HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlanning Jan 23 2024Whatcom County
Council Planning and Development Committee
COUNTY COURTHOUSE
311 Grand Avenue, Ste #105
Bellingham, WA 98225-4038
(360)778-5010
Committee Minutes - Final
Tuesday, January 23, 2024
1:55 PM
Hybrid Meeting
HYBRID MEETING - ADJOURNS BY 2:25 P.M., MAY BEGIN EARLY
(PARTICIPATE IN -PERSON, SEE REMOTE JOIN INSTRUCTIONS AT
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COUNCILMEMBERS
Todd Donovan
Ben Elenbaas
Jon Scanlon
CLERK OF THE COUNCIL
Dana Brown -Davis, C.M.C.
Council Planning and Development Committee Minutes - Final January 23, 2024
Committee
Call To Order
Roll Call
Committee member Jon Scanlon called the meeting to order at 1:55 p.m. in
a hybrid meeting.
Present: 3 - Todd Donovan, Ben Elenbaas, and Jon Scanlon
Also Present: Barry Buchanan, Tyler Byrd, Kaylee Galloway, and Mark Stremler
Announcements
Committee Discussion
1. Ah202/a -0_89 Discussion of proposed ordinance adopting amendments to Whatcom County Code
Titles 2 and 3 regarding certain Advisory Committees and abolishing the Appeals
Board
Clerk's note: There was originally one ordinance associated with this
discussion and then after the agenda was published, it was determined that it
needed to actually be two separate ordinances. So, Planning staff created
two separate ordinances (AB2024-088 and AB2024-100) and the latter was
added to the Council's Introduction by an agenda revision. This discussion,
however, covers both ordinances.
Cliff Strong, Planning and Development Services Department, spoke about
splitting the original ordinance into two and stated he would discuss each of
them one at a time.
AB2024-088 regarding advisory committees
Strong read from the Staff Memo (on file) and described the proposed
amendments submitted by the noted advisory boards. He stated that Council
staff, Jill Nixon, provided a few more edits this morning regarding getting
rid of the language requiring an applicant to be a qualified registered voter.
Lauren Templeton, Planning and Development Services Department,
answered how many people on the Conservation Easement Program
Oversite Committee who actually participate in the program will be
affected by these changes. She stated they do not currently have any
members who also participate in the program.
Byrd asked about the proposed amendment regarding applicant
qualifications and stated he thought, when this was discussed before, that
the Council voted to adopt an ordinance (AB2023-775; Ord 2023-082) to
Whatcom County Page I
Council Planning and Development Committee Minutes - Final January 23, 2024
Committee
change that requirement for all committees, but Strong stated that ordinance
states, "The requirements of this chapter shall not supersede the
requirements specified in the enabling ordinance, resolution, or interlocal
agreement for any advisory group."
AB2024-100 regarding abolishing the County Appeals Board
Strong read from the Staff Memo (on file) on the proposed amendments.
Curtis Metz, Planning and Development Services Department, answered
who the one member in active status is and stated he does not know their
name off -hand, but they are in the last year of their term. He answered
whether the Hearing Examiner's Office concurs that this would not have
much of an impact on their workload, budget, or staffing levels, and stated
the Hearing Examiner's Office is in agreement with the proposed
ordinance. He answered what kinds of things would have gone to the County
Appeals Board and stated the board makes determination on decisions of
the Building Official and/or Fire Marshall on the building codes.
This agenda item was DISCUSSED.
Items Added by Revision
Other Business
Adiournment
There were no agenda items added by revision.
There was no other business.
The meeting adjourned at 2:15 p.m.
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Kristi Felbinger, Minutes Transcription
WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
WHATCOM COUNTY, WA
Ben Elenbaas-via email 3/1/2024
Ben Elenbaas, Committee Chair
Whatcom County Page 2