City Council - Community and Economic Development Committee

City of Bellingham Community and Economic Development Committee Minutes December 13, 2021, 1:00 PM Mayor: Seth Fleetwood Contact: (360) 778-8100, mayorsoffice@cob.org Council Members: Hollie Huthman, Chair Contact: (360) 778-8200, ccmail@cob.org Pinky Vargas, Michael Lilliquist https://cob.org/council Legislative Assistant: Nalini Margaitis 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: Community and Economic Development Hollie Huthman, Chair Pinky Vargas, Michael Lilliquist 23208 1. A Presentation of the Whatcom County Community & Economic p. 3 Development Strategy Don Goldberg and Jennifer Noveck, from the Port of Bellingham, provided Council with a presentation of the Whatcom County Community & Economic Development strategy. The Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) is a long-term planning document that outlines county-wide economic development priorities, goals, and strategies. The strategy document lays out a five-year work plan for the economic development staff at the Port of Bellingham and the project list provides eligibility for many grant funds. The Whatcom County CEDS for 2022-2026 was unanimously approved by County Council on October 26, 2021. The 2021 process was led by the Port of Bellingham’s economic development team, supervised by an External Review Committee comprised of staff from the County, seven cities, Port, and both Nooksack and Lummi Tribes, and informed by broad public, private, and nonprofit stakeholder engagement. The CEDS can be found on the Port of Community and Economic Development Committee Minutes Page 1 December 13, 2021  Bellingham's website: www.portofbellingham.com/DocumentCenter/View/10571/Whatcom-County- CEDS-2022-2026-11052021 Information Only. 23209 2. Update on a New Pathway for Families with Children that are p. 4 Experiencing Homelessness Interim Planning Director, Tara Sundin, provided an update on a new pathway for families with children that are experiencing homelessness. Sundin shared that staff are working with the Opportunity Council, Lydia Place and Whatcom County, with financial support from the Mount Baker Foundation, to conduct a feasibility study for a new purpose-built facility that will be a much-needed alternative to the motel stay program for local families without housing. The purpose of the project and program is to provide necessary services to help families stabilize, and offer a healthy, safe place for families to stay while awaiting placement into permanent housing. The number of families with children experiencing homelessness in Whatcom County surged soon after the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, doubling from 49 (in February 2020) to 113 (in February 2021). The rate of homelessness for families with children outpaced that of other groups, with a 2020 to 2021 year- over-year increase of 50%. The City of Bellingham and Whatcom County responded to the surge by expanding their existing winter-only “motel stay” program to shelter families with children year-round. At peak levels in February 2021, 87 families were in motel stays in Whatcom County. Because of these statistics, there need to provide an alternative to the motel stay program for local families without housing, that will provide necessary services to help families stabilize, and offer a healthy, safe place for families to stay while awaiting placement into permanent housing. This will be a two-phase project. A 25-30 Unit Facility in Bellingham (estimated at $9M) and then another 10-15 Units in the Small Cities (estimated at $4.5M). Information Only. 23210 3. Assessment of Downtown Services and Description of New Initiatives p. 7 Underway Staff recently conducted an assessment of downtown services to identify gaps and opportunities for improvement. Senior Planner, Darby Cowles, provided an overview and update on the results of the assessment and described new initiatives being advanced by the City, in collaboration with partners. Overall recommendations included: additional cleaning, coordinated behavioral health Community and Economic Development Committee Minutes Page 2 December 13, 2021  response, increased eyes on the street, and enhances communication and outreach (see packet pages 414-421 for more information). Information Only. 23211 4. Update on Outdoor Dining Areas in the Public Right-of-Way p. 16 Guidelines and standards for commercial uses of the right-of-way, including parklets and streateries, were adopted in 2019 (BMC 13.14). This became a critical option for restaurants and other businesses closed or limited by the COVID-19 related health restrictions. Over 30 right-of-way use permits were processed in 2020-2021, many under temporary guidelines for overhead coverings and other weatherization efforts. This fall, final guidelines were adopted to allow for the safe continuation of streatery structures. A presentation of these guidelines was included for Council (located on pages 434- 438 of the packet). Information Only. Adjournment Community and Economic Development Committee Minutes Page 3 December 13, 2021