Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Council hears committee reports, development updates and staffing notices
Loading...
Summary
Council members reported committee updates including a planned Heritage Zone rezoning, a proposed $6,000-a-year stream-team contract to meet Department of Ecology requirements, and TIF-financing discussions for a 640-acre southern loop. City Administrator Todd reported police vacancies, a wastewater position interview, and a WellCity recognition that will save roughly $25,000 in 2027.
Council on Feb. 24 received several committee and staff reports that preview future policy items and operational changes for the city.
The public services committee summarized two items already on the agenda and described likely pipe upsizing for the water-main project (from 6–8 inches to 10–12 inches). The committee flagged an upcoming rezoning and annexation package that would create a new "Heritage Zone," with more detailed discussion planned for a June study session. The committee also said the city is considering joining a regional stream team at an estimated cost of about $6,000 a year to meet Department of Ecology permit requirements; the committee said a contract would come to council in March.
"So that way, we don't have to hire another person to do these things...that contract is coming to us in March," the public services committee reported when describing the stream-team proposal.
Government committee members outlined plans for the 2026 council retreat in Quinault at Ocean Shores and briefed the council on the civic center (EIC) drawings and potential Tax Increment Financing (TIF) to support the southern loop project; committee members said any TIF would not add taxes for current residents.
City Administrator Todd updated council on staffing and operations: the police department has three patrol-officer vacancies and one open records-clerk position (36 applications to date); a wastewater position is in interview; a bridge project is nearing final walkthrough with an early-spring ribbon-cutting planned; and the city received WellCity recognition that "will actually save us 2% in 2027, and that saving will be just about $25,000 a year in savings," Todd said. IT work and a Bluefern development tour were also noted.
The council did not take formal action on these committee reports; several items (stream-team contract, rezoning/annexation, TIF manager recommendations) were noted for future meetings.
