RUSTON WAFFLE

Ruston, WA Town Council meeting July 20, 2009 7 pm:\

Arrived a few minutes early and caught the end of Study Session "Sewer Project Discussion with Jerry Morrisette".
Jerry - Need consensus to expand USDA loan application of $1.2 million dollars for fixing 1/4 of Town's sewer problems. Consensus tonight on final decision to accept loan and terms and apply for $5 million dollar loan at current interest rate of 4.375 percent for a 40 year term.
Bruce -
. $264 thousand dollars payment for 40 years on $5 million dollar loan divided by 598 sewer connections works out to $264 thousand dollars per year or $37 dollars per month per sewer user if full amount of loan drawn. Build out interest is at 3 percent.
. USDA called us and asked if $1.2 million was all you needed. They have 4 billion dollars available Nationwide. This kind of funding not available since 1970s, 1980s.
. No payments until money drawn.
Jane - Sewer fund or Harbor fund available?
Wayne - Whole grant or...?
Dan - Math problem. $5 million dollars at 4.375 percent equals $1 thousand dollars a month per user.
Bruce - $264 thousand dollars per year over 40 years.
Dan - Maximum loan interest is $340 thousand dollars interest at peak.
Bruce - $264,936 amortized over 40 years.
Dan - More interest due in first year.
Jane - explaining. Same as your house loan, amortized. Payment fixed for term of loan.
Jim - motion to pursue, Jane second. Motion passes 5-0.

STAFF REPORTS -
Jeremy Kunkel -
. Taste of Tacoma resulted in one vandalism arrest, one under investigation.
. Night Out Against Crime has two block parties scheduled.
Don Torbet -
. Fourth of July Parade issue solved by small child with "Everybody just go."
Fire investigation complete, somewhat suspicious. Cannot find source. People reported a campfire, possibly a flying ember.
. Two cell phone calls 30 feet apart were made. One went to Pierce County one to King County.
. Ruston was notified possible entrapment then confirmed two people entrapped on upper floor.
. Tacoma got different information no entrapment.
. Cell phone reports are delayed 7-8 minutes. Must be exact about location, city.
. Notified of picture taking at house day before. Investigation revealed pictures were taken by bank.
Rob White - Setting up public records for permits all in one place.
Bruce - Need hard files in consultant transfer. After last Planner, consultant Town paid dearly to reconstruct records.
Rob -
. All files in one place, drawings 24 X 36 inches to fit in large legal file cabinets.
. Future public records requests answered quickly saving time and expense.
. Now have 25 different permits hope to eliminate some.

PUBLIC COMMENTS -
Terry - $5 million loan on sewers. Can it be invested if not used? Answer: money only drawn if used.
Edie - Congratulations to Police and Fire for Fourth of July enforcement. No fireworks litter found in yard. Taste of Tacoma Town should charge for parking, get some benefit.

BUSINESS -
Ordinance 1290 LIBRARY CARDS
Jim motion to approve, Bradley second.
Jane - We should give advance notice on utility bill.
Karen - Ordinance takes affect five days after passing.
Jane - notice would encourage more usage.
Karen - Word is already out. Have seven applications last week.
Dan - Bad public policy. No library in Ruston. Cost only $300 dollars. This is for kids. Tens of thousands of dollars given away no enforcement of build policy on Commencement street lots. Why take away library cards?
Wayne - People with kids hurting, important to kids.
Passes 3-2 Dan, Wayne voting no.
Ordinance 1291 Title 19 Ruston Administrative code
No discussion passes 5-0.
Ordinance 1292 COM-P Zoning
No comments. Passes 3-2 Dan, Wayne voting no.
Ordinance 1293 Public Records
Motion to pass Jim, Bradley second.
Jane remove alarm paragraph. Change size to 8 1/2 X 11. Renumber.
Amendment passes 5-0 motion passes to approve 5-0.
Ordinance 1294 Indemnification
Bradley, Jim motion to pass.
Dan - Town of Ruston council approves?
David - Statute does not mandate, discretionary.
Dan - We can set out specific causes.
David - Kugler (Legal Counsel) recommends strenuously.
Dan - No direction when to approve. Nebulous when to pay to represent. We need criteria when to apply. Worry about how to apply.
David - Insisted on by Counsel would defer to them. This has been hammered out in detail.
Dan - Rational to defer without hearing? Need to hear rationale on disputed case, need to wait on this.
Jim - Ordinance motion are time sensitive.
David - Yes, much time effort expended.
Jane - Reason to abstain must be justified otherwise considered with majority.
Motion passes 4-1 Dan voting no, Wayne abstaining.
Resolution 449 - Communications Maintenance Plan
Dan - Who drafted?
David - Sent by County.
Passes 5-0.
Resolution 450 North Creek Planner
Rob - Documents put in public file. I cannot own.
Jane - Ownership to Town. Part of public records. Not in here.
Rob - Change to agreement requires approval of Insurance Carrier.
Jane - Ownership to Town. Should be part of Public Records. Not in agreement.
Bruce - All records stay here.
Dan - Huitt-Zollars took records same contract.
David - Actually not the same, added language.
Jane - Not comfortable with this agreement.
Wayne - Agrees with Jane.
David - Rob does not object to removal of entire clause. Must run it by Insurance Carrier.
Dan - Must remain property of Town.
Rob - clause in there because sometimes you don't get paid.
David - Too much invested to start over.
Bradley - Huitt-Zollars agreed to turn over documents they took. I went and picked up 30 boxes of crap. We need exact copy of each document, picture.
Jim - Withdraw motion to adopt, Bradley withdraws second.
Jane - move to August meeting as amended. Passes 5-0.

NOTE: This is a classic case of locking the barn door after the horse has left. As you will see later they want a cost analysis attached to each motion in the future. Where is the cost analysis on spur of the moment, unwise decisions, legal fees, staff time et al, by the whole Council?

Resolution 451 Collective Bargaining Agreement
Dan - Some of problems: page 10 article 21 Discrimination.
David - We agreed to.
Dan -
. Article 5 page 3 second paragraph Shop Steward.
. Article 6 page 3 last paragraph - New employee probation 90 days can be extended on written request of employer.
David - Self explanatory.
Dan - Why not auto extend?
David - Standard Union agreement.
Dan - Can be terminated?
David - Standard Labor Law, non appeal.
Dan - Does it say that?
David - Accepted law.
Dan - Seniority apply if one person applies for vacancy?
Dan - Salary paid if on jury duty. They need to turn in jury duty check.
Jane - We pay the difference.
David - Must return to job next day if not accepted on jury duty.
Dan - Pay for Clerk 2 1/2 times regular pay if Holiday?
Dan - Discipline. We must have just cause. One oral warning two written warnings in six months? Removed from personnel file after six months?
Dan - Under influence of alcohol. Does this mean they can drink on the job if not under inflience?
NOTE: Now we get to real problem.
Dan - Calls for $2700 pay increase for town employees to date, another $2700 to end of year. We did not budget for this.
Bruce - process took four months handled by Mr. Winterbach (lawyer).
Dan - Go back to Union. This is a burden to Town. Need to withdraw motion?
David - No motion made.
Bruce and David - This will require six months Labor Arbitration if not passed.
Jim - What to do?
David - We need to tentatively accept or decline.
David - We have agreed to this. To ask for return to arbitration we need to vote this down.
Defeated 5-0 failed.

NOTE: Whoa Nellie, the cost of this could be staggering. Lawyers, bureaucrats will have a hey day. In followup at end of blog the question; Was this all to not pay the Town employees a living wage? Town employees for years underpaid. Very loyal Town employees. Is this the last swat down by the Cabal who seem to manage to muddle things and get the additional vote(s) they need.
In my mind this is disgraceful! How many Town employees does Ruston have? This is not Tacoma where they have a bevy of lawyers and thousands of employees. This is another targeted disgrace to the Council and belittles the Town and all it's people.
Resign, resign, en masse. You can do no worse if this is your best.

(TAKING A BREAK, FINISH LATER.) *******************************************

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/Treasurer, Karen Carlisle
Fire Chief - Don Torbet
Police Chief - Jeremy Kunkel

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