### Meeting Overview The Public Works and Natural Resources Committee met on Monday, February 24th, 2025, with Chair Hannah Stone and committee members Lisa Anderson and Jace Cotton. The committee addressed major infrastructure projects including fish passage restoration, fiber network planning, and wastewater treatment planning. ### Key Terms and Concepts **Fish Passage Barriers:** Physical obstructions like culverts and bridges that prevent fish from swimming upstream to spawning grounds, blocking access to over 40 miles of habitat in the Squalicum Creek watershed. **IDIQ Contract:** Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity contract - an on-call agreement that allows the City to issue work orders for projects as needed rather than bidding each small job separately. **Fiber Network Redundancy:** Having multiple pathways for data transmission so that if one route fails, others can maintain service continuity for critical city operations like emergency services. **Nutrient Reduction Evaluation (NRE):** A required study to determine how the Post Point treatment plant can remove more nitrogen from wastewater before discharging it into Bellingham Bay. **AKART:** All Known, Available and Reasonable Treatment - a regulatory standard allowing cities to define what's reasonable for nitrogen removal based on affordability, site constraints, and proven technology. ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Hannah Stone | Committee Chair, City Council | | Lisa Anderson | Committee Member, City Council | | Jace Cotton | Committee Member, City Council | | Joel Pfundt | Interim Public Works Co-Director | | Mike Olinger | Interim Public Works Co-Director | | Analiese Burns | Habitat & Restoration Manager | | John Gavin | Fiber Optic Network Engineer | | Tad Carollo | Carollo Engineers (consultant) | ### Background Context The committee tackled several long-term infrastructure challenges facing Bellingham. The Squalicum Creek project represents a critical environmental restoration effort addressing decades of habitat loss in Bellingham Bay, where 90% of near-shore and estuarine habitat has disappeared since the late 1800s. The fiber network plan concludes years of study into whether the city could provide broadband service to residents, ultimately determining that focus should remain on supporting city operations rather than becoming an internet service provider. The nutrient reduction work addresses new state requirements to remove nitrogen from wastewater to protect Puget Sound water quality, potentially requiring tens of millions in future investments. ### What Happened — The Short Version The committee approved $1.84 million in federal grant funding for designing fish passage improvements at Squalicum Creek, working with the Port of Bellingham and Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad. They approved a 3-year, $335,000 on-call contract for fence repairs citywide. The committee forwarded a 10-year fiber network plan focused on improving reliability for city services rather than providing residential internet. Staff presented an update on planning for nitrogen removal upgrades at the Post Point wastewater treatment plant, with final decisions expected by year-end. ### What to Watch Next • Full council vote on the Squalicum Creek grant acceptance and fiber network plan resolution at the February 24th evening meeting • Department of Ecology grant agreement for Squalicum Creek project coming to council in 2025 • May 2025 financial analysis presentation for Post Point nitrogen removal costs and potential rate impacts ---