Name: Bellingham City Council - Committee Of The Whole meeting, Jun 15, 2026
Start: 2026-06-15
End: 2026-06-15
Location: City of Bellingham

City Council - Committee Of The Whole

Mon, June 15, 2026

Agenda PDF Minutes PDF Watch Video

Agenda items

Vote records

Discussion summary

Transcript

Meeting summaryAI-generated

City Council – Committee of the Whole — June 15, 2026

This was a brief Committee of the Whole session with all seven council members present. The only substantive agenda item was Old/New Business, after which the council moved into a lengthy executive session covering potential property acquisition and litigation matters.

Public Safety Notice

Council President Stone opened the meeting by alerting residents watching the livestream that Whatcom County was experiencing a disruption to 911 services. She advised that if 911 is unreachable, residents should hang up and dial 360 to reach the dispatch center directly.

Legislative Lobbying Appointments

Council President Stone raised a housekeeping matter regarding the council's legislative lobbying team. Each year, the council appoints three members to work with the city's lobbyists in Olympia during the state legislative session. Stone noted that the current guidelines place those appointments too late in the year — at the January reorganization meeting — and proposed updating the language so that appointments happen during the summer, between legislative sessions. This would ensure designated council members are ready to engage in preparation work and respond to any emerging issues before the session formally begins. Legislative Analyst Iris Not had already drafted the proposed language change, and no council members raised objections to the timing adjustment.

Stone then asked whether council members wanted to volunteer now or wait until the next meeting to finalize the three appointments. Several members expressed interest: Councilmember Lilliquist (referred to in the transcript as "Lindquist," likely a voice-to-text error) said he was interested but acknowledged he had served the prior year and would defer if new voices were preferred. Councilmember Hammill said he would serve, having participated two cycles ago. Councilmember Cotton expressed interest contingent on scheduling, noting he could participate if meetings continued to fall on Fridays at lunchtime. Deputy City Administrator Janice Keller confirmed that Friday sessions were likely. Councilmember Williams also expressed interest in serving in the upcoming cycle.

Council President Stone noted the value of having the council president involved given their role in signing letters and providing testimony, but said that could be revisited. The council agreed to defer the final appointment decision to the next meeting rather than finalize names today.

No vote taken — this was a discussion item; formal appointments to be made at the next meeting.

Executive Session

The council adjourned into executive session to address four items (one previously scheduled item — litigation in *Oldham v. City of Bellingham et al.* — was removed on June 9th):

1. Potential property acquisition — comprehensive update, with Perelson, approximately 30 minutes.

2. Potential litigation — with Chaplin and Cram, approximately 10 minutes.

3. Potential litigation — with Cram, approximately 10 minutes.

4. Potential litigation — with Chaplin, approximately 10 minutes (added June 9th).

The total executive session was estimated at just over one hour, with Council President Stone expecting to reconvene by 4:15 p.m. The full council meeting was set to resume that evening at 7:00 p.m. No actions taken in executive session were reported publicly.

Key Takeaways

911 outage alert: Whatcom County experienced a 911 service disruption during the meeting; residents were directed to dial 360 as an alternative.

Legislative lobbying team: The council agreed to update its guidelines so that lobbying appointments are made in summer rather than January, better aligning with the legislative calendar. Final appointments will be made at the next meeting.

Several members volunteered for the three lobbying seats: Hammill, Williams, Cotton (schedule-permitting), and Lilliquist — more than the three available spots, so a selection will need to be made.

Executive session: The council entered a roughly one-hour closed session covering a property acquisition update and three potential litigation matters; no public outcomes were reported.

AI-generated summary from voice-to-text transcript. Not the official record. Verify important details with the source documents linked above.

What happened at this meeting

Old/New Business

The council discussed updates to the legislative lobbying appointment process. Staff, through legislative analyst Iris Not, recommended changing the timing of legislative lobby team appointments from the January reorganization meeting to the summer interim between legislative sessions to better align with the legislative cycle and allow appointees to prepare for upcoming sessions. Council members Lindquist, Hamel, Cotton, and Williams expressed interest in serving on the legislative lobby team, with Cotton requesting confirmation that meetings would continue to be held on Friday lunchtimes, which Deputy City Administrator Janice Keller indicated was likely. Councilor Khan humorously suggested using ranked choice voting for all seven council members. The council decided to defer finalizing the three appointments until the next meeting to allow additional consideration, and agreed to proceed with the guideline changes that would make these appointments happen annually in the summer.

Agenda items (1)

Procedural (1)

1ProceduralOld/New Business

This is a catch-all time slot where council members can raise any topics or announcements that weren't formally listed elsewhere on the agenda.

What happened

Verbatim transcript available

29 transcript segments indexed

So, welcome back to Committee of the Whole. Just noting that all council members are present. Um, and the only item before us this afternoon is old and new business. And I first just wanted to share the public safety alert that came through during our last committee.

City of Bellingham Committee Of The Whole minutes June 15, 2026, 2:50 PM Chair: Hannah Stone Phone: 360-778-8200 Members: Hollie Huthman, Daniel Hammill, Email: ccmail@cob.org Edwin H. "Skip" Williams, Lisa Anderson, Web: cob.org/council Michael Lilliquist, Jace Cotton City Council committee meetings Standing committee members receive reports and information, ask questions, and vote on a recommended action for consideration by the full Council at the regular meeting.

There is no public comment period during committee sessions. Call to order and roll call Council President Stone called the meeting to order at 2:50 p.m. Present: Council President Hannah Stone, First Ward Council Member Hollie Huthman, Second Ward Council Member Daniel Hammill, Third Ward Council Member Edwin H.

Just making sure that members of public who may be watching the meeting are aware that Whatcom County is experiencing a disruption to 911 services. So, at this time, if you are unable to reach help when dialing 911, hang up and dial 360 to reach the 911 dispatch center directly.

"Skip" Williams, Fourth Ward Council Member Lisa Anderson, Fifth Ward Council Member Michael Lilliquist, Sixth Ward Council Member Jace Cotton, At-Large Committee Of The Whole 1. Old/New Business Summary: Council President Stone shared a public safety announcement that there is a disruption to 911 services, 360-676-6911 to reach Whatcom County dispatch.

Um, so hopefully that will be a very brief disruption and not too impactful, but making sure people know how to to reach those services. Um, for old and new business, any other council members have items?

Council President Stone inquired if Council supported a modification to the legislative lobbying guidelines to reflect interim Council Member appointments in the summer instead of fall. Council President Stone asked Council Members to reflect whether they wanted to participate in the lobbying workgroup.

Okay. I had one item. So, as you may know, as part of our legislative lobby work, we have council members that are then selected by the full council to serve in that capacity. Um, looking at the legislative lobbying guide that Iris Not, our legislative analyst, had put together.

Um, we were thinking about the the timing of those appointments. And so, it doesn't come up during the reorganization meeting, right, in January, but better aligns with um, with the legislative cycle.

Council Members Lilliquist, Hammill, Cotton, and Williams expressed interest in serving in the lobbying workgroup. This item will return for discussion at the July 13, 2026 meeting. Page 1 of 2 Summary: Council moved into Executive Session at 3:02 p.m.

to discuss four items until 4:15 p.m. 1. Potential property acquisition comprehensive update 2. Potential litigation 3. Potential litigation 4. Potential litigation Adjournment There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 4:04 p.m.

And so, just wanting to bring forward from the for the council consideration of just some tweaks to to that language. Basically, mentioning that those appointments then would take place during the interim between the legislative sessions to allow council members, right, to participate in preparation for the upcoming session.

Um, so, Iris was going to move forward with with that change previously it had mentioned that it would be I think in the fall and we were hoping that that change could happen sooner just to make sure that those individuals are on on the ready.

Um so that work would not be starting immediately but I was hoping to either give consideration if there members of the council who know that they want to serve in that capacity now coming up with three names and if people are not ready to throw their name in the hat yet it can come forward at the next meeting but wanting to give you a heads up and just mentioning that there's no work to be taken on immediately that work's not starting um but to have those names on the ready so that you know when that work begins we know who the point people are and or if there's some emerging or developing issue that happens in the interim we know who those point people are in advance so um Councilmember Lindquist >> Well I'm certainly interested again but I did serve last year so I think it should be some consideration if there's room I'd like to serve if there's three new people maybe not.

>> Councilmember Hamel >> Um I'd I'd serve as well I did serve two cycles ago. >> Are there other I know there's a balance I mean there's some can be helpful to have some consistency but it's also helpful to have some new new voices as well but there are three spots Councilmember Cotton >> I'd be interested if it was still Fridays at lunchtime.

So it's more of a scheduling question. >> Okay. I know and I don't believe there is a set schedule yet for you know that that regular work with the lobby team and the lobbyists down in Olympia once that work starts um but Director Keller do you have additional information?

>> Janice Keller Deputy City Administrator there's a high likelihood that it will the work together will be on Fridays so >> Thank you Deputy Keller. Councilmember Williams >> Yeah [clears throat] I'd like to be considered for the next cycle and see how that works.

It takes me back to the days when I actually had to go down and do that. >> Yeah. Absolutely. Okay. Um Councilor Khan? >> Maybe this is an opportunity for us to do a ranked choice vote. >> [laughter] >> For all seven of us.

>> [laughter] >> I know. Turn the names in. Um Okay. Well, at this time, are there any other council members who want to be considered? Um It falls again, the legislative cycle then also spans the the years.

So, our appointments for leadership on the council also fluctuates and changes during that that time. So, I've seen in the past advantages of having president of the council, um you know, being a part of that team and when you're thinking about either speaking or providing testimony, um and or signing off on letters, but that information could also come back to to the full council.

So. Um Okay. Thinking of the time and schedule today, does anyone want to give that further consideration and try and finalize that today or for us to bring it back at the next meeting? We can go either way.

>> Why don't we do it at the next >> Okay. Sounds good. Okay. So, do you notice any concerns with just a brief update change to the guidelines? Just recognizing that this change would then happen annually in the summer um between the two sessions.

Okay. That sounds good. Um okay, we'll bring that back at the next meeting. Um One other item for tonight. Anything else for old and new? If not, we have multiple executive session items. So, kind of a lengthy executive session.

First, there was one item that was removed. Um so, the first item which was litigation um Oldham versus City of Bellingham et al. with Phillips for approximately 15 minutes. That item was removed on June 9th.

We still have four items for consideration this afternoon. So, the first is a potential property acquisition um comprehensive update. This will be with Perelson for approximately 30 minutes. Potential litigation with Chaplin and Cram for approximately 10 minutes.

Also, potential litigation with Cram for approximately 10 minutes. And then an additional potential litigation item with Chaplin for approximately 10 minutes, which was added on June 9th. Um so, in total, we are looking at just over an hour.

And if we take about a 5-minute break to get us into um that executive session, I will plan to come back at by 4:15. Um okay. There's nothing further, we will adjourn and reconvene this evening at 7:00.