HomeMy WebLinkAboutCounty Council October 1 19911 WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
2 Regular Meeting
3 October 1, 1991
4 The meeting was called to order by Chairman Dan Warner at 7 p.m. in the Council
5 Chambers at 1000 N. Forest Street.
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Present Absent
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Don Hansey Mary Vanderpol
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Marge Laidlaw
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Dennis Vander Yacht
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Emily Jackson
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Bob Imhof
12 COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
13 1. PRESENTATION /STATUS REPORT REGARDING NOISE CONTROLS AT
14 THE BELLINGHAM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, BY BILL HAGER, PORT
15 OF BELLINGHAM (AB91 -056A)
16 Don Fleming, Port of Bellingham, discussed the following points: length of runway;
17 kinds of aircraft allowed to land at this airport; weight bearing capacity of the runway; role
.8 of the airport.
19 Ted Soliday, Port of Bellingham, discussed the following items: noise compatability;
20 approval of all aspects of the 150 plan; noise impact will be less than in 1985; funding for
21 land acquisition; maintaining the integrity of the neighborhood; preferential runways to the
22 south; flight paths; reduction of severe and lower level impacts.
23 Stu Litzinger, Citizens Advisory Committee, discussed the following items: diverse
24 interests of group; policy, direction and impacts of airport decisions; noise policies; policy
25 statement of the CAC; curfew; collection point for aircraft complaints, modifying existing
26 tariffs; numbers of takeoffs and landings; Port sensitivity to neighbors and citizens.
27 Items discussed were: the force of a resolution at the Port being the same as a
28 County ordinance; method and time frame for instituting policy.
29 Comments made by Jackson, Laidlaw, Fleming and Soliday.
30 Julie Richardson read a letter from Rick Dubrow. His letter indicated rushing may
31 be detrimental.
32 2. DISCUSSION OF FLOOD - MITIGATION FUNDING MECHANISMS AND
33 OTHER FLOOD CONTROL ISSUES WITH EXECUTIVE AND THE FLOOD
)14 CONTROL ADVISORY COMMITTEE (AB91 -071G)
1 Warner discussed the various kinds of funding options. Van Zanten discussed the
2 following: financial needs; financing; ways of gathering funding; timing; law changes giving
3 jurisdiction to County over Cities; Rates and charges; time and resources needed to set up
4 funding options; corrections to the original draft.
5 Items discussed were: time spent on the this issue; the 30/70 split; benefits of
6 committee recommendations instead of 30/70 split; the need to get started on this project.
7 Comments were made by: Flood Control Advisory Committee members Fred
8 Nowicki, Egbert Maas, Bruce Kvamme, Bob Mitchell.
9 Barbara Cory, Treasurer: Cory discussed the following: difficulties in implementing
10 this program; programming changes costing $24,000 that would be required to bill the $29
11 per parcel assessment; the definition of a parcel; mechanism to collect; penalty for non-
12 payment; bills could not be sent until March 1992.
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14 Keith WilInauer, County Assessor: Willnauer discussed the following: costs across a
15 number of areas; ad valorem is a levy against the value of the property; levy lift; benefit
16 ratio; junior taxing district.
17 Hansey said the County could borrow from itself and get a program in place to repay
18 the loan.
19 Warner discussed the equities.
20 Tom Anderson, PUD 1 representative: Anderson said the water intakes are seriously
21 impacted by the Nooksack flooding. He said the money and a dedicated staff are needed
22 now.
23 Matt Lagerwey, Mayor of Everson: He spoke for himself and Maxine Jones, Mayor
24 of Nooksack; both worked on this committee and urged the Council to approve the
25 recommendation.
26 Tom Thornton, Flood Control Citizen's Advisory Committee Member: He stated
27 that short and long term funding is needed; the water holding capacity is decreasing and a
28 lot has to be done.
29 Vander Yacht asked Cory if this is a short term fix. Cory said bills could not be sent
30 before March but the Council could set a 30 day limit on the payment of the bill.
31 Fred Nowic1d: There won't be work done on the river until summer now.
32 Genevieve Van Dalen, Flood Control Citizen's Advisory Member: In favor of the
33 proposal.
Minutes, 10/01/91, Page 2
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Doug Dobyns, Nooksack Tribe Representative: Opposed to the proposal.
Items discussed were: borrowing some money to get started; public input and file
suit against the State for their part of not letting gravel be taken out; proration of taxes
versus a fixed amount; policy direction; councilmanic bonds; repayment.
Comments were made by: Imhof; Jackson; Vander Yacht; Hansey; Laidlaw;
It was decided to ask the administration to report on how a loan could be
accomplished and what the impacts would be.
There was a five minute break.
OTHER ITEMS
9:25 p.m.
1. DISCUSSION /ACTION REGARDING A PERSONNEL MATTER (AB91 -366)
No discussion on this item.
2. CONSIDERATION OF PROPOSED ANNEXATION (WEST BAKERVIEW
AREA) (AB91 -355)
Laidlaw said there is a memo from Dan Taylor stating there is no opposition to the
annexation.
LAIDLAW MOVED TO SUPPORT THE CITY'S REQUEST TO PROCEED
WITH THE ANNEXATION PROJECT.
The motion was carried unanimously.
3. REPORT ON POTENTIAL MEETING WITH NOOKSACK AND LUMMI
TRIBAL OFFICIALS (AB91 -370)
Warner said he will be meeting with representatives of the Lummi Nation and the
Nooksack Tribe for lunch and discussion.
23 4. CONSIDERATION OF HEARING EXAMINER'S RECOMMENDATION ON A
24 MAJOR DEVELOPMENT PERMIT, SOUND PACIFIC RESOURCES (AB91-
25 367)
26 Client's Attorneys Jon Sitkin and Phil Serka requested this be remanded to the
27 Hearing Examiner for reconsideration. (Both Sitkin and Serka represent clients who have
28 asked for reconsideration.) Sitkin said his client, who had previously been denied a
29 reconsideration, had a number of concerns over the conditions imposed by the Hearing
Minutes, 10/01/91, Page 3
1 Examiner and was not given an opportunity to address these conditions.
2 Serka said one condition affects 350 members; he said the condition of restricting the
3 use of a site to two weeks only greatly decreased the value of the membership.
4 JACKSON MOVED THE COUNCIL HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING ON THIS
5 ISSUE.
6 The motion failed 5 -1 with Jackson for.
7 LAIDLAW MOVED TO REMAND THE MATTER TO THE HEARING
8 EXAMINER FOR FURTHER DELIBERATIONS.
9 The motion carried unanimously.
10 JACKSON MOVED TO HAVE ADEQUATE NOTICE TO MAKE SURE THOSE
11 INVOLVED ARE AWARE OF THE PROGRESS ON THIS ISSUE.
12 Serka said there is a meeting of the members of the board with management next
13 week and the membership will be made aware of the progress. Jackson withdrew her
14 motion.
15 REPORTS AND OTHER ITEMS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS
16 Liabilities and Service Concerns: Laidlaw said that the Planning and Development
17 Committee had met with the Fire District Chiefs on this issue for areas not covered by
18 districts. This will be coming up for discussion soon.
19 Scenic Route 9 meeting: The Department of Transportation is conducting at meeting
20 tomorrow night, October 2 at 7 p.m. at the Mount Baker High School Auditorium.
21 Surface Mining meeting: Meeting will be in the Everson Senior Center Thursday,
22 October 3 at 7 p.m.
23 Solid Waste Advisory Committee (SWAC): Warner said there would be a SWAC
24 meeting on Thursday, October 3 at 6:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers.
25 Washington State Association of Counties (WSAC) address: A WSAC representative
26 will be giving a presentation on Criminal Justice funding and the effects of Initiative 559 at
27 a Special Meeting on October 8 at 3 p.m. in the Council Chambers.
28 Budget Meeting Schedule: Bob Woods, Council Budget and Program Analyst, said
29 a notice was sent from Vanderpol regarding the schedule of budget meetings with the
30 departments.
Minutes, 10/01/91, Page 4
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State Legislator visits: Woods said letters went to the six state legislators asking
them to speak at the beginning of Council meetings in late October and November.
Surface Mining Issue: Woods stated Senator Jack Metcalf will probably schedule
a meeting in our area in late November to discuss the surface mining issue.
Meeting adjourned at 9:52 p.m.
ATTEST:
Barbara Maher, Deputy. Clerk
WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON
T
ani er, Chairman
Minutes, 10/01/91, Page 5