Curious how an idea becomes an ordinance in the City of Ferndale? Want to know how to participate in a council meeting? City Clerk Susan Duncan breaks it down for you.
We are finishing up the 2021 City of Ferndale budget and we want to hear from you! City budgets can be dense documents and we want to get all your questions answered before the City Council has their final public hearing on the budget at the Dec. 7th council meeting.
Post your questions about the budget on the City facebook page or send them in email to Communication Officer Riley Sweeney at rileysweeney@cityofferndale.org and next Monday, Finance Director Sirke Salminen and City Administrator Jori Burnett will answer them live the City’s facebook page.
Do you have historical pictures or news clippings of Ferndale? Pictures of Ferndale landmarks that are gone, everyday photos from life in Ferndale or just a headline from when a big business came to town? The City would like to see them.
The City will pick up your treasured keepsakes and scan them, creating a digital image copy that we could use to educate the next generation about the history of our community. The City would then return original documents to you, along with a digital copy as a thank you.
The city is especially interested in pictures that show parts of the city, community events or significant news stories. Anything earlier than 1994 is welcomed. The holidays are the perfect time to dig out that old scrapbook so if you have something to share, please email Riley Sweeney at RileySweeney@cityofferndale.org to arrange a pick up and return of your documents.
Ferndale City Council Seeks Members for Equity Advisory Committee
At their last council meeting, the Ferndale City Council formed an advisory committee to make recommendations to elected officials and city staff relating to issues of equity. The seven-member board, called the Equity Advisory Committee, is seeking members from the public to serve.
The committee’s goals are to help the city attract diverse and well-qualified staff, facilitate trainings and educational opportunities around race and equity, and “research ways to increase equity in regard to housing, land use, hiring, policing, mental health, transportation, accessibility, systemic poverty, aging populations, racial and non-racial cultural divisions and more to find policy-based solutions.”
Councilmember Ali Hawkinson was the primary sponsor of the new advisory board. “We want this to be a committee of individuals that truly care about the well-being of their neighbors,” said Hawkinson. “We want to be a city that works to address the many inequities that exist in Ferndale, and that starts with accountability and transparency. This board is a great vehicle for that.”
Requirements to serve on the board include, “a demonstrated interest in, and knowledge and support of equity and diversity” and need to have lived in the Ferndale School District for at least one year. Interested members of the public should fill out an application and send it in to City Clerk Susan Duncan at susanduncan@cityofferndale.org.