Represents: At-Large
Term: Jan 2008 - Dec 2009
Bellingham City Councilmember Louise Bjornson currently chairs the Public Works/Public Safety Committee and is a member of the Planning, Neighborhoods & Community Development Committee and the Parks and Recreation Committee. In addition, she has several other Council assignments, including serving on the Mt. Baker Theatre Board, the Open Space Committee, the Sister Cities Advisory Board, and the Parks and Recreation Board.
She is a Bellingham representative on the WHAT-COM 911 Communications Administrative Board. Louise also serves on the Washington State Municipal Research Board, which provides professional consultation, research and information services to local officials (4 years).
Louise previously served as City Council President, Mayor Pro Tempore and chair of the Finance Committee. When Louise served as chair of the Lake Whatcom Watershed Committee, she helped write the Goals and Policies that guide the joint actions of the County, City, and Water District #10 in our efforts to protect the water in Lake Whatcom Reservoir.
Louise received the Certificate of Municipal Leadership from the Association of Washington Cities, Distinguished Alumni Award from WWU, and Environmental Hero Award from RE Sources (2007).
Louise is a long time Bellingham resident, living in Bellingham since 1966. She is a Magna cum Laude graduate from Western Washington State University with a degree in Science Education. Councilmember Louise Bjornson has always been interested in serving her community. When her children were small, she wanted to keep it a safe place for them to grow up. Then her interest extended to the whole city, working to enhance our quality of life in all of Bellingham.
Councilmember Louise Bjornson’s top priorities as a Councilmember include:
Councilmember Bjornson has been involved in many projects in Bellingham. Her goal to create a healthier environment led to her involvement in all 3 Greenway initiatives. These were successful grassroots efforts to raise money for parks, trails, and open space for people and wildlife.
Councilmember Bjornson was one of the initiators of the curbside recycling program and helped run it for two years with volunteers. She was on the VISIONS Steering Committee, which brought together over 200 community members to lay the foundation for Bellingham’s Comprehensive Plan update and received state awards for citizen participation.
Bjornson is well known for her interest in transportation issues. She is a long time advocate for pedestrian and bicycle amenities. “I want to make it safe for people to walk to school, the store, or the bus stop. We have made a lot of progress, but there is more to do.” She supported the Bike/Pedestrian bridges to connect our trail system. She served for four years on the Washington State Air Transportation Commission, looking at transportation state-wide and advocating for the return of AMTRAK to Bellingham. On the Whatcom Transportation Authority Board, she advocated for more Sunday and evening bus service.
The Downtown Master Plan, Downtown Design Standards, Multifamily Design Standards, Civic Field Improvements, Maritime Heritage Park, Fairhaven Village Green, Neighborhood Parks, Roosevelt Park Improvements, Taylor Street Dock, Depot Market Square and the soon to be parks on Squalicum Parkway and in the Cordata area are more of the projects that Bjornson has worked on, making sure that Bellingham will continue to be a great place to live.
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2829 Birchwood
Bellingham, WA 98225
Phone: (360) 733-7756
