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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCounty Council for August 2 1979WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES OF 11EETING AUGUST 2, 1979 Whatcom County Council meeting was called to order at 7:40 p.m. All members were present with the exception of Shirley VanZanten who was excused. Minutes were approved as written. EXECUTIVE ITEMS The first executive item was a status report on the Blue Ribbon Sold Waste Committee. A committee was formed to study waste disposal in Whatcom County. The members are Hilda Bjama, Dennis Braddock, Bob Jurica, Clint McBeath, Howard McDowall, Bob Muenscher, Elaine Ramel, and Hal Reimer, chairman. The committee is considering all means of waste disposal that are approved by the DOE, and have set their sights on November as a tentative date to reach a decision on the best method for Whatcom County. It is possible that this committee may need some county funding. The second executive item was a report on the Data Processing situation in the Whatcom County Courthouse. CMSI is the company who in the past had the contract for data processing in 1�rnatcom County. The contract has expired, and currently, a new agreement is being formulated. The County needs a new, more efficient system. There is presently a committee formed from three elected offices - Assessor's, Auditor's, and Treasurer's - two representatives from each office who are serving along with CMSI to renegotiate a contract and to rewrite and put together a long range plan that can be incor- porated from the day the agreement is finalized. Roehl and Thompson charged that CMS.I has not lived up to the terms of their previous agreement, and that we should loot; elsewhere for the expertise necessary to develop a sound system for Whatcom County. OTHER BUSINESS The issue of putting the tax -issue of funding for Emergency Med- ical Services in Whatcom County on the Septmeber ballot was discussed. It has been decided to not put this issue on the ballot because the language was unclear as to whether it would be an excess levy (in which case, money would not be available until 1981) or no an excess levy (in which case the money would be available for 1980), minutes of meeting page 2 August 2, 1979 the State Attorney General was contacted, and it was found that if a taxation issue is acted upon before September 1, it can be declared null and void. It was moved to recommend that the Council schedule joint meetings of the City and County Councils, Finance and Public Safety Committees, the Mayor of Bellingham, and the County Executive to further explore the financing of EMS, and possibly placing the excess levy question on the November ballot. Muenscher moved to approve the preliminary plat of Greenbrook subject to the conditions as set out in the Finding of Fact recommended by the Hearing Examiner. Motion passed unanimously. The Council made note that the Engineering Department should insure that a subject's surety bond is for an amount and duration sufficient to guarantee that the developer will be responsible and-liable- , for the correction of deficiences, and the performance of necessary emergency maintenance as a result of lack of quality development. HEARINGS AND FINAL CONSIDERATION OF ORDINANCES The ordinance granting 15 year domestic water mains on certain County Roads to the City of Ferndale with Planning Committee recom- mendation of "do pass" and Public Works Committee "do pass" recommend- ation was passed unanimously. The ordinance granting a 25 year Franchise to Whatcom County Water District No. 16 to install, operate and maintain water mains and water distribution lines along certain roads in Whatcom County as per Public Works recommendation of "do pass" was passed unanimously. Ordinance establishing the policy, procedures and requirements of the Whatcom County Purchasing Department pursuant to sections 9.20 and 10.90 of the Whatcom County Charter was passed unanimously as amended and recommended by the Finance Committee. Paul Rushing spoke regarding Public Works Contracts as included in the ordinance. The ordinance regarding the duties and functions of the County Medical Examiner and delegating the responsibility for the property of the deceased to the County Sheriff was passed unanimously as recommended with "do pass" from the Public Safety Committee. The ordinance as amended..establ.i,shing a Surety Boad in .an. amount and form for all Elected-County Off c'ial -s and designata'e�iployee as r.ec ommended.� with "do passe. by -the Finance...Committe.e 'was passed unanimously. The Ordinance related to the e.s.tablishment of procedures regarding miriutes of meeting August 2, 1979 page 3 Initiative, Referendums, and Recall was moved to be held until the August 16 meeting. Fred Larson brought out an area of inconsistancy in the ordinance in regard to whether an initiative and a mini - initiative have to be filed specifically.as.s.ucb,and then must re- main-as-filed, throughout the course of their passage, or whether they can be changed to the other in the middle...of'their cycle. Due to the ambiguity in this area, as well as other discrepancies, this issue is to be broached by full Council on August 16, 1979. The ordinance delegating to the County Executive the authority to approve reimbursable work by Whatcom County Engineering Department for departments of the County and other public agencies as recommended by Public Works with "do pass" was passed unanimously. The ordinance amending the 1976 edition of the Uniform Building Code by adding and amending thereto Section 302(a) Whatcom County Code 2.05A.090 recommended "do pass" by Public Works was passed by unanimous decision, with the amendment of "and will comply with the terms of the Trail Permit" added to the last line of the Ordinance. The resolution regarding the adoption of a Right of Way ac- quisition procedure for Whatcom County as recommended "do pass" by Public Works was enacted unanimously. The request for an ordinance for a supplemental budget for the 1979 District Court budget as reconmfended "do pass" by the Finance Committee passed unanimously. The point was raised that when the state ma.ndatorily orders that the counties must raise the wages of employees, such as judges, as was in this case, the State should also supply funding to make these increases possible, rather than laying the burden solely upon the counties. INTRODUCTION OF ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS Throughout the course of this section, the rules of the Agenda were suspended, and three ordinances were introduced that had not been included. An ordinance levying tax on Bingo, Raffles, Public Card Games,. Public Card Rooms, Punch Boards,and Pull Tabs; and designating revenue for law enforcement;collection by Gambling Commission was introduced by Don liansey. An ordinance which would negate the effects of the above which would prohibit A14Y sort of gambling, specifically, an ordinance minutes of meeting August 2, 1979 page 4 prohibiting punch boards, pulltabs, certain other forms of gambling, and amending and repealing any conflicting ordinances in conflict thereof was introduced by Bob Muenscher. Due to the extreme opposition of these two ordinances, it was decided by majority vote to hold a full Council Public Hearing, and as per Chair decision, the Hearing will be on September 13 at either Ferndale Iiigh School auditorium (preferably) or at Meridian High School to discuss these two and any other related issues, should they come up. The ordinance providing for the establishment of a revolving fund to be used as working capital within the Central Stores Revolving Fund - SCAN was introduced by 11ansey and by unanimous decision, referred to Finance. The ordinance regarding the prohibition of parking along certain portions of the Mosquito Lake Road, Strand Road, and Potter Road located in the Acme - South Fork area of Whatcom was introduced by Bob Muenscher. It was determined by Sheriff Mount's testimony that a state of emergency exists in that the Emergency Ordinance previously enacted for this same purpose has expired, and so there is no legal means of enforcing the parking prohibition. To the purpose of granting the immediate power of enforcing the no parking rule, it was amended to.b.e an- emergency ordinance, and.was. passed by a 6 to 1 (Thompson) vote. Pon Hansey introduced the main ordinance as it had originally been writtevk, and.by.unanimous 'decision, it was referred tb Public Works and, .Public., S.afe.t.y, Committee,s.., The three ordinances all dealing with placing stop signs on County Roads - the Douglas Road, Richmond Crescent off the Shintaffer Road, and at the Plat of Sommerset were all introduced by Bob Muenscher and unanimously referred to Public Safety. The resolution adopting standard specifications for utility con- struction withing count road rights of way was introduced by Thompson and unanimouslv referred to Public Works. The resolution amending the adopted 1979 Whatcom County Annual Transportation Improvement Program was.introduced by Thompson and sent to Public Works'by; unanimous decision. The resolution regarding the authorization of the County Exec minutes'of meeting page 5 August •2, 1979 utive to sign agreements and /or payment request for EPA /DOE Grants to liminate improper waste treatment in the area of the Nor -Bell Nursing Home was introduced by Hansey and by unanimous vote, was referred to Finance. The ordinance amending the Zoning Ordinance Text to clarify four sections was introduced by Roehl and referred by unanimous vote to Planning. The ordinance providing for a supplemental budget to the Prosecuting Attorney's 1979 Annual Budget was introduced by Hansey and by unanimous decision, was sent to Finance. It was pointed out that the cause of this need is due to the pending Bianchi trial. An ordinance establishing procedures for the processing of claims against Whatcom County was introduced by 11ansey and sent by unanimous vote-to Finance. The ordinance establishing procedures for the sale or refunding of bonds was introduced by Hansey and by unanimous vote, sent to Finance. OPEN SESSION The Chair passed on to the Council a letter from Bellingham Vocational Technical Institute,a request for work to be done on Bennett Drive. The students would like to see a bicycle path and /or see that the road is L-raightened. The Council referred this matter to Public Safety and to the Executive. Dorothy Hulbert, a resident in the James Street and Telegraph Road area petitioned that the County lower the speed limit in that area to twenty -five miles per jour and that truck traffic in that area by pro- hibited. This matter was referred to Public Safety and to the Executive for investigation and advisement. Bob Bengen spoke concerning a forthcoming issue. Hansey suggested that the Council meet and discuss establishing some rules for reimbursing Council people for such items as telephone calls made on home phones, travel to and from the Courthouse, etc. Roehl submitted a letter to the Council for approval that he is sending to the Cherry Point Study Committee. The Council approved it, and requested that it be sent from the full Council by Will Roehl. Meeting was adjourned at 10:35 p.m.