Community Development Advisory Board

Community Development Advisory Board Minutes City of Bellingham, Washington Thursday 6:00 PM August 8, 2024 Mayor's Boardroom Video Recorded https://meetings.cob.org Call to Order The Community Development Advisory Board meeting was called to order by the Chair at 6:00 PM. 1. Introductions Present: Karin Jones (Chair), Andrew Calkins, Ben Spicer, Deidra Prado, Jake Hawes, Jasmine Fast, Josh Sanders, Katherine Freimund, Matt Unger and Shannon Jace Cotton (Council Representative) Absent: Aran Clauson and Ryan Wood City Staff: Samya Lutz, Kathleen Morton and Taylor Webb Guests: Mia Gover & Cynthia Ward, WDRC; Barry MacHale, NWYS 2. Approval of minutes from previous meeting Minutes from June 2024 were approved by general consensus 3. Link to Meeting Video Click here to view the meeting Public Comment Period During this time, citizens may take up to three (3) minutes to address the members about any topic not on the agenda. Citizens wishing to speak during this time will be recognized by the Chair for comment. Agenda Items Presentation 1. Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center Housing Stability Presentation p. 5 Mia Gover, Housing Stability Program Manager at the Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center (WDRC), gave a presentation about all the programs and services offered at WDRC including the free services they provide through the Housing Stability Program. The primary recipient of these services is tenants, but they also offer trainings and resources to landlords, roommates, neighbors, property managers, and case managers. The goal of the program is for the WDRC mediators to assist clients in reaching a solution to conflict through conflict resolution and intervention or providing resources to avoid conflict altogether. WDRC has an 80% mediation resolution success rate and 66% of clients served are considered extremely low-income residents earning less than 30% of the area median income. 2. Northwest Youth Services Education & Employment Presentation p. 6 Barry MacHale, Whatcom Education & Employment Coordinator, gave a presentation on the Education and Employment services offered by NWYS. They serve youth aged 13-24 years in  Whatcom and Skagit counties who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. The Education & Employment program provides basic, low-barrier, trauma-informed services (virtual and in- person) such as: job searches, resumes and cover letters, application support, interview preparation, required credentials, GED completion, etc. They have found that youth with access to employment and education services are less likely to engage in risky behavior. 3. Intro to CAPER p. 7 Kathleen Morton, Development Specialist with the City of Bellingham, gave an overview of the Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER). The City is required to have a Consolidated Plan, and the plan is carried out through annual action plans. The CAPER describes the year-end status of all activities proposed by the City in the annual Action Plan component of the Consolidated Plan. The CAPER is required by HUD, but it also provides an opportunity for the public to review the City’s performance on meeting stated goals. The draft CAPER is available on the City’s website and open for public comment between August 19 – September 19: Housing Action Plans and Performance - City of Bellingham (cob.org). The notice for public comment will also be posted on social media and in the Herald. Board members are encouraged to share the draft report within their networks. 4. Discussion of Homebuyer funding limits & Administrative and Financial Plan p. 8 Samya Lutz, Housing & Services Program Manager with the City of Bellingham, gave an overview of the Administrative & Financial Plan. A few years ago, a subcommittee of CDAB provided guidance on the plan but the edits were put on hold due to the Consolidated Plan update. Samya provided a brief summary of the proposed edits to the plan, and offered an invitation to any boards members to review the changes in greater detail and provide feedback to her. Primarily, the changes aim to increase funding limits for a variety of home ownership programs and products available to low-income and first-time homebuyers. Staff believe these adjustments better reflect the current market conditions and are appropriate to approve. These changes will go to City Council for approval on Monday, August 26th. Other Business 1. Staff Updates Samya gave an update about a recent County Council ordinance pertaining to year-round shelter capacity in Whatcom County. The ordinance includes the creation of short-term subcommittee of the Whatcom County Housing Advisory Committee to issue shelter recommendations. More information about the ordinance and subcommittee can be found here: AB2024-492 - Approved Resolution 2024-036 (legistar.com) Samya also gave an update on the new location for the tiny home village on Northwest Avenue. There was an appeal on the permit by the property neighbor which is delaying the relocation. Timing for appeal resolution is currently unknown. Staff requested to move the September CDAB meeting date from 9/12 to 9/19 due to staff being away to attend conferences. The board members voted to move the meeting to 9/19 and all were in favor  2. Annoucements / "What's the Buzz" • Shannon Laws read an interesting article about condos in Vancouver, BC: Vancouver’s high-end condos hit by China’s downturn | Vancouver Sun 3. Future Agenda Items Adjourned at 8:06pm Minutes prepared by: ____________________________________________ Heather Aven, Recording Secretary Minutes edited by both staff and Community Development Advisory Board members.