Action Taken at September 14, 2026 Meeting
Shall the council:
160. Confirm the mayor’s appointment of Ayla Warwick to the Planning Commission? The commission conducts hearings on the city’s Comprehensive Plan and its implementation. It reviews and makes recommendations to the City Council on the adoption and enforcement of plans and regulations for the physical development of the city. Ayla Warwick has a master’s degree in historical and sustainable architecture and volunteers with the Bellingham Food Bank. Her first term expires on 9/14/2030. (AB25035) Confirmed 7-0
161. Authorize the mayor to award the low bid of $3,677,653 to Premium Services of Bellingham for Samish Way utility replacements? The engineer’s estimate was $5,339,660. A 12-inch ductile iron water main will be installed to replace the existing 6-inch cast iron water main along Samish Way between Bill McDonald Parkway and E. Maple Street. A 12-inch PVC sanitary sewer main will be installed to replace the existing 8-inch concrete sanitary sewer main on Samish Way between Consolidation Avenue and Abbott Street. Work along G Street will include cast-in-place-pipe rehabilitation from Halleck Street to Brier Lane; and the installation of 8-inch PVC to replace the 6-inch vitrified clay pipe on North Street between Cornwall Avenue and Ellis Street. The project is expected to be completed by May 2027, weather permitting. The city received five bids; the high bid was $5,922,385. (AB25043) Approved 7-0
162. Approve a 130-day noise variance for the Samish Way utility replacements? Construction work in residential-zoned areas between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. requires a noise variance. To reduce disruptions to adjacent businesses and the public that rely on this corridor, work will need to be done at night. (AB25044) Approved 7-0
163. Authorize the mayor to sign an agreement with the state of Washington to renew the sponsorship of two Washington Conservation Corps crews? Total cost to the city will not exceed $269,450, and will run from 10/1/2026 to 9/30/2027. The Washington Conservation Corps first arrived in Bellingham to help restore Whatcom Creek after the Olympic Pipeline explosion in 1999. The city will continue its long-term commitment to improving and protecting the community’s water quality, salmon habitat, and open space. The program is a partnership with Washington state and the federal Ameri-Corps program. Crews (ages 18-25 and military veterans) will perform riparian restoration work throughout the city of Bellingham and the Lake Whatcom watershed. The previous agreement was approved at the 9/15/2025 meeting, vote #186. (AB25039) Approved 7-0
164. Appropriate $5,981,865 for payroll checks issued from July 16, 2026 to July 31, 2026? (AB25034) Approved 7-0
165. Appropriate $22,681,332 for goods and services checks issued from July 24, 2026 through August 27, 2026? (AB25046/25047/25048/25053) Approved 7-0
166. Establish a low-income housing development Incentive? (Public hearing held at August 24 meeting.) This incentive is intended to facilitate the development of permanently affordable housing by reducing regulatory barriers and streamlining approvals for qualifying low-income housing projects. The incentive would exempt eligible developments from certain zoning and land-use regulations (height, ground floor commercial requirements, parking, density, etc) while maintaining applicable health, safety, environmental, and infrastructure standards. Qualifying projects must provide long-term affordability for households earning less than 80 percent of the area median income. An amendment was tabled until the council schedules a work session on mixed -income housing incentives. AB25027 (Ordinance 2026-09-023) Approved 7-0
167. Amend the 2026 budget by adding additional revenues and expenditures? The city has identified budget adjustments that were not anticipated when the budget was adopted. These adjustments are necessary to improve city services, provide adequate budget authority for previously identified projects and programs, and ensure a balanced budget. This amendment increases revenues by $4,092,873 and expenditures by $22,189,674 across multiple departments and funds to ensure sufficient budget authority is provided for existing and upcoming programs and projects, and to cover higher-than-anticipated costs. AB25015 (Ordinance 2026-09-024) Approved 7-0
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Action Taken at September 28, 2026 Meeting
Shall the council:
168. Authorize the mayor to sign a joint funding agreement with the federal government for the ongoing operation and maintenance of nine stream gauges? The city partners with U.S. Department of Interior/U.S. Geological Survey for the operation and maintenance of stream gauges. The program monitors the stream flows of Anderson Creek, Brannian Creek, Olsen Creek, Carpenter Creek, Chuckanut Creek, Euclid Creek, Silver Beach Creek, Squalicum Creek and the Middle Fork of the Nooksack River near Deming. Information from the program helps the city manage the water supply. The total cost of the program is $251,593 — the city’s share is $214,393 and the federal government’s share is $37,200. The agreement runs from 10/1/2026 through 9/30/2027. (AB25056) Approved 6-0, Hollie Huthman excused.
169. Alter an agreement with Bellingham Technical College for paramedic training? The city and Bellingham Technical College (BTC) have an existing agreement for partnership in the paramedic training program. The two-year agreement was approved at the 4/14/2025 meeting, vote #68. This amendment increases the amount by $26,880 the city will be paying to BTC to take over program coordination duties. The paramedic training program previously used an independent contractor to provide support to class instructors and coordination of student labs, clinicals, and records. This amendment shifts those responsibilities to staff at the college. This increased funding to BTC will be offset by funds that were being paid to the other contractor for the services. (AB25057) Approved 6-0, Hollie Huthman excused.
170. Authorize the police chief to accept a $1,000 state grant to purchase sector printers? The Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs grant will be used to purchase these specialized, inkless thermal printers to print critical documents directly from a patrol laptop, tablet, or smartphone. They are used to issue tickets for expired tabs, speeding and and non-use of seat belts. The Bellingham Police Department would like to purchase three sector printers with this grant award. Due to the limited amount of funding, the grants were limited to $1,000 per request. (AB25058) Approved 6-0, Hollie Huthman excused.
171. Appropriate $11,449,409 for payroll checks issued from August 1 to August 31, 2026? (AB25059/25061) Approved 6-0, Hollie Huthman excused.
172. Authorize the Municipal Court director to sign an agreement with the state Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) to seek reimbursement for interpreter services? The Bellingham Municipal Court provides interpreter services for individuals who require language assistance during court proceedings. AOC reimburses eligible courts for qualifying interpreter services. The reimbursement is for $29,095 during the period from 7/1/2026 through 6/30/2027. This agreement supports the court’s ability to provide access to justice and meet applicable language access requirements. (AB25060) Approved 6-0, Hollie Huthman excused.
173. Authorize the police chief to sign a memorandum of agreement with the federal government to reimburse one officer for overtime? The U.S. Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration will reimburse the Bellingham Police Department $28,907. The Bellingham Police Department has one officer in the Whatcom County Drug Task Force who often works overtime while on assignment. This agreement is another year of overtime reimbursement. (AB25063) Approved 6-0, Hollie Huthman excused.
174. Authorize the mayor to award the low bid to Boss Construction of Bellingham up to $400,000 over three years for indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) overwater maintenance and repair services? Boss Construction offered the lowest responsive bid of $101,017 which was based on a hypothetical work order for bid comparison purposes. Repair work on these types of structures may require special material handling by licensed and certified contractors. Work will be scoped and performed under individual work orders on an as-needed basis with an additional fourth year option. The city received two bids; the high bid was 124,315. (AB25065) Approved 6-0, Hollie Huthman excused.
175. Modify the service fee agreement (amendment #2) with Action Taken at September 28, 2026 Meeting Whatcom County for advanced life support services? This amendment will increase revenue to the Medic One fund by $711,126. The funding source is the countywide EMS levy. Annual costs: four paramedic units available 24 hours a days, 365 days per year ($12,375,226); an EMS captain position available 24 hours a day, 365 days per year ($1,204,807); two community paramedics available 40 hours per week ($519,879); and an entry-level paramedic training program ($554,857). The 2027 fee schedule is $14,654,768. This agreement terminates on 12/31/2029. (AB25066) Approved 6-0, Hollie Huthman excused.
176. Authorize the mayor to sign an agreement for a multi-agency public safety joint-training facility? The agreement is between participating Whatcom County fire, law enforcement, tribal, municipal, port, and public safety agencies. No training facility currently exists in Whatcom County that can meet the unique training needs of local law enforcement agencies. Firefighters must travel either north into British Columbia or south to Snohomish County to receive live fire training. Whatcom County Fire District No. 7 owns property located at 3560 Douglas Road in Ferndale that may serve as the site of a potential joint training facility. Public safety training facilities are very expensive to build and often fall to a lower priority for local funding as many of our front-line response facilities are in need of repair or replacement. Having a multidisciplinary, multi-agency agreement makes the project more attractive for federal and state funding. The agreement contains no specific funding requests and serves to show intent for the agencies to work together to develop the facility. (AB25067) Approved 6-0, Hollie Huthman excused.
177. Authorize the mayor to sign a $978,089 agreement with Whatcom County for paramedic training? The city and Whatcom County work together to provide paramedic training for city employees and paramedic students from outside agencies. This agreement provides the disbursement of EMS tax levy funding for the five Bellingham firefighter students who will receive their field training on Bellingham Fire Department paramedic units and two who will receive their field training with their respective employer agencies. The funding pays for student backfill, preceptor and evaluation costs, books and other consumables for the students. This agreement will become effective on 12/1/2026, and will terminate 3/31/2028, or upon completion of paramedic training. (AB25068) Approved 6-0, Hollie Huthman excused.
178. Support Proposition 2026-06, authorizing the city’s salary commission to set the mayor’s salary? (Public hearing held.) This resolution urges the voters to vote yes on Proposition 2026-06. At the 7/13/2026 meeting, vote #122, the City Council approved Resolution 2026-17 which placed Proposition 2026-06, a Charter amendment, on the November 2026 ballot. The proposed Charter amendment would remove the requirement that the mayor be the highest paid city official or employee and make an independent salary commission responsible for setting the mayor’s salary. At the 12/6/2021 meeting, vote #230, the City Council created a salary commission to determine compensation for City Council members. AB25069 (Resolution #2026-21) Approved 6-0, Hollie Huthman excused.
179. Support Proposition 2026-07, allowing the mayor to delegate and virtualize signatory powers? (Public hearing held.) This resolution urges the voters to vote yes on Proposition 2026-07. At the 7/13/2026 meeting, vote #121, the City Council approved Resolution 2026-16, placing a Charter amendment on the November 2026 ballot. Currently, the Bellingham City Charter requires the mayor to physically sign, and the finance director attest to all city contracts, bonds and instruments of any kind. If passed, this resolution will authorize the mayor to select a designee to sign contracts and remove the requirement for the finance director to attest to the mayor’s signature and physically attach the city seal. The proposed Charter amendment would bring the City of Bellingham into alignment with federal and state contracting practices. AB25070 (Resolution 2026-22) Approved 6-0, Hollie Huthman excused.
180. Honor Deputy City Administrator Janice Keller for her outstanding contributions to the City of Bellingham? She retired at the end of September this year after 25 years of service to the city and nearly four decades of public service, under six different mayors. She served as communications and community relations manager for the Bellingham Public Library from July 2014 to March 2020, leading strategic public communications and community relations, fostering exceptionally positive and enduring relationships with library patrons and partners, and coordinated with the Mount Baker Theater. AB25071 (Resolution 2026-23) Approved 6-0, Hollie Huthman excused.
181. Designate the preparation, distribution, and sale of kratom products a gross misdemeanor? As of January 2026, 30 states and the District of Columbia regulate kratom or its components in some manner, according to the Legislative Analysis and Public Policy Association. Kratom comes from the leaves of Mitragyna speciosa, a tree native to Southeast Asia. Its principal psychoactive alkaloid is mitragynine. This ordinance responds to the local availability of these products and the absence of a comprehensive retail regulatory system that adequately addresses product strength, labeling, placement and youth access. By prohibiting local sales and distribution, the ordinance is intended to reduce easy access by minors and adults, prevent substance misuse and dependency, lower the risk of poisoning and accidental overdose, and protect the community from longer-term health consequences. AB25055 (Ordinance 2026-09-025) Approved 6-0, Hollie Huthman excused.
182. Amend certain chapters of city code regarding vehicle impoundment? This first amendment transfers jurisdiction of vehicle impound hearings from the hearing examiner to the municipal court. Historically, the hearing examiner has had jurisdiction to hear impound appeals. In recent years, the number of impound hearings has been steadily increasing. In 2024, the hearing examiner suggested in her annual report that the city consider transferring jurisdiction of impound appeals to the municipal court. In 2025, the mayor appointed a second judge to the municipal court. In addition, in 2022, Washington’s Supreme Court issued a decision in City of Seattle v. Long, holding that the state’s Homestead Act applies to vehicle residences. Additional proposed amendments implement a structured process for individuals to be able to claim their homestead rights for vehicle residences at the impound hearing. Also repealed is an obsolete administrative fee, and it codifies the city’s procedures for disposing of unredeemed junk vehicles. AB25040 (Ordinance 2026-09-026) Approved 6-0, Hollie Huthman excused.
183. Repeal the city-hosted Sister Cities Advisory Board, while recognizing the ongoing contributions of the independent Bellingham Sister Cities Association? Bellingham established its first sister-city relationship with Tateyama, Japan, in 1958. In 1980, the Bellingham City Council established a Sister Cities Advisory Board, with subsequent updates. Relationships were formed with Port Stephens, Australia (1982); Nakhodka, Russia (1989); Punta Arenas, Chile (1996); Cheongju, South Korea (2005); Vaasa, Finland (2009); and Tsetserleg, Mongolia (2011). Since 2020, the board has become increasingly costly to maintain in light of budget and staffing reductions. This proposed action does not end Bellingham’s seven sister-city relationships, which continue to thrive through the work of the Bellingham Sister Cities Association (established in the 70s), dedicated volunteers and community partners, with city participation as schedules and resources allow. This ordinance recognizes that the strength of Bellingham’s sister-city relationships comes from the sustained commitment of the Bellingham Sister Cities Association and the many people and organizations that support it. AB25045 (Ordinance 2026-09-027) Approved 6-0, Hollie Huthman excused.
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Bellingham City Council
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