Year in Review: City of Blaine

As the ongoing pandemic established a new normal, city of Blaine staff continued important work to serve the community, and to advance goals of the city council. Council priorities in 2021 included fiscal responsibility, preserving and growing local businesses, and housing development. Public safety and the preservation and maintenance of critical infrastructure also ranked high in council priorities.

To help achieve the city council goals of increasing services for the community and enhancing the local economy, the city manager worked to bring the remainder of the former airport property into productive use. The city is scheduled to close a real estate sale with retail developers for 4 acres along H Street in December. The city is also scheduled to sell the 665 Peace Portal Drive property for a mixed commercial and housing project. That land sale should occur before January 30.

The public works department has been forced to respond to numerous storm events and infrastructure failure incidents. Two major electrical outages focused attention on electrical grid fragility. Fortunately, the department has already designed and bid a project to build facilities that will strengthen the grid in 2022, which will make it more responsive to future incidents. In addition, all feeders were rebalanced to maximize efficiency in the grid system and infrastructure was reviewed to develop a maintenance plan to repair, replace or upgrade equipment.

Developing a more programmatic approach to infrastructure maintenance has been a department priority this past year. As such, the Lighthouse Point Reclamation Facility completed its first filter replacement since the plant came online in 2010. This was done to maintain optimum waste treatment and water quality. Motors and pumps were replaced to provide backup protection in case of failures.

The department also completed camera-driven sewer line studies throughout the to ascertain condition of lines and inline equipment. This uncovered a major sewer line deficiency that is scheduled for repair and replacement in 2022. 

The engineering branch of the department completed the city’s water comprehensive plan, processed the addition of city wells to various water rights, and managed completion of an urgent leak repair to a historical earthen dam at the city’s well field property. The engineering staff also worked closely with community development services to oversee construction of many private development projects including four new residential subdivisions allowing for nearly 200 new housing units. The water, wastewater and storm water department processed over 73 new utility service requests and replaced/repaired older water lines. Overall, the department processed more than 600 individual work orders for public facility repair and maintenance.

The police department promoted three officers to supervisory roles to fill vacancies created by retirement and resignations. Two new officers were hired to backfill the openings created by the promotions, and the department is completing background investigations and assessments of potential candidates for the remaining opening. Officer Katelyn Weaver received a lifesaving award for her efforts to save the life of a crash victim.

The city values training to ensure employees are qualified and skilled at their jobs, and police department staff completed training in advanced interview techniques, field training, supervision and leadership, firearms instruction, and defensive tactics. Training in procedures and records management led to a finding of full compliance with the criminal justice information systems audits by the Washington State Patrol. Chief Donnell Tanksley and officers participated in a variety of community events and activities.

The finance department experienced transition in staff during 2021. Finance director Jeffrey Lazenby left the department after 12 years to work for the city of Marble Falls, Texas. Daniel Heverling was hired in August of 2021 to lead the department. The department developed and implemented a Covid-19 utility debt relief program after the city council authorized $60,000 in customer assistance. It also worked with community development services on a small business loan forgiveness program. Both the utility debt relief and the small business loan forgiveness were funded by federal Covid-19 assistance. 

The 2022 budget was finished and approved in November, which was a tremendous effort by the finance department and all city staff members. Typically completed in December, a November budget is a significant accomplishment having not occurred for many years. The department continued to maintain efficient and effective core department services, such as utility billing, accounts payable, cashiering, accounts receivable, payroll and financial reporting. The department is preparing to host the state Auditor’s Office as the city undergoes a routine annual audit of the community’s public finances.

The theme in 2021 of the community development services department’s (CDS) achievements was of streamlining administrative, project review, and regulatory development functions in support of efficient service models that will spur economic development. CDS digitized it’s permit application submittals; adopted municipal code updates that create more clarity and consistency for permit processing and decision-making; issued a comprehensive land use enforcement guidance document; developed new budgeting guidelines for the Blaine Tourism Advisory Committee (BTAC); and developed project charters for two park projects. Staff focused on professional development and completed trainings in land use planning; environmental policy; building inspections; economic development; leadership and management.

The city clerk’s office continued to manage information-related services at the city. The office specialist and city clerk continued their work to transition towards delivering services such as public outreach, meeting management, hiring, public records requests and cemetery requests virtually. This has enabled citizens to continue to receive services and for staff to efficiently complete tasks: notably recruitment and hiring.

Everyone at the city looks forward to the full reopening of the U.S./Canada border in 2022, to a more active economy, to continuing service to the city’s citizens and visitors, and to working on the goals and priorities that the city council sets in response to community input.

Michael Jones, city manager