Bellingham City Council

**Forest Management and Environmental Stewardship:** The timber thinning project on the North Bieber preserve represents a significant forest management decision balancing ecological health with revenue generation. Council Member Lilliquist explained that the heavily planted Douglas fir monoculture requires thinning to promote biodiversity and forest health. The project will maintain other tree species while giving remaining Douglas fir more growing space, potentially requiring future thinning rounds based on ecosystem health assessments. **Transportation Impact Fee Reform:** The updated fee structure reflects a fundamental shift in the city's transportation priorities. Council Member Lilliquist noted that the $104 million in capacity-increasing projects over 20 years includes more bicycle, pedestrian, and transit infrastructure, which costs significantly less than automobile-focused projects. This shift enables lower impact fees while maintaining infrastructure investment. The addition of an 80% discount for early learning facilities demonstrates policy alignment with childcare accessibility goals. **Housing Policy Implementation and Tenant Rights:** The council's discussion of the landlord and property manager survey results highlighted ongoing efforts to evaluate the impact of recently passed rental regulations. With 800 responses received, the council directed staff to develop methods for gathering tenant perspectives, recognizing the challenge of reaching tenants without a natural contact database like the rental registration program provides for landlord…

**Ryan Bowman (Public Testimony):** Strongly supported the JAG grant application, drawing on his experience attending the sheriff's department civic police academy. Emphasized that law enforcement is "highly underfunded" especially at the county level, and praised creative financing approaches to avoid additional levy or tax burdens on the community. Recommended that the city consider offering its own civic academy program. **Mayor Kim Lund:** Highlighted community resilience during the I-5 closure, emphasizing intergovernmental cooperation and thanking public works and police teams. Promoted Fair Housing Month events, including an April 22 documentary screening at Mount Baker Theater and April 28 rental regu…

**Council Member Daniel Hammill, on land acknowledgement:** "Before we begin we acknowledge that we're gathered here on the traditional and unseated territory of the Lummi, Nooksack, Samish and Semiahmoo people who have cared for and tended this land since time immemorial." **Deputy Police Chief Jay Hart, on grant funding:** "Our intent this year is to purchase equipment so we can equip a third police motorcycle with radio equipment and computer equipment and all the other accessories…

The city now has formal authorization to proceed with forest thinning on the North Bieber preserve, generating approximately $30,000 in revenue while improving ecological health. Transportation impact fees will be adjusted annually for inflation over 20 years, with lower base rates due to project mix changes and new discounts for early learning facilities. The Historic Preservation Commission membership requirements are updated to allow Whatcom County residents who work in the city to serve, and commission size is reduced from 9 to 7 members to address recruitment challenges. Three city officials are formally appointed to work on regional fire auth…

### Meeting Overview The Bellingham City Council held its regular meeting on April 13, 2026, where they addressed several key agenda items including a federal grant for police equipment, financial challenges facing the city, and communications improvements. The meeting featured both routine business and significant discussions about long-term planning and resource allocation. ### Key Terms and Concepts **Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG):** A federal grant program providing funding to law enforcement agencies for equipment, programs, and criminal justice initiatives. Bellingham received approximately $32,000 for 2025. **Transportation Impact Fees:** Fees charged to new developments to help fund transportation infrastructure improvements necessitated by increased traffic from those developments. **Multimodal Transportation:** Transportation systems that include multiple options like roads, bike lanes, pedestrian walkways, and transit rather than just car-focused infrastructure. **Historic Preservation Commission (HPC):** A city commission responsible for reviewing and protecting historically significant properties and buildings in Bellingham. **Regional Fire Authority (RFA):** A proposed collaboration between the City of Bellingham and Fire Protection District 8 to share fire protection services and resources. **Rental Registration and Safety Inspection Program:** A city program requiring landlords to register rental properties and undergo safety inspections to ensure tenant protection. **Surplus Property Sale:** The process by which the city sells property it no longer needs for municipal purposes. **Interlocal Agreement:** Formal agreements between government agencies (city, county, state) to share resources or coordinate services. ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Hannah Stone | Council President | | Kim Lund | Mayor | | Michael Lilliquist | Council Member, Public Works Chair | | Hollie Huthman | Council Member, Planning Committee Chair | | Lisa Anderson | Council Member, Budget & Finance Chair…