Public Works and Natural Resources Committee, Bellingham City Council

**Tremont Lift Station — Sewer Infrastructure Capacity and North Bellingham Growth** The Tremont Lift Station project is the product of decades of incremental sewer planning for north Bellingham. Assistant Director Mike Wilson explained that the city has recently completed the Meridian Street gravity sewer line, which extends northward to approximately the Walmart near Van Wyck Road. Beyond that point, the terrain crests a small hill and drops into a separate drainage basin that cannot gravity-flow into the existing sewer system. The new lift station and associated force mains are the necessary mechanical solution: they will pump sewage from that lower basin northward to tie into the gravity system already completed. The project has two distinct service implications. First, it immediately enables existing properties on the west side of Meridian Street — already within city limits — to connect to the sewer system. Second, and more significant from a growth planning perspective, it establishes the infrastructure capacity required to serve future development areas to the east and north. These areas include the Meridian-Kline-Kelly annexation corridor that has been under discussion since approximately 2008, as well as the Kay-Tech properties along Larson Road that have been identified in more recent comprehensive planning work. Wilson was explicit that the project's capacity design is calibrated to meet what is in the comprehensive plan. Project Engineer Kyle Carlson added technical detail: the lift station will include two pumps with physical space reserved for a third to accommodate future capacity needs. The project also incorporates a currently unused sewer line built by WSDOT in 2010 as part of a Meridian Street project — connecting that dormant infrastructure into the new lift station. A new fiber line from the Horton Road/Meridian Street intersection to the lift station site will support SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) monitoring. Environmental mitigation work is included and will be performed offsite at the Baker Creek open space site off Northwest Drive. Council Member Anderson raised a practical concern about traffic impacts during construction, noting that Meridian Street carries high volumes and that events such a…

**Council Member Michael Lilliquist (Chair):** Supportive of both items. Asked substantive technical questions about force main sizing and pump capacity for the Tremont project, seeking confirmation that infrastructure is sized to meet comprehensive plan build-out. Provided fiscal summary context for the Pine Street agreement. Forwarded both items with positive recommendations. **Council Member Lisa Anderson:** Supportive of both items. Raised a practical constituent concern about traffic management during Tremont construction, specifically regarding timing relative to high-volume summer traffic periods and the Linen Fair. Moved both motions to approve. Expressed personal enthusiasm for the Pine Street quiet zone project. **Council Member Jace Cotton:** Present and voted in favor on both items. No recorded comments in the transcript.…

**Council Member Lisa Anderson, on the Tremont Lift Station construction timeline and traffic:** "I kind of assumed the lift station area is the larger part of the project and that might come first, which makes sense that's over the summer period. I was just kind of hoping the road work would happen after the summer traffic just for safety reasons for drivers." **Council Member Lisa Anderson, moving approval of the Tremont contract:** "I'm going to move approval. It's work that needs to happe…

**Before this meeting:** - The Tremont Lift Station was an anticipated project with bids received but no contract awarded. The lowest bid had been identified (Tiger Construction Limited, $3,058,400.30) but required committee and Council approval before work could proceed. - The Pine Street Crossing project had been awarded federal funding (Section 130 + carbon reduction), but no formal agreement with WSDOT had been executed and the project had not been federalized. **After this meeting:** - The Tremont Lift Station contract award moves to the full City Council with a unanimous positive recommendation fr…

--- ### Meeting Overview The City of Bellingham's Public Works and Natural Resources Committee met on Monday, June 1, 2026, at 11:00 AM in Council Chambers. Chaired by Councilmember Michael Lilliquist, with Councilmembers Lisa Anderson and Jace Cotton, the committee took up two infrastructure items: a construction contract award for a new sewer lift station in North Bellingham, and a local agency agreement to accept federal and state grant funding for a railroad quiet zone crossing project on Pine Street. A third item on the Comprehensive Sewer Plan was removed from the agenda prior to the meeting. --- ### Key Terms and Concepts **Lift Station:** A pumping facility in a sewer system used to move wastewater from a low-elevation area uphill or across terrain that does not allow gravity flow. This is necessary when the natural slope of the land runs opposite to the direction sewage needs to travel. **Force Main:** A pressurized pipe that carries wastewater away from a lift station. Unlike gravity sewer lines, force mains use pump pressure to push sewage to the next connection point in the system. **SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition):** An automated monitoring and control system used to manage infrastructure like lift stations remotely. The Tremont project includes a new fiber line to support SCADA connectivity. **Quiet Zone:** A designated stretch of railroad where trains are not required to sound their horns at crossings because supplemental safety measures (such as gates, medians, or other devices) meet federal standards. The Pine Street project is upgrading its crossing to quiet zone standards. **Local Agency Agreement:** A formal contract between a local government (here, the City of Bellingham) and the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) that is required before a municipality can receive and spend state-administered federal transportation grant funds. **Section 130 Funding:** A federal railroad safety grant program administered through WSDOT that funds improvements at highway-rail crossings to reduce accidents and improve safety. **Carbon Reduction Program Funding:** A federal program that directs funding toward transportation projects that reduce carbon emissions. The Pine Street project received recently unobligated funds from this program. **Real Estate Excise Tax (REET):** A tax collected on real estate sales. In Washington State, cities can use a portion of REET revenue to fund capital infrastructure projects, including transportation improvements. **Annexation / Comprehensive Plan:** The city's long-range planning documents identify areas intended for future annexation and development. The Tremont Lift Station is designed to serve areas referenced in the Meridian Kline Kelly annexation discussions and future Kay-Tech properties near Larson Road. --- ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Michael Lilliquist | Bellingham City Councilmember; Chair, Public Works and Natural Resources Committee | | Lisa Anderson | Bellingham City Councilmember; Committee Member | | Jace Cotton | Bellingham City Councilmember; Committee Member | | Hannah Stone | Bellingham City Council President (presided briefly at opening and close) | | Mike Wilson | Assistant Director of Public Works, Engineering; City Engineer | | Kyle Carlson | Project Engineer, City of Bellingham (Tremont Lift Station project manager) | | Freeman Anthony | Engineering Manager, City of Bellingham (P…