Six Month Recap

In the aftermath of the mayor of Blaine's February 12, 2024, edict ending open public comment at Blaine City Council meetings, I hosted a community forum on April 6, 2024, at Blaine Public Library titled, "Ending the Culture of Exclusion at Blaine City Hall." Participants in the forum decided to conduct a public education campaign, and on April 8, 2024, we staged a silent FREE SPEECH protest at the Blaine City Council meeting.

Washington State law requires open two-way discussions where citizens can ask questions and get answers from public officials, as well as offer their ideas. Blaine City Council has adopted a 2024 comprehensive work plan for redevelopment without holding a single town hall. 

In my May 5, 2024, email to Blaine City Council, I called on Mayor Steward to resign for making backroom deals, covering up conflicts of interest, and facilitating self-dealing by developers. On May 6, 2024, Blaine City Manager Mike Harmon responded to my email accusing me of being inflammatory. 

On June 19, 2024, I emailed Blaine City Council about Harmon's mental state after he acted out his paranoia at the IGA grocery store pretending that I was a threat to his children while shopping. On June 20, 2024, Harmon emailed me to confirm I was a threat to his children's safety and copied his portrayal of me as a dangerous person to the Blaine Chief of Police.

In my June 13, 2024, email to Washington State Department of Ecology and the United States Environmental Protection Agency, I observed that the City of Blaine State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) process designating Planned Unit Developments (PUDs) in Blaine's Critical Aquifer Recharge Area (CARA) as insignificant placed an unfair burden on citizens to protect our aquifer. Contesting Blaine SEPA decisions made in the absence of legally required public participation costs $1,500 for the city-paid Hearing Examiner, and then much more to see an appeal to its conclusion at the state court of appeals. Because the actions of Blaine public officials have violated our first amendment and civil rights, this means holding our local government accountable without state or federal agency action would cost us six figures in attorney's fees.

In my June 13, 2024, email to Blaine City Council, I noted the city was not considering the cumulative impacts of development in our CARA due to the fraudulent designation by Blaine's SEPA official Alex Wenger. My August 4, 2024, email to Blaine City Council observed that the city violated SEPA by thwarting public participation, by refusing to consider cumulative effects, and by withholding evidence of self-dealing by developers, including Councilman Hill.


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