City Council - Regular Meeting

CITY OF LYNDEN CITY COUNCIL MINUTES OF REGULAR MEETING August 18,2025 1. CALL TO ORDER Mayor Scott Korthuis called to order the August 18, 2025 regular session of the Lynden City Council at 7:00 p.m. in the city council chambers. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIENCE ROLL CALL Members present: Councilors Gary Bode, Lee Beld, Gary Vis, Brent Lenssen, Nick Laninga, Kyle Strengholt, and MarkWohlrab. Absences: None. Staff present: Community Development Director Heidi Gudde, Finance Director Laura Scholl, Fire Chief Mike Noonan, City Clerk Pam Brown, City Administrator John Williams, and City Attorney Bob Carmichael. OATH OF OFFICE - None. SUMMARY REPORTS AND PRESENTATIONS - None. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Councilor Beld moved and Councilor Bode seconded, to approve the August 4, 2025 regular council minutes. Motion approved on 7-0 vote. CITIZEN COMMENT Cynthia Ripke-Kutsagoitz, Lynden • Request that the City consider local applicants when hiring a new Police Chief. • Requests more police visibility in Lynden. • Attendance at recognition event for a local resident. 300 4th Street, Lynden, WA 98264 www.lyndenwa.org Page 1 of 5  CITY OF LYNDEN CITY COUNCIL MINUTES OF REGULAR MEETING 2. CONSENT RES-25-1128 Amend Name of Fund 119 to Refundable Deposits and Contract Retainage Fund 119 is named Public Facilities Protective Inspection and is used for a primary purpose to record refundable deposits related to engineering services and the related expenditures. The City intends to expand the number of items on the fee schedule that may have an associated refundable deposit that are not specific to an Inspection. Additionally, the City currently receives public work project Contract Retainage deposits in the General Fund, which requires additional manual monitoring of this restricted revenue. Resolution 25-1128 will update the name of Fund 119 to Refundable Deposits and Contract Retainage. It will also clarify the purpose of this fund for use in capturing all refundable deposits and contract retainage. All money in this fund will be restricted for an intended purpose or refund to the customer. Appointment to the Planning Commission - Laura Burford Council is being asked to confirm the Mayor's appointment of Laura Burford to the City's Planning Commission. Ms. Burford has expressed an interest in serving the community by taking a seat on the Planning Commission. She has already served faithfully on the Design Review Board (DRB), which was recently dissolved when the functions of that board became administrative. Prior to her role on the DRB Laura was a long-time employee of the City's Public Works Department. These experiences, as well as being a resident of the city, have given her valuable insights into government function and the character of the community. Ms. Burford is stepping in to complete the term of Khush Brar who has resigned from the Commission due to other obligations. This position extends until February of 2026. Councilor Lenssen moved and CouncilorStrengholt seconded, to approve the Consent Agenda. Motion approved on 7-0 vote. 3. PUBLIC HEARING ORD-25-1717 Establish School Impact Fees Lynden School District Superintendent VanderYacht attended serval committee meetings and presented the Lynden School District Capital Facilities Plan to City Council on May 15, 2025, which included the calculated rates for school impact fees and requested the city adopt an ordinance to allow for the collection of those fees. If adopted the impact will need to be included in the Comprehensive Plan Update and will -+ then begin collection of the fee 300 4th Street, Lynden, WA 98264 www.lyndenwa.org Page 2 of 5  CITY OF LYNDEN CITY COUNCIL MINUTES OF REGULAR MEETING January of 2026. Additionally, an interlocal agreement will be brought to Council for the collection of the fee and reimbursement to the Lynden School District. Mayor Korthuis opened the public hearing at 7:07 p.m. Lynden School District Superintendent David VanderYacht spoke in favor of the ordinance. Mayor Korthuis closed the public hearing at 7:12 p.m. Councilor Lenssen moved and Councilor Wohlrab seconded, to approve Ordinance 25- 1717 to establish School Impact Fees and authorize the Mayor to sign the ordinance. After council discussion Councilor Lenssen requested withdrawal of the motion. Councilor Wohlrab agreed to the withdrawal. After more council discussion Councilor Wohlrab moved and Councilor Lenssen seconded to approve Ordinance 25-1717 to establish School Impact Fees and authorize the Mayor to sign the ordinance. Motion failed 3-4 with Councilors Bode, Beld, Laninga, and Strengholt opposed. Councilors Lenssen, Wohlrab and Vis voted to approve. 4. UNFINISHED BUSINESS-None. 5. NEW BUSINESS RES-25-1129 AuthorizinQ the Mayor to Prepare an Ordinance for Council Consideration that Impose a Sales Tax of One-Tenth of One Percent (0.1%) During the 2025 Legislative session, HB 2015 was adopted that increased funding for criminal justice in two ways: 1) a grant program to hire new officers, and 2) Council mantic authority to adopt a sales tax of 0.1% for criminal justice. The sales tax can be used hire, train, and retain officers; in addition, it may be used for court costs such as Domestic Violence Advocate, public defenders, or other court related costs. To pass an ordinance for the sales tax, or submit for the grant program, the city must apply to Criminal Justice Training Commission (CJTC) with all the required information. CJTC has 45 days to respond and cite any deficiencies to be corrected; following approval the city may adopt an ordinance for the sales tax and submit the notification to the Department of Revenue. The sales tax collection would begin the first of a quarter following the 75-day waiting period; this would be October 18, 2025 to go into effect January 2026. This Resolution would authorize the required information to be submitted to CJTC and if approved, bring an ordinance back to City Council for consideration. 300 4th Street, Lynden, WA 98264 www.lyndenwa.org Page 3 of 5  CITY OF LYNDEN CITf COUNCIL MINUTES OF REGULAR MEETING Councilor Strengholt moved and Councilor Beld seconded, to approve Resolution 25- 1129 and authorize the Mayor to sign the resolution. Motion approved on 6-1 vote with Councilor Laninga opposed. RES-25-1127 Amendment to the Unified Fee Schedule (UFS) - Planninq Division Fees A review of fees within the Planning Division has resulted in a proposed unified fee schedule (UFS) amendment. The changes relate specifically to those applications needing outside professional services by the city's hearing examiner or attorney's office where it's clear that the existing fee does not cover the city's cost. The proposed amendment includes a flat fee plus a deposit to cover the typical costs incurred by the city. Under the deposit system the professional services are expected to halt when the deposited funds are depleted to zero. Although this will require staff monitoring during the process it will allow the city to collect these funds at the start of the application and avoid large invoices for applicants at the close of the process. The applications in question are not frequently used but staff are proposing that these increases move forward for Council approval immediately with an effective date of September 1st to avoid losses if an application were to be submitted in the last 4 months of 2025. Alternatively, the amendment could be considered comprehensively with review of the Unified Fee Schedule during the upcoming budget process with an effective date of January 1,2026. Councilor Lenssen moved and Councilor Strengholt seconded, to approve Resolution 25-1127 and authorize the Mayor to sign the resolution. Motion approved on 7-0 vote. 6. REPORTS Payroll & claims - July 1, 2025 to August 13,2025 Payroll Certificate- June 29, 2025 Payroll Certificate-July 13, 2025 Claims Check on Demand-July 1, 2025 Claims Listing-July 17, 2025 Councilor Strengholt reviewed discussion items from the August 18, 2025 Finance Committee meeting: • 2026 Satellite Agency budget presentations. • Reviewed payroll and police and fire department overtime. • Current sales tax revenues. • Landlord/Tenant utility account and city labor costs. • Review of the city's financial report. 300 4th Street, Lynden, WA 98264 www.lyndenwa.org Page 4 of 5  CITY OF LYNDEN CITY COUNCIL MINUTES OF REGULAR MEETING • City's projection Cash Flow report. • Significant cost cutting measures will be required for the 2026 Budget. 7. EXECUTIVE SESSION Council did not hold an executive session. August 18, 2025 regular session of the Lynden city council adjourned at 8:14 pm. ^- r/^A t^o ^ott Korthuis, Mayor PairA.D.Bvacn Pamela D. Brown, City Clerk 300 4th Street, Lynden, WA 98264 www.lyndenwa.org Page 5 of 5