La Conner council expands arts commission, approves ADA update and fireboat change order; six‑month moratorium OK’d for new drive‑throughs

La Conner Town Council members approved a slate of ordinances, resolutions and administrative actions at their regular meeting, including expanding the town’s arts commission, appointing new commissioners, adopting an ADA-focused amendment to municipal code and approving a final, donation‑funded change order for the town’s new fireboat.

The actions also included a six‑month moratorium on new drive‑through facilities while staff prepares revised regulations, a motion waiving the competitive‑bid process for emergency repairs to the Maple Hall floor, and tentative adoption of a new sewer unit rate. Several items were described by staff as funded either by donations or by external grants; no new town tax increases were proposed in the package of motions approved at the meeting.

Why it matters: the arts commission changes expand citizen participation and adjust an old public‑art requirement, the ADA ordinance responds to recent inquiries about access improvements, the fireboat work completes needed operational features paid by donations, and the drive‑through moratorium temporarily halts new commercial drive‑throughs while the town updates zoning rules.

The council approved the arts commission ordinance after staff said the town had several qualified applicants for vacant seats and that the municipal code language needed cleanup, including removal of an obsolete requirement to set aside a percentage of public‑works budgets for art. Council also passed a follow‑up resolution appointing five people to the arts commission.

Planning staff presented an update to residential code revisions intended to bring the municipal code into compliance with recent state mandates and to clarify rules affecting multifamily projects and accessory dwelling units (ADUs). Staff discussed new water‑meter…