July 2005
Watching Government
Whatcom County Council
Compiled by League of Women Voters Council Watchers
Action Taken at May 10, 2005 Meeting
Shall the council:
95. Authorize the executive to accept a $64,000 grant from the state for anti-litter programs? The grant (from the Washington State Department of Ecology) will be used for anti-litter education, “Adopt a Trail” and the juvenile offender litter cleanup program from 7/1/05 to 6/30/07. These programs have been in continuous operation since July of 1997. (AB 2005-205) Approved 7-0
96. Authorize the executive to accept a $147,770 grant from the federal government to apprehend and prosecute drug traffickers? The grant (from the Office of National Drug Control Policy) pays for a prosecutor and a paralegal in the prosecuting attorney’s office and the maintenance of law enforcement software used throughout the county. The grant runs from 1/1/05 to 12/31/05. (AB 2005-207) Approved 7-0
97. Authorize the executive to award bids up to $400,000 for the supply and delivery of various asphaltic mixes for county road projects? Low bidders are Imperial Paving of Delta, B.C.; Jack Cewe Ltd. of Coquitlam, B.C.; Rinker Materials of Burlington; Whatcom Builders of Bellingham and Wilder Construction of Everson. Price, location of work projects and type of mix available will determine which company is used. The contract period is 7/1/05 to 6/30/06. (AB 2005-210) Approved 7-0
98. Amend the Birch Bay Water and Sewer District’s comprehensive sewer plan? The amendment extends sewer service to the plat of Birch Bay View and requires property owners to pay for sewer hook-ups when their septic systems fail. (Resolution 2005-21) Approved 7-0
99. Grant non-exclusive rights to the Birch Bay Water and Sewer District to operate water and sewer lines? This 25-year contract replaces the 50-year contract that is about to expire. (Ordinance 2005-46) Adopted 7-0
100. Establish additional parking restrictions at Birch Bay? The restrictions will be in effect from 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. They will prohibit shoulder parking on the beach side of Birch Bay Drive and limit parking along a series of roads that end at Birch Bay Drive. (Ordinance 2005-47) Adopted 7-0
Action Taken at May 24, 2005 Meeting
Shall the council:
101. Authorize the executive to sign a $468,791 contract with Sargent Engineers of Olympia to design drainage and fish passage improvements? The design relocates Innis Creek to its original channel by the Samish River at Wickersham, and includes structural design of a short bridge on Innis Creek Road. The bridge raises a section of the road that has been consistently flooded. (AB 2005-218) Approved 6-0, Laurie Caskey-Schrieber absent.
102. Authorize the executive to accept a $435,000 grant from the state to purchase developed property within the Jones Creek alluvial fan? The grant also covers 87.5 percent of the structure demolition and restoration of the site. County flood control funds will pay the remainder. (AB 2005-221) Approved 6-0, Laurie Caskey-Schrieber absent.
103. Authorize the executive to change vendors and purchase eight hybrid vehicles for $177,274 from Wilson Motors of Bellingham? At the 3/15/05 meeting, vote number 61, the council approved the purchase of eight Toyota Prius sedans from Bud Clary of Yakima, the state approved vendor. Wilson Motors expressed an interest in bidding on the hybrid vehicle purchase and it was put out for Whatcom County bidding. Wilson Motors, the sole county bidder was $6,726 less than Bud Clary. (AB 2005-222) Approved 6-0, Laurie Caskey-Schrieber absent.
104. Authorize the executive to award the low bid of $364,557 to Pacific Software Associates of Sumner, for IBM servers? This a planned replacement for Information Services current computers. (AB 2005-223) Approved 6-0, Laurie Caskey-Schrieber absent.
105. Authorize the executive to award the low bid of $533,450 to Sequoia Voting Systems of Oakland, California, for three optical scan tabulating machines and three touch screen voting machines? Federal and state grants pay for both systems. Touch screens with printers will be available for the disabled; the rest of the county will vote absentee (see vote number 111 below) using optical scan ballots. The grants will also pay $79,522 to educate the public about the new voting systems. (AB 2005-230) Approved 6-0, Laurie Caskey-Schrieber absent.
106. Declare intent to vacate a portion of Mosquito Lake Road near Porter Creek? In November 2004, the county constructed 1,900 feet of new road because of encroachment by the Middle Fork of the Nooksack River. The vacation applies to the abandoned road. This vote triggers a county engineer’s report. When the report is submitted to the council, a public hearing will be scheduled to consider the vacation. (Resolution 2005-22) Approved 6-0, Laurie Caskey-Schrieber absent.
107. Adopt the Whatcom County multijurisdictional hazard mitigation plan? In order to receive federal natural disaster relief, the county must have an approved disaster plan. (Resolution 2005-23) Approved 6-0, Laurie Caskey Schreiber absent.
108. Authorize the restoration and relocation of the centennial totem pole? The pole is currently located on the north side of the Courthouse near its original location. The totem pole, known as the Whatcom Pole, was dedicated in December of 1952 at the corner of Prospect, Dupont and Lottie at the beginning of the Centennial Celebration, commemorating the first white settlers arrival in 1852. (Resolution 2005-24) Approved 6-0, Laurie Caskey-Schreiber absent.
109. Amend the Whatcom County zoning ordinance to clarify requirements and standards for cluster subdivisions? The amendments to the Point Roberts transitional zone and water resource protection overlay districts minimizes development effects on critical areas open space reserve areas consisting of at least 50 percent of the parent parcels, avoiding disturbances of known archeological sites, and requiring clusters containing two or more lots of less than one acre within a proposed development to be separated by at least 80 feet. (Ordinance 2005-48) Amended and adopted 6-0, Laurie Caskey-Scheiber absent.
110. Approve 2005 budget request #5 in the amount of $1,414,033? Appropriations include: $95,710 to the sheriff’s department for overtime, replacing a police dog, drug control and tuition for training; $89,000 for emergency medical services, trauma care and computer replacement; $536,352 for new Planning and Development Services employees and vehicles; $612,971 for optical scan counters and digital voting machines (see vote number 105) and $80,000 for Information Services computers. (Ordinance 2005-49) Adopted 6-0, Laurie Caskey-Schreiber absent.
111. Designate Whatcom County as a vote-by-mail county? Poll voting is eliminated except for disabled voters (see vote number 105). At the 1/11/05 meeting, vote number 6, the council gave the auditor the authority to limit the precinct’s size to less than 200 voters as required by state law. Recent state legislation made it possible to conduct vote-by-mail elections without limiting the size of precincts. (Ordinance 2005-50) Adopted 6-0, Laurie Caskey-Schreiber absent.
