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Public Works and Natural Resources Committee

BEL-PWN-2025-02-24 February 24, 2025 Public Works Committee City of Bellingham 16 min
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The Bellingham City Council's Public Works and Natural Resources Committee advanced four significant items on February 24, 2025, including a major fish habitat restoration grant and infrastructure contracts. The committee unanimously approved a $1.84 million federal grant through the Washington State Department of Transportation for the Squalicum Creek Estuary Restoration project design phase, which addresses three critical fish passage barriers blocking access to over 40 miles of upstream habitat. The committee also approved a three-year, $335,000 contract for indefinite delivery fence installation and repair services citywide, and formally adopted the city's 10-Year Fiber Network Comprehensive Plan focused on improving redundancy and reliability for municipal services. Additionally, staff provided an update on the ongoing nutrient reduction evaluation at the Post Point wastewater treatment plant, required under state environmental permits. All action items received unanimous 3-0 approval and will advance to the full City Council for final consideration. The meeting demonstrated continued focus on environmental restoration, infrastructure maintenance, and long-term strategic planning for essential city services.

**AB 24444 - Squalicum Creek Estuary Restoration Grant (PASSED 3-0)** The committee approved accepting a $1.84 million WSDOT Local Agency Agreement for design phase work addressing three fish passage barriers at Squalicum Creek's mouth. The project requires a 20% match ($460,000) comprised of Department of Ecology grants ($300,000), Port of Bellingham contribution ($80,000), and City of Bellingham funds ($80,000). Total design cost is $2.3 million, with the city serving as lead agency for the multi-jurisdictional effort. **AB 24445 - IDIQ Fence Installation Contract (PASSED 3-0)** The committee awarded a three-year, not-to-exceed $335,000 contract to Discount Fence for on-call fence installation and repair services. The indefinite delivery contract allows efficient procurement through individual work orders as needs ari…

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**Environmental Restoration Collaboration** The Squalicum Creek project represents a complex multi-jurisdictional restoration effort involving the City of Bellingham, Port of Bellingham, and Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad. The three fish passage barriers are owned by different entities but must be addressed collectively due to their proximity. Staff emphasized this addresses the highest priority fish barrier in regional assessments, with potential benefits for salmon recovery and flood resilience. The project also exemplifies climate adaptation planning, incorporating sea level rise projections and enhanced flood conveyance capacity. **Municipal Fiber Strategy Evolution** The fiber network plan represents a strategic pivot from earlier broadband expansion aspirations to focused infrastructure maintenance and enhancement. Following extensiv…
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**Council Member Anderson** expressed support for all agenda items while raising concerns about federal funding stability given current political dynamics in Washington D.C. She particularly emphasized the economic benefits of the Squalicum Creek project for flood mitigation and the value of IDIQ contracts for operational efficiency. Anderson also advocated for continuing digital equity work through potential future broadband advisory group reconvening. **Council Member Cotton** sought clarification on procedural matters regarding the fiber plan resolution and its relationship to previously tabled motions from the …
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**Analiese Burns, on the Squalicum Creek restoration scope:** "This is not only well, I'll start with this is a phased project. So it's a complicated project. It's going to take some time. We want to make sure that we're addressing as many needs as we can in this region." **Council Member Anderson, on federal funding concerns:** "My only concern is spending money before we have the money. Given the way that things are going politically in D.C." **Joel Pfundt, on fiber network conclu…
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**Immediate Actions (February 2025):** - Full City Council consideration of all committee recommendations on February 24 evening meeting - Burlington Northern Santa Fe preliminary engineering agreement execution (no council approval required) - Contract solicitation for Squalicum Creek design services **Spring 2025:** - Department of Ecology grant agreement approval for $300,000 Squalicum Creek match funding - Feasibility and alternatives analysis commencement for estuary restoration - Water Resource Advisory Board presentation on Post Point financi…

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**Financial Commitments Secured:** The city secured $1.84 million in federal funding for Squalicum Creek design work, with total project value of $2.3 million including required matching funds. This represents the largest single environmental restoration grant acceptance in recent committee history. **Operational Contract Authority:** Public Works gained three-year authority for on-call fence installation and repair services up to $335,000, replacing previous project-by-project contracting approaches that required individual council approvals. **Strategic Framework Adopted:** The city officially adopted its first comprehensive fiber network plan, e…
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# City of Bellingham Public Works Committee Tackles Major Infrastructure Projects On a rain-soaked Monday morning in February, the Bellingham City Council's Public Works and Natural Resources Committee convened to tackle some of the city's most pressing infrastructure challenges. Committee Chair Hannah Stone presided over a meeting that would see nearly $2.2 million in new funding commitments and lay the groundwork for millions more in future investments. The three committee members—Stone, Lisa Anderson, and Jace Cotton—worked through an agenda heavy with environmental restoration, municipal maintenance contracts, and long-term infrastructure planning. What emerged was a portrait of a city grappling with the dual challenges of maintaining aging systems while adapting to climate change and federal funding uncertainties. ## The $1.8 Million Fish Passage Victory The committee's most significant action was approving a massive federal grant for the Squalicum Creek Estuary Restoration Project. The $1.84 million award from the Washington State Department of Transportation represents a major win for one of the region's most complex environmental challenges. Analiese Burns, the city's Habitat and Restoration Manager, walked the committee through a project that reads like a textbook case of modern infrastructure complexity. Three fish passage barriers at the mouth of Squalicum Creek—owned by three different entities—have been blocking salmon access to more than 40 miles of upstream habitat for decades. "We've lost 90% of our near-shore and estuarine habitat since the late 1800s," Burns explained, setting the environmental stakes. "This is Squalicum Creek as it meets Bellingham Bay. And here we have fish blocked by three crossings." The barriers include the city-owned Roeder Avenue culvert, a Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad culvert, and a Port of Bellingham bridge. Their proximity means they must be designed and constructed together—a coordinatio…
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### Meeting Overview The Public Works and Natural Resources Committee met on Monday, February 24th, 2025, with Chair Hannah Stone and committee members Lisa Anderson and Jace Cotton. The committee addressed major infrastructure projects including fish passage restoration, fiber network planning, and wastewater treatment planning. ### Key Terms and Concepts **Fish Passage Barriers:** Physical obstructions like culverts and bridges that prevent fish from swimming upstream to spawning grounds, blocking access to over 40 miles of habitat in the Squalicum Creek watershed. **IDIQ Contract:** Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity contract - an on-call agreement that allows the City to issue work orders for projects as needed rather than bidding each small job separately. **Fiber Network Redundancy:** Having multiple pathways for data transmission so that if one route fails, others can maintain service continuity for critical city operations like emergency services. **Nutrient Reduction Evaluation (NRE):** A required study to determine how the Post Point treatment plant can remove more nitrogen from wastewater before discharging it into Bellingham Bay. **AKART:** All Known, Available and Reasonable Treatment - a regulatory standard allowing cities to define what's reasonable for nitrogen removal based on affordability, site constraints, and proven technology. ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Hannah Stone | Committee Chair, City Council | | Lisa Anderson | Committee Member, City Council | | Jace Cotton | Committee Member, City Council | | Joel Pfundt | Interim Public Works Co-Director | | Mike Olinger | Interim Public Works Co-Director | | Analiese Burns | Habitat & Restoration Manager | | John Gavin | Fiber Optic Network Engine…
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Environmental Transportation & Infrastructure Budget & Finance Government Operations AB 24433 AB 24444 AB 24445 AB 24446 Burlington Northern Santa Fe Carollo Engineers Department Of Ecology Discount Fence Port Of Bellingham Uptown Consulting Wsdot Analiese Burns Hannah Stone Jace Cotton Joel Pfundt John Gaven Lisa Anderson Mike Olinger Tadd Giesbrecht Climate Action Environmental Restoration Fiber Network Fish Passage Flood Mitigation Grant Funding Infrastructure Investment Multi Jurisdictional Municipal Services Water Treatment