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HomeMy WebLinkAboutres1995-043WIL4TCOM COUNTY COUNCIL AGENDA BILL NO. 95 -201B CLEARANCES Initial Date Date Received in Council Office: Agenda date Assigned to: )riginator. PUD #1/Woods 7/10 7/18 Council Division Head: Dept. Head: Prosecutor. Purchasing/Budget: Executive: SUBJECT.• Addition of the Nooksack Basin Water Model to the WA -CERT grant application list. ATTACHMENTS: Resolution and copy of grant application SUMMARY STATEMENT.- Please complete sections of box as appropriate & explain the item below. Related County contract #: N/A Should Clerk schedule a hearing? NO / X / YES / / Requested date: 1 This application was not received in time to go through the ranking process. However, the state has indicated that it can still be sent forward for consideration as long as it is certified by the County Council. The existing rankings are not being changed because the deadline has already-passed. CLERK'S RECOMMENDED MOTION (for final action): "I move that the Council approve the resolution" COUNCIL ACTION TAKEN.• 7/18/95: Approved 6 -0 Related File Numbers. Ordinance or Resolution Number (this item only): Res 95 -043: wacert3.res 7/10/95 SPONSORED BY: CONSENT PROPOSED BY: STAFF INTRODUCTION DATE: 7/18 /95 1 RESOLUTION NO. 95—o4 2 CERTIFICATION OF A NOOKSACK BASIN WATER MANAGEMENT MODEL 3 GRANT APPLICATION FOR THE WA -CERT PROCESS 4 WHEREAS, the State of Washington and United States government require local 5 county governments to certify grant applications made for the WA -CERT process; and 6 WHEREAS, at it's meeting of June 20,1995 the Whatcom County Council prioritized 7 all known grants pursuant to a state imposed deadline of July 1, 1995; and .8 WHEREAS, the project known as the Nooksack Basin Water Management Model 9 grant application.was not received within the time frame necessary to be prioritized but, 10 nevertheless, is a grant of merit that would otherwise have received significant consideration 11 by the Whatcom County Council; and 12 WHEREAS, the State of Washington had indicated that they will still consider the 13 grant application if it is certified by the County as meritorious and worthy of consideration; 14 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Whatcom County Council that the 15 Nooksack Basin Water Model grant application, while not on the formal priority list, is a 16 significant project that would benefit the people of Whatcom County and is certified for 17 submission to the State of Washington as part of the WA -CERT grant process. 18 APPROVED this 18 day of July , 1995. 19 WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL 20 ATTEST: WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON 21 L44 E,�,:, 22 Vana Brown - Davis, Cierjebt the Council Robert A. Imhof, Count'' hair 23 APPROVED AS TO FORM: ( ) Approved ( ) Denied 24 �� J 25 Civil Deputy Prosecutor g. \res \wacert3.res Page 1 WASHINGTON COMMUNITY ECONOMIC REVITALIZATION TEAM (WA -CERT) ECONOMIC ADJUSTMENT INITATIVE PRE - APPLICATION FOR ASSISTANCE Applicant: P.U.D. #1 of Whatcom County Contact: Tom Anderson, Manager 220 W. Chamnion, Ste 290 County: Whatcom Bellingham, WA 98225 (360) 733 -5810 Signature and position of person authorizing submittal: ZE!n 1.00 Project Title: Nooksack Basin Water Management Model Project Type: (check all that apply) X business and industry X community and infrastructure Workers and families X ecosystem investment Total project cost: $ 1.9 Million Is your request a funding gap? Yes X No _ Amount raised to date: $ 652,000. What are you requesting now? $ 630,000. Is this a phased project? Yes X No _ If yes, how many phases? 3 phases over 6 years. PLEASE NOTE: The E4 /is a federal and state partnership. The majority of funds are loan dollars. Scarce grant dollars are allocated equitably across Northern California, Oregon and Washington. This is a competitive process. YOU MAY RECREATE THIS FORM ON YOUR COMPUTER. 1.01a Briefly describe your project. When did you start work on it? Who is involved? What is the scope of the project. (Use provided space only.) Work on planning and developing a Water Management Model was initiated in 1994 by a Steering Committee with representation from the Cities of Bellingham and Lynden, P.U.D. #1, Whatcom County, and the agricultural community. The project's scope is to collect and analyze ground and surface water data, fisheries information, in- stream flow data, and water use /demand information for the purpose of developing a water management model for the Nooksack River basin. The coordinated, regional approach being pursued by the Steering Committee for developing a Nooksack Basin Water Management Model is necessary to overcome the challenges Whatcom County currently faces with regard to adequately addressing future water supplies. 1.01b How does the project satisfy, in whole or in part, your economic diversification strategy? The Overall Economic Development Plan (OEDP) for Whatcom County recognizes the seriousness of the water quantity and quality challenges facing the county and the challenges it presents in ensuring industries an adequate and inexpensive supply of water. The OEDP recommends a strategy be pursued that includes an analysis of water use and demand for all users and an investigation into the ways and means future water needs can be ensured. 1.02 Is this project a documented county -wide or tribal NUMERIC priority? 'The County Council will be discussing adding the YES! It ranks in our county -wide prioritization process. project to the County list of projects at their July 18th It is also a priority in our plan. Council meeting. Is the project endorsed by our County Commissioners? Yes _ No _ The proposed application did not reach the County Council in time to be included in the Council's prioritization process. However, since County Council members and County staff are involved in the project and are intimately aware of the budget constraints the project faces and the projects importance, it is likely the project would have been considered favorably. 1.03 Summarize efforts you've taken to date regarding the project in terms of. (give specific titles and dates of adoption where appropriate - - use provided space only) A) Is this project part of a plan (capital facilities, economic development, business, etc.) The Overall Economic Development Plan (1993), the Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan (1995), and the Whatcom County Coordinated Water System Plan 0 993) are among the local plans recommending a coordinated, regional approach for addressing the water quantity and quality challenges facing the county. The Nooksack Basin Water Management Model is such an approach. B) What engineering and feasibility reports have been prepared, and when? N /A. C) Have you secured funds for this project from other sources? Specify sources, including local match and amounts. If there are conditions attached to any of these secured funding sources, please specify. Funds have been secured for Phase I only. Sources are the Cities of Bellingham and Lynden, Whatcom County,. P.U.D. #1, the Agricultural Preservation Committee and the Department of Ecology. D) Are there other efforts you have made that are unique to this project? Discussions are underway with the Lummi and Nooksack Tribes to involve them in the data collection efforts associated with Phase II of the proposed project. Phase II includes inventorying fisheries habitat and populations, in- stream flow studies, surface and ground water studies, and water use and demand studies. 1.04 What are the anticipated benefits of this project in terms of the criteria identifies below. QUANTIFY INFORMATION WHERE POSSIBLE. (If a section does not apply, mark it "NA ".) JOBS -_(How many full-time/ �ermanent) CAPITAL FACILITIES (capacity, population served) HUMAN INVESTMENT (leadership training youth programs, etc.) ENVIRONMENTAL INVESTMENT (ecosystem project) LOCAL CAPACITY (restoring /augmenting local revenues — .B &O tax, etc.) SHORT TERM Short term job benefits will be limited to individuals involved in data collection and analysis. The actual number will be dependent on the outcome of Phase I of this project (currently underway). . N/A N/A Fish populations and habitat inventories, in- stream flow studies and ground and surface water studies will-all be done as part of the proposed project. This work will allow for an analysis of stream and river conditions in the Nooksack Basin and subsequent identification of stream enhancement projects. N/A LONG TERM In the long term, there will be direct and and indirect job benefits. Direct job benefits will result from implementing solutions identified through this project. Numerous in- direct benefits result from resolution of the water availability issues thereby providing business, industry, and agriculture with access to a stable water supply. The long -term benefits to, capital facilities are unknown. Benefits will be dependent on the outcome of the Nooksack Basin Water Manage- ment Model and the analysis and implementa- tion of recommendations to resolve the county's water allocation issues. N/A The long -term benefit of this project is water resource management for the Nooksack Basin that addresses both environmental concerns and water allocation issues. In addition, this project is likely to identify specific stream or river enhancement projects that will provide significant benefits to fisheries. The long -term indirect benefits will result from revenue generated from new growth in the various sectors of the economy that will occur with resolution of the water availability issues in the county. 1.05 Are there other factors significant to this project that we should be.aware of, such as compliance orders, emergency declarations, etc. (use space provided) 1. State action on new water right applications in Whatcom County is on -hold until further studies are conducted which will resolve Nooksack basin management issues.. The "on -hold" status has been in effect for a couple of years with no immediate resolution evident.. 2. There are currently a number of water associations and commercial agriculture operations using water outside of their legal rights. 3. The information and data necessary for developing a regional water management model that will address these issues does not exist. 1.06 What quantifiable outcomes are you going to track to measure the success of this project? The quantifiable outcomes are dependent to a great extent on the results of Phase I of this project (currently underway). However, a partial list of quantifiable outcomes are likely to include a data base for surface and ground water studies (existing and new data), a data of county wells (including exempt wells), an inventory of fisheries resources, quantification of local water use, and estimation of future water demand. Completion of a water management model for the Nooksack Basin that will provide local authorities with the information necessary to plan for future growth.