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Real Briefings

Bellingham City Council

BEL-CON-2025-06-23 June 23, 2025 City Council Regular Meeting City of Bellingham 16 min
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The Bellingham City Council conducted a comprehensive regular meeting on June 23, 2025, covering transportation improvements, LGBTQ+ protections, behavioral health funding, property acquisitions, and tenant protection ordinances. The most significant development was the Council's discussion of a draft ordinance (AB 24589) that would codify equal protection and provision of city services for LGBTQ+ community members, creating a new chapter in the Bellingham Municipal Code. While no action was taken on this ordinance, extensive deliberation indicated the Council's commitment to advancing LGBTQ+ protections with additional community input. The Council approved several key transportation initiatives, including permanently retaining the Eldridge Avenue non-motorized pilot project and adopting the 2026-2031 Transportation Improvement Program. They also approved continued funding for the Alternative Response Team (ART) program, demonstrating ongoing commitment to behavioral health crisis response. Three final ordinances were passed unanimously, strengthening tenant protections by prohibiting unfair or excessive fees in residential and manufactured/mobile home rental agreements. Mayor Lund made appointments to the Transportation Commission and Public Facilities District Board, while the Council authorized significant property acquisitions totaling over $1.8 million for Lake Whatcom watershed protection. Multiple litigation settlements were approved in executive session, including a $150,000 settlement and authorization for outside counsel on federal grant condition challenges. The meeting also featured work sessions on shifting from neighborhood-based to citywide planning processes and implementing state House Bill 1110 requirements for middle housing, indicating major changes ahead for Bellingham's land use planning approach. Public comment included testimony from 46 individuals, reflecting high community engagement particularly around LGBTQ+ issues.

**AB 24577 - Transportation Commission Appointments** - **Action:** Approved 7-0 - **Details:** Appointed Andrea Reiter and Jonathan Huegel to three-year terms - **Significance:** Continues citizen representation on transportation planning **AB 24587 - Public Facilities District Board Appointments** - **Action:** Approved 7-0 (two separate votes) - **Details:** Appointed Dr. Sati Mookherjee and Bruce Tabb to first terms - **Significance:** Positions PFD to leverage extended state funding mechanism from 2025 legislative session **AB 24578 - Eldridge Avenue Pilot Project** - **Action:** Approved 7-0 - **Details:** Permanently retained bike lanes and parking removal from one-year pilot - **Data:** Increased pedestrian/bicycle usage, decreased speeds, collision rates below national average - **Significance:** Demonstrates commitment to multimodal transportation infrastructure **AB 24579 - Transportation Improvement Program** - **Action:** Approved Resolution #2025-10, 7-0 - **Deta…

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**LGBTQ+ Protection Ordinance (AB 24589)** Council Member Stone presented a comprehensive draft ordinance creating new municipal code provisions for equal protection of LGBTQ+ community members. The ordinance builds on a June 9th resolution and a 2017 ordinance protecting immigrant community members, addressing a gap in formal codification of LGBTQ+ protections. Stone emphasized this represents a compilation of community input, other jurisdictions' approaches, and coordination with administration and legal departments. She stressed the draft nature of the proposal and openness to amendments based on extensive community feedback received since publication. Council Member Lilliquist highlighted Section 4 as the ordinance's core, listing six broad areas requiring the city to treat community members fairly and justly. He noted the importance of Part F, which directs the city to advocate and lobby on state and federal issues the city cannot directly control. The Council agreed to continue soliciting community input before taking action, with an update planned for the next meeting. **Transportation Planning Shifts** Council Member Lilliquist reported on two significant planning work sessions. The first addressed transitioning from 55-year-old neighborhood plans to citywide planning pro…
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**Council Members** Council Member Stone demonstrated extensive preparation on the LGBTQ+ ordinance, working with impacted community members, administration, legal department, and police chief. She emphasized the collaborative nature of the draft and commitment to meaningful community input rather than rushing to approval. Council Member Lilliquist provided clear analysis of the LGBTQ+ ordinance's structure and planning work sessions, emphasizing practical implementation over symbolic gestures. Council Member Hamill advocated strongly for ART program expansion and emphasized accountability to voters regarding Justice Project funding commitments. Council Member Anderson clarified that property acquisition funding comes from dedicated watershed protection taxes, not gen…
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**Mayor Lund, on LGBTQ+ community support:** "I especially want to acknowledge the many members of our trans community who are here tonight. You live here and you belong here. We hear you. We are glad you are part of our community, and your safety and your well-being are important to us all." **Council Member Stone, on ordinance development process:** "I don't want it to feel as though this is something that was brought forward and wants to be rushed through. The idea is, you know, from the be…
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**July 7, 2025:** Public hearing on proposed resolution for city to relinquish portion of general utility easement retained within vacated Otis Street and E Laurel Street (Ordinance 7207) **July 8, 2025:** Whatcom County Council consideration of Public Facilities District Board appointments **July 18, 2025:** Closing dates for both approved watershed property acquisitions **July 21, 2025:** Two public hearings scheduled - Britton Road/Northern Heigh…

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**Transportation Infrastructure:** Eldridge Avenue bike lanes and parking removal transitioned from pilot status to permanent installation, establishing precedent for future non-motorized improvements. **Behavioral Health Response:** Secured 18-month funding extension for ART program through December 31, 2026, ensuring continuity of innovative crisis response services. **Tenant Protections:** Three new ordinances now prohibit unfair or excessive fees in residential rental agreements, manufactured/mobile home lot leases, and formalize Fairhaven alley vacation. **Watershed Protection:** Added 148.8 acres of Lake Whatcom watershed property to city protection portfolio, totaling $1.8+ million …
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# A Night of Appointments, Transportation, and Civil Rights: Bellingham City Council Moves Forward on Multiple Fronts The Bellingham City Council convened for their regular meeting on June 23rd, 2025, in what proved to be an exceptionally full day of civic engagement that stretched from morning committee sessions through a public comment period that didn't conclude until after 10 PM. Council President Hollie Huthman called the evening session to order at 7:00 PM in the second-floor chambers of City Hall, with all seven council members present for what would become a significant evening in the ongoing work of municipal governance. The meeting carried particular weight as it advanced several key initiatives while also addressing routine but essential municipal business. From transportation improvements and behavioral health programs to civil rights protections and substantial watershed land acquisitions, the council demonstrated the breadth of issues that define modern city governance in Bellingham. ## Mayor's Appointments and Economic Development Mayor Kimberley Lund opened her report with two routine but important appointments to the Transportation Commission, swiftly approved by council to place Andrea Reiter and Jonathan Huegel in three-year terms. But it was her explanation of appointments to the Bellingham-Whatcom Public Facilities District Board of Directors that offered residents insight into a lesser-known but significant economic development tool. "The PFD, as it's known, is a little understood instrument for economic development in Washington state," Mayor Lund explained, taking time to educate those present about this independent municipal taxing authority. She highlighted past successes, noting how PFD funding had supported "the construction of the Whatcom Light Catcher Museum building and improvements to our beloved Mount Baker Theater." The mayor's excitement was palpable as she described new opportunities arising from recent state legislation: "It's an exciting time for our PFD as we anticipate taking advantage of the extension to the PFD funding mechanism that was made possible in the state legislature in the 2025 session that just closed." The council unanimously approved both Dr. Shanti Mukherjee and Bruce Tabb to the PFD board, appointments that would also need approval from Whatcom County Council at their July 8th meeting. But Mayor Lund saved her most emotionally resonant comments for last, addressing the draft ordinance supporti…
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### Meeting Overview The Bellingham City Council held its regular meeting on June 23, 2025, focusing on multiple transportation infrastructure decisions, behavioral health funding, and housing protection ordinances. The council also discussed a draft ordinance for LGBTQ+ community protections and approved significant watershed land acquisitions. ### Key Terms and Concepts **Public Facilities District (PFD):** An independent municipal taxing authority created solely to fund facilities that enhance economic development, such as the Whatcom Museum and Mount Baker Theater. **Alternative Response Team (ART):** A program that sends behavioral health specialists instead of police to respond to specific nonviolent behavioral health 911 calls, operating 10 hours a day, five days a week. **Six-Year Transportation Improvement Program (TIP):** A transportation planning and funding document adopted annually to plan and program funding for city capital projects that improve Bellingham's multimodal transportation network. **Lake Whatcom Watershed:** The protected area around Bellingham's primary drinking water source, where the city regularly purchases land to protect water quality for 110,000-115,000 people. **Designated Forest Land (DFL):** Forested areas that receive special tax treatment; when sold for development, a compensating tax must be paid. **House Bill 1110:** State legislation requiring cities to plan for different types of housing, including allowing multiple middle housing units on residential lots. ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Kim Lund | Mayor | | Holly Huffman | Council President | | Hannah Stone | Council Member, First Ward | | Dan Hamill | Council Member, Third Ward | | Skip Williams | Council Member, Fourth Ward | | Lisa Anderson | Coun…
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Government Operations Transportation & Infrastructure Public Safety Bellingham Whatcom Public Facilities District Fema Skykomish Resources Llc Talbot Real Estate Llc Whatcom Community Foundation Whatcom County Whatcom County Health Department Blake Lyon Chris Behee Daniel Hammill Edwin Skip Williams Hannah Stone Hollie Huthman Jace Cotton Jason Korneliussen Jessica Bennett Joel Pfundt Kimberley Lund Lisa Anderson Malora Christensen Michael Lilliquist Paul Sidhu Annexation Behavioral Health Budget Finance Comprehensive Plan Lake Whatcom Watershed Lgbtq Protections Middle Housing Rental Housing Tenant Protections Transportation Policy Zoning