HomeMy WebLinkAboutNatural Resources Oct 27 2020Whatcom County
Council Natural Resources Committee
COUNTY COURTHOUSE
311 Grand Avenue, Ste 4105
Bellingham, WA 98225-4038
(360)778-5010
Committee Minutes - Final
VIRTUAL MEETING - ENDS NO LATER THAN 10:25 A.M.
Tuesday, October 27, 2020
9:25 AM
Virtual Meeting
COUNCILMEMBERS
Todd Donovan
Ben Elenbaas
Carol Frazey
CLERK OF THE COUNCIL
Dana Brown -Davis, C.M.C.
Council Natural Resources Committee Committee Minutes - Final October 27, 2020
Call To Order
Roll Call
Committee Chair Todd Donovan called the meeting to order at 9:40 a.m. in
a virtual meeting.
Present: 3 - Todd Donovan, Ben Elenbaas and Carol Frazey
Absent: None
Also present: Rud Browne, Barry Buchanan, Tyler Byrd, and Kathy Kershner
Special Presentation
1. AB2020-453 Presentation of the County Executive's Proposed Comprehensive Water Settlement
Process
Satpal Sidhu, County Executive, briefed the Councilmembers on the
recommendation by the Department of Ecology that the Nooksack Basin be
considered for adjudication concerning water rights and spoke about his
plans to meet with all the involved parties to negotiate a settlement and
come up with a five-year work plan and beyond. The Executive has
requested funds in the budget which will help the County invest money in
facilitation of the process and will ask the other parties to also contribute.
He would like the input of the Council.
Gary Stoyka, Public Works Department, spoke about developing a
framework for negotiation and the how they will move forward.
The speakers answered questions about how a local settlement process and
how it would fit in to adjudication, whether some money that would be used
for adjudication could be used for the local settlement process, using funds
for gathering more updated science on water quantity and whether this will
be included in the budget ask, what other types of data they will need,
whether a County work team could assist in gathering data, and including
money in the budget for mediation services.
This agenda item was PRESENTED AND DISCUSSED.
Items Added by Revision
There were no agenda items added by revision.
Other Business
There was no other business.
Adjournment
Whutcom County page 1
Council Natural Resources Committee Committee Minutes - Final October 27, 2020
The meeting adjourned at 10:16 a.m.
ATTEST: rtslir�aa
WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
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WHATCOM COUNTY, WA
St L_ ~` T,pdd Donovan -via email 12/4/2020
Dana Brown -Davis; t6uncil Clerk Todd Donovan, Committee Chair
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Kristi Felbinger, Minutes Transcription
WGatcom County page 2