INSIDE
Taxpayers question EDC role, clout

by Meg Olson

Another local organization is asking questions about the Point Roberts Economic Development Committee (EDC) and what role is appropriate for the closed-door group to play in planning for the community.

“The trouble with the EDC is that it was created loosely and it has a bunch of members that don’t answer to anyone,’ said Point Roberts Taxpayers’ Association president Michael Rosser. “As an informal group it has value but if it becomes the group the county goes to - like the Point Roberts town council ­ they need some formal rules and accountability.”

According to Paul Rusk who represents the taxpayers group on the EDC, that group appears to be taking on the role of speaking for the Point to outside agencies, from the county to state and federal granting agencies.

“The EDC seems to be positioning itself as the go-to committee for the county,” Rusk said at the October meeting of the association board. “If the county wants to know what the community wants, come to the EDC and we’ll be able to tell you rather than having to go to each group ­ that’s the message.” The EDC is the most recent incarnation of the group formed through the Port of Bellingham to give community input to the drafting of the Point Roberts Economic Development Plan, commissioned by the Port of Bellingham and completed in 1999. In material recently sent to the Point Roberts water district, the mission of the group is described as “implementing strategies in the plan.” Representatives from the chamber of commerce, the taxpayers and voters associations, the parks, water and fire districts are invited to be on the committee, whose meetings are not open to the public. Development and economic interests are represented by realtor Jim Julius, Delta architect Brian Hart, Pier Point developer Tod Manrell and a representative from the marina. There are also three at large members, two of which first came to the committee as representatives from the registered voters association, to which they no longer belong.

Rusk said the EDC was filling a void left by other organizations. “The chamber of commerce and the character plan committee, have not been very active so there hasn’t been a challenge to the EDC,” he said. “The county, because they have a lot of contact with these people, see them as representing Point Roberts.” As an example he cited the regular attendance at EDC meetings of county planning and development staff. He also said EDC members were attending countywide planning meetings for unincorporated areas. “If they go up there representing me, being my voice, I don’t feel comfortable with that.”

“They’re moving themselves from being implementers to trying to set policy and be our voice,” said taxpayers association board member Kent McLelland. “Any organization where half the people don’t represent any group is patently ridiculous as a voice for the Point,” said Knick Pyles.

The board voted to write a letter to the county asking that if any group be selected as a point of contact, it have elected members, formal structure and policies, and open meetings. “The EDC is not that group,” Rosser said, though he suggested it could be if changes were made to make the organization more accountable and their proceedings open. As an alternative he suggested the mandate of the character plan committee, with elected representation from a variety of local groups and formal meeting structure, could be modified to play a larger role in connecting the county to the Point.

County planning division manager Sylvia Goodwin acknowledged the county would like to move towards a community council model in unincorporated areas to establish clear communication channels. “We often get conflicting input from groups who say they speak from the community,” she said. “The county is definitely interested in having one group speaking for the community.” Different communities could structure their committees differently, Goodwin said. For example, the steering committee that worked with the county on the development of the Birch Bay Community Plan may evolve into a community council monitoring the implementation of the plan. That group has elected representatives from each of their individual neighborhoods.

“If the EDC is the only group that invites county staff and gives input then it’s the only point of contact,” Goodwin said of county staff involvement with the group. “Their input is valuable but not more than any other group. If another group wants to give input I’m sure they could.”

To be officially recognized as the Point’s voice, Goodwin said county council would have to recognize any group with a formal resolution, and how the EDC operates could be a barrier if they sought that role. “The county would have to look at process,” she said. “There needs to be an equable method of choosing members the community can feel represents them. If it’s a closed meeting and there aren’t minutes taken, county council may not think that’s a fair public process.”

Goodwin said the character plan advisory committee could act as a community voice, but not in its current incarnation. “It’s an established community organization but one with a narrow focus,” she said. “There would need to be some input to council from the community about how they want to be represented.”