# City Council Advances Housing Initiatives Amid Active December Session The Bellingham City Council gathered for their December 9, 2024 regular meeting with housing at the forefront of discussions, marking another significant step in the city's ongoing efforts to address the local housing crisis. With Council President Dan Hammill excused, President Pro Tempore Hollie Huffman presided over a packed agenda that spanned from routine administrative matters to major policy initiatives. ## Housing Takes Center Stage The evening's most significant conversation centered around Mayor Kim Lund's recently issued Executive Order 2024-02, which commits the city to immediate administrative actions to expand housing opportunities. In her mayor's report, Lund outlined the urgency driving the order, painting a stark picture of Bellingham's housing landscape. "We have a critical housing shortage in Bellingham," Lund told the council and community members in attendance. "We have not yet caught up from the deficit of thousands of housing units that resulted from the 2008 to 2012 economic recession, and we aren't adding enough new housing to meet today's demands." The executive order, issued November 21st, directs action in three broad areas: diversifying housing options through priority development review and proposed interim legislative changes; streamlining permitting processes to reduce costs and timelines; and incentivizing partnerships to create harder-to-develop housing types like permanently affordable units and tiny home villages. The order also asks the city council to consider three interim ordinances: removing parking minimums citywide, allowing the infill toolkit citywide, and streamlining design review processes. As Huffman noted from the chair, this was just the beginning of what promises to be an extensive conversation, with more discussion scheduled for the following Monday. "If you are interested in housing issues and parking minimums, definitely check out that video," Huffman advised, referring community members to the afternoon's committee meeting coverage. "We will be having more conversation about parking minimums in particular next Monday." The mayor emphasized that her order represents "achievable smart fixes that we can implement now," positioning these actions ahead of required changes coming from new state laws. The approach reflects what Lund described as joining "with members of this city council and the community who feel an urgency to invest in this work." ## North Haven Tiny Home Village Advances Housing initiatives gained further momentum with council approval of a $434,910 contract award to Summit Construction for the North Haven Tiny House Community Project. The project will prepare the city's recently purchased property at 3300 Northwest Avenue to host a new tiny home village through site improvements and utilities installation. The contract award came in significantly under the engineer's estimate of $821,315, providing welcome cost savings on a project that has generated considerable discussion about value and impact. Council Member Michael Lilliquist performed quick calculations during the meeting, determining that the total project cost—including the $1.2 million property purchase—equates to approximately $60,000 per tiny home unit, depending on the final number of units constructed. "A project definitely well worth doing," Huffman concluded after the unanimous vote to award the contract. ## Economic Development and Downtown Activation The council advanced several initiatives aimed at bolstering economic development and downtown vitality. They approved an interlocal agreement between the city, Whatcom County, and the Port of Bellingham for coordinated countywide economic development funding, continuing a partnership that has been in place since 2011. Council Member Jace Cotton, chairing the Community and Economic Development committee, noted that the port expanded its economic development focus in 2018 to create a dedicated department with additional staff. The agreement continues support for Western Washington University's Small Business Development Center and the port's Economic Development Department. The council also approved lodging tax advisory committee funding recommendations totaling $235,080 for three downtown activation projects. The approved projects include: - Children of the Setting Sun Productions' Coast Salish Interactive Mural ($160,000) - Pickford Film Center & Bellingham Symphony Orchestra's Silent Film with Live Music event ($25,080) - Make.Shift's KZAX Presents: Radio Forever multi-modal installation ($50,000) These projects represent ongoing efforts to activate and beautify downtown Bellingham as part of broader revitalization initiatives. ## Environmental and Infrastructure Commitments Climate action advanced with council approval of an interagency grant agreement with the Washington State Department of Commerce for just under $1 million to expand the city's home electrification pilot program. The funding builds on the city's 2018 Climate Action Plan and represents a partnership with Whatcom County to accelerate electrification efforts. "Electrification is a critical component of meeting the city's climate goals," staff explained during the presentation. Infrastructure maintenance received attention with approval of a four-year, $3.6 million contract with S&S Concrete Construction for on-call Portland cement concrete repairs. The indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract will allow the city to scope work on an as-needed basis, with individual projects expected to fall well under the $1 million threshold that would trigger apprenticeship requirements. ## Regulatory Reform and Tenant Protections The council continued work sessions on landlord-tenant relations, addressing unfair or excessive fees in both residential rental agreements and manufactured home leases. These "junk fees" ordinances represent significant tenant protection measures that the council has been developing since October. City Attorney Alan Marriner and Planning Director Blake Lyon presented revised ordinances that staff believe would accomplish the same protective goals while being easier to understand for tenants, landlords, property management companies, and reviewing courts. The council made several amendments and directed staff to continue refining the proposals, with another work session scheduled for December 16th. The council also approved an ordinance repealing obsolete, preempted, or unconstitutional sections of the Bellingham Municipal Code—what staff characterized as necessary housekeeping, though the discussion revealed additional code revisions may be forthcoming. ## Law Enforcement Coordination Public safety received attention through discussion of a memorandum of understanding with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Police Chief Rebecca Mertzig explained that the agreement would maximize interagency cooperation while maintaining adherence to city policies, particularly regarding immigration violations and the Keep Washington Working Act. The MOU focuses primarily on cellular analysis technology sharing and aims to identify criminal enterprise groups responsible for drug trafficking, money laundering, robbery, violent crimes, and financial fraud. Chief Mertzig cited a Boulevard Park incident where cell phone analysis proved instrumental in solving the case as an example of the technology's value. ## Budget Adjustments and Fiscal Stewardship The council addressed year-end budget matters with the 16th and final budget amendment of 2024, authorizing expenditure increases and an interfund loan of up to $600,000 from the general fund to the workers compensation fund. The ordinance makes adjustments across multiple departments and funds, recognizing increased economic activity, rate increases, and other operational changes. Finance Director Andy Asbjornsen and Budget Manager Eric Johnson walked the council through the complex adjustments, prompting considerable discussion about fund relationships and expenditure tracking. ## Property Acquisitions for Conservation In executive session, the council authorized two property acquisitions for Lake Whatcom watershed protection. The first involves a 1.9-acre property with one potential development unit for $225,000, scheduled to close around December 20th. The second represents a more significant conservation victory: a 101.24-acre property owned by Patricia Otto that will see existing conservation easements replaced with a more protective agreement at no cost to the city. The new easement, granted jointly to the city and Whatcom Land Trust, will reduce potential development from 20 units to just one, preserving the existing homesite while providing enhanced watershed protection. ## Final Ordinances and Routine Business The council completed final consideration of three ordinances: increasing the solid waste utility tax from 11.5% to 17.25%, updating city investment policies, and adopting the 2025 budget. All passed unanimously on roll call votes. The consent agenda, encompassing routine payroll authorizations, interlocal agreements for watershed wildfire risk reduction and snow operations, and police department partnerships, passed without discussion. ## Looking Ahead As the meeting concluded at 7:32 PM, the stage was set for continued housing policy discussions, with parking minimums taking center stage at the next council meeting. Mayor Lund's executive order and the evening's various housing-related actions signal an acceleration of the city's efforts to address what all participants acknowledged as a critical housing shortage. The council's December 16th meeting promises continued work sessions on landlord-tenant protections and potentially the first public viewing of a draft interim ordinance eliminating parking minimums—a proposal that could fundamentally reshape development patterns in Bellingham. With Tyler Schroeder from the Port of Bellingham scheduled to address the council soon regarding economic development partnerships, and various implementation timelines advancing, the city appears positioned for an active winter of policy development and community engagement on some of its most pressing challenges.