Western Washington University (in collaboration with the City of Ferndale) held a Visioning Workshop for the Downtown area in January. The students received input from the community related to downtown uses, building design, environmental considerations, transportation options, trails and more. Since this meeting the students have worked hard to propose concepts and solutions to improve the Downtown area.
The most recent WWU course narrowed down the concepts into
one Downtown Master plan. The final version is almost ready to share!
The final presentation will occur on June 5th at 6PM in the Pioneer Pavilion. All are encouraged to attend and to provide feedback.
For more information, please call Community Development Director Haylie Miller at (360) 685-2367.
Public Works Director Kevin Renz and Public Utilities Superintendent Mike Olinger share the latest on the new city well and our reverse osmosis system.
On May 23rd, 2019, the Ferndale
Police Department received a report regarding an allegation of a sexual
relationship between at 15-year-old female student from Ferndale High School
and a 20-year-old adult male who works part-time as a wrestling coach for the
Ferndale School District.
During the investigation, in addition to the original
victim, two other victims came forward.
At this point in the investigation there is no indication that any of
the incidents occurred on school grounds.
The 20-year-old part-time coach was identified as Dalton J
Cristelli (04/26/1999) of Ferndale, Washington.
He was contacted and booked into Whatcom County Jail. He is no longer
employed by the Ferndale School District.
Ferndale Police Department established probable cause for
the following charges:
Rape of a Child in the 3rd Degree: In March of 2019 Cristelli (age 19 at the
time) had sexual intercourse with a 15-year-old female student. The difference in age between the two is over
48 months.
Rape in the 3rd Degree: In the spring of 2016, Cristelli had
non-consensual sexual intercourse with a female who was the age of 15 or 16 at
the time.
Rape in the 2nd Degree: Approximately 3 to 5 years ago, Cristelli had
sexual intercourse with a female victim who was incapable of consent.
This is an ongoing investigation. Due to the nature of the crime and the age of the victims at the time of the incidents, no further information is expected to be released.
Notice is hereby given
that one or more members of the Ferndale City Council may attend the following
meeting:
Town Meeting – WWU Presentation: Ferndale City Center Final Plan
Wednesday,
June 5, 2019, 6:00 p.m.
Pioneer
Pavilion
2007
Cherry Street Ferndale, WA
The
purpose of the meeting is to present WWU students’ final City Center plan,
which incorporates the community input received during the January 23, 2019
Town Meeting.
This
is an Open Public Meeting as outlined by the Open Public Meetings Act, and
members of the public are invited to attend and observe.
All reports point towards it being a scorching hot summer this year which can have a drastic impact on the local water supply. To help ensure that everyone has the water they need throughout the dry season, the City is implementing a mandatory water conservation schedule based on street address, and limiting it to the hours of 5pm-10am for a period no longer than 30 minutes. Drip irrigation systems, flower and vegetable gardens, potted plants, hanging baskets and newly installed landscaping are all exempt from the restrictions.
Following this schedule will help you save money on your water bill, reduce the impact on our environment and help ensure our water system runs strong throughout the season. But that’s not the only way to save water this summer. Here are some other ideas to get you thinking:
1) Install a rain barrel. Rain barrels are great ways to capture water for use on plants and lawns and they are easy to use. For more information on rain barrels, check out www.cityofferndale.org/rainbarrels
2) Become a leak detective. Swing by city hall and pick up your free leaky toilet detection kit. A leaky toilet can add up to an expensive utility bill— a little bit of searching can save you a bundle of money.
3) Consider a new nozzle or faucet. A more efficient faucet, showerhead or garden hose nozzle can give you the same pressure with a fraction of the water use. Swing by your favorite Ferndale hardware store and for a few bucks, you can pick up just what you need.
4) Plant native plants. As tempting as those exotic flowers can be, a native plant garden uses less water and is more resistant to those sudden Pacific Northwest weather weirdness. Check out the WA Native Plant Society (www.wnps.org) for more details.
5) Gold is the new green for lawns. This summer, consider letting your lawn fade to gold. It will return come Spring and in the meantime, experience the cycle of the seasons as your lawn showcases its golden hues during the summer.
APPROVAL OF AGENDA
Mayor
Mutchler announced that the scheduled Executive Session was cancelled. Councilmember Taylor moved, and
Councilmember Xczar seconded, to approve the agenda as amended. MOTION
CARRIED 5-0.
APPROVED AS
AMENDED
PUBLIC COMMENT
INFO ONLY
CONSENT AGENDACouncilmember K. Hansen moved, and
Councilmember G. Hansen seconded, to approve the consent agenda. MOTION CARRIED 5-0.
APPROVED
SELECTION OF MAYOR PRO TEMPORE
With
the resignation of Councilmember Cathy Watson, a new Mayor Pro Tem is
required to be appointed to serve in the event of the Mayor’s absence.
Councilmember
Olson nominated Greg Hansen.
Councilmember
Kate Hansen nominated herself, explaining that she felt she was the best
choice as she is the only Councilmember who is not running for office in the
current election.
Councilmember Kate Hansen was elected
Mayor Pro Tem with 4 votes. (K.
Hansen, Xczar, Taylor and G. Hansen)
KATE HANSENSELECTED AS MAYOR
PRO-TEM
PRESENTATION: Susan Marks, Commission
on Sexual and Domestic Violence
The
Commission on Sexual & Domestic Violence was formed in 1998 by a joint
resolution between Whatcom County and the City of Bellingham. It is funded by
the City of Ferndale, Whatcom County, and the City of Bellingham as well as
grants from the US Department of Justice.
Current
projects:
1.) An
audit was conducted to determine how the County legal system is responding to
sexual assault and recommendations were made based on the findings of the
audit.
2.)
Youth Summit for high school youth groups with adult mentors, the “Big
Consent Event” was held on May 1 with 145 participants.
Upcoming
project: Restorative Justice Learning Series, to be co-hosted with the
Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center.
INFO ONLY
INTRODUCTION: SCOPE Officer
Chief
of Police Kevin Turner introduced new SCOPE (Senior Citizens On Patrol Enhancement)
Officer Judee Lepella. Volunteer SCOPE Officers are responsible for enforcing
ADA parking, operating the radar reader board, providing security at Ferndale
Municipal Court, and providing security home checks when homeowners are on
vacation.
PUBLIC HEARING: Thornton Street
Overpass Project Eminent Domain Ordinance
The
ordinance provides for the use of eminent domain, if necessary, to acquire
property rights that are needed for the construction of the Thornton Street
Overpass. Although the City has made good faith efforts to acquire the
necessary easement rights from the owners through active negotiations, a
final agreement has not yet been reached for some of the properties. In order
to meet the City’s construction schedule, it is important that the City, at
minimum, obtain possession and use of the property needed for the project.
Enacting eminent domain preserves both the property owners’ rights for just
compensation as well as the City’s ability to move forward with the project. A
public hearing was held as required.
Councilmember Taylor moved, and
Councilmember Xczar seconded, to approve the agenda bill. MOTION CARRIED 5-0.
APPROVED
PUBLIC HEARING: RMH Zone Amendments
The
RMH (Residential Multifamily-High) Zone is intended to be the second of up to
three new multifamily zones that would replace existing zoning that dates
back to the 1970’s. The RMM (Residential Multifamily-Medium) Zone was adopted
in 2017 and applies to properties currently zoned for multifamily development
which are generally large enough to support multiple buildings. The RMH zone
as proposed applies to properties currently zoned for multifamily development
which are generally less than an acre in size. The Planning Commission has
been working on the RMH Zone since December 2018. A public hearing was held as required.
Councilmember Xczar moved, and
Councilmember K. Hansen seconded, to approve the ordinance with an amendment
to Section 18.72.020, Special Setback Requirements. A 20-foot setback to a
garage opening would be required when the driveway fronts a public right of
way, and a 0-foot setback to a garage opening would be required when the
driveway fronts a private road, shared driveway, or alley with no utility
conflicts. MOTION CARRIED 5-0.
APPROVED
ADJOURNMENT
The
meeting was adjourned at 7:22 p.m.
Using the latest digital tools available, the Ferndale Police Department and the City have launched an interactive online crime map of Ferndale. For the public, this provides even greater transparency, allowing residents to explore 911 calls in their area. For the Ferndale Police Department, this provides them with a critical tool to identify hot spots for Patrol activities, and for detectives to explore a sudden crime trend and work to prevent future criminal activity.
“This gives our
officers a bird’s-eye-view of recent incidents to compliment our boots on the
ground experience,” said Police Chief Kevin Turner. “If we see a sudden rash of
break-ins in one specific area, we can put extra officers in that
neighborhood.”
The City of Ferndale continues to set the standard for
transparency and access to public information. Currently, the public can access
everything from employee contracts to city credit card reports online through
their public documents page. The crime map provides a fresh way for residents
to access information about their community.
According to FBI statistics, in 2018 Ferndale became the 21st safest city in Washington. In the last twelve years, thanks to the tireless efforts of the Ferndale Police Department, crime has been cut by 65%.
Applications are now being accepted to fill two vacancies on the Ferndale City Council due to the resignation of two Councilmembers.
Both vacant seats will be on the November ballot as two-year, unexpired terms; therefore, those appointed will serve only until the November election has been certified, at which point those candidates who prevail in the election will take office and serve for the rest of 2019, as well as the remaining two years on the unexpired terms.
Applicants should plan to attend the June 3, 2019 regular City Council meeting, during which they will have an opportunity to introduce themselves. The selected applicants may be sworn in that evening, and will begin to serve immediately. For instructions and an application packet, please click here.
Curious about the city finances? City Finance Director Sirke Salminen will be hosting a series of finance workshops before city council meetings starting May 20th, at 5:30pm at the City Annex (5694 Second Avenue). These meetings will be open to the public and intended to help everyone better understand how your city manages public funds.
The workshop May 20th will focus on debt – how it is used to facilitate public projects.
The next workshop will be June 17th at 5:30pm at the City Annex and will be focused on the city budget calendar.
We’ve had a few break-ins recently and the easiest way to stop those is the 9PM Routine. Each night, make sure you’ve got your car locked, windows shut, doors locked and the shed secure. Bring in valuables from your car or mailbox. Turn on exterior lights.
These are simple steps but can have a big impact on preventing crime. Together, we can stop crime before it starts.
