Your Government

City Weighs Options for More Equitable Utility Rate Structure

City Weighs Options for More Equitable Utility Rate Structure

Click the picture above to access more information on the rate study

On Monday, Oct. 7th at 6pm in the City Annex (5694 Second Avenue), the City Council will be reviewing options for adjusting the utility rates.

Earlier this year, the City hired FCS Group to study our rate structure and provide recommendations on how to fund future capital projects while maintaining a fair structure for all ratepayers. This meeting, they will be presenting their findings and the options available to the council going forward.

The public is encouraged to attend and share their input on the best way to provide for the future of our utility system. More information about the rate study, including their presentation on revenue requirements in August and the materials for their presentation on Monday, is available on the city website here: www.cityofferndale.org/ratestudy

October 3, 2019

Councilmember Greg Hansen Receives Certificate of Municipal Leadership

Councilmember Greg Hansen

This month, the Association of Washington Cities (AWC) awarded Councilmember Greg Hansen a Certificate of Municipal Leadership in recognition of his service, leadership and educational achievements. The program recognizes,  “Mayors and councilmembers who continue to strive for excellence by attending conferences and trainings, serving their community, and further developing leadership skills.”

Hansen, who has been on the City Council since 2016, serves as the council liaison to the Chamber of Commerce, Ferndale Community Coalition, represents the council on the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee. For his day job, he teaches Hospitality and Tourism Management and Business Administration at Whatcom Community College.

“This program provides a fantastic grounding in the best practices for any city, large or small. I’m grateful for the opportunity to learn from some of the best people in the state.” said Hansen. “That said, interacting with my peers across the state reinforced my belief that we are well ahead of the curve here in Ferndale on so many issues.”

City officials receive the Certificate of Municipal Leadership after earning 30 credits  AWC trainings and demonstrating community service.

July 10, 2019

Ferndale Police Department Debuts Online Crime Map

Using the latest digital tools available, the Ferndale Police Department and the City have launched an interactive online crime map of Ferndale. For the public, this provides even greater transparency, allowing residents to explore 911 calls in their area. For the Ferndale Police Department, this provides them with a critical tool to identify hot spots for Patrol activities, and for detectives to explore a sudden crime trend and work to prevent future criminal activity.

 “This gives our officers a bird’s-eye-view of recent incidents to compliment our boots on the ground experience,” said Police Chief Kevin Turner. “If we see a sudden rash of break-ins in one specific area, we can put extra officers in that neighborhood.”

The City of Ferndale continues to set the standard for transparency and access to public information. Currently, the public can access everything from employee contracts to city credit card reports online through their public documents page. The crime map provides a fresh way for residents to access information about their community.

According to FBI statistics, in 2018 Ferndale became the 21st safest city in Washington. In the last twelve years, thanks to the tireless efforts of the Ferndale Police Department, crime has been cut by 65%.

The crime map can be accessed online by clicking here.

May 20, 2019

Finance Workshop May 20th, 5:30pm at Council Chambers

Curious about the city finances? City Finance Director Sirke Salminen will be hosting a series of finance workshops before city council meetings starting May 20th, at 5:30pm at the City Annex (5694 Second Avenue). These meetings will be open to the public and intended to help everyone better understand how your city manages public funds.

The workshop May 20th will focus on debt – how it is used to facilitate public projects.

The next workshop will be June 17th at 5:30pm at the City Annex and will be focused on the city budget calendar.

May 14, 2019

City Council and Staff Meet to Set Goals and Improve Communication

Goals by the end of 2019

In lieu of their usual meeting, City Council, staff, and the Mayor met for a facilitated retreat to set goals and improve communication between each other and the public.

With big decisions approaching this year concerning the new Wastewater Treatment Plant expansion and selecting a downtown catalyst project, the participants worked with facilitator Laura Todd to improve coordination between staff and council. They concluded with goal setting for the rest of the year.

“At the end of 2019, when you look back on this year, what will you have done?” asked Todd. Council and staff agreed on the above list, including laying the groundwork for a new downtown, involving the public in the decision-making process and establishing a fair and equitable rate structure system.

May 8, 2019

Ferndale Celebrates Government Transparency with Sunshine Week

March 11th-16th is Sunshine Week, where journalists celebrate the public’s access to government information. Here at the City of Ferndale, we embrace the spirit of transparency because we believe that the public has every right to see and understand the work we do on their behalf.

That’s why we upload as many public documents as possible to our website so that you can access them when and where you need them. This week, we will be featuring a different type of public record or information available from the City of Ferndale on our social media pages. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram to join in.

If there is a type of public document that you would like to see on the City website but can’t find it, please give Communications Officer Riley Sweeney a call (360-685-2353) or an email at rileysweeney@cityofferndale.org.

March 11, 2019