# Mayor's Neighborhood Advisory Commission Planning Session Opens New Year The Mayor's Neighborhood Advisory Commission convened for its first meeting of 2026 on January 21st, with Mayor Kim Lund participating remotely due to illness while neighborhood representatives gathered in the mayor's board room at City Hall. The hybrid format allowed for broad participation as the commission tackled an ambitious agenda focused on legislative priorities, organizational changes, and a new approach to community engagement through "department head roadshows." ## Meeting Overview The evening brought together representatives from neighborhoods across Bellingham, from Birchwood and Cordata in the north to Fairhaven and South Hill in the south. Mayor Lund, working from home to avoid spreading what she described as a developing illness, led the discussion alongside Deputy City Administrator Janice Keller. The meeting marked a transition point for the commission, with several neighborhoods reporting struggles to maintain volunteer engagement while others celebrated successful community events and infrastructure improvements. The agenda reflected both routine business and significant changes ahead, including a shift from Zoom to Microsoft Teams for future remote participation and the introduction of large-scale town hall meetings designed to bring city leadership directly to neighborhood venues. The tone was businesslike but collaborative, with frank discussions about the challenges facing volunteer neighborhood organizations and creative approaches to maintaining civic engagement. ## State Legislative Priorities: Housing, Day Shelters, and Municipal Courts Mayor Lund opened the substantive portion of the meeting by sharing the city's legislative agenda for the current 60-day session in Olympia, noting the challenging fiscal environment facing state government. "We have additional hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue shortfalls since the budget was adopted in just May of last year," she explained, adding that "new programs or policies that come with a price tag need to be revenue neutral." Despite these constraints, the city is pursuing several key priorities, with housing remaining at the top of the list. The agenda seeks "solutions and good policy that enables supply across the continuum of housing needs" for homeowners, renters, and people needing shelter options. A new strategy this year focuses on addressing vacant buildings and properties, including a potential partnership with Spokane on land value tax legislation. The most urgent capital request, Lund emphasized, is funding for a day shelter. "Whatcom County does not have a day shelter. It's a key part of our social infrastructure that's missing in our community," she said. The need becomes acute when the library closes next November for renovations, as "the library has really been doing a heavy lift and serving as the de facto day shelter in the absence of one." The timeline is aggressive. "We can't point fingers at other agencies or governments. This is a real time sensitive need in our community and the city is going to lead on bringing a day shelter online concurrent with the closure of the library, or to the best of our ability, that is what we're seeking to do," Lund stated. Other priorities include funding for relocating Bellingham Municipal Court from its current building, which has condemned areas, to the former federal building on Magnolia Street. The city also seeks to preserve Model Toxic Control Act funds needed for the RG Haley landfill cleanup that will enable Salish Landing Park to move forward. ## Department Head Roadshows: A New Model for Community Engagement The most significant operational change announced was the introduction of "department head roadshows" - large town hall meetings that will replace traditional neighborhood-by-neighborhood visits from city leadership. Three events are planned for February 18th (southside), May 20th (downtown), and September 16th (northside). Keller explained the rationale: "We have, I haven't counted them lately, 24 or 25 neighborhoods. And sometimes it's hard for us to say yes to all of the invitations. I would, I would say that particularly for certain department heads and for the mayor, we get a lot of invitations." The format builds on successful events held with the Downtown Partnership. Lindsay Payne Johnstone, representing the downtown area, described those gatherings: "We have like 150 to 200 people show up. And what I find really valuable is that it is really authentic. I appreciate that the mayor and her team don't ask for pre questions or screen questions. It just makes it a really authentic experience for everyone and like people can ask hard questions and the mayor's team handles them well." The structure includes informal mingling time, a brief mayoral update, and then extended Q&A with the full department head team present. "You might ask a question that is the Public Works Department's area of responsibility. So Joel would, our Public Works Director, Joel would answer that question. And then somebody else might ask a question about housing. And so Planning Director Blake might step up and answer that question," Keller explained. Mayor Lund acknowledged this represents a shift in approach: "Our plan, though, is to do this in lieu of going to individual neighborhoods. So if because it's just not that scalable to have department heads rotating through 20 some neighborhoods, mayor rotating through 20 some neighborhoods." The challenge is finding suitable venues, particularly for the southside event. Options under consideration include Happy Valley Elementary, Corner Tap House, and other all-ages venues that can accommodate large groups with food and beverage service. ## Neighborhood Struggles and Successes The neighborhood roundtable revealed a pattern of volunteer fatigue alongside pockets of vibrant community activity. Several associations reported difficulty maintaining boards and engaging residents in routine meetings, even as special events continued to draw strong attendance. Steve Wilson from South neighborhood spoke directly to these challenges: "I'm struggling with keeping a neighborhood organization going. It seems like we're moving kind of away from NAC into a more, you know, more public space, which is, you know, I'm not opposed to that. But I'm just needing a little more direction for my own organization." Mayor Lund drew on her previous experience at the Bellingham Public Schools Foundation to provide context: "I think there's a natural ebb and flow to volunteer organizations. And also, some of those structures, I think, are a little bit of another era. And so I don't think MNAC's going away. I think we have really important conversations." However, several neighborhoods reported significant accomplishments. York neighborhood completed signs for two parks using their 2024 small and simple grant, with Colin Beazley noting: "We have one sign that talks about the history of that park, which is rooted in the neighborhood and a lot of advocacy. And then the other at Harriet's Fennell Park, which is on the other side of Lakeway where Franklin School used to be." Cordata presented perhaps the most comprehensive report through vice president Riley Vickers, who filled in for the usual representatives. They've scheduled concerts for May and June, completed facility planning, and are actively recruiting volunteers. However, even successful neighborhoods face financial pressures - Cordata's facility rental fees alone total $1,975 annually against $10-12 household memberships. ## Encampment Concerns and City Response Representatives from King Mountain neighborhood brought urgent concerns about increased activity at nearby encampments, with property crimes and confrontational encounters affecting residents. Blair Marcotte described the situation: "They've cut the fence. There's a lot of organized issues going on. I spent yesterday and today driving around and seeing it myself and people on Creston and on the new development where James Street goes up the hill are seeing people come through the neighborhood." Keller provided detailed context about the city's multi-departmental approach: "We have a multidisciplinary, multi-department team that meets at least twice a month to talk about encampments. And the primary encampments that we're focused on are Stewart Road, which was formerly known as the Walmart encampment." The complexity of the work is significant. "It involves a lot of environmental permits. extensive environmental damage on these properties. And we are limited just like property owners are about steps that we're able to take," Keller explained. Mayor Lund described the ecosystem approach: "It's the same approach we used at Baker View where there were five property owners on six parcels. It's a very similar situation for that encampment that is, you know, causing impacts for Creston Way and Natal Road folks that live in the area. So we're asking them to work together, take a collective action." Progress is being made. Lummi Nation's new tiny home village has helped reduce the Stewart Road population from 60 registered tribal members to 11, demonstrating that "outreach can work," according to the mayor. ## Infrastructure Updates and Future Projects Several neighborhoods reported infrastructure improvements. South Hill's Michael Chrzastowski highlighted the nearly complete shoreline restoration at Boulevard Park: "It's a lovely project. If you want to take some time, go down to Taylor Dock, walk to the Woods Coffee and take a look at the beach that's been constructed on the south side of the Woods Coffee." When he asked about construction at Salish Landing, Mayor Lund provided extensive background on the cleanup: "That was Bellingham's municipal dump. So sanitary service would come collect your garbage, put it in the truck, and back it up to the bay right there. This happened until not that long ago, like, kind of mind blowing." The remediation is complex: "But it is so toxic. If people lived in closer proximity to it, actual homes, it would technically be a Superfund site. That is how polluted that area is. So what we what we are doing is largely a capping and containment project of a massive scale." The result will be significant: "And it'll be three times the size of Boulevard Park when it's done." ## Organizational Changes and Support Systems Deputy City Administrator Keller announced several operational improvements, including earlier distribution of city council agendas - now published the Monday before meetings rather than just days ahead. The goal is "to increase transparency, understandability, and access to the agenda materials." The shift from Zoom to Microsoft Teams for MNAC meetings represents another modernization effort, with Keller noting that the current Zoom link "has been the same for, gosh, since, I don't know, May 2020." Neighborhood reimbursement programs will continue, providing financial support for association activities. Columbia neighborhood's Deb Valentine thanked the city: "We took full advantage of them this year. And it was really great to you know that enable us to keep our bank account pretty stable." ## Community Safety and Mutual Aid Roosevelt neighborhood's Robin Thomas raised broader concerns about community preparedness and mutual aid, referencing recent incidents: "We just had abductions in Alabama Hill. Two days ago, three roofers were taken off a roof." He emphasized the importance of neighborhood organizations in emergency response: "if people are being abducted from your neighborhood, and the Neighborhood Association doesn't know about it, or have a any idea of a plan of what your neighborhood is going to do, we have some work to do." Mayor Lund acknowledged the importance while noting the public nature of the meeting: "I want to acknowledge that this is a recorded open public meeting. So some of the strategy that you talked about is think we should think about what that looks like. And what are the right conversations to have in open public meetings?" ## Looking Ahead As the meeting concluded, Mayor Lund and Keller acknowledged feedback about the tight timeline for the February roadshow, with Lund noting: "Janice and I have been teensing and reflecting on the feedback about the tight timeline for February Southside roadshow. So we are going to maybe reevaluate if that needs a little that would benefit from more time." The evening ended with informal discussion between King Mountain residents and city staff about ongoing encampment concerns, demonstrating the commission's role as both formal advisory body and informal venue for addressing community concerns. The meeting reflected a city government working to balance accessibility and efficiency, traditional neighborhood structures with modern community needs, and immediate safety concerns with long-term planning. The success of the new roadshow format may determine how Bellingham approaches community engagement in the years ahead.

A structured study guide helping readers understand the meeting's content and context. ### Meeting Overview The Mayor's Neighborhood Advisory Commission (MNAC) met on January 21, 2026, with Mayor Kim Lund facilitating via remote connection due to illness. The meeting focused on the city's 2026 legislative priorities, introduced a new "Department Head Roadshow" format for community engagement, and featured updates from 18 neighborhood associations across Bellingham. ### Key Terms and Concepts **Mayor's Neighborhood Advisory Commission (MNAC):** A city body where representatives from Bellingham's 20+ neighborhood associations meet monthly to share updates and receive information from city leadership. **Department Head Roadshow:** A new town hall format where the mayor and all 15 department heads visit different areas of the city for informal Q&A sessions with residents, replacing some traditional neighborhood visits. **Community Streets Program:** A resident-driven program that identifies traffic safety concerns on non-arterial residential streets, with rotating geographic focus areas each cycle. **Small and Simple Grant:** City funding program that provides reimbursements to neighborhood associations for community projects like signage, events, or improvements. **One City Initiative:** A philosophy Mayor Lund introduced to city staff about approaching work with curiosity, humility, and unified service delivery across departments. **Day Shelter:** A critical social service infrastructure that Bellingham currently lacks, where unhoused individuals can access services and shelter during daytime hours when the library is closed. **Model Toxic Control Act (MOCTA):** State funds used for environmental cleanup projects, which the city needs to complete the toxic Salish Landing remediation. **Quiet Zones:** Railroad crossing areas where trains don't sound horns, currently only available in southern Bellingham but expanding northward as the city can fund the required safety infrastructure. ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Mayor Kim Lund | Mayor of Bellingham, meeting facilitator | | Janice Keller | Deputy City Administrator | | Colin Beazley | York neighborhood representative | | Annie Sorich | Sunnyland neighborhood representative | | Michael Chrzastowski | South Hill neighborhood representative | | Steve Wilson | South neighborhood representative | | Stephanie Levine | Sehome neighborhood representative | | Steve Abell | Samish neighborhood president | | Lauren Bunke | Roosevelt neighborhood representative | | Bri O'Hare | Lettered Streets neighborhood representative | | Blair Marcotte | King Mountain neighborhood representative | | Jake Charlton | Happy Valley neighborhood representative | | Jan Dietzgen | Fairhaven neighborhood representative | | Bill Beer | Edgemoor neighborhood representative | | Riley Vickers | Cordata neighborhood vice president | | Deb Valentine | Columbia neighborhood representative | | Lindsay Payne Johnstone | City Center representative, Downtown Bellingham Partnership | | Katie Herson-Horvath | Birchwood neighborhood representative | ### Background Context This meeting took place during the second week of Washington State's 60-day legislative session, with the state facing significant budget shortfalls. The city is advocating for several key priorities including housing policy improvements, capital funding for a new municipal court building, and critically, funding for a day shelter to open when the library closes for renovations in November 2026. Several neighborhood associations reported struggles with volunteer engagement and maintaining active boards, a challenge that emerged during and after the pandemic. The city is responding by creating new formats for community engagement, including the Department Head Roadshows modeled after successful events with the Downtown Bellingham Partnership. The King Mountain area is experiencing increased property crime and safety concerns related to encampments behind Walmart, representing broader challenges the city faces with homelessness and the need for comprehensive service infrastructure. ### What Happened — The Short Version Mayor Lund presented the city's 2026 legislative priorities, emphasizing the urgent need for day shelter funding since the library will close for a year starting in November. City staff announced improvements to council agenda distribution and a shift from individual neighborhood visits to three large "Department Head Roadshows" in February, May, and September. Representatives from 18 neighborhood associations shared updates. Several reported struggling to maintain volunteer boards and engagement. Success stories included York's caroling event with 200+ attendees, completion of Small and Simple Grant projects creating new park signage, and Roosevelt neighborhood's revival efforts through community potlucks. Significant concerns emerged about encampment-related crime in the King Mountain area, with the city explaining their multi-departmental approach requiring cooperation from multiple property owners. The meeting concluded with King Mountain residents staying to discuss specific safety issues with city staff. ### What to Watch Next • February 18 Department Head Roadshow on the south side - location and details to be announced • March MNAC meeting will switch from Zoom to Microsoft Teams • Bellingham library closure in November 2026 and concurrent day shelter opening • King Mountain encampment resolution efforts involving multiple property owners • State legislative session outcomes for day shelter funding and municipal court building ---

**Q:** How many Department Head Roadshows are planned for 2026 and when? **A:** Three roadshows are planned for February 18 (southside), May 20 (downtown), and September 16 (northside). **Q:** Why is Mayor Lund prioritizing day shelter funding this legislative session? **A:** The library will close for renovations in November 2026 for a year or more, and it currently serves as the de facto day shelter for the community. **Q:** What is the Community Streets Program's geographic focus for 2026? **A:** Quadrant B, including Birchwood, Columbia, Cornwall Park, Lettered Streets, Sunnyland, City Center and York neighborhoods. **Q:** How many people attended York neighborhood's December caroling event? **A:** Well over 200 people attended, making it a big success despite general challenges with regular meeting attendance. **Q:** What technology platform will MNAC meetings switch to starting in March? **A:** Microsoft Teams, replacing the Zoom platform that has been used since May 2020. **Q:** How much does each Cordata neighborhood meeting cost the association? **A:** A minimum of $237 per meeting, with annual facility rental fees totaling $1,975 for the year. **Q:** What is the status of the Salish Landing cleanup project? **A:** Remediation work is beginning to cap and contain toxins from the former municipal dump and industrial activities. It will become parkland three times the size of Boulevard Park. **Q:** Why are train quiet zones considered an equity issue by some neighborhoods? **A:** Southern Bellingham has quiet zones while northern areas like Lettered Streets and downtown do not, creating unequal noise impacts across the city. **Q:** How many trees did Happy Valley neighborhood plant this season? **A:** 45 trees, which was one of their personal records for tree planting activity. **Q:** What is the email address for Community Streets Program submissions? **A:** communitystreets@cob.org **Q:** When is the deadline for Community Streets Program submissions? **A:** March 31st for the current cycle focusing on Quadrant B neighborhoods. **Q:** What major challenge are multiple neighborhood associations reporting? **A:** Difficulty maintaining volunteer engagement and keeping active boards, with some needing at least eight members to function effectively. **Q:** What is Liminal Coffee and when does it open? **A:** A coffee shop in the Lighthouse Mission run by guests of the mission, opening February 14th. **Q:** How is the city addressing the King Mountain area encampment situation? **A:** Through a multi-departmental team meeting twice monthly, working with multiple property owners to secure and clean up properties, plus increased police patrols. **Q:** What is the "One City Initiative" that Mayor Lund discussed with staff? **A:** A philosophy about approaching city work with curiosity and humility, thinking about cross-departmental impacts and delivering unified service to the community. **Q:** How many city staff attended the mayor's "Ask Me Anything" session? **A:** About 150 staff members joined the 7:30 a.m. online session about the One City initiative. **Q:** What improvement did city staff make to council agenda distribution? **A:** Agendas are now published the Monday before meetings (instead of later in the week) and have improved formatting for better public understanding. **Q:** What is happening with Roosevelt neighborhood's organizing efforts? **A:** They're holding community potlucks, planning February elections, have access to a community bulletin board, and are working to restore their nonprofit status. **Q:** What did Samish neighborhood report about their newsletter distribution? **A:** Their semi-annual newsletter is mailed to all 1,700 deliverable addresses in the neighborhood, funded by membership dues and city communication grants. **Q:** What is the Woods at Viewcrest development status in Edgemoor? **A:** Hearings occurred last week with a decision expected in March for either a 38-home subdivision or an environmental impact statement requirement. ---