News | Page 39 | City of Ferndale

Summary of April 15th, 2019 Council Meeting

Council Materials can be found here

City Council Agenda Follow-Up April 15, 2019
CALL TO ORDER/FLAG SALUTE/ROLL CALL
PUBLIC COMMENT	INFO ONLY
CONSENT AGENDA Councilmember Taylor moved, and Councilmember K. Hansen seconded, to approve the consent agenda. MOTION CARRIED 7-0.	APPROVED
PRIVATE DEVELOPMENTS UPDATE Assistant Planner Jesse Ashbaugh presented updates on the following private projects: Everkept Short Plat – Located at 5924 Aspen Avenue. This is a .37-acre plot is being split into three lots. A lot line adjustment was required in order to increase the density enough to allow three units.Northwest Fence – Located at 5531 Hovander Road. Northwest Fence is moving from their current location on Pacific Highway to this 4.52-acre site. They will be putting two buildings on the site. Building A is 15,300 square feet and will be for offices and light manufacturing. Building B is 37,600 square feet and is for wholesale/retail and construction materials.Woodridge Long Plat – Located at 0 Heather Way, this plat is an eighteen-lot, 3.99 acres plat adjacent to Schell Creek. The homes built will be self-help homes through Whatcom-Skagit Housing for first time home owners.	INFO ONLY
PUBLIC HEARING: Downtown Catalyst Program Ordinance Beginning in the early 1980s, a succession of private or City-led groups have sought to address a decline in Ferndale’s downtown core. That decline has been attributed at various points to a change in shopping habits, increased traffic through Main Street, lack of parking, inappropriately sized buildings, lack of building maintenance, and more. Until the mid-2000s the majority of these efforts sought primarily to preserve or enhance existing buildings and businesses. Staff and Planning Commission have been working to establish a Downtown Catalyst Program wherein a small number of developments that meet criteria identified by the City would be eligible for a waiver of all City fees. Staff’s theory has been that such a project would have the ability, through its development, to positively influence properties and developments in the surrounding area, creating a more-vibrant Downtown that could be further improved without additional incentives. At the April 10 Planning & Land Use Committee meeting, several modifications to the original proposal were discussed. The draft being presented to Council at the April 15 meeting incorporates the direction provided at that meeting. Councilmember Xczar moved, and Councilmember Kennedy seconded, to approve the agenda bill. MOTION CARRIED 5-2, Councilmembers Olson and Watson opposed.	APPROVED
APPOINTMENTS: North Whatcom Poverty Task Force An ordinance adopting the formation of the North Whatcom Poverty Task Force was approved on February 19, 2019. The task force will conduct a needs assessment and present recommendations to Council regarding poverty in the Ferndale area. Mayor Council confirmation of the Mayor’s appointments to the task force is required. Councilmember Taylor moved, and Councilmember G. Hansen seconded, to approve the agenda bill. MOTION CARRIED 7-0.	APPROVED
ORDINANCE: Creating New Fund for Complete Streets Program Public Works Director Kevin Renz explained the need for the new fund for the $300,000 grant received from the Transportation Benefit District, through the Complete Streets Program. Councilmember G. Hansen moved, and Councilmember K. Hansen seconded, to approve the agenda bill. MOTION CARRIED 7-0.	APPROVED
DISCUSSION: Council Extra Meeting Reimbursement Mayor Mutchler introduced a proposal to add extra-meeting reimbursement to City Council compensation. Rather than raising Council salaries, this proposal provides for a $65 reimbursement for Council-approved liaison and inter-governmental assignments that are in addition to regular Council and Committee meetings, with a maximum of four meetings per month. The reimbursement would become effective for seats 1,2,3 and 4 in 2020, and Seats 5,6 and 7 in 2022. Councilmember Taylor moved, and Councilmember Kennedy seconded, to approve the agenda bill. MOTION FAILED 2 – 5, Councilmembers Taylor and Kennedy in favor.	FAILED
DISCUSSION: Mayor Salary In 1999, the City converted to a Council-Mayor form of government. Councilmember Xczar presented the history of the Mayor’s salary since that time. *Councilmember Xczar moved, and Councilmember K. Hansen seconded, to adjust the Mayor’s salary to $2,500 per month, beginning in 2020.* Councilmember Kennedy moved to amend the motion to adjust the Mayor’s salary to $2,500 per month, beginning May 1, 2019. MOTION DIED FOR LACK OF A SECOND. Councilmember Xczar moved, and Councilmember Kennedy seconded, to amend the motion to direct staff to bring an ordinance to the next meeting setting the Mayor’s salary at $2,500 per month, beginning January 1, 2020. MOTION CARRIED 4-3, Councilmembers Olson, Watson, and G. Hansen opposed.	APPROVED
RECOGNITION: Councilmember Fred Kennedy Mayor Mutchler presented Councilmember Kennedy with a plaque and a City centennial coin, and thanked him for his dedicated service as a Councilmember.	INFO ONLY
ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 9:19 p.m.

April 16, 2019

Boil Water Advisory LIFTED for North Portal Way Area (Updated)

4/6/19 – 3:40pm Update: Boil Advisory is lifted. Test results came back satisfactory – all clear for Ferndale Water.

4/5/18 – 8:40pm Update: Crews are working to restore service within the hour however the boil advisory will remain in effect through tomorrow (Sat. April 6th) as samples are tested for potential issues.

During an inspection this morning, public works staff identified a leak in the water main that services the north Portal Way area. The Public Works crew mobilized on site, identified the source of the leak to be a cracked 12-inch valve and began work to repair the line.

Starting at 3pm and continuing through till 8pm, customers in the area will experience disruptions in their water service.

As a result of this work, the City is issuing a boil water advisory as a precautionary measure. An advisory does not mean that the drinking water is contaminated, but rather that it could be contaminated, so precautions should be taken until drinking water quality testing can be completed to confirm that no bacterial contamination is present.

Under a boil water advisory, customers in the affected area (see map) should follow these guidelines:

Boil all drinking water. Tap water should be boiled vigorously for three minutes before using it to drink, cook, or prepare food. Let the water cool sufficiently before drinking.
Ice made with un-boiled tap water should not be used for drinking purposes.
Dishes and food contact surfaces may be disinfected using tap water that contains one teaspoon of household bleach per gallon.
The tap water is safe for other purposes such as bathing; however, small children should be discouraged from swallowing bath water.
Water boiled for drinking and cooking purposes may be used for brushing teeth.

Thanks to careful monitoring and strict safeguards, it is unlikely that drinking water quality would be compromised, this is simply a precautionary measure. The City will issue updates via our website and social media when this advisory is lifted.

For more information, please contact Chief Plant Operator Mike Olinger at (360) 384-4607 or mikeolinger@cityofferndale.org

April 5, 2019

Traffic Impacts on Main Street Bridge Weds. April 3rd

Washington State Department of Transportation will be conducting their annual inspection of Pioneer Bridge (our main bridge over the Nooksack River) Weds. April 3rd, starting at 11:30am and should be completed by 4pm.

During this work, traffic will be reduced to alternating, single lane traffic over the bridge. Public Works crew will be directing vehicles through the area.

Drivers are urged to obey all traffic direction and utilize alternate routes if possible. For more information, please contact Ferndale Public Works at (360) 384-4006.

April 2, 2019

Calling All Artists! Thornton Project Needs a Logo

Calling All Artists! Thornton Project Needs a Logo

The City of Ferndale is preparing to break ground on the new Thornton Street Overpass Project late summer/early fall 2019. This will be the largest public project since we built a bridge across the Nooksack.

You can be part of this major event! The City needs a logo to represent the project – something bold and uniquely Ferndale. The artist who designs the logo for this project will be invited to wield a golden shovel at the groundbreaking.

If you have an artistic eye or just a few ideas for a potential logo, send in your sketch, digital graphic or back of the napkin doodle to Communication Officer Riley Sweeney at rileysweeney@cityofferndale.org. Submissions are due by April 30^h, 2019.

April 1, 2019

City Opens Negotiations with Elsa, Mr. Freeze for a Milder Winter

Mayor Mutchler (left) with Ice Delegation

After several years of heavy snowfall, the City of Ferndale opened negotiations with Elsa and Mr. Freeze in an attempt to secure a milder winter for Ferndale.

“While we may have received a frosty reception in the past, I believe now icy a path forward,” said Mayor Jon Mutchler at the recent council meeting.

Though the glacial pace of negotiations may chill enthusiasm for this measure, the City believes tensions are thawing. When reached for comment, the delegation agreed that they had given Ferndale the “cold shoulder” but are ready to “let it go.”

Whether or not an agreement can be reached, the City will continue to prepare for inclement weather. Click the links below to learn more about what to do in a flood, snow or ice weather incident.

Flood Preparation

Snow and Ice Preparation

April 1, 2019

Free Movie Night – April 26th, 6:30pm

Grab your web-shooters because with great parks events comes great entertainment. Ferndale Parks will be showing Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse inside the Pioneer Pavilion (2007 Cherry St) on Friday, April 26th. Doors open at 6pm, movie starts at 6:30pm. Free popcorn and soda as we kick off our 2019 Summer of Fun.

For more information, please contact Recreation Coordinator Riley Sweeney at (360) 685-2353, or rileysweeney@cityofferndale.org.

March 28, 2019

Swing into Spring Swing Dance April 27th, 6:30pm

March 18, 2019

Plots Available at the Community Garden

Garden Plots Available at Ferndale Friendship Community Garden

The Ferndale Friendship Community Garden has garden plots available to rent for gardening season 2019.The garden is located behind Pioneer Park, near Star Park and the baseball fields. Yearly plot fees are sliding scale of $10 to $20, plus a $10 cleaning deposit, participation in two work days and helping maintain the garden.

In your own garden plot you can:

· Grow nutritious fresh food for your family

· Learn about organic gardening

· Reduce your food budget

· Have fun and garden with your family

For information about obtaining a plot, contact Gloria J. Perez at 360- 223-3836 or rainglo@comcast.net.

March 14, 2019

Public Notice Solicitation Of Professional Services

The City of Ferndale (pursuant to RCW 39.80) is soliciting statements of qualifications and performance data from engineering and/or architectural firms for providing general engineering and survey services for municipal applications including but not limited to sanitary sewer systems, storm drainage, water distribution systems, streets, geotechnical investigations and studies, and traffic engineering for the remainder of the 2019 calendar year. These qualifications and performance data will be placed on file and will be used as a source from which to select one or more qualified firms from whom a detailed proposal will be requested for any specific project.

Those firms who wish to submit shall provide one (1), Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) with a cover letter for each discipline of work they wish to be considered. The discipline of work needs to be stated in the cover letter.

Include SOQ point-of-contact information with e-mail address on each cover letter. The format of the SOQ is left to the discretion of the submitter. Submittals should not exceed (10) ten pages.

Those firms that have statements currently on file will need to resubmit to be included in the remainder of the 2019 calendar year. All SOQ’s will be placed on file and will be used to select qualified consultants for each particular project, as the need arises. Due to the ongoing nature of the projects throughout the year consultants not selected will not be notified. Failure to follow the format outlined above may result in disqualification and/or removal from the Consultant Roster.

Please submit Statements of Qualifications to the City of Ferndale Public Works Department, by mail; attention: Public Works Department, P.O. Box 936, Ferndale, WA 98248 or emailed to public-works@cityofferndale.org. The City of Ferndale encourages minority and women owned consultant firms to respond.

For questions, please contact the Public Works Department at public-works@cityofferndale.org or (360) 384-4006.

Following are the Disciplines of Work that the City will be accepting SOQs:

Architecture
Civil Engineering Design
Construction Management & Inspection
Cultural Resource Services
Electrical Engineering
Environmental Services
Geotechnical Engineering
Hydrogeology
Hydrology
Land Surveying and Survey Review
Landscape Architecture
Materials Testing & Inspection
Mechanical Engineering
Property Acquisition & Relocations
Property Appraisal
Property Review
ROW Services
Structural Engineering
Traffic & Transportation Engineering
Traffic Signalization
Transportation Planning
Utility Engineering
Water/Wastewater Engineering
Wetlands Delineation & Analysis

March 13, 2019

Threat Received at FHS, Deemed Not Credible

Ferndale High School and Ferndale Police Department, “Threat Not Credible”

At approximately 8:10 AM on Wednesday, March 13^th, a Ferndale High School student found and reported a note that contained a threat directed at the Ferndale High School Campus.

Ferndale High School Administrators began working with the Ferndale Police Department immediately and it is the opinion of law enforcement and school administration that the note does not pose a credible threat.

Any further investigation will focus on the origin of the note. Ferndale High School Administrators will continue working with the Ferndale Police Department to determine who may have authored the note.

The Ferndale School District would like to thank the student who reported the note and the team at the Ferndale Police Department for their assistance.