Year in Review: Point Roberts Community Advisory Committee

2023 was a year of continued, albeit slow, progress on several issues of importance to the Point Roberts community.

In response to community concerns conveyed by the Point Roberts Community Advisory Committee (PRCAC) to Whatcom County, the county public works department (PWD) put out a request for bids in late 2022 for a comprehensive stormwater drainage master plan for Point Roberts. The contract was eventually awarded to the engineering services firm Tetra Tech. PRCAC has since worked closely with both PWD staff and Tetra Tech towards the completion of this plan. We expect to organize a townhall in spring of 2024 to update the community on progress and solicit feedback.

Also, in response to community concerns conveyed by the PRCAC, Whatcom Public Utility District #1 (PUD) applied for and received a $3.15 million grant from the Washington State Broadband Office (along with a matching grant of $350,000 from the county and another $250,000 earmarked in the Washington state budget) towards building open-access fiber to over 1,200 unserved homes on the Point.

The PUD is in the process of contracting out for a construction-ready design for the buildout, which is expected to begin in 2024 and completed in 2025.

Meanwhile, Whidbey Telecom’s fiber buildout for other parts of Point Roberts, based on previously awarded USDA grants, is currently stalled due to archaeological issues, but Whidbey Telecom expects work to resume in the first quarter of 2024.

PRCAC has also been in conversations with the Whatcom Transportation Authority (WTA) regarding resumption of van services connecting Point Roberts to Bellingham and other points in Whatcom County.

After exploring multiple options, WTA is currently in discussions with the Circle of Care (CoC) for an arrangement whereby CoC would operate a WTA-provided van and provide flexible connectivity that meets the needs of the community. Barring unforeseen hurdles, an agreement between CoC and the WTA is expected to be formalized in early 2024.

PRCAC also worked with the county to organize three septic system homeowner training sessions, attended by over 100 residents each. Residents who complete the training are eligible to apply for rebates on repairs or maintenance costs for their septic system. We expect to hold more such sessions in 2024.

Looking forward to 2024, PRCAC expects to continue to work on the issues listed above and see them to completion.

In addition, the committee also expects to work on other longstanding aspirations of the community such as an off-leash dog park, a public boat ramp, a pier, etc.

Unlocking access to the Point Roberts Transportation Benefit District gas tax funds, which currently has a balance of around $1.2M, could be a crucial enabler and the PRCAC is working with both our county and state representatives towards that end.

PRCAC is always open to community input and feedback, which can be sent via email to prcac.comment@gmail.com. PRCAC meeting agendas, minutes, and videos can be found at bit.ly/3iTx6DQ. On behalf of the entire PRCAC, we wish everyone happy holidays and a great 2024.