HomeMy WebLinkAboutord2024-010File ID: AB2024-114
File Created: 01/25/2024
Department: Finance Division
Whatcom County
Agenda Bill Report
File Number: AB2024-114
Version: 1
Entered by: MMiterko@co.whatcom.wa.us
File Type: Ordinance
Assigned to: Council Finance and Administrative Services Committee
Agenda Date: 02/20/2024
Related Files:
Primary Contact Email: kschottb@co.whatcom.wa.us
TITLE FOR AGENDA ITEM:
COUNTY COURTHOUSE
311 Grand Avenue, Ste #105
Bellingham, WA 98225-4038
(360) 778-5010
Status: Adopted
Final Action: 02/20/2024
Enactment #: ORD 2024-010
Ordinance establishing a 23-Hour Crisis Relief Center Fund and establishing an initial project based
budget for the 23-Hour Crisis Relief Center Project
SUMMARY STATEMENT OR LEGAL NOTICE LANGUAGE:
The 23-Hour Crisis Relief Center Project fund seeks an initial budget of $1,000,000 as described in
Exhibit A. The completion of the 23-Hour Crisis Relief Center will fulfill one of the first priorities
identified in the Justice Project Needs Assessment Implementation Plan by providing behavioral health
urgent and crisis services to individuals in Whatcom. County.
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE FILE
Date: Acting Body:
Action:
Sent To:
02/06/2024 Council INTRODUCED Council Finance and
Administrative Services
Committee
Aye: 7 Buchanan, Byrd, Donovan, Elenbaas, Galloway, Scanlon, and Stremler
Nay: 0
02/20/2024 Council Finance and Administrative RECOMMENDED FOR
Services Committee ADOPTION
Aye: 3 Byrd, Galloway, and Donovan
Nay: 0
02/20/2024 Council ADOPTED
Aye: 7 Buchanan, Byrd, Donovan, Elenbaas, Galloway, Scanlon, and Stremler
Whatcom County Page 1 Printed on 212112024
Agenda BIII Report Continued (AB2024-114)
Nay: 0
Attachments: Staff Memo, Proposed Ordinance, Exhibit A
Whatcom County Page 2 Printed on 2/21/2024
1 PROPOSED BY: EXECUTIVE
2 INTRODUCTION DATE: FEBRUARY 6, 2024
3
4
5 ORDINANCE NO. 2024-010
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7 ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING THE 23-HOUR CRISIS RELIEF CENTER FUND AND
8 ESTABLISHING A PROJECT BASED BUDGET FOR THE 23-HOUR CRISIS RELIEF
9 CENTER PROJECT
10
11 WHEREAS, the local continuum of behavioral health services is inadequate to meet
12 the needs of individuals in crisis; and
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14 WHEREAS, on July 11, 2023, the Whatcom County Council adopted Ordinance No.
15 2023-039 to approve the Justice Project Needs Assessment Implementation Plan; and
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17 WHEREAS, "build a 23-hour Crisis Relief Center" is identified as an initial project in
18 the Implementation Plan; and
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20 WHEREAS, the County is now ready to begin pre -development of a 23-hour Crisis
21 Relief Center, as established in Chapter 433, Laws of 2023, State of Washington; and
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23 WHEREAS, the State of Washington has awarded $9,000,000 to grant to Whatcom
24 County for this project; and
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26 WHEREAS, the County and the Washington State Department of Commerce must
27 enter into contract for this grant; and
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29 WHEREAS, the County can utilize its behavioral health fund to begin pre-
30 development work on the project and accelerate the project timeline; and
31
32 WHEREAS, Section 6.80 of the Whatcom County Home Rule Charter allows for
33 project -based capital budget appropriation ordinances that lapse when the project has been
34 completed or abandoned or when no expenditure or encumbrance has been made for thee
35 (3) years; and
36
37 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED by the Whatcom County Council that a new
38 fund is hereby established titled 23-hour Crisis Relief Center Fund. This fund shall be used
39 to account for the revenues and expenditures of the capital project mentioned above; and
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Page 1
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BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED by the Whatcom County Council that the 23-hour
Crisis Relief Center Fund is approved with an initial project budget of $1,000,000 as
described in Exhibit A.
ADOPTED this 20th day of
GpUI�C,,
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ATT �•' r P� C n rP1 • � •
Dana Brown-96visS-,•,Clerk o e Council
15 ''•. PPA',
16 WHATCOM COUNTY EXECUTIVE
17 APPROVED AS TO FORM:
18
19 Christopher Ouinn (Jan 16. 2024)
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21 Civil Deputy Prosecutor
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February , 20 24 .
WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
TCOM ASHINGTON
k' �w , Z, '_
Page 2
arauc'han6n, Council Chair
WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON
Satpal S. Sidhu, County Executive
Approved ( )Denied
Date Signed:
Exhibit A
Supplemental Budget Request Status: Pending
Health Community Health
Supp7 ID # 4554 Fund Cost Center
Expenditure Type: One -Time Year 2 2024
Name of Request. 23 Hour Crisis Center
Originator. Ann Beck
Add'I FTE ❑ Add'I Space ❑ Priority
1/�Lt
Department d Signature (Required on Hard Copy Submission) Date
Costs: object
6190
6630
8301
Request Total
1a. Description of request:
Object Description
Direct Billing Rate
Professional Services
Operating Transfer In
Amount Requested
$125,000
$875,000
($1,000,000)
$0
In 2023 the County was awarded a $9,000,000 grant from the Washington State Department of
Commerce for the purposes of opening a 23 Hour Crisis Stabilization Center in Whatcom County. The
total anticipated capital outlay is approximately $16,000,0000. Health and Community Services anticipates
that the County Council will accept the grant in the second quarter of 2024 or earlier and is requesting
spending authority to support the pre -development phase of this project. The pre -development phase of
this work will begin in 2024 and will use local Behavioral Health funds. This project, when complete, will fill
an important gap in the continuum of care for behavioral health services and supports within the county
and, as such, is a high priority when compared to other Department needs.
Anticipated Expenditures:
Project Management$125,000
Facility Consultant$600,000
Architectural Preliminary work$250,000
Wetlands Work$25,000
1b. Primary customers:
Funds will be used for predevelopment work for a 23-hour crisis stabilization center. By design, these
centers serve anyone, regardless of income, experiencing a crisis secondary to a substance abuse or
mental health disorder, either diagnosed or not. As an adult -only facility, however, customers must be over
the age of 18 prior to admittance.
2. Problem to be solved:
Under the current continue of care, residents experiencing a behavioral health crisis have limited
resources for stabilization: (1) While the Anne Deacon Center for Hope provides some stabilization
support it is not designed to meet the immediate needs of individuals experiencing a crisis — currently wait
lists are 14 or more hours and there is a capacity of 16 people at any time. (2) The local emergency
department, while often able to take individuals immediately do not have the staff necessary to support
individuals experiencing a behavioral health crisis. (3) Law enforcement sometimes uses the jail, which is
less trauma informed than the 23 hour facility will be, when the individual experiencing crisis is a danger to
self or others and no other options are available.
3a. Options / Advantages:
As indicated above a 23-hour crisis stabilization center is an important part of the continuum of care for
individuals experiencing a behavioral health crisis. While other options, such as the Anne Deacon Center
of Hope, the Alternative Response Team (ART), The Ground Level Response and Coordinated
Tuesday, January 16, 2024 Rpt Rpl Suppl Regular
Supplemental Budget Request status: Pending
Health Community Health
Supp7 Ia # 4554 Fund Cost Center Originator: Ann Beck
Engagement (GRACE) program, the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) program and Mental
Health Court are all important and necessary programs, they are not sufficient to meet all of the needs
across the continuum of care.
3b. Cost savings:
While this work is at its most preliminary states in predevelopment, a review of the literature suggests that
the County can expect to see significant savings across multiple sectors including a reduction in the
number of psychiatric hospitalization and emergency room referrals (c.f. Gillig, et al., 1989 ; Francis et al.,
2000 ; Thinn et al., 2015 ). Additionally, we anticipate a reduced cost to the court system, the jail, and
other Department -run behavioral health programs.
4a. Outcomes:
The global outcome of this work is the reduction of the number of individuals experiencing a behavioral
health crisis in Whatcom County that are hospitalized secondary to their crisis. To achieve this outcome,
the County will begin the project in 2024 and complete the following activities in 2024:
1.Predevelopment and design work, coordinated by Facilities with support from the Executive's Office
and the Department of Health and Community Services.
2.Design and release of an RFP to solicit a service provider to support the design process, and eventual
facility programming, coordinated by the Department of Health and Community Services.
3.Design and release of an RFP for Architectural and Engineering Services, coordinated by the Facilities
with support from the Executive's Office and the Department of Health and Community Services.
4b, Measures:
We will establish base -line data of hospitalizations, emergency drop-offs, and law enforcement referrals
for behavioral health crises and will compare those to similar data once the 23-hour crisis stabilization
center begins operations.
5a. Other Departments/Agencies:
Executive's Office is involved In the planning but does not need spending authority.
Whatcom County Emergency Medical Services may be involved in the planning but does not need
spending authority.
Whatcom County Facilities Management will be involved in the capital phase of this project and will use
the spending authority requested here for staff time and other pre -development costs.
5b. Name the person in charge of implementation and what they are responsible for:
Kayla Schott-Bresler, from the Executive's Office will be responsible for coordinating with County
departments, including legal and fiscal, during the implementation.
Rob Nye, Hans Howard, and Rusty Noble will be responsible for the construction management aspect of
this project.
Other individuals, such as Mike Hilly from Emergency Management Service may be involved in planning
aspects.
Perry Mowery and Eric Chambers from Health and Community Services will be responsible for planning
and representing the Department's interest.
6. Funding Source:
Behavioral Health Fund- via interfund-see companion
Tuesday, January 16, 2024 Rpt: Rpr Supp! ReRulrn