News

Notice Traffic Revisions and Possible Delays: Friday, August 16, 2019, 7am to 7pm

Notice Traffic Revisions and Possible Delays: Friday, August 16, 2019, 7am to 7pm

LaBounty Drive, between Nordic Way and West Smith Road

Drivers should expect delays as traffic is reduced to single lane traffic on LaBounty Drive, between Nordic Way and West Smith Road on Friday, August, 16, 2019 from 7:00am to 7:00pm. 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.

August 14, 2019

New Playground Coming to Cedar Creek Park

A new playground is coming to Cedar Creek Park, off of Apollo and Aquarius north of Thornton Road. The new play equipment, which will be installed on the south side of the creek adjacent to the sidewalk, includes a Jupiter rope climber, log walk and a slide.

Installation will begin in September 2019 with the park open for use starting in October 2019.

August 13, 2019

Arts Commission Mural Project (Aug 17th-18th) Seeks Volunteers

The Ferndale Arts Commission seeks volunteers to help with their Downtown Mural Project on Aug. 17th and 18th.

Click here to sign up for a volunteer shift

Help install alley murals on the alley between Second and Third Avenue on the south side of Main Street, next to US Bank.  Check out the volunteer slots below, sign up and show up. The murals will be completed as swiftly as possible based on the number of volunteers so make sure to show up early in the shift so you don’t miss out. For any questions, please call Communications Officer Riley Sweeney at (360) 685-2353. 

August 13, 2019

Council Meeting Summary for Aug. 5th, 2019

Click here to see agenda materials

                                                                                      City Council Agenda Follow-Up August 5, 2019  
5:30 p.m. Financial Workshop   INFO ONLY
APPROVAL OF AGENDA Councilmember Taylor moved, and Councilmember Jensen seconded, to approve the agenda with the following amendment: Move Item G (Old Main Discussion) to Item D1. MOTION CARRIED 7-0. APPROVED
PUBLIC COMMENT INFO ONLY
CONSENT AGENDA Councilmember Taylor moved, and Councilmember Bersch seconded, to approve the consent agenda.  MOTION CARRIED 7-0.    APPROVED
PROCLAMATION:  Community Health Week Mayor Mutchler read the proclamation acknowledging community health centers and declaring August 4 – 10 to be Community Health Week.   INFO ONLY
INTRODUCTION: Parks Intern Micah Robertson INFO ONLY
DISCUSSION: Old Main The City Council is being asked to reach a conclusion on the potential re-use of the Old Main facility on the existing Ferndale High School campus.  Old Main, together with the majority of other buildings on the high school campus, is expected to be torn down following the construction of a new high school approximately 800 feet north of the building.  The School District is in the process of developing a conceptual site plan for the new campus, and it is likely that athletic fields and/or parking will be built in the space between Old Main and the new school facilities.  The District is also working with transportation consultants to determine potential modifications to onsite parking, bus storage and loading, pedestrian access, and overall traffic patterns both on the campus and in the surrounding area.  The City’s architectural consultants have concluded that the Old Main structure is of sufficient size to accommodate City functions (City Hall, Court, Council, storage, and miscellaneous other uses) well into the foreseeable future.  The consultants have determined that the building can be renovated to achieve compliance with seismic and other requirements.  Including a 30% contingency assumption, the total estimated cost of improvements is approximately $13.3 million.  This cost is generally consistent with other development scenarios for a smaller facility evaluated by a different architectural consultant in 2017. The primary alternative scenario that has been discussed is the construction of a new co-located facility (or an expansion of existing) at the current City Hall location.  As has also been discussed, City facilities do not require proximity to a jurisdiction’s Main Street or the core of the City to function, although the symbolism of such a facility in the core may be important.  One of the main considerations for alternatives to Old Main, whether at the current site or at Pioneer Park, would be the cost increases associated with building in the floodplain.  With that factored in, the costs between all of these options are comparable.   Councilmember Jensen moved, and Councilmember Hansen seconded, to pursue the purchase/repurposing of Old Main. MOTION FAILED 0-7.                       MOTION TO REPURPOSE OLD MAIN FAILED
 PUBLIC HEARING:  Accessory Dwelling Units Ordinance In June 2017, the City Council adopted an ordinance to allow Accessory Dwelling Units. (ADUs) The ordinance required a review of the new code section by February 2020, or after 10 permits were received, whichever occurred first. The city has received its tenth application and is therefore bringing the new ordinance to Council. Prior to 2017, the City did not allow ADUs within the City limits. The ADU ordinance was ultimately approved because of increased demand within the City. ADUs are anticipated by the City’s Comprehensive Plan and are a requirement of the Growth Management Act for larger jurisdictions. Larger cities are required to adopt an ADU ordinance when their population reaches 20,000. In order to take a proactive approach, the City adopted the ADU ordinance to allow for any necessary changes to be made prior to a state requirement to adopt. The ordinance was also created to address potential unpermitted ADUs that may have been both uncompliant and unsafe. The proposed ordinance includes a modification to the reporting requirements for owner occupancy, and allows up to 40 more ADU’s, bringing the total number allowed up to 50 before the next scheduled review. Councilmember Xczar moved, and Councilmember Hansen seconded, to approve the agenda bill. MOTION CARRIED 7-0.               APPROVED
RESOLUTION: Greenhouse Gas Policy In order to be considered for various grants, loans, or funding, Washington State requires that jurisdictions demonstrate the manner in which they have enacted policies or procedures to reduce or mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, and/or to identify other practices that may benefit the environment. In the last decade Ferndale has taken significant steps on these issues, but has never listed these approaches in one document. If adopted, the Greenhouse Gas Policy resolution would do just that. The document reflects the City’s existing standards and identifies potential new policies that could be considered in the future. By adopting the resolution, the City will remain competitive for funding, and will reduce time and effort in developing funding applications. Councilmember Taylor moved, and Councilmember Bishop seconded, to approve the agenda bill. MOTION CARRIED 7-0.         APPROVED
MAYOR REPORTS/COMMENTS Information only. COUNCIL REPORTS/COMMENTS Information only. DEPARTMENT REPORTS Information only.       INFO ONLY
ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 7:05 p.m.  
August 6, 2019

Finance Workshop Monday, Aug. 5th at 5:30pm in City Annex

Curious about the city finances? City Finance Director Sirke Salminen will be hosting a series of finance workshops before city council meetings. The next one is Aug. 5th, 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.

This workshop will focus on the separate funds that make up the city budget.

August 5, 2019