Council creates limited-term landlord–tenant advisory work group and adds 'parking lot' for out-of-scope issues

Bellingham City Council on Monday approved a resolution establishing a limited-term advisory work group to study the city's landlord and tenant programs, aiming to inform potential enhancements to rental registration, inspection and related policies.

Council member Lisa Anderson moved to amend the resolution to prefer at least four tenant positions be filled by applicants who are income-constrained, students in off-campus housing, represent vulnerable communities, or otherwise reflect the demographics of Bellingham renters; that amendment passed unanimously. Anderson thanked staff for "wordsmithing my intention very nicely," noting staff input helped refine the language.

Council member Michael Lilliquis later moved a separate amendment to add a new section 3.g allowing the work group to identify issues outside its formal scope for inclusion in the final report as a "parking lot" for possible city follow-up. Deputy City Administrator Janice Keller said the language is consistent with other working-group reports and can help flag topics for later exploration. The council approved the amendment 7–0 and then approved the resolution as amended 7–0.

Council members emphasized the desired makeup of the group, including tenant experience, landlord representation, construction and inspection expertise, nonprofit housing and tenant advocacy, and at least one person with legal experience. The resolution follows committee discussion and seeks to encourage broad and representative community participation; the city's rental registration program currently lists 22,578 registered rental units, a figure cited during the discussion.