Forum Information for Mayoral Candidates
Forum Mechanics
We will select from some of the following questions for our forum. The moderator may also ask additional questions as she sees
fit. She may also read cards with questions written by the members of the audience. Verbal responses to questions asked at the
forum will be strictly limited to 90 seconds. Because of the number of candidates, we maybe only able to ask 4-6 questions for the
evening. If you are more succinct with responses as a group, we will be able to offer more questions and information for our
audience. You will be allowed 2 minutes for a closing statement. Out of fairness to all, the order of verbal responses to questions
as well as the closing statement will be done on a random basis for each round.
You will be offered a 3x5 foot table downstairs to staff prior to and after the forum. You can begin staffing the table at 6:30 PM and
after the forum is over at approximately 9:00 PM, we will close up the hall at 9:25 PM. We encourage you to provide copies of your
opening statement and qualifications in writing at your table. There will be no verbal opening statement.
Response to Written Questions
We request your written response to the following questions. We want to know more about you and your positions on important
issues, but we realize the limitations of a two-hour forum with many candidates. Please provide us with up to a 200-word response
to each of these numbered categories. Yes, this represents a lot of work, yet we concur with you that you are up to this challenge
as Mayor. Thank you in advance for your effort!
We will post your responses on the Northern Neighbors website for our neighborhoods and the greater Bellingham community to
see and compare. Announcements will be made throughout the night about web access to these responses. Our website is under
construction but will be operating later this week. The site address is www.NorthernNeighbors.org. We consider your responses to
be a dynamic process and even after the initial deadline, we invite you to amend your opinions on our website throughout the
campaign.
The deadline for your email responses is Monday, April 30 at 5 PM. For the sake of our neighborhood volunteers posting this
information, please no exceptions. Send them to forum@northernneighbors.org.
You may want to also provide a hard copy of your responses as a handout if you desire. Thanks.
Written Questions
Qualifications:
1. Strengths.
What makes you the best candidate to be Mayor of Bellingham?
2. Weaknesses.
Many in our neighborhoods feel that the choice of Mayor this year will be between vision/leadership and administrative experience.
What do you perceive as your weakest attribute of the two and how will you address this?
Growth and Planning:
3. Consistent Development Process and Neighborhood Input.
The spot rezone process that was recently used for the Squalicum Lofts proposal created an unfair situation pitting neighbors
against the developer, Planning staff, and policy makers in an unpredictable process. Without changes, other neighborhoods and
developers will be similarly affected in the future. What are your observations of this process and what would you propose as
Mayor working with Planning staff to protect the integrity of Comprehensive Plan goals and policies, neighborhood plan updates,
and a meaningful proactive exchange of ideas with stakeholders?
4. Urban Center Infill.
Do you support the Comprehensive Plan’s direction of infill housing created through Urban Centers and if so, how can this method
be expedited in order to take pressure off leap-frogging in inappropriate areas?
Lake Whatcom Watershed:
5. Watershed Comprehensive Plan.
How will you move the community to embrace an overriding vision with specific goals for stormwater management and land
acquisition in the Lake Whatcom watershed that will effectively and immediately maintain and then, eventually, further reduce
pollution levels?
6. Funding Choices.
In last week’s Cascadia Weekly Gristle Column, Tim Johnson declares Bellingham has two waterfronts demanding our community
resources. As Mayor, how will you prioritize and provide direction for Lake Whatcom drinking water protection versus cleanup and
redevelopment of the salt waterfront?
Waterfront Redevelopment:
7. Harbor Cleanup.
Describe, briefly, the key features of the cleanup plan favored by the Port of Bellingham for “New Whatcom,” the adjacent
waterways, and the ASB and are you satisfied with this plan/agreement? Have you read the Interlocal Agreement (and the three
Supplemental Agreements) between the City and the Port and is it a “fair’ agreement for both parties?
8. Infrastructure:
What is your “back of the envelope” list of Capital needs and your guess as to the cost? By how much would your list exceed the
borrowing capacity of the COB? At what point would the amount borrowed lead to higher interest rates? What would be your
priorities?
9. Redevelopment of the Waterfront:
Will the economic benefit exceed the cost for the average Bellingham taxpayer and under what conditions? What will the impact of
this redevelopment be on the adjacent neighborhoods and how would you go about minimizing them?
Recreation:
10. Parks, Trails, and Open Space.
Besides the dedicated funding of the Greenways III levy, how would you suggest the City balance its parks, trails, and open space
system so that north Bellingham is better represented? Is this a priority issue for you?
Emergency Response:
11. Utility lines.
Our neighborhoods have large industrial high-pressure gas pipelines and high voltage power lines running through residential
areas. There are houses connected directly to the gas lines, still at high pressure. These were installed to service industries in
the area. They pose tremendous danger in case of earthquake. The Cascade Natural Gas franchise agreement will be
renegotiated for a new term during your tenure as Mayor. PSE's agreement can be reopened after January 31, 2013. What
should new agreements with any utility company provide for to protect our neighborhoods? How important is this issue to you?
Are you prepared to ask these companies to reopen the contracts now to provide safe service?
Personnel Management:
12. Finance Director Role.
What is the role you see of an appointed Finance Director in decisions related to the large financial impacts of the Lake Whatcom
watershed and the waterfront redevelopment?
13. Advisory Committees.
What skill set and geographic balance do you look for as a Mayor in the makeup of the Planning Commission and other advisory
boards? Does it concern you that all current members of the Commission live south of Whatcom Creek?
