News - Local News

POSTED: Wednesday, Sep. 30, 2009

County Council candidates spar over Lake Whatcom, economic development, agriculture protection

BELLINGHAM - It was the first televised meeting among most of the candidates vying for seats on the Whatcom County Council and it likely would have been hard for the audience to be bored.

From Navy veteran Kathy Kershner harshly criticizing past legislation by former Councilman Dan McShane and then wishing him the best in retirement from county government to Planning Commissioner Ken Mann telling small business owner Mary Beth Teigrob she has no experience and common sense isn't the only thing that will help make complex decisions.

Business owner and Lummi Island resident Michelle Luke went after Councilman Carl Weimer for rumors that he may abandon the council in mid-term to seek the county executive position. That drew laughter at one point after he thanked Councilwoman Laurie Caskey-Schreiber for starting that rumor, while the audience turned deadly silent as Luke herself froze for nearly a full minute after Weimer asked her about experience she can bring to the council.

But through it all some policy was discussed, too, ranging from Lake Whatcom watershed protection to preserving farms and bolstering economic development in the county.

Six of the eight candidates met for the first time in a televised debate, as only Caskey-Schreiber and small business owner Bill Knutzen had a primary election race in August.

IDEAS

Mann - vying for the District 2 seat being vacated by Caskey-Schreiber, who is seeking the at-large seat - advocated for creating a system that will protect Lake Whatcom watershed property owners by transferring development rights and compensating them.

Teigrob wants to do away with "open-ended" farm plans that prevent farmers from using agricultural lands in a way that allows for maximum potential.

In terms of economic development, Kershner said a recent economic summit among Bellingham neighborhoods inspired her to advocate for a similar meeting of all local governments including the Port of Bellingham, county, small cities and also businesses in order to work together to solve challenges during the recession.

"This infighting that seems to pervade all of Whatcom County government has got to stop if we're going to move forward," she said.

McShane said that the county's Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy - in which local jurisdictions compile a list the county approves that qualifies them for federal funding - should reflect projects that create new jobs. The county's economic development investment funding - while helping to pay for the Bellingham Farmers Market, Ferndale Riverwalk and more - should be reassessed to boost jobs.

Luke believes the county government needs to listen more to the will of the people and that excessive regulations are hurting farms as well as property owners due to critical areas ordinances and shoreline rules. Luke has been active in fighting against county proposals on shorelines, and argued that she offered up solutions that have worked worldwide though the council didn't listen.

Weimer argued that the shoreline planning the county has done is held up as a model by state and federal officials and that, while they tried to be flexible for farmers, the council also had to take into consideration protection of Puget Sound, where the waters are polluted and sea life is dying off.

BACK AND FORTH

But the forum also included moments that caused audience reaction from intense silence to disapproving murmurs and sometimes laughter.

Kershner criticized a slew of policies McShane created during his eight years on the council, singling out a building moratorium in the Lake Whatcom watershed that she claimed fixed nothing and "made it worse" as well as policies that she claimed have caused some farmers to go out of business. She didn't provide specifics of her claims.

But McShane said that he thought the rules put in place worked and said his past decisions were "actually appropriate." McShane argued that the potential for development of 3,000 homes was removed during his time on the council. But that figure is closer to 2,400, according to a progress report on the Lake Whatcom Management Program Web site.

"Dan let me be the first to wish you fair winds and following seas in your retirement from county government," Kershner said to murmurs from the crowd.

Teigrob criticized Mann for bringing partisan politics into the race by accepting endorsements from the Whatcom County Democratic Party, the Progressive Majority and Washington Conservation Voters, saying she specifically avoided partisan endorsements and wanted to listen to the views of all. Mann argued that he is more than willing to offer his views to anyone who asks and that not every position he takes is one that is supported by the Democratic Party. Mann has in the past, however, been adamant about being a progressive candidate and this year paid dues to the Whatcom County Democratic Party.

Teigrob also has partisan connections, having nearly run as a Republican for the state Legislature in 2003 against Democratic Rep. Kelli Linville before pulling out because the family business was booming. She also has donated several times, according to the state Public Disclosure Commission, to the Whatcom County Republican Party, to past Republican gubernatorial candidate Dino Rossi as well as County Councilman Sam Crawford, who is a Whatcom County Republican Party precinct committee officer. She has not supported any Democratic candidates with monetary contributions, according to the PDC.