HomeMy WebLinkAboutPublic Works January 13 20091 WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
2 Public Works and Safety Committee
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4 January 13, 2009
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6 Committee Chair Barbara Brenner called the meeting to order at 1:30 p.m. in the
7 Council Chambers, 311 Grand-Avenue, Bellingham, Washington.
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9 Present: Absent:
10 L. Ward Nelson None
11 Laurie Caskey- Schreiber
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13 Also Present:
14 Carl Weimer
15 Sam Crawford
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18 COMMITTEE DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL
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20 1. RESOLUTION TO CONSIDER VACATING A, PORTION OF SAXON ROAD AND
21 ENTERING INTO AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN WHATCOM
22 COUNTY, THE LUMMI NATION, AND WHATCOM LAND TRUST FOR THE SAXON
23 ROAD RE- ALIGNMENT PROJECT (AB2009 -051)
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25 Brenner stated she supports the resolution, but wants to amend the wording in the
26 resolution to clarify that this is a vacation to realign. Her wording changes doesn't
27 effectively change anything in the resolution. Prosecutor Dan Gibson helped her create the
28 changes:
29 • Amend the Title, "A resolution in the matter of considering vaeating
30 vacation for reahgriment of a portion of Saxon Road"
31 • Amend the first Whereas statement, "Whereas, on December 15, 2008;
32 Lummi Nation and others, submitted a petition for the vacation of a portion of
33 Saxon Road lying within the unincorporated area of Whatcom County,
34 accompanied by the penal sum of $682.00, and an interlocal agreement, and;
35 rn exchange for rep {ace;ment ofi vacated „portion, "', witki a new ,realignment ,p
36 equal or,greater'alue;'and"
37 Add an new Whereas statement, "Whereas the Lumrnr- Nation agrees;tlia no
38 uacat10n will occur:iantil or unless realignment has` been peeformed':”
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40 Brenner moved to recommend approval to the full Council with her amendments.
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42 Caskey - Schreiber asked if Mr. Abart approves the amendments.
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44 Frank Abart, Public Works Department Director, stated he has no objections, as long
45 as Prosecutor Gibson has reviewed the amendments.
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47 Brenner stated she worked with Prosecutor Gibson on her amended language.
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49 Motion carried unanimously.
50
51 (Clerk's Note: Discussion of this item continued, below.)
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Public Works and Safety Committee, 1/13/2009, Page 1
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COMMITTEE DISCUSSION
1. BRIEF DISCUSSION REGARDING THE STIMULUS PROJECT LIST FORWARDED
TO THE STATE BY THE WHATCOM COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS (AB2009-
017)
Brenner stated she was told that an item on the list was the ferry project. The
Council didn't approve that.
Crawford stated the ferry project is not on the list.
Frank Abart, Public Works Department Director, stated several lists have been
submitted, but it's not on the Council of Governments list. It was removed from that list. It
is included on every asset replacement list he's been asked for.
Brenner stated nothing would happen without Council approval. Abart stated that's
correct.
(Clerk's Note: Discussion continued, below.)
2. BRIEF FLOOD UPDATE FROM PUBLIC WORKS (AB2009 -017)
Frank Abart, Public Works Department, gave a presentation. There was a huge effort
among federal, State, and local agencies, including Homeland Security, the National Guard,
and people from Canada. This was a massive, countywide event. It took everyone's
participation to get through it. They are still identifying issues today. It will be very
expensive. It will completely change the department's work plan for at least this year.
Joe Rutan, Public Works Department, submitted a slide presentation (on file)
showing damage. There are problems on just about all County roads. Shoulders are
washed out and eroded. Ditches are messed up. There is a lot of work to do. He described
the photos. The river levees survived better than the road network. They have opened up
Mt. Baker Highway, but how it's ,repaired is a question. There's a good chance it won't look
like it did before. He doesn't know if Truck Road is a priority as a through- route, when they
can access it from both sides. They don't know where the creek itself will go. How things
will look and operate will change. The water system in Acme was affected by what went on
at Turkington Road. They are doing damage assessment and still dealing with life and
safety issues. They are trying to get people access. They are trying to make the roads
passable. They are trying to get water back into the streams so it doesn't cause additional
damage. They are doing damage assessments as damage reports come in. They don't
know the total cost of the damage yet. They will work with the State and federal
governments to get federal aid. They will work hard to get any money they can for repairs.
Jon Hutchings, Public Works Department, stated the key with the levee system is to
repair any damage done to the system, which may otherwise result in major flooding in the
future. There are three or four locations they know of at this point. He will provide a
broader overview of the projects at the next surface water work session.
Caskey- Schreiber asked if the County has provide the flood damage hotline phone
number to the newspaper.
Dewey Desler, Deputy Administrator, stated the County has put out press releases
and updated its website to get that information to the community. The City of Bellingham
Public Works and Safety Committee, 1/13/2009, Page 2
1 and Division of Emergency Management opened a call center today. People can submit
2 damage applications online. So far, there have been 70 applications.
3
4 (Clerk's Note: Discussion continued below.)
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6
7 COMMITTEE DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL
8
9 1. RESOLUTION TO CONSIDER VACATING A PORTION OF SAXON ROAD AND
10 ENTERING INTO AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN WHATCOM
11 COUNTY, THE LUMMI NATION, AND WHATCOM LAND TRUST FOR THE SAXON
12 ROAD RE- ALIGNMENT PROJECT (AB2009 -051)
13 ;f
14 (Clerk's Note: Discussion continued from above.)" p
15 m
4 A A , ,.<
16 Dan Gibson, Prosecutor's Office, stated he talked with Council Ember finer
17 yesterday about the proposed language amendments. This is a preliminary°ph,.see. �S{(he
18 declaration of intent to vacate. The vacation will not occur unless and.., until the oilier
19 portion of the road is complete and accepted by the County. .
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22 COMMITTEE DISCUSSION
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24 2. BRIEF FLOOD UPDATE FROM PUBLIC WORKS (AB2009 -017)
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26 Crawford stated there was substantial flooding at Hovander Homestead Park. He
27 asked for an update on any flood damage at park facilities.
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29 Mike McFarlane, Parks and Recreation Department Director, stated the road washed
30 out at Canyon Lake. There was a substantial slide on the interurban trail. A volunteer
31 contractor is doing a days worth of work. Part of Cleator Road let go and came down over
32 the trail. They are closing the last two miles on the Hertz Trail, along Lake Whatcom.
33 Hovander is used to being flooded, but the water did get into the Tennant Lake Interpretive
34 Center. They are drying that out now. They will assess other trails in the next week.
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37 COMMITTEE DISCUSSION
38
39 1. BRIEF DISCUSSION REGARDING THE STIMULUS PROJECT LIST FORWARDED
40 TO THE STATE BY THE WHATCOM COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS (AB2009-
41 017)
42
43 (Clerk's Note: Discussion continued from above.)
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45 Nancy Ging, 2386 Tuttle Road, Lummi Island, stated it's disturbing when a project
46 voted down by Council is suddenly out for funding at a bunch of different locations. It
47 subverted the process.
48
49 Susan Kilgore, 2877 North Nugent Road, Lummi Island, stated she would like to
50 know what stimulus package lists the ferry is on. They really have to search to find out
51 when meetings are.
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Public Works and Safety Committee, 1/13/2009, Page 3
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OTHER BUSINESS
There was no other business.
ADJOURN
The meeting adjourned at 2:05 p.m.
Jill Nixon, Minutes Transcription
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WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON
Barbara Brenner, Committee Chair
Public Works and Safety Committee, 1/13/2009, Page 4