Whatcom coronavirus updates: City payments, snow tire deadlines extended
City payments extended
Bellingham officials are extending payment deadlines for city utilities, business taxes and lease payments, and waiving any late penalties to offer financial relief in the wake of the new coronavirus outbreak.
Water shutoffs are suspended through May and parking enforcement has been suspended through April, according to a statement posted Friday at the city’s website.
“We anticipate these changes – and other city actions and decisions to come in the days ahead – will be welcome relief for those affected,” Mayor Seth Fleetwood wrote.
Whatcom County Council members discussed similar measures, including property tax relief, at a special meeting Thursday, March 19, and plan to address those issues when they meet again Tuesday, March 24.
Fleetwood ordered these measures immediately because of the coronavirus pandemic:
▪ Offer payment plans, waive late penalties and suspend water shutoffs for approximately 27,000 customers.
▪ Waive April and May rent for small businesses and nonprofits leasing city properties. It applies to tenants whose ability to pay rent is affected by reduced economic activity because of the pandemic.
▪ Allow businesses that file quarterly to defer first- and second-quarter business and occupation tax returns and payments until Oct. 31.
Fleetwood said that these measures are for those who need help.
“We ask that those who can pay these bills on time continue to do so and not get behind on payments,” Fleetwood said. — Robert Mittendorf
Councils focus on coronavirus responses
Whatcom County Council has joined the city of Bellingham in tackling only business directly related to the coronavirus outbreak or government operational matters.
At a special meeting conducted via an online meeting app Tuesday, March 17, the council voted to consider only issues that are “emergent to this situation and essential government services for one month,” according to meeting minutes posted online.
County Executive Satpal Sidhu’s office has the discretion to bring budget and contract items as needed, so the Finance and Administrative Services and Special Committee of the Whole would still meet, according to the minutes.
City of Bellingham leaders took similar measures March 12. — Robert Mittendorf
Ferry reduces schedule
After seeing ridership decline on the Lummi Island Ferry during to the coronavirus pandemic, the Whatcom County Public Works Department announced it will reduce the number of trips made each day.
Beginning Monday, March 23, the ferry will be switching to its dry dock schedule, according to a release Friday, March 30, meaning it will reduce the number of morning runs from 21 to 15 and afternoon runs from 18 to 14.
The fewer runs will not only save fuel, but also give crews more time to clean and disinfect the ferry. — David Rasbach
Studded snow tire deadline extended
The Washington State Department of Transportation on Friday, March 20, announced that it is extending the deadline for the removal of studded snow tires a month until April 30 due to concerns over the coronavirus pandemic.
The move from the usual March 31 deadline, WSDOT said in a release, is to limit social interactions to help reduce the spread of the coronavirus. WSDOT said it would reevaluate conditions closer to the end of April to see if the deadline should be pushed back further.
“Washington is experiencing some extraordinary challenges with COVID-19 right now and we recognize this is not a time for ‘business as usual,’” WSDOT Maintenance Operations Branch Manager James Morin said in the release. “People are dealing with a lot of concerns – trying to get tires changed by the end of the month doesn’t need to be one of them.” — David Rasbach
Amtrak cancels service through Bellingham
Amtrak announced that it has temporarily reduced the Amtrak Cascades service in response to COVID-19 and lower ridership because of novel coronavirus. Those reductions include the temporary suspension of service between Vancouver, B.C., and Seattle, including a stop in Bellingham, according to an online announcement.
The evening route between Seattle and Portland also has been suspended, and the reductions will continue for at least two weeks, according to the release, which added that no Amtrak Cascades passengers or crew have been diagnosed with COVID-19 at this time.
Amtrak reported daily bus service between Seattle, Everett, Mount Vernon and Bellingham will continue. — David Rasbach
Mount Baker teachers calling
Mount Baker School District teachers will be reaching out to students’ families next week by phone, according to the latest update posted Thursday to the district’s website, in an effort to gather data on families’ internet access, technology availabilities and educational needs.
The district hopes to utilize that information to shape the best way the district can fulfill its students’ educational needs during the state-mandated school closure, which will last at least until April 27.
“Currently, we are only able to provide enrichment activities for learning,” the letter from Superintendent Mary Sewright said, adding that resources are available on the district’s website for elementary and secondary students. “There are some fun learning links that should keep students engaged with positive activities. Nothing is required. We are providing the resources as a support to all of you while you are home with your children.” — David Rasbach
Ferndale to offer childcare
The Ferndale School District on Thursday, March 19, announced that it will offer childcare services for the children of healthcare workers and emergency responders beginning Thursday, March 26.
The service will be offered at one of the district’s elementary schools from 6:45 a.m. to 7:15 p.m. and will be able to serve children from 3 years old through fifth grade, according to release on the district website. The district said it hopes to add services for children in the sixth through eighth grades.
The district reported it will begin contacting families Monday, March 23, about available spots and promised more information as it became available. The district also advised checking its website for other childcare options and asked any parents who haven’t yet completed an online childcare survey on the district’s website to do so. — David Rasbach
Food bank working on distribution
Bellingham Food Bank officials are working on a distribution plan to provide groceries for those in need by early next week.
Mike Cohen, executive director of the food bank, told the Whatcom County Council at a special session Thursday that he’s coordinating efforts with the Whatcom Foundation and Whatcom Unified Command, the multi-agency group directing local coronavirus response.
“We would be at a different location every afternoon or evening with pre-packed boxes built at our food bank, delivered to sites which we are still trying to determine, and then we would then use community-recruited and trained staff volunteers to help distribute those,” Cohen told the council.
County officials have been using an online meeting app to discuss business in the wake of social distancing guidelines in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cohen said the food bank suspended its operations this week because some volunteers feared exposure to the virus because social distancing and other medical guidelines couldn’t be met.
It’s likely that the distribution would use a drive-up process and offer only shelf-stable food, he said.
But plans for “walk-up or bike-up” distribution are being considered, too, as well as plans to deliver food to home-bound people or these who are self-isolating.
“The works on that one have not yet begun,” Cohen said.
Some 20% of Whatcom County residents use the food bank, officials said in a statement Wednesday.
Cohen told the council that about 70% of the food bank clients have access to a car.
He also said that officials are working with the schools for possible combined distribution to families whose children qualify for food subsidies. — Robert Mittendorf
WWU moves spring quarter online
Western Washington University announced in a campus advisory Thursday, March 19, that all classes and instruction will be offered remotely throughout the spring quarter. Spring quarter classes begin April 6 and are scheduled to run through June 12.
“As nationwide social distancing requirements continue to increase and evolve daily, we believe this is the best course of action for reducing uncertainty and allaying some anxiety, while establishing a reliable and safe method of instruction and academic progress for Western’s students,” WWU President Sabah Randhawa wrote in the advisory.
Faculty are encouraged to communicate with students the week before classes start about the courses so that students can know what to expect, the advisory said. The school also reported that it is reviewing all fees and will announce any changes before March 25.
Residence halls and limited dining delivery and pick-up service remain available, the alert said. Modified campus services will be in place, though most public buildings will remain closed under Gov. Jay Inslee’s order until that order is lifted. — David Rasbach
New health director
The Whatcom County Health Department has a new director.
Erika Lautenbach’s first day on the job was Wednesday, March 18, amid the COVID-19 outbreak.
She replaced Regina Delahunt, who retired on Feb. 28 after 30 years with the Whatcom County Health Department, according to Delahunt’s Facebook post.
Lautenbach has worked for the health department before. She was the assistant director from April 2016 through December 2018, according to a news release from the Whatcom County Executive’s Office.
“In addition to her extensive public service, Ms. Lautenbach has demonstrated her ability to manage people, projects and organizations and to be strategic in her approach to implementing public health initiatives,” Whatcom County Executive Satpal Sidhu said in the release.
“She will assume this leadership role at one of the most challenging times for our public health infrastructure,” Sidhu said.
Prior to her appointment as director of the Whatcom County Health Department, she was the American Public Health Association and Brookings Institute Congressional Fellow and worked for the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, according to the release.
Her annual salary is $133,548. — Kie Relyea
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREWhat you should know about the coronavirus
COVID-19, the new coronavirus, is a disease caused by a virus named SARS-CoV-2.
The disease is spread through contact between people within six feet of each other, especially through coughing and sneezing that expels respiratory droplets that land in the mouths or noses of people nearby.
Although most of the cases have been mild, the disease is especially dangerous for the elderly and others with weaker immune systems.
Click the drop-down icon in the upper right of this card for more information on symptoms and how to stop its spread.
What you can do
Here’s what you can do to protect yourself and others from COVID-19, according to the Whatcom County Health Department.
▪ Keep six feet between yourself and others when in public.
▪ Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
▪ Don’t touch your eyes, nose or mouth with hands that haven’t been washed.
▪ Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, throw the tissue in the trash and then wash your hands.
▪ Stay home if you feel sick. Avoid others who are sick.
▪ If your symptoms are severe and require medical care, call your doctor first.
This story was originally published March 19, 2020 at 6:21 PM.
