Community members show interest in city council seat; 5 selected for interviews

Blaine City Council unanimously voted to accept applications that were submitted after the deadline for the at-large councilmember position, formerly held by Alicia Rule, and moved forward five applicants to be interviewed February 1.

During a January 25 special meeting, council discussed reducing the number of applicants to be interviewed, which they can do according to the council rules of procedure. The city received 13 applications, some of which were submitted past the January 15 deadline because the position was advertised as open until filled.

“I think we can all agree the number of applicants is really cool,” councilmember Garth Baldwin said. “It’s great the number of people who want to help our city.”

Council has procedures to appoint new councilmembers but doesn’t for reducing the number of applicants, according to the city. Councilmembers ultimately voted 6-0 to move forward by approving the applications submitted after the deadline.

During discussion period, councilmember Eric Davidson asked Baldwin to recuse himself due to a statement Baldwin made in a previous meeting when he asked council to consider selecting a female candidate or candidate similar to Rule, because that is who residents voted for. Davidson argued this statement created a seed of doubt that if a woman were selected, it would only be for her gender.

Mayor Bonnie Onyon clarified that Baldwin was expressing his own opinion, not council’s, and therefore did not need to be recused.

Councilmembers then convened in executive session to discuss candidate qualifications. After the executive session, councilmembers unanimously voted on five candidates who would move forward for interviews. Applicants moving forward in the process will be interviewed during a February 1 special council meeting.

Applicants to be interviewed:

John Calvin Armerding

Armerding is a current math teacher at Meridian High School. He earned his bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering at the University of Washington in 1989 and completed the Washington state post-baccalaureate teaching program in 2004.

Armerding has served on the city of Blaine’s planning commission since about 2012, serving the past three years as chair of the commission. He is also president of Combat Veteran’s International, a veteran’s nonprofit he has been a member of since 1998.

“I joined the planning commission because I wanted to ensure that we maintained our trajectory of reasonable growth and attractiveness to visitors while not losing the small town feel that originally caused me to purchase a home here,” he wrote in his application, later adding, “I believe that city council needs to continue to carefully weigh the advantages and disadvantages of any proposal that spends the money of the residents to ensure that we are efficiently utilizing our hard earned dollars.”

Sukhwant Singh Gill

Gill has been a business owner for over 26 years in Blaine, running a gas station, gift store and restaurant. He attended university in India before becoming a certified nursing aid in Washington.

Gill serves on the Blaine tourism advisory committee and has been president of Guru Nanak Guru Sikh Temple for three years and served on its board for eight years. During the pandemic, the temple has been serving food and clothing to Whatcom County residents in need. In his application, Gill said he has a strong working knowledge of Blaine’s economy and experience managing large budgets through economic fluctuation.

“I’m a hard working community member with deep understanding of needs of our city,” Gill wrote in his application. “I have a goal for the city of Blaine to be a great place for living, great place for business and tourism with great opportunity for recreation, while preserving neighborhood character and our historic landmarks.”

Kerena Higgins

Higgins received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Vermont and law degree from Seattle University. In her application, Higgins said over 20 years’ of public service has taught her the complexities of large budgets, balancing competing interests on complicated issues and the importance of listening to stakeholders.

Higgins is currently the managing attorney at Regional Services Division who provides client advice and coordinates legal services to higher education in the area, including Western Washington University and Educational Service District 189.

“I have lived in the city for years, and am excited about the opportunity to put my skills and voice to use,” Higgins wrote in her application. “I appreciate that now is an especially challenging time, and I feel it’s important now more than ever to do what I can to be a positive influence on our community.”

Sheli Moore

Moore attended Blaine High School before receiving her associate’s degree from Edmonds Community College and going to Bellingham Technical College for bookkeeping. Moore is the co-vice chair of the Salishan Neighborhood Association, a member of the neighborhood’s gardeners market and commissioner for the Blaine-Birch Bay Park and Recreation District 2.

“[I] would like to become involved with the city of Blaine and learn all that is going on and help it become the best city it can be,” Moore wrote in her application.

Sharon Somers-Hill

Somers-Hill is a registered nurse in Washington and formerly Canada, New Zealand and California. She is a former co-owner of an importing business in New Zealand. She attended Orange Coast College in California before graduating from the former Vancouver General Hospital School of Nursing. She also studied theology and leadership at Fuller Theological Seminary in California.

“When people feel their voices are heard, they find it easier to become engaged and are more likely to begin to care about their neighborhoods and their neighbors,” Somers-Hill wrote in her application. “Instead of Blaine being cut up into neighborhoods we could all feel as one, that we all have a voice, and we are all valued.”