Real Briefings
Committee of the Whole
The Committee of the Whole tackled five significant agenda items, with the most consequential being the adoption of the 2025 Bellingham Comprehensive Plan following extensive work sessions over several months. The plan passed unanimously 7-0 after council added a housing policy on community wealth building solutions. The meeting also featured sobering data on declining Canadian visitation due to political tensions, with Dr. Laurie Trautman reporting a 36% decrease in Canadian vehicles entering Whatcom County year-to-date. Hearing Examiner Sharon Rice provided her annual report with recommendations to streamline public works variances and address fee waiver concerns. The Mayor's Housing Executive Order showed tangible progress with the Talbot Group's Manning apartment project breaking ground, demonstrating how policy changes enable development. The Keep Washington Working Act advisory group requested a four-month extension to complete their policy review work.
**Comprehensive Plan Adoption (AB-24775):** Passed 7-0 after motion to reconsider and amend to include housing policy H-10 on community wealth building solutions including community land trusts and limited equity cooperatives. **Annual Hearing Examiner Report (AB-24773):** Received for information. Rice recommended transferring public works variance decisions from hearing examiner to administrative level and expressed concerns about fee waiver decision-making responsibilities. **Border …
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The comprehensive plan discussion centered on incorporating community wealth-building housing solutions, with staff noting the appendix demonstrates compliance with House Bill 1220 requirements. The Department of Commerce is using Bellingham's approach as a model for other jurisdictions. Border policy impacts dominated early discussion, with Dr. Trautman explaining how tariff threats, political rhetoric, and safety fears have fundamentally altered Canadian perspectives on crossing the border. U…
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**Dr. Laurie Trautman** emphasized that current cross-border decline reflects "breach of trust between two nations" rather than economic factors, predicting sustained impacts similar to post-9/11 patterns.
**Hearing Examiner Sharon Rice** advocated for administrative efficiency by transferring routine public works variances to staff level, while expressing discomfort with fee waiver decision-making due to appearance of fairness concerns.
**Talbot Group representatives Ben Besley and Sto Talbot** credited multifamily tax exe…
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**Dr. Laurie Trautman, on Canadian travel decline:**
"What we're facing now is really about a breach of trust between two nations that were friends and the anger that's associated with that breach of trust and also about fear that is unlikely to sort of abate anytime soon."
**Hearing Examiner Sharon Rice, on public works variances:**
"It would be more efficient, it would use less city time and it would be more cost efficient for developers in the city of Bellyham. If the code were amended to …
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**Comprehensive Plan:** Goes to final adoption at evening council meeting with newly added housing policy H-10. Plan becomes effective immediately upon adoption. **Housing Executive Order:** Mayor hinted at potential future executive order focused on economic development, with conversations ongoing with port and other partners. **Hearing Examiner Recommendations:** Administrative review of public works variance procedures and fee waiver proto…
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The comprehensive plan now includes specific language on community wealth building through land trusts and cooperatives, moving beyond previous general housing affordability language. The housing executive order demonstrated concrete results with the Manning project's groundbreaking, proving policy changes can enable private development. Canadian economic relationships shifted from recovery mod…
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# Committee of the Whole Addresses Housing Crisis, Cross-Border Economy, and Regulatory Reform
On December 8, 2025, the Bellingham City Council's Committee of the Whole convened for a comprehensive 2.5-hour session that tackled some of the most pressing issues facing the region. With all council members present, the meeting featured expert presentations on declining Canadian visitation, regulatory updates from city officials, and detailed progress reports on major policy initiatives affecting housing, economic development, and immigration compliance.
The agenda reflected the interconnected nature of Bellingham's challenges: cross-border economic impacts in an era of strained U.S.-Canada relations, housing production goals that require regulatory innovation, and the ongoing work to ensure the city's compliance with state immigration protection laws. Throughout the afternoon, themes of policy implementation, economic resilience, and community trust emerged as central concerns for council members and city leadership.
## Cross-Border Economic Disruption: A 36% Decline in Canadian Visitors
Dr. Laurie Trautman, director of the Border Policy Research Institute at Western Washington University, delivered a sobering assessment of the region's economic relationship with Canada. Her presentation revealed that Whatcom County has experienced the most severe drop in cross-border travel among major U.S.-Canada border regions, with Canadian vehicle entries down 36% year-to-date through November 2025.
"This situation does not play out evenly across the Canada-U.S. border," Dr. Trautman explained, comparing Whatcom County's decline to the broader 22% decrease in cross-border entries from January to August 2025. "Part of this is our geography. Our cross-border travel is heavily dominated by Canadians because we have such a large population north of the border compared to our relatively rural population in Whatcom County."
The decline began dramatically in February 2025, following initial increases in January that suggested post-COVID recovery was continuing. "We saw dips as high as 50% in March that recovered a little bit in the summer," Dr. Trautman noted. "And over the last few months we seem to have stabilized at around 35 to 40 percent fewer Canadian vehicles for this time compared to last year."
The reasons for the dramatic decline extend beyond traditional economic factors. While the weak Canadian dollar has historically influenced cross-border travel patterns, …
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### Meeting Overview
The City of Bellingham Committee of the Whole met on December 8, 2025, to receive five presentations covering border relations, housing policy, and civic oversight. The session included updates on declining Canadian travel impacts, the hearing examiner's annual report, adoption of the comprehensive plan, progress on housing initiatives, and immigration policy compliance.
### Key Terms and Concepts
**Border Policy Research Institute (BPRI):** A research center at Western Washington University that studies Canada-US border issues and their impacts on the region. Created 20 years ago to produce policy-relevant research on how proximity to Canada influences Whatcom County.
**Multifamily Tax Exemption (MFTE):** A property tax incentive program that provides developers tax relief on residential projects for a specified period (typically 8 years) to encourage housing construction. Recently extended in Bellingham to support affordable housing development.
**Infill Toolkit:** Development tools and zoning flexibility that allow increased density and reduced setbacks in existing neighborhoods to create more housing on underutilized land within city boundaries.
**Keep Washington Working Act (KWW):** State legislation designed to protect immigrant rights and limit local government cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, ensuring Washington remains welcoming to all residents regardless of immigration status.
**General Merchandise Sales:** A retail category that includes stores like Costco, Walmart, and Ross where Canadians traditionally shop during cross-border visits, representing a significant portion of Canadian spending in Bellingham.
**Urban Growth Area (UGA):** Designated areas outside city limits but within the county where future urban development is planned and where cities may eventually annex land for expansion.
**Thickening the Border:** Any factor that increases friction or difficulty in cross-border travel, such as additional security requirements, processing delays, or psychological barriers that discourage border crossings.
**Housing Executive Order 2024-02:** Mayor Lund's comprehensive policy directive aimed at removing barriers to housing development through administrative reforms, streamlined processes, and regulatory flexibility.
### Key People at This Meeting
| Name | Role / Affiliation |
|---|---|
| Dr. Laurie Troutman | Director, Border Policy Research Institute, Western Washington University |
| Sharon Rice | Hearing Examiner, City of Bellingham |
| Chris Behe | Planning Manager, City of Bellingham |
| Director Lyon | Community Development Director, City of Bellingham |
| Ben Besley | Representative, Talbot Group |
| Sto Talbot | Principal Owner/Developer, Talbot Group |
| Sean Steinmac | Excel Pacific, General Contractor |
| Rose Lathrop | Executive Director, Kulshan Community Land Trust |
| Aiman Bollinger | Member, Keep Washington Working Act Advisory Gro…
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