Monday evening’s Ferndale City Council will likely be well-attended given the amount of taxes and fees on the agenda. Here are some highlights from the agenda:
♦ A revised proposal for design and funding of a new Whatcom County Jail to be built on LaBounty Drive will be presented by Whatcom County Executive Jack Louws in the hope the Ferndale councilmembers will enter into a Jail Facility Use Agreement with other Whatcom County cities and the County.
♦ City staff will be recommending “generally minor modifications” to the City’s Development Standards by which developers must abide when submitting development plans and documents to the City. According to City staff, these represent the first major update to the City’s standards since the mid-1990’s.
♦ Accessory dwelling units (ADUs), sometimes also referred to as mother-in-law cottages, are increasing in popularity and pose unique challenges due to their tie-ins to utilities, schools, traffic impacts, etc. As a result, City staff will present a draft fee structure that, if approved, would to be used when an ADU is permitted.
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Click for more information♦ Councilmembers will be asked to consider options for proposed sewer rate increases for new connections and usage. The treatment plant’s unused capacity has reached a point that, per state law, requires developing additional capacity and City staff say the recommended increases are required to pay for the financing of the expansion.
♦ This meeting will be the last one for Councilmember Brent Goodrich. Goodrich is relocating to southwestern Washington. As a result, effective June 6th, his council seat will be vacant. According to item #34 in the City of Ferndale Council Rules of Procedure, “In order to fill the vacancy with the most qualified person available until an election is held, the Council will widely distribute and publish a notice of vacancy, along with the procedure for applying.”
As it stands now, Goodrich’s seat is up for re-election this year and only one person, Fred Kennedy, is a candidate for it. Assumedly, Kennedy will be elected, after running uncontested, and sworn in January 2018.
Councilmembers will discuss whether to follow or suspend the rule regarding publication of the vacancy notice and application process. The council could choose to, at the next council meeting, suspend the rule and appoint Kennedy to fill the remainder of the term.
The City Council meeting is scheduled to begin at 6pm in the City Council Chambers. Community members are encouraged to attend.