TWEEDLEDEE

Ruston Town Council meeting April 6, 2009:

Quick summary: OLD BUSINESS

Agenda item 2 - Ordinance no.1278 - Private Alarm Systems - 60 day moratorium to be added. Tabled.
Agenda item 3 - W. R. Rust Playfield / Dog Park
Wayne - put police phone # on sign.
Bruce - enforce only, no phone #
Need survey, new gate for large vehicles. Tabled.
Agenda item 4 -Ordinance no. 1280 -Designating permitted off-leash areas
Bradley - Presently dogs and children mixed. Dogs run loose. Town faces major lawsuit if child is mauled, dragged. Will rework old ordinance. Tabled.
(Ongoing it turns out for two and one half years.)
Agenda item 5 - Resolution no. 438 - Utility Extension Agreement Passes 5-0.
Agenda item 6 - Tacoma Recycling contract renewal - one year renewal
Used to be an automatic pass before advent of the Cabal. Tabled to April 20th.

Quick Summary: NEW BUSINESS

Agenda item A - Ordinance no. 1283 - repealing Ordinance no. 1282 - Sewer Utility Fees
aka grease trap conundrum.
Bradley - need list of Tacoma fees
Karen - still charging 2008 fees
Jane - can we make it retroactive?
David - No.
Tabled April 20th.
Agenda item C - Resolution no. 441 - Tacoma/Pierce County Solid Waste Management Plan
David - expires first of the month if we don't sign. Passes 3-1-1 (Wayne no, Dan abstaining)
Agenda item D - Revenue from sale of lots on Commercial street
Dan - sold with three years to build. No house on end lot. Losing revenue in 2005 $2500, 2008 $4500. Collecting revenue no. Go after drafters Errors and Omissions insurance policy? Reasonable to look into.
David - Only place restriction found was in bid sheets. Not in MLS agreement. Not referenced. Nothing binding does not run with land. Cannot ascertain who drafted it.
Dan - make phone calls. Maybe they will confess. Now $17,500 reasonable to look into.
David - how to determine who was involved?

CLAIMS AND PAYROLLS

Wayne - need accounting each bill submitted.
Dan - Surplus property fund used? We need particular account on each bill.
Karen - LGIC account all funds lumped.
Dan - LGIC all accounts?
Karen - one lump sum. We receive beginning and ending balance only.
Wayne - charging at Lowes?
Big brouha follows on who has possession of Town's charge cards at: Lowes, Home Depot, Office depot and Shell Oil company.
Pass 3-1-1 Wayne voting no, Dan abstaining.
(Millions for private lawsuits on the Towns dime but penny pinching on the bills. Sounds like more harassment of the mayor and the town clerk. More later.)


PUBLIC COMMENTS -
Sherri - thanks to Bradley for underwriting Easter egg hunt. Would like additional support.
John - need to provide jobs.
Bev - Thanks Fire Department for inspection . Two unknown problems found, fixed. Group works together. Did not wake up children during nap time. Two and half year old little guy awarded JUNIOR FIREFIGHTER.
Karen - people do not support going forward with discussions with Tacoma. Put effort to saving town not annexation. Balance budget not ruin economy.
Deb - need dog park - time running out. No survey expedite.
Beth - business district grant to Tacoma side of Pearl street for angle parking on Pearl. Need pedestrian lighting not angle parking.

MAYOR'S TIME

Jerry Morissette, town Engineer - finding short term funding for sewer (worst case). Qualify if community inside community qualifies for low income. 40 year loan through Federal Gov't 4.5 %. Or guaranteed loan through commercial bank with Federal guarantee. Need to move quickly requires Mayor's signature by Friday.
Bruce - 40 year term on $1 million intriguing.
Jerry - will discuss with Mayor (email) $4.2 million full job.
Bruce - letter written to Tacoma. Edited by David per council request. Cannot keep Ruston name. Tacoma agreed to talk about options. Answers to Stebner's questions, brief, will share later.

COUNCIL TIME -

Jim - Met with Tacoma Mayor Bill Baarsma and City Manager Eric Anderson along with Bruce, Jane and myself. Mr. Anderson may come to Ruston council meeting. Contracting out services Point Ruston first priority.
Bruce - Tacoma police at Point Ruston. Baarsma - police presence on Ruston Way during summer. Utility charges?
Baarsma - symbiotic on Point Ruston.
Andersen - have sense of identity, neighborhood councils.
Andersen - need number of people in Ruston, size of budget.
Baarsma - I will only be in office a few more months. Kept repeating "sometime in the future."
Not willing on annexation.
Dan -
1) Wayne is my hero monologue. Courage to talk about it (Wayne) fire department/annexation, continually impressed with Wayne.
. Estimated $200 thousand deficit now $700 thousand with sewers.
. $1.2 million pouring in in 2014 (Marcotte report). How bad are finances are and no one is complaining.
2) Regarding Point Ruston - people ranted on Commencement give away silent on Point Ruston, Stack Hill giveaways. Not thinking of views. No preordained answers on Point Ruston.
3) Grow out of economy? No. No answer.
4) PRR article in Morning News Tribune gives town a bad reputation. We will pay for it but not me.
(More on this hypocritical stance bext blog KING OF THE PRRs)
Jane -
. Tacoma open to talks. Will work with us.
. Will look at services.
. Two hours of questions on annexation. Room very silent.
. faulty sewer in Tacoma LID is formed affected citizens pay.
Bruce -Tacoma wants vote on annexation. Wants to know what people want.
Dan - Wants Wayne Stebner included in talks. Jane ambiguous voted for to vote against. A definite YES vote.
Jane - Annexation would be greatest thing for Point Ruston, Mr. Cohen.
Dan - hotel could not be built in Tacoma. That is why they built it here.
Jim - Tacoma has higher height limit.
David - need 20 minute EXECUTIVE SESSION
Bruce - adjourn for Executive Session.

Town of Ruston officials:
Mayor, Bruce Hopkins
Council, Bradley Huson, Jim Hedrick, Wayne Stebner, Dan Albertson, Jane Hunt
Attorney, David Britton
Planner, Rob White
Clerk, Karen Carlisle
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