HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlanning April 24 20181 WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
2 Planning and Development Committee
3
4 April 24, 2018
5
6 CALL TO ORDER
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8 Committee Member Barbara Brenner called the meeting to order at 3:00 p.m. in the
9 Council Chambers, 311 Grand Avenue, Bellingham, Washington.
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11
12 ROLL CALL
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14 Present: Barbara Brenner and Todd Donovan
15 Absent: Tyler Byrd
16 Also Present: Tim Ballew, Rud Browne, Barry Buchanan, and Satpal Sidhu
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19 COMMITTEE DISCUSSION
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21 1. COUNTY EXECUTIVE AND DEPUTY EXECUTIVE TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON
22 HOMELESS ISSUES (AB2018 -072A)
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24 Jack Louws, County Executive, gave a staff report on a homeless drop -in shelter
25 location at 509 Girard Street and relocating Health Department staff and the morgue.
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27 Louws and councilmembers discussed the possibility of developing smaller shelters in
28 various locations rather than one big shelter.
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30 Tyler Schroeder, Executive's Office, submitted a handout of Revised Code of
31 Washington (RCW) 36.01.290 (on fi /e) and gave a staff report on amendments to the
32 County Code that would be necessary to develop homeless housing.
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34 Councilmembers and staff discussed an ordinance from the City of Bellingham,
35 proposed changes to the County Code, and whether a religious institution could lease land
36 from the County.
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38 Louws submitted information (on file) and gave a staff report on the work of the
39 Health Department to address homelessness in the county. Regarding the earlier
40 presentation in the Public Works and Health Committee by Safe Storage PNW to install
41 lockers for the homeless, the lockers should be located close to the shelter, but it's up to
42 the Council. He answered questions on and councilmembers discussed the possibilities of
43 partnering with nonprofit agencies to fund supportive housing.
44
45 Barbara Johnson, Health Department, answered questions on the number of people
46 receiving services from the current County programs.
47
48 The following people spoke:
49 a Jim Peterson, HomesNOW, spoke about insurance for their project and their
50 tiny home project.
51 Dana Briggs spoke about a Homes Rights Advocacy Project in Seattle,
52 whether tiny homes for the homeless are temporary, the variety of causes for
53 homelessness, and the number of homeless people in the county.
Planning and Development Committee, 4/24/2018, Page 1
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• Doug Gustafson, HomesNOW, spoke about the scope of their housing project.
Brenner moved that they request the Executive and Deputy Executive work to
develop places to put storage units.
The Executive and councilmembers discussed the process for locating storage lockers
on County -owned property within the Bellingham city limits.
Brenner amended her motion and moved to request that staff create ordinances
to amend the County Code to allow tiny home projects for the homeless.
Louws and councilmembers discussed identifying which properties are possibilities for
development. Staff will provide more information to the Council.
The motion to amend carried by the following vote:
Ayes: Brenner and Donovan (2)
Nays: None (0)
Absent: Byrd (1)
OTHER BUSINESS
There was no other business.
ADJOURN
The meeting adjourned at 3:59 p.m.
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Jill Nixon, Minutes Transcription
WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON
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Barbara Brenner, Acting Committee Chair
Planning and Development Committee, 4/24/2018, Page 2