Compiled by Barry MacHale
Action Taken at July 8, 2025 Meeting
Shall the council:
163. Adopt the Justice Project Stakeholder Group Charters? This document provides a framework that will guide how each group contributes to and engages with the design and development of the Justice (jail) Facility and Behavioral Health Treatment Center. The Stakeholder Group Charters are divided into 12 sections: Executive (County Executive’s Office); County Council; Whatcom County Communications Team; County Facilities Department and Owner’s Representative; Whatcom County Sheriff ’s Office; Criminal Justice Group; Finance and Facility Advisory Board; Incarceration Prevention and Reduction Task Force; Small City Partnership/City of Bellingham; Lummi Nation Tribal Council; and Nooksack Indian Tribe Tribal Council. (AB2025-479) Substitute approved 6-0, Tyler Bird abstained.
164. Authorize the executive to accept a $1,310,000 federal grant to fund flood mitigation planning in Sumas, Nooksack, and Everson? (Council acting as the flood control district board of supervisors.) Activities to be funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development include the determination of Everson and Nooksack berm feasibility and the development of flood mitigation measures to promote flood resilience in the City of Sumas. (AB2025-495) Authorized 7-0
165. Authorize the executive to sign a a two-year interlocal agreement with state of Washington for services related to juvenile offenders under supervision of Juvenile Court? The juvenile court block grant (dollar amount is unknown at this time) will be funded through the state Department of Children, Youth & Families. It will fund programs such as special sex offender disposition alternative, chemical dependency and mental health disposition alternative, suspended disposition alternative, and more. The expiration date in 6/30/2027. (AB2025-497) Approved 7-0
166. Authorize the executive to accept $112,250 state grant for the family and juvenile court improvement plan? This agreement is between the Washington State Administrative Office of the Courts and Whatcom County Superior Court. A Family and Juvenile Court Improvement Plan coordinator will be hired. The coordinator works with the court/court partners to produce better outcomes for children and family in the dependency system. The grant expires 6/30/2026. (AB2025-500) Authorized 7-0
167. Authorize the sheriff and executive to sign a $56,760 cooperative law enforcement agreement (amendment #1) with the federal government for a sheriff’s office deputy to patrol the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest in 2025? The U.S. Department of Agriculture (U.S. Forest Service) will provide the funds for the deputy. The total amended amount is $72,994; the expiration date is 12/31/2029. (AB2025-501) Authorized 7-0
168. Authorize the executive to award the low bid of $748,544 to Summit Construction Group of Bellingham for renovations and additions to the Van Zandt Community Hall? The engineer’s estimate was $928,492. Besides the base bid, the HVAC system will be replaced, the electrical service increased from 200 amps to 400 amps and a new automatic transfer switch installed. A contingency fee of $75,000 brings the total contract to $823,544. Six bids were received; the high bid was $1,298,849. (AB2025-516) Authorized 7-0
169. Grant Whatcom County Water Districts #7, #2, and #18 franchises and the right to access and engage in support activities necessary for the provision of water services? (Public hearing held.) The non-exclusive 25-year franchises allows the construction, erection, altering, laying, supporting, connecting, improving, renewing, replacing, repairing, operating and maintaining water transmission and distribution facilities upon, under, over, across and along certain roads and other areas in Whatcom County. AB2025-418/420/422 (Ordinances 2025-032/033/034) Adopted 7-0
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Action Taken at July 22, 2025 Meeting
Shall the council:
170. Forward 12 Whatcom County Charter amendments to the Whatcom County auditor? A 15-member Charter Review Commission was elected at the 2024 general election. A supermajority (two-thirds or 10 of the members) of the commission approved 12 amendments to be placed on the 2025 general election ballot. (AB2025-507) Approved 7-0
171. Appoint committees to write pro and con statements to appear in the voters’ pamphlet for charter amendments proposed by the Charter Review Commission? See below for pro and con committee members. (A2025-515) Approved 5-2, Ben Elenbaas and Mark Stremler abstained.
172. Authorize the executive to sign a $57,085 five-year contract (amendment #1) with Lookout Mountain Holdings LLC at Lookout Mountain, Georgia, to extend the lease of a radio tower? The total amended contract is $111,085; it expires on 7/31/2030. (AB2025-519) Authorized 7-0
173. Authorize the executive to sign a $112,757 contract with Children’s Home Society of Washington dba Akin, located in Seattle, for services related to the Parents for Parents (P4P) program? P4P is a Whatcom County Superior Court-based, peer mentoring and professional development program implemented for the purposes of safely reuniting children removed from parent custody by court order with those parents. The contract expires on 6/30/2027. (AB2025-520) Authorized 7-0
174. Authorize the executive to sign a $92,059 contract with RESources of Bellingham to improve and expand the commercial recycling infrastructure in Whatcom County? Activities to be funded include targeted outreach to local manufacturing and business communities for the purposes of improving and expanding commercial recycling infrastructure in the county. The contract expires on 12/31/2025. (AB2025-521) Authorized 5-2, Ben Elenbaas and Mark Stremler opposed.
175. Authorize the executive to sign a $118,810 contract with San Juan Cruises of Bellingham to provide passenger-only ferry service to and from Lummi Island during the Lummi ferry dry dock and other emergencies? The daily rate for the period is $4,200 per day plus 8.8 percent local tax. The contract is valid from 8/1/2025 to 7/31/2026 and includes the option for up to four one-year renewals. (AB2025-522) Authorized 7-0
176. Authorize the executive to accept a two-year $18,819,091 state grant to fund homelessness crisis response systems? The grant has been provided to Whatcom County since 2012 and supports the county Plan to End Homelessness. Funding is passed through to partner agencies that provide housing-related services that include eviction prevention, street outreach, family emergency shelters, rental assistance, supportive services, and system coordination. The grant expires on 6/30/2027. (AB2025-527) Authorized 7-0
177. Authorize the executive to sign a $469,534 contract (amendment #6) with North Sound Behavioral Health Administrative Services Organization to provide behavioral health services within the North Sound Integrated Care Network? At the 4/11/2023 meeting, vote #83, the council approved the original $449,191 contract. The purpose of the amendment is to add funding for existing programs, including the alternative response team, cannabis use prevention, jail services, and Trueblood programs, as well as updating the scopes of work, deliverables, and budgets for the extended contract period. The total amended contract is $3,494,669 with automatic one-year renewals. (AB2025-528) Authorized 7-0
178. Establish 20 mph speed zones (when children are present) on Bennett Drive and Alderwood Avenue for the Alderwood Elementary School? (Public hearing held.) The zone on Bennett Drive is 300 feet north of Alderwood Avenue to 300 feet south of Alderwood Avenue and on Alderwood Avenue from Bennett Drive to Hollywood Avenue. The Bellingham School District and the Whatcom County Sheriff ’s Department have have expressed support for establishing the speed zone. AB2025-482 (Ordinance 2025-035) Adopted 7-0
179. Add an additional $250,000 (request #1) to the projectbased budget for the Birch Bay-Lynden Road and Blaine Road Intersection Improvements Fund? At the 11/23/2021 meeting, vote #288, the council established a $650,0000 project-based budget to fund right-of-way purchases for the roundabout. In 2021, the total estimated cost of the project was $5,050,000. The purpose of this amendment is to add funding for right-of-way acquisition due to increased real estate costs. The total amended amount is $900,000. AB2025-488 (Ordinance 2025-036) Adopted 7-0
180. Reduce by $632,270 (request #4) the project-based budget for the E. Smith/Hannegan Road Intersection Improvements Fund? At the 11/7/2018 meeting, vote #175, the council established the fund to add a double-lane roundabout at the intersection. The project was completed on 1/22/2025. The purpose of this amendment is to add a supplement to balance the budget of each of the project phases and transfer the remaining unused money to the road fund. The total cost of the project was $7,324,730. AB2025-492 (Ordinance 2025-037) Adopted 7-0
181. Add an additional $1,500,000 (request #1) to the project-based budget for the Lummi Island Ferry Replacement and System Modernization Fund? At the 8/8/2023 meeting, vote #216, the council created the $4,237,575 fund to establish a level of service and approve an action plan for the Lummi Island ferry system. The purpose of the amendment is to move subsequently awarded state grant funds from the road fund to the dedicated Lummi Island Ferry Replacement and System Modernization Fund. The total amended budget is $5,737,575. AB2025-494 (Ordinance 2025-038) Adopted 7-0
182. Add $5,022,244 in expenditure authority (request #8) to the project-based budget for a new public health, safety and justice facilities (jail)? At the 1/29 /2013 meeting, vote #22, the council established a new jail project fund for a new public health, safety and justice facilities. Twice a referendum to fund new facilities failed, the third time it passed at the 2023 general election. The total amended project-budget is $15,838,524. AB2025-498 (Ordinance 2025-039) Adopted 7-0
183. Amend the 2025 budget (request #8) in the amount of $3,548,146? Appropriate: $220,000 to fund abatement strategies with opioid settlement funds; $1 million to fund behavioral health millage; $1 million to fund behavioral health for youth mental health; $150,000 for the Birch Bay-Lynden Road project; $1 million for the Lummi Ferry replacement project; There are three additional appropriations under $100,000 that total $178,146. AB2025-502 (Ordinance 2025-040) Adopted 4-3, Tyler Byrd, Ben Elenbaas, and Mark Stremler opposed.
