HomeMy WebLinkAboutCriminal Justice Sep 27 2022Whatcom County
Council Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee
COUNTY COURTHOUSE
311 Grand Avenue, Ste #105
Bellingham, WA 98225-4038
(360)778-5010
Committee Minutes - Final
Tuesday, September 27, 2022
1PM
Hybrid Meeting
HYBRID MEETING - ADJOURNS BY 1:55 P.M. (PARTICIPATE IN -PERSON, SEE
REMOTE JOIN INSTRUCTIONS AT www.whatcomcounty.us/joinvirtualcouncil, OR
CALL 360.778.5010)
COUNCILMEMBERS
Barry Buchanan
Tyler Byrd
Carol Frazey
CLERK OF THE COUNCIL
Dana Brown -Davis, C.M.C.
Council Criminal Justice and Public Committee Minutes - Final September 27, 2022
Safety Committee
Call To Order
Roll Call
Committee Chair Barry Buchanan called the meeting to order at 1 p.m. in a
hybrid meeting.
Present: 3 - Barry Buchanan, Tyler Byrd, and Carol Frazey
Absent: None
Also Present: Todd Donovan, Ben Elenbaas, Kaylee Galloway, and Kathy Kershner
Announcements
Special Presentation
1. AB2022-444 Report from the Sheriff's Office
Bill Elfo, Sheriff, reported.
Buchanan requested that Elfo send a copy of his written presentation.
Elfo answered whether rainbow fentanyl is in Washington State yet, whether
the 30 additional deputies requested to be added in the next six years (five
per year) would actually be building capacity, what the request will cost to
bring five Full Time Equivalent (FTEs) in this budget cycle, whether special
units will be able to be back at full force before the second year of the
budget cycle, what impact the Blake decision has had on our ability to
enforce drug dealing and distribution, whether there have been 58 suspected
and 37 confirmed overdose deaths in Whatcom County in the last quarter or
over the last year, what we are going to do to get out of all of issues
reported and whether there is a light at the end of the tunnel, what the bridge
will be between now and when a jail can be constructed to increase capacity,
whether Snohomish County might be more open to talking about jail space
after the first of the year and after they have gone through their budget
cycle, who pulled the plug on a Snohomish County contract for jail space,
and whether it would be helpful if the Council sent a letter to Snohomish
County.
This agenda item was REPORTED.
2. AB2022-5 11_ Report from Superior Court
Dave Reynolds, Superior Court Director, reported and answered how
progress is going on processing cases in Superior Court, whether we are
beyond COVID-19 being a factor in slowing the pace of jury trials, and how
Whatcom County Page I
Council Criminal Justice and Public Committee Minutes - Final September 27, 2022
Safety Committee
it is that there are now more courtrooms available for trials.
This agenda item was REPORTED.
Items Added by Revision
Other Business
Adjournment
There were no agenda items added by revision.
There was no other business.
The meeting adjourned at 1:44 p.m.
ATTEST:
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Barry Buchanan -via email 9/29/2022
Dana >ra '- av, G�6xtacil Clerk
Barry Buchanan, Committee Chair
Kristi Felbinger, Minutes Transcription
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