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Click here for Council Meeting Materials

 City Council Agenda Follow-Up October 21, 2019  
APPROVAL OF AGENDA Councilmember Hansen moved, and Councilmember Bersch seconded, to excuse Councilmember Olson. MOTION CARRIED 6-0. Councilmember Bersch moved, and Councilmember Taylor  seconded, to approve the agenda as presented. MOTION CARRIED 6-0. APPROVED
PUBLIC COMMENT INFO ONLY
CONSENT AGENDA Councilmember Hansen moved, and Councilmember Bishop seconded, to approve the consent agenda. MOTION CARRIED 6-0.    APPROVED
PROCLAMATION: Mental Health Awareness Month   INFO ONLY  
PRESENTATION: Brian Enslow, City Lobbyist City Lobbyist Brian Enslow presented a preview of the 2020 legislative session.     INFO ONLY
CAPITAL PROJECTS UPDATE Public Works Project Manager Katy Radder presented an update on the following capital projects:   Ferndale Terrace – Currently in the design phase and determining the road alignmentNordic to Scout Water Line – Design review is 90% completePump Station #19 Decommissioning – Easement documents have been signed and the project is moving forward with the design phaseThornton Road- Vista to Malloy – Statements of Qualifications have been submitted and are currently under reviewThornton Road Overpass – The project will go out to bid this week with an anticipated bid opening date of November 21               INFO ONLY
DISCUSSION: LaBounty Signs The City was approached by Whatcom County resident Debbie LaBounty with a request to remove and replace several signs to reflect the capitalization of her family’s name; Ms. LaBounty indicated that her family believes the road was originally named after her grandparents. The signs are located at the intersections of Smith and Nordic, Slater and Seahawk, and east and westbound Main Street intersections. Replacement of the signs utilizing the capitalization preferred by the LaBounty family would require that all six signs be replaced. The current draft of the 2020 budget does not have funding identified for replacement of these signs. At the Public Works & Utilities Committee meeting on October 16, committee members forwarded this item to the full Council for further discussion, with a recommendation of approval of up to $2,000 in the 2020 budget to replace the signs. Councilmember Jensen moved, and Councilmember Bersch seconded, to approve the agenda bill. MOTION CARRIED 6-0.                 APPROVED
RESOLUTION: Affordable Housing In 2019 the Washington State Legislature, through SHB 1406, established a process through which the local governing body of a city or county could collect sales tax for the purpose of funding affordable housing-related projects. SHB 1406 does not increase sales tax rates; rather, it reduces the amount of sales tax collected by Washington State and returns it to the local jurisdiction(s) for these specific purposes. It appears that a significant majority of local jurisdictions will take advantage of this new process. This program is expected to have a ten-year duration.   Whatcom County, Bellingham, and the small cities have discussed the fact that Whatcom County currently acts as the regional distributor of shared funds, in a variety of capacities. As a result, the County has existing processes, procedures, and seated bodies that may be able to reduce overhead as compared to collection and disbursement by individual cities, and may be able to consolidate revenues in a manner that has a more-meaningful regional impact. This regional approach would provide the ability for the funds to be used in a manner that is most effective, and may provide the ability to concentrate regional funding either on an ongoing basis or on a project-by-project basis to create meaningful assistance.   It is estimated that Ferndale’s share of the total taxable revenues, based on 2018 taxable sales, would be approximately $36,500 per year. In total, if all jurisdictions participate together and consolidate, the County would collect and disburse approximately $660,000 per year.   The Whatcom County Council is prepared to act on the proposed tax but cannot take action until all participating jurisdictions have first agreed not to impose the tax themselves. The resolution that was presented to Council on September 16 has been modified slightly to include new “whereas” statements addressing the composition of the advisory committee, and describing the City’s expectations for the equitable distribution of the affordable housing taxes amongst the small cities, particularly Ferndale. Councilmember Jensen moved, and Councilmember Hansen seconded, to approve the agenda bill. MOTION CARRIED 6-0.                         APPROVED
MAYOR REPORTS/COMMENTS Information only. COUNCIL REPORTS/COMMENTS Information only. DEPARTMENT REPORTS Information only.       INFO ONLY
ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 7:07 p.m.