HomeMy WebLinkAboutPublic Works Mar 25 2025Whatcom County
Council Public Works & Health Committee
COUNTY COURTHOUSE
311 Grand Avenue, Ste #105
Bellingham, WA 98225-4038
(360) 778-5010
Committee Minutes - Final
Tuesday, March 25, 2025
11:15 AM
Hybrid Meeting - Council Chambers
HYBRID MEETING - MAY BEGIN EARLY - ADJOURNS BY 11:45 AM
(PARTICIPATE IN -PERSON, SEE REMOTE JOIN INSTRUCTIONS.AT
www.whatcomcounty.us/joinvirtualcouncil OR CALL 360.778.5010)
COUNCILMEMBERS
Ben Elenbaas
Jon Scanlon
Mark Stremler
CLERK OF THE COUNCIL
Cathy Halka, AICP, CMC
Council Public Works & Health Committee Minutes - Final March 25, 2025
Committee
Call To Order
Roll Call
Committee Chair Jon Scanlon called the meeting to order at 11:15 a.m. in a
hybrid meeting.
Present: 3 - Jon Scanlon, Mark Stremler, and Ben Elenbaas
Also Present: Barry Buchanan, Todd Donovan, and Kaylee Galloway
Announcements
Special Presentation
1. AB2025-243 Presentation from the Child and Family Well -Being Task Force regarding the Healthy
Children's Fund Report Card 2025
The following Child and Family Well -Being Task Force Co -Chairs spoke:
• Colton Kaltenfeldt
• Sallye Quinn
They read from a memo (on file) regarding progress that has been made on
feedback they gave in their last report, remaining challenges, and
recommendations. They spoke about the following:
• Progress made on contract development, timelines, and transparency
• The Gift of Public Funds Doctrine being a roadblock to moving
things forward
• The need for more communication with respondents about the RFP
process and with the public about how the fund is being spent
• Ensuring that the external evaluation is being done by an outside
group and is adequately funded
• A question about whether some of the administrative budget of the
fund can go to other County departments that are needed to help
facilitate the effectiveness of the fund to address bottlenecks
• A recommendation that contractors be able to see a draft contract
when an RFP is published
The speakers answered questions and they and Councilmembers discussed
the item along with the following:
• Christopher Quinn, Prosecuting Attorney's Office
Whalcom County Page I
Council Public Works & Health Committee Minutes - Final March 25, 2025
Committee
• Kayla Schott-Bresler, Executive's Office
• Sarah Simpson, Health and Community Services
They discussed exploring gifting of public funds further, hearing more from
partners in the community about where they see barriers to the process, that
they should be asking what programs are being held up or what contracts are
not being funded because of issues around the gifting of public funds,
whether the issues they were experiencing with that have been resolved, that
the Administration is finding ways to move the work forward and not
currently experiencing the aforementioned issue as a barrier, a question
about the authority of the related ordinance for the collection of taxes,
specific issues around wage boost as it relates to the gift of public funds,
that the Administration has been talking in their office about alternative
ways to support childcare worker wages and sustainable operations for
childcare providers through the rate augmentation program, and the timeline
for the RFP process for the subsidy and rate augmentation program.
This agenda item was PRESENTED AND DISCUSSED.
Items Added by Revision
Other Business
Adjournment
There were no agenda items added by revision.
There was no other business.
The meeting adjourned at 11:45 a.m.
ATTEST:
ti f
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Cathy.Halkaa. C046it Clerk
WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
WHATCOM COUNTY, WA
Jon Scanlon -via email 4/7/2025
Jon Scanlon, Committee Chair
Meeting Minutes prepared by Kristi Felbinger
Whatcom County page 2