HomeMy WebLinkAboutNatural Resources August 4 20151 WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
2 Natural Resources Committee
3
4 August 4, 2015
5
6 CALL TO ORDER
7
8 Committee Chair Barry Buchanan called the meeting to order at 9:30 a.m. in the
9 Council Chambers, 311 Grand Avenue, Bellingham, Washington.
10
11
12 ROLL CALL
13
14 Present: Barry Buchanan, Carl Weimer, Satpal Sidhu
15 Absent: None
16 Also Present: Barbara Brenner, Pete Kremen and Rud Browne
17
18
19 SPECIAL PRESENTATION
20
21 1. PRESENTATION OF THE UPPER NOOKSACK RIVER RECREATION PLAN
22 (AB2015 -238)
23
24 Wendy McDermott, American Rivers, introduced the members of the plan's advisory
25 committee. She submitted and read from a presentation (on file).
26
27 Lindsie Fratus, Nooksack Tribe, answered questions.
28
29 The councilmembers discussed contributions to the plan's development from Western
30 Washington University, water temperature in the South Fork impacting salmon habitat, the
31 next steps in moving forward, whether people who ride inner tubes down the river is a
32 problem for salmon, and coordination with the Wild and Scenic River designation process.
33
34
35 COMMITTEE DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL
36
37 1. RESOLUTION APPROVING RECOMMENDATIONS ON APPLICATIONS FOR
38 OPEN SPACE CURRENT USE ASSESSMENT (AB2015 -233)
39
40 Erin Osborn, Planning and Development Services Department, gave a staff report on
41 the program and working with the Assessor's Office to reclassify designations. She
42 submitted and read from a presentation (on file).
43
44 The following people answered questions:
45 9 Mark Personius, Planning and Development Services Department
46 . Royce Buckingham, Prosecutor's Office
47 . Dick Mattila, Bar Rental LCC representative
48
49 The councilmembers discussed the possibility of the Assessor's Office administering
50 the entire program, updating the public benefit rating system, reasons for the Balolia waiver
51 of public access, whether property owners have liability risk issues when there is public
52 access, whether applicants can withdraw from the program, a derelict property on the
53 Balolia property,
Natural Resources Committee, 8/4/2015, Page 1
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
Weimer moved to recommend that this go forward based on the Planning
Commission recommendation that public access be provided based on a wildlife survey.
(This motion was not voted on.)
Buchanan stated there should be no motions before tonight's public hearing.
Weimer stated he recommends that Ms. Osborn prepare a new public benefit rating
for the property at Lake Whatcom.
Osborn continued the presentation on the Purviance and Bar Rental applications.
The councilmembers discussed whether there have been applicant concerns about
making appointments for public access, a building on the Purviance property, inventorying
all the open space lands in Whatcom County, other uses for the Bar Rental property,
whether people would want to access the open space at the Bar Rental property, and the
location of offsite mitigation.
Osborn stated she will prepare a new public benefit rating sheet evaluation for the
Balolia application, based on a certain degree of public access by appointment, subject to
review by a wildlife biologist.
OTHER BUSINESS
There was no other business.
ADJOURN
fi�tlp7�;
The''meeting`'idlournecl at 10:58 a.m.
a
-e - -� ` * �J C Q �'• »� Jai
AlI E ." `
- 0 :°0
Dana' rown -' dViik uric? Clerk
Jill Nixon, Minutes Transcription
WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON
r ana ommittee Chair
Natural Resources Committee, 8/4/2015, Page 2