City Council - Special Meeting

City of Bellingham City Council Special Meeting: Public Comment Session Minutes November 1, 2021, 7:00 PM Mayor Seth Fleetwood Contact: (360) 778-8200, ccmail@cob.org Council Members Hannah Stone, Gene Knutson, Daniel Hammill, www.cob.org/council Pinky Vargas, Lisa Anderson, Michael Lilliquist and All meetings are held in the City Hall Council Chambers at Hollie Huthman 210 Lottie Street, Bellingham, WA, unless otherwise noted. Call to Order Council President Stone opened the Public Comment Session at 7:00 PM. Roll Call Present: Council President Hannah Stone, First Ward Council Member Pinky Vargas, Fourth Ward Council Member Lisa Anderson, Fifth Ward Mayor’s Office, Janice Keller Police Department Administration, Lt. Claudia Murphy Announcement of Upcoming Public Hearings There were no upcoming Public Hearings reported. Public Comment Session There was a minimum of 31 people in attendance at the Public Comment Session. Attendees who wished to address the Council were given 3 minutes to share their comments. A total of 19 attendees elected to speak publicly. Included below is a list of speakers and a summary of the topic(s) addressed during their comment periods: 1. Rachel Lindsay - highlighted impacts of the vaccination mandate on the BPD, existing shortages will be exasperated by the December 3rd deadline, officers are preparing to leave BPD and the existing personnel will be left to cover the shortages, some officers are choosing to take early retirement, BPD to collapse a number of units (for example - bike patrol, traffic unit, Behavioral Health Officer(s), anti-crime team, outreach, etc.), BPD left with only patrol and detective units, impact will be greater on women and people of color and result in less diversity. City Council Special Meeting Minutes Page 1 November 1, 2021  2. Dena Jensen - land acknowledgement, harsh winter weather arrived in early fall, more resources available this year compared to last year but the available shelter options still pale in comparison to the need, outreach to 130+ encampments last January including one very large encampment and several small encampments with multiple residents, while warming shelter was open in February staff at Base Camp trespassed several people and sent them to the warming shelter, without the warming shelter where would these people go, BPD has approximately 20 reports per month at Base Camp which include assaults of staff and guests which is why some community members do not feel safe seeking shelter at Base Camp. 3. Jennifer Sanders - Functional Medicine Health Coach, management of the pandemic has been damaging, vaccines don’t stop transmissions of Delta breakthrough infections, deaths are with COVID not from COVID, clinical trials lack long term safety data, focus should be on improved health. 4. Shean Halley (on the line with Nancy Bergman) - children don’t know the difference between a vaccinated and unvaccinated person until they are taught the difference, poor leadership has resulted in division and segregation, the vaccine mandate violates federal and state constitutions, BPD shortages will increase, there is no undue hardship to grant exemptions, leadership is choosing money, power, and greed over science. 5. Nancy Bergman - mandates are not laws, mandate of experimental vaccine is misguided, discriminatory and illegal, mandate lacks consideration of an individual’s medical history, treatment options sought, and religious beliefs, referenced study that found no connections between vaccinations and COVID cases, stigma does more harm than good. 6. Helga DeLiban (on the line with Nancy Bergman) - referenced public officials’ oath of office and Article 1 Section 1 of the WA constitution “All political power is inherent in the people, and governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed and are established to protect and maintain individual rights.”, honor and responsibility to hold office and accountable for crimes and harm, experimental COVID vaccines requirements for employment and entry into businesses are misguided. 7. Natalie Chavez (on the line with Nancy Bergman) - community is being destroyed by the vaccine mandate, met with employees from DOL who lost employment due to the vaccine mandate, attended peaceful protest at DOL office, question regarding the intended purpose of the vaccine mandate because the person has new employment and is still working in the community now serving food, State Troopers and BPD have reduced staffing numbers as a result of the mandate, reduced staffing in hospitals, the shortages don’t make our community safer but rather create more division. 8. Jean Purcell (on the line with Nancy Bergman) - objections to the COVID-19 vaccines for children ages 5-11 in the US, quoted Dr. Brian Dressen’s testimony before the FDA advisory panel, urged panel to reject emergency vaccine, City Council Special Meeting Minutes Page 2 November 1, 2021  concern because the vaccine was rushed and trials need to show benefits outweigh risks, call on Bellingham Herald for journalism. 9. Ken Domorod - misunderstood requirement for the People First Initiatives 1-4 to be sent to the voters, would have been better to reject the measures and eliminate need for a “no” vote later, disagree with legal discussions being held in executive session, concern if this information is not shared with the public then voters will use their hearts and not their heads, then the city will have to battle these issues in court with taxpayer money, public comment involves human beings and human issues, bring humanity back to politics, eliminate virtual meetings with faces on screens. 10. Misty Flowers - questions are not being answered, why are we still under an emergency order, if measures are working then why do we need the emergency orders, if measures are not working then why are we doing them, end emergency orders, open chambers, denied Ivermectin locally, if the actions are ethical and legal then why the silence, if council supports the emergency order want open discussion, who would stand up for you if roles were flipped, need to defend rights regardless of vaccination status. 11. Jen Durant – open chambers to hold public comment in person, own business downtown and when police were contacted for assistance they said there was nothing for them to do and recommended to contact the city council, registered democrat, not opposed to vaccinations but the mandate is tearing the community apart, concern about safety, friend advised by doctor not to take vaccine but then lost their job, there is confusion and government overreach, stand against the mandates. 12. Dr. Richard Tran – chiropractor in Bellingham since 2010, impressed with well thought out discussion points, division with regard to the vaccine, should hold discussions with the council and constituents in person, with only three minutes to comment on a screen you are unable to see reactions, at a past meeting the reaction from Michael Lilliquist implied that he had not heard these studies before, more division than ever before, need to reach out a hand to connect. 13. Hannah Ordos - concerns regarding the state of the downtown area, while standing on the sidewalk facing traffic a gentleman dropped his pants and took a bowel movement with children present, the emergency vaccine mandate is not scientific or ethical, NIH Approved Treatment of COVID-19: https://www.covid19treatmentguidelines.nih.gov/tables/table-2e/, CMS memo regarding Enhanced Payment for using Remdesivir: https://www.cms.gov/medicare/covid-19/new-covid-19-treatments-add- payment-nctap, need to focus on health and wellness. 14. Enoch Mann - need to open chambers so we can speak in person, people on the street, actions are causing stress, depression and suicide, people feel helpless when denied employment or access, WA is one of the only states with a mask or vaccine mandate, 99.98% survival rate, the mandates have turned our City Council Special Meeting Minutes Page 3 November 1, 2021  country upside down, want to know how much money is being received, the mandates are a crime against humanity. 15. Mark Stidham - need winter shelter, SOS (Serenity Outreach Services) was formed at government request to form an entity to do the work, unable to get a meeting with executives, many have lost hope, SOS is here to help, community is up against a wall with emergencies related to COVID-19 and homelessness, emergency winter shelter needs to be identified, SOS wants to help. 16. Ken Domorod (duplicate) - appreciation for council follow up after last public comment session 17. Sadie Hoyle (on the line with Misty Flowers) - 19 years old, concern that children and students were not consulted about school changes and mask mandates, medically exempt, cannot wear a mask while everyone else chooses to conform, difficult to see people lose their jobs and be turned away from stores, the experience is personal and has a negative impact on people. 18. Jude Gray - RN for 44 years but can’t have a job because won’t take the vaccine, united we stand, protect rights and respect choices, Golden Rule “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” 19. Melissa Wisener (legal name Gragg) - it’s freezing cold with tons of people outside, people are living in their cars and RVs, rent due on the 1st of the month and now people are losing their jobs, one year later city has added space for 35 but need more shelter space, it is really cold – morally and physically, we can do better. 20. Karen Steen - disappointed to not see Dan Hammill, hasn’t provided time to meet with community members in the Lettered Streets regarding the new Lighthouse Mission, council job description includes being responsive to constituents, Ward 3 is concerned about public health, safety and well-being, thank you to the articulate speakers, draconian mandates are unconstitutional, need to meet in person as the humans we are. Adjournment There being no further comments, the session adjourned at 8:04 PM. Next public comment session will be held on Monday, November 15, 2021. City Council Special Meeting Minutes Page 4 November 1, 2021