City Council - Committee Of The Whole

City of Bellingham Committee Of The Whole Minutes October 3, 2022, 2:00 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 210 Lottie Street, Bellingham, WA, unless otherwise noted. Call to Order The Committee of the Whole meeting was called to order by President Stone at 2:28pm. 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. 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. 23469 1. An Ordinance Amending the 2021-2022 Biennial Budget Increasing p. 3 Revenues and Expenditures for the Tourism Promotion Area Forrest Longman, Deputy Finance Director, provided an overview of the ordinance. The City and County Council formed a Tourism Promotion Area (TPA), as authorized by RCW 35.101.020, after receiving a petition from affected businesses. Collections Committee Of The Whole Minutes Page 1 October 3, 2022  received from qualified businesses in the City and unincorporated Whatcom County are deposited with the City of Bellingham. The Bellingham Whatcom County Tourism Board of Directors prepared a draft budget and the City Council acted on that budget as part of its role as the Legislative Authority at its September 26, 2022 meeting. Hollie Huthman / Michael Lilliquist moved to recommend approval of the ordinance. MOTION CARRIED 6-0. Recused: Daniel Hammill 23470 2. Preview of County Ordinance Creating Whatcom Racial Equity p. 6 Commission Mayor Fleetwood highlighted the draft ordinance to create the Whatcom Racial Equity Commission (WREC). This is the culmination of a partnership with the Chuckanut Health Foundation, the City of Bellingham, and Whatcom County to create recommendations for a county-wide racial equity commission. The proposed County ordinance anticipates City commitment to the purpose and goals of the WREC as well as joint funding to support its work. The ordinance went before the Whatcom County Council on September 27, 2022 and anticipate City Council approval later this fall. Council recognized the tremendous community work and efforts of Councilmember Martens and Shu-Ling Zhao to create the commission. Daniel Hammill / Lisa Anderson moved to recommend the administration to bring forward an interlocal agreement to jointly fund and support the Whatcom Racial Equity Commission upon passage of the County ordinance. MOTION CARRIED 7-0. 23439 3. Work Session to Consider Proposed Amendments to the Bellingham p. 15 Municipal Code (BMC) to Establish a Manufactured Home Park (MHP) Overlay and Regulations Related to the Change of Use, Ownership, and Closure of a MHP On September 12, 2022 the City Council held a Public Hearing to consider amendments to the Bellingham Municipal Code that establish a manufactured home park (MHP) overlay and regulations related to the change of use, ownership, and closure of a MHP. More information can be found at https://cob.org/MHP. At the end of the hearing, City Council directed additional time for public comment and for staff to return for a work session. In response, the following modifications and additions are proposed,  Include “eligible organizations” in the Opportunity to purchase clause. Committee Of The Whole Minutes Page 2 October 3, 2022   Expand the responsibility of owners if a MHP closes.  If no further action is taken, the MHP Overlay will sunset in 30 years (2052).  Include all ten MHPs in the proposed Overlay.  Review and determine the feasibility of establishing a City-funded relocation assistance program if a MHP closes.  Approve draft ordinance with Commission’s recommended modifications and apply 30-yr sunset clause to all MHPs in the Overlay. Council requested additional time to further discuss the proposed ordinance and that a copy of the ordinance be included in the upcoming packet. Daniel Hammill / Hollie Huthman moved to recommend additional discussion of the MHP overlay at the October 24, 2022 meeting. MOTION CARRIED 7-0. 23471 4. Introduction of the Proposed 2023-2024 Biennial Budget p. 51 Mayor Fleetwood and Forrest Longman, Deputy Finance Director, presented an overview of the proposed 2023-2024 Biennial Budget. The proposed budget includes emphasis on public safety, major investments in libraries and parks, creates an Office of Climate, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion work, and citywide infrastructure improvements. Staff and the public can read the full budget details at, www.cob.org/budget. This is the first of several upcoming budget meetings. 23391 5. Approval of City Council Meeting Minutes p. 70 Daniel Hammill / Hollie Huthman moved to recommend approval of the September 26, 2022 meeting minutes. MOTION CARRIED 7-0. 6. Old/New Business Councilmember Martens and Councilmember Lilliquist met with Chuckanut Square residents and would like further discussion of their eligibility for parking permits. Kristina Michele Martens / Michael Lilliquist moved to recommend the Administration review and respond to the petition from the Chuckanut Square residents. MOTION CARRIED 7-0. Councilmember Lilliquist was recently appointed to the Association of Washington (AWC), Large Cities Advisory Committee. He would like the Council to review AWC's Committee Of The Whole Minutes Page 3 October 3, 2022  policy recommendations, which can be found at https://wacities.org/advocacy/City- Legislative-Priorities. Councilmember Lilliquist shared the WTA Board is expanding its youth-ride free program to those 18 and under, developing a zero-emissions fleet transmission plan, and creating a transit access fund to pay for special transit projects that the City could access. Councilmember Hammill shared an updated from the Stakeholder Advisory Committee for the new County Jail Facility that they are considering three possible sites including a location in Ferndale, Irongate, and a vacant parking lot in Bellingham. Also, as the City liaison to the LEAD program, he recently learned the program is 95% effective in reducing participant encounters with the criminal justice program. Council President Stone inquired how lifting the emergency COVID proclamation will broadly impact the City. Mayor Fleetwood will return for additional discussion. Also, Council President Stone acknowledged the conduct by the Bellingham Police Department in protecting and serving the public during an attempted suicide by cop confrontation. Adjournment There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 4:44pm. Committee Of The Whole Minutes Page 4 October 3, 2022