Welcome Councilmember Jace Cotton! Councilmember Jace Cotton, At-Large representative, took office at midnight on January 1, 2024. The very next day he joined his first Council meeting, the annual reorganization meeting, where he was selected as chair of the Council’s Community and Economic Development Committee and as a member of the Climate Action and the Parks and Recreation committees, along with other assignments. Since then, he has been an active contributor to Council conversations, supporting his commitment to working with community members to make our City a better place. “Over the years, I’ve been privileged to work with inspiring groups of workers, renters, retirees, parents and educators,” Councilmember Cotton said. “The stories of friends and neighbors hurting in a local economy growing more unaffordable are why I continue to feel called to this work.” Learn more on his biography page and please join us in welcoming him to the City Council.
The salmon eggs have arrived! On Thursday, February 1, the Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association (NSEA) delivered 200 chum salmon eggs to a 55-gallon tank in the Children’s Department at the Bellingham Public Library. The eggs are expected to hatch sometime within the next two weeks. Stop in to see them at the Central Library or take a peek online to watch them via a BTV webcam in the tank. Library staff will care for the eggs as they transform into alevin and fry, and special programming about salmon will take place at the Library over the next two months. Stay tuned for more information about the public event to release the salmon into Whatcom Creek on March 30.
Water Resources Advisory Board appointments: On Monday, Bellingham City Council approved Mayor Kim Lund’s appointment of nine members to the newly established Water Resources Advisory Board. The new board will help inform and guide many planning and policy processes related to the protection and management of water resources, including topics such as our municipal water systems, utility rates and drinking water source protections. The first board meeting is anticipated to be held in March. Visit the Water Resources Advisory Board page for updated meeting information and to learn more about the board’s responsibilities and view the current roster.
Inside Public Works: If you have been itching to know more about what our Public Works Department is up to, you can now sign up for a newsletter to get regular email updates. The monthly newsletter will include project updates, current happenings, department profiles, and more! Check out the February issue and sign up to receive future issues.
Improving public spaces
Telegraph Road improvements: Construction is about to start on Telegraph Road between Deemer and James Street. Crews will be out connecting sidewalks, adding in pedestrian crossings with flashing beacons, bike lanes in both directions, a center turn lane, and traffic signals at both James and Deemer. The road will stay open during construction but expect flaggers periodically through the early fall. This is the first of several projects planned to make sure that as the city grows, we are taking steps to update rural roads to create a more connected network for biking and walking in Bellingham.
