Residents urge clearer council communications and more detail on comprehensive-plan climate element

Two members of the public addressed the council March 24 during the public-comment period with requests about transparency and the climate element of the comprehensive plan.

Theresa Baker, a resident, asked the council to provide written updates to help residents keep track of ongoing city projects. Baker said people are left "lost a lot of times" and requested a monthly written summary of council decisions and project status. She cited questions about the status of the local movie theater lease, the $1 million payment from the vacated bathroom parcel and the future of the Olsen Building.

A second speaker, Shihua (Zhuamu) Mu, addressed the comprehensive-plan climate element following a recent open house. Mu, who identified herself as an Anacortes resident, said the open house presentation used technical graphics and terminology unfamiliar to many attendees and urged the council to require the consulting firm to share more detailed materials in advance. "It's imperative that our council request the consulting firm to provide presentation materials, key assumptions, data tables, definition of terminologies, mathematical formula used to calculate including consecutive dry days, sea level indexes, sensitivities, vulnerabilities," she told the council. Mu also urged stronger public-engagement efforts and recommended the planning committee or planning commission take a lead in reviewing policy options.

Council members acknowledged both comments and staff said they would share planned updates and follow up on the comprehensive-plan outreach. No formal action was taken during the meeting on these requests.