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Home My WebLink AboutCommittee of the Whole Jun 29 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, June 29, 2021 2:15 PM Virtual Meeting 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 Committee of the Whole Committee Minutes - Final June 29, 2021 Call To Order Roll Call Council Chair Barry Buchanan called the meeting to order at 12:17 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 Announcements Committee Discussion 1. AB2020-2„1,9 Discussion and update on strategies and other items related to COVID-19 (Council and Health Board) Erika Lautenbach, Health Department Director, reported on the following: • The vaccination rate is likely within half a percentage of the 70% State threshold of those 16 years and over as of today • Case rates are the lowest since November 2020 • Reopening of the state on June 30 and what that will mean • Transitions for the COVID-19 pandemic including work to collapse some of the Unified Command and overall response operations and not getting a briefing from her every two weeks as she has been doing She answered questions and Councilmembers discussed whether there is concern about the COVID-19 Delta variant in the state and county, the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine against variants, and vaccination of children ages 17 and under. This agenda item was DISCUSSED. 2. AB2021=382 Discussion regarding proposed Comprehensive Plan and Whatcom County Code (WCC) amendments, primarily relating to fossil fuel and renewable fuel facilities in the Cherry Point Area and various land uses on a countywide basis The following people briefed the Councilmembers on proposed changes as noted in "Proposed amendments Exhibit A 6.24.2021" and "Proposed amendments Exhibit B" and answered questions: • Matt Aamot, Planning and Development Services Department • Karen Frakes, Prosecuting Attorney's Office Wkatcom County Page I Council Committee of the Whole Committee Minutes - Final June 29, 2021 TIMESTAMP: 00:27:32 Donovan moved and Frazey seconded to amend Proposed WCC 16.08.160.F.l.b.i(c)(1) ("Proposed amendments Exhibit B") to add "and lifecycle" to line 133 as follows: "...indirect - -lifer yule emissions. Voluntary additional mitigation may occur, per WAC 197-11-660(1)(d) ... " Councilmembers discussed the motion. TIMESTAMP: 00:34: 38 The additional following people spoke and answered questions: • Brad Brown, Philips 66 • Alex Ramel, Stand.earth • Satpal Sidhu, County Executive • Dennis McLerran, Cascadia Law Group Donovan restated his motion. The motion failed by the following vote: Aye: 2 - Donovan and Frazey Nay: 5 - Kershner, Browne, Buchanan, Byrd, and Elenbaas Donovan moved to direct the Planning and Development Services Department to get this to the Council in a single clean document ready for introduction. The motion was seconded by Buchanan. Aamot answered a question about the timeline of having a document ready for introduction. The motion carried by the following vote: Aye: 7 - Browne, Buchanan, Byrd, Donovan, Elenbaas, Frazey, and Kershner Nay: 0 This agenda item was DISCUSSED AND MOTION(S) APPROVED. 3. AB2021_; 3 C8 Discussion and request for direction regarding hearing examiner contract for 2022 Cathy Halka, Council Legislative Analyst, briefed the Councilmembers and answered questions. Kershner moved to continue the contract with the current contractor and put it out for Request for Proposal (RFP) next year when it is required. The Wkatcom County Page 2 Council Committee of the Whole Committee Minutes - Final June 29, 2021 motion was seconded by Browne. Halka and Dana Brown -Davis, Clerk of the Council, answered whether there have been any law suits against the County with the current Hearing Examiner's services, and Councilmembers discussed the motion. The motion carried by the following vote: Aye: 7 - Buchanan, Byrd, Donovan, Elenbaas, Frazey, Kershner, and Browne Nay: 0 This agenda item was DISCUSSED AND MOTION(S) APPROVED. 5. A1320211-369 Discussion of proposed ordinance and program guide establishing a Commercial Assessed Clean Energy and Resiliency (C-PACER) Program in Whatcom County Donovan briefed the Councilmembers and they discussed how projects that come to the CPACER program would be evaluated for approval and how applications would be vetted. The following people answered what obstacles may occur if this program is put in place, what risk there might be for the County, and whether this would be a hard sell for a bank: • Rebecca Xczar, County Assessor • Steve Oliver, County Treasurer This agenda item was DISCUSSED. Items Added by Revision Other Business Adiournment There were no agenda items added by revision_. Tyler Schroeder, Executive's Office, answered whether the Executive has an update for Councilmembers regarding the Point Roberts grocery store which was discussed earlier in the Finance and Administrative Services Committee under Other Business.. He stated it would be in the Executive's Report this evening. The meeting adjourned at 3:36 p.m. The County Council approved these minutes on July 13, 2021. Whatcom County page 3 Council Committee of the Whole ! l t t F Committee Minutes - Final June 29, 2021 1T p��mE;� , JZ WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL �.4 WHATCOM COUNTY, WA I3"a Brown -Davis, Council Clerk 6 rry l' slaanan, Council Chair �s 3� 6 k'Lp Kristi Felbinger, Minutes Transcription 91satconn County Page 4