HomeMy WebLinkAboutSpecial Council July 26 19951
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WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
Special Joint Meeting
of the
Bellingham City/Whatcom County Councils
and
Water District #10 Commissioners
July 26, 1995
The meeting was called to order at 7 p.m. by Larry Harris, County Council, in the
Bloedel Donovan Community Center, Bellingham, Washington.
Also Present:
Robert Imhof
Ken Henderson
Ward Nelson
Barbara Brenner
City Council: Present:
Gene Knutson
Arne Hanna
Pat Rowe
Bruce Ayers
Loulse Bjornson
Commissioners: Present:
Becky Peterson
Tony Freeland
Other Staff: Present:
Sue Blake, Water
Resource Manager
Sandy Peterson,
General Manager,
Water District #10
Bill McCourt,
Operations Supt.
Joy Monjure,
Water District #10
Jack Garner, Director,
Public Works,
City of Bellingham
Absent:
Alvin Starkenburg
Marlene Dawson
Absent:
Bob Hall
Don Gischer
Absent:
Debbie Kingsley
Absent:
Tim Douglas, Mayor
Shirley Van Zanten,
County Executive
Lake Whatcom Minutes, 7/26/95, Page 1
1 In 1992, as Harris pointed out, Lake Whatcom was appointed by both the City
2 and the County Council as a drinking water reservoir. He noted that last year, the
3 County Council proposed an allocation of $137,000 to be used on the Lake Whatcom
4 Management Plan Implementation of which $32,000 was appropriated. To date, none of
5 this amount has been spent.
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7 Sue Blake, Water Resource Manager, spoke on the county -wide perspective,
8 noting the 1995 reduction of the management activities in the Watershed. Topics
9 discussed included water quality and water supply.
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11 Bill McCourt, Operations Superintendent, City of Bellingham Public Works,
12 summarized the results of the Lake Whatcom Monitoring Program (1994). There were
13 five basic objectives: monitor (1) baseline water quality data; (2) creeks and selected
14 storm drains; (3) near shore areas for conforms; and (4) the lake surface for metals and
15 hydrocarbons; and (5) prepare and maintain a water budget. The monitoring stations
16 include Basin 1, which is cut off in Geneva by a shallow sill; Basin 2, Strawberry Point,
17 where the city's intake is located; and Basin 3, the largest portion of the Lake, has one
18 monitoring station at the north end of the Lake and one at the south end. Also
19 monitored was Park Place storm drain in the Silver Beach area, Silver Beach Creek,
20 Austin Creek, Smith Creek, Wildwood Creek and Blue Canyon Creek. Some of the
21 items being examined included: physical properties; nutrients; critters that live on the
22 Lake; and bacteria.
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24 He noted that overall the water quality of the Lake is, in general, excellent.. He
25 further stated that the quality of the drinking water is outstanding. Also discussed was
26 the oxygen /nutrient content of each of the three basins in the Lake.
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28 Jack Garner, Director, Public Works, City of Bellingham, who spoke for absent
29 Mayor Douglas, addressed the issue of management activities update. Two plans are in
30 the process approval: maintenance for septic tanks and a stormwater management plan
31 for the Watershed. Activities approved include: public education; data base
32 management; conservation plan; spill response plan; and forest protection plan. The
33 monies appropriated for these plans have been frozen due to budget cuts.
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35 Harris, Bjornson and Becky Peterson discussed where we go from here. Harris
36 thought it was time the County Council put their money where their mouths are.
37 Bjornson was concerned about action plans, noting in particular the recent Lake Samish
38 spill. She thought it was important to move forward with the approved plans for Lake
39 Whatcom. Peterson's concern was the funding for the approved plans.
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Lake Whatcom Minutes, 7/26/95, Page 2
I Questions were then taken from Council members and the audience., Topics
2 included baseline oxygenation; baseline data with historical contexts; determination of
3 cause and effect; Tweed Twenty /Silver Beach detention pond; trends; urban activites
4 causing problems to the water; metering residential water; and an idea to encourage and
5 reward people for maintaining the watershed.
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7 ADJOURN
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9 The meeting was adjoumed .about 9 p.m.
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15 EliAbeth Bennett, Transcriptionist
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17 These minutes were approved �y the Council on September 19 , 1995.
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19 ATTEST:
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25 r - avis, Council Clerk
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WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON
Lake Whatcom Minutes, 7/26/95, Page 3