City Council - Special Meeting

City of Bellingham City Council Special Meeting Minutes March 27, 2024, 6:30 PM Mayor: Kimberley Lund 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 Jace Cotton Call to Order Roll Call Bellingham City Council Members Present: Council Member Hannah Stone, First Ward Council Member Hollie Huthman, Second Ward Council Member Edwin H. "Skip" Williams, Fourth Ward Council Member Lisa Anderson, Fifth Ward Council President Michael Lilliquist, Sixth Ward Council Member Jace Cotton, At Large Bellingham City Council Members Absent: Council Member Daniel Hammill, Third Ward (Excused) Whatcom County Council Members Present: Council Member Kaylee Galloway, District One Council Member Todd Donovan, District Two Council Chair Barry Buchanan, At Large Position A Council Member Jon Scanlon, At Large Position B Whatcom County Council Members Absent: Council Member Tyler Byrd, District Three Council Member Mark Stremler, District Four Council Member Ben Elenbaas, District Five Lake Whatcom Water and Sewer District Board of Commissioners Present: Commissioner David Holland, Position One Board President Todd Citron, Position Two Commissioner Bruce Ford, Position Three Commissioner Jeff Knakal, Position Four Lake Whatcom Water and Sewer District Board of Commissioners Absent: Commissioner John Carter, Position Five 24066 1. Lake Whatcom Management Program Joint Councils and Commissioners Annual p. 2 Meeting Whatcom County Executive Satpal Sidhu, Bellingham Mayor Kim Lund, and Lake Whatcom Water and Sewer District, Justin Clary gave opening remarks. City Council Special Meeting Minutes Page 1 March 27, 2024 Eight attendees gave public comment. Dr. Angela Strecker, Director of the Institute for Watershed Studies at Western Washington University, presented on information contained in the Lake Whatcom Monitoring Program Annual Report. Dr. Strecker explained the sampling methodology of the monitoring program and summarized and explained key findings of the report. Gary Stoyka, Whatcom County Senior Planner, presented on the goals of the Lake Whatcom Management Program, the ten program areas described in the annual report as well as the five focuses of the presentation. He gave an overview of the Lake Whatcom Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL), as well as 2023 highlights of the stormwater and land use program areas. Renee LaCroix, City of Bellingham Assistant Public Works Director, reported on the progress made and upcoming activities in the program areas of land preservation, aquatic invasive species, and education and engagement. She gave an overview of the current and upcoming work to develop the 2025-2029 work plan, which will be brought to the Councils for final adoption in winter of 2024. At the conclusion of her presentation, she honored Steve Hood, retired Environmental Engineer with the Washington State Department of Ecology, who has been instrumental in developing the Lake Whatcom TMDL and has had a long career of water quality protection locally. Steve gave remarks reflecting on his career and changing viewpoints over the years on the importance of water quality. Council Members and Commissioners discussed the information presented and posed questions to staff. Adjournment There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 8:19 PM. City Council Special Meeting Minutes Page 2 March 27, 2024