HomeMy WebLinkAboutCommittee of the Whole Apr 28 2026Whatcom County
Council Committee of the Whole
COUNTY COURTHOUSE
311 Grand Avenue, Ste #105
Bellingham, WA 98225-4038
(360) 778-5010
Committee Minutes - Final
Tuesday, April 28, 2026
2:25 PM
Hybrid Meeting - Council Chambers
HYBRID MEETING - MAY BEGIN EARLY/LATE - ADJOURNS BY 4:30 P.M.
(PARTICIPATE IN -PERSON, SEE REMOTE JOIN INSTRUCTIONS AT
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COUNCILMEMBERS
Elizabeth Boyle
Barry Buchanan
Ben Elenbaas
Kaylee Galloway
Jessica Rienstra
Jon Scanlon
Mark Stremler
CLERK OF THE COUNCIL
Cathy Halka, AICP, CMC
Council Committee of the Whole Committee Minutes - Final April 28, 2026
Call To Order
Roll Call
Council Chair Kaylee Galloway called the meeting to order at 3:20 p.m. in a
hybrid meeting.
Present: 7 - Elizabeth Boyle, Barry Buchanan, Ben Elenbaas, Kaylee Galloway, Jessica
Rienstra, Jon Scanlon, and Mark Stremler
Announcements
Special Presentation
AB2026-326 Update from Public Works River and Flood staff on Floodplain Integrated Planning
(FLIP)
The following people gave updates on flood -related projects and an effort
to organize an action plan to use available funding:
• Julie Anderson, Public Works Department
• Paula Harris, Public Works Department
They and councilmembers discussed the project to widen the river corridor,
how much of the river they are planning to widen and what is giving
reassurance to the communities in Everson, Nooksack, and Sumas that we
are moving forward with projects to help them, if there is anything the
County can do to help with an appeal by the governor regarding a federal
decision that our state is currently not eligible for the Hazard Mitigation
Grant Program funds for the December floods, that Public Works is
looking at Federal funding opportunities as well, leaning on our
congressional delegation for help, that the Sumas Resiliency Planning Study
contract will be coming to Council in May, what is slowing down progress
with projects and if there is anything the Council can do to help, whether
they want to advocate for things such as a bill sponsored by Senator Patty
Murray that is trying to streamline some of the regulatory review processes
out of FEMA, how planning is going for homes that were lost on the North
Fork, if there are any updates on potentially working with Washington State
Department of Transportation around the bridge at Everson or on Slater
Road, and that those projects are part of the action package through Public
Works.
This agenda item was PRESENTED.
Committee Discussion
1. AB2026-186 Discussion and preliminary Council direction on Whatcom County Comprehensive
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Council Committee of the Whole Committee Minutes - Final April 28, 2026
Plan Chapter 2, Land Use
Galloway stated the outstanding amendments for this chapter are
amendment numbers 129, and 135 through 162 in the chart of amendments
for this date.
Scanlon moved to begin review of Chapter 2 using the Preliminary Council
Draft dated 4/28/2026, which is the current version of the chapter with
Planning Commission recommendations from January 2026 and additional
edits proposed by councilmembers as listed in the Chart of Proposed
Council Changes 4/28/2026.
The motion was seconded by Rienstra.
Councilmembers discussed which outstanding proposed amendments they
would like to vote on separately. Elenbaas stated he would like to consider
all the new proposed amendments separately and has concerns that they
have missed a lot of opportunities for the public to comment on the new
items. He would like to hear from the public before they debate them.
Councilmembers discussed that there will be a public hearing at a later date
and they will consider each of the outstanding proposed amendments
separately today.
The motion carried by the following vote:
Aye: 7 - Elenbaas, Galloway, Rienstra, Scanlon, Stremler, Boyle, and
Buchanan
Nay: 0
Amendment number 129 (new Policy 2H-4)
Elenbaas stated he proposed this language to keep farmland in production
and to keep the intent of the agricultural zoning, which is a viable ag
economy, and he spoke about the amendment.
Scanlon moved and Elenbaas seconded to include amendment number 129
to add new Policy 2H-4.
Councilmembers discussed if this would prevent UGA-related land swaps.
Matt Aamot, Planning and Development Services Department (PDS), stated
staff has concerns with how this is written. He gave the example that Sumas,
Everson, and Nooksack are all proposing to expand their urban growth areas
into designated ag land and that would be annexed at some point.
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Council Committee of the Whole Committee Minutes - Final April 28, 2026
Elenbaas stated the concerns are not his intent and Aamot stated staff can
come back with some revised language.
Scanlon moved to hold on amendment number 129 until they hear back
from PDS with suggested language.
The motion to hold carried by the following vote:
Aye: 7 - Galloway, Rienstra, Scanlon, Stremler, Boyle, Buchanan, and
Elenbaas
Nay: 0
Amendment number 135 (amending Policy 2A-9)
Scanlon moved and Galloway seconded to include amendment number 135.
Scanlon asked the intent of this amendment since they would be changing
some things they previously approved (amendment number 115), and
Galloway stated she thinks it is just trying to make it cleaner and that it does
a better job of honing in on the intent of minimizing exposure between
heavy industry and adjacent neighborhoods.
Councilmembers discussed the language, whether it should be changed
from what they previously voted on, and how it might be amended to meet in
the middle.
Boyle moved and Scanlon seconded to amend the motion so that Policy
2A-9 would read:
Where heavy industrial zoning is located within urban growth areas
adjacent to residential neighborhoods, the County shall identify and
implement measures that minimize neighborhood exposure to
industrial pollution and advance public health and environmental
justice. These measures shall be developed with meaningful
involvement of affected communities.
Elenbaas stated this language is going to be policy direction to a group of
our employees and they have to think about their ability to implement it and
what that would look like. He finds it more problematic to say "shall" and
then list things that are hard to quantify and not really in their purview, than
to say "consider measures that minimize..." which was in Galloway's
original proposed amendment.
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Council Committee of the Whole Committee Minutes - Final April 28, 2026
Galloway suggested a friendly amendment to change "shall" to "should."
Boyle accepted the friendly amendment so the policy would read:
Where heavy industrial zoning is located within urban growth areas
adjacent to residential neighborhoods, the County should identify
and implement measures that minimize neighborhood exposure to
industrial pollution and advance public health and environmental
justice. These measures should be developed with meaningful
involvement of affected communities.
Councilmembers discussed that involvement with affected communities
already happens through the public participation process the county has in
place (especially with permitting), that omitting "and long-term fiscal
resilience" in Boyle's amendment was not intentional and a suggestion to
change "fiscal resilience" to "economic resilience" to better support the
intention to have these conversations with impacted communities, so that
the policy would read:
Where heavy industrial zoning is located within urban growth areas
adjacent to residential neighborhoods, the County should identify
and implement measures that minimize neighborhood exposure to
industrial pollution and advance public health, environmental justice,
and long-term economic resilience. These measures should be
developed with meaningful involvement of affected communities.
Councilmembers discussed concerns about putting the onus on industries to
"advance" public health and environmental justice and what "advance"
actually means, and potential alternative wording.
Boyle's motion to amend the motion carried by the following vote:
Aye: 5 - Rienstra, Scanlon, Boyle, Buchanan, and Galloway
Nay: 2 - Stremler and Elenbaas
The motion to include amendment 135 as amended carried by the following
vote:
Aye: 5 - Scanlon, Boyle, Buchanan, Galloway, and Rienstra
Nay: 2 - Stremler and Elenbaas
Amendment number 136 (amending Policy 20-5)
Scanlon moved and Boyle seconded to include amendment number 136 so
that Policy 2Q-5 would read:
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Council Committee of the Whole Committee Minutes- Final April 28, 2026
Encourage and assist the communities of Birch Bay and Columbia
Valley Urban Growth Areas with incorporation when appropriate.
Councilmembers and Matt Aamot discussed the language and how it might
be amended (regarding the words "when appropriate") and then concurred to
amend the motion to strike "Encourage and" so that it would read:
Assist the communities of Birch Bay and Columbia Valley Urban
Growth Areas with incorporation when appropriate.
Danielle Gaughen, Birch Bay Community Advisory Committee, stated she
thinks the change (removing "Encourage and") will be acceptable. She stated
the letter that was sent encapsulated all of their concerns, and that it is up to
the communities of Birch Bay and Columbia Valley to decide when they
should incorporate and is not a councilmanic decision, or up to the
executive. It would also be up to those communities to decide what is
eventually feasible.
Councilmembers discussed what "when appropriate" means and who makes
that determination, that the county would assist when the communities
determine that incorporation is appropriate, and the possibility of adding
"when requested" before "Assist."
The motion to include amendment 136 as amended by councilmembers
carried by the following vote:
Aye: 7 - Stremler, Boyle, Buchanan, Elenbaas, Galloway, Rienstra, and
Scanlon
Nay: 0
Galloway stated they will have to wait on the remaining amendments and
that they also ran out of time to discuss the remaining Comprehensive Plan
chapters. She read A132026-250, AB2026-261, A132026-262, and
AB2026-263 into the record.
This agenda item was DISCUSSED AND MOTION(S) APPROVED.
MOTION 1
Motion approved to begin review of Chapter 2 using the Preliminary Council Draft dated 4/28/2026, which is the
current version of the chapter with Planning Commission recommendations from January 2026 and additional edits
proposed (and motions passed by) councilmembers as listed in the Chart of Proposed Council Changes 4/28/2026.
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Council Committee of the Whole Committee Minutes - Final April 28, 2026
MOTION 2— Amendment # 129
Motion approved to hold on amendment number 129 until they hear back from Planning and Development Services
with suggested language.
MOTION 3— Amendment # 135
Motion approved to include amendment number 135 as amended so that Policy 2A-9 would read:
Where heavy industrial zoning is located within urban growth areas adjacent to residential neighborhoods, the County
should identify and implement measures that minimize neighborhood exposure to industrial pollution and advance
public health, environmental justice, and long-term economic resilience. These measures should be developed with
meaningful involvement of affected communities.
MOTION 4- Amendment # 136
Motion approved to include amendment number 136 as amended which amends Policy 2Q-5 so that it reads:
Assist the communities of Birch Bay and Columbia Valley Urban Growth Areas with incorporation when appropriate.
2. AB2026-250 Discussion and preliminary Council direction on Whatcom County Comprehensive
Plan Chapter 8, Resource Lands
This agenda item was NOT ACTED UPON.
3. AB2026-261 Discussion and preliminary Council direction on Whatcom County Comprehensive
Plan Chapter 10, Environment
This agenda item was NOT ACTED UPON.
4. AB2026-262 Discussion and preliminary Council direction on Whatcom County Comprehensive
Plan Chapter 12, Climate
This agenda item was NOT ACTED UPON.
5. AB2026-263 Discussion and preliminary Council direction on Whatcom County Comprehensive
Plan Appendices (Appendix A: Glossary, Appendix B: Acronyms, Appendix D:
Bibliography, Appendix E: 20-Year Capital Facilities Plan, Appendix G: Airport
Overlay Zones, Appendix H: Airport Imaginary Surfaces, Appendix I: Housing
Needs Analysis, Appendix J: Subsidized Housing Needs and Funding) and Foothills
Subarea Plan Amendments
This agenda item was NOT ACTED UPON.
6. AB2026-249 Discussion regarding schedule for Council review of the comprehensive plan update
Galloway spoke about adding another Special Committee of the Whole
meeting on May 19th. She also stated that they got a request from the
Climate Impact Advisory Committee to have Chapter 12 be scheduled for
May 26 or later.
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Council Committee of the Whole Committee Minutes - Final
This agenda item was 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 4:29 p.m.
The County Council approved these minutes on May 12, 2026.
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April 28, 2026
WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
WHATCOM COUNTY, WA
Kaylee Galloway, Council Chair
Meeting Minutes prepared by Kristi Felbinger
VAukom County Page 7