HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlanning July 24 20011
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WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
Planning and Development Committee
July 24, 2001
The meeting was called to order at 3:00 p.m. by Committee Chair Dan
McShane in the Council Chambers, 311 Grand Avenue, Bellingham, Washington.
Also Present:
Connie Hoag
Sam Crawford
Absent:
None
COMMITTEE DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL
1. ORDINANCE CREATING THE WHATCOM COUNTY AGRICULTURAL
ADVISORY COMMITTEE (AB2001 -229)
McShane stated he is inclined to approve this, but is concerned about the
fiscal impact. He may want to send it to the Finance Committee to make sure the
staffing issues are addressed.
Hoag stated the Conservation District said it would continue to provide
staffing. It is partially staffed by the Conservation District and partially staff by the
Planning and Development Services Department.
(Clerk's Note: Committee took a break from 3:05 to 3:35 p.m. to await
County staff's arrival.)
Kraig Olason, Senior Planner, stated this is a follow up to the original
committee established for 18 months. Their charge was to do the Whatcom County
Code 20.40 Agriculture rewrite, which they did. They have met during two winters
now. The committee determined the issues to work through. The concept of the
work plan is a cooperative effort that would take any and all possible groups into
the effort of meeting these objectives and work plan items. There are several
components in the plan, including information and education, programs, and
discussion of the purchase of development rights.
This group did a great job. He distributed a copy of the work plan, which
includes a short -term and long -term plan. They would pick projects to work on
annually from the long -term list. The plan sets out what a number of programs are
that could be worked into other agency work plans.
McShane stated they don't need to send this to Finance Committee after all.
Hoag questioned Council packet page 145 and the difference in function
between sections 2.34.030(A)(1) and 2.34.030(A)(4). Olason stated item (4) is
about the ability of the Planning Department to request assistance from the
Agricultural Advisory Committee. Item (1) gives the Agricultural Advisory
Planning and Development Committee, 7/24/2001, Page 1
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Committee the ability to comment on any issue. If the Planning Department wants
the committee to help on a specific item, (4) provides that rationale.
Hoag stated she wanted to specifically ask the committee to review
Agriculture rezones. That is not specified. She asked to add, 2.34.030(A), "(5)
Agricultural rezones." Olason stated he thought subsection (1) would include
zoning issues.
Hoag stated rezones are not specified.
Crawford stated there are state laws that determine rezone review
processes. The state law is on what the Planning Commission and the Council can
do.
Hoag stated requiring this committee to review rezones would not stall the
rezone process.
McShane moved to amend (1), "...and annexation issues, or proposals which
directly...." They are not talking just about annexations.
Motion carried unanimously.
Hoag questioned Council packet page 147. Amend the third paragraph, "...Ag
"ran Preservation Committee..."
McShane stated that is a scrivener's error.
Hoag moved to amend packet page 148, item 2, "E. Review and make
recommendations regarding rezones from agriculture and the agriculture protection
overlay (APO) to other uses." The things mentioned are not covered under the
work plan. Item 5B is about the regulations. The agricultural acreage total in the
Comprehensive Plan includes the land in the APO.
Motion carried 2 -1 with McShane opposed.
McShane stated he didn't like the language about the APO.
Hoag asked what the farmland mitigation banking program is. Olason stated
it is a program to establish a method to offset impacts to a site. For example, one
can rezone good rural land to agriculture as a form of mitigation.
Hoag referenced Council packet page 149, item 5C. Olason stated the idea is
to look at the typical cost of development, and make sure it takes pressure off the
conversion of land. If the fees were in place to pick up the costs, it would make
development less desirable.
Hoag referenced Council packet page 149, item 7A. She questioned whether
there is a shortage of farm worker housing. Creation of new farm worker housing
would displace more agricultural land. Olason stated depends on where the
Planning and Development Committee, 7/24/2001, Page 2
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housing is located. They discussed some of the factors that limit agriculture. One
of the factors is that more specialized work creates more hand labor. The pay scale
is not commensurate with housing costs. Many committee members talked about
the difficulty of finding housing for people who would do the jobs. The idea was not
necessarily to put housing in farmland, but to look for logical locations, and
encourage developing those locations so those people have a decent place to live.
There is not a lot of that type of housing out there. If people can't afford rent, they
will go somewhere else.
Hoag asked that the Agriculture Advisory Committee work on the Purchase of
Development Rights (PDR) Program first. Olason stated they could do that.
Hoag referenced Council packet page 152, item 5, task A -1. There is not a
severability clause on that ordinance. There should be.
Crawford questioned whether Exhibit C should be referenced in the ordinance
because it is the long -term work plan. He questioned who wrote exhibits B and C.
Olason stated the committee worked on Exhibit C first. The committee tried to
establish specifics for each goal. After that, they identified the most important
things to focus on initially.
Crawford questioned whether the Council is going to continually review their
plans. How the Council implements their plans will be the subject of future
ordinances. Olason stated part of the process would be to get the Council's
response to their plan. The Council can separate the plan from the creation of the
committee.
Crawford moved to amend packet page 144, `...finds the long term work
plans attached (Exhibits B and C) to comply with..."
Motion carried unanimously.
Crawford asked the cost of creating a committee. Olason stated the
committee initially worked on planning related functions, which is something the
Planning Department had to do anyway. These other programs are additional
programs. The committee needs to have someone shepherd those programs along.
This ordinance identifies the Planning Department as the staffing agency. Staffing
is difficult to do with less than a one -third time employee.
Sylvia Goodwin, Planning Division Manager, stated one -third of Olason's time
is spent on this committee, even with extra help. Skagit County's budget for
agriculture management is easily over $50,000 per year. This is a programmatic
commitment that does more than just manage the committee.
Crawford asked if there are grants available for this. Olason stated he is not
sure if there are grants for staffing. There may be funding for special projects.
Crawford questioned the priority of this versus other things the Planning
Department is working on. Goodwin stated the Planning Department has to make
Planning and Development Committee, 7/24/2001, Page 3
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priority those things that are mandated by state law, such as shorelines and the
Critical Areas Ordinance (CAO). This is something that is also required by the
Growth Management Act, but is not specific. Next, the department does things
they don't really want to do and may not even have authority over, such as the
Utility Committee, but the Council created it. Staff looks at the Comprehensive
Plan and goals for direction. Agriculture is an important issue
(Clerk's Note: End of tape one, side A.)
Goodwin continued to state agriculture is an equal priority of some of the
other economic development issues. Agriculture is as important as industrial
planning and urban growth planning.
McShane asked if there is someone who really wants to do this work. Olason
stated it is important enough to make time for. Most of the time, the Planning
Division just puts out brush fires, and doesn't have time to create a programmatic
solution to problems. Momentum is building with this. There are multiple benefits
from this.
Hoag stated the committee is currently being staffed by Planning and
Development Services and the Conservation District, who plans to continue their
funding. She asked if the language they are adopting changes the current staffing
arrangement. Olason stated the County can't require someone else to staff the
committee. The reason the Conservation District contributes staffing is because
farmland preservation is an important priority for them, and they had some grant
funds that were available. That is not a guaranteed source. Someone from the
County has to commit to some level of staffing. The wording does not prohibit the
County from accepting help with staffing.
McShane moved to recommend approval with amendments.
Motion carried unanimously.
ADJOURN
The meeting adjourned at 4:25 p.m.
Jill Nixon, Minutes Transcription
ATTEST:
Dana Brown - Davis, Council Clerk
WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON
Dan McShane, Committee Chair
Planning and Development Committee, 7/24/2001, Page 4