City Council - Committee Of The Whole

City of Bellingham Committee Of The Whole Minutes June 9, 2025, 9:00 AM Mayor: Kimberley Lund 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 Jace Cotton Call to Order Council President Huthman called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m. Roll Call Present: Council President Hollie Huthman, Second Ward Council Member Hannah Stone, First 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 Jace Cotton, 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. 24502 1. Work Session on an Ordinance Related to Manufactured/Mobile Home Landlord p. 3 Tenant Relations, Adopting a New Chapter in Title 6 of the Bellingham Municipal Code Prohibiting Landlords from Charging Unfair or Excessive Fees in Manufactured/Mobile Home Lease Agreements City Council continued work session discussions on the draft ordinance relating to manufactured/mobile home fees. Lisa Anderson / Daniel Hammill moved to recommend adoption of BMC 6.19.110 – Miscellaneous Provisions. Committee Of The Whole Minutes Page 1 June 9, 2025  MOTION CARRIED 7-0. Daniel Hammill / Lisa Anderson moved to recommend adoption of BMC 6.19.120 – Severability. MOTION CARRIED 7-0. Jace Cotton / Lisa Anderson moved to recommend approval of the ordinance related to Manufactured/Mobile Home Landlord Tenant Relations, Adopting a New Chapter in Title 6 of the Bellingham Municipal Code Prohibiting Landlords from Charging Unfair or Excessive Fees in Manufactured/Mobile Home Lease Agreements as amended and approved on June 2nd and June 9th, 2025. Jace Cotton / Edwin H. "Skip" Williams moved to amend the effective date to 30-days after third and final reading. AMENDMENT CARRIED 7-0. Jace Cotton / Lisa Anderson moved to reconsider the previous motion. MOTION CARRIED 7-0. Jace Cotton / Edwin H. "Skip" Williams moved to set the effective date to August 1, 2025. AMENDMENT CARRIED 7-0. AMENDED MOTION CARRIED 7-0. 24501 2. Work Session on an Ordinance Relating to Landlord Tenant Relations, Adopting a p. 14 New Chapter in Title 6 of the Bellingham Municipal Code Prohibiting Landlords from Charging Tenants Unfair or Excessive Fees in Residential Rental Agreements and Leases City Council continued work session discussions on the draft ordinance relating to rental fees. Jace Cotton / Daniel Hammill moved to amend the recital, "WHEREAS, city staff presented summaries of public engagement efforts, including a large public survey and focus groups with landlords, tenants, and service providers, during the Council meeting on March 28, 2024 2025;” MOTION CARRIED 7-0. Michael Lilliquist / Jace Cotton moved to recommend adoption of BMC 6.16.020 – Disclosure of Fees Required as presented in the agenda packet. MOTION CARRIED 7-0. Committee Of The Whole Minutes Page 2 June 9, 2025  Lisa Anderson / Daniel Hammill moved to amend BMC 6.16.030 – Reasonable Fees Permitted to align with language in the mobile/manufactured home ordinance, 1. “An applicant screening fee or application fee that does not exceed $50.00 plus CPI-U for the Seattle/Tacoma/Bellevue region calculated on an annual basis -June over June per application.” MOTION CARRIED 6-1. Opposed: Hannah Stone Jace Cotton / Michael Lilliquist moved to amend BMC 6.16.030 – Reasonable Fees Permitted as follows, 2. “A refundable security deposit that does not exceed the Monthly Rent for one month. However, a non-profit service organization may offer to pay a security deposit not to exceed the amount of monthly rent for two months on behalf of their client, which the landlord may accept. However, if the security deposit is paid by a non-profit service organization, the security deposit may be increased to the monthly rent for two months. This subsection does not apply to subsidized housing where the rent is based on the income of the tenant;” MOTION CARRIED 7-0. Daniel Hammill / Edwin H. "Skip" Williams moved to adopt section 3 as written in BMC 6.16.030 – Reasonable Fees Permitted, 3. “A pet damage deposit that does not exceed 30% of the Monthly Rent. The receipt, handling, and disbursement of the pet deposit shall follow the requirements for a security deposit set under RCW 59.18.” MOTION CARRIED 7-0. Lisa Anderson / Jace Cotton moved to recommend adoption of BMC 6.16.030 – Reasonable Fees Permitted as amended. MOTION CARRIED 7-0. Daniel Hammill / Edwin H. "Skip" Williams moved to recommend adoption of BMC 6.16.040 – Unfair or Excessive Fees Prohibited and strike, "2b. Any additional fee to rent month-to-month rather than a fixed term lease, or vice versa;" Hollie Huthman / Lisa Anderson moved to amend the motion to include striking, "2f. Any single-time or periodic fee required for a pet to occupy the unit, except as provided for in BMC 6.16.030(3); and" AMENDMENT CARRIED 5-1. OPPOSED: Jace Cotton Committee Of The Whole Minutes Page 3 June 9, 2025  ABSTAINED: Edwin H. "Skip" Williams AMENDED MOTION CARRIED 7-0. Jace Cotton / Lisa Anderson moved to amend BMC 6.16.040 – Unfair or Excessive Fees Prohibited to include, "2f. Any single-time or periodic fee required for a pet or pets to occupy the unit that exceeds 2% of monthly rent, or any such fee if the landlord collects a pet deposit per BMC 6.16.030(3); and" MOTION CARRIED 5-1. OPPOSED: Hollie Huthman ABSTAINED: Edwin H. "Skip" Williams Michael Lilliquist / Daniel Hammill moved to recommend adoption of BMC 6.16.050 – Rental Agreement Provisions in Violation Null and Void as presented. MOTION CARRIED 7-0. Michael Lilliquist / Daniel Hammill moved to recommend adoption of BMC 6.16.060 – Retaliation Prohibited as presented. MOTION CARRIED 7-0. Michael Lilliquist / Daniel Hammill moved to recommend adoption of BMC 6.16.070 – Civil Action Remedy as presented. MOTION CARRIED 7-0. Jace Cotton / Daniel Hammill moved to recommend adoption of BMC 6.16.080 – Additional Affirmative Defense to An Unlawful Detainer and Other Actions with the following addition, "2. It is an additional affirmative defense to an unlawful detainer or other eviction that the action is in retaliation for the tenant asserting their rights under this ordinance." MOTION CARRIED 7-0. Lisa Anderson / Daniel Hammill moved to amend the ordinance by striking, BMC 6.16.090 – City Enforcement, BMC 6.16.100 – Penalties, and the recital, "WHEREAS, the City of Bellingham’s practice in rental housing is to prioritize compliance, providing notice and opportunity to rectify and remedy alleged noncompliance prior to seeking or imposing fines or other applicable penalties." MOTION CARRIED 4-3. OPPOSED: Hannah Stone, Michael Lilliquist, Jace Cotton Committee Of The Whole Minutes Page 4 June 9, 2025  Jace Cotton / Daniel Hammill moved to recommend adoption of BMC 6.16.110 – Miscellaneous Provisions as presented. MOTION CARRIED 7-0. Lisa Anderson / Jace Cotton moved to recommend adoption of BMC 6.16.120 – Severability as presented. MOTION CARRIED 7-0. Edwin H. "Skip" Williams / Jace Cotton moved to set the ordinance's effective date as August 1, 2025. MOTION CARRIED 7-0. Daniel Hammill / Michael Lilliquist moved to add a recital, "WHEREAS, with the adoption of recent state legislation House Bill 1110 and House Bill 1337 regarding middle housing and accessory dwelling units (ADUs), the City is likely to see an increase in small scale landlords." MOTION CARRIED 7-0. Jace Cotton / Edwin H. "Skip" Williams moved to recommend approval of the ordinance as amended. MOTION CARRIED 7-0. Council moved into Executive Session at 11:10 a.m. to discuss six items until 11:58 a.m. 1. Potential Property Acquisition 2. Potential Property Acquisition 3. Potential Property Acquisition 4. Potential Property Acquisition 5. Litigation: Land v. City of Bellingham, et. al. 6. Potential Litigation 24561 3. Update from State Representative Ramel on 2025 Legislative Session p. 32 The committee resumed session at 1:00 p.m. State Representative Alex Ramel (40th Legislative District) provided a summary of activity from the 2025 state legislative session. Council Members discussed the session and asked questions. Committee Of The Whole Minutes Page 5 June 9, 2025 24575 4. Homeless Outreach Team (HOT) Presentation p. 33 Jason Korneliussen, Strategic Initiatives Manager for Health & Human Services, Marisa Schoeppach, Homeless Outreach Team (HOT) Manager, and Cheri Johnson, Team Coordinator, provided an update on the team's work in the community connecting individuals with basic needs such as food, shelter, medical care, and more. Council Members discussed the outreach and community efforts and asked questions. 24576 5. A Non-Binding Multi-Jurisdictional Resolution Regarding Population, Housing and p. 50 Employment Allocations. Blake Lyon, Planning & Community Development Director, and Chris Behee, Long Range Planning Manager, presented on the non-binding resolution, which creates a population reference for each jurisdiction's land use and capital facility planning efforts for the comprehensive plan update. The Whatcom County Council approved a comparable resolution on March 11, 2025. Council Members discussed the resolution, and asked questions. Michael Lilliquist / Jace Cotton moved to recommend approval of the non-binding multi- jurisdictional Resolution regarding population, housing, and employment allocations. MOTION CARRIED 7-0. 24562 6. A Resolution Reaffirming the City of Bellingham as a Welcoming City Where People p. 62 Have a Right to Live Free of Discrimination, Violence and Systemic Barriers that Threaten Their Safety, Well-Being and Human Rights Council Member Stone presented on the draft Resolution, which rewrites Resolution 2017-10 affirming the City's policies and values relating to the safety of all people residing in Bellingham. Council Members discuss the resolution, thanked Council Member Stone for her work, and asked questions. An ordinance will be forthcoming. Hannah Stone / Lisa Anderson moved to amend the Resolution to include, “BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City will continue to continue offer programs, services, activities, and facilities that are accessible to individuals with disabilities; and" MOTION CARRIED 7-0. Edwin H. "Skip" Williams / Daniel Hammill moved to recommend approval of the Resolution as amended. MOTION CARRIED 7-0. Committee Of The Whole Minutes Page 6 June 9, 2025  7. Old/New Business Council Member Hammill thanked the Fire Department and the Alternative Response Team for their work assisting individuals in need. Adjournment There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 2:47 p.m. Committee Of The Whole Minutes Page 7 June 9, 2025