Bellingham council accepts two state grants, awards park and maintenance contracts, amends 2025 budget and rejects federal building reroof bids

Bellingham City Council voted unanimously April 28 to accept two state grant awards, approve several contract awards and budget amendments, and reject all bids for a planned reroof of the federal building.

Council Member Anna Stone, chair of the Public Works and Natural Resources Committee, reported that the city will enter a grant funding agreement with the Washington State Department of Commerce to accept a net award of $970,000 to help build a new Whatcom 911 dispatch center (project EFD-183). The committee report said the facility is planned as an approximately 8,000-square-foot dispatch center and is in the construction documentation phase; it is expected to be ready for bid in the fall and to reach completion in February (completion year not specified in the committee report). Officials noted the project estimate in the meeting packet was $8.5 million but staff now estimate the total project cost at $12,000,000 and said the remaining funding may be secured through a bond that would come before council later.

The council also approved accepting a $950,000 grant from the Washington State Transportation Improvement Board for the James Street multimodal improvement project (segments 3 and 4). The project will add a multiuse path on the west side of James Street from Telegraph Road to King Avenue and will include bike lanes and sidewalks continuing to Gooding Avenue; the committee report said construction is planned for next year and the design will tie into the James and Bakerview roundabout currently under construction.

In committee business, council members approved awarding an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for annual alley grading equipment rental and services to Jay Ritter Dirt and Asphalt of Everson, Washington. The bid opening produced a lowest responsive bid of $42,250; staff described the contract as a three-year term that provides on-call grading services as needed.

Parks and Recrea…