City Council - Special Meeting

Name: City Council - Special Meeting — Bellingham, WA
Start: 2025-04-02T18:30:00
End: 2025-04-02T20:30:00
Location: Bellingham, WA

Special Meeting

Bellingham, WA · April 2, 2025

Agenda Minutes Packet Video Recording

Minutes

Lake Whatcom Management Program Joint Councils and Commissioners Meeting Minutes April 2, 2025, 6:30pm Mayor: Kimberley Lund County Executive: Satpal Singh Sidhu Bellingham City Council Members: Hannah Stone, Hollie Huthman, Daniel Hammill, Edwin H. “Skip” Williams, Lisa Anderson, Michael Lilliquist, Jace Cotton Whatcom County Council Members: Kaylee Galloway, Todd Donovan, Tyler Byrd, Mark Stremler, Ben Elenbaas, Barry Buchanan, Jon Scanlon Lake Whatcom Water and Sewer District Board of Commissioners: David Holland, Todd Citron, Bruce Ford, Jeff Knakal, John Carter Contact: (360) 778-8100, mayorsoffice@cob.org Contact: (360) 778-8200, ccmail@cob.org https://cob.org/council Call to Order Roll Call Bellingham City Council Members Present: Council Member Jace Cotton, At Large Council Member Hannah Stone, First Ward Council Member Edwin H. "Skip" Williams, Fourth Ward Council Member Lisa Anderson, Fifth Ward Council President Michael Lilliquist, Sixth Ward Bellingham City Council Members Absent: Council Member Hollie Huthman, Second Ward Council Member Daniel Hammill, Third Ward Whatcom County Council Members Present: Council Member Kaylee Galloway, District One Council Member Todd Donovan, District Two Council Member Tyler Byrd, District Three Council Member Mark Stremler, District Four Council Chair Barry Buchanan, At Large Position A Council Member Jon Scanlon, At Large Position B Whatcom County Council Members Absent: 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 1. Opening Remarks County Executive Satpal Sidhu provided opening remarks, welcoming all councils and the public to the 2025 Joint Councils and Commissions meeting. County Executive Sidhu offered background on the conclusion of the 2020-2024 Lake Whatcom Management Program work plan, noting this meeting would highlight work completed and preview upcoming efforts under the 2025-2029 Lake Whatcom work plan. Mayor Kimberley Lund also offered opening comments, emphasizing the 2025-2029 Lake Whatcom Management Program, the progress achieved through cross-jurisdiction collaboration, the City’s commitment to accurate reporting as a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) reassessment approaches, and the ongoing need to prioritize and protect Lake Whatcom, the drinking water supply for 120,000 people. Justin Clary also provided brief opening remarks. 2. Public Comments and Lake Whatcom Overview Video A 20-minute public comment period was provided. Following this, a YouTube video was presented, offering background knowledge on the history of Lake Whatcom, its uses, the challenges faced, and how the current situation developed. 3. 2023/2024 Lake Whatcom Monitoring Program Presentation Dr. Angela Strecker provided an update on the Lake Whatcom monitoring program, conducted by the Institute for Watershed Studies (IWS) at Western Washington University. This was followed by an open discussion with the Joint Councils, with various staff from the IWS and Lake Whatcom Management Program providing responses. 4. 2020-2024 Lake Whatcom Management Program Accomplishments Presentation Justin Clary, Jason Porter, and Gary Stoyka presented on the progress of the Lake Whatcom Management Program across the previous five-year work plan. Time was spent sharing highlights from several program areas in the 2020-2024 Lake Whatcom Accomplishments Report. Staff also presented on progress toward meeting the mandated Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) requirements from the Department of Ecology and the upcoming review that may lead to a reassessment of the phosphorus TMDL for Lake Whatcom. Staff shared information about upcoming projects under the 2025-2029 work plan, including a Climate Vulnerability Assessment and the Lake Whatcom Forest Management Plan. The meeting reached its time limit, allowing limited time for council discussion and questions. Staff received direction to consider an additional Joint Councils and Commissions meeting in the near future. City Council Special Meeting Minutes Page 2 April 2, 2025

Agenda

City of Bellingham City Council Special Meeting Agenda April 2, 2025, 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, Michael https://cob.org/council Lilliquist and Jace Cotton Legislative Office Manager: Jackie Weller Watch Council Meetings Live The City Council Regular meetings are conducted in a hybrid setting: both in-person and online. In Person: This meeting will be held in Council Chambers on the second floor of City Hall, 210 Lottie Street, Bellingham, unless otherwise noted. The doors unlock at 6:00 PM for the 6:30 PM meeting. Live on YouTube and Comcast: 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 on BTV: Comcast channels 321 and 10. Via Telephone: Members of the public who do not have cable or internet access may listen to the meeting via telephone by calling (253) 215-8782 and entering Meeting ID: 880 0476 6584 and Password: 779350 Provide your Input During a Meeting: To speak during the Public Comment Session of this meeting, you must sign up in advance. Online sign up is available at cob.org/jcc-2025. Sign-up sheets will also be available outside the Council Chamber doors starting at 6:00 PM the evening of the meeting. Sign-up, both online and in-person, closes at 6:30 PM. Speakers may participate via the following options: • In person: Meetings are held in Council Chambers located at City Hall, 210 Lottie St., Bellingham • Remotely via Zoom: Use the following link to launch the Zoom meeting and follow staff instructions at the time of the public comment period: https://cob.org/lwjcc • Remotely via phone: Call (253) 215-8782 and enter Meeting ID 880 0476 6584 and Password 779350. Follow staff instructions at the time of the public comment period. Before or After a Meeting: Advance written Public Comment can be presented: • By mail addressed to: City Council, 210 Lottie Street, Bellingham, WA 98225 • Electronically via E-mail at lakewhatcom@cob.org. Call to Order 24491 1. Lake Whatcom Management Program Joint Councils and Commissioners Annual p. 3 Meeting Adjournment 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 Council Office at 778-8200 in advance of the meeting. Thank you.

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