HomeMy WebLinkAboutNatural Resources December 8 20151
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WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
Natural Resources Committee
December 8, 2015
CALL TO ORDER
Committee Chair Barry Buchanan called the meeting to order at 9:30 a.m. in the
Council Chambers, 311 Grand Avenue, Bellingham, Washington.
ROLL CALL
Present: Barry Buchanan, Satpal Sidhu and Carl Weimer
Absent: None
Also Present: Pete Kremen, Barbara Brenner, and Rud Browne
COMMITTEE DISCUSSION
1. DISCUSSION REGARDING THE PROPOSED WATER RESOURCE INVENTORY
AREA (WRIA) 1 JOINT BOARD — SALMON RECOVERY BOARD INTERLOCAL
AGREEMENT (AB2015 -370)
Gary Stoyka, Public Works Department, gave an update and a history of the Joint
Board planning process in the past five years. He submitted two handouts (on file) and
answered questions.
There was discussion about whether the Joint Board is a policy- making board,
whether the Planning Unit has seen the agreement first and had enough time to look at it,
and why items haven't gone to the Council for initial approval before going to the Joint
Boa rd.
Dan Gibson, Prosecuting Attorney's Office, stated he has not signed the interlocal
agreement yet. The quality of the comments about it is good, and the comments deserve
further consideration. He is not ready to sign off on the agreement in its current form.
There was further discussion about what is needed from the Council at this point,
working with other entities for which the Council does not make policy, how decision making
works with the agreement, and what the next steps are.
Stoyka stated they would like to do more outreach, to reach out to the Marine
Advisory Committee, and get direction from the councils. They would then come back with a
new agreement and take it to the Joint Board for input and then to the various councils by
early 2016. By September 30,th the Joint Board will run out of money, so it needs to be
settled before that.
The discussion continued about how to bring forward concerns in the current
agreement, how the diagram on Exhibit A of the agreement should not just flow to the
County Council, the need to work with the Federal Government, and the role of the Planning
Unit.
Natural Resources Committee, 12/8/2015, Page 1
1 2. DISCUSSION WITH LONG RANGE PLANNING STAFF AND THE COUNTY'S
2 CONSULTANT FROM FOSTER PEPPER PLLC REGARDING WHATCOM COUNTY'S
3 AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS AUCTION (AB2015 -371)
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5 Karin Beringer, Public Works Deoartment, spoke from and submitted a presentation
6 (on file).
7
8 Jeremy Eckert, Foster Pepper Consultant Team Lead, continued the presentation
9 about the project team and the process.
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11 Chris Elder, Purchase of Development Rights (PDR) Outreach Coordinator, continued
12 the presentation about the outreach that has been done.
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14 Eckert answered the following questions about the program and the proposed
15 ordinance: whether the County would be using the Assessor's office; whether the proposed
16 ordinance has gone to the Agricultural Advisory Committee; Eckert's experience working on
17 Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) programs; what happens to the properties after the
18 County purchases the development rights, and why the County does not offer the parcels to
19 neighboring farmers, giving the $75,000 to the farmer to buy the land; why the ranking
20 system doesn't state a property has to be in the agricultural zone, and how Exhibit A will
21 change over time; why the ranking system is not included in Exhibit A; and how the plan
22 will be economically viable for the County.
23
24 Beringer answered questions about the funding and funding sources, how the
25 proposed program is different than the PDR program, adding something to the agreement
26 that says that future property owners cannot complain about farming, why the program
27 cannot be extended to rural zoning, whether the County would still buy development rights
28 if the land does not have agricultural value, how to ensure that the land that is purchased
29 can actually be used for farming and not just unusable open space, whether it's more about
30 preserving the viability of agricultural land than simply preserving the agricultural land, how
31 many bids are expected based on community feedback, and how this budget affects the
32 budget of the existing PDR program.
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34 Linda Twitchell, Building Industry Association, asked how much of the budget goes
35 into administrative costs and whether it would be better to buy the property and resell it
36 without development rights.
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38 Larry Helm asked about tax exemption and capital gains from the County's purchase.
39
40 The discussion continued about expanding to other land types in the future, options
41 for funding, making a rule that if someone purchased the land after it is designated for
42 agriculture they cannot complain and be bought off for complaining, strengthening the
43 right -to -farm ordinance, and whether water rights are being taken into consideration.
44
45 Mark Personius, Planning and Development Services Department, stated this is a
46 complement to the existing PDR program and does not duplicate it or thwart its funding.
47 Many of the small parcels are already owned by farmers, and this program gives them a
48 way to get extra capital to put back into their farms. Five- to nine -acre farms are the fastest
49 growing farm size in the farm economy in Whatcom County. The program will not be eligible
50 for federal matching grants.
51
52 Weimer stated he would recommend approval to the full Council to move it forward
53 as a pilot maybe next fall and implement it in 2017.
Natural Resources Committee, 12/8/2015, Page 2
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Tyler Schroeder, Executive's Office, stated money is set aside for PDR and the
County can discuss how that money would best be used in the future.
OTHER BUSINESS
There was no other business.
ADJOURN
The meeting adjourned at 11:01 a.m.
ATTESJ'' C a•
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Dana Brown- Davis Couhcil Clerk
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Kristi Felbinger, Minutes TraYiscription
WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON
rr)`*chanan; Committee Chair
Natural Resources Committee, 12/8/2015, Page 3