Bellingham City Council

**Council President Stone, on I-5 closure impacts:** "It is incredibly difficult for us to absorb 50,000 cars per day, including semi-truck traffic, into the city's transportation system." **Council Member Anderson, on downtown public safety:** "When we have a small section in Bellingham that is the known location for people countywide or outside of county can go get drugs and buy them, and it's just not okay." **Council Member Huffman, on alley closure approach:** "This is considered to be a temporary and experimental action... we can adjust. This is a relatively low cost action when you look at the larger scheme of things." **Council Member Williams, on personal experience with addiction:** "There has to be a consistent, consistent actions that let them know that this is not okay and they need to make a choice." **Council Member Cotton, on alley closure strategy:** "This is really an effort to offer some reprieve for downtown business owners and especially employees that are bear

## Meeting Overview On the evening of Monday, March 23, 2026, the Bellingham City Council convened for their regular meeting at 7:00 p.m. Council President Hannah Stone called the meeting to order with six members present—Stone, Hollie Huthman, Daniel Hamill, Skip Williams, Lisa Anderson, and Jace Cotton. Council Member Michael Lilliquist was excused for the day. The meeting followed a full day of committee sessions that had addressed various municipal matters, from public safety concerns to comprehensive planning for the city's premier recreation facility. What made this meeting particularly notable was the range of substantive items requiring council action—from a routine utility easement relinquishment to contentious discussions about temporary alley closures aimed at disrupting drug activity in downtown Bellingham. The evening would also feature multiple mayoral appointments and significant reports on legislative lobbying efforts and major capital planning initiatives. ## Bayview Drive Utility Easement Relinquishment The council began with a public hearing on a resolution to relinquish a surplus utility easement within vacated Bayview Drive at 524 South State Street. Mike Wilson, the city's assistant director of public works and city engineer, explained that the property owners needed the easement area to facilitate development of townhomes after demolishing existing structures. "The existing homes have been torn down and there's plans for new townhomes in the area," Wilson told the council, noting that the city had retained the easement when Bayview Drive was vacated in 2019 but now determined this portion was surplus to municipal needs. The lone public commenter, Brian Gas, participated via Zoom and expressed some confusion about the project details. "I drove by today and I still see someone living there. So I don't know what property we're talking about," Gas said, questioning whether the house had actually been demolished. Wilson clarified that the structure in question had indeed been removed and the lot cleared and graded. Gas also raised concerns about the impact on neighborhood views and questioned whether development restrictions would be maintained. He referenced the original easement terms, noting "they did put in that restriction that they couldn't build any permanent structures on that easement." Council Member Lisa Anderson sought clarification about sidewalk infrastructure in the area, asking whether the city had considered retaining easement rights for pedestrian improvements. Wilson explained that no continuous sidewalk was feasible on that side of the street and that pedestrians would use the established crosswalk system to access the existing sidewalk network and Marine Park. The council moved to approve the relinquishment unanimously, with Anderson noting for the record that there was no monetary compensation involved—the city was simply relinquishing surplus easement rights to facilitate private development. ## Mayoral Appointments Mayor Kim Lund presented a slate of appointments requiring council confirmation and others provided for information only. The confirmations moved through efficiently with unanimous approval. For the Planning Commission, the mayor appointed Claire Swingle to her first term and reappointed Jed Ballew to a second term. Swingle brings environmental and energy planning experience, having worked on community solar programs and greenhouse gas inventories in Vermont before relocating to Bellingham. Council also confirmed Rafeeka Kloke to a third term on the Whatcom Museum Foundation Board of Trustees. Kloke has extensive nonprofit management experience, including previous work with Whatcom Community College Foundation and the Northwest Workforce Council. The third confirmation was Erika De la Rosa to the Design Review Board. De la Rosa, a landscape architect, brings experience in sustainable design and permaculture practices to the volunteer position. For information only, the mayor announced several other appointments: Allison Gallant as the Lettered Streets representative on the Mayor's Neighborhood Advisory Commission; Michaela Vendiola to the Commission on Sexual and Domestic Violence; and reappointments of Stephen Gockley to the Housing Authorities Board and Kevin Coleman and Matt Lesinski to second terms on the Tourism Commission. ## Mayor's Report: Interstate 5 Closure Dominates Mayor Lund's report was dominated by the ongoing closure of Interstate 5 northbound lanes south of Bellingham following a landslide the previous Friday. "As we gather here tonight, a reopening date for I-5 has not yet been established," Lund reported, noting the significant impact on city streets. The closure was forcing approximately 50,000 vehicles per day, including semi-truck traffic, onto city streets—a volume the municipal transportation system was never designed to handle. "It is incredibly difficult for us to absorb 50,000 cars per day, including semi-truck traffic, into the city's transportation system," Lund acknowledged. The primary impacts were being felt at the Samish Way interchange and in the Fairhaven area, where Chuckanut Drive connects with local arterials. City crews were continuously monitoring conditions and adjusting traffic signals, though Lund was candid about the limitations: "We acknowledge that there are impacts that we just cannot fix." The mayor praised the public works team for their ongoing monitoring and response efforts, while asking for continued community patience during the indefinite closure. She emphasized the interconnected nature of the regional transportation system and stressed that solutions required regional cooperation. On a more positive note, Lund reported on the success of the city's first "ask us anything" community meeting of 2026, held at the Bellingham Cruise Terminal with over 200 attendees. The event, supported by the Fairhaven Association and facilitated by Western Washington University's Chris Roselli, covered topics ranging from development approval processes to drinking water quality monitoring. ## Council Assignment Reports: Lake Whatcom and Legislative Updates Council Member Williams provided extensive updates from his various assignments, starting with the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board's review of the PROS plan and discussion of the civic athletic complex—topics that had been covered in detail during the day's committee meetings. Williams also highlighted the recent ribbon-cutting ceremony at Sunset Pond, praising the completed loop trail project, though he humorously admitted to parking at the wrong end and having to walk the entire perimeter twice. Of particular significance was Williams's report on his meeting with Washington State Department of Natural Resources staff regarding timber harvesting around Lake Whatcom. Along with Council Member Anderson, Williams had received extensive background materials including Climate Commitment Act property maps, moratorium area maps, harvest unit divisions, and the comprehensive habitat conservation plan. "Getting this information will give us some significant background and guidance regarding DNR's timber harvesting practice, seeing as how Councilman Anderson and I are serving on the Lake Whatcom policy committee this year," Williams explained. The materials would inform their work on the critical watershed management issues facing the city's primary drinking water source. Williams also reported on the second forum sponsored by the Whatcom Racial Equity Commission and Connect Ferndale on immigration issues. The panel included elected officials from Whatcom County and Ferndale, community activists, the Ferndale Police Chief, school district mental health staff, and Council Member Hannah Stone. The forum was part of a planned series of eight to ten sessions throughout the county to address immigration-related concerns and community support systems. Finally, Williams mentioned joining Council Members Cotton and Hamill on a tour of West Coast Homes to examine tiny homes on wheels as potential alternative housing solutions for the city's housing goals. Council President Stone provided comprehensive updates from the city's legislative lobbying efforts as the state session neared its end. With just 17 days remaining, Stone highlighted several key victories for Bellingham's interests. Most significantly, the city secured over $1 million for a much-needed day shelter, with special recognition for Jason Curl-Nielsen, the city's Health and Human Services strategic initiatives manager, and Representative Joe Timmons, who was "instrumental in keeping the day shelter in the final budget prior to passage." Stone also detailed successful amendments to Senate Bill 6026 concerning residential development in commercial zones. Originally, the bill would have prohibited cities from requiring ground-floor commercial in any residential development within commercial areas. Thanks to testimony from Planning Director Blake Lyon, the final version allows cities to require commercial space on the ground floor in up to 40% of commercial and mixed-use areas. "This is more than sufficient for our needs," Stone explained, noting the importance for the city's urban village concept with "mixed-use with commercial on the bottom and residential on top." Other successful legislative efforts included support for bills distinguishing electric motorcycles from e-bikes (Senate Bill 6110) and prohibiting public sales of nitrous oxide (House Bill 2532). Stone noted the positive working relationships maintained with legislators from both the 40th and 42nd districts and announced that lobbyists Nick Federici and Luke Esser would provide a comprehensive session debrief at the April 13th council meeting. ## Public Works Committee: Bid Rejection Council Member Anderson, serving as committee chair in Lilliquist's absence, reported on the Public Works and Natural Resources Committee's single item—a recommendation to reject all bids on the Little Squalicum Water Quality Retrofits Phase 2 project. The project, designed to improve water quality in Little Squalicum Creek through installation of biopods and enhanced stormwater treatment in the Birchwood neighborhood, had encountered a significant procedural problem. Six bids were publicly opened on March 4, 2026, but "due to an irregularity in the city's administration of the bid process, it is not possible to determine the low bidder," Anderson explained. The bid specifications had included a base bid plus three alternates, with different preference levels for award depending on available funding. However, the city failed to announce the available funding amount prior to bid opening as specified in the bid documents. "This was an oversight," staff had explained, making it impossible to determine the proper low bidder since the ranking changed depending on which preference level was selected. The committee voted unanimously to recommend rejecting all bids so staff could rebid the project properly. Anderson moved the recommendation, which passed the full council 6-0, allowing the important water quality improvement project to move forward with a corrected bidding process. ## Parks and Recreation: Civic Athletic Complex Master Plan Council Member Williams reported on the Parks and Recreation Committee's consideration of the Civic Athletic Complex Master Plan, a comprehensive long-term vision for transforming the city's premier recreation facility. The master plan, developed through extensive public engagement beginning in 2022, would shift the complex from a collection of disparate facilities to an integrated campus serving diverse community needs. "The overarching feel of this project is to basically shift it from the concept of a complex to a campus, which opens it up to more of our citizens to just come and enjoy and have a diversity of uses for the area," Williams explained. Key components of the plan include potential relocation of Carl Cozier Elementary School to the northwest corner of the complex, creation of new turf fields, and development of a community recreation center with expanded aquatics programs. The plan also envisions the "Civic Promenade"—a pedestrian corridor connecting major destinations throughout the campus. Environmental stewardship features prominently in the plan, with protection of the existing forest canopy and potential additions like a disc golf course and exercise trails that would complement rather than compromise the natural areas. The plan also incorporates opportunities for expanded indoor recreation, including possible Sportsplex expansion. Williams emphasized that this represented a major community asset that had received strong public support through the planning process. The Parks and Recreation Advisory Board had recommended approval, and the committee concurred unanimously. The full council approved the master plan adoption 6-0, providing the framework for what Williams called "a major, major project that will give us a major asset that we can all be proud of." ## Public Health and Safety: Temporary Alley Closures Council Member Hamill presented one of the evening's most substantive and potentially controversial items—an ordinance authorizing temporary alley closures for public health and safety reasons. The ordinance would grant the public works director authority to close alleys based on police chief recommendations to prevent criminal activity. During the afternoon committee meeting, Deputy Administrator Forrest Longman had provided extensive background on the concentrated drug dealing and violence occurring in a three-block section of downtown alleys. "Just in 2025, we had 108 incidents of violence, 342 drug related calls and over 89 overdoses in a three block section," Council Member Anderson noted, citing data from the committee presentation. The ordinance represented what administrators described as "an access intervention" rather than criminalization, intended to provide respite for downtown business owners and employees bearing the brunt of dangerous conditions while offering an opportunity to implement crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED) improvements. Council Member Huthman emphasized that this was considered "a temporary and experimental action" based on relatively positive results from similar programs in Seattle. "This is something that has been a method that's been used in Seattle with what we can tell, relatively positive results where they've even been able to take fencing down because of the improvements that have happened in those areas," she explained. The approach would involve considerable ongoing monitoring and evaluation. "Going into this with eyes wide open knowing that there could be displacement of activities, there could be unintended consequences that weren't anticipated," Huthman noted. "Seeing this as this is an experimental action, there'll be a lot of attention paid to how things are going, checking in with businesses and employees around there, checking in with service providers to get a gauge on the temperature of what's happening." Anderson provided additional context about the human cost of the current situation: "Those 108 incidents of violence, those are sometimes, you know, put upon our most vulnerable community members." She emphasized that the city was simultaneously investing in support services, including the newly-funded day shelter and partnerships with Didgwal'ich Wellness Center for addiction treatment services. Hamill stressed the extensive outreach efforts that had preceded this action, describing multiple walks through the alleys with various response teams—community paramedics, mobile medical units, bicycle patrol officers, and street medicine programs. "Many, many people have gone through there and are trying their level best to help the people that are there," he said. Council Member Cotton characterized the measure as addressing business owners and employees "bearing a brunt of some disparate impacts that we wish we had easy root cause solutions for. But unfortunately ending homelessness or drug abuse costs a lot more than $10,000." The ordinance includes standard misdemeanor penalties of up to $1,000 fine or 90 days imprisonment, though Deputy City Administrator Forrest Longman clarified that enforcement would emphasize education and voluntary compliance through clear signage and gating rather than punitive action. Council Member Williams provided a personal perspective on the need for consistent intervention: "In order to help them realize they need help and need assistance, there has to be a consistent, consistent actions that let them know that this is not okay and they need to make a choice. And this is just one minor tool that the city has to interrupt the behavior that's happening and hopefully lead those affected people to the services they need." The ordinance passed 6-0, with Mayor Lund indicating that implementation would likely begin with a 30-day trial period to establish a new baseline, though action would be taken sooner if unintended consequences proved worse than the status quo. ## Budget and Finance: Rental Registration Fee Alignment Council Member Anderson reported on the Budget and Finance Committee's review of ordinance amendments to the rental registration and safety inspection fee schedule. The changes were designed to make billing more practical and eliminate public confusion about differing late fee structures. Julia Burns, the city's Rental Protection Program Specialist, had presented the need to align late fee timelines and amounts between registration fees and inspection fees. Previously, registration late fees accrued every two weeks starting January 1st, while inspection late fees operated on a different 30-day timeline with different amounts. "The ordinance changes late fees for inspections to match registration late fees to minimize confusion by the public, simplify billing, and clarify how and when late fees are assessed," Anderson explained. The changes would standardize both processes on a 30-day timeline, reducing administrative burden while providing more reasonable time frames for property owners to respond to billing. The amendments also addressed practical problems with the current system, such as the requirement to assess late fees on January 1st when no staff are working due to the holiday. Moving to monthly rather than bi-weekly assessment cycles would improve efficiency in both the Finance and Planning departments while providing clearer, more predictable fee structures for landlords managing both registration and inspection requirements. The council approved the ordinance 6-0, streamlining an important regulatory program that affects hundreds of rental properties throughout the city. ## Committee of the Whole: Public Records and Regional Fire Authority Council President Stone reported on three items considered by the Committee of the Whole during the afternoon session. The first involved appointing Deputy City Clerk Kelly Goetz as the city's new public records officer, replacing Senior Assistant City Attorney Sarah Chaplin who had served in the role since 2021. The transition reflects the city's decision to move public records processing from the City Attorney's Office to the City Clerk's Office, which already manages records preservation and public access as core functions. With public records requests growing from an average of 1,200 annually to over 5,000 in recent years, the specialized focus and operational structure of the clerk's office provides better capacity to meet demand while maintaining legal compliance. "Kelly Goetz is with us this evening as our clerk and the team working with her in that department," Stone noted, recognizing the professionalism and commitment of the clerk's office staff in managing this expanded responsibility. The appointment passed unanimously. The second item provided updates on the city's comprehensive digital accessibility compliance efforts, addressing federal ADA Title II requirements with an April 2026 compliance deadline. The city has undertaken extensive review of all public-facing digital services, from the main website to third-party applications and PDF documents, ensuring accessibility for community members with disabilities. The third and most significant item was presentation of the Public Safety Level of Service Needs Assessment, evaluating current and future staffing and funding needs for police and fire departments. Stone noted that with public safety already accounting for approximately 60% of the city's general fund, structural changes in funding would be necessary to maintain service levels. The assessment identified Regional Fire Authority (RFA) formation as the most viable long-term solution, potentially freeing up $24 million in general fund resources while providing more stable, flexible funding for fire and emergency medical services. "A regional fire authority would require a majority vote on the ballot by the voters and would free up potentially up to $24 million in the general fund for the city of Bellingham," Stone explained. The first step would be forming a planning committee with three Bellingham representatives and three Fire District 8 commissioners to evaluate the benefits and feasibility. While Council Member Anderson abstained, expressing desire for additional analysis of all funding alternatives, the motion to initiate the planning committee passed 5-0 with one abstention. ## Executive Session: Legal Settlements Following the Committee of the Whole, the council conducted an executive session addressing three potential litigation matters. Two were for information and discussion only with no action taken, but the third resulted in council authorization for a significant settlement. Council authorized the mayor to enter into a settlement agreement with Troy and Adrian Haskell regarding claim number 2025-36 for $425,000 in damages. Stone clarified that the settlement would be paid from the water fund rather than the general fund, reflecting the claim's connection to water utility operations. The authorization passed 6-0. ## Consent Agenda and Routine Business The council efficiently processed routine administrative matters through the consent agenda, including approval of meeting minutes, payroll authorizations, and accounts payable transactions totaling over $14 million across multiple payment periods. All items passed unanimously without discussion. The evening concluded with the setting of a public hearing date for a street vacation petition involving Fir Street near Silver Beach Avenue, scheduled for April 15, 2026, before the Hearing Examiner. ## Closing & What's Ahead The meeting adjourned after more than an hour and twenty minutes of substantive discussion on issues ranging from immediate public safety concerns to long-term recreational and infrastructure planning. Council President Stone reminded attendees of the upcoming Lake Whatcom joint meeting on April 1st, which will bring together city council, county council, and water district commissioners for the annual review of watershed management efforts. The next regular council meeting was scheduled for April 13th, when city lobbyists would provide their final legislative session report and several of the evening's initiatives—from the temporary alley closures to the civic athletic complex planning—would likely see their first implementation updates. As members departed, the mood reflected both the routine efficiency of municipal governance and the weight of addressing complex social challenges like addiction, homelessness, and public safety through incremental policy tools. The evening demonstrated Bellingham's ongoing effort to balance community growth and development with preservation of livability and public safety for all residents.