Bellingham City Council

Action Taken at February 10, 2014 Meeting

Shall the council:

15. Appropriate $3,340,244 for goods and services checks issued from January 17 through January 30, 2014? AB20313/20314) Approved 7-0

16. Appropriate $2,738,914, for payroll checks issued from January 11 through January 24, 2014? (AB20315) Approved 7-0

17. Close the Little Squalicum/Oeser Settlement Fund? The City Council created the fund at the 1/7/2006 meeting, vote #6 to clean up the Little Squalicum Creek area. The Oeser Company contributed $500,000 to the trust to clean up the contaminated park site adjacent to the company property. The mayor applied for a $500,000 state grant to match the Oeser grant. The Oeser Company also signed an agreement with the EPA and deposit $8.6 million into two trusts to clean up polluted company property. The federal government has spent $14 million to investigate and clean up contaminated company property since it was designated a Superfund site in 1997.The settlement money were disbursed so the fund is no longer needed. AB20272 (Ordinance 2014-02-001) Approved 7-0

18. Close the Squalicum Park/Olympic Fund? This fund was created at the 1/12/ 2004 meeting, vote #5, to manage a $4 million settlement for natural resource protection and restoration in the Olympic Pipeline disaster. The Shell Oil Co. was fined a total of $5 million for the 1999 pipeline rupture and explosion. This settlement cannot be spent for 50 years, but the interest will be spent to fund stream and shoreline projects in the city. The $1,000,000 was used to develop Squalicum Park. AB20288 (Ordinance 2014-02-002) Approved 7-0

19. Appropriate an additional $57,000 for two part-time employees in the police department? The funds will be used to provide for the addition of a police support services specialist in the police records group and an accounting technician in the police administration group. Addition of these positions will allow greater citizen access to the police department Lobby and provide internal accounting services needed as a result of the pending classification of the current accounting technician. AB20280 (Ordinance 2014-02-003) Approved 7-0

Action Taken at February 24, 2014 Meeting

Shall the council:

20. Authorize the mayor to sign agreements with the Lake Whatcom Water and Sewer District to finance the Lake Whatcom 2014 aquatic invasive species boat inspection program? Total program costs are expected to be $350,000, with the city of Bellingham at approximately $100,000. The agreement will run from 2/15/2014 through 12/31/2014. (AB20320) Approved 7-0

21. Authorize the mayor to sign an agreement with the Lake Whatcom Water & Sewer District for sewage services? City and district staff developed a new wholesale sewer services agreement that provides equity in costs between city and district customers, predictability in rates, and a fair share of capital improvements, while ensuring long-term stability. Also included are measures to protect Lake Whatcom water quality. (AB20322) Approved 7-0

22. Authorize the mayor to sign an agreement with Whatcom County to finance the 2014 Lake Whatcom aquatic invasive species boat inspection program? Public Works will provide these services on behalf of the Lake Whatcom Management Program. The agreement will run from 4/1/2014 through 12/31/2014 with $70,000 a maximum amount payable by the county. (AB20321) Approved 5-2, Terry Bornemann, Jack Weiss opposed

23. Appropriate $3,176,544 for goods and services checks issued from January 31 through February 13, 2014? (AB20327/20328) Approved 7-0

24. Appropriate $2,797,256 for payroll checks issued from January 25 through February 10, 2014? (AB20329) Approved 7-0

25. Increase the user fee for the Clean Green transfer facility and provide a slight decrease in the operating season? User fee increases are needed to attempt to keep the $300,000 program fully funded. Effective 4/1/2014, the fee increases from $5.00 per load to $10.00 per load. The facility will be open on Saturdays and Sundays from 8:30 a.m. To 4:00 p.m. From 3/1/2014 through 10/26/2014. The 2014 budget provides $25,000 in solid waste funding from the city to match the county’s 2014 contribution of $25,000. AB20316 (Resolution 2014-05) Amended and approved 6-1, Cathy Lehman opposed.

26. Increase Bayview Cemetery rates? Currently, the annual cost of maintenance and operations is $566,758, far exceeding revenue of $345,278. An approximate 10 percent increase in fees will generate approximately $27,000 in 2014. AB20323 (Resolution 2014-06) Approved 7-0

27. Urge the Congress of the United States to restore the presumption of a service connection for Agent Orange exposure to United States veterans who served in the waters and airspace of the combat zone? The United States Congress passed the Agent Orange Act of 1991 to address the plight of veterans exposed to herbicides while serving in the Republic of Vietnam between 1962 and 1975. Pursuant to the 2001 directive, the United States Department of Veterans Affairs policy has denied the presumption of a service connection for herbicide-related illnesses to Vietnam veterans who cannot furnish written documentation that they had “boots on the ground” in-country, making it impossible for countless Navy veterans exposed to dangerous airborne toxins to claim benefits. AB20324 (Resolution 2014-07) Approved 7-0

28. Amend the budget in the amount of $335,000 in unanticipated grant funds for the Lincoln Street/Maple to Byron project? A state grant of $270,000 was from the Transportation Improvement Board, Western Washington University contributed $50,000 and Whatcom Transportation Authority contributed $15,000. Sidewalks will be installed along the east side of Lincoln Street between Byron Avenue and Ashley Street, adjacent to the Lincoln Street park-n-ride facility. AB20294 (Ordinance 2014-02-004) Approved 7-0

29. Amend the budget in the amount of a $650,000 indirect federal grant for the James/Woodstock intersection improvement project? The funds will improve the James/Woodstock intersection to full arterial street standards. These funds are contingent upon the W. Illinois extension project closing with at least $650,000 of surface transportation program funds remaining unused. AB20295 (Ordinance 2014-02-005) Approved 7-0

30. Amend the budget in the amount of $2,250,000 for the Mahogany Avenue/Arctic Avenue project? The funds are a state grant from the Washington State Transportation Improvement Board. Mahogany Avenue is situated north of Bakerview and construction is scheduled for 2016. It will provide an east-west arterial between Pacific Highway and Northwest Drive. AB20296 (Ordinance 2014-02-006) Approved 7-0

31. Amend Bellingham Municipal Code relating to wholesale sewer services outside city limits? This vote replaces old sections of the code with the requirement that all new contracts mandate compliance with the Growth Management Act and other state laws pertaining to the extension of sewer services to districts or associations in rural areas, bringing city code into alignment with state law while retaining flexibility for the city to impose additional contractual limitations on the provision of sewer services in rural areas, as tailored to the circumstances of each contract. AB20297 (Ordinance 2014-02-007) Approved 7-0

32. Add a new custodial maintenance worker position at various facilities? This vote appropriates an additional $48,172 for a custodian at the library, city hall, museum and fire department buildings. AB20302 (Ordinance 2014-02-008) Approved 7-0

33. Reclassify a position in the Public Works Department? The reclassification of office assistant II to administrative secretary is necessary to provide support to the natural resources division. No additional appropriation will be required. AB20303 (Ordinance 2014-02-009) Approved 7-0

34. Change a limited-term position to a full-time position in the Public Works Department? The limited-term engineering technician position will end on 4/16/2014, it will be converted to a full-time position due to the ongoing nature of the work being performed. No additional funds will be required. AB20304 (Ordinance 2014-02-010) Approved 7-0

35. Reclassify positions in the legal department? This vote will add the deputy city attorney title to the budgeted positions list, reclassify a legal assistant position to a legal program technician, and split one full-time position into two part-time positions. No additional appropriation or reallocation of funds are required for 2014. AB20305 (Ordinance 2014-02-011) Approved 7-0

36. Amend the Bellingham Municipal Code relating to the aquatic invasive species prevention program? The amendments ratify minor issues with the definitions of watercraft adding sail boats, row boats, kayaks, canoes and barges. The use and availability of permits and passes and hours of operation for check stations. AB20308 (Ordinance 2014-02-012) Approved 7-0