October-November 2006
Watching Government
Bellingham City Council
Compiled by Earl Dennis
Action Taken at August 14, 2006 Meeting
Shall the council:
201. Reject an initiative petition and authorize legal action to prevent the initiative from being placed on the general election ballot? On August 8, 2006, the Whatcom County auditor verified that the Healthy Bay Initiative had sufficient signatures to be placed on the November 7, 2006, ballot. The initiative calls for the maximum removal of mercury from the Whatcom Waterway and the former Georgia-Pacific sites. The council is concerned about unknown costs, the bill’s vague wording and over-emphasis on cleanup of the G-P and Whatcom Waterway sites while ignoring other sites. (AB17109) Petition rejected and legal action approved 6-0, Louise Bjornson excused.
202. Authorize the mayor to award low bids totaling $45,107 for water meter box lids? The A.B. Jaeger Company of Burlingon was the low bidder for #2 lids and the Ferrotek Corporation of Ferndale was the low bidder for #3 lids. Seventeen bids were solicited and three were received. (AB17118) Approved 6-0, Louise Bjornson excused.
203. Support the creation of a comprehensive stormwater management plan for the Lake Whatcom watershed? The Whatcom County Council passed a resolution creating a stormwater plan at the 8/8/06 meeting, vote number 166. The plan includes an inventory of present treatment facilities; construction and maintenance plan for new feasibilities; a 20-year capital improvement plan and financing. The plan shall be submitted to the City Council for adoption by 12/l/07. AB17115 (Resolution 2006-31) Approved 6-0, Louise Bjornson excused.
204. Grant final plat approval for Cypress Park (also known as Cedar Ridge Village) in the Puget Neighborhood? The 54-residence development is located in the 900 block of Nevada Street, north of Consolidation Avenue and east of Lincoln Street. The plat includes 36 town houses, eight attached single-family units, five cottages, two detached single-family units plus six tracts for open space, parking and access. AB17120 (Resolution 2006-32) Approved 6-0, Louise Bjornson excused.
205. Amend the Bellingham Municipal Code on water utility administration? This updates the chapter 15.08 to clarify the definition of irrigation water service and abandoned services and creates a new irrigation system development charge to improve the costs of the irrigation water service. It also covers applications for service, water service connections, required construction drawings, shutting off service and tampering. The new charge does not include fire flow costs that are normally included in water system development charge because fire flow is not needed for irrigation service and is 16 percent lower than the current charge. AB17009B (Ordinance 2006-08-81) Approved 6-0, Louise Bjornson excused.
206. Amend the Bellingham Municipal Code on sewer utility administration? Chapter 15.12 sets the rules and regulations for the city’s sewer utility. This amendment makes the provisions covering sewer connections consistent with those covering water connections, clarifies abandoned services, and updates the code for construction drawings and increases the septage waste dumping rates. The rate increase is expected to increase revenues for fiscal year 2006 by 10–12 percent. AB17010B (Ordinance 2006-08-82) Approved 6-0, Louise Bjornson excused.
207. Approve the rezone of 950 Lincoln from auto commercial to planned commercial? A public hearing was held at the 7/10/06 meeting, vote number 159; council directed city staff to prepare a rezone ordinance. The location is the old Mongolian Grill north of WWU’s park and ride lot. The rezone will allow added residential density without the need to make road improvements or add utilities. AB17045B (Ordinance 2006-08-83) Approved 6-0, Louise Bjornson excused.
208. Appropriate $20,000 for police officer uniforms and equipment? The expenditure is for 13 recently hired officers. The 2006 budget was approved prior to the authorization to hire new officers. AB17096 (Ordinance 2006-08-84) Approved 6-0, Louise Bjornson excused.
209. Appropriate a state grant of $70,000 and city funds of $4,590 for the Safe Routes to School program? The program goals are: protect children from traffic death and injuries, promote healthy lifestyles by increasing the number of students walking and biking to school, improve community awareness of school zones and pedestrian safety via improved walk and bike paths, increase police officer presence and a public education campaign. If the program is successful, it will be used throughout the Bellingham School District. AB17103 (Ordinance 2006-08-85) Approved 6-0, Louise Bjornson excused.
Action Taken at September 11, 2006 Meeting
Shall the council:
210. Authorize the mayor to sign an agreement with the state of Washington for cleanup of the central waterfront? The city is potentially liable for cleanup of the site, which includes the Roeder landfill. The agreement is necessary to begin the remedial investigation/feasibility study for the central waterfront. The Port of Bellingham, which is also potentially liable, will manage the project. Approved 7-0
211. Accept an annexation petition for approximately 12 acres to be known as the San Juan Boulevard/Yew Street Annexation? A notice of intention of annex will be forwarded to the Boundary Review Board. If the annexation is approved, the area will become part of the Whatcom Falls Neighborhood. A public hearing must be held prior to the final vote on annexation. (AB17129) Approved 7-0
212. Accept an annexation petition for approximately 124 acres to be known as the Aldrich Road/Horton Annexation? A notice of intention of annex will be forwarded to the Boundary Review Board. A public hearing must be held prior to the final vote on annexation. (AB17130) Approved 7-0
213. Appoint Tim Douglas as temporary mayor? The current mayor, Mark Asmundson has resigned effective November 1, 2006. The council agreed that the replacement should either be a current or former elected official. Tim Douglas was mayor of Bellingham from 1984 through 1996; he will not be a candidate for mayor in 2007. (AB17132) Approved 4-3, Gene Knutson, John Watts and Bob Ryan opposed.
214. Reject the single bid for the Bayview Cemetery mausoleum repair project? Ebenal General of Bellingham submitted a bid of $100,351, which was significantly over the estimated cost of $50,000 and the $70,000 budgeted for it. Further, the bidder was non-responsive in two areas: 1) references for the specific work and 2) did not complete the section detailing proposed procedures and techniques. Twenty-six bids were solicited and one was received. (AB17135) Approved 7-0
215. Authorize the mayor to award the sole bid of $189,210 to General Construction Co. of Everett for an upgrade at the sewer treatment plant? The project will improve the power at the facility’s oxygen aeration basin with new conduit, motors, gears and variable frequency drives. Sixty-six bids were solicited and one was received. (AB17137) Approved 7-0
216. Authorize the mayor to award the low bid of $1.96 per pound to Roger Langeliers Construction of Hillsboro, OR, for asphalt pavement crack sealing? The maximum amount of the contract is $120,000. The bid covers labor, equipment and materials for the installation of the sealant to prevent water from undermining pavement and to help prevent potholes. This bid is $.11 per pound less than the low bid in 2004 (8/16/04, vote number 170). Thirty bids were solicited and two were received. (AB17139) Approved 7-0
217. Appropriate $6,157,8225 for goods and services checks issued from July 28 through August 25, 2006? (AB17140/17141/17142/17143) Approved 7-0
218. Appropriate $5,140,197 for city payroll checks issued from July 16 through August 15, 2006? (AB17144/17145) Approved 7-0
219. Set new fees for parks and recreation department facilities? The fees will be effective January 1, 2007, will result in a revenue increase of approximately of $11,315 and will not cover all the operation and maintenance of the facilities. The fees were last increased at the 12/8/03 meeting, vote number 205. AB17128 (Resolution 2006-33) Approved 7-0
220. Restructure staff in the human resources department and implement a new information system? Restructure two vacated staff positions, increase two staff members’ hours to full-time, reclassify one staff member as financial technician and fill two temporary positions, one full-time and one part-time. The new information system will streamline the business process and provide for a more efficient management of information. AB17111 (Ordinance No. 2006-09-86) Approved 7-0
221. Appropriate $435,000 for the claims and litigation fund? A recent out-of-court settlement was $400,000 (8/7/06 meeting, vote number 188) and $35,000 is for Safford Frey of Seattle (2/27/06 meeting, vote number 36) to defend the city. Liability insurance is expected to reimburse the city from $70,000 to $100,000. AB17112 (Ordinance 2006-09-87) Approved 7-0
222. Amend Bellingham Municipal Code to comply with a new state law on civil infractions? The state law decriminalized a refusal to sign traffic or other civil infractions and makes it a misdemeanor. AB17113 (Ordinance 2006-09-88) Approved 7-0
223. Appropriate $5,500 for the Domestic Violence Commission? The city and Whatcom County agreed to contribute $50,000 each to cover the commission’s operating costs. The city’s 2006 budget approved $44,500; this appropriation covers the difference. AB17117 (Ordinance 2006-09-89) Approved 7-0
224. Approve an emergency ordinance to block all new applications to build or expand retail outlets to more than 100,000 square feet and establish plans to review and develop regulations for these types of establishments? Not assigned an AB (agenda bill) number (Ordinance 2006-09-90) Approved 5-2, John Watts and Bob Ryan opposed
Action Taken at September 18, 2006 Meeting
Shall the council:
225. Authorize the mayor to award the lowest responsive bid of $379,080 to Benz Air Engineering of Issaquah to install vehicle exhaust systems at six Bellingham fire stations? The system will remove carbon monoxide from inside the stations. At the 6/5/06 meeting, vote number 132, all bids (four) for installation of the system were rejected. It was put up for rebidding, 36 bids were solicited and six were received. Bids one through four were declared non-responsive; the fifth lowest bid was the most responsive. The fire department received a federal grant of $303,288 for the system; the city is responsible for the remaining $75,792. (AB17138B) Approved 6-0, Barbara Ryan excused.
226. Authorize the mayor to award the low bid of $34,147 to Bainbridge Associates of Olalla, WA, for sewer flow meters? Twenty-five bids were solicited and two were received. (AB17149) Approved 6-0, Barbara Ryan excused.
227. Reject the sole bid for Mount Baker Theatre lobby doors? The bid ($39,566) exceeded the budget. Nineteen bids were solicited and one was received. (AB17149) Approved 6-0, Barbara Ryan excused.
228. Appropriate $2,646,463 for city payroll checks issued from August 16 through August 31, 2006? (AB17150) Approved 6-0, Barbara Ryan excused.
229. Appropriate $1,868,141 for goods and services checks issued from August 25 through September 8, 2006? (AB17151/17152) Approved 6-0, Barbara Ryan excused.
230. Reclassify the Parking Services Coordinator position? A job audit changed the title to Parking Services Manager and duties were added — Depot Market Square event coordination and management, city wide parking patrols instead of a downtown focus, and increased responsibility for decision making, media communications and parking policy recommendations. The changes are retroactive July 1, 2004, without changes to wages and benefits. Next year, changes will cost an additional $3,249 and the top end of the salary range for the position will increase by $11,388. AB17121 (Ordinance 2006-09-91) Approved 6-0, Barbara Ryan excused.
231. Appropriate $402,000 for legal and environmental fees? The city sued its insurance carriers for environmental liabilities and some have settled (see 2/27/06 meeting, vote number 37, 4/24/06 meeting, vote number 96 and 7/10/06 meeting, vote number 158). To continue the effort, $350,000 is appropriated for legal fees and $52,000 for the first year of the Holly Street landfill remediation-monitoring project. AB17122 (Ordinance 2006-09-92) Approved 6-0, Barbara Ryan excused.
232. Convert a fire department’s dispatcher position from part-time to full-time? This position is budgeted for 2006 but is unfilled due to its part-time status. Dispatcher turnover and time off require that the position become full-time to provide the personnel for 24/7 operations. There will be no financial impact in 2006 but the position will have yearly costs of $58,200 starting in 2007. AB17123 (Ordinance 2006-09-93) Approved 6-0, Barbara Ryan excused.
233. Authorize the expenditure of $112,435 from the Whatcom Medic One fund for paramedic training? Five to six paramedics are expected to either retire or be promoted in 2006; an additional two to three are expected to either retire or be promoted in 2007. Replacement training takes 18 months, necessitating beginning training sooner than was originally identified in the countywide EMS plan. This vote also reinstates an EMS captain position functioning as class instructor for the six enrolled students. AB17125 (Ordinance 2006-09-94) Approved 6-0, Barbara Ryan excused.
