Pushing back on the push-back on tiny home villages / Letter to Bellingham and Whatcom County officials

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Click the still frame of a YouTube video of the Bellingham City Council Community and Economic Development Committee to access the recording of the May 24, 2021 meeting

March 26, 2021 Dena Jensen

Sent: Wednesday, May 26, 2021, 09:54:49 PM PDT

Subject: Pushing back on the push-back on tiny home villages

Dear Bellingham City Council, Mayor Fleetwood, Whatcom County Council, and County Executive Sidhu:

I recently listened to Bellingham City Council’s Monday, May 24, 2021 Community and Economic Development Committee meeting. I wanted to address comments made by a couple of the City Council Members after Whatcom County Health Department Human Services Manager Anne Deacon gave her presentation. The presentation was on the Health Department’s Recommendations for Consideration by the Homeless Strategies Workgroup that the now-disbanded workgroup had voted to recommend to Whatcom County Council for approval. 

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Base Camp, or sweeps: City used Lighthouse Mission sheltering capacity to limit their emergency options last season

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May 14, 2021 Dena Jensen

In public records obtained from the City of Bellingham, emails revealed that leading up to the 2020/2021 winter season, City Planning and Development staff told emergency winter shelter providers, with whom they had partnered the previous cold weather season, that the City would not be operating or funding such operations in the coming season.

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The goal is to marginalize no one: email to Whatcom and Bellingham leaders / Noisy Waters Northwest

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Click the graphic to access material available on the City of Bellingham website presenting the City’s view of events surrounding the 1/28/21 sweep of Camp 210

February 19, 2021 Dena Jensen

Here is an email I sent this morning:

Subject: The goal is to marginalize no one

Dear Mayor Fleetwood, Bellingham City Council, Bellingham Parks and Recreation Department, and Homeless Strategies Workgroup Members:

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First glimpses of immigration enforcement communications data, police attendance at first Immigration Advisory Board meeting / Noisy Waters Northwest

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Screenshot graphic shows small Zoom meeting image of City of Bellingham Administrator Brian Heinrich at the top of a shared computer screen image displaying text, in spreadsheet format, providing data regarding Customs and Border Patrol calls related to CBP dispatches to the City of Bellingham

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June 26, 2020  Dena Jensen

On June 23, 2020 the first meeting of the City of Bellingham’s Immigration Advisory Board was held remotely, via Zoom.  A recording of the meeting has not yet been posted on the COB website. The meeting primarily covered member introductions and housekeeping issues such as whether Roberts Rules of Order would be adopted for meeting procedures, or if other models would be preferred and adopted.  However, some of the items being evaluated that night could prove critical in their impacts on how effective the IAB can be in addressing concerns and needs of immigrants, regardless of their status, in Bellingham. The notes below primarily cover those type of items that came up during the meeting. Continue reading →

New Immigrant Advisory Board and WA bills to support highlighted at C2C’s Migrant Justice Forum / Noisy Waters Northwest

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Click the graphic to access video of C2C’s January 22, 2020 Migrant Justice Forum. The presentation by Liz Darrow begins at around 18:00:00

January 31, 2020  Dena Jensen

On January 22, 2020, our local ecofeminist, immigration and farm labor advocacy organization, Community to Community Development, held a Migrant Justice Forum at the Localgroup Studio in Bellingham. One the presenters, Liz Darrow, who focuses on policy coordination, legislative advocacy, and media for C2C, offered a status update on the Bellingham City Council’s Immigration Advisory Board which was created by ordinance in October 2019. Ms. Darrow also brought forward a number of Washington State bills for this legislative session that merit community members calling on state representatives to provide their support. Continue reading →

Building industry political committee boosts underhanded tactics; Fleetwood returns check/ Noisy Waters Northwest

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October 25, 2019  Dena Jensen

Last month, the Whatcom County Affordable Housing Council (WCAHC) political committee got caught exerting effort to deny their affiliation to the Building Industry Association of Whatcom County (BIAWC), a trade and business advocacy organization, to the Public Disclosure Commission(PDC). Continue reading →

Are Bellingham 2019 mayoral candidates watching ICE? / Noisy Waters Northwest

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June 28, 2019 Dena Jensen

“If the person you are voting for does not have a very specific way of how they are going to implement the Keep Washington Working Act at the local level; if they are not in absolute agreement that they will fight for a sanctuary ordinance in Whatcom County; if they are not very, very clear that they will support sanctuary for undocumented families, they are not a progressive candidate.” – Rosalinda Guillen

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