Year in Review: City of Blaine

There was a fair amount of change in the city manager and city clerk’s office in 2022. Longtime employee and city manager Michael Jones resigned and accepted the position of county administrator for Island County in June. After Michael’s resignation, former city manager David Wilbrecht accepted the position of interim city manager while the city recruited for its next city manager. The recruitment process wrapped up in December when city council approved an agreement with Michael Harmon.

In the city clerk’s office, Naomi Soulard was promoted to the position of deputy city clerk in January. While this position carries many responsibilities, two of its primary responsibilities include the recruitment and hiring process for new employees, as well as coordinating nonpolice or court-related public records requests.

The finance department had a good 2022. Once again the budget was passed in November, which is a rare event because it is normally passed in December. The 2021 audit is on track to be finished soon and the state auditors have indicated that the city is going to have a clean audit, besides a verbal recommendation and a management letter comment. A $5 million bond was obtained with an interest rate of approximately 3.2 percent for 15 years to finance the G Street sewer project. The utility billing department was able to get most customers current with their past due accounts.

In 2022 the public works department responded to 557 customer service requests and completed 84 sewer, 80 water and 85 electrical service connections. The public works team also responded to 1,243 underground locate requests. With retirements and resignations, the public works department added nine fresh faces: Manroop Kaur (project manager), Jimmy Mitzelfeldt (power foreman), Joe Barber (power lineman), Michelle Joanen (office coordinator), Shawn Knaus (streets), James Mays (streets), Seth Fleming (storm), Randell Brooks (sewer) and Tony Powers (power groundman).

The community development services department (CDS) had a busy 2022. CDS processed more residential building permit applications than the last 10 years’ average. Also, notable commercial developments include the new Taco Bell and McDonald’s, and a new work/live building in the downtown central business district. CDS welcomed an engineering technician to the team, and the process to update the city’s comprehensive plan will begin in early 2023.