Bellingham City Council Public Works and Natural Resources Committee

The 911 center project represents the culmination of extensive collaborative planning between public works, facilities staff, police department, and WCOG. Public Works Director Joel Font emphasized the project's significance for emergency communications staff who have long deserved modern facilities. The complex construction timeline—over a year from start to finish—reflects the critical need to maintain uninterrupted 911 operations throughout construction, requiring careful coordination around existing infrastructure and a phased approach where the new building becomes operational before the old one is demolished. The commute trip reduction discussion revealed the evolving landscape of state transportation policy. After operating under regional CTR plans since 2007…

**Committee Members:** All three members expressed strong support for the 911 center project, with Anderson noting staff "very well deserve a modern building" and Cotton eager to "get this going as soon as possible." Both Anderson and Cotton asked practical questions about construction timeline and site planning, showing engagement with implementation details. **Public Works Staff:** Font and Rothkar emphasized the collaborative nature of the 911 project and the complexity of maintaining operatio…

**Joel Font, on the 911 center project:** "This project has been a long time in coming. It's been a very collaborative effort between public works and our facilities team um the Wattcom and um police department team and um and we were also successful in getting some outside grant money from the state legislature to help fund this project." **Lisa Anderson, on emergency communications staff:** "I know the staff must be ecstatic because um they very well deserve a um modern building." **Jace …

The city moved from planning to construction phase for the critical 911 center replacement project, with a contractor selected and timeline established. Bellingham transitioned from operating under regional CTR plans to having its own municipal plan and code framework, bringing the city into full compliance with evolving state require…

### Meeting Overview The Bellingham City Council's Public Works and Natural Resources Committee met on February 9, 2026, chaired by Council Member Michael Lilliquist with members Lisa Anderson and Jace Cotton. The committee addressed three items: a major construction contract for a new 911 Emergency Communications Center, adoption of a four-year Commute Trip Reduction plan, and an interlocal agreement with WCOG for transportation program administration. ### Key Terms and Concepts **Commute Trip Reduction (CTR):** A state-mandated program requiring jurisdictions and large employers to encourage employees to use alternatives to single-occupancy vehicles for commuting. Required under Washington state law since 1991 as part of the Clean Air Act compliance. **Affected Employers:** Companies with 100 or more full-time employees arriving to work between 6:00 AM and 9:00 PM. These employers must participate in CTR programs and designate an Employee Transportation Coordinator (ETC). **Drive Alone Rate:** The percentage of employees who commute to work by driving alone in single-occupancy vehicles. The committee amended Bellingham's target from 64% to 57% to align with the city's comprehensive plan goals. **WCOG (Whatcom Council of Governments):** The regional planning organization that administers the Smart Trips program, which helps employers comply with state CTR requirements through trip logging, incentives, and alternative transportation education. **Smart Trips Program:** WCOG's comprehensive transportation demand management program that goes beyond state CTR requirements, offering online trip diaries, incentives, emergency rides home, and community outreach. **Interlocal Agreement:** A contract between government agencies that allows them to share services or responsibilities. In this case, it designates WCOG as the lead agency for implementing Bellingham's CTR obligations. **Employee Transportation Coordinator (ETC):** A person designated by affected employers to manage their CTR compliance, including educating employees about alternative commute options and maintaining required records. **Whatcom 911 Emergency Communications Center:** The facility that handles emergency calls for the region. The aging building is being replaced with a new $12.7 million facility that will be operational by summer 2027. ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Michael Lilliquist | Committee Chair, Bellingham City Council | | Lisa Anderson | Committee Member, Bellingham City Council | | Jace Cotton | Committee Member, Bellingham City Council | | Joel Font | Public Works Director, City of Bellingham | | Carol Rothkar | Public Works Staff, City of Bellingham | | Tim Homeman | City Staff (department not specified) | | Dylan Casper | Transportation Planner, City of Bellingham | ### Background Context The meeting addressed two major infrastructure and policy initiatives refl…