Community and Economic Development Committee

The Bellingham City Council's Community and Economic Development Committee received annual reports from two key regional economic development partners on April 28, 2025. The Western Washington University Small Business Development Center (SBDC) reported record-breaking client engagement in 2024, serving 572 businesses through one-on-one counseling and facilitating $7.8 million in capital investments. The SBDC highlighted significant challenges facing small businesses, including reduced Canadian border traffic down 52% and rising labor costs from minimum wage compression. The Port of Bellingham's Regional Economic Partnership (REP) presented updates on their business retention and expansion work, serving 79 businesses in 2024. Tyler Schroeder outlined progress on the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) and highlighted infrastructure investments, including foreign trade zone development and industrial land analysis. Both organizations operate under an interlocal agreement with the city, county, and port that coordinates economic development funding and activities. The committee discussed the regional impact of reduced Canadian border crossings, workforce challenges, and the need for industrial land planning. Council Member Hammill noted consistency between the SBDC's border traffic data and the city's sales tax revenue declines, while Council Member Lilliquist pressed for completion of the industrial lands study to inform comprehensive planning decisions. #