Council Committee of the Whole

Hybrid Meeting - Council Chambers

Agenda — 23 items

1. 1 Call To Order ▶ jump to 0:12
2. 2 Roll Call ▶ jump to 0:25
3. 3 Announcements ▶ jump to 0:56
4. 4 Committee Discussion ▶ jump to 1:02
5. 1. Discussion with County Executive’s Office and Columbia Policy Advisors on 2026 State Legislative Session AB2025-656 WITHDRAWN ▶ jump to 1:11
6. 2. Discussion of preliminary Planning Commission recommendations on Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan Chapter 5, Utilities, associated with the 2025 Comprehensive Plan Update AB2025-733 DISCUSSED AND MOTION(S) APPROVED ▶ jump to 1:36
7. 3. Presentation by the Whatcom County Planning and Development Services Director and discussion relating to preliminary preferred alternatives for the Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) associated with the 2025 Comprehensive Plan Update AB2025-513 DISCUSSED AND MOTION(S) APPROVED ▶ jump to 58:56
8. 7 Motion approved to remove Policies 5S-5, 5S-6, and 5S-7 (pages 5-20-21 of the Preliminary Planning Commission Recommended Version).
9. 4. Discussion of proposed amendments to the 2025 Comprehensive Plan Update AB2025-701 NOT ACTED UPON ▶ jump to 127:41
10. 5. Discussion of an ordinance amending the 2026 Whatcom County Budget, request no. 1, in the amount of $20,970,606 AB2025-708 DISCUSSED ▶ jump to 128:02
11. 9 Motion approved that Blaine's UGA proposals do not include expansions in Birch Point (the two areas marked with a red “x” and the area marked as “Rural (UGA)” between them on the attached “Blaine UGA Proposal as discussed on 10.21.2025”).
12. 6. Discussion of a resolution authorizing the levy of taxes for the Whatcom County Flood Control Zone District for 2026 (Council acting as the Flood Control Zone District Board of Supervisors) AB2025-710 DISCUSSED ▶ jump to 186:21
13. 10 Motion approved that they accept the Bellingham UGA proposal (as represented on the Map UGA-2 (page 9) of the Bellingham UGA Proposal (on file).
14. 7. Discussion of a resolution adopting the 2026 budget for the Whatcom County Flood Control Zone District and Subzones (Council acting as the Flood Control Zone District Board of Supervisors) AB2025-712 DISCUSSED ▶ jump to 187:34
15. 11 Motion approved to retain Ferndale's 2016 map as proposed (Map UGA-4) on page four of the Ferndale UGA Proposal.
16. 8. Discussion of an ordinance authorizing the levy of taxes for Conservation Futures purposes for 2026 AB2025-720 DISCUSSED ▶ jump to 201:26
17. 12 Motion approved to accept Lynden's proposal as described on Map UGA-5.
18. 9. Discussion of an ordinance authorizing the levy of taxes for County Road purposes for 2026 AB2025-722 DISCUSSED ▶ jump to 202:22
19. 10. Discussion of an ordinance authorizing the levy of taxes for countywide emergency medical purposes for 2026 AB2025-724 DISCUSSED ▶ jump to 203:10
20. 11. Discussion of an ordinance authorizing the levy of taxes for County and State purposes in Whatcom County, Washington, for the year of 2026 AB2025-726 DISCUSSED ▶ jump to 206:03
21. 16 Items Added by Revision ▶ jump to 207:21
22. 17 Other Business ▶ jump to 207:23
23. 18 Adjournment ▶ jump to 207:26