City Council - Committee Of The Whole

City of Bellingham Committee Of The Whole Minutes December 16, 2019, 1:25 PM Mayor Kelli Linville Contact: (360) 778-8200, ccmail@cob.org Council Members, Pinky Vargas, Chair www.cob.org/council Michael Lilliquist, Hollie Huthman All meetings are held in the City Hall Council Chambers at 210 Lottie Street, Bellingham, WA, unless otherwise noted. Call to Order Roll Call Council Standing Committee Meetings: Open to the public to attend. Note: there is generally no public comment period for Committee sessions. Standing Committee Members receive reports and information, ask questions and, when appropriate, vote on a recommended action for consideration by the full Council at the Regular Meeting. The notice of Committee Meetings identified below also serves as notice of Special Meetings of the City Council at the times identified as Council Members who are not members of the committee routinely attend and participate in the Committee Meetings. Committee Chairs give a report of the Committee Meeting at the Regular Meeting in the evening prior to deliberation and formal vote in the order shown below: Committee Of The Whole Daniel Hammill, Chair April Barker; Gene Knutson; Pinky Vargas; Terry Bornemann; Michael Lilliquist, Hollie Huthman Please be advised that if the City Council is ahead of schedule, they may start with old/new business before the official Committee of the Whole meeting time. 22530 1. Presentation on Public Banking by Senator Bob Hasegawa (11th LD) p. 3 Senator Bob Hasegawa provided the presentation. Council asked questions and had a discussion following the presentation. April Barker / Terry Bornemann moved to ask the Council President and Mayor to work with Senator Hasegawa on developing a resolution to support public banking that includes specific concerns that might benefit the City of Bellingham. MOTION CARRIED 7-0. Information only. Committee Of The Whole Minutes Page 1 December 16, 2019 22525 2. An Ordinance Amending the 2019-2020 Biennial Budget and Finding a p. 4 Emergency Shortage of Childcare Economic Development Manager Tara Sundin presented the ordinance. Council asked questions and had a discussion following the presentation. Council agreed with putting this item on the City and County's shared work plan. Terry Bornemann / Gene Knutson moved to recommend approval of the ordinance. MOTION CARRIED 7-0. 3. Approval of City Council Committee and/or Special Meeting Minutes Michael Lilliquist / Pinky Vargas moved to recommend approval of the December 9, 2019 Committee Meeting Minutes as submitted. MOTION CARRIED 7-0. 4. Old/New Business Councilmember Knutson said he received calls over the weekend from Cornwall Neighborhood Association members about the Fountain District Urban Village Plan public hearing. He wanted to make sure Council can send it to committee for further discussion. Planning Director Rick Sepler explained there is no specific time limit on this item and sending to committee is appropriate. Councilmember Bornemann said he has received calls about complications at the Mount Baker Theatre. He wanted this item to be on Council’s radar in the new year. Councilmember Vargas and Mayor Kelli Linville responded to this issue. Councilmember Lilliquist noted that there is a public rally that will be hosted at the Bellingham City Hall steps. He mentioned that many rallies and events have been hosted on the steps, which has become a recognized public gathering point that is safe and welcomed. This speaks well to the City, the administration, and the relationship with community organizations. He wanted to thank the administration, and everyone involved for making this a place people want to be. Councilmember Hammill said there was an Incarceration Prevention and Reduction Task Force meeting this morning and he is concerned about the time it takes to restore competency for misdemeanants that are being sent to Yakima. He said they will be looking at that over the next couple of months and wanted to make Council aware. Committee Of The Whole Minutes Page 2 December 16, 2019 Adjournment Committee of the Whole adjourned to Executive Session at 2:37 PM to discuss the following items: 1. Labor Relations: Review Proposals for AFSCME Local No. 114-F (Johnson, approx. 5 mins) 2. Labor Relations: Review Proposals for AFSCME Local No. 114-L (Johnson, approx. 5 mins) 3. Labor Relations: Review Proposals for Teamsters Union, Local No. 231 (Johnson, approx. 5 mins) 4. Litigation: Young et al. v. Pena, City of Bellingham et. al. (Brady, approx. 20 mins) 5. Potential Property Acquisition (Marriner, approx. 15 mins) 6. Labor Relations with WhatCOMM – Law Enforcement Dispatching Council President Daniel Hammill reconvened Committee of the Whole to adjourn at 3:12 PM. Committee Of The Whole Minutes Page 3 December 16, 2019