Bellingham City Council

Compiled by Boris Schleinkofer

Action Taken at May 7, 2018 Meeting

Shall the council:
61. Spend $1.33 million to purchase 80 acres of wetlands? The property, located between Northwest Avenue and the Pacific Highway just north of the city limits, will be used by both public works and parks for wetland mitigation. Funding for this purchase is coming from street and parks funds. (Discussed in Executive Session) Approved 7-0

62. Allow an exception to the city residency requirement for candidates to the Home Rehabilitation Program Loan Review Board? At the 3/12/2018 meeting, vote #40, the council amended the Bellingham Municipal Code relating to boards and commissions and created the Home Rehabilitation Program Loan Review Board. Allowing an exception to the city residency requirement for the loan review board, which require financial and technical expertise, would allow otherwise eligible and interested members of the public to volunteer their time, experience, and talents to this board. (AB21949) Approved 7-0

63. Appropriate $3,272,303 for payroll checks issued from April 11 through April 25, 2018? (AB21951) Approved 7-0

64. Appropriate $5,519,568 for goods and services checks issued from April 14 through April 27, 2018? (AB21952/21953) Approved 7-0

65. Implement the 2018 Climate Protection Action Plan? The plan will develop 100 percent renewable energy goals, and create a Climate Action Plan Task Force with up to 12 members which will deliver a final report in the last quarter of 2019 to recommend actions and resources needed to achieve greenhouse gas reductions. The City Council voted to join the Cities for Climate Protection program at the 3/14/2005 meeting, vote #53. At the 5/7/2007 meeting, vote #103, the council approved the inventory and action plan of the Cities for Climate Protection program. At the 3/6/2018 meeting, vote #43, the council approved the second Cities for Climate Protection action plan. The Climate Protection Action Plan is available at https://www.cob.org/services/environment/climate/Pages/program.aspx. AB21905 (Resolution 2018-06) Approved 6-1, Gene Knutson opposed and Pinky Vargas recused.

66. Adopt the 2018 action plan and the 2018 – 2022 consolidated plan? The federal government requires the consolidated plan to be updated every five years. The 2013–2017 consolidated plan was approved at the 11/5/2012 meeting, vote #213, and ends on 6/30/2018. The action plan addresses the proposed programs, projects and activities undertaken in 2018 (7/1/2018 – 6/30/2019). The five-year consolidated plan guides the planning of projects and programs funded by the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development through the Community Development Block Grant and HOME Investment Partnership Program, it runs from 7/1/2018 – 6/30/2023. Assumptions for the five-year period of the consolidated plan are as follows: Community Development Block Grant $4,455,900; HOME $2,498,790; general fund $2,500,000; and Bellingham housing levy: $18,600,000. AB21946 (Resolution 2018-07) Approved 7-0

67. Grant final plat approval for Division 3 of Larrabee Springs South preliminary plat? Division 3 consists of 41 single-family, attached lots served by a newly dedicated right of way, Springbrook Street, located south of Kline Road, generally between Cordata Parkway and Aldrich Road. At the 5/8/2017 meeting, vote #90, 39 single-family homes in Division 2 was approved. At the 4/18/2016 meeting, vote #62, the council authorized the mayor to sign a development agreement with Larabee Springs, Inc. (aka Caitac USA and Larabee Springs South) regarding a 429-unit preliminary plat requiring a $1.5 million financial contribution for the construction of Horton Road and improvements from Kline Road to Aldrich Road. At the 3/9/2015 meeting, vote #50, 42 single-family homes in Division 1 was approved. AB21950 (Resolution #2018-08) Approved 7-0

68. Appropiate $38,000 for two WhatComm 911 full-time positions? The What-Comm 911 dispatch center currently provides services for the cities of Bellingham, Ferndale, Everson and Nooksack, Whatcom County, the Nooksack Tribe and the Lummi Nation. Lynden, Blaine and Sumas receive dispatch services from the Border Patrol. That agreement is coming to an end and Lynden and Blaine have opted to join What-Comm. The two additional dispatchers will begin 10/1/2018. Lynden and Blaine will share the full $38,000 cost for the fourth quarter of 2018. AB21935 (Ordinance 2018-05-008) Approved 7-0

Action Taken at May 21, 2018 Meeting

Shall the council:
69. Authorize the mayor to sign an agreed order (amendment #3) with state of Washington for cleanup of the R.G. Haley site? At the 9/14/2009 meeting, vote #193, the City Council authorized the mayor to spend $1 to purchase the site commonly known as the R.G. Haley property (1) from the Douglas Management Company. The six-acre property is located at the south end of Cornwall Avenue in the Waterfront District and is a Model Toxic Control Act cleanup site. The original agreed order was signed with Douglas Management Company in 2005. The first amendment was authorized by the City Council at the 9/27/2010 meeting, vote #189 and the second amendment was authorized at the 7/1/2013 meeting, vote #133. (Discussed in Executive Session.) Approved 7-0

70. Authorize the mayor to award the low bid of $1,003,061 to Colacurcio Brothers of Blaine for Texas Street improvements? The engineer’s estimate was $1,130,410. This project involves repaving Texas Street and adding a lighted sidewalk to the south side of the street from Pacific Street to Valencia Street. A traffic circle will be installed at the Verona/Texas intersection. The city received five bids; the high bid was $1,153,403 (AB21955) Approved 7-0

71. Appropriate $3,345,767 for payroll checks issued from April 26 through May 10, 2018? (AB21963) Approved 7-0

72. Appropriate $7,155,633 for goods and services checks issued from April 28, through May 11, 2018? (AB21964/21965) Approved 7-0

73. Revise the Accessory Dwelling Unit regulations? (Public hearing held on April 9.) In 2017, the 20th Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) permit was issued in the South Hill Neighborhood, triggering this second review of Ordinance No. 10643 in 1995. The revised regulations allow detached ADUs in all single family zoned areas. There are limitations to the size and scope of both attached and detached ADUs. Transportation and park impact fees are eliminated for all ADUs, and a date certain is included to trigger unit-count to evaluate and review the ADU ordinance. AB21922 (Ordinance 2018-05-009) Approved 5-2, Terry Bornemann and Gene Knutson opposed.

74. Amend sections of the municipal code for the Loan Review Board and the Home Rehabilitation Program Loan Review Board? Both were created by the City Council at the 3/12/2018 meeting, vote #40, and required members to be a city resident for one year. This amendment changes the residency requirement. Members of both the Loan Review Board (2.86.010) and the Home Rehabilitation Program Loan Review Board (2.96.010) are no longer required to be residents of the city. AB21949 (Ordinance #2018-05-010) (2.96.010)
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1. From the mid-1880s through 1990, the property at the south end of Cornwall was used by various lumber, coal and wharf operations. The port owned it from 1947-1962; in 1955 the port leased it to the R.G. Haley Corporation and in 1962 sold the uplands to the company. R.G. Haley International used the site for wood treatment from 1955 until 1990. Douglas Management purchased the property in 1990. Contaminants identified at the site include pentachlorophenol (PCP), diesel-end heavy oil-range hydrocarbons, dioxins, furans, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). With purchase of the property the city assumed responsibility for the clean-up of the area. At the time of purchase the cleanup costs were estimated to be between $3 million and $9 million and were eligible for state Model Toxic Control Act grants.