Council roundup: Swearing in, city song and contract renewal

The first City Council meeting of 2016 was a succinct 25-minute session.

The meeting was followed by an equally brisk and comprehensive work session detailing the revenue sources for Gig Harbor, which finished in less than 30 minutes.

The meeting began with the swearing-in ceremony for incumbents Michael Perrow, Ken Malich and Rahna Lovrovich, who were all reelected at the end of 2015.

City song

The council voted to adopt the song “Under a Gig Harbor Moon” as the official song of the city of Gig Harbor.

The song — sung by Laurel Cole — was championed by former Mayor Gretchen Wilbert during her tenure in office. A copy of the signed resolution adopting the song was presented to members of Wilbert’s family, in attendance at the meeting.

Cartegraph agreement

The council approved the request from Public Works Director Jeff Langhelm on a purchase agreement for updated cartegraph software used by the city.

Cartegraph software is used by the city’s Public Works department to track citizen requests, assign work orders and access city assets such as inventory and maintenance for road signs.

This updated software agreement will be in effect from 2016 to 2019 and will allow access for up to 50 users.

Council member Payne mentioned that this software can help the city move from “reactive” repairs to “predictive” repairs.

Department of Assigned Council

The council also voted to renew the one-year agreement with the Pierce County Department for Assigned Council, which provides public defender services to the city’s Municipal Court.

City Administrator Ron Williams said he intends to bring the contract before the council at their upcoming retreat to further discuss cost and other options.

Council member Arbenz abstained from voting because of a possible conflict due to his occasional work for the Department of Assigned Council.

Council comments

Perrow complimented Gig Harbor Police Officer Mike Allen for his December water rescue of a resident’s dog, and for his continued dedication and interest in animal welfare.

“I was quite impressed,” Perrow said, adding that he had swam in the Harbor during the summer and couldn’t imagine staying in the winter water for over a minute.

Police Chief Kelly Busey said he would pass the compliments on to Allen.

This story was originally published January 13, 2016 at 9:46 AM with the headline "Council roundup: Swearing in, city song and contract renewal."