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City News

Help Needy Families in Ferndale with the Holiday Giving Store

Did you know that the Ferndale Holiday Giving Store provides gifts and warm clothing to nearly 1,000 children living in poverty in Ferndale and Custer? Gifts are free to families who qualify, enabling those children to wake up Christmas morning with something special for them under the tree.   Did you know the Holiday Giving Store relies entirely on donations?

To participate, simply come to City Hall and pick an ornament from the tree. Each ornament lists a specific item for purchase.  All you need to do is purchase the item(s) and place it in the Holiday Giving Store Box next to the Christmas tree. You don’t even need to wrap it! Donations are accepted through December 14.

Please consider supporting the Holiday Giving Store, a program of the Ferndale Community Service Cooperative, and help provide a wonderful holiday for those in need. For more information, please call the Ferndale Community Service Cooperative at (360) 380-2200

 

November 28, 2018

On the Eve of Mars Landing, Ferndale Celebrates Martian Accomplishments

As the world watches NASA’s Insight lander touch down on the surface of Mars today, Ferndale celebrates our local businesses who are involved in NASA’s expeditions.

Samson Rope, which is headquartered in Ferndale and employs over 200 people locally, designed and built the synthetic ropes used to handle the cargo on the first shuttle missions, and provide resistance to exercise equipment on the International Space Station.

The Timken Company, which has a manufacturing facility in Ferndale with over 80 local employees, manufactures bearings, gear drives and couplings for machinery around the world. Their bearings were used in many previous martian missions, including the Opportunity Rover (2004), the Spirit Rover (2004) and the Curiosity Rover (2012). Their bearings are currently inside the Insight Lander which arrives today.

“With all this Ferndale material on Mars, I believe we may need to annex part of the red planet,” said Mayor Jon Mutchler. “At least, we should consider a sister-planet program.”

For more information on Ferndale-based manufacturers, please explore FerndaleMade.com to learn about the thousands of products produced in Ferndale every day and why Ferndale is an ideal place to locate a business.

 

November 26, 2018

November 19th, 2018 Council Meeting Summary

Click Here for Meeting Materials

 City Council Agenda Follow-Up

November 19, 2018

  
5:00 STUDY SESSION: 2019 Budget Forecast INFO ONLY
CALL TO ORDER/FLAG SALUTE/ROLL CALL  
PUBLIC COMMENT INFO ONLY
CONSENT AGENDA

 

Councilmember Watson moved, and Councilmember Taylor seconded, to approve the consent agenda.  MOTION CARRIED 7-0.

 

  

 

APPROVED

 
LOBBYIST PRESENTATION/ADOPTION OF 2019 LEGISLATIVE AGENDA

 

City Lobbyist Brian Enslow presented a summary of the most recent legislative session. The 2019 Legislative Agenda includes:

·         Ensure transportation projects (Thornton Road Overpass and I-5/Slater Road Interchange) remain funded.

·         Pursue strategic opportunities for infrastructure funding, particularly the Water/Wastewater Treatment Plant expansion.

·         Secure funding for the Metalworks Skate Park.

·         Ensure adequate funding for new planning requirements.

·         Potential changes to the Growth Management Act.

 

Councilmember Watson moved, and Councilmember Kennedy seconded, to adopt the legislative agenda as presented. MOTION CARRIED 7-0.

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

APPROVED
PRIVATE DEVELOPMENTS UPDATE

 

Associate Planner Haylie Miller presented an overview of the subdivision review process and the following steps that are required:

·         Counter visit and/or phone call from potential applicant

·         Pre-Application Meeting, followed by the submittal of a complete application

·         Pre-technical review committee meeting among staff members, followed by a technical review committee meeting including the applicant, during which conditions are discussed

·         Conditions discussed at the meeting are incorporated into a staff report, which is included in the hearing examiner materials

·         Public hearing and environmental review are noticed

·         The public hearing is held, and the hearing examiner makes a decision

·         If approval is recommended by the hearing examiner, the next step is preliminary plat layout approval

·         Civil plan (infrastructure) review & issuance, followed by infrastructure installation

·         Final plat recording

·         Building permits application

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

INFO ONLY
PUBLIC HEARING: 2019 Property Tax Levy Ordinance

Sirke Salminen presented the ordinance and explained that the City is taking the annual allowed 1% increase and banking the $160,000 one-time payment which resulted from overpayment to Whatcom County Fire District #7 as part of the annexation of the City. A public hearing is required to adopt the ordinance. The public hearing was held, and no members of the public spoke.

Councilmember Taylor moved, and Councilmember G. Hansen seconded, to approve the agenda bill. MOTION CARRIED 7-0.

  

 

 

APPROVED

 
DISCUSSION: School Resource Officer Interlocal Agreement

The School District and the City believe that it is in the best interest of the Ferndale public school system to have a law enforcement presence in the schools, so they have established a “School Assigned Officer” (SAO) program. The SAO provides services on a rotating and random basis to all schools in the district during the ten-month school year. The proposed interlocal agreement extends the program for the 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 school years.

The proposed annual payment from the School District to the City is $63,135 for the 2018-2019 school year, and $65,503 for the 2019 – 2020 school year.

On Wednesday, November 14, the Finance & Administration Committee requested that staff re-negotiate the school resource officer agreement with the school district to increase the annual payment the District makes to the City.  Chief of Police Kevin Turner presented information about the School Resource Officer position and salary.

Councilmember Olson moved, and Councilmember K. Hansen seconded, to send the item back to the Finance & Administration Committee. Motion failed 2-5, Councilmembers Olson and Taylor in favor.

 

Councilmember G. Hansen moved, and Councilmember Watson seconded, to direct staff to ask the School District to increase the compensation to the City to $87,000 for each year of the two-year contract. MOTION CARRIED 6-1, Councilmember Kennedy opposed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DIRECTION PROVIDED TO STAFF
NON-REPRESENTED EMPLOYEE CONTRACTS

Councilmember Kennedy moved, and Councilmember Taylor seconded, to approve the contracts as presented.

 

Councilmember G. Hansen moved, and Councilmember Taylor seconded, to amend the motion to decrease the term of the contracts from three years to two years.

 

ON THE AMENDMENT: MOTION CARRIED 6-1, Councilmember Olson opposed.

 

ON THE MAIN, AMENDED MOTION: MOTION CARRIED 4-3, Councilmembers Olson, Xczar, and Watson opposed.

 

 

 

 

 

APPROVED
ADJOURNMENT: Meeting was adjourned at 8:12 p.m.  

 

November 20, 2018

Traffic Impacts at Main Street/Barrett Road Intersection Nov. 8th, 9am-11am

Traffic Impacts at Main Street/Barrett Road Intersection Nov. 8th, 9am-11am

Public Works crew will be at the intersection of Main Street and Barrett Road Nov. 8th from 9am-11am, doing road maintenance. This will cause temporary delays as flaggers direct traffic through the affected area. Please use alternative routes if possible.

For more information, please contact Ferndale Public Works Department at (360) 384-4301.

November 7, 2018

Calling All Artists: Ferndale Arts Commission Requests Mural Artists

Arts Commission Requests Mural Artists for Downtown Ferndale

The Ferndale Arts Commission is calling for artists from across the Pacific Northwest to install murals in downtown Ferndale. Artists are invited to submit designs, that they would then install in downtown Ferndale in the summer of 2019. Mural sizes will vary depending on location but all designs will be vetted by the Ferndale Arts Commission and the appropriate property owner.

“Our goal is to bring new art styles that will complement the area and inspire our community,” said Councilmember Rebecca Xczar, council liaison to the Ferndale Arts Commission.

Interested artists should submit at least one sketch in color, with height and size preferences, along with any relevant previous experience (pictures of prior murals completed or other art projects).

Deadline is November 30th, 2018. Send all submissions to Rebecca Xczar at rebeccaxczar@cityofferndale.org. For more information, please call (360) 319-2677.

November 5, 2018

Ferndale Police, School District to Hold Emergency Communication Exercise “CRIMSON RAM”

Ferndale Police, School District to Hold Emergency Communication Exercise “CRIMSON RAM”

Graphic - image of Crimson Ram

Ferndale Police, School District to Hold Emergency Communication Exercise “CRIMSON RAM”

The Ferndale School District is readying to join partners for an exercise in Emergency Communication. The exercise, deemed “Crimson Ram” by participating agencies will be conducted cooperatively by the Ferndale School District Safety Advisory Committee, Whatcom Country Sheriffs’ Office Division of Emergency Management, Whatcom Fire District 7, Ferndale Auxiliary Communication Service, and the Ferndale Police Department.

 

Community members can expect to see a large communication van and several additional emergency response vehicles:

 

Date: Tuesday, November 6, 2018

Time: 9:00 AM – 11:30 AM

Location: Ferndale High School

According to organizers, the exercise has three primary objectives:

  1. Build relationships and communication capacity between partner agencies so that if an actual emergency event occurs we can work together efficiently and effectively
  2. Test the effectiveness and capacity of the Ferndale School District’s Incident Command System.
  3. Practice activating the Public Information Officers response team that is part of Whatcom County Emergency Management        
November 5, 2018

Veterans Day Ceremony Nov. 11th Commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the Great War

Veterans Day Ceremony Commemorating 100th Anniversary of the Great War

Sunday Nov. 11th, 2pm

Pioneer Pavilion Community Center

2007 Cherry Street, Ferndale

The American Legion Kulshan Post 154 and the City of Ferndale are hosting a Veterans Day ceremony at the Pioneer Pavilion Community Center (2007 Cherry Street) on November 11th at 2pm. The ceremony will pay tribute to those who have served, including a reading of Flanders Field and remarks by Mark Aamot. The ceremony will commemorate the end of World War I and the 100th anniversary of the formation of the American Legion. Whatcom Gold Star families will be in attendance. After the ceremony, refreshments will be provided courtesy of Haggen and the Veterans museum in Pioneer Park will be open for visitors.

For more information, please contact Mayor Jon Mutchler at (360) 685-2350 or jonmutchler@cityofferndale.org.

November 2, 2018