Time to stop increasing liability and accept accountability for our neglect of the existing jail / Letter to Whatcom County Council, Dena Jensen

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kelli and korthuis no spell check 3 mill jail

September 22, 2017  Dena Jensen

Here’s my latest letter to the council regarding the need to renovate the existing jail facility now. It was sent to council@co.whatcom.wa.us, and copied to all the city councils, the County Executive, and the Sheriff. Keep writing and calling!

Dear Whatcom County Council:

I am writing to call on you to move forward as quickly as possible with renovations on our existing Whatcom County Jail facility on Grand Ave., that will address necessary and critical life safety issues.  Continue reading →

Notes and perspective: The 9/12/17 design2 LAST presentation on renovation of the Whatcom County Jail / Noisy Waters Northwest

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September 15, 2017  Dena Jensen

On September 12, 2017, Lauri Strauss, CEO of design2 Last, gave a presentation to the Whatcom County Council’s Finance and Adminstrative Services Committee regarding anticipated renovation to the existing county jail facility located adjacent to the Whatcom  County Courthouse in downtown Bellingham. Continue reading →

Seattle​ ​Human​ ​Rights​ ​Commission​ ​Opposes​ ​Washington​ ​State’s​ ​Petition​ ​for​ ​Certiorari​ ​on Ninth​ ​Circuit​ ​Culverts​ ​Opinion,​ ​and​ ​Seattle​ ​Times​ ​Endorsement​ ​of​ ​that​ ​Petition / Press Release, Seattle Human Rights Commission

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Seattle Human Rights Commission

September 11, 2017  Press Release, Seattle Human Rights Commission
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Seattle Human Rights Commission writes in response to the Seattle Times recent editorial “The Supreme Court must clarify culvert ruling,” and seeks to correct inaccuracies regarding tribal treaty rights and the State’s obligation to not impair them. Washington’s tribal nations have lived and fished throughout our State since time immemorial, and their right to do so is protected by treaty. Continue reading →

9/12/17 Whatcom County Council meeting: Please come speak at open session RE the need to send the CAO back for more review / Facebook post, Whatcom Hawk, Wendy Harris

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council agenda 091217

3 hrs  September 11, 2017  Wendy Harris

I have been informed that “Liberty Road” has invited private property rights advocates to swarm the County Council Public Hearings and Open Session tomorrow night. Among the purported offenses are public hearings for an Ordinance amending Whatcom County Code 8.13, Solid Waste Disposal District, regarding the Solid Waste Excise Privilege Tax (AB2017-244) and an Ordinance amending Whatcom County Code Title 20 Zoning and the Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan relating to cumulative impervious surface coverage standards (AB2017-195). Continue reading →

Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) deception leads advocates to investigate ‘cancelled’ mass deportation raids / Press Release, NWDC Resistance

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7 hrs  September 9, 2017  Press Release  NWDC Resistance

FOIA requests to be filed at Seattle ICE field office

Seattle, WA — Immigrant advocates are not taking ICE officials at their word over this week’s announcement that ICE is scrapping “Operation Mega,” its plan to target and detain nearly 10,000 immigrants over a five-day span beginning September 16.

On Tuesday, September 12, advocates will deliver a FOIA request to the local ICE office, demanding information into the detailed plans for “Operation Mega” and any potential future plans to implement mass immigration raids in Washington State.

Continue reading →

9/12/17 presentation scheduled of Design2 LAST findings included in Building Assessment Studies and Cost Estimates Phase 1-B Report / Facebook post, Noisy Waters Northwest

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design2 LAST exec summary page 071717

Click the graphic to access the full 7/17/17, Design2 LAST Building Assessment Studies and Cost Estimates for Capital Improvements at the Jail

3 hrs  September 8, 2017  Dena Jensen

This is the first time I have been able to locate this July 2017 Design2 Last study on the Whatcom County website although I kept thinking I was hearing it be referred to. This week on the Council Agenda for the Finance and Administrative Services Committee meeting (being held at 10:45 a.m. on Tuesday, September 12, 2017) it says there will be a “presentation by Design2Last of findings included in the Building Assessment Studies and Cost Estimates Phase 1-B Report for capital improvements at the jail (AB2017-047A).” Continue reading →

Permit Applications Filed By BP Reflect Larger, Longer Operations / Facebook post, Whatcom Hawk, Wendy Harris

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bp application 081417

Click the graphic to access a full copy of BP’s 08/14/17, Notice of Construction and Permit Application with the Northwest Clean Air Agency

4:40am  September 4, 2017  Wendy Harris

New compressors and ancillary equipment are all the rage at Cherry Point, with BP’s application following on the heels of the Petrogas application. BP asserts that this equipment exceeds the air quality standards and reduces pollution. Oh, and they are also asking, in addition to this new construction, for approval of other pollution reducing equipment for the Flare Gas Recovery Unit, for use during maintenance events. Gas recovered will be used “as refinery fuel gas.” Continue reading →

‘An unwillingness to spend money’ to keep the Whatcom County Jail facility functioning: Where does the buck stop? / Facebook post, Sj Robson

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elfo and louws sketches

3 hrs  September 1, 2017  Sandy Robson

Back on August 2, 2017, I had written a piece about having heard Whatcom County Sheriff Bill Elfo, who was a guest on KGMI’s “Saturday Morning Live” (SML) July 22, 2017, conservative talk radio program, hosted by local Tea Partier, Kris Halterman. Sheriff Elfo was there to discuss the proposed new Whatcom County Jail which would be funded by a sales tax, a tax that would last for the next 30 years. The jail sales tax proposition will appear on the November general election ballot, to be rejected or approved by Whatcom County voters. Continue reading →