--- ### Meeting Overview The Bellingham City Council held its regular meeting on Monday, May 18, 2026, with six of seven members present (Council Member Daniel Hammill was excused). The meeting's central focus was a formal presentation by the Keep Washington Working Act Advisory Work Group, which delivered its final recommendations to the Council after roughly eight months of work. The Council also acted on several items from daytime committee meetings covering a law enforcement grant, a budget amendment, a speed limit ordinance, and a street vacation. --- ### Key Terms and Concepts **Keep Washington Working Act (KWW or KWWA):** A Washington State law passed in 2019 that clarifies immigration enforcement is a federal — not local — responsibility. It strictly limits how local law enforcement agencies may participate in immigration enforcement activities and requires that they maintain the rights and dignity of all residents. **Advisory Work Group:** A limited-term, volunteer citizen body formed by the Bellingham City Council in September 2024 to review city policies and practices related to the KWW Act and to recommend improvements. The group consisted of eight voting members with diverse community and professional backgrounds. **Federal Contact Data:** Records compiled by the City of Bellingham (through Whatcom 911 dispatch operations) that document contacts between local agencies and federal immigration officials such as ICE and CBP. The city has collected this data since 2020. **Interlocal Agreement:** A formal legal contract between two or more government entities allowing them to share services, facilities, or resources. In this meeting's context, the Whatcom 911 dispatch interlocal agreement governs how Bellingham operates the countywide 911 dispatch system, and separately the council approved an interlocal agreement with the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission for a grant. **ICE / CBP:** Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) are the two primary federal agencies responsible for immigration enforcement in the United States. They are distinct agencies within the Department of Homeland Security. **BPD Policy 417:** The Bellingham Police Department's specific internal policy governing how officers interact with federal immigration authorities. The work group found uncertainty in this policy and recommended it be reviewed and clarified. **Consent Agenda:** A bundle of routine, non-controversial items that the Council votes on together in a single motion, without individual debate, unless a member requests an item be pulled for separate consideration. **Public Safety Telecommunicators (PSTs):** The trained dispatchers who staff Whatcom 911 and handle emergency calls for the entire county, including routing calls to police, fire, and medical services. Under the Whatcom 911 interlocal agreement, day-to-day operations are staffed by the City of Bellingham. --- ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Hannah Stone | Council President, First Ward; also served as a liaison (officio member) to the KWW Work Group | | Hollie Huthman | Council Member, Second Ward | | Edwin H. "Skip" Williams | Council Member, Fourth Ward | | Lisa Anderson | Council Member, Fifth Ward; Chair, Budget and Finance Committee | | Michael Lilliquist | Council Member, Sixth Ward; Chair, Public Works and Natural Resources Committee | | Jace Cotton | Council Member, …