August 2005
Watching Government
Whatcom County Council
Compiled by League of Women Voters Council Watchers
Action Taken at June 7, 2005 Meeting
Shall the council:
112. Authorize the executive to sign a $214,000 contract with Hansen Information Technologies of Rancho Cordova, California, for the purchase, installation and maintenance of software? Three county departments, public works, parks and facilities management, will use the software to manage assets, evaluate productivity, provide cost data and serve the public. (AB 2005-234) Approved 7-0
113. Approve phase 1 of the Water Resource Inventory Area 1 Watershed Management Plan? The plan, set up by the state legislature, provides a framework for negotiating water rights among all water users in the county. Governments, stakeholders, and representatives of the Lummi Nation and the Nooksack Tribe developed goals and specific objectives for water resource management. The issues addressed were water quantity, water quality, in-stream flow and fish habitat. Continuing the work will require additional funding. (Resolution 2005-25). Approved 7-0
114. Authorize the executive to award the low bid of $3,259,946 to IMCO General Construction of Bellingham for Sunrise Road improvements? The road will be widened by 12 feet from the Birch Bay-Lynden Road to West Badger Road, improving it for both traffic and drainage. Two bridges across Dakota Creek will be replaced. (Resolution 2005-26) Approved 4-3, Laurie Caskey- Schreiber, Sharon Roy, and Barbara Brenner opposed.*
115. Authorize the executive to award the low bid of $634,266 to Strider Construction of Bellingham to replace the Anderson Creek Bridge? The project on East Smith Road was added to the 2005 construction program when an analysis determined the bridge was structurally deficient. (Resolution 2005-27) Approved 7-0
116. Require the construction and renovation of county-owned buildings to meet green building standards and encourage the practice by the private sector? County buildings over 5,000 square feet will be required to meet the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program. The LEED rating system requires integrated site planning, saves on building materials and water use, protects human health, promotes the use of local resources, lowers energy costs and creates healthier indoor environments. (Resolution 2005-28) Substitute approved 7-0
117. Remove the school speed limit on Gulf Road in Point Roberts? The lower speed limit is no longer needed because the elementary school was relocated to Benson Road. (Ordinance 2005-51) Approved 7-0
118. Amend the Whatcom County code to clarify previously adopted language? At the 11/26/02 meeting (vote number 213) the County Council acting as the Board of Health gave the Whatcom County Hearing Examiner the authority to make the final decision on appeals to county code violations. Due to an oversight, the publishing company left out the section on who makes the final decision. (Ordinance 2005-52) Adopted 7-0
*The opposition voted against the project, not the contractor. The minority felt the executive should have submitted the Lincoln Road project before the Sunrise Road project.
Action Taken at June 21, 2005 Meeting
Shall the council:
119. Authorize the executive to accept a state grant of $130,404 to expand the lake gardening education program? A gardening booklet will be updated and distributed to all residents in the Lake Whatcom and Lake Samish watersheds. A video on gardening techniques will be produced, a demonstration landscape at Bloedel Donovan, training for staff and lake water monitored. Water samples will be collected from both lakes and tributaries, analyzed through an approved lab and the results summarized. The analysis will evaluate phosphorous, sediment and fecal coliform in coordination with existing monitoring programs. (AB 2005-256) Approved 7-0
120. Approve 2005 budget request #6 in the amount of $5,729,069? It includes: a state grant of $16,000 to the sheriff’s department to support traffic enforcement, fund a marijuana eradication program and seatbelt enforcement; $37,916 for replacement weapons and mugshot system for main jail; $60,500 to planning and development to analyze current development permit process and to gather information integrating watershed and transportation planning; $90,770 for hiring costs, equipment and supplies for new personnel at the new minimum security jail; $3,162,947 to partially fund construction of the new minimum security jail/triage center; $2,260,000 transfer of rural sales tax funds in support of new jail project and a federal grant of $100,936 to fund a courthouse security manager position and two information technology positions to facilitate handling of border crimes. (Ordinance 2005-53) Adopted 7-0
121. Change county precincts from names to numbers? To facilitate the new the vote-by-mail election systems (see 5/24/05 meeting, voting number 111), precincts that have names are being changed to numbers. (Ordinance 2005-54) Adopted 7-0
122. Authorize the executive to enter into a $16,500 contract with Columbia Valuation Group of Shoreline, for five property appraisals? The farms** are applying for conservation easements under the Purchase of Development Rights program. Under that program, the county purchases conservation easements to protect farms from conversion to non-agriculture use. (AB 2005-257) Approved 7-0
123. Authorize the executive to enter into a contract with Puget Sound Energy of Bellevue for law enforcement coverage? On holiday weekends, sheriff deputies will patrol upper Baker Lake near Concrete. Puget Sound Energy will reimburse deputies for overtime at $52 an hour. The contract began May 27, 2005, (Memorial day weekend) and continues until both parties decide that it is no longer needed. (AB 2005-259) Approved 7-0
124. Authorize the executive to renew a contract with the federal government for patrol services? The U.S. Department of Agriculture will pay the county up to $60,000 to provide a deputy in a marked sheriff’s vehicle to patrol the Mt Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest within Whatcom County. The contract runs from 10/1/04 through 9/30/05. (AB 2005-262) Approved 7-0
**Paul Dairy, 150 acres; Tom Fenton 40 acres and Ray Fenton 80 acres all in the Custer area. Vander Yacht, 78 acres in eastern Whatcom County; Alamwala, 90 acres near Ferndale.
Action Taken at July 12, 2005 Meeting
Shall the council:
125. Authorize the executive to enter into a $169,400 contract with the Nooksack Tribe to restore fish passages? The Nooksack Tribe working with the Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association will complete design and permit work on 15 to 20 culverts to restore salmon passage. (AB 2005-271) Approved 7-0
126. Authorize the executive to accept a federal grant of $101,200 for levee repair? The Bylsma levee located on the left bank of the Nooksack River near Lynden (damaged in last years flooding) will be repaired. The county share is $25,300 for a total cost of $126,500. (AB 2005-272) Approved 7-0
127. Authorize the executive to accept a state grant of $196,769 for public health services***(see far left column) in Whatcom County? The increase brings the total amount of state and federal grants to $1,630,200 (see 1/11/05 meeting, vote number 3 for the original grant). (AB 2005-275) Approved 7-0
128. Adopt the annual six-year (2006–2011) transportation improvement program and the 14-year (2006-2019) Lummi Island ferry plan? State law requires counties to update their transportation plans yearly. It provides a list of needed capital improvements, establishes eligibility for state and federal funds and sets the rate for impact fees. The estimated cost of the six-year plan is $64,502,000. Projected funding sources are federal ($24,125,000), state ($12,721,000) and local ($24,656,000). AB 2005-246 (Resolution 2005-29) Approved 7-0
129. Reprioritize projects to be submitted to the Washington Community Economic Revitalization Team for federal funding set aside for timber-impacted communities? Some projects have either been funded or withdrawn from the list since they were last prioritized on June 29, 2004. The Kendall Community Resource Center is the top priority on a list of 23 projects. (Resolution 2005-29) Amended and approved 7-0
130. Authorize the executive to award the low bid of $573,673 to Wilder Construction of Bellingham to replace the Hutchinson Creek Bridge? It is three miles east of Acme on the Mosquito Lake Road. The bridge will be widened by two feet, road approaches will be repaved and ditches realigned. (Resolution 2005-31) Approved 7-0
131. Amend the Whatcom County Code pertaining to the cleanup of illegal drug manufacturing or storage sites? Property owners are required to clean up the site. The amendments put a deadline on the cleanup and give the county the ability to foreclose on the property if the cleanup is not accomplished. (Council acting as the health board.) AB 2005-266 (Ordinance 2005-55) Amended and adopted 7-0
132. Close York Street between Electric and Oriental Avenues to through traffic except emergency vehicles? This will prevent drivers from using York Street as a Lakeway Drive bypass and alleviate neighborhood safety concerns. AB 2005-268 (Ordinance 2005-56) Adopted 7-0
133. Regulate the siting and zoning of facilities that produce substrate used in growing mushrooms? The volume of substrate that may be produced on farms is being limited and larger-scale producers are required to locate in the county’s heavy impact industrial zone because the substrate process produces noxious odors. AB2005-105 (Ordinance 2005-57) Adopted 4-3, Dan McShane, Seth Fleetwood and Sam Crawford opposed.
134. Create a real estate excise tax electronic technology fund? The fund will be used to develop and maintain an electronic processing and reporting system for real estate tax affidavits, compatible with Washington State. To fund the system, the State Legislature authorized a $5 fee on all county real estate transactions, beginning July 1, 2005. (Ordinance 2005-58) Adopted 7-0
