Public Works and Natural Resources Committee

**Mitigation Bank Credit Allocation Priorities** The discussion revealed tension between maximizing revenue for the bank versus reserving credits for city projects. Council Member Anderson expressed concern about ensuring adequate credits are set aside for anticipated city infrastructure projects over the next 7-10 years. Staff explained they've conducted analysis but want flexibility to potentially prioritize revenue-generating sales to outside entities over city projects if alternative mitigation options are available for city work. The ordinance includes "city project needs" as one of four operating principles, but doesn't guarantee credit reservation. **Mitigation Bank Pricing Structure** Council explored whether credits sold outside the designated service area should carry premium pricing. While staff acknowledged discussing tiered pricing, they ultimately recommended a single price structure for transpa…

**City Staff Position:** - Supports both ordinances as representing years of collaborative work - Emphasizes flexibility in mitigation bank operations to balance revenue generation with city needs - Advocates for single pricing structure to maintain market transparency - Confident in mitigation bank timeline and federal approval process despite potential government changes **Council Position:** - Unanimous support for both measures - Concerns about ensuring a…

**Analiese Burns, on mitigation bank timeline:** "We feel very confident that we're we will be approved. We've had an excellent consulting team and city staff who've been working with very closely with both the Washington State Department of Ecology and the US Army Corps of Engineers to review every single technical document." **Council Member Anderson, on credit availability:** "I would want to make sure that that amount has been set aside until we can see on the horizon another mitigation b…

The city now has formal legal frameworks for two major environmental protection initiatives. The mitigation bank ordinance creates the operational structure needed to begin selling wetland and stream credits once federal approvals are complete, representing a shift from traditional permittee-responsible mitigation to a consolidated bank system. The invasive mussel response plan establishes the first site-specific rapid response protocol in Washington State, moving fr…

### Meeting Overview The Bellingham City Council's Public Works and Natural Resources Committee met on October 20, 2025, to consider two major environmental protection ordinances: an ordinance establishing the framework for operating the Bellingham Mitigation Bank and a joint resolution adopting an emergency response plan for invasive freshwater mussels in Lake Whatcom. Both measures passed unanimously. ### Key Terms and Concepts **Mitigation Bank:** A site where wetlands and streams are restored, enhanced, or preserved to generate credits that can offset permitted environmental impacts from development projects, providing an alternative to small-scale, often unsuccessful individual mitigation efforts. **Credit Pricing Committee:** The three-person committee (Public Works Director, Finance Director, and Mayor or their designees) responsible for establishing and updating the prices for mitigation bank credits based on operating costs, market rates, and return on investment. **Service Area:** The designated geographic region (nine watersheds within Water Resource Inventory Area 1) where environmental impacts can be mitigated using credits from the Bellingham Mitigation Bank. **Invasive Freshwater Mussels:** Quagga, zebra, and golden mussels that can contaminate drinking water supplies, clog water infrastructure, outcompete native species, and cause severe ecological and economic damage if they establish in Lake Whatcom. **Incident Command System (ICS):** A standardized emergency response framework that would be activated by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to coordinate multi-agency response efforts if invasive mussels are detected. **Range Delimitation:** The rapid sampling and surveying process to determine the extent and location of an invasive mussel detection within Lake Whatcom to inform response decisions. **Multi-Agency Coordination (MAC) Group:** A policy-level body of elected and appointed officials from over 30 potential entities that would provide strategic guidance and resource allocation for invasive mussel response efforts. ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Hannah Stone | Committee Chair, First Ward Council Member | | Lisa Anderson | Committee Member, Fifth Ward Council Member | | Jace Cotton | Committee Member, At-Large Council Member | | Analiese Burns | Acting Public Works Assistant Director for Natural Resources | | Joel Pfundt | Public Works Director | | Mike Olinger | Deputy Public Works Director | | Mike Parelskin | Superintendent of Natural Resources Field Operations | | Mark Cecchini Beaver | Senior Scientist at Four Peaks Environmental Science & Data Solutions | | Matt Stamps | Legal Departmen…