Bellingham council ratifies police contract, approves park and roof contracts and extends landmark-tree regulations

The Bellingham City Council on March 10 unanimously ratified a collective bargaining agreement with the Bellingham Police Guild, awarded two construction contracts and extended interim regulations protecting landmark trees.

The council voted 7-0 to ratify the police guild agreement covering Jan. 1, 2025, through Dec. 31, 2026, which includes cost-of-living adjustments and a series of pay-premium changes and benefits modifications to take effect over the contract term. The agreement also creates a $125-per-month contribution to an HRA/VEBA for employees not assigned take-home vehicles effective Jan. 1, 2026.

Council members also approved two construction contract awards. The council awarded a reroof contract for the Pacific Street Operations Center warehouse to Queen City Sheet Metal and Roofing Inc. as the lowest responsive bidder at $343,997.46 (engineer’s estimate $618,215.36). The council approved a second construction contract for Story Brook Park Phase 1 and West Maplewood sidewalk improvements to Premium Services Incorporated of Bellingham for $1,983,491.62 (engineer’s estimate $1,952,394).

In committee, the council also authorized the mayor to retain Avison Legal PA to assist the city in assessing eligibility for federal clean-energy tax credits established by the Inflation Reduction Act; the services will be paid for through the Washington Clean Energy Tax Credit Assistance Program and at no cost to the city. The council voted 7-0 to extend interim development regulations related to preservation of landmark trees across the city.

The meeting also confirmed three appointments: Chelsea Bodamer to represent the Barclay neighborhood (first full term), Kelsey Klevenberg to a first full term (position not otherwise specified in the record) and Darren Belt to the Parks and Recreation Board; those appointments were approved by voice vote, recorded as 7-0.

Nut graf: The actions collectively advance near-term maintenance and park construction work, secure legal support for pursuing federal clean-energy tax credits that could affect future capital projects, and finalize a labor agreement that sets 2025–26 compensation and benefits for the police guild. The landmark-tree regulation extension maintains short-term protections while the council considers longer-term code changes.

Details and vote records

Police Guild collective bargaining agreement (ratification) - What the council voted on: Ratification of the 2025–2026 collective bargaining agreement with the Bellingham Police Guild. - Key terms reported in the meeting: contract duration Jan. 1, 2025–Dec. 31, 2026; cost-of-living adjustments for the contract term; increases to educational incentives and bilingual premium (1 percentage point effective upon ratification); increased premiums for range and training officer assignments (0.5 percentage point), field training officer premium increased by 2% while training, increased longevity pay by 1% for officers with 15+ years, 0.5% premium for instructors and 1% for lead instructors; effective Jan. 1, 2026, $125/month city contribution to an HRA/VEBA for employees not assigned take-home vehicles. - Motion: Moved and seconded; recorded motion by Council Member Skip Williams and second by Council Member Michael Lilliquis (as recorded later in the meeting). - Vote: 7 yes, 0 no, 0 abstain. Outcome: approved.

Pacific Street Operations Center warehouse reroof (Agenda Bill 24463) - What the council voted on: Award base bid (warehouse roof replacement) plus alternates 1 and 2 recommendations to the lowest responsive bidder; project not subject to BMC 4.94 apprenticeship requirements because under $1,000,000. - Bidder and amount: Queen City Sheet Metal and Roofing Inc.; low responsive bid $343,997.46 (including sales/use tax). Engineer's estimate $618,215.36. - Committee recommendation: unanimous to move approval to the full council. - Motion: moved by committee chair; second by Council Member Lisa Anderson; vote: 7-0. Outcome: approved. - Note: Alternate #3 (installation readiness for solar panels on the vehicle barn) was deferred for cost reasons and is not part of the approved contract.

Story Brook Park Phase 1 and West Maplewood sidewalk improvements (Agenda Bill 24468) - What the council voted on: Award of construction contract for combined park and sidewalk project; project includes playground, plaza, wetland mitigation, driveway and trail work, street-frontage improvements and associated utilities. - Bidder and amount: Premium Services Incorporated; bid $1,983,491.62 (including sales tax). Engineer's estimate $1,952,394. Project includes apprenticeship requirements. - Public outreach: staff reported 21 public outreach sessions between 02/2022 and 02/2024. - Motion: moved by Council Member Skip Williams; second by Council Member Hannah Stone; vote: 7-0. Outcome: approved.

Retention of outside legal counsel for clean-energy tax credits (Agenda Bill 24464) - What the council voted on: Authorize the mayor to retain Avison Legal PA to assist the city in assessing eligibility and claiming federal clean-energy tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act. Services will be provided through the Washington Clean Energy Tax Credit Assistance Program at no cost to participating jurisdictions; city costs will be paid by the Washington State Department of Commerce. - Committee recommendation: unanimous to move to full council. - Motion: moved by Council Member Hannah Stone; second recorded; vote: 7-0. Outcome: approved.

Extension of interim landmark-tree development regulations (Agenda Bill 24442) - What the council voted on: Final consideration and adoption of an ordinance extending interim development regulations related to preservation of landmark trees throughout the city (Bellingham Municipal Code references provided during the meeting). - Motion: moved by Council Member Dan Hamill; second by Council Member Skip Williams; roll-call vote recorded as 7-0. Outcome: approved.

Appointments and consent items - Chelsea Bodamer appointed to a full term representing the Barclay neighborhood (motion approved 7-0). - Kelsey Klevenberg appointed to a first full term (position text not otherwise specified in the meeting minutes; record shows 7-0 approval). - Darren Belt appointed to the Parks and Recreation Board (first full term; approved 7-0). - Consent agenda and other routine items: all approved 7-0.

Ending: The council completed regular business and moved to the public comment session. Several items approved at this meeting put capital projects under contract and lock in short-term labor and regulatory choices while staff proceed with required implementation steps and follow-up reporting.