Monday, October 18, 2010

Rental Licensing in Bellingham Subject of City Council Work Session

Rental licensing will be the topic of a work session of the Planning/Neighborhoods and Community Development Committee of the Bellingham City Council on Wednesday, October 27th from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. in the City Council chamber. Members of the committee are Terry Bornemann, Jack Weiss, Seth Fleetwood and Michael Lilliquist. The council last took up the issue of rental licensing at its meeting on May 24th at which time it directed staff to schedule a committee work session.

I encourage those who support rental licensing and inspection to attend this work session. Although public comment is not allowed during committee sessions, it is important for the council to know by your attendance that the public is interested in and supports rental licensing and inspections. Citizen presence at the committee session will also provide valuable information for those who plan to comment during a subsequent city council meeting at which the topic will be brought before the council as a whole. The date for such discussions has yet to be set.

I am asking the council to consider the letters sent to them in support of rental licensing from the Samish, Sunnyland and York neighborhoods, the editorial stance supporting licensing taken by the Western Front student newspaper and the resolution supporting licensing passed by the Associated Students of Western Washington University. It is also worth mentioning that the City Council, in its 2009 document on Legacies and Strategic Commitments to future generations, commits to “support safe, affordable housing.”

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

NWCitizen to Host Candidate Forum in Bellingham on 13 October


NWCitizen.com will host a candidate forum in Bellingham on Wednesday, October 13th from 7-9:45 pm in the County Council Chambers of the Whatcom County Court House. Candidates appearing will be from the 40th (Legislative) and 42nd (Legislative and Senate) districts as well as the Whatcom County Council, District 1. Click on the information sheet image on the left for details.

Additional information also available at NWCitizen. Click here.