Almost every week this is the "What's on the city council's plate this week" review. I don't cover everything, so if you want the full rundown, read the packet and agenda yourself.

Water rights might not be exciting, but they're interesting. So, this week I'm going to blather about the city buying water rights out by Lake St. Clair. They're in the process of changing their pumping scheme out at the McCallister Creek site, moving from a spring to a well field, and that change might have some impact on surrounding water bodies. So (says the staff report):

The most recent model results predict that moving the water source from McAllister Springs to the McAllister Wellfield will result in significantly higher flows in McAllister Creek. At the same time, pumping at the wellfield may cause relatively small depletions of flow in other surface water bodies in the Nisqually and Deschutes Watersheds.

Almost every week this is the "What's on the city council's plate this week" review. I don't cover everything, so if you want the full rundown, read the packet and agenda yourself.

Will we be voting for a new fire station and a new training center in August? The city council could decide on Tuesday at their regular session.

The council will consider whether to put a $16.5 million dollar, 20 year levy on the ballot. The levy will pay for a ~$11 million fire station and new training center plus the needed new equipment (you know, trucks). Here's a general rundown from the staff report on the finances:

Almost every week this is the "What's on the city council's plate this week" review. I don't cover everything, so if you want the full rundown, read the packet and agenda yourself.

The city council will also consider the budget for the Parking and Business Improvement Area downtown. From the staff report:

Total PBIA Assessments available $174,324 (This includes a unspent balance from prior year appropriations totaling $62,474 and new 2008 assessments totaling $111,852). The Advisory Board is recommending continuing existing programs and services and new programs and services that total $163,500, leaving a balance of $10,824 for future programs.

Almost every week this is the "What's on the city council's plate this week" review. I don't cover everything, so if you want the full rundown, read the packet and agenda yourself.

Usually I stick with the things that interest me when I do a city council packet rundown. But, this time I picked something out that I thought would be more interesting to all of you guys: Art at the new city hall.

Not my cup of tea, but here we go.

One percent of capital projects in Olympia are usually held back for some sort of public art project. Not going to be any different in the new city hall down at the old Safeway store. From the staff report:

Almost every week this is the "What's on the city council's plate this week" review. I don't cover everything, so if you want the full rundown, read the packet and agenda yourself.

This week the finance committee will talk about sidewalks and where we should build more sidewalks in the city of Olympia and how (appropriate for this committee) we should pay for those sidewalks.

As Chad points out, You will have the chance to talk about transportation in Olympia on March 10 and 13th at Olympia High School.

I once described myself as a sidewalk nerd, and Sarah asked me to explain. I didn't then, but hopefully, this post helps her out. I love me some sidewalks, and it makes me mad that Olympia doesn't have more of them in the places where it needs them.

Unfortunately, Olympians didn't get on the stick until we passed a sidewalks and park financing plan until 2004. Now, we get to discuss how we put all that money to work. And, apparently the city is prepared to take a more agressive stand on building those sidewalks.

Build now, pay for them later (from the staff report):

A more aggressive long term financing plan would allow the City to build more sidewalks more quickly, and use future revenues to pay back debt. Some benefits of a long term strategy are:

Almost every week this is the "What's on the city council's plate this week" review. I don't cover everything, so if you want the full rundown, read the packet and agenda yourself.

Nothing much in the packet this week (maybe something about a "water plan" that I'll write about later, but it looks pretty daunting), except a little note from the "Committee of the Chairs" meeting on Tuesday night at 5p (report @ scribd):

There was preliminary discussion by and among 2007 Councilmembers about holding a Town Hall meeting on April 22 (Earth Day) at Olympia High School. The suggested topic was Climate Change/Sea Level Rise.

...

BACKGROUND: As part of the Council’s 2004 Open Government initiative, Councilmembers – at that time – committed to holding two Town Hall meetings each year on topics identified by the City Council.

A preliminary date and theme for April 22, 2008 was identified by the 2007 Council. No additional planning activity has occurred, and no meeting space has been reserved. The Olympia Center is not available on April 22.

It looks like they don't have anything to talk to us about. So, outside of sea leve rise, can anyone think of anything else they'd like to talk to the city council about?

Given all the thought going into policing this week, I thought this one deserves its own post. The city council is looking at its Police Auditor program this week. To that end, they got a report.

Here's a summary:

• 14 total complaints, with 28 seperate allegations in 2007, compared to 28 compaints in 2006 with 50 allegations. In 2005 12 complaints, 27 allegations.
• 3 complaints of racial profilling, none sustained.
• 4 excessive force complaints, none involving Taser, OC spray, batons or firearms. Most common included handcuffs. None sustained.
• One unlawful arrest, which was unfounded.
• The only sustained complaint was one count of "Improper Driving."

Here's some background information on the police auditor program.

Here's the full report, scroll down for the full counts:

Almost every week this is the "What's on the city council's plate this week" review. I don't cover everything, so if you want the full rundown, read the packet and agenda yourself.

1. Craig Ottaveli wants to change the Rules of Procedure, the ominously named rules by which the Olympia City Council lives by. I'm assuming from the minutes of the council retreat that the one he really wants to change is the "No Surprises" rule. That rule means that a councilmember has to give fellow members 48 hours warning before broaching a new topic.

An infringement on conversation with the public? A violation of the open meetings act? I don't know, but the General Government committee will take it up on Tuesday at 5 p.m.

2. The city is also considering spending $50k on more thought about tall buildings near water. From the staff report:

On January 15, 2008, the City Council reviewed preliminary applications for Comprehensive Plan amendment proposals and, with the exception of this item, approved the 2008 Comprehensive Plan Amendment docket. The Council referred this item to the Land Use and Environment Committee so that the staff request for additional resources could be discussed.

...

Almost every week this is the "What's on the city council's plate this week" review. I don't cover everything, so if you want the full rundown, read the packet and agenda yourself.

A couple of weeks ago chad360 asked whether there was a city advisory committee that dealt only with traffic issues.

Now, the city is putting together a new a new advisory committee that deals only with transportation issues? Either Chad is incredibly influential or physic.

Actually probably neither, the new committee was first mentioned last summer and will probably start recruiting soon. The council's land use and environment committee will talk about forming the ad-hoc citizen's advisory committee on Monday, February 11 at 4 p.m.

What will be the purpose of the ad-hoc transportation committee? The staff report gives us an idea:

Almost every week this is the "What's on the city council's plate this week" review. I don't cover everything, so if you want the full rundown, read the packet and agenda yourself.

Seriously boring packet this week, but in the interest of finding something to write about, I present the changes in the advisory boards for this year. Also, chad was talking earlier about these sorts of things, so just keeping that thread going.

Also, I'm going to make it a point to encourage folks to get on these boards when the city is recruiting later this year.

The council always seems to be tinkering with their advisory boards, but these changes seem straight forward enough.

From the staff report:

Ordinance #6499 established consistent committee requirements in the following areas, unless otherwise provided for in an individual committee’s enabling ordinance:

• Number of members: 11
• Term of Appointment: 3 years
• Residency: Majority of members must reside in Olympia or Olympia’s Urban Growth Area (UGA)
• Method of appointment: By affirmative action of a majority of the Olympia City Council, upon recommendation of the General Government Committee
• Filling of vacancies: Same as initial appointment
• Rules of Procedure: To be developed and approved by General Government Committee
• Annual Work Plan process: Same as in the past with approval by affirmative action of a majority of the Council following review and recommendation by the General Government Committee
• Staff Liaison Support: Defined for all committees.