March 2004
Watching Government
Bellingham City Council
Compiled by Earl Dennis
Action Taken at January 12, 2004 Meeting
Shall the council:
1. Sign an agreement with Whatcom County to use a county auditor’s surcharge to fund low-income housing? The $10 surcharge was created by state law and has been collected for over a year and a half. (AB15920) Approved 5-1-1, Bob Ryan opposed, Gene Knutsen abstained.
2. Authorize the mayor to enter into an agreement to provide $18,207 towards the purchase of 83 Sudden Valley Lots? The agreement with the Sudden Valley Community Association, Whatcom County (12/9/03, vote 209) and the Lake Whatcom Sewer and Water District will limit the amount of building allowed on the property. The lots will be sold at a public auction. (AB15927) Approved 5-1-1, Barbara Ryan opposed, Gene Knutsen abstained.
3. Declare the property at 612 W. Holly Street a neighborhood blight and condemn it? The property is adjacent to the city-owned RE Store and lies within the designated downtown redevelopment area. The city of Bellingham claims the property owner, Craig Smith, has not responded to the city’s good faith efforts for two years, thus the city has no alternative. AB15925* (Resolution 2004-01) Approved 6-0-1, Gene Knutsen abstained.
4. Allow the proceeds of a future bond issue be used to reimburse the costs of proposed water utility improvements? There are costs that will be incurred before the bonds can be issued. This declaration will allow the city to pay for the preliminary work. AB 15926 (Resolution 2004-02) Approved 5-1-1, Barbara Ryan opposed, Gene Knutsen abstained. Barbara Ryan was opposed on the grounds that the projects should be limited to within the city to prevent urban sprawl.
5. Create a natural resource protection and restoration fund to manage a $4 million settlement in the Olympic Pipeline disaster? The Shell Oil Co. was fined a total of $5 million for the 1999 pipeline rupture and explosion. This settlement cannot be spent for 50 years, but the interest will be spent to fund stream and shoreline projects in the city. AB15899 (Ordinance 2004-01-01) Approved 7-0
6. Use $1 million from the Olympic Pipeline settlement to a create Squalicum Fields Park? The 42-acre site was bought with Beyond Greenways funds in 2002. The ordinance will appropriate $95,000 in interest to hire a consultant to prepare a master plan for the park. It should take six months to complete and, after council approval, the design and development of the first construction phase will proceed. AB15900 (Ordinance 2004-01-02) Approved 7-0
7. Amend the Bellingham Municipal Code on latecomer contracts? These changes will enhance the consistency and ease of interpretation in the original code. Among the changes is an added stipulation for a developer to record the application summary, currently optional. The summary is used to inform buyers in the area of a pending fee. Other clarifications make the application process more understandable. AB15906 (Ordinance 2004-01-03) Approved 7-0
8. Extend the deadline for the Bellingham School District’s six-year facilities plan? The city currently collects impact fees under the plan. This extension will allow the city to continue to collect them until the new plan is finished. The plan expired on December 31, 2003; the new deadline is March 31, 2004. AB15908 (Ordinance 2004-01-04) Approved 7-0
*Craig Smith spoke to the council after the meeting. He indicated that the city staff had tried to force a sale with threat of lawyers, instead of waiting the eight to 24 hours he had been granted to follow-up on a possible sale, which preceded his negotiations with the city. He sold the property to David Ebinal, a local developer he had been in negations with at the time.
Action Taken at the January 26, 2004 Meeting
Shall the council:
9. Grant a noise variance for construction on the Oak Street pump station? Some of the work needs to be done while sewer flows are low, so the pump station will be shut down between midnight and 5 a.m. over five nights. Without a variance, the pump station would have to be shut down during higher sewer flows, causing possible environmental damage, costing more and slowing the project. (AB15937) Approved 7-0
10. Forward three neighborhood rezones (York, Samish, Edgemoor) to the Planning Commission? Neighborhoods with updated plans go directly to the Planning Commission; these three requests* are from neighborhoods without updated plans. (AB15939) Approved 6-1, Terry Borneman opposed.
11. Award the sole bid of $50,810 from Realm Communications Group of Milpitas, Calif., for fiber optic cable? The cable is for the school district’s portion of the joint project (6/9/03, vote 94; 6/23/03, vote 110; 10/20/02, votes 162 and 163; 10/27/03, vote 174) and the district will reimburse the city. Staff determined that the cost and quality of the bid is acceptable. (AB15948) Approved 7-0
12. Appropriate $1,336,619 for goods and services checks issued from December 31, 2003 through January 9, 2004? (AB15949) Approved 6-0, Grant Deger excused.
13. Add Akers Taxidermy Building (Immanuel School of Industries), 1303 Astor Street, to the city’s list of historic landmarks? The designation makes the exterior, minus the Akers sign, a historic landmark. The interior is excluded; it will continue to be zoned for public assembly, bed and breakfast (larger than two-bedrooms), office building or medical offices, even if the area zoning is changed. The owner, Dr. Mary E. Bisese, has applied for national historic designation. AB15938 (Resolution 2004-04) Approved 7-0
14. Authorize the mayor to accept a $90,000 state grant to update the city’s Shoreline Master Program? The state requires that the city update the existing program, by December 1, 2005, to ensure that it is in line with state guidelines. The update will be done in coordination with the update of the comprehensive plan and the Waterfront Futures Group. The Department of Ecology grant will be received over two years: $50,155 in 2004 and $39,845 in 2005. AB15921 (Ordinance 2004-01-05) Approved 7-0
15. Approve the sale of 25-year limited tax general obligation bonds to finance the purchase of the Sportsplex building? Activities in the building include indoor soccer, ice hockey, figure and speed skating. The $4,315,000 bond will have an interest rate of 2.0 percent in 2004 and grow at regular intervals to 4.625 percent in 2028. The annual rent from the Whatcom Soccer Commission is expected to repay the bonds. AB15922 (Ordinance 2004-01-06) Approved 7-0
*The rezone requests are: 1. Reduce the 3,000 square feet per dwelling unit to 1,000 square feet in area 5 of the York neighborhood, creating a new area 5B and 24 new housing units; 2. Change 1.9 acres in the Samish neighborhood in area 1 from auto commercial to residential multi; 3. Change Area 8 of the Edgemoor neighborhood from residential single, cluster 8,400 square feet per dwelling to residential single 15,000 square feet per dwelling unit, detached. Terry Borneman voted against all three because the York applicant was not a separate vote. He believed that the York applicant should not be on the list, as it would create too much density in the neighborhood.
16. Vacate the eastern one-half of Nevada Street between Iowa and Kentucky Streets? Public ownership of the right-of-way (a physical street does not exist) will be relinquished. Brooks Manufacturing and the city are requesting the vacation. The agreement will allow the city to build a stormwater treatment plant for Fever Creek, which is part of the city’s stormwater management plan. The city will swap the vacated land for property to construct the treatment plant. The switch will cost the city less than collecting the vacation value and then purchasing the needed property. AB15924 (Ordinance 2004-01-07) Approved 7-0
Action Taken at February 9, 2004 Meeting
Shall the council:
17. Authorize the mayor to award the second lowest bid of $30,744 to Vermeer Northwest of Tacoma for a trailer-mounted vacuum excavation system? The system is needed to contain water run-off when city crews are cutting trees, excavating the roadway, repairing and maintaining traffic signals. The low bidder did not meet bid specifications. (AB15957) Approved 6-0, Grant Deger excused.
18. Award the low bid of $261,584 to Strider Construction of Bellingham for improvements at city parks? The improvements will update play opportunities for children at Cornwall and Fairhaven Parks. (AB15958) Approved 6-0, Grant Deger excused.
19. Change the name of Gossage Plaza to Gossage Garden? The plaza is a neighborhood park located on the northwest corner of Cornwall and F Street. The city received petitions supporting the name change from members of the community, lettered streets association and park supporters. The word “garden” is believed to more accurately reflect the actual use. (AB15959) Approved 6-0, Grant Deger excused.
20. Update the Sehome Hill Arboretum master plan? The parks department staff, Western Washington University and the Sehome Arboreum board of governors developed the current plan in 1978. In the fall/winter 2001-2002, the three reviewed the master plan and started an update. The proposal reflects a combination of public comments and management practices for the arboretum with $125,460 in improvements. The city and WWU have traditionally shared the costs. (AB15960) Approved 6-0, Grant Deger excused.
21. Approve changes to the policy for high school golf teams at the Lake Padden Golf Course? The current policy was adopted in 1985. The revisions eliminate the unlimited season pass, restricts teams to weekdays, sets the greens fees at $2 for nine holes and $4 for 18 holes, and opens the program to all high schools in Whatcom County. (AB15961) Approved 6-0, Grant Deger excused.
22. Appropriate $1,758,357 for goods and services checks issued from January 16 through 30, 2004? (AB15965/AB15966) Approved 6-0, Grant Deger excused.
23. Appropriate $1,922,847 for city payroll checks issued from January 1 through January 15, 2004? (AB15967) Approved 6-0, Grant Deger excused.
24. Set March 10 as the public hearing date to consider the vacation of an alley in the Columbia neighborhood? The hearing examiner will consider a petition by Immanuel Bible Church that public ownership of the alley between, Henry, Lynn and W. Connecticut streets be relinquished. AB15964 (Resolution 2004-05) Approved 6-0, Grant Deger excused.
25. Appropriate $200,000 for the Brownfield assessment project at Little Squalicum Park? The Environmental Protection Agency awarded the city a $200,000 grant to identify hazardous materials in the park soil and water. The assessment project is expected to take between one to two years and is needed before further park development can take place. AB15935 (Ordinance 2004-02-08) Approved 6-0, Grant Deger excused.
26. Authorize a $2 million loan to the Bellingham-Whatcom County Public Facilities District? The loan will help finance phase one of the Mount Baker Theatre renovation. This loan and $1 million loaned in 2003 (votes 109 and 160) are due on 12/31/04 and will be repaid with bonds that are expected to be sold in mid-year to finance the theatre renovation project. All the loans are from wastewater funds. AB15936 (Ordinance 2004-02-09) Approved 6-0, Grant Deger excused. §
