Community Well-being
Community Well-Being: Proposed new chapter or theme throughout the plan
The community wellbeing section is a proposed addition to the City’s Comprehensive Plan, to be included in the updated Bellingham Plan. Feedback from the public in Fall 2023 has identified several themes related to the well-being of the community.
- Public Safety
- Public Health
- Community Services
- Community Cohesion
While these themes exist in the 2016 plan, their importance has only increased in 2023 outreach responses. These themes together promote a safe, healthy, and supported community. This is a key priority for our community. Safety can include crime prevention as well as a general sense of belonging, especially for marginalized groups. Community members have also continually emphasized the importance of human or community services, general wellness, public health, food systems, and feeling welcomed in a diverse community.
What changes will happen in the Bellingham Plan?
You may see a new chapter or repeated theme in the Bellingham Plan about community well-being. We expect this chapter or theme to include the following:
1) A consolidation of existing goals and policies from the 2016 Comprehensive Plan that relate to community well-being and are still relevant. For example, we have a number of existing policies about healthy food access, and it may make sense to move these policies to a community well-being chapter or section.
2) New goals and policies that reflect feedback we are hearing about this topic. For example, we want the Bellingham Plan to reflect the values and priorities of the community, such as community cohesion.
3) New goals and policies that reflect work the City is already doing to support community well-being initiatives. An example would be programming to support conversations about accessibility, diversity, equity, and inclusion.
The topic of community well-being will be touched on at our initial “Community Vision” session as we explore what safety means to community members. We dive into the well-being topic in much greater detail at the “Vibrant, Equitable, and Welcoming Community” event, where we discuss how our community can be more welcoming, healthy, and lively. This event will touch on diversity, arts, culture, food systems and more.
- Community Vision – February 22, 5-7 p.m., Sehome High School
- Vibrant, Equitable, and Welcoming Community – March 6, 5-7 p.m., Bellingham High School
Your Safety Story
Safety is a common theme in our Phase 1 feedback. What does safety mean to you? In what context don't you feel safe in Bellingham? What causes you to feel that way?
You will be prompted to provide an anonymous screen name and email (not verified). All stories will be moderated to ensure compliance with Engage Bellingham's moderation policy and then posted to this page. If you want to share your story, but do not want it posted publicly, please feel free to email us at thebellinghamplan@cob.org. If you do not see your story posted, it may be due to moderation compliance or relevance to the topic. Please reach out to us if you have any questions.
We look forward to hearing from you!
The views and opinions expressed in the stories below are those of the storyteller and do not represent the views and opinions of the City of Bellingham. Information found below may not be factual.