HomeMy WebLinkAboutCouncil May 15 20011 WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
2 Regular County Council
3
4 May 15, 2001
5
6
7 The meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m. by Council Chair L. Ward
8 Nelson in the Council Chambers, 311 Grand Avenue, Bellingham, Washington.
9
10 Also Present: Absent:
11 Dan McShane None
12 Marlene Dawson
13 Connie Hoag
14 Barbara Brenner
15 Sam Crawford
16 Robert Imhof
17
18 ANNOUNCEMENTS
19
20 Nelson announced that there was discussion with the Administration
21 regarding details of a new program covered under the 2001 Unrepresented
22 Resolution (AB2001 -018) and discussion with Whatcom County Prosecutor
23 Dave McEachran, Senior Deputy Prosecutor Dave Grant, and Deputy
24 Administrator Dewey Desler regarding various cases of pending litigation
25 (AB2001 -018) in executive session during the Committee of the Whole meeting.
26
27 Nelson also announced that there was discussion regarding a proposed
28 resolution. He moved approval of the resolution to intervene in the matter of
29 the Georgia Straits Crossing Project application pending before the United
30 States Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) (AB2001 -168).
31
32 Imhof stated he would abstain from voting due to the perception of a
33 possible conflict of interest.
34
35 Nelson stated the resolution is regarding a proposed pipeline that comes
36 through Whatcom County and goes to San Juan County. It connects with
37 Vancouver Island. The pipeline would pump gas from Canada, through Whatcom
38 County and San Juan Island, and back to Canada. Whatcom County has no direct
39 benefit and wants to have the ability to discuss this issue with FERC and be a part
40 of the hearings on this issue.
41
42 Pete Kremen, County Executive, strongly encouraged the Council to approve
43 the resolution. It is in the best interest of the citizens of the county to protect
44 economic and environmental health, safety, and general welfare.
45
46 Hoag stated that Councilmember Imhof should not have been a part of the
47 executive session discussion, if there is an appearance of fairness issue.
48
49 Nelson stated Councilmember Imhof was not there.
Regular County Council Meeting, 5/15/2001, Page 1
1
2 Brenner stated Council Imhof was not there.
3
4 Hoag stated he was.
5
6 McShane stated he was not there.
7
8 Motion to approve carried 6 -0 with Imhof abstaining.
9
10
11 APPROVAL OF MINUTES
12
13 COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE FOR APRIL 17 AND MAY 1, 2001;
14 REGULAR COUNTY COUNCIL FOR APRIL 17 AND MAY 1, 2001; WATER
15 RESOURCES WORK SESSION FOR APRIL 24, 2001;
16
17 Dawson moved approval.
18
19 Brenner stated she submitted scrivener's errors that were corrected.
20
21 Motion to approve carried unanimously.
22
23
24 OPEN SESSION
25
26 The following people spoke:
27
28 Rita Foley, South Lake Whatcom, stated there are filters in the ditches along
29 Lake Whatcom. People are parking in the ditches where the filters are. The
30 property is straight up and down, and the people were allowed to build there. They
31 are supposed to protect the watershed and the lake. There is mud and muck in the
32 ditches from people parking in the ditches. There is nowhere for them to park. The
33 Park Road project costs over $4 million for 2.8 miles of road that goes nowhere and
34 covers wetland that is critical to the diversion in Lake Whatcom. This road is for the
35 benefit of no one except a school bus with a bunch of brats on it. There was an
36 alternative. The bus could have taken the children to school in Burlington. Also,
37 the Building and Code Division is allowing certain people to build in the watershed.
38 She wanted an investigation done on this.
39
40 Alex Cummings, stated she lives in the York neighborhood. She invited the
41 councilmembers to a meeting on May 23 in the Council Chambers. Dr. Walter
42 Crinion will speak and discuss metals, arsenic, and pesticides in the water. Also, an
43 emergency alarm went off in the middle of Friday night. She asked that the Council
44 look into the emergency procedure so folks know what to do. It would have been
45 nice to have public access television to inform the public.
46
47 There was a meeting the previous night with Georgia- Pacific about wanting to
48 build a power plant at the downtown waterfront. They are going to do a SEPA
49 review and the permit process with the City of Bellingham. This concerns her. She
Regular County Council Meeting, 5/15/2001, Page 2
1 thought that any new power plants going on in the county would be under review
2 by both councils. She hoped that was true. They are planning construction on the
3 waterfront, and there should be waterfront laws that are applicable. There should
4 also be pipeline laws. They are planning to do construction through mercury -laden
5 soils. She was concerned about dredging and digging in mercury -laden soils.
6
7 Nelson asked the administration to forward the concern regarding the
8 emergency plan to the City of Bellingham and the Emergency Management Division.
9
10 Brenner asked if the County is involved in any power plant proposal within a
11 city.
12
13 Dan Gibson, Senior Civil Deputy Prosecutor, stated it is not, to his
14 knowledge. The facility falls under the jurisdiction in which it is located.
15
16 Kathy Burg, 7585 Sterling Avenue, Birch Bay, stated she is the Steering
17 Committee vice -chair for the Birch Bay Community Plan, which is a citizen - driven
18 plan to look into the future. There are three different planning processes going on
19 regarding Birch Bay. She asked the Council to approve the proposed items that
20 would shepherd this process along. She noticed a definite improvement lately with
21 all of the County government. She thanked County Engineering staff Ravyn
22 Whitewolf and Penni Lemperes. The road engineers are planning ahead to do
23 improvements on roads and storm drains. She also thanked Sheriff Brandland,
24 Dewey Desler, Barbara Brenner, Bob Imhof, Sylvia Goodwin, and Hal Hart.
25
26 Jean Freestone, 3200 Valette Street stated she owns property at Crissy Road
27 and Valley View Road in Custer and in the Drayton Harbor watershed. She heard
28 there would be a report on Drayton Harbor in the Natural Resources Committee,
29 but she missed the presentation, and requested more information. The report is
30 the same litany they've always heard about failing septic systems, agricultural
31 practices, and storm drainage. In the last year, there was one failing system
32 recorded in the entire watershed. Upon investigation, that system was found to not
33 be failing after all. The report stated that the creeks going into Drayton Harbor
34 meet standards. She asked how the cause could be agricultural along the creeks.
35 There was a report and DNA study to discover the sources of fecal coliform. There
36 was reference to the high level of fecal coliform. There are thousands of shore
37 birds that are out there regularly. There is a growing population of 300 -pound
38 harbor seals that seem very happy out there. It is obvious that they have some
39 contribution to fecal coliform. She urged the Council to require this agency to post
40 its data on the website in a way for people to have access to it.
41
42 Hoag stated Ms. Freestone can listen to the tape of the meeting. There was
43 much more information presented. They are working on their website.
44
45 Roger Ellingson, City of Sumas representative, stated he would address
46 AB2001 -158, which is the resolution regarding the study of mineral resources in
47 eastern Whatcom County. The City of Sumas supports the Surface Mining Advisory
48 Committee recommendation to provide $15,000 in County funds to facilitate a state
Regular County Council Meeting, 5/15/2001, Page 3
1 Department of Natural Resources (DNR) study of the aggregate resources in the
2 Mount Baker quadrangle. It is not a controversial issue.
3
4
5 PUBLIC HEARING
6
7 1. ACADEMY ROAD LATECOMERS AGREEMENT — ASSESSMENT
8 REIMBURSEMENT AREA AND ASSOCIATED COSTS (AB2001 -098)
9
10 Bruce Mills, Assistant Director of Engineering, gave a staff report and stated
11 four parties are appealing the proposal. There have been changes based on
12 negotiations they've done the last few weeks. The recommendation of staff is that:
13 • The Lake Whatcom Residential Treatment Center assessment should be
14 upheld,
15 • The HJG Company assessment should be upheld,
16 • The Bruce Parker assessment should be reduced to $500, and
17 • The Mike Rorvig assessment should be $20,000.
18
19 Mills continued to state that Bruce Parker had two estimates done on how
20 much it would cost to fix his driveway. One estimate was for $2,700 and the other
21 was for $3,200.
22
23 Since the last Council meeting, he met with Don Olson, who fronted the
24 money for the project, and who is trying to recoup his investment through this
25 latecomer process. Mr. Rorvig and Mr. Olson have agreed to a reduction in Mr.
26 Rorvig's assessment. The staff concurred.
27
28 Dan Gibson, Senior Civil Deputy Prosecutor, stated that agreement between
29 Mr. Olson and Mr. Rorvig does not shift the cost to anyone else. Mr. Olson absorbs
30 that difference. Given the fact that there is agreement between those two parties,
31 staff strongly recommends that solution.
32
33 Brenner questioned the status of the Wheat deduction. Gibson stated there
34 were discussions with Mr. Wheat. Mr. Olson and Mr. Wheat are prepared to live
35 with the amounts proposed. It is not a formula that shifts the burden elsewhere.
36
37 Hoag questioned the reason for the difference between the two assessments
38 on the Parker driveway. Mills stated the more expensive alternative is to fill in a
39 dip in the driveway with pit run gravel to build it up so the slope is more gradual.
40 The less expensive alternative is to push some of the material from the top down
41 into the dip in the driveway, fill it in with onsite material, and cap that material with
42 pit run gravel. The saving is because one wouldn't have to haul as much material
43 in. The less expensive alternative requires removal of a couple of trees.
44
45 Nelson opened the public hearing and the following people spoke:
46
47 Olav Sola, 18500 I Street, Edmonds, stated he also has a home at Raspberry
48 Ridge. This matter came up two years ago when he suddenly found that he had a
49 road leading up through the west side of the property, up to a cellular tower. He
Regular County Council Meeting, 5/15/2001, Page 4
1 had not been approached about this cell tower at all. Arrangement was made with
2 the phone company that they would divvy up his property, even though another
3 party received money and signed agreement to which HJG never signed. In closing
4 the negotiations with the phone company, apparently a deal was struck that the
5 phone company would supply gravel for Academy Road rather than pay money for
6 the easement. He arrived to his property one day, and all of a sudden Academy
7 Road was built. There was also the easement road going up the west side of the
8 property. Now, they have come to an agreement in which people are getting a
9 large credit for money they are not entitled to. There should be a careful
10 accounting of the Academy Road expenditures. The expenses relating to cellular
11 tower should be taken into consideration.
12
13 Brenner questioned whether Mr. Sola wanted the value of the donated gravel
14 to be credited to his assessment. Mr. Sola stated he did. The road would not be
15 there if the phone company hadn't added a huge amount of gravel. That was one
16 of their reasons for refusing to negotiate with HJG. Some of the other people, like
17 Mr. Olson, are taking credit for that.
18
19 Pat Wheat, 3421 Noah's Way, stated he lives on Academy Street. He is
20 conflicted about the whole project. He supported the project with time and money.
21 He did a long -plat, but only six lots. He is the one person who has built and now
22 lives in the neighborhood. The County staff did a good job putting this together
23 under bad circumstances. He appealed his assessment in a timely fashion. He
24 doesn't owe any money to anyone. He would bond for his share to get the road
25 done. It seems like a long -term owner /developer such as him gets ground up in
26 the wheels and ends up paying the price for the real development interests, who
27 get all the concessions by working through the shadows with high - powered
28 attorneys and consultants who are insiders. The entire process is flawed. He owes
29 nothing.
30
31 Brenner stated she believed a certain amount of money was taken off of Mr.
32 Wheat's assessment. She believed that had been worked out between Mr. Wheat
33 and Mr. Olson. Gibson stated his conversations with Mr. Wheat, until now, were
34 based on the understanding that he agreed with the assessment that was
35 presented to the Council a month ago, in the amount of $12,732.00. Mr. Olson is
36 agreeable with the figures that were presented. The assessments are not
37 recalculated.
38
39 Brenner stated she didn't understand Mr. Wheat's comments, because he
40 was comfortable with the agreement originally. Wheat stated that was the first
41 he'd heard about the change in his assessment. The first he heard about this
42 hearing was this morning.
43
44 Brenner stated that wasn't true. They talked about it two weeks ago at the
45 Council meeting. He was there. The Council said the hearing would be reopened.
46 He wasn't going to testify two weeks ago about the $12,000 that he was going to
47 get credit for. He came to testify because he heard the credit would be reduced.
48 Now, it hasn't been dropped. She asked what Mr. Wheat is complaining about.
49 Wheat stated he didn't understand either.
Regular County Council Meeting, 5/15/2001, Page 5
1
2 Hearing no one else, Nelson closed the public hearing.
3
4 Brenner moved to approve the staff recommendation.
5
6 Brenner moved to amend the recommendation so that Mr. Parker pays $0.
7 He had a decent road before this all started. He didn't need this road. It didn't
8 make any improvement for him. He is in worse shape than he was. It is up to
9 whoever decided to put that road in to go back to the contractor and make the
10 contractor give him the money. The contractor did the road wrong, and Mr. Parker
11 should not be blamed for it. The contractor did not put the road in where it was
12 supposed to go.
13
14 Hoag asked Mr. Mills to explain what would happen with the money Mr.
15 Parker was going to be assessed, and who absorbs that cost. Mills stated Mr. Olson
16 absorbs that cost. Mr. Olson is agreeable to Mr. Parker's share being $0.
17
18 McShane stated Mr. Parker had to go through a lot of effort to go to the
19 County Council during two meetings. There is some benefit to Mr. Parker, but he
20 didn't really need this road. He supported the motion.
21
22 Nelson restated the motion to reduce Mr. Parker's assessment from $500 to
23 $0.
24
25 Motion to amend carried 6 -1 with Imhof opposed.
26
27 Hoag questioned whether Mr. Sola got no credit at all for the gravel that was
28 contributed. Mills stated that was correct. The cellular tower property goes
29 through the Sola property. Mr. Olson decided not to assess the cellular tower
30 because it made its own contribution during construction of the road by bringing in
31 gravel. The cell tower property is not like a home that generates ten trips per day.
32 The owners go out there every few weeks or months.
33
34 Hoag stated the cell tower is sitting on Mr. Sola's property. Mills stated it
35 does not. The access road is through the Sola property.
36
37 Imhof stated that is a civil matter anyway.
38
39 (Clerk's Note: End of tape one, side A.)
40
41 Hoag stated that if the settlement was to provide gravel, then it should show
42 up on Mr. Smith's assessment as an owner contribution. Mills stated it was
43 considered a wash. The cell tower owner contributed enough gravel to keep out of
44 the assessment district.
45
46 Brenner stated she is sympathetic with Mr. Sola, but this is a civil matter.
47 Mr. Sola should go back to Verizon and make them pay for their encroachment onto
48 his property. That is not part of the Council's charge. This would not be easy for
49 staff to quantify because no one knows the value of the gravel that was donated. It
Regular County Council Meeting, 5/15/2001, Page 6
1 is not something the County can do. It is a situation in which someone encroached
2 on Mr. Sola's property, which was illegal.
3
4 Hoag asked for a clarification on whether or not the cell tower is located on
5 the Sola property. Sola stated the easement is 60 feet wide and 2,000 feet long on
6 the west portion of the HJG property. It was done without his knowledge and
7 consent. The arrangement was made with other people on Academy Road, and
8 Verizon. There is no record of a request for this in the Engineering Division. That
9 record disappeared. The cell tower is on the neighbor's property.
10
11 Hoag questioned whether there was a court decree that produced a
12 settlement with Verizon. Sola stated they tried to negotiate with Verizon on
13 numerous occasions. He's spent a large amount of money. He has not brought
14 Verizon to court yet.
15
16 Hoag moved to reduce Mr. Sola's assessment in an amount that is the value
17 of the donated gravel. Mills stated he didn't know whether there was one truckload
18 of gravel or twenty truckloads.
19
20 Imhof stated it is a civil matter. That is not what the Council is to make a
21 recommendation on. The Council is to recommend whether this assessment is
22 appropriate, which it is.
23
24 Hoag stated she agreed, but if that is the settlement that Verizon proposed,
25 then it should show up as the owner contribution of Smith. She is not being given
26 the dollar amount, she doesn't have a way to make an amendment. She withdrew
27 her amendment.
28
29 Motion to approve as amended carried unanimously.
30
31 Brenner thanked Mr. Mills for his work on this.
32
33 2. ORDINANCE AMENDING THE OFFICIAL WHATCOM COUNTY ZONING
34 ORDINANCE, TITLE 20, TO INCLUDE THE LAKE SAMISH WATERSHED
35 UNDER CHAPTER 20.71 — WATER RESOURCE PROTECTION OVERLAY
36 DISTRICT, DESIGNATING THE LAKE SAMISH WATERSHED AS A
37 WATER RESOURCE SPECIAL MANAGEMENT AREA UNDER SECTION
38 20.80.730, AND AMENDING SECTION 20.80.634 — STORMWATER
39 SPECIAL DISTRICTS (AB2001 -115)
40
41 Sylvia Goodwin, Planning Division Manager, gave a staff report and stated
42 the Planning Commission considered Lake Samish as a water resource protection
43 overlay area. The County Council appointed a committee of citizens. She
44 acknowledged the members of the Citizens' Advisory Committee. The committee,
45 with four members absent and five members present, voted unanimously to
46 recommend approval of the ordinance. During the Planning Commission hearing,
47 most public testimony was concerned about additional regulations. There was a lot
48 of public support for the ordinance. The Planning Commission voted unanimously
Regular County Council Meeting, 5/15/2001, Page 7
1 to adopt Lake Samish as an overlay, similar to Lake Whatcom, but with a few
2 differences.
3
4 The major difference was in the percent of impervious surface allowed. The
5 Lake Whatcom ordinance has a sliding scale depending on the zoning. For the
6 Rural Residential around Lake Whatcom, which is also most of the lakefront
7 property on Lake Samish, only 20 percent of the lot could be impervious. In the
8 Rural area in Lake Whatcom, only 10 percent of the lot could be impervious. The
9 committee was very concerned about those percentages for Lake Samish because
10 the lots are smaller. The lots are fairly steep. One needs a paved driveway for
11 many of those steep lots. There is also more bedrock in Lake Samish that
12 prevented the water from infiltrating. The committee recommended that the
13 Council require 70% pervious surface for the entire watershed recommended, a
14 3,000 square foot exemption for those lots smaller than 10,000 square feet, so
15 every lot would have a 3,000 square feet footprint, no matter the size. That would
16 give enough room for a two -story house and a good driveway, with a parking area.
17
18 When the Planning and Development Committee looked at the ordinance, the
19 committee thought it would be easier to administer if it was the same as Lake
20 Whatcom. To deal with that, they added the 3,000 square foot footprint to the
21 Lake Whatcom ordinance, which is consistent with what the Citizens' Advisory
22 Committee recommended. They recommended that the percent stay at 80 percent
23 and 90 percent, the same as Lake Whatcom, to have one water resource protection
24 overlay zone that would apply to both districts. The committee also recommended
25 changes to the mobile home park section of the ordinance. There are several
26 mobile home parks that are already over the threshold for impervious surface. If
27 someone pulls out an existing mobile home and replaces it with a large mobile
28 home, the owner would have to retrofit the entire mobile home park and couldn't
29 increase the impervious surface. The advisory committee recommended language
30 that the Planning and Development committee retained and added to the
31 ordinance.
32
33 The other issue was the stormwater special district. The original ordinance
34 recommended that Lake Samish be included as a stormwater special district. The
35 Planning Commission was concerned about including it now since there are not
36 standards for the best management practices that apply. The committee did not
37 want to sign up for something where the standards are not known. The committee
38 recommended language that it not be a stormwater special district until standards
39 are written. That language is on Council packet page 338 of the packet. The
40 Planning and Development Committee recommended that that language be slightly
41 revised. On Council packet page 335, section 20.71.302(4), strike the first
42 sentence. Deleting that sentence would make the regulation the same as on Lake
43 Whatcom. On Council packet page 338, section 20.80.634(2)(c), insert words
44 "...overall countywide stormwater standards for the stormwater special districts are
45 updated and revised.
46 tFiet at this tinge." As soon as the stormwater special standards are adopted,
47 Lake Samish would be a stormwater special district under this ordinance. The
48 Citizens' Advisory Committee wanted to see what the standards are before it got
49 added as a stormwater special district.
Regular County Council Meeting, 5/15/2001, Page 8
1
2 Other than that, she's heard that the citizens are concerned because they
3 worked hard on this, and the Council didn't listen to them. However, most of the
4 decisions that the Citizens' Advisory Committee recommended are in this ordinance.
5 It is just those two items regarding the impervious percentage and the stormwater
6 standards. All of the other advisory committee recommendations are in this
7 ordinance, and the staff recommends adoption of the ordinance.
8
9 Imhof stated the new handout is the ordinance as amended by the Planning
10 Committee.
11
12 Nelson stated the substitute ordinance will be the ordinance that they will
13 work from.
14
15 Nelson opened the public hearing and the following people spoke:
16
17 Bruce Phillips, 2171 Shallow Shore Lane, Lake Samish Watershed Committee
18 member, stated he disagreed with Planning staff, and the changes are not minor.
19 He urged the Council to approve the plan proposed by the citizen committee and
20 endorsed by the Planning Commission. There is minimal benefit to Whatcom
21 County by applying regulations that were not designed for this lake. There are
22 differences between Lake Whatcom and Lake Samish. Lake Whatcom is a drinking
23 water source for many people in the county. Lake Samish is the drinking water
24 source only for those people who live around the lake. Lake Whatcom is heavily
25 populated on the north and west sides. Lake Samish is lightly populated. Zoning in
26 the residential areas is minimal past the lakeshore itself. Ninety percent of the
27 watershed is zoned Forestry. Lake Samish is not going to have the population
28 problems that Lake Whatcom has. Lake Samish residents are responsible for most
29 of their own services. Many of them are on wells or have multi -acre lots, and have
30 tools, pump houses, sheds, and other impervious surfaces. People in the urban
31 areas don't need that. Extra allowances for impervious surfaces are essential in the
32 Lake Samish area. This was a perfect example of citizen involvement.
33
34 Dawson questioned whether the advisory committee discussed whether it
35 would be agreeable to being subject to the formation of a water district. Phillips
36 stated it is not in the recommendations.
37
38 Barbara Vaughn, 921 Autumn Lane, stated she has lived at Lake Samish for
39 12 years. She supported all of the beneficial users, including the swimmers and
40 boaters, fish and wildlife, and residents. She recommended that the Lake become
41 an overlay district. The impervious surfaces are a concern. There are many small
42 lots around the lake. The consequences of pesticide and herbicide use are
43 detrimental if there are a large number of people who move in. Impervious
44 surfaces are just going to add to the problem. Whatcom County committed to the
45 watershed action plan, and promised to allow a district to protect Lake Samish
46 water. This has not happened, so it is essential that the overlay district be a part of
47 that process. She was a member of the advisory committee. There were changes
48 made to the recommendations that she did not agree with at the committee's last
49 meeting, which she did not attend.
Regular County Council Meeting, 5/15/2001, Page 9
1
2 Goodwin stated that this committee went to the Natural Resources
3 Committee, not the Planning and Development Committee, as she stated earlier.
4
5 Steven Harper, 121 Bear Creek Lane, stated that he approved the Planning
6 Commission's version that supports the water resource protection overlay district
7 for Lake Samish. However, it is important to add provisions regarding impervious
8 surface that were changed by the Council's committee. He urged the Council to
9 adopt recommendation of the Planning Commission and the advisory committee.
10 Change the pervious surface requirement to 90 percent for Rural zoning and 80
11 percent for Rural Residential zoning. The mobile home parks should not be exempt
12 from the provisions, but should be treated similarly to Whatcom County. There
13 should be consideration for designating Lake Samish a stormwater special district.
14 If the advisory committee members knew they were voting that night, the absent
15 members would have been there. The Council would have had a very different
16 recommendation come forward. The Planning Commission would have most likely
17 gone with that recommendation.
18
19 The Lake Samish watershed is extremely susceptible to contamination, more
20 so than Lake Whatcom. Almost all of the development around Lake Samish is
21 adjacent to the lake. Most of the households adjacent to the lake obtain their
22 drinking water directly from Lake Samish. They need the water quality to remain
23 high. Most of the remaining developable land is immediately adjacent to the
24 developed land, extremely steep, zoned Rural Residential, two units per acre (RR2)
25 and Rural, one unit per two acres (R2A) zoning, contains rocky soil, and will be
26 susceptible to runoff once the forest cover is removed. This area receives more
27 rainfall that most areas of Whatcom County because it is behind Blanchard. This
28 increases the risk of excessive runoff. There is also a connection to Friday Creek
29 and Samish River, making it critical salmon habitat.
30
31 Bruce Harris, 135 Summerland Road, Lake Samish Citizens Committee
32 member, stated he supported more stringent impervious percentages generated by
33 the Natural Resources Committee. There were a number of issues that the
34 advisory committee dealt with during its meetings. The impervious percentages
35 divided the committee. If anyone was not in attendance at a particular meeting, it
36 would alter the vote on an item one way or the other. The committee members
37 were not informed until they arrived that the last meeting would be their last
38 meeting. Many things happened at that unannounced last meeting, without an
39 agenda. This was one issue they'd debated and voted during two previous
40 meetings. There was no unanimous vote to go into the record on how the
41 committee felt on this issue.
42
43 The Council should consider the more stringent impervious surface standard
44 because of the small streams that enter the lake, the terrain and geology around
45 the lake, the complexity of the wetlands, and concerns that there are water quality
46 and quantity problems.
47
48 David Beattie, 1365 Roy Road, Lake Samish Citizens Committee, stated the
49 committee adopted a motion to recommend that 3,000 square feet of impervious
Regular County Council Meeting, 5/15/2001, Page 10
surfaces shall be allowed for lots smaller than 10,000 square feet. At the final
meeting of the committee, which he was not able to attend, that motion was
rescinded to allow 30 percent of impervious surfaces. He opposed that vote. They
should have had another meeting with all members present to revisit that issue.
When one deals with impervious surface, they are dealing with Lakeshore. Best
available science shows that ten percent of impervious surface or greater in the
immediate vicinity of a water body, water quality goes down significantly. Lake
Samish is important for domestic water use and because it is a fish producing lake.
State money has gone toward restoration efforts to improve salmon habitat in the
Lake Samish watershed. He asked the Council to endorse the recommendation of
the Natural Resources Committee, not the recommendation from the citizen
committee.
Dawson questioned whether an acceptable compromise would be that the
second recommendation would only come forward if there was the formation of a
water district. Beattie stated there is already a water district at Lake Samish. The
majority of the residents in the lakeshore area use water from the lake under water
right permits from the state Department of Ecology. Some years ago, a lake
management district was formed to improve water flows in Friday Creek because it
was going dry in the summer.
Dale French, stated that there are about 9,000 acres total in the Lake Samish
drainage basin. If he allowed 3,000 square feet per home of impervious surface,
the total impervious surfaces for the existing 700 homes in the drainage basin
would total about 46 acres as it exists now. That is about .5 percent of the total
acreage, not including County roads or the interstate. All totaled, about 1.25 to 1.5
percent of the basin is covered in impervious surfaces. A little bit more of
impervious surfaces won't hurt. He wanted more study done on the lake regarding
water quality. There has been no long range study to say whether or not the water
quality is improving. It is unwarranted to develop an ordinance at this point to fix a
problem that hasn't been identified.
Robert Smith, 618 W. Lake Samish, stated he is a retired physician, and has
lived there for 34 years. He presented a petition signed by 118 citizens in the Lake
Samish area who oppose the action the Council is considering. He found three
people who were in favor of the 80 percent restriction. Everyone else signed the
petition. Approximately 95 percent of the residents are opposed to the proposed
action. He read the petition into the record. There needs to be more study. The
County Council has not even received input from the County Engineering Division.
Bill Vanderboom, 1800 Samish Lane, stated he's lived at his property for 16
years. People talk about the differences between Lake Whatcom and Lake Samish.
However, at one time, Lake Whatcom was once surrounded by forestland. Big Lake
and Lake Sammamish were also once surrounded by forestland. These things
change. They must protect the watershed now. He was in favor of the 10 percent
proposal.
Doug White, 780 Autumn Lane, Lake Samish Citizens Committee member,
stated he's lived there for 27 years. The year he moved there, the folks around the
Regular County Council Meeting, 5/15/2001, Page 11
1 lake voted to create a Local Improvement District (LID) and install the sewer
2 around the lake to protect the lake from the septic tanks. The attitude in the
3 community to protect the water has been long- standing. They have some very
4 proud people who have been there a long time. He thanked the Council for
5 allowing the committee to discuss the issues.
6
7 (Clerk's Note: End of tape one, side 8.)
8
9 White continued to state that the last meeting was a tough night. There was
10 a lot of debate, and everyone there was happy. There were five people present
11 who all voted for the 30 percent requirement. The Planning Commission approved
12 the recommendation. The public present at the meeting also approved. There
13 were well over 100 people from the lake at the meeting.
14
15 Regarding the mobile home parks, the language does include all the lots the
16 County approved. Some of the parks are in a process of change from one unit to
17 another. There are some bigger units. Those units will come back on to the site,
18 but there will not be any more units than what the County approved. He owns one
19 park that has 63 units, which have been approved by the County. It is a non -
20 conforming use because it went in before zoning. After zoning occurred, they were
21 told they should ask the County for an approved non - conforming use. He has an
22 affidavit from the County for an approved non - conforming use for the 63 spaces.
23 Eventually, those spaces will be used for this purpose, if they are not now.
24
25 Nelson asked why there was a vote for reconsideration on the impervious
26 surface issue. White stated that often there were people absent at the meetings.
27 If one came to a meeting to find out that something was discussed at a previous
28 meeting, that person was allowed to bring the issue up and discuss it.
29
30 Diane Simplot, 921 Autumn Lane, stated she recommended supporting the
31 proposal from the advisory committee. She lives in the mobile home park in an
32 older mobile home. Everyone gets along well with the people who live across the
33 street. Eventually, she wants to upgrade to a newer home. The new models are
34 not the size of the older homes. If the residents are not allowed to have a bigger
35 mobile home, then they will have to stay with the smaller, older homes. They will
36 become a blight on the community. People should be allowed to improve the look
37 of the community without also hurting the environment.
38
39 Sherman Smith, 921 Autumn Lane, stated many of the mobile homes are old
40 and need to be replaced. One cannot replace a 10 -foot by 21 -foot mobile home
41 with anything that is on the market today. One has to upgrade to a larger unit.
42 Most mobile home park lots are not much bigger than the mobile home that is
43 sitting on them. It is not fair to not allow them to improve their lifestyle by getting
44 a slightly larger mobile home. They are not asking to blacktop the entire park.
45 Everyone enjoys living at Lake Samish. He wanted to keep the lake like it is, but
46 he should have an opportunity to improve his lifestyle without hurting the
47 environment.
48
Regular County Council Meeting, 5/15/2001, Page 12
1 Ed Roe, 1806 Samish Lane, stated he encouraged the Council to approve the
2 ordinance.
3
4 Steve LeCocq, 673 N. Lake Samish Drive, stated that the Council should not
5 climb the ladder of policy and rules too quickly. Typically, they look at how to
6 improve things by adding rules and regulations. Don't over - regulate. It is
7 important to take care of the watersheds. Everything is in a watershed. The
8 community has continued to come forward and volunteer its efforts on community
9 issues and watershed issues. They are talking about a ten percent difference in the
10 entire watershed. It would be very significant if they were talking about 80 percent
11 or 70 percent of 9,000 acres. However, they are only talking about ten percent of
12 the watershed. Ninety percent of the watershed will remain in a forestry use. That
13 small percentage of property can make a big difference to the property owners who
14 are trying to add on to their homes.
15
16 Paul Isaacson, 204 Shallow Shore Lane, stated he was a member of both the
17 Lake Whatcom and Lake Samish Citizen Advisory committees. The last vote was
18 five to zero. There are nine committee members. Three of the four people came
19 forward and said they would have had a different opinion. If everyone had been
20 present, and all four absent members voted, the issue would still have been
21 approved. One member, Becky Wilson, was a proponent that originally wanted this
22 proposal. Another member, Barbara Vaughn, just testified to the Council that she
23 didn't understand why the proposal was brought back up. However, she wrote a
24 letter stating she could not attend the regular meeting, but that she felt the issue
25 should be revisited. A third member, Bruce Harris, left the room before the final
26 vote, citing that he did not want to take part in the final vote. There are some sore
27 losers in this case. There are also winners. They came to a mutual understanding
28 with the community members that were there, for the betterment of the entire
29 community. Tonight, there is a meeting at the fire hall regarding community
30 development. This is a group of very diverse people. The best interest of the
31 citizens has been represented. The Natural Resources Committee should change
32 that recommendation.
33
34 Brenner asked who is having the meeting tonight. Isaacson stated the
35 meeting is conducted by people who are opposed to any development in Lake
36 Samish. It was a selective invitation. People are trying to subvert the proper
37 public process.
38
39 Jackie White, 778 N. Lake Samish Drive, stated she lived on Lake Samish
40 when she was born. She is 79 years old. Her family has lived there since 1904.
41 Someday, this lake is going to die because there is tremendous runoff going into
42 the lake. She was concerned about runoff from impervious surfaces. She refuses
43 to have a concrete driveway. She was concerned about the homes built in the
44 future. The people who live on the edge of the lake do not have steep banks.
45 However, it is very steep across the road in many areas. There will be more runoff.
46
47 Richard Gilda, Jensen Road, stated these people put together a community
48 effort to make something that would work. Almost all of the people who spoke at
49 the Planning Commission meeting supported the advisory committee
Regular County Council Meeting, 5/15/2001, Page 13
1 recommendation. This proposal reflects what happened with the Lake Whatcom
2 clearing ordinance. They do not have ecology and environmental problems. They
3 are smashing the residents' lifestyles. The residents want their own watershed. He
4 asked the Council to consider making a separate watershed for Lake Samish and
5 the other watersheds. The proposal is to have one ordinance to make the entire
6 county work. That will not work. The ordinance does not fit the watershed.
7
8 Rebecca O'Brien - Wilson, 921 W. Lake Samish, Lake Samish Citizens'
9 Advisory Committee member, stated she was one of the five members who voted
10 for the recommendation. A number of members were absent from the last
11 meeting. Several members made it clear that the language presented would not be
12 approved to go forward. At that point, they renegotiated. She voted for the
13 renegotiation because she felt that something coming forward was better than
14 nothing. Had the full membership been there, the outcome would have been
15 similar to what the Natural Resource Committee put forth. The meeting at the fire
16 station did have support from the community. There were a number of people
17 present who would have supported the Lake Whatcom language, if it had come
18 forth. There are additional issues about the County's own road ordinances not
19 being up to speed with what they are trying to do to protect the water resources.
20 She encouraged the Council to put staff time into revising the road ordinances.
21 They did not approve the stormwater district because the committee was told by
22 the County staff that a person would have to hire an engineer, and then approval
23 would still be difficult. She encouraged the Council to put staff time into getting the
24 stormwater ordinances in line. The Council should also look at incentives to
25 encourage anyone living in a critical watershed to not develop his or her property to
26 its fullest density.
27
28 Frank Higbee, 156 W. Lake Samish, stated he is developing 2.3 acres at that
29 site. He is new here, but some of the things are going in too quickly, especially the
30 storm drains.
31
32 Sandra Simon, 1820 Samish Lane, stated she has lived there for 20 years.
33 Her husband is the president of the Lake Samish Concerned Neighbors, who are
34 holding the meeting at the fire hall this evening. They did not know this issue
35 would be scheduled on the Council's agenda tonight. She represents this group.
36 The lake is at a crossroads. People use the lake for recreation, fishing, and boating.
37 She wanted that to last for everyone. She was concerned about the growth in Lake
38 Samish. Many of the people who spoke tonight own large pieces of property and
39 want to develop them. She works for the Bellingham School District. Much interest
40 is placed in the curriculum on how watersheds are protected. One of the models
41 that they have has to do with Lake Stevens, which is a dead lake, with an aerator in
42 the middle of the lake. She hoped that Lake Samish would not turn into a Lake
43 Stevens.
44
45 Bob Wiesen, 3314 Douglas Road, Ferndale, stated the Planning Commission
46 passed this issue on to the community. At the final Planning Commission hearing,
47 there was very little disagreement. The Lake Whatcom watershed protection
48 district may have turned out differently if people in the county realized that these
49 conditions would apply to all the watersheds. One size does not fit all. The citizens
Regular County Council Meeting, 5/15/2001, Page 14
1 who participate are discouraged because the special interests are given more
2 weight than their interests.
3
4 Kim Herrenkohl, 321 Summerland Road, stated that she and her husband
5 were the original proponents to apply the Lake Whatcom standards to Lake Samish.
6 Throughout the meetings of the advisory committee, the members were consistent
7 about wanting the 20 percent. It was at the last meeting, when the majority wasn't
8 there, that it was changed. She asked the council to consider the true intentions
9 of the entire committee. Lake Samish is smaller than Lake Whatcom, and does not
10 have the same cleansing flows in and out of the lake. Regarding the meeting at the
11 fire hall, it is not a public meeting. This is an organization that has rented a private
12 facility and wanted to have a meeting on a different matter. It is unfortunate that
13 the meeting is on the same night as this meeting, because more people who
14 support her position would have attended. She encouraged adoption of the Natural
15 Resources Committee recommendation.
16
17 Hoag asked if the majority of the committee wanted to apply 80 percent to
18 all zones in the Lake Samish area. Herrenkohl stated the recommendation was to
19 be consistent with Lake Whatcom.
20
21 Mike Roberts, 681 N. Lake Samish Drive, encouraged the Council to adopt
22 the committee's recommendation. Ten percent one way or the other is not critical.
23 Given the small lot sizes, the topography, and the soil, water recharge is not an
24 issue. Runoff quality and quantity is the issue. It can be best addressed by
25 stormwater standards, not limiting impervious surface area. Include the mobile
26 home exemption. The people with the mobile homes have no option but to replace
27 their homes with the larger homes, because the smaller homes are no longer made.
28 People need the exemption to replace the units, which have a definite lifetime. He
29 encouraged the County to do its part in maintaining the water quality. Provide a
30 boat dock at the County park where there are public restrooms so recreational
31 users can have someplace else other than the lake to use. Concentrate on the
32 water quality and future development on the lake, and not on what is there today
33 or on the existing lots of record.
34
35 Jim Bremmer, 961 W. Lake Samish, stated he's lived at the lake since the
36 late 1960's, but he'd been away for the last 15 years. At the last meeting,
37 everyone seemed to be in consensus. The 30 percent of impervious surfaces
38 seemed to be the way things would go. He was happy to go along with the
39 committee consensus. He has money tied up in construction. The difference
40 between the 30 percent and the 20 percent is a death knell for him. He
41 encouraged the Council to go with the advisory committee recommendation. That
42 is what the community expects.
43
44 Cal Leenstra, 1802 Lakeside Avenue, stated he owns property on W. Lake
45 Samish Drive. He supported the sewer when it went in. Shortly after, there was a
46 downzone. There has been a series of regulations for the last 25 years. This is
47 about no one wanting growth in their backyard. The Council needs to consider the
48 rights of the property owners. There is a small contingent of neighbors that are
49 trying to stop all development.
Regular County Council Meeting, 5/15/2001, Page 15
1
2 Craig (last name unknown), 500 W. Lake Samish Dr., stated his family has
3 owned property since 1969. One assumption that people are making is that
4 impervious surface equates pollution in the lake. Impervious surface just means
5 faster runoff into the lake. That is something that can be addressed by stormwater
6 retention. The ban on impervious surface is not the answer. The second
7 assumption is that there is a problem with water quality in Lake Samish. If there is
8 a problem with the lake water, it isn't from the large landowners who haven't
9 developed their property. It's from people who moved in and developed at density
10 far greater than 70 percent for impervious surface. The continued downzone says
11 that people with undeveloped property will continue to pay for whatever problems
12 arise. That is not the answer. No one has proposed a solution that would share the
13 pain equally. This is a dispute between growth and anti - growth. Stay with the 70
14 percent pervious surface requirement. The 90 percent pervious surface
15 requirement is a taking of property rights.
16
17 Hank Sharing, 371 Shallow Shore Road, stated he lived there for 22 years.
18 The greatest imperious surface in the area is Interstate 5. Traffic has gone up
19 1,000 percent since 1986. The road scum deposited by this traffic washes into the
20 lake every year. Take that into consideration, rather than holding the residents
21 responsible for the lake's pollution. Money was set aside for retention basins and
22 diversion channels to divert this runoff from Lake Samish. This project was never
23 implemented. The state should also do its part to prevent the lake's pollution, since
24 it is the major contributor.
25
26 Roger Ellingson, 3033 Alderwood, Bellingham, suggested adopting a more
27 restrictive standard with a variance provision, as a compromise. The existing
28 variance ordinance might cover it.
29
30 Hearing no one else, Nelson closed the public hearing.
31
32 (Clerk's Note: Council took a ten - minute break at 9 :20 p.m. End of tape
33 two, side A. Beginning of tape three.)
34
35 McShane moved to adopt the version of the ordinance recommended by the
36 Natural Resources Committee.
37
38 Crawford spoke against the motion. The community did a good job of
39 coming together and giving the Council what it asked for. They spent a lot of time
40 on it. He was disappointed with some of the testimony, because he was at that
41 Planning Commission meeting. There was a lot of compromise. Monday morning
42 quarterbacking is easy to do. A meeting is what it is. The community clearly
43 compromised on this. He would support the original Planning Commission
44 recommendation.
45
46 Brenner stated she agreed with much of what Councilmember Crawford said.
47 It might be easier to do amendments to this ordinance. A lot of the concern is
48 about the stormwater. Seventy percent is adequate. It will work fine if they rush
49 that stormwater standard and say they are on it as soon as those standards are
Regular County Council Meeting, 5/15/2001, Page 16
1 set, which is not what the original said. That would be a compromise that would
2 solve a lot of the issues. They need to fast -pace those standards. She questioned
3 whether they would review the stormwater standards when they are set. Goodwin
4 stated the committee and Planning Commission recommended that Lake Samish
5 not be included as a stormwater district, and that the ordinance would come back
6 after the stormwater standards are written to add it as a stormwater district. The
7 Natural Resource Committee change just said it was deferred until after the
8 standards are written, then it would automatically become a stormwater district.
9
10 Brenner stated that is a cleaner way to do it. It is a minor change that would
11 make a big difference. Vote on the percentage, and go with the language that
12 came out of the Natural Resources Committee regarding the stormwater standards.
13
14 Imhof moved to re- insert the first sentence on Council packet page 335,
15 section 20.71.302(4). It was the sentence that was struck. "In the Lake Samish
16 watershed, for all zone districts, at least 70 percent of the parcel shall be kept free
17 of structures and impervious surfaces. For lots smaller than 10,000 square feet,
18 3,000 square feet of impervious surface shall be allowed."
19
20 Nelson stated he recognizes everyone's concern about protecting water
21 quality. He lives in the Lake Whatcom watershed, which is six or eight times larger
22 than Lake Samish. They are taking great pains to provide a protection mechanism,
23 while they develop these stormwater plans. Property rights were frequently
24 brought up. He agreed with protecting property rights. They need to develop the
25 standards to protect everyone's property rights, including those who want to be
26 sure that they have good quality drinking water, a place to safely swim, and an
27 environment to live it. This doesn't take away someone's right to build on their
28 property. The Council is asking everyone to be responsible and to preserve this for
29 the future. He would rather see the Council take a prudent step in providing
30 protection, so they don't end up like Lake Sammamish, where they now have
31 houses all around. Be careful and prudent. Develop the management systems that
32 can be observed and used to preserve watersheds and habitat for the future.
33
34 Dawson agreed with Councilmember Nelson.
35
36 Hoag stated that Council packet page 345 shows the zoning around the lake.
37 There are areas with Rural zoning. If the Council adopts the 70 percent rule, then
38 30 percent of the Rural zones would be covered. These rural areas are very close
39 to the lake. She proposed a friendly amendment to change the amendment to
40 require 80 percent in all zones. What the committee actually proposed depends on
41 who you talk to and in what meeting it was at. What was proposed was 70 percent
42 across all zones. Other people are saying they want 80 percent in the Rural
43 Residential zone and 90 percent in the Rural zone. If they compromise with 80
44 percent across all zones, it would give those in the Rural zone more than what the
45 people in Lake Whatcom have, but it wouldn't open it up to 30 percent in those
46 rural areas, which is far too much. The deciding factor for her was the person who
47 has been there the longest, who are older and wiser. They have the most to say
48 about it. That person said she wants better impervious surface protection than
49 what came out of the committee.
Regular County Council Meeting, 5/15/2001, Page 17
1
2 Brenner stated 70 percent would get them there. They need to not allow
3 rezoning there. That was the problem with Lake Sammamish. The committee did a
4 wonderful job. She could work with Councilmember Hoag's proposal. She wanted
5 to require 70 percent on the smaller lots and 80 percent for the bigger areas, with
6 the caveat that they allow a variance to make sure that people can do whatever
7 they need to do. She didn't want to stop them from being able to do that. Putting
8 in this watershed protection overlay is a remarkable thing. Everyone agrees with
9 doing it. It's this percentage that is causing a lot of the friction. If everyone can
10 live with the original proposal by the committee, then it is an incredible
11 improvement that will do the work. The Council owes it to the community to be the
12 least intrusive with what the community wants to do, and respect the committee.
13
14 McShane stated he appreciated what the community and the committee did.
15 They did a great job. That committee and the community want to protect the
16 watershed. That is certain. Many of the recommendations were taken to heart.
17 One change they made was bumping it up to 3,000 square feet for the small lots.
18 That was a good suggestion that was expanded to include Lake Whatcom. The
19 mobile home suggestion was accepted. It was a great idea. Regarding the concern
20 about requiring engineering for stormwater for small individual residences, it makes
21 sense to not require that. Stormwater controls won't be put in place until the
22 Technical Advisory Committee is done. It is clear that the community and
23 committee are divided on this percent of impervious surface. They are faced with
24 having a different impervious surface rule for Lake Samish than Lake Whatcom.
25 The 90 percent, which sounds enormous, is for the Rural zone. The Rural zone is
26 five acres or ten acres. If one has a five -acre site, one could have 22,000 square
27 feet, a half acre, of impervious surface. One can build a pretty good size home
28 within a 22,000 square foot impervious surface area. If they bump it up to 70
29 percent, the impervious surface allowed would be an acre and a half. As alarming
30 as that 90 percent sounds, the amount of square footage is not that bad.
31
32 Dawson stated there is no question that the community is split. When there
33 is a split like this, they need to look at the health, safety, and environment of the
34 community. She will vote to keep it like Lake Whatcom.
35
36 Imhof withdrew his amendment.
37
38 Brenner moved to amend the ordinance so that smaller lots are required to
39 preserve 70 percent instead of 80 percent, and the larger lots are required to
40 preserve 80 percent instead of 90 percent. That is in the middle of what the
41 Council heard during testimony.
42
43 Hoag stated all the area around the lake is zoned Rural Residential, two units
44 per acre (RR2). The effect of that amendment would be to change everything that
45 is right there on the lake from 80 percent to 70 percent.
46
47 Motion failed 2 -5 with Brenner and Crawford in favor.
48
Regular County Council Meeting, 5/15/2001, Page 18
1 Brenner questioned whether they need an amendment to put in wording
2 about a variance. Goodwin stated the County already has a variance procedure in
3 Whatcom County Code 20.84. Anyone can apply for any variance from a
4 development standard. One could get a variance from impervious surfaces for a
5 hardship case.
6
7 Nelson questioned where the percentages for the Lake Whatcom watershed
8 came from. Goodwin stated it was developed over time. The Planning Commission
9 and committee worked backwards. The Planning and Development Committee
10 further refined it. They questioned how big a reasonable size house is, and how big
11 a reasonable size driveway is. That is how they got at the different percentages.
12 They wanted to leave room on the smaller lots for a reasonable size house and
13 driveway. The basis of the percentages was the scientific information that they
14 want to keep a ten percent impervious surface in the watershed overall. They have
15 to recognize that they won't have ten percent on each lot. In the Lake Whatcom
16 watershed and the Lake Samish watershed, they have well under ten percent
17 impervious surface when they include all the forestland surrounding the lake. It is
18 just that the developable land is close to the lake. There isn't any clear scientific
19 study on where in a watershed or on a lake the development should occur.
20
21 Nelson stated he hated arbitrary numbers. When they get to the stormwater
22 standards, the standards should be what they use when allowing building activity.
23 He asked how long it would be before those standards come out, and if the intent is
24 to apply the standards uniformly. Goodwin stated she hoped they would be done
25 now. She thinks the standards would be done within the next couple of months.
26
27 Nelson questioned whether the Council would have an opportunity at that
28 time to look at these arbitrary numbers. Goodwin stated the Council could revisit
29 this ordinance at that time. She could docket it for review after the stormwater
30 standards are done. The Council could add another section to the ordinance that
31 the ordinance would be revisited after the stormwater standards are done.
32
33 Brenner asked how difficult the variance process is. Goodwin stated that the
34 variance goes to the Hearing Examiner. There is a fee and a delay of at least a
35 month or two in doing the project. If they look at the 3,000 square foot footprint,
36 they should have room for a driveway and a house unless they are building a very
37 large house. Even with the percentage, the owner is allowed a 3,000 square foot
38 footprint. There wouldn't be a really long driveway on a small lot. One could have
39 a two story house, with 2,000 square feet on each level, and still have 1,000 feet
40 left for a driveway. If the driveway was narrow, it could be very long.
41
42 Crawford stated that if one uses alternative paving materials, he or she could
43 cover 35 percent of the pervious surface.
44
45 Goodwin stated some of the lots along the lake are fairly steep, but the lots
46 are also fairly small. Those driveways are not more than 50 feet. The houses are
47 pretty close to the road.
48
Regular County Council Meeting, 5/15/2001, Page 19
1 Hoag moved to adopt language that requires 80 percent pervious surfaces in
2 all zones. That is ten percent tighter than what came forward from the Planning
3 Commission, and ten percent looser than what currently applies to all of these
4 green areas.
5
6 Brenner stated she would support the motion, which helps a little bit.
7 However, there are still going to be many variances for the smaller lots.
8
9 Dawson stated that there is still going to be dissention with the community.
10 Keep it consistent with Lake Whatcom for the County staff who has to apply the
11 regulation.
12
13 McShane stated that motion would allow one acre of impervious surface on a
14 five -acre lot. One could have a very large house, and a barn.
15
16 Hoag restated her motion to amend 20.71.302(4), "In the Lake Samish
17 Watershed, for all zone districts, at least 80 percent of the parcel shall be kept free
18 of structures and impervious surfaces. For lots smaller...."
19
20 Crawford stated he was against the motion. He supported requiring only 70
21 percent.
22
23 Motion failed 2 -5 with Hoag and Brenner in favor.
24
25 Motion to adopt the ordinance as recommended by the Natural Resources
26 Committee carried 6 -1 with Crawford opposed.
27
28
29 CONSENT AGENDA
30
31 Imhof reported for the Finance and Administrative Services Committee and
32 moved approval of Consent Agenda items one through three.
33
34 Hoag withdrew item numbers two and three.
35
36 Motion to approve Consent Agenda item number one carried unanimously.
37
38 1. REQUEST AUTHORIZATION FOR THE EXECUTIVE TO APPROVE THE
39 PURCHASE OF LIGNOSITE FOR DUST CONTROL ON COUNTY ROADS
40 FROM NEW SOLE SOURCE SUPPLIER CURT MEENDERINCK, IN AN
41 AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $55,000 (AB2001 -159)
42
43 2. RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING COUNTY ROAD PROJECT NO. 998002
44 AND THE AWARD OF CONTRACT FOR THE RECONSTRUCTION OF PARK
45 ROAD, SOUTH BAY DRIVE TO SR -9 TO THE LOWEST RESPONSIVE
46 BIDDER, COLACURCIO BROTHERS CONSTRUCTION, INC., IN THE
47 AMOUNT OF $3,086,786 (AB2001 -160)
48
49 Imhof moved to approve.
Regular County Council Meeting, 5/15/2001, Page 20
1
2 Hoag stated the Council received an email from a citizen who didn't think the
3 County should go forward with the Park Road project at this point, because people
4 who lived in the area said there were old mercury deposits in the area. She
5 questioned whether that issue was addressed.
6
7 Nelson stated he discussed the issue with Mr. Bruce Mills. There are
8 photographs of tires.
9
10 Bruce Mills, Assistant Director of Engineering, stated they've discovered that
11 the Anderson Creek the email referenced is in a different area of the county. There
12 are several Anderson creeks in the county. The Anderson creek in question is in
13 the area of Smith Road. It is not necessarily a dump. It is not in the Park Road
14 area.
15
16 Motion carried unanimously.
17
18 3. REQUEST AUTHORIZATION FOR THE EXECUTIVE TO ENTER INTO AN
19 MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH THE BIRCH BAY
20 COMMUNITY PLAN STEERING COMMITTEE REGARDING COMMUNITY
21 PLANNING FOR BIRCH BAY, WITH WHATCOM COUNTY PROVIDING
22 $22,000 (AB2001 -161)
23
24 Imhof moved to approve.
25
26 Hoag stated it was odd that the County is paying for this community to do its
27 planning. She asked if the County does that with other communities.
28
29 Imhof stated the County does. It is a subarea plan.
30
31 Nelson stated the County did it for Point Roberts and the Foothills area.
32
33 Hoag stated she'd never seen the County contribute money, although it has
34 contributed staff.
35
36 Imhof stated that is what the money is for.
37
38 Crawford stated he commended all of the private individuals and companies
39 that have also contributed. He was impressed with the entire list.
40
41 Hoag stated this seemed unusual to her, because she had not seen anything
42 like this.
43
44 Imhof stated the County has done it innumerable times.
45
46 Brenner stated she has been actively involved in the community on this
47 issue. With as much that the community contributes, this is a small amount. The
48 County has done this with other communities. This is an area where the County
Regular County Council Meeting, 5/15/2001, Page 21
1 gets more than the money it puts in. She thanks the administration for bringing
2 this forward.
3
4 Motion carried unanimously.
5
6
7 OTHER ITEMS
8
9 1. RESOLUTION REGARDING STUDY OF MINERAL RESOURCES IN
10 EASTERN WHATCOM COUNTY (AB2001 -158)
11
12 Imhof reported for the Finance and Administrative Services Committee,
13 which unanimously recommended approval.
14
15 McShane reported for the Natural Resources Committee, which
16 recommended approval, 2 -1. This was also a recommendation from the Surface
17 Mining Advisory Committee (SMAC).
18
19 Imhof stated that, because many things hinge on this report, the Finance
20 Committee recommended asking the state Department of Natural Resources (DNR)
21 to try and expedite the report. Get it done by sometime this fall, so they can have
22 it as a document to work with when they look at mineral resource lands (MRL's)
23 and Comprehensive Plan text changes for next year.
24
25 McShane stated that the Natural Resources Committee will hopefully have a
26 presentation in June on the DNR report for the Bellingham quad. A lot of people
27 are starting to refer to the report, and it is important for the Council to understand
28 what the methodology was.
29
30 Brenner stated she supported the report because they need to know what is
31 out there. However, whatever amount exists can go outside the county. They
32 have no control over where this gravel will go.
33
34 Hoag stated she was the dissenting vote in the Natural Resources
35 Committee. She supported doing the study, but the fourth "Whereas" statement
36 contains a quote from the SMAC regarding the DNR study. The Council has not
37 reviewed that study yet. She didn't think it was an appropriate statement. She
38 moved to amend the resolution to remove the fourth "Whereas" statement.
39
40 Dawson stated the statements are the reasons for the resolution. It is
41 critical that the statement stays in the resolution. They need to have a reason for
42 the study, and that is the reason.
43
44 Hoag stated the statement is not essential to financing the study. The point
45 of the study is to find out what the resources are out there. This statement makes
46 a conclusion of the SMAC, and puts it into the County Council's "Whereas"
47 statements. That is not appropriate. The Council should review the study first and
48 come to its own conclusions.
49
Regular County Council Meeting, 5/15/2001, Page 22
1 Nelson stated it is part of the DNR study. It is a fact. It is something that is
2 going to be referred to. If the County is going to continue this process, it needs to
3 include all of the aggregate.
4
5 Hoag stated it is not a fact. The SMAC concluded that the reserves may be
6 exhausted in ten to fifteen years.
7
8 Imhof stated it is a fact that the SMAC made that conclusion. That is what
9 the "Whereas" statement says. In addition, it doesn't match the background
10 documents of the Comprehensive Plan.
11
12 Brenner stated the County doesn't have a clue how many years' worth of
13 resources there is. It can all go outside the county.
14
15 Motion failed 2 -5 with Hoag and Brenner in favor.
16
17 Motion to approve the resolution carried unanimously.
18
19 Imhof questioned whether the authorization for this would come back as a
20 budget amendment.
21
22 Dewey Desler, Deputy Administrator, stated it should.
23
24 Imhof questioned whether they could amend the next item to add it to it.
25
26 Nelson stated there has to be notice.
27
28 2. ORDINANCE AMENDING THE 2001 WHATCOM COUNTY BUDGET,
29 REQUEST #4 (AB2001 -154)
30
31 Imhof reported for the Finance and Administrative Services Committee and
32 moved to adopt the ordinance. The committee recommended an amendment to
33 delete the Parks Department request because there were questions left that need to
34 be addressed. His motion is to adopt the ordinance without the Parks Department
35 request for photovoltaic panels for the Senior Center. They are still closing out the
36 off -road vehicle (ORV) fund.
37
38 Hoag questioned why they are closing out the ORV fund.
39
40 Imhof stated it hasn't been used for 12 years.
41
42 Brenner stated that a long time ago, the Council made a decision to close out
43 a lot of these funds that are just sitting there doing nothing. This is one of the
44 major ones.
45
46 Hoag stated that in the past the Council had testimony about the North Fork
47 area, and that this is the fund from which the County should fund a deputy for that
48 area.
49
Regular County Council Meeting, 5/15/2001, Page 23
1 Brenner stated the County doesn't need that fund to fund a deputy for the
2 area.
3
4 Dewey Desler, Deputy Administrator, stated the fund doesn't have any
5 revenue going into it. It has been inactive for decades. The money is residual from
6 interest income when the fund was more active in the 1970's. It now seems
7 appropriate to close out the fund. The administration will make other
8 recommendations this summer to close out other funds that are also inactive and
9 no longer need to be in place. There is no additional revenue coming into the fund.
10 This is not a viable fund for anything, because it is just money that is sitting there.
11
12 Hoag stated that earlier testimony from the North Fork people was that they
13 pay special ORV taxes. She questioned whether those people are not paying a
14 special tax. Desler stated he doesn't think they are. There is no ORV tax. That
15 went away in the 1970's as well.
16
17 Imhof stated there is an ORV tax that they pay. It is a license sticker, just
18 like an automobile sticker. The County doesn't have a fund that the money comes
19 into. That sticker money goes to the state.
20
21 McShane moved to amend the ordinance to put the ORV money back into the
22 solar panels for the Parks Department. He attended one of the Parks Board
23 meetings. The money appropriately belongs within the Parks Department. The
24 idea behind it was to create an ORV park. The department should have some
25 discretion on where to put that money. They have an opportunity, with matching
26 funds, to construct solar panels. It is a timely issue considering the energy
27 situation right now. It is a great idea. This government has been great on energy
28 issues and conserving energy. This is one of those steps.
29
30 Imhof stated that the proposal from administration was to take out all of the
31 money from the ORV fund. Of that money, $21,000 is used for photovoltaic cells.
32 The rest goes into the general fund.
33
34 Crawford stated he wanted a better idea of how this proposal came about,
35 whether these facilities are already in an energy conservation mode so the next
36 step is to use photovoltaic panels, and whether this is the best use of these funds.
37 There are a lot of questions that have not been answered.
38
39 Dawson asked if this is to be put into the Park fund, and then it will be
40 revisited for more information.
41
42 McShane stated the solar panels will be installed on the Parks building on the
43 Mount Baker Highway. It will generate electricity for use within the building. If the
44 department does not use all the electricity, they will run the meter backwards and
45 save the County money on its electric bill.
46
47 Brenner read a memo to Executive Kremen from Roger DeSpain (on file).
48 The money for the solar panels are to be moved to the Parks fund. The proposal is
49 to get rid of the ORV fund.
Regular County Council Meeting, 5/15/2001, Page 24
(Clerk's Note: End of tape three, side A.)
Imhof stated the committee was just asking that the issue be brought back
to committee in two weeks so the Parks Department can address the concerns.
Pete Kremen, County Executive, stated this is something he's been working
on for well over a year, and before the energy crisis began in California. This is not
a basic solar panel. This is a project that will demonstrate to the County
government and the community that it is feasible and viable to install a different
kind of solar panel that does not have any kind of battery, energy sync, or retention
capability. It is an inverted process. The solar panel continually sends electricity
into the grid, as long as there is daylight. They would get credit for how much
energy goes into the grid. It is like an energy bank account. They would like to put
one at the Senior Center and one at Lake Samish so they can generate electricity
with virtually no impact to the environment. At today's prices, and the prices
expected for next year, they will probably be able to recoup the costs of the pilot
project in about ten years. He didn't want to procrastinate if they don't have to,
however he could be patient and wait. He complimented the councilmembers who
scrutinize every issue. The public is well served by the councilmembers' care and
concern about how the County spends the people's money.
Steve LeCocq, Park Manager, stated he is not the official Parks Department
representative, but he could answer some of the questions. For a number of years,
the Parks Department has been working hard on energy efficiency. They have been
consistently trying different methods for heat efficiency and energy efficiency.
They've done a lot of things in a lot of their facilities with the windows, caulking,
and type of light fixtures. This is one more step they are trying to do to be a model
department within Whatcom County. They are trying to be progressive, stay
informed on technology, and do their part to move forward.
Nelson stated there isn't any argument that this isn't a good idea. If this
project has been around that long, it should have gone through the budget process.
These are the things he wants to see in the budget process. He will support it if
that is the intent of the Council, but he has questions regarding the expenditure of
those funds.
Hoag stated that people in Whatcom County run their entire household on
solar energy. Solar does work in Whatcom County.
Nelson restated the amendment to put the ORV funds in the general fund,
and then fund the solar panels.
Motion to amend carried 5 -2 with Imhof and Crawford opposed.
Motion to adopt the ordinance as amended carried 6 -1 with Crawford
opposed.
Regular County Council Meeting, 5/15/2001, Page 25
1 3. RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING THE WHATCOM COUNTY ESSENTIAL
2 PUBLIC FACILITIES ADVISORY COMMITTEE (AB2001 -162)
3
4 Imhof reported for the Finance and Administrative Services Committee and
5 moved to approve the resolution.
6
7 Imhof also moved to amend the resolution to add two business
8 representatives.
9
10 Brenner stated she also wanted to add more citizens on the advisory
11 committee. This committee is totally loaded with government officials. The
12 government people should be ex officio members who give advice rather than vote.
13 This is the government telling itself what to do here. She would rather have the
14 citizens be the majority, rather than the government.
15
16 Crawford stated they already have two citizen members. The committee
17 added two business members. There are seven governmental members. There
18 may be limited interests in this committee. Having two citizen members and two
19 business members, they have the interests well covered. There is more interest in
20 it from the government folks because this more directly affects them.
21
22 Hoag stated she was concerned about the business representatives. When
23 they see essential public facilities come forward that are difficult to site, the people
24 who typically are in favor of them, and who ask that they ignore anything that the
25 community is saying, are the contractors with the contract to build. If they are
26 putting two of those people on the committee, they are canceling out the ordinary
27 citizens. Only one business representative is appropriate.
28
29 Nelson stated that the citizen representative might be a businessperson.
30
31 Brenner stated there will be a lot of interest from the public on essential
32 facilities. Many members of the public have been impacted one way or another.
33 She couldn't think of any essential public facility that wouldn't generate interest
34 from the citizens.
35
36 Pete Kremen, County Executive, stated that this is not precluding any public
37 process that would always have to be followed in any public facility siting. This
38 advisory committee would deal with the idea and formulation of proposals that
39 would be put before the public. He included a couple of citizen representatives.
40 Nothing precludes him from appointing a businessperson to one or both citizen
41 positions, although he wouldn't appoint two. They need to keep the membership of
42 this committee to a workable size. The purpose of this advisory committee is not to
43 approve any kind of a facility. He opposed the amendment.
44
45 Brenner stated recommendations from any committee can take a life of its
46 own. The recommendations come from a direction rather than being objective.
47 The County has more controversy over siting of essential public facilities. It is
48 going to look bad if there is a committee that is an overabundance of government
49 making these recommendations.
Regular County Council Meeting, 5/15/2001, Page 26
1
2 Hoag stated this committee does not approve essential public facilities. It
3 does develop the criteria for their placement. Those criteria are very important.
4 The Council wants to avoid having a committee that doesn't fully represent the
5 community and end up with recommendations that anger people. She would rather
6 have a committee that is balanced and represents the interests of the community.
7 She supported the recommendation that there be more citizens.
8
9 Dewey Desler, Deputy Administrator, stated this is just to lay out selection
10 criteria, a recommended approval process, and an appeals process when there is
11 concern about siting. Recommendations would come forward to the County Council
12 next spring. At that time, the Council can have hearings and make adjustments as
13 appropriate.
14
15 Dave Grant, Senior Civil Deputy Prosecutor, stated that he urged the Council
16 to adopt the proposal. From his experience in working with the Comprehensive
17 Plan, the County needs to do more in relation to fulfilling the Growth Management
18 Act requirements for establishing a procedure for the siting of essential public
19 facilities, which could bolster the current situation.
20
21 Brenner stated she agreed. This is not about whether or not they want to
22 have the committee and criteria. This is about the membership in the initial stage.
23 The Council takes the heat when people are angry about decisions.
24
25 Motion to amend carried 5 -2 with Brenner and McShane opposed.
26
27 Brenner moved to eliminate a County member.
28
29 Motion failed 6 -1 with Brenner in favor.
30
31 Hoag moved that Port of Bellingham official and the State Department of
32 Transportation /County Public Works official be ex- fficio members. It would be
33 weighted less toward government.
34
35 Motion failed 4 -3 with Hoag, Dawson, and Brenner in favor.
36
37 Hoag moved to amend so that there are three citizen members and one
38 business member. The Executive said that he would not appoint two business
39 representatives.
40
41 Motion failed 4 -3 with Hoag, Brenner, and McShane in favor.
42
43 Motion to approve the amended resolution carried 6 -1 with Brenner opposed.
44
45 4. ORDINANCE AMENDING THE OFFICIAL WHATCOM COUNTY ZONING
46 ORDINANCE, TITLE 20, TO CLARIFY UR -MX ZONING TEXT
47 REGARDING COMMERCIAL CENTERS, BUILDING SETBACKS, THE
48 CALCULATIONS OF THE PERCENT ALLOWABLE MULTI - FAMILY
Regular County Council Meeting, 5/15/2001, Page 27
1 STRUCTURES AND TO PROVIDE FOR SIGN REGULATIONS IN THIS
2 ZONE (AB2000 -254)
3
4 McShane reported for the Planning and Development Committee and moved
5 to adopt.
6
7 Motion carried unanimously.
8
9 S. ORDINANCE AMENDING THE OFFICIAL WHATCOM COUNTY CODE,
10 TITLE 20, TO ADD A SPECIFIC DEFINITION FOR " "DUPLEX" AND
11 " "SINGLE FAMILY ATTACHED DWELLING," REVISE THE DEFINITION OF
12 " "MULTI- FAMILY DWELLING" AND CLARIFY THE USE OF THESE TERMS
13 (AB2000 -321)
14
15 McShane reported for the Planning and Development Committee and moved
16 to adopt.
17
18 Motion carried unanimously.
19
20 6. COUNCIL TO DISCUSS THE POSSIBLE INCLUSION OF ONE OF ITS
21 MEMBERS TO SERVE ON THE FLOOD CONTROL ZONE DISTRICT
22 ADVISORY COMMITTEE (AB2001 -147)
23
24 Brenner moved to nominate Councilmember Dan McShane as an ex- officio,
25 non - voting member.
26
27 McShane stated this position will do much to maintain dialogue with the
28 Flood Committee. The committee members expressed great appreciation when
29 Councilmember Hoag attended, and also since he attended.
30
31 Brenner stated it will also help avoid pitfalls in the future, similar to the
32 Point Roberts issue. Having a councilmember give updates will be helpful.
33
34 Hoag stated it is important to maintain this position as an ex officio member
35 because of the relationship of the Council as the Board of Supervisors.
36
37 Brenner stated the Council does not have a choice legally. They have to do
38 it this way.
39
40 Motion carried unanimously.
41
42 7. ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE NO. 2001 -013, ESTABLISHING
43 THE APPOINTMENT PROCESS FOR THE WHATCOM COUNTY
44 BICYCLE/ PEDESTRIAN ADVISORY COMMITTEE (AB2001 -131A)
45
46 Imhof moved to adopt.
47
48 Motion carried unanimously.
49
Regular County Council Meeting, 5/15/2001, Page 28
1 S. RESOLUTION APPOINTING THE CLERK OF THE COUNCIL AS
2 WHATCOM COUNTY'S AGENT TO RECEIVE TORT LIABILITY CLAIMS
3 (AB2001 -165)
4
5 Imhof moved to approve.
6
7 Motion carried unanimously.
8
9
10 INTRODUCTION ITEMS
11
12 Dawson moved to accept the Introduction Items.
13
14 Nelson stated the motion includes the ordinance regarding the 2001
15 Districting Plan.
16
17 Motion carried unanimously.
18
19 1. ORDINANCE AMENDING WHATCOM COUNTY CODE CHAPTER 1.12,
20 COUNCIL BOUNDARIES DISTRICTS (AB2001 -045A)
21
22
23 OTHER BUSINESS
24
25 Imhof stated an item needs to be taken care of in two weeks. There was a
26 presentation by Deputy Fire Marshal Warner Webb regarding
27 discontinuance of DNR fire permitting (AB2001 -164). It is a memorandum of
28 understanding between the County and the Northwest Air Pollution Authority
29 ( NWAPA) on the fire marshal program and the funding for that. There are two
30 options that will be in the packet in two weeks. It needs a decision in two weeks.
31 If the councilmembers have questions, please provide the questions to him before
32 then.
33
34 Hoag stated NWAPA is anxious for the Council to pass this. There are two
35 parts. One part is the memorandum of agreement that the three counties agree to
36 take over the fire warden duties since the state Department of Natural Resources
37 (DNR) is pulling out. The other part has two different options for whether Whatcom
38 County joins Skagit and Island counties or runs its own program. If anyone has
39 questions, they can call her or Warner Webb.
40
41 Brenner stated she wanted to know that they are going to move along with
42 the panel about the mercury in Lake Whatcom, and they are going to have the
43 same people as before. She questioned whether this would be scheduled before
44 the end of the month. Desler stated that the administration intends to put
45 something like that together with the Council.
46
47 Brenner volunteered to get the same panelists lined up. Desler stated that
48 the executive asked the Water Resources Division to work on it.
49
Regular County Council Meeting, 5/15/2001, Page 29
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Brenner stated she is not hearing anything, and they will soon lose some of
these panelists. She would do all the work to set it up.
REPORTS AND OTHER ITEMS FROM COUNCILMEMBERS
Hoag stated that the Marine Resource Committee summit is on May 22,
2001.
ADJOURN
The meeting adjourned at 10:50 p.m.
Jill Nixon, Minutes Transcription
These minutes were approved by Council on June 12 , 2001.
ATTEST:
Dana Brown - Davis, Council Clerk
WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON
L. Ward Nelson, Council Chair
Regular County Council Meeting, 5/15/2001, Page 30