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Weekly Watchdog: Oct. 17–23, 2024

This week's meetings, hearings and opportunities for public input

GET INVOLVED

Bellingham City Council Committee of the Whole
Monday, Oct. 21, 10:25 a.m., 210 Lottie St., or online

Council members will hold a work session on landlord-tenant relations, and unfair or excessive fees in residential rental agreements or leases and manufactured/mobile home lease agreements.

Bellingham City Council
Monday, Oct. 21, 7 p.m., 210 Lottie St., or online

Council members will hold a public hearing for the city’s 2025 revenue projections and 1% property tax increase.

Skagit County Climate Element Survey
Deadline: Thursday, Oct. 31

Share your thoughts on the climate element of the Skagit County Comprehensive Plan. Links to the survey on the Comprehensive Plan project page are online.

Whatcom County Council Committee of the Whole
Tuesday, Oct. 22, 1:45 p.m., 311 Grand Ave. or online

Council members will hear presentations on Whatcom County Search & Rescue, the replacement of the Whatcom Chief ferry, an update on the justice project and the Whatcom County Executive’s proposed biennial budget.


FULL CALENDAR

THURSDAY, Oct. 17

Whatcom Transportation Authority Board of Directors meeting
8 a.m., 4011 Bakerview Spur, Bellingham, or virtual meeting

Agenda may be posted in advance.

Whatcom County Incarceration Prevention and Reduction Task Force Steering Subcommittee meeting
11 a.m., 311 Grand Ave., Suite 105, Bellingham, or virtual meeting

Agenda online.

Whatcom County Incarceration Prevention and Reduction Task Force Justice Project Oversite and Planning Committee meeting
2 p.m., 311 Grand Ave., Suite 105, Bellingham, or virtual meeting

Agenda online.

Port of Bellingham International Airport Advisory Committee meeting
4 p.m., 2005 W. Bakerview Road, or virtual meeting

Agenda may be posted in advance.

Sehome Hill Arboretum Board of Governors meeting
4 p.m., 210 Lottie St., or virtual meeting

Agenda may be posted in advance.

Ferndale Parks, Recreation and Trails Advisory Board meeting
5:30 p.m., 2095 Main St., or virtual meeting

Agenda may be posted in advance.

Whatcom County Climate Impact Advisory Committee meeting
5:30 pm., 322 N. Commercial St., Bellingham, or virtual meeting

Agenda may be posted in advance.


Whatcom County Parks and Recreation Commission meeting
6 p.m., 7506 Gemini St., Blaine, or virtual meeting

Agenda online.

Point Roberts Community Advisory Committee meeting
7 p.m., 1437 Gulf Road, Point Roberts, or virtual meeting

Agenda online.

MONDAY, Oct. 21

Bellingham City Council (multiple meetings)
9 a.m. – 7 p.m., 210 Lottie St., or virtual meeting 

Agendas online. Council committees meet at 9:15 a.m. (Community and Economic Development Committee); 10:25 a.m. (Committee of the Whole); 3 p.m. (Public Works and Natural Resources Committee); 3:55 p.m. (Parks and Recreation Committee); 7 p.m. (Council).

Ferndale City Council meeting
5 p.m., 5694 2nd Ave., or virtual meeting

Agenda may be posted in advance.

Anacortes City Council meeting
6 p.m., 904 6th St., or virtual meeting 

Agenda may be posted in advance.

Lynden City Council meeting
7 p.m., 205 4th St.

Agenda may be posted in advance.

TUESDAY, Oct. 22

Whatcom County PUD Commission meeting
8:15 a.m., 1705 Trigg Road, Ferndale, or virtual meeting

Agenda may be posted in advance.

Whatcom County Council (multiple meetings)
10 a.m. – 6 p.m., 311 Grand Ave., Suite 105, Bellingham, or virtual meeting 

Agendas online. Council committees meet at 10 a.m.

Blaine Civil Service Commission meeting
3:30 p.m., 435 Martin St., Suite 3000, or virtual meeting

Agenda may be posted in advance.

Bellingham Tourism Commission meeting
3:30 p.m., 210 Lottie St., or virtual meeting

Agenda may be posted in advance.

Bellingham Water Resources Advisory Board meeting
6 p.m., 2221 Pacific St., or virtual meeting

Agenda online.

Bellingham Historic Preservation Commission meeting
6 p.m., 210 Lottie St., or virtual meeting

Agenda may be posted in advance.

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 23

Anacortes Planning Commission meeting
6 p.m., 904 6th St., or virtual meeting 

Agenda may be posted in advance.


OPPORTUNITIES FOR COMMENT

Holly Street Bike Lane Pilot. Deadline: Fall 2024

Starting in May, the City of Bellingham will be piloting a new bike lane on Holly Street, from Ellis Street to Bay Street, to improve safety, mobility, and accessibility for cyclists and pedestrians. The city is collecting feedback from the community about how safe the bike lanes make moving on Holly Street feel for all users. This information will be evaluated in the early fall to decide the final design of a capital project. Survey online.

Water Adjudication Assistance survey. Deadline: Fall 2024

The Washington State Legislature is providing funding to Whatcom County to develop and implement outreach and provide filing assistance to water users. Survey online.

The Bellingham Plan: “Ways the City Could Grow.” Deadline: 2024

Bellingham could grow in a variety of ways. Let the City of Bellingham know the pros and cons of each of the listed approaches on its individual comment boards. Add pros and cons (or up-vote someone else’s comment). Go to this webpage and scroll halfway down to see the comment boards.

City of Bellingham Downtown Forward Engagement Hub survey. Deadline: Ongoing

Downtown Forward is the city’s plan to prioritize actions and thinking to ensure a thriving future for downtown Bellingham. Have the city’s recent efforts to improve safety and make downtown more welcoming made a difference? Is it on the right track? Share your thoughts. Survey online.

Urban Forest Plan. Deadline: Ongoing

The Urban Forest Plan will guide how the community protects and enhances the trees and forests that make up Bellingham’s urban forest. An urban forest includes everything from street trees, parks and forested open spaces to trees on private property. Survey online.

Weekly Watchdog is published online Thursdays and in print Fridays. To submit a meeting for consideration, email newstips@cascadiadaily.com.

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