Not to worry, says kayak team; it is “fully invested” in keeping floating pier bargain

The Gig Harbor Canoe and Kayak Race Team is “fully invested” in raising $500,000 as its share of the Ancich Park floating dock project, a board member said Friday after members of the City Council questioned earlier whether it could raise the money.

“The team’s commitment to contributing at least $500,000 towards a public paddlers dock at Ancich Park is absolutely firm,” said kayak team board member Kirsten Gregory on Friday, Feb. 14. “We have verbalized that commitment to city council on the public record and are currently working with city staff on a written contract.”

The Gig Harbor City Council proposed a budget revision Monday that would allocate $700,00 toward the construction of a floating kayak dock at Ancich Park — but only if the racing team kept its part of the bargain.

The motion included a provision to ensure that no contract will be approved with the Canoe and Kayak Racing Team until the city receives the $500,000 promised by the club as its share of the $1.2 million dock project.

“No contracts will be approved until the $500,000 commitment from the Gig Harbor Canoe and Kayak Racing Team is realized,” Council Member Bob Himes said.

The proposed ordinance was approved Feb. 10 on a 4-3 vote, and faces a second reading Feb. 24

Mayor Pro Tem Jim Franich said he feared the city will commit $700,000 to the project, but the club may not be able to raise the $500,000 it promised.

Then, since the city was already committed, he argued, the tax payers would be forced to pick up the slack.

“It will all be on the tax payers back,” Franich said. “To me, that’s not fair to the 10,000 residents that live in this community.”

Franich was presiding over the council in the absence of Mayor Kit Kuhn, who is on vacation in New Zealand.

Uncertainty for two years

Gregory, the kayak team board member, said it was unreasonable of the council to suddenly demand a firm commitment from the club after it having itself waffled for two years.

“As you can imagine, it was basically impossible for the team to raise money for the paddlers’ dock when the city council had not committed to a design, a timeline, or even whether the project would actually move forward or would be scuttled,” she said.

“The good news is that the new city council appears ready to move forward quickly. Team representatives have met with city staff twice in the last two weeks to work on the contract, and we hope to get it signed by both parties as soon as possible.”

Three council members opposed the motion calling for a guarantee, calling it unnecessary. Council member Spencer Abersold said the council should not get hung on up on scary scenarios. He was joined by council members Robyn Denson and Le Rosenberg.

“The Gig Harbor Kayak club could raise the $500,000, raise $600,000, or raise $1 million. I don’t think we should weigh our decisions on what could or couldn’t happen,” Abersold said. “We need to go with where we are today, and we decided we wanted to do this.”

Long-sought goal

The floating pier is a long-sought goal of the canoe and kayak team, but it nearly didn’t happen. There was insufficient money in the 2020 budget, and some critics thought the kayaks should share a pier with commercial fishing boats.

In a Jan. 27 vote, the council adopted the so-called “two-pier solution,” which envisions a floating dock for human-powered craft on the southerly Jerkovich pier, and a float for commercial fishing vessels — to be built later — on the Ancich pier to the north.

Floating docks ride up and down with the tide, as opposed to piers, which are built atop pilings, making access from small craft difficult at low tide.

Of the city’s portion, $390,000 will come from the general fund, $210,000 from park impact fees paid by developers, and $100,000 from the lodging tax fund, which comes from hotels and motels.

Monday’s action was necessary because the 2020 budget had already been adopted, and it had to be amended.

Gregory, the kayak team board member, pointed out that the team has already donated $60,000 to the city for the dock project and expended another $10,000 preparing a capital campaign that has sat on the shelf over a year.

The council action on Feb. 10 was “confusing and frustrating,” she said, “but the team is fully invested in seeking this project through and to meeting its commitment to donate at least $500,000 to the city.”

In other business, the city council:

▪ Passed a resolution, by a vote of 5-2, that repeals resolution 1152, passed in July, which would have required collective bargaining sessions between the city and its unions to be open to the public. The ordinance was opposed by unions, which said it would inhibit frank discussion and could open bargaining sessions to outside pressure.

▪ Proposed amendments to an ordinance regarding non-recyclable plastic disposable food service ware. Since the plastic ordinance went into effect in November, local businesses complained about unintended consequences, including the banning of biodegradable plastics. The amended ordinance would allow polylactic-acid plastics, which are made from biodegradable materials such as corn starch or tapioca roots, and provides an extended list of exemptions, including cookie and cupcake trays. It would also allow stores to sell items that came prepackaged in plastic from the wholesaler.

▪ Introduced an ordinance revising city rules on standing committees, allowing council to establish regular study sessions. This ordinance, if passed, would also establish an interview panel to make recommendations on appointments to the advisory bodies where council has appointing authority.

▪ Authorized the mayor to execute a $173,817 public works contract with Source Electric, LLC for electrical construction in a pumping station at 4102 Harborview Drive.

This story was originally published February 11, 2020 at 3:32 PM.