With the uptick in cleaning and sanitation, many of you are flushing wipes down into our sewer system. Please stop. There is no such thing as a flushable wipe, these materials do not break down and will clog our pump stations, causing serious damage to our utilities.
For more information or questions, please contact Ferndale Public Works at 360-384-4006.
Even during a pandemic, there is plenty to celebrate. Today. the City swore in our newest Ferndale Police officer, Jeremy Freeman. He joins us from the Lynden Police Department and we are proud to have him on the team.
Mayor Greg Hansen shares some of the City’s actions to protect our community from COVID-19 and offers three ways you can help. For more information and resources available during this difficult time check out cityofferndale.org/covid19 or the Whatcom County page at whatcomcovid.com.
Spanish language version available below with Councilmember Herb Porter.
Complete text:
Hello Neighbors,
My name is Greg Hansen, and I’m the Mayor of Ferndale. Today, I am going to share with you some of the things we are working on as a City to keep all of us safe during this pandemic and what you can do to help.
Like many other communities around the world, we have closed public spaces to help slow the spread of this disease. This includes closing City Hall, the Police Station, our municipal court and our playgrounds. For the safety of our staff and others, we’ve empowered city employees to work remotely whenever possible. Despite the crisis, the work of the City continues and we are reachable by phone, email or through our website.
As you know, the state and county have enacted measures to close schools, bars, restaurants, libraries and other public places, and yesterday, the Governor issued an order to shelter in place.We know this is hard but these necessary steps that could save literally thousands of lives.
For those of you worried about your utility bills, rest assured, we are not doing shutoffs or charging late fees for the Feb. 28th bill. The next utility bill does not go out until April 30th and we are working to see what solutions are available then. We understand that people are struggling, and this is what we are able to do right now to help.
For families and businesses needing economic support, there is an ever-growing list of resources available. We have linked it in the description of this video.
For those of you worried about your building permit deadlines, please contact our community development staff who are ready to provide you the flexibility needed during this time.
The City is working closely with our neighboring communities. The County has established a Unified Command at the County Emergency Operations Center so that all first responders, medical professionals and public information officers in our area can work together seamlessly. We are proud to be part of this dedicated team working around the clock to protect our community.
Ferndale has always met challenges head on. When there’s a big crisis, we always rise to meet it because that is what we do. We are Ferndale, and we look out for each other. That’s why we need your help. Here are the three things we need everyone in Ferndale to do.
First, stop the spread. That means staying home if you are sick, avoiding gathering in groups, limit trips to the grocery store and wash your hands with hot water and soap. This will help stop the spread of the disease.
But we also need to stop the spreading of misinformation. In a crisis, bad information can make a challenging situation even worse. Please be prudent about what you share. Whatcom County has established a single website for all COVID related information, it is whatcomcovid.com. For Ferndale-specific details, please go to www.cityofferndale.org/covid19.
Second, support your Ferndale businesses. Whenever possible, shop Ferndale. We’ve assembled a list of restaurants providing takeout in our city at www.cityofferndale.org/takeout. Pick up some food and tip well, it really does help. A number of other local businesses are modifying their operation to facilitate convenient pick up and deserve our support.
Finally, look after each other. Call your elderly relatives, keep active as best you can and make sure that your neighbors have the help they need. I know that when we work together and take care of each other, we are stronger than any virus.
As always, we are here to help. If you have questions or need help, don’t hesitate to call or email. Thank you.
In response to the Governor’s recent Stay Home, Stay Healthy order, the role of the Ferndale Police Department is to help educate people. We are not being asked to detain, arrest, ticket or establish checkpoints for compliance. Rumors of strict law enforcement or “martial law” are not true.
Instead, our role is educating residents on how to keep themselves safe, how to keep their families safe and most importantly, to keep the rest of the community safe, especially our vulnerable populations.
We understand some people need to carry out essential services, especially those working in health care, transportation, communications, energy, safety and security and providing food, water and shelter.
We know that Ferndale understands the severity of the situation and everyone is doing all they can already to keep themselves, their families and neighbors safe and healthy.
When officers encounter people not complying with an order, we will remind them, as appropriate, of the recommendation and restrictions. No law enforcement agencies have any desire to make any arrests or take anybody to jail for violations of the stay at home order. Rumors of individuals or businesses needing “passes” or “licenses” to conduct essential services are not true.
Rest assured we will continue to serve you every minute of every day and we will always enforce the laws that keep people safe.
Notice Traffic Revisions and Possible Delays: Wednesday, March 18, 2020 to Friday, March 27, 2020, 7am to 7pm
LaBounty Drive, between Nordic Way and W. Smith Road
Drivers should expect delays as traffic is reduced to single lane traffic on LaBounty Drive, between Nordic Way and W. Smith Road from Wednesday, March 18, 2020 to Friday, March 27, 2020, between the hours of 7:00 AM and 7:00 PM. This work is to complete road improvements associated with a private development project. Flaggers will be onsite to direct traffic. Road will remain open during nonworking hours.
If you have questions regarding this notice, please contact Ferndale Public Works Department at (360) 384-4006.
Mayor Greg Hansen issued a proclamation effective immediately declaring a state of emergency related to the COVID-19 virus outbreak. This proclamation allows the City of Ferndale to modify policies and procedures so that the City can move quickly and efficiently to address the issues arising from this virus outbreak.
“We have been operating under a state of emergency at various levels for over two weeks. Issuing this proclamation now is really an administrative step to allow the City to be more responsive and effective at meeting this crisis,” said Hansen. “This declaration will allow the City to expedite the purchase of needed supplies, change rules related to the use of sick leave, utilize online options for public meetings, change hours of operation at City Hall, or institute flexible work schedules for employees who need it.”
This action matches the recent declarations of emergency at the County, State and Federal level. “Our priority is to maintain the City operations and services throughout this situation. Ferndale is a fierce community and we will meet this head on,” said Hansen.
“While declaring a state of emergency is alarming to many, we are in unprecedented times,” said Hansen. “This is not just a public health crisis but a community-wide challenge. These will be difficult times for everybody in Ferndale, but I am especially concerned for our small businesses who are taking-on a particularly significant burden as they help our community combat this health emergency.”
To read the full proclamation, click here.
The Mayor urges the public to take the following steps to help support each other during this outbreak.
Notice Traffic Revisions and Possible Delays: Monday, March 16, 2020 to Friday, March 20, 2020, 7am to 7pmN
Rural Avenue, between Slater Road and Wynn Road
Drivers should expect delays as traffic is reduced to single lane traffic on Rural Avenue, between Slater Road and Wynn Road from Monday, March 16, 2020 to Friday, March 20, 2020, between the hours of 7:00 AM and 7:00 PM. This work is to complete road improvements associated with a private development project. Flaggers will be onsite to direct traffic. Road will remain open during nonworking hours.
If you have questions regarding this notice, please contact Ferndale Public Works Department at (360) 384-4006.
At this time, City Hall, the Police Station and Municipal Court will all remain open as normal. City Council will be held on March 16th, 2020. However, for the protection of the community and the employees of the city, members of the public are strongly encouraged to conduct their business online or over the phone rather than enter public facilities.
City staff is available via email (see directory here) or phone at (360) 384-4302.
For those experiencing flu-like symptoms or at high risk for infection from COVID-19, please do not enter public facilities. For more information on the City of Ferndale’s response to COVID-19, check out our information page here.
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.