Tuesday meeting focus will be suspension of Bellingham’s first advisory board on immigration / Noisy Waters Northwest

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Video Capture of the opening slide in the City of Bellingham’s Immigration Advisory Board November 7, 2022 presentation to the City Council’s Committee of the Whole on a proposed Immigrant Resource Center

January 13, 2024 Dena Jensen

Just after the New Year, on January 2, 2024, during the Bellingham City Council’s reorganization meeting, where Council Members take on their committee, board, and commission assignments, the Council took the unusual step of holding their first public discussion of a completed draft ordinance to suspend the City of Bellingham’s Immigration Advisory Board (IAB). There was no option provided for open public comment at this meeting, and a translator, having only been sought out related to a request for one, was not available. The discussion that day was for information only, with potential to revisit the ordinance on January 29.

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Bellingham City Council offers no dignity to current Immigration Advisory Board: rough notes from 1/2/24 meeting / Noisy Waters Northwest

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January 2, 2024 Dena Jensen

During about 30-35 minutes of January 2, 2024 discussion by Bellingham City Council Members of an ordinance to suspend the City’s Immigration Advisory Board, virtually not one positive thing was said about the current IAB – many of whose members are immigrants – or its volume of work over the last four years. New Council Member Jace Cotton did say he’d like to see the current board continue to meet. 

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City of Bellingham’s Immigration Advisory Board needs your support! / Noisy Waters Northwest

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Click the graphic text to access the January 2, 2024 Bellingham City Council regular meeting agenda


December 30, 2023 Dena Jensen

Remember when Whatcom County officials suddenly shut down the Homeless Strategies Workgroup? The threat of a similar action now looms over the IAB. 

Please bear witness to the Bellingham City Council Meeting this coming Tuesday, January 2, 2024 at 3:00 p.m. where Council Members will be discussing the draft of an ordinance “Suspending All Future Meetings of the Immigration Advisory Board (IAB) and Its Subcommittees Until City Council Adopts an Ordinance Rescinding the Suspension.” 

Here is a link to the agenda: https://meetings.cob.org/Meetings/ViewMeeting?id=3121&doctype=1

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Additional funding available to support the operation of a continuous Winter Shelter, if necessary / Noisy Waters Northwest

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Link to Whatcom County’s full Severe Weather Shelter RFP that closed on August 29: https://www.whatcomcounty.us/DocumentCenter/View/77699/23-57-Severe-Winter-Weather-Shelter-Facility-Operators—City-of-Bham?bidId=533
Link to Whatcom County’s full Severe Weather Shelter RFP that closed on August 29: https://www.whatcomcounty.us/DocumentCenter/View/77699/23-57-Severe-Winter-Weather-Shelter-Facility-Operators—City-of-Bham?bidId=533

September 14, 2023 Dena Jensen

From a recently closed Whatcom County Request for Proposal (RFP): “The County and the City would consider making additional funding available to support the operation of a continuous Winter Shelter, if necessary.”

“…if necessary”??? What kind of language is this after years of brutality to many community members otherwise left to sleep outside during winter?

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Lack of places to which LEAD can lead: Task Force members / Letter to the Whatcom County Incarceration Prevention and Reduction Task Force

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August 7, 2023 Dena Jensen

Sent: Monday, August 7, 2023, 04:11:24 PM PDT

Subject: Regarding 2E2SSB 5536 and the LEAD program

Dear Incarceration Prevention and Reduction Task Force:


I am writing related to the portion on your July 17, 2023 meeting where there was a brief discussion of the changes in state legislation – specifically 2E2SSB 5536, on controlled substances, possession, and treatment.

It is noteworthy to me that I am hearing a continued focus on the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) program when some government bodies are speaking of services to address dangers posed by public drug use and possession. This has been the case at Bellingham City Council meetings surrounding both their own legislation outlawing public use of controlled substances in Bellingham that was passed back in April, and their more recent adoption of the state legislation. 

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‘What we’re trying to say is that there is a built-in exclusion’: Bellingham Immigration Advisory Board member / Noisy Waters Northwest

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Click the graphic to access Community Voz podcasts, including the episode, “The Uses of Anger – IAB Update”

August 4, 2023 Dena Jensen

I listened to this great episode of the Community Voz podcast yesterday that brings up such valuable points related to oppressed and marginalized communities. Here is the link where you can find the episode “The Uses of Anger – IAB Update”: https://www.foodjustice.org/community-voz-radio

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Whatcom proposed sales tax revenue won’t fund crisis relief center first / Noisy Waters Northwest

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July 5, 2023 Dena Jensen

I am almost done listening to the Bellingham City Council’s 6/26/23 Committee of the Whole meeting. That’s the one where they were having discussions about adopting the state legislation making drug possession and public use a gross misdemeanor (which I’m going to talk about in a later post) and about the City Council’s “Resolution Affirming the City of Bellingham Values with Regard to the Proposed Ballot Measure for the Purpose of Providing Funds for Costs of Public Health, Safety and Justice Facilities and Services, Including Behavioral Health, Housing, Public Safety, and Criminal Justice Facilities and Programs.” 

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Community voice: Liz Darrow runs for Bellingham City Council Ward 3 / Q&A for Noisy Waters Northwest

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Image of community contributions made during a gathering organized by Liz Darrow for Healthy and Safe Neighborhoods. Darrow is running for Bellingham City Council Ward 3 in the November 2023 election

June 23, 2023 Dena Jensen

The 2023 election season is underway and candidates are busy making themselves known to the community. Liz Darrow is one of those candidates, and is also a person who has been making herself known to the community through her acts of showing up for many years to support and learn from those who live and grapple with challenges in Bellingham and Whatcom County. So much so, that a more home-body type like me, who lives in north Whatcom, has met her in person and is happy to keep getting to know this individual who I am lucky to be able to call a friend.

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Follow the lack of available money being offered for services over jails / Noisy Waters Northwest

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Click the screenshot showing Council Member Dan Hammill from a recording of the June 6, 2023 Bellingham City Council Committee of the Whole meeting to access that video on YouTube

June 7, 2023 Dena Jensen

Bellingham City Council Member Dan Hammill made remarks at the Council’s Committee of the Whole meeting on Monday this week that included information about two different funding sources Whatcom County has that offer the potential to invest in behavioral health efforts up to around ten million dollars a year.

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