Public Works and Natural Resources Committee

The Bellingham Public Works and Natural Resources Committee convened for a brief but productive 30-minute session, approving three significant infrastructure agreements totaling over $14 million in combined project value. The committee unanimously endorsed accepting two major Washington State Department of Transportation grants and authorized an interlocal water supply agreement with Lake Whatcom Water and Sewer District. The session's marquee item was acceptance of an $11.46 million WSDOT grant for Electric Avenue Bridge reconstruction, representing the largest single infrastructure investment discussed. This project will completely replace the aging bridge that required emergency repairs in 2024, incorporating bike and pedestrian facilities while addressing forward compatibility for future transportation needs. The project carries a 13.5% local match requirement of approximately $1.4 million due to tight federal deadlines. The committee also approved a $2.315 million grant for the Samish Way and Maple Street overlay project, which requires no local match and represents 100% grant funding. This pavement resurfacing and lighting improvement project will coordinate with existing multimodal improvements already in the pipeline for the challenging Samish-Maple intersection where vehicles have previously crashed into residential property. The final item authorized a $250,000 interlocal agreement to provide temporary water supply to Lake Whatcom Water and Sewer District during maintenance and construction of their water reservoir system. The arrangement leverages existing infrastructure that was recently upgraded with new metering and backflow prevention systems.

**AB 24837 - Samish Way and Maple Street Overlay Project Grant:** Passed 3-0. Authorizes mayor to sign local agency agreement with WSDOT for $2.315 million grant. 100% grant funding, no local match required. Project includes pavement overlay and lighting upgrades between Bill McDonald Parkway and Ellis Street, with design in 2026 and construction in 2027. **AB 24838 - Electric Avenue Bridge Reconstruction Grant:** Passed 3-0. Authorizes mayor to sign local agency agreement with WSDOT for $11.46 million grant. Total project cost approximately $11.8 million with $1.4 million local match (13.5% of construction costs). Design 2026-2027, construction anticipated 2028. Will require full bridge closure for 4-18 months during reconstruction. **AB 24842 - Lake Whatcom Water District Interlocal Agreement:** Passed 3-0. Authorizes mayor to enter interlocal agreement for temporary water supply at $250,000. Initial 12-month term with option to extend 34 additional months. Utilizes existing intertie infrastructure upgraded in recent years. All three items received staff recommendation for approval, and Council action aligned with staff recommendations.

**Lisa Anderson, on Electric Avenue Bridge grant:** "Electric bridge has always been an issue for the neighborhood in that area because of the lack of bike and pedestrian walkway. We used to get a lot of emails from neighbors in that area, especially during the summertime with people heading across the bridge to head to the park." **Michael Lilliquist, on bridge safety features:** "People like to walk out on that bridge now and jump into the water. I know when we did the commercial street bridge, we put in some rather high guard rails or fencing so people for safety reasons. Are we going to have some kind of a safety rails on that bridge and ruin people's summer fun?" **Mike Wilson, on construction timeline uncertainty:** "On the aggressive side, we're hearing engineers suggest as little as four months, which is hard to believe. Others are saying as long as 18 months, which might be hard to believe as well." **Lisa Anderson, on infrastructure concerns:** "I get worried about our infrastructure especially with turning something on." **Mike Wilson, on federal deadline constraints:** "For some reason on this one, they gave us 11 months of turnaround time. And so that's why we're not optimistic that we'll get there."

## Meeting Overview The Bellingham City Council's Public Works and Natural Resources Committee convened on Monday afternoon, February 23rd, 2026, in City Hall's Council Chambers. Committee Chair Michael Lilliquist presided over the session, joined by committee members Lisa Anderson (Fifth Ward) and Jace Cotton (At-Large). Council President Stone opened the meeting before turning control to Lilliquist for the committee proceedings. The afternoon's agenda focused on transportation infrastructure investments, with two significant state grant acceptances totaling over $13 million and a smaller interlocal water supply agreement. All three items represented partnerships with other government entities — the Washington State Department of Transportation for the grant programs and Lake Whatcom Water and Sewer District for temporary water service. The meeting maintained a businesslike pace, with committee members asking practical questions about project timelines, local impacts, and technical details before unanimously approving all three proposals. ## Samish Way and Maple Street Overlay Project Grant The committee opened with consideration of a $2.315 million grant from the Washington State Department of Transportation for the Samish Way and Maple Street Overlay Project. Mike Wilson, Assistant Director of Public Works over Engineering, presented the proposal, explaining that the grant comes from the National Highway System Asset Management Grant Program and requires a local agency agreement with WSDOT. "The amount of the grant of $2,315,000 matches the estimated project cost. It's 100% grant, no local match required as part of this program," Wilson told the committee. The project will include pavement resurfacing and street lighting improvements along the corridor between Bill McDonald Parkway and Ellis Street, with design work planned for 2026 and the overlay scheduled for 2027. Wilson noted that a separate sewer upgrade project will precede the overlay work. "A separately funded project will go in advance of that to upgrade sewers in that street before we do the overlay. So there'll be some activity hopefully this later this year to deal with the sewer project. But the overlay and the lighting improvements will come in 27." Committee member Lisa Anderson, representing the Fifth Ward where the project is located, asked for clarification about the exact boundaries of the work. The project title references both Samish Way and Maple Street, and Anderson wanted to understand precisely where the overlay would begin and end, particularly given the sharp curve where Samish transitions to Maple Street for two blocks before continuing toward Ellis Street. Wilson confirmed that the project would not extend down to Lakeway, ending instead at the intersection where significant safety concerns have persisted. Anderson raised a critical timing question about this intersection, noting that vehicles heading south "more than once has ended up in the house at the corner" and asking whether planned safety improvements would be completed before the overlay work. "The previous director had talked about at that corner making some changes in order to make right where it goes up Mason and Maple that section to be a little safer. So I'm wondering if you know and if you don't know you can maybe get back to me if there are going to be changes that the city is doing at that corner before we do the overlay," Anderson said. "I just would really hate to do that and then work happens later on that corner where there's issues." Wilson provided reassurance about the coordination between projects: "We do have a separate project that's our multimodal project that is just getting ready to bid right now that includes the improvements of the geometry of that intersection that you're describing. So that should happen ahead of the overlay project. And then those two projects are being coordinated so that we optimize the work in that intersection." Anderson followed up with questions about the grant's timeline requirements. Wilson explained that the term "obligation" in WSDOT parlance refers to when funds need to be committed — first for design, then again when construction bids are received and contracts awarded. "Those dates are more that timing of that obligation will be at the front end of the construction contract and the construction will follow after hopefully 2027," he said. Cotton moved to authorize the mayor to sign the local agency agreement and any related amendments with WSDOT for the project. The motion passed unanimously without further discussion. ## Electric Avenue Bridge Reconstruction Project Grant The committee's second item involved an even larger transportation grant — $10.46 million from WSDOT's Local Bridge Program for reconstructing the Electric Avenue Bridge. This project carries significant local history, as the bridge had emergency repairs in 2024 that took it out of service for several months. Wilson explained that this grant operates under a different WSDOT program but with similar agreement requirements. "We'll be replacing the bridge. You recall that in the packet we in 2024 we had some emergency repairs done at the Electric Avenue bridge. Had the bridge out of service for a couple of months I believe. And so this is a complete replacement of that bridge." The project scope extends beyond just the bridge structure itself. "Included in the scope will be some sewer line work and some water line work that's incidental to the bridge footprint. And also we have a forward compatibility look is what we call it in terms of the bike and pedestrian facilities that'll ultimately be in that vicinity. So the bridge will accommodate those anticipated pieces." However, this grant comes with more complex financial arrangements due to timing constraints. Wilson explained that WSDOT typically provides 18 months from award to construction obligation, but "for some reason on this one, they gave us 11 months of turnaround time." This compressed timeline means the city won't be able to obligate construction funds by the deadline, triggering a 13.5% local match requirement for the construction portion of the project. "The local match on this is a little bit different. So the grant amount is $10,460,000 because of the timing of the deadlines. We do not anticipate being able to hit the construction obligation by the time that the deadline for that WSDOT is set on us for construction obligation. That'll lead to a 13.5% local match on the construction portion that the design should be 100% but there will be some anticipated match portion on the construction." This translates to approximately $1.385 million in local matching funds for a total project cost of around $11.8 million, still representing excellent value for a complete bridge replacement. The timeline for this project extends further into the future than the overlay work. Design is planned for 2026-2027, with "significant permitting because of the Lake Whatcom footprint that we're in" and construction anticipated in 2028. Wilson acknowledged the early stage of planning: "We haven't hired an engineer yet and again early very early in the process. A lot of speculation as to how long this will take." One of the most significant challenges will be the complete bridge shutdown during construction. "We do anticipate a full shutdown of the bridge as it's replaced. On the aggressive side, we're hearing engineers suggest as little as four months, which is hard to believe. Others are saying as long as 18 months, which might be hard to believe as well. But quite a range there. But until we get engaged and get more analysis done and timing and the design finalized, we'll keep people informed on that. But we are anticipating a shutdown of that bridge and there won't be a bypass for the construction." Anderson expressed strong support for the project, citing longstanding neighborhood concerns. "Electric bridge has always been an issue for the neighborhood in that area because of the lack of bike and pedestrian walkway. We used to get a lot of emails from neighbors in that area, especially during the summertime with people heading across the bridge to head to the park. So, I'm really happy to see this coming through." She acknowledged the disappointing timing constraints but emphasized the project's value: "It's too bad we can't make the deadline and that they're not more amiable given the scope of the work and especially having to do a lot of permit processing, but still a good bang for our buck one you know 10% to compared to 100% of the cost." Chair Lilliquist raised a question that he acknowledged might be "unpopular" — whether the new bridge would include safety features to prevent people from jumping into the water, a current recreational use of the bridge. "People like to walk out on that bridge now and jump into the water. I know when we did the commercial street bridge, we put in some rather high guard rails or fencing so people for safety reasons. Are we going to have some kind of a safety rails on that bridge and ruin people's summer fun?" Wilson indicated that safety considerations would be part of the design process: "I don't know if it'll ruin their summer fund, but we will be taking that into account as we designed for the general safety." Lilliquist also sought clarification about the timing penalty, confirming that the local match requirement was purely a function of not meeting WSDOT's compressed deadline rather than any project deficiency. When he asked about the possibility of extending the deadline, Wilson was pessimistic: "I think it's pretty slim. I think it may be driven by their funding upstream of these projects and constraints on when they have that. So, they're probably likely locked in." Anderson moved to approve acceptance of the grant, and the motion passed unanimously. ## Lake Whatcom Water and Sewer District Interlocal Agreement The committee's final item was a much smaller but operationally important agreement with Lake Whatcom Water and Sewer District for temporary water supply. The district needs additional water capacity during maintenance of an existing reservoir and construction of a new one within their potable water system. Chair Lilliquist outlined the basic parameters: "The agreement is for the sum of $250,000 and again we have sufficient water capacity to provide this additional water to the district." Deputy Director of Public Works Mike Olinger provided additional context about the arrangement. The city has an existing intertie with the district for emergency service, but "the interlocal will allow us to sell them water for ongoing maintenance purposes." The agreement is structured for 12 months with the ability to extend for an additional 34 months, giving the district flexibility to plan and execute their construction project with contingency time. Anderson asked practical questions about the infrastructure involved, expressing concern about the city's aging systems. "By reading this it looks like we have the infrastructure in place that we can basically turn the valve and send the water. Do you happen to know when that valve or the pass to has been put in place? I just keep thinking of our infrastructure and the deficiencies with having to replace and update across the city because things are aging out." Olinger provided reassuring details about recent upgrades: "I believe that it was in the early 80s that it was originally constructed. About 2 years ago, we retrofitted it. So, it has a brand new meter on it. It also has a new backflow assembly on it. It goes into what used to be a meter house that's now we use it for maintenance. And so it is in good condition and we don't expect to have any issues with it." Anderson expressed satisfaction with the maintenance status and support for the agreement: "Thank you for bringing this forward. I think their updates are very much needed and I'm glad we're in a position that we can assist with this agency." She moved approval of the interlocal agreement, and it passed unanimously. ## Closing & What's Ahead The committee completed its business efficiently, with all three items receiving unanimous positive recommendations for the full council meeting that evening. Chair Lilliquist adjourned the committee session and returned control to Council President Stone, wrapping up another routine but substantive afternoon of municipal infrastructure planning. The meeting reflected the ongoing partnership between Bellingham and state and regional agencies, with over $13 million in transportation improvements moving forward and practical arrangements in place to support neighboring utilities. The detailed questioning from committee members, particularly Anderson's focus on timing and coordination issues, demonstrated the careful oversight that helps ensure these large projects succeed in serving the community's long-term needs.