Getting our green on: Downtown streets were awash in green last Saturday for the Runnin’ O’ the Green fun run (photo above by Jon Brunk) and St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Thank you to everyone who joined these fun annual events, came out to cheer from the sidelines, or participated in related frivolity downtown! To view more photos, see City social media posts and our Runnin’ O’ the Green page.
Housing and services funding: Our draft five-year plan for housing and services, called the Consolidated Plan, is now available for review and feedback. What is the Consolidated Plan? Every five years, as a condition of receiving federal grants from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the City is required to prepare a Consolidated Plan, which provides an assessment of our community development needs, an analysis of the housing market for low-income households, and proposed goals, strategies and specific activities to address those needs. The Consolidated Plan identifies, within HUD parameters, our community’s choices for how approximately $9 million per year will be used to support low-income households in the City. Learn more, take a survey and provide comments through our Engage Bellingham page, by March 31, 2023.
Seasonal jobs: Looking for a fun and rewarding seasonal job, or know someone who is? We’re currently hiring for a variety of seasonal positions. View our short video showing examples of these job opportunities and visit cob.org/jobs to learn more and apply.
Library branch grand opening: Bellingham Public Library announced plans to host a public grand opening of its new Bellis Fair Branch at 2 p.m. on April 26, 2023. The branch will be located in Bellis Fair Mall, Suite 616. The branch is a two-year pilot project and the library’s first location on the City’s north side. Free weekly Storytimes at the mall for young children and their caregivers have consistently drawn strong attendance and we’re eager to expand library services in that location. See the library’s announcement for more information.
Protecting Lake Whatcom
Preserving natural areas: Bellingham City Council this week approved the purchase of three new properties totaling 13.43 acres in the Lake Whatcom watershed, to be preserved in perpetuity. These natural areas will be added to the more than 2,500 acres of protected lands that help safeguard Lake Whatcom – our precious drinking water source – by reducing development impacts and filtering harmful pollutants before they reach the lake. Visit our Lake Whatcom Land Acquisition and Preservation Program page for information about other properties protected through this program.
Speaking of Lake Whatcom: The Lake Whatcom Joint Councils and Commissioners — composed of the Bellingham City Council, Whatcom County Council and the Lake Whatcom Water and Sewer District Board of Commissioners — are meeting at 6:30 p.m. March 29 in City Council Chambers at Bellingham City Hall for an annual update on the lake’s environmental health, recent achievements and pending improvements. See our meeting announcement for details.
By the Numbers
That’s 1,356 stairsteps! Last weekend, 14 Bellingham firefighters in full bunker gear climbed the 69 floors of the Columbia Tower in Seattle as part of an annual fundraising event. Several were in the top 50 fastest finishers from among the 2,000+ firefighters participating from around the world. Congratulations to all who participated representing the Bellingham Fire Department as well as those who contributed to help raise money to fight blood cancers.
