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Bellingham City Council

BEL-CON-2025-12-08 December 08, 2025 City Council Regular Meeting City of Bellingham 52 min
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The Bellingham City Council concluded 2025 with a landmark meeting that adopted the city's first comprehensive plan update in decades and passed the 2026 budget, while conducting ceremonial swearing-in of re-elected officials and newly appointed Municipal Court Judge Deborah Lev. The council processed 25 agenda items with unanimous approval across all votes, reflecting strong consensus on year-end priorities. The most significant action was the adoption of the 2025 City of Bellingham Comprehensive Plan, including the future land use map, which will guide development decisions for the next 20 years. Council Member Lilliquist successfully amended the plan to add a new housing policy promoting community land trusts and other innovative affordability solutions. The council also passed five housing-related ordinances and authorized the 2026 budget, though Finance Director Andy Azbjornson warned that unforeseen expenses had created a $4 million deficit that may require dipping $2 million into reserves. The evening featured extensive committee reports covering everything from community street improvements and Holly Street bike facility updates to cemetery fee structures and tourism promotion budgets. The mayor highlighted progress on her housing executive order issued in 2024, while the council authorized several property transactions and approved multiple interlocal agreements with Whatcom County.

**Major Ordinances Passed (all 7-0):** - AB 24753: Extended interim zoning regulations for infill housing development for six more months (Ordinance 2025-12-032) - AB 24733: Allowed co-living in multifamily zones and replaced "family" references with "household" (Ordinance 2025-12-033) - AB 24742: Established clear design standards citywide for housing and mixed-use development (Ordinance 2025-12-034) - AB 24693: Updated accessory dwelling unit regulations (Ordinance 2025-12-035) - AB 24741: Adopted the 2026 Budget (Ordinance 2025-12-036) **Comprehensive Plan Adoption (7-0):** - AB 24775: Adopted the 2025 Comprehensive Plan including future land use map, amended …

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The meeting's most substantial policy discussion centered on the city's financial position and housing initiatives. Finance Director Azbjornson explained that despite the mayor's efforts to balance the 2026 budget, unexpected expenses had created a $4.8 million shortfall, though careful budget management and departmental underspending might reduce the actual deficit to $2 million. The interfund loans of $1.1 million were structured as temporary measures expected to be repaid. Housing policy dominated much of the agenda, with five separate ordinances advancing the mayor's executive order goals. The comprehensive plan amendment adding Policy H-10 represented a significant policy shift toward community wealth-building approaches like community land trusts.…
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**Mayor Kimberley Lund** emphasized the long-term nature of housing policy work, noting that results from the executive order may not be visible for years. She promoted the upcoming Civic Athletic Complex master plan presentation and highlighted the city's commitment to creating "a Bellingham for all." **Council Member Michael Lilliquist** took a prominent role in housing policy, proposing the comprehensive plan amendment and explaining the budget challenges, noting that despite "heroic efforts" by the mayor, unanticipated expenses had created significant fiscal pressures. **Council Member Lisa Anderson** provided detailed explanations of budget mechanics, emphasizing that the interfund loans were tempo…
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**Mayor Kimberley Lund, on housing policy:** "It is a long game. We may not see the results of this action for many years to come. But as we heard this afternoon, we are on the right track with decisions and actions that we have taken so far and collectively this is such important work and it is essential for helping Bellingham to be better poised to be a bellingham for all." **Council Member Michael Lilliquist, on budget challenges:** "Despite the mayor's heroic efforts, these are the facts …
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**Immediate Deadlines:** - December 10: Community Open House for Civic Athletic Complex master plan at Bloedel Donovan Community Building, 6-8 PM - December 15: City Council meeting with two public hearings on easement relinquishment resolutions - December 19: Closing deadline for Lake Whatcom watershed property acquisition **Ongoing Projects:** - Community Streets Program design work moving forward with TKS Associates for 2026 implementation - Holly Street bike facility altern…

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**Legal Framework Updates:** Five housing-related ordinances became law, fundamentally altering development regulations for single-family infill, co-living arrangements, accessory dwelling units, and design standards. The comprehensive plan adoption established new 20-year development guidance with enhanced focus on community wealth-building through Policy H-10. **Budget Authorization:** The 2026 budget became official, along with emergency interfund loans totaling $1.1 million to address cash flow issues in specialized funds. Tourism and lodging tax budgets exceeding $4 million combined were approved for destination marketing and community events. **Property Portfolio:** …
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# Meeting Overview The Bellingham City Council convened for their regular meeting on December 8, 2025, at 7:00 PM in City Hall Council Chambers. The evening began with ceremonial duties — swearing-in ceremonies for the newly elected and re-elected council members and municipal court judge — before settling into the substantive work of governing. All seven council members were present: Council President Hollie Huthman (Ward 2), Hannah Stone (Ward 1), Daniel Hammill (Ward 3), Skip Williams (Ward 4), Lisa Anderson (Ward 5), Michael Lilliquist (Ward 6), and Jace Cotton (At-Large). This was one of those meetings that captures the breadth of municipal governance — from the routine business of budget amendments and fee adjustments to the momentous adoption of the city's comprehensive plan that will guide Bellingham's growth for years to come. The evening carried a sense of both ceremony and urgency, with council members sworn into office at the beginning and wrestling with housing policy amendments by the end. The meeting concluded at 8:52 PM after fourteen residents offered public comments, with the council having approved everything from cemetery fee structures to a $1.1 million budget amendment, all while maintaining the collaborative tone that has characterized this council's approach to governance. ## Swearing-In Ceremonies Mark New Council Terms The evening began with the formal ceremony that marks the peaceful transition of democratic governance. Judge Deborah Lev first took the oath of office for her role as Municipal Court Judge, administered by Mayor Kimberley Lund. Then Judge Lev administered oaths to four council members beginning new terms: Hollie Huthman for Ward 2, Skip Williams for Ward 4, Michael Lilliquist for Ward 6, and Jace Cotton for the At-Large position. The ceremony carried the weight of tradition, with each official repeating the solemn promise to "support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution and laws of the state of Washington" and to "faithfully and impartially perform and discharge the duties of the office." Mayor Lund noted afterward the surprising effort required to not accidentally say "I state your name" instead of waiting for the officials to state their actual names — a moment of levity that drew laughter from the chamber. "This is the one time that will actually let you clap for all of our elected officials," Council President Huthman said as applause filled the chamber, marking the completion of th…
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### Meeting Overview The Bellingham City Council held its regular meeting on December 8, 2025, where members conducted swearing-in ceremonies for newly elected officials, adopted the 2026 budget, passed several housing-related ordinances, and received progress reports on the mayor's housing executive order and various ongoing city projects. ### Key Terms and Concepts **Tourism Promotion Area (TPA):** A special assessment district where qualifying businesses pay fees to fund tourism marketing and promotion activities. The 2026 TPA budget totaled $1,488,655 for Bellingham Whatcom County Tourism activities. **Interlocal Agreement:** A contract between different government entities (like cities and counties) to share services or costs. Several interlocal agreements were discussed, including ones for emergency medical services and economic development partnerships. **Interim Zoning Ordinance:** Temporary zoning rules that remain in effect while the city develops permanent regulations. Council extended interim housing regulations for an additional six months. **Co-living:** A housing arrangement where residents have private bedrooms but share common areas like kitchens and living rooms. The council approved new regulations to allow co-living in multifamily zones. **Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs):** Secondary housing units on the same lot as a primary residence, such as basement apartments or backyard cottages. Council updated ADU regulations to encourage more affordable housing options. **Community Streets Program:** A resident-driven initiative that addresses traffic safety concerns on residential streets through data collection and community input, with 2025 being the first year of implementation. **GRACE Program:** Ground-Level Response and Coordinated Engagement - a county program that helps frequent users of emergency services through intensive case coordination. **Lodging Tax Advisory Committee (LTAC):** A group that recommends how to spend tax revenue collected from hotel and motel stays, typically funding tourism-related events and facilities. ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Hollie Huthman | Council President, Second Ward | | Hannah Stone | Council Member, First Ward | | Daniel Hammill | Council Member, Third Ward | | Edwin "Skip" Williams | Council Member, Fourth Ward | | L…
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Government Operations AB 24693 AB 24733 AB 24741 AB 24742 AB 24753 AB 24765 AB 24766 AB 24769 AB 24775 Bellingham City Council Bellingham Whatcom County Tourism Whatcom County Andy Azbjornson Daniel Hammill Deborah Lev Hannah Stone Hollie Huthman Jace Cotton Kimberley Lund Lisa Anderson Michael Lilliquist Skip Williams Affordable Housing Budget Finance Comprehensive Plan Comprehensive Planning Governance Administration Housing Development Infrastructure Land Use Policy Parks Recreation Property Acquisition Public Safety Tourism Promotion Transportation Policy Water Resources Zoning Ordinances