La Conner councilmembers held an extended discussion about battery energy storage systems (BESS), including safety considerations, the town's possible moratorium language and plans to arrange an expert briefing for council, staff, fire-rescue and the public.

Mayor Maria and several councilmembers noted a regional increase in proposed battery installations and said the school district plans a backup energy storage system for resilience and evacuation purposes. One councilmember described researching lithium iron phosphate systems and safety enclosures and said that the school system's planned system included multiple redundancies.

Council members agreed it would be useful to bring an outside expert to meet with the community, the planning department and the fire department. The planned briefing — scheduled for late summer — aims to explain safety features, operational differences among battery chemistries and best-practice siting and enclosure options to inform possible code language. "We need to get those codes that worked up," one councilmember said, arguing the expert briefing should inform any moratorium or code amendments.

Council also discussed engaging county partners and regional stakeholders because BESS projects are emerging across jurisdictions. No moratorium ordinance was adopted at the meeting; council emphasized the need for shared information for first responders and the public before formal regulatory action.

Staff will schedule the expert presentation for late summer and coordinate with the fire department and school district to ensure technical and operational questions are addressed in public and departmental briefings.