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 Recreation reported awarding the construction contract for the Sunset Pond Loop Trail project to Faber Construction. The committee report said the project will close a trail gap connecting three neighborhoods to regional trail facilities, include a boardwalk through a floodplain and two new bridges over Squalicum Creek and a tributary, and may span two summer construction seasons with final restoration in a fall/winter planting window. The engineer's estimate was $4,421,115; the low responsive bid reported in the packet was $3,730,404 (including Washington sales tax). The project is subject to the 15% apprenticeship-utilization requirement in Bellingham Municipal Code 4.94.

The council voted to reject all bids for the federal building reroof project (project EFD-179, bid number 15BD-2025). Staff said the lowest responsive bid, from CDK Construction LLC, was $533,010 compared with an engineer's estimate of $323,833.55; because the lowest bid was significantly higher than the estimate, staff recommended rejecting all bids and reissuing the project after adjusting scope and budget. Staff will continue patching and minor repairs in the interim.

Budget and Finance committee items advanced as well. The council approved an ordinance to amend the 2025 adopted budget to reconcile beginning reserve balances with actuals and approved additional budget amendments to reappropriate unused budget authority. Committee members moved and the council passed these ordinances unanimously; the committee report stated that the reappropriation includes authority tied to prior biennia and needed adjustments identified after adoption of the 2025 budget.

The Committee of the Whole recommended and the council authorized the mayor to execute a major modification to the interlocal agreement for facilities within the Waterfront District between the City of Bellingham and the Port of Bellingham. Staff said the modification is needed to allow the city to develop a skate park under the Rotary Avenue Bridge; the council approved authorizing the mayor to execute the modification.

Votes at a glance

- Washington State Department of Commerce grant agreement for Whatcom 911 Dispatch Center (project EFD-183): motion to authorize the mayor to enter the grant funding agreement; mover: Council Member Anna Stone (chair); second: Council Member Skip Williams; vote: 7-0; outcome: approved.

- Washington State Transportation Improvement Board grant for James Street multimodal improvements (segments 3–4): motion to authorize the mayor to enter the grant funding agreement; mover: Council Member Anna Stone (chair); second: Council Member Lisa Anderson; vote: 7-0; outcome: approved.

- Reject all bids for Federal Building reroof (project EFD-179, bid #15BD-2025): motion to reject all bids; mover: Council Member Anna Stone (chair); second: Council Member Skip Williams; vote: 7-0; outcome: approved (bids rejected).

- Award annual alley grading equipment rental and services contract (bid opening 04/08/2025): motion to award to Jay Ritter Dirt and Asphalt (Everson, WA); mover: Council Member Anna Stone (chair); second: Council Member Skip Williams; vote: 7-0; outcome: approved. Lowest responsive bid reported: $42,250 (includes applicable Washington State sales/use tax); contract term described as three years; not-to-exceed amount in committee notes was unclear.

- Award Sunset Pond Loop Trail construction contract to Faber Construction: motion to accept staff recommendation and award contract; mover: Council Member Williams (chair, Parks & Recreation Committee); second: Council Member Chase Cotton; vote: 7-0; outcome: approved. Engineer's estimate: $4,421,115; low bid reported: $3,730,404 (including sales tax); subject to Bellingham Municipal Code 4.94 (15% apprenticeship utilization).

- Ordinances amending the 2025 budget (bill numbers referenced in committee reports): motions to approve amendments to beginning reserves, reappropriate unused budget authority and correct budgetary errors; mover: Budget & Finance Committee chair (Council Member Dan Hamill acting for Council Member Anderson); second: Council Member Michael Lillequist for some motions; vote: 7-0 on each; outcome: approved. The committee report summarized adjustments to beginning reserves and reappropriation of prior biennia authority and other post-adoption adjustments.

- Major modification to interlocal agreement for facilities within the Waterfront District between City of Bellingham and Port of Bellingham (to allow a skate park under the Rotary Avenue Bridge): motion to authorize the mayor to execute the major modification; mover: Committee chair (Committee of the Whole); second: Council Member Michael Lillequist; vote: 7-0; outcome: approved.

Appointments and informational items

- Mayor's informational appointments announced: Theresa Horan (appointment to a Whatcom County commission referenced in the packet as "Whatcom County Commission on [text unclear] and Domestic Violence"; transcript did not specify the full commission name); Community Development Advisory Board appointments: Nina Romelan, Lola Thompson and Matthew Maine. The mayor's report indicated these are informational appointments and require no council action.

What the council did not decide

Several items noted by staff will require future action or further review: city staff indicated the remaining funding for the 911 dispatch project may require a bond measure or other financing that would return to council; the federal building reroof will be rebid after scope and budget adjustments; and some project timelines span multiple construction seasons. No executive-session property acquisitions resulted in council action.

Ending

The meeting adjourned committee reports and consent business with unanimous votes on the items above and proceeded to the public comment period.