HomeMy WebLinkAboutSurface Water Work Session May 23 2017Whatcom County Council
Surface Water Work Session
May 23, 2017
CALL TO ORDER
Council Chair Barry Buchanan called the meeting to order at 10:00 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, Todd
Donovan and Carl Weimer
Absent: Ken Mann
SURFACE WATER WORK SESSION (AB2017 -024)
1. WATER PLANNING UPDATE
Gary Stoyka, Public Works Department, updated the councilmembers on the Planning
Unit and the Watershed Management Board. Last month the Planning Unit discussed the
Nooksack Tribe's South Fork conservation planning process. This month the Planning Unit
will discuss Geneva Consulting's status report of activities and implementation plans.
They've received all final invoices from Joint Board activities, and are closing the account
with a remaining balance of $16,200, which will transfer to the flood fund to help pay for
groundwater modeling. He reported on the status of the groundwater modeling project. He
answered questions about a Lake Whatcom data committee of the City that doesn't seem to
be open to the public.
Jon Hutchings, Public Works Department Director, answered questions about how
agencies look at phosphorous loading in Lake Whatcom and open public meetings.
2. FLOOD AND WATER RESORUCES LEVELS OF SERVICES — ADDITIONAL
SERVICES
Gary Stoyka, Public Works Department, gave a staff report and provided a list of
potential items that might be added to water - related services (on file). He described the
items on the list. The items are extra projects that the Council could decide to fund. The
biggest challenge is the funding situation from the State budget. They may not get any
State money for Swift Creek or through the Floodplains by Design program. The next step
is to work on resolving the funding issue. He will provide more information on these items if
the councilmembers are interested.
Councilmembers discussed and Stoyka answered questions about cash
reimbursements versus discounts for the homeowner incentive program (HIP); adding an
audit of infrastructure and creating a geographic information system (GIS) layer for private
water districts; the timeline of the projects on the list; funding to accelerate replacement of
fish - blocking culverts; using the flood fund only for flood issues; getting cost information on
annual costs versus total project- costs; and whether they need to do the Lake Samish
stormwater plan right away.
Surface Water Work Session, 5/23/2017, Page 1
ADJOURN
[Clerk's Note: Councilmembers adjourned the meeting at 10:30 a.m, to attend a tour
of the Swift Creek area with Public Works Department staff. See handout (on file).
Councilmembers Brenner and Weimer did not attend the Swift Creek tour.]
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Jill Nixon, Minutes Transcription
WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON
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Surface Water Work Session, 5/23/2017, Page 2