Committee of the Whole — City of Bellingham City Council

No substantive policy topics were discussed. The presiding officer made a brief administrative remark explaining that Committee of the Whole had no items because agenda items are being routed to committees whose work is related to…

No public comment period was held, consistent with standing committee meeting rules. No staff, public commenters, or other stakeholders spoke. Only the presiding officer (identified by agenda as Chair…

**Chair (Hannah Stone), on the short agenda:** "This afternoon, Committee of the Whole is short, so been working diligently to make sure that it was assigned committees with related work. So, for that reason, we don't have any items for Committee of the Whole today, except for old new business." **Chair (Hannah Stone), on the photo session:** "I guess one item is to make sure all council members are back here at 6:30 for photos, Mayor as well. And those will be ta…

Very little changed as a result of this meeting. The Committee of the Whole convened and adjourned without taking any action or receiving any presentations. The one procedural observation of note is the chair's statement that agenda items are being intentionally routed to committees with related policy areas — suggesting a de…

--- ### Meeting Overview The Bellingham City Council Committee of the Whole met on the afternoon of May 11, 2026, for what turned out to be an exceptionally brief session. The presiding officer noted that items had been deliberately routed to other standing committees with related subject-matter jurisdiction, leaving no substantive agenda items for this particular meeting. The session adjourned in under two minutes, with council members directed to reconvene at 6:30 p.m. for official photos and then again at 7:00 p.m. for the regular evening session. --- ### Key Terms and Concepts **Committee of the Whole:** A meeting format in which all members of a legislative body (in this case, the full City Council) sit together as a single committee to receive information, ask questions, and develop recommendations before formal action is taken at a regular meeting. It typically operates in the afternoon before the evening regular session. **Standing Committee:** A permanent committee of the council with a defined subject-matter focus (e.g., Public Works, Budget and Finance). Items are routed to these committees so members with relevant expertise can review them first. **Old/New Business:** A standard agenda item that gives council members an opportunity to raise miscellaneous matters not otherwise scheduled — either unfinished business from a prior meeting ("old") or new items that have come up ("new"). **Executive Session:** A closed, non-public portion of a meeting authorized by state law for specific sensitive topics such as personnel matters, pending litigation, or real estate negotiations. The presiding officer noted there were no executive session items at this meeting. **Adjournment:** The formal close of a meeting. At this session, adjournment was followed by a gap before the 7:00 p.m. regular Council session began. **Hybrid Meeting Format:** Bellingham City Council meetings are conducted in a hybrid format, meaning participants can attend either in person at Council Chambers (210 Lottie Street) or remotely via livestream on YouTube, the city website, or Comcast cable channels. **BTV (Bellingham Television):** The City of Bellingham's public access cable channel, which broadcasts City Council meetings live and on replay. --- ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Hannah Stone | Committee Chair; City Council Member | | Hollie Huthman | Committee Member; City Council Member | | Daniel Hammill | Committee Member; City Council Member | | Edwin H. "Skip" Williams | Committee Member; City Council Member | | Lisa Anderson | Committee Member; City Council Member | | Michael Lilliquist | Committee Member; City Council Member | | Jace Cotton | Committee Member; City Council Member | | Kim Lund | Mayor, City of Bellingham (referenced for photo session) | *Note: The presiding speaker in the transcript is not indivi…