HomeMy WebLinkAboutSurface Water Work Session November 15 20161
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Whatcom County Council
Special Surface Water Work Session
November 15, 2016
CALL TO ORDER
Council Chair Barry Buchanan called the meeting to order at 10:30 a.m. in the Civic
Center Garden Level Conference Room, 322 Commercial Avenue, Bellingham, Washington.
ROLL CALL
Present: Barbara Brenner, Satpal Sidhu, Rud Browne, Barry Buchanan, Ken
Mann, and Carl Weimer
Absent: Todd Donovan
SURFACE WATER WORK SESSION (AB2016 -024)
1. JOINT BOARD PLANNING UNIT UPDATE
Gary Stoyka, Public Works Department, updated the Council on the next Planning
Unit meeting, including the watershed management plan, groundwater monitoring,
nongovernmental water system caucus outreach, and a review of the current caucus
structure. He answered questions about possible changes to the caucus structure, what
groundwater modeling can be done for $16,000 per year, who reviews the caucus outreach
materials, Geneva Consulting, and duplication and overlap of work on water issues by
different groups and stakeholders.
Stoyka updated the Council on the Joint Board, finalizing the new Joint
Board /Salmon Recovery Funding Board process, and the regional ecosystem recovery plan.
He answered questions on funding for the Joint Board.
2. OVERVIEW OF 2017 -2022 WATER RESOURCES IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM
(WRIP)
Gary Stoyka, Public Works Department, gave a staff report on the Water Resources
Improvement Program (WRIP) and stated it will be before the Council on November 22. He
referenced the handout in the Council packet and updated the Council on stormwater
maintenance and repair project 12.
Kirk Christensen, Public Works Department, referenced the handout in the Council
packet and updated the Council on the Lake Whatcom stormwater projects one through
seven.
Staff and councilmembers discussed the benefit evaluation score (BES), how projects
are prioritized, the higher priority of a Sudden Valley project with a lower BES, the influence
of legal mandates and funding opportunities on a project's priority, funding sources, and
prioritizing other funding sources to slow the decline of the flood fund.
Kraig Olason, Public Works Department, referenced the handout and updated the
Council on Birch Bay Watershed and Aquatic Resources Management (BBWARM) District
projects eight through 11.
Councilmembers discussed the BBWARM projects having their own funding source
and the higher- ranked projects that have already been done.
Surface Water Work Session, 11/15/2016, Page 1
1 Cathy Craver, Public Works Department, answered questions on getting grant funds
2 for stormwater maintenance and repair.
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4 Roland Middleton, Public Works Department, reported on Birch Bay Drive and
5 Pedestrian Facility project 13 and Swift Creek projects 14 through 16. He answered
6 questions about the completion date of the Birch Bay project, Canadians using Sumas River
7 water for irrigation, and a long term solution for Swift Creek asbestos problems.
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9 Paula Harris, Public Works Department, updated the Council on the river and flood
10 projects 17 through 34. She answered questions about the total for the lower Nooksack
11 River project, whether the Lummi Nation will contribute funding, the value of the property
12 impacted by the High Creek project, and the status of the Puget Sound Nearshore
13 Ecosystem Restoration Project (PSNERP).
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15 3. POLLUTION IDENTIFICATION & CORRECTION (PIC) AND SHELLFISH
16 UPDATE
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18 Erika Douglas, Public Works Department, submitted and read from a presentation
19 (on fi /e) and talked about the work done in the past 21 years to achieve the upgrade.
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21 Steve Seymour, Drayton Harbor Oyster Company, spoke on the community's and
22 County's efforts to restore water quality in the Drayton Harbor watershed.
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24 Douglas continued the presentation on recent, current, and future work necessary to
25 make sure the harbor stays open to shellfish harvesting; shifting efforts to more urban
26 areas where high pollution counts persist; expanding the PIC Program, and; the status of
27 the shellfish protection district advisory committees.
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29 She answered questions about the County's ability to do midstream water quality
30 surveys and getting water quality data from White Rock, British Columbia, and other
31 Canadian locations.
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34 ADJOURN
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36 The meeting adjourned at 12:20 p.m.
37 111111!1111
38 Thd„ u ' proved these minutes on January 10, 2017.
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40 ATTES,�e•;y��A/.•r'�s WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
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46 Dana Browd- �is,,CQuncil Clerk Barr uchanan, Councill Chair
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48`"r;lii;t, r 11t t`
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51 Jill Nixon, Minutes Transcription
Surface Water Work Session, 11/15/2016, Page 2