HomeMy WebLinkAboutord2025-063Whatcom County COUNTY COURTHOUSE
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Bellingham, WA 98225-4038
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Agenda Bill Master Report
File Number: AB2025-798
File ID: AB2025-798 Version: 1 Status: Adopted
File Created: 11/03/2025 Entered by: MMiterko@co.whatcom.wa.us
Department: Finance Division File Type: Ordinance
Assigned to: Council Finance and Administrative Services Committee Final Action: 12/09/2025
Agenda Date: 12/09/2025 Enactment #: ORD 2025-063
Related Files:
Primary Contact Email: atan@co.whatcom.wa.us
TITLE FOR AGENDA ITEM:
Ordinance establishing the Birch Bay Beach Park Project Fund and establishing an initial budget for the
Birch Bay Beach Park Project Fund
SUMMARY STATEMENT OR LEGAL NOTICE LANGUAGE:
Establishing the Birch Bay Beach Park Project Fund to account for revenues and expenditures for the
permitting and development of Birch Bay Beach Park. The Birch Bay Beach Park Project Fund seeks
an initial budget of $2,771,675 as described in Exhibit A. Please see attached.
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE FILE
Date: Acting Body: Action: Sent To:
11/18/2025 Council INTRODUCED Council Finance and
Administrative Services
Committee
Aye: 7 Buchanan, Byrd, Donovan, Elenbaas, Galloway, Scanlon, and Stremler
Nay: 0
12/09/2025 Council Finance and Administrative RECOMMENDED FOR
Services Committee ADOPTION
Aye: 2 Donovan, and Buchanan
Nay: 1 Byrd
12/09/2025 Council ADOPTED
Aye: 6 Buchanan, Donovan, Elenbaas, Galloway, Scanlon, and Stremler
Nay: 1 Byrd
Whatcom County Page 1 Printed on 1211012025
Agenda Bill Master Report Continued (AB2025-798)
Attachments: Proposed Ordinance
Whatcom County Page 2 Printed on 1211012025
PROPOSED BY: EXECUTIVE
INTRODUCED: NOVEMBER 18, 2025
ORDINANCE NO. 2025-063
ESTABLISHING THE BIRCH BAY BEACH PARK PROJECT FUND AND
ESTABLISHING AN INITIAL BUDGET FOR THE BIRCH BAY BEACH PARK
FUND
WHEREAS, Whatcom County is fortunate to have an abundance of
saltwater shoreline however, only a fraction is publicly accessible; and
WHEREAS, publicly accessible shoreline has very limited supporting
infrastructure with less than a dozen public restrooms located on the 130 miles of
Whatcom County Salish Sea shoreline; and
WHEREAS, the 2004 Birch Bay Community Plan (a subarea plan of the
Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan), the Whatcom County Parks and
Recreation (WCPR) Department 2024 Comprehensive Parks, Recreation, and
Open Space Plan, the 2011 Birch Bay Community Tourism Strategy (sponsored
by Port of Bellingham), and the Whatcom County Economic Development
Strategy (CEDS) 2022-2026 recognize the importance of tourism in Birch Bay
and identify the development of Birch Bay Beach park as key to recreation -
based tourism; and
WHEREAS, WCPR has developed preliminary cost estimates for building
restrooms and a parking lot for off street parking; and
WHEREAS, the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee (LTAC) has committed
$1.8 million of lodging tax revenues to fund this project; and
WHEREAS, the Parks Special Revenue Fund has a restricted balance for
the Birch Bay Beach Park in the amount of $971,675; and
WHEREAS, Section 6.80 of the Whatcom County Home Rule Charter
allows for project -based capital budget appropriation ordinances that lapse when
the project has been completed or abandoned or when no expenditure or
encumbrance has been made for three (3) years.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED by the Whatcom County Council
that a new fund is hereby established effective January 1, 2026, titled the Birch
Bay Beach Park Fund. This fund shall be used to account for the revenues and
expenditures of the improvements described above; and
BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED by the Whatcom County Council that the
Birch Bay Beach Park Fund is approved with an initial project budget of
$2,771,675 as described in Exhibit A.
ADOPTED this 9th day of December 2025
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Civil Deputy Prosecutor
WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
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Kaylee GAffoway, Council Chai
Approved ( ) Denied
Date Signed: 0-01 Is
EXHIBIT
Supplemental Budget Request
Parks & Recreation
rp,r i ! % ��3� Fund s Cost Center Originator: Bennett Knox
Year 2 2026 Add'I FTE ❑ Priority
Name of Request: Birch Bay Beach Park Development
X
Department Head Signature (Required on Hard Copy Submission) Date
Costs:
Object
Object Description
Amount Requested ':
6190
Direct billing rate
$75,000
6630
Professional services
$325,000
7380
Other improvements
$2,371,675
8397.C.12441000
8397.C.18001000
Transfers in
Transfers in
($1,800,000) j
Request Total
$0
la. Description of request:
This request is to establish a project -based budget and to allocate initial budget authority using $971,675
in Parks Special Revenue Funds and $1.8 million in Lodging Tax Advisory Committee funds (recently
approved by the LTAC pending final WC Council approval) sufficient to initiate project activities including
cultural resources review, design, and permitting for development of Birch Bay Beach Park.
This project will implement Phase I of a much -anticipated community facility in the heart of Birch Bay and
satisfy a long-established community goal of providing public parking and restrooms in Birch Bay to
support heavy public visitation that the surrounding tidelands attract. Additional parking will improve
shoreline access, while restrooms will satisfy a critical human health and comfort need while also reducing
pollution loading of sensitive tideland areas.
Once finished, the project will more than double the available public parking in Birch Bay facilitating year-
round shoreline access, which is especially important during the busy summer months when Birch Bay
experiences very high visitation. The parking proposed will be entirely off-street, significantly improving
pedestrian safety and reducing potential vehicle/pedestrian conflict. The addition of public restrooms is of
equal importance and will accomplish a long-standing goal the Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan, the
Comprehensive Parks, Recreation and Open Space Plan.
1b. Primary customers:
Primary users (customers) for this facility will be county residents, however due to the popularity of the
Birch Bay community seasonal residents and visitors to Whatcom County will also benefit from the
Community Park improvements.
2. Problem to be solved.
Whatcom County is fortunate to have an abundance of saltwater shoreline. However, only a fraction is
publicly accessible and the portion that is accessible has very limited supporting infrastructure. For
example, there are less than a dozen public restrooms located throughout the more than 130 miles of
Whatcom Co's Salish Sea shoreline. Completing this project will achieve multiple county planning
objectives by 1) protecting sensitive nearshore tidal areas with the provision of public restrooms, 2)
improving water access to saltwater shorelines, and 3) leveraging local attractions and scenic areas to
increase tourism and promote economic development.
In terms economic development and tourism impact, this request supports and advances several key
community planning initiatives that 1) recognize the importance of tourism in the development of Birch Bay
and Whatcom County overall, and 2) identify development of Birch Bay Beach Park as key to recreation -
Tuesday, October 28, 2025 Rpt: Rpt Suppl Regular
Supplemental Budget Request
Parks & Recreation
suh, v rc a� Fund Cost Center Originator: Bennett Knox
based tourism. These include the 2004 Birch Bay Community Plan (a subarea plan of the overall
Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan) and WCPR's 2024 Comprehensive Parks, Recreation, and Open
Space Plan. Most directly, this project supports the 2011 Birch Bay Community Tourism Strategy
(sponsored by the Port of Bellingham) which identified both the berm project and development of
permanent restroom facilities adjacent to the Birch Bay Berm as key tasks necessary to promote tourism
development. Development of Birch Bay Beach Park has been adopted as a priority project as part of the
Whatcom County Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) 2022-2026.
3a. Options /Advantages:
The Department has considered not moving forward with this project. However, with community
encouragement, the Department revised its cost estimate by eliminating some project expenses (e.g.
proposing an off -the shelf restroom rather than custom restroom design) and redoubled efforts to secure
necessary external funding. As a result of these efforts, including 1) a successful $500,000 grant
application to the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) and 2) an affirmative vote
by the Whatcom County Lodging Tax Advisory Committing to allocated $1.8 million in LTAC funding to the
project (pending WC Council approval), the Department considers moving forward the best option. To not
do so, would result in delay, increased costs due to inflation, and jeopardize the project.
3b. Cost savings:
Development of Birch Bay Beach Park does not result in cost savings. However, the project does leverage
significant external funding. Parks is leveraging several funding sources to complete the Birch Bay Beach
Park in order to minimize potential impacts to traditional REET capital funding sources. This includes a
$1.8 million allocation from the Whatcom County Lodging Tax Advisory Committee fund (pending WC
Council approval), $500,000 matching grant from the Washington State Recreation and Conservation
Office (RCO), approximately $970,000 in Parks Special Revenue Funding (restricted for use on this
project), and, $90,000 in commitments from the Birch Bay Community (not yet realized formalized and
thus not represented in this request).
4a. Outcomes:
Design and Engineering, and permit approval are anticipated to be completed by Spring of 2027 with
Construction being completed by the Fall of 2028.
4b. Measures:
Pending the timing of permitting, the Birch Bay Beach Parks phase I activities are anticipated to be
completed in the Fall of 2028, Upon completion, the County will have been partially reimbursed for
expenses by the RCO Grant ALEA Program, and the long anticipated recreational facility will be open for
public use.
5a. Other Departments/Agencies:
Whatcom County Planning and Development Services will be responsible for code compliance and
issuing project permits.
5b. Name the person in charge of implementation and what they are responsible for.
Rod Lamb, Design and Development Manager
6. Funding Source:
Parks Special Revenue and Lodging Tax Advisory Committee funding. See companion supplementals
5288 and 5291.
Parks will submit subsequent supplemental budget requests to authorize use of the REET funding and
community donations referenced above.
Tuesday, October 28, 2025 Rpt: Rpt Suppl Regular