City News

Ferndale Police Seek Suspect in McDonalds Robbery

On 12/09/2018 at about 5:19 AM, Ferndale Police responded to a robbery at the Ferndale McDonalds, 1688 Main Street.  Employee’s reported that a younger looking white male, about 6’ 4” tall, 250 lbs, wearing a black jacket over a black or dark blue hoody, dark blue jeans and brown boots, came in to the restaurant just after opening.  The suspect implied that he had a gun and made his way to the back of the restaurant.

The suspect took cash from the tills before fleeing on foot westbound towards the Ferndale Events Center.

Deputies from the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office, along with Troopers from the Washington State Patrol, assisted with a K-9 track for the suspect, however the suspect was not located.

Ferndale Police are continuing to investigate and ask the public to contact Detective Pike at 360-483-5725 or jpike@ferndalepd.org with any information.

December 10, 2018

Andrew Hansen Appointed to Arts Commission

Andrew Hansen

Last night, Andrew Hansen was nominated by Mayor Jon Mutchler to the Ferndale Arts Commission. Hansen, a Windward High School graduate and current Whatcom Community College student, is a local musician and interested in getting involved in Ferndale’s art scene. “I believe art is what gives color to life. It is the essence of our humanity.”

The Ferndale Arts Commission is charged with enhancing the community by advising on public art and community aesthetic enhancement.

The Arts Commission meets at 5 p.m. the second Wednesday of each month in the City Hall Main Conference Room, 2095 Main St.

The City accepts applications for boards and commissions year-round, not just when there is a vacancy. If you feel you have something to contribute, please fill out an application and send it to City Clerk Susan Duncan. You can find the application here.

December 4, 2018

Mark Kaiman Sworn In as new Ferndale Municipal Court Judge

Last night, attorney Mark Kaiman was sworn in as Ferndale’s new Municipal Court Judge. Kaiman served as a Judge Pro Tempore in Whatcom County District Court for the last four years. In addition to his judicial experience, Kaiman has been a deputy prosecutor in, and is currently in private practice as a military and criminal defense attorney.
“Sitting in judgment of others is a great responsibility. I am honored that the city of Ferndale has entrusted me with this task and allowed me to answer the call to public service,” said Kaiman.

December 4, 2018

City Installs Barrier to Prevent Left Turns off Main Street before Labounty Drive

Public Works crews are on Main Street today from 7am-3:30pm installing plastic traffic delineators along the center line of Main Street to prevent drivers from making left turns into and out of the North Sound Center parking lot. Flaggers will be on site, please use caution and follow all direction from Public Works crew.

The City is eliminating left turn movements between Main Street and the North Sound Center parking lot located between I-5 and Labounty. Drivers wanting to access the North Sound Center parking lot from Main Street or westbound Main Street from the parking lot will need to utilize the intersection at Main and Labounty.

This change was motivated by the use of “Intelligence-Based Policing”, where the Ferndale Police Department works hand in hand with the City’s GIS mapping team to identify hot spots by layering crash data into the City’s GIS mapping database.  Utilizing this approach, the City is better able to identify changes in accident distribution and identify areas where increased patrols or modifications may be necessary.

This location was identified as one of the most frequent spots for accidents as drivers taking a left turn off Main Street into the parking lot collide with vehicles accelerating to enter I-5. Signage is being installed to inform drivers of the change with further improvements and signage planned for early Spring 2019.

December 3, 2018

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