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HomeMy WebLinkAboutres2017-041WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL AGENDA BILL NO. 2017 =251 A CLEARANCES Initial Date Date Received in Council O ace A enda Date Ass! ned to: Originator: Weimer 9/19/2017 9/26/2017 Nat Res / Council Division Head: Dept. Head: Prosecutor: Purchasin /Bud el: Executive: TITLE OF DOCUMENT. Res - Develop special funding District for Lk Whatcom Watershed ATTACHMENTS: Resolution SEPA review required? ( ) Yes ( ) NO Should Clerk schedule a hearing ? ( ) Yes ( X ) NO SEPA review completed? ( ) Yes ( ) NO Requested Date: SUMMARY STATEMENT OR LEGAL NOTICE LANGUAGE: (If this item is an ordinance or requires a public hearing, you must provide the language for use in the required public notice. Be specific and cite RCW or WCC as appropriate. Be clear in explaining the intent of the action.) Resolution requesting the Executive develop a special funding district to fund water quality improvements in the unincorporated Lake Whatcom Watershed to provide local fees to be used in conjunction with other funding to address water quality concerns specific to Lake Whatcom no later than November 8, 2017. COMMITTEE ACTION: COUNCIL ACTION. 9/26/2017: Forwarded to Council for approval 9/26/2017: Approved 7 -0, Resolution 2017 -041 Related County Contract #; Related File Numbers: Ordinance or Resolution Number: Res. 2017 -041 Please Note: Once adopted and signed, ordinances and resolutions are available for viewing and printing on the County's website at: www.co.whatcom.wa.us /council. PROPOSED BY: WEIMER INTRODUCTION DATE: SEPTEMBER 26, 2017 RESOLUTION NO. 2017- 041 REQUESTING THAT THE EXECUTIVE DEVELOP A SPECIAL FUNDING DISTRICT TO FUND WATER QUALITY IMPROVEMENTS IN THE UNINCORPORATED LAKE WHATCOM WATERSHED WHEREAS, Lake Whatcom is the drinking water source for approximately 100,000 Whatcom County residents; and WHEREAS, in 1992 the City of Bellingham, Whatcom County, and the predecessor to the Lake Whatcom Water and Sewer District jointly formed the Lake Whatcom Management Program and thereby declared their intention to work together to protect and manage Lake Whatcom; and WHEREAS, Lake Whatcom was first listed on the 303(d) list of impaired water bodies under the federal Clean Water Act for low levels of dissolved oxygen and excessive levels of fecal coliform in tributaries in 1998; and WHEREAS, the Lake Whatcom Management Program coordinates actions of the member governments to improve the Lake, including, but not limited to reducing phosphorus and fecal coliform entering the Lake; and WHEREAS, a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Report of Findings for total phosphorus and fecal coliform in the Lake Whatcom Watershed was approved by the Washington State Department of Ecology (DOE) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2016; and WHEREAS, the TMDL requires the development of an implementation plan identifying measures to be taken by the City of Bellingham and Whatcom County to reduce total phosphorus and fecal coliform in Lake Whatcom, which will become incorporated into the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) stormwater permit for western Washington when that permit is renewed; and, WHEREAS, as permittees, the City of Bellingham and Whatcom County have committed to substantial investments in stormwater infrastructure and private homeowner incentives to improve water quality; and WHEREAS, in 2017 Whatcom County approved an update to the Lake Whatcom Comprehensive Stormwater Plan that identifies specific projects to reduce phosphorus -laden runoff entering the Lake to fulfill the requirements in the TMDL implementation plan; and WHEREAS, Whatcom County has historically utilized county -wide funding sources to fund improvements that address water quality impacts originating from the unincorporated portion of the Lake Whatcom watershed; and WHEREAS, the City of Bellingham has funding mechanisms in place to fund improvements that address water quality impacts originating from the portion of the Lake Whatcom watershed within the Bellingham city limits; and WHEREAS, fifteen special funding districts finance local improvements for drainage, flood control, and water quality improvement elsewhere in Whatcom County; and WHEREAS, Whatcom County Council Resolution 2014 -015 created a Water Action Plan to steer the growth of water resource services, including greater reductions of phosphorus entering Lake Whatcom; and WHEREAS, the Council authorized additional expenditures from the Flood Fund to accommodate new water resource services; and WHEREAS, the long -term effect of continuing these additional expenditures is to diminish the Flood Fund balance unless preexisting services are reduced or additional revenues are secured; and WHEREAS, Resolution 2016 -049 requested the County Executive to develop long -term deficit reduction alternatives that maintain or enhance current levels of service and authorized the expenditure of $40,000 in the 2017 FCZD budget to enable this work. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Whatcom County Council request the County Executive to develop a special funding district in the unincorporated portion of the Lake Whatcom watershed to provide local fees to be used in conjunction with other funding to address water quality concerns specific to Lake Whatcom and bring forth an ordinance establishing such a district to the County Council for approval no later than November 8, 2017. \01%%ttiinill /, // ��r� f�! day of September , 2017. WI4tGb /JNIL ATT .� ATCOM F WASHINGTON Dan��rovdq -D s, 0,,,�fif'the unci a Nana , il Chair ASHY .• X AI?PROVE ©,, S TO FL�i 2iilsvvli,14/,,Deputy-15rose\�iii t r