Action Taken at June 9, 2025 Meeting
Mayor’s report
106. The mayor reappointed Kendra Bradford to her third term on the Sehome Hill Arboretum Board of Governors. The arboretum site is 175.5 acres; the city owns 137.5 acres and Western Washington University owns 38 acres. The board of governors works with the city and WWU in planning the use of such capital, operating and maintenance funds. Kendra Bradford has been a scientific instructional technician in the biology department at WWU for over 15 years. She was first appointed at the 5/20/2019 meeting, vote #90. She was appointed to her second term at the 4/11/2022 meeting. Her third term expires on 6/9/28. (AB24572) Nonvoting issue.
107. The mayor appointed Josiah Raffel-Smith to the student position on the Parks & Recreation Advisory Board. The board consists of 11 members appointed by the mayor, and membership is three years with a maximum of two consecutive terms. Josiah Raffel-Smith is a student at WWU who has worked with children 4-19 years old in summer camps, after school programs, and outdoor adventure programs and was formerly involved with an urban farm in the San Francisco Bay Area. He will serve a one-year term. (AB24574) Nonvoting issue.
Shall the council:
108. Authorize the mayor to spend $15,000 to purchase a 0.66 acre parcel from Whatcom County? (Discussed in Executive Session.) Motion carried 7-0
109. Authorize the mayor to retain special counsel to represent city employees who were named as individual defendants? (Discussed in Executive Session.) Motion carried 7-0
110. Approve the mayor’s appointment of Lisa Marx to the Planning and Development Commission? The commission consists of seven members appointed by the mayor. Terms of office are four years with a two-term limit. Lisa Marx has been a city resident for 35 years; for 15 years, she has been employed by the Western States Regional Council of Carpenters where she is a career connections outreach specialist. Her first term will expire on 6/9/29. (AB24573) Approved 7-0
111. Authorize the mayor to accept a $7,345,000 state loan for the Cornwall Avenue landfill cleanup site? The loan will finance construction cleanup, which is being done in conjunction with the cleanup of the R.G. Haley site and the first phase of Salish Landing Park. The cleanup site consists of approximately 10 acres of uplands and approximately six acres in water. The current estimated costs for the Cornwall Avenue cleanup is $30,000,000 — the city is responsible for 75 percent and the Port of Bellingham for 25 percent. Model Toxic Control Act funds will provide up to a 50 percent match. Design of the remedial cleanup activities for both R.G. Haley and the Cornwall Avenue landfill have been completed. The opening bids are scheduled for July 2025. (AB24563) Approved 7-0
112. Appropriate $5,609,308 for payroll checks issued from May 1 to May 15, 2025? (AB24567) Approved 7-0
113. Appropriate $14,074,496 for goods and services checks issued from May 9 through May 29, 2025? (AB24568/24569/24571) Approved 7-0
114. Transfer ownership of the Academy Road Stormwater Facility from Whatcom County to the City of Bellingham? Originally constructed in 2015, it is a collaborative effort between Whatcom County and the City of Bellingham, targeting the reduction of phosphorous loading from stormwater drainage discharging into Lake Whatcom. The facility was constructed by the county on city owned property located at 1308 Northshore Drive. The original design failed to reduce phosphorous levels to the desired level and became difficult to maintain. A second phase modified the existing structures and controls of the design to allow for easier maintenance, open a larger drainage area, and prevent baseflow contribution to the water quality treatment cells. With construction completed, Whatcom County submitted an operating manual for the facility and began preparations for the transfer, pending city approval. (AB24570) Approved 7-0
115. Approve a nonbinding multi-jurisdictional resolution regarding population, housing and employment allocations? The Growth Management Act requires counties and the cities to review, and, if needed, update their comprehensive plans by 12/31/ 2025. At the 3/11/2025 meeting, vote #64, the Whatcom County Council approved Resolution 2025-011 regarding countywide 2045 growth projections and allocations of population, housing, and employment. The growth allocations are non-binding, but do provide a helpful reference for each jurisdiction’s land use and capital facility planning efforts for the periodic update to the comprehensive plan. It is important for the county and cities to agree upon preliminary allocations in order to coordinate transportation modeling, capital facility planning, environmental review, and UGA recommendations. AB24576 (Resolution #2025-08) Approved 7-0
116. Reaffirm that the City of Bellingham is a welcoming city? At the 2/13/2017 meeting, vote #29, Resolution 2017-10 was passed affirming the safety of all people residing in Bellingham. In April of this year, the council considered drafting a new resolution to reaffirm the related policies and values in the earlier resolution. This resolution reaffirms that the City of Bellingham is a place where people have a right to live free of discrimination, violence and systemic barriers that threaten their safety, well-being and human rights. AB24562 (Resolution #2025-09) Amended and approved 7-0
117. Expand the areas eligible for exemptions for co-living housing and add a 20-year exemption for permanently affordable housing? (Public hearing held at May 19 meeting.) On 11/21/2024, Mayor Lund issued Executive Order 2024-02 with the express goal of expanding housing options in Bellingham. These updates to the multifamily tax exemption program allow the eight-year market rate tax exemption in the Fairhaven Urban Village, Barkley Village Design Review District, and the Waterfront District Urban Village, and expand the 12-year affordable housing tax exemption to all parcels in all areas where infill housing and residential multi-family housing development is allowed, outside of designated urban villages. Additional amendments expand property tax exemption options, allow property tax exemptions for co-living, create a 20-year tax exemption for permanently affordable home ownership, allow extensions of property tax under certain conditions, and make technical changes consistent with recent amendments to state law. AB24540 (Ordinance 2025-06-009) Approved 7-0
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Action Taken at June 23, 2025 Meeting
Shall the council:
118. Authorize the mayor to spend $730,000 to purchase 60 acres in the Lake Whatcom watershed from owners Mary and James Jansky? The property is located on Lake Louise Road near the Stimpson Family Nature Preserve. (Discussed in Executive Session.) Motion carried 7-0
119. Authorize the mayor to spend $1,038,000 to purchase almost 89 acres in the Lake Whatcom watershed from owner Skykomish Resources LLC, plus approximately $35,000 in designated forest land compensating tax? The property is located at the south end of Lake Whatcom near South Bay Drive. (Discussed in Executive Session.) Motion carried 7-0
120. Authorize the mayor to sign a negotiated settlement agreement with the plaintiffs Land v. City of Bellingham, et. al.? The city will pay the Jerry and Terri-Lynn Land $150,000.00 in exchange for a dismissal of their complaint that public works employees seized their motor home and they were not given an opportunity to dispute the seizure. (Discussed in Executive Session.) Motion carried 7-0
121. Authorize the mayor to sign a $31,719 settlement agreement with Kenny and Kara Wybenga? (Discussed in Executive Session.) Motion carried 7-0
122. Authorize the mayor to retain outside counsel to represent the city in litigation challenging federal grant conditions? (Discussed in Executive Session.) Motion carried 7-0
The mayor made two appointments to the Transportation Commission. The Transportation Commission helps shape the future of Bellingham by taking a long-range, strategic look at transportation issues and providing recommendations on policy choices and investment priorities. The committee has nine members — terms are three years with a two term limit.
123. Approve the appointment of Andrea Reiter to the Transportation Commission? Andrea Reiter has been a resident of Bellingham for 15 years; she is currently the commute options program manager at Western Washington University and worked at COB in the Public Works Department as an environmental education and outreach specialist from 2019 to 2023, as well as other transportation project communication. Her three-year term will expire on 6/23/2028. (AB24577) Approved 7-0
124. Approve the appointment of Jonathan Huegel to the Transportation Commission? Jonathan Huegel is a home Inspector with Whatcom Housing Alliance. He is a three-year resident of Bellingham and has lived in Houston (an extremely car-centric city) and Vancouver, B.C. (a city with a more robust transit network). His three-year term will expire on 6/23/2028. (AB24577) Approved 7-0
125. Permanently retain bike lanes on Eldridge Avenue? At the 10/24/2022 meeting, vote #193, the council authorize a one-year pilot program to remove on-street parking and install bike lanes on several arterial streets. The removal of parking along sections of W. Illinois Street, Meridian Street, Girard Street, Cornwall Avenue and Eldridge Avenue were in accordance with the Bicycle Master Plan. Construction was authorized by council at the 7/10/2023 meeting, vote #129; Eldridge improvements were expected to be completed late 2023, but completion was delayed until April 2024. Staff evaluated the Eldridge pilot project and recommended that the bike lanes be left in place.(AB24578) Approved 7-0
126. Appropriate $6,924,532 for goods and services checks issued from May 30, 2025 through June 12, 2025? (AB24580/24584) Approved 7-0
127. Appropriate $5,813,179 for payroll checks issued from May 16 through May 31, 2025? (AB24581) Approved 7-0
128. Raise fees for the Port of Bellingham’s use of city labor for mobile radio repairs? At the 1/10/2022 meeting, vote #4, the city entered into an agreement with the port to allow the port access to and use of its 800MHz digital radio network. A separate contract was established with the port for services by the city’s radio shop with a labor rate set at $92 per hour. A raise to $125 per hour was apparently adopted by email in January 2023. On 5/20/2025, the city notified the port by email of a rate change to $150 per hour. This increase in rates has been approved by the Port Commission. (AB24582) Approved 7-0
129. Authorize the parks and recreation director to accept a $700,000 state grant to renovate and upgrade field lighting at Joe Martin Stadium? The existing wooden light poles and sodium halide fixtures will be replaced with energy efficient LED fixtures and durable metal light poles. This project will decrease energy consumption and operations costs and is estimated to be completed by July 2025. (AB24583) Approved 7-0
130. Authorize the mayor to sign a $375,000 agreement (amendment #5) with Whatcom County for the Alternative Response Team (ART)? At the 5/23/2022 meeting, vote #88, the council approved the initial $427,127 agreement with Whatcom County for a plot program. ART is a collaborative approach between law enforcement, emergency medical response, human services, and other community agencies to respond to low-level non-criminal and/or non-medical calls for service. The ART team is not intended to provide police or medical services. It is comprised of five behavioral health specialists with at lease three years experience supporting vulnerable populations for 10 hours a day and five days a week. This agreement expires on 12/31/2026. (AB24588) Approved 7-0
131. Adopt the annual six-year (2026-2031) transportation improvement program? (Public hearing held at June 9 meeting.) State law requires cities to update their transportation program by July 1 of each year. The program provides a list of capital improvement projects and establishes the city’s eligibility for state and federal funds. Projects funded include pavement resurfacing, non-motorized transportation improvements, clean energy transportation, bridge reconstruction and various transportation and safety improvement programs. Twenty-nine projects are listed in this year’s plan with an estimated cost of more than $218 million. AB24579 (Resolution 2025-10) Approved 7-0
132. Establish regulations relating to landlord tenant relations? A new chapter in Title 6 of the Bellingham Municipal Code prohibits landlords from charging tenants unfair or excessive fees in residential rental agreements and leases. Bellingham residents have shared their personal experiences with junk fees with the City Council during open public meetings. This ordinance is an exercise of the city’s police and regulatory authority derived from the Washington Constitution and is consistent with state laws. An executive summary and full report of this public engagement work are available at engagebellingham.org. AB24501 (Ordinance 2025-06-010) Approved 7-0
133. Establish regulations relating to manufactured/mobile home landlord tenant relations? A new chapter in Title 6 of the Bellingham Municipal Code prohibits landlords from charging tenants unfair or excessive fees in manufactured/mobile home lease agreements. For more information on the amendments, see the committee of the whole minutes on 6/2/2025 and 6/9/2025. AB24502 (Ordinance 2025-06-011) Approved 7-0
134. Adopt the Bellingham Hearing Examiner’s recommendation to approve a street vacation for property at 1601 4th Street? (Closed record hearing.) The city will retain the utility easement in the right-ofway, and require $46,400 in compensation by Morris and Debra Arthur. AB24461 (Ordinance 2025-06-012) Approved 7-0
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Mayor, Kim Lund
360–778–8100 (phone), 360-778-8101 (fax)
mayorsoffice@cob.org
Term expires: Dec. 2027
City Council
360–778–8200 (phone), 360–778–8108 (fax)
ccmail@cob.org
At-Large, Jace Cotton
360-778-8214, jacotton@cob.org
Term expires: Dec. 2025
Ward 1, Hannah Stone
360–778–8211, hestone@cob.org
Term expires: Dec. 2027
Ward 2, Council President, Hollie Huthman
360–778-8216, hahuthman@cob.org
Term expires: Dec. 2025
Ward 3, Dan Hammill
360–778–8213, dchammill@cob.org
Term expires: Dec. 2027
Ward 4, “Skip” Williams
360–778–8215, ehwilliams@cob.org
Term expires: Dec. 2025
Ward 5, Lisa Anderson
360-778-8217, laanderson@cob.org
Term expires: Dec. 2027
Ward 6, Michael Lilliquist
360–778–8212, mlilliquist@cob.org
Term expires: Dec. 2025
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