Chaos Over Storm Water Management

It has been said that 10 percent of the population is irrational. Wednesday evening, May 21, the proportion was about 87 percent.

This at a public meeting sponsored by Whatcom County Public Works to discuss the draft funding plan for BBWARM, the Birch Bay Watershed Aquatic Resources Management district. The County Council approved formation of the district in 2006, and the funding plan will soon go to the Council for approval. The plan in the first year will generate over seven hundred thousand dollars to combat increased flooding, erosion, declining water quality and loss of aquatic habitat in the bay.

The Council has the power to establish a fee – without citizen vote – that will be collected with property and other taxes beginning in 2009. For most homeowners the monthly charge will range from $5.02 to $8.72 depending on the amount of impervious surface on their property. Fees for commercial enterprises are related to the size of their individual impervious surfaces. Every property owner in the Birch Bay watershed is included. Some whose mailing address is Ferndale didn’t know they are part of the watershed.

John Ghilarducci, the lead consultant at FCS Group in Redmond that created the funding plan, was only halfway through his power point presentation when the eruption started. From the back sanctuary of the Birch Bay Bible Community Church a woman in a red dress called out. “This is just gibberish.” Kraig Olason, the public works manager who is shepherding the plan, decided it was time to take comment.

A man from Latitude 49 described their superior ditch system. Birch Bay Village argued that three developments – one from Blaine – feed water into their Roger's Slough.

A man from Point Whitehorn, site of many recently-built large homes said, “Charge the developers.”

“The thousands of people who come to Birch Bay from throughout the state should pay,” said one woman.

On and on it went.

A woman, who runs a storage business with many low buildings and paved areas, said the fee would be three percent of her revenues. No one suggested her customers should be willing to pay a higher rate.

There was virtually no rebuttal from Olason or Ghilarducci. Both were models of composure. (For more information: www.co.whatcom.wa.us/publicworks/birchbay)

Toward the end of the meeting, Jerry Larson, a vigorous protector of water quality in the bay, passed out a detailed report on the situation first published a year ago.



The picture above is from an orientation on October 1, 2005 by Bill Derry, the lead consultant of CH2M Hill, who researched storm water problems and developed the abatement plan, shown with Roland Middleton, Whatcom County Planning Department.


At several points Mr. Ghilarducci made the case for the greater good – that everyone would benefit from clean water and edible seafood. But an angry woman countered with, “The whole thing sucks.”

Carl Weimer, president of the County Council, did not rise. Long-time members of the Storm Water implementation subcommittee of the Birch Bay Steering Committee, who have been working for this cause for years, were relaxed. They can be confident the measure will pass the County Council.

But what does this say about the irrationals? In this context we define “irrational” as those who disregard civic responsibility. Do they not care if clams are no longer dug on the beach? If crabs are no longer edible? If parents fear allowing their children to go into the water? If visitors stop coming, what will that do for their property values? Do they expect such perils are far off – no cause for their concern? (Two days after the meeting, the Whatcom County Health Department closed Birch Bay to clam digging.)

What does this say about the potential for self-government? Yes, some of the irrationals are from outside the community. But others are within sight and walking distance of the bay. Do they care for nothing but their money?

What BBCC Needs to Do

You can’t say the Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce has gone down hill because in our five years' experience it was never up.

What the Chamber does well is to organize and manage successful events – the Polar Bear Swim, Discovery Days parade and fair, the Sand Castle contest and the New Year’s Eve Ring of Fire and Hope. The Ring promises to be a fantastic event when more participants plant flares to create a continuous rim of red around the bay.

What the Chamber doesn’t do is to make these events profitable for the entire community. What’s needed is more business for the merchants and profits to help pay for essential amenities, such as a bathhouse, a community center (perhaps including a city hall), and – most of all – The Berm.

When it was suggested more could be charged for Polar Bear T-shirts, the answer was that the Chamber is “non-profit.” Well, many non-profits raise significant amounts of money, starting with chicken dinners to pay off church mortgages.

Speakers at the monthly luncheon meetings, who can be categorized as poor presenters selling what few people want, are the weakest aspect. Recent meetings became “networking opportunities” – members selling other members. Three of them are enough.

The Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce could provide a platform for discussion of the major needs of the community:

1) Kathy Berg, leader of the Steering Committee, to discuss the recently completed feasibility study: “How Birch Bay Can Become a City.”

2) County Executive Pete Kremen on Whatcom’s finances: “What the County Can and Can’t Do for Birch Bay”

3) Congressman Rick Larsen on funding: “What Birch Bay Needs to Do for Me to Earmark Money for Your Berm.”

4) Ditto our state legislators, State Senator Dale Brand and Representatives Kelli Linville and Doug Erickson.

5) Messrs. Wynstra, Bovenkamp and Kent: “How We See Development in Birch Bay in the Next Ten Years.”

We would bet these programs could fill the big room at the top of the Sand Castle resort and nobody would complain about the cost of the meal.

The survey included with the April newsletter also asked for comments about other meetings. We would vote for breakfast workshops on “How to Gain Leads and Make the Sale”. Reinstating the 5:31 socials would be good way for members to learn more about other members and for newcomers to meet leaders of the community.

We’ve put our answers to the survey on this blog because BBCC at its peak will benefit the whole community.

Parks & Rec – Milestone for the Community

Is there significance that the first community-planning meeting for the revived Northwest Parks and Recreation District took place on the same Saturday as the Birch Bay Road Race?

Maybe that’s a stretch. But there were more runners out in the rain than participants at the meeting held in the warm and pleasantly restored facility of the county park at the west end of the Semiahmoo spit.

Of course, not all of runners were from Blaine and Birch Bay. Whatever, the enthusiasm of about 35 participants in the meeting – not near one percent of population that will benefit when the plans discussed materialize – made up for the small number.

The commissioners are obviously intent on building a program that will appeal to the community that covers area of the Blaine school district, excepting for Pt. Roberts. They got a 10-cent levy passed in November to restart the district that began in 1982with active programs, and then fell dormant when a renewal levy failed in 1986.

For most of the two hours the commissioners listened to suggestions from participants. First, groups sitting at round tables brainstormed ideas. Then one person from each table reported to the room. Suggestions varied widely, including walking trails and classes for older people well as youth and even softball for seniors. Swimming lessons were suggested with the hope that a pool – perhaps at Semiahmoo Resort – would be made available.

Several qualified instructors have volunteered to teach various classes. The first scheduled session is free golf lessons for six youngsters with Brian Southwick, the pro at Sealinks Golf Course.

Much of the discussion centered on a ball field at Horizon Park, a World War II military facility that is now in the Whatcom County park system. It is located off Alderson Road in Birch Bay, west of Blaine Road and near the large Bay Crest development and other family homes nearby.

Commissioner Richard Sturgill mentioned an unused utility right-of-way that could be utilized for a trail between Blaine and Birch Bay, creating a leg of the Millennium Trail that will someday connect Vancouver with Seattle.

James Bolick and Christie Rector were there to speak for Blaine Youth Baseball that involves some 200 boys and girls from age seven to 13. They explain their teams are now limited to a short season. Their only fields are at the school district’s Pipeline facility that closes down in mid June with the end of the school year. Mr. Bolick, who lives in Birch Bay Village, played baseball at Horizon as a youth. While now it is very much a diamond in the rough, there is plenty of unused space.

Ms. Rector, who lives in Blaine, explained that the Mariners as well as the Babe Ruth and Cal Ripkin junior baseball organizations make funds available to pay for amenities such as bleachers and backstops if the facility is unrelated to a school district. Both agreed that Blaine parents would have no more trouble getting their kids to a Birch Bay field than Birch Bay parents have getting their kids to Blaine.

Another advantage is that Horizon Park is under-utilized except for a hostel and Lions program for disadvantaged youth in the summer. Along with kitchen and showers, there is a small gym and a one-lane bowling alley. Jim Bolick, who thinks like an entrepreneur, says there is a modest moneymaking opportunity to attract visitors with tournaments. Commissioner Terry Johnson said that when he lived in Southern California he built a number of ball fields with volunteers.

First on the agenda is a master plan. Qualified consultants are being invited to submit proposals. Commissioner Ted Morris, our leading donation-getter, is confident that the levy amount of approximately $325,000 per year can be extended by contributions and volunteer workers to a value of $450,000.

After this good meeting, it is easy to imagine a Blaine-Birch BayTrail Race in 2010 race over a new leg of Millennium Trail. Then a party at Horizon Park!

Dear Reader: What do you think?

Birch Bay's Viability as a City

Brett Sheckler is fond of saying that almost every community can incorporate if it is willing to accept the level of service it can afford. He is a consultant at Berk & Associates, the firm that Washington cities go for answers to financial questions, and he is the leader of the team that evaluated Birch Bay’s feasibility. The final report was released March 31.

Many people, even some who go to Steering Committee meetings, believe Birch Bay is not viable as a city because we have few retail businesses to generate sales taxes. But Mr. Sheckler shows that there are other revenues available to Birch Bay, and the city “would generate enough revenues to provide a slightly higher level of service than residents currently receive.”

The report explains that under a tax that held Birch Bay residents’ tax burdens equal to what they pay as residents of Whatcom County, the city would generate $3,181,000 in ‘core’ operating revenues (in 2009), able to provide slightly higher levels of service over those currently received for $ 2,963,000. That would leave $218,000 in revenues (7%) remaining to increase levels of services.

At the outset, the report goes on to say, Birch Bay’s government would be a bare bones operation, most likely renting space for a “city hall.” Police services would be provided by the county sheriff with police cars with Birch Bay insignia and officers in Birch Bay uniforms. The important difference, advocates of incorporation can argue, would be that decisions would be made by a Birch Bay city council with local boards and more opportunity for resident participation.

Berk and Associates also compared the property tax base and sales tax revenues of Birch Bay with those of 11 Washington cities that incorporated in the past 15 years. Birch Bay’s property and sales tax base per resident would rank above that of eight of the 11 recently incorporated cities, indicating that a Birch Bay city would have a relatively strong financial base.

The full 87-page report can be read at the Incorporation pages of wwwbirchbayinfo.org.

Our purpose is to build awareness and understanding for informed discussion.

All comments are welcomed.

New Construction

At a memorable meeting of the Steering Committee Patrick Alesse said that the business of Birch Bay is building homes, primary homes and vacation homes.

Last year new construction dropped off. New hookups for the Water and Sewer District – which only approximates the UGA – were less than a hundred, yet enough to match the minimum of 85 used by Berk Consultants in the tax-revenue estimates of the incorporation feasibility study. In previous years that average was about 200 per year.

At last Wednesday’s meeting (2.27) of the Steering Committee, Bill Grant, builder of the TrendWest and Whiskie Jack complexes, took the microphone to report that with the economy off he gained a two-year extension for the permit he has to build six to eight more condos. Lisa Guthrie, the smiling face of Homestead Northwest stood up to say they have broken ground for a 19-unit addition to the Grand Bay condos. Half of the initial units are sold.

Meanwhile three homes are being built in what we call the Terrell Creek District, between the Jackson Road and Alderson Road bridges. On the west side of the creek, Lee Barma and his wife, who’ve lived in Birch Bay more than 20 years, are rebuilding the cottage they’ve owned at 7540 Birch Bay Drive. Leaving only the front walls, Tandem Design & Construction is adding a second story. For now, the Barmas are living in the cottage they own next door.

Across the creek at what will be 7589 Wooldridge (although his sign, based on information he got from the county, says Morrison), Charlie Gorsak and his wife, Linda, poured a pad that will hold a modular factory-built whose exterior Charlie will cover with shakes and add other enhancements. Included in this long narrow strip will be a garden with native plants and evergreens. (Some from the free offer from A Lot of Trees.) Included in the landscaping will be the stumps now on the property that came from Birch Bay Village where they currently live. Yes, their home is going to be close to the creek as well as the road – Charlie persevered through three variance hearings.

Overlooking both at the top of the Sunset hill, Credo Construction is building a neat three-level house for Joel DiManno and his family. This home is the fruition of a dream that began six years ago when they visited friends of Mrs. DiManno’s parents in Birch Bay Village. They looked in the Village, but wanted a better view, then found the Sunset property on http://www.birchbay.com/. Mr. DiManno is pleased with the cement structure that he explains includes high-tech innovation to support the hillside home.

All of these projects are now farther along than the pictures indicate. The builders work faster than our photog.