Council Meeting: August 17, 2009

Study Session (6 pm): Street Lighting
I didn't arrive until about 6:30 pm. Council Member Hunt was discussing utility taxes. She pointed out that money raised from taxes can go into the general fund. (My understanding is that public utilities are not allowed to "profit" from the rates they charge, but they can charge more than the actual cost in order to build reserves for capital improvements for that utility. Any funds gathered through rate payments have to be used for the utility, but it appears those payments can be taxed.)

Mayor Hopkins noted that he is trading phone calls with Galya Gjertsen, AWC Insurance Services Director. She has offered to review the town budget for free. She may be hired for more work after this initial review. Hunt wanted to get the utility taxes in place in the next couple of months. Hopkins noted it would be better to start some of them now rather than during winter, such as on natural gas.

Council Member Stebner asked the town electrician what shape the power poles were in. Fesharaki noted the system had been rebuilt in 1995 with many new poles installed at that time. Poles have a 30 to 40 year life, so Stebner felt better about using some of the electric reserve fund on street lights since the overall system was "solid".

JJ McCamment and the town engineer outlined a grant for $135,000 they are applying for on behalf of the town, due by September 8th. Point Ruston will prepare the grant at no charge. If awarded, it would pay for new curb and gutter on Baltimore from Commercial to 49th; and a traffic calming circle at 49th and Baltimore. They did not think it was likely that Ruston would be competitive, but since there is no cost to the town to try the council gave their approval.

Regular Meeting (7 pm)
The meeting on time with Council Member Albertson absent. The agenda was amended to add discussion for street lighting. The minutes were approved with minor corrections with a vote of 4-0.

Staff Reports
Fire: There were 9 calls in July, with no fire related calls on July 4th. The NoxBox material for the department had arrived. Chief Torbet had installed one at his business for about $180. (More details will be posted on this system later in the week.) The department is ready to implement the system now.

Police: Chief Kunkel said the department had been busy last month. He reminded residents to call 911 to report possible crimes in progress rather than leave a message at the police office. We can call dispatch for non-emergency situations at (253) 798-4721 or for problems with animals call (253) 627-7387. The used police car sold for $700 at auction. The CTED grant came in at just under $10,000. Stebner had heard gunshots just after 3 am a couple of times coming from Tacoma. Others in the audience had heard the same thing. Kunkel was not aware of any calls, but encouraged everyone to call 911 if it happens again.

Public Comment
Jim Wingard gave an update on the casino trial and wanted to know who made the decision for Ruston to refuse to arbitrate.
Sherri Forch thanked everyone for their concerns for the seniors during the heat wave - all made it through fine. She and neighbors will be holding a group yard sale on the last weekend in August in the median on Winnifred at 53rd Street. She invited everyone to join in.
Beth Torbet reminded everyone of the town potluck the same weekend. She confirmed the new street lights will be the same design as are being installed on Stack Hill.
Lyle Hardin thanked Hunt for making arrangements for him to attend the AWC budget conference the previous week. He had heard that Tacoma will provide LED street lights for free if we used that design for our new lights.

Business
The meeting was recessed for executive session for 30 minutes to discuss potential litigation. Things got underway again at 7:58 pm.

Resolution 453: Amending Employee Policy to change the hours of the standard work week: Council Member Hedrick thought this would be helpful for the mayor to be able to manage employee hours. Hunt thought customer service was important and the town should ensure town hall was open regular hours. The resolution passed 4-0.

Street Lighting: Hedrick made a motion authorizing the mayor to go out to bid on the 4 sections of street lighting upgrades discussed at the study session. (I'll get a map of these sections posted when I get a copy). The motion passed 4-0.

Claims and Payroll
Passed 3-1 with Stebner voting no.

Mayor's Time
Hopkins reported that work is progressing on moving the kitchen in the new community center. The bathrooms at the park should be repaired in time for the town potluck. He thanked those officials that attended the AWC budget conference. He noted the town planner is taking a bigger role in building permits and it is going well.

Council Time
Stebner was concerned about the assumption that Ruston had about 600 sewer hook ups. The census bureau lists only 350 households. Since the cost for the sewer upgrades are estimated to be about $40 per hook up, if the assumption of 600 is too high the cost per hook up could be much higher. The mayor will research the issue further.
Huson had substituted for the mayor at the last staff meeting and felt things were going well. He noted the liaison meetings with Point Ruston had not been held for several months, but he understood the work on the tunnel would probably not happen until spring (rather than this summer as planned). He also wanted to know when the next curb painting party would be held. The mayor did not have a date yet.
Hedrick noted that the NoxBox system for the fire engine and aid car would cost $1,373.91 that had not been budgeted for. He hoped the council would approve the expenditure since they approved the purchase. MRSC had confirmed that the fire department is authorized to perform fire inspections for local businesses. He reminded everyone about the town potluck his wife is organizing on August 30th from 4 to 7 pm.
Hunt again stressed the need to get utility taxes in place to generate more revenue for the town.

The meeting adjourned about 8:25 pm.