November 16 - 21, 2017
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Community Newspaper of Blaine and Birch Bay HHHECRWSSHHH Postal Customer
IN THIS
ISSUE
BHS alumnus wins golf award, page 6
NWFR considers new volunteer program, page 7
PRSRT STD U. S. Postage PAID Permit NO. 87 Blaine, WA 98230
Snowboarders missing near Mt. Baker, page 15
Public hearing for Volunteers to build crab pot Christmas tree in Blaine 41-unit apartment complex set for December 14 By Oliver Lazenby
(See Apartment, page 3)
s As part of the annual Holiday Harbor Lights Festival, volunteers are gearing up to construct a Christmas tree at Marine Park out of 130 crab pots that were donated to the city of Blaine. Construction will take place this week, said Blaine Birch Bay Park and Recreation District 2 program manager Heidi Holmes. Volunteers from l.: Raina Lenton, Debbie Harger, Holmes and Laura Hedges.
BBWSD passes budget with 4 percent rate hike By Oliver Lazenby Birch Bay Water and Sewer District (BBWSD) commissioners passed a 2018 budget with a recommended 4 percent rate increase on November 9. The new basic rate for water and sewer would increase from $68.10 to $70.80 per bimonthly bill. That’s in line with other recent rate increases; last year the district raised rates by 3.77 percent. “We have a 10-year revenue model
where we project what the rates need to be to keep up with the 10-year capital plan,” said Sandi McMillan, district finance director. “The best story is steady as you go.” The district’s 2018 rates will be the lowest in the county, according to a BBWSD price comparison. The district’s $5.9 million budget for 2018 includes $3.5 million for operating expenses, $1.9 million for capital projects and $524,000 for scheduled debt payments.
Blaine City Council approves 1 percent property tax increase B y S t e fa n i e D o n a h u e In order to keep up with growing demand for city services, Blaine City Council voted 6-0 on November 13 to approve a 1 percent increase to the regular property tax for the upcoming year. Last year’s 1 percent increase generated $10,700 in revenue; this year’s increase will be just higher at $11,000, in addition to higher receipts resulting from new construction and property improvements. For homeowners with a property
Photo courtesy of Debbie Harger
valued at $250,000, they’d see an increase of $3.25 for the year, said Blaine finance director Jeffrey Lazenby. Of the total amount of property tax collected, Blaine only receives about 13 percent while the rest is remitted to the state, county, schools and other public agencies. Fifty-six percent of Blaine’s property tax revenue is allocated to the street capital fund, 18 percent to the general fund, 14 percent to street improvement projects and 12 percent to street operations.
“I’m never enthusiastic about raising any tax, even 1 percent,” councilmember Bonnie Onyon said. “But we’ve got some real challenges. We’re trying to provide the best community we can.” Mayor Harry Robinson added, “It would be nice to have the option to not take it, but I don’t think we have that option.” The city of Blaine is currently developing a Strategic Economic Initiative, which aims to evaluate city finances, plan for the future (See Tax, page 2)
The district’s 2017 budget was $6.3 million. The difference is primarily in the capital projects column, McMillan said. “We had a bunch of large capital projects last year, including the Blaine Road water main replacement,” she said. Planned capital projects for 2018 include upgrading water meters, replacing about 4,000 feet of water main and replacing an ultraviolet disinfection system at (See Budget, page 3)
INSIDE
Interested citizens have until Thursday, December 14 to comment on a proposed 41-unit, four-story apartment complex proposed at Dakota Creek, south of the Pacific Building Center, in Blaine. The development would see the construction of two buildings on the 2.2-acre site with 25 two-bedroom units and 16 one-bedroom units. The developer, Dakota Creek LLC, is seeking various zoning variances from the city. The developer’s representative, Latta Engineering, has requested a 5-foot increase in the height limit to 40-feet and a 15-foot reduction in the 20-foot parking setback from Washington Avenue at the north side of the property. The zoning in the area allows what the developers are asking for, but only on property lot sizes of five or more acres, thus requiring a conditional use permit (CUP). The city’s conditional use rules require the project to conform to Highway Commercial zoning requirements that limits building height to 35 feet, rather than Planned Commercial Zoning rules) and allows the city council to determine what the setbacks should be. At a November 9 Blaine planning commission meeting, Neil Latta of Latta Engineering said that unless the building height was increased to 40 feet, the project “would likely be unfeasible to develop.” The project also requires a shoreline development permit approval, which requires the buildings to be 90 feet back from the ordinary high water mark
Letters . . . . . . . . . 4 Classifieds . . . . . 11 Coming Up . . . . . 14 Police . . . . . . . . . 14 Tides . . . . . . . . . . 14
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