Whatcom County  
Council Special Committee of the Whole  
COUNTY COURTHOUSE  
311 Grand Avenue, Ste #105  
Bellingham, WA 98225-4038  
(360) 778-5010  
Committee Minutes - Draft Minutes  
Tuesday, May 5, 2026  
10:15 AM  
Hybrid Meeting - Council Chambers  
HYBRID MEETING - LUNCH BREAK FROM 12:00 P.M. TO 1:00 P.M. -  
ADJOURNS BY 4:30 P.M. (PARTICIPATE IN-PERSON, SEE REMOTE JOIN  
INSTRUCTIONS AT www.whatcomcounty.us/joinvirtualcouncil, OR CALL  
360.778.5010)  
COUNCILMEMBERS  
Elizabeth Boyle  
Barry Buchanan  
Ben Elenbaas  
Kaylee Galloway  
Jessica Rienstra  
Jon Scanlon  
Mark Stremler  
CLERK OF THE COUNCIL  
Cathy Halka, AICP, CMC  
Call To Order  
Roll Call  
Council Chair Kaylee Galloway called the meeting to order at 10:28 a.m. in  
a hybrid meeting.  
7 -  
Present:  
Elizabeth Boyle, Barry Buchanan, Ben Elenbaas, Kaylee Galloway, Jessica  
Rienstra, Jon Scanlon, and Mark Stremler  
Announcements  
Public Comment (Comprehensive Plan)  
AB2026-304  
Public comments on the draft Preface to the Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan  
The following people spoke:  
1.  
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Irene Morgan  
Lyle Sorensen  
Ryan Bowman  
Perry Eskridge  
Hearing no one else, Galloway closed public comment.  
This agenda item was RECEIVED.  
Committee Discussion (Comprehensive Plan)  
AB2026-273  
1.  
Discussion and preliminary Council direction on the Preface to the Whatcom County  
Comprehensive Plan  
Galloway introduced discussion of the Preface of the Whatcom County  
Comprehensive Plan.  
Galloway moved to include the land acknowledgement as reflected in Item  
1 in the amendment table (Revised Chart of Proposed Council Changes for  
5.5.2026).  
Rienstra seconded the motion.  
Galloway moved to amend the first sentence (of Item 1 in the Revised  
Chart of Proposed Council Changes for 5.5.2026) to read as follows:  
Whatcom County Government acknowledges that present day  
Whatcom County is located on the traditional and ancestral  
homelands of the Lummi Nation and Nooksack Indian Tribe, as well  
as other Coast Salish peoples who have lived in and stewarded this  
land since time immemorial.  
Boyle seconded the motion.  
Councilmembers discussed the motion.  
The motion to amend carried by the following vote:  
Aye: 7 - Boyle, Buchanan, Galloway, Rienstra, Scanlon, Elenbaas, and  
Stremler  
Nay: 0  
The motion carried by the following vote:  
Aye: 5 - Boyle, Buchanan, Galloway, Rienstra, and Scanlon  
Nay: 2 - Elenbaas and Stremler  
Galloway moved to include the labor acknowledgement (Item 2 in the  
Revised Chart of Proposed Council Changes for 5.5.2026).  
Boyle seconded the motion.  
Stremler moved to amend the labor acknowledgement to include the  
language from Item 3 (recognizing the Dutch community).  
Scanlon seconded the motion.  
Councilmembers discussed the motion.  
Buchanan moved to amend to include the Norwegian community, so that  
the labor acknowledgement includes the following sentence:  
We recognize the Dutch and Norwegian communities with their  
wisdom and skills to develop agriculture lands which remains a vital  
part of Whatcom County's economy.  
Scanlon seconded the motion.  
Elenbaas stated he would prefer to move away from specific language to be  
more inclusive.  
Buchanan moved to amend the labor acknowledgement (Item 2 in the  
Revised Chart of Proposed Council Changes for 5.5.2026) so that it  
includes the following:  
We recognize immigrant communities with their wisdom and skills  
to develop agriculture lands which remains a vital part of Whatcom  
County's economy.  
Scanlon seconded the motion.  
The motion to amend carried by the following vote:  
Aye: 7 - Boyle, Buchanan, Galloway, Rienstra, Scanlon, Elenbaas, and  
Stremler  
Nay: 0  
Scanlon moved to hold (AB2026-273) until May 19.  
Boyle seconded the motion.  
The motion to hold carried by the following vote:  
Aye: 6 - Boyle, Buchanan, Galloway, Rienstra, Scanlon, and Elenbaas  
Nay: 1 - Stremler  
This agenda item was DISCUSSED AND MOTION(S) APPROVED.  
MOTION 1:  
Motion approved to amend the first sentence of the land acknowledgement statement (Item 1 in the Revised Chart of  
Proposed Council Changes for 5.5.2026) to read as follows:  
Whatcom County Government acknowledges that present day Whatcom County is located on the traditional and  
ancestral homelands of the Lummi Nation and Nooksack Indian Tribe, as well as other Coast Salish peoples who  
have lived in and stewarded this land since time immemorial.  
MOTION 2:  
Motion approved to include the land acknowledgement statement as amended.  
MOTION 3:  
Motion approved to amend the labor acknowledgement (Item 2 in the Revised Chart of Proposed Council Changes  
for 5.5.2026) so that it includes the following:  
We recognize immigrant communities with their wisdom and skills to develop agriculture lands which remains a vital  
part of Whatcom County's economy.  
MOTION 4:  
Motion approved to hold until May 19 (Special Committee of the Whole).  
AB2026-249  
Discussion regarding schedule for Council review of the comprehensive plan update  
2.  
Galloway stated that there is not enough time remaining to discuss the  
Comprehensive Plan review schedule. Council will discuss Comprehensive  
Plan Chapters 2, 8, 10, and the Appendices, in addition to the Preface, at  
future meetings.  
This agenda item was DISCUSSED.  
Committee Discussion (Other)  
AB2026-314  
Council Operational Planning with the Health and Community Services Department  
Charlene Ramont, Whatcom County Health and Community Services  
3.  
(WCHCS), led councilmembers through a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses,  
opportunities, and threats) exercise to help gauge priorities for the  
upcoming budget process.  
Councilmembers listed perceived strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and  
threats of the department.  
Clerk's Note: Buchanan left the meeting at 11:36 a.m.  
Ramont asked councilmembers to complete an affinity diagram to cluster  
themes and prioritize topics to focus on when developing the department  
budget. She stated that multiple councilmembers identified the following  
topics: strong, skilled team; slow internal processes; collaborative,  
informed efforts; building and strengthening community; and costs of  
delivering outcomes increasing.  
Councilmembers discussed the exercise.  
Ramont stated that the exercise, which was also completed by department  
staff, will be used to help guide the department's planning for the biennial  
budget.  
This agenda item was DISCUSSED.  
AB2026-316  
Facilitated discussion regarding 2026 Council strategic planning  
Clerk's Note: Buchanan returned to the meeting after the lunch break.  
4.  
Eric Johnson, Columbia Policy Advisors, provided an overview of the plan  
for the afternoon's work session. He reviewed the strategic themes and  
focuses that councilmembers identified at their last work session in  
February:  
Values:  
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Engaged community  
Effective and efficient county government: measuring performance  
Policy Priorities:  
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Housing  
Water resources  
Economic development  
Community health and wellness  
Ongoing Focus:  
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Biennial budget  
Comprehensive Plan and development regulation updates  
Johnson stated that the goal of the work session would be to develop  
SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic/relevant, and  
timebound) key actions and objectives for each identified value, priority,  
and focus.  
Galloway asked if public safety and behavioral health could be discussed  
separately from community health and wellness as a policy priority.  
Elenbaas stated that delivering on basic core functions of county  
government should be discussed as a strategic theme.  
Johnson led councilmembers in a discussion to develop SMART key  
actions and objectives for each strategic theme and focus.  
Councilmembers discussed the following goals with Johnson:  
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Setting up a meeting between water adjudication stakeholders  
Increasing community engagement around the biennial budget  
Increasing shelter capacity  
Holding a community meeting on the Community Health  
Assessment  
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Developing a community outreach strategy  
Closing gaps in access to behavioral health services  
Supporting senior centers in Whatcom County  
Increasing economic development  
Improving workforce development  
Making decisions regarding criminal justice facilities  
Johnson stated that he would use the information collected during the work  
session to finalize a set of SMART goals that would be distributed to  
councilmembers at a later date.  
This agenda item was DISCUSSED.  
Items Added by Revision  
There were no agenda items added by revision.  
There was no other business.  
The meeting adjourned at 4:28 p.m.  
ATTEST:  
Other Business  
Adjournment  
WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL  
WHATCOM COUNTY, WA  
______________________________  
Cathy Halka, Council Clerk  
___________________________  
Kaylee Galloway, Council Chair  
Meeting Minutes prepared by Jenna Gernand