Summary will come soon. Left arm not working after laying floorboards in kitchen yesterday.

2. MAYOR’S REPORT

Appreciate everyone’s work. We’re at 86.3 cases/100K, vaccination 71.2% of pop have initiated (emphasis mine) vaccination. We’re prepared for inclement weather. The Street and Sidewalk program mean there are more employees available to be trained for snow removal etc. There’s GPS that make real-time snow removal visible to public. More safety & security downtown, in wake of the rape in public elevator, I assume, and also complaints of people sleeping and urinating. Bremerton Citizen Auxiliary Patrol has also been “activated”.

3. PUBLIC RECOGNITION I thank Councilor Sullivan and Council President Gorman for their service, and hope they enjoy their freedom. And it wouldn’t be the holiday season without a mention of Ref # 52516 & I bring up that in first 9 months of 2021 there were 8 accidents, 3 needed tow truck, 1 needed EMS.

4. CONSENT AGENDA

A. Claims & Check Register

B. Minutes of Meeting – December 1, 2021

C. Minutes of Study Session – December 8, 2021

D. Confirm Reappointment of Faye Flemister to the Planning Commission

E. Confirm Appointment of Jaime Forsyth to the Bremerton Housing Authority Board of Commissioners

F. Confirm Appointment of Ryan Burton to Bremerton Housing Authority Board of Commissioners

G. Resolution No. 3342 amending and restating the City’s 457(b) Deferred Compensation Plan Document

H. Ordinance No. 5443 amending Chapter 2.50.050 of the Bremerton Municipal Code to rename the Title to “457(b) Supplemental Retirement Plan”

I. Professional Services Agreement with Parametrix Inc., for the Kitsap Lake Stormwater Treatment Retrofit Project

J. Contract Modification Agreement No. 2 with Herrera Environmental Consultants for the Pine Road Sub-Basin Stormwater Improvements Project

K. Professional Services Agreement with Parametrix, Inc. for the Decommission Beach Sewer in Manette (OF-4 to EB-2) Project

L. Ordinance No. 5444 amending Chapter 17.60 of the Bremerton Municipal Code entitled “Floodplain Management”

Approved unanimously.

5. GENERAL BUSINESS

A. Services Reimbursement Agreement with Peninsula Community Health Services for Salvation Army Security Guard Funding

This is the Stand By Me program described in 12/8 study session. Repeated here for public’s benefit. Melinda Monroe presents at so low a volume I have no idea what she said. Jennifer Kreidler-Moss of PCHS presents at normal volume. I can’t follow it because I can’t translate “they are engaged in dental care” as a program outcome. Or any of the other similar phrases. They only take on programs they are sure they can “operationalize”. Stand By Me is a program they’re committed to. Etc. Motion carries unanimously.

B. 2022 Tourism Promotion Services Agreements with the Bremerton Historic Ships Association, Washington State Science & Engineering Fair, Downtown Bremerton Association, and Bremerton Chamber of Commerce

Caroline Stein presents, after Melinda Monroe repeats the agenda title, noting that it was approved 10/27. In 2022, grades 9-12 WSSEF will be held 3/26, grades 1-8 will be held 4/9. Notes that it publicizes Bremerton, “we’re taking Bremerton tourism seriously”. She presents one grade school student presenting their project, Plastic Strength comparison, designed to determine which plastic has the greatest compressive strength. He hypothesized that ABS would have the greatest compressive strength, but PLA had the greatest strength. Pretty wonderfully geeky! Caroline met with the Broadcomm foundation, which is offering free to all Kitsap Co schools all the necessary tools to do coding. Sullivan thanks everyone. Daugs says, we’re approving all the Lodging Tax Advisory recommendations. Mentions that our City started it, it’s always been here. “It’s been a neat thing to see.” Younger says, what about Historic Ships? What about DBA? What about Bremerton Chamber of Commerce? Simpson says this just shows how a little bit of money can do a lot of good. Proud of how students are learning scientific method, though he doesn’t seem to have a grasp of it himself. More emphasis on how “a little bit of money” can have a huge impact. Motion carries unanimously.

C. Ordinance No. 5445 amending Ordinance No. 5408 establishing the City of Bremerton’s Fiscal Year 2021 Budget as amended by Ordinance No. 5424

Same as study session. Karen Wikle presents the reconciliation of estimates and “actuals”, as though the latter were a real word. Simpson has 2 questions he put to Mike Riley per email, i.e., how many people get the senior low-income discount? Info should be readily available. Daugs hits him with a Point of Order. Gorman asked Riley to address these questions at a future meeting of Council or of Finance Committee. Simpson speaks up again. Gorman says it’s still irrelevant. Asks Simpson if he has anything more to say, Simpson says “that’s fun” which is an odd thing to say. Gorman apologizes that it’s nothing personal. Motion carries unanimously.

D. Resolution No. 3343 ratifying the 2021 Amendments to the Kitsap Countywide Planning Policies

Dir Spencer presents the study session presentation all over again. Perhaps a trifle more rapidly this time, as Council made it clear this was just a Public Service Announcement. Daugs asks who else has ratified, Spencer says Poulsbo & Port Orchard, for sure. Dennehy glad that we’re planning for 30 years out. Younger says hey, we still have local control (he’s still graveled that Council objections will be meaningless, per Spencer’s 12/8 presentation). Asks if every single development has to perform mitigation or impact reduction (avoid, reduce, restore). Spencer points out that her input is all about keeping each policy broad enough so that no one can come in and tell us what we can or can’t do. Younger twice refers to his desire that City “not be handcuffed”. This is a very discouraging discussion. Basically, we’ll give lip service to green practice, but in reality we’ll find a loophole in the policy made broad by our Planning Dept., at Council’s direction. Simpson speaks up: Start Transcript thank y’all to present. This is a, there’s been a lot of work put into this it’s it’s a very Byzantine bureaucratic document. But I would encourage my fellow Council members to vote to vote against this, and to encourage our county commissioners to move out of the PRC which does not have the best interests at heart of those here in Bremerton, we as elected officials are are charged with with representing the people that live here in the city. And we have to have their best interests at heart. And while our, our staff does an amazing job trying to keep it within the confines of what the PRC has it set for the county, and what the county has set for us. And we know that we can work with our county officials, but PRC, we get that we get a tiny piece of the pie. And we get handcuffed into a lot of things that keep us from being able to develop in the best way that we know we can. It’s about self rule, and it’s about doing what’s best for the people inside the city that we represent, and that’s why I encourage you to vote no against this.
18:47:35 Thank you. Points of order are raised. This isn’t a time to discuss our connection to Puget Sound Regional Council. Daugs asks Mayor to say, why are we in PSRC? Mayor talks succinctly about $$$$ we get from them that we couldn’t possibly afford on our own. Simpson talks some more. Start Transcript. 18:51:08 And we we know that that this is from just our topic of discussion tonight with the other council members and this is a very large difficult promote many members of the public to understand document, and it, it requires an intensive study of everything that we do. And the idea behind government is that it’s supposed to work for the citizens work for the people that live here. And when it’s this convoluted this complicated. This, this large, and it’s subject to rules, outside of our city. It doesn’t effectively represent the people. It doesn’t work for us in many respects, this is a this is a great example of something that works against those that live in the city. And while it’s great for big government, it’s not great for the individual people that want to do things with their property.
18:52:03 So I, again, I encourage you to vote no. End Transcript. Motion carries 5-1, Simpson opposing.

E. State of Washington Department of Commerce Local & Community Projects Program Grant Agreement for the Kitsap Lake Park Renovation Project. Motion carries unanimously.

F. State of Washington Department of Commerce Local & Community Projects Program Grant Agreement for the Pendergast Regional Park Improvement Project

Elevado presents again. Same as study session, as was previous item. I mention that people do donuts at Pendergast, might want to do substrate check, people go in up into the ankles. A lot of back and forth. It’s after 7 pm. I’ve been up and active since 4:15 am. I have a Blue Lacy dog. I laid floor in the kitchen. It was a long day.

6. COUNCIL REPORTS

Lots of thanks to Sullivan & Gorman. Simpson speaks some more: Start Transcript: 19:17:55

Thank you  So, we’re a couple things that are going on next Saturday at 845 and Ivy Green cemetery. There will be a, there will be a Wreaths Across America ceremony. And it’s Wreaths across America is a wonderful 501 c three organization that honors our, honors our fallen veterans. During the holidays during the Christmas season. They have volunteers that lay a wreath on veterans graves. And it’s a great way to, to help, help remember our veterans who sacrificed so much for all of us. And I would encourage all of the members of the public to come to the come to the ceremony and participate in the replay it, it’s been been a great thing to do now shifting gears, we are moving into, into the christmas season. Christmas will be here in two weeks. And I wish everybody a merry Christmas and Happy New Year. And I’d also like to thank councilmember Sullivan and president Gorman for your service here on the council. It’s been a been very exciting time to see you and see you and work with you. I do wish you well in your future endeavors, and you will.
19:19:13 Thank you. End Transcript. More thanking of Sullivan and Gorman. Sullivan delivers a long, thoughtful, detailed appreciation of Councilors and, particularly, staff. Gorman does similar, with this detour: Start Transcript: Council member Simpson.
19:31:35 You are never afraid to say what’s on your mind and I think that’s, I respect that a lot. And just going against the grain, you know, thinking outside the box. I think that we definitely need those, those people to kind of pull us and stretch us in different directions. End Transcript. He acknowledges that he wouldn’t even be on Council, let alone President, had it not been for Younger. He gets a plaque in subsequent agenda item.

7. COUNCIL RECOGNITION AWARDS Gorman gets a plaque. More plaudits to staff. Sullivan gets a plaque. Her husband Mike, whom she replaced, gets a plaque. Lots of mutual admiration.

8. EXECUTIVE SESSION

A. 10-Minutes to discuss “Potential Litigation” as allowed under RCW 42.30.110 (1) (i); and action is anticipated Item added

Move to appeal the wastewater effluent thing??. “The proposed motion is to move to approve the city appealing the issuance of the Puget Sound Nutrient general permit issued on December 1 2021 by the Washington State Department of Ecology” [I am trying to track this down.]

9. ADJOURNMENT OF CITY COUNCIL BUSINESS MEETING and so it came to an end at 7:55 pm.