One of the more momentous public hearings in Bellingham's history appears to be ready to pass with more than the ordinary confusion. We wrote about some of the mis/disinformation earlier.

On the eve of one of the most important decisions for Bellingham's future, it is now unclear just where the hearing on Whatcom Waterway cleanup will be held. It is scheduled for this evening, Mon, Dec 11, but there is confusion as to whether it will occur at the Cruise Terminal or at the Municipal Court.

Shannon Sullivan of Ecology is telling the press to ignore the websites and that the hearing is at the court site. City and the DOE websites say the Cruise terminal.

http://newwhatcom.org/ws-doe-meetings.htm

http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/TCP/sites/whatcom/ww.htm

Wendy Steffensen, of ReSources, has sent out a notice to her mailing list today saying the Muni Court and says Shannon told her so.

The Whatcom Independent says Muni Court - and that means they probably got a fax. On Nov 29 the City had no idea where it would be held - less than 2 weeks before the hearing. The Indy on Nov 30 said the site would be announced later.

How much later? Hopefully the City and DOE will update their sites to include the correct info. But as of this moment, there are conflicting stories and it is anybody's guess.

All this is so familiar to any citizen activist. Bureaucrats will whine that it was an honest mistake. And citizens don't show up because they don't know when or where or why. It happens again and again.

So - where should you go at 5:30 pm this evening - as the two sites are several miles apart? Nobody knows. And what do people do who go to one of these places and it is simply closed and dark? Is it just too bad for folks who take transit or walk or bike? It's a long way to the other venue. That's public participation! Again and again and again!