News

November 19, 2018

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

APPROVED

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

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

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

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

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