Proposed Amendment to 55%/45% Should Be Reviewed

Opinion and Action.  I became concerned after reading that the County Council plans to introduce an amendment to the ferry fund / fare structure tomorrow night  (Council meeting 6/5/2012) without following the Council’s general policy of reviewing proposed legislation with fiscal consequences.   After reading the proposed amendment (AB2012-197) , I emailed the Council requesting simply [...]

Amendment to Ferry Rates Ordinance to Be Introduced

At the County Council meeting on Tuesday, June 5, the County Council is being asked to introduce an Ordinance amending  the Ferry Rates Ordinance: Ordinance amending Whatcom County Code 10.34, Ferry Rates (AB2012-197) (hearing to be scheduled) By accepting the introduction of this ordinance, Council is agreeing to enter it into their process for scheduling [...]

Fewer Ferry Service Hours, Higher Fares?

Could ferry users (Lummi Islanders and non-islanders alike)  be facing less service and higher fares in the near future? At the first meeting of the County Council’s new Lummi Island Ferry Advisory Committee on May 21, 2012, Mike McKenzie (who was elected chairman of the committee at that meeting) noted that Public Works’ next report [...]

Public Works Ferry Committee Report on Some Task Force Recommendations

At long last, Public Works (which now has its own ferry committee; wonder how much that costs!) as reported on its evaluation of some of the 2011 Ferry Task Force recommendations.  Thanks to Ken Mann for posting the inter-departmental memo from Public Works on Google docs and for alerting people on his Facebook page. Public [...]

Public Hearing on 4/10 for Ferry Rate Changes

Whatcom County Council will hear public testimony regarding two proposed changes to the ferry rate ordinance at their meeting on Tuesday, April 10, 2012. Both changes were proposed by the Citizens’ Task Force. The first change would give children ages 6 through 18 (through High School) free passage on the ferry as passengers/pedestrians. The second [...]

Possible Fare Change for Children?

On their Agenda for tomorrow night, Tuesday March 27, 2012, the County Council will introduce (not vote on) an ordinance to change ferry fares just for children (Item 2) and also to build pedestrian walkway at Gooseberry, per The Great Lease (in Item 3). Both are under “Introduction Items”. Public hearings will be scheduled, a [...]

Public Works 2011-11-22 Response to Ferry Task Force Recommendations

Here’s Frank Abart’s  written response to the Ferry Task Force’s recommendations. Mr. Abart presented portions of this response at the Public Works Council committee meeting on 2011-11-22.  (All seven Council members were present.)  Mr. Abart’s full written report was posted by Nancy Ging on the Ferry Document Archive site, to ensure islanders’ ability to retrieve [...]

Abart to Present to County Council Nov. 22, 2011 (daytime)

From Mike McKenzie, via Facebook: Long conversation with Public Works Director Frank Abart: He will make a three-tiered presentation during the daytime, regularly-scheduled meeting of PW and Council members on Nov. 22 about the status of finances. This has been scheduled for some time, he said; he has not heard from any Council member re: [...]

Query to County Council about Task Force Recommendations and Fares

I just sent the Council Council, Executive and Public Works a request to let us know where they are with reviewing the ferry task force recommendations. (For their excellent, brief summary presentation to the Council, watch here.) The Task Force members have already requested the Council to move on the recommendations.  In  their letter to [...]

Task Force Recommendations 2011-20-11

Here are the July 20, 2011  expense-cutting, revenue-generating, policy and fare recommendations that have been (mostly) finalized by the Ferry Task Force. Last details will be worked out at Monday night’s meeting (27 July, 2011, The Grange, 6-?? PM). Note:  A problem column format on p. 8 yields a total “Revenue Target after recommended changes” [...]