July 2017
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Point Roberts, WA 98281 Postal Patron Local
Parks board to seek increase in annual levy By Meg Olson Point Roberts Park and Recreation District commissioners are poised to ask voters to approve doubling the parks district’s operations and maintenance levy in order to hire the district’s first manager. “I don’t think anyone doubts we need to hire someone,” said commissioner Mary Edgley. “There’s just too much to do on a volunteer basis.” Parks district commissioners are uncompensated and, without staff, the tasks of operating and maintaining the community center and parks facilities fall to them. At the community center this includes scheduling use of the rooms by different local groups, opening and closing the facility for users, coordinating and meeting with contractors for maintenance of the building (or doing it themselves), negotiating contracts with users such as the library system and seniors, ordering supplies and a variety of other tasks. At Baker Field, commissioners take on most of the maintenance of the trails, skate park and field. “I’ve been putting in over 30 hours a week,” said commissioner Bennett Blaustein. Traditionally, one of the commissioners, often the president, essentially made parks operations their job. “I’m happy to put in 10 or 15 hours in a week but 30 is a little crazy.” Recently, Blaustein had put in 40 hours maintaining overgrown trails at Baker Field which had not been kept up. “We need to make sure these parks are maintained so people can really use them,” he said. At their June 12 meeting, parks commissioners approved a motion to ask district legal council to prepare a resolution for their July 10 meeting asking voters to approve a six-year levy of 17 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation, with a built in percentage increase over those six years. The district’s current operations and maintenance levy is eight cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation, which generates approximately $50,000 a year. The proposed increase would boost that amount to $100,000. Stephen Falk pointed out that the parks district currently takes up almost the thinnest slice of the local tax pie. “The voters would like to see all sorts of things we can’t do right now because we don’t have the money,” he said. “Nobody’s smaller than us except for the cemetery district. Even if we double our rate we will still be on the low end.” Under the current levy, a home valued at $200,000 pays $18 per year to support the local parks system. If voters approve the levy increase in November, the same (See Parks, page 3)
s Walkers at Lily Point during recent minus tides were treated to the sight of hundreds of eagles feasting on marine life left stranded in tidal pools on the sand flats. Photo by Louise Mugar
Fee for required trash collection may be coming By Meg Olson After more than a year studying the Point Roberts solid waste system, gathering public input and researching options, Whatcom County Health Department environmental health supervisor Jeff Hegedus thinks he may have an answer. Hegedus met with applause and thanks from committee members when he attended the June 13 meeting of the Point Roberts Community Advisory Committee (PRCAC). “I am incredibly confident you are representing our community’s
interests,” said committee member Jeff Christopher. Hegedus was reporting back to the committee following a unanimous motion at their March meeting to look at a form of taxing district to support the solid waste system and ensure everyone creating waste contributes to disposing of it properly. “What we continue to hear is that mandatory collection is supported here,” he said, while it is now effectively optional. The county already has a special waste collection district, established in 1996, under which everyone must have curb-
Senator Ericksen to speak at AGM The Point Roberts Taxpayers’ Association will have their annual general meeting on the barge at the marina this year. The event, as much a social as a business meeting, will also be an opportunity to share some face time with state senator Doug Ericksen. The July 13 event starts at 5:30 p.m. with time to mingle and enjoy appetizers and beverages provided by the association.
Ericksen will make his keynote speech at 6 p.m., followed by a short question and answer period. The business meeting will then follow with more time to socialize. Non-members are welcome to attend but all in attendance are encouraged to join the association and “make your voice heard.” Annual dues are $10 and membership is open to all taxpayers and full-time residents.
side collection services. However, that same law also has provisions for property owners to apply for an exemption. “Then in the ordinance that talks about service levels they made additional language for Point Roberts that said people who lived here seasonally would be encouraged to have curbside collection but didn’t have to,” he said. “In Point Roberts, if you’re (See Solid waste, page 6)
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Church ............................................... 9 Classifieds ......................................... 20 Coming Up ....................................... 17 Crossings .......................................... 19 Obituaries ......................................... 18 Opinion ............................................... 4 Seniors, library ................................ 22 Tides ................................................. 19