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Committee of the Whole

BEL-CTW-2025-01-27 January 27, 2025 Committee of the Whole City of Bellingham
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City Council's Committee of the Whole received a comprehensive update on the Bellingham Plan, the city's comprehensive plan update covering the next 20 years. After 18 months of community engagement, staff are developing a draft plan incorporating new state requirements and community priorities. The plan proposes accommodating 30,310 new residents and 18,390 housing units by 2045, representing a significant increase over historical averages to address the housing crisis. Council restructured its standing committee system, dissolving the Climate Action Committee and creating a new Finance and Budget Committee to address the city's structural budget deficit. Council Member Anderson will chair the new finance committee, with Council Members Hammill and Lilliquist as members. Climate work will be distributed across other committees. Council also reorganized board and commission assignments, leaving some positions vacant while establishing clearer guidelines for future appointments. The meeting concluded with Council authorizing a letter supporting rent stabilization legislation in Olympia, continuing advocacy efforts from previous years.

**AB 24425 - Council Standing Committee Structure** passed 7-0: Dissolved Climate Action Committee and created Finance and Budget Committee with Anderson as chair, Hammill and Lilliquist as members. **AB 24426 - Board and Commission Assignments** - Two motions passed 7-0: - Council Member Stone appointed to Downtown Bellingham Partnership and Sustainable Connections - Airport Advisory Committee…

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**Comprehensive Plan Update**: The Bellingham Plan represents the most significant planning update in a decade, proposing to accommodate 53% of countywide growth versus Bellingham's historic 42.4% share. The plan includes three new chapters (Climate, Community Well-Being, and Civic Practices) and updates eight existing chapters. Key considerations include potential UGA boundary changes, transit-oriented development opportunities, and infrastructure investment requirements. **Housing Growth Strategy**: The preliminary proposal assumes 835 new housing units per year, a 37% increase from the 610 units averaged between 2000-2024. About 60% should be affordable to househol…
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**Chris Behee** (Planning & Community Development): Emphasized the plan's alignment with recent growth trends and urgent housing needs. Highlighted extensive community engagement with nearly 1,000 participants in 14 open houses and 9,000 survey responses. **Mayor Lund**: Expressed gratitude for council flexibility in committee restructuring and reaffirmed administration commitment to climate action despite committee dissolution. **C…
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**Chris Behee, on community engagement:** "It was rare to have an event where we didn't see several of you at the events, you know, helping us have conversations with community members, being involved in table conversations, providing your own feedback." **Council Member Anderson, on housing needs:** "Every neighborhood needs to do its part to provide housing choices for everyone." **Council Member Lilliquist, on rent stabilization urgency:** "With 54% of our community being renters and how …
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**February 2025**: Draft Bellingham Plan released for public comment; Planning Commission review begins February 20 **February 10, 2025**: Parks and Recreation Department will present their goal and policy chapter to Council **March-May 2025**: Planning Commission discussions on plan chapters in four thematic packages **July…

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**Committee Structure**: Climate Action Committee officially dissolved; Finance and Budget Committee established with specific membership **Board Assignments**: Two positions left vacant (Airport Advisory, Port Marina Advisory); Council Member Stone added to two boards **Growth Planning**: Preliminary growth…
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--- # Charting Bellingham's Future: A Deep Dive Into Housing, Growth, and Governance The Bellingham City Council convened for their Committee of the Whole meeting on January 27, 2025, with all seven members present — Council Member Hannah Stone participating remotely. What unfolded was an afternoon of substantive discussion that touched on some of the most fundamental questions facing the city: How will Bellingham grow over the next twenty years? How should the council organize itself to tackle a looming budget crisis? And what role should elected officials play in representing the community? ## The Bellingham Plan: A Once-in-a-Decade Vision The centerpiece of the meeting was a comprehensive update on the Bellingham Plan, the city's once-a-decade comprehensive plan revision. Chris Behee, Long Range Division Manager from Planning and Community Development, walked the council through 18 months of intensive community engagement that has shaped a vision for Bellingham's next twenty years. The numbers are striking. Since launching in mid-2023, the planning process has generated remarkable community participation: 14 open house events drawing nearly 1,000 participants, three different surveys collecting almost 9,000 total responses, and nearly 10,000 visits to the city's online engagement platform. The city made particular efforts to reach typically underheard voices, collaborating with Vamos for a Spanish-speaking event at Shuksan Middle School and conducting outreach to college students at Western Washington University. "It was rare to have an event where we didn't see several of you at the events," Behee told the council, acknowledging their active participation in community conversations throughout the process. The emerging plan groups its 11 …
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### Meeting Overview The Bellingham City Council's Committee of the Whole met on January 27, 2025, for 1 hour and 49 minutes to discuss the city's comprehensive plan update, restructure council committees, and address council assignments to various boards and commissions. ### Key Terms and Concepts **Comprehensive Plan:** A long-term planning document that guides a city's development over 20 years, addressing land use, housing, transportation, and other community priorities. **Urban Growth Area (UGA):** Designated areas where urban development is encouraged and where cities can expand their boundaries to accommodate future growth. **Middle Housing:** Housing types between single-family homes and large apartment buildings, such as duplexes, townhomes, and small apartment buildings. **Transit-Oriented Development (TOD):** Development designed around transit stations to encourage use of public transportation and create walkable communities. **Environmental Impact Statement (EIS):** A document analyzing potential environmental effects of proposed development alternatives. **Urban Villages:** Designated areas within the city that are planned for higher-density, mixed-use development with walkable amenities. **Growth Management Act:** Washington State law requiring cities and counties to plan for population growth while protecting natural resources and farmland. ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Hollie Huthman | Council President, Committee Chair | | Hannah Stone | Council Member, First Ward (attended virtually) | | Daniel Hammill | Council Member, Third Ward | | Edwin H. "Skip" Williams | Council Member, Fourth Ward | | Lisa Anderson | Council Member, Fifth Ward | | Michael Lilliquist | Council Member, Sixth Ward | | Jace Cotton | Council Member, At-Large | | Chris Behee | Planning & Community Development Long Range Division Manager | | Blake Lyon | Planning & Community Development Director | | Kim Lund | Mayor | ### Background Context Bellingham is updating its comprehensive plan for the first time in a decade, a process required b…
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Land Use & Planning Government Operations Budget & Finance HB 1110 HB 1181 Airport Advisory Committee Bellingham City Council Climate Action Committee Committee Of The Whole Downtown Bellingham Partnership Finance Budget Committee Planning Commission Sustainable Connections Whatcom County Whatcom Transportation Authority Blake Lyon Chris Behee Daniel Hammill Edwin Williams Hannah Stone Hollie Huthman Jace Cotton Kim Lund Lisa Anderson Michael Lilliquist Affordable Housing Budget Finance Climate Action Comprehensive Plan Governance Administration Housing Policy Infill Development Land Use Policy Middle Housing Rent Stabilization Transportation Policy Urban Growth Area