On February 15, 2022, Council held a special meeting at 6:00 p.m. to receive an update on the Pavement Management System. The regular meeting began as usual at 7:00 p.m. If you missed watching it live, you can always see videos of past Council and Commission meetings, which are generally posted the following business day.
Here are the highlights from last week’s meeting. See the Agenda Packet for additional information and documentation.
Special Meeting: 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Study Session – Pavement Management System Update
Before the regular meeting, a special meeting was held so that the Council could receive an update on the Pavement Management System from Greg Duncan, Senior Engineer at Applied Pavement Technology.
Regular Meeting: 7:00 p.m.
Planning Commission Updates
In addition to his written report, Planning Commission Chair Charlie Gadzik discussed the mobile food vending ordinance, which is set to expire at the end of June. The commission is considering revising the restrictions at that time to make it easier for private individuals to host food trucks, while continuing to restrict food-truck activity in the City’s downtown business district.
In addition to his written report, City Manager Rob Wyman noted:
- Newcastle has been named by Safewise as the 10th safest city in Washington.
- Market changes have affected our ability to easily hire seasonal public works staff, and we currently have positions available.
- A target date of April 19, 2022, has been set for the return to in-person council meetings.
- He proposed an additional council meeting to review qualifications of executive recruitment firms for the city manager search. In case you missed the news: After almost 21 years with Newcastle, City Manager Wyman has decided to move on to his next adventures. His last day with the City will be May 13.
Hiemstra Subdivision Development Agreement
Previously, the city council held a public hearing on the development agreement March 1, 2022, after which final action was postponed to March 15. The Community Activities Commission received presentations on the park components of the subdivision proposal on October 13 and December 8, 2021, and February 9, 2022, and the commission’s recommendations are incorporated in the staff report in Agenda Bill 22-16.
The city attorney reminded councilmembers of the quasi-judicial nature of the development agreement and asked councilmembers to disclose possible ex parte communications on the matter. There were no conflict of interest or appearance of fairness challenges raised and no councilmembers recused themselves.
Associate Planner Fitzgibbons provided a review of the proposed development agreement and responded to comments received during the March 1 hearing.
The resolution was adopted as presented by a unanimous vote. More information about this project can be found in the agenda packet.
Asian-American/Pacific Islander Commission
Councilmembers discussed a proposal to establish a Newcastle Asian-American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Commission to improve participation of the AAPI community in city affairs. Councilmembers asked about appointment, structure, and mission of the proposed commission and talked about the merits of the proposal.
Councilmember Charbonneau moved to create an ad hoc committee of councilmembers to work on formation of a Newcastle AAPI Commission. The motion carried, 4-3.
Do you want your City Councilmembers to know your preferences and opinions on City issues? You can always email them directly at [email protected], or you can submit public comment, either live at a Council Meeting or by writing to the City Clerk at [email protected].