BLAINE, Wash. — The governor’s office has recognized Blaine for a project it says serves as a “model example for other communities.”
Valerie Smith, a senior planner with the Washington State Department of Commerce, presented the Smart Choices Award to the Blaine city manager and other city leaders at the October 14 city council meeting, according to the Northern Light.
The award specifically recognizes Blaine’s Strategic Economic Initiative, an effort to identify funding priorities for proposed citywide projects and programs.
As a result of the SEI, the city prioritized the enforcement of building codes, continued to demolish unsafe vacant and derelict buildings, and encouraged new business and development in east Blaine.