HomeMy WebLinkAboutPublic Works February 13 20181
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WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
Public Works and Health Committee
February 13, 2018
CALL TO ORDER
Committee Chair Barbara Brenner called the meeting to order at 1:30 p.m. in the
Council Chambers, 311 Grand Avenue, Bellingham, Washington.
ROLL CALL
Present: Tim Ballew, Barbara Brenner, and Barry Buchanan
Absent: None
Also Present: Rud Browne, Tyler Byrd, Todd Donovan, and Satpal Sidhu
SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS
3. UPDATE ON THE WHATCOM COUNTY VETERANS PROGRAM (AB2018 -067)
-AND-
COMMITTEE DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL
1. RESOLUTION SETTING WHATCOM COUNTY VETERANS ASSISTANCE
PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY INCOME STANDARDS (AB2018 -067A)
Anne Deacon, Health Department, introduced Liz Harmon -Craig and the program.
Liz Harmon - Craig, Health Department, submitted and read from a presentation (on
file). She answered questions about the fund balance, how many people are eligible, family
coverage, whether Veteran's Administration (VA) health care covers health care costs, and
that the resolution is not asking for new money.
Deacon gave a staff report on the resolution.
Buchanan moved to recommend approval of the resolution to the full Council.
The motion carried by the following vote:
Ayes: Ballew, Brenner, and Buchanan (3)
Nays: None (0)
SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS
2. UPDATE FROM HOMESNOW ON VOLUNTEER EFFORTS TO PROVIDE HOMES
AND SHELTER FOR THE HOMELESS IN WHATCOM COUNTY (AB2018 -072)
Public Works and Health Committee, 2/13/2018, Page 1
1 Jim Peterson and Doug Gustafson, HomesNOW, played a video for the committee.
2 They submitted handouts (on file) and described the homeless experience, creating tiny
3 homes with the Lummi Nation, and partnering with a local contractor to build the tiny
4 homes. They are asking for the County to be a partner in developing more tiny home
5 projects. They need one to two acres of land with accessible water and sewer to lease and
6 a waiver of permit fees. The builder will make sure everything is up to code and have the
7 permits in their name. He described their fundraising efforts. He asked that the committee
8 get the Planning Department to work with them in identifying a parcel that would work and
9 facilitate all the needed permits.
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11 Buchanan moved to recommend to the full Council to request the administration to
12 work with HomesNOW to explore avenues to implement the HomesNOW proposal.
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14 Tyler Schroeder, Executive's Office, stated they need to work out the life and safety,
15 public health, and building code requirements. The Homeless Strategies Workgroup would
16 be an appropriate place to work out the issues.
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18 The committee members and staff discussed how the Council would have to change
19 the Code to allow these projects, allowing a temporary variance for a pilot project, the
20 possible sites for the tiny homes, water and sewer service, a recent visit to a similar Seattle
21 community, locating the project on a bus line, and having a case worker on site.
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23 Linda Twitchell, Building Industry Association, stated think about the permit issue of
24 minimum lot size of one home per five acres. Many people want tiny houses. Whatever
25 they choose to do may open it up to others who want to have tiny homes.
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27 Von Choa described his experiences in finding housing and thanked the
28 councilmembers for working on this project.
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30 The motion carried by the following vote:
31 Ayes: Ballew, Brenner, and Buchanan (3)
32 Nays: None (0)
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34 1. QUARTERLY REPORT FROM WHATCOM COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR
35 JON HUTCHINGS (AB2018 -066)
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37 Jon Hutchings, Public Works Department Director, submitted and read from a
38 handout (on file) and gave a presentation on surface water drainage management. There is
39 no unified program or agency that oversees drainage in the county. There are steps the
40 County administration and Public Works Department can do to improve the business model.
41 He described recent service improvements. When the Council gets drainage complaints,
42 they should send the complaints to his department, so they can find a way to help. He
43 answered questions on the history of all the drainage districts and the right of first
44 possession.
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46 Linda Twitchell, Building Industry Association, stated they are now regulating
47 category IV wetlands, which can develop quickly from drainage problems and prohibit a
48 landowner from fixing the property.
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51 OTHER BUSINESS
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53 There was no other business.
Public Works and Health Committee, 2/13/2018, Page 2
3 ADJOURN
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The meeting adjourned at 3:19 p.m.
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20 Jill Nixon, Minutes Transcription
WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON
Barbara Brenner, Committee Chair
Public Works and Health Committee, 2/13/2018, Page 3