News

Monday, May 18, 2020 City Council Remote Meeting Notice

The City Council meeting at 5:00 p.m.  (Note the time change from the regular starting time of 6:00 p.m.) on Monday, May 18, 2020 will be held remotely via Microsoft Teams, with staff and Councilmembers accessing the meeting from individual locations This complies with Governor Jay Inslee’s Stay at Home Order, which states, in part, that people should refrain from all public gatherings, including civic activities.

This is still an open public meeting as defined by the Open Public Meetings Act. The City will be using Microsoft Teams to livestream the council meeting. Members of the public do not need to download anything to view the proceedings. To join the meeting, click here.

 The meeting will begin at 5:00 p.m. on Monday, May 18.

The public comment session at the opening of the meeting has been cancelled until further notice. Members of the public are encouraged to submit written comments to City Clerk Susan Duncan by emailing susanduncan@cityofferndale.org. Comments received prior to 4:00 p.m. Monday, May 18 will be included in the meeting record.

May 14, 2020

Wednesday, May 13, 2020 Council Committees Remote Meeting Notice

The regularly scheduled Council Committee meetings on Wednesday, May 13, 2020 will be held remotely via Microsoft Teams, with staff and Councilmembers accessing the meeting from individual locations. This complies with Governor Jay Inslee’s Stay at Home Order, which states, in part, that people should refrain from all public gatherings, including civic activities.

These are still open public meetings as defined by the Open Public Meetings Act. The City will be using Microsoft Teams to livestream the meeting. Members of the public do not need to download anything to view the proceedings. To join the live events, click on the following links:

The Public Works & Utilities meeting begins at 8:00 a.m. Public Works & Utilities Committee Meeting

The Finance & Administration Committee meeting begins at 9:00 a.m.  Finance & Administration Committee Meeting

The Planning & Land Use Committee meeting begins at 10:00 a.m. Planning & Land Use Committee Meeting

May 11, 2020

Recreate Safely in Ferndale’s Parks

Everyone knows it is going to be beautiful this weekend but remember to give your friends and neighbors plenty of space. Gatherings are not permitted at this time. Explore our parks, take in the fresh air but save the picnics, frisbee and toddler playdates for later. Thank you for your patience and enjoy the sunshine!

May 8, 2020

April Utility Bill Includes an Adjustment for Calculation Error

The city regrets to inform the public that there was a calculation error in the last billing cycle (Feb. 28th) that affected approximately 2,500 residential customers. It did not apply the correct average to the sewer charge which resulted in some bills being higher and some bills being lower in the Feb. 28th billing cycle. To fix that, this cycle’s bill includes an adjustment, either a credit or an additional charge, to fix that mistake.

But the bigger mistake was not including an explanation in the bills of this adjustment. That is on us, the City, and we apologize. The last couple of months have been hectic but that is no excuse, the public deserves the best from their local government and again, we apologize for not communicating about this adjustment.

Beyond that, bills are slightly higher than last year. The City conducted a rate study all last year to rebalance our utility bills and secure funding for our needed utility projects (the new deep well head and expanding the wastewater and water treatment plants). More information about that process is available here. As a result, the average household bill increased by approximately $30 per cycle. If a customer uses more than the average household’s worth of water, it may have been a higher increase.

It is worth remembering that with so many residents staying home this last cycle, usage may be up slightly.

That said, obviously, if residents have questions about their specific bill or think we made an error, please don’t hesitate to call our utility clerk, Jeanna, at 360-384-4269 or utilitybilling@cityofferndale.org. We can take a look at your specific case and see if it all adds up.

Finally, we understand that this is a difficult time with so many Ferndale residents being unable to work due to COVID-19. As a result, we have suspended shutoffs and late fees for the Feb and April billing cycles. We encourage folks who have not been impacted to continue to keep up with their bill but for those who have, please take the time needed.

Thank you.

May 5, 2020

Monday, May 4, 2020 City Council Remote Meeting Notice

The City Council meeting at 5:00 p.m.  (Note the time change from the regular starting time of 6:00 p.m.) on Monday, May 4, 2020 will be held remotely via Microsoft Teams, with staff and Councilmembers accessing the meeting from individual locations This complies with Governor Jay Inslee’s Stay at Home Order, which states, in part, that people should refrain from all public gatherings, including civic activities.

This is still an open public meeting as defined by the Open Public Meetings Act. The City will be using Microsoft Teams to livestream the council meeting. Members of the public do not need to download anything to view the proceedings. To join the meeting, click here: Attendee Link

 The meeting will begin at 5:00 p.m. on Monday, May 4.

The public comment session at the opening of the meeting has been cancelled until further notice. Members of the public are encouraged to submit written comments to City Clerk Susan Duncan by emailing susanduncan@cityofferndale.org. Comments received prior to 4:00 p.m. Monday, May 4 will be included in the meeting record.

May 1, 2020