Business Pulse magazine September|October 2019

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SPECIAL ELECTION ISSUE THE Local CANDIDATES WEIGH IN ON ISSUES THAT MATTER TO YOU

HOUSING CRISIS Where can your employees afford to live?

GOING GREEN AT WHAT COST?

Task force shocks with Electricity Proposals

Executive Goodbyes Departing Messages from Linville and Louws The PULSE of Whatcom County

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VOL. 44 | NO. 5 PUBLISHER | Tony Larson

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER | Melissa Vail Coffman EDITOR | Dave Brumbaugh LIFESTYLE EDITOR | Danielle Larson COPY EDITOR | Larry Coffman CONTRIBUTING WRITERS | Dave Brumbaugh, Sherri Huleatt, Mike McKenzie, Tara Nelson, Mary Louise Van Dyke

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EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE | Jane Carten, President/Director, Saturna Capital; Pam Brady, Director NW Government & Public Affairs, BP Cherry Point; John Huntley, President/CEO, Mills Electric; Tony Larson, President, Whatcom Business Alliance; Doug Thomas, President/CEO, Bellingham Cold Storage; Josh Turrell, Partner, Larson Gross PLLC BOARD OF DIRECTORS | Janelle Bruland, President/CEO, MSNW; Tyler Byrd, Founder/President, Red Rokk Interactive; Andy Enfield, Vice President, Enfield Farms; Bryant Engebretson, Owner, Tradewinds Capital; Jonathan Ensch, Commercial Banking Officer, Peoples Bank; Mitch Faber, Partner, Adelstein, Sharpe & Serka; Sandy Keathley, Founder, K & K Industries; Lynn Murphy, Sr. Government Affairs Rep, Puget Sound Energy; Laura McKinney, NW Regional Government & Public Affairs, Alcoa Intalco Works; Andy Riddell, NW Business Banking Manager, Wells Fargo; Becky Raney, Co-owner, Print & Copy Factory; Sarah Rothenbuhler, Owner/CEO, Birch Equipment; Patti Rowlson, Owner, PR Consulting; Galen Smith, Owner, Coldstream Farms; Billy VanZanten, President, Western Refinery Services, Josh Wright, VP/Broker, Bell-Anderson Insurance For editorial comments and suggestions, write editor@ businesspulse.com. The magazine is published bimonthly at 2423 E. Bakerview Rd., Bellingham, WA 98226. 360.746.0418.

The yearly subscription rate is $30 (U.S.). For a free digital subscription, visit businesspulse.com. Entire contents copyrighted © 2019 Business Pulse. All rights reserved.

POSTMASTER Send address changes to Business Pulse, 2423 E. Bakerview Rd., Bellingham, WA 98226.

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FEATURES

inside

PULSE

Much-Anticipated General Election: County Exec & Bellingham Mayor Top Nov. 5 Ballot

By Dave Brumbaugh

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ne of the most anticipated off-year general elections in recent Whatcom County history will be held Nov. 5 to fill many key offices, including County Executive and Bellingham Mayor.

Tony Larson, President of the Whatcom Business Alliance and Publisher of Business Pulse magazine, and Satpal Sidhu, a Whatcom County Council member, are facing off for County Executive, after taking the top two spots in the Aug. 6 primary election. Incumbent Jack Louws did not run for a third four-year term.

Seth Fleetwood, a former Bellingham City Council and Whatcom County Council member, and current City Council member April Barker, are the finalists for Bellingham Mayor, after narrowly surviving a close four-person race in the primary election. Like Louws, Mayor Kelli Linville declined to seek a third term.

Whatcom County also will elect a new Auditor and Assessor, plus the first members of County Council Districts 4 and 5, which were created in 2015. A County Council At-Large position also is on the ballot.

Other contested races of note include

one of three positions on the Port of Bellingham Commission and Ferndale Mayor. An above-average number of city council and school board positions also drew multiple candidates this year.

The four-person race for Whatcom County Executive and Bellingham Mayor contributed to a turnout of 39.5% of registered voters in the Aug. 6 primary, topping the off-year primary-election turnouts in 2017 (31.1%), 2015 (25.3%), 2013 (21.7%), and 2011 (37.3%). The 2011 primary election also featured four-person races for Whatcom County Executive and Bellingham Mayor—boosting the general-election turnout to 59%.

However, off-year elections featuring local positions don’t draw as many voters as presidential elections, held every four years. The 2016 general election, for example, generated ballots from a whopping 82.7% of registered voters in Whatcom County.

In this year’s primary election, Larson led County Executive candidates with 37%, followed by Sidhu with 33.7%.

Fleetwood topped the candidates for Bellingham Mayor with 28.7%, and Barker was a close second with 26.7%.

The top issues in this year’s campaign include housing affordability, homelessness, family wage jobs, leadership, water quality and quantity, and environmental protection.

Ballots for the general election will be mailed Oct. 16 and must be returned to an election dropbox by 8 p.m. Nov. 5, or postmarked by midnight Nov. 5, in order to be counted.

To help inform voters, Business Pulse is publishing on the following pages biographical information and statements from the candidates for Whatcom County Executive, County Council, Bellingham Mayor, and Port of Bellingham Commissioner. Responses were edited only for obvious grammatical errors and otherwise published as submitted.

A Voters’ Guide will be mailed to registered voters about the same time as the general-election ballots and can be found online, as well. Voters also may attend one or more of the candidate forums organized by local groups.

Residents with questions about voter registration may contact the Election Division of the Whatcom County Auditor’s Office at 360.778.5102.

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By Dave Brumbaugh

November Election Creating a Buzz

THE COST OF GOING GREEN Bellingham Task Force Shocks Many With Electricity Proposals

By Dave Brumbaugh

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By Dave Brumbaugh

Bellingham Task Force Reveals Many Shocking Proposals

HOUSING CRISIS As local rents skyrocket, business owners concerns grow in retaining employees

By Tara Nelson

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By Tara Nelson

As Local Rents Skyrocket, Business Owners’ Concerns Grow In Retaining Employees

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publisher’s note

In Memorium: Jon Strong TONY LARSON Publisher, Business Pulse President, Whatcom Business Alliance

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very once in a while, events humble us and provide a reminder of what’s most important in life. And the precious nature of our life. One of those events touched all of us at the Whatcom Business Alliance and Business Pulse magazine family recently.

With great sadness, I share with you that following an unexpected cardiac arrest on his vacation in Arizona, and after three days in intensive care, our colleague and friend Jon Strong passed away August 13, 2019.

Jon was a long-time, valued employee and a friend of mine and to many of you. He was a good man, with a big heart. Always thinking of others first, volunteering his time to important causes, and engaging selflessly to make our community better. Even in death, his generosity will be felt by others. He has donated his vital organs for use by someone in need.

Jon was an extraordinary advocate for businesses in Whatcom County. He was able to share the WBA and Business Pulse philosophy well because he believed it and lived it.

He believed through his and your efforts, we could make Whatcom County better. We will miss him dearly.

A beautiful memorial service took place at the Bellingham Cruise Terminal in early September. It was a perfect location for Jon. We were able to gaze out the windows across the water and toward Alaska, where Jon spent many of his early years.

To assist his wife Stephanie and family with unexpected expenses associated with his passing, we’ve set up a GoFundMe page. You can contribute by going to GoFundMe.com and searching for Jon Strong. If it touches your heart, his family would be very grateful for your contribution. All funds raised will go directly to his family. I hope you will join me in this simple tribute to Jon’s work and life.

Jon’s passing is a good reminder to all of us.

Life is precious and short. There are no promises for tomorrow. Live with passion and make your impact today.

In this issue In my 30-plus years of publishing Business Pulse, this issue is the most unusual. While I’ve expressed opinion and offered insights on this page countless times, never have I been a feature in the issue. That changes in this one. Over the years, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed featuring, learning from, and, in many cases, developing lasting relationships with people and companies we’ve featured. I have a deep respect and admiration for those willing to take on the risk and hard work required to be successful in business. And particularly for those who use that success as a way to give back and improve our community.

This is our election issue. As you may be aware, I am running for County Executive.

We feature answers on some key issues from candidates in local races including Bellingham Mayor, Port of Bellingham Commission, Whatcom County Council, and the County Executive races. We are also offering insights from outgoing Bellingham mayor Kelli Linville and County Executive Jack Louws.

I encourage you to read the features. We’ve focused on issues being discussed in the upcoming election. One is the cost of going green. Some of the recommendations from Bellingham’s Climate Change Action Task Force have prompted questions about cost vs. benefit, and whether we are moving in the right direction. Also, we look closer at what Whatcom County’s Business and Commerce Committee, made up of top local business executives—including many WBA current

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and past board members—call “a worker and affordable-housing crisis.”

As in every issue, we also highlight great things going on in our community. One of those is led by Program Director Megan Brown at The Parenting Academy, created through the Brigid Collins Family Support Center’s strategic planning and fund-raising.

It’s another one of those great ideas that ultimately will have a significant impact.

We also bring you the five finalists for the Whatcom Women in Business 2019 Professional Woman of the Year Award. You can attend the event that takes place on Oct. 11.

Remember to vote! Ballots go into the mail October 16 and the voting deadline is November 5.

Enjoy the issue!

—Tony Larson

Jon and Stephanie Strong.

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Clockwise from top left: Pam Brady, BP Cherry Point Refinery; Teresa Dalton, The FireHouse Arts and Events Center; Lynn Giuliani, Progressions Inc.; Abby Franklin, Loving Space School; Teresa Taylor, Lummi Indian Business Council, and Alyssa Springs, Flow Motion Massage & Yoga Studio.

WWIB Announces 2019 Professional Woman of Year Finalists

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hatcom Women In Business has announced the five Finalists for the prestigious title of 2019 Professional Woman of the Year and named the inaugural Community Legacy Award recipient.

WWIB will present the honors at its annual Professional Women Awards Gala & Auction, beginning at 5:30 p.m. on Oct. 11 at the Four Points by Sheraton.

Chosen from among many community nominations by the WWIB Board of Directors, the finalists and Legacy Award recipient embody the qualities WWIB seeks to honor—Business Acumen, Community Involvement, Leadership, and Mentoring. The finalists are: • Pam Brady, BP Cherry Point Refinery • Teresa Dalton, The FireHouse Arts and Events Center • Lynn Giuliani, Progressions Inc. • Alyssa Springs, Flow Motion Massage & Yoga Studio • Teresa Taylor, Lummi Indian Business Council The recipient of the inaugural Community Legacy Award (CLA) is Abby Franklin of Loving Space School. Over the past 25 years, Abby and her staff have worked with nearly 2,000 children in Whatcom County in an environment where she says she strives to make sure

every person who enters her school feels valued and special.

The CLA is a unique new recognition that annually will honor the cumulative contributions of local women who have made lasting impacts on the community through decades of dedication.

The event features silent and live auctions and a plated dinner, culminating in the presentation of the 2019 award recipients. All funds raised at the annual event support the WWIB scholarship fund. To purchase tickets visit http://wwib.org/awards-banquet/tickets/.

WWIB is a member-based and volunteer-run non profit organization composed of business owners and managers. Guests are welcome at regular membership meetings held the fourth Tuesday of each month at the Bellingham Golf and Country Club.

WWIB is dedicated to giving back to the community and does so by financial and volunteer support of a Charity of the Year (proudly supporting the YWCA in 2019), and through scholarships to women furthering their education.

For more information about the Professional Woman of the Year and the Community Legacy Awards, membership, and scholarship opportunities see www.wwib.org.

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leading edge NEWSMAKERS

Ted Carlson Named Sanitary Service GM Ted Carlson, Director of Bellingham’s Public Works (PW) Department since 2009, left to become the General Manager for Sanitary Services Company (SSC), effective Aug. 15. Mayor Kelli Linville has named Assistant Director Eric Johnston as Interim Director.

Carlson became Public Works Director after first serving as Assistant Director for PW Operations. He was named to the top post following a national search, when the former Director resigned.

He has worked for municipalities in Washington, and specifically public works, in various capacities for 30 years, beginning as a maintenance worker before advancing to become Superintendent in Lake Forest Park. He then became Kenmore’s first public works employee when the city incorporated.

Carlson was hired in Bellingham as the Great Recession was beginning. In an August 2009 article in the Bellingham Business Journal, Carlson said his biggest challenge was to preserve and maintain the city’s transportation and utility infrastructure, amid declining revenues.

During his tenure, Bellingham PW has recovered from the impacts of the national economic downturn and broadened its role in delivering city services. PW, the city’s largest and most comprehensive department, now includes a Natural Resources Division, with responsibility for preserving, restoring, and protecting Bellingham’s environment.

Over the past decade, Carlson has overseen a major renovation at the city’s wastewatertreatment plant at Post Point, the addition of a dissolved air-flotation facility at the treatment plant, and development of the city’s bicycle and pedestrian master plans.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity I’ve had to serve Bellingham,” said Carlson. “I’ve truly enjoyed my time here and value the relationships built over the years.”

Mayor Linville said, “I’m very sorry to see Ted go, but I’m glad he’ll be staying in our community. Ted oversaw many essential public-works projects during his 12 years with the city, including redevelopment of our waterfront and several large sewer- and water-plant additions and renovations. He reorganized the Public Works Department to put further emphasis on the Natural Resources Division, with its focus on environmental stewardship and sustainability.”

Since joining the City of Bellingham in 2012, Johnston has been in charge of the PW Division that’s responsible for maintenance and operations of the city’s infrastructure. He also served as Interim City Engineer in 2016, after Bellingham’s top engineer departed and while a search

Public Works Director Ted Carlson and Mayor Kelli Linville in 2014. was underway. Before coming to Bellingham, Johnston was City Engineer for Oak Harbor.

“I’m pleased to announce this appointment,” Mayor Linville said. “I’ve had the pleasure of working with Eric for the past seven years, and I’ve found him to be professional, effective, and focused on the public interest as he performed his duties as Assistant Director of Public Works Operations.”

Bellingham’s PW Department delivers and maintains services used daily. In 2018, it: • Treated six billion gallons of drinking water; • Inspected 150 miles and cleaned 235 miles of sewer main; • Swept and maintained 3,000 lane miles of city streets; • Inspected more than 12,000 boats to keep invasive species out of Lake Whatcom; • Installed 95 curb ramps to make sidewalks more accessible; and • Planted more than 29,000 trees in restoration sites.

The city likely will conduct a national search for the next Director of Bellingham’s largest department.

Les Reardanz Joins Chmelik Sitkin & Davis P.S. As a Principal Attorney Les Reardanz is joining the Bellingham law firm of Chmelik Sitkin & Davis P.S. as a Principal. Les is a wellknown municipal lawyer, having worked at Lane Powell, P.C. in Seattle, the legal department of the City of Bellingham, and, over the past nine years, he’s worked as the Deputy Director and then Executive Director of the Reardanz Port of Everett. Les also serves as a U.S. Navy Reserve JAG officer and was recently promoted to Rear Admiral in the U.S. Navy Reserve.

Les will join the firm’s port district and municipal law practice groups, where he will focus on working with the firm’s port district clients throughout the state.

Principal Jon Sitkin said, “Several of our firm members have been personal friends with Les for a number of years. He’s a very well-respected lawyer and a great leader. He will focus on our growing public port district practice. We just completed an expansion of our offices to accommodate growth. Les will be a great asset to our firm as we continue to manage that growth.”

“I’m looking forward to joining Chmelik Sitkin & Davis’ outstanding and respected team, and I’m very excited for this next chapter in my career,” Les said.

For more information, visit www.chmelik. com.

Lynden Transport Maintains Top Ranking Lynden Transport maintained its top spot among carriers by earning a seventh consecutive No. 1 ranking and its 23rd overall award in the 36th annual Logistics Management Quest for Quality Awards.

Lynden received the highest scores among Less-Than-Truckload (LTL) western regional carriers in the on-time performance and information technology categories and earned the highest overall weighted score.

“Although this is our seventh award in seven years, it’s still exciting and gratifying to be recognized by our customers for the work we do each day,” said Lynden Transport President Paul Grimaldi. “Our industry is rapidly changing,

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with the demands of e-commerce and the pressure of quicker delivery expectations.”

For more than 30 years, Logistics Management’s Quest for Quality Award has been the highest measure of customer satisfaction and performance excellence in the transportation and logistics industry. The results are the culmination of a six-month project conducted by Peerless Research Group.

This year, 4,975 ballots were cast by readers for the “best of the best” in service excellence across a number of criteria including: on-time performance, equipment and operations, value, information technology, and customer service.

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Spend more time with your guests and leave the cooking to us. From convenient On-the-Go platters to Full Service event planning, Market Street Catering by Haggen can take care of all the details.

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The Whatcom Business Alliance held its annual President’s Club event at the Squalicum Boathouse on August 20 to thank its members for their continued support. Guests enjoyed food from Market Street Catering and wine provided by Seifert & Jones Wine Merchants.

Photos: 1. Josh Wright, Bell-Anderson Insurance; Ryan Likkel, Western Refinery Services.

2. Gloria Nemecheck, Key Bank; Patrick Schuppert, Wells Fargo. 4. Pam Brady, Director NW Gov’t & Public Affairs, BP Cherry Point. 3. Jeanie Arnold, Planet Fitness; Skip Sahlin, SSA Marine. 5. Ashley Butenschoen, Business Pulse Account Executive; Whitney Pearce, Communications Manager, WBA; Kennedy Bray, Campaign Manager, Vote Tony Larson.

6. Nick Wallace, Royal Prendergast, Leverage Benefit Consulting. 7. Dana Weber, General Manager, Best Western Plus Airport Hotel, Patti Rowlson, PR Consulting. 8. Bryant & Hilary Engebretson, Tradewinds Capital Management; Jim McKinney, Laura McKinney, HR, NW Government Affairs & Public Relations, Alcoa, and Dana Brandt, Ecotech Solar.

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Photos by Tiffany Brooks

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leading edge PHILANTHROPY

Megan Brown Douglas, The Program Director for the Parenting Academy

The Parenting Academy: Strategies For Raising Healthy Children “We want to get rid of the stigma of ‘you have to pull yourself up by your boot straps,’” said Megan Brown Douglas, Program Director for The Parenting Academy.

“This has to do with our children’s health, well-being, and development.”

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BY MARY LOUISE VAN DYKE

he Parenting Academy in Bellingham offers a variety of services to help Whatcom County families navigate the rocky shoals of raising resilient, healthy children. These tools range from one-on-one parent coaching to parent-child interaction therapy to parenting seminars.

“We want to get rid of the ‘you have to pull yourself up by your bootstraps’ stigma,” said Megan Brown Douglas, Program Director for The Parenting Academy. “This has to do with our children’s health, well-being, and development.”

The Parenting Academy was launched in April as a program of the Brigid Collins Family Support Center, according to Barbara Lupo, its Donor Development Officer and Co-owner of the former Garys’ Men’s and Women’s Wear in downtown Bellingham.

Brigid Collins was already offering parenting classes, however, these were limited to people who met specific funding-source guidelines, according to Douglas. “We wanted to make this

service available to all families in Whatcom County and parents of children of all ages,” Lupo said.

Lupo and Douglas spoke with other community-service providers and discovered a huge gap existed here in Whatcom County. Families who didn’t qualify also needed access to these resources.

These family units—which include grandparents and others involved in raising children—want to ensure they’re charting the best course for those children. Examples of issues are: Parents involved in a divorce and struggling to set up a parenting plan; children identified by their schools as troubled; and pediatrician referrals of parents attempting to address issues such as the toddlers’ “No!” stage. Or maybe nothing’s off-track, but mom/ dad/grandma need validation that they’re meeting the needs of “Skylar” or “Abby.”

“These days, you can Google any questions, such as, when should

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my child sleep in his or her own bed,” Douglas said. The Internet is crammed with articles that vary dramatically, from opinion pieces written by parents to experts’ opinions—often leaving adults feeling confused and anxious.“We give sound parenting advice, based on studies and evidence-based research,” said Douglas.

Lunchtime seminars, offered at the center, cover topics such as learning how to decipher a baby’s cues, staying positive with teenagers, and how play, when led by youngsters, promotes development.

The Parenting Academy also is offering a parent-baby class, with one-on-one coaching sessions to give parents research-based strategies for raising healthy children, Douglas said.

Parent-Child Interaction Therapy, for example, is a treatment where the academy’s accredited parenting coaches mentor through a one-way mirror as parents play with their children, Douglas said. Coaches use a microphone to communicate with the parent (who wears earphone) as the play occurs.

The end goal is to teach moms, dads, and grandparents the skills needed to manage issues ranging from anxiety to attention-deficit disorder to improved family relationships.

The Parenting Academy is totally funded by private donations, rather than grants. One donation came from a couple “who 11 years ago used interaction therapy for their three-year-old, who was ‘taking over their life,’” Lupo said.

Another couple contributed money specifically earmarked for equipment. And a Whatcom County couple gifted the program with a large donation.

Brigid Collins clients shared their experiences in a video that will be available to businesses, organizations, schools, and care providers. “And we’re working on a scholarship so that we can increase accessibility for all families,” Lupo said.

If a company or organization is interested in supporting the program, Lupo said, their employees could anonymously use the academy’s service for a year. She then follows up with the donor companies and rates how effective The Parenting Academy was for the company’s staff participants.

For more information about The Parenting Academy, go to: parenting-academy.org or email contact@parenting-academy.org or call 360.922.3600.

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If you and your business do not participate in the shaping of public policy, you will be governed by those who do.

The WBA Policy Center was created to be the eyes, ears, and voice for Whatcom County businesses. There are thousands of rules and regulations being created at the federal, state, and local levels that may harm local business.

The WBA Policy Center provides both influence and credibility in the community by engaging in fact-based research, education, communication, and advocacy for its members on issues important to business. It also works proactively to advance policy issues that support business success, while advocating against those harmful to local business.

We hope you will consider supporting the WBA Policy Center — there is strength in numbers and your support will have an impact.

Be Informed...Get Engaged...Make a Difference!

How You Can Help • Contact us about issues that may be impacting your business or industry at wbapolicycenter.org/about-contact/.

• Become part of the solution by making your contribution to the WBA Policy Center’s Step Up Fund.

Your support makes it possible for WBA to proactively engage on issues on your behalf before they negatively impact your business.

START TODAY! Support the WBA Policy Center with a contribution at www.wbapolicycenter.org.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019 BUSINESSPULSE.COM | 17

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High ROI and Engagement Through Automated Emails What if you could create an email once and continue benefiting from it—without ever manually hitting ‘Send’ again?

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he typical email-marketing campaign goes like this: You (or someone on your team) create an email, hit “Send,” analyze the results, and then move on to the next email, repeating the process.

But what if you could create an email once and benefit from it continuously—without ever manually hitting “Send” again?

That’s where automated emails come in. They allow you to create customized email series that automatically send, based on the subscriber’s activity (or inactivity)—with no manual button-pushing required.

Not only do automated emails have a high ROI (since you create them once, but benefit from them repeatedly), they also tend to get high engagement rates because they’re tailored to the subscriber’s behavior.

Simple transactional emails—for example the confirmation emails you get after purchasing or registering for something— get, on average, eight times more engagement than mass-marketing emails since they’re highly relevant to the subscriber, according to Campaign Monitor.

There are hundreds of automated email options—all of which can be done by a one-person shop with the right tools (such as Constant Contact or MailChimp), or a large business with enterprise-level software, like HubSpot and GetResponse.

Here are a few of the most popular and effective automated email campaigns: 1. Welcome email: If you’re limited on time and resources, then the perfect place to begin is a simple “welcome” email. This email can be easily set up in an email marketing platform, like MailChimp or Constant Contact, and is triggered once someone subscribes to your list.

Depending on your brand’s tone, this could be a personal welcome “letter” from your CEO or executive director, a simple “thank you” email that asks subscribers to follow you on social media, or a friendly email that introduces your staff to help humanize your brand.

Whatever it is, make sure your email has a clear call to action that encourages your subscribers to continue engaging with your brand.

2. An onboarding/educational series: One of the most effective email campaigns I’ve ever launched was a 10-part “onboarding” series, triggered after someone subscribed to my client’s email newsletter. The emails were sent several days apart (so we didn’t inundate our subscriber’s inboxes) and each one highlighted a different resource offered by my client to help educate new subscribers.

The emails received more than twice as much engagement as

18 | BUSINESSPULSE.COM SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019

the brand’s other marketing emails, with some emails getting close to a 50% open rate. I saw this same high rate of engagement among all my clients when it came to onboarding emails. Why? Because they’re hyper-relevant to the subscriber and they capitalize on the subscriber’s newly found interest in your brand.

These campaigns don’t need to include 10 emails, though—two or three can do the trick, depending on your products or services. Beyond educating your subscribers, onboarding campaigns can offer a free gift or discount to build excitement and buy-in, request customer feedback with a survey, encourage subscribers to download your app or leave a review, share relevant content from your blog, feature social proof or case studies, or ask subscribers to refer a friend to your email list.

3. The “come back” email: Much like a person’s love life (but with slightly less drama), simply asking someone to “come back” can do wonders for your brand. This type of campaign is triggered after someone hasn’t engaged with your brand in a while—including not opening the last few emails or not making a purchase within an allotted time.

This type of campaign works for a few reasons: It encourages your customers to re-engage; it helps weed out un-engaged subscribers who are negatively skewing your data (i.e., decreasing your open rates and click-through rates); and it helps you keep existing customers—since, as you probably know, it’s considerably more expensive to get new customers than to keep existing ones.

Use this email or email series to remind your subscribers what’s in it for them if they stay subscribed. You also can share a special discount or store credit to entice them to come back.

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A few more honorable mentions: Lead nurture or “drip” campaigns (These are particularly helpful for B2Bs, since they help you nurture prospective leads without the pain of manually following up).

• Happy birthday email.

• Leave a review/give us feedback.

• Post-event follow-up.

• Event reminder.

• Abandoned-cart reminder.

• Wish-list sales.

• Back-in-stock notices (This can be very effective for e-commerce companies).

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019 BUSINESSPULSE.COM | 19

leading edge START UP

Left to right: Eric Van Hofwegen, Brian Hendricks, Brad Kuik, and Jason Van Hofwegen.

HighCraft: A Lean, Mean Cabinet-Making Machine Process aims to keep waste––and costs––minimal and employees happy

BY TARA NELSON At the age of 80, Bob Van Hofwegen is still crafting custom cabinets. His shop—Van’s Cabinets—is now closed, but it still sits on a bucolic stretch of East Wiser Lake Road in Lynden, where he can be found puttering away on projects. The business itself has been taken over by Van Hofwegen’s sons, Eric and Jason.

Now, with a new location and a new name—HighCraft Custom Cabinets­—Van Hofwegen’s sons are aiming to take their father’s humble beginnings to a new level, using a process known as lean manufacturing, which aims to keep waste and costs low while keeping employees happy and productive.

The inspiration behind utilizing lean manufacturing in cabinet-making came from business consultant Brad Kuik of Lynden.

Among the three of them, they have more than 60 years of experience in custom cabinet-making and lean manufacturing.

The longtime friends often met at their sons’ sports games, and the idea came about while they were having a beer after a game.

Kuik asked Eric Van Hofwegen if he’d like to see his craft turned into a company. “It was a casual conversation that became serious real quick,” Kuik said, laughing.

Now located in a pristine 4,000-square-foot shop near Ferndale, HighCraft Custom Cabinets primarily serves residential customers, but Kuik said their goal is to expand into commercial work over the next few years. They’re also interested in expanding their service area, which currently includes Whatcom and neighboring counties and British Columbia’s Lower Mainland.

Kuik, who was born in Ontario, Canada, said his business philosophy was partly inspired by a tour of a Toyota assembly plant in Japan. It had implemented a style of management that encouraged employees on the ground to communicate what works and what doesn’t to upper management.

Core concepts include respecting people and customers deeply, maintaining a clean work environment, and achieving a good workflow in the least possible amount of time. “It’s based on the idea that the people closest to the work understand the work best,” Kuik said.

Joel Eschbach, a cabinet maker and employee, agreed, adding that the company regularly encourages suggestions from employees during weekly meetings. One example included installing tools on both sides of a workstation so that employees don’t have to walk an extra distance just to get the tool they need.

“It’s often not a big thing (that impedes workflow),” Eschbach said. “It’s simply a lot of small things that add up.”

Kuik said they’ve met most of their financial goals so far. Last year, the company grossed $1.1 million and Kuik believes they’re on track to do $2.5 million in year two. The biggest challenge will be seeing if we can hit the $5 million mark in year three,” he said.

“We’ll probably need a new facility by then, too.”

HighCraft Custom Cabinets is located at 5245 Industrial Place in Ferndale. The phone number is 360.354.5845.

20 | BUSINESSPULSE.COM SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019

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leading edge GUEST COLUMN

Reflecting On Two Terms of Bellingham Progress

I

BY MAYOR KELLI LINVILLE

n the last eight years, too many things have been accomplished in Bellingham to name them all. But as I reflect on my two terms as mayor, these are some that stick out in my mind.

• Investments In Our Downtown. Downtown has blossomed and we remain a committed partner with our businesses and the Downtown Bellingham Partnership. This includes developing a Downtown Retail Strategy and hiring a new retail recruiter, as well as supporting low-income and homeless-housing projects that have provided more than 160 new units downtown.

• City Center Awards. This is our third year presenting the City Center Awards, which recognize and celebrate some of the outstanding achievements and exceptional private projects that have led to the revitalization of Bellingham’s City Center neighborhood.

• Waterfront Redevelopment. Working with the Port of Bellingham, the city has provided the first public access to the central waterfront with the development of a master plan for the site, as well as creating Waypoint Park and new streets into the area.

• Bellingham Home Fund. Bellingham voters renewed the Bellingham Home Fund last year, which authorizes $40 million over a 10-year period to continue preserving housing and assisting hundreds of low-income residents and those facing homelessness in Bellingham.

• Biennial Budget. Transitioning from a one-year to a two-year budget has meant we can be more efficient and strategic with our investments in the community and focus on implementing our work plans.

• Renovation of City Facilities. We now use our city buildings more efficiently after moving several departments to the previously vacant Federal Building downtown, as well as relocating the Parks Department to City Hall.

• Protecting Lake Whatcom. The city provides clean drinking water for more than 100,000 people in Whatcom County. The City of Bellingham—along with our partners at Whatcom County and the Lake Whatcom Sewer and Water

District—developed a joint plan to protect the watershed and improve drinking-water quality.

• Galbraith Mountain. Preserving Galbraith for conservation and recreation has been a long-term goal of the city. Last year’s purchase-and-sale agreement secured public use of up to 65 miles of trails on Galbraith Mountain in perpetuity.

• Community Policing and Public Health. Our neighborhood police and behavioral-health officers and community paramedics support a new way to look at public safety, through building relationships and proactively meeting the health and safety needs of our community.

• Jail Alternatives. The city has developed a jail alternatives and diversion program through Municipal Court that incorporates electronic home monitoring and other alternatives to reduce incarceration time and provide better outcomes in our criminal-justice system.

• Public Works Projects. We have spent more than $839 million on public-works improvements, including water- and sewerage-treatment projects and voter-approved Transportation Benefit District projects for pedestrians, bicycles, and transit. Our city and our community have seen progress in many areas, but these are a few of the items I’m most grateful for.

Serving my hometown has been the best and most rewarding job of my 41-year career.

I have achieved much of what I set out to accomplish. And I am proud to have strengthened connections and communications among city employees, partners, and the community. With help from my great department-head team and staff, we have moved forward on many successful projects and collaborations.

As I look forward, I am confident that our staff and new Mayor will continue to move us in the right direction. Thanks to all of you for your support, dedication, and hard work over the years to make Bellingham what it is today. It has been a privilege and an honor to be your mayor.

Kelli Linville has served as Bellingham Mayor since January 2012.

Her second term ends Dec. 31, and she didn’t run for re-election.

22 | BUSINESSPULSE.COM SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019

leading edge GUEST COLUMN

Whatcom County Accomplished Much In the Last Eight Years

I

BY COUNTY EXECUTIVE JACK LOUWS

commenced my tenure as County Executive with some goals in mind. I wanted to improve our information technology platforms, as I felt that we were behind the times and that our citizens deserved better. We’ve completed a phone-system replacement, have a new website platform, and are getting close to finishing our land records and criminal justice data-information systems.

The last big piece of the puzzle is replacing the financial system, and I’m pleased that we have the money set aside to accomplish that task. We have spent millions on these upgrades, but the payoff is in a more efficient government serving you.

We didn’t build a new Justice Center. Instead we are now spending millions fixing the inadequate and outdated one we have. In the long run, the most humane course of action is to build a new jail and I hope that will become a priority for the new administration and our County Council.

I can point to other successes of my two terms: We established a Mental-Health Court, added a fourth Superior Court judge that resulted in adding a fourth courtroom; and we purchased the State Street building that houses the Health Department and completed a substantial exterior remodel of the Civic Building.

We are currently repairing the Courthouse, a long-overdue project. With our partners, we resolved the longstanding issues related to EMS, found a compromise in paying for solutions related to Lake Whatcom, and have updated our comprehensive landuse plan with the cities.

Future challenges the county faces are in several areas, most notably: • Infrastructure (Maintenance and Operations): Revamping old buildings, finding solutions for housing county offices and services, and keeping up with the aging infrastructure of our roads, parks, and buildings.

• Water/Environmental Concerns: Continuing to find the balance between what is needed for growth and how to provide that in the arena of greater concerns for our environmental health.

• Housing/Homelessness/Addiction/Mental Health: Finding solutions and funding for these major issues, along with creating partnerships that make sense.

• Regulations: Keeping county laws streamlined, enforceable, and common-sense based.

• Funding: Maintaining a strong funding base, allowing for reserves to solve issues such as a justice center or office buildings.

• The underlying message: Whatcom County government continues to improve and update roads, bridges, parks, and facilities, streamline services for citizens, and remain responsive to new issues that arise.

I’d like to thank our engaged staff, citizens, and council for their ongoing enthusiasm, intelligence, and support while we negotiate our programs and make decisions about our collective future. We are blessed to have in our county many people who volunteer to be on boards and commissions that provide direct advice and assistance to us in county government. I applaud that public service.

It is so important to us, and I encourage others to be a part of it.

It has been my honor to be your County Executive. The job is not without challenges and frustrations at times. But every time I receive an email from a constituent telling me a county employee helped them achieve a goal, when I see service improvements, our robust website, or our customer service focus, I’m encouraged.

When I see agencies come together to solve an issue that impacts the lives of the underserved in our communities, I am hopeful.

I wish you well and will, of course, continue to focus on our goals for 2019. I commit to ensuring a smooth transition for County government in January. Although my years of service are short in the long history of Whatcom County, I feel thankful to have been a part of it.

Jack Louws has served as Whatcom County Executive since January 2012. His second term ends Dec. 31, and he didn’t run for re-election.

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Much-Anticipated General Election: County Exec & Bellingham Mayor Top Nov. 5 Ballot O

ne of the most anticipated off-year general elections in recent Whatcom County history will be held Nov. 5 to fill many key offices, including County Executive and Bellingham Mayor.

Tony Larson, President of the Whatcom Business Alliance and Publisher of Business Pulse magazine, and Satpal Sidhu, a Whatcom County Council member, are facing off for County Executive, after taking the top two spots in the Aug. 6 primary election. Incumbent Jack Louws did not run for a third four-year term.

Seth Fleetwood, a former Bellingham City Council and Whatcom County Council member, and current City Council member April Barker, are the finalists for Bellingham Mayor, after narrowly surviving a close four-person race in the primary election. Like Louws, Mayor Kelli Linville declined to seek a third term.

Whatcom County also will elect a new Auditor and Assessor, plus the first members of County Council Districts 4 and 5, which were created in 2015. A County Council At-Large position also is on the ballot.

Other contested races of note include

By Dave Brumbaugh one of three positions on the Port of Bellingham Commission and Ferndale Mayor. An above-average number of city council and school board positions also drew multiple candidates this year.

The four-person race for Whatcom County Executive and Bellingham Mayor contributed to a turnout of 39.5% of registered voters in the Aug. 6 primary, topping the off-year primary-election turnouts in 2017 (31.1%), 2015 (25.3%), 2013 (21.7%), and 2011 (37.3%). The 2011 primary election also featured four-person races for Whatcom County Executive and Bellingham Mayor—boosting the general-election turnout to 59%.

However, off-year elections featuring local positions don’t draw as many voters as presidential elections, held every four years. The 2016 general election, for example, generated ballots from a whopping 82.7% of registered voters in Whatcom County.

In this year’s primary election, Larson led County Executive candidates with 37%, followed by Sidhu with 33.7%.

Fleetwood topped the candidates for Bellingham Mayor with 28.7%, and Barker was a close second with 26.7%.

The top issues in this year’s campaign include housing affordability, homelessness, family wage jobs, leadership, water quality and quantity, and environmental protection.

Ballots for the general election will be mailed Oct. 16 and must be returned to an election dropbox by 8 p.m. Nov. 5, or postmarked by midnight Nov. 5, in order to be counted.

To help inform voters, Business Pulse is publishing on the following pages biographical information and statements from the candidates for Whatcom County Executive, County Council, Bellingham Mayor, and Port of Bellingham Commissioner. Responses were edited only for obvious grammatical errors and otherwise published as submitted.

A Voters’ Guide will be mailed to registered voters about the same time as the general-election ballots and can be found online, as well. Voters also may attend one or more of the candidate forums organized by local groups.

Residents with questions about voter registration may contact the Election Division of the Whatcom County Auditor’s Office at 360.778.5102.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019 BUSINESSPULSE.COM | 27

Whatcom County Executive

tony larson vs. satpal sidhu Tony Larson I am a long-time local business owner, former County Council Member, and community leader with more than 30 years of top executive-leadership experience, in both the private and public sectors.

I’ve been endorsed for Whatcom County Executive by the Washington Farm Bureau, Whatcom County Deputy and Sheriff ’s Guild, Fire District 7, Affordable Housing Council, mayors of Lynden, Ferndale, Blaine, Everson, Nooksack, Sumas, and hundreds of other community business leaders and families throughout Whatcom County.

Satpal Sidhu I have served on the County Council since 2015. I hold a BS in Electrical Engineering and an MBA and have worked as an engineer, project manager, business executive, and educator.

I was recognized by two governors for achievements in workforce development as Dean of Engineering & Trades at BTC. I have lived near Lynden for 32 years and spent countless hours volunteering for community groups. My wife, Mundir, and I will be celebrating our 40th anniversary this year.

What do you see as the most important challenge facing local businesses and how would you address it as Whatcom County Executive?

Tony: The local economy is strong. However, farmers in both agriculture and dairy are consistently threatened with regulatory overreach, water issues, labor issues, pricing and cost pressures, and worker-housing issues.

Small farms are dying, and larger farms are requiring more innovation just to keep up with rising costs and regulatory requirements. Our heavy industrial sector, where

the highest-paying jobs in the county reside, are threatened by actions from our current County Council. Industry is understandably concerned. More broadly, businesses are struggling to find skilled workers. That problem is exacerbated by increased housing prices and lack of housing supply. Through my work as President of the Whatcom Business Alliance, we have collaborated with local students, teachers, administrators, and business leaders to build pathways for students to employment opportunities. The housing problem is solvable but will require the leadership and collaboration I will provide as your County Executive.

Satpal: Some indicators, such as low unemployment and GDP growth, seem to point to a healthy economy, yet a closer examination shows an economy under stress: an aging population, disruption by online sales, climate change impacts, outsized housing costs, the gap between skills taught and skills required, etc.

The area where local government can have the most positive impact is in addressing the need for a skilled and aligned workforce. My experience as Dean of Engineering & Trades at BTC gives me a unique perspective on how to prepare youth, starting in high school, for in-demand skilled positions with local employers. As County Executive, I would work with the local business community to develop long-term workforce training programs. We need to have a clear picture of the workforce needs of local employers and then ensure training programs are in place to prepare people for this work.

Cherry Point industry has expressed concern regarding the Whatcom County Council’s passage of the seventh consecutive

28 | BUSINESSPULSE.COM SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019

six-month emergency moratorium on unrefined fossil-fuel exports and what they say is a lack of transparency and inclusiveness in the process. Do you support the moratoriums, yes or no? How would you address the concerns of industries there?

Tony: No. To create fair and equitable outcomes, all parties should be at the table in good faith. That has not happened. Industry wasn’t invited to the table. If the new language proposed for the county’s Comprehensive Plan amendments prevail as written, it would stifle future investment at Cherry Point, and not only for the refineries. It would also affect desirable companies in food manufacturing, wood products, metal products, merchant wholesalers, fuel dealers, utilities, building construction companies, and countless other opportunities. For example, a recently-announced proposal for construction of a largescale renewable-energy plant would produce renewable diesel fuel from planned feedstocks and a mix of waste fats—exactly the type of innovative, environmentally-transformational project expansion we should encourage and support. In addition to astounding environmental impact, that could infuse as much as $1 billion into our local economy and create many jobs for families that need them.

Satpal: Cherry Point hosts many businesses and industries. The moratorium’s impact is very narrow and limited to the conversion of oil refining capacity to crude oil export facilities. Cherry Point industries have continued to do business as usual, including the launch of several new projects during the moratorium without any disruption, despite oil lobbyists scaring workers with phantom job losses.

The County Council is carefully considering COUNTY EXECUTIVE continued on Page 52

Bellingham Mayor

april barker vs. seth fleetwood April BarkER I am a City Council Member, small-business owner, and educator. As your elected representative, I champion fairness, criminal-justice reform, higher goals to combat climate change, and increased access to parks and greenways.

I have worked for more housing options, stronger protections for those who rent, and alternative modes of transportation. I have called Bellingham home for 20 years and live in Birchwood with my husband, a Whatcom Middle School teacher, and our two kids.

Seth Fleetwood I was born in Bellingham in 1962, when we were still an undiscovered, rainy mill town.

My parents were teachers and I am a proud product of Bellingham public schools. I graduated from Sehome High School in 1981. I’m a graduate of the University of Washington and Willamette University College of Law. I served two terms on the Whatcom County Council and two terms on the Bellingham City Council. I am a self-employed lawyer with an office in Fairhaven.

Are we facing an affordable housing crisis, yes or no? What approach will you take as Mayor of Bellingham to stabilize the increases in housing prices and rents?

April: Yes. I champion creative, forward-thinking solutions to evolve outdated housing models. Our current housing isn’t working for our community or environment. I’m a leader, bridge builder, and I get things done. On City Council, I am laying the policy groundwork with a Housing Equity Assessment to develop policies that encourage housing types that Bellingham’s current wages and fixed incomes can afford, allow local business expansion and new economic investment, and that increase

home-ownership opportunities, and provide permanently affordable workforce housing.

I bring different groups together and build the momentum needed to find working solutions. I worked with Sustainable Connections and other community partners to develop the Whatcom Housing Alliance, a broad organization committed to bold housing policies and strengthening community buy-in. As Mayor, I will build on these partnerships, implement the Housing Equity Assessment, and include all of Bellingham in solving the affordable housing crisis.

Seth: Yes, clearly. We have a crisis because wages and incomes have not kept up with the rising cost of living in a desirable place like Bellingham. Housing costs are now unaffordable to almost half of our residents. There is no magic bullet. It will require a multipronged response that includes removing the hurdles and obstacles that prevent builders and developers from creating homes people can afford. As Mayor, I will encourage public-private partnerships that result in more homes that people can afford to own or rent that are permanently affordable to the widest possible range of incomes. We already have the talent and inclination to do this. We can continue the good work already underway here and add new ideas from elsewhere. If we want a healthy community, we need a healthy mix of homes that match the jobs and incomes of the people who live here.

A Bellingham Climate Change Task Force workgroup has recommended that all owners of single-family residences electrify their space- and water-heating systems within two years of purchase and that all owners of residential rental properties and buildings larger than 10,000 square feet electrify their

space- and water-heating systems by 2035. In addition, all of them would have to install solar photovoltaic (PV) coverage equivalent to at least 50% of the building or house footprint. Do you support these recommendations, yes or no? Please explain.

April: The Task Force is mid-process, developing strategies and recommendations for the Council on ways to reduce Bellingham’s carbon footprint and move toward 100% renewable energy. They have not yet made their recommendations. The proposal referenced in this question was from a presentation by a sub-committee of the Task Force addressing our residential-building role in the transition. I appreciate the Task Force for casting a wide net in looking for workable solutions that will get Bellingham to 100% renewable energy sources sooner than our current plan suggests. The next step of the Task Force is to consider the unintended consequences and costs of those solutions and recommend the best path forward for our city. I championed the ambitious targets, encouraging our community to aim high and develop innovative solutions. We must adopt climate solutions that are right sized for our city and that put community, fairness and environment first.

Seth: I should preface by saying I recognize the reality of climate science and I support the city’s goal of converting to renewable energy. I believe that all governments must actively engage in and commit to this effort.

This transformation will be complex and contentious at times, as this issue underscores.

How to achieve the goal in ways that are fair and equitable will be the great challenge because converting from gas to electric will BELLINGHAM MAYOR continued on Page 52

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019 BUSINESSPULSE.COM | 29

Port of Bellingham commissioner

robert ‘bobby’ briscoe vs. anthony distefano Robert “Bobby” Briscoe I am a 4th generation Whatcom resident, an independent business man, a commercial fisherman and currently the Port of Bellingham District 3 Commissioner. I have been past president of Puget Sound Crab Association and an alternate rep for the Pacific Fisheries Management Council. For 45 years, I have operated my own fishing business from the Bering Sea to the Mexican border. I have been married to Carol for 40 years and have two sons and daughters-inlaw and five wonderful grandchildren.

Anthony Distefano My name is Anthony Distefano and I am running for Port Commissioner. My professional background includes environmental conservation and education, engineering, consulting for Native Alaskan tribal governments, agriculture, and as a deck officer and marine engineer on vessels of all types. Currently I work for the Washington State Ferries and as a rank and file union member, I lobby and advocate for labor rights as a union steward.

I bring diversity of experience to address a dynamic future.

What would be your two top priorities, in order of importance, as Commissioner for the Port of Bellingham? Please explain.

Bobby: As always my top priority is to follow the clearly defined mission statement for the Port of Bellingham. It was written for a very good reason. Second is transparency at all times and accountability to the people of Whatcom county who own the port of Bellingham. Those two things should always be at the forefront of the Commission’s decision making process.

Anthony: My first priority is environmental.

Climate change is real and it’s happening on an unprecedented scale. We must plan for our future. The Port can lead by establishing solid and progressive environmental policy in all aspects of future planning decisions, not just following minimum guidelines. We have an opportunity to set reachable goals of reducing pollution, stormwater run-off, and greenhouse gases by pursuing a Green vision and leading locally on a global crisis.

My second priority is Broadband for all.

The Port is the only governmental agency that can facilitate expansion of fiber optic broadband in rural areas. This provides a unique opportunity for supplying under-served communities broadband access in which the Port builds a publicly funded infrastructure. I believe the Port can facilitate every home and business in Whatcom being connected with fiber optic broadband. I propose an aggressive expansion of vision to prepare us for a sustainable economy.

What is your vision for the Bellingham waterfront and how do you see it being realized?

Bobby: My vision for the Bellingham waterfront is for all our tenants to have thriving businesses, to have our infrastructure in tiptop shape, and to have added as many family living-wage jobs as possible for the people of Whatcom County. Also, educational institutions that will offer high standards that will fit into future businesses. Beyond that, we need to make sure of a high standard of recreational access for both waterborne and landside use.

Anthony: As Commissioner, my focus would be a longer-range view of how we administer

30 | BUSINESSPULSE.COM SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019

our public lands. My vision is for the waterfront to be further developed into a mixeduse neighborhood. The Port is charged with a mission to promote development, not be a real-estate broker. By establishing partnerships with the public and private sectors, we can address our housing crisis for working families that would incentivize industry to invest in a stable workforce. We can have a neighborhood that has access to mass-transit, recreation, and jobs by investing in a vision that includes our entire community’s future.

I believe that as Port Commissioner, having a wealth of diversity in marine-related, environmental, and policy experience can provide the unique outlook needed to negotiate the Port’s future, while we balance our obligations to the public, the environment, treaties, the private-sector, and partnerships that the Port serves.

Are you in support of the Whatcom County Council’s passage of the seventh consecutive six-month emergency moratorium on unrefined fossil-fuel exports at Cherry Point, yes or no? What is your vision for the Cherry Point Heavy Industrial area from an economic development standpoint and how will you support it?

BobbY: The first part of the question is not a simple yes or no answer. If it was, the County Council would not be on the seventh consecutive emergency moratorium. Solutions are needed to protect Mother Earth, local economy, jobs and businesses. In my opinion, all parties concerned need to sit down with open minds and find the solutions that work for our environment, businesses, and the residents of Whatcom county.

I have no vision for Cherry point, the PORT COMMISSIONER continued on Page 51

whatcom county council farmland district 4

brian estes vs. kathy kershner Brian Estes I’ve spent my career as a professional auditor evaluating government programs for efficiency, effectiveness, and measuring whether they perform as expected. My career started at the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) in the Seattle Field Office. I also worked for six years at the King County Auditor’s Office evaluating a variety of county government programs. I have a master’s degree from the Evans School, University of Washington, and an undergraduate degree in Political Science from UCLA. Kathy KershnER I’m a former County Council member and Chair, 2010-2014, and I’m a retired naval officer, having served 22 years in the United States Navy. After graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Hawaii, I worked my way to be a part-owner of a multi-million-dollar social service agency supporting people with developmental disabilities to live independently in their communities. I have run my own small business since 2003, evaluating programs that support people with disabilities in our communities.

What are the two biggest issues facing your district that you would expect to come before the Whatcom County Council and how would you address them?

Brian: Our current criminal-justice system needs reform. Currently, too many people are in jail who don’t need to be. Obviously, public safety requires violent and other offenders be locked up. But many in jail are there only because they can’t afford bail or need mental health or drug treatment. The current framework announced by the County Council (AB-2019-432) is a positive first step in siting

a new smaller-sized jail in Bellingham and expanding funding for mental health, drug treatment, and other diversion programs.

Second, I want to provide new leadership on the County Council to resolve current Nooksack Watershed water resource issues.

This affects fish, farms, and families. For residential development, farm production, and other commercial activities to move forward, we must have greater certainty about water availability than currently exists.

Kathy: We are in an economic boom, thanks to President Trump’s economy, and governments all over the country are seeing their coffers fill as a result. Our county should be planning for the eventual rainy day when the economic cycle shifts, as it eventually will. In the meantime, we should be taking advantage of low interest rates to a secure bond for a new Community Justice Facility.

We need a new jail and sheriff ’s department, and we need space where services can be delivered to those needing counseling and substance-abuse treatment. We have several county buildings that are old and have served their purpose. We keep putting good money into fixing them when we would be better off financially in the long run if we put our money into building something for the future. I will support a County Executive who comes with a well-thought-out plan to do this.

Farmers have expressed concerns over water rights, other regulatory burdens, and generally whether it will be economically feasible to farm in the future. How would you address their concerns as a member of the Whatcom County Council?

Brian: I recently toured two raspberry farms and a berry-packing plant in Lynden. Berry farms

in Whatcom County face many challenges, including other countries dumping berry products in the US, labor issues, pest management, uncertainty over water, and other factors.

Actions are needed at all levels of government to ensure this industry, and farming in general—so essential to Whatcom County’s economy—can thrive and be passed on to future generations. Reform of the H2A program for foreign guest workers, a federal trade investigation into Mexico dumping raspberry products in the US, and resolution on Nooksack Watershed issues ASAP, all will help sustain and grow this vital industry in Whatcom County. We should also properly balance environmental protections with farm productivity, and I would work to advance those issues as a member of the Whatcom County Council.

Kathy: I will listen to what farmers are saying about the challenges they are experiencing. I believe we need to have farmers on the Agricultural Advisory Board. I recently took a tour to the raspberry fields and heard some of the significant challenges the growers face. They are working within tight margins, weather can make or break them, huge investments are made in the equipment to harvest and process the berries, and pest management is an ongoing concern. Our dairy farmers have been under assault by a fake EPA advertising campaign that led people to believe, incorrectly, that dairy farms were polluting the rivers and streams. This false campaign has caused several dairies to go out of business or sell because they did not want to deal with the hassle of over-reaching government interference. It’s time we found a solution to the water issue, one that protects farmers and rural residents.

COUNCIL DISTRICT 4 continued on Page 53

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whatcom county council district 5

BEN ELENBAAS vs. NATALIE McCLENDON Ben Elenbaas I am a husband, father, and farmer and work at an oil refinery. I earned my degree at the Huxley College of the Environment at Western Washington University. I have served on the Whatcom County planning commission and Served as the Chair of the Charter Review Commission. I am currently the President of the Whatcom County Farm Bureau. I would appreciate your vote of confidence as I seek to bring my experiences to the Whatcom County Council to represent you.

Natalie McClendon For more than 20 years, my partner Mark Turner and I have operated Turner Photographics. I’m active in the Ferndale, Blaine, and Birch Bay Chambers of Commerce. Like many industries, we’ve had to reinvent our business every few years to respond to changes. I’ve served on the Whatcom County Planning Commission since 2014, where I deal with many of the most difficult problems we face in Whatcom County, and I’ve learned how we can work more effectively in solving problems.

What are the two biggest issues facing your district that you would expect to come before the Whatcom County Council and how would you address them?

Ben: As I have been talking to the people in my district throughout the campaign, there have been two issues that have dominated the conversations. These issues are access to affordable housing and the current council’s agenda to regulate the major employers in the Cherry Point industrial area out of existence. I will speak to the Cherry Point industrial area concerns in Question #3 and affordable housing in question #4.

Natalie: Climate change will impact the district and the county in many ways, from water availability for farms and fish, to sea-level rise inundating coastal areas and infrastructure, to the changing market demand for petroleum products processed at Cherry Point. We must anticipate these impacts and adapt and mitigate for them, but also work together to transition to a clean-energy economy that will create jobs and a vibrant local economy.

Criminal justice reform is the other big issue before the council. We must focus on programs that keep people out of jail pre-trial, and provide treatment for mental-health and substance-abuse issues so the jail is used for people who really need to be locked up. Our bottleneck is a lack of treatment professionals and programs. I support the council’s action to develop plans for a smaller jail that won’t be completed for about five years. Meanwhile, work on effective diversion programs.

Farmers have expressed concerns over water rights, other regulatory burdens, and generally whether it will be economically feasible to farm in the future. How would you address their concerns as a member of the Whatcom County Council?

Ben: We have not had anyone on the council in many years who understood Agricultural issues in an intimate manner, and the policies that have been brought forth reflect that. As a multi-generational farmer in Whatcom County, the current president of the WC Farm Bureau, and someone who holds a degree that focused on natural sciences, I will bring that intimate knowledge of agriculture to the council. I have sat on the back of a potato planter, worked on a raspberry picker, held a commercial pesticide license, irrigated my crops, milked cows, raised livestock and the feed for them, grown produce

32 | BUSINESSPULSE.COM SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019

and have both wholesaled and direct marketed food to people in our community. I understand fully that we need to protect our ability to farm, not just protect farmland. Without farmer’s actually working the land, we will cease to have an ag economy and our community will be changed forever.

Natalie: I am committed to being a leader in solving our water-rights conflicts. Much good work is being done by the Watershed Management Board on salmon recovery, watershed management, and ecosystem recovery, in conjunction with the cities, tribes, PUD and WA Fish and Wildlife. The County Council needs to continue to support this work and fund it.

Farming has changed the landscape of Whatcom County. Now we are trying to mitigate the impacts of those changes. Farmers can adapt their practices and crops to a changing climate and both market and environmental needs. Every business must do this. In protecting water and air quality and ecosystem health, the county government must strive for practical regulations that are regularly evaluated to ensure they produce the intended results and create no excessive burden on land managers.

Cherry Point industry has expressed concern regarding the Whatcom County Council’s passage of the seventh consecutive six-month emergency moratorium on unrefined fossil-fuel exports and what they say is a lack of transparency and inclusiveness in the process. Do you support the moratoriums, yes or no? How would you address the concerns of industries there?

Ben: I would end the assault on the industrial areas, as I recognize that they already are highly regulated. I also recognize the tremendous COUNCIL DISTRICT 5 continued on Page 53

whatcom county council at-large Position b

CAROL FRAZEY vs. DAVID RAMIREZ Carol Frazey I am currently serving on the Whatcom County Council. From my experience growing up on a farm, as a mother, and as a business owner, I understand the delicate balance in preserving agricultural livelihoods, family-wage jobs, and a healthy environment for future generations. I know that supporting current Whatcom County businesses and attracting innovative industries is essential to the continued growth of our economy. I would be honored to continue to serve all of Whatcom County on the Council.

David RamirEZ As a native Washingtonian, I am passionate about giving back to my community. My experience serving with community-minded organizations has instilled in me a strong desire to help Whatcom County reach its full potential by tackling the tough issues that affect us all. We need someone with an open mind to find solutions to the challenges we face in our county.

What are the two biggest issues facing your district that you would expect to come before the Whatcom County Council and how would you address them?

Carol: While all issues coming before the County Council are important to someone, the two big issues that I see coming forward are the jail and housing affordability.

The Jail: As a member of the Criminal Justice and Safety Committee, I will continue to work with other public officials to implement programs that will bring about reform over punishment. On August 7, the council passed a resolution to explore locations, planning, and costs of building a new jail that focuses on treatment. I support a jail focused on rehabilitation.

Affordable Housing: I currently serve on the

Business and Commerce Advisory Committee, where we are exploring ideas to help provide workforce housing so that our local businesses can keep and attract new employees. We need both affordable housing for people with low incomes and workforce housing that allows people making a living wage to afford a mortgage in Whatcom County.

David: One of the biggest issues facing the county is the current condition of the county jail. The current jail is in poor condition. Far too much money is spent to maintain the current jail that is unsafe for those who are incarcerated and work at the facility. I will work with the community to help them better understand that a new facility is needed that will not only hold those who are incarcerated, but also train inmates who need help in bettering themselves when they are released in hopes that they will not return.

The second issue is water-use rights for rural residents. The council is currently considering placing meters on wells, limiting and charging for water use. This measure needs to be stopped. We have a farming community that this measure will affect negatively. I will be the voice for our rural residents to stop such action.

Farmers have expressed concerns over water rights, other regulatory burdens, and generally whether it will be economically feasible to farm in the future. How would you address their concerns as a member of the Whatcom County Council?

Carol: Farmers are experiencing issues with water, land, and labor. I will continue to listen to the concerns of the farmers and look for creative ways to allow farming to flourish in Whatcom County.

As for water in our county, I will continue to be a part of the conversations between farmers, tribes, cities, developers, and many other Whatcom County residents. We must reestablish trust and find innovative ways to conserve water so that there is enough water for fish, farms, and people every day of the year.

In addition, I will support more local agricultural products, like Whatcom Red Smoothies. The whole process, from growing the berries to printing the labels, is done here in Whatcom County. We can work together to help locally grown crops be processed and sold in Whatcom County.

David: In Whatcom County, we have approximately 100,000 acres of highly productive farmland that makes our area a fresh-food haven, stretching between the Salish Sea and snow-capped Mount Baker.

Our county is also the nation’s largest producer of raspberries. We grow 60 percent of the U.S. crop and are first in the nation for milk production per cow, and first out of 39 Washington counties in overall dairy production.

Our farmers are feeling the negative effects of the regulations that are being placed on them by our current county council. If elected, I will make sure our farmers are represented, and their voices are heard.

Cherry Point industry has expressed concern regarding the Whatcom County Council’s passage of the seventh consecutive sixmonth emergency moratorium on unrefined fossil-fuel exports and what they say is a lack of transparency and inclusiveness in the process. Do you support the moratoriums, yes or no? How would you address the concerns of industries there?

COUNCIL AT-LARGE continued on Page 54

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THE COST OF GOING GREEN Bellingham Task Force Shocks Many With Electricity Proposals

By Dave Brumbaugh

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019 BUSINESSPULSE.COM | 35

“This is going to be an expensive proposition T

he concept of climate change has gained growing acceptance in recent years. However, the plans and timing for addressing climate change still are issues generating considerable debate, particularly in Bellingham.

The Bellingham Climate Action Task Force, a body created in 2018 by the Bellingham City Council, has unveiled a series of highly controversial draft proposals from its Building Work Group. They include: • Requiring buyers of homes to electrify space- and water-heating systems within 24 months of purchase and install solar panels equivalent to at least 50% of the building footprint—or the equivalent in off-site community solarpower purchase.

• Requiring owners of large buildings (more than 10,000 square feet) and rental housing to electrify their spaceand water-heating systems by 2035 and install solar panels equivalent to at least 50% of the building footprint—or the equivalent in off-site community solar-power purchase.

• Requiring new buildings of all types to have fully electric space-and water-heating systems, install solar-power coverage equivalent to at least 50% of building footprint—or the equivalent in off-site community solar purchase, and to fully offset natural gas used for any other purpose by producing or procuring renewable energy.

• An alternative option for homeowners and rental-residence owners would be to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 35% by 2025, 65% by 2030 and 100% by 2035.

Ambitious goals The Task Force was formed to develop recommendations to achieve accelerated 100% renewable-energy targets, taking into account financial, technological, and societal challenges resulting from such a transition. It’s uncertain if the Building Work Group’s

draft proposals will be included in the Task Force’s final report to the Bellingham City Council, due by the end of this year.

“The proposed measures currently are being discussed and considered by the whole Task Force, and it may accept, reject, or alter any or all of these recommendations,” said Task Force member Erin McDade. “The Task Force then will decide what is included in its report to the City Council, so it’s not productive to speculate about the Council’s reaction, prior to the report’s delivery.”

The City Council has identified the following as greenhouse-gas-reduction objectives: • 100% renewable energy for municipal facilities (electricity, heating and transportation) by 2030; • 100% renewable energy use for the Bellingham community’s electricity supply by 2030; and • 100% renewable energy for community heating and transportation by 2035.

A wild card in the process is the Nov. 5 general election.

Bellingham voters will elect a new mayor and four new City Council members, who all will be installed in January. The timing of the Task Force’s report submission will affect who makes the final decisions.

Industry concerns The draft proposals sent shockwaves through Bellingham’s building, utility, and real-estate sectors because of the cost to convert heating systems from natural gas—used in many homes and buildings—to electricity, and the higher operating cost of using electricity, rather than natural gas.

“This is going to be an expensive proposition for anyone buying a home in Bellingham,” said Perry Eskridge, Executive Officer for the Whatcom County Association of Realtors (WCAR).

36 | BUSINESSPULSE.COM SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019

for anyone owning a home in Bellingham.”

Perry Eskridge, WCAR

Eskridge said converting a home from natural gas to electric heating will require upgrading the home’s electrical panel, running 220-watt electrical wire to the furnace and water-heater locations, and, in many cases, the street service will need to be upgraded to handle the additional load. He estimated the conversion cost to be $10,000 to $15,000 per household.

Eskridge added that the purchase and installation of solar panels on a home would cost another $10,000 to $15,000, and more for homes having roof shingles older than 10 years or having older roofs unable to bear the weight of solar panels.

“Renters also will see these costs quickly reflected in increased rents, as landlords will be required to perform the conversions/ installations on the three-year Bellingham Rental Licensing schedule,” Eskridge added. “I don’t know many landlords who can absorb these costs upfront. They’ll need to finance the changes, which certainly will mean increased rents.

“On the owner-occupied side of the coin, we know that the Task Force has focused on buyers, with the mistaken belief that buyers can just roll these costs into a mortgage. Its lack of understanding of how buyers obtain mortgages and the immense reduction in purchasing power that these changes will bring— not to mention the impact on housing prices in general—was quite stunning.”

The Building Industry Association of Whatcom County (BIAWC) is concerned about the methods used by the Task Force, according to Jacquelyn Styrna, its Government Affairs Director.

“BIAWC has concerns about the lack of transparency, inclusion, data collection, and reliable data analysis in the development of the Task Force recommendations,” Styrna said. “We’re concerned that business and industry perspectives are not represented.

Additionally, industry experts have not been consulted or recognized as stakeholders with first-hand knowledge and expertise. As a result, the perspective of the Task Force is skewed.”

Alyn Spector of Cascade Natural Gas said the utility company

hadn’t been contacted by the Task Force until Aug. 5. “From my perspective, the problem isn’t that a plan is being put together,” Spector said. “It’s that only a small sector of the Bellingham community is being represented in this effort.

“And more concerning, the Task Force is choosing to develop recommendations without using actual energy-consumption data from the gas or electric utility. They’re putting together a plan to eliminate the use of natural gas in (Bellingham), but they aren’t asking how many therms are being used today, or how much electricity would be needed to replace that usage. I’m not confident that costs are being fully taken into account either,” Spector said.

Impact on affordability Both Styrna and WCAR’s Eskridge said adding significant costs to home ownership conflicts with efforts to make housing more affordable in Bellingham. In addition to conversion and installation costs, Eskridge said electrical rates are nearly three times more on a comparative-energy level than natural gas.

“According to a 2016 ALICE report from United Way, 48% of City of Bellingham residents are in the poverty or asset-limited, income category, even though employed,” Styrna said.

“Citizens cannot afford the high cost of conversion to full electric, as proposed.”

“We’re in a housing-affordability crisis against which environmental pursuits must be balanced,” Eskridge said. “To have a discussion about housing affordability and the homeless issues we face in Bellingham, at the same time we’re contemplating raising the cost of housing considerably, verges on folly.

“Instead, we should be focused on those effective, nearterm efforts that provide gains in energy efficiency and allow property owners to move forward with conversion efforts as time, technology, and cost make such conversions cheaper and more productive.”

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019 BUSINESSPULSE.COM | 37

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VOTE Ben Elenbaas For County Council District 5 I am a Husband, Father, Farmer, and I work at an oil refinery.

I earned my degree at WWU through Huxley College of the Environment, as I knew understanding the science behind our impacts on the natural world would serve me well in the future.

It certainly has, as I have served on the Whatcom County Planning Commission and as the Chair of the Charter Review Commission. I am currently the President of the WC Farm Bureau.

I would appreciate your vote of confidence as I seek to bring my experiences to the Whatcom County Council to represent you.

AD PAID FOR BY ELENBAAS 4 COUNCIL

HOUSING CRISIS As local rents skyrocket, business owners’ concerns grow in retaining employees

By Tara Nelson

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019 BUSINESSPULSE.COM | 39

L

ike many West Coast cities, it’s no surprise Bellingham and surrounding Whatcom County is struggling with the price of housing.

That’s not new news to most Whatcom County residents. But Whatcom County businesses also are beginning to feel the pinch, as the lack of affordable workforce housing becomes a roadblock to recruiting new employees.

The ability to maintain a diverse mix of housing is directly related to maintaining a diverse economy and, in turn, a diverse community. But continually inflating home prices, combined with a shortage of housing stock and stagnating wages, is preventing many middle- and lower-income earners from being able to buy or even rent.

Put simply, prices are rising faster than incomes, pushing homeownership out of reach for many would-be home buyers. It also means companies that may be interested in expanding or relocating here from elsewhere may have a difficult time filling those positions because of a lack of affordable housing for their employees.

employees for factory jobs paying about $15/hour, but there wasn’t enough housing for those employees to relocate. In addition, several companies in Canada have looked into relocating or expanding into Whatcom County, but were concerned about the lack of affordable housing for their employees, he said.

The rule of thumb regarding housing affordability is that a family’s rent or mortgage shouldn’t exceed 30 percent of its total income. In Whatcom County, along with many cities across the country, however, families are spending an increasingly sizable share of their income on rent, mortgage payments, utilities, and other housing expenses. Those who can’t afford it are being pushed out into less-desirable areas, and the lines that divide incomes are being increasingly cemented by zip code.

In Whatcom County, for example, the annual median household income is $56,419. But even two people earning $15 an hour in two full-time jobs, and a total of $60,000 a year, wouldn’t earn enough to qualify for a mortgage, when the average Whatcom County home is priced at $450,000. And even if they were able to qualify, it doesn’t mean they would be able to find one.

“We are a great place to do business and we’re trying to be proactive in addressing this issue before it becomes a real problem for business and impacts our quality of life.”

—Don Goldberg, Port of Bellingham

Enter the Business and Commerce Advisory Committee (BAC), a volunteer committee organized by Whatcom County with support from the Port of Bellingham’s Regional Economic Development Division. The committee, primarily composed of representatives from major Whatcom County businesses, aims to identify issues that impact Whatcom County’s economy and community.

Don Goldberg, Director of Economic Development for the Port of Bellingham and a non-voting member of the BAC, said, in a survey of its members, the committee found that most reported worker housing (or lack thereof) as the primary obstacle to their growth and retention because the average income a worker in Whatcom County makes is not enough to afford a home.

“Local companies are trying to expand but they’re having difficulty finding enough employees because there is not enough housing for them,” he said. “What that means is that companies may begin to consider expansion outside the region.”

Goldberg said he has spoken with a number of local companies that had been interested in expanding but were unable to recruit because of the lack of affordable housing. He cited a Lynden-based manufacturer, for example, that needed 150 new

“A $15 an hour job was always considered a good enough job, but that’s not true anymore,” Goldberg said. “We’re a great place to do business and we’re trying to be proactive in addressing this issue before it becomes a real problem for business and impacts our quality of life.”

Bob Pritchett, President of the committee and CEO of Faithlife, said the BAC unanimously agreed that a lack of worker housing and affordable housing was the No. 1 impediment to recruiting, retaining, and developing a skilled workforce in Whatcom County. The committee determined that if Whatcom County would increase its supply of housing for all income levels, firms would be more likely able to hire more workers and to increase the number of jobs.

“Worker housing, therefore, is not just a social problem but an economic problem,” Pritchett and BAC Vice President Clark Campbell, President and CEO of Gear Aid, stated in a letter to the Whatcom County Council, dated June 6. “Our collective group has recognized that the lack of workers’ housing and affordable housing is a top impediment to recruiting, retaining, and developing a skilled workforce in Whatcom County.”

In its recommendations presented to the Whatcom County Council last month, the BAC encouraged the council to declare

40 | BUSINESSPULSE.COM SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019

“A lot of these things we can’t do at the county level because the county does not have the jurisdiction.”

—Carol Frazey, Whatcom County Council

a housing crisis, along with several other measures, such as simplifying, streamlining, and expediting the county permitting processes by reducing staff discretion when it comes to building codes, modifying infill toolkits, temporarily reducing wetland setbacks, and increasing density limits near transportation lines that workers use.

The BAC also recommended reducing or eliminating commercial-space requirements, allowing affordable housing in more zoning areas, and reducing or eliminating some parking requirements.

Carol Frazey, a member of the Whatcom County Council, said she appreciated the time and hard work that the committee has put into developing a plan. But Frazey said that she isn’t aware of any plans for the council to declare a housing crisis, largely because the majority of new construction will happen within cities and the council has little say over what those cities are going to do. “A lot of these things we can’t do at the county level because the county does not have the jurisdiction,” Frazey said.

County Council member Todd Donovan said some of the recommendations, such as reducing wetland setbacks, would be illegal according to the state’s Growth Management Act (GMA), which requires those setbacks to be in accordance with the best available science.

“They’re telling us to do things we can’t do,” he said. “We can’t decide that the statewide GMA just doesn’t apply anymore. We’ve already tried that and we’ve been sued and lost. I’m not denying there’s a crisis, but these ideas just won’t work.”

Pritchett and Campbell disagreed in their June 6 letter.

“We do not need more studies and reports to tell us what we already know. Adopting a crisis plan will allow us to house our current residents, make plans for new residents, and keep businesses in Whatcom County,” they wrote.

When asked what he thought might work, Donovan said the solution might need to come from public-private partnerships to create non-market solutions, such as developers partnering with nonprofits to create worker housing. Another alternative is to put a levy on the ballot to ask voters to permanently fund affordable housing.

“If you want to really talk about subsidizing affordable housing, you have to talk about subsidizing housing that is going to stay permanently affordable,” Donovan said.

Frazey said one solution might include having the County Council encourage cities to annex urban-growth areas and/ or buy back development rights in the county to funnel new construction closer to the cities and reduce sprawl. She also suggested looking into changes to county zoning and streamlining the county’s sometimes contradictory permitting process.

“That’s something I’d really like to look into more,” Frazey said.

Removing environmental protections, such as wetland setbacks, however, could negatively impact the quality of life for people in those communities, she said. And getting rid of development fees, such as water and sewer connection fees, would only push the costs of municipal infrastructure onto existing residents.

“I can’t see us moving forward as a county with things like taking away environmental protections,” she said. “But we do have to do something. Right now, even high-income earners have a hard time buying a house.”

When asked about how he thought removing development fees would affect existing residents, Goldberg said the costs would likely be outweighed by the benefits.

“The intention is certainly not to lower services or lessen the quality of life because that’s what we’re talking about here,” he said. “But if more people move in, there also will be more property taxes, and if more people are working in our community, more money will be spent here. So there are offsets.

But there may be a period in time that, in order to catch up on housing, we may have to make some tough decisions to correct the problem.”

He added that the BAC recommendations were designed to be temporary until the housing-vacancy rate increases to between 3% to 4%, or whatever figure the county council determines.

“There’s a reason why we have planning and processes,” Goldberg said. “But if we don’t want to be just a community of wealthy retirees and continue to be a diverse economy, then we have to also have a diverse supply of housing that meets diverse demographics.”

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019 BUSINESSPULSE.COM | 41

QA Photo by Tiffany Brooks

and

In Community-Building, Larson Rolls Up His Sleeves and Gets Down to Business Interview by Mike McKenzie

R

ecently, contributing Business Pulse Editor Mike McKenzie talked with Tony Larson about his wide-ranging background and vision for the future of Whatcom County. Tony has created numerous successful ventures: Founder/President of the Whatcom Business Alliance (WBA); publisher of Business Pulse; Owner of the Bellingham Bells Baseball Club; startup of community events; elected to the Whatcom County Council, and now a candidate for Whatcom County Executive. He has served in leadership positions on many boards of directors. He coached youth sports. WWU named him a Builder of Bellingham. Junior Achievement and the Whatcom County Association of Realtors, and other organizations, have presented him awards. Given his lifetime dedication to his hometown community, we thought it would be fun to engage with Tony in a casual discussion.

MM: You are fully immersed in the community. Where did the passion for this engagement begin?

TL: I was born in Bellingham. I love this community. Namely, the geography in proximity to two major cities, the parks and lakes and mountains and sea, hiking and biking and countless other recreational opportunities, the quality of the schools, and the people here. I always knew this is where I wanted to raise my family. When I graduated from Western, I decided I would figure out a way to stay. As long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to do anything and everything I can to contribute to the greater good of this great community.

What triggered your affinity for entrepreneurial interests?

Several early student experiences. One that was fun was starting a textbook business. As Business Manager for University publications—the Western Front, and Klipsun Magazine—I had an office in College Hall. I was studying there for finals one night, and on a break I read an opinion piece in the Western Front that said, “Bend over, it’s buy-back time at the bookstore.” It was about how students feel like they’re getting shafted when they sell back their textbooks. Within 48 hours, I had the book business started— buying wholesale, selling affordably, and saving students money.

What were some other entrepreneurial influences?

Also while in college, I took a job in Lynden at a place called Baron’s. We sold electronics, TVs, and new and used musical instruments, including a leasing program to Whatcom County students in music programs. I was hired by Sid Baron, who passed away last March at 89. Sid was an extraordinary entrepreneur, mentor, and friend. He founded 40 different businesses—all very successful in many different industries. The radio station now known as Praise 106.5 FM. Exxel Pacific Construction. Baron Telecommunications, just to name a few.

I learned much more from him than I did in earning a degree in economics and finance. I loved him very much. Even in his latter days, we’d meet for lunch frequently. That relationship gave me a a strong desire to mentor young people the same way he was a mentor to me.

42 | BUSINESSPULSE.COM SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019

Business Pulse, Bellingham Bells, and Whatcom Business Alliance (WBA) seem like very different enterprises.

What was the idea spurring your involvement in each?

Actually, they are all connected in many ways. They’re all about making a positive impact on the community. Business Pulse has always been about informing local readers about the people, news, and trends that make Whatcom County a better place. It’s also been a communication vehicle to lift up people and organizations that are doing positive things, and highlighting them as an example for others to follow. That also was the impetus for many of our events, like our annual Business Awards dinner that will sell out for the 34th year in March 2020.

The Bellingham Bells baseball club is an outstanding community builder. When the previous owner, a sports attorney from Philadelphia, announced he was going to sell the team and move it to Spokane, I thought it would be a huge loss for Bellingham and the entire area. The Bells’ history pre-dates WWII. We’ve had several farm teams here, including those for the Seattle Mariners, Los Angeles Dodgers, and San Francisco Giants. I connected with him, opened up a conversation, and got ownership approval from the league. We bought the franchise and kept it in Bellingham. We operated the Bells for eight years before selling to Hall of Famer George Brett and his brothers, who operated out of Spokane but maintained the team here.

Talk about your founding of the WBA? The genesis of the WBA began with an observation and asking a simple question.

First, I observed so many quality business people in industries ranging across farming, manufacturing, technology, construction, lumber, commercial fishing, goods and services, and more. A common denominator is how they work hard, create opportunities for their employees, pay significant taxes that fund necessary public services, contribute to community causes— all to the betterment of Bellingham and Whatcom County.

Busy doing what they do, they often have been overlooked as it relates to engaging in public-policy issues that directly impact them. I asked myself, and many of them, what would it look like if we created a forum that got these business Q AND A continued on Page 49

Your Business Retirement Plan Solution Bryant J. Engebretson, CFP®, CLU®, AIF® Kyle B. Jackson, CFP®, CLU®, AIF® p

360.715.9000

www.tradewinds-cm.com 2211 Rimland Drive, Suite 401 Bellingham, WA 98226

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019 BUSINESSPULSE.COM | 43

If you and your business do not participate in the shaping of public policy, you will be governed by those who do.

The WBA Policy Center was created to be the eyes, ears, and voice for Whatcom County businesses. There are thousands of rules and regulations being created at the federal, state, and local levels that may harm local business.

The WBA Policy Center provides both influence and credibility in the community by engaging in fact-based research, education, communication, and advocacy for its members on issues important to business. It also works proactively to advance policy issues that support business success, while advocating against those harmful to local business.

We hope you will consider supporting the WBA Policy Center — there is strength in numbers and your support will have an impact.

Be Informed...Get Engaged...Make a Difference!

How You Can Help • Contact us about issues that may be impacting your business or industry at wbapolicycenter.org/about-contact/.

• Become part of the solution by making your contribution to the WBA Policy Center’s Step Up Fund.

Your support makes it possible for WBA to proactively engage on issues on your behalf before they negatively impact your business.

START TODAY! Support the WBA Policy Center with a contribution at www.wbapolicycenter.org.

PULSE

HOURS AFTER BOOKS + EVENTS NOT TO

MISS

Pavlov Alert: Bellingham SeaFeast Is Ringing the Dinner Bell Again

By Mike McKenzie

S

almon, crab, scallops, oysters. Even lobster corndogs. And much more, ranging from paella to poutine and from a fire pit to food trucks. Salivating yet?

This culinary overload takes place September 21–22 in four exclusive tasting tours, plus a wide array of food and beverage vendors at Zuanich Point Park in Squalicum Harbor.

Because of overflow demands (more than 30,000 have attended the first three years combined), this 4th annual Bellingham SeaFeast has expanded to two full weekend days. Previously, with activities Friday night Downtown and at the harbor all day Saturday, akin to a fair, there simply wasn’t enough time to do it all. Or eat it all. Now, attendees can double down to ride and/or tour a boat, eat, tour a marine/commercial fishing industry, visit 100+ SeaFeast Wharf booths, eat, listen to music, dance or play on the lawn, imbibe, and eat.

The rollout of food appears end-to-end(less).

And, the Bellingham SeaFeast Big Top provides

covered seating for up to 300—a response to weather that occasionally has dampened the scene (though never the enthusiasm).

The feast of seafood once again stars two wildly popular staples: tribal-tradition, open-pit, wood-smoked salmon by Lummi Nation, and “Taste the Sea,” presented by Haggen Northwest Fresh (by ticket only and always a sellout).

In addition to the staples and 14 local meal, dessert, snack, and specialty-coffee providers, participants also will find four local beverage brands in the adult-only “Brews with a View” Garden.

The Port of Bellingham hints that a special surprise awaits on the Downtown Waterfront, September 19–21. “Keep an eye on the newly renovated Granary Building during the evenings,” SeaFeast Executive Director Liz Purdy teased. “The commercial-fishing industry is going to shine on Bellingham in a new way.”

Competition spices the foodie scene

Saturday the 21st in the “Skill of the Grill” salmon cook-off. Entries range from local chefs to some from Seattle, Alaska, and California.

At 1:30 p.m. Saturday, shoulder-to-shoulder hordes of spectators will line the banks of Zuanich Point Park to watch the U.S. Coast Guard enact a rescue-at-sea. They drop a person from a helicopter into Bellingham Bay, fly away, then return after the person overboard performs flare-lit, life-saving techniques. The ’copter crew then drops a ladder for a happy ending.

The entertainment marquee headlines five bands, and some of the annual FisherPoets on Bellingham Bay perform on the Main Stage (plus Downtown venues Saturday night).

Bellingham SeaFeast general admission is free, with emphasis on family friendly (e.g., Kids Field of Fun). The detailed time of activities, list of food choices, parking maps, and ticket reservations for boat and industry tours appear on BellinghamSeaFeast.org.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019 BUSINESSPULSE.COM | 45

event picks PULSE AFTER HOURS Bellwether Blues, Brews & BBQ SEPT 5–6 Blue Skies for Children will put on a gala to raise money for the organization.

Blue Skies is a nonprofit group who raises money for children below the poverty line in Whatcom County. The theme for this year’s fundraising dinner is “Hope Anchors the Soul.” Attendees are encouraged to dress accordingly. Activities include a silent auction, raffle, many games, and great food.

Four Points by Sheraton, 5:30 p.m. Cost: $95. www.blueskiesforchildren.org/annual-dinner-charity-auction.html

Allied Arts Gallery Series: Precise Practicalities SEPT 6–28 Allied Arts of Whatcom County will show off its yearly lineup of pieces at Precise Practicalities Gallery. This exhibit will celebrate the precision of several artistic mediums, including paint, stone, and wood.

Allied Arts is a group that empowers local and unknown artists through workshops, exhibits, and other events. Artists featured this year include Chris Romain, Sacha Bliese and Seren Fargo.

Allied Arts of Whatcom County building, 10 a.m. Free Admission. www.alliedarts.org

Adventures NW Photography Workshop SEPT 6–8 This Fall, North Cascades Institute will invite people on a journey through the Whatcom backcountry for prime pictures.

For two days, Institute instructors John D’Onofrio and Alan Sanders will lead a group of workshop students on a hike through the North Cascades, all the while teaching valuable camera techniques. In addition, students will learn how to properly edit their photos in Adobe Lightroom.

North Cascades Environmental Learning Center, 4 p.m. Multiple prices. www.ncascades.org/signup/programs

Farm-Infused Beer Tasting SEPT 7 Eatlocalfirst.org will organize a meetup at Aslan Depot to pair Aslan’s signature beers with Whatcom County’s locally grown produce. Aslan Depot is one of Whatcom County’s many craft beer distributors. Its

facility on Union Street serves as a 21-barrel taproom, event space and barrel-aging facility.

Beers include IPAs, Irish Coffee and their Disco Lemonade.

from Boston’s Berklee College of Music in the 1980s. Since then, Krall has made a name for herself across the globe as one of the great modern-day jazz musicians.

Aslan Depot, 5 p.m. Cost: $16. www.eatlocalfirst.org/all-events/farm-infusedbeer-tasting

Mt. Baker Theatre, 7 p.m. Multiple prices. www.mountbakertheatre.com

WCCA Fall Rod-Run Car Show

SEPT 7 The Whatcom County Cruiser Association will put on its yearly car show.

See all kinds of rigs from all different eras and brands of hot rods. People can also pay $10 to enter their own car for viewing. The Cruiser Association is a club that keeps the appreciation of all types of classic cars alive.

The Cedars RV Resort, 9 a.m. Free admission. www.myferndalenews.com/ferndaleevent/wccafall-rod-run-car-show/2019-09-07/

Diana Krall At Mt. Baker Theatre SEPT 15 Jazz musician and five-time Grammy award winner Diana Krall will grace Mt. Baker Theatre to play her hottest songs. The Canadian-born Krall started out playing piano for restaurants and graduated

PULSE PICK

SEPT 28 Whatcom artist Barbra De Pirro will give a lecture at Jensen Art Center about GOLDEN brand art products and techniques.

Pirro is a multimedia artist who draws from the natural world to create intricate and organic-looking pieces. She has credits at many art installations including her mixed-media sculptures in the “NWDC at Schack” exhibit last March. Her official website, www.depirro. com, lists all of her art and installations.

Jansen Art Center, 1 p.m. Free admission. www.jansenartcenter.org/events/golden-lecturedemo-mixed-media/

The Land We Love Gallery Series OCT 4–26 Allied Arts of Whatcom County will open its “The Land We Love” exhibition.

This series of artwork is all about the natural

SEPTEMBER: EAT LOCAL MONTH

September is Eat Local Month in Bellingham and Whatcom County. Go out and celebrate local farms, markets, restaurants, and seafood that is harvested throughout the area.

The second week of September is the annual Whatcom Farm Tour Weekend. Over 10 different local farms will swing open their gates and welcome the community to see, taste, feel and learn hands-on what goes into local food production. Learn about these unique farms and the passion and care that goes into producing local food.

In addition, 18 restaurants will be running Eat Local Month specials for the entire month in Bellingham and Whatcom County.

Look for the Eat Local First fork on menus to find $6 and $12 dishes filled with ingredients from local farms.

It’s never been more important to support and celebrate our local food community.

From farmers to food processors, restaurant owners to employees, the folks who grow, raise, and prepare our food are the foundation that keeps our local economy strong, saves Whatcom County’s farmland, protects

46 | BUSINESSPULSE.COM SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019

Mixed-Media Workshop At Jansen Art Center

natural resources, and gives our community access to fresh foods grown with care.

For more information visit www.bellingham. org/activities/fall-activities/

landscape of Whatcom County. Artists featured in this exhibition include Michael Heath and Janine Hazebrouck. In addition, the exhibition guest stars the Bellingham Metal Arts Guild’s own metal work.

JOIN US

if you believe business success is essential to community prosperity.

Individual memberships now just $100/yr!

Allied Arts Gallery, 6 p.m. Free admission. www.alliedarts.org

Cloud Mountain Fall Fruit Festival

To join, email info@whatcombusinessalliance.com or visit whatcombusinessalliance.com/jointhealliance

OCT 5–6 Join Cloud Mountain Farm Center for its annual fruit festival, a two-day event full of fun, games, and educational opportunities. Learn about the different kinds of foods grown in the Pacific Northwest, all while tasting the best fruits and vegetables in the region. Proceeds go to Cloud Mountain’s workshop program to further educate the public on farming.

Cloud Mountain Farm Center, 10 a.m. Cost: $5. www.cloudmountainfarmcenter.org

Take Me To The River At Mt. Baker Theatre OCT 19 The Take Me To The River LIVE! tour will make its way to Bellingham this October with its distinctive modern New Orleans funk sound. Watch The Dirty Dozen Brass Band and the Mardi Gras Indians play their best R&B, jazz and soul music. These authentic New Orleans-based groups will give a performance that audience members will not soon forget.

Mt. Baker Theatre, 7:30 p.m. Multiple prices. www.mountbakertheatre.com

Christine Mauersberger At Jansen Art Center OCT 26 Cleveland-born artist Christine Mauersberger specializes in embroidery. Her works in fabric and on canvas was featured in Ireland’s Millennium Court Arts Centre and Quebec’s Biennale du Lin. This October, Mauersberger will appear at the Jansen Art Center to give a lecture about her personal journey as a textile artist.

Jansen Art Center, 12 p.m. Free admission. www.jansenartcenter.org/events/mauersberger_ lecture

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019 BUSINESSPULSE.COM | 47

reads PULSE AFTER HOURS Labyrinth: The Art of Decision-Making Pawel Motyl The next decision you make could change your life.

Every day, we make countless choices, yet we rarely stop to consider how we arrive at those decisions as we speed through our lives. In Labyrinth, leadership expert Pawel Motyl believes it’s time to take a closer look at how we make decisions­—and learn how to decide better.

Motyl digs into the series of decisions that led to some of the modern world’s most dramatic events—from the Cuban missile crisis to the 1996 Mount Everest climbing disaster, and from the Apollo 13 rescue mission to the

ill-fated Daimler–Chrysler merger. Along the way, he reveals 16 rules for effective decision-making that will challenge your pre-existing beliefs and change your outlook forever.

As technological advances transform our world at an ever-accelerating pace, we are all facing a complex labyrinth of decisions in business and life. Motyl’s insights will equip you with the knowledge and wisdom to face even the most high-stakes situation with confidence, and negotiate the labyrinth with ease.

(April 16, 2019, Page Two) Paperback $17.99.

Game-Time Decision Making: High-Scoring Business Strategies from the Biggest Names in Sports David Meltzer When the pressure is on, great coaches remain laser-focused, confident, and fully in charge of their roster. They’re the same way when it comes to developing strategies and game plans to succeed.

Game-Time Decision Making takes you step-by-step through the process of: • Putting together an all-pro team with diverse skillsets; • Building a positive mindset that will overwhelm the competition; • Developing a keen awareness of “the playing field”; • Learning from failures so you never make

the same mistake twice; and • Creating both offensive and defensive strategies for branding and marketing.

When you have everything in place to make quick, accurate calls in the toughest of situations, you have what you need to dominate your industry.

Game-Time Decision Making is a proven playbook for positioning yourself for success. From creating and utilizing the best tactics and strategies to leading your company through times of change, this is your playbook for total business success.

(July 16, 2019, McGraw-Hill) Hardcover $28.

Chasing the High: An Entrepeneur’s Mindset Through Addiction, Lawsuits and His Journey to the Edge Michael G. Dash To be on the frontline of entrepreneurship, you must be bold and take risks. But the need to achieve can be as addictive as drugs, with serious side effects. It can make you feel isolated, uncertain, and trapped on an emotional roller-coaster ride full of euphoric highs and devastating lows. But there’s a way to get back onto solid ground.

An accomplished entrepreneur and recovering gambling and drug addict, Michael Dash realized his gaming obsession and his drive to succeed were two sides of the same coin. He was always “chasing the high,” whether in the office, the casino or out being 48 | BUSINESSPULSE.COM SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019

the life of the party. Through it all, he was able to devise strategies and routines that enabled him to refocus, reboot, and take control of his life. And his winning approach will help all leaders calm their inner chaos and find fulfillment, serenity, and purpose.

But the path to self-awareness and stability was not a straight line, and the author’s openness about his backsliding and frequent loss of perspective is one of the book’s strengths.

A different life is possible when you stop Chasing the High...and start living.

(May 31, 2019, Lioncrest Publishing) Paperback $19.95.

Q AND A continued from Page 43

people together to weigh in on the important challenges facing our community?

The answer to that question prompted the startup of the WBA. What are you most proud of regarding the work the WBA does?

I’m most proud of the quality of the people on our board of directors and of our hundreds of members. They are persons and organizations truly interested in community welfare. They care. The WBA brings together business leaders to share experiences and best practices, and to connect in social settings. They get to know each other better and discuss business and community issues. These conversations often lead to lofty discussions about social issues and the solutions that policymakers wrestle with.

Business leaders are problem-solvers by nature. They have great ideas that too often haven’t been a part of the past dialogue, publicly. Through the WBA, they have an opportunity to join that dialogue. A prime example is how our Youth Engagement Initiative started. We asked how we could prepare local kids for the workforce. In less than a year, we have launched YES Whatcom (Youth Employment Services), a website that bridges the gap between high school students interested in entry-level jobs with possibilities for advancement.

The success has been extraordinary. I’m proud of the business community not just talking, but taking action.

What is the most misunderstood thing about the WBA? You can’t advocate on behalf of local businesses and community prosperity without engaging in public-policy discussions.

Those discussions are considered political. In a divisive political environment, people tend to label and choose sides.

Unfortunately, that stifles dialogue and a situation in which people don’t listen to each other’s ideas.

So, what might be misunderstood by some is that the WBA is not partisan. Its membership unquestionably is biased toward business success, which leads to community prosperity and, thereby, the enhancement of this marvelous area where we live—and we have to be political in some cases to do that.

At the core, we are problem solvers.

We want to dialogue with everyone, Q AND A continued on Page 50

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regardless of political views, using facts and reason. That’s why we finance studies on issues prior to taking any positions.

We try to get the data first and, after careful review, then develop ideas and solutions through thoughtful positive dialogue after bringing other ideas to the table.

Using that segue, why you are running for County Executive?

It’s pretty hard to go anywhere around here without gaining an understanding that Whatcom County is growing. Our population has grown 8% in just the last five years. We are at a crossroads. So many opportunities lie in front of us, but many challenges, as well. Housing prices and rents are increasing far beyond what average wages can support. We have a real worker housing shortage as a result of slow and costly permitting and lack of permitted buildable land.

We are witness to alarming increases in homelessness. Much of this is connected to substance-abuse and mental-health problems. We see a rise in property crimes as a result. These are just a few of the issues that have a potential to get out of control if we don’t address them in a serious way now.

For example, instead of talking about where to locate tent cities, we should be talking about finding compassionate solutions for our homeless that eliminate the need for tent cities and illegal camping. We could be doing so many things to address the housing supply problem.

The challenges in front of us are all solvable. We just need strong leadership from someone willing to address them directly.

What is the role of the Whatcom County Executive?

The County Executive is a manager, not a policy maker. That’s the County Council’s role. The Executive is a non-partisan, leadership position responsible for making sure the County is run efficiently, effectively, within budget, and with unwavering transparency. The County has 825 employees and a $220 million budget. Taxpayers expect their tax dollars to be invested in a way that makes Whatcom County a better place to live, work, and play.

To me, that means directing resources to improve public safety and health, and to build and maintain county roads,

bridges, technology, parks, trails, and other infrastructure. It also means supporting local business success so companies, large and small, can hire and pay livable wages and benefits.

We must maintain reasonable and effective protections for our environment and Lake Whatcom and make sure we have a safety net for those most vulnerable among us who need it.

As County Executive, I would treat every dollar spent as an investment. As such, we should expect measurable returns on every investment. If we don’t make the impacts and get the results we expect, we should look at different options, always with an understanding there will be better and more effective approaches coming if we pay careful attention.

What’s in store for 2020?

ECONOMIC FORECAST

Join us as expert economists present the economic predictions for the upcoming year.

B R E A K F A S T

S A V E T H E D AT E

A LOOK AT 2020

Thursday, November 21, 2019

7:00 - 9:00am | Bellingham Golf & Country Club

Anything you would like to add?

Yes—how important it is for every registered voter in Whatcom County to participate in the process by paying attention and casting a ballot. That is particularly important for leaders who are responsible for their business’s success and the well-being of not just their own families, but also for employees and their families. Keeping the constituency informed and sharing how these issues impact their own livelihoods is an important responsibility. When people participate, our community is stronger.

Bellingham PORT commissioner continued from Page 30

property is state and privately owned. The I-5 corridor and east county will be my focal point for economic Development.

Anthony: Yes, I supported the seventh, and hopefully final, moratorium as we make code amendments to our comprehensive plan, and I was present at the hearing. Like Steve Garey, retired President of USW Local 12-591 and a member of the Blue-Green Alliance, who spoke out at the hearing in defense of labor, I feel that the use of Cherry Point as an export facility for unrefined fossil fuels puts our refinery workers, our fisherman, and our environment at risk. I believe that Whatcom County is poised to be a leader in a Just Transition framework that moves our workforce towards renewable energy, and I’m excited about our future.

I also believe that the CPHI must include the Lummi Nation as a stakeholder for any development planning. The Port and the Lummi Nation together can reduce liabilities and increase funding opportunities in which a rising tide raises all boats.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019 BUSINESSPULSE.COM | 51

Whatcom County Executive continued from Page 28

changes to the Comp Plan to prevent conversion of processing capacity to crude oil export facilities. Oil exports haven’t been allowed from Cherry Point since the mid-1970s, so this is nothing new or radical. The proposed amendments will allow prudent oversight of new fossil fuels projects, reducing the risk to the environment while maximizing job security. I continue to meet with industry representatives, encouraging them to participate in the open public hearings and not to mischaracterize moratorium as bad for jobs.

Are we facing a housing crisis, yes or no?

What approach will you take as Whatcom County Executive to stabilize the increases in housing prices and rents?

Tony: Yes. The lack of worker and affordable housing supply is a top impediment to recruiting, retaining, and developing a skilled workforce. Elected officials have declared affordable housing a top priority for the past five years, yet there is still a significant disconnect between current planning code and worker/affordable housing needs. To stabilize housing prices, we need to get the vacancy rate up from .75% to 4-6%. That will require putting thousands of units online per year over the next four consecutive years. We need a County Executive who can collaborate with the Mayors of Bellingham, Ferndale, Blaine, Lynden, Everson, Nooksack, and Sumas to adopt uniform incentives and permit approval processes to get supply online and make this a county wide urban-development and

Bellingham Mayor

continued from Page 29

be financially infeasible for many people.

We must create polices that can be equitably achieved. The Task Force is still in discussion on home and building electrification requirements. No recommendations have yet been submitted to the City Council for consideration. When they are delivered to the city for consideration there will be much public process and opportunity to comment before adoption is considered. Nothing has been set in stone.

What will you do as Mayor of Bellingham to address the increasing homeless problem?

April: Most people experiencing homelessness are off our radar. More than 1,000 children are housing insecure, and senior

workforce-attraction initiative. Every single small-city Mayor has endorsed me for County Executive, and I will reach out and work with the new Bellingham Mayor as well.

Satpal: Yes, Whatcom County is facing an acute housing crisis with skyrocketing prices and a shortage on available units in all segments. The County’s Business and Commerce Advisory Committee recently made a presentation to the County Council that highlighted the shortage of workforce housing is a key factor limiting the growth of current businesses. They are unable to hire new skilled workers or retain current workers because of the housing problem.

I have listened carefully to the debates and discussions about the housing situation over the past two years. With cooperation from the County Council, we may be able to revise some of land-use policies to allow more housing in the county and UGAs. I plan to work with housing advocates, developers, and builders to identify where mixed-use zoning may be appropriate to help increase housing supply for all income segments, including the homeless population.

lakes, and requiring conditional-use permits for all building projects in our heavy industrial manufacturing zone. These ideas are shortsighted, very costly, and will provide no measurable benefit to our environment. My first priority would be investing in the protection of half of Whatcom County’s drinking water in Lake Whatcom. Second, that we proactively incentivize and assist our local energy producers in their energy transition to cleaner and renewable energy sources. And finally, that Whatcom County leads by example through its own recycling programs, energy efficiencies in its buildings, and switching to hybrid or electric vehicles where and when appropriate.

Tony: My opponent has spoken about solving climate change. His ideas range from requiring newly purchased homes to be retrofitted to electric power from natural gas, a move that would likely increase the price tag of every home by more than $20k, and banning all motorized watercraft from Whatcom County

Satpal: Climate change will be a top priority for my administration from day one. This is an existential threat, which any farmer in Whatcom County can tell you. For the past 150 years, we have been irresponsibly using our resources and littering our planet. It’s time we take full responsibility and take action to reverse this trend.

Here’s what I intend to do: Lead by example – beginning with an environmental audit of county operations, we will identify and adopt measures to reduce our own carbon footprint.

Empower experts – the County Climate Advisory Committee will be given the resources necessary to create a roadmap for a clean and prosperous future.

Engage the community – simple ideas like planting trees can be an effective tool for carbon sequestration, while also providing shade and habitat. I will launch a county-led and community-driven initiative to plant one million trees by 2025!

citizens are the fastest-growing homeless population. As your Mayor, I will look to communities that have solved chronic youth and veteran homelessness, build necessary partnerships, and work to reach evidence-based solutions with measures that hold us accountable. Often, the conversation around homelessness focuses on substance-use disorder, mental-health issues, or behaviors that make people feel unsafe downtown. For this aspect of homelessness, I want to increase the amount of options people have. These options include shelters that are open during the day and urban rest stops, or places where people can take care of basic hygienic needs. When people have more options, we can enforce rules and laws in a more efficient and humane way. For longer-term solutions, we must invest in treatment, permanently affordable housing, and criminal-justice diversions.

Seth: I would join a growing coalition of Mayors lobbying the federal government for reforms that reverse income inequality and address the root causes of homelessness.

When the feds let us down, cities are left dealing with the results. The data show that homelessness is not caused, primarily, by domestic violence, mental-health concerns, or alcohol and drug abuse; it’s caused by a lack of homes people can afford. As Mayor, I will work with the Lighthouse Mission, PeaceHealth, housing providers, our public safety personnel, and others to create appropriate facilities for people who have no other place to go. We have the will, the resources, and the expertise to create robust and humane sheltering programs at state-of-the-art facilities that provide the services that people experiencing homelessness need to be safe and stable.

We can make improvements that address the concerns for all the people in Bellingham.

Where does climate change rank as a priority for you and what will you do as Whatcom County Executive to address it?

52 | BUSINESSPULSE.COM SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019

county council district 4 continued from Page 31

Cherry Point industry has expressed concern regarding the Whatcom County Council’s passage of the seventh consecutive six-month emergency moratorium on unrefined fossilfuel exports and what they say is a lack of transparency and inclusiveness in the process. Do you support the moratoriums, yes or no? How would you address the concerns of industries there?

Brian: Cherry Point has some of the highest-wage jobs in Whatcom County. They are an essential part of Whatcom County’s economy and provide many benefits to the community.

As I understand the current moratorium, it principally relates to preventing crude exports.

I support refining oil here, as it creates many more jobs than simply loading a tanker and having that oil refined elsewhere.

I’m encouraged by Phillips 66 plans to develop a renewable-diesel plant at Cherry Point, creating an additional 200 jobs. They need to provide details to some important questions, but the initial conversations suggest a project that could have broad community support. The county’s Comprehensive Plan, currently under review, should properly balance land use, environmental protections, and public safety with current or expanded refinery operations. I support future refinery expansion, subject to those provisions.

county council district 5 continued from Page 32

benefit these businesses bring our community. Land-use policy that seeks to hinder these employers’ ability to provide living-wage jobs is simply unnecessary. Our current council has been clear in its motivation is to eliminate the refinement of fossil fuels in Whatcom County, using political science to justify its actions. As an 18-year employee in the Cherry Point industrial area and someone whose job is to safely operate and mitigate any and all risks associated with the refinement of fossil fuels, it’s my perspective that we’re producing things that people need in the 5th District, and we do it in a world-class manner. Our council should recognize this as well and acknowledge the community benefits these facilities offer and provide a regulatory environment that will help our community flourish.

Natalie: The moratorium is a temporary halt to accepting (and vesting) new-project applications while the council considers changes to the rules and process. I support the moratorium. The moratorium is fairly narrowly defined and under it BP has built a renewable-diesel plant and completed a new gasoline-sulfur reduction upgrade.

Kathy: No, I would not have supported the moratoriums. The council has been pushing an agenda to shut down our industries at Cherry Point. Their ill-conceived plan is short-sighted and harmful to our way of life in Whatcom County. The council wasted $150,000 of taxpayer money when they hired an activist environmental Seattle law firm to develop Comprehensive Plan and zoning-code amendments that will make it impossible for our Cherry Point industries to survive in Whatcom County. We risk losing our biggest taxpayer and job producer in the county. The long-term consequences are dire. Our refineries in the United States are the most efficient in the world and produce their product using strict standards that protect our environment.

If they are forced to shut down, our fuel will come from countries such as China or India that don’t have the same standards and it will be more expensive.

As a member of the Whatcom County Council, what would you do to address the affordable-housing crisis?

Brian: Incomes have simply not kept pace with housing costs throughout Whatcom County. As a real-estate broker, I hear concerns about housing affordability from clients all the time. Both the private and public sectors can play a role in lowering housing costs. Builder incentives, public/private partnerships, and property-tax credits are policy tools worth considering.

The claims of lack of transparency and inclusiveness refer to the council’s process for developing new rules for major projects at Cherry Point. The council has taken a long time to work through its issues, and those brought to them by the public, including the Cherry Point businesses. All meetings are held in public. There have been some hasty actions taken that had to be walked back, which I think were the result of frustration with the slowness of the process.

As a member of the Whatcom County Council, what would you do to address the affordable-housing crisis?

Ben: I would do my best to work with the County Executive to put people in place at planning and development services who will streamline the permiting process to eliminate unneccessary layers of bureaucracy that do not fulfill their intended purposes and only add cost that is passed on to the homeowner. There are some studies that suggest permitting is 30% of the cost of new construction, this is an area of opportunity when looking at reducing housing costs. I would also encourage the City of Bellingham to service their UGA’s to provide more supply. I would encourage land-use policy

Whatcom County needs more homes in all shapes and sizes for all our neighbors. As our communities have all different types of people and incomes, we need different types of housing so they can afford to live near where they work.

In some parts of the smaller cities in Whatcom County, more duplexes, triplexes or small multifamily units may be worth considering, as well as expanding the boundaries of some LAMIRDS (Limited Areas of More Intensive Rural Development) to include more residential development.

Kathy: People can afford homes when they earn a decent wage. I will support our businesses that are paying family wages and new business that wants to locate here. We need a variety of housing options. When the urbangrowth areas around Bellingham were reduced in 2009, the city lost the ability to add 4,500 homes to their inventory. And over the last decade, Bellingham has failed to address its share of the housing need experienced in Whatcom County. I believe it is critical that we be honest and plan for the people we know will come here, not stick our heads in the sand for a decade and then be surprised when there is not enough affordable housing for everyone who lives in Whatcom County. I’m running to protect the small-town character of towns like Lynden, Sumas, Everson, and Nooksack so that they don’t become sprawling bedroom communities to Bellingham.

that did not limit housing choices. The Growth Management Act requires municipalities to supply housing choices, I believe these choices should coincide with what the market is asking for, contrary to popular land use policy, 85 percent multi-family residences is not what the community is calling for.

Natalie: Many people want to live in Whatcom County and come from higher-cost places with substantial resources and may not need a local job. There is a disconnect between the value of housing and the average wages offered locally.

Whatcom County’s small cities are growing and the cost of housing is rising because of pressure from people in Bellingham looking for affordable housing. Bellingham has offered incentives to developers to build dense housing in “urban villages” for over a decade but with few takers. We can no longer wait for the private sector to step up to build affordable housing.

We have some great non profit and government programs in Whatcom County working on increasing the housing supply for low- and moderate-income households. The bottleneck is, of course, funding. I am currently exploring with some community partners the establishment of a fund to support more projects.

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county council AT-LARGE

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Carol: I support the jobs at Cherry Point. We recently passed the seventh moratorium.

During the past three years that the moratorium has been in place, the industries at Cherry Point continued to profit and jobs stayed.

What happens if we do allow unrefined fuels to flow through our county, increasing the risk to the residents and environment of Whatcom County, and be shipped to other parts of the world? What would keep our current Cherry Point industries from shipping unrefined fuels oversees, where labor is cheaper and environmental protections are weaker? One of the responsibilities of the council is to protect the health and safety of the residents and environment of Whatcom County. The moratorium has done this without impacting jobs or profitability of the Cherry Point industries. By making sure that unrefined fuels are refined here in Whatcom County, we are preserving Cherry Point jobs.

David: I do not support the moratoriums placed on unrefined fossil-fuel exports. The Cherry Point Industry supports 3,000-plus jobs directly and indirectly. They are one of the biggest contributors to our economy.

They can be assured that I will not support any future moratoriums placed on their industry. The council needs to begin treating the businesses in our county as partners. If we work together, we can come up with solutions to meet the needs of protecting our environment and keep quality jobs in our county.

As a member of the Whatcom County Council, what would you do to address the affordable-housing crisis?

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Carol: A lot of families in Whatcom County are really struggling right now. The median yearly salary is $54,000 and the median home price is over $400,000. This is a problem. As a council member, I support the creative, well-planned, fiscally responsible programs that help make housing affordable in Whatcom County.

The Kulshan Community Land Trust is an excellent model for providing affordable housing in our county. Volunteers, businesses, a variety of financial institutions, non profits, and government agencies are coming together to make home buying a reality for many families.

Other solutions that I support are tax incentives for multi-family units and inclusionary zoning. We need to have different types of homes and affordability in every community. It will take a variety of programs brought forward by many different entities to help make housing affordable for all.

David: To address the affordable-housing crisis, I would work to make sure that property

taxes do not go any higher than they already are. When the county falls short of tax revenue, they lean on property owners instead of looking to attract new industries to our area which will bring in additional tax revenue to the county.

Second, the council needs to allow developers to build multi-family and single-family homes more efficiently by not making the acquisition of permits a daunting task.

We can create affordable housing by building more homes. If our supply increases, the prices will go down. We currently have a housing shortage which is causing prices to increase dramatically. These price increases are felt not only by potential home buyers, but those who rent as well.

Voters May Need To Register Or Update Info Have you registered to vote in the state of Washington? Do you need to update your voter registration name or address? It is quick and simple.

To register to vote, you must be: • A citizen of the United States; • A legal resident of Washington State; • At least 18 years old by Election Day; • Not under the authority of the Department of Corrections; and • Not disqualified from voting due to a court order.

If you need voter registration information or assistance, contact the Whatcom County Auditor’s Office at 360.778.5102 or www.co.whatcom. wa.us/auditor. You also may visit the Auditor’s Office in the Whatcom County Courthouse, 311 Grand Ave., Bellingham.

Ballots will be mailed Oct. 16 for the Nov. 5 general election. Ballots must be returned at one of the county drop boxes by 8 p.m. Nov. 5 or mailed with a postmark date no later than Nov. 5 in order to be counted.

The state General Election Voters’ Pamphlet is mailed to every household in Washington at approximately the same time as ballots.

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There’s a reason

Tony Larson

is supported by families, businesses, farmers, elected officials and first responders…

Because he will: ▲

Create an environment that supports job creation, resist unnecessary tax increases and support only those regulations that work with, not against, our families, farmers and employers.

▲

Support programs that provide a safety net for our most vulnerable citizens and find a compassionate solution for our homeless that will stop tent cities and illegal camping.

▲

Invest in creative and cost effective ways to keep our drinking water clean and protect our natural environment.

▲

Continue to build and maintain our roads, bridges, water and sewer systems, technology and other infrastructure to position ourselves smartly for the future.

▲

Focus government spending on programs with clear objectives and measurable results that create fair and equitable outcomes for everyone.

▲ ▲ ▲

▲ ▲

ENDORSED BY:

Washington Farm Bureau Mayors of Ferndale, Blaine, Lynden, Nooksack, Everson, Sumas

Whatcom County Deputy Sheriff’s Guild Whatcom County Affordable Housing Council Whatcom Fire District 7

The Fresh, New Perspective Whatcom County Needs AD PAID FOR BY VOTE TONY LARSON

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