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Real Briefings

Bellingham City Council

BEL-CON-2024-10-07 October 07, 2024 City Council Regular Meeting City of Bellingham 34 min
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The October 7th Bellingham City Council meeting marked a significant transition in the city's approach to immigrant advocacy, with Council passing an ordinance dissolving the Immigration Advisory Board in a narrow 5-2 vote. The controversial decision came after ten months of discussion and replaces the formal advisory board with a working group structure. Council members Cotton and Lilliquist voted against the dissolution, with Cotton expressing concerns about losing the "affordances" of a formal board structure for ongoing dialogue and language access. The meeting also featured the first of two public hearings on the city's 2025 budget, which faces a $4 million structural deficit in the general fund. Deputy Administrator Forrest Longman outlined proposed revenue adjustments including increasing sales tax allocation to the general fund and temporarily diverting property taxes from the firefighter pension fund. The budget includes strategic investments such as adding two police officers to restore specialty units, including the downtown bicycle patrol. Council expressed unanimous support for developing resolutions opposing state ballot initiatives 2066, 2109, 2117, and 2124, citing potential negative fiscal impacts and conflicts with the city's climate action plan. Council also approved an economic development agreement with Whatcom County for construction of the Bellingham Mitigation Bank at the Bear Creek corridor site. Mayor Lund used her report to acknowledge the one-year anniversary of the October 7th attacks while highlighting local construction projects nearing completion and encouraging community attendance at an Indigenous Peoples Day celebration on October 14th.

**AB 24257 - Immigration Advisory Board Dissolution:** Passed 5-2 (Stone, Huthman, Williams, Anderson, Hammill voted yes; Lilliquist, Cotton voted no). The ordinance formally dissolves the Immigration Advisory Board and repeals Bellingham Municipal Code Chapter 2.26. This implements a transition to a working group structure approved in a companion resolution at the previous meeting. **AB 24271 - Bellingham Mitigation Bank Agreement:** Approved 7-0. Council authorized execution of an Economic Development Investment Interlocal Grant Agreement with Whatcom County for construction of the Bear Creek corridor site within the…

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**Budget Crisis and Revenue Solutions:** Deputy Administrator Longman detailed the city's $4 million structural deficit, explaining that sales tax revenues have declined in five of nine recent tax periods compared to 2023. The city proposes increasing sales tax allocation to the general fund from current levels to 68%, reducing street fund allocation by 5% (backfilled with real estate excise tax), and temporarily diverting property taxes from the fully-funded firefighter pension. By 2029, the city will exhaust reserves without new revenue sources or service cuts. **Immigration Advisory Board Dissolution:** Council member Cotton emphasized the loss of "affordances" that the formal board structure provided, including space for dialogic conversation that…
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**Council Members Supporting Immigration Advisory Board Dissolution:** - Stone, Huthman, Williams, Anderson, Hammill voted to approve the ordinance, viewing the working group structure as an effective replacement for the formal board. **Council Members Opposing Dissolution:** - Cotton emphasized concerns about losing the formal board's capacity for ongoing dialogue and language access, stating "the public comment doesn't quite feel that same affordance that we had in the immigration advisory board." - Lilliquist voted no without providin…
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**Cotton, on Immigration Advisory Board dissolution:** "I really appreciate the really thoughtful conversations about how we can live up to our charge of immigrant inclusion and justice in our community." **Cotton, on losing formal board structure:** "The public comment doesn't quite feel that same feel that same affordance that we had in the immigration advisory board." **Longman, on budget deficit:** "This budget process began with a $4 million structural deficit in the general fund. That…
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**Budget Process:** Special meetings scheduled for October 14th and October 28th, with additional Committee of the Whole budget sessions on October 21st and November 4th. Revenue forecast public hearing on October 21st. Budget adoption targeted for December 9th. **State Initiative Resolutions:** Council member Stone will work with City Attorney on draft resolutions opposing ballot initiatives, with public hearings required for each resolution before Council can take official positions. **Immigration Working Group:** Applications now being accepted for the new work…

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**Formal Immigration Advisory Structure Eliminated:** The Immigration Advisory Board officially dissolved, ending the formal advisory structure that provided ongoing dialogue space and dedicated language access. This represents a shift from board governance to ad-hoc working group structure. **Council Leadership on Justice Project:** Council President Hammill now represents Bellingham on the Whatcom County Justice Project Oversight and Planning Committee, formalizing the city's role in regional criminal justice planning. **Budget Work Sessions Frequency:** Council committed to intensified b…
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## Meeting Overview The October 7, 2024 Bellingham City Council meeting unfolded against the backdrop of significant budget challenges and meaningful civic dialogue. Council President Dan Hammill called the evening session to order at 7:00 PM, with all seven council members present—including Council Member Skip Williams attending remotely. The meeting's agenda included two public hearings, routine business, and the final consideration of a controversial ordinance that had been debated for months. The session carried particular weight as it marked the first anniversary of the October 7, 2023 attack, which Mayor Kim Lund acknowledged with measured words about peace and conflict. The meeting also showcased the city's commitment to language access, with Spanish interpretation available throughout the evening—a service that would prove relevant to the evening's most contentious item. What made this meeting notable was not any single dramatic moment, but rather the intersection of budget pressures, community engagement, and the practical challenges of governing a diverse city. The council faced a proposed 2025 budget with a $4 million structural deficit, heard updates on infrastructure projects nearing completion, and ultimately voted to dissolve the Immigration Advisory Board while establishing a new working group model for immigrant engagement. ## Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistant Grant The evening opened with a straightforward public hearing on the police department's annual application for federal grant funding. Police Chief Mertzig appeared before the council to explain the $20,000 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistant Grant, describing it as "a grant that we go after every year." This year's proposed spending focused on two specific areas: equipment for the bicycle unit and a "safe ramp system," which Chief Mertzig described as "a restraint system that helps keep people take people safely into custody" for individuals who are "resisting arrest or being violent and trying to harm themselves." The chief emphasized that the system "actually helps us take them safely into custody." Council Member Lisa Anderson expressed enthusiasm for the grant's role in supporting community policing efforts. "Really happy we're going to have our bike officers return to special units," she said. "Those bike officers are a good first point of contact, but also it's more about the community policing that I'm really glad we're getting back into providing." When Co…
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### Meeting Overview The Bellingham City Council held its regular meeting on October 7, 2024, focusing primarily on budget planning and addressing structural budget challenges. The council conducted two public hearings—one for a federal police grant and the first of two hearings on the 2025 budget—and dissolved the Immigration Advisory Board while establishing a new working group. ### Key Terms and Concepts **Structural Deficit:** A budget shortfall where ongoing expenses exceed ongoing revenues, requiring the use of reserves or one-time revenue sources to balance. Bellingham faces a $6 million ongoing deficit in its general fund. **General Fund:** The city's most discretionary funding source that pays for core services like police, fire, parks, and internal operations. Unlike other funds, it's not restricted by specific policies or laws. **Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistant Grant (JAG):** An annual federal grant program through the Department of Justice that helps local law enforcement agencies purchase equipment and support programs. **WRAP Restraint System:** A safe restraint system that helps police take people into custody safely when they're resisting arrest or being violent, particularly those trying to harm themselves. **Mitigation Bank:** An environmental program that creates or restores habitat areas to compensate for unavoidable environmental impacts from development projects elsewhere. **Immigration Advisory Board:** A city board that provided input on immigrant inclusion and justice issues, dissolved and replaced with a working group format. **Committee of the Whole:** A city council committee where all seven council members participate to discuss budget and other major issues before formal votes. ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Daniel Hammill | Council President, Third Ward | | Hannah Stone | Council Member, First Ward | | Hollie Huthman | Council Member, Second Ward | | Edwin H. "Skip" Williams | Council Member, Fourth Ward | | Lisa Anderson | Council Member, Fifth Ward | | Michael Lilliquist | Coun…
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Government Operations Budget & Finance Social Services Bellingham City Council Bellingham Police Department Housing Authority Immigration Advisory Board Lummi Nation Mercy Housing Opportunity Council Whatcom County Alan Marriner Chief Mertzig Daniel Hammill Forrest Longman Hannah Stone Hollie Huthman Holly Miller Jace Cotton Kimberley Lund Lisa Anderson Michael Lilliquist Skip Williams Affordable Housing Budget Finance Climate Action Governance Administration Immigrant Rights Parks Recreation Public Safety Transportation Policy