The Board of Code Appeals shall have the power and jurisdiction to receive and rule on appeals from any administrative decision concerning the building and technical codes and regulations contained in the Bellingham Municipal Code, except for decisions relating to the administrative provisions of the building and technical codes.
Meetings are held only when an appeal has been formally filed, and are generally held on a Wednesday at 11 a.m. in the Mayor's Board Room, Second Floor, City Hall. Due to the nature of an appeal (complexity, number of participants, etc.), there is no set time for meetings, although they generally last for at least an hour.
The board shall consist of three members and two alternate members, appointed by the Mayor, with the approval of City Council. One board member shall be a licensed architect or engineer. One board member shall be selected from persons in the building or construction trades who are qualified by experience and training to pass upon matters pertaining to building code interpretations and building construction. One board member shall be a lay person. One alternate shall be a lay person and one alternate shall be either a licensed architect or engineer, or a person working in the building or construction field who is qualified by experience and training to pass upon matters pertaining to building code interpretations and building construction. All appointments shall be for two year terms with a two term limit, except that service as an alternate member shall not limit the number of terms a person may serve as a regular member.
Members shall be compensated for their services as members of the board upon such terms as shall be established by the council, by resolution. This amount is presently $50 per member per meeting.
