Bellingham City Council Chambers, on the second floor of City Hall, will be closed to the public from Monday, March 2 through Friday, March 20 to accommodate a series of planned maintenance, improvement and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) upgrades. Bellingham’s City Hall will be the first government facility in Whatcom County to offer a specific new enhancement for those with hearing loss.
The work to be done in Council Chambers includes:
· A hearing loop (a special sound system for those with T-coil hearing aids or cochlear implants) will be installed;
· Some seating on the main floor level (currently a fold-up bench and a small desk previously designated for new media) will be removed to prepare for accommodation of those in wheelchairs and their companions;
· Carpeting will be removed and replaced;
· A new, functional clock will be installed; and
· The interior will be repainted.
During the three-week closure, all scheduled Bellingham City Council committee meetings and the 7 p.m. full Council meeting will be held at the Whatcom County Council chambers. For temporary meeting locations for other meetings normally held in Bellingham’s Council Chambers, contact the group’s chair or Monea Kerr at mjkerr@cob.org or (360) 778-8202.
To find out more about the Council Chamber ADA accommodations, contact Bellingham ADA Coordinator Kim Brown via kimbrown@cob.org or (360) 778-7950.
