HomeMy WebLinkAboutFinance Feb 24 2026Whatcom County
Council Finance and Administrative Services Committee
COUNTY COURTHOUSE
311 Grand Avenue, Ste #105
Bellingham, WA 98225-4038
(360)778-5010
Committee Minutes - Final
Tuesday, February 24, 2026
9:55 AM
Hybrid Meeting - Council Chambers
HYBRID MEETING - MAY BEGIN LATE - ADJOURNS BY 10:55 A.M.
(PARTICIPATE IN -PERSON, SEE REMOTE JOIN INSTRUCTIONS AT
www.whatcomcounty.us/joinvirtualcouncil, OR CALL 360.778.5010)
COUNCILMEMBERS
Elizabeth Boyle
Barry Buchanan
Ben Elenbaas
Kaylee Galloway
Jessica Rienstra
Jon Scanlon
Mark Stremler
CLERK OF THE COUNCIL
Cathy Halka, AICP, CMC
Council Finance and Administrative Committee Minutes - Final February 24, 2026
Services Committee
Call To Order
Committee Chair Jon Scanlon called the meeting to order at 10:05 a.m. in a
hybrid meeting.
Roll Call
Present: 7 - Elizabeth Boyle, Barry Buchanan, Ben Elenbaas, Kaylee Galloway, Jessica
Rienstra, Jon Scanlon, and Mark Stremler
Announcements
Council "Consent Agenda" Items
Rienstra stated she had a question on Consent Agenda item # 3
(AB2026-156).
Consent Agenda Item 43 (AB2026-156)
Kayla Schott-Bresler, Executive's Office, answered why the interlocal says
it does not require Council approval, and stated it is an error and requires
approval because it is an interlocal agreement.
Scanlon stated that Consent Agenda item # 1 (AB2026-137) is a substitute.
Galloway moved to recommend approval of Consent Agenda items one
through seven. The motion was seconded by Boyle. Councilmembers voted
on the Consent items (see votes on individual items below).
1. AB2026-137 Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into a Collective Bargaining
Agreement between Whatcom County and Professional and Technical Employees,
Local 17 for the period January 1, 2026 - December 31, 2028
Galloway moved and Boyle seconded that the SUBSTITUTE Contract be
RECOMMENDED FOR AUTHORIZATION BY CONSENT. The motion
carried by the following vote:
Aye: 7 - Boyle, Buchanan, Elenbaas, Galloway, Rienstra, Scanlon, and Stremler
Nay: 0
2. AB2026-154 Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into a grant agreement
between Whatcom County and Washington State Department of Ecology for the
2025-2027 Biennial Stormwater Capacity Grant, in the amount of $120,000
Galloway moved and Boyle seconded that the Agreement be
RECOMMENDED FOR AUTHORIZATION BY CONSENT. The motion
carried by the following vote:
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Aye: 7 - Boyle, Buchanan, Elenbaas, Galloway, Rienstra, Scanlon, and Stremler
Nay: 0
3. AB2026-156 Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into an interlocal agreement
amendment between Whatcom County and North Whatcom Fire and Rescue to
extend the current contract for fire investigation services by one year
Galloway moved and Boyle seconded that the Interlocal be
RECOMMENDED FOR AUTHORIZATION BY CONSENT. The motion
carried by the following vote:
Aye: 7 - Boyle, Buchanan, Elenbaas, Galloway, Rienstra, Scanlon, and Stremler
Nay: 0
4. AB2026-160 Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into an interlocal agreement
between Whatcom County and the Washington State Department of Transportation
to execute a Federal Aid Project Prospectus for the design phase of the Lakeway
Drive - City of Bellingham to Cable Street - Pavement Rehabilitation Project, County
Road Project 925001, in the amount of $251,000
Galloway moved and Boyle seconded that the Interlocal be
RECOMMENDED FOR AUTHORIZATION BY CONSENT. The motion
carried by the following vote:
Aye: 7 - Boyle, Buchanan, Elenbaas, Galloway, Rienstra, Scanlon, and Stremler
Nay: 0
5. AB2026-162 Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into an interlocal grant
agreement between Whatcom County and the Washington State Department of
Commerce to reimburse the 5% local match obligation required in the four FEMA
Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) grants, in the amount of $1,500,000
(Council acting as the Whatcom County Flood Control Zone District Board of
Supervisors)
Galloway moved and Boyle seconded that the Contract (FCZDBS) be
RECOMMENDED FOR AUTHORIZATION BY CONSENT. The motion
carried by the following vote:
Aye: 7 - Boyle, Buchanan, Elenbaas, Galloway, Rienstra, Scanlon, and Stremler
Nay: 0
6. AB2026-163 Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into an interlocal cost
reimbursement agreement between Whatcom County and the City of Lynden to
support 30% design of Phase 1 of the Mouw Ditch early action project with
pass -through funding from Floodplains through Design (FbD) 2023-25 grant, in the
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Services Committee
amount of $113,600 (Council acting as the Whatcom County Flood Control Zone
District Board of Supervisors)
Galloway moved and Boyle seconded that the Contract (FCZDBS) be
RECOMMENDED FOR AUTHORIZATION BY CONSENT. The motion
carried by the following vote:
Aye: 7 - Boyle, Buchanan, Elenbaas, Galloway, Rienstra, Scanlon, and Stremler
Nay: 0
7. AB2026-164 Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into a contract amendment
between Whatcom County and Whatcom Long Term Recovery Group to increase
the project management task budget to assist homeowners participating in the Hazard
Mitigation Elevation Grant Program, in the amount of $80,000, for a total amount of
$200,000 (Council acting as the Whatcom County Flood Control Zone District
Board of Supervisors)
Galloway moved and Boyle seconded that the Contract (FCZDBS) be
RECOMMENDED FOR AUTHORIZATION BY CONSENT. The motion
carried by the following vote:
Aye: 7 - Boyle, Buchanan, Elenbaas, Galloway, Rienstra, Scanlon, and Stremler
Nay: 0
Committee Discussion and Recommendation to Council
1. AB2026-145 Ordinance amending the 2026 Whatcom County Budget, request no. 4, in the amount
of $1,804,963
Randy Rydel, Administrative Services Department Finance Director,
answered a question about the balances on the "Summary by Fund" and
stated it was corrected in the "Substitute Summary by Fund," but there is
now a second substitute summary and a substitute ordinance for this date
with further changes. He briefed the councilmembers on that version and
stated the substitute for today fits within the new Charter guidelines in
section 6.41. The Charter says that if the Executive's Office has not
produced the quarterly report by six weeks past the end of the quarter, then
they are only allowed to let the Council approve appropriations which
constitute mandatory caseload, enrollment, inflation or other legally
unavoidable costs not contemplated in the current budget and which must be
expended prior to the beginning of the next budget cycle. He spoke about
the four items that made it through in the substitute ordinance for today. He
stated the next budget ordinance will have the items that fell off. He
answered when the fourth quarter report would come out and stated he is
aiming for March 24th.
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Scanlon spoke about the items that did not make it into this budget
amendment and Rydel answered questions about those. Scanlon said he
would like to schedule a discussion about what they may want to do with
this in the future.
Galloway moved and Boyle seconded that the SUBSTITUTE Ordinance be
RECOMMENDED FOR ADOPTION. The motion carried by the following
vote:
Aye: 7 - Boyle, Buchanan, Elenbaas, Galloway, Rienstra, Scanlon, and Stremler
Nay: 0
2. A132026-114 Ordinance establishing the project budget for the Strawberry Point/Lake Whatcom
Boulevard stormwater improvements, request no. 1
Scanlon stated this links to the discussion they just had on AB2026-145 and
is one of the items that was removed based on the new Charter amendment.
He stated that possibly the best way forward with this item is to postpone it
to a future meeting and he asked Director Rydel if he has a meeting date
that he would propose for that.
Randy Rydel, Administrative Services Department Finance Director, stated
he would suggest they revisit it on March 24th and will let them know ahead
of time whether his department will be able to achieve that mark.
Scanlon moved and Rienstra seconded to recommend to postpone
AB2026-114 to the March 24th Finance and Administrative Services
Committee meeting.
He stated this motion will allow them to consider this ordinance
establishing the project based budget with the budget supplemental that
includes the stormwater improvement on the same date.
Scanlon's motion carried by the following vote:
Aye: 7 - Boyle, Buchanan, Elenbaas, Galloway, Rienstra, Scanlon, and Stremler
Nay: 0
Motion approved to recommend to postpone AB2026-114 to the March 24th Finance and Administrative Services
Committee meeting.
3. AB2026-143 Ordinance establishing the Femdale Senior Activity Center Improvements Fund and
establishing an initial budget for the Femdale Senior Activity Center Improvements
Fund
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Scanlon moved and Boyle seconded to recommend that they postpone
AB2026-143 to the March 24th Council Finance and Administrative Services
Committee meeting. The motion carried by the following vote:
Aye: 7 - Boyle, Buchanan, Elenbaas, Galloway, Rienstra, Scanlon, and Stremler
Nay: 0
Motion approved to recommend that they postpone AB2026-143 to the March 24th Council Finance and
Administrative Services Committee meeting.
4. AB2026-134 Ordinance amending the project budget for the Courthouse Building Envelope Fund,
request no. 7
Scanlon moved and Boyle seconded to recommend that they postpone
AB2026-134 to the March 24th Council Finance and Administrative Services
Committee meeting.. The motion carried by the following vote:
Aye: 7 - Boyle, Buchanan, Elenbaas, Galloway, Rienstra, Scanlon, and Stremler
Nay: 0
Motion approved to recommend to postpone AB2026-134 to the March 24th Council Finance and Administrative
Services Committee meeting.
5. AB2026-165 Resolution to declare county -owned structures located at recently acquired property
at South Fork Park as worthless
Bennett Knox, Parks and Recreation Department Director, answered if
there are pictures of the buildings they are declaring as worthless, and
stated this has come before Council before and is associated with the
Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) grant for the Carrasco property,
which was acquired in late 2023. They had shown photos in the executive
session associated with the acquisition. The structures are not necessary to
contemplate transition of the property to a trailhead location and removing
them is part of the scope of work outlined in the grant.
Elenbaas spoke about the pictures not being included in the memo and
stated the Council and public should be able to see what the County is
deeming worthless.
Elenbaas moved that they hold this until such time that the pictures (of the
structures) are added to the public record on this AB20206-165.
The motion was seconded by Stremler.
Elenbaas stated they could take action tonight if the pictures are added for
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the meeting.
February 24, 2026
Cathy Halka, Clerk of the Council, spoke about how the Council could
handle their vote this evening if this motion is made.
Satpal Sidhu, County Executive, stated the original intent with these
structures when they acquired the property was that they would not be
useful for us and would be demolished.
Councilmembers discussed the motion, and being able to see pictures of
buildings in the future to see the difference between buildings deemed
worthless as opposed to ones they want to keep, and Knox stated he is happy
to provide photos.
The motion carried by the following vote:
Aye: 7 - Scanlon, Stremler, Boyle, Buchanan, Elenbaas, Galloway, and
Rienstra
Nay: 0
This agenda item was DISCUSSED AND MOTION(S) APPROVED.
Motion approved that they hold this until such time that the pictures (of the structures) are added to the public record
on this (AB20206-165).
Items Added by Revision
Other Business
Adjournment
There were no agenda items added by revision.
There was no other business.
The meeting adjourned at 10:37 a.m.
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Jon Scanlon -via email 3/11/2026
Jon Scanlon, Committee Chair
Meeting Minutes prepared by Kristi Felbinger
Wholcom County page 6
Council Finance and Administrative Committee Minutes - Final February 24, 2026
Services Committee
Whatcom County page 7