CITY OF BLAINE
Council Chambers and Zoom
CITY COUNCIL AGENDA
Monday, September 11, 2023
6:00 PM
Mary Lou Steward – Mayor
Richard May – Mayor Pro Tem
This City Council meeting will be conducted in-person and virtually. Councilmembers and the public will be in attendance in the City Council Chambers. Those wishing to listen or watch the meeting live will be able to call one of the numbers below, or click the link to watch the live stream. Other than the audience participation portion or a public hearing, all callers will be muted during the meeting. All City Council meeting recordings are on the City’s website. Instructions on how to listen live to the City Council meeting are below:
For members of the public who want to watch the meeting live, click the link below:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6326365553?pwd=MnhJQlFiU2hxWC9TcU9sN1J0N3VUUT09
For members of the public who want to listen to the meeting, call one of the numbers below:
• +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
• 888 475 4499 US Toll-free
• 833 548 0276 US Toll-free
• 833 548 0282 US Toll-free
• 877 853 5257 US Toll-free
Meeting ID: 632 636 5553
Participant ID: #
Passcode: 427636
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kbVzu9PCmA
A. STUDY SESSION: 4:30 PM – Resolution 1929-23, Reinstating the text amendment process for manufactured home park regulations.
5:30 PM – Planning Commission Interview – Gurdeep Bains
5:40 PM – Planning Commission Interview – Donald Kruse
5:50 PM – Parks and Cemetery Board Interview – Jacob Soileau
B. CALL TO ORDER
Moment of Silence and Pledge of Allegiance – Led by Mayor Steward
Comments From the Chief Van der Veen from North Whatcom Fire and Rescue on September 11th.
ROLL CALL
COUNCILMEMBERS: Garth Baldwin, Eric Davidson, Kerena Higgins, Mike Hill, Rhyan Lopez, Richard May, and Mary Lou Steward.
C. AWARD of WWTP
D. AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION - Sign-up/Comment Sheet is located in the Council Chambers before the meeting. Members of the audience will have three minutes to speak. If you plan on commenting remotely via Zoom, instructions on how to comment are included at the bottom of the agenda. Audience members speaking remotely will be asked to participate first. After the remote audience participation is over, in-person speakers will be asked to speak.
E. WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS
1. Email dated August 15, 2023, from Corrie Mitchell, regarding the Plover.
2. Email dated August 16, 2023, from Stephanie McDonald, regarding the train crossing.
3. Email dated August 22, 2023, from Jay Taber, regarding sales taxes for jail.
4. Email dated September 6, 2023, from Harley Winer, regarding the Plover.
5. Email dated September 7, 2023, from Liesa Smith, regarding Mitchell Avenue.
F. CONSENT AGENDA
Items listed below will be enacted by one motion. If separate discussion is desired on an item, that item may be removed from the Consent Agenda and placed on the Regular Agenda at the request of a Councilmember.
1. Approval of Bills: $276,370.46
2. Wire Register: $268,302.77
3. Approval of Payroll: $742,683.49
4. Approval of August 28, 2023, Special City Council Minutes.
5. Professional services award with Braaksma Engineering for updating the Electrical Comprehensive Plan.
6. David Evans and Associates contract for planning services. (Wenger)
7. Perteet contract for planning services. (Wenger)
8. Award of tree pruning and brush removal along the electrical powerlines. (Gandhi)
9. Bid Award for drilling and testing new well at Blaine wellfield. (Gandhi)
G. COUNCIL ACTION ITEMS
1. Resolution 1929-23, Reinstating the text amendment process for manufactured home park regulations. (Harmon/Ruffatto)
2. Approving Ordinance 23-3003, Approving the Sea Smoke Tract D preliminary plat. (Wenger)
3. Additional funding for repairs to the Plover. (Wenger)
4. Additional funding for the Chamber of Commerce and tourism advertising. (Wenger)
5. Approval of funding for the Whatcom County Search and Rescue request. (Tanksley)
6. Appointment to Planning Commission. (Crawford)
7. Appointment to Park and Cemetery Board. (Crawford)
H. COMMISSION, COMMITTEE AND BOARD REPORTS
I. DEPARTMENT REPORTS
1. City Manager – Michael Harmon
2. Community Development Services Department – Alex Wenger
3. Public Works Department – Harpiar Gandhi
J. CALENDARS
Information on how to listen to the meeting live will be on the City Council agenda which is located on the City’s website homepage under Your Government, City Council, City Council Agenda. Please check the agenda prior to each meeting as the call in number or location may change.
Tuesday, September 12
8:30am – Blaine Tourism Advisory Committee Meeting
Thursday, September 14
9:00am – Parks and Cemetery Board Meeting
6:00pm – Planning Commission Meeting
Monday, September 25
4:30pm – Study Session: 2024 General Fund Review
5:30pm – Potential Library and Housing Project
5:30pm – Potential Library and Housing Project
Tuesday, September 26
3:30pm – Civil Service Commission Meeting
Monday, October 9
4:00pm – 2024 Budget: Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) and Enterprise Funds
6:00pm – City Council Meeting
Monday, October 23
5:30pm – Study Session: Town Hall Meeting
6:00pm – City Council Meeting
Contact information for staff and Councilmembers can be found on the City’s website.
K. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
L. COUNCIL NEW BUSINESS
M. EXECUTIVE SESSION: approximately 6:30 PM – to discuss collective bargaining pursuant to RCW 42.30.140(4)(b), with no action to be taken.
N. ADJOURN
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Requirement: The meeting location is accessible. If you require a special accommodation during your attendance at any public meeting, please contact the City Clerk’s Office (360) 332-8311 at least 72 hours prior to the meeting date you will be attending. Thank you.
Information on how to view or listen to this City Council Meeting live is below.
Meeting Details
For information on how to join a Zoom meeting via web browser, please read our advice here:
How to Use Zoom Meeting
Follow the instructions below to join the meeting by desktop computer, laptop, tablet or smartphone:
1. Click the link to join the meeting:
For members of the public who want to watch the meeting live, click on the link below:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6326365553?pwd=MnhJQlFiU2hxWC9TcU9sN1J0N3VUUT09
For members of the public who want to listen to the meeting, call one of the numbers below:
Dial by your location
• +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
• 888 475 4499 US Toll-free
• 833 548 0276 US Toll-free
• 833 548 0282 US Toll-free
• 877 853 5257 US Toll-free
Meeting ID: 632 636 5553
Participant ID: #
Passcode: 427636
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kbVzu9PCmA
Follow the instructions below if you want to give testimony during audience participation or public hearing. Please note that only testimony on the public hearing topic will be placed into the record.
2. When the Chair opens the Audience Participation or Public Hearing, please “raise your hand” (via the “raise hand” option in Zoom) and you will be placed in a queue. When it is your time to speak, the Zoom moderator will call on you and provide you five minutes to make your comments (if you're not planning on providing public comment, no action is required once you join the meeting).
For information on how to use the Raise Hand function in Zoom, please read our advice here:
Zoom Tips on Raising Your Hand
For members of the public who want to listen to the meeting, call one of the numbers below:
Dial by your location
• +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
• 888 475 4499 US Toll-free
• 833 548 0276 US Toll-free
• 833 548 0282 US Toll-free
• 877 853 5257 US Toll-free
Meeting ID: 632 636 5553
Participant ID: #
Passcode: 427636
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kbVzu9PCmA
All callers will be placed on mute until called upon to speak. Otherwise, callers will be placed on mute for the entirety of the meeting.