October 2017
www.AllPointBulletin.com
Boardwalk to get chopped in half, page 3
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ECRWSS PRSRT STD U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 14
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Meg Olson appointed to Blaine council, page 8
Blackfish buys Pier Point Resort, page 13
Point Roberts, WA 98281 Postal Patron Local
Partners agree With a paddle and some cardboard ... to share new library costs By Meg Olson With five bids before them, the partners on the new library project have agreed to share potential funding needs. Bids were opened on August 23 with HBHansen coming in with the low bid. Their base bid was $781,000 with Home and Garden of Everson coming in second lowest at $788,000. The funds raised and contributed by two of the three partners – the Friends of the Point Roberts Library (FOPRL) and the Whatcom County Library System (WCLS) – came to $820,000, Point Roberts park commissioner Stephen Falk said. The park district’s contribution is the building itself. With additional project costs of approximately $80,000 not included in the bid, they had a budget shortfall of nearly $40,000, Falk said. In addition, asbestos abatement, estimated at $25,000, will need to be addressed before the building project can move ahead. During an August 30 special meeting, park district commissioners voted unanimously to cover the cost of asbestos abatement on the Julius Fire Station, a necessary first step to any remodel of the building. “We can afford to use some of our reserves and still have enough budget carryover next year,” Falk said. The low base bid does not cover alternates, such as meeting rooms or air conditioning, and WCLS director Christine Perkins said the latter had proven crucial at several other of their facilities. She suggested her board would be amenable to covering that item and could perhaps contribute additional funds to the project. FOPRL volunteer Judy Ross said she would go back to her board and crank up their powerful fundraising machine. “I’ve been approached by a number of people with interest in contributing what could be matching funds,” she said. “Whatever (See Library, page 2)
s Kiniski’s Annual Cardboard Boat Race went off with nary a hitch on August 26 and attracted a diverse crew of competitive sailors. Jakob Keller, above, took home a $100 gift certificate after coming in first. Photo by Meg Olson
Full slate of candidates on tap for voters event By Meg Olson The Point Roberts Registered Voters Association has a full guest list for its annual candidate’s night. The event will be held at the community center on Gulf Road from 7 to 9 p.m. on Monday, October 2. Association president Joel Lantz said they had invited all the candidates on the ballot for Point Roberts residents as well as speakers for or against ballot measures. Running for the at-large position on
Whatcom County Council, incumbent Barry Buchanan is facing challenger Mary Kay Robinson. Two of three spots of the Port of Bellingham board of commissioners are on the November ballot this fall and will be chosen by voters county-wide. In district one, Michael Shepard is challenging incumbent Dan Robbins. Ken Bell and Barry Wenger are running to fill the district two seat currently occupied by Mike McAuley, who is not seeking reelection.
Taxpayers group urges passage of parks district levy By
Meg Olson
The board of directors of the Point Roberts Taxpayers Association have voted unanimously to endorse and support passage of the Point Roberts Park and Recreation District maintenance and operations levy to assure continued funding of the district. Park and recreation districts do not have permanent levies, as do most tax districts in Washington. Rather, they must seek
voter approval for a new maintenance and operations property tax levy every six years. Since 2012, the Point Roberts Park and Recreation District has operated on a levy of up to 8.4 cents per $1,000 property valuation, or about $50,000. Keeping with longstanding tradition, the district has not sought funding for any staff support, other than the secretary/bookkeeper, who only works a couple of days per month. All of the day-to-day management and support has been provid-
ed by volunteer park commissioners. The proposed levy for the next six years, 2018-2023, would allow the district to hire a part-time manager to assist the commissioners. It would also fund various deferred, essential maintenance projects, in particular, septic and seismic upgrades at the community center and improvements at Baker Field, as well as expansion of direct recreational program support by the (See Taxpayers, page 2)
Four of the six local positions up for election have unopposed candidates. Water district chair Scott Hackleman, hospital commissioner Robin Nault are unopposed while at the park district, Sonya Liu is on the ballot to replace Mary Edgley and Arthur Reber is running to replace Doug Shier. Both Liu and Reber have already been appointed to those positions by the board (See Election, page 2)
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Church ............................................... 7 Classifieds ......................................... 16 Coming Up ....................................... 15 Garden ................................................ 6 Opinion ............................................... 4 Seniors ............................................. 18 Sheriffs ............................................. 18 Tides ................................................. 13