Frequently Asked Questions

Welcome to the frequently asked question page. Browse the categories to find an answer; if it is not listed please contact us by clicking on the 'Submit a question?' link below. Thank you.

General

Where is City Hall?

City Hall is located on the southwest corner of Main Street and Fourth Avenue at 2095 Main Street.

Is the Ferndale oil refinery still in operation? If not, is it still physically there?

There are two refineries in existence and operating in northwest Whatcom County outside Ferndale's City limits, near Cherry Point. BP has a Blaine address and Conoco Philips has a Ferndale mailing address. If you are interested in learning more about either facility, you may want to look up their websites. There is also an aluminum refinery located west of Ferndale, called Intalco Aluminum.

City Council

How can I find out which Councilmember represents my neighborhood and me?

All Council members in the City of Ferndale are "at-large", meaning you can contact any of the seven Council members, or the Mayor, with an issue. Their contact information can be found on the website by clicking on the links above, or by calling City Hall at (360) 384-4302.

I'd like to keep up with what's going on in the City, but I don't have time to attend a Council meeting. What's the best way to keep up on things?

There are several good ways to stay informed on what's happening in the City. If you can't attend meetings, the City's website is a great resource. Upcoming City Council Agendas and past City Council Meeting Minutes are posted on the website. The Ferndale Record Journal, which is the City's official newspaper, almost always covers the Council meetings and follows up with related stories. They also publish all legal ads related to public hearings, passed ordinances, project status, etc.

Can the City keep all the Citizens better informed?

The City has put in place several new informational sources. Our web site is continuing to under go improvements and upgrades. We have a great deal of information that the public can interact with and keep up with what we are working on at City Government. We began two years ago to publish a newsletter and it has gone out quarterly to the public and those that have signed up for the newsletter. It is also available on the City's web site. Interested persons are invited to sign up for our email distribution list. We also publish legal notices and guest columns in the Ferndale Record Journal and the Bellingham Herald as required and available to us.

Maps

Can I have a custom map done?

Yes, certainly, but give suitable notice please! The GIS Specialist needs at least 24 hours notice for a custom map, maybe longer depending on the complexity of the map. Please call (360) 384-4006 to speak with the GIS Specialist.

Can I get all the City's GIS Data on a CD?

Yes and No. Depending on your needs the GIS Office can provide you with data. We cannot, however, provide a complete download of all our GIS data. It is too comprehensive. When making a request please provide very specific information of which spatial data you need for your project.

Can I get a digital aerial photo of the City?

Yes. The city has digital aerial orthophotographs of the City and its urban growth area. It can be purchased from our department on CD. Please contact the Planning and Building Deparment for additional information.

Municipal Court and Police Department

Where is court held?

Court is held at the City Hall Annex located one block north of Main Street at 5694 Second Avenue.

Where is the Police Department?

The Police Department is located one block south of Main Street at 5640 Third Avenue.

Permits, Development and Construction

Do I need an appointment to submit my permit application?

Yes, please contact the Building Department at (360) 384-4006 (if you receive our voice mail, please be sure to speak clearly and slowly when leaving your information, especially when leaving your phone number) to schedule a time to submit your permit application. The Building Department hours are from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The building permit applications have instructions to ensure that you will be submitting properly completed forms. Please be considerate of our Building Department's time by coming to your appointment on time and prepared with a properly completed application. Applications that are not complete at time of appointment will not be accepted.

Why should minimum safety codes apply to my own house?

For several reasons: For your personal safety and that of your family and guests invited into your home. To ensure the economic well-being of the community by reducing potential spread of fire and disease. For the conservation of energy. To protect future home purchasers who deserve reasonable assurance that the home they buy will be safe (did you know that a home is resold every five to seven years, on average?).

Why are building codes needed?

Everyone - whether in homes, offices, schools, stores, factories or places of entertainment. We rely on the safety of structures that surround us in our everyday living. The public need for protection from disaster due to fire, structural collapse and general deterioration underscores the need for modern codes and their administration.

Why do buildings need to be inspected during construction?

It is the only way to verify independently that code compliance has been achieved. Did you know that before you moved into your home, office or factory, and average of ten inspections had been made to verify conformity to minimum standards affecting electrical safety and sanitation as well as structural, fire and the like?

Permit Applications: Do I have the most current application form?

Our application forms can change from time-to-time in order to serve our public in a more efficient manner as well as comply with code. If you are submitting an outdated application, your application may be rejected because it does not meet the current business standard and/or code. The City recommends that you call to confirm that you have the most current application.

Traffic and Utilities

Why is there a city "law" that says I must sign up for garbage pick up? It's cheaper for me to haul my own garbage to the dump.

Most municipalities in the state of Washington "mandate" that residents have garbage pick up service, including the City of Ferndale. It comes down to a health and safety issue. Before these laws came into effect, some households would let their garbage accumulate (in their yards or vehicles) to the point that rodents would become big problems in the neighborhood. Also, dogs and other animals would often spread the garbage to neighboring properties, and fall and winter winds would further aggravate the problem. Mandatory garbage service eliminates a multitude of serious health problems, keeps property values up, and makes for good neighbors.

What are we doing about the traffic on Main Street in Ferndale?

The traffic is one of the most asked about issue in the City. There is no doubt it is a very important one. There are several proposals dealing with reducing the traffic. One has been around for a number of years are a connecter from East end of Thornton Road over the BNSF Railroad and down to Portal way near the south bound ramps to I-5. BNSF is responsible for the construction of the parallel road from Portal way to Thornton and the City is responsible for the road improvements from Thornton to the parallel service road. The BNSF portion is tied up in some issues with right of way and their reluctance to move forward until all of the issues are solved. We are working to clear up their issues but we do not have all the concerns cleared up at this time. We continue to work on those issues. The next concern is funding for a bridge over the railroad right of way. Cost is estimated to be in excess of twenty million dollars. Those funds are difficult to find from outside sources. We hope to have some State and Federal help and are working with our elected representatives to secure funding for a future bridge. The City Council has been supportive of these efforts and we continue to deal with the bureaucratic conditions that all of these major projects put in our path of progress.

Are we going to have a Smith Road I-5 interchange?

The decision for a new interchange is in the hands of Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT). They have completed a study to determine the truck traffic flow form Canada and have not released a final report with their recommendation. The potential for a Retail/Residential facility east of Barrett Road and south of Axton that could be serviced by a new interchange may play into the decision for a new interchange. We do not have a more definitive answer at this time we will keep the public informed as we learn more from WSDOT.

What is one-call utility locate service?

It is a service that will locate underground utilities in order to prevent damage or injury. Before digging, you must (it's the law!) call the Utilities Underground Location Center at (800) 424-5555. Website: http://www.callbeforeyoudig.com/

Motorists speed through our neighborhood. Will the City install a stop sign at some intersections to help slow traffic?

A stop sign is one of our most valuable and effective control devices when used at the right place and under the right conditions. It is intended to help drivers and pedestrians at an intersection decide who has the right-of-way. One common misuse of stop signs is to arbitrarily interrupt through traffic, either by causing it to stop, or by causing such an inconvenience as to force the traffic to use other routes. Where stop signs are installed as "nuisances" or "speed breakers," there is high incidence of intentional violation. In those locations where vehicles do stop, the speed reduction is effective only in the immediate vicinity of the stop sign and, frequently, speeds are actually higher between intersections. For these reasons, it should not be used as a speed control device. Municipalities are required to follow very specific rules and regulations when installing traffic control devices, including stop signs. These requirements are outlined within the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) and ensure that there is consistency for drivers, regardless of where they're traveling within the United States. The manual directs that stop signs are not to be used for the primary purpose of speed control. Please contact the Ferndale Police Department at (360) 384-3390 to request radar patrol.

Why does chlorine smell stronger in my water during certain times?

The City chlorinates to a level of 1.5 parts per million as water enters the distribution system. This level is consistently monitored by the City and does not change except in extreme cold weather conditions. At certain times our customers will tell us that their water smells more like chlorine than others times. Generally it will be in the summer months when the water is the warmest or in extremely cold weather months. Putting water in a refrigerator will help chlorine to dissipate, and the water will taste better.

Where does our water come from? And how does the City treat our drinking water?

The City of Ferndale utilizes the Nooksack River for our water source. Whatcom County Public Utility District #1, who we purchase raw water from, draws the water from the river and uses screening, flocculation, coagulation and sedimentation process. This process causes impurities in the water to clump together and be removed before the water enters the City of Ferndale's in line filtration plant. The water than enters the raw well where it is lightly pre-chlorinated before it is pumped up into reactors where it is mixed with a filter aid before entering the filters. The water flows by gravity through eight large filters of anthracite coal, silica sand, garnet, coarse sand, and gravel. The filtered water is post-chlorinated and gravity flows into the clear well were it waits to be pumped to the reservoirs and the distribution system

Should I buy bottled water?

It is important to remember that in the U.S. bottled water is less strictly regulated than municipal drinking water. This means that water treatment providers such as the City of Ferndale actually test their water for more substances than the manufactures of bottled water do! You don't need to buy bottled water for health reasons as long as the City's water meets all of the federal and state drinking water standards (AND IT DOES). If you like the convenience of bottled water, realize it costs up to 1,000 times more than your tap water does. According to Co-op America, as much as 40 percent of bottled water is actually bottled tap water, most of the time with additional treatment, though sometimes not. Remember, if you use bottled water, treat it like a food and refrigerate after opening.

Is water safe to drink if it has chlorine in it?

Chlorine is the most common disinfectant used in the United States. It is used by 75% of large water systems and 95% of smaller systems. Chlorine has been applied since 1902 to kill germs in drinking water. The level of chlorine used is sufficient to kill germs but not sufficient to hurt a human. As a matter of fact, the chlorination of public water supply was listed by Time magazine as one of the 50 greatest achievements of the 19th century, leading to great success in reducing water-borne disease.

When will my street be swept?

The City sweeps on Fridays and rotates through the various areas of the City. Sometimes we sweep more often, especially after it's snowed to remove sand off the streets. Depending on the location, some areas get swept more frequently than others. For example, downtown, where there is more traffic (and therefore, more debris on the street), gets swept more frequently than residential subdivisions. However, regardless of the frequency, the City will return to sweep your area once that it is next in line in the rotation.

Why is the sewer portion of my bill higher than the water portion?

Your home is serviced by two City systems: The water system and the sewer system. Since the sewer system is actually more expensive to maintain than the water system, the sewer portion of the bill will always be higher. Your sewer charge is based on the amount of water used. For more information about your utility bill, please go to our Utility Billing Page.

My bill is measured per 100 cubic feet. What is a cubic foot?

A cubic foot equals 7.48 gallons, so for every 100 cubic feet of consumption, you will have used 748 gallons of water. To give you an idea of how this translates: If you were to run your water hose at high pressure for 70 minutes, you will have used about 100 cubic feet (748 gallons) of water.

My water bill was really high because I had a leak, which I fixed. Is there any way I can get an adjustment?

Adjustments are possible for single-family residences. If the City suspects a water leak, customers are notified via a "Leak Notification Letter". If the leak is fixed within 10 days of said letter, and if there have been no other leaks during the past twelve months, an adjustment will be made based on you winter average usage plus 10 cents per 100 cubic feet of the overage. Also, the usage must be at least 300 cubic feet over your average consumption. All you need to do is fill out our application for an adjustment to your water/sewer bill; this is available at City Hall. If the City did not notify you and you found the leak on your own, promptly contact the Utility Billing Clerk. The application for an adjustment to your water/sewer bill will need to be completed, plus copies of any receipts for costs incurred in fixing your leak.

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