News - Local News

POSTED: Thursday, Oct. 22, 2009

Guerin, Bennett vie for Nooksack City Council seat

NOOKSACK - Rena Guerin, who currently sits in the Nooksack City Council, Position 1 spot, is running for re-election against Daniel Bennett on the Nov. 3 ballot. Following are questions for and answers from the candidates:

Question: Nooksack endures frequent flooding, and toxic sediment has been found in the area of Swift Creek. If elected, how would you help solve this problem?

Bennett: The slough in the creek area is filled with debris, and it needs to be cleaned out, Bennett said. If elected, he would work to get grants to help fund the clean-up process and make sure that new construction didn't contribute to the flooding problem. Preventing future flooding in Nooksack should be a joint effort among the state, county and city. "We need to work together to make this a better area," Bennett said.

Guerin: The Sumas River, which borders Nooksack, is filling up with sediment from the Swift Creek slide. When the water level rises and the river overflows, silt from Swift Creek deposits onto the land and into the drainage systems. "Maintaining the viability of Sumas River is crucial to Nooksack's stormwater drainage and will take a joint effort of city, county, state and federal agencies," Guerin said. If elected, she would put pressure on County Council members to take responsibility for monitoring the silt deposits, to investigate the possibility of dredging the Sumas River and to find a way to properly dispose of the silt.

Q: Do you believe the rest of Whatcom County knows what Nooksack is about? If not, what is Nooksack's identity?

Bennett: There are some people that don't even know Nooksack is a city, Bennett said. "It's a small town where people know each other, and life runs a little slower," he said. Bennett grew up just outside of Nooksack and decided to move there because of its "small-town feel." He was never interested in living in a bigger city. "I like (Nooksack) the way it is," he said.

Guerin: She doesn't think the rest of Whatcom County really knows what Nooksack is all about. Nooksack is basically a residential community with very few businesses. It tends to be a town people drive through; there's nothing that makes Nooksack a destination point, she said. There's land available for commercial development, and "we're just waiting for the right opportunity to come along."

Q: What types of businesses do you think should be brought into Nooksack? Do you think growth should be tightly controlled?

Bennett: "Growth needs to be done responsibly, so it doesn't have an impact on the city's character," Bennett said, adding that he didn't want it to become a large suburban area like Lynden. Bennett agreed that a proposed chicken hatchery would not have been a good fit for Nooksack. He thinks there's a lot of potential for small businesses to develop near Highway 9 and Highway 544 (East Pole Road). The area is "basically residential," he said, and it's not being fully utilized. If elected, Bennett would like to make Nooksack more tax-friendly toward small businesses.

Guerin: Last year, the Nooksack City Council rejected a permit request from a chicken hatchery that wanted to build on commercially zoned land. The Council rejected the request because it was an agricultural company that didn't belong in city limits and provided only a few full-time jobs, Guerin said. Businesses that provide many full-time jobs for local residents, such as a light industrial or clean manufacturing company, would be a better fit for Nooksack, she said.

ABOUT THE CANDIDATES

Daniel Bennett

Age: 35.

Family: Wife, Amy.

Education: Lynden High School; Pacific Lutheran University, bachelor of arts in legal studies.

Employment: Worked in the berry fields and later in a cannery. Put himself through college by working at Target. Interned with the Washington State Attorney General's Office during college and after graduation was employed there. Worked with other state agencies since and currently works for the city of Bellingham.

Experience: Volunteer experience with various nonprofits.

Rena Guerin

Age: 65.

Family: Widowed, two adult children, one grandchild.

Education: bachelor of arts in education; graduate work.

Employment: Taught in public schools and private preschool; operated dairy farm with husband; medical office; church treasurer.

Experience: Five years on Nooksack City Council.

E-mail: RenaGuerin@msn.com.

ABOUT THE POSITION

The position pays $150 a month and represents all of Nooksack.

Whoever wins the race would become one of five members on the Nooksack City Council, which sets the city's budget, creates policies and votes on ordinances and resolutions affecting the city's more than 1,100 residents.