Action Taken at May 5, 2025 Meeting
Shall the council:
87. Approve the mayor’s appointment of Kathy Furtado to the Greenway Advisory Committee? The committee identifies, develops, reviews, and recommends the expenditure of Greenway Levy funds. Kathy Furtado is a 10-year resident of Bellingham, a lifelong cyclist, hiker and walker with over 40 years of research, writing and collaborative work. Formerly a nurse with an M.S. in technical communication and over 20-years working for large and complex organizations and nonprofits. Her term will expire on 5/5/2028. (AB24538) Approved 7-0
88. Adopt the 2025 Action Plan of the 2023-2027 Consolidated Plan? At the 5/8/2023 meeting, vote #90, the council adopted the 2023-2027 Consolidated Plan (7/1/2023 – June 30, 2027). The yearly action plan is required by the federal Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) to identify community needs and priorities to be funded by the federal Community Development Block Grant and HOME Investment Partnership Program over a five-year period. The city uses the action plan to budget for its local housing levy, affordable housing sales tax and related general fund expenditures. Total revenue allocated in the 2025 Action Plan is $27 million in revenue and program funding. Nearly $20 million of that is for reappropriated or new/annual projects, programs, and administration, with the remainder reflecting prior commitments that have yet to be fully expended. AB24533 (Resolution #2025-07) Approved 6-0-1, Lisa Anderson abstained.
89. Authorize the sale of 25 surplus Swift Haven tiny homes to the United Way of Skagit County for $1.00? The city is in the process of consolidating Swift Haven and Unity Village tiny home villages at a new site on Northwest Avenue. As part of this transition, new tiny homes are being constructed to replace the Swift Haven homes, which are smaller in size than the Unity Village homes, to ensure all residents of the new village have the same size homes. The existing, smaller tiny homes currently at Swift Haven are surplus to the city’s needs. The city evaluated retaining or storing the tiny homes for future use but determined that the cost of storage would exceed the value of the homes. The tiny homes are located at 1555 Puget Street in Bellingham; they have been assessed with an estimated value exceeding $1,000 but less than $20,000 in the aggregate. United Way of Skagit County will put them to use in Mount Vernon. (AB24535) Approved 7-0
90. Appropriate $5,488,652 for payroll checks issued from April 1 through April 15, 2025? (AB24536) Approved 7-0
91. Appropriate $6,122,178 for goods and services checks issued from April 18 through April 24, 2025? (AB24537) Approved 7-0
92. Amend the 2025 adopted budget reconciling the differences between estimated 2025 beginning reserve balances and actual 2025 reserve balances? There is a net increase of $41,361,691. During the budget development process, the finance department estimates beginning reserve balances based on anticipated expenditures and revenues for the year in which the budget is developed. Pursuant to city financial policy, at the beginning of each budget cycle, the city must update the budget with actual beginning reserves and estimate new ending reserves. The finance department undertakes this process in tandem with the reappropriations process to ensure the various funds’ reserves are expected to remain in balance at the end of the year. The reappropriations process brings budget forward from the previous budget cycle for programs and projects authorized but not completed in the previous year. AB24511 (Ordinance 2025- 05-005) Approved 7-0
93. Amend the 2025 budget appropriations authority to pay for goods and services authorized in the previous budget cycle? Reappropriate unused budget authority totaling $104,570,732 in expenses and $10,131,421 in revenue from the 2023-2024 biennium for a net increase of $94,439,311. At the end of each budget cycle, all remaining budget authority lapses, even if it is under contract for a project, program, or product. To pay those contracts and continue projects authorized in the previous budget, the City Council must reappropriate the funds. AB24512 (Ordinance 2025-05-006) Amended and approved 7-0
94. Amend the 2025 budget to correct budgetary errors, adjust appropriation authority to provide positive estimated ending reserve balances for all city funds? It adds budget authority for items missed during budget development or materialized after adoption of the 2025 budget, for a net reduction of $32,879,094. This is a housekeeping vote, part of a series of ordinances to reconcile fund reserve balances and reappropriate the budget from the previous budget cycle. AB24513 (Ordinance 2025-05-007) Approved 7-0
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Action Taken at May 19, 2025 Meeting
Mayor’s Report
95. Mayor Lund appointed Steve Walker to a second term on the Parks & Recreation Advisory Board. A 33-year resident of Bellingham, he is a park ranger, university recreation manager, land steward, and executive director of the boating center with a masters in education. He was initially appointed at the 6/6/2022 meeting. His second term will expire on 5/27/2028. (AB24541) Nonvoting issue.
Shall the council:
96. Authorize the mayor to acquire 37.55 acres of Lake Whatcom Watershed property with seven potential development units for $860,000? The purchase will be from the property owner Faunt Visser. (Discussed in Executive Session.) Motion Carried 7-0
97. Authorize the mayor to acquire 7.45 acres of Lake Whatcom Watershed property with one potential development unit for $240,000? The purchase will be from property owner Gary and Shirley Patterson. (Discussed in Executive Session.) Motion Carried 7-0
98. Approve the mayor’s appointment of Aaron Miller 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. Aaron Miller is a daily bike commuter, trail maintenance volunteer, and adjunct faculty in chemistry at WWU; he has lived in Bellingham for the past 12 years. His first term will expire on 5/19/2028. (AB24542) Approved 7-0
99. Authorize the mayor to award the low bid of $2,688,577 to the Colacurcio Brothers of Blaine for the Russell-Irving Watermain Replacement Project? The engineer’s estimate was $3,558,180. Watermains will be replaced on Russell Street from Broadway to West Illinois Street, Irving Street from Young Street to C Street, C Street from Irving Street to Dupont Street, and Dupont Street from C Street to D Street. The project will also perform ADAcompliant ramp upgrades throughout and will pave Russell Street and Irving Street. The city received six bids; the high bid was $3,422,576 and the project is subject to apprenticeship program requirements. Construction is expected to begin late spring/early summer 2025. (AB24557) Approved 7-0
100. Authorize the mayor to award the low bid of $4,326,716 to Faber Construction of Lynden for a fi sh passage project on Padden Creek? The engineer’s estimate was $4,601,800. The project on Padden Creek between 12th and 14th streets will replace two partial fish barriers and fish ladders with bridge-like arched culverts, pools and large woody debris. It will remove barriers to migrating salmon and trout and improve water quality and aquatic function within the creek. Due to the confined project area and access points, the Interurban Trail will be closed during construction and trail traffic detoured to the Old Fairhaven Parkway sidewalk. The city received four bids; the high bid was $5,959,129. (AB24546) Approved 7-0
101. Send a letter to the Canadian cities of Delta, Richmond, White Rock, Abbotsford, Langley, Vancouver, Surrey, Coquitlam, and Burnaby? Michael Lilliquist suggested writing this letter to nearby Canadian cities to affirm a commitment to continuing a positive relationship. The letters will expressing our commitment to our connection with the people of Canada and our deep-rooted social, cultural, and economic ties. The Washington state Legislature previously passed a resolution reaffirming the longstanding relationship between Washington and Canada, which can be read here: https://lawfi lesext.leg.wa.gov/biennium/2025-26/Pdf/Bills/House%20Resolutions/4659-Washington%20and%20Canada.pdf. (AB24548) Approved 7-0
102. Authorize the city clerk to accept a $7,975 state grant for local records? The grant award is from the state Archives Local Records Grant Program. The grant will allow for the purchase of a large format scanner to assist in public disclosure responses and the creation of a centralized scanning function for city staff within the clerk’s office. The grant covers the entire cost of the purchase. (AB24553) Approved 7-0
103. Appropriate $5,777,497 for payroll checks issued from April 16 to April 30, 2025? (AB24555) Approved 7-0
104. Appropriate $8,439,179 for goods and services checks issued from April 25, 2025 through May 8, 2025? (AB24554/24556) Approved 7-0
105. Adopt an interim ordinance permitting infill housing in areas that are zoned predominantly for residential uses, with the exception of the Lake Whatcom Reservoir? (Public hearing held at March 24 meeting.) On 11/21/2024, Mayor Lund issued Executive Order 2024-02 with the express goal of stimulating the housing options in Bellingham using the “Infill Toolkit,” created by the council at the 8/10/2009 meeting, vote #178. A range of housing forms that fall between detached single-family homes on one end of the spectrum to mid- to high-rise multifamily buildings on the other end of the spectrum are generally considered to be compatible in scale, form, and character with single-family houses. This ordinance allows for up to four units per lot with the potential for a fifth or sixth unit, if affordable, as defined by the state. This interim ordinance will end on 4/29/2026. AB24478 (Ordinance 2025-05-008) Approved 7-0
