Get AI Briefings, Transcripts & Alerts on Local & National Government Meetings — Forever.
Council adopts budget, utility and downtown grant measures and approves road closures and contracts
Loading...
Summary
After an executive session, the Port Orchard City Council adopted a biennial budget amendment, revised low-income utility rate reductions, a new water-leak credit policy, a downtown building refacing grant policy, approved a contract change order for a non-motorized project, authorized outside legal services for the Building Board of Appeals, and approved downtown road closures for a graduation car cruise.
Following an executive session, the Port Orchard City Council voted on multiple ordinances, resolutions and contract items affecting the city budget, utility rates, downtown grants and capital projects.
The council adopted an ordinance amending the 2025–26 biennial budget to recognize a net increase in revenue and expenditure authority of $5,830,256 and to adjust salary-table FTEs (the finance director read the amendment into the record; Councilmember Morrissey moved adoption). The ordinance passed by voice vote.
The council adopted an ordinance to expand the city’s low-income utility discount: the fixed-base rate discount rises from 25% to 35% for eligible households, and the income eligibility threshold increases from 125% to 150% of the federal poverty level. The finance department will monitor program changes and report back to council.
Council repealed Resolution 17-35 and adopted an updated water leak credit policy intended to reflect current operations and costs.
Council adopted a resolution establishing a downtown building refacing grant policy. Staff described four edits from earlier drafts (reducing large-project match to 50%, removing in-kind labor matches, clarifying exclusions related to ground-floor residential, and a reference to a paint/color schema). Council debated language about eligibility for primarily residential buildings before approving the resolution by voice vote.
For capital projects, the council authorized Change Order No. 2 for the Sydney non-motorized improvement project with Active Construction (ACI), increasing the contract by $87,406.81 and adding 12 working days to address unforeseen sanitary-sewer trench conditions that slowed work; the mayor was authorized to execute the change order.
The council also authorized the mayor to execute a professional services agreement with the law firm Ogden Murphy Wallace to provide special legal services to the City’s Building Board of Appeals when the city attorney has a conflict; staff noted the engagement rate of $395 per hour and that paralegal costs would likely not be passed through to the city.
Finally, the council approved staff-recommended road closures for a Class of 2026 graduation car cruise scheduled for Friday, June 5, 2026, affecting sections of Bay Street (State Route 166) and several downtown side streets; staff reported no written objections had been received and that WSDOT approval for the state-route closure is in process.
Where recorded, motions were made and seconded on the record (e.g., budget amendment moved by Councilmember Morrissey and seconded by Councilmember Traneri) and most approvals were carried by voice vote; the meeting record does not include roll-call tallies for these voice votes.
