City Council - Public Health, Safety, Justice, and Equity Committee
Regular MeetingBellingham, WA · March 24, 2025
Minutes
City of Bellingham
Public Health, Safety, Justice, and Equity Committee Minutes
March 24, 2025, 1:00 PM
Mayor: Kimberley Lund Contact: (360) 778-8100, mayorsoffice@cob.org
Council Members: Daniel Hammill, Chair Contact: (360) 778-8200, ccmail@cob.org
Edwin H. "Skip" Williams, Michael Lilliquist https://cob.org/council
Call to Order
Committee Chair Hammill called the meeting to order at 1:00pm.
Roll Call
Present:
Committee Chair Daniel Hammill, Third Ward
Committee Member Edwin H. "Skip" Williams, Fourth Ward
Committee Member Michael Lilliquist, Sixth Ward
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.
24483 1. Overview of Bellingham Police Department Wellness Program p. 3
Police Chief Rebecca Mertzig and Dr. Michael Earley presented an overview of wellness
programming for the Bellingham Police Department that began in June 2022. Council Members
offered praise for the program and asked questions.
24484 2. GRACE Program Update p. 5
Ashley Smith, Whatcom County Health & Community Services GRACE Program Supervisor, and
Steve Larson, Bellingham Community Paramedic Captain, presented an update on GRACE program
activities. Council Members discussed the program and asked questions.
Adjournment
There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 2:10pm.
Public Health, Safety, Justice, and Equity Committee Minutes Page 1
March 24, 2025
Agenda
City of Bellingham
Public Health, Safety, Justice, and Equity Committee Agenda
March 24, 2025, 1:00 PM
Mayor: Kimberley Lund Contact: (360) 778-8100, mayorsoffice@cob.org
Council Members: Daniel Hammill, Chair Contact: (360) 778-8200, ccmail@cob.org
Edwin H. "Skip" Williams, Michael Lilliquist https://cob.org/council
Legislative Office Manager: Jackie Weller
Members of the public wishing to view the meeting in person may do so at Council Chambers on the second
floor of City Hall, 210 Lottie Street, Bellingham, WA, unless otherwise noted. Council meetings are streamed
live via the City’s website at https://cob.org/meetings and on the City’s YouTube channel at
https://cob.org/btv. Meetings are also broadcast in high definition on BTV on Comcast channel 321, and in
standard definition on Comcast channel 10. Members of the public who do not have cable or Internet access
may listen to the meeting via telephone by using any of the following phone numbers:
● (253) 215-8782 ● (346) 248-7799 ● (669) 900-6833 ● (301) 715-8592 ● (312) 626-6799
Meeting ID: 820 8653 7627
Password: 9
Call to Order
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:
Public Health, Safety, Justice, and Equity
Daniel Hammill, Chair
Edwin H. "Skip" Williams, Michael Lilliquist
24483 1. Overview of Bellingham Police Department Wellness Program p. 3
24484 2. GRACE Program Update p. 5
Adjournment
Agenda Information
Council Committee and Regular Meeting agendas and agenda packets, which contain the supporting
documentation for agenda items, are available to the public Wednesday afternoon prior to the meeting. They
are posted at https://cob.org/meetings. Meetings are streamed live at https://cob.org/btv on the internet as
they occur
Accessibility
The Council Chambers is fully accessible. Elevator access to the second floor is available at City Hall’s west
entrance. Hearing assistance is available, and a receiver may be checked out through the Deputy City Clerk
prior to the evening session. For additional accommodations, contact the Legislative Assistant at 778-8200 in
advance of the meeting. Thank you.
Deadline to submit material for any public hearing for inclusion in the published agenda packet is 10:00 a.m.
on Wednesday prior to the meeting.
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