HomeMy WebLinkAboutSpecial Council Jan 4 2022Whatcom County
Council (Special)
COUNTY COURTHOUSE
311 Grand Avenue, Ste #105
Bellingham, WA 98225-4038
(360)778-5010
Minutes - Final
Tuesday, January 4, 2022
1PM
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 Elenbaas
Carol Frazey
Kathy Kershner
CLERK OF THE COUNCIL
Dana Brown -Davis, C.M.C.
Council (Special) Minutes - Final January 4, 2022
Call To Order
Roll Call
Council Chair Barry Buchanan called the meeting to order at 1:08 p.m. in a
virtual meeting.
Present: 7 - Barry Buchanan, Tyler Byrd, Todd Donovan, Ben Elenbaas, Carol Frazey,
Kathy Kershner, and Rud Browne
Absent: None
Announcements
Special Order of Business
1. AB2022-010 Appointment to vacant 42nd Legislative District Senate position
Browne presented a list of 20 proposed questions that he would like to give
to each of the candidates, briefed the Councilmembers, and moved that they
adopt his questions to provide to all the applicants, and that they give the
community until Friday to supplement those questions for Council
consideration to be added as well. The motion was seconded by Buchanan.
Councilmembers discussed the motion and how many total questions there
should be.
Browne recommended that the deadline for Councilmembers to review the
proposed questions would be Friday, January 7, 2022 and then they could
vote on them on Tuesday, January 11, 2022 and send them to the applicants
after that with the Friday following the Council meeting as the deadline for
the answers.
Councilmembers continued to discuss the motion and timeline and the
transparency of the process.
Karen Frakes, Prosecuting Attorney's Office, answered whether Elenbaas
can participate as a Councilmember in the discussions about the process or
the selection.
Elenbaas stated that he will formally recuse himself from the process and
he just attended the meeting.
Councilmembers continued to discuss the motion, the process, and the
timing.
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Council (Special) Minutes - Final January 4, 2022
Donovan suggested a friendly amendment to the motion to ask the
Councilmembers to discuss the questions now so the Council would be able
to get the questions to the candidates after this meeting and have candidate
answers by January 11 to make an appointment.
Browne amended his motion and moved to put forward his draft list of 20
questions. The motion was seconded by Buchanan.
Councilmembers discussed the motion.
The motion carried by the following vote:
Aye: 6 - Browne, Buchanan, Byrd, Donovan, Frazey, and Kershner
Nay: 0
Recused: 1 - Elenbaas
Browne yielded the other part of his earlier motion about allowing time
until Friday, January 7 to get additional input on the questions from citizens.
Donovan moved that they give the questions to the applicants immediately
and give them a set time at which they need to return the answers to Clerk
(of the Council). Then the Council would have it before their meeting on
January 1 lth and they would have an agenda item on that day's agenda for
appointment.
Councilmembers discussed with Dana Brown -Davis, Clerk of the Council,
what day and time should be set as a deadline for the answers to be
submitted.
Buchanan restated that the motion is to submit the questions to the
nominees today, require a Friday, January 7, 4:30 p.m. due date to the Clerk
of the Council for those answers, and schedule this on January 11 for
action. He seconded Donovan's motion.
Brown -Davis asked whether it should be scheduled for the daytime or
during the evening Council meeting.
Councilmembers discussed the motion and scheduling the item after the
reorganization meeting in the morning on the 1 lth.
Brown -Davis asked if she should check with the courts to see if a judge
would be available that morning to do the swearing in and answered who has
the authority to do the swearing in.
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Council (Special) Minutes - Final January 4, 2022
The motion carried by the following vote:
Aye: 4 - Buchanan, Donovan, Frazey, and Browne
Nay: 2 - Byrd and Kershner
Recused: 1 - Elenbaas
Councilmembers and staff discussed that the questions would be sent to the
nominees today and Browne requested that they also be posted on the
Council's Legislative Information Center.
This agenda item was DISCUSSED AND MOTION(S) APPROVED.
Motions approved to adopt the list of 20 questions proposed by Councilmember Browne and to submit the questions
to the applicants today, require that answers be submitted to the Clerk of the Council by 4:30 p.m. on Friday, January
7, 2022, and schedule the item on the agenda for January 11, 2022 for appointment.
Items Added by Revision
Other Business
Adjournment
There were no agenda items added by revision.
There was no other business.
The meeting adjourned at 1:53 p.m.
The County Council approved these minutes on January 11, 2022.
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Kristi Felbinger, Minutes Transcription
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