Whatcom County  
Council Committee of the Whole  
COUNTY COURTHOUSE  
311 Grand Avenue, Ste #105  
Bellingham, WA 98225-4038  
(360) 778-5010  
Committee Minutes - Draft Minutes  
Tuesday, April 28, 2026  
2:25 PM  
Hybrid Meeting - Council Chambers  
HYBRID MEETING - MAY BEGIN EARLY/LATE - 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 3:20 p.m. in a  
hybrid meeting.  
7 -  
Present:  
Elizabeth Boyle, Barry Buchanan, Ben Elenbaas, Kaylee Galloway, Jessica  
Rienstra, Jon Scanlon, and Mark Stremler  
Announcements  
Special Presentation  
AB2026-326  
1.  
Update from Public Works River and Flood staff on Floodplain Integrated Planning  
(FLIP)  
The following people gave updates on flood-related projects and an effort  
to organize an action plan to use available funding:  
·
·
Julie Anderson, Public Works Department  
Paula Harris, Public Works Department  
They and councilmembers discussed the project to widen the river corridor,  
how much of the river they are planning to widen and what is giving  
reassurance to the communities in Everson, Nooksack, and Sumas that we  
are moving forward with projects to help them, if there is anything the  
County can do to help with an appeal by the governor regarding a federal  
decision that our state is currently not eligible for the Hazard Mitigation  
Grant Program funds for the December floods, that Public Works is  
looking at Federal funding opportunities as well, leaning on our  
congressional delegation for help, that the Sumas Resiliency Planning Study  
contract will be coming to Council in May, what is slowing down progress  
with projects and if there is anything the Council can do to help, whether  
they want to advocate for things such as a bill sponsored by Senator Patty  
Murray that is trying to streamline some of the regulatory review processes  
out of FEMA, how planning is going for homes that were lost on the North  
Fork, if there are any updates on potentially working with Washington State  
Department of Transportation around the bridge at Everson or on Slater  
Road, and that those projects are part of the action package through Public  
Works.  
This agenda item was PRESENTED.  
Committee Discussion  
AB2026-186  
1.  
Discussion and preliminary Council direction on Whatcom County Comprehensive  
Plan Chapter 2, Land Use  
Galloway stated the outstanding amendments for this chapter are  
amendment numbers 129, and 135 through 162 in the chart of amendments  
for this date.  
Scanlon moved to begin review of Chapter 2 using the Preliminary Council  
Draft dated 4/28/2026, which is the current version of the chapter with  
Planning Commission recommendations from January 2026 and additional  
edits proposed by councilmembers as listed in the Chart of Proposed  
Council Changes 4/28/2026.  
The motion was seconded by Rienstra.  
Councilmembers discussed which outstanding proposed amendments they  
would like to vote on separately. Elenbaas stated he would like to consider  
all the new proposed amendments separately and has concerns that they  
have missed a lot of opportunities for the public to comment on the new  
items. He would like to hear from the public before they debate them.  
Councilmembers discussed that there will be a public hearing at a later date  
and they will consider each of the outstanding proposed amendments  
separately today.  
The motion carried by the following vote:  
Aye: 7 - Elenbaas, Galloway, Rienstra, Scanlon, Stremler, Boyle, and  
Buchanan  
Nay: 0  
Amendment number 129 (new Policy 2H-4)  
Elenbaas stated he proposed this language to keep farmland in production  
and to keep the intent of the agricultural zoning, which is a viable ag  
economy, and he spoke about the amendment.  
Scanlon moved and Elenbaas seconded to include amendment number 129  
to add new Policy 2H-4.  
Councilmembers discussed if this would prevent UGA-related land swaps.  
Matt Aamot, Planning and Development Services Department (PDS), stated  
staff has concerns with how this is written. He gave the example that Sumas,  
Everson, and Nooksack are all proposing to expand their urban growth areas  
into designated ag land and that would be annexed at some point.  
Elenbaas stated the concerns are not his intent and Aamot stated staff can  
come back with some revised language.  
Scanlon moved to hold on amendment number 129 until they hear back  
from PDS with suggested language.  
The motion to hold carried by the following vote:  
Aye: 7 - Galloway, Rienstra, Scanlon, Stremler, Boyle, Buchanan, and  
Elenbaas  
Nay: 0  
Amendment number 135 (amending Policy 2A-9)  
Scanlon moved and Galloway seconded to include amendment number 135.  
Scanlon asked the intent of this amendment since they would be changing  
some things they previously approved (amendment number 115), and  
Galloway stated she thinks it is just trying to make it cleaner and that it does  
a better job of honing in on the intent of minimizing exposure between  
heavy industry and adjacent neighborhoods.  
Councilmembers discussed the language, whether it should be changed  
from what they previously voted on, and how it might be amended to meet in  
the middle.  
Boyle moved and Scanlon seconded to amend the motion so that Policy  
2A-9 would read:  
Where heavy industrial zoning is located within urban growth areas  
adjacent to residential neighborhoods, the County shall identify and  
implement measures that minimize neighborhood exposure to  
industrial pollution and advance public health and environmental  
justice. These measures shall be developed with meaningful  
involvement of affected communities.  
Elenbaas stated this language is going to be policy direction to a group of  
our employees and they have to think about their ability to implement it and  
what that would look like. He finds it more problematic to say “shall” and  
then list things that are hard to quantify and not really in their purview, than  
to say “consider measures that minimize…” which was in Galloway’s  
original proposed amendment.  
Galloway suggested a friendly amendment to change "shall" to "should."  
Boyle accepted the friendly amendment so the policy would read:  
Where heavy industrial zoning is located within urban growth areas  
adjacent to residential neighborhoods, the County should identify  
and implement measures that minimize neighborhood exposure to  
industrial pollution and advance public health and environmental  
justice. These measures should be developed with meaningful  
involvement of affected communities.  
Councilmembers discussed that involvement with affected communities  
already happens through the public participation process the county has in  
place (especially with permitting), that omitting “and long-term fiscal  
resilience” in Boyle’s amendment was not intentional and a suggestion to  
change “fiscal resilience” to “economic resilience” to better support the  
intention to have these conversations with impacted communities, so that  
the policy would read:  
Where heavy industrial zoning is located within urban growth areas  
adjacent to residential neighborhoods, the County should identify  
and implement measures that minimize neighborhood exposure to  
industrial pollution and advance public health, environmental justice,  
and long-term economic resilience. These measures should be  
developed with meaningful involvement of affected communities.  
Councilmembers discussed concerns about putting the onus on industries to  
“advance” public health and environmental justice and what “advance”  
actually means, and potential alternative wording.  
Boyle's motion to amend the motion carried by the following vote:  
Aye: 5 - Rienstra, Scanlon, Boyle, Buchanan, and Galloway  
Nay: 2 - Stremler and Elenbaas  
The motion to include amendment 135 as amended carried by the following  
vote:  
Aye: 5 - Scanlon, Boyle, Buchanan, Galloway, and Rienstra  
Nay: 2 - Stremler and Elenbaas  
Amendment number 136 (amending Policy 2Q-5)  
Scanlon moved and Boyle seconded to include amendment number 136 so  
that Policy 2Q-5 would read:  
Encourage and assist the communities of Birch Bay and Columbia  
Valley Urban Growth Areas with incorporation when appropriate.  
Councilmembers and Matt Aamot discussed the language and how it might  
be amended (regarding the words “when appropriate”) and then concurred to  
amend the motion to strike “Encourage and” so that it would read:  
Assist the communities of Birch Bay and Columbia Valley Urban  
Growth Areas with incorporation when appropriate.  
Danielle Gaughen, Birch Bay Community Advisory Committee, stated she  
thinks the change (removing “Encourage and”) will be acceptable. She stated  
the letter that was sent encapsulated all of their concerns, and that it is up to  
the communities of Birch Bay and Columbia Valley to decide when they  
should incorporate and is not a councilmanic decision, or up to the  
executive. It would also be up to those communities to decide what is  
eventually feasible.  
Councilmembers discussed what “when appropriate” means and who makes  
that determination, that the county would assist when the communities  
determine that incorporation is appropriate, and the possibility of adding  
“when requested” before “Assist.”  
The motion to include amendment 136 as amended by councilmembers  
carried by the following vote:  
Aye: 7 - Stremler, Boyle, Buchanan, Elenbaas, Galloway, Rienstra, and  
Scanlon  
Nay: 0  
Galloway stated they will have to wait on the remaining amendments and  
that they also ran out of time to discuss the remaining Comprehensive Plan  
chapters. She read AB2026-250, AB2026-261, AB2026-262, and  
AB2026-263 into the record.  
This agenda item was DISCUSSED AND MOTION(S) APPROVED.  
MOTION 1  
Motion approved to begin review of Chapter 2 using the Preliminary Council Draft dated 4/28/2026, which is the  
current version of the chapter with Planning Commission recommendations from January 2026 and additional edits  
proposed (and motions passed by) councilmembers as listed in the Chart of Proposed Council Changes 4/28/2026.  
MOTION 2– Amendment #129  
Motion approved to hold on amendment number 129 until they hear back from Planning and Development Services  
with suggested language.  
MOTION 3– Amendment #135  
Motion approved to include amendment number 135 as amended so that Policy 2A-9 would read:  
Where heavy industrial zoning is located within urban growth areas adjacent to residential neighborhoods, the County  
should identify and implement measures that minimize neighborhood exposure to industrial pollution and advance  
public health, environmental justice, and long-term economic resilience. These measures should be developed with  
meaningful involvement of affected communities.  
MOTION 4- Amendment # 136  
Motion approved to include amendment number 136 as amended which amends Policy 2Q-5 so that it reads:  
Assist the communities of Birch Bay and Columbia Valley Urban Growth Areas with incorporation when appropriate.  
AB2026-250  
2.  
Discussion and preliminary Council direction on Whatcom County Comprehensive  
Plan Chapter 8, Resource Lands  
This agenda item was NOT ACTED UPON.  
AB2026-261  
AB2026-262  
AB2026-263  
3.  
4.  
5.  
Discussion and preliminary Council direction on Whatcom County Comprehensive  
Plan Chapter 10, Environment  
This agenda item was NOT ACTED UPON.  
Discussion and preliminary Council direction on Whatcom County Comprehensive  
Plan Chapter 12, Climate  
This agenda item was NOT ACTED UPON.  
Discussion and preliminary Council direction on Whatcom County Comprehensive  
Plan Appendices (Appendix A: Glossary, Appendix B: Acronyms, Appendix D:  
Bibliography, Appendix E: 20-Year Capital Facilities Plan, Appendix G: Airport  
Overlay Zones, Appendix H: Airport Imaginary Surfaces, Appendix I: Housing  
Needs Analysis, Appendix J: Subsidized Housing Needs and Funding) and Foothills  
Subarea Plan Amendments  
This agenda item was NOT ACTED UPON.  
AB2026-249  
Discussion regarding schedule for Council review of the comprehensive plan update  
6.  
Galloway spoke about adding another Special Committee of the Whole  
meeting on May 19th. She also stated that they got a request from the  
Climate Impact Advisory Committee to have Chapter 12 be scheduled for  
May 26 or later.  
This agenda item was DISCUSSED.  
Items Added by Revision  
There were no agenda items added by revision.  
Other Business  
There was no other business.  
Adjournment  
The meeting adjourned at 4:29 p.m.  
ATTEST:  
WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL  
WHATCOM COUNTY, WA  
______________________________  
Cathy Halka, Council Clerk  
___________________________  
Kaylee Galloway, Council Chair  
Meeting Minutes prepared by Kristi Felbinger