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THANK YOU FROM BLAINE WATER COALITION

October 22 letter to Whatcom County Council, cc Planning Commission: Thank you for reining in Blaine urban sprawl! [they just voted 6-1 against any Blaine annexations] We have been fighting this costly UGA nonsense for two years. We will continue working to bring Blaine into compliance with state and federal law, and to harmonize Blaine's comprehensive plan with Whatcom County's. Our most recent challenge in this endeavor is the incitement of violence against Blaine Water Coalition by Blaine Mayor Mary Lou Steward and Blaine City Manager Mike Harmon. This government misconduct in retaliation for being held accountable by citizens must end. On October 13, Blaine Water Coalition leaders were threatened by name at the city council meeting. A temporary restraining order has been served on the perpetrator, who was motivated to issue death threats by the mayor and city manager's remarks. All of this was enabled by the failure of the Whatcom County Prosecutor to protect us over th...
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OCEAN FARMS PROPAGANDA

The direct mail card supporting Proposition 2025-07 in the October 17 mail delivery alongside our ballots and voters pamphlet in Blaine was paid for by Ocean Farms LLC. Ocean Farms LLC is the Avista at Birch Point developer hoping to be annexed by the City of Blaine because city development standards and critical area protections are far lower than Whatcom County and Washington State, thus making more profits for developers (and more pollution for Birch Bay). Unfortunately for Ocean Farms,  Whatcom County on October 3 sent a letter to the City of Blaine  essentially saying Birch Point annexation is off the table due to the entire area being a Critical Aquifer Recharge Area, and due to the failure of Blaine City Council to adopt a Capital Facilities Plan showing detailed costs of annexation to Blaine taxpayers, which is required by state law prior to any annexations. They also told Blaine it has enough vacant land without annexing. The only  purpose  of the fraudule...
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HILL'S REVENGE

After Whatcom County Sheriff's Department served Mike Hill's associate David Brudvik--a convicted violent felon--with restraining orders yesterday for threatening Blaine Water Coalition leaders Geoffrey Baker, Tina Erwin, Donna Newman, and me on October 13, former councilman Mike Hill today had Blaine PD phone the four of us to say we are banned from his properties downtown for five years. These properties include Chevron, Blaine Visitor Center, Bordertown Mexican Grill, and Starbuck's.  I say why stop with us; let's start a boycott of Hill's businesses!   
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CARA GEOLOGY

T he Critical Aquifer Recharge Areas (CARAs) at east Blaine and Birch Point differ in both volume and geology. Both have shallow aquifers perched above the clay layer, but only east Blaine has a large deeper aquifer containing ancient glacial water in sufficient quantities for Blaine and Birch Bay. The shallow perched aquifers in east Blaine and Birch Point can be contaminated by improper stormwater management and other sources of pollution, that can then run off into Drayton Harbor and Birch Bay. The fossil water in the east Blaine deep aquifer can be polluted if the clay layer is penetrated. The east Blaine aquifer provides 100% of drinking water for Blaine and Birch Bay.
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DRAYTON HARBOR CLEANUP PLAN

On Thursday October 23 at 5:30 pm, Washington State Department of Ecology will present the   Drayton Harbor Cleanup Plan   at Blaine Public Library. The previous DOE presentation of their data on Drayton Harbor pollution was to gather public input and other agency responses; now it's time to act on the data provided by all participants, especially DOE, the Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Blaine Water Coalition ( waterplanningmatters.org ). As one example of things that must be fixed in order to comply with state and federal environmental law, Cain Creek human fecal pollution must be reduced by 67-99%. Another example is that Blaine is now 14 months overdue in adopting the DOE 2024 Stormwater Management Manual, required by state law. Yet another example are the documented 22 Shoreline Management Program violations unenforced by Blaine Code Enforcement.
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UGA DOA

In the mistitled article Blaine Withdraws Controversial Urban Growth Area Proposal at Cascadia Daily News, it notes the letter from Whatcom County Planning that essentially closes the door on any annexations by the City of Blaine. Blaine Resolution 1984-25 , passed on October 13, states the city will continue to pursue the annexation of a Birch Point UGA, and pause pursuing the Urban Growth Reserve Area at Birch Point until after the vote on the fraudulent Proposition 2025-07 .
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SPEAKER FAVORITISM

October 18 letter to Blaine City Council: I noticed that Councilman Lopez, who moderated the October 13 town hall, cut off Blaine Water Coalition speakers at the 2-minute mark, but allowed former councilman Mike Hill's friends to ramble on for an extra minute. In case you were wondering about the first speaker, David Brudvik, he was served yesterday with a restraining order for his threatening remarks before you against Blaine Water Coalition member Tina Erwin. On Monday, the Whatcom District Court will process the petitions for protection by Blaine Water Coalition leaders Geoffrey Baker and myself.  It was revealing that not one of you said anything about the Mike Hill-David Brudvik hate campaign launched before you against Blaine Water Coalition, which was motivated and provided targets during the September 8 council meeting demonization of our organization by Mayor Mary Lou Steward, and repeated defamation of us by Blaine City Manager Mike Harmon, on the record. Not on...
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