May 2005
Watching Government
Bellingham City Council
Compiled by Earl Dennis
Action Taken at March 14, 2005 Meeting
Shall the council:
49. Declare city property at 1590 Harris Street surplus? Half of the Fire Station #2 property was sold to the Kulshan Land Trust in October 2003 (10/27/03 meeting, vote 168) for creation of affordable housing and another two lots were kept for the fire station’s stormwater runoff. The land trust suggested creating an underground stormwater vault to allow two more lots to be developed. The land trust will build and maintain the vault and the property will continue to be designated for stormwater treatment. The property is appraised at $37,500 but will be sold to land trust for $1 because of the permanently affordable housing designation. (AB16417) Approved 7-0
50. Hire a temporary environmental modeling and data management technician? The city is developing watershed planning efforts in Lake Whatcom, the Nooksack River and various urban streams into an informational computer model to evaluate all the management scenarios. The technician will guide staff in scenario development, evaluation and incorporation into other watershed models, such as the Total Maximum Daily Load studies. This is a two-year position that starts April 1, 2005. (AB16419) Approved 7-0
51. Reject all bids for construction work on the Civic Field complex improvement project? The lowest bid was $7,450,760 more than $2 million over budget. The $2 million difference requires a rejection of all the bids and a project redesign. The project architect’s contract provides for free project redesign because of increased construction costs. The work may not start until the fall of 2006. (AB16422) Approved 7-0
52. Adopt a five-year plan to protect the Lake Whatcom watershed? The Whatcom County Council (2/22/05 meeting, vote 51) and the Lake Whatcom Water and Sewer District have also adopted the plan for the years 2005-2009. The plan consists of land preservation, stormwater management, urbanization/land development and community outreach. This year’s focus: reducing phosphorous loads in the lake and watershed. AB16423 (Resolution 2005-7) Approved 7-0
53. Endorse the Cities for Climate Protection program? The International Council for Local Environmental Institutions (with headquarters in Toronto, Canada) is the sponsoring organization. Over 500 local governments worldwide are participating in the campaign to reduce global warming and air pollution emissions. This resolution will allow the city to join the campaign. AB16424 (Resolution 2005-8) Approved 7-0
54. Appropriate $4,551,827 for city payroll checks issued from February 1 through February 28, 2005? (AB16427/16429) Approved 7-0
55. Appropriate $2,708,625 for goods and services checks issued from February 11 through March 4, 2005? (AB16428/16430/16431) Approved 7-0
56. Accept $53,317 in asset seizure funds? Appropriate $12,768 to replace 25-year-old police department radios that are unserviceable because the parts are no longer available. The remaining $40,549 will be placed in the ending designated reserves. AB16396 (Ordinance 2005-03-20) Approved 7-0
57. Reallocate funds due to consolidation of positions in the Public Works and Parks and Recreation Departments? It reallocates $4,191 within the pubic works budget and $27,289 in the parks budget for two positions going from temporary to regular. AB16397 (Ordinance 2005-03-21) Approved 7-0
58. Establish a Budget Advisory Committee? The city is in a budgetary crisis with increasing costs and restricted income. The committee will inform the citizens of the city’s financial situation and solicit their help in developing a sustainable budgetary plan. AB16399 (Ordinance 2005-03-22) Approved 6-1, Bob Ryan opposed
59. Appropriate $29,145 from the general fund to finance the Budget Advisory Committee? The committee was established in the previous ordinance. AB16400 (Ordinance 2005-03-24) Vote: 4-3, Gene Knutson, Bob Ryan and John Watts opposed.
60. Create a Waterfront Advisory Group with the Port of Bellingham? The advisory group is established to implement the recommendations of the Waterfront Futures Group. The city appoints five members* and the port (4/5/05 meeting, number 51) appoints five members. AB16406 (Ordinance 2005-03-25) Approved 7-0
*The mayor appointed Robin du Pré and Maureen Camandona to one-year terms, Byron Elmemdorf to a two-year term, Vanessa Black-burn and Derek Long to three-year terms.
Action Taken at March 21, 2005 Meeting
Shall the council:
61. Authorize the mayor to sign an agreement with Whatcom County, the Lummi Nation and the Nooksack Tribe to determine stream flows in the middle fork of the Nooksack River? This pilot project will serve as a guide for both negotiating between governmental bodies and making watershed-wide policy recommendations based on the flow data. (AB16434) Approved 6-1, Bob Ryan opposed.
62. Award the low bid of $77,889 to Washington Professional Systems of Wheaton, MD, for broadcast equipment? The 30 plus pieces of equipment and cables will upgrade the audio/video system in the City Council Chambers. Twenty-two bids were solicited and two were received. (AB16439) Approved 7-0
63. Award the low bid of $53,284 to Spl Integrated Solutions of Redmond for broadcast equipment? The 70 plus pieces of equipment and cables are needed upgrade the audio/video system in the City Council Chambers. Forty-seven bids were solicited and four were received. (AB16440) Approved 7-0
64. Appropriate $1,586,996 for goods and services checks issued from March 4 through March 11, 2005? (AB16441) Approved 7-0
65. Adopt the recommendations of the Lake Whatcom Watershed Advisory Board? The recommendations will guide the acquisition and protection of Lake Whatcom watershed properties purchased by the city. AB16435 (Resolution 2005-09) Approved 7-0
66. Encourage the Whatcom Transit Authority to reduce the board from nine members to seven and retain Bellingham’s three seats? Ninety percent of the riders and 75 percent of WTA’s income are from Bellingham, yet there only three of the nine seats represent Bellingham. The board composition review committee is urged to create a more balanced board by reducing the membership by two seats and allowing Bellingham to retain the current three seats. AB16437 (Resolution 2005-10) Approved 7-0
67. Amend Ordinance 2004-12-96? That ordinance caused the general fund and public safety dispatch fund to be out of balance. This corrects the error by reducing the reallocation in the general fund by $746 and eliminating the reallocation in the public safety dispatch fund. AB16420 (Ordinance 2005-03-25) Approved 7-0
68. Increase the solid waste utility tax from 7 to 11.5 percent to fund cleanup of the city’s landfill sites? The tax increase will service the landfill cleanup bond debt. Starting in May, the new rate will increase the average residential customer’s bill by 97 cents per month, be annually reviewed for adjustment and will raise about $400,000 annually. AB16421 (Ordinance 2005-03-26) Approved 7-0
69. Vacate the northern 10 feet of McKenzie Avenue between 4th Street and the railroad track in the Fairhaven Neighborhood? Public ownership of the right-of-way will be relinquished. The Bellingham Hearing Examiner determined that the right-of-way is not needed for traffic circulation or utility purposes. The parcel can be consolidated with the adjacent northern property. The city will sell it for $2,800. AB16425 (Ordinance 2005-03-27) Approved 7-0
Action Taken at March 28, 2005 Meeting
Shall the council:
70. Authorize the mayor to sign an agreement with the state for improvements to 30th Street and Donovan Avenue? The City Council voted to close 32nd Street at Old Fairhaven Parkway at the 11/8/04 meeting. The closure will require traffic to be diverted down Donovan and along 30th. The city is responsible for the design, the state for bidding and construction. The design will encourage traffic to use 30th Street and Old Fairhaven Parkway over Donovan. (AB16447) Approved 7-0
71. Authorize the mayor to extend a lease with the Downtown Renaissance Network for free use of space in the Parkade? The lease for 1,100 square feet of space is through March 31, 2006. The annual market value of the space is $12,000. (AB16450) Approved 7-0
72. Appropriate $821,481 for goods and services checks issued from March 11 through March 18, 2005? (AB16458) Approved 7-0
73. Grant a 10-year property tax exemption for a 25-unit apartment building at 112 E. Maple Street? West-Lind Construction Management of Bellingham applied for the multifamily tax exemption on the Morse Hardware property. The building will include ground floor businesses and underground parking. The exemption does not include the first floor or the property. AB16451 (Resolution 2005-11) Approved 7-0
74. Redraw ward boundaries to reflect growth patterns? The city charter requires ward boundaries to be redrawn with voter imbalances of more than 15 percent. There will be no changes for Wards 1 and 6. Precincts in Ward 3 will be exchanged with precincts in Wards 2, 4 and 5 to correct the imbalance. The cost is $1,500. AB16432 (Ordinance 2005-03-28) Approved 7-0
75. Appropriate $175,322 from Medic One funds to extend countywide emergency medical services through June 30, 2005? This extends the countywide program for three months while the city and county negotiate a long-term agreement. AB16433 (Ordinance 2005-03-29) Approved 7-0
