HomeMy WebLinkAboutCommittee of the Whole Apr 20 2021Whatcom County
Council Committee of the Whole
COUNTY COURTHOUSE
311 Grand Avenue, Ste #105
Bellingham, WA 98225-4038
(360) 778-5010
Committee Minutes - Final
VIRTUAL MEETING - ENDS NO LATER THAN 5 P.M. (TO
PARTICIPATE, SEE INSTRUCTIONS AT
www.whatcomcounty.us/joinvirtualcouncil OR CALL 360.778.5010)
Tuesday, April 20, 2021
1:40 PM
Virtual Meeting
COUNCILMEMBERS
Rud Browne
Barry Buchanan
Tyler Byrd
Todd Donovan
Ben Glenbaas
Carol Frazey
Kathy Kershner
CLERK OF THE COUNCIL
Dana Brown -Davis, C.M.C.
Council Committee of the Whole Committee Minutes - Final April 20, 2021
Call To Order
Roll Call
Council Chair Barry Buchanan called the meeting to order at 1:41 p.m. in a
virtual meeting.
Present: 7 - Rud Browne, Barry Buchanan, Tyler Byrd, Todd Donovan, Carol Frazey, Ben
Elenbaas and Kathy Kershner
Absent: None
Committee Discussion
1. AB2020-219 Discussion and update on strategies and other items related to COVID-19 (Council
and Health Board)
Staff was not yet available to speak about this item so Councilmembers
went to the next item. See action and discussion on this item below after
A132021-209.
Committee Discussion and Recommendation to Council
1. AB2021-209 Resolution regarding permanent affordability of childcare in Whatcom County
Browne moved to recommend approval of the letter to the full Council then
he and Frazey briefed the Councilmembers.
Kershner suggested reordering the questions and stated she would work
with Frazey before the evening meeting.
Browne suggested that they change the word "would" to "could" in question
n urn ber one.
Browne moved that they amend the letter to follow Kershner's
recommendation for the sequence of the questions and to amend question
#1 as follows:
1. If this resolution was enacted, how would could it negatively
impact child care in Whatcom County?
The motion was seconded by Kershner.
Councilmembers discussed the wording of the letter, other ideas, and who
the letter would be sent to.
Browne restated his motion to amend the order of the questions at the end
of the letter per Kershner's recommendations and to amend question # 1 as
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Council Committee of the Whole Committee Minutes - Final April 20, 2021
follows:
1. If this resolution was enacted, how would could it negatively
impact child care in Whatcom County?
The motion to amend carried by the following vote:
Aye: 7 - Kershner, Browne, Buchanan, Byrd, Donovan, Elenbaas, and Frazey
Nay: 0
Councilmembers continued to discuss the letter.
The motion to recommend approval of the letter as amended carried by the
following vote:
Aye: 7 - Browne, Buchanan, Byrd, Donovan, Elenbaas, Frazey, and Kershner
Nay: 0
Clerk's note: There was not a recommendation forwarded to the Council
for the Resolution.
This agenda item was FORWARDED TO COUNCIL WITH
RECOMMENDED MOTION(S).
Committee Discussion
1. AB2020-219 Discussion and update on strategies and other items related to COVID-19 (Council
and Health Board)
Cindy Hollinsworth, Health Department, updated the Councilmembers on
the average daily case rate and hospitalization rate of COVID-19, the level
of case rates per age group, the rate of vaccination in the county, and the
community vaccination center.
She answered questions about whether the county is experiencing a
significant number of COVID-19 variant viruses, whether there are
incidences of breakthrough cases in people who have been fully vaccinated,
whether there is any evidence of the Brazilian variant showing up in
Washington state, how the supply and allocation of vaccine types has been
changed as a result of questions in the media about adverse reactions,
whether there is a difference in the vaccine between the first and second
doses, whether excess doses could be shared with Canada, and whether
there are any vaccine doses that are going unused in the community.
This agenda item was DISCUSSED.
Committee Discussion
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Council Committee of the Whole Committee Minutes - Final April 20, 2021
1. AB2020-345 Discussion of proposed Cherry Point amendments
Approximate Timestamp: 00:55:35
Brad Brown, Philips 66, briefed the Councilmembers on adjustments to
language in 20.68.068 (21). He presented two options as stated in an email
to Council:
Original (April 12th proposal):
(21) Inter -refinery shipments of refined products and Intermediate
Materials such as unfinished oils and blendstocks;
Option 1: Adjust language as follows:
(21) Inter -refinery shipments of refined products and Intermediate
Materials such as unfinished oils and blendstocks, excluding transshipment
of such materials by a Fossil Fuel Refinery
Option 2:
Move language without changes to be an Accessory Use under 20.68.100
(reference page 17 in the April 12th proposal).
The following people spoke and answered questions:
• Matt Aamot, Planning and Development Services Department
• Brad Brown, Philips 66
Elenbaas moved approval of Option 2 Accessory Use. The motion was
seconded by Kershner.
The following people discussed the motion with Councilmembers:
• Matt Aamot, Planning and Development Services Department
• Karen Frakes, Prosecuting Attorney's Office
• Brad Brown, Philips 66
The motion carried by the following vote:
Aye: 7 - Buchanan, Byrd, Donovan, Elenbaas, Frazey, Kershner, and Browne
Nay: 0
Approximate Timestamp: 01:13:22
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Council Committee of the Whole Committee Minutes - Final
April 20, 2021
The following people discussed with Councilmembers a question posed in
an email by Planning and Development Services Department (PDS) about
whether the County will take the stakeholder group's draft affidavit at face
value or will require review by a third -party engineer working on behalf of
the County to verify the information provided by industry:
• Matt Aamot, Planning and Development Services Department
• Brad Brown, Phillips 66
• Karen Frakes, Prosecuting Attorney's Office
• Satpal Sidhu, County Executive
Donovan moved that they accept the stakeholder's proposal to have an
affidavit. The motion was seconded by Byrd.
Councilmembers and the speakers discussed the motion.
The motion carried by the following vote:
Aye: 7 - Byrd, Donovan, Elenbaas, Frazey, Kershner, Browne, and Buchanan
Nay: 0
Approximate Timestamp: 01:44:04
Donovan moved to amend Whatcom County Code 20.68.060 as follows:
.060 Stationary thermal power plants with generating capacity of less
than 250,000 kilowatts, floating thermal power plants with
generating capacity of less than 50,000 kilowatts, and other power
plants utilizing renewable resources from solar, wind (Chapter 20.14
WCC) or water sources, except that-eoel- fossil fuel -fired power
plants are -prohibited.
And Whatcom County Code 20.68.207 as follows
Coal fossil fuel fired power plants.
The motion was seconded by Frazey.
Councilmembers discussed the motion.
The motion failed by the following vote:
Aye: 3 - Donovan, Frazey, and Buchanan
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Council Committee of the Whole Committee Minutes - Final April 20, 2021
Nay: 4 - Elenbaas, Kershner, Browne, and Byrd
Approximate Timestamp: 01:57:04
Karen Frakes, Prosecuting Attorney's Office, spoke about next steps and
working with Cascadia Law.
Dana Brown -Davis, Clerk of the Council, asked how the Council would like
to move forward with the interim ordinance and whether a new moratorium
should be introduced tonight.
Elenbaas moved that they not have Cascadia law not weigh in on the current
version and that the County's in-house legal team be the legal yea or nay on
it. The motion failed for lack of a second.
Frazey moved to move forward on introducing a moratorium tonight. The
motion was seconded by Browne.
The motion carried by the following vote:
Aye: 5 - Frazey, Browne, Buchanan, Byrd, and Donovan
Nay: 2 - Elenbaas and Kershner
Councilmembers and Frakes discussed what the scope of work will be for
Cascadia Law.
This agenda item was DISCUSSED AND MOTION(S) APPROVED.
Items Added by Revision
Other Business
Adiournment
There were no agenda items added by revision.
There was no other business.
The meeting adjourned at 3:45 p.m.
The County Council approved these minutes on May 4, 2021.
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Council Committee of the Whole Committee Minutes - Final April 20, 2021
ATTEST:
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