HomeMy WebLinkAboutSurface Water Work Session January 22 20191 Whatcom County Council
2 Surface Water Work Session
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4 January 22, 2019
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6 CALL TO ORDER
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8 Council Chair Rud Browne called the meeting to order at 10:30 a.m. in the Civic
9 Center Garden Level Conference Room, 322 Commercial Avenue, Bellingham, Washington.
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12 ROLL CALL
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14 Present: Barbara Brenner, Rud Browne, Barry Buchanan, Tyler Byrd, Todd
15 Donovan, Carol Frazey, and Satpal Sidhu.
16 Absent: None
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19 SURFACE WATER WORK SESSION
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21 Update on Lake Whatcom Stormwater Utility
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23 Gary Stoyka, Public Works Department, updated the Council on the advisory
24 committee meetings and preliminary recommendations on a rate structure and the
25 consultant's work. He answered questions on options for a rate structure, options for a
26 different structure depending on different factors, incentives for homeowners, and rates
27 being comparable to similar charges for Bellingham homeowners.
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29 Planning Unit Update on ESSB 6091 (RCW 90.94) Process
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31 Stoyka reported on the Planning Unit discussions and the different versions of the
32 plan updates from different caucuses. He would like to know how the Council wants him to
33 vote at the next Planning Unit meeting. He answered questions.
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35 The following Planning Unit members spoke and answered questions:
36 • Ann Russell, environmental caucus
37 • Loren VanderYacht, diking and drainage district caucus
38 • Skip Richards, nongovernmental water systems caucus
39 0 Dick Whitmore, forestry caucus
40 • Dave Onkels, land development caucus
41 0 Dan Eisses, water districts caucus
42 0 Steven Jilk, Public Utilities District
43 • Ellen Baker, land use caucus
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45 Casey (inaudible), Washington State Department of Ecology, answered questions.
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47 Tyler Schroeder, Executive's Office, answered questions.
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49 Councilmembers, Planning Unit members, and staff discussed the approval process
50 for updates; the initiating governments' participation on the Planning Unit; whether
51 reaching a consensus is possible; the State Department of Ecology's process; whether the
52 City and Tribes participate on the Watershed Management Board; the roles of the Planning
53 Unit, initiating governments, County Council, and other agencies; the approval timeline; the
Surface Water Work Session, 1/22/2019, Page 1
1 best way to move forward; whether or not they should continue to work after the deadline
2 on a plan that everyone can agree to; and the Department of Ecology changing its deadline.
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4 Browne moved to defer the overview of recent flood damages to a later meeting.
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6 The motion was seconded.
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8 The motion carried by the following vote:
9 Ayes: Brenner, Browne, Buchanan, Byrd, Donovan, Frazey, and Sidhu (7)
10 Nays: None (0)
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12 Councilmembers, Planning Unit members, and staff continued to discuss working on
13 the content of the plan versus continuing to discuss the process; and allowing the Planning
14 Unit to continue to work on the plan.
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16 Byrd moved that the Council instruct Mr. Stoyka to support whatever the Planning
17 Unit majority agrees to regarding the plan at the next meeting.
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19 The motion was seconded.
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21 The motion carried by the following vote:
22 Ayes: Brenner, Browne, Byrd, and Sidhu (4)
23 Nays: Donovan, Frazey, and Buchanan (3)
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25 Councilmembers, Planning Unit members, and staff continued to discuss next steps
26 at the Planning Unit; the effect of an abstention from a vote; the State's vote on the
27 Planning Unit; and the impact of not coming up with a plan by the deadline.
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29 Byrd moved that the most recent version that comes out of the Planning Unit with
30 majority approval by January 29 is the version that will come to the County Council for a
31 vote to move forward.
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33 Browne stated that the Council can only schedule what the Planning Unit brings
34 forward to the Council.
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36 Stoyka stated that since they haven't seen version four, he will abstain from any
37 vote on that version at the January 23 Planning Unit meeting.
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39 Councilmembers discussed the impact of Mr. Stoyka's vote at the Planning Unit.
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41 Overview of Recent Flood Damages
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43 This item was not discussed.
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45 Browne moved to adjourn the meeting.
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47 The motion was seconded.
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49 The motion to adjourn carried by the following vote:
50 Ayes: Brenner, Browne, Buchanan, Byrd, Donovan, Frazey, and Sidhu (7)
51 Nays: None (0)
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ADJOURN
The meeting adjourned at 12:00 p.m.
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Surface Water Work Session, 1/22/2019, Page 3