A 4-3 vote stopped a proposed ordinance authorizing the cancellation of council workshops based on a lack of businesses or quorum at the June 9 meeting of the Bonney Lake City Council.
Deputy Mayor Dan Swatman suggested the council grant specific authorization for canceling workshops.
The proposed ordinance would have authorized the deputy mayor and mayor, or mayor’s designee, to cancel a workshop. It would have provided for a 24-hour advance notice by e-mail or other methods.
Swatman noted the intent of the ordinance may be misunderstood.
“This is a tool that is necessary for the administration and deputy mayor which schedules a majority of the workshops, to use on occasion when they have to,” he said. “Pass the ordinance and give the deputy mayor, whoever it is at that time, the direction the council wants to be followed.”
Councilman Mark Hamilton said the ordinance was not necessary. Hamilton pointed out the city, mayor and deputy mayor should know in advance which items need to come before the council.
“It would be easy enough for an amendment to the previous week’s meeting that the following workshop is not required,” Hamilton said. “The ordinance is not required, in my opinion.”
But Swatman said the way the agenda cycle works, there’s not a lot of time for the previous Tuesday meeting to understand what is going to be on the next council meeting or workshop.
“There are issues where often enough, they think an ordinance is going to be on there, they’re prescheduled, but have to come back or go to the attorneys for more input,” Swatman said. “You can have agendas that change after the council’s availability.”
Voting against the ordinance were Councilmen David Bowen, Dave King, Dan Decker and Hamilton. Swatman, Councilman James Rackley and Council-woman Laurie Carter voted in favor of the ordinance.
In other action, the council:
• passed a resolution to authorize the city to submit a $15,000 grant application for the State Farm Good Neighbor Citizenship grant program.
If approved, the grant money would go toward a 180-foot radio tower and would reduce money needed from the drug seizure fund.
• The city was awarded the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada for its biennial budget. To receive the award, the city had to publish a budget document that met program criteria as a policy document, operations guide, financial plan and communication device.
Chief Financial Officer Al Juarez said it was a “team effort” and thanked all the department directors for their input and City Administrator Don Morrison for his guidance. Juarez said less than 5 percent of government entities in the U.S. and Canada receive the award.
Accounting Manager Kassandra Raymond accepted the award on behalf of the city’s financial department.
• heard Mayor Neil Johnson appoint Raymond Bunk III to the Civil Service Commission. His term will expire in April 2012.
• listened as Johnson proclaimed Thursday as “Bonney Lake Panther Day” and June 24 as “Paint The Town Purple Day.”
To comment on this story view it online at www.blscourierherald. Reach Dannie Oliveaux at doliveaux@courierherald.com or 360-802-8209.
