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Real Briefings

Committee of the Whole

BEL-CTW-2024-09-16 September 16, 2024 Committee of the Whole City of Bellingham 14 min
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The Bellingham City Council's Committee of the Whole advanced two significant items on September 16th, both reflecting the city's evolving approach to social policy and community protection. The committee unanimously approved a shelter protection area ordinance around the upcoming Way Station facility at 1500 North State Street, marking the city's third such protective buffer zone around homeless services facilities. The ordinance, requested by service providers Unity Care Northwest and the Opportunity Council, will prohibit activities like camping, loitering, and vehicle dwelling in a defined area around the facility when it opens in mid-October. In a separate action, the committee also unanimously approved a resolution opposing the proposed Kroger-Albertsons grocery store merger, joining a coalition of municipalities and the Washington State Attorney General in challenging what they argue would reduce competition and harm unionized workers. The resolution underwent minor amendments to soften the certainty of some claims about store closures. The meeting also featured updates on two major homeless encampments on private property, with Mayor Lund detailing the city's multi-pronged enforcement and engagement approach. Council members recognized community presentations on addiction and discussed upcoming tenant protection ordinances.

**AB 24235 - Way Station Shelter Protection Area Ordinance: APPROVED 7-0 (as amended)** - **Staff Recommendation:** Pass ordinance as written - **Council Action:** Approved ordinance with amendment to include Eleanor Apartments property at 1510 North Forest Street - **Key Details:** Creates buffer zone around Way Station facility prohibiting sitting/lying in public rights-of-way, camping, and vehicle dwelling; enforced primarily by service provider staff with police backup - **Practical Impact:** Provides legal authority for Unity Care Northwest and Opportunity Council staff to manage activities around their facility starting when Way Station opens in mid-October **AB 24236 -…

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**Shelter Protection Areas as Policy Tool:** The Way Station ordinance discussion revealed how shelter protection areas have evolved from controversial enforcement measures to accepted community tools. Council Member Lilliquist acknowledged initial skepticism about the Base Camp protection area established in 2020, but noted its effectiveness has led to broader acceptance. Council Member Hoffman emphasized these areas protect vulnerable clients from predatory behavior and domestic violence threats, while Council Member Williams described the approach as "progressive discipline" - starting with education and escalating only when necessary. Deputy Chief Vollmer provided data showing minimal formal enforcement in the existing Base Camp protection area, with most compliance achieved through provider education and engagement. City Attorney Marriner detailed the legal framework requiring police warnings before…
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**Unity Care Northwest (Steen Brochner-Nielsen):** Strongly supported shelter protection area ordinance, emphasizing staff capacity for enforcement and discretionary approach allowing legitimate service use while preventing extended loitering and overnight camping around facility. **Opportunity Council (Marisa Schoeppach):** Confirmed support for protection area and operational capacity for enforcement, detailing planned security measures including scheduled patrols, camera monitoring, no-visitation policies for medical respite c…
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**Mayor Lund, on shelter protection areas:** "Shelter protection areas are essentially a buffer designed to reduce certain activities around these facilities that could adversely affect the people and operations within the protection area." **Council Member Lilliquist, on protection area purpose:** "This isn't anti-homeless. It's actually pro the clients who happen to be homeless. And this is one of the ways we can help protect them to get the services that they so need." **Council Member Ho…
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- **September 16, 2024 (evening):** First and second reading of Way Station shelter protection area ordinance at regular Council meeting - **September 30, 2024:** Third and final reading of shelter protection area ordinance; Council Member Cotton to present tenant protection ordinances limiting excessive rental fees - **Mid-October 2024:** Way Station facility opens, …

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- **Legal Authority Expanded:** City will have formal authority to regulate activities around Way Station facility once operational, adding to existing Base Camp protections - **Policy Precedent Set:** Established pattern of pre-emptive shelter protection areas for new homeless services facilities, with community acceptance growing - **Municipal Advocacy Position:** Bellingham formally joins …
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# Creating Protection and Restraining Power: City Council Committee Weighs Public Safety Through Exclusion ## Meeting Overview The Bellingham City Council convened its Committee of the Whole session on September 16, 2024, for what would become a nuanced examination of how cities balance public safety, private property rights, and social services in downtown core areas. Presided over by Council President Daniel Hammill, the afternoon session tackled two significant measures that reflected broader tensions between economic consolidation and community protection. The primary business centered on establishing the city's third "shelter protection area" — this time around a forthcoming facility called the Way Station at 1500 North State Street. The second item addressed economic concentration in the grocery industry, with a resolution opposing the proposed Albertsons-Kroger merger. Both measures would ultimately pass unanimously, but not before revealing the complex considerations that municipal leaders must weigh when crafting policy that affects the most vulnerable residents while addressing legitimate public safety and economic concerns. The meeting atmosphere was workmanlike, with council members demonstrating familiarity with the policy tools under discussion while probing for potential unintended consequences. The presence of service providers from Unity Care Northwest and the Opportunity Council underscored the collaborative nature of the shelter protection ordinance, while the grocery merger resolution reflected the council's willingness to engage in broader economic policy debates. ## The Way Station Protection Zone: Lessons from Base Camp City Attorney Alan Mariner opened the substantive discussion by situating the proposed shelter protection area within the city's broader approach to managing services for people experiencing homelessness. "The Shelter Protection Ordinance places parking, loitering and congregating restrictions around a facility and provides the city and the provider with the authority to address some of those issues in closer proximity to the shelter," Mariner explained, emphasizing that "our intent is always to provide education and warnings of the shelter Protection area before taking any enforcement actions." The Way Station represents a significant expansion of services in Bellingham's continuum of care for people experiencing homelessness. Operated through a partnership between Unity Care Northwest, the Opportunity Council…
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### Meeting Overview The Committee of the Whole met on September 16, 2024, with Daniel Hammill chairing. The meeting focused on two main items: establishing a shelter protection area around the future Way Station homeless services facility and passing a resolution opposing the proposed merger of Albertsons and Kroger grocery chains. ### Key Terms and Concepts **Shelter Protection Area:** A designated buffer zone around homeless service facilities where certain activities like loitering, camping, and sitting in public spaces are restricted to protect clients and reduce negative impacts on surrounding businesses and residents. **Way Station:** A renovated facility at 1500 N State Street that will provide medical and behavioral health services, hygiene facilities, case management, and medical respite care for homeless individuals, operated through a partnership between Unity Care Northwest, Opportunity Council, and PeaceHealth. **Medical Respite:** Overnight recuperative care for up to 20 homeless individuals being discharged from hospitals who need safe housing to recover. **Divestment:** The process of selling off stores as part of a merger agreement, often required by regulators to reduce market concentration. **Hortatory Resolution:** A non-binding resolution that expresses the council's formal position on an issue but doesn't create enforceable law. **Committee of the Whole:** A committee format where all council members participate to review and discuss agenda items before they go to the full council for formal votes. **Progressive Discipline:** An enforcement approach that starts with education and warnings before escalating to citations or other penalties. **Eleanor Apartments:** A subsidized housing complex at 1510 North Forest that was added to the shelter protection area boundaries during the meeting. ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Daniel H…
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Public Safety Economic Development Housing Government Operations AB 24235 AB 24236 Albertsons Base Camp Federal Trade Commission Kroger Lighthouse Mission Opportunity Council Peaceheath United Food Commercial Workers Unity Care Northwest Whatcom County Alan Marriner Blake Lyon Daniel Hammill Deputy Chief Vollmer Edwin Williams Hannah Stone Hollie Huthman Jace Cotton Kim Lund Lisa Anderson Marisa Schoeppach Michael Lilliquist Steen Brochner Nielsen Addiction Services Behavioral Health Economy Encampment Enforcement Grocery Merger Homelessness Housing Policy Public Safety Shelter Protection Area Tenant Protections