HomeMy WebLinkAboutSpecial Council Sep 5 2023Whatcom County
Council (Special)
COUNTY COURTHOUSE
311 Grand Avenue, Ste #105
Bellingham, WA 98225-4038
(360)778-5010
Minutes - Final
Tuesday, September 5, 2023
10 AM
Hybrid Meeting
HYBRID MEETING (PARTICIPATE IN -PERSON, SEE REMOTE JOIN
INSTRUCTIONS AT www.whatcomcounty.us/joinvirtualcouncil, OR CALL
360.778.5010)
COUNCILMEMBERS
Barry Buchanan
Tyler Byrd
Todd Donovan
Ben Elenbaas
Carol Frazey
Kaylee Galloway
Kathy Kershner
CLERK OF THE COUNCIL
Dana Brown -Davis, C.M.C.
Council (Special) Minutes - Final September 5, 2023
Call To Order
Roll Call
Council Chair Barry Buchanan called the meeting to order at 10:02 a.m. in a
hybrid meeting.
Present: 7 - Barry Buchanan, Tyler Byrd, Todd Donovan, Ben Elenbaas, Carol Frazey,
Kaylee Galloway, and Kathy Kershner
Announcements
Committee Discussion and Possible Action
1. AB202 3-563. Discussion of Whatcom County Executive's veto of Ordinance 2023-045, an
ordinance amending Whatcom County Code 13.24, Ferry Rates (action may be
taken on this item)
Satpal Sidhu, County Executive, spoke about his veto of Ordinance
2023-045.
Approximate Timestamp: 3:19
Galloway read from the proposed engagement plan (on file). She stated her
hope is that, should the veto be sustained today, they commit to following
an engagement plan.
Sidhu stated an engagement plan is feasible and the Administration will
work with the Council.
Approximate Timestamp: 5:31
Buchanan moved that, should a motion be made and seconded to override
the Executive's veto on this Ordinance, the Council allow public comment
on this agenda item. The motion was seconded by Galloway.
Approximate Timestamp: 7:10
Councilmembers discussed the motion and Elenbaas spoke about public
engagement on this item.
The motion carried by the following vote:
Aye: 7 - Buchanan, Byrd, Donovan, Elenbaas, Frazey, Galloway, and
Kershner
Nay: 0
Approximate Timestamp: 11:09
Byrd moved to override the veto. The motion failed for lack of a second.
Whatcom County Page I Printed on 917312023
Council (Special) Minutes - Final
Buchanan stated the veto is sustained.
September 5, 2023
Approximate Tirnestamp: 12:24
Elenbaas spoke about the veto, and listening to input from both those on
Lummi Island and those on the mainland.
This agenda item was DISCUSSED AND MOTION(S) APPROVED.
Motion approved 7-0 that, should a motion be made and seconded to override the Executive's veto on this
Ordinance, the Council allow public comment on this agenda item.
A motion was made to override the veto (of Ordinance 2023-045) but the motion failed for lack of a second. The
veto was sustained.
2. AB210.23-,569 Discussion of councilmember proposed mid -biennium modifications to the
2023-2024 Whatcom County Budget (modifications approved by council will be
submitted to the Administration per budget instructions)
Dana Brown -Davis, Clerk of the Council, stated this item is to discuss ideas
from Councilmember Galloway.
Approxiinate 1'itriestamp: 15:51
Galloway described her intent for the discussion.
Brown -Davis stated they could get a discussion started today and then put it
on the agenda for next week for actual decisions or Additional Service
Requests (ASRs) that the Council might want to move forward with. Those
have to be turned in to the Administration by the 22nd of this month.
Approximate Timestampe 17:49
Byrd spoke about hiring dedicated legislative aids for each Councilmember.
Approximate "Firriestampa 20:58
Galloway spoke about adding $100,000 funding for the Lake Whatcom
Policy Group to build capacity and facilitation services (in light of Mark
Gardner's upcoming retirement from the City of Bellingham), as well as
expanding data and monitoring services and climate and vulnerability
assessments. She could take the request to the policy group tomorrow and
urge the City of Bellingham to run a joint request. The $100,000 would just
be the County's portion.
Approximate Tirnestanipe 24:20
Satpal Sidhu, County Executive spoke about where that money might come
from in the budget and stated they should talk to the City about what their
plans are for replacing Mark and whether they need money from the County.
Whatcom County Page 2 Printed on 911312023
Council (Special) Minutes - Final September 5, 2023
Galloway spoke about how the interest in third party facilitation came to be.
Councilmembers discussed getting input at tomorrow's Lake Whatcom
Policy Group meeting and bringing back a more fleshed -out proposal on
what amounts the different entities would step up for, and what the
$100,000 might cover.
Galloway stated she has been thinking about proposing legislation and
figuring out how they can give more Council direction to the policy group.
Sidhu suggested they let the policy group discuss what their future is going
to look like after the facilitator retires and whether they will need a person.
Then that should come as a proposal to all three entities (City of
Bellingham Council, Whatcom County Council, and Lake Whatcom Water
and Sewer District Board of Commissioners).
Galloway stated she will be able to report back after the policy group
meeting tomorrow.
1- promma4AC6 Lb a. AAlmoLalllp Cw/..J'V
Galloway spoke about and Councilmembers discussed other funding ideas
including:
• Developing a task force that would bring together all the partners to
discuss forestry in Whatcom County and which would develop a
forest resiliency plan and a framework for engagement of the various
levels of government
• Figuring out how they can support the Mt. Baker School district as a
beneficiary in the interim while some timber sales have been paused
• Addressing Food security and basic needs for young children by
increasing dedicated funding to the food banks
• Exploring what capital funding support they could provide to the
Birch Bay Library
• Building additional staff capacity (as Byrd mentioned)
• Moving up the investment of the Emergency Medical Services
(EMS) levy plan and implementation plan as soon as possible to
expand community paramedic services throughout Whatcom County
Approximate Timestainp: 36:04
Brown -Davis, answered whether we have an estimate of what additional staff
would cost and stated it depends on the job description.
WHatcont County Page 3 Printed on 911312023
Council (Special) Minutes - Final September 5, 2023
Clerk's note: There was a network issue and the sound cut out for a brief
period.
Sidhu spoke about the ability to take a revenue loss and convert American
Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds into the General Fund and stated the
Administration will engage the Council more on the status of ARPA funds.
Approximate Timestamp: 38:48
Councilmembers discussed that the agenda item refers only to the Council
Office budget, having Galloway send her ideas to the other
Councilmembers so they can think about them, and having further
discussion about the Council Office travel budget and making sure there is
enough funding to support Councilmember travel for 2024.
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 10:42 a.m.
The County Council approved these minutes on September 12, 2023.
ATTEST ,,O'` 1.1. lilt t//
�cz WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
e
WHATCOM COUNTY, WA
,,,sir ar
Daria:.Brown' �i l� l Clerk Ba uchanan, Council Chair
Kristi Felbinger, Minutes Transcri ion
Whatcom County Page 4 Printed on 911312023