City Council - Committee Of The Whole

City of Bellingham Committee Of The Whole Minutes March 14, 2022, 1:00 PM Mayor: Seth Fleetwood Contact: (360) 778-8100, mayorsoffice@cob.org Council Members: Hannah Stone, Hollie Huthman, Contact: (360) 778-8200, ccmail@cob.org Daniel Hammill, Edwin H. “Skip” Williams, Lisa Anderson, https://cob.org/council Michael Lilliquist and Kristina Michele Martens All meetings are held in the City Hall Council Chambers at Legislative Assistant: Nalini Margaitis 210 Lottie Street, Bellingham, WA, unless otherwise noted. Call to Order Roll Call Present: Council President Hannah Stone, First Ward Council Member Hollie Huthman, Second Ward Council Member Daniel Hammill, Third Ward Council Member Edwin H. "Skip" Williams, Fourth Ward Council Member Lisa Anderson, Fifth Ward Council Member Michael Lilliquist, Sixth Ward Council Member Kristina Michele Martens, At Large 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 Hannah Stone, Chair Hollie Huthman, Daniel Hammill, Edwin H. "Skip" Williams, Lisa Anderson, Michael Lilliquist, Kristina Michele Martens 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. 23277 1. Discussion of In-Person Council Meetings p. 3 Committee Of The Whole Minutes Page 1 March 14, 2022  Brian Heinrich, Deputy Administrator, provided a brief overview on the return to facilities. Alan Marriner, City Attorney, added that the Governor's mask mandate does not apply to OPMA (masks would therefore be required and Council could put in place stricter rules than are currently required by the Governor). Return to City Hall would include a hybrid option. Hannah Stone / Daniel Hammill to resume discussion of return to facilities on April 11, 2022. MOTION CARRIED 7-0. 23293 2. Update on RV's and the 72 Hour Rule p. 6 Bellingham Police Lieutenant, Claudia Murphy, provided an update on what the Police Department and Public Works have been doing in regard to the various RV's parked on Bellingham streets. Information Only. 23294 3. An Ordinance Amending the 2021-2022 Biennial Budget Increasing p. 11 Expenditures of American Rescue Plan Act Funding to Support the Childcare Industry Tara Sundin, Community and Economic Development Manager, welcomed back David Webster. Together, Sundin and Webster provided Council with a presentation of the current childcare and housing situation. Staff proposed an ordinance that would 1) retain and expand additional childcare centers, 2) create programs to assist with workforce retention and expansion and, 3) invest in additional stabilization strategies for childcare users. Daniel Hammill / Hollie Huthman moved to recommend approval of the ordinance as presented. MOTION CARRIED 5-0. Abstained: Hannah Stone, Lisa Anderson 4. Approval of City Council Committee and/or Special Meeting Minutes Hollie Huthman / Michael Lilliquist moved approval of the February 28, 2022 minutes of the City Council committee meetings as submitted. Committee Of The Whole Minutes Page 2 March 14, 2022  MOTION CARRIED 7-0. 5. Old/New Business First Town Hall meeting devoted to Community Voices on Climate Action, will be held on Monday March 21 at 6:00 PM via Zoom. You may access via: https://www.cob.org/cctownhall The Annual Lake Whatcom Joint Councils and Commissioners Meeting will occur on Wednesday March 23 at 6:30 PM via Zoom. For more information, please visit: https://cob.org/lwjc32322 Brian Heinrich, Deputy Administrator, drew attention to the budget (creation of regional mobile health crisis team, a $4.2million effort to assist counties and cities with establishing alternative response teams - $2.2million will come to Whatcom County; law enforcement, behavioral health, and suicide prevention program - criminal justice and training center: $2.5million program; 988 behavioral health crisis response system - $9million increase to help expand the 988 system). There has been discussion with the 40th and 42nd delegation to attend a Council meeting and for them to provide a legislative recap in an upcoming meeting. Adjournment There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 3:16 p.m. Committee Of The Whole Minutes Page 3 March 14, 2022