Year in Review 2018: City of Blaine

By Michael Jones, city manager

Blaine residents have seen some important and exciting changes in 2018 with public safety services and citywide resources available to them. All major public services in 2018 were sustained throughout the year in conjunction with strong economic growth that saw both residential and commercial building permit requests matching or exceeding any year in the past decade.

The city of Blaine’s 911 emergency response system went through a major upgrade that will help officers receive and respond to calls more quickly and efficiently. In addition, the new response system will use computer statistics (or CompStat) to critically evaluate trends and patterns of activity to help law enforcement apply resources in areas where they are needed most.

2018 brought some major changes to the Blaine Police Department. Chief Allen Schubert assumed the helm of the department and promotions were bestowed upon lieutenant Ryan King, sergeant Michael Munden, sergeant Andy Anorbes, sergeant Brent Greene and records supervisor Amy Ebenal. There was also a new hire as Tami Mikkelson became the office specialist.

The police department building received improvements and renovation and the city purchased four refurbished police vehicles to enhance the fleet. To show off the space to the community, the department sponsored its first-ever open house. Over 400 citizens showed up to the open house to meet police and fire personnel, members of the auxiliary communication service and other community entities. Kids were invited to take pictures on emergency vehicles, eat a variety of home-cooked foods and participate in a toy raffle.

Students in the Blaine school district will benefit from enhancements to school security. The city and the district have partnered to provide a permanent full-time campus resource officer. In addition, the police department is working with law enforcement partners to create new emergency response protocols to address unplanned or

spontaneous school safety issues.

Development of Lincoln Park continued adding to trail and parking improvement last year. Residents and visitors can now enjoy the Blaine disc golf course in Lincoln Park, an 18-hole championship-style course that is free to use and encourages outdoor recreation and tournament-style play.

Community development services finalized new building and site design standards for the Central Business District. These innovative zoning standards allow for a wider mix of uses in downtown while incorporating current building practices and materials.

In 2018, the finance department worked smoothly and efficiently to pass the state audit for fiscal years 2016 and 2017 and submitted all state financial reports by deadline. In addition, the finance department maintained its core services such as payroll, utility billing, accounts payable, accounts receivable and budget monitoring and reporting.

The city continues to market the airport redevelopment site, and this year struck deals with IK Trucking, a truck repair and fleet services company, as well as with Yorky’s for a full-service truck stop and fueling center. Several parties have expressed interest in the seven acres that remain available on the prime frontage along State Route 543.

A Blaine Welcome Center opened in August 2018 as part of the Skye Hill Station. The center offers free public restrooms and a wide range of information about areas of interest in Blaine, Whatcom County and British Columbia. Volunteers are available to help visitors plan a vacation or learn more about relocating to the area.

The public works department continues to ensure delivery of essential services, such as drinking water, electricity, stormwater management and sewer disposal. They’ve worked hard to ensure your streets are safe and well-maintained. Lots of time was spent this year planning and designing projects to be built in 2019. They include improvements to Hughes Avenue, a regional stormwater pond for the airport redevelopment site and infrastructure extensions into east Blaine.