Whatcom County  
Council Finance and Administrative Services Committee  
COUNTY COURTHOUSE  
311 Grand Avenue, Ste #105  
Bellingham, WA 98225-4038  
(360) 778-5010  
Committee Minutes - Final  
Tuesday, June 9, 2026  
10:20 AM  
Hybrid Meeting - Council Chambers  
HYBRID MEETING - ADJOURNS BY 11:30 A.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  
Committee Chair Jon Scanlon called the meeting to order at 10:20 a.m. in a  
hybrid meeting.  
7 -  
Present:  
Elizabeth Boyle, Barry Buchanan, Ben Elenbaas, Kaylee Galloway, Jessica  
Rienstra, Jon Scanlon, and Mark Stremler  
Announcements  
Council "Consent Agenda" Items  
Galloway moved to recommend approval of Consent Agenda items one  
through 16. The motion was seconded by Boyle. Councilmembers voted on  
the Consent items (see votes on individual items below).  
AB2026-421  
1.  
2.  
3.  
Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into an interlocal agreement  
between Whatcom County and Washington State Department of Health to cover  
tuberculosis medications for patients who are underinsured or uninsured, in the  
amount of $0  
Galloway moved and Boyle seconded that the Interlocal be  
RECOMMENDED FOR AUTHORIZATION BY CONSENT. The motion  
carried by the following vote:  
7 - Boyle, Buchanan, Elenbaas, Galloway, Rienstra, Scanlon, and Stremler  
0
Aye:  
Nay:  
AB2026-423  
Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into a contract between  
Whatcom County and Nel/Son Distributing, DBA Nelson Reisner, to provide for the  
purchase of fuel to be used in Whatcom County fleet vehicles, in the amount of  
$850,000  
Galloway moved and Boyle seconded that the Contract be  
RECOMMENDED FOR AUTHORIZATION BY CONSENT. The motion  
carried by the following vote:  
7 - Boyle, Buchanan, Elenbaas, Galloway, Rienstra, Scanlon, and Stremler  
0
Aye:  
Nay:  
AB2026-424  
Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into a contract amendment  
between Whatcom County and Cowden Brother’s Trucking, LLC for the disposal of  
waste produced by Maintenance and Operations vactor trucks and street sweepers,  
in the amount of $288,000  
Galloway moved and Boyle seconded that the Contract be  
RECOMMENDED FOR AUTHORIZATION BY CONSENT. The motion  
carried by the following vote:  
7 - Boyle, Buchanan, Elenbaas, Galloway, Rienstra, Scanlon, and Stremler  
Aye:  
0
Nay:  
AB2026-425  
4.  
5.  
6.  
Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into an interlocal agreement  
between Whatcom County and Birch Bay Water & Sewer District for water main  
relocation as part of the Drayton Harbor Road Landslide Repair Project, in the  
amount of $75,000  
Galloway moved and Boyle seconded that the Interlocal be  
RECOMMENDED FOR AUTHORIZATION BY CONSENT. The motion  
carried by the following vote:  
7 - Boyle, Buchanan, Elenbaas, Galloway, Rienstra, Scanlon, and Stremler  
0
Aye:  
Nay:  
AB2026-428  
Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into an interlocal agreement  
between Whatcom County and the City of Lynden for the Hannegan Levee  
Rehabilitation Project (NSK-03-26), in the amount of $64,280 (Council acting as the  
Whatcom County Flood Control Zone District Board of Supervisors)  
Galloway moved and Boyle seconded that the Contract (FCZDBS) be  
RECOMMENDED FOR AUTHORIZATION BY CONSENT. The motion  
carried by the following vote:  
7 - Boyle, Buchanan, Elenbaas, Galloway, Rienstra, Scanlon, and Stremler  
0
Aye:  
Nay:  
AB2026-429  
Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into a cooperation agreement  
between Whatcom County and the United States Army Corps of Engineers for  
repairs to the Hannegan Levee along the left bank of the Nooksack River (Project  
No. NSK-03-26), in the amount of $64,280 (Council acting as the Whatcom County  
Flood Control Zone District Board of Supervisors)  
Galloway moved and Boyle seconded that the Contract (FCZDBS) be  
RECOMMENDED FOR AUTHORIZATION BY CONSENT. The motion  
carried by the following vote:  
7 - Boyle, Buchanan, Elenbaas, Galloway, Rienstra, Scanlon, and Stremler  
0
Aye:  
Nay:  
AB2026-433  
7.  
Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into an interlocal agreement  
amendment between Whatcom County and Washington State Health Care Authority  
for the Medication for Opioid/Alcohol Use Disorders (MOUD/MAUD) program  
grant, in the amount of $200,000  
Galloway moved and Boyle seconded that the Interlocal be  
RECOMMENDED FOR AUTHORIZATION BY CONSENT. The motion  
carried by the following vote:  
7 - Boyle, Buchanan, Elenbaas, Galloway, Rienstra, Scanlon, and Stremler  
Aye:  
0
Nay:  
AB2026-435  
8.  
Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into an interlocal agreement  
amendment between Whatcom County and Washington State Department of Health  
to increase funding for the 2025-2027 Consolidated Contract, specifically the  
Maternal & Child Health Block Grant, in the amount of $47,392 for a total amended  
agreement amount of $11,334,197  
Galloway moved and Boyle seconded that the Interlocal be  
RECOMMENDED FOR AUTHORIZATION BY CONSENT. The motion  
carried by the following vote:  
7 - Boyle, Buchanan, Elenbaas, Galloway, Rienstra, Scanlon, and Stremler  
0
Aye:  
Nay:  
AB2026-436  
9.  
Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into a contract amendment  
between Whatcom County and Clean Earth Environmental Solutions, Inc. to authorize  
a three-year extension of services, ensuring the uninterrupted transportation and  
disposal of moderate-risk waste from Whatcom County’s Disposal of Toxics Facility,  
in the amount of $367,500 annually, and for a total amended contract amount of  
$1,452,500  
Galloway moved and Boyle seconded that the Contract be  
RECOMMENDED FOR AUTHORIZATION BY CONSENT. The motion  
carried by the following vote:  
7 - Boyle, Buchanan, Elenbaas, Galloway, Rienstra, Scanlon, and Stremler  
0
Aye:  
Nay:  
AB2026-437  
10.  
Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into a contract amendment  
between Whatcom County and Kulshan Supported Employment to extend the  
contract for one year, providing supported employment and community inclusion  
services to eligible individuals with developmental disabilities, in the amount of  
$1,889,779 for a total amended contract amount of $3,478,552  
Galloway moved and Boyle seconded that the Contract be  
RECOMMENDED FOR AUTHORIZATION BY CONSENT. The motion  
carried by the following vote:  
7 - Boyle, Buchanan, Elenbaas, Galloway, Rienstra, Scanlon, and Stremler  
0
Aye:  
Nay:  
AB2026-439  
11.  
Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into a contract amendment  
between Whatcom County and Max Higbee Center to extend the contract for one  
year, allowing the continuation of supported employment and community inclusion  
services for eligible individuals with developmental disabilities, in the amount of  
$69,603 for a total amended contract amount of $113,483  
Galloway moved and Boyle seconded that the Contract be  
RECOMMENDED FOR AUTHORIZATION BY CONSENT. The motion  
carried by the following vote:  
7 - Boyle, Buchanan, Elenbaas, Galloway, Rienstra, Scanlon, and Stremler  
0
Aye:  
Nay:  
AB2026-440  
12.  
Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into an interlocal agreement  
amendment between Whatcom County and the U.S. Department of Agriculture  
Forest Service, for extra duty overtime patrols, in the amount of $35,000  
Galloway moved and Boyle seconded that the Interlocal be  
RECOMMENDED FOR AUTHORIZATION BY CONSENT. The motion  
carried by the following vote:  
7 - Boyle, Buchanan, Elenbaas, Galloway, Rienstra, Scanlon, and Stremler  
0
Aye:  
Nay:  
AB2026-441  
13.  
Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into a contract amendment  
between Whatcom County and Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Services  
(DVSAS) to extend the contract for six months, allowing the continuation of funding  
for personnel and other costs necessary to operate and maintain three safe shelters in  
Whatcom County, including a 21-bed house for women with children and two other  
houses for single women, in the amount of $65,526 for a total amended contract  
amount of $353,448  
Galloway moved and Boyle seconded that the Contract be  
RECOMMENDED FOR AUTHORIZATION BY CONSENT. The motion  
carried by the following vote:  
7 - Boyle, Buchanan, Elenbaas, Galloway, Rienstra, Scanlon, and Stremler  
0
Aye:  
Nay:  
AB2026-445  
14.  
Request authorization for the County Executive to award Bid #26-30 and enter into a  
contract between Whatcom County and Everett Ship Repair for the Drydock Repair  
and Maintenance of the Whatcom Chief Ferry in the amount of $1,061,069.56  
Galloway moved and Boyle seconded that the Bid Award be  
RECOMMENDED FOR AUTHORIZATION BY CONSENT. The motion  
carried by the following vote:  
7 - Boyle, Buchanan, Elenbaas, Galloway, Rienstra, Scanlon, and Stremler  
0
Aye:  
Nay:  
AB2026-446  
15.  
Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into an agreement between  
Whatcom County and the Washington State Department of Social and Health  
Services for reimbursement of a percentage of Superior Court Commissioner time  
when working civil court cases involving Child Support Title IV-D of the Social  
Security Act, not to exceed an amount set each year by award letter from the  
Department of Social and Health Services  
Galloway moved and Boyle seconded that the Contract be  
RECOMMENDED FOR AUTHORIZATION BY CONSENT. The motion  
carried by the following vote:  
7 - Boyle, Buchanan, Elenbaas, Galloway, Rienstra, Scanlon, and Stremler  
0
Aye:  
Nay:  
AB2026-452  
16.  
Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into a contract between  
Whatcom County and Pacific Power Group to perform generator preventative  
maintenance, in the amount of $80,235  
Galloway moved and Boyle seconded that the Contract be  
RECOMMENDED FOR AUTHORIZATION BY CONSENT. The motion  
carried by the following vote:  
7 - Boyle, Buchanan, Elenbaas, Galloway, Rienstra, Scanlon, and Stremler  
0
Aye:  
Nay:  
Special Presentation  
AB2026-434  
Quarterly Report from the Finance Division  
1.  
Randy Rydel, Administrative Services Department Finance Director, read  
from a presentation (on file).  
He and councilmembers discussed the impact of sales tax exemptions that  
are coming with the state millionaire's tax and that they are not yet able to  
understand what those projections could look like, that the new criminal  
justice public safety sales tax will start collection in July and that it has  
potential to help with transfers from the General Fund to the Jail Fund for  
jail services, and that Finance and the Executive's Office will be applying  
more scrutiny to unpaid-for General Fund expenditures that may impact  
fund balance.  
Kayla Schott-Bresler, Executive's Office, and Rydel discussed with  
councilmembers what they are targeting for a General Fund ending balance,  
that they would like to land above $29 million, that they are applying more  
scrutiny now to hopefully end with a laps greater than seven percent, what  
other expenses might be coming in the next few months that will be  
unpaid-for, that the budgeted projected expenditures for 2026 ($137  
million) were calculated before the mid-biennium changes, and how the  
actual 2025 sales tax revenue compares to what was projected for that year.  
This agenda item was REPORTED.  
Committee Discussion  
AB2026-451  
1.  
Discussion of an ordinance amending the 2026 Whatcom County Budget, request no  
9, in the amount of $7,941,775  
Scanlon asked if there were questions on this item but there were not.  
This agenda item was DISCUSSED.  
Committee Discussion and Recommendation to Council  
AB2026-408  
1.  
Request authorization for the Whatcom County Council to enter into a memorandum  
of understanding with the Whatcom County Executive for the adoption of Whatcom  
County Administrative and Personnel Policies for the Council Office  
Cathy Halka, Clerk of the Council, briefed the councilmembers. She stated  
in early 2025, Council hired a contractor to evaluate human resources  
policies and procedures. A report was provided to the council in September  
of last year, and one recommendation out of the report was to have each  
elected office formally adopt and apply countywide harassment and  
discrimination policies to ensure that there is consistency across all  
departments, employees and officials. The Council Office has its own set of  
office policies, which includes a statement that our office follows all  
County policies available on Inside Whatcom. But this memorandum of  
understanding (MOU) would be a more formal acknowledgment by the  
council body that the Council Office follows Whatcom County  
administrative and personnel policies.  
Councilmembers discussed the hope that they as councilmembers will  
commit to upholding these policies and procedures even though they are  
not subject to them (they just apply to staff), that it represents a partnership  
between the Executive’s Office, the Council, and the Council Office, the  
hope that this starts a series of agreements between the Executive’s Office  
and other branches of government in which elected officials lead their  
teams, in order to coordinate some of our HR policies across all the  
departments in the County, and that this was a key recommendation that  
came out of the consultant report which they received last year.  
Kayla Schott-Bresler, Executive's Office, thanked them for their  
partnership and leadership on this.  
Galloway stated the Council would still retain authority regarding the policy  
for inclement weather for the Council Office because it differs slightly  
from general County policy.  
Halka stated under Section 4 - Limitations, it indicates that the MOU does  
not limit Council’s ability to adopt independent or supplementary policies.  
Galloway moved and Rienstra seconded that the Memorandum of Agreement  
be RECOMMENDED FOR AUTHORIZATION. The motion carried by the  
following vote:  
7 - Boyle, Buchanan, Elenbaas, Galloway, Rienstra, Scanlon, and Stremler  
Aye:  
0
Nay:  
AB2026-416  
2.  
Request for motion to approve the updated 2026-2027 Criminal Justice Treatment  
Account Plan  
Kayla Schott-Bresler, Executive's Office, briefed the councilmembers and  
stated the county legislative authority must adopt our Criminal Justice  
Treatment Account Plan. The account funds services for treating nonviolent  
offenders who have substance use disorders and the goal is to reduce prison  
sentences through the Department of Corrections. She spoke about how the  
money can be used.  
Scanlon stated he would be interested in learning some more data about the  
program including how many people they are supporting every year, and is  
wondering if it might help to make a case with the legislature to boost these  
funds. He asked if they could include this in their legislative strategy.  
Schott-Bresler stated they are happy to follow up with the Health  
Department to get background on the outcomes of the program and to work  
with the lobbyist to make the case about boosting funds. They will follow up  
on that and coordinate with councilmembers as they approach the legislative  
session.  
Buchanan answered if this has come up in the work that he has been doing  
on behavioral health over the years, and stated it has not.  
Councilmembers discussed lobbying for more and efficient use of these  
funds in regards to long-acting injectables, and how many days of in-house  
treatment $10,000 would pay for.  
Buchanan moved and Rienstra seconded that the Request for Motion be  
RECOMMENDED FOR APPROVAL. The motion carried by the following  
vote:  
7 - Boyle, Buchanan, Elenbaas, Galloway, Rienstra, Scanlon, and Stremler  
0
Aye:  
Nay:  
AB2026-448  
3.  
Resolution requesting authorization to make an application and enter into a grant  
agreement with the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office for funding  
through the Aquatic Lands Enhancement Act Program for renovation of the Lagoon  
Bridge and other bike and pedestrian accessibility improvements at Silver Lake Park  
Galloway moved and Boyle seconded that the Resolution be  
RECOMMENDED FOR APPROVAL.  
Bennett Knox, Parks and Recreation Department Director, briefed the  
councilmembers on what they are doing to put themselves in a position to  
receive the grant and answered questions. He answered if the new bridge  
will look different than the old one, and stated it will be slightly different  
because it will have ADA accessibility. He answered what the overall budget  
is for the project and the current mix of local and other funds, and stated  
they currently have $300,000 in place, the total replacement is $1.5  
million, and $500,000 would potentially come from the grant, with the  
remainder coming from Economic Development Investment (EDI) funds.  
Galloway's motion that the Resolution be RECOMMENDED FOR  
APPROVAL carried by the following vote:  
7 - Boyle, Buchanan, Elenbaas, Galloway, Rienstra, Scanlon, and Stremler  
0
Aye:  
Nay:  
Items Added by Revision  
There were no agenda items added by revision.  
Other Business  
There was no other business.  
Adjournment  
The meeting adjourned at 11:08 a.m.  
ATTEST:  
WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL  
WHATCOM COUNTY, WA  
Jon Scanlon-via email 6/17/2026  
___________________________  
Jon Scanlon, Committee Chair  
______________________________  
Cathy Halka, Council Clerk  
Meeting Minutes prepared by Kristi Felbinger  
SIGNED COPY ON FILE