MAYOR’S NEIGHBORHOOD ADVISORY COMMISSION

“JUST SO YOU ARE AWARE”—Information of Interest

June 8, 2005

FOURTH OF JULY—NEIGHBORS CELEBRATE WITHOUT CRACKERS

In this City of subdued excitement, we are not so subdued when celebrating the Fourth of July. But, we still low key it a bit for the comfort and safety of all. Here are the parameters that help keep peace and quiet (and dogs at home) during Independence Day week in our fair City:

v We can celebrate with legal fireworks only on the Fourth itself, from 9 AM until midnight.

v LEGAL FIREWORKS are “CONSUMER FIREWORKS”. These are sold at fireworks stands licensed by the city (the license should be displayed on the stand). They include sparklers, ground spinners, wheels, helicopters, aerials, parachutes, cones, fountains and Roman candles.

v ILLEGAL FIREWORKS are FIRECRACKERS, bottle rockets, sky rockets, mortar-type fireworks, missile rockets and chasers. These are illegal throughout Washington except on tribal lands

v ILLEGAL EXPLOSIVE DEVICES (some think of as fireworks) are illegal throughout the US

If you need more information about fireworks regulations and fireworks safety, contact the Bellingham Fire Department, Life Safety Division at 676 6832. To report fireworks-related emergencies or illegal use of fireworks, call 9-1-1.

Enjoy our Independence Day celebrations, the fireworks on the bay, and remembering July 4, 1776 and the signing and meaning of the Declaration of Independence.

CRIME PREVENTION FAIR

The Bellingham Police Department and Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office are hosting the first annual Crime Prevention Information Fair on July 30^th, to kick off National Night Out Against Crime (see below). The event will be held from 9:00 A.M until 2:00 P.M. at Boulevard Park. There will be displays from a variety of law enforcement and business organizations to assist you, your family, and neighborhood in crime prevention.

Crime Dog McGruff will also be making a visit to hand out balloons to kids as he celebrates his 25th anniversary of crime fighting efforts. Law enforcement agencies, community outreach programs and business owners offering crime prevention equipment will be there to display their products and programs. For more information contact;

Officer Mark Young Deputy Chad Heinrich

Bellingham Police Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office

676-6924 676-6650

plan a neighborhood event for august 2nd--Get involved in our National Night Out Against Crime!

For the fifth year running, Bellingham friends, neighbors, civic groups, businesses, police and fire agencies will participate in neighborhood activities aimed at promoting safe, healthy neighborhoods. National Night Out activities are designed to heighten crime and drug prevention awareness, generate participation in local anti-crime programs, strengthen neighborhood spirit and community partnerships, and send a message to criminals that neighborhoods are organized and fighting back. This event also serves to get neighbors thinking and acting together on crime prevention.

How to participate?

v Show your support by joining the neighborhoods and residents who lock their doors, turn on outside lights and spend the evening outside with neighbors and police officers on Aug. 2.

v Schedule an event in your neighborhood, such as hosting a block party, ice cream social, BBQ to promote police-neighborhood partnership

v In lieu of an event, turn your porch lights on between 7:00 to 10:00 P.M.

v To register your planned event and arrange for police participation, contact Officer Mark Young at the Bellingham Police Department 676-6924 or email at myoung@cob.org.

The goal is to get as many of your neighbors to join as possible. The National Association of Town Watch is sponsoring this 22nd Annual National Night Out crime prevention event. An expected 34 million people in more than 10,000 communities across the Nation will participate.

IN CASE YOU WERE WONDERING….

v Alabama Hill Trail: What is the orange plastic netting by the trail to the North of the Alabama Street Overpass/Foot Bridge? What is it for? When is it going away?

The orange fence along the RR trail was installed by Park Operations to alert citizens of the steep bank to the east. We do not want any trail users to fall into this deep ditch. The storm water drainage that runs through this ditch is continually eroding the sides of the bank of the ditch. The Parks and Recreation Department is working with Public Works to develop a long term solution to slow down the erosion problems. Stay tuned.

v Fairhaven Parkway—What’s happening on Old Fairhaven Parkway and what are the Black rubber things in the Fairhaven Parkway Storm drains for? When will they go away?

The Washington State Fairhaven Parkway is a State highway, not a City street per se. The State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is resurfacing the road from I-5 to 12th Street. This includes grinding down and repaving. The black rubber things you see are called “catch basin socks” and keep harmful dirt and grindings from getting into the storm system, which flows into Padden Creek. The “socks” filter road run-off during construction to protect fish, frogs and other creek life. They will be removed when the project is completed.

We expect lane work to begin on or about June 13 with some lane shifting and 2 lanes left open. The DOT advises us that the project would be complete about the first of August.

v Why the yellow twine on the new beach at Whatcom Creek Estuary by the ReStore…looks funny?

The wire enclosure with the yellow lines tied this way and that over the top is a so-called "goose exclosure" and will be in place for a year or perhaps more. The inter-tidal plants inside the exclosure are susceptible to being eaten by geese until they are well established. (The corms of the Lyngby's Sedge planted in the area furthest down the slope are considered a delicacy by geese). The lines tied over the exclosure discourage geese from landing because they will hit their wing tips, which they don't like. The fringe of green sedge growing on the outside of the exclosure is a naturally occurring growth of this same plant, so you can see that it will eventually be able to fend for itself.

PROTECTING THE WATERSHED -- UPDATE

The City recently adopted two ordinances focused on the water quality of Lake Whatcom. One is a ban on the use of lawn products (fertilizers) that contain Phosphorus. This action will reduce the amount of Phosphorus entering the lake from surface water run-off. This is important because phosphorus promotes certain types of algal growth negatively affecting water quality. The ordinance applies to all public and private parcels in the City portion of the watershed.

The other action taken by the City Council was passage of an ordinance that bans the use of carbureted two stroke engines in the City’s portion of Lake Whatcom (our watershed). This is not a ban on types of boats but a ban on an engine type that dumps, unused, as much as a third of its fuel directly into the lake. The ordinance prohibits:

January 1, 2006: Carbureted two stroke engines greater than 10 Hp.

January 1, 2007: Carbureted two stroke engines 10 HP or less (no two stroke)

The Lake Whatcom Water Quality Report can be accessed via http://www.ac.wwu.edu/~iws/lakewhatcom.htm

and the Lake Whatcom Management Plan 2005 Work Plan schedule and 2000-2004 Accomplishments can be accessed at http://www.lakewhatcom.wsu.edu/.

MANUFACTURED HOME ORDINANCE ALMOST DONE

We reported earlier that, beginning July 1st of this year, a new State law takes effect that requires all communities in Washington to allow manufactured homes wherever a site-built home may be located. The law allows cities to adopt certain local regulations specifically for manufactured homes, but otherwise, they must be regulated the same as other homes.

To implement the regulations, staff worked with citizens and the Planning Commission and after a hearing before the Planning Commission in May and considerable public input, the City Council reviewed and approved for first and second “reading” implementing changes to the Municipal Code. The Code changes require all manufactured homes locating on individually owned lots to be “new” homes, not previously installed and that they consist of at least two parallel sections, each at least 12 feet wide by 36 feet long with a pitched roof and roofing and siding similar to standard constructed homes, among other regulations. The objective is to have these more affordable homes still fit within the character of the neighborhoods as much as practical.

The Council is scheduled to take a final vote on this ordinance on June 13. Look for the ordinance to be posted on the City web-site at www.cob.org/pcd/planning. You can also contact Marilyn Vogel, Senior Planner at 676-6982 or mvogel@cob.org.

Bellingham Wins Art Kudos

Bellingham has been names one of 10 great small city art communities in the US. According to John Villani, author of “The 100 Best Art Towns in America, “Bellingham is tops because the “the cost of living is low and the quality of life is high, especially for musicians and visual artists, who say they have a strong sense of creation here. “ The article appeared in the travel section of the April 28 edition of USA Today.

CIVILITY

How to engage people in public process in a respectful, inclusive ways is a challenge for neighborhood associations, city government and virtually any other organization involved with public discourse and decision-making. This is especially true when issues are near and dear to people’s hearts and opinions diverge. An excellent book on this subject is Choosing Civility--The Twenty-five Rules of Considerate Conduct. This contains a comprehensive list (25!) of rules that illustrate what civil behavior consists of…..good food for thought and action as we work together to support safe, satisfying and prosperous community life in Bellingham.

RESULTS OF EMPHASIS PATROL—“CLICK IT OR TICKET!”

In our last issue, we noted our Police Department’s “Click It of Ticket” campaign beginning May 9 and ending June 5. Our “emphasis patrols” focused on seat belt and child safety restraint system enforcement. A grant from the Washington State Traffic Safety Commission added over 100 hours of officer time to our normal patrol work schedule for this project. Follows are the results of our officers’ work:

During added emphasis hours:

463 vehicle stops

351 citations issued (all violations)

240 seat belt citations issued

2 child restraint system citations issued

28 speeding citations issued

2 arrests for aggressive driving related crimes

1 arrest for alcohol related issued

8 misdemeanor criminal arrests (Warrants)

2 felony arrests (Warrants)

During regular Patrol hours:

168 seat belt citations issued

TOTAL SEAT BELT CITATIONS DURING THIS EMPHASIS PERIOD:

408

In order for the car’s other safety protection systems to do their jobs, you must have your seat belt secured. Air bags are designed to be a secondary system that gives added protection to person(s) secured in place by a seat belt. If seat belts are not secured, more harm may be done by the air bag in a crash. Other safety systems in the car’s structure also depend on securing your seat belt……Click it!

For more information contact Sgt David Richards, Bellingham Police Department Traffic Division, (360) 676-6677 Office or email drichards@cob.org.