Real Briefings
City Council Committee of the Whole
The October 20 Committee of the Whole meeting featured two major agenda items: budget work sessions for IT Services and the Library, followed by review of the final four chapters of the Bellingham Plan comprehensive plan update. The IT Department presented a $13.1 million budget focused on core infrastructure maintenance while eliminating three positions due to budget constraints. The Library outlined a $10.4 million budget that includes $2 million in REET funding for central library renovation but requires closing on Sundays and cutting four staff positions. In the afternoon, planning staff presented the climate, environment, economic development, and community wellbeing chapters of the comprehensive plan. Council members engaged in substantive discussion about economic development partnerships with British Columbia, regional employment studies, and workforce housing challenges. The session concluded with unanimous approval of a new transportation policy to monitor progress toward 2045 mode shift goals.
**Motion Adopted 7-0:** Added new transportation policy: "Regularly monitor and evaluate progress toward the 2045 Mode Shift Goals to inform programs, policies, and projects." **Budget Presentations Received (No formal votes):** - IT Services Department: $13.1 million 2026 budget approved for presentation to full council - B…
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**IT Budget Challenges:** Don Burdick explained the department's shift from growth mode to maintenance, eliminating Chief Information Security Officer, Project Manager/Database Administrator, and network consultant positions. The department faces rising software costs ($1.6M to $2.8M since 2022) due to vendor price increases and moves to subscription models. Major projects include Workday HR system implementation ($1.3M) and Microsoft Teams phone system conversion.
**Library Service Reductions:** Rebecca Judd outlined necessary service cuts including Sunday closures (4 hours weekly), elimination of 3.25 FTE positions, and 13% reduction in materials budget ($90,000). Despite cuts, the library maintains strong usage with 1.4 million items circul…
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**Council Member Lisa Anderson** advocated for stronger policy language recognizing partnerships with British Columbia, noting tourism and retail impacts from current political climate.
**Council Member Daniel Hammill** supported BC partnerships and sought clarity on higher education engagement strategies and infrastructure planning timelines.
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**Don Burdick, ITSD Director, on software cost increases:**
"Since 2022, our costs for that have gone from 1.6 million to 2.8 million. Whenever we do a software contract renewal, which usually happens every 3 to 5 years, we usually have double-digit percentage increase in our costs for the software."
**Rebecca Judd, Library Director, on usage statistics:**
"On average, one in four Bellingham residents, and that's all ages, so that's children and adults, have used their Bellingham Public Libra…
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**November 3, 2025:** Public hearing on Bellingham Plan chapters **November 10, 2025:** Optional work session on comprehensive plan **November 17, 2025:** First and second readings of adoption ordinance **December 8, 2025:** Third and final reading of comprehensive plan adoption **Library renovation timeline:** Design com…
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**Comprehensive Plan Progress:** Council completed review of all 10 chapters, with only public hearing and adoption remaining before state-mandated December 31, 2025 deadline.
**Transportation Policy Added:** New monitoring policy for mode shift goals provides framework for tracking multimodal transportation progress.
**Budget Direction Set:** Both IT and Library departments received guidance on 2026 budget prioriti…
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## Meeting Overview
On October 20, 2025, the Bellingham City Council convened their Committee of the Whole meeting in a two-part session — a morning budget work session in the Mayor's Boardroom, followed by an afternoon comprehensive plan review in the Council Chambers. The meeting showcased the city's systematic approach to budget planning and long-term growth management, with detailed presentations on Information Technology Services and the public library's financial needs, followed by the final chapters of the Bellingham Plan update.
The seven-member council — led by Council President Hollie Huthman and including Hannah Stone, Daniel Hammill, Skip Williams, Lisa Anderson, Michael Lilliquist, and Jace Cotton — engaged in substantive discussions about the city's 2026 proposed budget totaling $543 million and the comprehensive plan that will guide development through 2045. The morning session revealed both the technological backbone that keeps the city running and the careful stewardship of public library services during budget constraints, while the afternoon focused on climate adaptation, environmental protection, economic development, and community wellbeing initiatives.
## IT Services: Navigating Technology Challenges in Tight Budget Times
The Information Technology Services Department's presentation revealed a complex balancing act of maintaining critical city operations while facing shrinking revenue streams and growing software costs. IT Director Don Burdick outlined a $13.1 million budget that includes 33 full-time employees managing everything from the city's phone systems to cybersecurity infrastructure.
Burdick explained that BTV services revenue from Comcast has been "shrinking over the years as fewer and more people cut the cord," forcing the department to move BTV staff into the IT services budget to shore up operations. The department now allocates about 60% of staff costs back to BTV services but can't cover all costs through that declining revenue stream. "We've found that it's even declining even more," Burdick noted.
The department faces what Burdick characterized as software costs that "actually, to a certain extent, hold us hostage in terms of the increases." Since 2022, software maintenance and subscription costs have jumped from $1.6 million to $2.8 million. "Whenever we do a s…
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### Meeting Overview
The Committee of the Whole met to discuss budget presentations from Information Technology Services and Bellingham Public Library, and to review the final four chapters of the Bellingham Plan (the city's comprehensive plan update due by end of year).
### Key Terms and Concepts
**Committee of the Whole:** City council meeting format where all council members participate in detailed discussions and information gathering before formal votes.
**Comprehensive Plan (Bellingham Plan):** Required 20-year city planning document that guides growth, development, and municipal priorities, updated every 10 years per state law.
**Budget Work Session:** Meetings where department heads present detailed budget proposals to council for review and questions before final budget adoption.
**ITSD Services:** Information Technology Services Department that manages the city's technology infrastructure, software, and digital systems.
**BTV Services:** Bellingham Television services funded by cable franchise fees from Comcast, experiencing declining revenue as more people "cut the cord."
**REET Funding:** Real Estate Excise Tax funding used for capital improvements, particularly the library renovation project.
**Urban Villages:** Compact, walkable areas with mixed residential and commercial uses that serve as focal points for sustainable growth.
**Climate Element:** New state-required chapter in comprehensive plans addressing both climate mitigation (reducing emissions) and adaptation (preparing for climate impacts).
### Key People at This Meeting
| Name | Role / Affiliation |
|---|---|
| Hollie Huthman | Council President, Committee Chair |
| Don Burdick | ITSD Director |
| Rebecca Judd | Library Director |
| Blake Lyon | Planning & Community Development Director |
| Anya Gedrath | Planner II |
| Sydney Prusak | Planner II |
| Forrest Longman | Deputy Administrator |
### Background Context
The city is in the middle of its 2026 budget development process, requiring detailed department presentations to council…
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