October/November 2016
Compiled by Andrew S. McBride Action Taken at August 16, 2016 Meeting Editor’s Note: Commissioner Bobby Briscoe participated via communications link from his fishing boat in Juneau, Alaska. Shall the commission: 136. Authorize the executive director to sign a 10-year conduit lease agreement with WaveDivision Holdings of Kirkland? The Port [Read More...]
Compiled by Barry MacHale Action Taken at September 13, 2016 Shall the council: 153. Authorize the executive to sign a $51,085 contract with CH2M Hill Engineers of Englewood, Colo., for the Gateway Pacific Terminal environmental impact statement? In order for the county to close down its contractual agreement with the [Read More...]
Compiled by Boris Schleinkofer Action Taken at August 29, 2016 Meeting Shall the council: 134. Authorize the mayor to sign the jail facility use agreement with Whatcom County, choosing Option 1? At the 6/20/2016 meeting, vote #97, the City Council authorized the mayor to sign Option 2 of the jail [Read More...]
by Eric Hirst Dear Whatcom County Council Members, Last week's council meeting included several rural residents, builders, and realtors opposed to the recent Supreme Court decision on the future of rural permit-exempt wells. I hope attendance at next week's hearing will be more balanced. Here are several reasons why council [Read More...]
by Satpal S. Sidhu November 28, 2016 Researching and learning about the water rights issue in our County and State over the past several weeks has confused me more than it has clarified the options the County Council has to exercise. It is more complex than one can imagine, and [Read More...]
by Danny Gibson To the Editor: Bellingham’s proximity to outdoor areas is undoubtedly one our city’s most beloved advantages. Blanchard State Forest, located just south of Bellingham, is one of the most scenic places around. However, this forest is now being threatened by logging. In 2007, a plan was formed to [Read More...]
Please use this link to view the 2016 Primary Election results: primary-election-2016 Candidate Results Voting Drop-off Rate Whatcom County Primary Elections Turnout and Voting by Mail Percentages 1956 – 2016 State/Local Election Statistics How Envelopes Are Returned to the Auditor Daily Envelope Count Return Envelopes Challenged
Kayaking on Pearrygin Lake. photo: Joe Meche by Joe Meche If you’ve followed this column for a while, you know that Cindy and I always take a fall trip to the other side of the mountains, and this year was no exception. After spending time tying up a [Read More...]
by Sharon L. Robinson Is America a democracy anymore? Two candidates who many do not respect, trust or want have become the only offerings we citizens have to lead our nation in the most unpopular election in memory. I thought that in a democracy we choose the ones we consent [Read More...]
To celebrate 25 years of publishing Whatcom Watch, we will be printing excerpts from 20 years ago. The below excerpts are from the October-November 1996 issue of Whatcom Watch. Editor’s Note: In 1992, the Whatcom County Council passed the Conservation Futures Levy by a vote of 4-3. In 1995, a [Read More...]