City Council - Public Works and Natural Resources Committee

City of Bellingham Public Works and Natural Resources Committee Minutes February 8, 2021, 11:00 AM Mayor Seth Fleetwood Contact: (360) 778-8200, ccmail@cob.org Council Members, Michael Lilliquist, Chair www.cob.org/council Gene Knutson, Lisa Anderson All meetings are held in the City Hall Council Chambers at 210 Lottie Street, Bellingham, WA, unless otherwise noted. Call to Order Roll Call Present: Committee Chair Michael Lilliquist, Sixth Ward Committee Member Gene Knutson, Second Ward Committee Member Lisa Anderson, Fifth Ward Council President Stone chaired in place of Michael Lilliquist until he was able to join. Council Standing Committee Meeting Open to the public to attend. Note: there is generally no public comment period for Committee sessions. Standing Committee Members receive reports and information, ask questions and, when appropriate, vote on a recommended action for consideration by the full Council at the Regular Meeting. The notice of Committee Meetings identified below also serves as notice of Special Meetings of the City Council at the times identified as Council Members who are not members of the committee routinely attend and participate in the Committee Meetings. Committee Chairs give a report of the Committee Meeting at the Regular Meeting in the evening prior to deliberation and formal vote in the order shown below: Public Works and Natural Resources Michael Lilliquist, Chair Gene Knutson, Lisa Anderson 22905 1. Noise Variance - Grandview North LLC Permit #BLD2018-1036 p. 3 Chad Schulhauser, Assistant Public Works Director, explained that Grandview North LLC has requested a noise variance for work that needs to be completed at 3928 Northwest Avenue. The work is scheduled to begin at 4:00 a.m. and end at 8:00 PM, as requested, for two separate days. The first day is scheduled for this week and the second is either during the week of March 29 or April 5, 2021. Staff recommends approval of the variance. Gene Knutson moved to recommend approval. Public Works and Natural Resources Committee Minutes Page 1 February 8, 2021  MOTION CARRIED 3-0. 22906 2. Transportation Commission Update and Associated Role in the Bicycle p. 8 and Pedestrian Master Plan Updates Chad Schulhauser, Assistant Public Works Director, gave an update on the membership to the Transporation Commission. The Commission was established in 2009, to absorb the responsibilities of the Parking Commission, as well as the Bicycle Advisory Committees, which were both dispanded that year. It is a nine-member body that usually provides guidnace on the T.I.P. (Transporation Improvement Plan). There are only five members right now but there is a need for more. The Commissioners are considering going to a seven- member body. If they decide that the ordinance would need to be amended. A lack of applicants and conducting virtual interviews has been a concern. This year, Public Works will be updating the 2012 Pedestrian Master Plan and 2014 Bicycle Master Plan. In the past nine years, there have been several annexations throughout the City and those areas will be included in the updates. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 restrictions on public gatherings, the current Transportation Commission members are recommending waiting until at least the third quarter of 2021 before beginning the work to update the Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plans and staff agrees. Council Members asked questions. Adjournment Council Member Stone asked if recording the meeting is possible for ther Broadband Advisory Work Group. Council Member Lilliquist requested staff to consider changing the language in the Broadband resolution to "may be recorded" instead of "shall be recorded." Peter Ruffatto, City Attorney, recommended that the resolution be left as is, but consider wording that gives a timeframe in the procedures that relate to COVID- 19 procedures. That way, the Council is amending a practice during a particular time. Council Member Anderson supports the recommendations but would also like the meetings to be recorded going forward. She asked if we could consider reasons why the meetings should not be recorded and what the barriers are. Council Member Lilliquist agrees that the Committee resolution be changed to specifically say recording will take place. Public Works and Natural Resources Committee Minutes Page 2 February 8, 2021  Council Member Knutson discussed that we need to be careful not to open the door to changing all recording procedures in committees. There needs to be clarity for recording for COVID-19 and be very clear on the intent for changing rules for committees. Council Member Lilliquist added that more discussion should take place at tonight's meeting. There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 11:30 a.m. Public Works and Natural Resources Committee Minutes Page 3 February 8, 2021