Elenbaas announces county council bid

Ben Elenbaas, farmer and oil refinery worker, has announced that he is running for the district 5 seat on Whatcom County Council.

District 5, also known as the coastal district, includes Lummi Island, Ferndale, Birch Bay, Blaine, Custer, Point Roberts and land west of I-5 outside of Bellingham.

In a March 11 post on Facebook, Elenbaas announced that he is seeking the position in order “to restore a balance to the council that county residents deserve.”

In his Facebook post, Elenbaas said that local jobs are being threatened “because of what seems to be an extreme lack of understanding about the industries in our district or an extreme agenda, all this while we struggle to pass a school bond to accommodate our children’s future. We deserve better.”

Elenbaas called climate change a major concern, highlighting his experience as an 18-year employee of BP’s Cherry Point Refinery. “I understand what it takes to produce fuel that we need in a safe and world class facility that uses cutting edge technology, industry-leading environmental controls and is at the forefront of renewable fuel production, all while employing thousands of Whatcom County residents,” he said.

Elenbaas is also a farmer and a longtime member of the Whatcom County Cattlemen’s Association and the Whatcom County Farm Bureau, of which he is president. He spoke about the importance of sustainable agriculture. “I have spent most of my adult life working with local and state governments to produce good regulations that protect the environment and protect our ability to produce food in Whatcom County,” he said.

He noted his experience on the county planning commission, saying land use policy in Whatcom County has been unsatisfactory and that he hopes to change this. “My time on the Whatcom County Planning Commission often left me scratching my head about the principles I saw being enacted in regards to land use policy, policy that was intended to protect the environment, preserve farm land and provide housing options for our growing population but didn’t often deliver,” he said. “I saw public comment being ignored for fear of litigation from high dollar activist groups.”