News

Notice of a Potential Quorum – March 19, 2019

NOTICE OF A POTENTIAL QUORUM

Notice is hereby given that one or more members of the Ferndale City Council may attend the following meeting:

Town Meeting – WWU Presentation of Planning Alternatives for Ferndale

Tuesday, March 19, 2019, 6:00 p.m.

Pioneer Pavilion 

2007 Cherry Street  Ferndale, WA

This meeting is sponsored by Western Washington University and the Ferndale Chamber of Commerce. The purpose of the meeting is to present WWU students’ planning alternatives for the downtown area, which incorporates the community input received during the January 23, 2019 Town Meeting.

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.

        Susan Duncan, City Clerk

        City of Ferndale

        March 11, 2019

March 11, 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

Ferndale Receives Association of Washington Cities WellCity Award for the 6th Year


For the sixth consecutive year, the City of Ferndale is recognized by the Association of Washington Cities (AWC) for their commitment to employee health. The WellCity Award is given to cities that meet the AWC’s stringent WellCity standards that include investing in employee health through training, conducting annual wellness evaluations and sponsoring programs that promote healthy lifestyles.

Because of this recognition, the city receives a two percent discount on their medical premiums, that will be applied to the 2020 premiums for active employees, spouses and dependents.

City Clerk Susan Duncan spearheaded these efforts for the City, in collaboration with the City’s Wellness Committee. “This saves the city money and help us live better, healthier lives. We’re extremely proud to continue to receive this award for the sixth year running.” said Duncan.

March 6, 2019

Summary of March 4th, 2019 Council Meeting

Meeting Materials can be found by clicking here

 City Council Agenda Follow-Up March 4, 2019  
CALL TO ORDER/FLAG SALUTE/ROLL CALL    
PUBLIC COMMENT INFO ONLY
CONSENT AGENDA Councilmember G. Hansen moved, and Councilmember Taylor seconded, to approve the consent agenda.  MOTION CARRIED 7-0.   APPROVED
ORDINANCE: Development Standards Modification/Land Disturbance As currently written, Chapter 19.65 of the Ferndale Municipal Code requires a permit for the removal of vegetation greater than six inches in diameter that cannot be completed exclusively with hand tools. The proposed revisions remove this language and allow an exemption for the removal of up to four trees per year on private, residential lots. Removal of trees and/or vegetation in or near probable critical areas will still require permitting. Additional proposed changes include updating the definitions of “clearing” and “land disturbing activities”, updating activity thresholds, amending fill placement and testing requirements, and updating setbacks language.  Councilmember Kennedy moved, and Councilmember Watson seconded, to approve the agenda bill. MOTION CARRIED 7-0.         APPROVED
APPROVAL: Shop Well #2 Pilot Study In 2013 a Reverse Osmosis (RO) Pilot test was completed at the City’s Water Treatment Plant to obtain approval from the Washington Department of Health for the City’s current treatment system. The City’s current well water treatment system provides a blended mix of about 40% water treated to removed manganese and 60% treated by RO to remove hardness. The new treatment system will be revised to 100% RO treatment. Because the treated product is far too soft to be usable, a remineralization step will be added. This consists of injecting carbon dioxide to temporarily acidify the water. The RO finished water is then percolated through a calcite filter to dissolve calcium and carbonate to achieve a proper balance between softness and hardness. The pilot study will be at the Shop Well #2 location. The primary objective of the pilot study is to evaluate the performance of the treatment system for removing TDS, optimizing the RO system recovery rate, re-mineralizing finished water and to refine full scale treatment design criteria. Councilmember Watson moved, and Councilmember Taylor seconded, to approve the agenda bill. MOTION CARRIED 7-0.               APPROVED
RESOLUTION: Department of Ecology State Revolving Fund Loan/WWTP The City is required to expand the capacity of the Wastewater Treatment Plant, (WWTP) and construction is anticipated to begin in 2019. The total cost of the project is currently estimated at $25 million. The $14,542,784 State Revolving Fund Loan with the Washington State Department of Ecology would partially fund the project. It provides a very low interest rate of 2%. Approval of the authorizing resolution will formalize the loan. Project design, administration, and management work that has occurred thus far can be billed against the loan. The loan has a funding expiration date of April 30, 2023, and repayment is not required to begin until one year after project completion or initiation of operation. Councilmember Taylor moved, and Councilmember Kennedy seconded, to approve the agenda bill. MOTION CARRIED 7-0.           APPROVED
DISCUSSION: Public Notification Procedures A recent zoning text amendment included a proposed change to the Mixed-Use Commercial zone, proposing a density limit of twenty dwelling units per gross acre. A property owner with a pending application in that zone expressed concern about not having received a mailed notice related to the Public Hearing held by the Planning Commission on this matter. The Planning Commission recommended approval of the text change and forwarded it to the City Council for consideration. Because the property owner was concerned with the noticing procedure that took place, staff brought the proposed text amendment to the Planning and Land Use committee as a discussion item only. The committee placed the Mixed-Use Commercial text amendment on hold and directed staff to bring forward a summary of noticing procedures for review. After discussion with the full Council about the different types of notifications, the item was referred back to the Planning & Land Use Committee. The committee recommended that direct mailings be provided to property owners if the text change is considered substantial or material. Examples of substantial or material changes are included related to changes in uses and/or densities. The committee also recommended property owners within 300 feet be notified for rezones or substantial text amendments during the Notice of Application phase only. Councilmember Taylor moved, and Councilmember G. Hansen seconded, to approve the agenda bill. MOTION CARRIED 7-0.           APPROVED
RESOLUTION: Council Rules of Procedure Occasional review and/or revision to the Council Rules of Procedure provides an opportunity for Council and staff to become more familiar with the rules to ensure that the established procedures are being followed, and also to ensure compliance with state law. Careful review and revision of the rules has eliminated the areas in which there were contradictions as well as eliminating out-of-date language. The rules as proposed rely heavily on the Revised Code of Washington, Roberts Rules of Order, and best practices as recommended by registered Parliamentarian Ann MacFarlane. Councilmember K. Hansen moved, and Councilmember Kennedy seconded, to approve the agenda bill. MOTION CARRIED 7-0.         APPROVED
ADJOURNMENT:  The meeting was adjourned at 6:55 p.m.    
March 5, 2019