Arlington council declares surplus property, waives airport lease payment and authorizes FEMA grant agents

The Arlington City Council on April 9 unanimously approved three separate actions: a resolution declaring several city assets surplus, a waiver and termination request for an airport lease payment from PGF LLC, and a resolution authorizing two staff members to act as application agents for FEMA grants.

The actions were adopted by voice vote during a regular council meeting with no public comment on the items.

The surplus resolution, presented by Debbie Strath, covers several police vehicles identified for equipment replacement and other items removed from the city's asset-management system. "We have a few police vehicles that have been, that are up for, equipment replacement," Strath said, adding that one street sweeper that "caught fire" has already been replaced. Council discussion included a question about spare vehicles; Strath said the city keeps a few cars for breakdown or training use.

Council then voted to approve a request from PGF LLC related to a lease on airport property identified as Lot 304. Monroe said the lot is located on airport property north of state route 531 near the intersection of 40 Third Avenue and northwest of Weston High School. He said PGF LLC, the project manager for the lease, asked staff to terminate the lease and waive the company's 2025 payment of $67,937.35 "including associated costs" after significant setbacks to the project. Monroe said the company has invested nearly $200,000 in the effort and had remained current on payments until seeking termination.

The council approved the waiver by voice vote.

On a separate item, Jim Kelly asked the council to reauthorize him and Chris Wallace as the city's designated application agents for FEMA grants. Kelly said the city had prepared a pre-application and a 40-page subapplication with 25 attachments for FEMA's BRIC (Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities) program for the Howland North Wellfield project. He told the council that FEMA had "declared it not in line with their primary objectives and they pulled the grant," but that the Washington State Department of Emergency Management had indicated it would continue to look for funding opportunities. Councilmember discussion focused on updating a prior 2015 resolution; the motion to authorize Kelly and Wallace to sign FEMA grant applications was made "subject to approval by our City Attorney." The council approved the authorization by voice vote.

Votes at a glance

- Resolution declaring property surplus: motion to approve authorized the mayor to sign the resolution; outcome: approved (voice vote). Motion text: "I move to approve the resolution declaring the property as surplus and authorize the mayor to sign the resolution." Mover/second: not specified in the record; vote method: voice.

- Airport lease waiver (PGF LLC, Lot 304): motion to waive the 2025 rental amount of $67,937.35 and authorize the mayor to sign; outcome: approved (voice vote). Motion text: "I move to approve the waiver of the rental amount of $67,937.35 from PGF LLC and authorize the mayor to sign." Mover/second: not specified in the record; vote method: voice.

- Resolution designating applicant agents for FEMA grants: motion to approve authorization of designated agents, subject to City Attorney approval; outcome: approved (voice vote). Motion text: "I move to approve the resolution and authorize the mayor to sign it subject to approval by our City Attorney." Mover/second: not specified in the record; vote method: voice.

Context and next steps

Council members asked staff clarifying questions during discussion but did not defeat or amend any of the three motions. For the airport item, Monroe said PGF LLC's lease was originally intended to accommodate a Department of Social and Health Services facility awarded in spring 2020 and that the company had incurred substantial costs and revisions to its plans before requesting termination. For the FEMA item, Kelly said the BRIC application for the Howland North Wellfield remains a city priority and that state emergency management staff would continue to seek funding avenues despite FEMA removing the BRIC opportunity cited in the subapplication.

The council completed the remaining routine business and adjourned the meeting. Public comment was invited but no members of the public took the three-minute limit to speak.