:53:50,628 --> 00:53:51,508
Do we have any other

925
00:53:52,448 --> 00:53:54,008
public input? Yes, sir.

926
00:54:01,808 --> 00:54:04,768
Douglas Demers, 1309 Monroe, Walla Walla.

927
00:54:05,428 --> 00:54:07,808
Everybody, there have been a lot of eloquent speakers here.

928
00:54:07,868 --> 00:54:11,748
I'll make this very quick. There seems to be so

929
00:54:11,828 --> 00:54:15,708
many issues regarding the appropriateness of the MC Gateway project,

930
00:54:16,388 --> 00:54:18,588
and rushing this forward

931
00:54:19,788 --> 00:54:23,288
seems like highly premature to be moving this forward.

932
00:54:23,468 --> 00:54:23,988
Thank you.

933
00:54:25,268 --> 00:54:25,688
Thank you.

934
00:54:27,828 --> 00:54:29,308
Anyone else? Yes. Yes, sir.

935
00:54:31,708 --> 00:54:35,528
Thank you. My name is Jerry Norquist, 1239 South Division

936
00:54:35,648 --> 00:54:35,888
Street.

937
00:54:36,748 --> 00:54:39,948
I think the council's well aware that this valley is

938
00:54:40,028 --> 00:54:41,308
over-allocated with water.

939
00:54:42,748 --> 00:54:45,808
We don't have enough water to support what already exists here.

940
00:54:46,108 --> 00:54:47,788
You know there's a program, a

941
00:54:48,668 --> 00:54:51,268
2050 project, that's trying to work on those issues,

942
00:54:52,208 --> 00:54:55,688
and I would hope that the council will consider any development that's going to go

943
00:54:55,748 --> 00:54:58,368
on in this valley, that we

944
00:54:59,508 --> 00:55:03,108
match it with the water that's available, and we don't overdevelop

945
00:55:03,688 --> 00:55:05,568
and exacerbate the problem. Thank you.

946
00:55:06,128 --> 00:55:06,428
Thank you.

947
00:55:11,128 --> 00:55:11,708
Anyone else?

948
00:55:19,028 --> 00:55:19,288
Council,

949
00:55:20,528 --> 00:55:23,488
this looks like a routine engineering contract.

950
00:55:23,808 --> 00:55:24,808
It is not.

951
00:55:26,428 --> 00:55:28,928
I think it's quite unprecedented that tonight the council is being asked to

952
00:55:29,008 --> 00:55:32,928
authorize this CONSOR contract to do two different things with

953
00:55:32,988 --> 00:55:36,348
one agenda item. Both have enormous long-term

954
00:55:36,448 --> 00:55:40,288
consequences. One is expanding the city's water service area, and the other

955
00:55:40,628 --> 00:55:43,508
is writing a new standalone watershed control program for Mill Creek.

956
00:55:44,828 --> 00:55:48,388
Mind you, pursuant to state law, once this property is included inside a

957
00:55:48,428 --> 00:55:51,908
municipal water service area, the city is legally obligated to serve the new

958
00:55:51,948 --> 00:55:52,548
connections.

959
00:55:53,528 --> 00:55:56,808
Expanding that service area is the single most consequential decision that this

960
00:55:56,848 --> 00:56:00,048
council will get to weigh in on throughout the implementation of this entire

961
00:56:00,068 --> 00:56:03,508
development project, especially since you passed off the development agreement

962
00:56:03,548 --> 00:56:05,748
authority to the hearing examiner earlier this year.

963
00:56:06,548 --> 00:56:10,428
Meanwhile, the Watershed Control Program that this contract authorizes is a

964
00:56:10,448 --> 00:56:12,888
completely separate and equally troubling issue.

965
00:56:13,688 --> 00:56:17,528
As you are no doubt aware, Consor is the same engineering firm that violated

966
00:56:17,628 --> 00:56:21,608
federal grant requirements by implementing an unauthorized post-hoc scope

967
00:56:21,648 --> 00:56:25,528
amendment to avoid addressing or incorporating the vast majority of

968
00:56:25,568 --> 00:56:28,548
public input on the Watershed Resiliency Master Plan.

969
00:56:29,028 --> 00:56:31,688
That plan has not been adopted yet for a reason.

970
00:56:32,088 --> 00:56:35,748
That reason is because it is the subject of an active FEMA grant

971
00:56:35,768 --> 00:56:39,468
compliance complaint and pending litigation with the city, as I would

972
00:56:39,528 --> 00:56:43,128
know. And now, while that process remains contested, the

973
00:56:43,248 --> 00:56:47,108
same firm is the one being hired to write the Watershed Control Program, the

974
00:56:47,148 --> 00:56:50,708
document that the state law requires the city to use to

975
00:56:50,768 --> 00:56:54,288
identify potentially harmful watershed activities and establish

976
00:56:54,348 --> 00:56:58,028
measures for controlling them. These are the exact tasks that this

977
00:56:58,128 --> 00:57:01,988
same firm failed to do the first time, and when called out on it,

978
00:57:02,168 --> 00:57:05,948
doubled down by trying to surreptitiously purge the public voice from the record.

979
00:57:06,648 --> 00:57:09,988
We are literally in the midst of historic drought,

980
00:57:10,468 --> 00:57:13,788
unprecedented climate change. The governor has declared an

981
00:57:13,828 --> 00:57:17,488
emergency for the Mill Creek Watershed, specifically because of ash and

982
00:57:17,528 --> 00:57:20,948
sediment that the treatment plant cannot remove, and the increased risk of

983
00:57:21,028 --> 00:57:24,268
flooding, landslides, debris flows, and sedimentation.

984
00:57:24,688 --> 00:57:28,668
And these are the precise concerns that the public raised in our formal

985
00:57:28,788 --> 00:57:32,588
comments that Consor broke its own grant conditions to try to

986
00:57:32,648 --> 00:57:34,728
avoid having to respond to on the record.

987
00:57:35,488 --> 00:57:39,148
We have no idea how extensive the consequences of this summer's fire will be for

988
00:57:39,168 --> 00:57:42,928
our water supply. This is not the time to double down on new

989
00:57:42,968 --> 00:57:46,908
development. It is the time to carefully examine how

990
00:57:46,948 --> 00:57:50,188
to respond to the existing water supply

991
00:57:50,588 --> 00:57:52,748
crisis. Anything else is a

992
00:57:52,808 --> 00:57:56,208
conflagration of the public interest,

993
00:57:56,728 --> 00:57:59,108
if not a downright threat to public safety.

994
00:58:00,308 --> 00:58:03,548
So I just want to ask one question before this is rubber-stamped as routine

995
00:58:03,648 --> 00:58:07,388
contract administration. And as comforted as I am by

996
00:58:07,428 --> 00:58:10,648
your assurance, Mayor, I want to know, when is the council going to get another

997
00:58:10,668 --> 00:58:14,368
vote on this? Because nothing I've seen guarantees that either of this contract's

998
00:58:14,408 --> 00:58:17,028
work products comes back to this council for public ratification.

999
00:58:17,328 --> 00:58:20,448
Based on the wording of the resolution presented for adoption, all further

1000
00:58:20,468 --> 00:58:23,828
authority to execute this contract's deliverables lies with the city manager.

1001
00:58:24,228 --> 00:58:26,488
The council is effectively giving away its next decision.

1002
00:58:26,788 --> 00:58:28,728
The only appropriate vote tonight is no.

1003
00:58:29,328 --> 00:58:29,608
Thank you.

1004
00:58:32,388 --> 00:58:32,948
Anyone else?

1005
00:58:34,548 --> 00:58:34,808
Yes.

1006
00:58:38,968 --> 00:58:39,068
Hi.

1007
00:58:39,268 --> 00:58:39,588
Hi there.

1008
00:58:40,988 --> 00:58:42,788
My name is Anna. I'm a resident here.

1009
00:58:44,348 --> 00:58:48,308
And I'm here to express similar viewpoints to the people that came

1010
00:58:48,348 --> 00:58:51,928
before me. I'm in opposition to the MC Gateway project,

1011
00:58:52,348 --> 00:58:55,888
and I'm also deeply troubled by the fact that these two items are being

1012
00:58:55,948 --> 00:58:58,108
bundled together in one agenda item.

1013
00:58:59,248 --> 00:59:02,648
Why would the city entertain the notion of expanding water service to support

1014
00:59:02,688 --> 00:59:06,668
roughly 670 homes, a hotel, commercial development, a golf

1015
00:59:06,728 --> 00:59:10,448
course, and acres of landscaped green space in a basin that is

1016
00:59:10,528 --> 00:59:14,428
already stretched? There are already more legal rights to water

1017
00:59:14,508 --> 00:59:16,908
in this basin than there is water available.

1018
00:59:17,508 --> 00:59:21,488
We are in the fourth consecutive year of a statewide drought declaration,

1019
00:59:21,548 --> 00:59:24,708
and these problems existed long before this summer's wildfires.

1020
00:59:25,948 --> 00:59:29,668
Once this land is brought into the city's water service area, the city is

1021
00:59:29,728 --> 00:59:32,828
taking on an enduring responsibility to supply water there.

1022
00:59:33,508 --> 00:59:37,448
The city's own water system plan says extensions occur

1023
00:59:37,588 --> 00:59:39,308
as resources are available.

1024
00:59:40,128 --> 00:59:44,008
So are they? Our groundwater has been declining for decades, and parts

1025
00:59:44,048 --> 00:59:47,428
of the basalt aquifer were losing many feet of groundwater

1026
00:59:47,908 --> 00:59:50,548
year after year, and considerably more in drought years.

1027
00:59:51,268 --> 00:59:52,748
These are just the conditions we know.

1028
00:59:53,328 --> 00:59:55,748
What about 20, 30, 50 years from now?

1029
00:59:56,488 --> 00:59:59,968
What happens this coming El Niño year, predicted to bring even more drought and

1030
01:00:00,028 --> 01:00:02,068
less snowpack than this past year?

1031
01:00:02,728 --> 01:00:06,508
Why are we willing to gamble with the water of future generations for the

1032
01:00:06,588 --> 01:00:08,268
sake of short-term profit?

1033
01:00:09,148 --> 01:00:10,608
There is only so much water.

1034
01:00:11,608 --> 01:00:13,848
We cannot keep pretending otherwise.

1035
01:00:14,748 --> 01:00:18,068
I am deeply troubled by the process happening around this.

1036
01:00:18,468 --> 01:00:22,048
I appreciate this being moved to the active agenda, but

1037
01:00:22,108 --> 01:00:25,788
bundling a water service area amendment with the Watershed

1038
01:00:25,828 --> 01:00:29,808
Control Program, two things with profoundly different implications, is deeply

1039
01:00:30,408 --> 01:00:33,988
problematic. Decisions of this magnitude belong in

1040
01:00:34,068 --> 01:00:37,728
full public view the entire time. They should not be

1041
01:00:37,788 --> 01:00:41,728
shaped by a handful of people behind closed doors and then presented to the

1042
01:00:41,768 --> 01:00:43,928
public once the plan is already moving.

1043
01:00:44,328 --> 01:00:48,188
If what Paul is saying is true, I'm deeply concerned by the city manager being

1044
01:00:48,248 --> 01:00:51,028
given so much authority in pushing this plan through.

1045
01:00:51,628 --> 01:00:55,008
So who is driving this? Who is benefiting, and who is bearing the

1046
01:00:55,048 --> 01:00:57,468
consequences? It won't be the developer.

1047
01:00:58,388 --> 01:01:01,768
It will be the taxpayers who live here, the people who come after us, and the

1048
01:01:01,808 --> 01:01:02,748
watershed itself.

1049
01:01:03,708 --> 01:01:07,288
Water is not just another utility we can extend indefinitely to

1050
01:01:07,328 --> 01:01:09,068
accommodate whatever we want to build.

1051
01:01:09,948 --> 01:01:12,488
Water dictates the limit of our growth.

1052
01:01:13,248 --> 01:01:15,608
Water is the currency we actually swim in.

1053
01:01:16,328 --> 01:01:18,668
Water is life. Thank you.

1054
01:01:19,088 --> 01:01:19,348
Thank you.

1055
01:01:27,448 --> 01:01:27,808
Yes.

1056
01:01:29,028 --> 01:01:32,188
My name is Linda Herbert. I live at 621 Pleasant Street.

1057
01:01:32,748 --> 01:01:36,488
I do appreciate that you moved this item from the consent

1058
01:01:36,548 --> 01:01:40,368
agenda to the active agenda. I really don't have a lot

1059
01:01:40,428 --> 01:01:43,788
to add to the marvelous speakers who have come before me,

1060
01:01:44,368 --> 01:01:48,148
but I just want to also weigh in and say that I totally

1061
01:01:48,228 --> 01:01:52,088
oppose this proposal. I don't think that we have

1062
01:01:52,148 --> 01:01:55,628
established that the MC Gateway project

1063
01:01:56,168 --> 01:01:59,908
is beneficial for our community. I think a lot more

1064
01:01:59,988 --> 01:02:03,648
time and investigation and consideration of the impact of

1065
01:02:03,708 --> 01:02:06,228
climate change on our water supply, for one thing,

1066
01:02:07,708 --> 01:02:09,268
is deserved here.

1067
01:02:10,012 --> 01:02:13,952
And I look forward to the public hearing against the

1068
01:02:14,052 --> 01:02:17,112
MC Gateway Project itself. Thank you.

1069
01:02:17,252 --> 01:02:17,572
Thank you.

1070
01:02:21,352 --> 01:02:21,932
Anyone else?

1071
01:02:25,932 --> 01:02:28,232
Seeing none, do we have anyone online, Ms. Lysengen?

1072
01:02:29,072 --> 01:02:30,072
No raised hands, Your Honor.

1073
01:02:30,152 --> 01:02:34,012
All right, bringing it back to council for questions, comments from council.

1074
01:02:34,772 --> 01:02:37,952
Do we have any questions or comments? Yes. Councilor Willis.

1075
01:02:40,432 --> 01:02:44,152
So the Allahi Pembroke

1076
01:02:45,232 --> 01:02:47,572
MC Gateway Project has

1077
01:02:48,592 --> 01:02:51,632
been around for about 20 years.

1078
01:02:53,272 --> 01:02:53,592
And

1079
01:02:55,252 --> 01:02:56,532
it started out, and I'll

1080
01:02:57,492 --> 01:03:01,472
just be upfront with you, I've been opposed to this project from the very

1081
01:03:01,512 --> 01:03:01,852
beginning.

1082
01:03:02,832 --> 01:03:06,672
And so I think the previous council 20 years ago got

1083
01:03:06,732 --> 01:03:07,012
sold a

1084
01:03:07,892 --> 01:03:08,412
bill of goods.

1085
01:03:10,012 --> 01:03:11,212
The idea was that

1086
01:03:12,012 --> 01:03:15,172
this island out there above the water treatment

1087
01:03:15,892 --> 01:03:17,712
plant was going to get its

1088
01:03:19,452 --> 01:03:20,692
water from the Port

1089
01:03:23,032 --> 01:03:23,632
of Wallowa,

1090
01:03:24,472 --> 01:03:25,032
and that's,

1091
01:03:25,932 --> 01:03:28,172
I think, probably why it wasn't included in the

1092
01:03:29,032 --> 01:03:32,872
original drawings that we're proposing to include it now,

1093
01:03:33,592 --> 01:03:37,452
because it was never really expected at the time to be

1094
01:03:37,512 --> 01:03:39,652
on city water. It was going to get the water from the port.

1095
01:03:42,492 --> 01:03:42,892
The

1096
01:03:44,512 --> 01:03:46,292
citizenry organized

1097
01:03:47,092 --> 01:03:50,992
and opposed this development, and have

1098
01:03:51,032 --> 01:03:53,832
been for the 20 years it's been sort of out there in the wind,

1099
01:03:55,152 --> 01:03:57,912
and ended up filing a lawsuit and won.

1100
01:03:59,792 --> 01:04:03,712
They killed the project for 20 years essentially by killing the water, the

1101
01:04:03,752 --> 01:04:04,332
source of the water.

1102
01:04:05,632 --> 01:04:09,472
The port was told it couldn't sell MC Gateway the water

1103
01:04:09,672 --> 01:04:10,272
that they wanted.

1104
01:04:11,952 --> 01:04:15,472
So water's been kind of the focus of this whole thing from the

1105
01:04:15,552 --> 01:04:16,092
beginning.

1106
01:04:20,412 --> 01:04:22,352
But the second piece of this is the sewer.

1107
01:04:24,232 --> 01:04:27,112
Because in order for this thing to work, you've got to extend sewer

1108
01:04:28,172 --> 01:04:30,972
all the way up Mill Creek Road past the

1109
01:04:33,052 --> 01:04:34,132
water treatment center plant.

1110
01:04:35,392 --> 01:04:38,312
That's going to be an enormous expense.

1111
01:04:39,212 --> 01:04:42,892
Absolutely enormous expense. Not to mention all the road improvements that have to

1112
01:04:42,952 --> 01:04:46,572
go in, or should go in probably along the same time to

1113
01:04:47,132 --> 01:04:48,252
handle the increased traffic.

1114
01:04:51,112 --> 01:04:51,352
So

1115
01:04:53,532 --> 01:04:55,752
this was an ill-conceived project from the get-go.

1116
01:04:58,632 --> 01:05:02,552
And I have said this at council meetings before, personally, I think there

1117
01:05:02,592 --> 01:05:05,932
is a legal mechanism, I believe, to retract this annexation.

1118
01:05:06,552 --> 01:05:10,532
I think it would require public vote to do it, but that would

1119
01:05:10,572 --> 01:05:11,492
be my preference.

1120
01:05:12,792 --> 01:05:15,132
Rather than having this island out there

1121
01:05:16,152 --> 01:05:20,032
that is going to suck up an extraordinary amount of public resources

1122
01:05:20,512 --> 01:05:21,452
to provide, as

1123
01:05:22,552 --> 01:05:26,512
has already been said here tonight, housing we don't really need

1124
01:05:26,572 --> 01:05:30,252
that much of at the moment. We have far greater

1125
01:05:30,332 --> 01:05:32,652
housing needs than what is proposed in this development.

1126
01:05:34,072 --> 01:05:34,292
So

1127
01:05:35,612 --> 01:05:37,832
I'm a no on this thing at every possible step,

1128
01:05:38,672 --> 01:05:40,192
and so I'm a no on the

1129
01:05:40,992 --> 01:05:43,832
water sewage system plan update amendment.

1130
01:05:44,812 --> 01:05:44,992
Now,

1131
01:05:46,472 --> 01:05:48,352
I have less problems with the control program.

1132
01:05:49,512 --> 01:05:53,312
It's state required. We have to hire somebody to do this

1133
01:05:53,372 --> 01:05:53,592
work.

1134
01:05:55,372 --> 01:05:59,192
I don't really have a problem with the company that's been chosen,

1135
01:06:00,312 --> 01:06:00,532
so

1136
01:06:01,512 --> 01:06:02,892
I'm not opposed to splitting this.

1137
01:06:04,052 --> 01:06:07,132
Voting yes on the control program, no on the amendment.

1138
01:06:08,832 --> 01:06:12,252
Okay. Any other questions or comments? Yes, Councilwoman.

1139
01:06:12,332 --> 01:06:13,832
Several questions if you don't...

1140
01:06:14,912 --> 01:06:18,632
I have a question for Tim. So I appreciated the comment

1141
01:06:18,732 --> 01:06:20,872
about the concurrency requirement.

1142
01:06:21,452 --> 01:06:24,812
Are there legal repercussions for the city if we don't

1143
01:06:24,892 --> 01:06:28,512
extend water service out to serve all of the city

1144
01:06:28,552 --> 01:06:30,412
limits at this time?

1145
01:06:31,091 --> 01:06:31,952
I don't think so, no.

1146
01:06:36,352 --> 01:06:36,992
I didn't hear.

1147
01:06:37,532 --> 01:06:38,372
The answer was no.

1148
01:06:38,412 --> 01:06:38,492
No.

1149
01:06:38,712 --> 01:06:39,212
There would be no-

1150
01:06:39,732 --> 01:06:43,592
There's requirements, again, when you get into our water

1151
01:06:43,672 --> 01:06:46,512
system plan, of what we have to serve.

1152
01:06:47,092 --> 01:06:51,072
And my understanding in the past was is that we're required to serve the things

1153
01:06:51,112 --> 01:06:52,232
within the city, but

1154
01:06:53,552 --> 01:06:56,532
I don't think that we are required at this point to

1155
01:06:57,192 --> 01:06:58,712
expand our water system.

1156
01:07:00,712 --> 01:07:02,092
And the rules are a little bit different.

1157
01:07:02,132 --> 01:07:04,452
You can't serve something that is outside of

1158
01:07:04,512 --> 01:07:08,152
your UGA.

1159
01:07:08,412 --> 01:07:08,492
Right.

1160
01:07:08,752 --> 01:07:12,132
And so this was brought into our UGA in

1161
01:07:12,292 --> 01:07:15,312
2005. So we can serve it,

1162
01:07:16,152 --> 01:07:19,112
but I don't think there's a requirement that we have to serve it.

1163
01:07:20,292 --> 01:07:24,012
But I would have to look and see with respect to it being within the

1164
01:07:24,092 --> 01:07:27,712
city. Now with concurrency, the concurrency

1165
01:07:27,772 --> 01:07:30,352
requirements are you can't develop unless...

1166
01:07:32,872 --> 01:07:35,812
In other words, it's not an obligation of ours to provide

1167
01:07:36,672 --> 01:07:38,992
the utilities for somebody to develop.

1168
01:07:39,032 --> 01:07:41,372
It's that they can't develop until they are provided.

1169
01:07:41,452 --> 01:07:45,412
So I don't think it's necessarily an affirmative duty that we have to

1170
01:07:45,672 --> 01:07:49,212
extend water or sewer out there. That's a choice of the council.

1171
01:07:50,112 --> 01:07:50,452
Thank you.

1172
01:07:54,372 --> 01:07:55,012
Let's see.

1173
01:07:56,972 --> 01:07:57,332
So

1174
01:07:58,432 --> 01:08:01,132
I have a question for Kai.

1175
01:08:02,092 --> 01:08:05,352
There have been a lot of comments about water rights

1176
01:08:06,912 --> 01:08:10,772
at the site, and then a comment about drilling an additional

1177
01:08:10,972 --> 01:08:11,372
well

1178
01:08:13,140 --> 01:08:16,920
I'm curious if you could speak to either of those comments that were brought up.

1179
01:08:17,480 --> 01:08:21,400
And then I'm also curious if you could share perspective on

1180
01:08:21,860 --> 01:08:25,820
the potential different impact in water use

1181
01:08:26,400 --> 01:08:30,240
if we're looking at adding 600 housing units out at

1182
01:08:30,320 --> 01:08:34,200
this site versus 600 units in

1183
01:08:34,280 --> 01:08:38,061
town, and if you feel like there is a big difference in water

1184
01:08:38,221 --> 01:08:41,721
use. Sorry, that was three questions. I'm happy to repeat any of them if you want.

1185
01:08:42,620 --> 01:08:43,420
I caught two of them.

1186
01:08:43,700 --> 01:08:43,900
Okay.

1187
01:08:44,260 --> 01:08:45,920
So let's start with the water use. So,

1188
01:08:50,101 --> 01:08:53,980
as far as residential is concerned, there are kind of standard amount of usage

1189
01:08:54,040 --> 01:08:56,860
that's expected for a residential use, depending on

1190
01:09:01,260 --> 01:09:04,900
the number of people that live in a residence. It's a generalized number.

1191
01:09:05,260 --> 01:09:07,160
So that planning is pretty universal.

1192
01:09:07,721 --> 01:09:07,960
What

1193
01:09:08,820 --> 01:09:12,721
is influenced is typically the landscaping around it, the

1194
01:09:12,800 --> 01:09:16,420
other amenities, and that's where, again, as I understand it,

1195
01:09:17,540 --> 01:09:21,061
the property owner has applied for a water rights transfer.

1196
01:09:21,120 --> 01:09:22,700
This is something they've done on their own.

1197
01:09:22,760 --> 01:09:24,700
This is not something affiliated with the city.

1198
01:09:25,820 --> 01:09:29,000
I think RL McFarland had mentioned, made reference to that.

1199
01:09:30,580 --> 01:09:34,540
They are going through that process through the Department of Ecology to move

1200
01:09:34,660 --> 01:09:36,920
a water right to that property, is my understanding.

1201
01:09:38,141 --> 01:09:41,960
The city is not involved in that. We don't have oversight of that.

1202
01:09:43,040 --> 01:09:44,141
We have certainly looked at it,

1203
01:09:46,120 --> 01:09:47,800
but that is a kind of a separate issue.

1204
01:09:47,900 --> 01:09:51,780
And why they're doing that, I think they outlined in their application that

1205
01:09:51,820 --> 01:09:53,980
they were intending to use it for irrigation use.

1206
01:09:54,740 --> 01:09:56,960
So again, that helps offset that demand.

1207
01:09:57,620 --> 01:10:01,580
Demand comes in many forms. The city, when it provides a water system, a lot of the

1208
01:10:01,620 --> 01:10:05,120
demand that it's trying to provide has to do with fire

1209
01:10:05,160 --> 01:10:05,820
protection.

1210
01:10:07,200 --> 01:10:07,600
Usage

1211
01:10:08,500 --> 01:10:11,340
is more on the residents and the type of use.

1212
01:10:11,840 --> 01:10:14,720
So a commercial has a certain type of use, or industrial.

1213
01:10:14,900 --> 01:10:18,040
They all have different types of uses and demands associated with them,

1214
01:10:18,880 --> 01:10:21,320
in addition to such things as irrigation.

1215
01:10:21,399 --> 01:10:21,560
So

1216
01:10:23,019 --> 01:10:26,940
hopefully I'm answering at least two of those questions, and help me out with the

1217
01:10:27,000 --> 01:10:29,480
third, or if you have additional follow-up questions on-

1218
01:10:29,740 --> 01:10:30,180
Mm-hmm

1219
01:10:30,720 --> 01:10:32,040
... my explanation.

1220
01:10:32,120 --> 01:10:36,080
I think the third was the comment about drilling an additional well.

1221
01:10:36,760 --> 01:10:39,120
I believe that's related to the water rights transfers-

1222
01:10:39,140 --> 01:10:39,160
Water, okay

1223
01:10:39,160 --> 01:10:40,860
... which that would be tied to.

1224
01:10:41,400 --> 01:10:42,380
That's great, thank you.

1225
01:10:43,540 --> 01:10:46,820
This question may be appropriate for you or for other staff.

1226
01:10:47,900 --> 01:10:51,840
As the city is looking at the terms of the development agreement,

1227
01:10:52,500 --> 01:10:56,440
I have heard concerns about water use for landscaping, and

1228
01:10:56,480 --> 01:10:59,460
my question is, would it be possible to require

1229
01:10:59,920 --> 01:11:03,360
drought-tolerant landscaping be used throughout the entire

1230
01:11:03,400 --> 01:11:04,080
development?

1231
01:11:05,000 --> 01:11:08,520
Is that something that the city has the authority to request or require?

1232
01:11:08,740 --> 01:11:08,920
Hold for that question.

1233
01:11:08,940 --> 01:11:12,840
Short answer is yes, that can be part of the discussions on the development

1234
01:11:12,880 --> 01:11:13,280
agreement.

1235
01:11:13,800 --> 01:11:14,060
Okay.

1236
01:11:18,760 --> 01:11:22,500
I have other questions, but I'll leave time for my-

1237
01:11:23,640 --> 01:11:24,620
You can certainly ask them.

1238
01:11:24,700 --> 01:11:24,880
Okay.

1239
01:11:26,400 --> 01:11:29,940
I also just want to share, I agree with Council Member Willis's

1240
01:11:30,000 --> 01:11:33,940
concerns. I would like to see this split into two separate

1241
01:11:34,040 --> 01:11:37,400
items. I think that that's important for transparency,

1242
01:11:38,080 --> 01:11:41,480
just because of the questions that we've gotten from the community about the cost

1243
01:11:41,520 --> 01:11:45,440
and about wanting to be sure that we're very clear and transparent

1244
01:11:45,480 --> 01:11:46,480
about the whole process.

1245
01:11:47,400 --> 01:11:49,760
So I would just echo those concerns.

1246
01:11:53,960 --> 01:11:57,940
And my last question, I guess is, is it appropriate to

1247
01:11:58,000 --> 01:12:01,680
wait until the development agreement is approved

1248
01:12:01,740 --> 01:12:05,400
before extending water service out to this site?

1249
01:12:07,000 --> 01:12:10,120
Is there a reason it needs to happen now rather than in

1250
01:12:10,280 --> 01:12:13,500
2029 as part of the standard process?

1251
01:12:16,140 --> 01:12:16,520
I would

1252
01:12:19,380 --> 01:12:22,180
kind of unpack that maybe se-- And it's a couple different answers.

1253
01:12:23,160 --> 01:12:26,680
Amending the water system plan, to go back to Director Beeley's

1254
01:12:27,100 --> 01:12:30,920
earlier presentation of the staff report, this property's in the city

1255
01:12:30,980 --> 01:12:34,840
limits. We're recognizing that we should be serving it with water

1256
01:12:35,180 --> 01:12:38,600
at some point. Does it mean we're approving the development with the water system

1257
01:12:38,640 --> 01:12:41,740
plan? They're completely separate actions.

1258
01:12:43,100 --> 01:12:45,040
The amendment of the water system plan is to,

1259
01:12:46,680 --> 01:12:50,640
can the city serve it with water? In the water system plan, part of that

1260
01:12:50,720 --> 01:12:54,500
analysis looks at, do we have the capacity to serve it, yes or no?

1261
01:12:54,540 --> 01:12:58,240
And that goes through a whole review process and amendment process

1262
01:12:58,920 --> 01:13:00,060
through the Department of Health.

1263
01:13:00,920 --> 01:13:04,440
Can we wait until we do our periodic update, which occurs every 10 years?

1264
01:13:04,520 --> 01:13:06,220
We certainly can. It just

1265
01:13:07,080 --> 01:13:07,980
delays the development,

1266
01:13:09,080 --> 01:13:10,400
and pushes that out.

1267
01:13:14,220 --> 01:13:15,940
Sorry, I lost my train of thought there for a minute.

1268
01:13:16,980 --> 01:13:20,620
In regards to the comments about that the city manager gets to approve this,

1269
01:13:21,120 --> 01:13:24,940
I have no authority to approve an amendment to the water system plan.

1270
01:13:25,320 --> 01:13:29,000
That approval process is outlined in state law and

1271
01:13:29,040 --> 01:13:32,720
the steps that we are required to go through, whether it's a periodic

1272
01:13:32,780 --> 01:13:36,660
update or an amendment. So I don't have any authority to make any

1273
01:13:36,720 --> 01:13:39,040
changes to that plan, adopt that plan.

1274
01:13:39,100 --> 01:13:41,260
All of that rests with the city council.

1275
01:13:42,420 --> 01:13:46,160
It's at your discretion if we do the

1276
01:13:46,200 --> 01:13:49,340
amendment now. Again, as we identified, it was

1277
01:13:49,960 --> 01:13:53,420
missed back in when we did the last periodic update, partly because,

1278
01:13:54,120 --> 01:13:57,940
as identified by Council Member Willis, the water was going to be originally

1279
01:13:57,980 --> 01:14:01,520
provided by the port. And so as we started to uncover and kind of

1280
01:14:02,260 --> 01:14:04,140
dig out through all this history

1281
01:14:04,980 --> 01:14:08,620
of this project, we reached out to the port and say, "Port of Walla Walla, is this

1282
01:14:08,680 --> 01:14:11,980
property still referenced in your water system plan?" It's not.

1283
01:14:12,380 --> 01:14:14,240
This property's kind of an island right now,

1284
01:14:15,060 --> 01:14:18,900
because it's not identified in either jurisdiction's water system plan.

1285
01:14:20,020 --> 01:14:23,840
And so that's why we were bringing the amendment forward, is to basically correct

1286
01:14:24,660 --> 01:14:27,420
what got missed back in the last periodic update.

1287
01:14:29,308 --> 01:14:30,288
I hope that answers your-

1288
01:14:30,888 --> 01:14:34,868
Thank you. And just to clarify, would there be an opportunity for public

1289
01:14:34,928 --> 01:14:38,828
comment again before the plan amendment was actually approved?

1290
01:14:38,948 --> 01:14:42,848
Oh, of course. I think we even require public hearings and such with

1291
01:14:42,908 --> 01:14:44,888
the plan amendment, if I remember correctly.

1292
01:14:45,327 --> 01:14:49,188
The DOH reviews and authorizes it to basically come back to council for

1293
01:14:49,248 --> 01:14:50,368
formal adoption.

1294
01:14:51,088 --> 01:14:54,828
Okay, great. Thank you. I guess the last thing I would say is

1295
01:14:54,888 --> 01:14:55,208
just,

1296
01:14:56,188 --> 01:14:59,988
at this point, we don't know for sure if the development agreement is

1297
01:15:00,028 --> 01:15:03,868
going to be approved, and so my personal preference is to wait until

1298
01:15:04,368 --> 01:15:07,088
we know that that is going to for sure move forward.

1299
01:15:09,608 --> 01:15:10,128
Mr. Alcuff?

1300
01:15:10,428 --> 01:15:10,588
Oh.

1301
01:15:11,888 --> 01:15:13,288
I don't really have a question in this.

1302
01:15:13,448 --> 01:15:15,328
I read this thing a couple times,

1303
01:15:16,648 --> 01:15:17,288
thought about it,

1304
01:15:18,488 --> 01:15:20,208
read my emails a couple times.

1305
01:15:22,008 --> 01:15:24,488
And I agree, I think it should be split up.

1306
01:15:24,728 --> 01:15:26,888
I think transparency is needed here.

1307
01:15:27,828 --> 01:15:28,988
Time is needed here.

1308
01:15:30,088 --> 01:15:32,108
Public input is definitely needed here.

1309
01:15:32,428 --> 01:15:34,508
This isn't a decision that we should make lightly

1310
01:15:35,328 --> 01:15:39,068
going forward. So I don't really have a question, I just wanted my thoughts to be

1311
01:15:39,108 --> 01:15:39,648
on the record.

1312
01:15:40,088 --> 01:15:40,308
Mm-hmm.

1313
01:15:41,948 --> 01:15:42,248
Mr. Moss?

1314
01:15:42,688 --> 01:15:43,548
Your Honor, thank you.

1315
01:15:49,568 --> 01:15:50,168
From staff,

1316
01:15:51,028 --> 01:15:51,448
was there

1317
01:15:52,428 --> 01:15:54,888
a potential cost savings by putting these

1318
01:15:55,848 --> 01:15:58,648
two activities under one contract?

1319
01:15:59,188 --> 01:15:59,428
Yes.

1320
01:16:01,068 --> 01:16:02,448
Do you have a sense of how much?

1321
01:16:03,288 --> 01:16:03,828
Not really.

1322
01:16:04,968 --> 01:16:08,248
Part of it's staff time, and part of it is efficiency in working with the

1323
01:16:08,288 --> 01:16:09,008
consultant team.

1324
01:16:10,388 --> 01:16:13,968
Particularly the Watershed Control Plan or program was something that was

1325
01:16:14,028 --> 01:16:17,788
identified in the Watershed Resiliency Plan as reviewing those

1326
01:16:17,828 --> 01:16:18,428
documents.

1327
01:16:19,388 --> 01:16:21,088
Yes, while some of it's there,

1328
01:16:21,908 --> 01:16:23,828
it needed to be formalized, so that was one of the

1329
01:16:25,888 --> 01:16:28,588
areas of improvement that was identified through that process.

1330
01:16:30,328 --> 01:16:33,868
Again, it's more efficient to run one contract than it is to run two contracts.

1331
01:16:35,348 --> 01:16:39,268
That's why it was put together that way, and it's the same consultant team

1332
01:16:39,688 --> 01:16:42,008
that we're looking at to assist us on both items.

1333
01:16:42,068 --> 01:16:43,808
So it made sense to put them together.

1334
01:16:45,128 --> 01:16:46,568
If council were to

1335
01:16:47,368 --> 01:16:50,668
decide to split them, that's doable, though?

1336
01:16:51,048 --> 01:16:51,268
Yes.

1337
01:16:53,988 --> 01:16:55,788
What exactly

1338
01:16:56,988 --> 01:16:59,988
are we, as a city, if we approved

1339
01:17:01,528 --> 01:17:03,888
the $28,000 scope of work,

1340
01:17:06,668 --> 01:17:07,708
what are we buying for that?

1341
01:17:08,548 --> 01:17:12,368
That is the Watershed Control Program, and it is a Washington

1342
01:17:12,408 --> 01:17:14,148
administrative code requirement.

1343
01:17:15,228 --> 01:17:16,988
Again, it's kind of been handled through a

1344
01:17:18,048 --> 01:17:20,468
conglomerate of different documents and pieces

1345
01:17:21,488 --> 01:17:24,848
that DOH has kind of given us a pass on in the past.

1346
01:17:25,308 --> 01:17:28,788
But it's something that we need to formalize and make as a

1347
01:17:28,868 --> 01:17:29,648
standalone

1348
01:17:30,468 --> 01:17:31,108
document that

1349
01:17:32,328 --> 01:17:36,088
helps us manage it going forth because they are, I believe it's

1350
01:17:36,208 --> 01:17:40,168
annual sanitary surveys that are conducted where this plan is reviewed and our

1351
01:17:40,288 --> 01:17:44,028
actions and reporting and it all brings better alignment and

1352
01:17:44,128 --> 01:17:47,848
uniformity by doing so. So that's why we're trying

1353
01:17:47,908 --> 01:17:48,888
to formalize it.

1354
01:17:49,788 --> 01:17:51,708
But by having the state's eyes

1355
01:17:53,008 --> 01:17:55,908
on the project, if we were to approve it,

1356
01:17:56,808 --> 01:17:57,428
that gives us

1357
01:17:59,168 --> 01:17:59,608
additional

1358
01:18:00,468 --> 01:18:02,628
resources. Is that fair?

1359
01:18:03,308 --> 01:18:05,248
I don't know that it brings us additional resources.

1360
01:18:05,928 --> 01:18:09,668
It formalizes that program in a much easier way to

1361
01:18:09,748 --> 01:18:12,928
follow and execute and administer over time.

1362
01:18:13,968 --> 01:18:15,548
If the study were to proceed,

1363
01:18:16,788 --> 01:18:18,348
the information from that study,

1364
01:18:19,348 --> 01:18:22,748
whatever the recommendations are, would come back to the city council?

1365
01:18:23,748 --> 01:18:24,868
The Watershed Control Program

1366
01:18:25,708 --> 01:18:27,768
or the Water System Plan Amendment?

1367
01:18:27,908 --> 01:18:28,508
I'm talking about

1368
01:18:29,488 --> 01:18:31,528
for the LE project.

1369
01:18:31,988 --> 01:18:33,288
Yes, that would come back to council.

1370
01:18:33,388 --> 01:18:37,348
Again, after there's a pretty specific process that we have to follow,

1371
01:18:38,548 --> 01:18:42,208
and address certain documentation with the Department of Health

1372
01:18:42,688 --> 01:18:46,568
to their satisfaction, and once that's done, then that amendment would come back

1373
01:18:46,607 --> 01:18:48,167
to council for formal adoption.

1374
01:18:48,808 --> 01:18:50,487
So the council, as I understand it,

1375
01:18:52,408 --> 01:18:56,108
if we approved it, we would be getting a consultant's

1376
01:18:58,208 --> 01:19:01,228
opinion, information on if we,

1377
01:19:02,968 --> 01:19:05,928
the city, were to provide water to this area,

1378
01:19:06,868 --> 01:19:07,428
what those

1379
01:19:08,268 --> 01:19:08,988
requirements

1380
01:19:10,328 --> 01:19:13,168
would be, maybe even cost figures, I don't know.

1381
01:19:13,668 --> 01:19:16,108
No, not to that level of detail. This is basically,

1382
01:19:17,388 --> 01:19:21,148
again, saying that the water service area aligns with the city

1383
01:19:21,188 --> 01:19:24,008
limits. So what's in the city is served by the city.

1384
01:19:24,408 --> 01:19:28,248
That's one component. But you also have to go through a process to

1385
01:19:28,328 --> 01:19:31,908
assure that you have sufficient resources in order to provide that water.

1386
01:19:32,208 --> 01:19:36,068
So that's one step. There are additional steps into actually the

1387
01:19:36,128 --> 01:19:40,088
infrastructure component of putting pipes in the ground and that type of thing.

1388
01:19:40,408 --> 01:19:44,148
That's another step. That's another element that will have to be

1389
01:19:44,188 --> 01:19:45,648
reviewed by the Department of Health.

1390
01:19:46,488 --> 01:19:50,308
But it's not a task that necessarily the city will take on as far as that

1391
01:19:50,368 --> 01:19:54,068
expense. That would be the developer's responsibility for those

1392
01:19:54,108 --> 01:19:56,868
design elements and going through

1393
01:19:57,948 --> 01:19:58,908
the design process.

1394
01:19:59,888 --> 01:20:02,808
And that too, goes through Department of Health to review.

1395
01:20:03,628 --> 01:20:05,048
But a separate element from

1396
01:20:05,888 --> 01:20:06,168
the

1397
01:20:06,968 --> 01:20:10,128
water service area plan amendment, if you will.

1398
01:20:11,308 --> 01:20:12,228
So we, the city,

1399
01:20:13,268 --> 01:20:15,968
neglected to, forgot about, it missed

1400
01:20:18,428 --> 01:20:22,208
being on the list of issues that we were to

1401
01:20:22,248 --> 01:20:22,928
report on in

1402
01:20:24,448 --> 01:20:25,208
2020. Is that

1403
01:20:26,228 --> 01:20:26,288
my-

1404
01:20:26,748 --> 01:20:29,988
Honestly, I think there's a lot of conjecture of how did this get missed?

1405
01:20:30,148 --> 01:20:31,368
Was it intentionally missed?

1406
01:20:31,508 --> 01:20:31,648
Yeah.

1407
01:20:31,948 --> 01:20:32,768
I don't really want to go there.

1408
01:20:32,768 --> 01:20:33,248
It did happen

1409
01:20:34,340 --> 01:20:37,940
I can tell you is there's a lot of history with that particular piece of property

1410
01:20:37,980 --> 01:20:41,760
when it comes to serving it with water that's hard to unpack and

1411
01:20:41,820 --> 01:20:42,259
unravel.

1412
01:20:42,560 --> 01:20:46,540
Who is going to serve it, how much water is going to be available, all those kinds

1413
01:20:46,560 --> 01:20:46,940
of things.

1414
01:20:47,080 --> 01:20:47,400
Yes.

1415
01:20:47,460 --> 01:20:49,020
And then the fact that,

1416
01:20:50,760 --> 01:20:51,320
in my mind,

1417
01:20:53,360 --> 01:20:57,200
one of the principal reasons that the project didn't proceed was we had the

1418
01:20:57,240 --> 01:20:58,000
Great Recession.

1419
01:20:59,140 --> 01:21:01,840
That was my understanding, and that there was a number of extensions-

1420
01:21:01,880 --> 01:21:02,640
In the middle of it.

1421
01:21:05,440 --> 01:21:06,979
The money wasn't there, the project

1422
01:21:07,880 --> 01:21:10,020
fell apart. The property's been sold.

1423
01:21:11,560 --> 01:21:12,180
Is that correct?

1424
01:21:12,300 --> 01:21:12,400
Mm-hmm.

1425
01:21:12,600 --> 01:21:13,060
It's not the-

1426
01:21:13,180 --> 01:21:13,600
That is correct

1427
01:21:13,620 --> 01:21:14,180
... original

1428
01:21:15,380 --> 01:21:17,120
developer that brought it to the city and

1429
01:21:19,080 --> 01:21:19,480
got the

1430
01:21:20,740 --> 01:21:21,780
property annexed.

1431
01:21:26,420 --> 01:21:30,060
So, if we do provide the study, all we're

1432
01:21:30,120 --> 01:21:30,760
doing is

1433
01:21:31,560 --> 01:21:32,380
asking for

1434
01:21:33,920 --> 01:21:34,740
how the water

1435
01:21:36,620 --> 01:21:39,599
would have to be provided? I'm still confused on this.

1436
01:21:40,100 --> 01:21:43,780
Yeah. We're essentially updating the service area map

1437
01:21:43,900 --> 01:21:44,280
and

1438
01:21:46,080 --> 01:21:47,060
can we provide it with water. And

1439
01:21:48,760 --> 01:21:52,540
hopefully I'm not going to add more confusion to this, but when we do a water

1440
01:21:52,580 --> 01:21:54,860
system plan, when we do our general sewer plan,

1441
01:21:55,680 --> 01:21:59,120
part of those plans look at what is our projected growth over our

1442
01:21:59,340 --> 01:22:02,900
20-year planning horizon. It's all connected with the comprehensive.

1443
01:22:02,940 --> 01:22:03,960
So when we did the

1444
01:22:05,040 --> 01:22:08,920
water system plan update, the last periodic update, all of that

1445
01:22:08,960 --> 01:22:12,580
information was provided and included within that water system plan,

1446
01:22:13,180 --> 01:22:16,480
which included this property. Because it was in the city limits, we needed to do

1447
01:22:16,560 --> 01:22:20,360
our population projections. We had the property zoned as urban plan

1448
01:22:20,420 --> 01:22:24,400
community. All of that was contemplated within

1449
01:22:24,820 --> 01:22:26,520
the current water system plan.

1450
01:22:27,440 --> 01:22:30,680
It's just when you go to the map, when it says, "Is it within our service area?"

1451
01:22:31,560 --> 01:22:33,420
This property just doesn't have a line around it.

1452
01:22:33,480 --> 01:22:33,500
I

1453
01:22:35,320 --> 01:22:37,940
don't want to make it as simple as that, but it's almost as simple as that.

1454
01:22:37,980 --> 01:22:41,620
We just need to draw a line around the property and say, "It's in our water

1455
01:22:41,700 --> 01:22:42,320
service area."

1456
01:22:43,139 --> 01:22:46,460
So are we out of compliance by not having that?

1457
01:22:49,140 --> 01:22:52,380
That's a little hard to say, and I would recommend probably with all the questions

1458
01:22:52,420 --> 01:22:56,200
that we're hearing tonight, there is not a rush to make this

1459
01:22:56,240 --> 01:22:58,940
decision this evening on the water system plan amendment.

1460
01:22:59,800 --> 01:23:02,220
I would recommend that council separate these two issues.

1461
01:23:02,260 --> 01:23:06,160
Let's take the action on the watershed control program, and

1462
01:23:06,180 --> 01:23:09,920
we'll come back and workshop the water system plan amendment, and we'll

1463
01:23:09,980 --> 01:23:11,080
answer these questions for you.

1464
01:23:11,160 --> 01:23:14,580
I appreciate that. Just one more clarification.

1465
01:23:16,120 --> 01:23:18,660
Any new development that happens, whether it's

1466
01:23:20,860 --> 01:23:24,840
near the airport, south of town, east of town, north of town,

1467
01:23:25,820 --> 01:23:28,100
the developer is required to put in

1468
01:23:29,980 --> 01:23:31,240
and pay for the resources-

1469
01:23:31,440 --> 01:23:32,060
The infrastructure

1470
01:23:32,080 --> 01:23:35,480
... to get the water to them, and for the sewer line to

1471
01:23:36,400 --> 01:23:36,760
take

1472
01:23:37,740 --> 01:23:38,580
the resources

1473
01:23:39,540 --> 01:23:41,040
out of that property. Is that correct?

1474
01:23:41,120 --> 01:23:41,740
That is correct.

1475
01:23:42,100 --> 01:23:42,480
Thank you.

1476
01:23:43,840 --> 01:23:44,640
Councilor Robinson.

1477
01:23:45,400 --> 01:23:48,060
Apologies for not raising my hand earlier.

1478
01:23:48,160 --> 01:23:51,020
I was collecting my thoughts. It has been quite the week.

1479
01:23:52,840 --> 01:23:54,680
I would support splitting these.

1480
01:23:55,980 --> 01:23:59,940
As a rule, I believe in the axiom, we grow, or we die.

1481
01:24:00,920 --> 01:24:04,760
And I believe my record of voting for things would

1482
01:24:04,820 --> 01:24:05,880
showcase that.

1483
01:24:06,740 --> 01:24:10,460
But I don't think it's unreasonable for people to say, "Let's take a

1484
01:24:10,520 --> 01:24:14,360
moment here." This thing has been around for 20-plus years.

1485
01:24:14,840 --> 01:24:18,460
I read the most fascinating noir novel written by Dan Clark.

1486
01:24:18,500 --> 01:24:22,480
It was called "Walla Walla: A Study in Corruption," and I'm not going

1487
01:24:22,500 --> 01:24:26,100
to lie to you, there were so many twists and turns in the darn thing

1488
01:24:26,580 --> 01:24:29,080
that I thought I was reading-- You have a gift.

1489
01:24:30,000 --> 01:24:33,500
A gift. And I hope you'll write my obituary if I

1490
01:24:33,560 --> 01:24:36,160
predecease you. It's that good, okay?

1491
01:24:36,440 --> 01:24:37,580
It was beautiful, Dan.

1492
01:24:38,980 --> 01:24:42,920
That being said, I think we do have a lot of difficult

1493
01:24:42,980 --> 01:24:46,680
questions. We do have a comprehensive plan that's going through the process of

1494
01:24:46,720 --> 01:24:50,640
being approved. It's not unreasonable given a lot of what has

1495
01:24:50,679 --> 01:24:54,580
happened in the past before many of us even got on council to take it a little

1496
01:24:54,700 --> 01:24:58,620
slower, to see where we end up, to see what pieces we're going to

1497
01:24:58,660 --> 01:24:59,740
be working with. And

1498
01:25:00,800 --> 01:25:03,860
when the time comes, if we need somebody to make a motion to split them, I'd be

1499
01:25:03,920 --> 01:25:05,300
happy to. I have one in mind.

1500
01:25:06,500 --> 01:25:07,560
Councilor Escala, you had a question.

1501
01:25:07,620 --> 01:25:07,840
Yeah.

1502
01:25:09,000 --> 01:25:09,480
I agree with

1503
01:25:10,400 --> 01:25:11,400
everything that's said.

1504
01:25:12,480 --> 01:25:15,360
I think that right off the bat, R'L hit it on the head, that

1505
01:25:16,600 --> 01:25:20,500
there's no rush because they're going to look at it in 2029 anyway.

1506
01:25:22,740 --> 01:25:23,700
But I do not think--

1507
01:25:25,600 --> 01:25:28,200
I was listening to Council Member Moss' questions.

1508
01:25:28,700 --> 01:25:32,460
Simply because something's been zoned this way or adopted this

1509
01:25:32,540 --> 01:25:32,700
way,

1510
01:25:33,600 --> 01:25:37,040
I don't think that makes it mean we have to do that.

1511
01:25:37,080 --> 01:25:38,880
There's always ways to change things.

1512
01:25:39,460 --> 01:25:39,760
And

1513
01:25:41,120 --> 01:25:41,340
as

1514
01:25:42,200 --> 01:25:46,080
Monty said, I've followed this for 20 years when it

1515
01:25:46,120 --> 01:25:48,940
was Alahi and Pembroke and now MC Gateway.

1516
01:25:49,540 --> 01:25:50,460
And the public has

1517
01:25:52,620 --> 01:25:53,940
been highly opposed

1518
01:25:55,020 --> 01:25:58,500
every step of the way. And I think what the public

1519
01:25:59,240 --> 01:26:03,100
believes, the general public believes, and the taxpayers, it

1520
01:26:03,580 --> 01:26:07,480
should matter. And for us to put things in

1521
01:26:07,540 --> 01:26:11,340
there, we really have to look at what the cost will be to

1522
01:26:11,720 --> 01:26:14,880
the public. And

1523
01:26:15,620 --> 01:26:19,360
on the issue of whether we should just approve this now because it's just

1524
01:26:19,840 --> 01:26:20,760
a starting point,

1525
01:26:21,560 --> 01:26:23,520
I would prefer we just leave the

1526
01:26:24,360 --> 01:26:26,020
train at the station, the horse in the

1527
01:26:26,880 --> 01:26:28,740
barn, all that stuff. I think

1528
01:26:31,300 --> 01:26:34,620
there's going to be opportunity for the public to weigh in-

1529
01:26:35,488 --> 01:26:39,328
And it won't be on such a short notice that there's a big rush to get down to

1530
01:26:39,548 --> 01:26:41,268
City Hall and make a protest. So-

1531
01:26:42,388 --> 01:26:43,348
... I would

1532
01:26:44,268 --> 01:26:45,588
concur with my councilman.

1533
01:26:45,628 --> 01:26:46,388
Councilor Williams, you had-

1534
01:26:46,708 --> 01:26:47,048
So I,

1535
01:26:48,168 --> 01:26:49,268
big thing, one small thing.

1536
01:26:50,228 --> 01:26:50,908
The big thing was

1537
01:26:52,368 --> 01:26:55,888
thinking about this sewer trunk line that's going to have to go up there, up Mill

1538
01:26:55,948 --> 01:26:57,008
Creek Road to get there.

1539
01:26:59,948 --> 01:27:03,628
The trunk lines like that, we usually don't ask developers to put those

1540
01:27:03,728 --> 01:27:05,688
in on established public roads

1541
01:27:06,588 --> 01:27:09,728
that might service lots of other properties along the way.

1542
01:27:10,148 --> 01:27:11,148
Is that really how we

1543
01:27:12,368 --> 01:27:13,188
would build that out?

1544
01:27:13,668 --> 01:27:16,968
That one is to be determined how that's going to go forth, because it is a big

1545
01:27:17,028 --> 01:27:19,048
expense, is how to do that.

1546
01:27:20,528 --> 01:27:22,668
Because that doesn't strike me that that's the way that works,

1547
01:27:23,708 --> 01:27:26,308
typically anyways. So just putting that one out there.

1548
01:27:26,348 --> 01:27:30,328
That seems like that's going to be a massive public expense along with the

1549
01:27:30,368 --> 01:27:34,208
road improvements, because I can't see them being able to make enough on

1550
01:27:34,248 --> 01:27:35,288
those houses to pay for

1551
01:27:37,108 --> 01:27:41,008
that sewer extension. That just makes the thing whole unfeasible.

1552
01:27:41,648 --> 01:27:42,688
So that's number one.

1553
01:27:43,528 --> 01:27:46,268
And then number two, and this is a smaller thing, but nonetheless,

1554
01:27:47,448 --> 01:27:48,028
we are

1555
01:27:48,888 --> 01:27:52,368
dealing with a budget shortfall, and this is money we don't have to spend now.

1556
01:27:52,608 --> 01:27:52,708
Mm.

1557
01:27:53,868 --> 01:27:56,108
This is money that I don't think this development's going to happen, if it happens

1558
01:27:56,148 --> 01:27:59,068
at all, until way in the future. So

1559
01:28:00,108 --> 01:28:02,528
just from a pure financial perspective, I don't see the

1560
01:28:03,628 --> 01:28:05,288
point of spending this money now.

1561
01:28:06,388 --> 01:28:08,228
We're looking for places to save money.

1562
01:28:08,588 --> 01:28:10,588
This looks like a great one to me.

1563
01:28:11,528 --> 01:28:11,688
So...

1564
01:28:12,248 --> 01:28:14,568
All right. Any other questions or comments?

1565
01:28:15,488 --> 01:28:15,708
Nope.

1566
01:28:17,108 --> 01:28:18,768
From my... Yes, did you have another question?

1567
01:28:18,828 --> 01:28:20,108
No, I was moving my hand.

1568
01:28:20,748 --> 01:28:24,388
From my perspective, reading the history, the very convoluted history of this,

1569
01:28:24,688 --> 01:28:28,468
it's not clear that the decisions that were made at some

1570
01:28:28,528 --> 01:28:32,268
point had in consideration the current reality of our

1571
01:28:32,328 --> 01:28:34,668
water supply or our drought, et cetera.

1572
01:28:34,748 --> 01:28:34,848
So,

1573
01:28:35,788 --> 01:28:39,468
should that come to council at this point, based on the current

1574
01:28:39,508 --> 01:28:41,168
conditions of our city,

1575
01:28:42,488 --> 01:28:46,428
I doubt that we would make decisions that were made several years

1576
01:28:46,488 --> 01:28:50,248
ago. And I don't mean to second guess them, but they were made

1577
01:28:50,908 --> 01:28:54,268
at a different time and a different context than what we have today.

1578
01:28:54,348 --> 01:28:58,108
So that alone, which is I think where many of the people who came here

1579
01:28:58,188 --> 01:29:02,148
to talk about, is very important for us to reconsider.

1580
01:29:03,168 --> 01:29:07,128
It really resonates with me, the question of budget and that we need to

1581
01:29:07,188 --> 01:29:11,068
make these expenses at this time when we have a lot of other constraints.

1582
01:29:11,988 --> 01:29:15,788
I know that as one of the alternatives that was given to us on

1583
01:29:15,848 --> 01:29:19,808
this policy was to direct staff to renegotiate the scope

1584
01:29:19,848 --> 01:29:23,728
of work and separate the water system plan amendment and the Watershed

1585
01:29:23,808 --> 01:29:27,528
Control Plan Program. What I heard earlier is that we

1586
01:29:27,588 --> 01:29:27,908
have...

1587
01:29:30,068 --> 01:29:32,708
Ms. Chamberlain, I think you said we will table one

1588
01:29:33,528 --> 01:29:34,868
entirely in any case, but-

1589
01:29:35,148 --> 01:29:35,208
Mm-hmm

1590
01:29:35,228 --> 01:29:36,508
... but we still need to have

1591
01:29:37,428 --> 01:29:41,008
a motion to separate them so that we can vote on one

1592
01:29:41,948 --> 01:29:45,828
separately. On each separately, but one is already maybe would

1593
01:29:46,188 --> 01:29:48,168
need to vote on it being tabled? Not sure.

1594
01:29:49,048 --> 01:29:51,168
Or should we just agree that it's being tabled?

1595
01:29:53,168 --> 01:29:56,528
You just need to make, if you only want to proceed on one

1596
01:29:56,628 --> 01:30:00,448
aspect, just make the motion that you're just

1597
01:30:00,508 --> 01:30:03,168
voting to approve that. The other part of it just-

1598
01:30:03,248 --> 01:30:04,848
The other part would remain out. Okay.

1599
01:30:05,968 --> 01:30:06,768
Anything else?

1600
01:30:08,328 --> 01:30:12,268
Go for it. So I move to approve the Watershed Control Plan

1601
01:30:14,008 --> 01:30:16,308
as outlined in the

1602
01:30:18,148 --> 01:30:20,028
agenda item, which was originally

1603
01:30:21,308 --> 01:30:23,988
designated as Resolution

1604
01:30:24,388 --> 01:30:26,648
2026-080.

1605
01:30:28,128 --> 01:30:28,588
Second.

1606
01:30:28,768 --> 01:30:31,248
We have a motion and a second. All those in favor? Yes.

1607
01:30:31,308 --> 01:30:34,888
Just a note that we're approving the contract with Consort

1608
01:30:34,968 --> 01:30:38,548
Engineers to complete the Watershed Control

1609
01:30:38,648 --> 01:30:41,408
Program, not approving the Watershed Control Program.

1610
01:30:41,468 --> 01:30:41,828
Oh, right. Yeah.

1611
01:30:42,108 --> 01:30:42,408
Right.

1612
01:30:42,408 --> 01:30:43,568
I was sort of incorporating-

1613
01:30:43,628 --> 01:30:43,728
Okay

1614
01:30:43,968 --> 01:30:45,508
... what was in number two, but that's great. Yeah.

1615
01:30:45,908 --> 01:30:46,108
Okay.

1616
01:30:46,168 --> 01:30:48,008
If you want to take over and make the motion, then you're-

1617
01:30:48,308 --> 01:30:48,648
You got it.

1618
01:30:48,668 --> 01:30:49,128
Go for it.

1619
01:30:49,228 --> 01:30:50,128
Just want to make sure we're clear.

1620
01:30:50,228 --> 01:30:51,148
Second again.

1621
01:30:51,348 --> 01:30:51,448
Yeah.

1622
01:30:53,328 --> 01:30:56,668
We're approving a contract with a contractor to put together documentation that

1623
01:30:56,708 --> 01:30:57,988
goes to the Department of Health.

1624
01:30:58,468 --> 01:31:01,568
Correct. Do we need the updated dollar amount?

1625
01:31:03,108 --> 01:31:05,108
No, not for the resolution you don't. Okay.

1626
01:31:05,828 --> 01:31:08,468
As long as it's clear and the staff go back and

1627
01:31:09,548 --> 01:31:12,468
change the scope of work to match what you've approved.

1628
01:31:13,028 --> 01:31:13,308
Okay.

1629
01:31:13,688 --> 01:31:13,968
All right.

1630
01:31:14,028 --> 01:31:14,948
I would yield. You want to-

1631
01:31:14,968 --> 01:31:16,188
And Councilor Moser, you have something else?

1632
01:31:16,428 --> 01:31:17,268
I just want to

1633
01:31:18,468 --> 01:31:20,848
recognize the clerk and make sure she understands-

1634
01:31:21,788 --> 01:31:22,408
What the motion is

1635
01:31:22,408 --> 01:31:22,988
... for the record.

1636
01:31:23,948 --> 01:31:24,508
The record.

1637
01:31:25,328 --> 01:31:28,588
My understanding is the motion is to approve the Watershed Control

1638
01:31:28,768 --> 01:31:30,868
Program contract with Consort.

1639
01:31:30,908 --> 01:31:31,428
Contract with.

1640
01:31:32,688 --> 01:31:33,148
Correct.

1641
01:31:33,788 --> 01:31:35,848
We have that motion. We have a second.

1642
01:31:36,268 --> 01:31:36,568
Yep.

1643
01:31:37,048 --> 01:31:39,268
Okay, all those in favor, please say aye.

1644
01:31:39,348 --> 01:31:39,488
Aye.

1645
01:31:39,548 --> 01:31:39,708
Aye.

1646
01:31:39,728 --> 01:31:40,048
Aye.

1647
01:31:40,488 --> 01:31:41,248
Any opposed?

1648
01:31:42,988 --> 01:31:45,568
That passes unanimously. Okay.

1649
01:31:46,848 --> 01:31:48,268
The next item in our

1650
01:31:49,308 --> 01:31:51,888
active agenda is Resolution

1651
01:31:52,088 --> 01:31:56,068
2026-082, authorized as a professional services

1652
01:31:56,148 --> 01:31:56,668
contract with

1653
01:31:57,508 --> 01:32:01,308
Hill Associates Architects, PLLC, in the amount not to

1654
01:32:01,348 --> 01:32:04,008
exceed 214,700.

1655
01:32:05,468 --> 01:32:06,228
That is

1656
01:32:07,968 --> 01:32:11,668
Ms. Click, and that's related to WesCom, if I understand correctly.

1657
01:32:11,708 --> 01:32:12,188
That's correct.

1658
01:32:12,228 --> 01:32:12,428
All right.

1659
01:32:16,488 --> 01:32:17,468
Thank you. Welcome. And

1660
01:32:18,928 --> 01:32:19,468
move that one.

1661
01:32:23,108 --> 01:32:23,428
That better?

1662
01:32:24,348 --> 01:32:24,568
Okay.

1663
01:32:25,428 --> 01:32:27,148
I did have a presentation.

1664
01:32:30,188 --> 01:32:31,128
Did you put it back? Is it in the-

1665
01:32:31,188 --> 01:32:32,148
I did put it in the folder.

1666
01:32:32,288 --> 01:32:32,708
Sure, okay.

1667
01:32:38,108 --> 01:32:38,428
She didn't

1668
01:32:52,478 --> 01:32:55,138
Perfect. Thank you. I just wanted to give you guys-

1669
01:32:56,378 --> 01:32:56,738
Sure.

1670
01:32:56,938 --> 01:32:57,498
Oh, sorry.

1671
01:32:59,178 --> 01:32:59,318
Yeah.

1672
01:33:15,038 --> 01:33:15,278
All right.

1673
01:33:16,758 --> 01:33:18,638
No, you're good. Thank you. I appreciate it.

1674
01:33:19,998 --> 01:33:23,598
So for those of you that don't know me, my name's Esther Click, and I'm the manager

1675
01:33:23,678 --> 01:33:24,858
at the 911 dispatch,

1676
01:33:26,218 --> 01:33:29,958
also known as WESCOM. We provide services for the entire Walla Walla County.

1677
01:33:30,978 --> 01:33:34,838
So today, I'm presenting to you a resolution requesting

1678
01:33:34,918 --> 01:33:36,038
for approval

1679
01:33:36,958 --> 01:33:40,898
of us to engage in what we are considering a phase one of

1680
01:33:41,038 --> 01:33:43,158
a very long extended project.

1681
01:33:44,358 --> 01:33:48,198
So in 1997, WESCOM was relocated to

1682
01:33:48,238 --> 01:33:49,278
its current location,

1683
01:33:50,078 --> 01:33:51,478
which is 27 North Second.

1684
01:33:52,458 --> 01:33:56,078
It was supposed to be relocated there on a temporary basis.

1685
01:33:56,998 --> 01:34:00,678
And now we're in 2026, so it was not so temporary.

1686
01:34:02,018 --> 01:34:05,998
In 2023, throughout the time, there's been a lot of conversations of

1687
01:34:06,038 --> 01:34:08,758
getting us relocated to a more appropriate place,

1688
01:34:09,578 --> 01:34:11,458
for security reasons and

1689
01:34:12,318 --> 01:34:13,558
seismic issues,

1690
01:34:14,418 --> 01:34:18,138
water flood issues, all sorts of risks that we are exposed to at our

1691
01:34:18,198 --> 01:34:19,098
current location.

1692
01:34:19,998 --> 01:34:23,558
We've always kind of fallen a little bit short of being able to

1693
01:34:24,178 --> 01:34:27,498
make that a complete goal. In

1694
01:34:27,518 --> 01:34:31,298
'23, the county started to engage in

1695
01:34:31,358 --> 01:34:33,478
looking at some options, and they looked

1696
01:34:34,438 --> 01:34:37,838
and had some federal partners and were able to obtain some federal

1697
01:34:38,238 --> 01:34:40,998
funds to look into a port property.

1698
01:34:42,038 --> 01:34:43,578
Ultimately, that was not

1699
01:34:44,698 --> 01:34:48,638
deemed a good location. The expense to relocate us

1700
01:34:48,698 --> 01:34:52,398
there was going to be vast more than just building

1701
01:34:52,478 --> 01:34:53,458
from the ground up.

1702
01:34:54,458 --> 01:34:58,298
But building from the ground up is very expensive and something that we are not

1703
01:34:58,618 --> 01:35:01,598
considering at this time because of our financial

1704
01:35:02,238 --> 01:35:04,878
situation. And then in 2024,

1705
01:35:06,038 --> 01:35:08,558
we started doing a couple different things.

1706
01:35:09,018 --> 01:35:12,638
I was asked, coming in as a manager, to look at some

1707
01:35:13,078 --> 01:35:17,038
sustainable funding for our dispatch center, and it came forward

1708
01:35:17,218 --> 01:35:20,138
as a ballot for all of our citizens across the entire county.

1709
01:35:20,938 --> 01:35:24,778
We worked really hard to educate our county and our citizens as

1710
01:35:24,838 --> 01:35:28,298
to why we were doing this and what our needs truly are.

1711
01:35:28,798 --> 01:35:32,738
And relocating us from our current location to

1712
01:35:32,778 --> 01:35:36,478
a more proper location was definitely one of the items that were

1713
01:35:36,518 --> 01:35:39,278
discussed during that campaign. So,

1714
01:35:40,378 --> 01:35:42,498
that passed. We have

1715
01:35:43,538 --> 01:35:46,718
started collecting, at the beginning of this year, those funds,

1716
01:35:47,418 --> 01:35:51,218
and we're looking at different things that we can obviously do with those funds,

1717
01:35:52,258 --> 01:35:56,098
and considering what our options are, how we can use those funds appropriately to

1718
01:35:56,658 --> 01:35:57,918
move to a new location.

1719
01:35:59,718 --> 01:36:02,958
During the summer of '25, I believe it was,

1720
01:36:04,158 --> 01:36:07,298
we engaged in conversations with Walla Walla Community College.

1721
01:36:09,058 --> 01:36:12,518
As most community colleges, they're experiencing some of their

1722
01:36:12,618 --> 01:36:15,138
spaces not being utilized to its fullest

1723
01:36:15,958 --> 01:36:19,838
ability or capacity. And so they engaged a conversation with us

1724
01:36:19,918 --> 01:36:22,738
about partnering and maybe allowing us to

1725
01:36:23,578 --> 01:36:27,078
take over some space. Obviously, we would have to retrofit it.

1726
01:36:27,118 --> 01:36:27,498
There's

1727
01:36:28,298 --> 01:36:29,998
building codes that we have to

1728
01:36:31,258 --> 01:36:34,658
maintain based on our public safety standard.

1729
01:36:35,718 --> 01:36:39,618
So we started having those conversations, and now we're to the

1730
01:36:39,698 --> 01:36:43,518
point where we believe that partnership between the city, the

1731
01:36:43,598 --> 01:36:47,538
county, Walla Walla Community College, DES, and

1732
01:36:47,638 --> 01:36:51,578
all those partners that need to be involved, could be fruitful,

1733
01:36:51,918 --> 01:36:54,838
and we could actually look at something that we could

1734
01:36:54,918 --> 01:36:58,578
financially support and be able to maintain moving

1735
01:36:58,678 --> 01:36:59,138
forward.

1736
01:37:01,178 --> 01:37:04,318
So there have been some further studies.

1737
01:37:04,378 --> 01:37:07,898
We engaged IXP, which had been engaged previously by the

1738
01:37:07,978 --> 01:37:11,638
county. However, we did it ourselves, asked them to

1739
01:37:11,738 --> 01:37:15,378
look at the potential of retrofitting the Walla Walla Community College.

1740
01:37:15,918 --> 01:37:19,498
And the conclusion of that was that retrofitting is actually feasible.

1741
01:37:19,738 --> 01:37:22,298
So we continued down that conversation.

1742
01:37:22,678 --> 01:37:23,718
May 14th,

1743
01:37:24,718 --> 01:37:28,518
we put out an RFP for a new public safety answering

1744
01:37:28,578 --> 01:37:30,518
point and emergency management facility.

1745
01:37:31,018 --> 01:37:32,878
That RFP closed on June 11th.

1746
01:37:33,798 --> 01:37:35,358
We went through a selection process.

1747
01:37:35,398 --> 01:37:39,318
There was a panel, there was an interview after the first

1748
01:37:39,378 --> 01:37:43,118
preliminary scoring panel. And we came down

1749
01:37:43,238 --> 01:37:46,458
to reaching our selected firm, which was MJ Neal.

1750
01:37:47,358 --> 01:37:51,158
MJ Neal has since then engaged in further conversations with us,

1751
01:37:51,238 --> 01:37:54,438
given us a proposal. What this phase one is going to do--

1752
01:37:55,218 --> 01:37:56,818
And you can skip over to the next one.

1753
01:37:58,698 --> 01:38:01,998
What the phase one's going to do is provide us a schematic design and cost

1754
01:38:02,058 --> 01:38:04,698
estimating. So this is where we live at.

1755
01:38:04,758 --> 01:38:08,678
This is where your 911 facilities for the entire county live right

1756
01:38:08,738 --> 01:38:09,058
now.

1757
01:38:09,978 --> 01:38:13,898
And yes, we are able to perform our duties to the

1758
01:38:13,938 --> 01:38:16,078
best of our abilities with what we have.

1759
01:38:17,478 --> 01:38:21,138
But I think our community, when they look at this, would

1760
01:38:21,198 --> 01:38:24,898
rather see something that's better, that's more

1761
01:38:24,958 --> 01:38:26,018
modern, that's

1762
01:38:27,398 --> 01:38:30,918
robust, and that can withstand a lot of other things, given

1763
01:38:31,718 --> 01:38:35,638
where we're at and where we would like to be at, and being able to

1764
01:38:35,718 --> 01:38:39,698
live into the future far beyond our lifetime.

1765
01:38:40,438 --> 01:38:40,618
So,

1766
01:38:41,598 --> 01:38:45,518
what this vision and what this phase one will do is, if you can skip into the next

1767
01:38:45,578 --> 01:38:46,518
one, next slide.

1768
01:38:47,758 --> 01:38:51,698
We're starting to look at what this would look at. This is the technology building.

1769
01:38:52,478 --> 01:38:55,718
Big red doors, if anybody has been down to the community college.

1770
01:38:56,158 --> 01:38:58,278
It would be located on the second floor.

1771
01:38:58,758 --> 01:39:02,658
And these are just rough ... sketches of what we're

1772
01:39:02,738 --> 01:39:06,438
trying to envision, of what we could do to be able to

1773
01:39:07,198 --> 01:39:10,718
retrofit and relocate our dispatchers and our emergency

1774
01:39:11,018 --> 01:39:14,318
management department into a newer facility

1775
01:39:14,998 --> 01:39:16,338
with new technology.

1776
01:39:17,158 --> 01:39:19,538
And be able to fulfill the needs of our community

1777
01:39:20,918 --> 01:39:22,718
a little bit better maybe than we are today.

1778
01:39:23,998 --> 01:39:27,978
So today, I'm asking you guys to please consider approving this

1779
01:39:28,018 --> 01:39:30,538
resolution so that we can move into this phase one.

1780
01:39:31,678 --> 01:39:32,198
Questions?

1781
01:39:32,778 --> 01:39:34,738
Okay. Thank you very much, Ms. Click.

1782
01:39:34,878 --> 01:39:34,998
Yes.

1783
01:39:35,038 --> 01:39:38,898
We'll give the public an opportunity to provide any input they

1784
01:39:38,938 --> 01:39:39,778
have on this matter.

1785
01:39:42,278 --> 01:39:45,518
We don't have any public input. Do we have anyone online, Ms. Nysol?

1786
01:39:46,598 --> 01:39:47,538
No raised hands, Your Honor.

1787
01:39:47,718 --> 01:39:50,378
All right. Bring it back to council. Do we have any questions?

1788
01:39:51,058 --> 01:39:52,818
Yes, Councilor Willis, start with you.

1789
01:39:53,898 --> 01:39:55,538
So if I understand this correctly,

1790
01:39:56,638 --> 01:39:59,878
the thing with the physical plan is that it doesn't

1791
01:40:01,078 --> 01:40:04,478
hold up to scrutiny when it comes to natural disasters and those sorts of things,

1792
01:40:04,558 --> 01:40:08,338
right? It needs to be built in such a way, you need to have a space that if

1793
01:40:08,738 --> 01:40:11,498
we have a major problem, you guys still are answering the phone.

1794
01:40:12,158 --> 01:40:12,438
Yes.

1795
01:40:13,518 --> 01:40:15,758
For people who call and say, "Oh, I'm the one in trouble."

1796
01:40:16,138 --> 01:40:16,338
Yes.

1797
01:40:16,378 --> 01:40:17,158
"Send help here."

1798
01:40:17,218 --> 01:40:17,458
Yes.

1799
01:40:18,338 --> 01:40:20,018
The current facility doesn't do that.

1800
01:40:21,178 --> 01:40:21,818
Not very well.

1801
01:40:22,978 --> 01:40:24,918
Well, it doesn't mean it is out of compliance, I understand.

1802
01:40:25,578 --> 01:40:28,338
If they came and looked at it, they would say, "Well, no, you really should be

1803
01:40:28,378 --> 01:40:28,978
someplace else."

1804
01:40:29,238 --> 01:40:31,338
Yeah, and they've done that. We've had those studies.

1805
01:40:31,998 --> 01:40:33,518
I know the county performed a study

1806
01:40:34,518 --> 01:40:38,258
before '23, and then when I came into the picture,

1807
01:40:38,598 --> 01:40:42,198
I brought in CISA, which is a firm at the federal level, to

1808
01:40:42,538 --> 01:40:46,238
assess our redundancies. And that's when we

1809
01:40:46,278 --> 01:40:49,918
started having some conversations again about

1810
01:40:50,178 --> 01:40:52,978
we really probably need to consider relocating ourselves.

1811
01:40:53,558 --> 01:40:54,918
So that's the impetus behind this whole thing.

1812
01:40:54,958 --> 01:40:55,258
Yes, sir.

1813
01:40:55,918 --> 01:40:59,778
And so then you move to the community college, and the question there is

1814
01:40:59,838 --> 01:41:03,438
can this existing building be retrofitted to meet all those

1815
01:41:03,478 --> 01:41:04,038
requirements.

1816
01:41:04,178 --> 01:41:04,438
Yes.

1817
01:41:04,618 --> 01:41:06,098
And that's basically what this,

1818
01:41:07,178 --> 01:41:10,078
or at least part of what this contract is supposed to be answering, right?

1819
01:41:10,278 --> 01:41:12,878
So that has been partially answered.

1820
01:41:12,958 --> 01:41:16,618
What we're looking more, we're trying to get into further detail is can we

1821
01:41:16,698 --> 01:41:17,518
afford this?

1822
01:41:18,298 --> 01:41:20,118
Okay. Is this feasibility in addition to...

1823
01:41:20,418 --> 01:41:24,058
So we know it needs to be done, now is it feasible for our budget to

1824
01:41:24,538 --> 01:41:24,878
get there?

1825
01:41:24,918 --> 01:41:28,198
Yeah. Financially feasible. The feasibility of it getting retrofitted,

1826
01:41:29,138 --> 01:41:32,418
the way that it was presented to us before in the other

1827
01:41:32,518 --> 01:41:36,498
engineering assessment was that, yes, it can, but there's a lot of little details

1828
01:41:36,518 --> 01:41:40,478
that need to get looked at a little bit further to fully

1829
01:41:40,558 --> 01:41:41,638
give you a good

1830
01:41:43,398 --> 01:41:46,838
schematic design of what needs to happen in order to meet

1831
01:41:46,918 --> 01:41:50,498
those level four, category four codes.

1832
01:41:50,938 --> 01:41:53,358
And also, what that's going to cost you.

1833
01:41:54,538 --> 01:41:57,598
Well, I fully support figuring out whether it's feasible or not.

1834
01:41:58,178 --> 01:41:59,378
I wish it didn't cost so much.

1835
01:42:00,598 --> 01:42:01,498
That would be my only comment.

1836
01:42:01,518 --> 01:42:02,638
Yep.

1837
01:42:04,138 --> 01:42:06,238
And there's a lot of components to it.

1838
01:42:06,538 --> 01:42:08,778
Some of the things is site surveying.

1839
01:42:09,238 --> 01:42:10,918
There's been no site surveys. There's

1840
01:42:11,838 --> 01:42:13,998
soil testing that needs to be performed.

1841
01:42:14,758 --> 01:42:17,018
There's aerial footage that needs to be taken.

1842
01:42:17,058 --> 01:42:20,898
There's all sorts of components that are going to lead to

1843
01:42:20,958 --> 01:42:24,738
those studies that are going to all come back together to develop that schematic

1844
01:42:24,778 --> 01:42:25,438
design. And yes,

1845
01:42:26,258 --> 01:42:29,078
I would agree that I wish it was not that expensive.

1846
01:42:30,338 --> 01:42:30,958
Councilor Vesco.

1847
01:42:31,438 --> 01:42:31,678
Yeah.

1848
01:42:32,618 --> 01:42:36,418
I fully support the idea, but like Council Member Willis, I'm concerned

1849
01:42:36,458 --> 01:42:37,278
about the money. So

1850
01:42:39,358 --> 01:42:39,958
since this is

1851
01:42:41,418 --> 01:42:45,298
a cooperative effort with the county and all the cities involved,

1852
01:42:46,738 --> 01:42:48,958
will the city get paid back for

1853
01:42:49,878 --> 01:42:52,898
this $214,700?

1854
01:42:53,218 --> 01:42:57,118
So the funding comes out of the Westcom budget, which is already a

1855
01:42:57,178 --> 01:42:59,938
compilation of all the users of Westcom have put into it.

1856
01:42:59,998 --> 01:43:03,218
So all the users are already paying their share of this.

1857
01:43:03,878 --> 01:43:06,238
So it comes out of that Westcom budget, not the city's general-

1858
01:43:06,258 --> 01:43:08,258
So this isn't coming out from the city?

1859
01:43:08,438 --> 01:43:08,738
No.

1860
01:43:08,838 --> 01:43:09,098
Okay.

1861
01:43:09,218 --> 01:43:09,918
It's funded by the phone, though.

1862
01:43:09,998 --> 01:43:11,078
Just, yeah. That's good.

1863
01:43:12,158 --> 01:43:12,498
And

1864
01:43:14,498 --> 01:43:16,458
is the process that we went through

1865
01:43:17,278 --> 01:43:17,957
to get the

1866
01:43:20,837 --> 01:43:21,238
vendor,

1867
01:43:22,118 --> 01:43:25,078
was that proper? Because it didn't sound like we went out for bid or anything.

1868
01:43:25,698 --> 01:43:29,378
No, we went out for a request for proposals, so that request for

1869
01:43:29,418 --> 01:43:32,938
proposals was advertised per basically our purchasing policy

1870
01:43:33,718 --> 01:43:34,258
approach. And

1871
01:43:35,478 --> 01:43:39,458
so it was advertised per, and then the scope of works or the submittals were

1872
01:43:39,518 --> 01:43:43,158
per what we advertised. And then those were scored and reviewed by a panel.

1873
01:43:43,618 --> 01:43:45,178
And then the top two were interviewed.

1874
01:43:45,838 --> 01:43:46,258
And then the

1875
01:43:47,838 --> 01:43:51,418
selected firm was MJ Neal. So we went through our-

1876
01:43:51,838 --> 01:43:51,838
Yeah

1877
01:43:51,858 --> 01:43:52,758
... appropriate process.

1878
01:43:52,958 --> 01:43:56,158
I just ask, again, because it's not just the city, it's a

1879
01:43:56,558 --> 01:43:58,818
cooperative, so I want to make sure we're doing that right.

1880
01:43:59,178 --> 01:44:03,038
And then the request for proposals was signed off on by the executive committee.

1881
01:44:03,138 --> 01:44:07,058
Okay. And do we know if they do get to build this at the community

1882
01:44:07,118 --> 01:44:07,558
college,

1883
01:44:10,238 --> 01:44:11,798
will there be a lease?

1884
01:44:12,478 --> 01:44:16,358
Most likely. We're still working on some of those details.

1885
01:44:16,838 --> 01:44:20,498
But yes, it would be a lease situation and a fairly long term.

1886
01:44:20,558 --> 01:44:22,798
I was going to say, was it going to be like the forest service and the-

1887
01:44:23,878 --> 01:44:26,758
And all of those would come back to council.

1888
01:44:27,038 --> 01:44:28,858
We're still in some of those conversations.

1889
01:44:29,478 --> 01:44:29,938
But again,

1890
01:44:32,798 --> 01:44:36,578
what decision comes first? And we needed to know this sort of step, what was going

1891
01:44:36,598 --> 01:44:38,518
to be our planning cost estimate-

1892
01:44:38,758 --> 01:44:38,858
Right

1893
01:44:38,878 --> 01:44:41,998
... to actually do the work, and then we'll start bringing forward-

1894
01:44:42,338 --> 01:44:42,518
Right

1895
01:44:42,518 --> 01:44:44,458
... subsequent items for council.

1896
01:44:44,518 --> 01:44:48,478
So we would know that. And again, just like everything else, the city is the lead

1897
01:44:48,578 --> 01:44:49,698
agency, so we need-

1898
01:44:50,098 --> 01:44:51,718
Which is why this comes to you, because you guys are-

1899
01:44:51,798 --> 01:44:52,598
Right. So-

1900
01:44:52,598 --> 01:44:53,778
... receiving the budget for Westcom.

1901
01:44:53,798 --> 01:44:56,818
So we collect the money, and then we send it out.

1902
01:44:56,898 --> 01:44:58,458
So they operate the city. Mm-hmm.

1903
01:44:58,518 --> 01:44:58,798
Okay.

1904
01:45:00,378 --> 01:45:00,958
All right.

1905
01:45:02,618 --> 01:45:03,098
And-

1906
01:45:07,150 --> 01:45:10,990
At what point are we going to know if it's a go and we get to

1907
01:45:11,030 --> 01:45:11,310
do this?

1908
01:45:12,730 --> 01:45:14,510
How long of a process is this?

1909
01:45:14,950 --> 01:45:17,110
I'm going to have to look to Esther for that.

1910
01:45:19,170 --> 01:45:21,350
If I remember the schedule, I thought it was by the end of the year.

1911
01:45:21,430 --> 01:45:21,630
Year.

1912
01:45:21,750 --> 01:45:21,830
Okay.

1913
01:45:21,870 --> 01:45:25,690
It's a very aggressive timeline that they have, and then they

1914
01:45:25,850 --> 01:45:26,450
built in

1915
01:45:27,490 --> 01:45:29,430
contingencies within it. But

1916
01:45:30,710 --> 01:45:34,590
if I remember right, it's the mid-December, end of November.

1917
01:45:34,790 --> 01:45:38,410
I'd have to look at it. I don't have it with me, so I'd hate to say what the date

1918
01:45:38,489 --> 01:45:41,250
is, but it's before the end of the year.

1919
01:45:41,450 --> 01:45:45,090
Okay, and if you get the green light, how long will it take them

1920
01:45:45,150 --> 01:45:49,010
to get moving, and what would be anticipated move-in time?

1921
01:45:49,210 --> 01:45:52,430
So we would have to go back out for bid for the next phase.

1922
01:45:52,450 --> 01:45:52,530
Right.

1923
01:45:52,550 --> 01:45:55,070
And there would have to be that process once again.

1924
01:45:56,250 --> 01:45:59,510
So I think if we're being honest, very

1925
01:45:59,570 --> 01:46:03,350
aggressive, and if we were successful the whole way through, we're probably looking

1926
01:46:03,410 --> 01:46:04,370
in 2028.

1927
01:46:04,870 --> 01:46:05,130
Okay.

1928
01:46:05,370 --> 01:46:05,790
Mm-hmm.

1929
01:46:05,830 --> 01:46:06,570
All right, thank you.

1930
01:46:07,090 --> 01:46:08,770
Any other questions on this item?

1931
01:46:09,650 --> 01:46:11,870
Anybody want to say? Thank you, Faith.

1932
01:46:13,170 --> 01:46:13,790
Fully support-

1933
01:46:14,350 --> 01:46:14,490
Thank you

1934
01:46:14,510 --> 01:46:18,390
... the Westcombe new facilities and all the upgrading of systems and

1935
01:46:18,450 --> 01:46:22,130
all kinds of things. So this is really just going to help you understand

1936
01:46:22,350 --> 01:46:22,530
what

1937
01:46:23,690 --> 01:46:25,730
do you need, at what cost, et cetera.

1938
01:46:26,570 --> 01:46:30,470
I have one question. This is purely a contract between Westcombe

1939
01:46:30,610 --> 01:46:30,950
and

1940
01:46:31,910 --> 01:46:32,690
the contractor.

1941
01:46:33,530 --> 01:46:37,170
It's not really related to the community college in any way.

1942
01:46:38,530 --> 01:46:42,510
I am a trustee of the community college, and I just want to make

1943
01:46:42,570 --> 01:46:43,130
sure that

1944
01:46:44,450 --> 01:46:48,330
I can vote on this. I should perhaps just abstain from this

1945
01:46:48,370 --> 01:46:50,530
vote, even though it's not directly related.

1946
01:46:50,850 --> 01:46:54,810
You don't have a conflict on this because there's no financial benefit

1947
01:46:54,850 --> 01:46:56,970
or gain or anything to the community college

1948
01:46:58,470 --> 01:47:01,650
or even remotely to you, so I don't think there's any kind of conflict.

1949
01:47:01,710 --> 01:47:05,270
Okay. But probably the public disclosure that I am

1950
01:47:06,370 --> 01:47:09,470
on the board of trustees of the community college, so that is all transparent.

1951
01:47:10,610 --> 01:47:12,230
Anything else from us?

1952
01:47:13,550 --> 01:47:14,850
All right. So I will

1953
01:47:15,950 --> 01:47:19,330
ask for us to decide what we're going to do with Resolution

1954
01:47:19,510 --> 01:47:23,250
2026-082, authorizing professional

1955
01:47:23,330 --> 01:47:27,050
services contract with MJ Neal Associates, Architects, PLLC,

1956
01:47:27,790 --> 01:47:31,070
in the amount not to exceed 214,700.

1957
01:47:31,730 --> 01:47:33,610
Your Honor, I move to approve Resolution

1958
01:47:34,650 --> 01:47:37,750
2026-082.

1959
01:47:38,730 --> 01:47:39,910
All right. We have a motion.

1960
01:47:40,130 --> 01:47:40,450
Second.

1961
01:47:40,850 --> 01:47:44,090
We have a motion and a second. All those in favor, please say "Aye."

1962
01:47:44,290 --> 01:47:44,730
Aye.

1963
01:47:44,830 --> 01:47:48,150
Aye. Any opposed? That passes unanimous, so thank you.

1964
01:47:49,110 --> 01:47:52,150
We'll move on to the next item on our agenda, and that's Resolution

1965
01:47:52,390 --> 01:47:56,310
20-083, authorizes applying for

1966
01:47:56,370 --> 01:48:00,250
and accepting a water quality combined funding program loan for

1967
01:48:00,330 --> 01:48:01,550
up to 8 million for

1968
01:48:02,530 --> 01:48:04,510
the wastewater system improvements.

1969
01:48:06,110 --> 01:48:07,870
Yes, Mr. Bailey, you're back.

1970
01:48:09,090 --> 01:48:11,910
Yes. This is a request to apply for

1971
01:48:13,350 --> 01:48:16,830
loan funding for wastewater treatment plant and pump station

1972
01:48:16,910 --> 01:48:17,470
improvements

1973
01:48:18,330 --> 01:48:21,770
up to 8 million. There is specific financial comments in there.

1974
01:48:22,550 --> 01:48:25,050
I believe the state has changed this program slightly.

1975
01:48:25,090 --> 01:48:28,190
It's not as familiar to me as some of the other programs we've applied for in the

1976
01:48:28,270 --> 01:48:28,710
past.

1977
01:48:30,210 --> 01:48:34,190
Other programs we have applied for in the past are contained within this

1978
01:48:34,250 --> 01:48:36,470
program now, so a little bit of a change.

1979
01:48:36,870 --> 01:48:40,690
So this specific request is for up to $8

1980
01:48:40,730 --> 01:48:44,590
million loan. Typically, a low-interest loan varying in

1981
01:48:44,650 --> 01:48:47,650
rates between 1.4% up to

1982
01:48:47,830 --> 01:48:50,910
3.7%, and it's dependent upon the term of the loan.

1983
01:48:51,290 --> 01:48:55,070
So as an example, for a 20-year term, 2.8%

1984
01:48:55,970 --> 01:48:58,690
interest rate, which is looking very good these days.

1985
01:49:01,010 --> 01:49:01,970
The term would vary.

1986
01:49:02,930 --> 01:49:06,750
There is also some potential for grant or loan forgiveness

1987
01:49:06,850 --> 01:49:10,370
as part of the program that's going to be dependent upon hardship evaluation.

1988
01:49:11,890 --> 01:49:15,690
These funds would be used towards, again, if we're successful with

1989
01:49:15,790 --> 01:49:17,750
our loan application, and

1990
01:49:20,050 --> 01:49:22,310
we're awarded this, it is a long process.

1991
01:49:23,330 --> 01:49:27,070
The funding would be used, again, for a variety of wastewater treatment plant

1992
01:49:27,130 --> 01:49:28,690
projects. I can list those out for you.

1993
01:49:28,850 --> 01:49:30,750
They were not contained in the staff report.

1994
01:49:31,710 --> 01:49:33,670
They probably won't mean much to you, I'll be honest with you.

1995
01:49:33,710 --> 01:49:35,950
It's a lot of basically replacing

1996
01:49:36,770 --> 01:49:40,030
failing elements of the wastewater treatment plant.

1997
01:49:40,330 --> 01:49:44,090
The other one is replacement of the fairway lift station.

1998
01:49:44,510 --> 01:49:45,350
That lift station,

1999
01:49:46,790 --> 01:49:48,770
I think, was installed in

2000
01:49:48,990 --> 01:49:50,930
2004.

2001
01:49:52,930 --> 01:49:56,450
It's in a very difficult location. It has very high run times.

2002
01:49:57,410 --> 01:50:01,170
It's essentially sandwiched in the backyard of about three different

2003
01:50:01,230 --> 01:50:04,170
properties. It's a tough spot, I'll be honest with you.

2004
01:50:04,210 --> 01:50:07,910
A very difficult spot to maintain and operate, and it's

2005
01:50:07,970 --> 01:50:11,490
nearing the end of its useful life on the components of that

2006
01:50:12,150 --> 01:50:15,770
pump station. So we're looking at what are the alternatives to move that out of the

2007
01:50:15,810 --> 01:50:19,430
backyards if we can. Sewer systems are very challenging because they have

2008
01:50:20,310 --> 01:50:24,230
gravity pipes leading into them, so it's quite a challenge to move a pump

2009
01:50:24,290 --> 01:50:28,270
station. Because you have those pipes leading into it, you

2010
01:50:28,290 --> 01:50:32,230
don't have a lot of leeway. But we need to look at it to improve that scenario, so

2011
01:50:32,270 --> 01:50:35,150
that is one of the projects that's contained in this request.

2012
01:50:35,990 --> 01:50:39,930
And again, a laundry list of other repairs elements

2013
01:50:40,130 --> 01:50:41,850
associated with the wastewater treatment plant.

2014
01:50:43,330 --> 01:50:45,830
HVAC improvements,

2015
01:50:46,650 --> 01:50:48,010
pump replacements,

2016
01:50:48,970 --> 01:50:50,470
freeze protection at the headworks,

2017
01:50:52,210 --> 01:50:54,450
master control cabinet replacements.

2018
01:50:55,870 --> 01:50:59,610
Basically, electronic components at the wastewater treatment plant, and that list

2019
01:50:59,650 --> 01:51:01,010
goes on and on. There's

2020
01:51:04,730 --> 01:51:05,970
10 different items

2021
01:51:07,130 --> 01:51:10,130
requesting loan funding. Again, I'm happy to answer additional

2022
01:51:10,930 --> 01:51:14,154
questions council has Best of my abilities on this one.

2023
01:51:14,654 --> 01:51:18,114
All right, Mr. Riley. We'll let any public input happen first.

2024
01:51:18,194 --> 01:51:19,854
Anybody has public input on this item?

2025
01:51:24,394 --> 01:51:25,434
Council, it's Perry. Be brief.

2026
01:51:26,894 --> 01:51:29,954
I am a big fan of functional wastewater treatment plants.

2027
01:51:32,274 --> 01:51:35,734
I'm such a big fan, in fact, of functional wastewater treatment plants that this is

2028
01:51:35,774 --> 01:51:38,494
exactly the kind of issue that I think should be forefronted by the council,

2029
01:51:38,614 --> 01:51:42,534
especially prior to connecting a very significant percentage increase

2030
01:51:42,634 --> 01:51:44,134
in the number of wastewater

2031
01:51:45,934 --> 01:51:47,494
users. I just want to

2032
01:51:48,414 --> 01:51:52,354
further a message that was relayed to me by members of the public who do not

2033
01:51:52,394 --> 01:51:56,074
live within the city limits and did not feel that it was their place to comment at

2034
01:51:56,494 --> 01:52:00,274
city council meetings that live on the Gozi Irrigation District ditch,

2035
01:52:01,594 --> 01:52:05,434
to which the city of Walla Walla discharges its wastewater from the

2036
01:52:05,474 --> 01:52:09,174
months of May through

2037
01:52:09,214 --> 01:52:13,074
November, I believe, before then transferring that wastewater into Mill Creek,

2038
01:52:13,134 --> 01:52:16,554
where I've personally gone and tested some of the discharge and done a bit of my

2039
01:52:16,594 --> 01:52:18,694
own research on it. It is a

2040
01:52:19,754 --> 01:52:23,714
festering, stinking problem that the city has not addressed

2041
01:52:23,814 --> 01:52:27,654
adequately. And to put it bluntly, in the words of

2042
01:52:27,694 --> 01:52:31,674
my dear friend who lives there and smells it every day, he says, "That ditch

2043
01:52:31,734 --> 01:52:35,574
smells like s**t." Please forgive my language, but I just thought that the council

2044
01:52:35,594 --> 01:52:39,574
should be made aware of that and that $8 million makes sense considering how

2045
01:52:39,614 --> 01:52:40,594
much equipment it is.

2046
01:52:41,454 --> 01:52:45,074
But that's a lot of money, money that should be spent on dealing with our waste

2047
01:52:45,134 --> 01:52:47,194
before it's spent on other things.

2048
01:52:47,994 --> 01:52:50,834
And forgive me for the bait and switch, but one other point that I wanted to make

2049
01:52:51,414 --> 01:52:53,354
is, I wanted to correct my earlier comment

2050
01:52:54,274 --> 01:52:58,254
that the issues would not come back to council for ratification

2051
01:52:58,834 --> 01:53:00,674
on the Consort contract.

2052
01:53:01,534 --> 01:53:05,414
I was specifically speaking about that not going back to council before it is sent

2053
01:53:05,494 --> 01:53:09,314
off to the Department of Health for review, and that is true.

2054
01:53:09,874 --> 01:53:13,054
Obviously, would've after going to the Department of Health, come back to council.

2055
01:53:13,894 --> 01:53:17,554
If you were to extend the water service area, it would obligate the city

2056
01:53:17,654 --> 01:53:21,054
to serve that area. You are not obligated to at this time.

2057
01:53:21,354 --> 01:53:25,054
If you were to extend it, contrary to the city manager's characterization,

2058
01:53:25,414 --> 01:53:28,074
you would be obligated. So I just wanted to correct that on the record. Thank you.

2059
01:53:28,594 --> 01:53:29,174
All right. Thank you.

2060
01:53:30,934 --> 01:53:32,234
Any other public input?

2061
01:53:34,074 --> 01:53:35,814
Do we have any comments online, Ms. Noisel?

2062
01:53:36,914 --> 01:53:37,754
No raised hands, Your Honor.

2063
01:53:37,834 --> 01:53:41,274
All right. Bringing it back to council for questions, comments.

2064
01:53:42,294 --> 01:53:42,874
Councilor Willis.

2065
01:53:44,294 --> 01:53:44,514
So,

2066
01:53:45,474 --> 01:53:48,054
the wastewater treatment plant is old.

2067
01:53:49,714 --> 01:53:50,254
Really old.

2068
01:53:51,514 --> 01:53:52,954
And we've been kind of

2069
01:53:54,914 --> 01:53:55,594
duct taping it

2070
01:53:57,354 --> 01:53:59,474
together for a little while now, is my impression.

2071
01:53:59,514 --> 01:54:02,934
We've been sort of making do with and making repairs and

2072
01:54:03,414 --> 01:54:05,274
it's time that we made some

2073
01:54:06,114 --> 01:54:07,154
significant improvements

2074
01:54:08,394 --> 01:54:11,674
to the plant. And we've been talking about this for a while now, I think.

2075
01:54:12,754 --> 01:54:15,174
And unfortunately, we will probably be talking about it for a while.

2076
01:54:16,614 --> 01:54:16,834
Yes.

2077
01:54:16,874 --> 01:54:20,734
Yeah. Well, that $8 million won't get spent immediately, assuming we

2078
01:54:20,774 --> 01:54:22,634
get it. It'll take some time, yeah.

2079
01:54:23,754 --> 01:54:26,574
So yeah, I think this is an obvious yes. I don't know.

2080
01:54:27,854 --> 01:54:28,334
Obviously,

2081
01:54:30,334 --> 01:54:32,154
everybody wants a working toilet,

2082
01:54:33,074 --> 01:54:34,974
and this is how we get there.

2083
01:54:35,834 --> 01:54:38,994
So I wish it didn't cost $8 million, but it's

2084
01:54:40,414 --> 01:54:41,054
what we need to do.

2085
01:54:41,274 --> 01:54:41,434
Mm-hmm.

2086
01:54:42,534 --> 01:54:45,194
Okay. Any other questions? Yes, Council Moss.

2087
01:54:45,354 --> 01:54:48,974
Your Honor, thank you. And to piggyback on Council Member Willis'

2088
01:54:49,874 --> 01:54:50,334
comments,

2089
01:54:52,514 --> 01:54:55,434
I've been on the council now my 11th year, and we've been talking about

2090
01:54:55,494 --> 01:54:59,454
these kinds of issues for 10 of those

2091
01:54:59,514 --> 01:55:00,274
11 years.

2092
01:55:02,134 --> 01:55:02,954
Will the $8 million

2093
01:55:06,474 --> 01:55:10,414
significantly get us to the point where we have a more perfect

2094
01:55:10,494 --> 01:55:10,974
system?

2095
01:55:13,594 --> 01:55:14,134
I'm going to say no,

2096
01:55:15,414 --> 01:55:17,414
it's not. These are

2097
01:55:18,474 --> 01:55:19,474
pumps and

2098
01:55:20,374 --> 01:55:23,814
componentry. This is not a major upgrade. I'm sorry.

2099
01:55:23,994 --> 01:55:24,514
It's not.

2100
01:55:25,534 --> 01:55:28,014
There is a lot of needs at the wastewater treatment plant.

2101
01:55:28,354 --> 01:55:32,073
I wish I had a graphic of the plant up to show you, because it is a very large,

2102
01:55:32,174 --> 01:55:35,874
complicated facility with many aspects occurring there.

2103
01:55:38,194 --> 01:55:41,014
Steel structures degrade over time. They rust.

2104
01:55:41,894 --> 01:55:43,334
There's care that needs to be taken.

2105
01:55:43,854 --> 01:55:45,834
We've gone through a planning process, which is

2106
01:55:47,034 --> 01:55:50,994
referenced in the staff report about the general sewer plan, which really looks

2107
01:55:51,054 --> 01:55:52,154
at the collection system.

2108
01:55:53,254 --> 01:55:56,654
And then the other aspect is the facilities plan, which

2109
01:55:57,214 --> 01:56:00,194
looks specifically at the treatment plant, the processes,

2110
01:56:01,474 --> 01:56:04,574
and what are the needs there. So we've gone through a pretty extensive planning

2111
01:56:04,634 --> 01:56:05,834
process that is

2112
01:56:06,794 --> 01:56:08,894
currently being reviewed by the Department of Ecology.

2113
01:56:09,254 --> 01:56:12,894
Those two plans will come back together and come before council for

2114
01:56:12,974 --> 01:56:16,654
adoption. That will set the course for probably the next 20

2115
01:56:16,714 --> 01:56:20,574
years' worth of projects, and a lot of it is repair

2116
01:56:20,634 --> 01:56:21,434
and replacement.

2117
01:56:22,634 --> 01:56:22,814
And

2118
01:56:23,814 --> 01:56:25,714
I wish I had better news.

2119
01:56:26,834 --> 01:56:30,334
This is going to be tough. The wastewater rates will be tough,

2120
01:56:30,694 --> 01:56:34,114
and this is going to be a long road for keeping that wastewater system

2121
01:56:34,974 --> 01:56:35,574
up and running.

2122
01:56:36,274 --> 01:56:39,434
Well, my question was purposeful so

2123
01:56:40,434 --> 01:56:44,374
council understands and the community understand that this is a

2124
01:56:44,454 --> 01:56:46,874
long-term, costly project.

2125
01:56:47,774 --> 01:56:47,994
The

2126
01:56:49,634 --> 01:56:52,714
information says that we can apply for up to $8 million.

2127
01:56:53,094 --> 01:56:54,994
We will be applying for the full $8 million?

2128
01:56:55,874 --> 01:56:56,134
Yes.

2129
01:56:57,434 --> 01:56:57,754
And

2130
01:56:59,654 --> 01:57:00,774
if we're approved,

2131
01:57:02,334 --> 01:57:04,034
depending on the terms,

2132
01:57:05,414 --> 01:57:09,014
the interest rate, those kinds of things, that will come back to council to

2133
01:57:09,074 --> 01:57:09,594
accept

2134
01:57:10,994 --> 01:57:12,334
the loan.

2135
01:57:12,654 --> 01:57:16,254
Not as currently proposed. As currently proposed, it's authorized

2136
01:57:16,334 --> 01:57:20,214
applying for the loan, and then you're also authorizing the city manager to

2137
01:57:20,274 --> 01:57:23,934
accept that loan. Now, that could be changed if council would

2138
01:57:23,974 --> 01:57:27,454
prefer to have the loan terms come back for formal acceptance.

2139
01:57:27,534 --> 01:57:29,894
That is certainly an option, council's option.

2140
01:57:30,674 --> 01:57:31,934
Well, I was just trying to-

2141
01:57:33,444 --> 01:57:34,864
My own mind figure

2142
01:57:36,284 --> 01:57:37,844
what the negotiating

2143
01:57:39,584 --> 01:57:40,464
strength would be

2144
01:57:41,864 --> 01:57:42,344
if it were

2145
01:57:43,764 --> 01:57:47,524
with the city manager or with the council for the interest rates, and I

2146
01:57:48,244 --> 01:57:49,824
don't know if you're able to even respond to that.

2147
01:57:49,864 --> 01:57:51,904
I don't think that there's negotiation that occurs.

2148
01:57:52,004 --> 01:57:54,644
I think it's pretty formalized as what it is.

2149
01:57:54,684 --> 01:57:56,844
They will tell us what the interest rate will be?

2150
01:57:56,904 --> 01:57:57,224
Correct.

2151
01:57:57,244 --> 01:57:57,824
For their bond rate.

2152
01:57:57,884 --> 01:57:58,684
And the terms?

2153
01:58:00,444 --> 01:58:04,424
The terms are typically dictated by the life of the asset that's

2154
01:58:04,464 --> 01:58:05,123
being funded.

2155
01:58:06,504 --> 01:58:08,404
That's typically what dictates those terms.

2156
01:58:08,984 --> 01:58:10,824
And then you made reference to some

2157
01:58:11,964 --> 01:58:13,004
loan forgiveness.

2158
01:58:14,444 --> 01:58:15,364
Did I hear that correctly?

2159
01:58:15,404 --> 01:58:19,284
Yes. That's a potential. We don't know if we will qualify or not.

2160
01:58:20,584 --> 01:58:22,784
But we'll learn that during this process?

2161
01:58:23,104 --> 01:58:23,444
Correct.

2162
01:58:24,124 --> 01:58:25,344
Very good. Thank you very much.

2163
01:58:26,004 --> 01:58:26,804
Yes, Council Brown.

2164
01:58:26,844 --> 01:58:27,244
I do have a question.

2165
01:58:29,104 --> 01:58:31,704
I think that Council Member Moss brought up a good point.

2166
01:58:32,364 --> 01:58:35,964
I'm curious, what if we are

2167
01:58:36,084 --> 01:58:39,004
offered a loan and it's a five-year loan?

2168
01:58:39,644 --> 01:58:43,364
Does the city have the ability to repay an $8 million

2169
01:58:44,404 --> 01:58:48,184
loan plus interest rate within five

2170
01:58:48,224 --> 01:58:48,724
years?

2171
01:58:49,064 --> 01:58:53,004
That will be also part of the process, and I mentioned that, or it was mentioned in

2172
01:58:53,044 --> 01:58:56,884
the staff report that we're also simultaneously right now going through

2173
01:58:57,184 --> 01:59:00,984
a financial plan for both water, wastewater, and storm water to take these

2174
01:59:01,044 --> 01:59:02,304
factors into account.

2175
01:59:04,404 --> 01:59:08,284
Part of the driver here is the deadline for this loan application is September

2176
01:59:08,504 --> 01:59:12,244
30th. Now, we don't actually formally receive that loan

2177
01:59:12,304 --> 01:59:14,724
until, I think it's next June.

2178
01:59:15,804 --> 01:59:19,784
So the timeline is fairly long. That will be factored into the financial planning

2179
01:59:19,844 --> 01:59:23,504
process to assure that we can afford that loan, or

2180
01:59:23,564 --> 01:59:27,364
that there's a plan to adjust rates to be able to pay for these expenses.

2181
01:59:27,744 --> 01:59:31,644
And that's likely what this is going to look like is it's a part of

2182
01:59:31,664 --> 01:59:35,464
the rate evaluation process to be able to cover our

2183
01:59:35,564 --> 01:59:38,124
obligations and pay for future improvements.

2184
01:59:39,184 --> 01:59:40,164
Okay. Thank you.

2185
01:59:41,764 --> 01:59:42,163
And if we-

2186
01:59:42,223 --> 01:59:42,603
Yes, Bill

2187
01:59:42,624 --> 01:59:46,424
... just to clarify what I heard in your response to

2188
01:59:46,564 --> 01:59:50,424
Council Member Brown, that a five-year, if

2189
01:59:50,484 --> 01:59:52,424
it were five years, I can't imagine

2190
01:59:53,544 --> 01:59:57,204
that that would be the case, but if it were something less than we would

2191
01:59:57,284 --> 01:59:57,624
hope,

2192
01:59:58,884 --> 02:00:02,704
the other area that we, the council, could weigh in on would

2193
02:00:02,764 --> 02:00:04,964
be the budgetary process.

2194
02:00:05,364 --> 02:00:07,184
Correct. And you will. You'll have to.

2195
02:00:07,244 --> 02:00:07,624
Thank you.

2196
02:00:09,084 --> 02:00:11,624
Any other questions or comments? All right.

2197
02:00:11,724 --> 02:00:15,264
How would council like to proceed on Resolution 2026-083

2198
02:00:15,324 --> 02:00:19,304
authorizes applying for and accepting Water Quality Combined Funding

2199
02:00:19,424 --> 02:00:23,364
Program loan for up to 8 million for wastewater system

2200
02:00:23,424 --> 02:00:24,304
improvements?

2201
02:00:25,124 --> 02:00:25,584
Your Honor,

2202
02:00:27,184 --> 02:00:28,464
I move that Resolution

2203
02:00:28,804 --> 02:00:32,684
2026-083 authorizes

2204
02:00:32,744 --> 02:00:35,664
applying for and accepting a Water Quality

2205
02:00:36,184 --> 02:00:39,624
Combined Funding Program loan for up to 8

2206
02:00:39,684 --> 02:00:40,184
million,

2207
02:00:41,004 --> 02:00:44,604
it says foe, but I think it means for wastewater system

2208
02:00:44,664 --> 02:00:45,284
improvements

2209
02:00:46,204 --> 02:00:49,024
be approved as presented.

2210
02:00:49,184 --> 02:00:49,504
Second.

2211
02:00:49,584 --> 02:00:52,844
We have a motion and a second. All those in favor, please say aye.

2212
02:00:53,204 --> 02:00:53,464
Aye.

2213
02:00:53,544 --> 02:00:53,844
Aye.

2214
02:00:54,264 --> 02:00:57,544
Any opposed? That passes unanimously as well.

2215
02:00:58,304 --> 02:01:02,224
We'll move on to our next item, and that is Resolution

2216
02:01:02,384 --> 02:01:06,344
2026-084 authorizes a professional service contract

2217
02:01:06,404 --> 02:01:10,204
amendment with David Evans & Associates for construction

2218
02:01:10,664 --> 02:01:13,284
phase services on the Poplar Street project.

2219
02:01:13,684 --> 02:01:16,304
That's from 5th to 14th in the amount of

2220
02:01:16,324 --> 02:01:20,344
$1,695,312.

2221
02:01:21,344 --> 02:01:24,764
Mr. Bielay is the Mr. Bielay show today, and you were tasked with

2222
02:01:24,844 --> 02:01:25,824
everything. Well...

2223
02:01:26,844 --> 02:01:30,724
Yes. This is a professional services contract amendment, and I want to

2224
02:01:30,744 --> 02:01:32,204
make sure I make that distinction.

2225
02:01:32,264 --> 02:01:35,864
So David Evans & Associates is the design engineer for the

2226
02:01:35,924 --> 02:01:37,904
Poplar 5th to 14th project.

2227
02:01:38,784 --> 02:01:42,664
Design is nearing the finish line at this point in time.

2228
02:01:44,044 --> 02:01:46,024
The project has progressed nicely.

2229
02:01:48,344 --> 02:01:50,384
Right of way negotiations are in process.

2230
02:01:50,464 --> 02:01:54,243
That is one caveat that we need to have that completed before we

2231
02:01:54,284 --> 02:01:57,924
get authorization to go to bid. But this is a step

2232
02:01:58,044 --> 02:02:00,284
in the construction side of that process.

2233
02:02:00,324 --> 02:02:03,924
So these are construction phase services, so this is the engineering firm that's

2234
02:02:03,984 --> 02:02:07,784
helped design this project, will stay with us through construction

2235
02:02:07,864 --> 02:02:11,064
for construction engineering, administration, oversight,

2236
02:02:11,164 --> 02:02:11,964
inspection.

2237
02:02:14,244 --> 02:02:16,424
There will also be cultural resources

2238
02:02:17,704 --> 02:02:20,424
monitoring as part of this project. Very large project.

2239
02:02:20,464 --> 02:02:24,444
This is one of our biggest single road projects we've

2240
02:02:24,484 --> 02:02:28,244
done. I think the estimate is approximately 10.3

2241
02:02:28,304 --> 02:02:30,504
million. So very large project.

2242
02:02:31,304 --> 02:02:35,084
A lot of components, and it'll also expand approximately two

2243
02:02:35,144 --> 02:02:39,124
years of construction. Probably much to the dismay of all of our residents.

2244
02:02:40,184 --> 02:02:43,524
But that's how we fix roads, and it takes time, and there's a lot of infrastructure

2245
02:02:43,584 --> 02:02:45,824
underneath these roads to address.

2246
02:02:46,204 --> 02:02:47,924
So very large project.

2247
02:02:49,024 --> 02:02:51,384
Lots of grant funding involved in this project.

2248
02:02:51,824 --> 02:02:54,644
I think grants at this point in time are at 8.3 million.

2249
02:02:55,824 --> 02:02:57,344
Staff has done an outstanding job.

2250
02:02:57,444 --> 02:03:00,744
I know that's a little bit of a sidebar, but an outstanding job securing these

2251
02:03:00,804 --> 02:03:04,264
grant funds to help pay for this project. There are local funds involved as well.

2252
02:03:05,124 --> 02:03:07,224
However, back to this specific amendment.

2253
02:03:07,464 --> 02:03:10,544
Again, this is a construction phase services amendment

2254
02:03:11,624 --> 02:03:15,564
that follows the design engineer and helps us deliver

2255
02:03:15,604 --> 02:03:17,064
this project through construction.

2256
02:03:17,164 --> 02:03:20,944
Again, complying with many federal requirements that are associated with

2257
02:03:20,984 --> 02:03:24,884
this because there is a number of different federal funds involved in the grants.

2258
02:03:27,372 --> 02:03:31,332
Staff, if depending on staff's capacity, we will also play a role in

2259
02:03:31,372 --> 02:03:35,012
that. As I had mentioned with the Pine Street construction phase

2260
02:03:35,052 --> 02:03:38,872
services, if we have staff capacity, we will assign it to

2261
02:03:38,932 --> 02:03:42,652
that project. This is based on a worst-case scenario that we

2262
02:03:42,712 --> 02:03:46,552
won't have the staff capacity available to assist, but we do our best to

2263
02:03:46,592 --> 02:03:48,452
minimize those costs. However,

2264
02:03:49,552 --> 02:03:53,072
we need to have that support regardless and need to be prepared to be able to

2265
02:03:53,112 --> 02:03:55,972
deliver that. So happy to answer questions.

2266
02:03:56,212 --> 02:03:59,552
Thank you, Mr. Billy. Do we have any public comments on this item?

2267
02:04:01,732 --> 02:04:04,032
Seeing none, Ms. Nichelle, do we have anyone online?

2268
02:04:05,092 --> 02:04:05,832
No, Rick's handling it.

2269
02:04:05,932 --> 02:04:09,632
All right. Bringing it back to council for questions, comments.

2270
02:04:10,272 --> 02:04:12,392
Looking to my left. Looking to my right.

2271
02:04:12,612 --> 02:04:14,892
I just have a question and a comment, I guess.

2272
02:04:15,272 --> 02:04:18,992
So, I'm new to this role and this process, and

2273
02:04:19,292 --> 02:04:19,292
I

2274
02:04:20,532 --> 02:04:24,052
was just looking through this, I noticed this seemed like a really

2275
02:04:24,112 --> 02:04:27,272
large contract amendment, and so I had asked,

2276
02:04:27,952 --> 02:04:31,612
why would we be doing a contract amendment rather than going out

2277
02:04:32,072 --> 02:04:35,672
to bid for a new proposal through the competitive bidding

2278
02:04:35,712 --> 02:04:39,192
process? But just to clarify, it sounds like this is a pretty standard

2279
02:04:39,232 --> 02:04:43,152
process when we move from design to construction to stay with

2280
02:04:43,192 --> 02:04:43,692
the same

2281
02:04:44,972 --> 02:04:46,152
contractor. Is that right?

2282
02:04:46,392 --> 02:04:47,312
It is. And,

2283
02:04:48,252 --> 02:04:51,852
we follow state law when it comes to consultant selection for

2284
02:04:51,912 --> 02:04:52,652
architects.

2285
02:04:53,512 --> 02:04:57,052
As Esther had presented, that was an architect group as well as engineers.

2286
02:04:57,132 --> 02:05:00,852
This happens to be an engineer group, which their selection goes through a process

2287
02:05:00,952 --> 02:05:04,892
of most qualified. So we went through a formal selection

2288
02:05:04,952 --> 02:05:06,072
process back in,

2289
02:05:07,192 --> 02:05:10,172
actually, in 2023. This big project's been going on a while.

2290
02:05:10,232 --> 02:05:14,032
So, there was a formal process that we followed, in

2291
02:05:14,072 --> 02:05:17,072
accordance with state law, to make the selection of this firm.

2292
02:05:18,392 --> 02:05:22,332
They were selected as the design engineer as the most qualified, and again,

2293
02:05:22,572 --> 02:05:26,452
amending that contract to include these construction

2294
02:05:26,492 --> 02:05:29,612
phase services for consistency throughout the project.

2295
02:05:29,732 --> 02:05:33,632
Now, when it comes to the actual construction, that will be a

2296
02:05:33,692 --> 02:05:34,971
bid that is-

2297
02:05:35,132 --> 02:05:35,232
Okay

2298
02:05:35,232 --> 02:05:39,072
... publicly advertised. Bids are opened, and then we

2299
02:05:39,132 --> 02:05:42,832
review the bids and then bring forth to council, the

2300
02:05:42,892 --> 02:05:46,732
lowest responsive and responsible bidder, and that is a formal bid

2301
02:05:46,772 --> 02:05:48,552
process, which is a different set of laws.

2302
02:05:49,212 --> 02:05:50,832
Okay. Thank you for clarifying. That's helpful.

2303
02:05:50,932 --> 02:05:52,192
Absolutely. Council Moss.

2304
02:05:54,392 --> 02:05:57,212
First of all, congratulations to get us to this point.

2305
02:05:58,512 --> 02:05:59,892
It has been a long process.

2306
02:06:01,892 --> 02:06:03,712
Hearing the $8 million

2307
02:06:04,672 --> 02:06:08,232
that we've obtained, again, congratulations to city and city

2308
02:06:08,312 --> 02:06:08,692
staff

2309
02:06:09,792 --> 02:06:10,132
for

2310
02:06:11,232 --> 02:06:14,032
looking for all those resources, being competent

2311
02:06:14,092 --> 02:06:17,652
enough in previous projects to be

2312
02:06:17,732 --> 02:06:19,772
trusted to be awarded future projects.

2313
02:06:23,252 --> 02:06:23,672
It makes

2314
02:06:24,592 --> 02:06:26,392
imminent sense to me to have the same

2315
02:06:27,232 --> 02:06:27,532
firm,

2316
02:06:29,172 --> 02:06:32,992
follow up with the oversight. And if my

2317
02:06:33,692 --> 02:06:37,092
calculations are correct, it's about 16% of the total

2318
02:06:37,172 --> 02:06:39,192
project, and that's well within

2319
02:06:40,432 --> 02:06:42,192
reason and within

2320
02:06:43,672 --> 02:06:45,752
other contracts that we've led.

2321
02:06:47,852 --> 02:06:48,332
Thank you.

2322
02:06:48,632 --> 02:06:51,132
All right. Anybody else? Councillor Reske.

2323
02:06:51,932 --> 02:06:53,372
I just want to ask, so in the

2324
02:06:54,752 --> 02:06:58,452
staff report it talked about if we had more engineers, we wouldn't have to do

2325
02:06:58,612 --> 02:07:00,692
this, spend as much, correct?

2326
02:07:02,552 --> 02:07:06,012
That is certainly a component, but not for everything, because we don't possess all

2327
02:07:06,072 --> 02:07:09,592
of the expertise necessary for everything that's going to be

2328
02:07:09,632 --> 02:07:10,292
required here.

2329
02:07:11,192 --> 02:07:15,172
So that's why I mentioned if we have staff available that we can

2330
02:07:15,212 --> 02:07:18,932
assign, we will probably do that. If we don't, we have to rely

2331
02:07:18,972 --> 02:07:19,492
upon them.

2332
02:07:19,892 --> 02:07:22,652
Okay. Well, again, I want you to have more engineers.

2333
02:07:24,112 --> 02:07:25,172
I got that. And then-

2334
02:07:26,732 --> 02:07:27,192
Hire one.

2335
02:07:27,892 --> 02:07:28,092
Yeah.

2336
02:07:29,012 --> 02:07:32,472
And then I recall, when we do these, go out for bid,

2337
02:07:32,972 --> 02:07:36,852
and we get it, you're projecting 10 million, but it comes in

2338
02:07:37,032 --> 02:07:37,472
lower.

2339
02:07:38,272 --> 02:07:41,372
Seems to me this price should then go down, but it doesn't.

2340
02:07:41,752 --> 02:07:42,372
It does not.

2341
02:07:42,432 --> 02:07:43,412
I don't understand that.

2342
02:07:43,872 --> 02:07:46,012
Time and materials is what that basis is.

2343
02:07:46,072 --> 02:07:49,992
So this is driven by time, and again, they're not

2344
02:07:50,032 --> 02:07:53,872
connected to each other per se. What you're referring to is a rule of

2345
02:07:54,532 --> 02:07:54,632
thumb-

2346
02:07:54,652 --> 02:07:55,032
That's what I'm referring

2347
02:07:55,032 --> 02:07:56,612
... that Council Member Moss had alluded to.

2348
02:07:56,672 --> 02:07:56,892
Right.

2349
02:07:57,092 --> 02:07:59,572
16%. It seems like it's in the range.

2350
02:07:59,972 --> 02:08:03,832
He's actually correct, but for the number of federal grants involved in this,

2351
02:08:04,052 --> 02:08:06,892
it's actually a lower percentage, to be quite honest.

2352
02:08:07,652 --> 02:08:11,592
Because it brings a lot of additional work that comes with the federal grants.

2353
02:08:12,832 --> 02:08:15,432
But it's an engineering firm versus construction.

2354
02:08:16,872 --> 02:08:19,692
And they're not necessarily connected to each other per se.

2355
02:08:20,272 --> 02:08:24,252
This is time and materials, and it's dictated by the time that's going to be

2356
02:08:24,352 --> 02:08:24,672
spent.

2357
02:08:26,072 --> 02:08:28,472
Doing it faster shortens that time, less money.

2358
02:08:29,252 --> 02:08:30,532
Oftentimes it takes more time.

2359
02:08:30,812 --> 02:08:33,312
Okay. So we're just dealing with the world we're living in.

2360
02:08:34,072 --> 02:08:34,412
Got it.

2361
02:08:36,792 --> 02:08:37,412
Anything else?

2362
02:08:38,712 --> 02:08:40,912
All right. How would you like to proceed with resolution

2363
02:08:41,032 --> 02:08:44,972
2026-084 authorizes professional service contract

2364
02:08:45,032 --> 02:08:48,972
amendment with David Evans & Associates, Inc., for construction

2365
02:08:49,172 --> 02:08:52,312
phase services on the Poplar Street project in the amount of

2366
02:08:52,332 --> 02:08:55,812
$1,695,312.

2367
02:08:56,512 --> 02:08:58,432
Your Honor, I move to approve resolution

2368
02:08:59,252 --> 02:09:02,392
2026-084.

2369
02:09:02,672 --> 02:09:04,392
All right. We have a motion. Do we have a-

2370
02:09:04,472 --> 02:09:04,772
Second.

2371
02:09:04,812 --> 02:09:07,832
We have a motion and a second. All those in favor, please say aye.

2372
02:09:08,312 --> 02:09:08,612
Aye.

2373
02:09:08,892 --> 02:09:11,712
Any opposed? That passes unanimously as well.

2374
02:09:12,932 --> 02:09:16,792
Next item on our agenda, and I can already foresee who the presenter

2375
02:09:16,832 --> 02:09:20,732
will be. Resolution 2026-085 authorizes

2376
02:09:20,792 --> 02:09:23,872
a contract with RH2 Engineering, Inc., for an

2377
02:09:24,352 --> 02:09:27,592
on-call water engineering support services in the amount of

2378
02:09:27,952 --> 02:09:31,712
$50,000 per year, and that goes from 2026 to

2379
02:09:31,852 --> 02:09:32,772
2029.

2380
02:09:34,688 --> 02:09:37,808
Yes. So this is an on-call contract, and

2381
02:09:37,848 --> 02:09:41,808
in essence, it's replacing one that we had

2382
02:09:41,868 --> 02:09:45,488
executed previously. Included in the staff report is a history.

2383
02:09:45,968 --> 02:09:46,328
We did an

2384
02:09:47,328 --> 02:09:51,288
on-call contract and went through a formal process to select RH2 Engineering to

2385
02:09:51,348 --> 02:09:53,528
assist us with on-call water items.

2386
02:09:53,568 --> 02:09:54,888
And those types of things are our

2387
02:09:55,928 --> 02:09:59,588
troubleshooting challenges, assisting, guiding, helping us

2388
02:09:59,648 --> 02:10:02,948
navigate regulatory requirements, those types of elements.

2389
02:10:02,988 --> 02:10:03,348
It's not

2390
02:10:04,228 --> 02:10:08,208
a specific project, it's help us. Help us with the

2391
02:10:08,248 --> 02:10:10,228
water system modeling types of things.

2392
02:10:10,808 --> 02:10:13,948
So, that's what this contract is specifically targeted at.

2393
02:10:14,008 --> 02:10:17,288
Now, we went through a selection process in

2394
02:10:17,468 --> 02:10:20,748
2024, entered into a contract with RH2.

2395
02:10:22,828 --> 02:10:26,448
And with that, we were also awarded a FEMA grant

2396
02:10:26,528 --> 02:10:28,428
for generators for two of our wells.

2397
02:10:29,068 --> 02:10:32,188
We brought that to council as an amendment

2398
02:10:33,188 --> 02:10:37,168
to add to RH2's contract. They were very qualified in that area,

2399
02:10:37,968 --> 02:10:39,727
in particular, amongst other areas.

2400
02:10:40,728 --> 02:10:44,168
So, we added an amendment into that on-call contract.

2401
02:10:44,948 --> 02:10:46,568
We probably shouldn't have done that in hindsight.

2402
02:10:47,688 --> 02:10:51,288
While it was fully compliant with FEMA's selection process,

2403
02:10:51,728 --> 02:10:54,328
what it's done is it's created a contract

2404
02:10:55,188 --> 02:10:58,668
tracking dilemma for us. So I actually

2405
02:10:58,748 --> 02:11:02,608
called city attorney's office and said, "We have this going on.

2406
02:11:02,988 --> 02:11:06,008
It's very hard to keep all this neat and tidy, which we like to do with our

2407
02:11:06,068 --> 02:11:09,868
contracts. What do you suggest? Here's my thought, is we should just

2408
02:11:09,928 --> 02:11:13,868
bring a new contract to council, have council authorize that, let that old one

2409
02:11:13,908 --> 02:11:17,788
just be the generators, and do our on-call contract over here and just separate the

2410
02:11:17,848 --> 02:11:21,468
two." And Tim agreed, hence the reason why I'm standing here

2411
02:11:21,508 --> 02:11:24,968
before you. It dates back to a selection process in

2412
02:11:25,328 --> 02:11:28,408
2024. Yes, we're in 2026. It was

2413
02:11:29,068 --> 02:11:32,728
intended to be a five-year on-call contract because we develop a relationship with

2414
02:11:32,748 --> 02:11:35,208
these folks, and they help us troubleshoot through those years.

2415
02:11:36,048 --> 02:11:38,748
So that's in essence what this is, is a contract cleanup.

2416
02:11:38,988 --> 02:11:42,768
It just simply makes it easier to track in our financial system,

2417
02:11:43,627 --> 02:11:47,548
track our contract management, and track monitoring easier for not only

2418
02:11:47,608 --> 02:11:51,508
finance, but our contracts and our engineers as well, and just keep

2419
02:11:51,548 --> 02:11:54,348
it all separate, nice and tidy is really what this is about.

2420
02:11:54,988 --> 02:11:58,448
All right. Very well. Thank you. Do we have any public comments?

2421
02:12:00,608 --> 02:12:02,268
Do we have anyone online, Ms. Neisen?

2422
02:12:03,228 --> 02:12:04,468
No raised hands, Your Honor.

2423
02:12:04,528 --> 02:12:06,628
Do we have any council questions? Yes.

2424
02:12:07,648 --> 02:12:07,908
So

2425
02:12:08,928 --> 02:12:11,408
not any problem with the contract itself.

2426
02:12:11,968 --> 02:12:15,628
The part that I read that concerned me was this sort of

2427
02:12:15,728 --> 02:12:19,508
add-on. That staff additionally request city manager supplemental authority up to

2428
02:12:19,508 --> 02:12:20,548
$50,000

2429
02:12:21,708 --> 02:12:23,588
per calendar year for this contract.

2430
02:12:24,348 --> 02:12:28,028
So we're moving what needs to come before council as a part of this from

2431
02:12:28,228 --> 02:12:30,188
50 to 100. Am I understanding that correctly?

2432
02:12:31,968 --> 02:12:35,808
What we're asking council is for the term, the $50,000 a

2433
02:12:35,868 --> 02:12:38,388
year for 20... Let's see here. 20-

2434
02:12:39,108 --> 02:12:39,848
6 to 29.

2435
02:12:40,288 --> 02:12:41,368
26 to 29. Thank you.

2436
02:12:44,228 --> 02:12:47,648
If we have on-call needs above that 50 per year,

2437
02:12:48,168 --> 02:12:48,828
we'd like to be able

2438
02:12:49,708 --> 02:12:52,888
to go to Elizabeth and say, "Hey, we need this." It needs to be typically a fast

2439
02:12:52,948 --> 02:12:56,708
turnaround. And the specific reason why we added that in for this

2440
02:12:56,808 --> 02:13:00,648
one has to do with preparation and response to the

2441
02:13:00,708 --> 02:13:04,028
Paradise Fire. At the time we wrote this, very concerned.

2442
02:13:04,708 --> 02:13:08,148
We're feeling better now. Again, we're not out of that just yet,

2443
02:13:08,288 --> 02:13:09,828
but we wanted to have

2444
02:13:11,768 --> 02:13:15,228
greater flexibility to get assistance to help navigate through whatever

2445
02:13:15,628 --> 02:13:19,208
happens there, which is specifically why we put that in there.

2446
02:13:21,688 --> 02:13:25,568
That's it in a nutshell is I know we have an emergency declaration where

2447
02:13:25,628 --> 02:13:27,128
we could probably do that anyway.

2448
02:13:28,088 --> 02:13:30,688
We want, again, keep this as organized and

2449
02:13:31,888 --> 02:13:35,768
as we possibly can, and we felt like that additional authority might be

2450
02:13:35,808 --> 02:13:39,048
necessary. Now, in your standard resolutions,

2451
02:13:39,468 --> 02:13:43,268
typically, I think it's 50,000 for the entire contract.

2452
02:13:44,708 --> 02:13:48,628
We felt the need to have 50,000 additional per year just in

2453
02:13:48,688 --> 02:13:51,228
case. Again, it's a just in case subject to

2454
02:13:52,308 --> 02:13:56,007
city manager's approval, as well as going through our legal services

2455
02:13:56,048 --> 02:13:56,848
process approval.

2456
02:13:57,908 --> 02:13:58,048
Yeah.

2457
02:13:59,408 --> 02:14:01,228
I don't think that's necessary,

2458
02:14:02,208 --> 02:14:05,548
quite frankly. You can always call an emergency meeting, and I guess I'd like to

2459
02:14:05,588 --> 02:14:08,868
see it become a problem before we actually just start giving away that kind of

2460
02:14:08,888 --> 02:14:09,228
authority

2461
02:14:10,548 --> 02:14:14,528
myself. So yeah, I would strike that before

2462
02:14:14,588 --> 02:14:14,748
me.

2463
02:14:16,848 --> 02:14:18,408
Any other questions, comments?

2464
02:14:20,668 --> 02:14:21,228
Council Moss.

2465
02:14:23,828 --> 02:14:27,568
I know it's a small likelihood, but we could actually spend

2466
02:14:27,668 --> 02:14:28,868
less than 50,000.

2467
02:14:29,208 --> 02:14:29,848
Typically, we do.

2468
02:14:32,208 --> 02:14:32,388
So

2469
02:14:33,928 --> 02:14:35,688
it's not like a retainer fee, it's

2470
02:14:36,768 --> 02:14:38,408
up to 50,000 based on

2471
02:14:40,288 --> 02:14:41,628
issue, time,

2472
02:14:42,508 --> 02:14:43,168
complexity?

2473
02:14:43,548 --> 02:14:43,748
Yes.

2474
02:14:44,848 --> 02:14:48,768
And we had actually even discussed whether we should just, "Hey, let's make

2475
02:14:48,808 --> 02:14:51,608
it 100,000 for each year," which is in essence what this is.

2476
02:14:51,948 --> 02:14:55,328
But we also like to try to keep it under 50 if we possibly can.

2477
02:14:57,268 --> 02:15:01,028
But extenuating circumstances come up, and that is the reason why we were

2478
02:15:01,068 --> 02:15:02,168
concerned this time around.

2479
02:15:03,168 --> 02:15:06,888
Understood. And I appreciate staff has always been very

2480
02:15:07,188 --> 02:15:11,068
responsive in making us aware of any time a

2481
02:15:11,128 --> 02:15:12,608
contract is exceeded

2482
02:15:13,948 --> 02:15:15,448
authority, and so

2483
02:15:16,548 --> 02:15:18,928
I appreciate what we're trying to do here. Thank you.

2484
02:15:19,268 --> 02:15:21,588
All right. Any other questions, comments?

2485
02:15:21,988 --> 02:15:24,168
Well, I just ask since this is the discussion.

2486
02:15:25,108 --> 02:15:29,068
Should it then up to the amount of 50,000 rather than in?

2487
02:15:31,608 --> 02:15:32,348
In the actual

2488
02:15:33,688 --> 02:15:33,808
resolution?

2489
02:15:33,888 --> 02:15:37,628
Well, sure it does in the contract, but as we're approving this

2490
02:15:38,248 --> 02:15:39,008
for the per

2491
02:15:40,384 --> 02:15:41,544
Just as a description and-

2492
02:15:41,844 --> 02:15:44,164
Yeah, as a description for the public, because-

2493
02:15:44,384 --> 02:15:44,504
Okay

2494
02:15:44,724 --> 02:15:45,684
... it makes a difference.

2495
02:15:48,364 --> 02:15:48,524
Um,

2496
02:15:51,024 --> 02:15:51,564
Your Honor.

2497
02:15:53,564 --> 02:15:54,764
That's when Ralph was thinking.

2498
02:15:55,104 --> 02:15:55,204
Oh.

2499
02:15:56,344 --> 02:15:56,604
Yes.

2500
02:15:57,044 --> 02:16:00,904
I do believe if when we do make a motion on this

2501
02:16:00,984 --> 02:16:04,544
point, if Council Member Eskel could be the one to

2502
02:16:04,604 --> 02:16:07,944
frame that motion and make that motion with that adjustment, I think

2503
02:16:08,504 --> 02:16:10,064
that might help us to-

2504
02:16:10,404 --> 02:16:10,504
To

2505
02:16:10,504 --> 02:16:14,384
... bolster transparency and make sure that we're getting the right

2506
02:16:14,464 --> 02:16:15,824
thing done here,

2507
02:16:17,004 --> 02:16:18,264
when we get to that point.

2508
02:16:18,884 --> 02:16:21,424
Before we get there, any other comments, questions? Councillor Brown.

2509
02:16:21,864 --> 02:16:22,784
Sorry, that was a thumbs up.

2510
02:16:23,164 --> 02:16:24,944
That was a thumbs up. Okay. Very well.

2511
02:16:25,364 --> 02:16:28,504
Uh, all right, Councillor Eskel, do you want to make the motion?

2512
02:16:29,144 --> 02:16:29,684
Sure. Uh,

2513
02:16:31,264 --> 02:16:33,184
I move we approve Resolution

2514
02:16:34,684 --> 02:16:38,484
2026-085, authorizes a contract

2515
02:16:38,544 --> 02:16:42,245
with RH2 Engineering Incorporated for an on-call

2516
02:16:42,344 --> 02:16:46,284
engineering support services up to the amount of 50,000 per

2517
02:16:46,404 --> 02:16:46,624
year,

2518
02:16:47,505 --> 02:16:50,064
2026 through 2029.

2519
02:16:50,404 --> 02:16:50,825
Second.

2520
02:16:51,024 --> 02:16:54,104
We have a motion and a second. All those in favor, please say aye.

2521
02:16:54,204 --> 02:16:54,585
Aye.

2522
02:16:54,825 --> 02:16:54,964
Aye.

2523
02:16:55,024 --> 02:16:56,505
Aye. Any opposed?

2524
02:16:56,724 --> 02:16:57,044
Aye.

2525
02:16:57,544 --> 02:17:01,484
One. Okay. So that passes six

2526
02:17:01,524 --> 02:17:02,505
to one. Thank you.

2527
02:17:06,085 --> 02:17:10,005
The next item on our agenda is review and take action,

2528
02:17:10,364 --> 02:17:13,884
uh, on submitting a city comment letter on the Draft

2529
02:17:13,944 --> 02:17:17,184
Environmental Impact Statement Blue Mountain Forest Plan

2530
02:17:17,384 --> 02:17:17,964
Revision.

2531
02:17:19,224 --> 02:17:19,444
Okay.

2532
02:17:20,344 --> 02:17:24,124
Uh, so before council is a draft comment letter on the

2533
02:17:24,165 --> 02:17:27,864
Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Blue Mountain Forest Plan

2534
02:17:28,064 --> 02:17:31,284
Revision. Uh, this is for the, um,

2535
02:17:32,165 --> 02:17:35,505
three, uh, national forests in our region.

2536
02:17:36,064 --> 02:17:39,284
Uh, those current forest plans, uh, date back to 1990.

2537
02:17:40,245 --> 02:17:44,204
And, uh, the proposed, uh, plan revisions, um,

2538
02:17:44,724 --> 02:17:48,384
we basically are looking at kind of all the changes over the past 32

2539
02:17:48,444 --> 02:17:52,165
years, um, and, uh, amending those plans.

2540
02:17:52,204 --> 02:17:56,024
So this is the, uh, draft, uh, environmental impact statement on

2541
02:17:56,064 --> 02:17:59,764
those revisions. Uh, the proposed letter, um, it takes the

2542
02:17:59,804 --> 02:18:02,384
approach of, um, supporting alternative three.

2543
02:18:02,444 --> 02:18:06,284
There's three alternatives that were analyzed, uh, within the draft

2544
02:18:06,364 --> 02:18:09,624
EIS. There's always the no-action alternative, which is

2545
02:18:10,764 --> 02:18:14,404
what that says, no action, let you stay with the 1990

2546
02:18:14,464 --> 02:18:18,124
plan. Um, alternative two, which is the preferred

2547
02:18:18,224 --> 02:18:22,104
alternative, uh, by the, uh, US Forest Service, and

2548
02:18:22,144 --> 02:18:24,444
then alternative three. Um,

2549
02:18:26,745 --> 02:18:30,604
I'm not going to go into every detail of what's different with the alternatives,

2550
02:18:30,684 --> 02:18:33,384
why I recommended that we look at alternative three, because I think it

2551
02:18:33,425 --> 02:18:37,364
accomplishes the goals that, uh, the city has set out

2552
02:18:37,425 --> 02:18:39,825
with its, uh, previous legislative priorities.

2553
02:18:40,284 --> 02:18:44,184
Um, I structured the letter of kind of the issue areas that were,

2554
02:18:44,704 --> 02:18:48,624
um, identified in the draft EIS and whether, uh, we

2555
02:18:48,684 --> 02:18:52,284
had a specific comment or support, um, on

2556
02:18:52,325 --> 02:18:53,044
those. Um,

2557
02:18:54,204 --> 02:18:56,344
there was a couple, uh, clarifications.

2558
02:18:56,444 --> 02:18:56,684
Um,

2559
02:18:57,684 --> 02:19:01,585
uh, primarily around... Uh, so I'm on page two of the draft

2560
02:19:01,665 --> 02:19:04,904
letter, and this has to do with protection of mature and large trees.

2561
02:19:05,425 --> 02:19:05,684
Um,

2562
02:19:06,844 --> 02:19:08,124
I think it's a, uh,

2563
02:19:09,024 --> 02:19:11,704
maybe reading of what the phrasing in the draft alternative.

2564
02:19:11,745 --> 02:19:15,524
It says alternative three retains the limitations on harvest of larger

2565
02:19:15,604 --> 02:19:19,245
trees. Um, when I went back and reread that

2566
02:19:19,304 --> 02:19:21,444
section of the, um,

2567
02:19:23,544 --> 02:19:25,684
draft EIS, it does say,

2568
02:19:28,124 --> 02:19:31,925
for instance, alternative three includes a guideline for large tree habitat

2569
02:19:31,964 --> 02:19:35,524
by retaining and managing. So that's why I use the words retain.

2570
02:19:36,444 --> 02:19:39,944
Um, uh, there is a comment about whether it's a

2571
02:19:39,984 --> 02:19:43,864
guideline or, um, a fact, a required retention.

2572
02:19:43,925 --> 02:19:47,044
So that could be something that we clarify within the draft letter.

2573
02:19:47,764 --> 02:19:49,524
Um, but overall, it's, um,

2574
02:19:51,464 --> 02:19:53,404
it's supporting, um, alternative three.

2575
02:19:53,484 --> 02:19:57,384
Um, I felt that that was in line with our, um,

2576
02:19:58,544 --> 02:20:02,324
legislative priorities for, uh, working with the Forest Service on fuel

2577
02:20:02,384 --> 02:20:06,304
reduction and fuel management, and management of our watershed,

2578
02:20:07,004 --> 02:20:10,704
um, and things that we have been actively engaged with, um, when we do our

2579
02:20:10,744 --> 02:20:13,964
legislative actions, um, uh, in Washington, DC.

2580
02:20:14,684 --> 02:20:18,104
Um, one thing I do want to, uh, point out in alternative three

2581
02:20:18,144 --> 02:20:20,724
recognizes the importance of the roadless lands.

2582
02:20:21,144 --> 02:20:24,724
Uh, so it does make an assumption that the roadless rule remains in place.

2583
02:20:24,824 --> 02:20:28,684
As council knows, at your last meeting, we submitted a comment letter, um, on

2584
02:20:28,764 --> 02:20:32,404
that draft EIS, um, on the rescission of the roadless rule.

2585
02:20:32,444 --> 02:20:33,264
And so, um,

2586
02:20:34,564 --> 02:20:38,424
there is some connection between, um, those two actions and what's in this

2587
02:20:38,464 --> 02:20:42,284
plan. Um, this is council's, uh, uh, draft

2588
02:20:42,344 --> 02:20:45,924
letter or council's letter, excuse me, um, that ultimately gets submitted.

2589
02:20:46,364 --> 02:20:46,704
Um, so

2590
02:20:47,564 --> 02:20:51,024
I'm not married to any of this, so please, this was just a starting point and a

2591
02:20:51,044 --> 02:20:54,904
recommendation to work from. Um, I know Council Member Brown has some suggestions,

2592
02:20:55,044 --> 02:20:58,204
um, for council's consideration. Happy to answer any questions.

2593
02:20:58,284 --> 02:21:02,164
Um, the deadline to submit, um, or the comment, um, uh,

2594
02:21:02,264 --> 02:21:05,924
deadline is September 30th, um, uh, which is next week.

2595
02:21:06,064 --> 02:21:09,564
All right. Very well. Um,

2596
02:21:10,044 --> 02:21:13,584
before we go there, do we have any public comments on this item?

2597
02:21:24,424 --> 02:21:26,684
Council, do not send this letter.

2598
02:21:27,584 --> 02:21:30,844
This is not a harmless statement of preference among Forest Service alternatives.

2599
02:21:31,464 --> 02:21:35,444
It places the city of Walla Walla on the federal record explicitly endorsing weaker

2600
02:21:35,524 --> 02:21:39,124
protections and increased commercial logging in the forest that supplies our

2601
02:21:39,144 --> 02:21:42,992
drinking water. Worse, the letter is misleading, and several of its

2602
02:21:43,012 --> 02:21:46,472
central claims are plainly false when compared with what's actually in the draft

2603
02:21:46,492 --> 02:21:47,512
environmental impact statement.

2604
02:21:48,212 --> 02:21:51,172
The city's letter praises Alternative 3 for larger stream buffers.

2605
02:21:51,692 --> 02:21:52,792
The buffers are not larger.

2606
02:21:53,592 --> 02:21:56,252
It says the 21-inch large tree protection is retained.

2607
02:21:56,651 --> 02:22:00,252
It is not retained. An enforceable standard becomes a mere suggestion.

2608
02:22:00,872 --> 02:22:04,772
The letter praises stronger protection of roadless lands, but Alternative 3

2609
02:22:04,812 --> 02:22:06,772
provides no protection of roadless areas.

2610
02:22:07,252 --> 02:22:11,152
If the federal roadless rule disappears, it opens our municipal watershed to roads,

2611
02:22:11,312 --> 02:22:12,852
logging, mining, and grazing.

2612
02:22:13,692 --> 02:22:17,192
And most remarkably, the letter thanks the Forest Service for its consideration of

2613
02:22:17,232 --> 02:22:21,192
municipal watersheds, when the actual language plainly in the forest

2614
02:22:21,292 --> 02:22:24,852
plan explicitly directs the agency to, quote, "Prioritize

2615
02:22:25,052 --> 02:22:28,672
timber harvest," end quote, in municipal watersheds,

2616
02:22:29,012 --> 02:22:32,552
and specifically determines that drinking water quality is not a

2617
02:22:32,592 --> 02:22:36,552
consideration for analysis. That is what the letter asks this

2618
02:22:36,612 --> 02:22:38,732
council to affirmatively endorse.

2619
02:22:39,512 --> 02:22:43,292
There is no ethical or scientific reason for the city to actively support

2620
02:22:43,612 --> 02:22:47,572
this administration's shameless agenda to liquidate our public forests.

2621
02:22:48,072 --> 02:22:51,872
Unless there is some financial incentive I'm not yet aware of, there is

2622
02:22:51,912 --> 02:22:54,232
no rational reason for you to send this letter.

2623
02:22:55,012 --> 02:22:58,452
The city failed to preserve its objections during the formal comment period for the

2624
02:22:58,492 --> 02:23:02,312
Tiger Mill timber sale. That failure is now repeatedly invoked as the

2625
02:23:02,452 --> 02:23:06,332
reason that the city cannot challenge the commercial logging currently happening

2626
02:23:06,412 --> 02:23:10,072
in our watershed. You have the opportunity today to not

2627
02:23:10,112 --> 02:23:11,472
repeat that same failure.

2628
02:23:12,312 --> 02:23:15,692
I have here a draft letter that simply advocates for the

2629
02:23:15,732 --> 02:23:19,512
retention of the modest yet hard-won protections of the existing forest

2630
02:23:19,592 --> 02:23:23,372
plan. It is a simple, straightforward letter that places the city's

2631
02:23:23,412 --> 02:23:26,512
role accurately to protect our water. That's it.

2632
02:23:27,472 --> 02:23:30,692
If you're unwilling to consider that or sending a different letter, then please do

2633
02:23:30,752 --> 02:23:34,592
not send anything at all. Whatever you do, do not send this letter

2634
02:23:34,652 --> 02:23:38,452
as drafted. It gives away the only recourse you and all of your

2635
02:23:38,512 --> 02:23:42,272
successors will have to ensure that our community's most precious

2636
02:23:42,392 --> 02:23:46,152
resource is protected. Protect the city's water,

2637
02:23:46,972 --> 02:23:50,572
protect the city's future objections in the formal process,

2638
02:23:50,892 --> 02:23:54,732
and please do not put Walla Walla on the federal record advocating for the

2639
02:23:54,752 --> 02:23:57,792
dismantling of what few protections have safeguarded our

2640
02:23:57,832 --> 02:24:01,512
watershed for so many generations up till

2641
02:24:01,572 --> 02:24:01,872
now.

2642
02:24:02,832 --> 02:24:05,472
We need those protections more than ever.

2643
02:24:10,152 --> 02:24:10,612
Thank you.

2644
02:24:10,672 --> 02:24:11,112
All right.

2645
02:24:11,472 --> 02:24:11,892
Thank you.

2646
02:24:11,992 --> 02:24:12,332
Thank you.

2647
02:24:14,072 --> 02:24:15,552
Any other public comment?

2648
02:24:24,612 --> 02:24:26,052
Oh, thank you, Council.

2649
02:24:27,692 --> 02:24:31,632
I had the privilege of reading Paul's email to you

2650
02:24:32,552 --> 02:24:34,072
earlier today,

2651
02:24:35,032 --> 02:24:38,832
and he's obviously studied the actual

2652
02:24:41,092 --> 02:24:42,912
Option 3 and the

2653
02:24:44,892 --> 02:24:48,632
draft plan very carefully. He's committed to the

2654
02:24:48,692 --> 02:24:52,192
health of our community and its water supply.

2655
02:24:54,092 --> 02:24:56,932
I think that I agree with every one of his points.

2656
02:24:57,592 --> 02:24:58,292
He's

2657
02:24:59,332 --> 02:25:02,692
paraphrased some of them today and enlarged upon them, but

2658
02:25:03,412 --> 02:25:07,132
this is very, very important, and the citizens have been

2659
02:25:07,192 --> 02:25:10,812
very, very concerned about protecting the watershed.

2660
02:25:11,632 --> 02:25:13,552
Here is your opportunity. Paul,

2661
02:25:14,792 --> 02:25:18,392
he was giving two alternatives. One, send nothing,

2662
02:25:19,572 --> 02:25:20,652
so as not to worsen

2663
02:25:22,012 --> 02:25:25,072
your situation by not having commented previously.

2664
02:25:26,872 --> 02:25:30,752
The other is to adopt his draft letter, which

2665
02:25:30,832 --> 02:25:33,512
deals with all of the community's goals

2666
02:25:35,272 --> 02:25:36,752
in a way that... And

2667
02:25:37,572 --> 02:25:41,152
the city manager agrees that you should

2668
02:25:41,212 --> 02:25:45,072
consider how to amend this draft of hers.

2669
02:25:46,512 --> 02:25:49,832
The letter is from the council, not just the staff.

2670
02:25:50,612 --> 02:25:53,092
And so I strongly urge you to

2671
02:25:54,212 --> 02:25:57,892
look at and approve a response that

2672
02:25:57,952 --> 02:26:01,671
touches on each of the concerns that Paul has studied

2673
02:26:02,092 --> 02:26:04,252
and presented to you. Thank you very much.

2674
02:26:04,452 --> 02:26:04,992
Thank you.

2675
02:26:07,412 --> 02:26:08,432
Any other comments?

2676
02:26:14,332 --> 02:26:18,232
I think there's very few people who have studied this issue as

2677
02:26:18,512 --> 02:26:21,392
thoroughly as Paul Linn, and I

2678
02:26:21,512 --> 02:26:25,372
absolutely endorse everything that he has said, and I

2679
02:26:25,412 --> 02:26:28,932
am very appreciative that he is doing this homework

2680
02:26:29,772 --> 02:26:31,392
for you and for us.

2681
02:26:32,552 --> 02:26:35,932
So I am an avid recreator in the Blue Mountains, and

2682
02:26:36,132 --> 02:26:40,032
I absolutely appreciate the forested lands there

2683
02:26:40,092 --> 02:26:43,332
for their diverse ecosystem, for the

2684
02:26:43,412 --> 02:26:46,872
connectivity that they provide for wildlife,

2685
02:26:47,692 --> 02:26:49,752
migration, and habitat.

2686
02:26:51,472 --> 02:26:54,752
I am also a drinker of Walla Walla water.

2687
02:26:55,612 --> 02:26:57,952
So I am submitting my own letter

2688
02:26:58,052 --> 02:27:01,832
to state my opinion on the forest

2689
02:27:01,872 --> 02:27:05,672
revision plan. But I really

2690
02:27:05,752 --> 02:27:09,152
hope that you, as city council members, will share the

2691
02:27:09,212 --> 02:27:13,192
values that I have about the Blue Mountains and

2692
02:27:13,232 --> 02:27:16,512
that Paul has elucidated for us. Thank you.

2693
02:27:16,652 --> 02:27:17,012
Thank you.

2694
02:27:19,272 --> 02:27:19,772
Anyone else?

2695
02:27:20,592 --> 02:27:20,872
Yes.

2696
02:27:26,512 --> 02:27:27,312
Jane Dowling.

2697
02:27:28,452 --> 02:27:30,952
One thing is evident. There's people

2698
02:27:32,232 --> 02:27:36,212
outside of Walla Walla that are in the federal government and in the

2699
02:27:36,292 --> 02:27:39,832
forestry department that have absolutely, totally

2700
02:27:40,092 --> 02:27:40,852
no clue

2701
02:27:41,732 --> 02:27:44,572
what needs to be done to protect this watershed.

2702
02:27:45,572 --> 02:27:45,792
And-

2703
02:27:47,100 --> 02:27:51,060
Furthermore, we need to make our own rules, and when

2704
02:27:51,240 --> 02:27:54,880
someone has made rules that are watershed

2705
02:27:54,960 --> 02:27:57,840
killing, we simply need to ignore them.

2706
02:27:58,800 --> 02:28:00,360
Don't even argue about it,

2707
02:28:01,340 --> 02:28:03,920
and don't send any letter of approval

2708
02:28:05,380 --> 02:28:06,580
about this roadless.

2709
02:28:07,960 --> 02:28:11,900
The only people that need to be kept off road are the

2710
02:28:11,980 --> 02:28:15,640
four-wheelers that get up there and just tear the hell out of the

2711
02:28:15,680 --> 02:28:19,300
place and leave a mess that is erosive,

2712
02:28:20,080 --> 02:28:23,520
that causes more flooding and causes more damage to the

2713
02:28:23,560 --> 02:28:27,500
environment. Also, there are known lists

2714
02:28:27,640 --> 02:28:27,820
of

2715
02:28:29,040 --> 02:28:32,800
grasses, shrubs, and trees that

2716
02:28:32,880 --> 02:28:36,360
are tough, durable, deep-rooted, fire-resistant,

2717
02:28:37,000 --> 02:28:38,780
and that is what needs to be

2718
02:28:40,180 --> 02:28:41,900
restored to that watershed.

2719
02:28:42,760 --> 02:28:44,440
There are invasive

2720
02:28:45,500 --> 02:28:45,920
annual

2721
02:28:47,300 --> 02:28:49,620
shrubs and trees and grasses

2722
02:28:50,440 --> 02:28:54,280
that need to be taken out because what happens, they

2723
02:28:54,380 --> 02:28:55,260
feed fire

2724
02:28:56,620 --> 02:28:59,020
because they catch fire and they burn.

2725
02:28:59,880 --> 02:29:03,120
The durable, tough foliage, grass,

2726
02:29:03,980 --> 02:29:07,080
shrubs, and trees are what we need to cover the land.

2727
02:29:07,480 --> 02:29:09,740
We don't need bare ground up there.

2728
02:29:10,660 --> 02:29:12,680
That's what's causing our flooding.

2729
02:29:13,480 --> 02:29:17,040
And until we start restoring our

2730
02:29:17,120 --> 02:29:20,840
riparian area and soaking up the water,

2731
02:29:21,320 --> 02:29:24,980
recharging our aquifers, we are in trouble.

2732
02:29:25,580 --> 02:29:29,520
We just as well leave, go home, let the world heat

2733
02:29:29,660 --> 02:29:31,720
up, turn back to wet,

2734
02:29:32,540 --> 02:29:35,100
warm, and give it back to the damn dinosaurs.

2735
02:29:36,220 --> 02:29:36,700
Thank you.

2736
02:29:41,660 --> 02:29:41,800
Yes.

2737
02:29:42,080 --> 02:29:43,420
Jerry Norquist, Division Street.

2738
02:29:44,520 --> 02:29:46,680
I want to thank Paul for the work he's done on this.

2739
02:29:48,200 --> 02:29:49,720
The value of our forests

2740
02:29:50,680 --> 02:29:54,540
to this community is extraordinary, and I would say the value of

2741
02:29:54,580 --> 02:29:56,079
recreation in our forest

2742
02:29:56,960 --> 02:30:00,800
gives us a larger return on investment than logging

2743
02:30:00,840 --> 02:30:04,780
it. So I hope you will consider Paul's comments, and I hope you will

2744
02:30:05,020 --> 02:30:07,500
adopt the letter that he's suggested to you. Thank you.

2745
02:30:08,060 --> 02:30:11,000
All right. Thank you. Anyone else? Yes.

2746
02:30:15,140 --> 02:30:16,580
RL McFarland. And

2747
02:30:17,560 --> 02:30:18,720
this is just amazing.

2748
02:30:20,140 --> 02:30:22,960
Everything Paul shared with you and Dan shared with you,

2749
02:30:23,800 --> 02:30:27,640
it's all about... I'm going to bring it down to how special this

2750
02:30:27,720 --> 02:30:30,060
is for me, but it should be special for everybody.

2751
02:30:30,780 --> 02:30:33,400
I've mentioned this before, but I'll go a little bit deeper.

2752
02:30:34,100 --> 02:30:37,680
My dad used to, with a twinkle in his eye, try to embarrass me when he would say,

2753
02:30:37,720 --> 02:30:39,780
"Well, you know where you were conceived?" And I'd go, "Oh, no.

2754
02:30:39,860 --> 02:30:42,560
Not again." And he would say, "It was up at our cabin,"

2755
02:30:43,960 --> 02:30:47,940
which was built by my mother's grandfather in 1921, just

2756
02:30:47,980 --> 02:30:49,960
between Henry Canyon and Tiger Canyon.

2757
02:30:50,720 --> 02:30:53,020
And the family had a compound up there.

2758
02:30:53,320 --> 02:30:57,300
My family, the Baker family, and the Edwin Baker family next door became

2759
02:30:57,360 --> 02:30:59,780
Ruth Baker Kimball. Now it's part of the

2760
02:31:00,600 --> 02:31:03,840
Whitman compound up there, their retreat. But here's the deal.

2761
02:31:03,920 --> 02:31:07,800
I was allowed to roam those mountains by myself as a little kid, back when

2762
02:31:08,300 --> 02:31:12,260
kids could do that. And so I know how special it is

2763
02:31:12,320 --> 02:31:16,120
up there. And in 1921, when my great-grandfather built the

2764
02:31:16,200 --> 02:31:16,540
cabin,

2765
02:31:17,820 --> 02:31:19,420
the main feature was the

2766
02:31:20,640 --> 02:31:24,180
fireplace in the main room, and with a big wooden

2767
02:31:24,260 --> 02:31:27,800
mantle. And in twigs nailed into

2768
02:31:27,900 --> 02:31:29,180
across the front of the

2769
02:31:30,060 --> 02:31:30,520
mantle,

2770
02:31:31,460 --> 02:31:35,280
it simply said, "Lift up thine eyes unto the hills." I'll never forget

2771
02:31:35,360 --> 02:31:37,980
that. And that's what it's all about up there.

2772
02:31:38,060 --> 02:31:38,200
So

2773
02:31:39,140 --> 02:31:42,800
what I'm saying to you basically is this is something very special.

2774
02:31:43,220 --> 02:31:47,160
So please listen to all the voices that you've heard that are

2775
02:31:47,240 --> 02:31:50,980
trying to share with you how special it is, so that

2776
02:31:51,480 --> 02:31:55,300
we make sure we make the right decisions at the right time, as

2777
02:31:55,360 --> 02:31:56,840
opposed to the wrong ones. Thank you.

2778
02:31:57,280 --> 02:31:58,340
All right. Thank you very much.

2779
02:31:59,220 --> 02:32:00,460
Anyone else? Yes.

2780
02:32:05,399 --> 02:32:08,779
Hi there. I didn't know I was going to be here tonight. I didn't prepare a comment.

2781
02:32:10,040 --> 02:32:13,940
But I urge you to not send the letter to the Forest Service as

2782
02:32:14,060 --> 02:32:16,980
is, and please consider Paul's letter as an alternative.

2783
02:32:18,420 --> 02:32:21,960
There's this deep irony to me in the fact that

2784
02:32:22,040 --> 02:32:25,980
earlier this spring, we filled this room full of

2785
02:32:26,060 --> 02:32:26,420
people

2786
02:32:27,380 --> 02:32:31,340
simply asking you, council members, to send a letter

2787
02:32:31,380 --> 02:32:32,660
to the Forest Service, not

2788
02:32:35,000 --> 02:32:38,600
saying we were against the Tiger Mill plan, just saying we were concerned as a

2789
02:32:38,640 --> 02:32:41,580
public, and we just simply wanted you to send the letter.

2790
02:32:42,480 --> 02:32:46,260
Council Member Brown and Outlaw, you weren't there at this time, but the room was

2791
02:32:46,340 --> 02:32:46,560
full.

2792
02:32:47,820 --> 02:32:48,160
And

2793
02:32:49,300 --> 02:32:52,020
frankly, I feel a little hurt and offended

2794
02:32:53,260 --> 02:32:56,800
that this is just an active agenda item, just going through business as

2795
02:32:56,880 --> 02:32:57,860
usual. And

2796
02:32:58,980 --> 02:33:02,660
it feels like it's more about maintaining our relationship with the Forest

2797
02:33:02,720 --> 02:33:06,620
Service, this decision to send this letter or, in the spring, the

2798
02:33:06,640 --> 02:33:10,200
decision to not send a letter expressing the public's concern, than it

2799
02:33:10,260 --> 02:33:14,140
really is about prioritizing the health of the

2800
02:33:14,180 --> 02:33:14,780
watershed.

2801
02:33:15,940 --> 02:33:17,540
I'm deeply concerned about

2802
02:33:18,440 --> 02:33:21,960
the regulations that this takes away from our

2803
02:33:22,040 --> 02:33:22,500
already

2804
02:33:23,400 --> 02:33:26,860
unprotected watershed. I have a lot of problems with that

2805
02:33:27,420 --> 02:33:29,700
plan that I will submit to the Forest Service.

2806
02:33:31,400 --> 02:33:31,900
But yeah,

2807
02:33:32,900 --> 02:33:36,400
there's this phrase that one of you said earlier that's just

2808
02:33:36,480 --> 02:33:40,420
rattling around in my head, and it's not personal, but we grow

2809
02:33:40,480 --> 02:33:41,280
or we die.

2810
02:33:43,020 --> 02:33:46,800
And I'm just thinking of trees, and if we don't

2811
02:33:46,920 --> 02:33:50,760
let them grow, I think we will die. And when

2812
02:33:50,840 --> 02:33:54,760
we let economic growth go unchecked, we die.

2813
02:33:56,196 --> 02:33:59,156
So please don't send this letter. Please do your homework.

2814
02:33:59,756 --> 02:34:03,496
Please consider all the research that Paul and many scientists have

2815
02:34:03,536 --> 02:34:05,316
presented to you. Thank you.

2816
02:34:06,016 --> 02:34:06,936
All right. Thank you very much.

2817
02:34:08,376 --> 02:34:08,976
Anyone else?

2818
02:34:11,256 --> 02:34:12,636
Do we have anyone online, Ms. Nisel?

2819
02:34:14,196 --> 02:34:15,136
Nobody is in chat.

2820
02:34:15,356 --> 02:34:18,756
All right. Bringing it back to council. Councilor Robinson.

2821
02:34:19,776 --> 02:34:23,676
Thank you. So just so I understand, let's assume for a moment

2822
02:34:23,716 --> 02:34:26,656
we don't send a letter. What would the effect of that be?

2823
02:34:27,156 --> 02:34:29,316
How would that impact our rights going forward?

2824
02:34:32,936 --> 02:34:33,696
Well, we would still have

2825
02:34:34,756 --> 02:34:36,296
certainly the final EIS to

2826
02:34:37,216 --> 02:34:39,776
provide comment on. This is the draft.

2827
02:34:40,816 --> 02:34:42,816
So typically, you know how these steps go.

2828
02:34:43,016 --> 02:34:46,916
You have the draft EIS, you submit comments, then the agency that

2829
02:34:46,956 --> 02:34:50,236
is issuing that EIS goes back and

2830
02:34:50,856 --> 02:34:52,616
revises how they

2831
02:34:53,876 --> 02:34:55,536
see fit based on the comments that

2832
02:34:56,616 --> 02:35:00,456
have been submitted, and then a final EIS is issued, which would still have a

2833
02:35:01,096 --> 02:35:01,896
comment period.

2834
02:35:03,536 --> 02:35:07,376
I looked at Tim. I don't know if not commenting at this stage would affect

2835
02:35:07,436 --> 02:35:07,536
us.

2836
02:35:08,456 --> 02:35:10,436
We could still comment on the final EIS.

2837
02:35:11,936 --> 02:35:13,116
I can't say that for sure.

2838
02:35:13,276 --> 02:35:13,316
Yeah.

2839
02:35:13,636 --> 02:35:14,036
And so,

2840
02:35:15,196 --> 02:35:18,976
typically the rule on these things is that you have to

2841
02:35:19,036 --> 02:35:22,836
comment, or you have to do something at certain steps along the way

2842
02:35:23,216 --> 02:35:26,716
to preserve your right later on. I've not been involved in this

2843
02:35:27,456 --> 02:35:29,136
particular letter, so I don't know.

2844
02:35:30,356 --> 02:35:34,156
My concern also would be is that there's not only a requirement

2845
02:35:34,476 --> 02:35:35,776
when you comment,

2846
02:35:36,976 --> 02:35:40,856
that you have to do it in certain timelines, that

2847
02:35:40,956 --> 02:35:44,876
you're limited to this. So if you have objections, you're limited to the

2848
02:35:44,996 --> 02:35:46,956
scope of the objections you may make.

2849
02:35:46,996 --> 02:35:47,576
That you make.

2850
02:35:47,636 --> 02:35:50,436
And so, if we're wanting to object,

2851
02:35:52,616 --> 02:35:53,796
I think that it would be

2852
02:35:55,116 --> 02:35:56,556
prudent to send something

2853
02:35:57,816 --> 02:36:00,276
to at least preserve that right for

2854
02:36:01,456 --> 02:36:02,076
the final

2855
02:36:04,115 --> 02:36:04,576
EIS.

2856
02:36:06,235 --> 02:36:06,836
We could certainly-

2857
02:36:06,876 --> 02:36:07,836
Just to say that we just-

2858
02:36:08,256 --> 02:36:08,516
Mm-hmm.

2859
02:36:10,296 --> 02:36:13,536
I just think it would be a mistake not to send something.

2860
02:36:13,616 --> 02:36:14,456
I'm not endorsing

2861
02:36:15,896 --> 02:36:19,136
any of the letters at this point. I'm just telling you legally to preserve your

2862
02:36:19,196 --> 02:36:19,616
rights,

2863
02:36:21,516 --> 02:36:23,116
I would worry about

2864
02:36:24,076 --> 02:36:27,556
that you would potentially foreclose yourself from objecting

2865
02:36:27,616 --> 02:36:30,956
later if you don't do something at this stage.

2866
02:36:32,176 --> 02:36:36,036
My approach to the letter was looking at each issue section, but we could

2867
02:36:36,096 --> 02:36:39,956
certainly take an approach that is not quite so specific

2868
02:36:40,036 --> 02:36:43,776
in each issue section, and focus a little bit more of

2869
02:36:43,816 --> 02:36:46,956
maybe more of a similar approach that we took to the roadless rule.

2870
02:36:47,656 --> 02:36:49,736
EIS is focused on the watershed and that we

2871
02:36:51,116 --> 02:36:54,676
expect protection of the watershed, concurrence with following our

2872
02:36:54,696 --> 02:36:58,256
1918 agreement. We can take maybe just a little broader

2873
02:36:58,356 --> 02:37:00,536
approach to our comments at this stage.

2874
02:37:01,916 --> 02:37:03,976
It isn't getting into specific

2875
02:37:05,356 --> 02:37:06,076
issue points,

2876
02:37:07,696 --> 02:37:11,616
and we don't have to say we concur with one alternative or the

2877
02:37:11,696 --> 02:37:13,456
other either at this point.

2878
02:37:14,616 --> 02:37:15,336
If we want to

2879
02:37:16,936 --> 02:37:18,756
be a little less detailed in

2880
02:37:19,656 --> 02:37:22,856
the comment letter, I think that's certainly an option for council's consideration.

2881
02:37:23,836 --> 02:37:27,716
So I do have another question, but I direct this to you, Your Honor, so that I

2882
02:37:27,756 --> 02:37:28,736
can make sure that the-

2883
02:37:29,296 --> 02:37:32,556
I have another question. Everybody will be able to ask questions and make comments.

2884
02:37:33,296 --> 02:37:36,916
Well, so for this particular point, are we just supposed to ask

2885
02:37:36,956 --> 02:37:40,676
questions or is this the time at which we should also be making comment?

2886
02:37:43,536 --> 02:37:45,356
I don't know the difference, but please go ahead.

2887
02:37:45,636 --> 02:37:46,376
Well, so

2888
02:37:48,316 --> 02:37:49,276
I appreciate

2889
02:37:50,176 --> 02:37:54,136
that the phrase grow or die is in your mind, and

2890
02:37:54,176 --> 02:37:58,096
it's been in my mind too, and I find the analogy to trees very

2891
02:37:58,176 --> 02:37:58,676
moving.

2892
02:37:59,576 --> 02:38:03,096
So I do want to clarify that. I'm not saying unrestricted

2893
02:38:03,176 --> 02:38:06,036
economic growth. Never going to say that.

2894
02:38:06,836 --> 02:38:09,576
What I am going to say is here's the irony that I see.

2895
02:38:10,916 --> 02:38:14,616
At a time right now when our faith in our institutions is

2896
02:38:14,676 --> 02:38:15,116
dying,

2897
02:38:16,236 --> 02:38:19,176
and where we are looking at the prospect where there could be

2898
02:38:20,056 --> 02:38:23,796
wholesale political violence like what we saw on January 6th,

2899
02:38:24,496 --> 02:38:28,296
it is more important than ever that we have to follow the steps

2900
02:38:28,876 --> 02:38:31,436
prescribed by law when we are doing things.

2901
02:38:31,736 --> 02:38:35,716
That when we're making comments, they are in the times afforded to us

2902
02:38:35,776 --> 02:38:39,716
by law. That we have no choice but to follow

2903
02:38:39,756 --> 02:38:42,236
it as closely as we possibly can.

2904
02:38:43,116 --> 02:38:47,096
I will support sending a letter, but I do think we need to have revisions.

2905
02:38:47,916 --> 02:38:49,796
To me, it's ironic because

2906
02:38:50,676 --> 02:38:50,776
you

2907
02:38:51,796 --> 02:38:55,496
don't realize how fragile our democracy and the

2908
02:38:55,556 --> 02:38:59,336
concepts of rule of law are until you wake up every

2909
02:38:59,416 --> 02:39:00,256
single morning

2910
02:39:01,216 --> 02:39:04,756
and you see them eroded, and you see people that you know, that you love,

2911
02:39:06,136 --> 02:39:09,736
telling you that they're going to flee the country because they're terrified

2912
02:39:10,336 --> 02:39:12,256
something will happen to them if they don't.

2913
02:39:13,416 --> 02:39:17,336
The reason why I've held the position and why, to clarify, because I do

2914
02:39:17,376 --> 02:39:21,316
believe you're all owed this explanation, why I did not support sending

2915
02:39:21,356 --> 02:39:24,876
a letter is because I believe firmly that the

2916
02:39:24,916 --> 02:39:28,776
process as outlined, especially by the staff that

2917
02:39:28,816 --> 02:39:32,756
we pay to look at the process that we entrust with

2918
02:39:32,816 --> 02:39:36,676
so many vital city matters, and the other

2919
02:39:36,736 --> 02:39:40,656
institutions of government, we have to have faith, now more

2920
02:39:40,696 --> 02:39:44,536
than ever, that the rules, the laws, the regulations that are put

2921
02:39:44,636 --> 02:39:47,536
forward and in effect should be followed.

2922
02:39:48,196 --> 02:39:52,136
That does not mean that when we have an opportunity like this where we can

2923
02:39:52,176 --> 02:39:54,556
preserve our rights, where we can preserve comment,

2924
02:39:55,536 --> 02:39:59,136
that it would be wise to be silent. Silence is death.

2925
02:40:00,076 --> 02:40:03,856
When I was young, that's what my community said when AIDS

2926
02:40:03,896 --> 02:40:04,616
hit us.

2927
02:40:06,766 --> 02:40:10,106
So I'm not going to be silent on this. I think we amend the letter.

2928
02:40:10,206 --> 02:40:13,526
I think we look and see what Council Member Brown

2929
02:40:13,945 --> 02:40:17,026
proposes, and if we can take some things from Mr.

2930
02:40:17,366 --> 02:40:20,186
Lind's letter, I think we do that. I think Mr.

2931
02:40:20,486 --> 02:40:22,646
Lind also, by the way, makes a really good point.

2932
02:40:22,746 --> 02:40:26,326
I do hope he's holding onto his chair because I do read every email you

2933
02:40:26,406 --> 02:40:29,586
send. I enjoy them. I didn't know you wanted a response back.

2934
02:40:29,966 --> 02:40:33,246
I'll be better about that, and I apologize if I made you feel

2935
02:40:33,306 --> 02:40:37,266
disrespected. That one's on me. It's a misunderstanding on my end, and I own

2936
02:40:37,326 --> 02:40:37,866
that, okay?

2937
02:40:38,926 --> 02:40:42,746
I just would say this. Instead of not sending a letter, let's see what we can

2938
02:40:42,806 --> 02:40:45,626
do to send the best damn letter they've ever read.

2939
02:40:45,746 --> 02:40:48,926
Because let me tell you something, folks, if we're going to go into a battle for

2940
02:40:48,966 --> 02:40:51,966
the soul of this country, if we're going to go into a battle for the soul of our

2941
02:40:52,006 --> 02:40:55,786
environment to protect people, I ain't shutting up, but I

2942
02:40:55,846 --> 02:40:59,586
sure as hell would like to go in with the best weapon available,

2943
02:40:59,886 --> 02:41:03,286
the best letter. And I want people, when they look at our institutions, to

2944
02:41:03,346 --> 02:41:07,186
understand just because we saw it on the news, just because we

2945
02:41:07,266 --> 02:41:11,186
saw people say they don't matter anymore, the heck

2946
02:41:11,285 --> 02:41:14,606
they don't. The rules, the institutions, the

2947
02:41:14,646 --> 02:41:18,226
Constitution, and the rule of law do matter, and we can

2948
02:41:18,386 --> 02:41:21,666
still trust them if we are but willing to use them.

2949
02:41:22,326 --> 02:41:23,366
That are my thoughts.

2950
02:41:24,826 --> 02:41:25,966
Yes. Councilor Willis?

2951
02:41:29,046 --> 02:41:32,906
So, the previous letter referenced, I did vote for it.

2952
02:41:33,746 --> 02:41:36,166
However, it doesn't have the

2953
02:41:37,266 --> 02:41:40,686
legal import that this does. This is much more meaningful.

2954
02:41:41,206 --> 02:41:44,926
So at this stage of the game, what we need to do is preserve as many of our

2955
02:41:46,026 --> 02:41:46,926
rights as possible.

2956
02:41:48,066 --> 02:41:51,706
So from my perspective, that means objecting to anything and everything we can.

2957
02:41:52,206 --> 02:41:54,486
At least that's the way I would probably approach it.

2958
02:41:55,086 --> 02:41:58,966
Because you don't know going forward if you're going to need that objection

2959
02:41:59,346 --> 02:42:01,086
down the road or not, so

2960
02:42:01,986 --> 02:42:02,646
you make it now.

2961
02:42:03,646 --> 02:42:07,626
So that would be my-- In terms of policy direction, that's how I would sort of

2962
02:42:09,146 --> 02:42:12,626
speak to staff or whomever who's going to take another run at this.

2963
02:42:13,926 --> 02:42:15,386
Get as many objections in there as you can,

2964
02:42:16,646 --> 02:42:17,106
because

2965
02:42:17,906 --> 02:42:20,526
we don't know if we're going to need them later, and we need to preserve them now.

2966
02:42:21,726 --> 02:42:21,966
So.

2967
02:42:22,946 --> 02:42:24,006
Yes. Councilor Outlaw.

2968
02:42:25,186 --> 02:42:25,546
Thank you.

2969
02:42:27,026 --> 02:42:30,886
I agree with Council Member Willis and Robinson, and I

2970
02:42:30,926 --> 02:42:34,106
want to share something. I'm new to this council.

2971
02:42:34,246 --> 02:42:35,766
I'm new to this conversation.

2972
02:42:37,426 --> 02:42:38,926
And as I sit back and listen,

2973
02:42:40,486 --> 02:42:42,366
not just about Mill Creek or

2974
02:42:43,566 --> 02:42:44,566
the watershed,

2975
02:42:45,986 --> 02:42:48,386
we always talk about communication.

2976
02:42:49,886 --> 02:42:50,686
We talk about

2977
02:42:52,146 --> 02:42:55,906
how people feel not heard when they have their three minutes,

2978
02:42:56,546 --> 02:42:59,746
or when they don't get an email. And we talk about

2979
02:43:00,986 --> 02:43:02,366
who cares about what.

2980
02:43:03,706 --> 02:43:04,566
And one of the things

2981
02:43:06,926 --> 02:43:08,466
I hear a lot in this

2982
02:43:09,326 --> 02:43:13,266
back and forth is pointing fingers, and sometimes I wish we

2983
02:43:13,306 --> 02:43:14,646
could just take the time

2984
02:43:15,546 --> 02:43:19,146
to realize that we all care. We might just care in a different way,

2985
02:43:19,886 --> 02:43:23,786
right? And like Councilman Willis said, we need to

2986
02:43:23,806 --> 02:43:25,586
object to everything we can

2987
02:43:26,466 --> 02:43:27,146
to hold our

2988
02:43:28,366 --> 02:43:30,646
voice in a place to have a voice

2989
02:43:31,506 --> 02:43:32,086
in the fight.

2990
02:43:32,926 --> 02:43:35,886
So going forward, I think my ask is

2991
02:43:37,126 --> 02:43:39,666
aligning with Councilman Willis is that

2992
02:43:41,626 --> 02:43:43,246
we all try to understand that,

2993
02:43:44,306 --> 02:43:47,686
right? They're a room full of good ideas. There's public input.

2994
02:43:48,526 --> 02:43:50,266
There's objections to be made.

2995
02:43:51,246 --> 02:43:52,566
Great ideas from council.

2996
02:43:53,546 --> 02:43:54,226
We all get

2997
02:43:55,246 --> 02:43:55,646
a little

2998
02:43:56,906 --> 02:43:58,646
flustered because we're passionate,

2999
02:43:59,806 --> 02:44:02,486
and we love what we love. We love our community, right?

3000
02:44:03,486 --> 02:44:03,786
So

3001
02:44:04,906 --> 02:44:08,386
let's keep that in mind when we're trying to work through these to send these kind

3002
02:44:08,406 --> 02:44:11,446
of letters, because I think if we don't send a letter like

3003
02:44:12,066 --> 02:44:15,826
our city attorney said, I think we lose our place in the fight.

3004
02:44:17,326 --> 02:44:18,786
So we have to send something.

3005
02:44:19,826 --> 02:44:23,366
So if we're going to send something, let's send something that, for a change,

3006
02:44:23,466 --> 02:44:25,086
represent us and the people.

3007
02:44:27,845 --> 02:44:28,926
That's all I have to say.

3008
02:44:29,706 --> 02:44:30,286
Council Moss.

3009
02:44:32,386 --> 02:44:34,446
Your Honor, I would support the

3010
02:44:35,846 --> 02:44:39,046
comments that Council Member Willis shared.

3011
02:44:39,246 --> 02:44:40,686
I think it is important.

3012
02:44:43,606 --> 02:44:46,946
I would propose that the council consider

3013
02:44:48,226 --> 02:44:48,626
having

3014
02:44:49,826 --> 02:44:51,346
Council Member Willis, the mayor,

3015
02:44:52,606 --> 02:44:56,246
Council Member Brown, the city attorney, and the city manager

3016
02:44:57,726 --> 02:45:01,706
comprise a letter and send it on behalf of the city

3017
02:45:02,146 --> 02:45:04,866
since we've got a September 30 deadline.

3018
02:45:05,326 --> 02:45:06,826
There are some details in here

3019
02:45:08,186 --> 02:45:11,246
at first blush and very, very supportive, but I would like to have

3020
02:45:12,126 --> 02:45:15,926
the city attorney take a look at it and see what the implications, if any,

3021
02:45:16,386 --> 02:45:20,306
would be. And so I'll just throw that out as a

3022
02:45:20,366 --> 02:45:20,866
notion.

3023
02:45:22,426 --> 02:45:24,046
Council Member, did you have anything to...

3024
02:45:24,746 --> 02:45:26,186
Yes, I would like to say something.

3025
02:45:29,286 --> 02:45:31,166
I appreciate the community comments.

3026
02:45:31,626 --> 02:45:35,466
I spent a lot of time earlier today reviewing the draft environmental impact

3027
02:45:35,526 --> 02:45:39,466
statement, and I sent a list of the concerns that I

3028
02:45:39,526 --> 02:45:43,486
had with the letter to City Manager Chamberlain

3029
02:45:43,586 --> 02:45:47,486
and the mayor. Thank you for printing this out so everybody has it in front

3030
02:45:47,526 --> 02:45:47,926
of them.

3031
02:45:49,166 --> 02:45:52,846
Initially, I had planned to kind of talk through the list of

3032
02:45:52,886 --> 02:45:55,786
concerns that I had and the specific objections.

3033
02:45:57,366 --> 02:45:58,506
But at this point,

3034
02:45:59,586 --> 02:46:03,466
I am supportive of the next step of working with Council

3035
02:46:03,506 --> 02:46:06,886
Member Willis, the city attorney, and city manager.

3036
02:46:07,466 --> 02:46:08,306
I would like to-

3037
02:46:09,314 --> 02:46:11,194
compile pieces of this letter-

3038
02:46:11,454 --> 02:46:11,794
Mm-hmm

3039
02:46:11,794 --> 02:46:15,454
... and really simplify it so that it's clear that we're

3040
02:46:15,494 --> 02:46:19,334
objecting to a broad, non-specific list of items,

3041
02:46:19,414 --> 02:46:23,274
but that gives us standing to object in the future

3042
02:46:23,374 --> 02:46:26,534
if we win, probably, we need to.

3043
02:46:27,434 --> 02:46:27,754
Mm-hmm.

3044
02:46:27,794 --> 02:46:28,174
So, yes.

3045
02:46:28,314 --> 02:46:31,534
Hi, Jim Escola. Yeah, I just have a question for Mr. Donaldson.

3046
02:46:31,954 --> 02:46:32,154
So

3047
02:46:33,054 --> 02:46:33,494
legally,

3048
02:46:34,454 --> 02:46:36,294
how can this be done? I think

3049
02:46:37,134 --> 02:46:41,074
Mr. Moss is-- I like his idea. But are we on good

3050
02:46:41,134 --> 02:46:42,614
legal ground doing it that way?

3051
02:46:43,234 --> 02:46:46,494
I think so. Right now I'm on page four of six of Mr.

3052
02:46:46,714 --> 02:46:49,474
Lynn's letter, and I think there's a lot to work from, from this.

3053
02:46:49,594 --> 02:46:50,414
I haven't seen

3054
02:46:51,514 --> 02:46:54,454
Council Member Brown's, but there's nothing

3055
02:46:54,514 --> 02:46:58,014
incendiary in it, in what Mr. Lynn's suggesting.

3056
02:46:58,154 --> 02:47:01,634
These are stating some of our concerns and our objections.

3057
02:47:01,674 --> 02:47:02,054
And so,

3058
02:47:03,634 --> 02:47:07,454
I think that it would be smart to, I mean, what Council Member

3059
02:47:07,534 --> 02:47:11,434
Brown says is to kind of cull from those things and put it together, and again, it

3060
02:47:11,494 --> 02:47:15,214
doesn't have to be a hostile letter, just something that we have these

3061
02:47:15,254 --> 02:47:19,134
concerns and these objections and we're not supporting either of these

3062
02:47:19,194 --> 02:47:21,254
alternatives at this time. And then,

3063
02:47:22,314 --> 02:47:25,154
as it goes on and we're able to give more study to it.

3064
02:47:25,994 --> 02:47:29,814
But I fully agree with Council Member Willis, is that at this point,

3065
02:47:30,294 --> 02:47:34,114
what you really want to do is preserve as many of your objections as you can.

3066
02:47:34,454 --> 02:47:37,954
And like I say, I'm just through page four of six, but I think Mr.

3067
02:47:38,194 --> 02:47:39,254
Lynn's done a lot of that.

3068
02:47:40,814 --> 02:47:43,414
Well, I thought Council Member Brown's

3069
02:47:44,734 --> 02:47:47,874
concerns were very valid, so I would say that.

3070
02:47:48,194 --> 02:47:49,494
I just also want to make sure,

3071
02:47:50,514 --> 02:47:54,454
coming up against the deadline, and I just say

3072
02:47:54,514 --> 02:47:58,494
this from someone who's had to write things and then have other people look

3073
02:47:58,574 --> 02:48:01,394
at it. At some point, you just have to have someone write it.

3074
02:48:01,474 --> 02:48:05,274
I mean, you don't want to have it written by a committee because then you have an

3075
02:48:05,354 --> 02:48:08,474
elephant. So, I'm just saying that I-

3076
02:48:09,114 --> 02:48:12,074
If you're putting me on it, it'll go out. It'll be time.

3077
02:48:12,634 --> 02:48:13,154
Right. And-

3078
02:48:13,494 --> 02:48:13,594
It's

3079
02:48:14,474 --> 02:48:14,674
not going to-

3080
02:48:14,794 --> 02:48:16,054
Staff would rewrite the letter-

3081
02:48:16,194 --> 02:48:16,314
Yeah

3082
02:48:16,314 --> 02:48:20,294
... and then run it by, if that's the council's direction, by

3083
02:48:20,854 --> 02:48:24,634
the three council members that have been mentioned before we submit

3084
02:48:24,674 --> 02:48:25,814
it before the deadline's due.

3085
02:48:25,874 --> 02:48:27,314
Right. Yeah, that's what I'm saying.

3086
02:48:27,574 --> 02:48:28,954
I don't think we need to have

3087
02:48:30,134 --> 02:48:31,234
75 people look at it.

3088
02:48:31,254 --> 02:48:32,114
A letter by committee.

3089
02:48:32,274 --> 02:48:34,634
Letter by committee is never good. Never good.

3090
02:48:34,934 --> 02:48:37,574
So but I feel good with Council Member Willis Brown,

3091
02:48:39,414 --> 02:48:41,794
City Manager, and the attorney.

3092
02:48:42,934 --> 02:48:43,574
Mr. Robinson.

3093
02:48:43,954 --> 02:48:46,234
I would take this just one step further.

3094
02:48:46,554 --> 02:48:50,494
I would challenge, if we do this committee thing, I would challenge

3095
02:48:50,534 --> 02:48:54,134
the public, not just Mr. Lynn. To rely on only one

3096
02:48:54,194 --> 02:48:58,014
person in a time like this is not fair to that one person, and

3097
02:48:58,054 --> 02:49:01,594
it's not fair to us as a democracy. I would encourage

3098
02:49:01,734 --> 02:49:05,414
every single member of the public who sees this meeting, I want

3099
02:49:05,514 --> 02:49:06,254
your letter.

3100
02:49:07,214 --> 02:49:10,654
I would say that if we're going to do that, we allow the members of the public to

3101
02:49:10,714 --> 02:49:12,314
send whatever thoughts they have to

3102
02:49:13,234 --> 02:49:15,874
the staff, that that be shared with the committee as well.

3103
02:49:16,174 --> 02:49:19,794
Worst that can happen is you sit there and you read letters for several hours,

3104
02:49:20,094 --> 02:49:22,214
and then you condense and come up with something else.

3105
02:49:22,534 --> 02:49:26,494
But if we're serious about doing this and we're serious about the result, let us

3106
02:49:26,554 --> 02:49:30,454
at least turn to the public, especially those who can write

3107
02:49:30,534 --> 02:49:34,354
wonderful noir novels on Facebook, and

3108
02:49:34,434 --> 02:49:37,734
see if we can't have more than just one

3109
02:49:38,114 --> 02:49:38,774
voice.

3110
02:49:40,174 --> 02:49:40,614
Can I add-

3111
02:49:41,194 --> 02:49:41,934
Yeah, Council Brown

3112
02:49:41,934 --> 02:49:45,594
... to that? I would love to help draft that initial

3113
02:49:45,674 --> 02:49:46,514
draft. So I

3114
02:49:47,494 --> 02:49:50,754
have plenty of time later this week to work on that.

3115
02:49:52,774 --> 02:49:56,654
I'm happy to read any letters that other members of the public would like to

3116
02:49:56,714 --> 02:50:00,674
send. But I do want to thank Paul for taking the time to

3117
02:50:00,734 --> 02:50:04,274
put this together. My understanding is this took you a lot of hours,

3118
02:50:04,974 --> 02:50:08,254
and I know you did that because you really care. So, thank you.

3119
02:50:09,574 --> 02:50:11,894
Any other comments, questions?

3120
02:50:12,854 --> 02:50:15,534
Well done, Paul. Well done.

3121
02:50:16,554 --> 02:50:17,674
That's it.

3122
02:50:19,654 --> 02:50:22,774
From my perspective, so the one acknowledgment I think that

3123
02:50:23,574 --> 02:50:24,794
you're asking from us is

3124
02:50:25,734 --> 02:50:29,653
just acknowledging that we read what you say, that we care about what you said.

3125
02:50:30,334 --> 02:50:33,894
We might not agree on everything, but we appreciate the work that goes

3126
02:50:33,994 --> 02:50:37,794
into putting a statement with references, research,

3127
02:50:37,854 --> 02:50:40,274
and so on. So we appreciate the work.

3128
02:50:40,454 --> 02:50:44,254
We share the same concern about the health of the

3129
02:50:44,334 --> 02:50:45,214
watershed and

3130
02:50:46,374 --> 02:50:48,054
the drinking water that we have. So,

3131
02:50:48,954 --> 02:50:51,294
I want to make sure that you feel supported on

3132
02:50:52,374 --> 02:50:56,174
understanding what you're trying to accomplish, and I think

3133
02:50:56,254 --> 02:51:00,154
this letter, similar to what we did before, should state all

3134
02:51:00,214 --> 02:51:04,114
of the things that we care about in terms of protecting that watershed

3135
02:51:05,054 --> 02:51:05,614
with all of the

3136
02:51:07,274 --> 02:51:11,114
detail that is necessary to put and not getting too much into

3137
02:51:11,174 --> 02:51:12,214
details that may be

3138
02:51:13,034 --> 02:51:13,614
difficult. So,

3139
02:51:14,574 --> 02:51:16,914
I like the resolution of having that

3140
02:51:17,794 --> 02:51:18,634
letter drafted,

3141
02:51:19,754 --> 02:51:23,674
probably with a lot of Paul's, if not all of his input, given that

3142
02:51:24,314 --> 02:51:26,254
he's taken the time to read through

3143
02:51:27,054 --> 02:51:30,494
the EIS and make comments on that.

3144
02:51:31,694 --> 02:51:32,494
So I think that

3145
02:51:33,314 --> 02:51:37,214
we would need to make a resolution to or vote

3146
02:51:37,334 --> 02:51:41,254
on taking that course of action, if anybody's ready to make

3147
02:51:41,454 --> 02:51:41,794
that-

3148
02:51:42,834 --> 02:51:44,754
But we don't even have a resolution here.

3149
02:51:45,094 --> 02:51:48,494
Well, no. Not a resolution. I mean, course of action on how-

3150
02:51:48,574 --> 02:51:48,694
Okay

3151
02:51:48,714 --> 02:51:49,474
... to do things.

3152
02:51:49,914 --> 02:51:53,774
Well, I'll frame my comments in the form of a motion.

3153
02:51:54,394 --> 02:51:54,674
Okay.

3154
02:51:55,294 --> 02:51:56,134
Which was

3155
02:51:58,674 --> 02:51:59,794
to incorporate...

3156
02:52:01,494 --> 02:52:05,274
Excuse me. To request that the mayor, Council Member

3157
02:52:05,354 --> 02:52:07,014
Willis, Council Member Brown,

3158
02:52:10,594 --> 02:52:13,534
the city manager, and city attorney-

3159
02:52:16,250 --> 02:52:20,109
Take a look at information that we've been provided this

3160
02:52:20,190 --> 02:52:20,550
evening

3161
02:52:21,690 --> 02:52:24,410
and come up with a letter to be submitted

3162
02:52:25,230 --> 02:52:25,550
by

3163
02:52:26,490 --> 02:52:29,930
September 30th, on behalf of the city council.

3164
02:52:30,590 --> 02:52:34,410
Well said. We have a motion and a second. All those in favor, please say aye.

3165
02:52:34,750 --> 02:52:35,050
Aye.

3166
02:52:35,150 --> 02:52:38,270
Aye. Any opposed? Okay, that passes unanimously.

3167
02:52:38,670 --> 02:52:42,630
Thank you very much for all of your input tonight and all of the time

3168
02:52:42,670 --> 02:52:43,850
invested on this.

3169
02:52:46,090 --> 02:52:48,389
Next item in our agenda

3170
02:52:53,350 --> 02:52:57,190
is approving the minutes of the September 8th, 2026 work session.

3171
02:52:57,910 --> 02:53:01,410
Council members Outlaw and Willis to abstain on that.

3172
02:53:03,210 --> 02:53:04,790
Your Honor, I move to approve the

3173
02:53:05,950 --> 02:53:06,430
minutes

3174
02:53:08,770 --> 02:53:12,190
for the September 8th, 2026 work session.

3175
02:53:13,110 --> 02:53:15,550
All right. A motion and a second.

3176
02:53:15,970 --> 02:53:16,310
Second.

3177
02:53:16,670 --> 02:53:18,830
Motion and a second. All those in favor,

3178
02:53:19,930 --> 02:53:20,630
please say aye.

3179
02:53:20,990 --> 02:53:21,230
Aye.

3180
02:53:21,390 --> 02:53:21,570
Aye.

3181
02:53:21,870 --> 02:53:24,330
And we have abstentions. Yes.

3182
02:53:25,310 --> 02:53:29,010
All right. The next item on our agenda is approving the August 2026

3183
02:53:29,090 --> 02:53:30,830
accounts payable register.

3184
02:53:33,710 --> 02:53:34,350
If you don't mind,

3185
02:53:36,990 --> 02:53:38,230
could you please take your

3186
02:53:39,370 --> 02:53:40,990
conversation outside, if you don't mind?

3187
02:53:42,030 --> 02:53:42,430
Thank you.

3188
02:53:53,550 --> 02:53:56,430
Not wishing to extend the meeting any longer than necessary,

3189
02:53:57,350 --> 02:53:59,710
we're getting close to the 9:30 hour.

3190
02:53:59,870 --> 02:54:00,710
I would move to

3191
02:54:02,290 --> 02:54:02,690
extend

3192
02:54:03,910 --> 02:54:07,270
the meeting beyond 9:30, if necessary.

3193
02:54:08,010 --> 02:54:08,330
Awesome.

3194
02:54:08,710 --> 02:54:09,090
Second.

3195
02:54:09,270 --> 02:54:11,250
Motion and a second. All those in favor, please say aye.

3196
02:54:11,630 --> 02:54:11,870
Aye.

3197
02:54:12,010 --> 02:54:12,190
Aye.

3198
02:54:12,310 --> 02:54:13,170
Aye, reluctantly.

3199
02:54:14,710 --> 02:54:15,210
Reluctantly?

3200
02:54:15,550 --> 02:54:15,710
Yeah.

3201
02:54:16,370 --> 02:54:17,010
Reluctantly.

3202
02:54:17,890 --> 02:54:18,550
I want to go home.

3203
02:54:19,110 --> 02:54:20,990
Being said, I'll quickly go through the

3204
02:54:22,410 --> 02:54:26,229
motion to accept the August 2026 accounts

3205
02:54:26,330 --> 02:54:27,810
payable register, which totals

3206
02:54:27,830 --> 02:54:33,330
$5,865,733.02,

3207
02:54:34,170 --> 02:54:36,890
with the exception of one check, number

3208
02:54:37,130 --> 02:54:38,630
38137,

3209
02:54:39,690 --> 02:54:42,170
which is to the Blue Mountain Action Council for $90.

3210
02:54:44,890 --> 02:54:45,110
And

3211
02:54:46,050 --> 02:54:48,570
all of the council may vote on that.

3212
02:54:49,110 --> 02:54:49,590
I second.

3213
02:54:50,130 --> 02:54:53,110
We have a motion and a second. All those in favor, please say aye.

3214
02:54:53,210 --> 02:54:53,450
Aye.

3215
02:54:53,530 --> 02:54:53,770
Aye.

3216
02:54:54,030 --> 02:54:54,730
Any opposed?

3217
02:54:55,550 --> 02:54:57,170
That passes unanimously.

3218
02:54:57,230 --> 02:55:00,330
The second motion is to approve the payment of that check

3219
02:55:00,510 --> 02:55:04,150
38137 to the Blue Mountain Action Council for $90.

3220
02:55:05,110 --> 02:55:08,970
It was for low-income senior and people with disabilities

3221
02:55:09,270 --> 02:55:09,710
service

3222
02:55:10,610 --> 02:55:12,230
eligibility determination.

3223
02:55:13,250 --> 02:55:16,570
All right. We have a motion and a second. All those in favor, please say aye.

3224
02:55:16,830 --> 02:55:16,890
Aye.

3225
02:55:16,970 --> 02:55:17,290
Aye.

3226
02:55:17,870 --> 02:55:18,890
And one abstention.

3227
02:55:19,050 --> 02:55:19,950
The mayor abstains.

3228
02:55:19,950 --> 02:55:19,950
Yes.

3229
02:55:20,530 --> 02:55:24,170
I further move to approve the payroll register certification for the

3230
02:55:24,270 --> 02:55:27,970
August 31, 2026 payroll period.

3231
02:55:29,270 --> 02:55:29,730
Second.

3232
02:55:31,190 --> 02:55:32,730
All those in favor, please say aye.

3233
02:55:32,830 --> 02:55:32,930
Aye.

3234
02:55:33,010 --> 02:55:33,330
Aye.

3235
02:55:33,390 --> 02:55:33,690
Aye.

3236
02:55:33,790 --> 02:55:36,670
Any opposed? That passes unanimously as well.

3237
02:55:37,550 --> 02:55:40,170
We move into council member meeting reports.

3238
02:55:40,710 --> 02:55:42,070
Start with you, Councillor Robinson.

3239
02:55:43,110 --> 02:55:44,510
God help me to be brief.

3240
02:55:45,990 --> 02:55:49,890
I went to the CDBG meeting, I hope to God I

3241
02:55:49,950 --> 02:55:51,990
said that right, with our new CDBG.

3242
02:55:54,050 --> 02:55:57,130
They have approved a recommendation for

3243
02:55:58,650 --> 02:56:02,390
a report on how those funds were used called, and I am not kidding you,

3244
02:56:03,170 --> 02:56:03,770
CAPER.

3245
02:56:06,090 --> 02:56:09,890
So we'll see how that goes. That and the

3246
02:56:09,930 --> 02:56:13,810
work session on Monday, which I found to be very informative, and was

3247
02:56:13,870 --> 02:56:14,710
deeply impressed

3248
02:56:15,610 --> 02:56:19,190
with the staff on, especially our planning director, Emily.

3249
02:56:20,110 --> 02:56:20,990
I thought she was

3250
02:56:22,090 --> 02:56:24,770
very professional in that meeting, and it was appreciated. That's it.

3251
02:56:25,770 --> 02:56:27,210
All right. Councillor Esco.

3252
02:56:27,510 --> 02:56:30,030
Okay. On the 11th, I met with

3253
02:56:32,290 --> 02:56:34,790
deputy city manager and slash,

3254
02:56:36,710 --> 02:56:39,890
development director, Preston Frederickson, and

3255
02:56:40,830 --> 02:56:44,650
city manager Elizabeth Chamberlain to ask questions about

3256
02:56:44,710 --> 02:56:48,530
the comprehensive plan and the amendments to the comprehensive plan.

3257
02:56:49,710 --> 02:56:51,990
On the 14th, I watched the

3258
02:56:53,110 --> 02:56:54,970
planning commission public hearing on

3259
02:56:55,050 --> 02:56:59,550
the

3260
02:56:59,610 --> 02:57:00,250
riparian-

3261
02:57:00,390 --> 02:57:02,230
Various ordinances

3262
02:57:02,270 --> 02:57:06,110
... ordinances. On the 15th, I attended the Humane

3263
02:57:06,230 --> 02:57:08,450
Society board meeting.

3264
02:57:10,150 --> 02:57:13,490
The things that came out of here that pertain to the city

3265
02:57:14,270 --> 02:57:16,890
is there is a fatal cat disease

3266
02:57:17,850 --> 02:57:21,110
breakout at the homeless shelter camp.

3267
02:57:21,310 --> 02:57:21,430
Oh.

3268
02:57:21,970 --> 02:57:23,570
Yeah. Not good. And

3269
02:57:24,510 --> 02:57:28,030
I can't remember the... It's a very Latin name for this disease,

3270
02:57:28,590 --> 02:57:29,170
but it

3271
02:57:30,150 --> 02:57:32,870
kills the cats very quickly, and it's very spreadable.

3272
02:57:33,430 --> 02:57:33,750
So

3273
02:57:35,510 --> 02:57:39,390
the Humane Society can't do anything, bring them in there, into

3274
02:57:39,430 --> 02:57:43,350
the Humane Society. So they're trying to do what

3275
02:57:43,390 --> 02:57:45,630
they can to help, but there's not much they can do to help.

3276
02:57:47,170 --> 02:57:50,510
And they're still having problems with three

3277
02:57:51,610 --> 02:57:55,050
animal hoarders. They have 40 cats, 40 dog

3278
02:57:55,110 --> 02:57:55,910
situation.

3279
02:57:56,810 --> 02:58:00,650
The one thing, and that's clearly a mental health problem, as I outlined the last

3280
02:58:00,710 --> 02:58:01,330
time. But our

3281
02:58:02,210 --> 02:58:05,650
care team working with the fire department ambulance,

3282
02:58:06,610 --> 02:58:10,110
one of the team members is on the Humane Society

3283
02:58:10,250 --> 02:58:13,490
board, and she reported that they have gone out there

3284
02:58:14,670 --> 02:58:18,090
to these houses several times and trying to work with these people.

3285
02:58:18,510 --> 02:58:20,970
But it's very difficult because

3286
02:58:22,130 --> 02:58:26,050
the Humane Society would like to bring them in and get them spayed or

3287
02:58:26,150 --> 02:58:28,130
neutered, but that's very expensive.

3288
02:58:29,610 --> 02:58:33,370
It's just been very difficult, and it's a tough situation for them, but

3289
02:58:33,490 --> 02:58:34,770
they're working on it, so.

3290
02:58:37,910 --> 02:58:41,370
The work session on Monday, and then on

3291
02:58:42,170 --> 02:58:45,190
Tuesday, I went to the Port Economic

3292
02:58:47,370 --> 02:58:49,470
Information update, and

3293
02:58:50,910 --> 02:58:54,230
it was interesting, albeit somewhat grim

3294
02:58:54,750 --> 02:58:55,570
because of the

3295
02:58:57,230 --> 02:59:01,090
state statistics that were given us from the person from the

3296
02:59:01,150 --> 02:59:04,930
Small Business Administration, number of businesses that want to

3297
02:59:04,990 --> 02:59:08,730
leave the state, the businesses that don't want to come to the state.

3298
02:59:09,230 --> 02:59:12,910
And one of the main issues, according to him, and he said he didn't want to make it

3299
02:59:12,990 --> 02:59:14,670
a big issue of the millionaire tax.

3300
02:59:15,070 --> 02:59:17,130
However, it's the fact that

3301
02:59:17,930 --> 02:59:21,390
it is an income tax, and there's concerns about what that will bring.

3302
02:59:21,490 --> 02:59:24,430
So he talked about that as being concerning.

3303
02:59:24,850 --> 02:59:28,050
Also, tax collections locally have been down,

3304
02:59:28,690 --> 02:59:29,930
and the air travel

3305
02:59:30,830 --> 02:59:34,550
off of Alaska Airline here is down month by

3306
02:59:34,610 --> 02:59:38,490
month, year over year. So 25 was higher than 26 each

3307
02:59:38,550 --> 02:59:39,450
month of the year, and it's

3308
02:59:40,490 --> 02:59:42,270
looking like that trend will continue.

3309
02:59:42,430 --> 02:59:46,090
The good part is Alaska Airline is still pleased with what they're

3310
02:59:46,170 --> 02:59:50,070
seeing, and they're not asking us to pay money like they did when

3311
02:59:50,090 --> 02:59:53,470
they wanted that $500,000. So that's positive.

3312
02:59:54,530 --> 02:59:56,050
All right. Councilor Willis.

3313
02:59:56,870 --> 02:59:58,530
Okay. I'm going to be really brief.

3314
02:59:59,450 --> 03:00:03,110
Two finance committee meetings on the 10th and 18th of September,

3315
03:00:03,490 --> 03:00:04,470
and the work session on Monday.

3316
03:00:04,990 --> 03:00:06,570
All right. Thank you. Councilor Brown.

3317
03:00:06,850 --> 03:00:10,330
Yes. On September 16th, I attended the Water Wastewater

3318
03:00:10,390 --> 03:00:14,170
Advisory Committee meeting. On the 17th, I was at the Valley Transit

3319
03:00:14,270 --> 03:00:14,950
Board meeting.

3320
03:00:16,390 --> 03:00:19,890
On September 21st, I met with Port Commissioner Kelly,

3321
03:00:20,730 --> 03:00:24,150
and two folks from BMAC, and we had a great conversation about the state of

3322
03:00:24,230 --> 03:00:28,190
childcare in the Walla Walla County area and talked about how this

3323
03:00:28,270 --> 03:00:31,050
is an economic development challenge for us.

3324
03:00:32,130 --> 03:00:35,530
I was at the work session on the 21st as well, and then on the

3325
03:00:35,670 --> 03:00:39,330
22nd, I was also at the Port of Walla Walla economic development meeting.

3326
03:00:40,830 --> 03:00:41,530
Councilor Outlaw.

3327
03:00:42,230 --> 03:00:45,090
Monday, September 21st, work session meeting.

3328
03:00:46,269 --> 03:00:47,170
All right. Councilor

3329
03:00:48,670 --> 03:00:49,510
Mayor Pro Tem Moss.

3330
03:00:50,630 --> 03:00:54,170
The agenda-setting meeting with Your Honor and staff, the Valley

3331
03:00:54,230 --> 03:00:58,170
Transit board meeting that was mentioned, the work session, and the

3332
03:00:58,230 --> 03:01:01,490
two finance committee meetings that also were mentioned.

3333
03:01:01,730 --> 03:01:05,650
All right. Very well. For me, yes, Thursday, September 10th,

3334
03:01:05,930 --> 03:01:08,730
finance committee meeting to review some of the budget proposals.

3335
03:01:09,510 --> 03:01:11,710
September 16, the agenda-setting meeting.

3336
03:01:12,470 --> 03:01:15,290
September 17, I attended the BMAC board meeting, where

3337
03:01:16,330 --> 03:01:19,910
several projects regarding affordable housing were

3338
03:01:19,950 --> 03:01:22,510
discussed in more detail and timelines.

3339
03:01:23,490 --> 03:01:27,470
Friday, September 18, I attended the finance committee again to continue

3340
03:01:27,530 --> 03:01:27,850
having

3341
03:01:28,770 --> 03:01:30,630
that budget proposal discussion.

3342
03:01:31,070 --> 03:01:34,710
September 21st, I attended the work session to discuss the critical areas

3343
03:01:34,810 --> 03:01:38,710
ordinance. September 22nd, the Port of Walla Walla economic development

3344
03:01:38,770 --> 03:01:40,550
report, as previously mentioned.

3345
03:01:41,490 --> 03:01:45,350
September 22nd also, I attended a meeting with several community

3346
03:01:45,390 --> 03:01:48,850
leaders from government, education, nonprofit, for a

3347
03:01:48,890 --> 03:01:51,170
presentation of the Walla Walla Community College

3348
03:01:52,010 --> 03:01:55,970
Community Vibrancy Program initiative, which is in

3349
03:01:56,050 --> 03:01:59,690
essence focused on measuring and working towards the success of

3350
03:01:59,790 --> 03:02:03,550
students in our community beyond graduation and onto being

3351
03:02:03,610 --> 03:02:04,590
able to attain

3352
03:02:05,790 --> 03:02:09,770
living wage jobs and what living wage jobs means in Walla Walla, which

3353
03:02:09,830 --> 03:02:11,730
is a big area of concern,

3354
03:02:12,910 --> 03:02:16,010
in terms of retaining some of the students who graduated and

3355
03:02:16,490 --> 03:02:20,130
preparing them for jobs that actually exist in the community and have

3356
03:02:21,070 --> 03:02:22,270
future potential in that.

3357
03:02:23,290 --> 03:02:26,590
Really what came out of that meeting, and somebody said, "Let's just take action

3358
03:02:26,630 --> 03:02:30,390
instead of continuing to talk about it," is how do we

3359
03:02:30,450 --> 03:02:34,190
collectively work on that community development, economic

3360
03:02:34,250 --> 03:02:38,010
development to ensure, one, there's affordable housing, two, there are

3361
03:02:39,650 --> 03:02:42,890
jobs that can pay for at least a living wage

3362
03:02:43,450 --> 03:02:44,590
and many of the other

3363
03:02:45,470 --> 03:02:48,890
issues that have to do with the port, with the county, with some of the nonprofits,

3364
03:02:48,950 --> 03:02:52,710
with BMAC and so on. So it's really a collective effort

3365
03:02:52,770 --> 03:02:56,550
that we've independently have discussed in many arenas

3366
03:02:56,610 --> 03:03:00,570
but haven't really come together to say, "Look, economic

3367
03:03:00,610 --> 03:03:04,410
development in our community is super important because

3368
03:03:04,470 --> 03:03:08,410
we're suffering otherwise, and our young people aren't able to

3369
03:03:09,090 --> 03:03:12,790
certainly find a place to live and much less having a job that can afford them that

3370
03:03:12,830 --> 03:03:13,690
place to live." So it

3371
03:03:14,530 --> 03:03:17,630
is an initiative that for me, it's really meaningful and

3372
03:03:18,930 --> 03:03:22,690
I'm thankful to all the agencies and all the government organizations that are

3373
03:03:22,750 --> 03:03:23,990
coming together to do that.

3374
03:03:25,210 --> 03:03:26,870
And that is my report.

3375
03:03:28,590 --> 03:03:32,190
Moving on to our next item, which are unfinished or new

3376
03:03:32,250 --> 03:03:35,170
business. Any unfinished or new business? Yes, Councilor Willis.

3377
03:03:37,930 --> 03:03:41,850
I have mixed emotions about this, but RL had something that

3378
03:03:41,890 --> 03:03:43,570
he was meaning to bring up,

3379
03:03:44,830 --> 03:03:48,650
didn't get a chance to. Is there something meaningful you wanted to quickly

3380
03:03:48,870 --> 03:03:51,150
tell us that you didn't get a chance to tell us before?

3381
03:04:00,590 --> 03:04:02,250
Thank you. I would just like to

3382
03:04:03,710 --> 03:04:07,130
read the last couple paragraphs of my letter because it adds

3383
03:04:07,190 --> 03:04:09,410
context, and that was what everything was about.

3384
03:04:09,970 --> 03:04:12,090
I will start at the point where

3385
03:04:13,390 --> 03:04:16,990
I said, in one of the two letters sent by my attorney on June

3386
03:04:17,170 --> 03:04:19,410
23rd and August 7th of '26.

3387
03:04:21,290 --> 03:04:24,990
In the June 23rd letter, towards the end, there's a paragraph,

3388
03:04:24,990 --> 03:04:28,970
"My client hopes to reach a satisfactory resolution

3389
03:04:29,010 --> 03:04:31,770
of this problem through discussion, not litigation."

3390
03:04:33,930 --> 03:04:37,310
There's my offer of an olive branch back on June 23rd,

3391
03:04:37,630 --> 03:04:38,550
2026

3392
03:04:39,350 --> 03:04:43,050
Followed by Tim's offer of an olive branch on August 19th,

3393
03:04:43,290 --> 03:04:44,770
2026. So

3394
03:04:46,770 --> 03:04:50,730
please stay tuned as just in case all council members are not familiar

3395
03:04:50,770 --> 03:04:54,630
with the two letters sent by my attorney, I will be providing all

3396
03:04:54,710 --> 03:04:58,370
seven members of the council with copies of the two letters sent on my behalf.

3397
03:04:59,150 --> 03:05:02,030
Hopefully with the knowledge of what they contain, i.e.

3398
03:05:02,210 --> 03:05:03,030
context,

3399
03:05:03,850 --> 03:05:07,790
we, all of the council, everybody in the room, everybody, will

3400
03:05:07,830 --> 03:05:11,710
be able to continue forward a bit more enlightened, discussing from time to

3401
03:05:11,789 --> 03:05:15,450
time issues with totally transparent communication,

3402
03:05:16,610 --> 03:05:20,450
360 degrees of advocacy, along with a new appreciation

3403
03:05:20,510 --> 03:05:23,150
for the value of context. Thank you for letting me finish.

3404
03:05:23,650 --> 03:05:23,850
All right.

3405
03:05:23,910 --> 03:05:24,190
Thank you.

3406
03:05:24,830 --> 03:05:24,990
Thank you.

3407
03:05:25,010 --> 03:05:28,630
Mark, just so you know, your letters were provided to all of the council

3408
03:05:28,690 --> 03:05:29,070
members.

3409
03:05:29,590 --> 03:05:30,710
Yeah, we've already read them.

3410
03:05:30,790 --> 03:05:31,490
We know the letters.

3411
03:05:31,650 --> 03:05:33,290
Wow, that's great. Thank you.

3412
03:05:33,330 --> 03:05:34,130
We've received them all.

3413
03:05:35,070 --> 03:05:36,950
Anything else on new business?

3414
03:05:37,330 --> 03:05:38,130
Yes, Councilor Wilkes.

3415
03:05:39,330 --> 03:05:42,730
I would like to respond to the public comments about the Critical Areas

3416
03:05:42,810 --> 03:05:43,409
Ordinance.

3417
03:05:45,810 --> 03:05:49,770
One, I don't expect that we have an answer on this, but I just thought I would ask,

3418
03:05:49,810 --> 03:05:53,470
have we heard anything about a potential extension from Commerce?

3419
03:05:53,770 --> 03:05:53,970
Okay.

3420
03:05:56,650 --> 03:05:57,070
And then

3421
03:05:58,010 --> 03:06:01,810
we heard several concerns expressed about the map

3422
03:06:01,890 --> 03:06:05,730
not being legible and that people couldn't tell whose

3423
03:06:05,770 --> 03:06:09,250
property would be impacted. And I did notice, reading through the

3424
03:06:09,290 --> 03:06:13,130
report from Facet, I think, they actually did

3425
03:06:13,190 --> 03:06:17,110
recommend updating certain maps because

3426
03:06:17,610 --> 03:06:21,530
there were maps referenced that couldn't be found online.

3427
03:06:22,430 --> 03:06:26,210
And so I would just make a request that before we have the public

3428
03:06:26,270 --> 03:06:29,270
hearing, that there is a really

3429
03:06:29,330 --> 03:06:33,010
easy-to-access, accurate map of the buffers

3430
03:06:33,450 --> 03:06:34,170
that would be shared.

3431
03:06:34,270 --> 03:06:35,310
We already noted that.

3432
03:06:35,370 --> 03:06:36,550
Okay, perfect. Thank you.

3433
03:06:37,170 --> 03:06:37,770
There you go.

3434
03:06:37,810 --> 03:06:41,390
And then I feel like the issues of non-conforming use and then the clarity on the

3435
03:06:41,490 --> 03:06:45,050
fire concern were addressed at the work

3436
03:06:45,110 --> 03:06:48,910
session. But maybe just for those who didn't watch

3437
03:06:48,970 --> 03:06:52,910
that, could you kind of clarify any concerns about

3438
03:06:52,950 --> 03:06:56,850
non-conforming use and then the concern about could you rebuild if your

3439
03:06:56,890 --> 03:06:57,570
house burned down?

3440
03:06:57,710 --> 03:07:00,070
And maybe before City Attorney Donaldson jumps in,

3441
03:07:01,190 --> 03:07:05,130
Deputy City Manager Fredrickson found a good reference tool

3442
03:07:05,190 --> 03:07:07,050
that I think came from the City of Puyallup

3443
03:07:08,050 --> 03:07:11,510
that was kind of an FAQ list. So we're going to do something similar

3444
03:07:12,330 --> 03:07:14,730
that will answer a lot of those questions for...

3445
03:07:14,770 --> 03:07:18,410
And then folks can reference that if they didn't attend the meeting or

3446
03:07:18,950 --> 03:07:21,050
not want to watch the video to get those answers.

3447
03:07:21,090 --> 03:07:24,790
We'll have it kind of in a easy to find one spot location

3448
03:07:25,110 --> 03:07:26,470
answering all of those questions.

3449
03:07:27,470 --> 03:07:27,850
Thank you.

3450
03:07:28,630 --> 03:07:28,810
Yeah.

3451
03:07:31,090 --> 03:07:31,870
They're not here, so-

3452
03:07:31,910 --> 03:07:32,110
Yeah.

3453
03:07:33,410 --> 03:07:36,950
So we will do that. We'll make sure that there's something, and then at least at

3454
03:07:36,990 --> 03:07:37,790
the public hearing-

3455
03:07:38,490 --> 03:07:38,550
Mm-hmm

3456
03:07:38,550 --> 03:07:41,330
... that people will know. So we'll have an answer for those things.

3457
03:07:41,870 --> 03:07:43,130
Okay. Thank you. Mm-hmm.

3458
03:07:43,990 --> 03:07:44,930
Well, any other business?

3459
03:07:44,950 --> 03:07:46,070
Well, yeah, I'm going to just-

3460
03:07:46,410 --> 03:07:46,910
Councilor Hulsing

3461
03:07:46,930 --> 03:07:47,630
... same issue.

3462
03:07:49,690 --> 03:07:53,070
I have talked to a county commissioner, other peoples

3463
03:07:53,410 --> 03:07:54,910
about this, and

3464
03:07:58,330 --> 03:08:01,790
I don't have that, if it's a fact or just hearsay,

3465
03:08:02,350 --> 03:08:06,330
but that other cities in Eastern Washington have opted to

3466
03:08:06,410 --> 03:08:09,250
just reject it on the grounds that

3467
03:08:10,770 --> 03:08:14,590
as you pointed out, the one that the planning commission said that

3468
03:08:14,870 --> 03:08:18,750
for economic, a variety of reasons, and they think that's good

3469
03:08:18,810 --> 03:08:21,830
enough, and you disagree with them, and that's fine.

3470
03:08:22,330 --> 03:08:22,630
But

3471
03:08:23,870 --> 03:08:26,830
apparently Walla Walla County's taken that same tact.

3472
03:08:29,330 --> 03:08:31,870
I was wondering if there's some way we could find out

3473
03:08:34,690 --> 03:08:38,190
how many cities and counties are objecting, and

3474
03:08:39,710 --> 03:08:41,490
legally, what's happened with that.

3475
03:08:41,550 --> 03:08:42,570
So we'll know

3476
03:08:43,410 --> 03:08:45,870
at the public hearing, if possible,

3477
03:08:46,930 --> 03:08:49,210
what the real facts are about that.

3478
03:08:49,710 --> 03:08:53,610
If indeed cities are opting out, and then what happens

3479
03:08:53,630 --> 03:08:55,070
to them if they opt-out.

3480
03:08:55,990 --> 03:08:58,910
At this point, maybe nothing. It doesn't happen till the end of the year.

3481
03:08:58,949 --> 03:08:59,970
We don't know until they-

3482
03:09:00,030 --> 03:09:00,629
Exactly

3483
03:09:00,749 --> 03:09:02,350
... take that particular action-

3484
03:09:02,450 --> 03:09:03,170
Right. But-

3485
03:09:03,170 --> 03:09:05,130
... see if there is that

3486
03:09:05,250 --> 03:09:09,170
... my thinking is if there's a bunch of cities and counties,

3487
03:09:09,590 --> 03:09:11,830
and we end up with a similar position,

3488
03:09:13,790 --> 03:09:17,630
if there's a way to approach fighting

3489
03:09:17,690 --> 03:09:18,330
it that way,

3490
03:09:19,210 --> 03:09:23,130
if indeed that's the way we go. And based on what I heard Monday, I

3491
03:09:23,170 --> 03:09:24,090
think that's possible.

3492
03:09:24,810 --> 03:09:25,590
All right. Councilor Wilkes?

3493
03:09:26,270 --> 03:09:29,410
I totally approve of the collaboration

3494
03:09:29,690 --> 03:09:32,910
suggestion. I think perhaps rather than

3495
03:09:33,570 --> 03:09:34,850
taking what could be a legally

3496
03:09:36,230 --> 03:09:37,810
detrimental position,

3497
03:09:38,610 --> 03:09:39,670
we would perhaps

3498
03:09:40,890 --> 03:09:44,590
use that collaboration to try to put pressure on the legislature to back

3499
03:09:44,670 --> 03:09:45,190
off on

3500
03:09:46,330 --> 03:09:46,910
some of these

3501
03:09:47,830 --> 03:09:48,450
requirements

3502
03:09:49,270 --> 03:09:52,850
so that we get more flexibility. I realize they're not going to make it go away

3503
03:09:52,890 --> 03:09:54,710
entirely. But if we could

3504
03:09:56,610 --> 03:10:00,510
perhaps collaborate to try to get some more lobbying effort on this particular

3505
03:10:00,590 --> 03:10:03,750
issue to create more flexibility in the state law so that we have more flexibility

3506
03:10:03,770 --> 03:10:04,590
at the local level-

3507
03:10:04,750 --> 03:10:04,790
Mm-hmm

3508
03:10:04,790 --> 03:10:08,710
... that would be probably where the time would best be spent.

3509
03:10:10,090 --> 03:10:10,130
I

3510
03:10:11,110 --> 03:10:12,770
have a hard time with us taking a position

3511
03:10:14,410 --> 03:10:18,130
that could be legally detrimental, crossing our fingers that we don't lose God

3512
03:10:18,150 --> 03:10:19,950
knows how much grant funding and whatever else

3513
03:10:21,270 --> 03:10:22,370
because we've decided to

3514
03:10:24,270 --> 03:10:25,970
take a position contrary to state law.

3515
03:10:26,710 --> 03:10:30,070
Seems like we got to go to the state and get them to understand

3516
03:10:30,710 --> 03:10:34,450
what we're going through rather than us just shooting

3517
03:10:34,470 --> 03:10:35,290
ourselves in the foot.

3518
03:10:37,090 --> 03:10:38,490
So that would be my suggestion.

3519
03:10:39,270 --> 03:10:40,010
Councilor Robinson?

3520
03:10:42,458 --> 03:10:46,298
I totally think that that's a valid approach, but I'm going to

3521
03:10:46,358 --> 03:10:50,258
have to splash a dose of reality on this.

3522
03:10:50,438 --> 03:10:54,218
And I say this as somebody who is very, very, very obsessively

3523
03:10:55,718 --> 03:10:57,778
aware of everything the legislature's doing.

3524
03:10:59,518 --> 03:11:03,358
I don't know how effective lobbying them on this

3525
03:11:03,418 --> 03:11:04,258
is going to be.

3526
03:11:05,098 --> 03:11:08,878
They have proven particularly resistant,

3527
03:11:09,458 --> 03:11:12,818
let's put it nicely. They've been particularly

3528
03:11:12,878 --> 03:11:16,558
resistant when they decide that they're going to level an unfunded

3529
03:11:16,618 --> 03:11:20,158
mandate against you with turning around and then

3530
03:11:20,638 --> 03:11:21,258
saying, "Well,

3531
03:11:22,278 --> 03:11:26,018
gosh, we know that we may or may not have driven a semi through your

3532
03:11:26,078 --> 03:11:27,958
house." I know I'm going back to that chestnut.

3533
03:11:28,058 --> 03:11:29,778
So I totally believe in that,

3534
03:11:30,638 --> 03:11:33,418
but my opinion personally remains unchanged.

3535
03:11:34,878 --> 03:11:38,738
I'm told that my use of the phrase shotgun wedding on Monday

3536
03:11:38,818 --> 03:11:40,358
is circulating. I'll say it again.

3537
03:11:40,938 --> 03:11:44,878
I'm afraid I'm not a fan of shotgun weddings, and I don't think that this--

3538
03:11:45,678 --> 03:11:49,438
I would rather fight it to the best of our ability, see what our actual legal

3539
03:11:49,538 --> 03:11:53,478
options are. I don't know that they're in a mindset to listen to

3540
03:11:53,538 --> 03:11:57,498
us. We are, after all, but humble Eastern and Central Washingtonians.

3541
03:11:57,858 --> 03:12:01,678
We do not, in their mind, I would imagine, possess quite the

3542
03:12:01,718 --> 03:12:03,598
worldliness of Seattle and Olympia.

3543
03:12:05,218 --> 03:12:06,258
Any- anybody else?

3544
03:12:07,598 --> 03:12:11,458
I should share a link. I found a link from MSRC,

3545
03:12:12,598 --> 03:12:15,838
that lists a number of examples from other cities.

3546
03:12:15,938 --> 03:12:19,858
I think that that might be a good resource for us to read because it does

3547
03:12:20,298 --> 03:12:22,118
talk about some of the other cities have done,

3548
03:12:23,398 --> 03:12:26,798
particularly in the area that I think where we might have some

3549
03:12:27,558 --> 03:12:31,458
local leverage, which is in the reasonable use

3550
03:12:31,538 --> 03:12:32,918
exceptions area.

3551
03:12:33,938 --> 03:12:36,958
I think I mentioned that during our work concession, and there might be

3552
03:12:37,758 --> 03:12:41,538
something in that language that we can use to our advantage to accomplish

3553
03:12:41,598 --> 03:12:43,398
what many of our- They talk about- ...

3554
03:12:43,598 --> 03:12:47,498
residents talk about, which is some of the concerns they have about their property

3555
03:12:47,558 --> 03:12:51,038
and et cetera. But that might be a good resource

3556
03:12:51,878 --> 03:12:54,998
for us to read through and get some other ideas from other cities.

3557
03:12:55,578 --> 03:12:56,098
And then,

3558
03:12:57,378 --> 03:13:01,358
just for some of the folks who attended the meeting, we have a public hearing

3559
03:13:01,458 --> 03:13:04,838
October 14 at 6:30 on this matter.

3560
03:13:05,818 --> 03:13:06,358
And I think

3561
03:13:08,118 --> 03:13:09,338
I would say that

3562
03:13:10,298 --> 03:13:13,958
city council, having listened to and having the input from the,

3563
03:13:14,738 --> 03:13:18,298
Planning Commission, do you have pretty much an agreement to what the

3564
03:13:18,498 --> 03:13:19,298
Planning Commission

3565
03:13:20,718 --> 03:13:24,638
had asked us to do, which is to bring that matter here for a public

3566
03:13:24,678 --> 03:13:27,238
hearing and make a determination on our end.

3567
03:13:27,598 --> 03:13:27,758
So-

3568
03:13:28,718 --> 03:13:32,698
I think their recommendation was for to reject it for those very reason.

3569
03:13:32,738 --> 03:13:34,958
It wasn't for us to make our own determination.

3570
03:13:35,398 --> 03:13:39,118
They wanted us to reject it. I'm just saying that's the way I read it.

3571
03:13:39,138 --> 03:13:42,578
But it's coming to us, and we think that decision will have a public input, and

3572
03:13:42,638 --> 03:13:46,018
hopefully we'll have some additional resources to rely upon.

3573
03:13:46,558 --> 03:13:46,818
Yeah.

3574
03:13:47,878 --> 03:13:48,998
Anything else? No.

3575
03:13:49,958 --> 03:13:50,298
All right.

3576
03:13:52,138 --> 03:13:53,658
We are now adjourned.

3577
03:13:55,518 --> 03:13:56,658
Thank you. Thank you all.

3578
03:13:57,258 --> 03:13:57,738
Thank you.