Special Meeting Notice – Financial Workshop
NOTICE OF A SPECIAL MEETING OF THE FERNDALE CITY COUNCIL
Notice is hereby given that the Ferndale City Council will hold a special meeting for the purpose of holding a financial workshop on the topic of debt. The meeting will take place on March 16, 2020 at the City of Ferndale Council Chambers, located at 5694 Second Avenue. The meeting will begin at 5:00 p.m. This is an open public meeting as outlined by the Open Public Meetings Act.
The City of Ferndale updates the Stormwater Management Plan as a response to specific special conditions within the “Western Washington Phase II Municipal Stormwater Permit” that authorizes the City of Ferndale to discharge stormwater to the waters of the State of Washington.
Per the Permit, this program summary will be updated each year and will be available to the public. Participation and comments are welcome and may be directed to City of Ferndale Stormwater staff stormwater@cityofferndale.org. Comment period begins March 1st, 2020 and ends March 31, 2020.
The draft plan can be found by clicking here or on our “What is Stormwater” page.
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Regular Meeting of the City of Ferndale Planning Commission, scheduled to be held on Wednesday, March 11, 2020 at 6:00 p.m. in the City Council Chamber, 5694 Second Avenue, has been CANCELLED. The next Regular Meeting of the Planning Commission is scheduled to be held on Wednesday, April 15, 2020 at 6:00 p.m.
WCHD RECOMMENDING PERSONAL PREVENTION, NOT CLOSURES
BELLINGHAM, WA – The Whatcom County Health Department (WCHD) is reminding Whatcom residents to take steps to protect their health and prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory infections. At this time, WCHD is not recommending other community-based strategies for infection control, such as school closures or canceling large public gatherings or events.
No cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Whatcom County as of Monday afternoon.
“We understand that people are concerned about the spread of COVID-19 in our region, and it’s likely that we will see more cases of COVID-19 in the days and weeks to come,” said Dr. Greg Stern, Whatcom County Health Officer. “We are urging community members to practice personal prevention steps such as washing hands frequently and staying home when sick. These actions help to not only keep individuals healthy, but are also important to help slow the spread of disease through our community.”
PERSONAL PREVENTION STEPS:
Everyone should take simple steps to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses:
People with mild symptoms should stay home and rest. People who are severely ill or at high risk for severe illness should stay home and call their health care provider.
Public health officials do not recommend healthy people wear masks to prevent respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19. People who are sick should wear masks when they are seeking medical care. It is important that supplies of masks and other personal protective equipment remain available for health care providers who are evaluating and treating ill people.
PLANNING AHEAD
COVID-19 is likely to continue to spread in Washington. Although school closures and other community-based actions to prevent transmission of COVID-19 are not currently recommended, community members can take steps now to prepare for the possible spread of COVID-19 locally by planning ahead for how to adjust work and home routines.
For more information on novel coronavirus
This is an emerging outbreak with rapidly evolving information. Updates will be made as new information emerges on the DOH website and Whatcom County Health Department’s website. The Washington State Department of Health has established a call center to address questions from the public. If you have questions about what is happening in Washington state, how the virus is spread, and what to do if you have symptoms, please call 1-800-525-0127 and press #. You can also follow DOH & Whatcom County on social media.
Poverty Task Force to Deliver Final Report to City Council Monday
After a year of studying poverty and income inequality, the North Whatcom Poverty Task Force will deliver their recommendations to the Ferndale City Council at their next council meeting, Monday, March 2nd at 6pm in the City Annex (5964 Second Avenue).
The North Whatcom Poverty Task Force was created by the Ferndale City Council in February of last year to examine the impacts of poverty and income inequality. Over the last year, the group met with representatives from social services, businesses, law enforcement, real estate, employment specialists and those who had experienced poverty firsthand.
“I’m really proud of the work the Poverty Task Force has done over the last year,” said Councilmember Kate Bishop who spearheaded the creation of the task force. “Ferndale is becoming a leader when it comes to tackling the complex problems facing our most vulnerable residents. This is about smart planning and making sure those who call Ferndale home have access to the resources they need to remain a part of our community.”
The final report details over forty different recommendations that the City of Ferndale can enact in the short- and long-term covering topics such as housing, transportation, hunger, youth in crisis and homelessness. The central recommendation of the report is an affordable housing levy to be placed on the ballot for November 2020. This recommendation will be discussed at the following council meeting on March 16th.
The complete report is available online at https://www.cityofferndale.org/your-government/boards-and-commissions/north-whatcom-poverty-task-force/
This weekend, the Ferndale Arts Commission installed a brand new temporary art installation on the corner of Washington Street and Vista Avenue. Former Councilmember Rebecca Xczar and Arts Commissioner Kyle Deming filled the tree with solar-powered illuminated birds transforming the tree into an art piece.
The Arts Commission is currently looking for more members to help add arts to our community. For more information, click here.
Heavy rains and snow melt are predicted to push the Nooksack River to moderate flood stage this weekend. As the river rises, the City urges residents to obey all road closures, use caution and if there is water over the road, utilize an alternative route.
According the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s prediction as of Wednesday morning, the Nooksack River is set to reach flooding level in Ferndale Saturday morning with a crest at 20.95 feet around 10am on Sunday. Ferndale Public Works crew are mobilized to close roads, parks and public facilities as they are impacted. The Army Corps of Engineers will be on site to monitor the impacts to the Ferndale levy and first responders will be on hand in case any private residences or locations need to be evacuated.
“While major impacts from a flood at this stage is relatively rare, we are taking every precaution to ensure that the public is safe during this flooding event,” said Public Works Director Kevin Renz, “The best thing the public can do is avoid adding to the situation. Please obey all road closures and don’t take any chances.”
More information about the City of Ferndale’s flood response and some history of flooding in Ferndale, please visit www.cityofferndale.org/flood.
The City is working on our parks events for this summer and we need your help! Take the survey and help us narrow down our giant list of ideas so we know what you want to see in our parks this summer.