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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCounty Council for September 6 1979WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL Minutes of meeting September G, 1979 The Whatcom County Council meeting was convened at 7:40 p.m. C. J. Johnson was excused, all other members were present. The minutes of the previous meeting were approved as presented. EXECUTIVE ITEMS The first executive item was board appointments: The appointment of Calvin Johnson to fill the unexpired term of William Castles in the Whatcom County Television Reception Im- provement Board, District 1, was confirmed by unanimous vote. Mr. Johnson will serve until Aug. 31, 1981. The Council unanimously confirmed the reappointment of Per Utheim to the same board. The second executive item was liquor license approval: The first, a renewal to Hilltop Grocery located on the Mount. Baker Highway was recommended by John Louws to not he approved. The owners were not available for comment as to whether or not they wanted a renewal issued. The store has been boarded up, and is out of business. The Council unanimously rejected approval of renewal. A new application by Agate Bay Store (class EF license) as recommended for approval by Public Safety and John Louws received unanimous approval. A new application by Petticoat Lane in Point Roberts for a class AC (beer $ wine on premises) received unanimous approval by Council, as per Public Safety and Executive recommendation. A twenty -day extension was granted to the PB Sport Shop in Kendall. It has not as yet been possible to contact the owners to see if they wished to renew their license. The Executive wished to inform the Council as to what he had found on a follow- through on the Fraud in Government Training Program. Apparently, it is too late to have attended the state - sponsored program. He recommends that a committee be formed consisting of Harold Raymond, Dewey Desler, Conrad Thompson, and minutes of Council meeting Sept. 6, 1979 page two C. J. Johnson to work with the executive to have this program instigated by October or Novermber. HEARINGS $ FINAL CONSIDERATION OF ORDINANCES & RESOLUTIONS Hearing was declared open by the Chair, and Dan Liedecker from Everson spoke regarding the ordinance amending Whatcom County Code 3.08.025, Section IV, regarding Garbage Disposal Fees. He Js the owner of the Nooksack Valley Disposal Co. He was in favor of the proposed raise, but wished it to be known that the raises, representing up to a 180% increase was not in congruence with the terms of the wage and price guidelines as set up by the State, and that he'would have to file with the state in order to raise his rates on par with what the County was proposing to raise theirs by. He said it could take up to four months to gains state approval of his price hike. An immediate raise in County rates would cause him to have to run his operation in the red until such time as he could legally raise his disposal fees. With this in mind, Thompson made the motion to set the effective date October 1, but withdrew his motion when the discussion brought up the issue of the time it would take for the individual haulers to attain state approval for their price hike. Don Hansey made the motion to set the effective date December 6, 1979, 90 days from this meeting date. The motion passed unanimously. McIntyre pointed out that the rate of $5.00 per year for senior citizens was illegal according to state statute. Van Zanten advised that the Council bring this issue up with the meeting scheduled later with several state legislators, and discuss the"possibility that the state law be changed. Until then, it was decided to let the $5.,0.O charge stand on the Ordinance. With. "do pass" recommenda- tion of Public Works and by unanimous vote, the Council passed this ordinance.. Public hearing was held on the three ordinances dealing with the placing of stop signs. The ordinance regarding the matter of placing a stop sign on the Douglas Road with Public- Safety recommendation of "do pass" carried unanimously. McIntyre said that he f6.lt that there had minutes of Council meeting Sept. 6, 1979 page three to be a faster way to have stop signs placed than the current method - that it takes four weeks by the time the ordinance makes it through all the channels. There was Council consensus on this, but Bill Gardiner spoke advising that the present method is the only legal means. The motion to approve the ordinance on placing a stop sign on Richmond Crescent off the Shintaffer Road passed unanimously, with Public Safety recommendation of "do pass." Also with "do pass" from Public Safety, the ordinance in the matter of placing stop signs in the plat of Somerset was passed unanimously. The motion to approve the ordinance for a revised budget request for the Whatcom County Department of Emergency Services with Finance recommended "do pass" carried unanimously. It was pointed out that this had previously been approved as a flow -thru fund, but it was found that it had to be enacted as an ordinance. The ordinance providing a supplemental budget for the Juvenile Probation Department 1979 budget with Finance recommendation of "do pass" was approved by unanimous vote. The ordinance for a supplemental budget for the Planning Department 1979 budget with Finance "do pass" recommendation passed unanimously. The Ordinance establishing procedures for the processing of Claims against Whatcom County had three amendments with Finance Committee and State Attorney General recommendations: 1. Pp 3 Section 3, line 26, strike the words "such auditing officer" and insert "the deputized department head or designee ". 2. pp 4 Section 5, line 32, add a new sub - section (2)_ and renumber the remaining subsections: "Authorization of advancements for travel expense shall be given by the County Executive, except for County Council members or their staff, who shall receive authorization from the County Council." 3. pp 6 Section 7, line 30, strike second papragraph, add new language: "For the purpose of allowance of accounts, the Whatcom County Council hereby delegates to the County Executive authority to allow those accounts against the county for services, materials and supplies furnished by the County which: 1. Have been certified by the County Auditor or the respective deputized department heads, as provided in Section 6; and, minutes of Council meeting Sept. 6, 1979 page four 2. do not exceed the estimated revenue for such purpose as contained in the current budget; and, 3. are within confirmed cash income for the budget year; and, 4. do not exceed appropriations for the specific purpose for which such service, material, or supplies were furnished On pp 5, line 1 the amount in the travel expense revolving fund is $5,000.00. The ordinance was unanimously enacted as amended. The resolution adopting standard specifications for Utility Construction Road Rights of Way with "do pass" recommendation of Public Works passed unanimously, after Thompson moved to strike the second paragraph. The resolutions regarding the authorization and filing of the Whatcom County credits of disbursements for May and June were asked by Hansey to remain in Finance for further committee consideration. INTRODUCTION OF ORDINANCES $ RESOLUTIONS The ordinance providing for a supplemental budget for the Adult probation department was introduced by Roehl and referred to Finance $ Public Safety: The ordinance for a supplemental budget for the Mental Retard- ation Department 1979 budget was introduced by Hansey and sent to Finance. The ordinance providing a supplemental budget for the County Infirmary d.b.a. Nor -Bell Nursing Home was introduced by Hansey and referred to Finance. The ordinance restricting the speed limit in the Plats of Kel Bay and Mallard's Landing was introduced-by Muenscher and unanimously referred to Public Safety. The resolution in the matter of the cancellation of warrants . over one year old was introduced by Roehl and received unanimous final Council approval. the ordinance providing for a supplemental budget for the Public Works Department 1979 annual budget as related to Coastal Zone Management Grant was introduced by Will Roehl and referred to Finance by unanimous vote. minutes of Council meeting Sept. 6, 1979 page five OPEN SESSION Thompson spoke on the-issue of lowering the speed limit in the area of the McLeod and James Street Roads to 25 MPH and reducing truck traffic in that area. John Louws has been contacted by the Public Safety Committee, and this issue should be resolved soon. Will Roehl brought up the issue of a petition he had received by over 100 citizens expressing concern over the great amount of heavy truck traffic on Bennett Drive. This was asked to be brought to the attention of the Public Safety Committee. COMMITTEE REPORTS Roehl spoke briefly on the issue of the Howard Hammer rezone, mentioning a memo and information he had provided to the Council members. This issue has been going on'for some time, and he fbels it is necessary that a final decision be reached at the next Council meeting, September 20. A report from the Ad -Hoc Committee considering the resolution regarding review of the functions, powers and membership of Whatcom County Governmental Boards and commissions and providing for appoint- ment of members of such boards and commissions was given. It has been decided by the Committee to not report this resolution out of committee. The executive is planning to devdlop a plan covering the ground that htis resolution does, and this document may be incor- porated into a new resolution to be introduced. Thompson reported on the Grandview and Kickerville Roads railroad crossing, mentioning that a cross -arms sign will be placed at this crossing. The Chair wished to inform the public of the next Council meeting on September 20, 1979. and also of the special hearing that is to be held on September 13, 1979 at 7:30 p.m. at Meridian HIgh School to discuss the proposed gambling ordinances. The meeting was adjourned at 9:15.