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Real Briefings

City Council

BEL-CON-SPC-2024-10-28 October 28, 2024 Committee of the Whole City of Bellingham 19 min
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This special budget work session focused on departmental presentations from three city divisions: Library, Public Works, and Museums. The meeting was conducted without formal votes, serving as an informational session for Council to review 2024 achievements and proposed 2025 budgets totaling $543 million citywide. The Library presented budget cuts in response to citywide fiscal challenges, including frozen positions and a $125,000 reduction in materials funding, while highlighting strong performance metrics with 1.7 million items circulated and over 600,000 visitors. Public Works outlined significant infrastructure investments, a proposed solid waste tax increase from 11.5% to 17.25%, and watershed fund management changes. The Museum reported stable operations with growing membership exceeding pre-COVID levels and successful programming initiatives. Council members engaged extensively with Public Works staff on complex budget questions, particularly regarding the Lake Whatcom watershed fund balance of $23 million and future capital project planning. The session revealed ongoing tensions between maintaining service levels and managing fiscal constraints across all three departments.

No formal votes were taken during this work session, as it was informational only. The session was part of the 2025 budget review process, with the preliminary $543 million budget having been introduced September 30, 2024. Key budget proposals discussed included: - Library materials budget reduction of $125,000 - Solid waste tax increase from 11.5% to 17…

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**Lake Whatcom Watershed Fund Management** The most extensive policy discussion centered on the watershed fund's $23 million balance and utilization strategy. Council Member Anderson expressed concern about visible capital project pipeline, questioning whether the city was doing sufficient water quality improvement work beyond property acquisition. Staff explained they have $16 million in property acquisitions currently in pipeline with 50 properties at various stages, plus upcoming requests for additional crew capacity to manage 3,200+ acres currently under city stewardship. **Library Service Level Reductions** Library Director Rebecca Judd detailed how budget constraints forced materials budget cuts that reduce per capita service levels from $7.23 to $6.14. Despite cuts, the library maintains top-10 statewide circulation performance and top 5% national ranking. The…
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**Rebecca Judd, Library Director:** Emphasized maintaining service quality despite budget reductions: "We are in the top ten statewide for circulation per capita and in the top 5% nationally. So very well used library." **Council Member Anderson:** Pressed for transparency in watershed spending: "From a policy perspective, I want to make sure we're doing enough water quality projects, not just acquisition. And I can't see the budget." **Joel Pfundt, Public Works Co-Director:** Defended comprehensive approach to capital planning: "Our capital budget is continuing apa…
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**Rebecca Judd, on behavioral health program success:** "With key investments in security, staffing and air quality sensor, we saw a 95% reduction in illegal drug use in the central library restroom." **Joel Pfundt, on speed limit policy evolution:** "The whole practice has gone away from the kind of very dogmatic 85th percentile to something that's much more evaluating of the context and kind of how the street is intended to function." **Council Member Anderson, on watershed fund concerns:*…
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**November 4, 2024:** Next budget work session with additional department presentations and budget amendments package **Late 2024:** - Final 2025 budget adoption - Potential museum director employment agreement revision - National Gallery of Art partnership announcement expected in November **2025 Initiatives:** - Library Central Library renovation design phase continuation - Whatcom Reads signature event with Erica Bauermeister on March 14 - Museum archival revival project for…

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**Library Service Standards:** Materials budget reduction from $7.23 to $6.14 per capita represents the first adjustment to service standards since 2017, marking a significant policy shift in response to fiscal constraints. **Public Works Security Structure:** Creation of new security supervisor position consolidates library and City Hall security under Public Works, moving away from current library oversight model and RSU contractors. **Solid Waste Funding Strategy:** Proposed tax increase shifts environmental remediation and encampment abatement costs from street fund to dedicated solid waste revenue stream, improving fund alignment with actual activities. **Muse…
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# Departments Present Their Budgets: A Special Session on Municipal Finances The morning air carried a hint of autumn as Bellingham City Council members gathered for another special budget session, this time in the cozy confines of the Mayor's Boardroom rather than the grand Council chambers. It was October 28th, 2024, and three city departments – the Library, Public Works, and the Museum – would present their financial requests for the coming year, each telling the story of public service in dollars and ambitions. The meeting began with an unusual twist of municipal choreography. Mayor Kim Lund, appearing on screen from home due to what she described as "some kind of allergy attack," gracefully handed the gavel to Council President Pro Tem Hollie Huthman, who found herself without an agenda but ready to steer the proceedings. "Sorry to catch you off guard there," Lund apologized, her voice carrying the weariness of someone fighting more than just seasonal allergies. The moment captured the human side of governing – leaders adapting on the fly, doing their civic duty even when feeling under the weather. ## The Library's Story: Excellence Amid Constraints Rebecca Judd, the Library Director, approached the podium with the measured confidence of someone who knows her institution's worth. Beside her sat Rebecca Craven, vice chair of the library's board of trustees, a reminder that public libraries remain one of the last truly collaborative civic endeavors between city government and citizen volunteers. "In recognition of and response to the budget shortfalls that we were facing, we have a number of position changes," Judd began, her tone matter-of-fact but tinged with the careful diplomacy required when discussing staff reductions. The library was freezing positions – a 25-hour library clerk position, a 16-hour library assistant position, and a full-time branch specialist position that would be vacated by Donna Greystock's retirement after more than 40 years of service to the city. "So congratulations to Donna on her retirement," Judd said warmly, acknowledging four decades of public service with the kind of institutional memory that cannot be replaced. Yet even amid these constraints, Judd painted a portrait of an institution thriving against the odds. …
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### Meeting Overview The Bellingham City Council held a special budget work session on October 28, 2024, focused on reviewing the 2025 budget proposals from three departments: the Public Library, Public Works, and the Museum. This was part of an ongoing series of budget meetings leading up to the final budget adoption. ### Key Terms and Concepts **Real Estate Excise Tax (REET):** A one-time tax collected on real estate transactions that the city uses to fund capital projects like facilities improvements. The city is using more REET funding to backfill street fund cuts. **Lake Whatcom Watershed Fund:** A special fund supported by a surcharge on water bills, used primarily for purchasing land to protect the city's water supply source, with up to 30% available for water quality improvement projects. **General Fund Transfer:** The ongoing financial support from the city's general operating fund to other specialized funds. Public Works saw this reduced from 37% to 32% for the street fund, representing a 20% cut in funding. **Solid Waste Utility Tax:** A tax on garbage services that helps fund environmental cleanup. The city is proposing to increase this from 11.5% to 17.25% to generate about $1 million annually for cleanup projects. **Full-Time Equivalent (FTE):** A measurement of employee workload where 1.0 FTE equals one full-time position. Some departments are freezing or eliminating FTE positions due to budget constraints. **Asset Management:** A systematic approach to managing the city's infrastructure using data and risk-based decisions to prioritize maintenance and replacement of roads, bridges, utilities, and facilities. **Post Point Wastewater Treatment Plant:** The city's main sewage treatment facility that may require expensive nutrient removal upgrades potentially costing $500 million to $1 billion over the next decade. ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Daniel Hammill | Council President, Third Ward (running meeting remotely) | | Hannah Stone | Council Member, First Ward | | Hollie Huthman | Council Member, Second Ward | | Edwin "Skip" Williams | Council Member, Fourth Ward | | Lisa Anderson | Council Member, Fifth Ward | | Michael Lilliquist | Council Member, Sixth Ward | | Jace Cotton | Council Member, At-Large | | Rebecca Judd | Library Director | | Rebecca Craven | Vice Chair, Library Board of Trustees | | Joel Pfundt | Interim Public W…
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Budget & Finance Public Safety Parks & Recreation Government Operations Art Bridges Foundation Bellingham Public Library Bellingham School District Bellingham Whatcom County Tourism National Gallery Of Art Western Washington University Whatcom County Whatcom County Library System Daniel Hammill Hannah Stone Hollie Huthman Jace Cotton Joel Pfundt Lisa Anderson Michael Lilliquist Michael Olinger Mike Wilson Patricia Leach Rebecca Craven Rebecca Judd Renee Lacroix Skip Williams Behavioral Health Budget Finance Environmental Government Operations Homelessness Infrastructure Investment Lake Whatcom Watershed Parks Recreation Transportation Policy