A look back on the year that just was

Another year checked off and what a year it was ... war, disease, pestilence, man, were those the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse trotting down Tyee Drive the other day? Nah, those guys wouldn’t be caught dead on Icelandic horses. Here it is, the annual look back at the year in Point Roberts on an issue by issue basis.

January

• The fire district eliminated charges for ambulance trips to St. Joseph PeaceHealth Medical center in Bellingham. The fire district also introduced the welcome home transport program which provides patients with a ride back to the Point after hospital stays.
• Blaine school district superintendent Dr. Christopher Granger held a townhall meeting on January 24 in Point Roberts to discuss the special election (held February 13) where voters were given the opportunity to approve two separate levy and bond requests.
• Whatcom County Council and Whatcom County Executive offices announced over 100 vacant positions across 35 advisory commissions and invited the public to apply.
• The Washington State Office of Attorney General has required PeaceHealth to refund up to $13.4 million to thousands of low-income patients at five hospitals across the state, including Bellingham, after failing to inform them that they qualified for financial assistance.
• Newly elected sheriff Donnell “Tank” Tanksley appointed Steve Harris as undersheriff.
• Whatcom County Community Health and Services Department released a respiratory virus dashboard that provides data on Covid-19, flu, and RSV transmissions in northwest Washington.

February

• Whatcom County updated its park, recreation and open space draft plan which included $168,350 for a new roof and siding at Lighthouse Marine Park last year and planned expenditures of $255,000 on parking lot improvements at Lily Point Park. The county parks department had earmarked $435,350 for Point Roberts parks for the period of 2023-2028. This represents 1.4 percent of the park department’s planned expenditures in that same period.
• After dedicating 34 years to the Point Roberts Water District, manager Dan Bourks retired. Wes Hubbard was set to be his successor.
• The county tax assessor, Rebecca Xczar, visited the Point to explain the increases in local property values.
• Parks board limited kitchen use to the Council on Aging’s senior lunch program and food bank until necessary septic upgrades could be completed.
• Although a motion was passed in November to apply for a Washington State Department of Commerce Grant for three electric vehicle chargers, after learning from PSE that the chargers would require a significant upgrade to the transformer that serves the community center, the parks district decided it would not be feasible.
• Security cameras were installed at the community center after supplies and utensils went missing from the kitchen.
• The Point Roberts fire district prepared a request for bid to purchase a Welcome Home vehicle.
• Fire commissioners increased the chief’s salary to $79,000. The last increase was to $72,000 three months previous.

March

• The Whatcom County Auditor’s Office results for the February 13 special election showed that Blaine, Birch Bay, and Point Roberts voters approved a property tax levy for the Blaine school district while rejecting the school district’s general obligation bond by failing to pass the supermajority threshold.
• Local youth presented a petition with over 200 signatures asking the Point Roberts park district’s board to reconstitute the skateboard committee that had previously been responsible for maintaining the skate park in the past. The board had been discussing transforming the skatepark into a multi-use court.
• The water district approved salary hikes for the newly appointed district manager and assistant manager.

April

• Resilient Point Roberts: Going Solar teamed up with the parks district to pursue a grant opportunity to fund a feasibility study for solar backup power for the community center, the library, the firehall, the water district office, the health clinic and the Trinity Church.
• Whatcom Transportation Authority and Point Roberts Circle of Care teamed up to provide two round trip rides to Bellingham and two to Blaine per week on a one-year trial basis. Discussion on whether to continue the pilot was scheduled for February 2025.
• The Point Roberts Hospital District voted 2-2 to hear a proposal from Dr. John Anwar to be the Point Roberts Clinic’s medical provider.
• The Blaine school board swore in new members Ryan Swinburnson and Steve Galbraith. The two members were immediately charged with the task of approving a resolution to district superintendent Christopher Granger to prepare for a reduced education plan for the 2024-2025 school year in anticipation of a $2.5 million budget deficit.

May

• Whatcom County Superior Court Judge Robert E. Olsen approved an $8 million settlement on April 19 between the two children of Murray Church and Gail Amundsen and three out of five defendants accused of negligence in the couple’s deaths from carbon monoxide poisoning.
• Dr. John Anwar made a presentation to the hospital district showcasing the services he could provide as a service provider. The current medical service provider, Dr. Sean Bozorgzad, objected to hospital district chair Stephen Falk’s decision to hear Dr. Anwar’s presentation, pointing out that by doing so, Falk was in contravention of the standard legal process hospital districts follow in Washington state when contracting for service providers.

June

• Around three dozen residents attended the hospital district’s regular monthly meeting, expressing concern that two of the three commissioners were considering replacing the current operators of the local health clinic, SuperTrack Urgent Care, with Dr. John Anwar. These concerns stemmed from an extensive Open Public Records request filed by blogger Vic Riley, which uncovered previously undisclosed meetings and potential violations of the Open Public Meetings Act. The records revealed communications between two commissioners and former clinic P.A. Deb Shields, aimed at securing a contract to manage the clinic.
• The CDC planned on implementing new rules for dogs entering the United States, including those dogs coming from non-U.S. cabin owners into Point Roberts.
• Donna Hilty, the COO of Whidbey Telecom, addressed the community at a monthly PRCAC meeting to explain the stalled progress of the underground fiber optic cable installation. The project had been halted since late 2023 due to significant archaeological findings.
• Part-time resident Melanie Osmack and parks commissioner Allison Calder applied for a $582,500 grant with Washington State’s Community Outdoor Athletic Funding to finance a multi-use court next to the skatepark by Baker Field.
• Point Roberts Historical Society installed historical markers throughout the Point in order to highlight the unique history of the area.

July

• During a monthly meeting of the PRCAC, local resident Lorne Nielson announced his plans for a new campground to be built in the 50-acre wooded property at the junction of Mill and Johnson roads.
• Two hospital commissioners issued public apologies for conducting district business outside of public meetings contrary to the Washington State Open Public Meeting Act.
• The parks district approved a bid made by Ken Calder for $22,848 to upgrade the septic system at the community center. The upgrade was made to expand use of the kitchen facilities. In addition, an estimate for $11,650 was approved for electrical enhancements critical to the new septic system and general facility upgrades.
• Resilient Point Roberts: Going Solar won a grant for $133,000 from the Washington State Clean Energy Community Decarbonation grants program. The grant was matched with $17,000 in community funding. The funds were used to conduct feasibility studies on conducting solar panels and backup systems on community buildings.
• Point Roberts Organic Earth, a group aimed at reducing the loss of organic materials from the Point, was awarded a local and community projects grant worth $94,000 from Washington state. The funds were to be used for a full feasibility study of a local green waste system.

August

• SuperTrack, the service provider that operates the local health clinic, was offered a three-year contract instead of their usual one-year contract renewal.
• Just days before the new rules governing traveling into the United States with dogs were scheduled to be implemented, the CDC relaxed the requirements.
• Whatcom County Executive Satpal Sidhu announced a 90-day hiring freeze across all departments due to dwindling federal funds and a leveling out of tax revenue.
• Strings & Things International Music Festival was a sold-out event held at the marina. The event featured four bands, spanned six hours, and drew a crowd of nearly 600 attendees.

September

• Port of Bellingham commissioners approved spending nearly $100,000 on a public relations contract to improve its public image.
• Whatcom County applied for a conditional use permit to replace the office at the Johnson Road transfer station.
• The marina applied for permission to do a bypass dredging operation that involves taking sand from the east side of the harbor breakwater and moving it to the west side.

October

• Whatcom County Public Works conducted a drainage study on the Point and presented their initial overview at a monthly meeting of the PRCAC. The study identified 20 distinct flooding locations and 39 problems that would need 16 capital projects to resolve. Public works reminded residents that keeping culverts clear and replacing them if they are undersized or damaged is a property owner’s responsibility. They said they would return early in 2025 to present final results.
• Cascadia Renewables conducted a feasibility study on community buildings and hosted two public workshops. SolarFest, an event aimed to get the community informed on the benefits of solar energy, was held at the firehall.
• The eighth annual Apple Harvest Festival was held by Point Roberts Circle of Care.

November

• During a special meeting, Point Roberts fire commissioners voted to authorize the purchase of a new ambulance after its frontline ambulance was taken out of service due to a collision.
• Point Roberts hospital district superintendent Barbara Wayland announced her intention to retire following the December regular meeting.
• Contracting practices at the Port of Bellingham have raised concerns about oversight and transparency after two contracts just under the $100,000 limit whereby contracts bids require undergoing formal competitive bidding procedures.

December

• Port of Bellingham commissioners authorized a contract to create an economic development strategy for Point Roberts to help its recovery from lingering post-pandemic effects.
• For the second time in ten months, the Blaine school district’s proposed $70 million general obligation bond failed to reach the required 60 percent supermajority threshold at the ballot box.