City Council - Committee Of The Whole

City of Bellingham Committee Of The Whole Minutes October 30, 2023, 1:30 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 Call to Order Council President Lilliquist called the meeting to order at 1:55pm. Roll Call Present: Council President Michael Lilliquist, Sixth Ward Council Member 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 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. 23910 1. Hearing Examiner Annual Report p. 3 Sharon Rice, Hearing Examiner, provided her annual report to the City Council. She highlighted a few potential areas of interest for the Council including:  Whether notice postings for Public Works variances to impacted properties aligns with legislative intent. Currently, impacted individuals are notified but the yellow notice sign is not posted at the property.  Who has the authority to waive appeal fees in cases of indigence.  Whether 50-foot buffers are required from the edges of erosion hazards as well as landslide hazards. Public Works staff will review the case for fee waivers. The Planning Department has added the erosion and landslide hazard code for future review. Committee Of The Whole Minutes Page 1 October 30, 2023  Michael Lilliquist / Lisa Anderson moved to request the administration to review the lack of a posting requirement for Public Works variances and return to Council with recommendations. MOTION CARRIED 7-0. 23911 2. Budget Work Session for the Parks and Recreation Department and the Planning and p. 9 Community Development Department Nicole Oliver, Parks and Recreation Director, presented a high-level summary of the mid-biennium adjustments for the Parks and Recreation Department including:  Add new positions in Greenways, including a Community Garden Coordinator, Construction Inspector, and Parks Technician.  Increase Greenways budget and planning.  Correct various improperly funded or allocated positions. Council members discussed and asked questions on the modifications. Blake Lyon, Planning and Community Development Director, presented a high-level summary of the mid-biennium adjustments for the Planning and Community Development Department including:  Rental registration staffing and fee structure changes.  Graffiti abatement.  Increase contract with Downtown Bellingham Partnership.  Comprehensive Plan Funding.  Funding behavioral health position at the library. Council members discussed and asked questions on the modifications. 23912 3. Approval of the 10/16/2023 City Council Committee and Regular Meeting Minutes p. 10 There was a modification in the minutes under AB 23878 Bid Award for Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity Pavement Chip Seal Services, Bid No. 43B-2023 from“… but the two bids received were three to four above the budgeted amount” to “three to four times above the budgeted amount”. Edwin H. "Skip" Williams / Hollie Huthman moved to recommend approval of the September 25, 2023 meeting minutes. MOTION CARRIED 6-0. Abstained: Daniel Hammill Committee Of The Whole Minutes Page 2 October 30, 2023  4. Old/New Business Council Member Martens requested an update on the City Council's recent approval of rental assistance funding and when it will be available. Blake Lyon, Planning and Community Development Director, provided a status update, stating that his staff were working on the distribution of funds and communication efforts, which should be pushed out in the next several weeks. Council Member Martens requested the administration review a history of inspections at 1210 Ellis Street and provide an update. Blake Lyon, Planning and Community Development Director, stated that he would look into this particular case and gave a general summary of conditions that would cause a notice of condemnation and what that would mean for the property and its owner. Council Member Williams shared an update from the Multi-Agency Coordination Group’s Policy and Advocacy Subcommittee. The recent meeting focused on conducting a service gap analysis, state funding options for various programs, draft legislative priorities, and a request from the Lummi Nation for a declaration of opioid emergency by all governing bodies. Council moved into Executive Session at 2:45pm to discuss four items until 3:06pm. 1. Potential Property Acquisition 2. Potential Property Acquisition 3. Potential Property Acquisition 4. Potential Property Acquisition Adjournment There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 3:06pm. Committee Of The Whole Minutes Page 3 October 30, 2023