HomeMy WebLinkAboutPublic Works Apr 25 2023Whatcom County
Council Public Works & Health Committee
COUNTY COURTHOUSE
311 Grand Avenue, Ste #105
Bellingham, WA 98225-4038
(360) 778-5010
Committee Minutes - Final
Tuesday, April 25, 2023
1PM
Hybrid Meeting
HYBRID MEETING - ADJOURNS BY 2:30 P.M. (PARTICIPATE IN -PERSON, SEE
REMOTE JOIN INSTRUCTIONS AT www.whatcomcounty.us/joinvirtualcouncil, OR
CALL 360.778.5010)
COUNCILMEMBERS
Carol Frazey
Kaylee Galloway
Kathy Kershner
CLERK OF THE COUNCIL
Dana Brown -Davis, C.M.C.
Council Public Works & Health Committee Minutes - Final April 25, 2023
Committee
Call To Order
Roll Call
Committee Chair Kathy Kershner called the meeting to order at 1 p.m. in a
hybrid meeting.
Present: 3 - Carol Frazey, Kaylee Galloway, and Kathy Kershner
Also Present: Barry Buchanan, Tyler Byrd, Todd Donovan, and Ben Elenbaas
Announcements
Special Presentation
1. AB2023-242 Presentation by Support Officers of Whatcom County
Kendra Cristelli, Support Officers of Whatcom County Executive Director,
presented about support officers and what they do. She answered whether
there are other communities with an organization like this, and stated there
are but not to the same degree.
Buchanan told a story about an experience he had with the program and
thanked the speaker.
This agenda item was PRESENTED.
2. A112023_2_26 Presentation from Health and Community Services Response Systems Division
The following Health and Community Services Response Systems Division
(RSD) staff presented about the division and their respective programs:
• Malora Christensen, Response Systems Division manager
• Ashley Smith, GRACE Program supervisor
• Tommy McAuliffe, LEAD Program supervisor
• Robin Willins, Mental Health Court Program manager
• Lacey McCarley, Special programs manager and nurse practitioner
• Jon Dukes, Alternative Response Team (ART) and Co -Responder
Program
Ground -Level Response and Coordinated Engagement (GRACE) pro am
Smith presented. Donovan stated he thinks it is today that the City of
Bellingham's Ordinance goes into effect where people can be arrested for
public use of controlled substances and there is no space in the jail but they
are citing that maybe the LEAD and GRACE program can pick up serving
these individuals. Smith and Christensen answered whether they have a
whatcont County Page 1
Council Public Works & Health Committee Minutes - Final April 25, 2023
Committee
sense how much more capacity we need in these programs to deal with that
and how much room there is to take more people. Smith answered how the
GRACE program gets funded, and whether it is funded with the County and
just the City of Bellingham or with all the cities.
Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) Program
McAuliffe presented and he and Christensen answered how the LEAD
program services are funded, and who the program focuses on compared to
the GRACE program.
Mental Health Court Program
Willins presented and answered whether there is more capacity in the
Municipal Court than in District Court, whether Drug (Recovery) Court is a
different path than Mental Health Court, and how the program is funded.
RSD Nurse Practitioner Program
McCarley presented and Christensen answered how the program is funded.
Alternative Response Team(ART) and Co -Responder Program
Dukes presented and he and Christensen answered how these programs are
funded, whether this is the program that will be going to seven days a week
soon, and whether there has been any conversation around proactive
outreach and creating relationships with housing providers or local small
businesses. Dukes gave examples of current proactive outreach efforts.
Satpal Sidhu, County Executive, spoke about the name change of the Health
Department to Health and Community Services and how this work
represents that name.
Kershner thanked the presenters.
This agenda item was PRESENTED.
Committee Discussion and Recommendation to Council
1. AB2023-228 Request approval to send a letter regarding proposed legislation to increase truck size
and weight
Galloway introduced the presentation.
Josh Collins, Coalition Against Bigger Trucks, spoke about the background
of the organization and the issue, what is being proposed at the Federal
level, how the change would affect local roads and bridges, and the number
of truck -related accidents in Washington state. He answered whether bigger
Wlealcom County Page 2
Council Public Works & Health Committee Minutes - Final April 25, 2023
Committee
trucks might equal fewer trucks on the road and thus better safety
performance, how many owner operators support this, how much (if any) of
his organization is funded by Burlington Northern Railroad, and whether
they have factored in and addressed carbon efficiency.
Satpal Sidhu, County Executive, asked for Collins' contact information so
questions could be sent to him.
Galloway moved that the Request for Motion be approved.
Donovan stated the letter says something about the Skagit River bridge that
is pretty factually inaccurate. It was a height issue, not a weight issue.
Kershner moved to hold this in committee and get the letter clarified.
Collins answered whether the timeline is okay for holding this item and
stated there would be enough time.
Kershner stated they will get Collins' contact information and they can ask
him questions offline.
Kershner's motion that the Request for Motion be RECOMMENDED TO
HOLD IN COMMITTEE carried by the following vote:
Aye: 3 - Frazey, Galloway, and Kershner
Nay: 0
2. AB2023-2254 Resolution adopting 2022 Whatcom County Comprehensive Solid and Hazardous
Waste Management Plan
Frazey moved that the Resolution be RECOMMENDED FOR APPROVAL.
Jennifer Hayden, Health and Community Services, answered whether there
are any changes in this plan for Point Roberts and stated there are not.
Frazey's motion that the Resolution be RECOMMENDED FOR
APPROVAL carried by the following vote:
Aye: 3 - Frazey, Galloway, and Kershner
Nay: 0
3. AB2023-294 Resolution adopting the Food System Plan created by the Whatcom County Food
System Committee
Riley Sweeney, Food System Committee Chair, briefed the
Councilmembers and spoke about feedback received on the plan in the last
Whatcont County Page 3
Council Public Works & Health Committee Minutes - Final April 25, 2023
Committee
two weeks.
Kershner stated the Council got an email with feedback on the plan from
Whatcom Family Farmers and the Farm Bureau (sent by Fred Likkel) and
asked whether the Food System Committee is going to incorporate some of
the feedback they received.
Sweeney stated some of their concerns can be addressed in the
implementation, some were more aimed at statewide issues as opposed to
county issues, but some were valid and could be implemented into the plan
with a few friendly amendments.
Galloway moved that the Resolution be RECOMMENDED FOR
APPROVAL.
Sweeney went through the concerns presented in the aforementioned email
and described a proposed amendment in section 1.3.2 of Goal 1: Objectives
& Actions of the Food System Plan (on file) concerning fair scheduling
language.
Kershner moved to amend the Food System Plan to strike the word "farm"
from section 1.3.2 as follows:
1.3.2 Adopt a fair scheduling ordinance (i.e., City of Seattle),
designed by essential food, and hospitality workers, to make
schedules and breaks more consistent with routines that sustain
healthy and safe lives for workers
The motion carried by the following vote:
Aye: 3 - Frazey, Galloway, and Kershner
Nay: 0
Sweeney described a proposed amendment in section 2.3.6 of Goal 2:
Objectives & Actions of the Food System Plan (on file) concerning the plan
seeming to prioritize organic farmers over the rest of our famers in terms
of putting them first for water rights.
Kershner moved to amend the Food System Plan to strike the word
"organic" from section 2.3.6 as follows:
2.3.6 Create a local water exchange system that coordinates the
lease and sale of water rights as they are freed up; prioritize the
Whatcom County Page 4
Council Public Works & Health Committee Minutes - Final April 25, 2023
Committee
water rights for local and efgaffie food producers and keep the cost
accessible
The motion carried by the following vote:
Aye: 3 - Galloway, Frazey, and Kershner
Nay: 0
Sweeney continued the address the other concerns in the letter.
Kershner asked whether taking some of the language (regarding
sequestering carbon) from the letter and including it in the plan would be
beneficial and Sweeney stated that would be an easy addition.
Kershner stated she would like to work with the Farm Bureau and the Food
System Committee to address the concerns and marry more of them up in
the plan.
Sweeney answered what the impetus was behind developing this food plan.
Councilmembers discussed whether there was any will of the Public Works
and Health Committee to hold this item in order to get some of the
comments incorporated into the plan, sending it back to the Food System
Committee to work with people engaged in these farm groups (Rob
Dhaliwal , Fred Likkel or Dillon Honcoop) to get the wording right and then
having it come back to Council with full support of everyone in the room,
whether a motion to hold could have a time certain, when the Food System
Committee meets next, whether the committee would work with Fred
Likkel and Rob Dhaliwal on the concerns that they have expressed and any
other feedback they have gotten to make sure the plan is as inclusive as it
can be so they get buy -in, and whether two weeks would be enough time to
get everyone in a room together.
Kershner moved to table until the first meeting in June.
Councilmembers discussed the timing, and whether Elenbaas could be
looped in to the scheduling of the meeting with the farm representatives.
Ali Jensen, Food System Committee staff, stated the next meeting of the
Food System Committee is Tuesday, the 23rd of May.
Kershner amended her motion to recommend to hold this item in
committee until the first meeting in June (June 6).
R*atcom County page 5
Council Public Works & Health Committee Minutes - Final April 25, 2023
Committee
Councilmembers discussed the motion to hold.
Kershner's motion that the Resolution be RECOMMENDED TO HOLD IN
COMMITTEE until the first meeting in June carried by the following vote:
Aye: 3 - Frazey, Galloway, and Kershner
Nay: 0
MOTION SUMMARY:
Motion approved to recommend amending the plan to strike "farm" from Goal 1.3.2
Motion approved to recommend amending the plan to strike "organic" from Goal 2.3.6
Motion approved to recommend to Hold in Committee until the first meeting in June.
Items Added by Revision
Other Business
Adiournment
There were no agenda items added by revision.
There was no other business.
The meeting adjourned at 2:51 p.m.
ATTEST:
�ti��6c@€S8S8��ttdtld
rf
Dana Browns,duncil Clerk
Q
F�i� lJi. a
Kristi Felbinger, Minutes Transcription
WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
WHATCOM COUNTY, WA
Kathy Kershner-via email 4/28/2023
Kathy Kershner, Committee Chair
Wkateom County Page 6