Bellingham City Council is suspending public comment at its regular meetings beginning Nov. 4 until the end of 2024.
Citing “security” of council chambers, the city announced the change on Friday afternoon, Nov. 1. Members of the public will still be able to make comments by signing up for scheduled public hearings on specific topics and through written comment by emailing ccmail@cob.org or by mail addressed to City Council, 210 Lottie St, Bellingham, WA 98225.
In an email, the city said that staff are “examining” council chambers as part of work to make City Hall “safe and welcoming.”
“As we assess future changes, we will strive to balance keeping City Hall open and accessible to all while addressing concerns that have been raised by employees, labor union leaders, and members of the public,” the email states.
On Wednesday, Oct. 30, Mayor Kim Lund wrote in an email to employees that City Hall has multiple entrances and spaces that “are not monitored consistently.” She said there have been “several incidents in recent years that have highlighted some vulnerabilities and escalated concerns.”
“Over the 85 years since the building’s design and construction, our City and our needs have evolved,” Lund said in the email. “We believe procedural and physical adjustments are appropriate to better meet today’s needs.”
Other initiatives include plans to build a city security team at City Hall and the Central Library, and improve signage at City Hall, Lund said.
At the council meeting on Oct. 21, council chair Daniel Hammill directed commenters to provide comment from a microphone on the balcony of the council chambers, rather than directly next to council members as was done previously.
During an Oct. 7 public comment period, a man used violent imagery to describe what specific city council members or the mayor might experience if they were homeless. Hammill cut off the man’s comment and a Bellingham police officer removed him from the chambers.
In a statement to CDN at the time, Hammill wrote the comments were prohibited by the city’s guidelines for public testimony and that it is his duty as council president “to ensure that public meetings are safe for all community members, staff members, and Council Members.”
This article will be updated as more information becomes available.
Charlotte Alden is CDN’s general assignment/enterprise reporter; reach her at charlottealden@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 123.
