PRCAC adopts bylaws; sends to county

After ten years operating without, the Point Roberts Community Advisory Committee has adopted bylaws.

At their January 21 meeting, members voted unanimously to approve the bylaws, which cover everything from why the committee exists to what constitutes an illegal meeting.

The meeting saw new faces and an empty seat on the committee.

Annelle Norman was selected by the Point Roberts Taxpayers Association to fill the seat left vacant after the sudden death of Steve Wolff.

Tamra Hansen took over representing the chamber of commerce, replacing Linda Hughes who was determined unable to hold the position. Hughes completed her second two-year term as an at-large member of PRCAC in February 2020, and county code requires a period of one year of separation after a person has served two terms on a board or commission. This would have made Hughes eligible to represent the chamber in February 2021. However, the newly adopted bylaws do not allow a prior member to serve on the committee again for a period of two years.

At-large member Pamala Sheppard resigned from her position on December 3.

The meeting was attended by Grant Heitman and Katherine Smith, the top two vote-getters in an online election to determine who would take over the position left vacant by Sheppard as well as the position of at-large member and committee chair Stephen Falk whose term expires at the end of January 2021.

The email vote came after six candidates spoke at an online forum December 10. The vote was established by the PRCAC board in an effort to maximize community input to the selection of at-large members. The results were sent to county executive Satpal Sidhu, who will need to appoint Heitman and Smith to fill the vacancies before they can serve on the committee. He has not yet done so.

Smith, with 58 of the 89 votes cast, was the clear favorite. A wildlife biologist who moved to Point Roberts three years ago, Smith said she was “very much infatuated with Point Roberts.” Having worked as an outreach specialist for several federal agencies Smith said she had experience with gathering public input and scoping processes. “Listening is something that I’ve learned to do,” she said. “I try and be a good ear and put it into actionable items. I like to see good ideas come to fruition.”

Heitman received 13 votes. Heitman worked as an attorney dealing with land use issues and came to Point Roberts to raise a family. Especially with Covid-19, Heitman said his work had been to “reinvent communication processes” to allow for “evidence based decision making
processes.”

Both Smith and Heitman saw PRCAC’s role as a conduit for community communication. Heitman suggested technological solutions to allow for greater communication with the community, suggesting PRCAC should “function as a communication team for the county executive and not a parliamentary body.”

Smith emphasized her willingness to use no-tech solutions like taking a walk and chatting as well as technological approaches to gathering community input. “I see PRCAC as a vehicle for community communication that builds agreement,” she said. “Agreement does not mean consensus. We can get some compromises that work. Most people get what they need, some of what they want and perhaps some pleasant surprises.” Her goal, she said, was to come up with “Doable, energetic renewal projects.”

Other candidates included Pat Harper, who received 8 votes, Pat Harn (5), Bill Zidel (4) and Tom O’Brien (1).