Notice is hereby given that the Ferndale City Council will hold a special meeting for the purpose of discussing the 2020 budget. The meeting will take place on October 16, 2019 at the City Hall Main Conference Room, located at 2095 Main Street, beginning at 11:00 a.m. This is an Open Public Meeting as outlined by the Open Public Meetings Act, and members of the public are invited to attend and observe.
Notice is hereby given that the Ferndale City Council will hold a Public Hearing on Monday, November 4th regarding the property tax levy for 2020.
The hearing will be held at the City Hall Annex Building/Council Chambers, located at 5694 Second Avenue, beginning at 6:00 p.m. Any taxpayers may appear thereat and be heard for or against any part of the ordinance. Documents may be viewed at www.cityofferndale.org.
Notice Traffic Revisions and Possible Delays: Thursday, October 10, 2019, 7am-7pm
Thornton Road, between Evergreen Way and Sunshine Drive
Drivers should expect delays as traffic is reduced to single lane traffic on Thornton Road, between Evergreen Way and Sunshine Drive on Thursday, October 10, 2019, 7am – 7pm. 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.
Washington Supreme Court Justices Tour Ferndale Court Facilities
A delegation from the Washington Supreme Court visited the Ferndale Municipal Court today to highlight the challenging conditions at the courthouse. Chief Justice Mary Fairhurst, Justice Mary Yu and Justice Steven Gonzalez were joined by Bellingham Municipal Court Judge Debra Lev and Commissioner Pete Smiley during their visit.
Currently Ferndale Municipal Court is held in the City Annex on Second Avenue in downtown Ferndale. The facility, once a garage for the local firestation, also hosts proceedings by the city council, planning commission and hearing examiner. In recent years, the space has struggled to accommodate its growing uses.
“I am concerned and troubled that the limitations of our facilities may have an impact on the functions of our justice system,” said Ferndale Municipal Court Judge Mark Kaiman. “We must ensure due process for all involved, this cannot wait.”
Earlier the year, the City worked with the school district to assess whether a new joint courtroom and city hall could be established at the Old Main building of Ferndale High School but decided to pass on that option due to the cost.
The City and Council continue to work towards a new facility for the courthouse and city hall and are exploring options as part of the 2020 budget process.
| City Council Agenda Follow-Up October 7, 2019 | |
| APPROVAL OF AGENDA Councilmember Taylor moved, and Councilmember Jensen seconded, to approve the agenda as presented. MOTION CARRIED 7-0. | APPROVED |
| PUBLIC COMMENT | INFO ONLY |
| CONSENT AGENDA Councilmember Hansen moved, and Councilmember Taylor seconded, to approve the consent agenda. MOTION CARRIED 7-0. | APPROVED |
| FCS GROUP PRESENTATION: Cost of Service Martin Chaw of FCS Group presented the results of the water/wastewater rate study regarding the cost of service, and answered Councilmembers’ and audience members’ questions. | INFO ONLY |
| COUNCIL SELECTION OF THREE CATALYST REVIEW COMMITTEE MEMBERS In March of 2019, the City Council approved the adoption of the Downtown Catalyst Incentive program. The program was initiated in order to allow a waiver of City fees for up to three developments that meet the size, use, and catalyst scoring criteria. The goal of the program is to create conditions that foster the mixed-use redevelopment of the Downtown core as envisioned by the City’s Comprehensive Plan. The City has received four Catalyst Project development applications, and staff is currently conducting a technical review of the applications in order to verify the proposals meet development regulations and comply with catalyst incentive criteria listed in FMC 18.48.020. Following the technical review, staff will forward the application materials accompanied by a staff report and recommendation to the Catalyst Committee for review. The three projects with the highest scores above 190 combined points shall be forwarded to the City Council for final consideration. The Council shall review the scores of the Review Committee and shall be authorized to allow members of the public, staff, and the applicant to speak on the subject. Th City Council shall then be authorized to approve or deny the recommendations of the Committee. Those applications that are approved will be invited to enter into a catalyst development agreement as described in FMC 18.48.080(A). The Catalyst Review Committee is required to consist of five members, including one Planning Commission member, one EAGLE Board member, and three Councilmembers. Mayor Mutchler appointed Greg Crim from the Planning Commission and Sean Hegstad from the EAGLE Board. Planning & Land Use Committee members recommended a full-Council discussion for the selection and appointment of three Councilmembers to serve on the Catalyst Review Committee. Councilmember Jensen moved, and Councilmember Bersch seconded, to approve the appointments of Councilmembers Xczar, Hansen, and Taylor to the Catalyst Review Committee. MOTION CARRIED 7-0. | APPROVED |
| DISCUSSION: Ethics Complaint/Council Recommendation In August of 2019, two ethics complaints were filed against Mayor Mutchler by Councilmember Olson. Attorney Scott Snyder of Ogden, Murphy & Wallace conducted the investigation of the two complaints filed against Mayor Mutchler. He concluded that the complaint regarding an attempt to interfere in a police investigation was unfounded; however, there was a technical violation regarding the political signs complaint. Per the Council Rules of Procedure/Ethics Handbook, if review of a complaint shows that there is a violation of the Ethics Handbook, the matter must be referred to a three-person Council Ad-Hoc Committee. The Ad-Hoc Committee’s task is to review the attorney’s report and forward a recommendation to the full Council. A special meeting was held on Wednesday, October 2, in order to form the ad-hoc committee. At that meeting, it was determined that, due to several conflicts of interest, it was not possible to select a three-person committee. Therefore, according to the Council Rules of Procedure/Ethics Handbook, the review of the attorney’s findings and any recommended action is to be conducted by the full Council. In accordance with State law, the review and discussion of such complaint may, at the request of the accused, be held in Executive Session. Any final action must take place in open session. Mayor Mutchler did not request an Executive Session; therefore the review, discussion, and recommendation by Council will be held in open session. Councilmember Olson moved to create an admonishment and clarify that no political signs are allowed in any City parking lot. Motion died for lack of a second. Councilmember Bishop moved, and Councilmember Jensen seconded, to discuss the City’s sign code at the next Planning & Land Use Committee meeting. MOTION CARRIED 7-0. | COUNCIL RECOMMENDATION TO REVIEW SIGN CODE APPROVED |
| MAYOR REPORTS/COMMENTS Information only. COUNCIL REPORTS/COMMENTS Information only. DEPARTMENT REPORTS Information only. | INFO ONLY |
| EXECUTIVE SESSION: RCW 42.30.110 (f), (i) No action was taken following the executive session. | |
| ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 8:13 p.m. |
City Weighs Options for More Equitable Utility Rate Structure
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