Bellingham City Council

Shall the council:

14. Approve recommended paving projects for the Bellingham Transportation Benefit District? (Council acting as the Bellingham Transportation Benefit District) One-third of the transportation district funds collected — approximately $600,000 — are apportioned for street paving projects. At the 1/10/2011 meeting, vote #1, the transportation district approved combining street paving and non-motorized projects into a single contract for greater efficiency and ease of project management. Approved 7-0

15. Adopt the proposed budget for the Bellingham Transportation Benefit District? (Council acting as the Bellingham Transportation Benefit District) Sales tax revenues are estimated at $2,100,000. Anticipated expenses — overhead: $36,750; inter-governmental: $560,000 (Sunday service contract with Whatcom Transit Authority); capital projects: $1,200,000 (street paving and non-motorized projects); capital reserves: $ 210,000; designated reserves: $93,250. Approved 7-0

16. Approve a material change policy for the Bellingham Transportation Benefit District? (Council acting as the Bellingham Transportation Benefit District) State law requires a mandatory review by the transportation district whenever costs exceed the original costs by more than 20 percent. (BTBD Resolution 2011-01) Approved 7-0

17. Authorize the mayor to award the low bid of $790,164 Colacurcio Brothers Construction of Blaine for Phase 1 and 2 of the James Street fire flow upgrades? The project will install approximately. 3,800 feet of new water main and 11 fire hydrants on James Street, King Mountain Road, Gooding, Frances and King avenues; the water main will tie into the Kearney Reservoir. One hundred fourteen bids were solicited and eight bids were received. All eight bids were below the city engineer’s estimated cost of $925,247 (AB19093) Approved 6-1, Jack Weiss1 opposed.

18. Authorize the mayor to sign a two year agreement with Whatcom County for the county to provide $65,000 in annual funding for operation of the Clean Green Transfer Station? The city of Bellingham operates the yard waste facility. Whatcom County will reimburses the city for 50 percent of the net operating costs. At the 2/8/2010 meeting, vote #32, the council increased the dumping fee from $2 per load to $4 a load for each vehicle or trailer containing yard waste. The fee increase reduced the city and county contributions to the program from $120,000 to $65,000 per year. (AB19096) Approved 7-0

19. Authorize the mayor to appoint David Marshak to fill a vacancy on the Greenway Advisory Committee? Mr. Marshak is an instructor at Western Washington University, a four-year resident of Bellingham who has been active in environmental groups in Bellingham and Vermont. He is filling the vacancy left by Kenni Merritt. The Greenway committee provides citizen recommendations to the City Council and the Parks and Recreation Department about Greenway levy expenditures, parkland acquisitions and parks/trails/open space development projects. Mr. Marshak’s term will end on 2/7/2014. (AB19100) Approved 7-0

20. Authorize the mayor to award the low bid of $284,850 to Whatcom Builders of Bellingham for asphalt repairs? Whatcom Builders will remove, repair and replace asphalt pavement and sub-grade materials while performing street, stormwater, water and sewer maintenance. Sixty-eight bids were solicited and four bids were received. (AB19102) Approved 7-0

21. Appropriate $3,155,890 for goods and services checks issued from January 7 through January 28, 2011? (AB19103/19104/19105) Approved 7-0

22. Appropriate $2,433,93 for payroll checks issued from January 1 to January 15, 2011? (AB19106) Approved 7-0

23. Support Washington State’s efforts to increase housing access and affordability for low income citizens? Approximately 1,300 homeless people live in Whatcom County, and an estimated 14,000 families in Bellingham are in need of affordable housing. The Washington State Housing Trust Fund has been supporting low-income housing projects across the state, and has been an essential source of funding for such projects in Bellingham. The trust fund and other state programs associated with reducing homelessness are threatened by the recent economic climate. Current reductions will result in a multi-million dollar shortage for low-income housing during the next two years. In 2009, the state instituted an extra $20 document filing fee to raise more funding for emergency shelters and prevention of homelessness. At least 90 percent of the funds collected from this remain local, but the filing fee will expire in 2013, resulting in a loss of at least $400,000 per year for Bellingham and Whatcom County. The city will add two items to its state legislative agenda: 1. Extending the filing fee and 2. Continuing funding for the State Housing Trust Fund. AB19099 (Resolution 2011-02) Approved 7-0

24. Establish a 2011 docket of proposed amendments to the Comprehensive Plan? (Public hearing held at 1/24/2011 meeting.) Being placed on the docket assures that a project will eventually be reviewed by the city, although not necessarily during the same year it is docketed. There is currently a docket backlog. Three of the four proposals submitted at the end of the last year are to be placed on the docket. They are: proposal 11-P1, land use and zoning designations in the Samish neighborhood; proposal 11-P2, altering the boundary between Happy Valley and Fairhaven neighborhoods and proposal 11-S1, amending the city center master plan. In addition, four proposals that were docketed in 2010 but not completed are on the list including updates to the (08-N1) Fairhaven and (08-N2) Sehome neighborhood plans, the (09-S3) King Mountain urban village master plan and the annual update to the (10-S4) Bellingham Comprehensive Plan. AB19081 (Resolution 2011-03) Approved 7-0

25. Hire a project engineer to help meet the increasing demands of the Post Point sewage treatment plant expansion project? Because of economic conditions, the city reduced the number of project engineers in the Public Works Department to only two positions. The city will need a third engineer for the next three years, since one of the engineers is now assigned exclusively to the Post Point expansion project. In addition to the treatment plant, Public Works will be conducting other projects including the Transportation Improvement Program, and water and sewer main replacements. AB19082 (Ordinance 2011-02-04) Approved 7-0

¹From Jack Weiss: I am not opposed to the bidding process or the successful bidder. I am opposed, however, to the first of many expenses city taxpayers will have to make after the recent annexation of this area into the city. Annexations can be a useful tool to manage growth in a cost efficient way for taxpayers. This particular annexation was not analyzed with the comprehensive scrutiny necessary to determine the long-term costs to the community to absorb relatively few residences. Fortunately for these existing homes, they get lower taxes and better fire service by being in the city but unfortunately, the rest of us subsidize their inclusion. The Kearney Reservoir tie-in will make matters worse in that we will encourage growth in nearby undeveloped areas that will be in direct competition with infill goals in our planned urban villages.