Council approves consent agenda including e-scooter rule clarification and parks REET update

Lynden City Council approved a multi-item consent agenda at its March 16 regular meeting, adopting measures that city staff said clarify enforcement, preserve parks funding, and advance stormwater design work.

Key consent items included ORD-26-1731, which repealed ORD-26-1727 and amended Lynden Municipal Code section 10.18 to clarify what constitutes a traffic infraction versus a civil penalty for e-scooters so the Administrative Office of Courts can include the citation in its Bail Book; and RES-26-1144, which repealed RES-680 and set an updated approach to dedicate a minimum of 25% of combined REET receipts annually to Parks programs as part of the annual budget process. Councilors voted 6-0 to approve the consent agenda after Councilor Gary Vis moved and Councilor Lee Beld seconded the motion.

The consent packet also included the Berthusen Ag Lease renewal with Cedar Park Dairy LLC (the Smit family), a 2027 budget-calendar item for departmental planning, and authorization for the Mayor to sign a cost-reimbursement agreement to pass $113,600 of Floodplains by Design grant funds to support 30% design of improvements on Mouw Ditch and Bertrand Creek. Parks Director Brent DeRuyter and staff reviewed the lease and grant materials prior to the vote.

The approvals were recorded as unanimous (6-0). No public debate on these items is recorded in the minutes; they were advanced as part of the consent agenda.