City of Bellingham Parks and Recreation Committee

**Nicole Oliver, on cemetery space pressure:** "There's been quite a bit of pressure on the cemetery for space and to accommodate some additional types of burial services." **Nicole Oliver, explaining terramains:** "This is a cottage industry that's kind of kicking off where you can have yourself composted and that what the results in the finished product is 15 to 25 bags of remains that are organic compost." **Nicole Oliver, on commercial use permit goals:** "We're trying to spread some of these uses out, have a better accounting of them, and be able to track them over time and make sure that we don't have every camp in town at the Cordata splash park at the same time on a hot August day." **Nicole Oliver, on distinguishing commercial users:** "We're trying to distinguish it based on how they're advertising. If they say, come, here's where we're going to be every day is in a park. Then that's one that would qualify." **Nicole Oliver, on revenue expectations:** "We're estimating th

## Meeting Overview The Parks and Recreation Committee of the Bellingham City Council convened on December 8, 2025, for a brief 16-minute session to address two straightforward financial matters. Committee Chair Edwin "Skip" Williams presided, joined by Council Members Hannah Stone and Jace Cotton. The meeting focused on updating fee structures for city-operated recreation facilities and cemetery services, both driven by increased demand and rising operational costs. What made this meeting notable was not controversy but efficiency — two complex fee proposals covering everything from human composting to commercial fitness classes were discussed, clarified, and approved without debate, reflecting the thorough staff preparation and the committee's comfort with the Parks and Recreation Department's recommendations. ## Bayview Cemetery's New Services: From Human Composting to Memorial Benches The first agenda item introduced Bellingham residents to a distinctly modern approach to end-of-life services. Parks and Recreation Director Nicole Oliver explained that the cemetery was responding to community pressure for new burial options, including the disposition of "terramains" — the composted remains produced through the emerging practice of human composting. "This resolution is responding to that pressure," Oliver told the committee. "In addition to these new ways that we can offer services to the community, we've also plotted out several, about 350 new traditional gravesites as well." The terramain service represents a significant expansion of cemetery offerings. As Oliver explained, "This is a cottage industry that's kind of kicking off where you can have yourself composted and that what the results in the finished product is 15 to 25 bags of remains that are organic compost and you have two options you can either inter them in a traditional shallow grave or you can use our scatter garden." The resolution established tiered pricing based on the number of bags: $700 for 1-6 bags scattered in Section 15, scaling up to $2,200 for 19-25 bags, with additional bags costing $300 each. For those preferring traditional burial, the service would cost $1,395 for city residents and $1,855 for non-residents. Beyond terramains, the resolution addressed two other community requests. The cemetery mapped out 90 ground spaces for memorial stones without burials, priced at $343 total cost for residents ($275 for the space plus $68 endowment fee). Memorial bench donations were also formalized, though this item prompted the meeting's only significant clarification. Council Member Anderson spotted what appeared to be a discrepancy in the fee schedule: "There's two items there that look identical, pinning, and then it has seat back 24 inches and below, and right below it is the same identifier, but the cost of city residents on one line is $350,000, and the other is $400,000." Oliver quickly clarified: "It does appear there is a typo and the word Below should actually read above." The error — where "below" should have read "above" to distinguish bench sizes — was the only hiccup in an otherwise smooth presentation. Cemetery Sexton Richard Griffin was present but wasn't called upon, suggesting the committee felt comfortable with Oliver's comprehensive explanation. The motion to approve passed without opposition. ## Commercial Use Permits: Managing the Business of Recreation The second agenda item addressed a more complex challenge facing Bellingham's parks: how to manage commercial and semi-commercial groups using public spaces without formal reservations or oversight. Nicole Oliver framed this as both a revenue opportunity and a user conflict issue. "The other big part of this agenda item is this new conditional use permit fee, which is addressing people that don't actually reserve a facility. They just show up and run their business or their program," Oliver explained. "The regular users and we're trying to get a better handle on that area." The new Commercial Use Permit system would charge $75 for applications, with an additional $75 for expedited processing. The per-person fees would be $1 per person per day for nonprofits and $2 for for-profit organizations. Oliver estimated these changes would generate approximately $35,000 in additional revenue for the general fund. The permit system was designed to address specific user conflicts Oliver's team had observed. "What we're seeing is user conflicts. We've got some real impacts we're dealing with right now, and for instance, in Cornwall Memorial Park for over use. And we're trying to spread some of these uses out, have a better accounting of them, and be able to track them over time and make sure that we don't have every camp in town at the Cordata splash park at the same time time, for instance, on a hot August day." The system would target regular, scheduled commercial use rather than casual park visits. Oliver clarified this distinction in response to questions: "We're trying to distinguish it based on how they're advertising. That's one way, because if they say, come, here's where we're going to be every day is in a park. Then that's one that would qualify." Council Member Stone sought clarification about the fee structure, particularly whether the per-person charges applied to facility rentals or only to the new permits. Oliver confirmed that traditional facility rentals remained unchanged, while the per-person fees applied only to groups using parks without reserving specific facilities. When Council Member Cotton asked whether the per-person basis relied on estimates or actual attendance, Oliver confirmed it would be based on estimates, suggesting a practical approach to what could otherwise become an administrative burden. The most substantive question came from Council Member Anderson, who wasn't on the committee but sought clarity about how the policy would affect routine community activities. She used the example of a child development center taking children to a splash park once a week, asking whether this would trigger permit requirements. Oliver's response emphasized the policy's focus on commercial advertising and regular scheduling: "But the one-offs, the groups that come by, visit the park, and go in the splash pad, and then go back to where they're running their child care. That would just be the drop in use that we're not worried about." ## Facility Fee Increases: Annual Adjustments and New Revenue Streams Beyond the commercial permit system, the resolution included across-the-board facility fee increases of 4.5 to 5.5 percent, affecting shelters, pavilions, athletic fields, and the Arne Hanna Aquatic Center. Oliver also requested authority for future annual increases of up to 5 percent without returning to council. "We've been inching them up to kind of get ready for that point," Oliver explained, referring to the goal of regular annual adjustments that wouldn't require repeated council approval. The resolution also activated new revenue opportunities at the civic center. The civic parking lot would be available for events at $35 per hour, matching other event space fees. Road closures around the civic complex would cost $100 per day. These additions reflected the department's broader strategy of maximizing revenue from city facilities while maintaining reasonable pricing for community use. ## Routine Approval and Broader Implications Both resolutions passed without opposition, reflecting the committee's confidence in staff recommendations and the non-controversial nature of fee adjustments. The efficiency of the meeting — covering complex fee structures, new services, and policy frameworks in under 17 minutes — demonstrated effective staff preparation and clear communication. Chair Williams maintained a businesslike pace throughout, moving quickly from presentations to questions to votes. The committee's questions were practical and detail-oriented, focusing on implementation rather than philosophy. The approvals represented more than routine fee adjustments. The cemetery's terramain services position Bellingham at the forefront of evolving end-of-life practices. The commercial use permit system addresses the growing intersection of private business and public space that many cities face as fitness culture and outdoor programming expand. For Parks and Recreation Director Oliver and her team, these approvals provided new tools for managing both traditional services and emerging challenges in public space management. ## Closing & What's Ahead The meeting concluded with Chair Williams noting that both items would be reported at the evening council meeting for final approval. The brisk pace and unanimous support suggested both measures would likely pass the full council without controversy. The afternoon's work reflected a department adapting to changing community needs while maintaining fiscal responsibility. From human composting to commercial fitness classes, Bellingham's parks and recreation services were expanding to meet 21st-century demands while ensuring fair cost recovery and resource management. As the committee adjourned after less than 17 minutes, the efficiency spoke to careful preparation and clear priorities — expanding services where community demand exists while ensuring that those who impact public resources contribute fairly to their maintenance.

### Meeting Overview The Parks and Recreation Committee of the Bellingham City Council met on December 8, 2025, to review two fee-related proposals: establishing new services and fees for Bayview Cemetery, and updating Parks and Recreation Department facility use fees including a new commercial use permit system. ### Key Terms and Concepts **Terramains:** The organic compost product that results from terramation, a process where human remains are composted. The finished product comes in 15-25 bags weighing about 25 pounds each and can be scattered in designated areas or buried in shallow graves. **Commercial Use Permit:** A new fee structure for businesses and organizations that use city parks regularly to run commercial programs without actually renting facilities. Examples include fitness classes, camps, and guided tours that advertise meeting in parks. **Cemetery Enterprise Fund:** A separate city fund that operates Bayview Cemetery, designed to be self-supporting through fees charged for cemetery services rather than using general tax revenue. **Facility Use Fees:** Charges for renting city park facilities like pavilions, shelters, athletic fields, and indoor spaces. These fees help offset maintenance and staffing costs. **Memorial Garden Ground Space:** A cemetery service offering 4-square-foot plots for memorial stones without any burial of remains. Bayview Cemetery has mapped out 90 such spaces. **User Conflicts:** When multiple groups want to use the same park space at the same time, creating scheduling problems and potentially overusing popular areas like the Cordata splash park. **Expedited Fee:** An additional charge ($75 in this case) for processing applications faster than the standard timeline. ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Edwin H. "Skip" Williams | Committee Chair, City Council Member | | Hannah Stone | Committee Member, City Council Member | | Jace Cotton | Committee Member, City Council Member | | Nicole Oliver | Parks and Recreation Director | | Richard Griffin | Cemetery Sexton and Park Facilities Manager | | Steve Janschewski | Parks and Recreation Staff | | Melissa Bianconi | Parks and Recreation Staff | | Karen Regenball | Parks and Recreation Staff | | Councilmember Anderson | City Council Member (not on committee) | ### Background Context These proposals reflect the city's ongoing effort to make park and cemetery services financially sustainable while responding to changing community needs. For the cemetery, there's growing demand for alternative burial options like terramation, which reflects broader cultural shifts toward environmentally conscious end-of-life choices. The cemetery has also faced space pressures, leading staff to plot out 350 new traditional gravesites. The parks fee increases address a common challenge in municipal government: rising costs for maintenance and staffing while trying to keep public facilities accessible. The commercial use permit system tackles a specific problem where businesses were using parks as their workplace without paying fees, creating conflicts with regular park users and additional maintenance burdens. The proposed 5% annual increase authority would eliminate the need for staff to return to council each year for routine fee adjustments, streamlining the process while keeping pace with inflation. ### What Happened — The Short Version The committee reviewed two separate fee proposals. First, they approved new cemetery services including terramains disposal, memorial garden plots, and donated benches. There was a brief discussion about a typo in the memorial bench pricing that will be corrected. Second, they approved increases to park facility rental fees and created a new commercial use permit system. This system will charge businesses $75 to apply, then $1 per person per day for nonprofits or $2 per person per day for for-profit organizations that run regular programs in parks. The committee discussed how to distinguish between casual park users and commercial operations that need permits. Both measures passed unanimously and will go to the full city council for final approval. ### What to Watch Next • Full City Council vote on both resolutions at the evening meeting on December 8, 2025 • Implementation of the commercial use permit system over the next year as staff identify and contact existing commercial users • Monitoring of how the new fee structures affect cemetery revenue and park usage patterns ---

**Q:** What are terramains? **A:** Organic compost that results from terramation, the process of composting human remains. The finished product comes in 15-25 bags weighing about 25 pounds each. **Q:** How much does Bayview Cemetery charge for scattering 1-6 bags of terramains? **A:** $700 for both city residents and non-city residents in Section 15. **Q:** Who chairs the Parks and Recreation Committee? **A:** Edwin H. "Skip" Williams serves as the committee chair. **Q:** What was the typo discovered in the memorial bench pricing? **A:** The word "Below" should have read "Above" in the seat back measurement description. **Q:** How much is the commercial use permit application fee? **A:** $75, with an additional $75 for expedited processing. **Q:** What's the difference in per-person daily rates between nonprofit and for-profit commercial users? **A:** Nonprofits pay $1 per person per day, while for-profit organizations pay $2 per person per day. **Q:** How many new traditional gravesites has cemetery staff plotted out? **A:** Approximately 350 new traditional gravesites. **Q:** What is the fee increase range for park facility rentals in 2026? **A:** 4.5% to 5.5% across the board for various facilities. **Q:** How many memorial garden ground spaces are available? **A:** 90 ground spaces for memorial stones without burial of remains. **Q:** What is the proposed fee for using the civic parking lot? **A:** $35 per hour, similar to event space fees. **Q:** What annual increase authority are staff requesting for future years? **A:** Up to 5% annually to avoid returning to council each year. **Q:** Name one example of a group that would need a commercial use permit. **A:** Fitness instructors, camps, guided tours, or groups like larpers who run regular programs in parks. **Q:** What problem is the commercial use permit designed to solve? **A:** User conflicts and overuse of park areas by commercial groups who don't currently pay fees. **Q:** What determines whether a childcare center needs a commercial use permit? **A:** If they advertise meeting in parks regularly, they need a permit. One-off visits don't require permits. **Q:** What is the estimated additional revenue from the facility fee increases? **A:** Approximately $35,000 in additional revenue to the general fund. **Q:** What vote was taken on the cemetery fee resolution? **A:** The committee voted unanimously to approve the resolution. **Q:** What vote was taken on the parks facility fee resolution? **A:** The committee voted unanimously to approve the resolution. **Q:** What happens next with these proposals? **A:** Both will be reported to the full City Council at the evening meeting for final approval. **Q:** How long will it take to implement the commercial use permit system? **A:** Staff estimate it will take about a year to roll out the program and get all users on board. **Q:** What is the fee for road closures at the Civic Complex? **A:** $100 per day for road closures involving activities like food trucks. ---