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Mayor's Neighborhood Advisory Commission (MNAC)

BEL-MNA-2025-04-16 April 16, 2025 Committee Meeting City of Bellingham
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The Mayor's Neighborhood Advisory Commission met for their regular monthly roundtable, with the mayor leading off with significant city announcements before neighborhood representatives shared updates from across Bellingham. The meeting's most substantial news was the city's successful capture of a $1.7 million grant from the Northwest Clean Air Agency for a community solar array project—the top-scoring application among 20 regional submissions that will generate power equivalent to 100 homes and produce an estimated $70,000 annually for a local climate impact fund. The mayor also provided updates on World Cup fan zone planning, legislative session challenges including potential loss of funding for corn mill and RG Haley site cleanup, and the city's concerning budget position. Three budget ordinances are pushing the city's general fund reserves down to their emergency reserve floor, triggering mandatory spending reduction and reserve-building requirements. The situation could worsen significantly if federal funding cuts materialize, with potential losses of Medicaid funding equivalent to 32 fire department FTEs. Neighborhood reports revealed a community actively engaged in spring planning, with multiple Earth Day events, plant sales, garden tours, and summer festival preparations underway. Several neighborhoods are experiencing leadership transitions and recruitment challenges, while others are collaborating on infrastructure improvements and policy advocacy. The meeting demonstrated the commission's role as both an information-sharing venue and early warning system for community concerns, from pedestrian safety issues to housing development impacts. The mayor's transparency about the city's fiscal challenges and federal funding uncertainties provided important context for neighborhoods planning their own budgets and grant applications, while the solar array announcement offered a positive counterpoint about successful regional collaboration on climate initiative

No formal votes were taken at this informational roundtable meeting. Key informational items included: - **Solar Array Grant Award:** City received full $1.7 million funding from Northwest Clean Air Agency for community solar array project, with site analysis currently underway - **Budget Position Update:** City facing additional $1.8 million reduction in general fu…

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**Municipal Budget Crisis:** The mayor provided detailed explanation of the city's deteriorating fiscal position, with general fund reserves falling to the policy-mandated emergency floor due to budget reappropriations, contract adjustments, and corrections. This triggers mandatory spending reductions and reserve rebuilding. The situation faces additional pressure from potential federal funding cuts, particularly Medicaid funding that could eliminate the equivalent of 32 fire department positions. Each department has been asked to identify additional 3% budget reductions, with the mayor noting that "easy cuts" were already taken in the 2025 budget process and remaining options are increasingly difficult. **Post Point Compliance:** The mayor addressed community concerns about the waste treatment facility's compliance with Northwest Clean Air Agency standards. The city is implementing new emissions reduction systems to move from "Triple L to Quad L" regulatory standards, improving controls on heavy metals and other pollutants. She directly addressed advocacy for hauling waste to eastern Washington landfills, noting…
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**Mayor's Office:** Demonstrated transparency about fiscal challenges while highlighting successful grant capture. Emphasized compliance-focused approach to both waste management and immigration law. Expressed urgency about state funding needs while maintaining optimistic tone about community partnerships and World Cup planning opportunities. **Neighborhood Representatives:** Showed active engagement in spring planning and events, with multiple Earth Day celebrations, plant sales, and community gatherings planned. Several neighborhoods reported leadership transitions and recruitment needs. Common themes included infrastructure concerns (s…
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**Mayor, on the solar array grant:** "Out of 20 nonprofits... our grant was the top scoring. It was the panel's recommendation that we received full funding, and so we received 1.7 million dollars for a significant solar array." **Mayor, on the budget crisis:** "We're at this point where there isn't a lot of fat left on the bone. The easy cuts we took a 6% reduction for the 2025 budget. So the low hanging fruit, the easy opportunities have been realized. So we're at this point where it's gett…
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**Immediate Deadlines:** - Saturday, April 19: Little Squalicum Pier grand opening at 3 PM - Saturday, April 19: Multiple neighborhood Earth Day events (Sunnyland, Cordova game day) - Legislative session conclusion with corn mill/RG Haley funding decision pending **Upcoming Events:** - May 4: Columbia neighborhood share shack grand reopening - May 7: City Center neighborhood meeting at Boundary Bay, 5:30-7 PM - May 10: Potential Lettered Streets Log Museum tour - May 14: Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month celebration, 6 PM at Whatcom Community College - May meeting: Comprehensive Plan presentation by planning staff **Summe…

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**City Financial Position:** Budget reserves dropped to emergency floor level, triggering mandatory spending reductions and reserve rebuilding requirements for the first time in recent years. This represents a significant constraint on city operations and capital investments. **Solar Infrastructure:** City gained major renewable energy capacity funding, moving from site analysis to actual array construction phase. This creates both immediate construction activity and long-term revenue stream for climate initiatives. **Immigration Compliance:** Formal community oversight structure established for federal immigration enforcement interactions, providing transparency mechanism that did not previously exist. **World Cup…
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## Meeting Overview The Mayor's Neighborhood Advisory Commission (MNAC) convened on April 16, 2025, bringing together neighborhood representatives from across Bellingham for their monthly roundtable discussion. The meeting was held both in-person and via Zoom, with Mayor Kim Lund facilitating alongside city staff. This gathering serves as a vital communication channel between the mayor's office and neighborhood associations throughout the city, allowing for the sharing of city updates, neighborhood news, and community concerns. The session opened with significant news from the mayor about a major grant award and moved through updates from more than a dozen neighborhood representatives, each sharing developments ranging from community events and infrastructure projects to organizational challenges and volunteer opportunities. The atmosphere was collegial and informative, reflecting the collaborative spirit that characterizes these monthly exchanges between city leadership and grassroots community organizations. ## Mayor's Office Updates: Solar Success and Federal Uncertainties Mayor Lund began with exciting news about a substantial grant victory. "I'm delighted to say, have been awarded 1.7 million dollars from the Northwest Clean Air Agency," she announced. The funding represents the top-scoring proposal among 20 applications from nonprofits, public schools, and government entities across Skagit, Island, San Juan, and Whatcom counties. The grant originated from the largest fine ever levied by the Northwest Clean Air Agency against a corporation at Cherry Point. Rather than simply absorbing the penalty into general reserves, the agency created a climate-focused grant opportunity. The city's winning proposal focuses on a community solar array project that would offset the power needs of approximately 100 homes. "It will also generate additional monies from our contributions to the grid that we estimate will be around 70,000 annually, and we'll put that into a local climate impact fund to pay it forward for other climate work in the city," Lund explained. The solar project builds on previous state Commerce Department funding that supported site analysis across city properties. While that earlier grant identified potential locations, it didn't provide construction funding. "It kind of felt like, but we will know where to put it, and we get the opportunity for the money for the array. But we didn't know a pathway for the array itself," Lund said. The Nort…
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## Meeting Overview The Mayor's Neighborhood Advisory Commission met on April 16, 2025, bringing together neighborhood representatives from across Bellingham to share updates and coordinate community activities. The meeting focused on neighborhood events, infrastructure projects, and community engagement opportunities. ## Key Terms and Concepts **Mayor's Neighborhood Advisory Commission (MNAC):** A group of neighborhood representatives who meet regularly with the mayor to share information about local issues, events, and opportunities for community connection. **Fan Zone:** A designated area where the city will host World Cup viewing events and activities. Bellingham was selected as an official fan zone site for the global tournament. **Northwest Clean Air Agency:** The regional regulatory body with delegated authority from the EPA that enforces clean air standards and issued the $1.7 million grant to Bellingham for solar arrays. **Keep Washington Working Act:** A Washington state law that limits local law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration authorities. The city has convened a community group to ensure transparency in compliance. **Post Point:** The city's wastewater treatment facility that requires emissions reduction improvements to meet Northwest Clean Air Agency compliance standards. **Community Solar Array:** A large-scale solar installation that generates electricity for the grid, with this project expected to offset power needs for 100 homes and generate approximately $70,000 annually. **General Fund Reserves:** The city's emergency savings account, which has been reduced to the mandatory floor level, triggering required spending reductions and reserve rebuilding efforts. **Quiet Crossings:** Railroad crossing modifications that reduce or eliminate train horn requirements, with implementations planned along the waterfront corridor. ## Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Mayor (not named) | Bellingham Mayor | | Janice Keller | City Staff | | Alex | Happy Valley Neighborhood | | Michael | South Hill Neighborhood | | Lindsay | City Center (Downtown Partnership) | | Jasmine | Cordata Neighborhood | | Robin Thomas | See Home Neighborhood | | Louise Bjornson | Birchwood Neighborhood | | Steve Wilson | South Neighborhood | | Bill | What's New Place Neighborhood | | Chelsea Bodemer | Barkley Neighborhood | | Greg Hope | Columbia Neighborhood | | Barbara June | Samish Neighborhood | | Elan Engel | York Neighborhood (alternate for Colin) | | Annie Sorich | Sunnyland Neighborhood | | Carolyn Whipple | Cornwall Neighborhood | | Chris R…
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Budget & Finance Environmental Government Operations City Bellingham Downtown Partnership Lighthouse Mission Northwest Clean Air Agency Port Bellingham Western Washington University Whatcom County Whatcom County Tourism Alex Happy Valley Annie Sunnyland Bree Lettered Streets Chris Roselli Greg Columbia Janice Keller Jasmine Cordova Kerri Silver Beach Lindsay City Center Louise Birnam Wood Mary Lou Birchwood Mayor Bellingham Michael South Hill Stella Keating Budget Finance Climate Action Community Engagement Emergency Management Housing Development Immigration Policy Infrastructure Investment Municipal Operations Neighborhood Planning Parks Recreation Solar Energy Transportation Policy Waste Management World Cup Planning