HomeMy WebLinkAboutNatural Resources January 27 20151
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
Natural Resources Committee
January 27, 2015
CALL TO ORDER
Committee Member Barry Buchanan called the meeting to order at 9:30 a.m. in the
Council Chambers, 311 Grand Avenue, Bellingham, Washington.
ROLL CALL
(9:33:36 AM)
Present: Carl Weimer, Sam Crawford and Barry Buchanan.
Absent: None.
Also Present: Barbara Brenner, Pete Kremen and Rud Browne.
SPECIAL ORDER OF BUSINESS
1. NOMINATION AND APPOINTMENT OF COMMITTEE CHAIR (AB2015 -021)
Weimer moved to nominate and appoint Councilmember Barry Buchanan.
The motion carried by the following vote:
Ayes: Weimer, Crawford and Buchanan (3)
Nays: None (0)
COMMITTEE DI_SCUSSION
1. STATUS BRIEFING ON THE 2016 CRITICAL AREAS REGULATIONS UPDATE
PROCESS AND SCHEDULE (AB2015 -045)
Cliff Strong, Planning and Development Services Department, gave a staff report.
The committee discussed discrepancies in the land use intensity scale and buffer
widths, which should be based on individual conditions; widening the buffers for kelp and
eelgrass; incorporating factors such as soil type, land cover, and topography, which should
influence the buffer size; and making sure they base decisions about wetland boundaries on
accurate science; a new Department of Ecology (DOE) rating system; the current rule about
well depth; whether it's feasible to create a wetland mitigation banking system; whether
there is time to work through all the issues; the use of landscape -based environmental
review, and; how to interlay watershed planning with land use planning.
Natural Resources Committee, 1/27/2015, Page 1
1 COMMITTEE DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL
2
3 1. ORDINANCE AMENDING THE WHATCOM COUNTY CODE TO PROPERLY
4 DESIGNATE THE DIRECTOR OF WHATCOM COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS AS THE
5 ADMINISTRATOR OF THE WESTERN WASHINGTON PHASE II MUNICIPAL
6 STORMWATER PERMIT (AB2015 -036)
7
8 Cliff Strong, Planning and Development Services Department, gave a staff report.
9
10 The committee discussed the administration's plan for hiring a Public Works
11 Department Director; the current stormwater manual being used now; whether regulation
12 and enforcement is different than what it would have been under Title 20;
13
14 The following people answered questions:
15 • Jack Louws, County Executive
16 • Cathy Craver, Planning and Development Services Department
17 • Roland Middleton, Public Works Department
18
19 Weimer moved to recommend approval to the full Council.
20
21 The motion carried by the following vote:
22 Ayes: Weimer, Crawford and Buchanan (3)
23 Nays: None (0)
24
25 2. PRESENTATION OF WATER RESOURCES INVENTORY AREA (WRIA) 1
26 PLANNING UNIT WORK PLAN AND BUDGET, AND DISCUSSION OF COUNTY
27 STAFF'S REQUEST FOR GUIDANCE ON HOW TO PROCEED WITH PLANNING
28 UNIT WORK (AB2015 -046)
29
30 Gary Stoyka, Public Works Department, gave a staff report.
31
32 The committee discussed which Planning Unit members voted in favor of the work
33 plan.
34
35 Sylvia Goodwin, Planning Unit Member, submitted and read from a presentation (on
36 file) and answered questions.
37
38 The committee discussed how the process for watershed planning has changed since
39 1998; the budget; whether or not the Planning Unit has sought additional funding from the
40 State or other grant sources; whether the Planning Unit should evolve into a Council -
41 appointed advisory committee; whether the County should verify that the caucus
42 representatives truly represent the caucus, and; using the money to keep the website up-
43 to -date and available to everyone.
44
45 Stoyka asked what the Council wants the Planning Unit to spend the $40,000 current
46 budget on, if the Council decides to not give the Planning Unit the full $60,000 it requested.
47
48 The following Planning Unit members spoke and answered questions:
49 • Karen Brown
50 0 Robin Dexter
51 . Linda Twitchell
52 • Steve Jilk
53 • Skip Richards
Natural Resources Committee, 1/27/2015, Page 2
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
Browne stated that if the Council continues to fund the Planning Unit, it should
become an advisory committee and verify that the caucus representatives truly represent
the caucus.
Weimer stated he's fine moving forward with the $40,000 that is already budgeted
with the understanding they have to reconsider the direction this summer.
OTHER BUSINESS
There was no other business.
AD30URN
The meeting adjourned at 11:07 a.m.
0U�
A,•c
Oco
Dana �rowrn20an s C6un ' Clerk
Jill Nixon, Minutes Transcription
WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON
Natural Resources Committee, 1/27/2015, Page 3