Bellingham Greenways Advisory Committee

## MODULE S1: STUDY GUIDE **Meeting ID:** BEL-GRN-2025-05-01 A structured study guide helping readers understand the meeting's content and context. Written for a general civic audience — assume no prior knowledge of the issues. ### Meeting Overview The Bellingham Greenways Advisory Committee met on May 1, 2025, to discuss several major topics including a significant federal funding crisis, a proposed $1 million trail project, and updates on comprehensive plan development. The meeting addressed immediate concerns about the loss of AmeriCorps volunteers and considered new infrastructure investments. ### Key Terms and Concepts **AmeriCorps:** A federal volunteer service program that places members in community organizations. Two AmeriCorps members at Bellingham Parks were abruptly terminated when the federal "Department of Government Efficiency" canceled over $400 million in grants nationwide. **Park Impact Fees (PIF):** Fees paid by developers when building new projects to help fund park infrastructure. These fees were mentioned as potentially being "tapped out" for the current year. **Greenways Levy:** A voter-approved property tax that funds trail construction, park development, and related infrastructure in Bellingham. Different projects are funded from different "buckets" within the levy. **PROS Plan:** Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Plan - a comprehensive planning document that guides the city's parks and recreation investments over multiple years. **Quiet Zone:** A railroad corridor where trains are not required to sound their horns, achieved through special safety improvements at crossings. **Transportation Improvement Program (TIP):** A 6-year planning document that outlines how the city will fund transportation projects, required to be updated annually by the state. **South Bay Trail:** An existing multi-use trail that connects various parts of south Bellingham. **Salish Landing:** A new 17-acre waterfront park being developed on former industrial land. ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Derek | New Greenways Advisory Committee member, civil/environmental engineer | | Sky Versatt | Former AmeriCorps Restoration Educator, Parks volunteer program | | Brian Armstrong | Park steward at Squalicum Creek Park | | Joel | Interim Public Works Co-Director and Assistant Public Works Director for Transportation | | Peter | Parks department staff presenting trail mapping updates | | Lane | Parks department staff | | Neil Schaner | Committee member (attending remotely) | | Sarah Brooke Benjamin | Public Works Natural Resources habitat restoration coordinator (by phone) | | David | Committee member | | Ray Dellecker | Committee member | | Dina Dickerson | Committee member | ### Background Context The meeting occurred during a crisis for the city's volunteer programs. The newly created federal "Department of Government Efficiency" had just canceled hundreds of millions in AmeriCorps funding nationwide, immediately ending the employment of over 32,000 volunteers including key staff supporting Bellingham's popular park stewardship programs. This program had generated over $470,000 worth of volunteer labor in 2024 alone, with over 1,300 unique volunteers contributing more than 13,500 hours of service. Meanwhile, the city was considering a major infrastructure investment - a $3.4 million project to create pedestrian and bicycle access to the new Salish Landing waterfront park. The project would require $1 million in Greenways levy funding, representing one of the larger funding requests the committee had seen. The timing created tension between emergency needs (preserving volunteer programs) and planned investments (new trail infrastructure). ### What Happened — The Short Version The committee welcomed a new member, Derek, who replaced a departing member. Two community members spoke during public comment about the sudden loss of federal AmeriCorps funding that eliminated key positions supporting the park volunteer program. Sky Versatt, one of the affected workers, explained how this would drastically reduce the city's ability to process new volunteer applications and maintain restoration programs. Joel from Public Works then presented a proposal for the Wharf Street trail, a $3.4 million project that would create bike and pedestrian access to the new Salish Landing park. The project would cross two railroad lines and require $1 million in Greenways funding. Committee members expressed support for the connection but concern about the large funding request given other priorities. Peter from Parks presented new mapping tools for updating the city's trail plans, showing how different data layers could help identify the best locations for future trails. The committee scheduled several summer field trips to visit properties and construction sites. ### What to Watch Next • Budget discussions in the coming months will determine how the city responds to the AmeriCorps funding loss • The Wharf Street trail proposal will be included in the Transportation Improvement Program and budget process • Updated trail maps will be developed over the summer with opportunities for committee input • PROS Plan goals and policies will go to Planning Commission on May 29th for public comment ---