Mayor's Neighborhood Advisory Commission (MNAC)

The Mayor's Neighborhood Advisory Commission met for their regular monthly roundtable, with the mayor leading off with significant city announcements before neighborhood representatives shared updates from across Bellingham. The meeting's most substantial news was the city's successful capture of a $1.7 million grant from the Northwest Clean Air Agency for a community solar array project—the top-scoring application among 20 regional submissions that will generate power equivalent to 100 homes and produce an estimated $70,000 annually for a local climate impact fund. The mayor also provided updates on World Cup fan zone planning, legislative session challenges including potential loss of funding for corn mill and RG Haley site cleanup, and the city's concerning budget position. Three budget ordinances are pushing the city's general fund reserves down to their emergency reserve floor, triggering mandatory spending reduction and reserve-building requirements. The situation could worsen significantly if federal funding cuts materialize, with potential losses of Medicaid funding equivalent to 32 fire department FTEs. Neighborhood reports revealed a community actively engaged in spring planning, with multiple Earth Day events, plant sales, garden tours, and summer festival preparations underway. Several neighborhoods are experiencing leadership transitions and recruitment challenges, while others are collaborating on infrastructure improvements and policy advocacy. The meeting demonstrated the commission's role as both an information-sharing venue and early warning system for community concerns, from pedestrian safety issues to housing development impacts. The mayor's transparency about the city's fiscal challenges and federal funding uncertainties provided important context for neighborhoods planning their own budgets and grant applications, while the solar array announcement offered a positive counterpoint about successful regional collaboration on climate initiatives.

No formal votes were taken at this informational roundtable meeting. Key informational items included: - **Solar Array Grant Award:** City received full $1.7 million funding from Northwest Clean Air Agency for community solar array project, with site analysis currently underway - **Budget Position Update:** City facing additional $1.8 million reduction in general fund reserves due to three pending ordinances, pushing reserves to emergency floor levels - **Keep Washington Working Act Group:** First meeting held with law enforcement and community representatives to ensure compliance with state immigration law - **World Cup Planning:** Kick-off meeting held with 40 city staff, downtown partnership, port, and county tourism representatives

**Mayor, on the solar array grant:** "Out of 20 nonprofits... our grant was the top scoring. It was the panel's recommendation that we received full funding, and so we received 1.7 million dollars for a significant solar array." **Mayor, on the budget crisis:** "We're at this point where there isn't a lot of fat left on the bone. The easy cuts we took a 6% reduction for the 2025 budget. So the low hanging fruit, the easy opportunities have been realized. So we're at this point where it's getting harder." **Mayor, on World Cup planning:** "It's really an opportunity to put Bellingham on showcase who we are on a national stage and international stage... World Cup is... the biggest unifying event across cultures and countries on the planet." **Alex (Happy Valley), on community collaboration:** "Yesterday Mayor London, I walked around a kind of controversial or at least frustrating development site... it was cool walk, I think, because we got to see the New 27th Street right of way trail, and Mayor got to bump into some wine drinking neighbors that were very happy to see her." **Lindsay (City Center), on strategic planning:** "We just kicked off our strategic planning. I'm very excited about that. The partnership hasn't done a multi year strategic planning process before... We've already had over 400 people take it, which is really great." **Louise (Birnam Wood), on food security:** "With all this crazy stuff happening all over the place it kind of reminds me of in the depression days... I think it's really important for us, not only encouraging our neighbors to grow food... when we're planning our city, we have to leave space for our gardens."

## Meeting Overview The Mayor's Neighborhood Advisory Commission (MNAC) convened on April 16, 2025, bringing together neighborhood representatives from across Bellingham for their monthly roundtable discussion. The meeting was held both in-person and via Zoom, with Mayor Kim Lund facilitating alongside city staff. This gathering serves as a vital communication channel between the mayor's office and neighborhood associations throughout the city, allowing for the sharing of city updates, neighborhood news, and community concerns. The session opened with significant news from the mayor about a major grant award and moved through updates from more than a dozen neighborhood representatives, each sharing developments ranging from community events and infrastructure projects to organizational challenges and volunteer opportunities. The atmosphere was collegial and informative, reflecting the collaborative spirit that characterizes these monthly exchanges between city leadership and grassroots community organizations. ## Mayor's Office Updates: Solar Success and Federal Uncertainties Mayor Lund began with exciting news about a substantial grant victory. "I'm delighted to say, have been awarded 1.7 million dollars from the Northwest Clean Air Agency," she announced. The funding represents the top-scoring proposal among 20 applications from nonprofits, public schools, and government entities across Skagit, Island, San Juan, and Whatcom counties. The grant originated from the largest fine ever levied by the Northwest Clean Air Agency against a corporation at Cherry Point. Rather than simply absorbing the penalty into general reserves, the agency created a climate-focused grant opportunity. The city's winning proposal focuses on a community solar array project that would offset the power needs of approximately 100 homes. "It will also generate additional monies from our contributions to the grid that we estimate will be around 70,000 annually, and we'll put that into a local climate impact fund to pay it forward for other climate work in the city," Lund explained. The solar project builds on previous state Commerce Department funding that supported site analysis across city properties. While that earlier grant identified potential locations, it didn't provide construction funding. "It kind of felt like, but we will know where to put it, and we get the opportunity for the money for the array. But we didn't know a pathway for the array itself," Lund said. The Northwest Clean Air Agency grant fills that crucial gap. Moving to other updates, the mayor shared progress on World Cup planning. About 40 city team members, along with representatives from the downtown partnership, the port, and Whatcom County tourism, gathered to begin planning for Bellingham's role as a fan zone site. "World Cup is... the biggest unifying event across cultures and countries on the planet," Lund noted. She recounted announcing the selection at the Whatcom Racial Equity Commission, where "there's so many people that have immigrated from other countries and other continents. It was huge cheers that went up in that room." However, the mayor's updates weren't uniformly positive. She outlined concerning budget pressures facing the city. Three ordinances impacting the budget position would result in "an additional 1.8 million dollars reduction in our general fund reserves," bringing the city to "our emergency reserve floor, which by policy puts us in a not a strong position, and puts us on a mandatory plan to reduce spending and increase our reserves." The budget challenges could worsen depending on federal actions. "That would only worsen that position. That would be several additional 1 million dollars," Lund explained. "It's the equivalent of 32 ftes in the fire department" if Medicaid funds are lost. The uncertainty extends to transportation funding, though direct notifications haven't been received yet. The mayor described conversations with congressional offices: "All of them say they have no advance notice of when funding is eliminated. Their ability to get clarity or seek understanding when they are hearing from impacted communities... it's not crazy. Yeah, it I think it's fair to say, it's a bit chaotic right now." ## Keep Washington Working Act and Immigration Enforcement Lund provided an update on a sensitive but important local initiative. The city convened its inaugural meeting for the Keep Washington Working Act group, bringing together community members with key law enforcement leaders. The group includes Chief Katie Potts from Western Washington University, Chief Mertzig from Bellingham Police, Fire Chief Bill Hewitt, and Justin from Whatcom 911 dispatch. "We are sharing transparently how we are... when we have to have the call from customs and border patrol for an issue related to something," Lund explained. The meetings create space for feedback on processes and "building trust that we're doing what we're saying we're doing right now... around better enforcement activities and how we do not play a role in that." The initiative, voted on by the City Council in November, took several months to implement. "It took a while to seat that forward and get our first meetings. But we're excited to have that work underway," the mayor said, noting the particular relevance given current federal immigration enforcement activities in the region. ## Post Point Controversy and Environmental Compliance The mayor addressed ongoing public discourse about the Post Point wastewater treatment facility, acknowledging that the topic comes up in various community settings. "I get approached in the grocery store. I went to a garden club, and it was a topic of conversation," she said. The city is working to comply with Northwest Clean Air Agency emissions standards, implementing new emissions reduction systems for the facility's incinerators. "We're going from Triple L to Quad L, the regulatory framework. So we're meeting a new level of emissions, reductions for heavy metal and other polluting gases," Lund explained. She directly addressed advocacy for alternative approaches: "There's a very vocal member of the community that's advocating for a different direction right now." That individual promotes hauling dewatered waste to Eastern Washington landfills. However, the city's consultant, Brown and Caldwell, identified risks with this approach. "Communities, especially on the east coast that have sought that direction quickly build up the landfills. And so those communities that invested in that direction are now saying they don't have a place to put their waste." The mayor noted additional concerns about the advocate's potential conflicts of interest: "The individual in the community who's advocating doesn't disclose that he's got hundreds of acres in Washington interest in this direction, and does not have the permits from the State to receive the waste." She emphasized the city's collaborative relationship with regulators: "The Northwest Clean Air Agency and the city are in close and regular communication about the notice of violation. We are close. It feels like the finish line of that process is very near, and they are absolutely upholding their regulatory authority." ## Neighborhood Roundtable: Projects, Events, and Community Building The meeting's second half featured updates from neighborhood representatives across Bellingham, revealing the breadth of grassroots activity in the city. ### Happy Valley's Environmental Focus Alex from Happy Valley reported on several community-driven environmental initiatives. The neighborhood organized work parties for their Larrabee Street right-of-way project, where Western University students will install bat boxes and help with a pollinator garden. Alex completed an impressive trees grant, totaling "62 trees. 50 of them were large, some oppressively large, and then 12 saplings." The neighborhood is grappling with a development controversy on Mill Avenue, though Alex clarified it's "not a density or a nimby thing. It's mostly the infrastructure around it. So they're worried about the lack of sidewalks and trail access." Upcoming meetings will feature presentations from Greenways about green infrastructure planning, Hospice House about their 8.6-acre development plans, and Western Washington University about their master plan. ### Infrastructure Concerns and Community Resources Robin from See Home highlighted the neighborhood's work on a resident guide funded by last year's grant. The area is navigating the city's first building proposed "under the elimination of parking requirements," located strategically "right on Bill McDonald Parkway, and right across from a higher volume bus line." The neighborhood is also addressing a variance request that illustrates tensions around short-term rentals. Residents testified against allowing a newly created detached unit to be used for short-term rental, which violates city ordinance. "The individual is a lawyer and isn't gonna stop contesting that I think it'll probably cost us all a lot of money eventually, when he continues to require the city to defend our ordinance," Robin noted. ### Cultural Celebrations and Historic Preservation Lindsay from City Center announced exciting developments in downtown planning and programming. The partnership launched its first multi-year strategic planning process with an Ottawa-based consultant. A resident survey has already attracted over 400 responses, and Lindsay encouraged broader participation to diversify the demographic mix. The downtown calendar includes numerous community events: a neighborhood meeting at Boundary Bay's beer garden on May 7th, spring wine walk, Maritime Park spring fest with egg hunt, and the return of the procession of the species parade. "Paper whale is leading the city's funding are all about to be installed in and kick off," Lindsay said of upcoming beautification projects. Louise from Birchwood promoted their international market returning July 13th and August 10th at the Northwest parking lot, featuring "entertainment food trucks and local art." The neighborhood's Storybook Park development is advancing with plans for a food forest, aligning with Birchwood's identity as "a Victory garden neighborhood." ### Environmental Stewardship and Urban Forest Several neighborhoods reported significant tree-planting achievements. Louise praised last year's tree grant: "It was just an amazing thing to see everybody really excited about planting trees." She emphasized trees' multiple benefits: "Providing shade, you know, for the birds and everything, but also it keeps the neighborhood cooler, and I think we need to be thinking about that cooling our city as we get warmer." Steve from South Neighborhood highlighted Woodstock Farm's impressive food production, donating "over a thousand pounds of food to the Food Bank last year." The community garden operates with regular "garden posse" meetings on Thursdays and monthly "weed and feed" events where volunteers work for hours before enjoying a communal meal. ### Development Monitoring and Advocacy Multiple neighborhoods are actively monitoring development projects. South Neighborhood is following a construction project at 331 Chuckanut Drive North, built on a former landfill. Steve noted the extended timeline: "We thought the Hearing Examiner would see it in February. It's here's middle of April, so maybe they're realizing that it's not a suitable site." Cornwall's Carolyn Whipple reported advocacy for pedestrian safety improvements: "We are really advocating strongly for a blinking crosswalk across Cornwall at Broadway. Lot of safety issues there with the speed of cars on Broadway, and a lot of us have experienced almost getting run down." ### University and Community Connections Western Washington University's Chris Roselli provided extensive updates on campus activities and community partnerships. Recent admitted student days brought prospective students and families to Bellingham during ideal weather conditions. "There's plenty of research out there that shows that when it's sunny students end up picking" the university they visit, he noted, adding there's "no more beautiful place than Bellingham on a sunny day." The university's new local issues coordinator, Stella Keating, introduced herself and outlined upcoming civic engagement initiatives. Local Action Week during the first week of May will feature three in-person events, including a storytelling night themed around "My call to action" – sharing stories about moments that inspired civic involvement. Stella also reported on recent advocacy activities: "2 weekends ago. Now was the hands off protest that happened here in Bellingham. We had a couple of people from our office who were able to attend, and I had heard really great things. There was a lot of attendance from Western students." She was speaking at a similar event in Washington, DC, invited by the Human Rights Campaign. ## Organizational Challenges and Renewal Several neighborhoods reported leadership transitions and organizational renewal efforts. Barkley's Chelsea Bodemer described efforts to reinvigorate their neighborhood group: "A woman named Mallory Rowe is working to lead the charge to reinvigorate the neighborhood group... she's thinking about the 501 c. 3 going on the back, better potentially and just working on a code of ethics for the group." Roosevelt neighborhood is experiencing similar renewal through Lauren Bunke's coordination efforts. "We got someone who emailed us with an interest in helping us reboot the Roosevelt Neighborhood Association," she reported. The group is focusing on outreach, collaboration with other neighborhoods, and Parks Department work party coordination. Columbia neighborhood's representative Greg Hope shared positive momentum: "Neighborhood associations seem to go through cycles of ebb and flow, and it feels like we are flowing once again." They completed neighborhood signage installation, making them potentially "the last neighborhood in the city to have completed our neighborhood signage." ## Community Resources and Public Safety Several neighborhoods highlighted community resource initiatives. Silver Beach's Kerri Burnside described deer tracking and safety work led by Dr. Susan Kane, who maps animal-vehicle collision hotspots. The effort will expand deer crossing warning signs and could extend to other neighborhoods. Lettered Streets' Brie O'Hare reported on valuable community education about the Lighthouse Mission's operations. Three Lighthouse Mission staff presented to their neighborhood association, explaining "the lighthouse mission practices and the enhanced shelter framework." O'Hare suggested this presentation could benefit the broader MNAC group. Cornwall is partnering with the Whatcom County Historical Society, which recently moved into the Rotor Home. "Some of us living in the neighborhood have never even seen inside the rotor home. So they're going to be starting house tours of the Rotor home and hopefully bringing back more community events," Carolyn Whipple explained. ## Infrastructure and Quality of Life Concerns Birchwood's Mary Lou White raised several infrastructure and quality of life issues affecting her neighborhood. Business managers report reduced camping on commercial properties but worry about seasonal increases when food distribution activities resume. She wondered whether "those groups could be directed to do that at the food bank rather than some of the local businesses." Regarding the new Little Squalicum boardwalk, White suggested it should be an off-leash area since "the rest of the area is off leash dog area. So it's sort of sort of an odd combination there." Train noise remains a significant concern for Birchwood residents. White noted that Fairhaven has reduced train whistle frequency and asked whether similar accommodations could be made for her neighborhood. The mayor confirmed that quiet crossings will continue expanding, with the next installation planned "at the bottom of Wharf Street" and the eventual goal of implementation "along the entire waterfront." ## Closing and What's Ahead The meeting concluded with Janice Keller offering to stay after the formal session to help neighborhood representatives navigate the city's website and find contact information for better inter-neighborhood communication. This practical offer reflected the collaborative spirit that characterizes these monthly gatherings. The session demonstrated both the vitality of Bellingham's neighborhood association network and the range of challenges facing local communities. From major infrastructure projects and federal funding uncertainties to grassroots environmental initiatives and community building efforts, the updates revealed a city actively engaged in addressing complex 21st-century urban challenges through collaborative governance. The next meeting promises to include a presentation about changes to the comprehensive plan's neighborhood planning components, an issue that generated concern from several representatives who worry about weakening existing neighborhood plan objectives. These ongoing conversations between city leadership and neighborhood representatives continue to serve as a crucial bridge between municipal government and grassroots community organizing in Bellingham.