[{"_1":2,"_98":-5,"_99":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6347677,"mediaKeyId","2244884-38376aa7e804f538f158b4874830da60","parentId",2244884,"title","Votes at a glance: La Conner council approves levy support resolution, maintenance contracts and a museum permit waiver","audioSeconds",2093,"startMs",1329000,"endMs",3422000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2244884-38376aa7e804f538f158b4874830da60&start=1329&end=3422","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2244884-38376aa7e804f538f158b4874830da60/thumbnail_1329000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6347677/La-Conner/Skagit-County/Washington/Votes-at-a-glance-La-Conner-council-approves-levy-support-resolution-maintenance-contracts-and-a-museum-permit-waiver","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6347677-6c7d008c0585741c2dce88497135dbe9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771179272&Signature=gNocKzRcYf06j8nk3uwCCkHGfGUJcvomOhZodK3pcHyHi5Cm4~0BMWuIcr4rfkRbS91sA9jDnOqMAqt3KeKBinEd03CMuDC6bVpu2tZoMJASF48uBv2MsuChxxoJSQxGgMInJwuuwYCYe0THGKR0WE2EH-Ezs4u3mlP5qJoVbUYR1siCSTwabJx6kunhFAa7tKLlcGIT4oDlBhJH6dWE0byLtJTjvz2FNevgOBaa-fwqTN1-5jlpbBwSG8Po3R6yGqs6zR8Sx2aIybFTUrps5X3oQ8ldVIl45reAQHHbqMYT9dJJ4al2J4lJ1gZqrW75auZx1TsDUfv~TOo-84mTEA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","La Conner, WA","date","2025-01-14T00:00:00Z","article","La Conner Town Council approved several routine items at its January meeting, including a support resolution for the La Conner School District’s Educational Programs & Operations (EPO) levy, annual maintenance and inspection contracts, a capital fence bid, and a permit fee waiver for the local historical museum.

Key outcomes recorded by the council:

- Resolution No. 661: Council approved a resolution supporting the La Conner School District’s EPO levy (Feb. 11, 2025 ballot). Motion carried by voice vote. (Mover: Councilperson Chambers; seconder: Councilperson Newell.)

- Consent agenda: Approved by voice vote (items not individually debated were adopted as presented).

- National Host Testing (annual agreement): Council approved the annual testing agreement for fire apparatus and ladder testing. Motion carried by voice vote.

- Maple Field fence bid: Council awarded the bid for a safety fence at Maple Field to the recommended bidder; the purchase was budgeted and the council approved the award.

- HVAC maintenance agreement (municipal building): Council approved a multi-visit maintenance agreement for the new building HVAC system to protect warranty and ensure readiness if the building is used as a heat/cooling station.

- Fire-inspection services: Council approved a contract with Piedmont (or similarly named vendor recorded in the agenda) for fire-inspection and compliance documentation services; the item was budgeted.

- Museum permit-fee waiver: Council approved a permanent waiver of the museum’s permit fee (fee discussed as approximately $878.07) to allow the organization to proceed with a repair project.

Most motions passed by unanimous voice vote; the meeting record did not show any formal opposition on these agenda items. Several items were identified as budgeted in prior planning documents, and staff were directed to complete follow-up steps such as posting resolutions and processing waivers and contracts.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Town Council Meeting - January 14, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","At its January meeting the La Conner Town Council approved a range of routine municipal actions including a resolution supporting the La Conner School District levy, maintenance contracts, bids and a permit fee waiver for the historical museum.","taxTitle","La Conner, Skagit County, Washington","taxId",60298,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6347680,"La Conner council waives ~ $878 permit fee for historical museum wall repair",2320,1176000,3496000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2244884-38376aa7e804f538f158b4874830da60&start=1176&end=3496","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2244884-38376aa7e804f538f158b4874830da60/thumbnail_1176000.jpg","/articles/6347680/La-Conner/Skagit-County/Washington/La-Conner-council-waives-878-permit-fee-for-historical-museum-wall-repair","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6347680-581fc72ae36d4203db8176a6a948c085/orig.mp4?Expires=1771179272&Signature=Gdh5fkMJ2Y0KlSHzaW9srhvofS-gG3pO4z2taCzkP8oYXgSzazc-VfAlXrTNKk-IEGhu5SD7IluTyuppH8dGhaUDZvxcsYdbRniYmm8GRyIYhTpvo65UXLcb-Zf2oD0Lafa2i3Lh4XPc0gnBI3gPWqekp3ymFDnD2IXfcx-Tg21NWOBop1kzDLmPDGuu1-LWd7WDiELPWee1Fzp7TdfTbMEqqUVgf7KcEppAO8skMS1uzzbq79YA3aJvO9VcvCkljwurgonbjsgfbKeetXcKf0jcNtTtCu-wu2kIApu8z9X3B3VCFKA29A9m0v7hXpSYomm8c0E19biC57U9w5i2Qw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","La Conner’s town council voted to waive a municipal permit fee for the historical museum’s planned repair of a deteriorating back wall, a project the museum’s director said is nearly fully funded.

Joe Wolfe, director of the museum, told the council the museum needs to remove and rebuild the back wall of its research-library building because the wall has deteriorated and wooden elements are rotting. He said the museum has raised most of the money needed for the repair but that a roughly $878 building permit fee would require more fundraising and could delay work.

Wolfe asked the council to waive the fee so the project can proceed. The council discussed prior examples of fee waivers and whether similar requests had been granted before, then voted to grant the permanent waiver. The fee amount recorded in discussion was $878.07; council members confirmed they had waived similar fees previously under comparable circumstances.

Council members noted the project includes energy-efficiency improvements (new windows called out in the museum’s design) and that the museum has lining donors and matching funds. The council’s vote to waive the permit fee was recorded as approved by voice vote. No formal conditions were listed in the meeting minutes; the clerk will post the waiver on the town’s record as part of the permit process.","The council approved a request from the historical museum to waive a building permit fee for a planned repair to a deteriorating back wall; the museum said it has largely raised the repair funds and sought the fee waiver to avoid additional fundraising delays.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":46,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6347683,"La Conner council backs school district’s four-year educational levy after district presentation",3158,264000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2244884-38376aa7e804f538f158b4874830da60&start=264&end=3422","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2244884-38376aa7e804f538f158b4874830da60/thumbnail_264000.jpg","/articles/6347683/La-Conner/Skagit-County/Washington/La-Conner-council-backs-school-districts-four-year-educational-levy-after-district-presentation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6347683-035414d3634bedac7b322cf98a4733d9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771179272&Signature=Yio0oggGgkycJZ-d37U-aUuIC~RdrzTJ~Ap8bdGKk45H-tJ3fm4I7bIz3pynh1-01D8Itasy-OW4Ri2Ye7~k-UE7TWlZg7I1PotZoSY~yEW8aYH1bp0aunEFSVi462dvKCcvkIShYJos6WyLD-cP-l9JnyiCp4CqOYZducz-cofHATE5ffyzJrgolsu6o~SmzbalARmz7ITiasOWXTnEi9rC2n6f4sTeB5wYXu1CmHQSAwQf2xJZuF6zGkf-1IAY-zXHD6Jz5~tCikx2PGQsechy4ixiZGNWc6UnO5A1Zl8e8W2TswIqMUNVxeWNc4yJJzmBANbtEraYo5Idv35RFw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","La Conner Mayor and Town Council voted to adopt a resolution supporting the La Conner School District’s four-year Educational Programs and Operations (EPO) levy, which the district has scheduled for the Feb. 11, 2025 ballot.

The measure would replace the district’s expiring levy and begin collections in 2026; Dave Grama, superintendent of the La Conner School District, told the council the levy is intended to preserve extracurricular programs, safety and special-education services while keeping the district’s per-thousand tax rate near its current level.

Grama described the district’s recent fiscal turnaround and why the levy is needed. He said the district entered “binding conditions” oversight by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction after projecting a negative ending fund balance during a budget extension two years ago, but, he said, the district completed a two-year recovery plan and ended the most recent fiscal year with roughly $1.1 million in its fund balance. Grama said the district’s operating budget fell from about $15 million to roughly $13 million and that personnel make up about 86–87 percent of costs.

Grama said the levy request is structured as a four-year replacement levy and that the district plans to ask for about $1,125,000 in the first year (well under the statutory cap he described). “The levy … makes up about 8 percent of our budget,” Grama said, adding that the request is intended to hold the per-thousand rate at about $1.11, the district’s current levy rate.

The superintendent outlined how levy dollars would be used: roughly $300,000 annually toward extracurricular and co-curricular activities (coaches, referees, travel), continued support for safety and security measures (the district currently uses a camera network and does not have a full-time security officer), roughly $250,000 in supplemental funds the district used last year for special education because state funding did not cover actual local costs, and curriculum investments such as a planned reading curriculum update. Grama also described two recent capital grants the district secured: a $1.9 million solar grant to install panels covering the middle school and a roughly $1.5 million grant used to replace HVAC in the high school building; he said the district may need to call a special board meeting soon to award the solar contractor because of schedule constraints.

Grama also noted that changes following the Washington State McCleary decision changed how districts calculate levy caps and that La Conner is not seeking the statutory maximum; he said the district’s maximum calculated amount would be about $1.6 million based on enrollment, but the board chose a lower ask to maintain what Grama described as a fiscally responsible rate.

Councilmembers discussed the resolution process and legal limits on municipal participation in ballot measures. The council’s procedural discussion referenced the requirement to give opposing viewpoints equal time when an elected body takes an official position on a ballot measure; council members asked whether any members of the public wished to speak in opposition during the meeting and none did. Councilperson Chambers moved to adopt Resolution No. 661 in support of the district’s levy; Councilperson Newell seconded. The council approved the resolution by voice vote.

The district’s presentation included enrollment and staffing figures that the council cited as part of the context: Grama said the district serves about 463 FTE (roughly 480 students headcount), employs about 45 certificated staff and about 38 classified staff, and is operating on a budget near $13 million. He said the district reduced staff as part of its recovery from binding conditions and that staffing reductions drove much of the earlier budget contraction.

The council’s resolution, as read into the record, directs that the town take an official supportive position on the ballot measure. The resolution will be posted on the town’s website, the council said. No formal opposing presentation was offered at the meeting.","La Conner School District Superintendent Dave Grama presented financial context and details of a proposed four-year Educational Programs & Operations (EPO) levy; the town council adopted a resolution supporting the levy that will appear on the Feb. 11, 2025 ballot.","actionData","errors"]

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Votes at a glance: La Conner council approves levy support resolution, maintenance contracts and a museum permit waiver

La Conner council waives ~ $878 permit fee for historical museum wall repair

La Conner council backs school district’s four-year educational levy after district presentation