HomeMy WebLinkAboutCounty Council June 2 19921 , WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
2 Regular Meeting
3 June 2, 1992
4 The meeting was called to order at 5:30 p.m. by Council Chairman Dan Warner in
5 the Council Chambers, 1000 N. Forest Street.
6 Present: Absent:
7 Marge Laidlaw None
8 Larry Harris
9 Barbara Brenner
10 Robert Imhof
11 Dennis Vander Yacht
12 Ken Henderson
13 OTHER ITEMS
14 Dan Warner, Council Chairman, stated the Council was going into executive session
15 to discuss item 1. for 10 minutes with its attorney; the Council returned and the meeting was
16 reconvened.
17 1. DECISION ON APPEAL OF HEARING EXAMINER'S DECISION
18 REGARDING ADMINISTRATIVE APPEAL 2 -92, REGARDING THE
GROWTH MANAGEMENT ACT (GROWTH PLANNING POLICIES),
20 FILED BY RICHARDS (AB92 -080A)
21 HENDERSON MOVED TO UPHOLD THE HEARING EXAMINER'S
22 DECISION.
23 The motion carried unanimously.
24 2. GROWTH MANAGEMENT ACT: CRITICAL AREAS ORDINANCE
25 (AB92- 058B)(FINAL DECISION)
26 Warner explained this issue.
27 WARNER MOVED THERE BE NO MORE HEARINGS.
28 After some discussion, he withdrew the motion.
29 BRENNER MOVED THERE BE ANOTHER HEARING.
30 Henderson spoke against the motion saying there would be review.
31 The motion failed unanimously.
1 Items discussed were: Time required for a work session; when the comments would
2 need to be in the Council and Planning offices; requests to.avoid frivolous amendments; a
3 form to be designed for amendments so they would come in typewritten form from Council
4 Members; when the decision will take place.
5 Comments were made by: Brenner; Henderson; Harris; Vander Yacht.
6 BRENNER MOVED THERE BE A WORK SESSION ON MONDAY, JUNE 8,
7 AT 6 P.M., IN THE WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL CHAMBERS TO WORK
8 THROUGH THIS ISSUE UNTIL IT IS FINISHED.
9 The motion carried 5 -2 with Henderson and Imhof against.
10 3. ORDINANCE AMENDING WHATCOM COUNTY ENVIRONMENTAL
11 POLICY ADMINISTRATION,TITLE 16 SECTION 16.08.070 TO INCLUDE
12 CRITICAL AQUIFER RECHARGE AREAS; SECTION 16.08.055,
13 EXTENDING THE TIME LIMITS RELATING TO PROJECT REVIEW
14 AND THRESHOLD DETERMINATIONS; AND SECTION 16.08.160.(4C),
15 ADDING A REFERENCE TO THE PROPOSED CRITICAL AREAS
16 REGULATIONS (AB92 -203)
17 Galvin explained this issue stating it is a companion ordinance to the critical areas
18 ordinance.
19 LAIDLAW MOVED THIS BE REFERRED TO THE PLANNING &
20 DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE.
21 The motion carried unanimously.
22 REPORTS AND OTHER ITEMS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS
23 Canvassing the vote: Henderson said it was fun but thought other members should
24 try it.
25 Maintenance & Operations: Imhof said he would like to ask the Executive to keep
26 the Council apprised of the Audit developments. Warner said he would speak to her about
27 this.
28 Economic Forecasting Workshop at Western University yesterday: Laidlaw said she
29 got good information about revenue growth trends and would be happy to share this with
30 the Council at the Budget Retreat.
31 June 12 Budget Retreat: Laidlaw said she will be putting the agenda together soon
32 and would like submissions from the Council members.
Minutes, 6/2/92, Page 2
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: Thank you to Western Washington University (WWU): Warner said he would like
to send a thank you to WWU for their hospitality in hosting the meeting June 1.
Conservation Futures Levy: Brenner asked that this item be on the June 23rd
agenda.
Criminal Justice Group Meeting: Harris said it was very worthwhile.
The meeting was recessed at 6:20 p.m.
OTHER ITEMS (CONTD)(NO ACTION TO BE TAKEN)
THIS ITEM WILL BE CONSIDERED AT 7 P.M. OR LATER AS PUBLISHED
The meeting was reconvened at 7 p.m. for a work session with the Growth
Management Oversight Committee.
4. GROWTH MANAGEMENT ACT: COUNTY -WIDE PLANNING
POLICIES (AB92 -080) (WORK SESSION)
The oversight committee members were introduced as follows:
Mark Challender, Council of Governments;
Sylvia Goodwin, City of Blaine;
Egbert Maas, Mayor of Lynden;
Vickie Matheson, Consultant for City of Everson and Nooksack;
Bonnie Strode, Water District 10;
Ann Nelson, City of Sumas;
Annie Jordan, -City of Ferndale;
Sue Blake, Whatcom County Water Coordinator;
Tom Anderson, PUD 1;
Patricia Decker, City of Bellingham
Joanne Smith, City of Bellingham
Dan Taylor, Whatcom County Planning
Other cities representatives were:
Foster Rose, City of Bellingham;
Stan Strobel, City of Ferndale;
Pat Floyd, City of Blaine
Dan Taylor, Planning Director, distributed amendments and showed slides outlining
the summary of intent statements and the schedule for review and adoption. He went
through the draft policies point by point along with amendment sheet.
Items discussed were: Allowing the small cities to expand; why allow small cities to
Minutes, 6/2/92, Page 3
1 expand and not areas like Cherry Point that can provide employment; whether the emphasis
2 needs to be on small cities being the purveyors of services; limitation of industrial areas in
3 providing services; inability of nodes to expand; zoning in the growth nodes needs to be
4 looked at; expansion of boundaries; water availability; infrastructure to manage expected
5 growth; urban growth areas located in cities; industrial uses should not be outside the cities;
6 revenue sharing; keeping housing costs down; responsible way to handle growth; will smaller
7 cities be able to expand; Planned Unit Developments within cities; aquifer recharge has
8 priority over other resources; watershed issues are specific to Nooksack River area as far
9 as gravel is concerned; urban services not desired as that would promote urban sprawl;
10 clustering; lot sizes; maintaining the characteristics of small cities; citizen involvement;
11 interlocal agreement process; criteria for orderly annexation; possibility of elimination of the
12 Boundary Review Board (BRB) with a good comprehensive plan; execution of the plans;
13 interlocal agreements sometimes do not have the force of law that the BRB does; adopted
14 program for annexation; the need for a sizeable rate base to afford a treatment plant; pipe
15 planning to match the growth; relationship of city and county service; county supplies many
16 services to the small cities such as courts, elections, etc; densities in and out of urban growth
17 areas; fireflow based on zoning; develop reasonable standards over time; affordable housing
18 where jobs are and close to public transportation; open space /greenbelt corridors; the terms
19 should, will and shall; enlargement of the courthouse facility with better public
20 transportation; linking square footage to parking facilities; language such as 'Voluntary"
21 incentives be added; siting of a public facilities; impact fees; water and sewer companies
22 cannot collect impact fees so they need to know well in advance of future needs;
23 intergovernmental cooperation; fiscal impact; revenue sharing; need for the cities to provide
>4 recommendations to the Council.
25 Comments were made by: Taylor; Henderson; Matheson; Vander Yacht; Brenner;
26 Strode; Harper; Goodwin; Laidlaw; Challender; Shirley Van Zanten, County Executive;
27 Anderson; Rose; Floyd.
28 Harris requested the phrase "boundaries shall not be expanded" be omitted.
29 Anderson disagrees with not allowing municipalities to provide water systems; he
30 believes it will encourage proliferation of small systems; zoning is an instrument to control
31 growth densities.
32 Henderson said he would recommend the cities have a hearing and work sessions and
33 the county do the same then get together and work through it.
34 Warner said the Council needs to know the answer to the utilities question. Warner
35 asked the oversight committee to provide the Council with a revised draft including the
36 statements that were made tonight. The Council will then hold a work session and then a
37 public hearing.
38 Laidlaw asked for policy statements regarding water crossing jurisdictional
Minutes, 6/2/92, Page 4
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boundaries. She also asked if the group had reviewed what other counties are doing and
also asked about Puget Sound Water Quality Authority's suggestions regarding water.
The meeting adjourned at 9:15 p.m.
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5 ATTEST:
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4bBa:::r�a Maher, Deputy Clerk
WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON
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Daniel M. Warner, Chairman
Minutes, 6/2/92, Page 5