Oct, 4, 2007

ELECTIONS

Fire District No. 21 candidates outline views

Area growth, Laurel coverage, among issues

CALEB HEERINGA - Bellingham Herald

November will mark a year since voters approved the merger that created Whatcom County Fire District No. 21. This year, voters will decide who will help lead the young district the next six years.

Roger Hawley, a Lynden-area potato farmer and former firefighter, faces Kathy Stauffer, a real estate broker and former Blaine City Council member, for a position on the board of commissioners for the district, which goes by North Whatcom Fire and Rescue.

Since North Whatcom was created by the merger of districts 3 and 13, it has had six commissioners. That number will be reduced to five, with Hawley and Stauffer running for the fifth position. Commissioners earn a minimum of $2,160 per year.

The district has more than doubled its number of full-time firefighters since the merger and is now able to staff three stations — in Blaine, BirchBay and Lynden — around the clock.

Despite a recent court decision that may give the district more say on the issue, development in the western portion of the district’s boundaries promises to be a pressing issue.

Here are both candidates’ views on some of the issues facing the district:

A WhatcomCounty SuperiorCourt judge recently ruled infavor of the district in a disputeover the district’s right toblock approval of new developmentsif the district cannotguarantee adequate fire service.

What do you see as the solutionto the problem? Can compromisebe found betweendevelopers and the district?

Kathy Stauffer: She stressed that the $2,500 “voluntary impact fee” the district sought from HorizonsVillage at Semiahmoo, which led to the court decision, was not set in stone. She said that the district should do everything possible to find a solution that balances the community’s fire and emergency response needs with developers’ interests.

“I don’t think at any point in time that the district wanted to do anything onerous (for developers),” Stauffer said.

Stauffer said continued discussion between the district and developers is important.

“The ruling initiates a new frame of reference for that dialogue,” Stauffer said.

Roger Hawley: Hawley said the district will have a better idea of how to approach the problem once it receives a consultant’s report on how to address growth in the district.

Hawley said none of the commissioners are against growth, but he said that the district’s current residents shouldn’t have to shoulder the cost of providing a higher level of fire service to newcomers.

“People move in and build million-dollar houses and then want an urban level of service,” Hawley said. “We’re a rural fire district. We can’t take away from the people that are already there.”

What other challenges doesthe district face and how doyou intend to address them?

Stauffer: She said the district has made huge improvements in the last year, but more can be done for those living in the areas that aren’t near a station with full-time staffing.

“I have real concerns for those living in the Laurel area,” Stauffer said.

Hawley: He said equipment replacement will be a big issue in the coming years. He also said the district needs to do more to educate voters on what injuries justify calling an aid car.

“Education is the biggest thing,” Hawley said. “People call for an ambulance once and see how much it costs them and don’t do it again.”

Reach Caleb Heeringa at 715-2264 or .

THE CANDIDATES
Name: Kathy Stauffer.
Age: 51.
Family: Son CJ Stauffer, 20, at PacificLutheranUniversity.
Employment: Real estate broker with Windermere — Birch Bay/Blaine/Semiahmoo office.
Experience: Friends of the Library, volunteer service coordinator at Western Medical Center (Yorba Linda, Calif., 1984- 89), board at Christ The King Community Church (Bellingham, 1999-2002), two terms on Blaine City Council including Public Works committee/representative Birch Bay Water/Sewer, council designate for fire district negotiations/ consolidation merger, Blaine Tourism Advisory Committee, volunteer Blaine Planning Department/Blaine Planning Commission Land Use Committee chair/Shorelines Committee chair, Blaine Public Safety Advisory Committee, classroom volunteer in Blaine School District 12 years, Trade and Economic Development program representative, founding board member of Semiahmoo Ladies Club.
Web site:
Name: Roger Hawley.
Age: 58.
Family: Wife, Vicki Hawley, raised a son and daughter, fourth-generation WhatcomCounty resident.
Employment: Self-employed, owner/operator Hawley Farms LLC.
Experience: Volunteer firefighter (18 years), first responder, emergency medical technician, battalion chief with Fire District No. 3, Whatcom County Search and Rescue volunteer, fire commissioner for past 12 years, Mount Baker Rotary Club, Whatcom County Drainage District No. 5, Washington State Seed Potato commissioner, Administrative Committee of the National Potato Board.
Phone number: 739-5590.