City Council - Regular Meeting

City of Bellingham City Council Regular Meeting Minutes December 12, 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 City Council Regular 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. On January 4, 2023 at 9:00 AM, the City Council will hold its Reorganization Meeting which will be held inside the Mayor's Boardroom. Roll Call Present: Council President Hannah Stone, First Ward Council Member Hollie Huthman, Second Ward Council Member Edwin H. "Skip" Williams, Fourth Ward Council Member Michael Lilliquist, Sixth Ward Council Member Kristina Michele Martens, At Large Excused: Council Member Daniel Hammill, Third Ward Council Member Lisa Anderson, Fifth Ward Public Hearing 23565 1. Public Hearing on Greenways Strategic Plan 2022-2026 p. 6 Peter Gill, Planning and Development Coordinator of Parks and Recreation, presented on the 2022-2026 Greenways Strategic Plan. President Stone opened the Public Hearing. Two members of the public spoke at the Public Hearing. City of Bellingham Regular City Council Meeting Page 1 of 10 12/12/2022 Minutes  President Stone closed the Public Hearing. Michael Lilliquist / Hollie Huthman moved to recommend approval of the 2022-2026 Greenways Strategic Plan. MOTION CARRIED 5-0. 23566 2. Public Hearing on Maplewood McLeod Park Master Plan p. 42 Laine Potter, Park Design and Development Manager, and Jonathan Schilk, Parks and Recreation Landscape Architect, presented on the Maplewood McLeod Park Master Plan. President Stone opened the Public Hearing. Two members of the public spoke at the Public Hearing. President Stone closed the Public Hearing. Edwin H. "Skip" Williams / Hollie Huthman moved to recommend approval of the Maplewood McLeod Park Master Plan. MOTION CARRIED 5-0. Edwin H. "Skip" Williams / Hollie Huthman moved to recommend approval of the renaming of Maplewood McLeod Park to Storybrook Park. MOTION CARRIED 5-0. 23567 3. Public Hearing on Updates to Urban Village Design Review p. 71 Blake Lyon, Planning & Community Development Director, Darby Galligan, Senior Planner, presented on proposed changes to the design review program for Urban Villages. President Stone opened the Public Hearing. Two members of the public spoke at the Public Hearing. President Stone closed the Public Hearing. Council Member Lilliquist identified a need to revise the draft ordinance on page 2, Section 1 BMC 20.25.20 to BMC 20.25.020. City of Bellingham Regular City Council Meeting Page 2 of 10 12/12/2022 Minutes  Edwin H. "Skip" Williams / Kristina Michele Martens moved for first and second reading with the correction to page 2, Section 1 BMC 20.25.20 to BMC 20.25.020. MOTION CARRIED 5-0. Mayor's Report Standing time for briefings, updates and reports to Council by the Mayor, if needed. 23568 1. Mayor's Appointment to the Transportation Commission (Approval) p. 252 Mayor Fleetwood appointed Cindy Steigerwald to her first term on the Transportation Commission, which will expire on December 12, 2025, at which time she may be reappointed. Hollie Huthman / Edwin H. "Skip" Williams moved to recommend approval of Cindy Steigerwald to the Transportation Commission. MOTION CARRIED 5-0. 23569 2. Mayor's Appointment to the Bellingham Arts Commission (Approval) p. 255 Mayor Fleetwood appointed Tami Landis to her first partial term on the Bellingham Arts Commission to her first partial term, which will expire on January 1, 2026, at which time she may be reappointed. Edwin H. "Skip" Williams / Hollie Huthman moved to recommend approval of Tami Landis to the Bellingham Arts Commission. MOTION CARRIED 5-0. Mayor Fleetwood expressed gratitude to Council for their collaboration the past year and staff throughout the City. Council Standing Committee Meetings: Public Works and Natural Resources 1:00 PM Michael Lilliquist, Chair Lisa Anderson, Kristina Michele Martens 23570 1. Public Assistance Grant Agreement Between the City of Bellingham p. 264 and Washington State Military Department/FEMA for the Chuckanut Creek Bridge Replacement City of Bellingham Regular City Council Meeting Page 3 of 10 12/12/2022 Minutes  Eric Johnston, Public Works Director, provided background on the need for the Public Assistance Grant Agreement. In November 2021, the existing bridge over Chuckanut Creek between 18th and 19th Streets in south Bellingham was damaged and made impassable due to flooding and declared a disaster by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (#FEMA-4635-DR-WA). The City removed the damaged bridge and installed a temporary single span bridge on an emergency basis. The City applied for FEMA funding for both the emergency bridge replacement and design and implementation of a future solution. In order to be reimbursed for expenditures related to the project, the City must enter into a Public Assistance Grant Agreement. The decision whether and how to replace the bridge are yet to be determined and Public Works will return to Council when more information is available. Michael Lilliquist / Edwin H. "Skip" Williams moved to recommend approval of the Public Assistance Grant Agreement between the City of Bellingham and Washington State/FEMA for the Chuckanut Creek Bridge Replacement. MOTION CARRIED 5-0. 23571 2. Resolution Establishing Revised Rates and Hours of Enforcement for p. 302 Permit Parking Eric Johnston, Public Works Director, and Carol Rofkar, Superintendent of Traffic, Communication, Facilities and Fleet, presented on the proposed parking rate changes. In January 2022, City Council adopted Resolution #2022-02 to establish revised rates and hours of enforcement for City parking facilities, including metered and permit parking. The Resolution requires the City to periodically measure utilization and adjust rates accordingly. Based upon the recent assessment, staff recommended reducing the monthly cost of the permit at the Commercial Street Garage (1300 Commercial) and at North Railroad (1500 Block Railroad Avenue) in an effort to increase use of those two parking areas. Staff also recommended an increase to the price per month of the Railroad Avenue Garage (1215 Railroad) and the Central Avenue Lot (off Prospect Street) as demand has outstripped supply in those areas. Michael Lilliquist / Kristina Michele Martens moved final approval of Resolution #2022-24. MOTION CARRIED 5-0. 23572 3. Coastal Storm Modeling System Project Update p. 312 Clare Fogelsong, Natural Resources Policy Manager, Renee LaCroix, Assistant Director Natural Resources Division, and Eric Grossman, Research Geologist at USGS, presented an update on the Coastal Storm Modeling System (CoSMoS) models for the area to assess risk to City structures, utilities, and other assets from higher sea levels and City of Bellingham Regular City Council Meeting Page 4 of 10 12/12/2022 Minutes  storm conditions. The CoSMoS model was developed by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) for the City, Port of Bellingham, and Whatcom County. The model uses sea level rise scenarios and other climate factors to predict future storm duration, frequencies, and areas of inundation along the marine shoreline of Whatcom County. Parks and Recreation 2:30 PM Edwin H. "Skip" Williams, Chair Hollie Huthman, Lisa Anderson 23573 1. Braman Property Donation p. 335 Nicole Oliver, Parks and Recreation Director, and Laine Potter, Park Design and Development Manager, presented on the property donation by Susan Braman. The land parcel is undeveloped and forested, located in the South Neighborhood, adjacent to the City’s Interurban Greenway and trail. Ms. Braman would like to donate the parcel to the City of Bellingham Parks and Recreation Department via transfer on death deed with a permanent deed restriction that it remains undeveloped and used solely for park purposes. In accordance with BMC 4.90.020, City Council must adopt an ordinance accepting the property donation. Both the Greenways Advisory Committee and Parks and Recreation Board reviewed the proposed donation and recommended approval. Edwin H. "Skip" Williams / Hollie Huthman moved for first and second reading. MOTION CARRIED 5-0. 23574 2. Maplewood McLeod Park Name and Introduction of Master Plan p. 343 Nicole Oliver, Parks and Recreation Director, and Jonathan Schilk, Parks and Recreation Landscape Architect, presented on the Maplewood McLeod Park Master Plan. The Parks & Recreation Department requested approval of a permanent name for the 7-acre park in the Birchwood Neighborhood currently referred to as Maplewood McLeod Park. The Parks and Recreation Advisory Board at their November 9, 2022 meeting recommended that the park be named Storybrook Park. The committee postponed a formal vote on the naming until after the Public Hearing tonight. Committee Of The Whole 3:00 PM Hannah Stone, Chair Hollie Huthman, Daniel Hammill, Edwin H. "Skip" Williams, Lisa Anderson, Michael Lilliquist, Kristina Michele Martens City of Bellingham Regular City Council Meeting Page 5 of 10 12/12/2022 Minutes 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. 23575 1. Public Meeting to Consider a Request to Add a Proposal to the 2022- p. 349 2023 Docket of Comprehensive Plan Amendments Chris Behee, Long Range Planning Manager of PCD, outlined for Council's consideration, a docketing request for a Comprehensive Plan Amendment to rezone a property (2825 Lindshier Avenue) located in Area 1 of the Irongate Neighborhood from Industrial to Residential, Single and adding the property (4.7 acres) to Area 1 of the Barkley Neighborhood. Hannah Stone / Michael Lilliquist moved final approval of Resolution #2022-25. MOTION CARRIED 5-0. 23391 2. Approval of City Council Committee and Regular Meeting Minutes p. 369 Michael Lilliquist / Kristina Michele Martens moved to amend the December 5, 2022 minutes of the Public Works and Natural Resources Committee and regular City Council meetings under Agenda Bill #23547 Bid Award for F Street Crossing Project - WF022, Bid 43B-2022 with the following text, "Mr. Johnson explained that an alternate bid schedule, for installation of conduits for future connections to the Port’s fiber network, had to be withdrawn for technical reasons and will be added back into the project as a change order at a later date. That addition will not need to come back to the City Council." MOTION CARRIED 5-0. Edwin H. "Skip" Williams / Hollie Huthman moved approval of the December 5, 2022 minutes of the regular City Council meeting as amended. MOTION CARRIED 5-0. 3. Old/New Business President Stone recognized this was her final meeting as Council President. She thanked staff, department heads, council members, and Mayor Fleetwood for their collaboration and support during her tenure. Council Member Lilliquist recognized President Stone for her service as Council President. City of Bellingham Regular City Council Meeting Page 6 of 10 12/12/2022 Minutes Executive Session 3:30 PM Closed to the public. Report in the Regular Meeting only: 1. Potential Property Acquisition (Stamps, approx. 3 min) Staff provided information on a potential property acquisition. For information and discussion. No action taken. 2. Potential Property Acquisition (Stamps, approx. 3 min) Staff provided information on a potential property acquisition. For information and discussion. No action taken. 3. Potential Property Acquisition (Stamps, approx. 3 min) Staff provided information on a potential property acquisition. For information and discussion. No action taken. 4. Labor Relations: Review contract proposals for IAFF, Local 106 (Monahan, approx. 10 min) Staff provided information on the proposed 2022-2023 collective bargaining agreement between the City and the IAFF, Local 106. Edwin H. "Skip" Williams / Hollie Huthman moved to ratify the agreement reached with the following general terms: DURATION: January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2023. WAGES AND COMPENSATION: Effective January 1, 2023 – 6% COLA with an additional 1% market increase for a total wage increase of 7%. All other aspects of the agreement remain unchanged. MOTION CARRIED 5-0. 5. Potential Property Acquisition (Potter, approx. 10 min) Staff provided information on the potential acquisition of a 1.5 acres property on the south side of Chuckanut Creek (parcel id number 370213426518), owned by Gerner, Buckley, Martin, Henley, et al. City of Bellingham Regular City Council Meeting Page 7 of 10 12/12/2022 Minutes  Michael Lilliquist / Hollie Huthman moved to authorize the Mayor to close the real estate transaction described in the City’s executed purchase and sale agreement with the property owners with the following terms: Purchase of the property for $550,000, with closing to occur on or before December 31, 2022. MOTION CARRIED 5-0. 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. 23576 1. Interlocal Agreement with Whatcom County for Homeless p. 386 Encampment Solid Waste Removal 23577 2. Interlocal Agreement Between the City of Bellingham and Whatcom p. 394 Transportation Authority for the Installation of City Owned and Operated Electric Vehicle Chargers at the WTA Cordata Transit Station 23578 3. Transportation Fund Grant Agreement Between the City of p. 401 Bellingham and Whatcom Transportation Authority for a High Frequency Corrridor Study in Bellingham 23579 4. Transportation Fund Grant Agreement Between the City of p. 408 Bellingham and Whatcom Transportation Authority for Annual ADA Upgrades at all WTA Bus Stops Citywide 23580 5. Transportation Fund Grant Agreement Between the City of p. 415 Bellingham and Whatcom Transportation Authority for Electric Bus Charging Infrastructure at Cordata Station 23581 6. Authorization of A/P Transactions Issued November 23, 2022 through p. 422 December 01, 2022 23582 7. Authorization of Payroll Labor Cost Payments Dated November 1, p. 423 2022 to November 15, 2022 Edwin H. "Skip" Williams / Hollie Huthman moved approval of the Consent Agenda in its entirety. MOTION CARRIED 5-0. Final Consideration of Ordinances City of Bellingham Regular City Council Meeting Page 8 of 10 12/12/2022 Minutes 23551 1. An Ordinance Amending the 2021-2022 Biennial Budget Increasing p. 424 Expenditures Hollie Huthman / Michael Lilliquist moved approval for third and final reading. Upon motion, said bill was placed on final passage and approved by the following roll call vote: AYES: Stone, Huthman, Williams, Lilliquist, Martens NAYS: (None) EXCUSED: Hammill, Anderson MOTION CARRIED 5-0 and was thereafter named Ordinance #2022-12-032. 23552 2. An Ordinance Repealing Bellingham Municipal Code Chapter 4.3 and p. 427 Closing the Purchasing Fund Michael Lilliquist / Hollie Huthman moved approval for third and final reading. Upon motion, said bill was placed on final passage and approved by the following roll call vote: AYES: Stone, Huthman, Williams, Lilliquist, Martens NAYS: (None) EXCUSED: Hammill, Anderson MOTION CARRIED 5-0 and was thereafter named Ordinance #2022-12-033. 23553 3. An Ordinance of the City of Bellingham Amending Bellingham p. 430 Municipal Code (BMC) Section 2.16.050 A to Adjust the Salary for the Municipal Court Judge Kristina Michele Martens / Hollie Huthman moved approval for third and final reading. Upon motion, said bill was placed on final passage and approved by the following roll call vote: AYES: Stone, Huthman, Williams, Lilliquist, Martens NAYS: (None) EXCUSED: Hammill, Anderson MOTION CARRIED 5-0 and was thereafter named Ordinance #2022-12-034. 23555 4. An Ordinance of the City of Bellingham, Washington Adopting the p. 433 2023-2024 Biennial Budget City of Bellingham Regular City Council Meeting Page 9 of 10 12/12/2022 Minutes  Edwin H. "Skip" Williams / Kristina Michele Martens moved approval for third and final reading. Upon motion, said bill was placed on final passage and approved by the following roll call vote: AYES: Stone, Huthman, Williams, Lilliquist, Martens NAYS: (None) EXCUSED: Hammill, Anderson MOTION CARRIED 5-0 and was thereafter named Ordinance #2022-12-035. Adjournment There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 9:04pm. Hannah Stone, Council President ATTEST: Kelley Goetz, Deputy City Clerk APPROVED: 1/9/2023 City of Bellingham Regular City Council Meeting Page 10 of 10 12/12/2022 Minutes