Blaine City Council roundup ...

The latest from the Blaine City Council meeting on April 22.

Police chief sworn in

Council chambers was at standing capacity Monday evening as a crowd gathered for the swearing in of Blaine police chief Rodger Funk. Funk’s official ceremony came a week after his first day on April 15.

Funk has spent nearly three decades at the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office, where he held high-ranking positions, the most recent being chief inspector at WCSO’s professional standards office. Funk grew up in Whatcom County and previously said he always wanted to be a police chief, and that this position was “a dream come true.”

Funk was selected from 16 candidates across the U.S.

Communications contract

Blaine City Council unanimously passed a contract for communication services following community members voicing concerns about the city communicating information to the public.

The city will hire Kirby Communications to develop a communications plan that will include training and increase communication for city leaders, according to city documents.

The contract will last four months, with an initial cost of $4,500 per month that is subject to change as the plan is developed.

Kirby Communications is a Seattle-based public relations consulting company with clients ranging from start-ups to larger businesses such as Starbucks and Amazon, according to its website.

The contract passed 6-0, with councilmember Kerena Higgins absent.

Water reclamation facility project grant

City council unanimously approved a contract with the city and the Washington State Department of Health for the city to use nearly $193,000 of EPA National Estuary Program grant funding on five projects at the Lighthouse Point Water Reclamation Facility.

The projects cover the conceptual design of an outfall diffuser, evaluation of the 400,000-gallon underground wastewater equalization basin for leakage, a preliminary siting study of an additional equalization basin, redundant disinfection analysis and sewage inflow and infiltration program development, according to the contract.

The contract will run through December 2025.

Remote control mower

City council unanimously approved the city manager purchase a remote control mower for just under $70,000. The Green Climber Pro 300 mower will help the city’s public works department with terrain that’s difficult to mow safely, according to the city.