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City of Bellingham Water Resources Advisory Board (WRAB)

BEL-WRA-2026-02-24 February 24, 2026 City Council Regular Meeting City of Bellingham 90 min
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The City of Bellingham Water Resources Advisory Board (WRAB) held a facilitated workshop session focused on designing the city's first-ever annual utility report. The meeting centered around a collaborative exercise led by PRR Consulting to gather input from board members on content and communication strategies for this new transparency initiative. The annual report concept emerged from a customer utility survey completed in late 2024, which revealed that while residents were generally satisfied with water service quality and reliability, many were unaware that their utility bills covered wastewater, stormwater, and Lake Whatcom protection services. The survey also highlighted concerns about rising costs and affordability, creating an opportunity for better communication about how rate increases are being invested. The facilitated session broke the board into three working groups to brainstorm report content and communication tactics. Board members, encouraged to think beyond their technical expertise, generated ideas ranging from budget breakdowns and risk assessments to storytelling approaches and social media strategies. Key themes included the need for clear financial transparency, education about the interconnected nature of water systems, and making complex infrastructure information accessible to general audiences. The exercise revealed strong interest in addressing community misconceptions, particularly around deferred maintenance narratives, and in clearly communicating the connections between drinking water, wastewater, stormwater, and Lake Whatcom protection. Board members emphasized the importance of proactive rather than reactive messaging, visual storytelling, and creating content that resonates with both renters and homeowners. The city plans to use this input to develop templates and graphics, with PRR Consulting providing continued support. Staff hopes to release the first annual report by mid-2026, ahead of the next planned utility rate increas

- **Minutes Approval:** Unanimously approved with correction to include Chair Rick Eggerth in the roll call - **Annual Report Development:** Board provided extensive input through facilitated workshop sessio…

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The meeting's primary focus was developing communication strategies for the city's inaugural annual utility report. This initiative stems from the 2024 customer utility survey, which found that while residents were satisfied with water quality and reliability, many lacked awareness of the full scope of utility services they pay for. Riley Grant, city staff, explained that the survey revealed a significant knowledge gap: most residents knew their bills covered drinking water, but fewer understood the wastewater, stormwater, and Lake Whatcom protection components. This finding, combined with expressed concerns about rising costs and affordability, created an opportunity for enhanced transparency and communication. The facilitated discussion explored multiple approaches to utility communication. Board members emphasized the need to move beyond technical documentation toward accessible, engaging content that builds trust through transpar…
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**City Staff (Riley Grant, Michael Unger):** Emphasized the need for transparent communication following utility rate increases. Sought board input on balancing technical accuracy with public accessibility. Committed to using board feedback to develop templates and graphics. **Board Members - Technical Perspective:** Stressed the importance of clear financial breakdowns, risk assessments, and education about system interconnections. Advocated for addressing misconceptions and emphasizing preventative maintenance over reactive responses. **Board Members…
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**Riley Grant, on the survey findings:** "We did find that the majority of the residents that were surveyed knew that drinking water was part of their water bill, but not as many were aware of the wastewater and stormwater and the Lake Whatcom protection fees that were also included in our utility bills." **Jenny Thacker (PRR), on the report's purpose:** "It's public facing. It is a way to really talk to people about what the, in this case, the utility is doing with the resources that the pub…
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- **March 2026 WRAB Meeting:** Updated water system plan to be presented to board for review - **Mid-2026:** Target release date for first annual utility report - **Spring 2026:** Water system plan expected to complete city council approval process (public hearing anticipated by end of April) - **32-Month Timeline:** Comprehensive sewer pla…

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- **New Communication Initiative:** City committed to developing its first annual utility report as a transparency and trust-building measure - **Advisory Input Secured:** WRAB provided comprehensive guidance on content and communication strategies for the annual report - **Professional Support:** PRR Consulting eng…
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# Meeting Overview On a winter evening in February 2026, the Bellingham Water Resources Advisory Board convened at Pacific Street Operations for what would prove to be one of their most engaging meetings yet. Chair Rick Eggers called the meeting to order at 6:00 PM, with board members both present in person and joining virtually due to illness. The agenda was focused primarily on developing an annual utility report—a new initiative aimed at improving transparency and communication with Bellingham utility customers. The meeting marked a transition point for the advisory board, introducing newest member Kristen Haider while welcoming back familiar faces. Rather than the typical technical presentations, this meeting would be different: an interactive workshop facilitated by consultants from PRR to gather input on what should be included in the city's first annual utility report. The collaborative format represented a shift toward more engaged civic participation and reflected the city's commitment to transparency following recent utility rate increases that had raised customer bills significantly. ## Introductions and New Member Welcome Chair Rick Eggers opened with introductions, identifying himself as the board chair before turning to fellow members. The roll call revealed a board with deep technical expertise: Fiona McNair brought consulting experience in site assessments and regulatory support spanning nearly 30 years. Brett Beaupain represented RH2 Engineering with 28 years of experience in civil engineering, specializing in water resources, sewer, storm systems, and roads. John Peppel contributed international business experience across manufacturing, engineering, and IT. Francesca Harbison worked as a practice lead at Evergreen Stormwater, focusing on water resources compliance. Two members joined virtually due to illness: Kirsten McDade, working as North Sound Waterkeeper for the environmental nonprofit Resources, and Alicia Toney from HNTB, who manages environmental compliance for WSDOT infrastructure projects. Carl Benson, a three-year Bellingham resident from Alaska, brought chemistry and hydrology expertise from consulting work in permitting, spill response, and contaminated site remediation. The meeting's most significant introduction came with newest b…
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### Meeting Overview The City of Bellingham Water Resources Advisory Board met on February 24, 2026 to conduct a facilitated workshop on developing an annual utility report. The board welcomed its newest member, Kristin Haider, and worked with communications consultants to brainstorm content, goals, and strategies for creating a public-facing annual report about the city's three utilities: water, wastewater, and stormwater. ### Key Terms and Concepts **Water Resources Advisory Board (WRAB):** A citizen advisory board that provides oversight and guidance on the City of Bellingham's water, wastewater, and stormwater utilities. **Annual Utility Report:** A proposed public-facing document designed to increase transparency and communication about the city's utility services, investments, and rate increases. This would be different from technical regulatory reports. **Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO):** When heavy rainfall causes the combined sewer system to overflow raw sewage into Bellingham Bay, which currently happens during major storm events. **Utility Rate Increases:** The city recently implemented utility bill increases, with more planned over a three-year period to fund infrastructure improvements and maintenance. **Lake Whatcom Protection Fee:** A fee included in utility bills to fund watershed protection activities for the city's drinking water source. **Comprehensive Sewer Plan:** A major planning document being developed by Carollo Engineers and Jacobs Engineering over 32 months to guide future wastewater system investments. **Water System Plan:** An updated plan currently under review by state agencies that will guide water utility investments and rate planning. ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Rick Eggers | WRAB Chair | | Kristin Haider | Newest WRAB member (biology/e…
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Utilities Government Operations Bellingham Public Works City Of Bellingham Corollo Engineers Jacobs Engineering Prr Consulting Water Resources Advisory Board Alicia Toney Bret Beaupain Carl Benson Fiona Mcnair Francesca Harbison Jenny Thacker John Peppel Kate Shannon Kirsten Mcdade Kristin Haider Laura Levisinne Miller Michael Unger Rick Eggerth Riley Grant Riley Grant Budget Finance Community Engagement Customer Communication Infrastructure Investment Lake Whatcom Protection Lake Whatcom Watershed Public Education Sewer Plan Stormwater Transparency Utility Rates Wastewater Water System Plan