Limited RV parking ordinance passed by Council

In response to what Mayor Ramon Hayes termed “chain migration parking,” the Town Council unanimously passed an ordinance at its Aug. 14 meeting limiting recreational and commercial vehicle parking to “72 hours for one or more locations” within six months. Administrator Scott Thomas said this would “resolve the issue of the vehicles moving to other spots in town every 72 hours.”

Hayes said that once the code was effective, on Aug. 19, it would be applied to an “extremely belligerent” transient parking his RV on Caledonia.

Council also passed without dissent a recommendation to reject all bids for the water main replacement project, a decision to avoid contractor protests over a specification of a plastic conduit for a fiber optic line that Thomas said is no longer necessary. The project was rebid, and Council was set to approve a contractor at their Aug. 28. meeting.

Council gave unanimous consent to Hayes signing an agreement with the Clayton James Estate for having a cast of a James’ sculpture placed in the park at the Benton Stairs and 2nd Street.

Council gave its support for sending a letter to businesses not in compliance with the municipal signage code. Planner Marianne Manville said there was “a serial violator who was thumbing his nose at us” and was flagrant. In response, Council Member Bill Stokes noted that non-compliance was a major problem.

Hayes reminded Council that the 2019 “budget season” has begun, and that Aug. 27-28 were the target dates for the first draft. Thomas said the Maple Hall elevator repairs estimate had increased 50 percent to $148,000 and that scheduling the work was five months out.

Hayes announced progress with the planned gazebo at Conner Waterfront Park, with Shell pledging $5,000 and the La Conner Rotary Club committed to helping. He said The Port of Skagit will pay half of costs for the Jordan Street end park at North First Street.

Council Member Jacques Brunisholz opened the mayor’s roundtable expressing his concern for climate change’s progress and the need to fund and build the ring dike as a priority. All members participated in the discussion. It was decided that no member had to visit the Army Corps of Engineers Seattle office but that Hayes, as mayor, had “to rattle cages,” and he would call Congressman Rick Larsen.

At the meeting’s start, Glenn Johnson admitted to “visiting town as the Sloughmander, a town mascot.”