March 2012
Watching Government
Whatcom County Council
Compiled by the League of Women Voters
Action Taken at January 10, 2012 Meeting
Shall the council:
1.Support county participation in the Voluntary Stewardship Program? (Public hearing held) Under this state program known as the Ruckelhaus Process Bill, farmers would receive funding and technical assistance with plans for protecting watershed and habitat on their properties. Yearly funding estimates for program development and administration is $100,000–$150,000. Since the council voted against participation, the county will rely on the current Critical Areas Ordinance to allow farming in and near wetlands until it is updated (no later than 6/30/2016). (AB2011-279C) Failed 2-5, Barbara Brenner(1), Kathy Kershner, Pete Kremen, Ken Mann and Carl Weimer opposed.
(1)From Barbara Brenner: I opposed participating in the Voluntary Stewardship Program because we already have a program in place that can work with some tweaks. There is no such thing as free money. When we accept money from the state or federal government there are always strings attached that usually end up costing us more than what we receive. The Voluntary Stewardship Program was very difficult to read and we had little time (during the holidays) to make a determination. Some people told the council we can't be sued if we participate but our attorney told us differently. It seems much better to fix what we have rather than opening up such a complicated new program.
2. Authorize the executive to accept $1,401,597 in federal and state grants for the operation of various county health department programs? The programs include: the evaluation of approximately 841 septic systems in Drayton Harbor, the prevention of HIV and adult viral hepatitis, maternal and child health care, technical assistance to small community water systems and support for pregnant and parenting teens. The expiration date is 12/31/2014. (AB2012-035) Approved 7-0
3. Authorize the executive to sign a $46,290 contract with Bennett Engineering of Bellingham for monitoring the Cedarville and Y Road landfills? The tasks are: ground water and leachate monitoring, surface water monitoring, NPDES permit sampling at Cedarville and ground water, surface water and landfill gas monitoring at the Y Road landfill. The contract run from 1/11/2012 through 12/31/2012. (AB 2012-036) Approved 7-0
4. Fill one vacancy on the Birch Bay Shellfish Protection Advisory Committee? Bradley C. Carter and Kevin Barton applied for the vacancy, Mr. Carter was approved by four votes for a one-year term. (AB2011-389)
5. Fill one vacancy on the Whatcom County Planning Commission? Gary Honcoop and Shane Roth applied for the District 2 vacancy. Incumbent Gary Honcoop was approved by four votes for a four-year term. (AB2011-389)
6. Fill six vacancies on the Solid Waste Advisory Committee? There was only one applicant: incumbent Marjorie Ann Leone was approved by acclamation to a three-year term. (AB2011-389)
7. Fill 10 vacancies on the Surface Mining Advisory Committee? There were three applications: incumbents James F. Carr, Christ Hatch and Jason Vander Veen were approved by acclamation for two-year terms. (AB2011-389)
8. Fill one vacancy on the Noxious Weed Control Board? There were no applications for the vacancy. (AB2011-389)
9. Order the cancellation of uncashed checks issued between 1/1/2008 and 12/31/2009? There are 759 jail inmate trust fund checks for 2008 totaling $3,121 and 30 checks for 2009 totaling $285. The money will be held for one year and then transferred to the state of Washington as abandoned property where it will be available to the payee indefinitely. AB2012-038 (Resolution 2011-001) Approved 7-0
10. Allow electric vehicle infrastructure in nonresidential zones? Amend the county code to comply with a state law passed in 2009 to encourage the transition to electric vehicle use and to support the establishment of infrastructure (including battery charging stations, rapid charging stations and battery exchange stations) to meet these goals. AB2011-431 (Ordinance 2012-001) Adopted 6-0, Bill Knutzen was out of the room.
11. Repeal the portion of the county code electing precinct officers? The services of the precinct officers at polling sites on election day are no longer needed since the last year Whatcom County had polling sites was 2004. All ballots are now returned at drop-off sites or by mail. AB2011-432 (Ordinance 2012-002) Adopted 7-0
Action Taken at January 24, 2012 Meeting
Shall the council:
12. Authorize the executive to award a $400,000 EDI(2) grant to the Bellingham Technical College for a new building at Maritime Heritage Park? The Economic Development Investment Board voted 9-0 to approve the grant for the building. The Washington State Legislature allocated two million dollars to replace a sixty-four- year-old building in the park. The college is required to raise matching funds; the EDI grant brings total raised to $1.7 million. The building will be known as the Northwest Center for Environmental, Fisheries and Aquaculture Sciences. (AB2012-046) Approved 7-0
(2)The Economic Development Investment Board was set up by the county; board members include small cities and other economic interests such as the agriculture community. The loan money comes from portions of the rural sales tax which can only be used for public facility projects.
13. Authorize the executive to sign a contract with Whatcom Land Trust to assume primary responsibility for property acquired under the Purchase of Agricultural Development Rights Program? This contract reduces payments to the Whatcom Land Trust for monitoring and easement enforcement of conservation easements. New contract fees are: a minimum fee of $2,000 per easement, a 3 percent fee on the first $150,000 of easement price, a 2 percent fee between $150,000 and $500,000 and 1 percent in excess of $500,000. The contract runs from 1/11/12 through 12/31/2014. (AB2012-047) Approved 7-0
14. Authorize the executive to sign a $59,995 contract with Windward Environmental LLC of Seattle for help with public outreach, education and evaluation of the NPDES Phase II Stormwater permit? The focus of the Pollutant Discharge Elimination System outreach will be on two Lake Whatcom neighborhoods, the Silver Beach Creek watershed and the Geneva area. A sub-contractor, Soundwide-Starrfish Environmental Consulting of Bellingham, will assist with permit compliance. Funding is from a state grant and the contract runs from 1/25/2012 through 6/30/2012. (AB2012-048) Approved 7-0
15. Authorize the executive to sign a $129,068 contract with Wilson Engineering of Bellingham to assist with NPDES Stormwater Permit compliance? The Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit requires development of a program to track and document stormwater asset management of municipal surface water runoff and protection of regional water quality. The contract commences on 1/25/2012 and terminates on 6/30/2012. (AB2012-049) Approved 7-0
16. Authorize the executive to accept a $36,500 state grant to fund projects for the Whatcom County Marine Resources Committee? This grant is for community education and outreach and water quality monitoring. The grant also provides administrative and technical support to the Marine Resources Committee. The committee will continue water monitoring for coliform analysis at 15 sites in watersheds relating to Drayton Harbor, Lummi Island and Chuckanut Bay, and provide outreach education at Larrabee State Park. (AB2012-050) Approved 7-0
17. Authorize the executive to approve contracts for $210,000 to purchase road maintenance products? The contracts include: $50,000 to Meenderinck LLC of Nooksack for lignosite to control dust on county roads; $40,000 to Albina Asphalt of Vancouver, Arrow Construction Supply of Spokane, Lakeside Industries of Issaquah, Liquid Concrete of Covington, Partner Construction Products of Bainbridge Island, Special Asphalt Products of Spokane, Sound Refining of Tacoma, Williams Form Engineering of Bellingham and Crafco, Inc. of Portland, Oregon, for the annual supply of asphalt products; $80,000 to Alpine Products of Auburn and Potter Industries of Canby, Oregon, for the annual supply of glass beads for traffic line marking paint and $40,000 to Coral Sales of Milwaukie, Oregon, for guardrails. (AB2012-055/056/057/059) Approved 7-0
18. Establish policies and procedures for retention of Whatcom County Councilmember emails? Since email should be readily available if needed in the future, the policy must insure that every email sent or received relating to public business must follow proper retention procedures. AB2012-043 (Resolution 2012-002) Substitute amended and approved 7-0
19. Continue the interim moratorium on the acceptance of new applications for divisions of land for lots smaller than five acres within the Lake Whatcom watershed? (Public hearing held) The moratorium will be in place while rural areas zoning and development are being reviewed and goals for the preservation of the lake established. Lots of five acres or larger are exempt. The moratorium was first passed at the 2/8/2005 meeting, vote #46. Interim moratoriums must be renewed every six months. AB2012-040 (Ordinance 2012-003) Adopted 6-1, Sam Crawford opposed.
20. Amend the 2012 budget (request #4) in the amount of $1,189,558? Appropriate: $121,797 to fund family treatment court; $106,102 for drug court; $76,920 to the sheriff’s department to fund state Homeland Security Program; $104,852 to the sheriff’s department for completion work at the border; $29,887 to the sheriff’s department to be used during 2012 for emergency management programs, coordinate hazard planning, response and recovery; $400,000 EDI grant for the Bellingham Technical College’s aquaculture science center; $350,000 EDI loan for the West Bakerview overpass project. AB2012-039 (Ordinance 2012-004) Adopted 7-0
