HomeMy WebLinkAboutres2024-046Whatcom County COUNTY COURTHOUSE
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Agenda Bill Master Report
File Number: AB2024-571
File ID: AB2024-571 Version: 1 Status: Approved as Amended
File Created: 08/28/2024 Entered by: KSmith@co.whatcom.wa.us
Department: Council Office File Type: Resolution
Assigned to: Council Committee of the Whole Final Action: 10/22/2024
Agenda Date: 10/22/2024 Enactment #: RES 2024-046
Related Files:
Primary Contact Email: ksmith@co.whatcom.wa.us
TITLE FOR AGENDA ITEM:
Resolution affirming food security as a public health priority
SUMMARY STATEMENT OR LEGAL NOTICE LANGUAGE:
Resolution affirming food security as a public health priority
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE FILE
Date: Acting Body: Action: Sent To:
10/22/2024 Council Committee of the Whole RECOMMENDED FOR
APPROVAL
Aye: 6 Buchanan, Byrd, Donovan, Galloway, Scanlon, and Stremler
Nay: 0
Abstain: 1 Elenbaas
10/22/2024 Council APPROVED AS AMENDED
Aye: 7 Buchanan, Byrd, Donovan, Elenbaas, Galloway, Scanlon, and Stremler
Nay: 0
Attachments: Resolution, Funding Review
Whatcom County Page 1 Printed on 1012312024
PROPOSED BY: BUCHANAN, GALLOWAY, SCANLON
INTRODUCTION DATE: OCTOBER 22, 2024
RESOLUTION NO. 2024-046
AFFIRMING THAT FOOD SECURITY IS A PUBLIC HEALTH PRIORITY AND THAT
WHATCOM COUNTY SHOULD PURSUE FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL FUNDING TO
SUPPORT IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FOOD SYSTEMS PLAN
WHEREAS, inadequate access to healthy, culturally appropriate food results in long -
and short-term health and nutritional hardship, negatively affects overall well-being and
quality of life of individuals and communities, and exacerbates growing housing and child
care affordability disparities; and
WHEREAS, the United States Department of Agriculture defines food security as
consistent and equitable access to healthy, safe, and affordable foods that promote optimal
health and well-being; and
WHEREAS, Whatcom County is experiencing a longstanding and drastic increase in
food insecure households, with 9,000 households visiting Whatcom County food banks each
week, representing a 127% increase since 2021, more than twice the state average
increase; and
WHEREAS, food insecurity is associated with numerous adverse health outcomes,
including malnutrition and obesity, chronic nutrition -related diseases such as diabetes and
cardiovascular conditions, exacerbated mental health issues and eating disorders, and
compromised immune systems, thereby increasing healthcare costs and burdening
healthcare systems; and
WHEREAS, children and seniors are particularly vulnerable to food insecurity, as
approximately 35% of Whatcom County Food Bank Network (WCFBN) clients are children or
infants, and nearly 20% are seniors; and
WHEREAS, families with young children are disproportionately impacted by food
insecurity, as highlighted in the recent United Way of Whatcom _County report on Asset
Limited Income Constrained, Employed (ALICE) households in Whatcom County; and
WHEREAS, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and Refugee,
Immigrant, and Migrant (RIM) communities are disproportionately impacted by food
insecurity, with an estimated 40% of WCFBN clients being from BIPOC or RIM communities;
and
WHEREAS, Indigenous Peoples residing within Whatcom County are twice .as likely_
to,ex,peri_ence__._food__insecurity than all other U.S households and suffer high rates of
nutrition -related diseases that are directly related to past governmental policies; and
WHEREAS, food security and tribal treaty rights are connected, as federal, state,
and local governments have treaty responsibilities to ensure Tribal foraging, fishing and
hunting rights, as outlined in the Point Elliott Treaty of 1855; and
WHEREAS, Whatcom County remains committed to working with Lummi Nation and
the Nooksack Indian Tribe to uphold treaty rights; and
WHEREAS, people with disabilities may have lower incomes, higher healthcare
costs, and additional barriers in accessing grocery stores and other food sources, with the
USDA finding that households which include adults not in the labor force because of a
disability are five times more likely to be experience very low food security than those that
do not include adults with disabilities; and
WHEREAS, Whatcom County is a rural county with over 24,000 residents living in
USDA -designated food deserts, and, as Whatcom County's 2018 Community! Health
Assessment cites: "Low socioeconomic status and isolated geographic locations limit access
to healthy food," and "[I]n recent years, a number of grocery stores have closed, resulting
in food deserts in both rural and urban areas and frustration related to disparities in food
availability;" and
WHEREAS, more than 30% of rural east Whatcom County residents receive food
assistance, and nearly 54% of Mount Baker School District students qualify for free or
reduced cost school meals, according to the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction;
and
WHEREAS, the high cost of housing in Whatcom County restricts residents' ability to
purchase healthy food, with over half of renters cost -burdened (spending more than 30% of
their income on housing) and over 30% of renters severely cost -burdened (spending more
than 50%_ of their .._income _on housing; and
WHEREAS, a wide range of strategies are needed to expand access to food
resources throughout Whatcom County, including support for mobile food banks, scaled -up
food recovery efforts, staffing support to coordinate existing food systems work, better
communications and connections with agricultural producers, and programs that mitigate
the impacts of and eliminate the causes of food deserts; and
WHEREAS, a secure and sustainable food system is a vital aspect of both a thriving
healthy community and a vibrant business and entrepreneurship economy, and providing
greater access to locally -grown food will support a more robust local agriculture sector; and
WHEREAS, we recognize that increased access to food does not ensure that it is
affordable, and the 10-Year Food System Plan highlights an urgent need to invest in
programs that make healthy food more affordable for more people; and
WHEREAS, the Whatcom County Council and Executive have received numerous
food system -related funding requests, including those from the Whatcom County Food Bank
Network, Food System Committee member organizations, and community organizations
representing tribes, schools, senior centers, healthcare providers, and social service
providers; and
WHEREAS, the WCFBN request for sustainable funding is consistent with Goal 4.3.1
of the Whatcom County Food Systems Plan, "[A]dequately fund the Whatcom County Food
Bank Network to meet the dramatic increase in food insecure individuals;" and
WHEREAS, the Whatcom County Council acknowledges budget challenges but
remains committed to working collaboratively with the County Executive and food system
partners in efforts to fund the Food Systems Plan; and
WHEREAS, as of October 22, 2024, Congress has failed to reauthorize the federal
Farm Bill, which provides funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
and other food assistance programs, and federal and state food distribution programs such
as The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) and the Emergency Food Assistance
Program (EFAP) do not adequately address the localized public health crisis we are facing in
Whatcom County; and
WHEREAS, the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has had a
50% reduction in funding over the past two years; and
WHEREAS, the Whatcom County Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for
Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) utilization rate is only 54% due to inadequacies in the
program and barriers to participation; and
WHEREAS, the WCFBN faces ongoing challenges with unstable food supply from free
or low-cost redistributors like Food Lifeline and Northwest Harvest, and statewide
redistributed food supplies dropped over 20% in 2023, impacting food banks as household
visits rise; and
WHEREAS, people's experiences and how they cope with food insecurity have been
extensively documented by public health professionals, sociologists, researchers, and
anthropologists, and, in Whatcom County, by the Whatcom County Food Assessment (2011,
2017, and 2022), the 2022-2026 Community Health Improvement Plan, the 2021 Foothills
Food Access Plan, the 2019 East Whatcom County Food Landscape Assessment, and the
Whatcom County 10-Year Food System Plan, which all include community strategies to
address this urgent need for both emergency resources and systems improvements; and
WHEREAS, adopting a regular funding plan to support preexisting, community -
based infrastructure that directly distributes healthy food to the public is crucial to achieve
the goals outlined in Whatcom County's 10-Year Food System Plan, including ensuring
access to healthy food for all.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Whatcom County Council affirms
that food security is a public health priority, and that Whatcom County should pursue
federal, state, and local funding to support the implementation of the Food Systems Plan;
and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Whatcom County Council respectfully requests
that the Executive:
1. Work with state and federal elected officials and the County's lobbyists to identify
and advocate for policy solutions and additional food bank funding resources,
including the Washington State Department of Agriculture's request to include
$93.25 million for sustained enhanced food assistance in the governor's 2025-27
biennial budget, increased funding for state local food system infrastructure grants,
and, at the federal level, reauthorization of the 2018 Farm Bill.
2. Support efforts to increase access to nutritious and affordable food for all residents,
particularly vulnerable populations such as children, seniors, disabled people,
immigrants and refugees, and ALICE households.
3. Collaborate with local organizations, including the Food System Committee and the
WCFBN, to develop and implement short- and long-term strategies aimed at reducing
food insecurity and its associated health impacts.
4. Collaborate with the Food System Committee and local organizations in seeking
additional state and federal resources and foundation grants to supplement local
initiatives and enhance the capacity to create conditions for community food security,
as called for in the 10-Year Food System Plan.
5. Support the Food System Committee and other local organizations in efforts to
increase the portion of food bank funding that is directed to purchasing food directly
from Whatcom County producers.
6. Work with the Food System Committee and/or food producers to identify and address
policy barriers that hinder the ability of local agriculture producers and food
providers to provide affordable and sustainable food to local partners.
7. Leverage county resources to build capacity and assist with Food System Plan
implementation efforts, planning, grant solicitation, coordination across county food
systems and partners, and updating the comprehensive plan and associated land use
policies.
8. Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of interventions and programs aimed at
alleviating food insecurity and adjust strategies as needed to achieve desired
outcomes; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be transmitted to relevant
stakeholders, including federal, state, and local government officials, community
organizations, healthcare providers, and the public, to raise awareness of the importance of
addressing food insecurity as a critical public health issue.
A'R V i 2 d day of October, 2024.
®`ArG'0���`_` TCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
WHA
ATTF,-$ rq-) �St�1 �' Q s TCOM C U WA INGTON
7
,_.-Council'Barr Cathy°,Halkaf n, Counal Chair
APPROV�6.,,AS TO FORM:
George Roche (by email 10/15/2024/ks)
Civil Deputy Prosecutor