Whatcom County  
Council Finance and Administrative Services Committee  
COUNTY COURTHOUSE  
311 Grand Avenue, Ste #105  
Bellingham, WA 98225-4038  
(360) 778-5010  
Meeting Agenda  
Tuesday, July 14, 2026  
10:15 AM  
Hybrid Meeting - Council Chambers  
HYBRID MEETING - ADJOURNS BY 12:15 P.M. (PARTICIPATE IN-PERSON,  
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  
Announcements  
If you require special assistance to participate, please contact the Council Office at 360-778-5010 at  
least 96 hours in advance. Assistive listening devices are available in Council Chambers, and live  
captions are available through Zoom for those participating remotely. This committee meeting is  
also noticed as a meeting of the Whatcom County Council, with the agenda limited to committee  
business.  
Council "Consent Agenda" Items  
Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into an interlocal  
agreement between Whatcom County and City of Bellingham Police  
Department to maintain munitions inventory at the Whatcom County Central  
Shop, in the amount of $0  
1.  
Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into a contract  
amendment between Whatcom County and Status Electrical Corporation to  
provide technical support for the security electronics at the juvenile detention  
facility, main jail, jail work center, and facilities management, in the amount of  
$69,442 for a total amended contract amount of $253,615  
2.  
Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into an interlocal  
agreement between Whatcom County and the Washington State Military  
Department for reimbursement of expenses resulting from the winter weather in  
December 2025, in an amount to be determined  
3.  
4.  
5.  
6.  
Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into a grant agreement  
between Whatcom County and WA Department of Ecology to restore Olympia  
oysters in North Chuckanut Bay, in the amount of $50,000 (Council acting as  
the Whatcom County Flood Control Zone District Board of Supervisors)  
Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into an interlocal  
cooperative purchasing agreement with the Whatcom County Rural Library  
District (WCLS) to allow reciprocal utilization of competitively bid contracts,  
pursuant to RCW Chapter 39.34 Interlocal Cooperation Act  
Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into a grant agreement  
between Whatcom County and the Washington State Department of Commerce  
to increase funding for flood mitigation planning in Sumas, Nooksack, and  
Everson, in the amount of $207,400 for a total amended amount of $1,517,400  
(Council acting as the Whatcom County Flood Control Zone District Board of  
Supervisors)  
Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into an interlocal grant  
agreement between Whatcom County and the Washington State Department of  
Ecology to provide Floodplains by Design funding to build upon existing  
Floodplain Integrated Planning efforts to reduce flood hazard, increase flood  
resiliency, and improve habitat, in the amount of $10,000,000 (Council acting as  
the Whatcom County Flood Control Zone District Board of Supervisors)  
7.  
8.  
9.  
Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into an interlocal  
agreement between Whatcom County and the University of Washington for  
completion of Phase 2 sediment work near Everson and evaluating alternatives  
proposed as part of the Widen the Corridor project, in the amount of $209,814  
(Council acting as the Whatcom County Flood Control Zone District Board of  
Supervisors)  
Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into an interlocal  
agreement amendment between Whatcom County and United States Geological  
Survey (USGS) for the continued purpose of sediment modeling on the lower  
Nooksack River, in the amount of $60,000 for a total agreement amount of  
$295,050 (Council acting as the Whatcom County Flood Control Zone District  
Board of Supervisors)  
Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into a contract between  
Whatcom County and the Washington State Office of Public Defense regarding  
Chapter 10.101 RCW, Indigent Defense Services, in the amount of $435,995  
10.  
11.  
Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into an agreement  
between Whatcom County and the Administrative Office of the Courts for  
reimbursements of costs related to the Uniform Guardianship Act, in the amount  
of $89,144  
Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into an agreement  
between Whatcom County and the Administrative Office of the Courts for  
reimbursements of costs related to the Family and Juvenile Court Improvement  
Program, in the amount of $122,250  
12.  
13.  
Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into an interlocal  
agreement between Whatcom County and the U.S. Department of Agriculture  
Forest Service for funding for a deputy to patrol Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie  
National Forest lands in the amount of $56,760  
Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into an agreement  
between Whatcom County and the Administrative Office of the Courts for  
reimbursement of costs related to BECCA programs, in the amount of $232,776  
14.  
15.  
Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into a contract  
amendment between Whatcom County and Mobile Mama Strategies Inc. to  
provide perinatal mental health services to vulnerable families through  
continuation of a mental health workforce pilot project, in the amount of  
$199,000 for a total amended contract amount of $496,335  
Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into an interlocal  
agreement amendment between Whatcom County and Washington State  
Department of Health (DOH) to increase funding for the 2025-2027  
Consolidated Contract Grant, which supports the delivery and funding of  
various public health services in Whatcom County, in the amount of $3,521,984  
for a total amended agreement amount of $14,856,181  
16.  
Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into a contract between  
Whatcom County and Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center to provide conflict  
resolution workshops for youth, in the amount of $35,000  
17.  
18.  
Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into an interlocal  
agreement between Whatcom County and Washington State Military for  
Operation Stonegarden FY25, in the amount of $170,625  
Committee Discussion (Other)  
Discussion of a resolution amending the 2026 Flood Control Zone District and  
Subzones Budget, request no. 4, in the amount of $34,830 (Council acting as the  
Whatcom County Flood Control Zone District Board of Supervisors)  
1.  
ON COUNCIL AGENDA FOR INTRODUCTION (SEE AB2026-508)  
Discussion of an ordinance amending the 2026 Whatcom County Budget,  
request no. 10, in the amount of $252,250  
2.  
ON COUNCIL AGENDA FOR INTRODUCTION (SEE AB2026-534)  
Committee Discussion and Recommendation to Council (Other)  
Resolution requiring additional public notice of proposed Whatcom County  
Council action to increase taxes  
1.  
Resolution designating the revenue distribution from forest service payments  
2.  
Committee Discussion (Ferry District)  
Work session on the Whatcom County Ferry District 2027 funding level options  
1.  
Discussion of a resolution establishing a new Whatcom County Ferry District  
Fund (Council acting as the Whatcom County Ferry District Board of  
Supervisors)  
2.  
ON COUNCIL AGENDA FOR INTRODUCTION (SEE AB2026-520)  
Discussion of a resolution establishing an initial budget level for the Whatcom  
County Ferry District in the amount of $5.2 million (Council acting as the  
Whatcom County Ferry District Board of Supervisors)  
3.  
4.  
ON COUNCIL AGENDA FOR INTRODUCTION (SEE AB2026-521)  
Discussion of a resolution establishing an initial budget level for the Whatcom  
County Ferry District in the amount of $4.2 million (Council acting as the  
Whatcom County Ferry District Board of Supervisors)  
ON COUNCIL AGENDA FOR INTRODUCTION (SEE AB2026-522)  
Discussion of an ordinance adding the Ferry District Funds and Board of  
Supervisors to Whatcom County Code 10.34 Ferry Rates  
5.  
6.  
ON COUNCIL AGENDA FOR INTRODUCTION (SEE AB2026-524)  
Discussion of an ordinance adding the Ferry District Funds and Board of  
Supervisors to Whatcom County Code Section 10.36.060, Ferry Multi-ride  
Cards and Quarterly Passes, Replacement Appeal Procedure  
ON COUNCIL AGENDA FOR INTRODUCTION (SEE AB2026-525)  
Committee Discussion and Recommendation to Council (Ferry District)  
Resolution regarding authorization for application to Public Works Board  
funding for the Lummi Island Ferry Replacement and System Modernization  
Project  
1.  
SEE FERRY DISTRICT DISCUSSION ITEMS ABOVE  
Items Added by Revision  
Other Business  
Adjournment