Some same old lines and some questionable progress on immigrant protection: notes on the 2/25/19 Bellingham City Council Justice Committee meeting / Noisy Waters Northwest

Click the graphic to access video of the 2/25/29 Bellingham City Council Justice Committee meeting

It’s been two full years since the City of Bellingham abruptly pushed aside the Keep Bellingham Families Working ordinance in favor of approving their own ordinance regarding immigrant protection. In all that time there has been no amending of that ordinance or activation of civilian oversight or of a safe space to report discrimination or persecution.

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Notes on Whatcom County Council 1/15/19 discussion on repealing code regarding correctional facility standards / Noisy Waters Northwest

Screenshot of files received through a Public Records Request of correctional standards, policy, and procedure materials that were provided to the Whatcom County Council by Whatcom County Undersheriff Jeff Parks at the 1/15/19 Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee meeting

February 22, 2019 Dena Jensen

I have written a couple posts now on the part of the January 15, 2019 meeting of Whatcom County Council’s Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee related to the Whatcom County Sheriff’s proposal to repeal and replace Whatcom County Code (WCC) 1.28 regarding correctional facility standards.

According to the documents supplied to the Council Members on the committee and the presentation given by Whatcom County Undersheriff Jeff Parks, the Title 289 Washington Administrative Code (WAC), which Whatcom County had adopted as WCC 1.28, had been deemed obsolete and was done away with in 2006.

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Sluggish and inadequate government response to local extreme weather threats to the unhoused / Facebook post, Sj Robson

City of Bellingham Mayor Kelli Linville, left. Whatcom County Executive Jack Louws, right.

February 14, 2019 Sandy Robson

It is painful to witness the continued sluggish and inadequate response from the City of Bellingham and Whatcom County governments to the critical situation facing some unhoused/unsheltered people in Whatcom County during this current period of very cold weather and the accompanying build-up of snow.

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County Executive takes no immediate action to provide additional shelter space under extreme weather conditions / Facebook post, Sj Robson

February 14, 2019 Sandy Robson

For almost two weeks now, advocates for unhoused people have been asking Whatcom County and City of Bellingham officials to open up additional shelter during the severe winter conditions our county has been enduring.

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Elected officials, beacons, and blind spots / Noisy Waters Northwest

Click the graphic to access the Facebook event for the January 14, 2019 Monday Dignity Vigil at Bellingham City Hall

January 10, 2019 Dena Jensen

When I received a response email from Bellingham City Council Member Michael Lilliquist today, I had to think hard about whether or not I should publicly remark on it. It’s not like it was, in many ways, remarkable in comparison to the few other email responses I have received from him. In fact, some Bellingham City Council Members do not respond to me – ever – regarding my emails asking them to reach out and develop relationships with frontline and marginalized community members. Most of the time, I don’t even expect them to email me back. I just want them to take action.

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Outgoing 42nd LD Rep. Vincent Buys rings out the old year with H-2A malarky

Click the image to access audio of the December 29, 2018 KGMI Saturday Morning Live radio show featuring outgoing WA 42nd LD Representative Vincent Buys

January 6, 2018 Dena Jensen

On December 29, 2018 KGMI Saturday Morning Live show radio host, former Whatcom Tea Party board member, and current Common Threads Northwest board member Kris Halterman interviewed outgoing Washington state 42nd LD Representative Vincent Buys. Democratic candidate Sharon Shewmake defeated Rep. Buys in the November 2018 election. Ms. Halterman had him on the show to talk about plans he has made for his future after leaving his elected office and what community issues he thinks will continue to be important here in Whatcom County in the year ahead.

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The MLK Unity Ball Organizing Committee presents the First Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Unity Ball / Press Release, The MLK Unity Ball Organizing Committee

Click the graphic to access this post on the Rev Dr Martin Luther King, Jr First Annual Unity Ball Facebook page

December 28, 2019 Press Release The MLK Unity Ball Organizing Committee

The MLK Unity Ball Organizing Committee presents the 

First Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Unity Ball

Saturday, January 19, 2019, 7:00pm. – Midnight 

The Majestic Ballroom, 1027 North Forest Street, Bellingham

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Can we be accepting of the current pace of long-overdue jail renovations? / Facebook Post, Noisy Waters Northwest

Screen Shot 2018-11-23 at 4.45.23 PM

Click the link to access the draft minutes for the 11/20/18 Whatcom County Council Finance and Administrative Services Committee meeting

November 23, 2018  Dena Jensen

Here’s a heads-up that at the November 20, 2018 Whatcom County Council Finance and Administrative Services Committee meeting there was a brief update on the state of the Whatcom County Jail renovations during the semi-annual report from Whatcom County Facilities Management Project & Operations Manager Rob Ney. Here is the link to the audio; Mr. Ney starts speaking about the jail at 26:30: https://www.dropbox.com/s/9q3a1p526pfpwvg/Finance%20Nov%2020%202018.mp3?dl=0

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Please seek a presentation from the Public Health Advisory Board on the needs of immigrant families in our community / Letter to the Whatcom County Council, Dena Jensen

letter from Rachel Lucy Screen Shot 2018-11-08 at 6.52.07 PM

Screen shot of the 10/25/18 letter from the Public Health Advisory Board to the Whatcom County Health Board proposing the resolution for which PHAB was seeking support from the Whatcom County Council on 11/07/18

November 9, 2018  Dena Jensen
[Note: I wrote a blog post yesterday on November 8, 2018, entitled, “‘I just wanna make sure it’s people who are legal’ – 3 minutes of the Whatcom County Council 11/07/18 Public Works and Health Committee meeting” on which this letter to the Whatcom County Council is based.]

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