City Council - Regular Meeting

City of Bellingham City Council Regular Meeting Minutes October 3, 2022, 7:00 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. Please note the doors to City Hall unlock at 6:30 PM. Call to Order The meeting was called to order by Council President Stone at 7pm. Announcements & Upcoming Meetings: Bellingham City Council meets all requirements of the State of Washington Open Public Meetings Act. 1. The 2022 Budget Work Session meetings will take place from 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM at City Hall on the following dates and are open to the public to listen:  October 3, 2022 (Introduction – Location: Council Chambers)  October 10, 2022 (Fire, Library)  October 17, 2022 (Public Works, Parks, Capital)  October 24, 2022 (HR, Finance, Legal, IT)  October 31, 2022 (Police, Planning, Museum)  November 7, 2022 (Mayor, Council, Municipal Court) On October 24, 2022 at 7:00 PM, Bellingham City Council will hold the First Budget Public Hearing. On November 7, 2022 at 7:00 PM, Bellingham City Council will hold the Second Budget Public Hearing. 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 City of Bellingham Regular City Council Meeting Page 1 of 8 10/3/2022 Minutes Public Hearings 23463 1. Public Hearing and Resolution on the Proposed Relinquishment of a p. 6 Surplus Utility Easement Encumbering 1752 Old Samish Road Eric Johnston, Director of Public Works, shared that the department is recommending relinquishment of a surplus utility easement that encumbers real property known as 1752 Old Samish Road. The proposed relinquishment comes to City Council for decision upon application of the property owner to facilitate development of private property. The Public Works Department reviewed the request and determined that the portion of the easement that encumbers the subject property is surplus to the City’s needs and is not needed for utility service. Council President Stone opened the Public Hearing. One community member spoke at the Public Hearing. Council President Stone closed the Public Hearing. Daniel Hammill / Edwin H. "Skip" Williams moved final approval of Resolution #2022- 18. MOTION CARRIED 7-0. 23464 2. A Public Hearing on a Proposed Resolution of the City of Bellingham, p. 21 Washington, Encouraging Voters to Vote “Yes” on Whatcom County Proposition 2022-6, Regular Property Tax Levy for Emergency Medical Services, in the General Election Councilmember Lilliquist and Fire Chief Hewett spoke in support of the Resolution. Council President Stone opened the Public Hearing. Two community members spoke at the Public Hearing. Council President Stone closed the Public Hearing. Michael Lilliquist / Daniel Hammill moved final approval of Resolution #2022-19. MOTION CARRIED 7-0. 23465 3. Public Hearing to Consider Removal of On-Street Parking to Install p. 26 Bike Lanes for 2023 Non-Motorized Projects City of Bellingham Regular City Council Meeting Page 2 of 8 10/3/2022 Minutes  Chad Schulhauser and Chris Comeau from Public Works provided a high-level summary on the proposed parking removal for bike lane installation on the following arterial streets,  West Illinois Street (Sunset Dr to Lynn St)  Meridian Street (East Victor St to W. Illinois St)  Girard Street (Broadway to Young St)  Eldridge Avenue (Broadway to Nequalicum Ave)  Cornwall Avenue (Laurel St to Pine St) Council President Stone opened the Public Hearing. 29 community members spoke at the Public Hearing. Council President Stone closed the Public Hearing. Lisa Anderson / Daniel Hammill moved to recommend moving further discussion to Committee of the Whole at the October 24, 2022 meeting. MOTION CARRIED 7-0. Mayor's Report Standing time for briefings, updates, and reports to Council by the Mayor, if needed. 23466 1. Mayor's Appointment of Betty Sanchez to the Transportation p. 205 Commission (Approval) Mayor Fleetwood appointed Betty Sanchez to her first term, which will expire on October 3, 2025, at which time she may be reappointed. Daniel Hammill / Hollie Huthman moved to recommend approval of Betty Sanchez to the Transportation Commission. MOTION CARRIED 7-0. October 10th is Indigenous Peoples’ Day, also recognized in the City of Bellingham as Coast Salish Day. A group of organizations are hosting a celebration featuring a screening of the award-winning documentary, Daughter of a Lost Bird, on October 10, 2022, 5pm-8pm. More details available at, www.wwu.edu/indigenous-peoples-day. Mayor Fleetwood and Chief Mertzig recognized and expressed gratitude for the quick actions and calm demeanor of Office Dearborn, when confronted with an individual attempting suicide by cop over the weekend. The response displayed reflects extensive training and skills of Bellingham Police Officers. City of Bellingham Regular City Council Meeting Page 3 of 8 10/3/2022 Minutes The following are heard in both Committee sessions and Regular Meeting in order below: Council Standing Committee Meetings: Community and Economic Development 1:00 PM Hollie Huthman, Chair Michael Lilliquist, Kristina Michele Martens 23467 1. Update on Gardenview Tiny House Village p. 211 Tara Sundin, Planning and Community Development, Ashley Burger, Road2Home & Josh Castle, Low-Income Housing Institute (LIHI) provided an update on the Gardenview Tiny House Village. LIHI and local partner Road2Home operate the village, welcoming first guests in October 2021, serving medically fragile and senior couples and individuals who are experiencing homelessness with 24/7 services. Gardenview provides community and staff spaces including a kitchen, hygiene facility, operations office, and case management offices. To date, they have served 54 guests, moved 13 individuals into permanent housing, made 175 service connections, submitted 99 housing applications, and obtained 65 personal documents. The organization has learned that tiny homes work, recovery takes time, community support is important to the program's success, systematic barriers add complexity to assisting the population, and there are limited resources for mental health services and affordable housing. 23468 2. 2022-23 Severe Weather Shelter Plan p. 227 Tara Sundin, Planning and Community Development, and Anne Beck, Whatcom- County Health Department provided an update on the 2022-23 severe weather shelter plan. Originally, WCHD received no proposals in response to their severe weather operators/facilities. Road2Home agreed to manage and operate a Severe Weather Day Use Center and an Overnight Severe Weather Shelter, in case of a severe weather event. Current winter plans include,  Winter Shelter – Christ the King agreed to partner with Lighthouse Mission Ministries (LMM) to offer an overflow shelter for the winter months of December, January, and February. Base Camp continues to hover around full occupancy, so this additional capacity is greatly needed. LMM and Christ the King are still finalizing operational details for the upcoming season.  Severe Weather Shelter – Road2Home agreed to operate a Severe Weather Shelter – activation of which will be decided by WCHD utilizing adopted criteria. For this coming season, the program will operate at the City of Bellingham’s Civic Field locker room facility. WCHD will contract with Road2Home and the City of Bellingham Regular City Council Meeting Page 4 of 8 10/3/2022 Minutes  City will serve as a partner agency given it will be located in a city-owned facility. WCHD and Road2Home will coordinate transportation between the Day Use Warming Center (see City of Bellingham 210 Lottie Street below) and Civic Field. Program details are expected to be finalized by mid-October.  Day Use Warming Center – Road2Home will operate a Day Use Warming Center, which will be located in the Library lecture room. The City will contract with Road2Home to operate this program. Program details are expected to be finalized by mid-October.  Motel Stays for Families with Children – City and County are utilizing federal funds to extend the motel stay program and are allocating funding to support ~70 families throughout the year. Committee Of The Whole 2:00 PM Hannah Stone, Chair Hollie Huthman, Daniel Hammill, Edwin H. "Skip" Williams, Lisa Anderson, Michael Lilliquist, Kristina Michele Martens 23469 1. An Ordinance Amending the 2021-2022 Biennial Budget Increasing p. 230 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 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. Hannah Stone / Edwin H. "Skip" Williams moved for first and second reading. MOTION CARRIED 6-0. Recused: Daniel Hammill 23470 2. Preview of County Ordinance Creating Whatcom Racial Equity p. 233 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. City of Bellingham Regular City Council Meeting Page 5 of 8 10/3/2022 Minutes  Council recognized the tremendous community work and efforts of Councilmember Martens and Shu-Ling Zhao to create the commission. Hannah Stone / Daniel Hammill 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. 242 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.  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. Hannah Stone / Kristina Michele Martens 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. 278 Mayor Fleetwood and Forrest Longman, Deputy Finance Director, presented an overview of the proposed 2023-2024 Biennial Budget. The proposed budget includes City of Bellingham Regular City Council Meeting Page 6 of 8 10/3/2022 Minutes  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. 297 Daniel Hammill / Hollie Huthman moved approval of the September 26, 2022 minutes of the regular City Council meeting as submitted. MOTION CARRIED 7-0. 6. Old/New Business President Stone expressed excitement at returning to in-person Council meetings. Brian Heinrich, Deputy Administrator, shared that the City is likely to pursue grant funding from the Association of Washington Cities for the Alternative Response Team. Executive Session Report and Action only No executive session report. Consent Agenda All matters listed on the Consent Agenda are considered routine and/or non-controversial items and may be approved in a single motion. A member of the Council may ask that an item be removed from the Consent Agenda and considered separately. 23472 1. Authorization of A/P Transactions Issued September 16, 2022 through p. 315 September 23, 2022 23473 2. Authorization of Payroll Labor Cost Payments Dated September 1, p. 316 2022 to September 15, 2022 23474 3. Interlocal Agreement for Perpetrator Domestic Violence Treatment p. 317 23475 4. Continued Interlocal Agreement for Probation Services p. 338 Daniel Hammill / Michael Lilliquist moved approval of the Consent Agenda in its entirety. MOTION CARRIED 7-0. City of Bellingham Regular City Council Meeting Page 7 of 8 10/3/2022 Minutes Adjournment There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 10:18pm. Hannah Stone, Council President ATTEST: Kelley Goetz, Deputy City Clerk APPROVED: 10/24/2022 City of Bellingham Regular City Council Meeting Page 8 of 8 10/3/2022 Minutes