HomeMy WebLinkAboutWater Work Session Sep 21 2021Whatcom County
Council Water Work Session
COUNTY COURTHOUSE
311 Grand Avenue, Ste #105
Bellingham, WA 98225-4038
(360)778-5010
Minutes - Final
Tuesday, September 21, 2021
10:30 AM
Virtual Meeting
VIRTUAL MEETING - (TO PARTICIPATE, SEE INSTRUCTIONS AT
www.whatcomcounty.us/joinvirtualcouncil OR CALL 360.778.5010)
COUNCILMEMBERS
Rud Browne
Barry Buchanan
Tyler Byrd
Todd Donovan
Ben Flenbaas
Carol Frazey
Kathy Kershner
CLERK OF THE COUNCIL
Dana Brown -Davis, C.M.C.
Council Water Work Session Minutes - Final September 21, 2021
Call To Order
Roll Call
Council Chair Barry Buchanan called the meeting to order at 10:32 a.m. in a
virtual meeting.
Present: 5 - Rud Browne, Barry Buchanan, Todd Donovan, Ben Elenbaas, and Carol Frazey
Absent: 2 - Tyler Byrd, and Kathy Kershner
Announcements
Water Resources Update
Gary Stoyka, Public Works Department, updated on the following:
• Cascadia Policy Solutions will present their readiness assessment
for the adjudication/settlement/collaborative process at the October
21, 2021 Watershed Management Board meeting
• A new contract with Cascadia Policy Solutions will be coming to
Council for work and implementation of the solutions table
• The Drainage Based Management process and recommendations for
next steps from a facilitator. A new contract with Kramer Consulting
will be coming to Council.
• The Public Utility District (PUD) is moving forward with phase 2 of
the regional water supply planning process.
• Staff has finished the peer review of the ground water model of the
north part of the county and is proposing to move to the next step of
the modeling process.
• A beta version of a Data hub for integrated monitoring and
centralized data management is complete and they will move forward
with the next steps.
• A first draft plan for an Agricultural Water Use Efficiency project
has been run through agricultural people first.
• There are upcoming budget items to facilitate the county's
collaborative process to solve water issues
• Upcoming meetings of the Water Resource Inventory Area (WRIA)
1 and Watershed Management Board
He answered questions about which collaborative process he was referring
to in relation to the upcoming budget requests, whether some of the work of
the collaborative process will complement the adjudication process, when
the data hub will be complete and whether the public will have access to it,
and whether they have engaged the Farm Bureau as agricultural
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stakeholders.
Clerk's note: Buchanan read the next item on the agenda into the record but
discussion continued on this item and engaging agricultural stakeholders.
2022-2027 Water Resources Improvement Plan
The following people spoke:
• Gary Stoyka, Public Works Department
• Kraig Olason, Public Works Department
• Paula Harris, Public Works Department
Olason presented on the Water Resources Improvement Plan stormwater
projects. He answered questions about funding sources for the projects,
whether Birch Bay Watershed & Aquatic Resources Management
(BBWARM) has a bigger balance to fund projects than the Lake Whatcom
Stormwater Utility, and an email from a constituent on Ten Mile Creek
about whether culverts could be made large enough to also be wildlife
crossings.
Harris presented on the 2022-2027 Water Resources Improvement Plan
river and flood projects.
Stoyka answered whether there is a resolution coming to the Council for
approval of the plan.
Domestic Water Use Efficiency Proiect Update — Whatcom Water Alliance
The following people presented (additional information on file, attached to
the Meeting Details):
• Chris Elder, Public Works Department
Aneka Sweeney, Whatcom Conservation District
• Gary Stoyka, Public Works Department
Sweeney answered questions about the membership of the Whatcom Water
Alliance and participation of the smaller water districts, whether the idea in
the three-year plan is that the smaller districts will start funding things
going forward, and whether there has been outreach to smaller districts to
tell them how they can get the most out of their existing water rights.
Browne suggested they find some incentive for the private water districts to
work with the County on water conservation and to provide a map of their
infrastructure, a list of their membership, and their budget for capital
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Council Water Work Session Minutes - Final September 21, 2021
improvements going forward.
Stoyka answered whether the amounts of $50,000, $30,000 and $40,000 as
noted on the presentation slide titled, "Enhanced Whatcom Water Alliance
Program Budget" as coming from Whatcom County are included in the
Whatcom County budget.
Items Added by Revision
Other Business
Adiournment
There were no agenda items added by revision.
There was no other business.
The meeting adjourned at 11:44 a.m.
The County Council approved these minutes on September 28, 2021.
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