City News

City Offices will be closed on Tuesday, December 24th and Wednesday, December 25th. City Offices will be open again for regular business hours on Thursday, December 26th.

As always, please dial 9-1-1 for emergencies.

Happy holidays from the City of Ferndale!

The City of Ferndale provides publicly funded attorney representation to indigent defendants with a right to counsel at City expense.

The City of Ferndale currently has one Public Defender who fills the position at 100% of a full-time caseload, or approximately 260 cases per year, and is seeking one position at 50% of a full-time caseload, or approximately 130 cases per year, pro-rated based on the contract’s start date.  Alternative divisions of caseload and/or number of positions may be considered in order to achieve 1.5 total positions. The City anticipates that one or both contracts will be extended for multiple years, and that the half-time position may increase over time with overall City case volume.

Annual compensation for a full-time caseload ranges from $120,000 to $150,000 per year, depending on experience.  Half-time contracts are pro-rated based on the percentage of the full-time caseload, beginning at $60,000.  Contractors are responsible for all overhead such as support staff, rent, and other costs of doing business.  If interested, follow the application procedures below.

Minimum Qualifications

A qualified applicant must:

• Be a licensed member of good standing with the Washington State Bar
• Meet Washington State Supreme Court Standards for Indigent Defense 14.3
• Demonstrate a commitment to indigent defense
• Possess experience or interest in how race, gender, national origin, disability, and class intersect to create disparities for individuals experiencing state intervention in their lives, and a willingness to challenge the City on issues of bias and prejudice.
• Provide representation with energy, enthusiasm and a commitment to trauma-informed, anti-racist, intersectional, non-judgmental advocacy throughout the case
• Be responsive to and communicate clearly with clients who are often under great stress

Preferred Qualifications

The City will prefer applicants who:

• Reside or work in Whatcom County, or have the ability to attend Ferndale Municipal Court in person on Tuesday and Friday mornings.
• Have the capacity to support additional caseload and compensation to reflect anticipated State caseload limitations.

Applications will be accepted until January 31, 2025. To apply, email a letter of interest identifying your qualifications, a resume, and a writing sample.

Letters of interest should describe the applicant’s current contracts for public defense or other representation as well as existing caseload, specifying the number and type of cases currently carried, including private practice commitments, if any.

Email Materials to:

Susan Duncan, Administrative Services Director:  susanduncan@cityofferndale.org

Please address any questions to Susan Duncan at the above email address.

The City of Ferndale reserves the right to amend this Request for Qualifications and reserves the right to refrain from contracting with any and all applicants. This Request for Qualifications does not obligate the City of Ferndale to contract for the services specified here.

City Hall will be closing at 12:00 p.m. on Wednesday, December 4th due to City Hall’s heater unit being replaced and the potential emission of smoke and fumes associated with the installation. City Hall will be open again for regular business hours on Thursday, December 5th. We apologize for any inconvenience. As always, dial 9-1-1 for emergencies.

City of Ferndale Seeks Applications for Association of Washington Cities Center for Quality Communities Scholarship

The City of Ferndale is now accepting applications for the Association of Washington Cities (AWC) Center for Quality Communities (CQC) scholarship. The scholarship is available through a statewide competitive process for high school seniors who are active in leadership in their city government, community, or school and plan to pursue post-secondary education in fall 2025.

The CQC is awarding up to three $3,000 scholarships in 2025. Scholarship recipients also receive a travel stipend to attend AWC’s Annual Conference in Kennewick, Washington, in June 2025.

To be eligible as a first-time applicant, a student must be:

• A Washington resident;
• Graduating from high school, completing homeschooling, or receiving a GED in spring/summer 2025;
• Planning to continue their education at an accredited college or trade school in the 2025-2026 academic year on a half-time or more basis; and
• Active in leadership in their city government, community, or school, either now or in the past.

Information and application materials can be found on the CQC website (https://wacities.org/cqc-home/scholarships). Completed applications are due to the City of Ferndale no later than Monday, January 13, 2025.

Applications may be dropped off in person to Ferndale City Hall at 2095 Main St., or by email with the subject line “CQC Scholarship” to Communications and Community Relations Officer Megan Juenemann, at meganjuenemann@cityofferndale.org.

The AWC Center for Quality Communities is a 501(c)(3) partner with the nonprofit Association of Washington Cities. The Center’s goal is to help residents understand the important role cities and towns play in Washington and to grow leaders and healthy, resilient quality communities. The Center promotes municipal leadership development and civic engagement and works to support students who demonstrate community leadership and commitment to their city.

For questions or more information, please contact the City of Ferndale’s Communications and Community Relations Officer, Megan Juenemann at (360) 685-2353 or meganjuenemann@cityofferndale.org.