### Meeting Overview The City of Bellingham Public Works and Natural Resources Committee met on Monday, December 16, 2024, addressing infrastructure improvements in Fairhaven and beginning planning for major wastewater treatment plant upgrades. The committee approved a $1.3 million contract for multimodal safety improvements on 12th Street and Finnegan Way and received an extensive briefing on nitrogen reduction requirements at the Post Point Resource Recovery Plant. ### Key Terms and Concepts **Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RFB):** Pedestrian-activated warning devices with bright LED lights that flash in a rectangular pattern to alert drivers to crosswalk activity, enhancing pedestrian safety at busy intersections. **Multimodal Safety Improvements:** Transportation infrastructure enhancements designed to accommodate and protect multiple forms of travel including pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles through features like signals, crosswalks, and sidewalks. **Total Inorganic Nitrogen (TIN):** The dissolved forms of nitrogen (ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate) in wastewater that are most readily available for algae growth and therefore targeted for removal to protect Puget Sound water quality. **Puget Sound Nutrient General Permit (PSNGP):** A 2022 permit from Washington State Department of Ecology requiring wastewater treatment plants to optimize operations and evaluate nitrogen reduction to address dissolved oxygen problems in Puget Sound. **All Known, Available, and Reasonable Treatment (AKART):** A Washington state environmental standard requiring dischargers to use proven, affordable, and site-appropriate technology to minimize pollution, with "reasonable" defined by individual circumstances. **Post Point Resource Recovery Plant:** Bellingham's primary wastewater treatment facility that processes sewage from the service area before discharging treated water to Bellingham Bay, classified as one of seven "dominant" nitrogen dischargers to Puget Sound. **Apprenticeship Program Requirements:** City regulations mandating that public works projects utilize 15% apprentice labor hours to support workforce development in the skilled trades. **Nitrification/Denitrification:** The two-step biological process for nitrogen removal where bacteria first convert ammonia to nitrate (requiring energy) then convert nitrate to nitrogen gas (requiring carbon), effectively removing nitrogen from wastewater. ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Hannah Stone | Committee Chair, City Council First Ward | | Lisa Anderson | Committee Member, City Council Fifth Ward | | Michael Lilliquist | Committee Member, City Council Sixth Ward | | Joel Pfundt | Interim Public Works Co-Director | | Mike Olinger | Interim Public Works Co-Director | | Mike Wilson | Assistant Director of Engineering | | Kyle Carlson | Project Engineer | | Steve Bradshaw | Plant Superintendent | | Steven Day | Plants Engineer | | Todd Giesbrecht | Carollo Engineers | | Anne Conklin | Carollo Engineers | ### Background Context The 12th and Finnegan corridor improvements represent years of planning to enhance safety in the busy Fairhaven Urban Village, addressing longstanding community concerns about pedestrian visibility and traffic conflicts in this historic waterfront district. The nitrogen reduction planning stems from state requirements to address dissolved oxygen depletion in Puget Sound, where 58 treatment plants contribute about 10% of nitrogen loads that can fuel harmful algal blooms. Post Point, while the smallest of seven "dominant" dischargers, faces potential costs in the hundreds of millions over the next decade to meet new nitrogen limits that could range from 8 mg/L seasonally down to 3 mg/L year-round. These utility upgrades will significantly impact rates and may eventually require a second treatment plant as Post Point reaches its site capacity limits. ### What Happened — The Short Version The committee unanimously approved awarding a $1.3 million contract to Strider Construction for safety improvements along 12th Street and Finnegan Way, including a new traffic signal, flashing beacon crosswalks, sidewalks, and street trees. Construction begins in early 2025, with completion expected by summer (though potentially delayed due to traffic signal equipment lead times). Staff then presented a comprehensive overview of upcoming nitrogen reduction requirements at Post Point, explaining the complex biochemistry, enormous costs, and multi-year evaluation process ahead. Council members asked detailed technical questions about energy requirements, alternative technologies, and regional coordination possibilities. The nitrogen evaluation must be submitted to state ecology by December 2025, with construction potentially beginning in the 2030s. ### What to Watch Next - Construction impacts in Fairhaven starting early 2025 - Multiple Public Works and Natural Resources Committee meetings throughout 2025 as nitrogen planning proceeds - Water Resources Advisory Board discussions on defining "reasonable" treatment standards and rate impacts - Quarterly Council presentations on nitrogen alternatives, costs, and community engagement through 2025 ---