Lake Whatcom fire contained, County council accepts Satpal Sidhu’s first veto, State to keep fiscal tabs on La Conner, Mt Baker, Marysville school, Whatcom well owners required to prove their water rights in court, Nursing homes to have proposed minimum staffing requirements, Bainbridge ferry limited to walk ons only
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STORY: Lake Whatcom fire contained
The Lake Whatcom fire is officially contained, but the work is not quite over yet.
Former public information officer for the Lake Whatcom fire Chris Hankey said that this week will be about fighting the fire, and making sure the previously built fire lines hold. There are lines put up surrounding the fire on all sides except the one that touches the lake.
After this week, firefighters will patrol the surrounding area until the fall rains come. Smoke will continue to rise from the Lake Whatcom area in the coming weeks as the fire burns itself out.
Blue Canyon Road is still closed to through traffic, but residents in the area no longer have to worry about evacuation.
The southern portion of the Hertz trail remains closed, and it is uncertain when it will reopen. The portion closed is about a mile and a half north of the fire.
Boaters are still advised to avoid the Southeastern part of Lake Whatcom as there is going to be debris in the water as the fire continues to burn. Kmre news will continue to update the community as they become available.
STORY: County council accepts Satpal Sidhu’s first veto
The Whatcom County Council held a special meeting yesterday to decide whether to overturn County Executive Satpal Sidhu’s (SID-du) veto on an ordinance that would have changed how the Lummi (LUH-mie) Island ferry fare is calculated. The decision to overturn the veto never came to vote, and the veto was upheld.
Sidhu’s veto was his first in more than three and half years as county executive. In a memo, Sidhu explained that the proposal to change the fares without first soliciting the advisory committee broke from county tradition and procedure. The council has historically conferred to relevant advisory boards and commissions before adopting code changes. With the veto now upheld, the council hopes that trust is being rebuilt with the community moving forward.
The ordinance included a complicated formula for calculating ferry fares, involving what qualifies as a day-to-day expense and what is a major repair or replacement.
Riders had expressed issue specifically with the wording “operating expenses” which had replaced the words “regular and routine maintenance”. According to public comment, the breach of public trust when the council pushed for the ordinance without first consulting the Lummi Island Ferry Advisory Committee was a key sticking point.
STORY: State to keep fiscal tabs on La Conner, Mt Baker, Marysville schools
State officials will be keeping a close eye on the Marysville, La Conner and Mount Baker school districts as the three begin the school year without a balanced budget.
Because the state requires that school districts balance their budget before school begins, each district came to an agreement with the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction instead. The agreement requires the districts to regularly file budget reports and restore financial reserves to certain levels by a prescribed date. Signing the so-called “binding conditions” pacts, which span at least two years, assures the district’s access to money and allows the OSPI and the Educational Services District to closely review and recommend school district decisions. Fewer than 20 such agreements have been signed in the last two decades.
While each district’s situation is unique, all three are dealing with the fiscal effects of lower enrollment, an end of federal pandemic aid, and increased costs of labor and supplies. Plenty of other districts are as well, which according to a recent interview, has the Superintendent of Public Instruction chief financial officer T.J. Kelly wondering if this could be a sign of things to come.
STORY: Whatcom well owners required to prove their water rights in court
Officials from the Washington State Department of Ecology are preparing to file a water adjudication in the Whatcom County Supreme Court that would require Nooksack (NUUK-sak) Watershed residents to file a claim to prove the legality of their water rights.
A water right adjudication is the legal process to resolve conflict and competition on a water source. Adjudication legally determines whether each water right on a source is legal, how much water can be used, and its priority during shortages. In the event of a water shortage, those holding the oldest water rights have priority. The Department of Ecology predicted that it would take 10 to 20 years before the court would issue a final decree.
Local groups such as Whatcom Family Farmers have protested the Department of Ecology’s plans. The groups have proposed a collaborative approach to deciding water rights, one that would bring results in a much shorter time frame. They argue that the parties involved in the adjudication would be prevented from pursuing these potentially faster collaborative settlements as they would be involved in the litigation and unable to communicate directly.
STORY: Nursing homes to have proposed minimum staffing requirements
The Biden administration is proposing federal regulations mandating minimum staffing levels for nursing homes across the United States.
Under these proposed rules, nursing homes would be required to provide a minimum of three hours of care to each resident daily, with a portion of this care delivered by certified nursing assistants and the rest by registered nurses. For instance, a nursing home with 100 residents would need at least two RNs and 10 CNAs per shift to meet this minimum requirement, along with having an RN on staff around the clock.
While Washington state already surpasses these federal staffing standards on average, the announcement has generated mixed reactions among groups associated with the state’s 200 nursing homes, which collectively care for approximately 12,000 individuals. In Washington, nearly 30% of COVID-19 deaths were linked to long-term care facilities.
Washington currently mandates 3 hours and 24 minutes of direct care per resident, a standard that most facilities meet. The federal staffing proposal slightly exceeds this state standard, however, the federal requirements specifically focus on CNAs. Some argue that this approach might reduce face-to-face time with higher-skilled nurses in favor of more time with CNAs.
A union representing long-term care workers in Washington and Montana, SEIU 775, views the proposed new guidelines as a positive step toward improving staffing and care quality.
STORY:
Washington state is expanding Medicaid coverage to people who are 90 days from release from a state prison or jail. The expansion is largely to decrease drug overdoses after release. Here with more details is reporter Eric Tegethoff.
MEDICAID AUDIO
WX: Mostly Sunny
Today is expected to be overcast with light showers in Bellingham, with a possible high of 67 and southwest winds blowing at around 6mph. The night will be mostly clear, with a low of 54*. The weather will likely remain the same tomorrow.
OUTRO:
Today’s newscast was produced by volunteers AnThu Nguyen (ANNE-two new-WIN), Susan Lindsey, Emma Toscani and Carlos Braga. Tune in to local news on KMRE weekdays at 3, 4 and 5 p-m. For news tips and feedback, send us an email at news@kmre.org or call 360-398-6150. KMRE is a nonprofit community radio station, powered by listener donations. I’m ________________ and thanks for listening.
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