Key Commitments
37% residential solid waste recycled (2003); 50% countywide waste stream diverted to recycling (2005); 5,191 tons recyclable materials collected (2003); 73,000 tons municipal solid waste transported (2003); 3,000 commercial Food Plus! customers (2005)
Goals
(5 total)
- PUG-1: Maintain adequate facilities to meet the primary service needs of the City and to accommodate anticipated population and economic growth.
- PUG-2: Minimize impacts to the environment and public health and safety in siting utilities.
- PUG-3: Process permits and approvals for private utilities in a fair and timely manner consistent with development and environmental regulations.
- PUG-4: Reduce demand for new energy generation and resources through support of conservation policies and strategies.
- PUG-5: Encourage local public involvement, including neighborhood meetings, in proposals for siting of private utility facilities within Bellingham neighborhoods.
Stronger Policy Language (7 policies)
- PUP-3: Coordinate City land use planning and growth projections with utilities through shared information and data.
- PUP-4: Map major utility corridors and facilities in the comprehensive planning process, such as shown in the accompanying maps and in Puget Sound Energy's 'Whatcom County GMA Electrical Facilities Plan.'
- PUP-8: Maintain the conditional use process to review construction of utilities in residential and commercial areas. Promote public involvement in the early stages of a project.
- PUP-14: Utility lines should be placed underground whenever new streets are constructed or new utilities are added to existing streets.
- PUP-15: Provide timely and effective notice to interested utilities about road construction, maintenance and upgrades of existing roads to facilitate coordination of public and private utility trenching activities.
- PUP-17: The City of Bellingham shall not preclude the siting of Essential Public Facilities as defined by the State of Washington and shall allow private utility providers to follow the Essential Public Facility Siting Procedures listed below.
Aspirational / Monitoring Language (13 policies)
- PUP-1: Encourage provision of reliable and cost-effective service.
- PUP-6: Encourage a level of service that contributes to economic vitality and access to state of the art technology for citizens.
- PUP-7: Promote joint use of utility corridors by private and public utilities whenever possible to minimize disruption and environmental impact and to provide efficient use of land.
- PUP-9: Encourage use of existing major transmission corridors to increase capacity.
- PUP-10: Discourage location of telecommunication towers in residential zones.
- PUP-12: Discourage impacts on shorelines and environmentally sensitive areas. When no reasonable or practicable alternative exists, mitigate consistent with City regulations.
- PUP-16: Encourage timely and effective notice by utilities to residents, informing them of work on utility lines and substations.
- PUP-18: Support energy efficient construction codes.
- PUP-19: Encourage siting of residences to increase solar access. Minimize blockage of access to sunlight for adjoining residences to the extent feasible.
- PUP-20: Encourage tree planting to save heating and cooling energy and to provide wind breaks.
- PUP-21: Seek ways to promote energy conservation in City of Bellingham facilities and operations.
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