Mayor Hayes' final council meeting ends without fanfare

Four-term La Conner Mayor Ramon Hayes chaired his final town council meeting Dec. 12, but it was a business-as-usual session with no celebration or reception.

Hayes wouldn’t have had it any other way.

“It’s just not my personality,” he told the Weekly News afterward on his reluctance to see the meeting morph into a retirement party.

“Once something is done, it’s over,” he explained. “And we had a very long, grueling agenda to work through.”

There was, however, mention during the meeting – which included a 20-minute executive session on a new labor agreement with public works staff – of Hayes being feted in January with a retirement dinner at the Waterfront Café.

Town Emergency Management Commission Chair Bill Stokes, who served on the council and planning commission and former mayor Dan O’Donnell each briefly thanked Hayes for his public service.

The bulk of the meeting, which ran well over an hour, dealt with adoption of the 2024 budget, department and administrative reports, approval of a 2024 utility rates schedule, passage of assorted resolutions and agreements (including the July 4 fireworks display), appointment of Cynthia Elliott to the planning commission and Councilmember Annie Taylor as mayor pro-tem, reappointment of Michael Bucy to the parks commission and concerns registered by citizens over recent activity at the 306 Center Street condo project site.

On the budget, Hayes noted that while hotel/motel and sales tax revenues this year have surpassed expectations, “we don’t always have enough money to fund everything we want,” citing the impact of post-COVID-19 inflation.

The council did add $4,000 for the La Conner Swinomish Library’s after-school tutoring program.

Councilmember MaryLee Chamberlain said the financial commitment to the library represents a positive partnership between the two, akin to one in the works between the Town, La Conner Schools and the La Conner Firefighters Association for restoration and installation of a message board at the Chilberg Road fire station.

Stokes said that while he doesn’t oppose supporting the library, he questioned whether the after-school program would duplicate what’s already being done at the newly expanded Braves Hub on campus.

Resident Debbie Aldrich agreed with Chamberlain that it’s money well spent.

“It’s a good idea,” she said. “We should be supportive. The kids will use it.”

Resident, Mollie Rights concurred as well.

“You can’t know how the tutoring program will work unless you try it,” she said. “You have to fund it first. Fund it now and see how it works. My experience with libraries is they’ll use that money and the kids will come.”

Looking ahead budget-wise, Town Administrator Scott Thomas and wastewater treatment plant operator Kelly Wynn noted the nearly 50-year old sewage facility faces expensive state-mandated upgrades in the next few years. Thomas recommended delaying the service surcharge to fund those plant improvements until engineering studies and analyses are completed.

Thomas suggested the surcharge be revisited next year. Wynn anticipates as “inevitable” new construction at the plant site within three to five years.

Mayor-elect Marna Hanneman praised all those at Town Hall responsible for developing the budget.

“It’s amazing,” she said, “what this town can do with the money we don’t have.”

A utility rates increase ordinance, based on the regional Consumer Price Index and grudgingly approved by the council, will be one way to help fill expenditure gaps.

“In preparing this ordinance,” explained Thomas, “as a base I used the April 2023 CPI-U for the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue (area), which is 6.9%. As we know, CPI is a measure of the average change in prices over time in a fixed market basket of goods and services.In keeping with past council discussion, I amended the sewer base rate for 2024 to reflect a 6.9% increase and the usage rate per gallon of water consumed to reflect an 8% increase.”

Any pain from the rates hike will be shared, Councilmember Ivan Carlson vowed.

“In the past,” he quipped, ‘my stipends from the council and fire department have paid my water bill. That won’t happen anymore.”

Taylor was elected to a six-month term as mayor pro-tem, to substitute when Hanneman is out of town.

“You can’t go on vacation,” Taylor insisted jokingly. Hanneman assumes office Jan. 1.

The regularly scheduled Dec. 26 Council meeting was canceled.

All that remained was for Hayes to bid adieu.

“It’s been a pleasure, ladies and gentlemen,” he said. “Marna has the temperament and she is well prepared and very capable for her new role.”