Nov. 27 - Dec. 3, 2025
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Community Newspaper of Blaine and Birch Bay HHHECRWSSHHH Postal Customer
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New Birch Bay boutique offers affordable luxury, page 3
Birch Bay chamber wins award, page 4
PRSRT STD U. S. Postage PAID Permit NO. 87 Blaine, WA 98230
Hearing on Blaine UGA plan, page 5
Holiday cheer brought to downtown storefronts WCLS eyes Blaine Public Library upgrades for 2026 New building remains longer term goal By Grace McCarthy
(See Library, page 5)
s With a little help from friends, Whatcom County’s AltaGas sponsored many of downtown Blaine businesses’ window displays with a Winter Wonderland theme. Created by artist Luseano Lara, the decorations added to the festive feeling ahead of Holiday Harbor Lights on Saturday, November 29 and the Night Market and Luminary Walk on Friday, November 28 and Saturday, November 29. An AltaGas representative said that a number of its employees live in Blaine and the company was happy to help out. Photo by Louise Mugar
Behind closed doors: How the Port conducts public business in private B y P a t G r u bb In August and October 2024, Port of Bellingham commissioners approved two consultant contracts costing $99,396 and $99,425 – each just below the $100,000 threshold triggering formal bidding procedures. The first passed under the consent agenda without discussion; the second as an action item. These contracts triggered a year-long investigation involving multiple public records requests into the Port’s purchasing and governance practices. What emerged was a portrait of an institution conducting public business increasingly out of view, with practices raising serious questions about state procurement compliance. The $50,000 to $100,000 Gap Under Port Policy 1106, approved each January, the executive director can sign contracts up to $100,000 without
commission action. This streamlines routine purchasing – but doesn’t waive other legal requirements. For professional services contracts between $50,000 and $100,000, state law (RCW 53.19) and Port policy require documented evidence of competitive solicitation – not just posting an advertisement, but soliciting proposals from multiple firms, evaluating them against stated criteria, and selecting based on qualifications. That documentation makes the selection defensible and the process transparent. The Northern Light focused on this range: contracts large enough to require competitive documentation but small enough to escape commission scrutiny. When The Northern Light requested documentation for 40 professional services contracts in this range (2020– 2024), the Port provided evidence of the required evaluation process for just one.
The Port has pointed to advertisements as evidence of competition. But posting an ad is only the first step. (See Port, page 6)
INSIDE
Whatcom County Library System (WCLS) is prioritizing upgrades to Blaine Public Library that, if approved by its Board of Trustees, would likely occur in early 2026 as a temporary fix while the library system awaits funding for a new building. The upgrades would include a circulation desk upgrade to improve ergonomics, storage and the patron experience while also improving Americans with Disabilities Act compliance at the check-out station. The library would also get new carpet and cabinetry. Construction is expected to cost $65,000 and is expected to occur by April, said Ryan Cullup, WCLS facilities services manager. WCLS’ levy lid lift that voters approved during the August primary would fund the upgrades. “As we look forward to the future of this library, we really wanted to be cautious about the amount of investments we’re doing versus knowing in the future we’ll need to work with the city and the builders to replace this library,” Cullup told the WCLS Board of Trustees on November 18. Cullup said the most financially feasible option would be to build a new library from the start. Since funding isn’t available yet, he said the second best option was for the library system to make upgrades that could be reused once the new library is built. Though WCLS executive director Christine Perkins said trustees seemed supportive of the project during their November 18 meeting, the library system won’t know for sure whether funding has been approved until the board of trustees passes its 2026 budget in December. If approved, redoing the carpet would likely close the library for a few days and other construction may require the library to operate in limited capacity for a few days. Jonathan Jakobitz, branch manager of Blaine Public Library, said the circulation desk upgrade was a welcomed improvement, but only a new library would solve
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