The
regularly scheduled Finance & Administration Committee meeting on Wednesday,
April 15, 2020 will be held remotely via Microsoft Teams, with staff and
Councilmembers accessing the meeting from individual locations. This complies
with Governor Jay Inslee’s Stay at Home Order, which states, in part, that
people should refrain from all public gatherings, including civic activities.
The Finance & Administration
Committee meeting will begin at 9:00 a.m.
The Public Works & Utilities and Planning & Land Use Committee
meetings are cancelled.
Notice
Traffic Revisions and Possible Delays: Monday, April 13, 2020 to Friday, April
17, 2020, 7am to 7pm
Rural Avenue, between Slater Road and
Wynn Road
Drivers should expect delays as
traffic is reduced to single lane traffic on Rural Avenue, between Slater Road
and Wynn Road from Monday, April 13, 2020 to Friday, April 17, 2020, between
the hours of 7:00 AM and 7:00 PM. This work is to complete road
improvements associated with a private development project. Flaggers will be
onsite to direct traffic. Road will remain open during nonworking hours.
If you have questions regarding this notice, please contact Ferndale Public
Works Department at (360) 384-4006.
All physical city offices are already closed due to COVID-19 but city employees will not be conducting work on April 10th, 2020 due to Good Friday. They will return to work for their usual schedule on Monday, April 13th will be accessible by phone and email then.
The regularly scheduled City Council meeting on Monday, April 6, 2020 will be held remotely via Microsoft Teams, with staff and Councilmembers accessing the meeting from individual locations. This complies with Governor Jay Inslee’s Stay at Home Order, which states, in part, that people should refrain from all public gatherings, including civic activities.
This is still an open public meeting as defined by
the Open Public Meetings Act. The City will be using Microsoft Teams to
livestream the council meeting. Members of the public do not need to download
anything to view the proceedings. The meeting can be viewed by clicking this
link :Join live eventat
6:00 p.m. on Monday, April 6.
The public comment session at the opening of the meeting has
been cancelled until further notice. Members of the public are encouraged to
submit written comments to City Clerk Susan Duncan by emailing susanduncan@cityofferndale.org.
Comments received prior to 5:00 p.m. Monday, April 6 will be included in the
meeting record.
UPDATE 4/20/2020 – The City has issued revised guidelines for residential and commercial construction. See more details here.
Most Construction Activities Required to Stop
Governor’s proclamation deems nearly all construction as nonessential
The City of Ferndale announced today clarifications to Governor Jay Inslee’s “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” statewide stay-at-home order as it pertains to construction, identifying nearly all construction as nonessential. This means most construction activities are required to stop during the order.
All construction activities allowed to continue under exemptions must comply with social distancing including appropriate health and worker protection measures before proceeding.
“We know this is hard,” said Mayor Greg Hansen, “But these necessary steps can literally save lives.”
According to the memo issued by the governor’s office, the exceptions are construction related to essential activities like health care, transportation, energy, defense and critical manufacturing; construction “to further a public purpose related to a public entity,” including publicly financed low-income housing; and emergency repairs.
The City will defer to the governor’s order as to the list of essential businesses and subsequent letters from the governor’s office identifying specific businesses or construction projects as essential.
City inspectors shall have the authority to determine what is allowable to prevent spoliation. In their discretion the installation of a roof, roofing materials, doors, windows, or structural elements necessary to prevent the degradation or failure of building elements.
Projects that have determined that they qualify as essential infrastructure and businesses as described below may request inspections:
Healthcare and Public Health facilities.
Emergency Service facilities.
Food and Agriculture facilities which manufacture or distribute and currently under construction.
Utility facilities related to transportation, communication, electric, water, wastewater.
Critical manufacturing facilities including hazardous or chemical materials.
Financial facilities.
Residential construction projects that are currently under construction can continue to a point to prevent spoliation, damage or unsafe conditions. Projects shall be brought to a point of securing the structure to prevent personal and environmental damage of exterior and/or interior building elements and to negate unsafe conditions. This will be construed narrowly.
Residential construction related to emergency repairs and projects that ensure structural integrity or the health and safety of occupants.
“The City continues to review, and process permit applications. Recognizing that construction is vital to our community, our goal is to keep all permits in various review stages, moving full speed ahead so that construction can commence as soon as the emergency order ends. We thank our local applicants, builders and contractors for the collaborative effort during this time.” Haylie Miller, Community Development Director.
If projects are continuing construction that is not deemed “essential by the Governor’s Order” , the City will cease inspections and may proceed with enforcement (as necessary) to gain compliance.
For more information, contact Community Development Director Haylie Miller by phone (360) 685-2367 or email at HaylieMiller@cityofferndale.org.
With the uptick in cleaning and sanitation, many of you are flushing wipes down into our sewer system. Please stop. There is no such thing as a flushable wipe, these materials do not break down and will clog our pump stations, causing serious damage to our utilities.
For more information or questions, please contact Ferndale Public Works at 360-384-4006.
