HomeMy WebLinkAboutSurface Water Work Session February 20 20181
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Whatcom County Council
Surface Water Work Session
February 20, 2018
CALL TO ORDER
Council Chair Rud Browne called the meeting to order at 10:33 a.m. in the Civic
Center Garden Level Conference Room, 322 Commercial Avenue, Bellingham, Washington.
ROLL CALL
Present: Tim Ballew, Rud Browne, Barry Buchanan, Tyler Byrd, Todd Donovan,
and Satpal Sidhu.
Absent: Barbara Brenner
SURFACE WATER WORK SESSION AB2018 -024
1. WATER PLANNING UPDATE
Gary Stoyka, Public Works Department, updated on the Lake Whatcom stormwater
utility. They will select a consultant to guide the process for developing the stormwater
utility. A supplemental budget request for the contract and fee role and a request for an
advisory committee will come forward to the Council soon. He described the process for
developing the stormwater utility fee. He answered questions on the timing with the fee
schedule, the role of the advisory committee, and delineating boundaries for the utility
district.
2. ESSB 6091 PLANNING UPDATE
Gary Stoyka, Public Works Department, updated on and referenced the handout for
the process for developing and approving a Streamflow Restoration Act update of the water
resource inventory area (WRIA) 1 Watershed Management Plan (on file). The Planning Unit,
local government caucus, and Watershed Management Board will have reviewed the
process. He answered questions on whether the Planning Unit is supposed to oversee the
process, the timeframe for the process to update the plan, and staff and funding resources
necessary to work on the update.
Surface Water Work Session, 2/20/2018, Page 1
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2 Linda Twitchell stated the process includes a number of people who are not one of
3 the initiating governments. They must ensure both tribes, the small cities, and the City of
4 Bellingham participate on the Planning Unit. The process needs an overall project manager
5 to coordinate everything.
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7 Councilmembers and staff discussed getting the update to the County Council before
8 the last meeting in January 2019, the process for approval if there isn't consensus, whether
9 the County Council has influence on what goes in the plan update, keeping the Council
10 updated throughout the process, the overall project lead person, the importance of the
11 Planning Unit reaching consensus so the Department of Ecology doesn't step in, and the
12 same entities being involved throughout the process.
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14 Andy Ross, Planning Unit member, explained the Planning Unit consensus
15 requirements.
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17 3. PLANNING UNIT PRESENTATION
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19 The following Planning Unit members spoke:
20 • Andy Ross, non - government water systems caucus
21 • Ann Russell, environmental caucus
22 Y Linda Twitchell, land use caucus
23 • Dick Whitmore, forestry caucus
24 • Paul Isaacson, exempt well owners caucus
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26 The Planning Unit would like to commend Gary Stoyka for his work. The County
27 Council should ensure that they have the staff and financial resources they need to work
28 through the process. They recognize the threat of losing local control if they don't make
29 progress on the update. The exempt well owners and environmental caucuses approve the
30 update process. The Planning Unit may look beyond the scope of exempt wells and include
31 instream flows.
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33 Tyler Schroeder, Executive's Office, answered questions.
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35 Councilmembers, staff, and Planning Unit members discussed whether the Council
36 has consensus on providing a reasonable amount of funding for this process, a scope of
37 work to hire someone to assist Mr. Stoyka, the State's obligation to help fund this process,
38 and the possibility of hiring a facilitator.
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40 Sidhu moved to send the process for updating the plan to the Watershed
41 Management Planning Board.
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43 The motion was seconded.
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45 The motion carried by the following vote:
46 Ayes: Ballew, Browne, Buchanan, Byrd, Donovan, and Sidhu (6)
Surface Water Work Session, 2/20/2018, Page 2
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Nays: None (0)
Absent: Brenner (1)
Councilmembers, staff, and the Planning Unit members continued to discuss
accessing the State's capital funds.
ADJOURN
The meeting adjourned at 12:07 p.m.
The Council approved these minutes on April 10, 2018.
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Dana Brown - Davis, Council Clerk Rud Browne, Council Chair
Jill Nixon, Minutes Transcription
Surface Water Work Session, 2/20/2018, Page 3