Needs for behavioral health services overtaken by talk of new jail at committee meeting / Noisy Waters Northwest

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Click the graphic of an announcement of the 9/23/19 Whatcom County Justice Updates event to access the text information on the Whatcom County website

September 19, 2019 Dena Jensen

On Monday night, September 23, 2019, from 7:00-8:30 p.m. Whatcom County will be holding the Whatcom County Justice Updates event in the Whatcom County Council Chambers, at 311 Grand Avenue, Bellingham, WA 98225. Attendees will be given the opportunity to ask questions and talk with the presenters regarding the County’s recently released Public Health and Public Safety Initiative on which The Bellingham Herald reported in an August 11, 2019 article by Denver Pratt.

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Stay on top of actions that will help reduce further injustice at the Whatcom County Jail / Noisy Waters Northwest

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Scope of services being proposed incremental jail renovations

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.

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Transparency, or the lack thereof, in Whatcom County Administration / Facebook post, Sj Robson

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personius to sandy hirst resolution 05022017

2 hrs  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 →

“CH2M had informed the company, PIT, of the additional expenditures, and the company had not agreed to pay them.” / Facebook Post, Sj Robson

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16 hrs  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 →

A way for Whatcom County to expire PIT’s permit application for the proposed GPT project / Facebook post, Sj Robson

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July 28, 2016 email from Whatcom County PDS Assistant Director Mark Personius to Sandy Robson answering a series of questions she asked about the GPT EIS preparation contract extension
July 28, 2016 email from Whatcom County PDS Assistant Director Mark Personius to Sandy Robson answering a series of questions she asked about the GPT EIS preparation contract extension

2 hrs  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 →

GPT EIS contract Q & A between County Administration and Whatcom County Council; and the $313,000 EIS consultant claimed it’s owed by GPT applicant

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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 →

“Should work toward completion of the EIS be resumed, a new schedule will be developed.” / Noisy Waters Northwest, Dena Jensen

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amendment-5point1-eis

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 →

Please approve an extension for the emergency moratorium to protect Cherry Point / Letter to Whatcom County Council, Dena Jensen

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emergency-moratorium

Click the graphic to access the full copy of Ordinance 2016-031

September 18, 2016  Dena Jensen

Dear Whatcom County Council:

I have been trying to think if I have anything to say, now that you have already cast your votes to remain in a relationship with GPT proponents/consultants for another six months.

Here’s what I have and I deliver it in an effort to have it be helpful in future considerations and actions by the County Council: Continue reading →