City of Bellingham Hearing Examiner

The City of Bellingham Hearing Examiner convened on January 5, 2026, for a scheduled vehicle impound appeal hearing, but the proceedings were immediately derailed by technical difficulties that prevented effective communication between the parties. The hearing involved file number HE25-VI050, an appeal by Chris Rossmiller challenging both the validity of a vehicle impound and associated towing and storage fees under Public Works file number 25B-71907. Hearing Examiner Sharon Rice, who serves the City of Bellingham and nine other jurisdictions under contract, attempted to conduct the hearing remotely with Rossmiller participating by phone while Budget Towing's representative joined via Zoom. However, severe audio connectivity issues made it impossible for Rossmiller to hear the examiner clearly, despite multiple attempts to adjust equipment and positioning. The technical problems stemmed from Rossmiller using a new phone that lacked Zoom software, forcing him to participate via a standard phone connection while other parties used video conferencing. After several minutes of troubleshooting proved unsuccessful, all parties agreed to reschedule the hearing to January 23, 2026, at 10:00 AM to allow Rossmiller time to resolve his technical setup. The brief session highlighted the ongoing challenges of conducting administrative hearings remotely, particularly when participants have varying levels of technical capability or equipment limitations. No substantive discussion of the impound appeal occurred due to the connectivity issues.

- **Motion to Reschedule:** Unanimous agreement to reschedule hearing due to technical difficulties - **New Hearing Date:** January 23, 2026, at 10:00 AM (adjusted from initial 1:00 PM proposal to accommodate Budget Towing's district court schedule) - **Technical Preparation:** Agreement that city staff would work with appellant between meetings to resolve Zoom connectivity

**Sharon Rice, on audio difficulties:** "I'm already speaking at my maximum speaking voice." **Ms. Bowker, explaining the technical issue:** "It sounds like he has a new phone and his wife wasn't there this morning and normally she helps him with things." **Budget Towing representative, on scheduling:** "So that might be pushing a little tight, but we should be able to make that work if we don't plan on it being too long of the hearing." **Sharon Rice, on microphone positioning:** "That's me kissing the microphone."