HomeMy WebLinkAboutPublic Works Mar 8 2022Whatcom County
Council Public Works & Health Committee
COUNTY COURTHOUSE
311 Grand Avenue, Ste #105
Bellingham, WA 98225-4038
(360) 778-5010
Committee Minutes - Final
Tuesday, March 8, 2022
10 AM
Virtual Meeting
VIRTUAL MEETING - ADJOURNS BY 10:35 A.M. (TO PARTICIPATE, SEE
INSTRUCTIONS AT www.whatcomcounty.us/joinvirtualcouncil OR CALL
360.778.5010)
COUNCILMEMBERS
Barry Buchanan
Kaylee Galloway
Kathy Kershner
CLERK OF THE COUNCIL
Dana Brown -Davis, C.M.C.
Council Public Works & Health Committee Minutes - Final March 8, 2022
Committee
Call To Order
Roll Call
Committee Chair Kathy Kershner called the meeting to order at 10 a.m. in a
virtual meeting.
Present: 3 - Barry Buchanan, Kaylee Galloway, and Kathy Kershner
Absent: None
Also Present: Tyler Byrd, Todd Donovan, Ben Elenbaas, and Carol Frazey
Announcements
Committee Discussion
1. AB202_,2-14 8. Discussion regarding the temporary closure of Gulf Road to vehicular traffic
Councilmembers discussed the item with the following people:
• Jon Hutchings, Public Works Department Director
• Skip Sahlin, SSA Marine/ Pacific International Holdings
• Jim Karcher, Public Works Department
• Doug Chadwick, Undersheriff
They discussed why the description of the conditions at the beach at Gulf
Road differ between the public and the applicant, what the disconnect is
between what Councilmembers are hearing from the public and what they
heard at a meeting in July of 2021 (about there being drugs, guns, multiple
fires, and police responses), whether there are no -trespassing signs posted,
the role of the Public Works Department, the perspective of the property
owner, how temporary the closure would be, whether the level of crime
events justifies closing a public road, having better signage to clarify which
parts of the property are private and which are public, the County
maintaining control of the gate, how much of the tidelands is privately
owned and what of it needs to remain accessible to the public given the
regulations under the Shoreline Management Program (SMP), the
requirements for putting in a public road on private property, whether the
requirements have to be maintained for the life of the road or only when it
is originally established, how long the company Sahlin represents has
owned the property, whether the property owner wants to do away with
public access or the negative consequences associated with allowing public
access, whether there is a middle ground on which the private land owner
would be open to allowing public access to the property, whether signs are
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Council Public Works & Health Committee Minutes - Final March 8, 2022
Committee
put out on the property prior to a public hearing to give notice of the
hearing, illegal activities that have occurred on the property, whether
Councilmembers could get a cost analysis to show how much it will cost
the County to keep this road open (including providing law enforcement
support, repairing the road, and replacing signs), and how the Tribes are
involved in this.
This agenda item was DISCUSSED.
Items Added by Revision
Other Business
Adjournment
There were no agenda items added by revision.
There was no other business.
The meeting adjourned at 10:39 a.m.
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WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
WHATCOM COUNTY, WA
Kathy Kershner-via email 3/9/2022
Dana Brown,, 14; �ouncil Clerk V
Kathy Kershner, Committee Chair
Kristi Felbinger, Minutes Transcription
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