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Bellingham City Council

BEL-CON-2026-03-09 March 09, 2026 City Council Regular Meeting City of Bellingham 6 min
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The Bellingham City Council's March 9, 2026 meeting was highlighted by a comprehensive presentation on the results of a 2025 survey of landlords and property managers regarding the city's rental fee regulations implemented in August 2025. The presentation, delivered by Legislative Policy Analyst Iris Knot, revealed significant operational changes particularly among property managers, with Council voting unanimously to refer the matter to the Planning Committee for further discussion. The meeting also featured the confirmation and swearing-in of Nicholas Henry as Bellingham Municipal Court Judge Position Two, marking a significant expansion of the court's capacity to handle trials. Henry, who has served as municipal court commissioner since January 2022, was confirmed unanimously and sworn in by Judge Debra Lev during the meeting. Mayor Marilyn Lund provided updates on the city's ambitious day center planning initiative, aiming to open a facility by fall 2026 to serve homeless individuals, particularly in anticipation of the central library branch closure for renovations. The House capital budget has included $1.03 million for the project, though final legislative approval remains pending as the session concludes. Council Member Hamill reported on his participation in updating the Sequential Intercept Model (SIM), a community resource mapping tool for behavioral health and criminal justice services, with Council voting to receive a presentation on the findings at the April 13 Public Health, Safety, Justice, and Equity Committee meeting. The session included routine business with all consent agenda items passing unanimously, along with the extension of interim landmark tree development regulations for an additional six months. The meeting concluded with a public comment period featuring 12 speakers.

**AB 24849 - Landlord and Property Manager Survey Results:** Motion by Hamill/Williams to refer further discussion to Planning Committee for a work session - **PASSED 7-0** **AB 24851 - Transportation Commission Reappointment:** Motion by Williams/Huthman to confirm Jamin Agosti to a first full term on the Transportation Commission, expiring March 13, 2029 - **PASSED 7-0** **AB 24845 - Municipal Court Judge Confirmation:** Motion by Williams/Hamill to confirm Nicholas Henry as Bellingham Municipal Court Judge Position Two - **PASSED 7-0** **Sequential Intercept Model Presentation:** Motion by Hamill/Williams to request the Public Health, Safety, Justice, and Equity Committee receive a SIM presentation …

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**Rental Fee Regulations Impact Assessment:** The evening's centerpiece was Iris Knot's detailed presentation on survey results examining the impact of Bellingham's rental fee ordinances that took effect August 1, 2025. The survey, conducted in October 2025, received 626 responses (approximately 20-25% response rate) from 586 landlords and 35 property managers. The regulations prohibited certain fees (non-refundable pet fees, administrative fees, in-unit appliance fees), capped others (late fees, pet rent, security deposits), and required disclosure and transparency in lease agreements. Key findings revealed significant operational changes, particularly among property managers who struggled more than small landlords with understanding and complying with the new regulations. The majority of property managers found the regulations difficult or very difficult to understand and comply with, while fewer landlords reported similar difficulties. Property managers were more likely to charge pet fees and made more lease changes, while small landlords (over 81% self-manage and over half own only one unit) were less impacted. The survey revealed that at least 10 landlords and 2 property managers stopped allowing pets, with some citing restri…
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**Council Members:** Council Member Lilliquist requested that survey data be broken into cleaner groups separating "mom and pop" landlords from professional property managers, particularly regarding utility practices and compliance difficulty. He expressed surprise that property managers struggled more with compliance despite it being "their day job," and emphasized the importance of understanding whether the city is overregulating or misregulating different groups. Council Member Anderson supported moving the survey discussion to committee and expressed interest in gathering tenant perspectives on the rental regulation impacts. She noted anecdotal reports of annual rent increases where they hadn't occurred before and people obtaining therapy animal certificates to keep pets. Anderson also inquired about staff time and resources needed for conducting surveys, suggesting interest in adding a renter survey component.…
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**Nicholas Henry, on his appointment:** "Tonight's really not about me. It's really about the people who helped me get here." **Nicholas Henry, on his role:** "I feel lucky every single day I get to go to work. It's pretty amazing getting to do something I genuinely love and to serve our community." **Judge Debra Lev, on Nicholas Henry:** "Ever since that day, he has demonstrated every day that we are better with him on our court team and I made the right choice." **Council Member Lilliqui…
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**March 23, 2026 Council Meeting:** Public hearing on resolution authorizing partial relinquishment of public utility easement within vacated Bayview Drive **March 16, 2026:** Nicholas Henry begins service as Municipal Court Judge Position Two (term ends December 31, 2029) **March 18, 2026, 6 p.m.:** First "Ask Us Anything" community event at Bellingham Cruise Terminal hosted by mayor and department leaders **March 15, 2026:** Annual St. Patrick's Day parade with Mayor Lund serving a…

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**Municipal Court Capacity:** Addition of second judge position increases trial hearing capacity; commissioner position frozen but judge can preside over trials unlike commissioners **Lake Whatcom Watershed Protection:** Added 11.7 acres to watershed preservation program through $400,000 acquisition using restricted utility customer funds **Landmark Tree Regulations:** Extended interim development regulations for additional six months through Ordinance #2026-03-005 **Committee Referrals:** Rental regulation survey analysis move…
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# The Rental Fee Survey Results — And Nicholas Henry Becomes Judge ## Meeting Overview On Monday evening, March 9th, 2026, the Bellingham City Council convened for what began as a routine regular meeting but became a significant night for both housing policy and the municipal court system. Council President Hannah Stone called the meeting to order at 7 p.m. with all seven council members present — a full house for what would be an evening of data, debate, and a ceremonial swearing-in. The meeting's centerpiece was a comprehensive presentation by legislative policy analyst Iris Knott on the results of a survey conducted with landlords and property managers following the implementation of Bellingham's rental fee ordinances in 2025. But the evening also featured the confirmation and swearing-in of Nicholas Henry as the city's second Municipal Court Judge, transforming a routine appointment into a celebratory moment that broke the council's usual no-clapping protocol. ## Unpacking the Rental Fee Survey: Early Results, Complex Responses The survey presentation consumed the first hour of the meeting, with Iris Knott methodically walking through 30 slides of data collected from 626 landlords and property managers in October 2025. The survey was designed to capture early reactions to the rental fee ordinances that took effect in August 2025, as well as the rental registration and safety inspection program that had been in place for over a decade. "This was conducted in October of 2025, but we're going to go all the way back over a decade to 2015 and then jump ahead really quickly," Knott began, setting the context for how Bellingham's regulatory framework had evolved. The timeline was dense: rental registration starting in 2015, the elimination of declarations of compliance in February 2024, locking mailbox requirements in October 2024, and then the rental fee ordinances and state rent stabilization both taking effect in rapid succession in 2025. The survey revealed a city rental market dominat…
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### Meeting Overview The Bellingham City Council met on Monday, March 9, 2026, with all seven council members present. The main focus was a comprehensive presentation on the results of a 2025 landlord and property manager survey, which evaluated the impact of new rental regulations. The meeting also featured the historic swearing-in of Nicholas Henry as the second Municipal Court Judge. ### Key Terms and Concepts **Rental Fee Ordinances:** New city regulations that prohibit certain fees (like non-refundable pet fees and administrative fees), cap others (like late fees and security deposits), and require full disclosure of all fees in leases and advertisements. **Rent Stabilization:** State law that went into effect May 7, 2025, limiting annual rent increases to 7% plus the Consumer Price Index or 10%, whichever is less. **Rental Registration and Safety Inspection Program:** A city program requiring rental properties to be registered and inspected every three years by either private or public inspectors. **Sequential Intercept Model (SIM):** A community resource mapping tool used to identify intervention points in the criminal justice system for people with mental health and substance use disorders. **Day Shelter:** A proposed low-barrier facility to provide services like case management, food, and referrals to people experiencing homelessness. **Executive Session:** A closed meeting where council discusses confidential matters like property acquisitions, legal issues, or personnel matters. **Municipal Court Commissioner vs. Judge:** A commissioner can handle certain court proceedings but cannot preside over trials, while a judge has full authority including trial jurisdiction. ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Hannah Stone | Council President | | Kim Lund (referred to as "Maryland") | Mayor | | Nicholas Henry | Newly confirmed Municipal Court Judge | | Iris Knox | Legislative Policy Analyst | | Judge Deborah Lev | Presiding Municipal Court Judge | | Daniel Hammill | Council Member, Behavioral Health Chair | | Mich…
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Housing Government Operations AB 24843 AB 24845 AB 24849 AB 24851 Bellingham City Council Ems Executive Oversight Committee Incarceration Prevention Taskforce Lake Whatcom Policy Group Municipal Court Planning Committee Transportation Commission Christopher Lind Daniel Hamill Debra Lev Hannah Stone Hollie Huthman Iris Knot Jace Cotton Lisa Anderson Marilyn Lund Michael Lilliquist Nicholas Henry Skip Williams Tracy Joelos Behavioral Health Criminal Justice Day Center Day Shelter Homelessness Lake Whatcom Watershed Landlord Survey Landmark Trees Legislative Session Library Renovation Municipal Court Pet Fees Planning Committee Property Acquisition Property Manager Survey Property Managers Rental Fee Ordinance Rental Regulations Sequential Intercept Model