Council starts year with three new members

Rick Dole and Ivan Carlson, III, successful election challengers, joined victorious incumbent MaryLee Chamberlain in being sworn into their La Conner Town Council positions Jan. 11.

Councilmember Mary Wohleb was not on the ballot but count her among La Conner’s election winners. She was the unanimous choice to serve the next six months as La Conner’s mayor pro-tem.

“This position,” Town Administrator Scott Thomas explained, “is typically filled by two council members each year. The mayor pro-tem takes over for the mayor in case of illness or when something else comes up to cause the mayor’s absence.”

With three new members, it was quickly decided that MaryLee Chamberlain, the other incumbent, should also hold the role in 2022.

“It should definitely go to the senior members,” said Dole.

Committee assignments, meanwhile, will be determined within the next week, Thomas and Mayor Ramon Hayes said.

Hayes explained Town staff research confirmed council assigns its members to committees. To facilitate the process, Thomas and Hayes suggested Council members indicate committee preferences by submitting “wish lists” to Town Hall.

The committee assignments will be set at the Jan. 25 meeting.

By then, Town officials could receive anticipated water service billing from the City of Anacortes, a statement Dan O’Donnell, a former mayor, is asking them to contest. He believes the $5,587 bill should instead be an $18,526 refund. He insisted numerous flaws in the billing process penalize La Conner and renewed his pleas for Town leaders to resolve the matter.

“I’ve been at this for eight years,” said O’Donnell, “trying to get the council to address these problems.”

“We’ll wait for that bill to come in,” Hayes said, “and go from there.”

Hayes said that the long- vacant Moore-Clark Building on the channel at Caledonia Street continues to deteriorate. The Town will contact its owners to address structural concerns. Most recently, said Hayes, debris has fallen from the building’s rafters and the public works department was installing fencing for public safety.

“The library project needs additional support,” Hayes told council. “The town is working with the Swinomish Tribe to ask the legislature for $625,000.”

La Conner Hook & Ladder Captain/Training Officer Adam Avery reported that the department made 321 calls in 2021. Avery said 90 per cent of those runs were medical aid calls. The rest were a combination of mutual aid calls with Skagit County Fire Districts 2 and 13, structure fires and motor vehicle crashes.

Town Planner Michael Davolio, questioned by Dole, said he had not yet received a completed application for a housing project behind Pioneer Market from developer Greg Ellis. Ellis said in September he would provide plans in October.

Hayes read into the record resolutions of appreciation of service for former Council members Jacques Brunisholz, John Leaver and Bill Stokes. The resolutions praised each for their specific talents and skills sets and saluted them for the tireless service they rendered the Town. He also read a resolution of appreciation of Town Public Works Director Brian Lease and his staff for its yeoman service in response to recent severe winter weather events.

The council met in a 20-minute closed executive session to discuss an unspecified real estate item. No action was taken.

Council meetings will be Zoom only, Thomas informed council in his administrator’s report, a precaution given the “dramatic increase in infections due to the omicron variant” in Skagit County.