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May 12, 2026 ·6:00 PM Final ·HYBRID MEETING (PARTICIPATE IN-PERSON, SEE REMOTE JOIN INSTRUCTIONS AT www.whatcomcounty.us/joinvirtualcouncil, OR CALL 360.778.5010)

Hybrid Meeting - Council Chambers

Agenda PDF Minutes PDF 📹 Watch video Official record ↗

Agenda — 50 items

  1. 1 COUNTY COUNCIL
  2. 2 CALL TO ORDER ▶ jump to 1:21
  3. 3 ROLL CALL ▶ jump to 1:40
  4. 4 FLAG SALUTE ▶ jump to 1:57
  5. 5 ANNOUNCEMENTS ▶ jump to 2:19
  6. 6 COUNTY EXECUTIVE'S REPORT ▶ jump to 2:22
  7. 7 MINUTES CONSENT ▶ jump to 2:33
  8. 1. Special Committee of the Whole for April 7, 2026 MIN2026-039 APPROVED BY CONSENT Pass ▶ jump to 2:32
  9. 2. Committee of the Whole Executive Session for April 28, 2026 MIN2026-040 APPROVED BY CONSENT Pass ▶ jump to 2:32
  10. 3. Committee of the Whole for April 28, 2026 MIN2026-041 APPROVED BY CONSENT Pass ▶ jump to 2:32
  11. 4. Regular County Council for April 28, 2026 MIN2026-042 APPROVED BY CONSENT Pass ▶ jump to 2:32
  12. 12 PUBLIC HEARINGS ▶ jump to 3:11
  13. 1. Resolution declaring Whatcom County Flood Control Zone District personal property, a single-family house, as surplus and approve sale (Council acting as the Flood Control Zone District Board of Supervisors) AB2026-282 APPROVED Pass ▶ jump to 8:42
  14. 2. Resolution declaring Whatcom County Flood Control Zone District personal property as surplus and approve sale (Council acting as Flood Control Zone District Board of Supervisors) AB2026-284 APPROVED Pass ▶ jump to 9:39
  15. 3. Resolution declaring Whatcom County Flood Control Zone District personal property as surplus and to approve sale (Council acting as the Flood Control Zone District Board of Supervisors) AB2026-286 APPROVED Pass ▶ jump to 10:38
  16. 4. Ordinance establishing a Ferry District to fund and manage the Lummi Island ferry system AB2026-339 ADOPTED Pass ▶ jump to 87:36
  17. 17 OPEN SESSION ▶ jump to 102:16
  18. 18 CONSENT AGENDA ▶ jump to 296:25
  19. 19 (From Council Finance and Administrative Services Committee) ▶ jump to 296:26
  20. 1. Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into a contract amendment between Whatcom County and Cascadia Law Group PLLC to increase the maximum consideration in the amount of $50,000, for a total amended contract amount of $200,000 AB2026-347 AUTHORIZED BY CONSENT Pass ▶ jump to 296:26
  21. 2. Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into a contract between Whatcom County and Ceterra Northwest, LLC to provide on-call construction materials testing and materials inspection for Whatcom County Public Works projects in the amount not to exceed $200,000 AB2026-348 AUTHORIZED BY CONSENT Pass ▶ jump to 296:26
  22. 3. Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into a contract between Whatcom County and Sustainable Connections to conduct an innovative waste reduction program for large scale events, in the amount of $83,588 AB2026-349 AUTHORIZED BY CONSENT Pass ▶ jump to 296:26
  23. 23 OTHER ITEMS ▶ jump to 297:04
  24. 24 (From Council Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee) ▶ jump to 297:05
  25. 1. Resolution establishing a preliminary planning budget cap, affirming governing commitments, and providing recommendations to the administration from the Whatcom County Council on the capital construction of the Whatcom County Jail and Behavioral Care Center AB2026-340 REVISED SUBSTITUTE APPROVED AS AMENDED Pass ▶ jump to 297:28
  26. 26 (From Council Committee of the Whole) ▶ jump to 328:50
  27. 26 Approved the “Revised Substitute Resolution for 5.12.26” 5-2 as amended, with Elenbaas and Stremler opposed.
  28. 2. Request for motion regarding council meeting procedures for discussion of agenda bill items on the day of introduction AB2026-272 DISCUSSED AND MOTION(S) APPROVED ▶ jump to 328:51
  29. 27 Motion approved 6-1, with Rienstra opposed, to amend to add three whereas statements after the fourth to last whereas statement as amended that read: WHEREAS, modern correctional facility design recognizes that the physical environment itself materially affects behavioral health outcomes, staff safety, institutional stability, trauma response, recidivism, and the ability to provide effective treatment and programming, and that investments in therapeutic housing environments, behavioral health treatment space, visitation, educational and vocational programming, and trauma-informed architectural design within the jail facility are integral to the Justice Project’s goals of improved behavioral health outcomes, reduced recidivism, and successful reentry; and WHEREAS, the purpose of the replacement jail is not merely to expand incarceration capacity, but to replace an outdated and inadequate facility with one capable of safely and humanely delivering behavioral health treatment, medical care, stabilization services, reentry support, and programming that are not feasible within the constraints of the current facility; and WHEREAS, the existing Whatcom County Jail was not designed to meet modern standards for behavioral health treatment, medical care, trauma-informed housing, classification, programming, or staff wellness, and the replacement of that facility with one designed to incorporate dedicated behavioral health treatment space, detoxification and medication-assisted treatment capacity, therapeutic and trauma-informed housing environments, visitation and reentry services, educational and vocational programming, and humane working and living conditions will itself function as a foundational component of the community's behavioral health infrastructure, benefiting incarcerated individuals, employees, contractors, and the broader community, but not a substitute for the broader community-based services and supports that must accompany it.
  30. 28 COUNCIL APPOINTMENTS TO ADVISORY GROUPS ▶ jump to 332:00
  31. 28 Motion had been approved 5-2, with Stremler and Elenbaas opposed, to amend Elenbaas’ original motion by amending Elenbaas' final proposed whereas clause to strike "substantial investment in behavioral health benefiting incarcerated individuals, employees, contractors, and the broader community;" and replace with "foundational component of the community's behavioral health infrastructure, benefiting incarcerated individuals, employees, contractors, and the broader community, but not a substitute for the broader community-based services and supports that must accompany it.” This amendment to the proposed motion to amend the resolution is reflected in the motion above.
  32. 1. Appointment to vacancies on the Lynden/Everson Flood Subzone Advisory Committee, Applicants: Ladd Shumway, Jackie Abercrombie, Luke Wolfisberg (Council acting as the Flood Control Zone District Board of Supervisors) AB2026-325 APPOINTED ▶ jump to 332:01
  33. 30 CONFIRMATION OF EXECUTIVE APPOINTMENTS TO ADVISORY GROUPS ▶ jump to 338:40
  34. 1. Request confirmation of the County Executive’s appointment of Neal Walker to the Food System Committee AB2026-350 CONFIRMED Pass ▶ jump to 338:59
  35. 31 MOTION 1 Motion approved 5-2, with Elenbaas and Stremler opposed, to rescind the motion passed on April 1st, 2025 to require discussion on the day of introduction.
  36. 32 ITEMS ADDED BY REVISION ▶ jump to 339:17
  37. 32 MOTION 2 Motion approved 6-1, with Stremler opposed, to require discussion in committee on the day of introduction for the following: ordinances amending the County budget, ordinances requiring a public hearing, and all official recurring county plans or plan updates.
  38. 33 INTRODUCTION ITEMS ▶ jump to 339:18
  39. 1. Ordinance increasing the Petty Cash Revolving Fund for the Parks and Recreation Department, in the amount of $500 AB2026-333 INTRODUCED Pass ▶ jump to 339:18
  40. 2. Ordinance amending the project budget for the Austin Court Stormwater Improvement Project Fund, request no. 1 AB2026-351 INTRODUCED Pass ▶ jump to 339:18
  41. 35 Motion approved to accept late applications 6-1, with Elenbaas opposed
  42. 3. Ordinance amending the project budget for the North Commercial Street Acquisition, request no. 1 AB2026-353 INTRODUCED Pass ▶ jump to 339:18
  43. 36 Appointed Luke Wolfisberg with 7 votes and Ladd Shumway with 4 votes
  44. 4. Ordinance amending the project budget for the New Public Health, Safety and Justice Facility, request no. 11 AB2026-355 INTRODUCED Pass ▶ jump to 339:18
  45. 5. Ordinance amending the 2026 Whatcom County Budget, request no. 8, in the amount of $8,914,924 AB2026-369 INTRODUCED Pass ▶ jump to 339:18
  46. 6. Resolution amending the 2026 Flood Control Zone District and Subzones Budget, request no. 3, in the amount of $34,964 (Council acting as the Whatcom County Flood Control Zone District Board of Supervisors) AB2026-373 INTRODUCED Pass ▶ jump to 339:18
  47. 7. Ordinance amending the project based budget for the Lummi Nation Ferry Lease Fund-3901, request no. 1 AB2026-374 INTRODUCED Pass ▶ jump to 339:18
  48. 8. Ordinance amending the project budget for the Central Shop National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Stormwater Improvements Project Fund, request no. 2 AB2026-379 INTRODUCED Pass ▶ jump to 339:18
  49. 42 COMMITTEE REPORTS, OTHER ITEMS, AND COUNCILMEMBER UPDATES
  50. 43 ADJOURN