HomeMy WebLinkAboutSpecial Committee of the Whole January 28 2020Whatcom County
Council Special Committee of the Whole
COUNTY COURTHOUSE
311 Grand Avenue, Ste #105
Bellingham, WA 98225-4038
(360) 778-5010
Committee Minutes - Final
ESTIMATED TIME - MEETING MAY BEGIN EARLIER/LATER THAN 2:30 P.M.
Tuesday, January 28, 2020
2:30 PM
Council Chambers
COUNCILMEMBERS
Rud Browne
Barry Buchanan
Tyler Byrd
Todd Donovan
Ben Elenbaas
Carol Frazey
Kathy Kershner
CLERK OF THE COUNCIL
Dana Brown -Davis, C.M.C.
Council Special Committee of the Whole Committee Minutes - Final January 28, 2020
Call To Order
Roll Call
Council Chair Barry Buchanan called the meeting to order at 3:10: p.m. in the Council
Chambers, 311 Grand Avenue, Bellingham, Washington.
Present: 7 - Rud Browne, Barry Buchanan, Tyler Byrd, Todd Donovan, Carol Frazey, Ben
Elenbaas and Kathy Kershner
Absent: None
Committee Discussion
1. AB2020-038 Discuss proposed Interlocal Agreement between Whatcom County and cities relating
to interim procedures for amending the Countywide Planning Policies
Matt Aamot, Planning and Development Services Department, gave a brief
history of the previous discussion on this item. He and Mark Personius,
Planning and Development Services Department Director, discussed with
Councilmembers why this process is not done through Comprehensive Plan
amendments, the city approval process (item 7) and what percentage of the
Cities approving should be required, having language stating that the Cities
be in agreement with a proposed amendment before it goes to the County
Council, and what the process for amendments would be if this interlocal
agreement is not agreed upon.
Elenbaas moved to amend Section 1, Item 1 ("Authority to Initiate
Amendment") to combine Sub -items "c," "d," and "e" (c. the City Council, d.
City Mayor, and e. City Manager) so that the City Council, Mayor, and
Manager need to be in agreement before a proposed amendment to the
countywide planning policies is moved forward.
Byrd suggested a friendly amendment to delete subitems "d" and "e" so that
only the City Council can move an amendment forward.
The motion was seconded.
Elenbaas accepted the friendly amendment and moved to amend Section 1,
Item 1 ("Authority to Initiate Amendment") to remove Sub -items "d," and "e"
(d. City Mayor, and e. City Manager) so that the Whatcom County
Executive, the Whatcom County Council, and any City Council may initiate
a proposed amendment to the countywide planning policies.
Section 1. Interim Procedures for Amending the Countywide Planning
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Council Special Committee of the Whole Committee Minutes - Final January 28, 2020
Policies
The Cities and the County agree to the following interim procedures for
amending the
countywide planning policies:
1. Authority to Initiate Amendment - Any of the following may initiate a
proposed amendment to the Countywide Planning Policies by submitting a
written
proposal to the County Planning Director:
a. The Whatcom County Executive;
b. The Whatcom County Council;
c. Any City Council;
a Any ramit y na., yoi:.
e. Any Gity Manager.
The discussion continued about how the process would work with this
amendment.
The motion failed by the following vote:
Aye: 2 - Elenbaas and Byrd
Nay: 5 - Browne, Buchanan, Donovan, Frazey, and Kershner
Byrd moved to only remove Setion 1, Item 1, Sub -item "e."
Section 1. Interim Procedures for Amending the Countywide Planning
Policies
The Cities and the County agree to the following interim procedures for
amending the
countywide planning policies:
1. Authority to Initiate Amendment - Any of the following may initiate a
proposed amendment to the Countywide Planning Policies by submitting a
written
proposal to the County Planning Director:
a. The Whatcom County Executive;
b. The Whatcom County Council;
c. Any City Council;
d. Any City Mayor;
e. Any Goy Mara of
The motion was seconded.
Discussion continued and Tyler Schroeder, Executive's Office, answered
questions about the makeup of the City governments.
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Council Special Committee of the Whole Committee Minutes - Final January 28, 2020
The motion carried by the following vote:
Aye: 6 - Browne, Buchanan, Byrd, Donovan, Elenbaas, and Frazey
Nay: 1 - Kershner
Byrd moved to strike Section 1, Item 8.
8. Whateam Eetmb, Gouneil Adeption Following appr-eval ofthe
-
eout ide
planning -polis), amendments by the cities under sestfen q above the G
(''etineil may, after- , .,ducting a „blie hearing, adopt the eeufityw' f
planHing
may not
be modified during the Getinr., Gets nil adoption pr-eeess. Geu t id
planning
policies be.eme effeetive upon adoption by the County G •1
The motion was seconded.
Byrd withdrew his motion.
Byrd moved to remove Section 1, Item 7, Sub -item "b" and to amend
Section 1, Item 7, Sub -item "a:"
7. City Approval Process - The respective city legislative authorities must
act upon
final draft countywide planning policy amendments within 90 days of the
County
Council vote to send the amendments to the cities for review and approval.
City
approval of the countywide planning policies must be by:
a. Cities representing at least 51 percent of the total population of
Whatcom County. 65 pe „t of the tota
l popula4ian livinginside the 7
ineer-pofated e-ities; and
b At least 550i f•the cities (fef o rle n f the 7 existing eit )
The motion was seconded and Councilmembers discussed the motion.
Kershner suggested a friendly amendment to amend the 65 percent of the
total population living inside the 7 incorporated cities.
Kershner withdrew her suggested friendly amendment.
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Council Special Committee of the Whole Committee Minutes - Final January 28, 2020
Councilmembers discussed the wording of Item 7 and the ability of one
jurisdiction to impose their will on another.
Browne moved to call the question.
The motion to call the question carried by the following vote:
Aye: 7- Browne, Buchanan, Byrd, Donovan, Elenbaas, Frazey, and Kershner
Nay: 0
Byrd's motion failed by the following vote:
Aye: Byrd
Nay: Browne, Buchanan, Donovan, Elenbaas, Frazey, and Kershner
Browne moved to accept the document as amended with the removal of
Section 1, Item 1, Sub -item "e."
The motion was seconded and Councilmembers discussed the motion.
The motion failed by the following vote:
Aye: Browne and Donovan
Nay: Buchanan, Byrd, Elenbaas, Frazey, and Kershner
Buchanan moved to hold in Committee and request staff to bring back a
recommendation especailly for Item 7 so that the language would include a
percentage that the small cities can achieve and would not allow any
jurisdiction to be able to impose its will on another.
The motion was seconded.
Councilmembers discussed the motion and possibly amending Item 7 to
change the "and" to an "or," on Sub -item "a" and increasing the percentage in
that same item so that the City of Bellingham would have to get at least one
other small city on board, or four small cities could agree to approve, and
no one city could veto.
Buchanan's motion that the Discussion be HELD IN COMMITTEE carried
by the following vote:
Aye: 7 - Browne, Buchanan, Byrd, Donovan, Frazey, Elenbaas and Kershner
Nay: 0
Absent: 0
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Council Special Committee of the Whole Committee Minutes - Final
Other Business
Adjournment
The meeting adjourned at 4:35 p.m.
The County Council approved these minutes on February 11, 2020.
ATTEST:
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Whatcom County Page 5
January 28, 2020
WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
WHATCOM COUNTY, WA
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