Tuesday, May 21, 2019

The council approved 19 routine items on consent, including a $1.4 million contract to install solar panels for 180 low-income households. Other notable approvals included accepting $788,854 from the county for hazardous materials emergency response and a 3-year fireworks contract worth $123,600.

The council approved new annual fees for rental housing units in a 5-1 vote, with Mayor Butt voting no. Landlords will pay $212 per year for rent-controlled units and $112 for partially regulated units. The fees will help fund the city's rental housing programs.

A $45 million wastewater bond was approved unanimously to fund system improvements and refinancing. The revenue bonds will be repaid through sewer fees, not taxes. The council also unanimously introduced a law creating a master list of all city fees to organize scattered fee schedules.

The council failed to approve appointments to the Rent Board, Police Review Commission, and Planning Commission. However, they unanimously opposed BNSF Railway's plan to reactivate trains through Miller/Knox Regional Shoreline Park.

Several items were continued to future meetings, including setting fees for electronic public records requests and changing quorum rules for the Citizens Police Review Commission. The council also supported state bills to increase charter school regulation and allow cities to create public banks."}