HomeMy WebLinkAboutSurface Water Work Session February 21 20121
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Whatcom County Council
Special Surface Water Work Session
February 21, 2012
CALL TO ORDER
Council Vice -Chair Bill Knutzen called the meeting to order at 10:30 a.m. in the
Whatcom County Civic Center Annex Garden Room, 322 N. Commercial, Bellingham,
Washington.
ROLL CALL
Present: Barbara Brenner, Sam Crawford, Bill Knutzen, Ken Mann and Carl
Weimer
Absent: Kathy Kershner and Pete Kremen
SURFACE WATER WORK SESSION (AB2012 -024)
1. REVIEW PUBLIC WORKS WATER RESOURCE PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS
BUDGETED FOR 2012
Jon Hutchings, Public Works Department, referenced the packet items and gave a
staff report on the 2012 budget.
Mann asked and there was discussion of:
• How much of the budget comes from the general fund.
• Whether the Flood Control Zone District revenue can be adjusted.
Brenner asked and there was discussion of:
• Where the extra expenditures are from.
• Whether the Deming levee project resolution will cover the deficit amount.
• Whether the real estate excise tax (REET) covers most of the Deming project.
Knutzen asked and there was discussion of the line items in the Administration cost
center and the cost of each full -time equivalent (FTE) employee.
Paula Cooper, Public Works Department, gave a staff report on the status of the
River and Flood program, including flood response and comprehensive flood planning. She
described the status of the Deming levee upstream improvements.
Brenner asked and there was discussion of whether this is the project that area
residents were concerned about not being included in the process.
Mann asked and there was discussion of whether the connection with the railroad will
be difficult to design, given the water flow.
Cooper described the status of the Jones Creek project.
Mann asked and there was discussion of whether the affected, concerned landowners
would rather have no berm on their property.
Surface Water Work Session, 2/21/2012, Page 1
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Brenner asked and there was discussion of whether landowners will have access over
the berm from one side to another.
Crawford asked and there was discussion of:
• Whether the flow of the Jones Creek jog to the east reaches the Nooksack
River or goes back into the creek at a different location.
• Whether they can have a project to remove a debris buildup before it blows
out.
Cooper described the status on the flood plain mapping project.
Knutzen asked and there was discussion of whether a recent purchase of GPS
equipment would help with this mapping project.
Cooper described the status of levee vegetation management and sediment
management.
Brenner asked and there was discussion of whether the County is talking to federal
officials about Army Corps of Engineers changes to the guidelines regarding vegetation
management.
Kirk Christensen, Public Works Department, gave a staff update on the status of the
Stormwater program.
Brenner asked and there was discussion of whether fecal coliform levels are higher.
Mann asked and there was discussion of how many projects total have been done in
the Silver Beach area.
Brenner asked and there was discussion of whether the State Department of Ecology
adds requirements to a project for which the County receives a grant.
Christensen gave an update on the status of monitoring and public education.
Knutzen asked and there was discussion of whether the budget for development
standards comes from the Planning and Development Services Department budget or the
Public Works Department budget.
Weimer asked and there was discussion of whether the new National Pollution
Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit includes the entire watershed.
Christensen gave an update on the status of Birch Bay Watershed and Aquatic
Resources Management (BBWARM) district projects.
John Thompson, Public Works Department, gave a staff report and update on the
Natural Resources program.
Knutzen asked and there was discussion of monitoring creeks south of Point
Whitehorn in cooperation with the tribes.
Brenner asked and there was discussion of the potential to dredge the river.
Surface Water Work Session, 2/21/2012, Page 2
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2. ESTABLISH 2012 COUNCIL WATER WORK SESSION PRIORITIES AND
MEETING SCHEDULE
Jon Hutchings, Public Works Department, gave a staff report on the 2012 work
session schedule:
• Levee vegetation management and sediment management in March
• Water resource inventory area (WRIA) representation and water allocation in
April
• Stormwater program financing and construction in June
• 2013/2014 budget preparation in September
Knutzen asked and there was discussion of whether the topic of levee vegetation
management is to get in compliance with Army Corps of Engineers guidelines.
Hutchings stated other issues to discuss in 2012 include salmon recovery, the
shellfish protection districts, BBWARM, and the Deming levee project. These topics could be
discussed in the Council's Natural Resources Committee.
Brenner asked and there was discussion of how water retention works with not
interfering with water flow.
Weimer asked and there was discussion of when the Council will discuss invasive
species on Lake Whatcom funding with the City.
Brenner stated she would like an update on how bad the invasive species problem
really is. Create an ordinance that prohibits boats that have been used on other water
bodies from entering Lake Whatcom without first having an inspection.
Hutchings stated the question is defining the nexus for County involvement.
Mann stated schedule the discussion of invasive species on Lake Whatcom in March.
Knutzen asked and there was discussion of the status of the Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA) buyout.
3. DISCUSS GRANT OPPORTUNITIES FOR REACH 1 (LOWER NOOKSACK)
FLOOD CONTROL AND RESTORATION PROJECTS
Paula Cooper, Public Works Department, submitted a handout (on file) and gave a
staff report.
Steve Seymour, Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), gave a
staff report about their efforts at land acquisition. The federal National Coastal Wetland
Conservation Grant Program (NCWCGP) will be used to acquire properties on the right bank
of the Nooksack River.
Cooper stated the plan is to leverage a small amount of County money to get the
State's Estuary and Salmon Restoration Program (ESRP) grant, which would be used as
matching money for the State to apply for the federal NCWCGP grant.
Brenner asked and there was discussion of how much County money is involved.
Surface Water Work Session, 2/21/2012, Page 3
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Weimer asked and there was discussion of whether using the ESRP grant funds as a
match prohibits any County work from being done.
Mann asked and there was discussion of
• The Slater Road elevation project status.
• Whether there is a downside to using ESRP grant funds to match a grant from
the federal NCWCGP to the State.
Cooper asked if the Council agrees to the grant funding scheme to leverage a small
amount of County money to get the State's Estuary and Salmon Restoration Program
(ESRP) grant, which would be used as matching money for the State to apply for the federal
NCWCGP grant.
The Council concurred.
ADJOURN
The meeting adjourned at 12:15 p.m.
The Council approved these minutes on March 13, 2012.
ATTEST:
WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON
Please contact the Council Office to obtain an
official, signed copy:
360- 676 -6690 or council@�omhatcomma.us
Surface Water Work Session, 2/21/2012, Page 4