May 2010
Watching Government
Whatcom County Council
Compiled by League of Women Voters Council Watchers
Action Taken at March 16, 2010 Meeting
Shall the council:
44. Fill a vacancy on the Whatcom County Planning Commission? The second district position is for a partial term ending on 12/31/12. Six applicants were nominated at the 2/23 County Council meeting. During the first round of voting no candidate received four votes. A second round of voting was held for the top two vote getters and Mary Beth Teigrob received four votes. Mary Beth Teigrob is the owner of H&L Aluminum in Ferndale and was a candidate for the second district position on the County Council in 2009. (AB 2010-53)
45. Adopt the Whatcom County Hearing Examiner’s recommendations for the proposed development known as Monterey Heights? The hearing examiner recommended approval of the planned unit development and the preliminary long subdivision with conditions. The proposed development consists of 51 single-family residential lots on 31 acres at the intersection of Selder Road and Birch Point Road, Blaine. The subdivision is in the Birch Bay Urban Growth Area and zoned urban residential (UR4). Sewer and water will be supplied by the Birch Bay Sewer and Water District. (AB 2010-122) Approved 7-0
46. Authorize the executive to award the $53,025 contract to Carletti Architects of Mount Vernon for the design of the Hovander Homestead Park maintenance facility? The new facility near the intersection of Hovander Road and Nielsen Avenue will replace an existing facility that is within a flood area and will allow better freeway access reducing crew travel time. (AB 2010-128) Approved 6-1, Barbara Brenner1 opposed.
47. Authorize the executive to sign two contracts—totaling $165,000— with two school districts for behavioral health servces? The contracts with the Bellingham School District and the Ferndale School District are both for $82,500. The services are for students with mental health and substance abuse problems. (AB 2010-129/2010-130) Approved 7-0
48. Authorize the executive to sign a notice of a grant agreement with the federal government and the state of Washington on the southern portion of Lily Point Marine Park? The property was acquired to insure permanent conservation and wildlife habitat status. The property will be used as a local match source for the National Coastal Wetland Conservation to provide funding for the purchase of the northern portion by The Nature Conservancy. Subsequently the county will be able to buy the land from the The Nature Conservancy to complete the Lily Point Marine Park. (AB 2010-132) Approved 7-0
49. Authorize the executive to sign a lease agreement with Cando Recycling and Disposal for a landfill site in Point Roberts? The lease for $750 per month is for the solid waste facility in the Johnson Road area of Point Roberts. The site will be a solid waste drop box/container and recycling facility. The state of Washington has certified the company to provide solid waste collection and source-separated recycling services. (AB 2010-133) Approved 7-0
50. Authorize the executive to sign an amended 2009/2010 contract with the city of Bellingham for the Lakeway yard waste collection facility? The city of Bellingham operates the yard waste collection facility. At the 12/9/08 meeting, vote number 246, the county approved a $120,000 payment to the city for 2009/2010. At the 2/8/10 meeting, vote number 32, the Bellingham City Council voted to double the load fee from $2 to $4 so the county is reducing their payment for 2010 from $120,000 to $65,000. (AB 2010-136) Approved 7-0
51. Authorize the executive to sign three agreements with the state of Washington—totaling $212,132 — for three road projects? The state will reimburse the county: $106,440 for filling three sites on Cleator Road with 290 cubic yards of material: $69,232 for grading and repairing Cleator Road; and $36,460 for repairing two sites on Fragrance Road. All three sites are located in Larrabee State Park. (AB 2010-135/146/147) Approved 7-0
52. Initiate comprehensive plan and zoning amendments for 2010? Thirteen amendments2 were proposed and forwarded to the planning commission. Six proposals are from 2008; three from 2009 and 2010 has four proposals. AB 2010-113A (Resolution 2010-08) Approved 7-0
53. Support the submittal by the city of Bellingham to the Google Fiber for Communities? Google is an Internet search engine with other Internet-based services and products that has plans to build—at no charge—an ultra-high speed Internet service with a speed 100 times faster than most of today’s high speed connections. Google is asking local governments to apply for the fiber optic trial. AB 2010-144 (Resolution 2010-09) Approved 7-0
54. Clarify and revise the definition of accessory apartments, second cooking facilities and minimum lot size? (Public hearings held on 2/23 and 3/16) If only one single family residence is on the property, a second cooking facility is allowed. An accessory apartment is approved if there exists an internal access, or if a detached unit is 10 feet or less from the residence. AB 2010-48 (Ordinance 2010-16) Amended and adopted 7-0.
Action Taken at March 30, 2010 Meeting
Shall the council:
55. Authorize the executive to award the county legal notices contract to The Bellingham Herald? Since March of 1998, The Bellingham Herald, the only daily newspaper published in Whatcom County, has been designated as a sole source, exempting it from formal bidding. Advertising rates will be $11.34 a column inch for the first insertion, the same price as last year. The contract runs from 7/1/10 through 6/30/11. (AB 2010-152) Approved 7-0
56. Authorize the executive to award the low bid of $840,000 to McAsphalt Industries of Langley, B.C., for the annual supply of asphaltic emulsions? Road oil is a regular maintenance product and will be used during the chip sealing program of 2010. The material was advertised and two bids were received. (AB 2010-154) Approved 7-0
57. Authorize the executive to spend $450,000 to purchase traffic paint from the Pervo Paint Company of Los Angeles, Calif.? The Waterborne Traffic Line paint is to be used on road maintenance for 2010. Whatcom County has an agreement with Pierce County to use their bids. (AB 2010-155) Approved 7-0
58. Authorize the executive to enter into an agreement with the Lummi Nation to raise the Marine Drive roadway at Smugglers Slough? The plan is to assimilate a 1,600 foot long segment between Lummi Shore Road and county bridge #5 into nearby flood prevention diking system by raising roadway surface six feet. A new self-regulating flood gate would restore controlled flows through the dike to improve fish passage, while widening the roadway to 32 feet to increase bicycle and pedestrian safety. The Lummi Nation received a $1,733,803 federal grant for the project. Completion is the sole responsibility of the Lummi Nation, with county support and cooperation. (AB 2010-157) Approved 7-0
59. Authorize the executive to sign a $1,316,915 purchase and sale agreement with The Nature Conservancy for the acquisition of land at Lily Point? The purchase includes 48 acres of uplands, and 98 acres of adjoining beach and tidelands at Point Roberts. The purchase will be funded by Conservation Futures Funds and then reimbursed by a state grant. (AB 2010-158) Approved 7-0
60. Adopt the final draft of the Comprehensive Solid and Hazardous Waste Management Plan? This 2008 update contains revisions to the 1999 Waste Management Plan and is now combined with the 1991 Hazardous Waste Management Plan. When adopted, the plan shall be sent to the state Department of Ecology for post-adoption review. The five-year plan included projects to be accomplished by the year 2012, the twenty-year plan presents mission and goals for solid waste management. Some council members felt no program had been planned for waste prevention, and that many good ideas had ended with no movement or priorities established. The plan was adopted, with more attention to be paid to details and implementation. AB 2010-141 (Resolution 2010-10) Approved 5-2, Carl Weimer and Barbara Brenner3 opposed.
61. Accept $2,738,000 in Recovery Zone Facility Bonds? The bonds are similar to Industrial Revenue Bonds but eligible for broader projects. This amount was distributed to the state from the federal government and reissued for counties with job loss. The county is designating the Port of Bellingham as the issuing authority for the bonds. AB 2010-148 (Resolution 2010-11) Approved 7-0
62. Designate a recovery zone in order to issue recovery zone economic development bonds? A recovery area must have significant poverty, high unemployment and home foreclosure rates or an area designated to be a renewal community. The council designed the geographic boundaries of the county as a “recovery zone.” The county has received an allocation in the amount of $1,825,000 to issue the bonds under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and the Internal Revenue code of l986. AB 2010-167 (Resolution 2010-12) Approved 7-0
63. Amend the 2010 Budget (request #8) in the amount of $542,943?4 Appropriate: $35,000 to pass-through an available grant from the state of Washington to the Northwest Economic Council to support a site assessment for an Innovation Resource Center; $190,000 for renovations and repair of the Civic Center Annex5 fire alarm system; $4,000 for Washington State University Extension expenses which will be reimbursed; $3,936 for contract with Transpo Group Inc. to continue management program and impact fees; $49,325 to the sheriff for on-the-water patrols and boater education from a State Boater Safety Grant; $46,682 to the sheriff to fund a records clerk for current reports on crime problems associated with housing authority properties and tenants; $24,000 to the auditor to create display map images from recorded documents on the internet; and $190,000 to fund transfer of funds for additional repair and work on fire alarm system for Civic Center remodel. AB 2010-142 (Ordinance 2010-17) Adopted 7-0
1, 2-5Barbara Brenner's comments appear in the printed edition.
2Initiated and forwarded to the planning commission:
2008-C: Adopt a new Foothills subarea plan; repeal the 1988 plan.
2008-E: Update the park, recreation and open space plan.
2008-G: Update the agricultural comprehensive plan.
2008-I: Correct text inaccuracies that prevent Fire District 13 from providing fire protection and emergency services in the Birch Bay Urban Growth Area.
2008-L: Review the comprehensive plan and zoning for compliance with “limited areas of more intensive rural development” as required by the Growth Management Act.
2008-M: Update the concurrency management program.
2009-F: Change the designation on 280 acres near Wickersham from commercial forestry to mineral resource land.
2009-G: Review and revise the county-wide UGA designations.
2009-H: Establish a county-wide lot consolidation plan to prevent encroachment of incompatible uses on agricultural lands.
2010-03: Include Harbor Shores lots — approximately 35 acres — in Blaine UGA.
2010-05: Change land use designation from agriculture resource lands to rural for approximately 60 acres on Paradise Road.
2010-13: Remove “without drive-up service” from Bellingham and Birch Bay Urban Growth Areas.
2010-14: Review and update the county’s six-year capital improvement program.
