November 7, 2017 Dena Jensen
To try to stay on top of actions that will help reduce further injustice being perpetrated on incarcerated individuals at our downtown Bellingham jail I sent a letter today to Whatcom County Council and Deputy Executive Schroeder today about the consent agenda item on the Council’s Finance and Adminstrative Services Committee agenda tomorrow (11/8) about renovations on the downtown Bellingham jail. You can send one too! : council@co.whatcom.wa.us.
May 3, 2017 Sandy Robson
Copied and pasted below, and shown in attached screenshot photos, are my recent email communications with County Planning and Development Services Assistant Director Mark Personius, about the Resolution (2017-019) that County Council approved on April 18, 2017, requesting the state legislature to amend the Growth Management Act, relating to the Washington Supreme Court decision on the Hirst et al. case. My initial curiosity regarding the origin of the resolution was borne out of my having listened to part of the audio recording of the April 18, Council Natural Resources Committee meeting, during which Council members seemed to be unaware of who proposed the resolution. Continue reading
Our Whatcom County Planning and Development Services Department (PDS), which is part of our County Administration under the direction of County Executive Jack Louws, needs to start being fully transparent with the public in matters relating to the Gateway Pacific Terminal project. Continue reading
October 21, 2016 Sandy Robson
This post is a follow-up to my October 12, 2016 article posted on the Noisy Waters blog. In the article, I mentioned an April 15, 2016 email and letter from Project Manager Craig Lenhart of CH2M Hill, the consultant preparing the presently-suspended EIS for the proposed Gateway Pacific Terminal (GPT) project, and Parametrix’s Jenifer Young, sent to Whatcom County Deputy Executive Tyler Schroeder. Continue reading
October 19, 2016 Sandy Robson
At the September 13, 2016, County Council Finance and Administrative Services Committee meeting, during discussion about the then-proposed contract Amendment No. 5.1 for the preparation of the EIS for the GPT project Whatcom County Deputy Executive Tyler Schroeder did not fully inform, County Council members on the subject of expiring Pacific International Terminals’ (PIT) local permit applications for the proposed Gateway Pacific Terminal (GPT) project. Continue reading
Click on the graphic to view a transcript of Q&A between county executive officials and county council members on the GPT EIS preparation contract at the September 13, 2016 Whatcom County Council Finance and Administrative Services committee meeting
October 12, 2016 Sandy Robson
During the September 13, 2016 Whatcom County Council Finance and Administrative Services Committee meeting, County Deputy Executive Tyler Schroeder, gave a presentation to Council about proposed contract Amendment 5.1 to the June 2012 Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) preparation contract for the Gateway Pacific Terminal (GPT) and interrelated Custer Spur Modification projects. Continue reading
September 19, 2016 Dena Jensen
Okay, what’s past is past. The vote was cast to extend the contract for the GPT EIS Preparation. But a sell job was done by the Whatcom County Executive office and I think it is important to understand how it was a sell job. I believe I have pinned this down for my own understanding and maybe this explanation will help others understand why “contract completion” of the GPT EIS preparation contract is not accurate to describe what has now been approved by the Whatcom County Council, and why “contract suspension” is accurate and clearly indicates the EIS preparation, thus the contract, will not be completed, and can carry on in the future if the county and CH2M HILL agree to do so. Continue reading
