HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlanning January 29 20081
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WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
Planning and Development Committee
January 29, 2008
Committee Member Seth Fleetwood called the meeting to order at 3:00 p.m. in the
Council Chambers, 311 Grand Avenue, Bellingham, Washington.
Present:
Carl Weimer
Also Present:
Bob Kelly
SPECIAL ORDER OF BUSINESS
Absent:
Laurie Caskey- Schreiber
1. ELECTION OF COMMITTEE CHAIR (AB2008 -021)
Weimer nominated Seth Fleetwood.
Nomination carried unanimously.
COMMITTEE DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL
1. RESOLUTION ADOPTING RECOMMENDATIONS FOR OPEN SPACE /FARM AND
AGRICULTURE CONSERVATION, OPEN SPACE /OPEN SPACE AND OPEN
SPACE /TIMBER APPLICATIONS (AB2007 -520)
Fleetwood stated all the applications seem appropriate.
Elizabeth Olsen, Planning and Development Services Department, introduced Erin
Osborn, a long range planner who will take over the Open Space applications.
The applications for Open Space /Farm and Agriculture and the Open Space /Open
Space are all on Lummi Island and near each other. She described the three applications.
The other seven applications are for Open Space /Timber. Three are new
applications. The other four, all owned by the same person, are coming out of Open
Space /Forestry.
Weimer asked if the Planning Commission had any concerns. Olsen stated they did
not. Approval was unanimous.
Fleetwood asked about public access. Olsen stated public access is not
recommended for the Open Space /Open Space property because of the critical areas on the
property.
Weimer moved to recommend approval of the resolution to the full Council.
Motion carried unanimously.
Planning and Development Committee, 1/29/2008, Page 1
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COMMITTEE DISCUSSION
1. REPORT FROM PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DIRECTOR DAVID
STALHEIM REGARDING THE STATUS OF PREPARING A LONG RANGE
PLANNING DIVISION WORK PLAN (AB2008 -075)
David Stalheim, Planning and Development Services Department Director, stated he
will come to the Committee at the end of February with an extensive report identifying all
projects and their resources in hopes of creating a priority. Staff are making sure the list of
work projects is complete. Staff is creating a database for the list of projects to create a
four -year work plan and identify resources required. The projects are organized into
functional areas, including core functions and legal mandates.
Include on the list the required 2011 update of the Comprehensive Plan and
development regulations for the Growth. Management Act. Look ahead at what they have to
do to be in compliance. Make sure they meet that target date. They need to start on that
effort now. That will be one of the main functional areas before the Council and the
Executive.
Another area includes ongoing planning and policy issues. Many items have been on
the list for a long time. Put them all into a functional category.
The final category has to do with natural resources, including watershed planning
efforts, water resource inventory area (WRIA) implementation, the Birch Bay
characterization project, and other projects.
Staff are identifying main tasks for these items. Until they identify the tasks, they
will not prioritize the projects. Some of the tasks would be appropriate for consultants.
When all the information is compiled, he will identify available staff time and
necessary additional staff time. Once they go through the prioritization process, they can
discuss locating resources to accomplish tasks.
They hope to go through the prioritization process soon. He hopes to have staff
work through that process with the Executive's Office, then bring it forward to the Council
soon.
The list includes the docketed items. Four new docket applications have come in and
are in process. He will include the 2008 docket items on the full list, which will come
forward in February.
The department is responding to many issues. The administration is looking at the
resources assigned to the divisions and is making adjustments as necessary. He
recommends that this item be ,held in committee to the last meeting in February so he can
complete compiling the information.
Fleetwood asked about the Agricultural Protection Program. Stalheim stated it can
be in either the planning function area or the natural resource function area.
Planning and Development Committee, 1/29/2008, Page 2
1 Fleetwood stated it should receive a high priority. Stalheim stated it has been
2 identified as a high priority. Make sure it's integrated with other programs, including the
3 urban growth area expansions.
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5 Weimer stated the County has lost more long -range planners since August. He
6 asked if part of the long -range planning efforts includes retaining employees. Stalheim
7 stated his update in February will focus on the work program, not organizational issues.
8 They are dealing with those issues internally. There are ideas and conversations about
9 retaining folks to create continuity. He's very pleased with the existing staff, and will do
10 what he can to keep and motivate them. There are several vacant positions now. Before
11 filling some of those positions, he wants to fully understand the work programs for those
12 positions. He wants to get the right people in the right positions. They're working on the
13 issue.
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15 Weimer stated he is concerned because they talked about the work plan and
16 prioritization in August. They decided they needed to focus on getting more staff to stem
17 the bleeding of staff. The Council supports providing the resources to do that. Don't put off
18 the projects they're working on in favor of 2011 Growth Management Act updates because
19 they don't have staff, Stalheim stated there's been little loss of staff in the Planning
20 Division. They haven't had many applicants for the open positions. They are working
21 through those issues. They're hiring extremely competent folks just out of college who can
22 grow into the positions. One idea is to recruit positions other than senior planners. When
23 he talks to the Committee about the work program next month, he can talk about the
24 resources for those programs.
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26 Weimer stated it's very important to deal with the lack of staff.
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28 Stalheim stated he will be back next month.
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31 OTHER BUSINESS
Oki
33 There was no other business.
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36 ADJOURN
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38 T eeting adjourned at 3:33 p.m.
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WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON
01h Fleet ood, Committee Chair
Planning and Development Committee, 1/29/2008, Page 3