August 2004
Watching Government
Whatcom County Council
Compiled by League of Women Voters Council Watchers
Action Taken at June 15, 2004 Meeting
Shall the council:
110. Close .01 miles of Garrison Road at East Badger Road/railroad intersection? Closure would not be implemented until the Washington state Department of Transportation begins realigning State Route 9 in the spring of 2006. At this time they would close the northern portion of Garrison Road at the intersection. (AB 2004-210) Failed 1-4, Laurie Caskey-Schreiber, Sam Crawford, Seth Fleetwood and Barbara Brenner opposed, Ward Nelson and Sharon Roy absent.
111. Authorize the executive to amend the Logs Resort agreement with the Whatcom Land Trust? This is an amendment to the Canyon Creek alluvial fan acquisition project (5/20/03, votes 97 and 98) for flood hazard mitigation and salmon enhancement. Federal and state grants will contribute 87.5 percent or $461,125 and the county the remaining 12.5 percent or $65,875 for a total of $527,000 and is part of the $999,100 approved on 5/20/03. The county will transfer the property title to Whatcom Land Trust after the structures on the property are removed. (AB 2004-233) Approved 4-1, Barbara Brenner opposed, Sharon Roy and Ward Nelson absent.
112. Authorize the executive to enter into a $211,845 contract with Trimaxx Construction of Sedro Woolley for culvert replacement? A culvert on the Mosquito Lake Road at Johnson Creek near Acme will be replaced with a twelve-foot arched culvert. (AB 2004-234) Approved 5-0, Sharon Roy and Ward Nelson absent.
113. Authorize the executive to enter into a $153,365 contract with Handel Information Technologies of Laramie, Wyoming for computer software? The software will improve caseload management and Juvenile Court administration, and will be customized specifically for Whatcom County. The contract runs from June 7 to December 31, 2004. (AB 2004-236) Approved 5-0, Sharon Roy and Ward Nelson absent.
114. Place a $4,900 lien on the property at 4739 Andersen Road, Blaine? The county ordered the property owner to remove a burned mobile home; the order was ignored requiring the county to remove it at a cost of $4,900. (Resolution 2004-43) Approved 5-0, Ward Nelson and Sharon Roy absent.
115. Set June 29 as the public hearing date to sell tax-title property? Request 07-04. Two lots in Marietta, acquired by the county in 1999 will be sold for not less than taxes, interest penalty, title search and foreclosure costs, $547.04. (Resolution 2004-44) Approved 5-0, Sharon Roy and Ward Nelson absent.
116. Amend Chapter 11 of the Whatcom County Code, boating and swimming? Inconsistencies between county code and state law are clarified and corrected. (Ordinance 2004-36) Adopted 5-0, Ward Nelson and Sharon Roy absent.
117. Approve 2004 budget request #7 in the amount of $117,640? Appropriate $90,000 to fund Homeland Security overtime costs, reimbursed by the federal government; $16,240 to outfit each sheriff’s department officer with tasers; $3,500 to participate in the Traffic Safety Enforcement Program, reimbursed by a state grant; a $7,200 drug trafficking award to pay for maintenance of software to access main frame computers; $700 state grant to fund a car seat safety event. (Ordinance 2004-37) Adopted 5-0, Sharon Roy and Ward Nelson absent.
Action Taken at June 29, 2004 Meeting
Shall the council:
118. Amend the British Petroleum co-generation plant proposal to provide for noise abatement and wetland protection? The new provisions provide for noise monitoring of the natural gas powered 720-megawatt plant and for protection of 110 acres of wetlands. The agreement also requires a yearlong heron study to make the habitat heron-friendly. (AB2004-18) Amended and approved 6-0, Dan McShane abstained.
119. Appropriate $465,000 to purchase additional property for ferry parking on Lummi Island? The administration hopes to encourage more walk-on passenger traffic with this and similar additional parking already acquired at Gooseberry Point. (AB 2004-98) Approved 5-2 Barbara Brenner and Dan McShane opposed.
120. Authorize the executive to purchase six acres from the city of Bellingham at the appraised price of $873,000? The parcel at 2140 Division Street will be the site of an interim minimum-security jail. The agreement includes trading county owned property at Maritime Heritage Park for approximately 62,000 square feet of city owned property adjacent to the Division Street property to be used as a stormwater retention facility. (AB 2004-213B) Approved 5-2, Sam Crawford and Barbara Brenner opposed.
121. Authorize the executive to enter into a $1,310,000 grant and loan agreement with the city of Blaine for construction of a pedestrian boardwalk along the marina bluff? The Economic Development Investment Board* recommended a grant of $436,667 and a twenty-year loan of $873,333. (AB 2004-248) Approved 7-0
122. Authorize the executive to enter into an agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for repair work on four Nooksack River levees?** The total cost is $486,746, with the federal government paying 80 percent or $405,622 and the county the other 20 percent or $81,124. (AB 2004-250/151/252/253) Approved 7-0
123. Authorize the executive to accept a $30,000 grant for knotweed control? The grant is from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation for inventory and control of noxious knotweed infestations in the South Fork of the Nooksack River. Additional contributions totaling $6,500 will come from involved agencies and landowners. (AB 2004-254) Approved 7-0
124. Authorize the executive to award low bid of $137,099 to Enviro-Clean Equipment of Gresham, OR, for a regenerative air sweeper? The sweeper replaces a conventional road sweeper and will be used primarily in the Lake Whatcom and Lake Samish watersheds to prevent debris and dirt from entering the drinking water supply. (AB2004-258) Approved 5-2, Barbara Brenner and Ward Nelson opposed.
125. Authorize the executive to award the low bid of $147,197 to Foss Maritime of Seattle for the annual dry-dock of the Lummi Island ferry? The dry-dock dates for the Whatcom Chief are September 12 through 26. (AB2004-259) Approved 7-0
126. Amend Resolution 2003-41 to reprioritize projects to be submitted to the Washington Community Economic Revitalization Team for timber-impacted communities? The first two projects are the same as last year (6/17/03, vote 118): a community resource center at Kendall and a regional wastewater treatment plant and cultural memorial for Blaine. The list prioritized fourteen additional projects. (Resolution 2004-45) Amended and approved 7-0
127. Sell at public auction two lots with unpaid taxes? The properties will be sold for no less than back taxes, interest, penalty, title search and foreclosure costs. Pence-Guests, Marietta, lots 5-6, Block 2 for no less than $547.04. Request 07-04. (Resolution 2004-46) Approved 7-0
Shall the council:
128. Award the low bid of $129,000 to Colacurcio Brothers Construction of Blaine for 0.4 acres of wetland mitigation? The mitigation is located at the county-owned Upper Clark Pit on Valley View Rd. The mitigation compensates for the loss of wetlands on the Sunrise Road project. The Upper Clark Pit site can be expanded for future road construction mitigation projects. (Resolution 2004-47) Approved 7-0
129. Award the low bid of $1,197,268 to One-Way Construction of Sedro Woolley to replace a bridge on Lake Whatcom Boulevard? The Austin Creek Bridge will be widened from 24 feet to 40 feet to enhance pedestrian and bicycle safety and will be 82 feet long. Boulevard improvements will extend 100 feet south of the bridge and 650 feet north. The bid includes demolition of the existing bridge and construction of the proposed bridge and foundations; installation of sewer and water mains; conduit and utility vaults, excavation and embankment construction, grading, gravel base, paving asphalt concrete base, leveling and drainage improvements. (Resolution 2004-48) Approved 7-0
130. Approve 2004 budget request #8 in the amount of $296,000? At the June 1 meeting (vote 109) the council approved $593,000 to purchase the Division Street property (vote 120). This vote and the June 1 vote approved more than the appraised price of $873,000. (Ordinance 2004-38) Adopted 5-2, Sam Crawford and Barbara Brenner opposed. §
