# City of Bellingham Community and Economic Development Committee Meeting *A collaborative morning of economic partnerships and downtown revitalization* ## Meeting Overview The Community and Economic Development Committee convened on a Monday morning, December 9, 2024, at City Hall, with Committee Chair Jace Cotton leading discussions alongside Committee Members Hannah Stone and Hollie Huthman. The 42-minute meeting tackled three significant agenda items that would shape Bellingham's economic landscape and housing future: renewing an economic development partnership with regional allies, funding creative downtown activation projects, and updating the city's housing levy framework. This was a meeting about partnerships and progress—both the formal intergovernmental collaborations that have quietly driven regional economic development for over a decade, and the vibrant community-driven projects that promise to bring new energy to downtown streets and alleys. The committee would advance over $8 million in combined initiatives, from a tri-jurisdictional economic development agreement to indigenous art installations and housing assistance programs. ## The Economic Development Partnership: A Decade of Collaboration The meeting's first item was decidedly less glamorous than the art projects to follow, but arguably more foundational to the region's economic health. Committee Chair Cotton introduced Bill 24352, an interlocal agreement between the City of Bellingham, Whatcom County, and the Port of Bellingham for coordinated economic development funding—a partnership that has quietly operated since 2011. Tara Sundin, Community and Economic Development Manager, explained the evolution of what has come to be known internally as the "tri-funder agreement." "We came together in like 2010 or so to kind of join forces," she said. "We were all doing our own thing and decided to join forces and create this... department of the Port of Bellingham." The city's contribution to this $2 million annual program is relatively modest—$116,827 in 2025, with 3% annual increases through 2027. But that funding, Sundin explained, leverages much larger investments from the other partners. The Port of Bellingham contributes nearly $1 million annually, while Whatcom County provides over $850,000, primarily through rural sales tax revenues collected on behalf of all county cities. Council Member Hannah Stone pressed for clarity on the structure, noting the interlocal agreement was be…