February 2015
IN THIS
ISSUE
www.AllPointBulletin.com
Year in Review continued, page 4
Spend much time in the U.S.? Beware.
County seeks community input, page 6
ECRWSS PRSRT STD U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 14
FREE
Group seeks to fill in-home care need, page 9
Point Roberts, WA 98281 Postal Patron Local
A big win!
By Meg Olson More shared information between U.S. and Canadian border agencies spells more scrutiny for Canadians who regularly spend time in the U.S. When phase two of the Beyond the Border Entry/Exit Initiative rolled out in June 2013, border agencies began sharing biographic information on third-country nationals, and U.S. and Canadian permanent residents. The next phase of the project was scheduled to cover all travelers and was due to be implemented by June 2014, but has been slowed down by privacy concerns on the Canadian side. “Both Canada and the U.S. remain dedicated to the full implementation of the Entry/Exit Initiative, to enhance security through a common approach to perimeter screening,” stated Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) spokesperson Line Guibert-Wolff. “Legislative and regulatory changes are required before phase three can be fully implemented in Canada.” When the system is fully implemented, border agencies will share information of entry into one country to use as proof of exit from the other, providing accurate information on how much time individuals spend on either side of the border. According to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), the shared information will be used to enforce immigration warrants, monitor removal orders and, “also assist the government in determining that individuals continue to meet permanent residency obligations and/or meet eligibility requirements to apply for citizenship.” In a January 20 interview with CBC Radio, Gail Hunnisett, a constituency assistant for Adam Atamanenko, the Member of Parliament for B.C.’s southern interior, said the new system was causing anxiety to frequent travelers to the U.S. Hunnisett said the office was hearing from “people who own property in the states and spend four to six months there,” a description that would apply to many property owners in Point Roberts and Birch Bay. “Most Canadians believe if they spend no more than 182 days, essentially six months, in the U.S. they are going to avoid U.S. tax complications and they aren’t going to lose their healthcare,” Hunnisett said. “That’s a common misconception.” Depending on which government agency consulted, the “days out of country” criteria are different. Regarding health insurance, the B.C. Ministry of Health requires B.C. residents to be physically present in the province for at least six months in a calendar year. However, as of last year, they need to be present for seven months if they are outside B.C. “for vacation purposes only.” However, the (See Border, page 3)
s Radio tower opponents Jennifer Urquhart and Arthur Reber celebrate Whatcom County Council’s January 27 affirmation of county hearing examiner Michael Bobbink’s rejection of a proposal to build a radio tower farm in Point Roberts.
Photo by Meg Olson
County council upholds denial of radio towers By Meg Olson On January 27 The Cross Border Coalition to Stop the Towers was celebrating its latest victory in their battle to stop a tower farm being built in Point Roberts, but already planning for the next round. At its regular meeting Whatcom County Council voted unanimously to uphold the county hearing examiner’s decision to deny BBC Broadcasting’s conditional use permit to build an array of five 150' radio towers at the corner of Tyee Drive and
McKenzie Way. Hearing examiner Michael Bobbink ruled against the application because he said there was “no specific mechanism for allowing broadcast towers or other utility structures to exceed zoning height limitations” in the county code, and the towers would exceed to height limitations for Point Roberts. Such a mechanism specific to cellular communications towers already exists. County council was briefed by their legal team in closed session prior to the vote
Parks board seeks new blood By Meg Olson Following Point Roberts Parks and Recreation District board chair Mark Robbins’ decision to not run for reelection this fall, fellow commissioners are considering how they will fill his over-sized shoes. “Mark [Robbins] has expanded the shoe size of the role to where none of us want to take it on,” said Linda Hughes at the January 12 board meeting, at which Robbins
was absent. The district hires staff only for cleaning and secretarial services, and to run the summer program. Other duties, from unplugging toilets to coordinating improvements to the community center, fall to the commissioners, who are elected and unpaid. The chair has traditionally shouldered most of the burden. (See Parks, page 3)
and took no testimony from the packed council chambers, filled with a mix of coalition members and their supporters, Point Roberts and Delta residents and members of the Indo-Canadian community that is served by BBC Broadcasting’s KRPI, currently broadcasting out of Ferndale. “It was a very strict council review of the laws and the rules and whether the hearing examiner went through that process (See Towers, page 2)
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Inside
Church ............................................... 7 Classifieds ......................................... 17 Coming Up ....................................... 14 Crossings ............................................ 7 Obituaries ......................................... 18 Opinion ............................................... 4 Seniors ............................................. 16 Tides ................................................. 12