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September 28 - October 4, 2023 Community Newspaper of Blaine and Birch Bay HHHECRWSSHHH Postal Customer
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New Blaine police officer, page 4
Blaine schools to get behavioral health coach, page 6
PRSRT STD U. S. Postage PAID Permit NO. 87 Blaine, WA 98230
Sports news, page 7
Feasibility study Birch Bay offers scenic sunset backdrop underway for Blaine library and affordable housing By Grace McCarthy
(See Project, page 5)
s A couple enjoys a Birch Bay sunset during the evening of September 20.
Blaine school board approves levy and bond measures for February ballots B y P a t G r u bb Blaine school district board members unanimously approved placing separate levy and bond requests on the February 13 special election next year at their regular monthly board meeting held at the Point Roberts primary school. Board member Kimberley Akre was absent. Called an enrichment levy, the levy is similar to what used to be called a Maintenance and Operations Levy (M&O), but has tighter state conditions applied against
it. The four-year, $7.5 million levy will replace an expiring levy and will maintain the existing tax rate depending upon assessment values in the district. The levy will increase to $7.85 million in 2026, $8.25 million in 2027 and $8.5 million in 2028. In 2025, based upon a rate of $0.98 per $1,000 valuation, a home valued at $500,000 would pay $490 annually. The enrichment levy currently funds slightly over 17 percent of the district’s operating budget and is used to pay for, among other things, enhanced staffing
City council faces tough budget decisions By Grace McCarthy Blaine City Council is facing tough decisions this fall as it decides what essential services, including multiple staff positions, it needs to save the city from eating into its reserves. Council reviewed the city’s proposal for the 2024 general fund during a study session before the September 25 meeting. These budget cuts are much more severe than those made during the pandemic because those reductions whittled the budget
Photo by Grace McCarthy
to essential services, while these will cut essential services, city manager Mike Harmon said during the meeting. “We’re beyond the point of having a budget where we have things we can’t afford,” he said. “We have a budget that’s providing a level of service that we can no longer afford.” The city had an 11 percent increase in expenditures from 2021 to 2022, and then another 12 percent expenditures increase from 2022 to 2023. If council adopts the drafted 2024 budget, the city would remain
in a deficit of $366,000, Harmon said. “We have a structural problem,” Harmon said. “Simply said, our expenditures are outpacing our revenues.” The city’s financial problems have come from a combination of issues. High inflation has increased salary and wage expenses, especially in the general fund where most are located. The city is also transferring money from its general fund to the street fund, which is hurting because the (See Budget, page 6)
units, substitute staffing, extracurricular activities, staff compensation (beyond state formulas), routine maintenance, transportation, food service, utilities and expanded curriculum adoptions. According to the district, the average tax rate for county school enrichment levies is $1.58 per $1,000. In order to pass, 50 percent of voters plus one need to approve the measure. There is no minimum number of voters required in order to pass, unlike a (See School, page 3)
INSIDE
Several agencies and organizations are in the early stages of considering whether a mixed-use building with a library and about 60 affordable and market-rate apartments could be constructed at the current Blaine library site. Project spokesperson Paul Schissler, a consultant at Madrona Community Development, gave a project update to Blaine City Council during its September 25 meeting. The feasibility study, he said, is expected to be finished in December and will include a preliminary rendering and cost estimate. “The project seemed to be well received from council members but we have a lot more analysis to do,” Schissler said. Kulshan Community Land Trust (KCLT), an affordable housing nonprofit, initiated the project after it received funding from the Washington State Department of Commerce for the feasibility study. KCLT, which owns the land under its homes to preserve the affordability if the homeowner decides to sell, received support from its project partners, the Whatcom County Library System (WCLS) and city of Blaine. The project geared up in late May, when city council approved a feasibility study to determine if a mixed-use building could be built at the current Blaine Public Library site and surrounding area. Zervas Architects is designing a 10,000-square-foot library on the first floor and affordable and market-rate apartments above. The affordable units would be for households with $60,000 to $100,000 gross incomes and, if there’s enough subsidy, Schissler said the site could potentially have small apartments for people with household incomes of $40,000. Roughly 60 units could be built with current parking requirements, but Schissler added that the right-of-ways on 3rd, 4th and G streets could accommodate more parking. If there is more
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