FRONT COVER PHOTOGRAPHY EDDIE MURDOCK Photographer Since I picked up my first digital camera, I have been ‘bitten by the photography bug’. It seems that every year I am upgrading to more resolution, more pixels, more control, more lenses and, of course, more camera bodies. I never thought I’d see the day when I could put one of my cameras in the air, other than tying it to a kite or a rocket. Then along came the attack of the drones! I was immediately fascinated and KNEW I had to get one and did. Eighteen months later, I am on my sixth aerial device. The simplicity of the drone allows me to take unique and breathtaking views that would normally require a helicopter ride. As an Anacortes resident and photographer, I am always looking for ways to get new and different perspectives of my surrounding area. I am a professional landscape and real estate photographer, so drones are pretty much the cherry on top for me. The sculpture featured on the cover is in the beautiful Kiwanis Waterfront Park. "WINDSONG" was created by Leo E. Osborne of Guemes Island and is dedicated to Peace.
2 ATOT Fall 2018
O ne of the most important responsibilities of local government is planning, developing, maintaining, and improving infrastructure to benefit the residents of the City of Anacortes. This edition of our A-Town publication will focus on the element that highlights the foundation of the community that we enjoy every day in our City - infrastructure. Infrastructure is defined as the fundamental facilities and systems serving a city. This includes public and private improvements for the economy and primary functions. It is composed of our public physical improvements, such as roads, bridges, trails, water and sewer systems, electrical, natural gas, and telecommunications which include internet connectivity and broadband speed. In general, it has been defined as physical components of interrelated systems providing commodities and services essential to enable, sustain, and enhance society’s living conditions. At the City of Anacortes, the administration provides the governmental support for the foundation of our hard and soft infrastructure. Over the last 4.5 years, we have focused on the hard infrastructure element to maintain and rebuild our roads, water and sewer systems. We also have focused on soft infrastructure that maintains economic health, public safety, social and cultural well-being of our citizens. This includes our police force, fire department and emergency protection, medical systems, our parks and recreation department, senior services, public library, and museum. Our City Hall provides governmental infrastructure which is
the foundation of our hard and soft infrastructure. We are committed to developing and maintaining professional, highly-trained and service oriented workforce for the delivery of these city services and carry out the goals to accomplish this vision. The City of Anacortes has set goals to accomplish a vision to guide decisionmaking at all levels of City government to stabilize funding for our infrastructure. The economy has been strong the last few years with increases in all of our tax revenues: sales tax, REET, utility, and property taxes. We have been able to continue to invest in our infrastructure while building robust reserves with $4.2 million dollars in unrestricted funds, $4.5 million dollars in restricted funds and $5.5 million dollars in Equipment Rental and Reserves with a total of $14.2 million dollars set aside. We will be able to weather any disaster or downturn in the economy. Lastly, we are in the final stages of development of a business plan to bring fiber to our businesses and residents. We are currently in the final building phase to implement the telemetry for our water and sewer systems and late this year we will be ready to light a city fiber utility pilot project. As I shared in my opening remarks, infrastructure is to support the economy. I believe a public fiber infrastructure will enhance the city’s economic, social, educational, and medical systems and bring quality of life for decades into our future and for generations to come. Your Devoted Mayor,