Search toggle
Donate
Search toggle
Donate
What are you looking for?

What's our vision?

When she reached the first hills of the Italic Mountains, she had a last view back on the skyline of her hometown.

What kind of facilities do we have?

When she reached the first hills of the Italic Mountains, she had a last view back on the skyline of her hometown.

What's our working hours?

When she reached the first hills of the Italic Mountains, she had a last view back on the skyline of her hometown.

Real Briefings

Bellingham City Council

BEL-CON-2026-05-11 May 11, 2026 City Council Regular Meeting City of Bellingham 52 min
← Back to All Briefings
May
Month
11
Day
52
Min
Published
Status

The Bellingham City Council held a compact regular meeting on May 11, 2026, completing business in under an hour. The meeting's most consequential action was the adoption of Resolution #2026-10, creating a limited-term Landlord-Tenant Advisory Work Group tasked with studying and making recommendations on the city's landlord and tenant programs. The resolution was amended twice before final passage — once to strengthen tenant representation requirements among work group members, and once to allow the group to flag issues beyond its formal scope for possible future city action. Both amendments passed 7-0, as did the final resolution itself. Beyond the landlord-tenant work group, Council unanimously approved six other committee-sourced items from the Public Works and Natural Resources Committee and the Parks and Recreation Committee. These included: a public-health-based extension of sewer service to a residence with a failed septic system; two infrastructure contract awards totaling approximately $3 million for stormwater and water quality improvements in the Lake Whatcom watershed and Birchwood neighborhood; a noise variance to allow Ziply Fiber to bore fiber optic lines under Alabama Street at night; and joint adoption with Whatcom County of the Lake Whatcom Watershed Forest Management Plan. The Parks and Recreation Committee's single action item — adoption of the 2026 Parks, Recreation and Open Space Plan (PROS Plan) — also passed unanimously. The plan is a required update that must be completed by June 2026 to maintain eligibility for Washington State recreation and conservation grants, and it represents a shift toward maintaining and maximizing existing park assets rather than primarily expanding the system. The consent agenda covered three routine financial authorizations, and four budget-related ordinances received third and final readings. An ordinance establishing penalties for 911 misuse to obtain non-emergent lift assistance also reached final passage. F

**1. Sewer Service Extension — 2863 Seaview Circle (AB 24922)** - **Vote:** 7-0 - **Motion/Second:** Lilliquist / Anderson - **What it does:** Authorizes the mayor to enter an agreement extending retail sewer service outside city limits to a residence whose septic system has failed and is leaching onto the bank above the railroad tracks. Repair or replacement of the septic system was deemed infeasible due to site constraints. The property is within the city's Urban Growth Area and abuts an existing city sewer main. - **Policy context:** The city's general policy limits sewer service extensions outside city limits to public health and safety situations; this action invokes that exception under BMC 15.36. - **Note:** The transcript and agenda use slightly different addresses (transcript says "2663 Seaview Circle"; the Action Summary and agenda say "2863 Seaview Circle"). The Action Summary is relied upon as the authoritative source for the address. **2. Contract Award — Lake Whatcom…

About 50% shown — sign up free to read the rest Sign up free →
**Landlord-Tenant Advisory Work Group (AB 24929)** Bellingham is a majority-renter city — more than 50% of residents rent — and the city has operated a rental registration and property inspection program since 2015, currently tracking 22,578 registered units. In recent years the city has added additional tenant protections. The proposed work group is intended to provide a structured community review of how those programs are working and what improvements might be warranted. The afternoon Planning Committee meeting produced an unusual procedural situation: a motion on the resolution was made and tabled without a final vote, requiring the full Council to take up the item fresh in the evening session. Council President Stone clarified procedurally — with informal input from staff — that any council member could make the motion since Council was sitting as a body. Two substantive amendments were debated. The first, brought by Council Member Anderson and seconded by Lilliquist, addressed the composition of the tenant seats. The original draft would have required at least four tenant representatives; Anderson's amendment added preferential criteria for those positions: income-constrained renters, students renting off-campus housing, people from vulnerable communities, and others reflecting the diverse demographics of Bellingham renters. Anderson credited staff for translating her intent into formal language. The second amendment, brought by Lilliquist and seconded by Anderson, addressed a concern Lilliquist raised about the work group's scope. He noted that a well-defined, tight scope is administratively useful but can foreclose identification of related issues that emerge organically during the group's work. Drawing on a precedent from the Keep Washington Working Act Working Group — described by Deputy City Administrator Janice Keller as having added a section flagging out-of-scope items for future city consideration — Lilliquist proposed adding Section 3(g) to allow the work group to note such issues in its final report. Keller confirmed the approach was consistent with that prior model. Council Member Huffman (referred to as "Haffner" once in the transcript — a transcription artifact) expressed support and encouraged community members to apply, emphasizing the value of a diverse and well-recruited applicant pool. The composition of the work group as described includes: at least four tenant members (with the preference criteria described above); at least three landlord or rental property manager members; at least one individual with building/construction trades or inspection experience; non-profit housing representation; tenant advocacy representation; and at least one individual with legal experience in the relevant area. **2026 PROS Plan (AB 24926)** The 2026 PROS Plan is the city's updated 20-year guide for parks, trails, open space, and recreatio…
About 49% shown — sign up free to read the rest Sign up free →
**Council Member Michael Lilliquist** — Chair, Public Works and Natural Resources Committee. Presented all four PWN items and the Lake Whatcom Forest Management Plan. Made motions on all five PWN items. Offered the "parking lot" amendment to the Landlord-Tenant Work Group resolution and expressed concern that the existing scope didn't capture the full universe of issues the group might identify. **Council Member Lisa Anderson** — Brought the tenant representation amendment (Option 2) to the Landlord-Tenant Work Group resolution, which had been tabled in committee. Credited staff for refining the language. Also noted in old/new business that the WIAA State 2A baseball tournament will be held at Joe Martin Field. **Council Member Hollie Huffman** — Chair, Planning Committee. Introduced the Landlord-Tenant Work Group item at the evening meeting and turned it over to Anderson for the amendment. Encouraged community members to apply to the work group. (Note: the transcript variously renders her name as "Huffman" and "Haffner"; agenda and action summary use "Huthman." See Module 6.) **Council Member Edwin H. "Skip" Williams** — Chair, Parks and…
About 50% shown — sign up free to read the rest Sign up free →
**Council Member Michael Lilliquist, on the sewer extension exception:** "Basically, several years ago we declined to ever extend water service outside of our the city area unless there's a public health and safety reason. This is a public and health and safety exemption." **Council Member Michael Lilliquist, on the Lake Whatcom Forest Management Plan and in-house capacity:** "For the first time we really have a full in-house crew to do Lake uh forest management programs. This will be a year …
About 49% shown — sign up free to read the rest Sign up free →

- **May 18, 2026 — Special Meeting / Closed Record Hearing:** Council will consider a street vacation ordinance for a section of Fir Street right-of-way abutting the property at 3702 Silver Beach Avenue. (Note: transcript says "First Street"; agenda and action summary say "Fir Street" — see Module 6.) Details at meetings.cob.org. - **May 18, 2026 — Regular Meeting:** Next regularly scheduled Council meeting. Agenda packet already published as of May 11. Includes anticipated presentation of the Keep Washington Working Act Working Group's final report (per Deputy City Administrator Keller's comment). - **June 2026 — PROS Plan Deadline:** Adoption of the 2026 PROS Plan was required by June 2026 to maintain Washington State Recreation and Conservation grant eligibility. Council's May 11 adoption satisfies this requirement with approximately a month to spare. - **Landlord-Tenant Work Group — Recruitment:** Applications to serve on the work group are expected to open following resolution adoption. Target co…

About 50% shown — sign up free to read the rest Sign up free →
**After this meeting, the following is specifically different:** 1. **A Landlord-Tenant Advisory Work Group now exists** as a legal entity created by Resolution #2026-10. Prior to May 11, no such body had been established. The work group will study the city's landlord-tenant programs and make recommendations. The resolution includes two amendments not present in the original draft: stronger tenant representation preference criteria and a "parking lot" provision for out-of-scope issues. 2. **The 2026 PROS Plan is officially adopted** (Resolution #2026-11). The city now has an updated 20-year parks/recreation/open space plan consistent with the December 2025 Bellingham Plan and compliant with state grant eligibility requirements. 3. **The Lake Whatcom Watershed Forest Management Plan is jointly adopted** (Resolution #2026-09) by Bellingham City Council and Whatcom County Council. An official frame…
About 50% shown — sign up free to read the rest Sign up free →
--- # Bellingham City Council Regular Meeting ## May 11, 2026 --- ## Meeting Overview The Bellingham City Council convened for its regular Monday evening session on May 11, 2026, with Council President Hannah Stone calling the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. in Council Chambers on the second floor of City Hall at 210 Lottie Street. All seven council members were present: Hollie Huffman, Dan Hammill, Skip Williams, Lisa Anderson, Michael Lilliquist, Jace Cotton, and Hannah Stone. Mayor Kim Lund was not present for a mayor's report, and no appointments were made, so the council moved quickly through preliminary items. The evening's agenda was built primarily from the afternoon's committee meetings — Public Works and Natural Resources, Planning, and Parks and Recreation — each of which had met earlier in the day and forwarded items for full council action. The result was a meeting packed with substantive decisions, the most discussed of which involved a new advisory work group on landlord and tenant programs that drew amendment activity from multiple council members before passing unanimously. By the time the gavel fell at 7:52 p.m., the council had voted on sixteen separate items across the agenda, every single one of them passing 7-0. The meeting had the feel of a well-prepared machine: committees had done their work in the afternoon, council members had studied their packets, and the evening session functioned as the formal ratification of a productive civic day. The next council meeting was set for the following Monday, May 18 — an unusual back-to-back schedule that Stone noted was "one of the rare occasions when we have back-to-back council meetings." --- ## Recognizing the Land and Welcoming the Public The meeting opened, as all Bellingham City Council regular meetings do, with a land acknowledgment. Stone read the full statement recognizing the traditional and unceded territory of the Lummi, Nooksack, Samish, and Semiahmoo peoples, "who have cared for and tended this land since time immemorial." She reminded those assembled to consider "the many legacies of violence, displacement, migration, and settlement that bring us together here today" and invited the public to join in "uncovering such truths at any and all public events." Stone also noted that the council provides Spanish interpretation at all regular evening meetings — in person through headsets available at the front of the room, and online through the Zoom interface at cob.org/cczoom. …
About 10% shown — sign up free to read the rest Sign up free →
--- ### Meeting Overview The Bellingham City Council held its regular meeting on Monday, May 11, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. in Council Chambers at City Hall. All seven council members were present. The meeting focused primarily on committee report-outs from four afternoon committees — Public Works and Natural Resources, Planning, Parks and Recreation, and Committee of the Whole — followed by consent agenda approvals, four budget and code ordinances on final passage, and a public comment period. The meeting adjourned at 7:52 p.m. --- ### Key Terms and Concepts **Sewer service extension (outside city limits):** The City of Bellingham generally does not extend its sewer or water services to properties outside city boundaries. However, BMC Section 15.36 allows exceptions when there is a public health and safety justification — such as a failed septic system that is actively contaminating the environment. **Stormwater vault retrofit:** An infrastructure improvement that upgrades existing underground stormwater collection and conveyance structures to better filter pollutants before they reach a water body such as Lake Whatcom or Little Squalicum Creek. **Best Management Practice (BMP):** In the stormwater context, a technique or structure designed to reduce pollution in runoff. "Enhanced treatment BMPs" go beyond standard filtration and are used in areas with higher pollution risk. **Noise variance:** A formal council-approved exception to the city's noise ordinance (BMC 10.24.120), allowing construction or utility work to occur outside of normal permitted hours. Variances are typically granted when nighttime work reduces traffic disruption or safety risks. **Forest Management Plan:** A document guiding how publicly owned forest land is actively managed — including thinning trees, removing invasive species, managing roads, and promoting species diversity — to protect water quality and ecological health. **Limited-term advisory work group:** A temporary body created by council resolution to study a specific topic, gather community input, and produce recommendations. It is not a standing board and dissolves after completing its assigned work. **PROS Plan (Parks, Recreation & Open Space Plan):** A long-range planning document, updated every six years, that guides the development and maintenance of parks, trails, open space, and recreation programs. The state requires an up-to-date PROS Plan to maintain eligibility for Washington State recreation and conservation grants. **Closed record hearing:** A hearing in which the council reviews an existing record (documents, prior testimony) rather than accepting new evidence or public comment. Used in land use appeals and certain quasi-judicial proceedings. --- ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Hannah Stone | Council President, First Ward — presided over the meeting | | Hollie Huthman | Council Member, Second Ward — chaired Planning Committee | | Daniel Hammill | Council Member, Third Ward | | Edwin H. "Skip" Williams | Council Member, Fourth Ward — chaired Parks and Recreation Committee | | Lisa Anderson | Council Member, Fifth Ward | | Michael Lilliquist | Council Member, Sixth Ward — chaired Public Works and Natural Resources Committee | | Jace Cotton | Council Member, At-Large | | Janice Keller | Deputy City Administrator — provided administration's input on the landlord/tenant work group amendment | | Kelley Goetz | Deputy City Clerk — read the written a…
About 36% shown — premium members only Upgrade to premium →

Share This Briefing

Tags & Connections

Housing Parks & Recreation Environmental Government Operations AB 24922 AB 24923 AB 24924 AB 24925 AB 24926 AB 24928 AB 24929 Greenways Advisory Committee Keep Washington Working Act Working Group Northwest Natural Resources Group Parks Recreation Advisory Board Planning Commission Premium Services Inc Trico Companies Llc Washington State Department Of Ecology Whatcom County Council Whatcom County Health Department Ziply Fiber Dan Hammill Hannah Stone Hollie Huffman Jace Cotton Janice Keller Lisa Anderson Michael Lilliquist Skip Williams Affordable Housing Annexation Budget Finance Comprehensive Plan Equity Inclusion Infrastructure Lake Whatcom Watershed Landlord Tenant Advisory Work Group Noise Variance Parks Recreation Pros Plan Public Safety Stormwater Tree Ordinance Water Resources