HomeMy WebLinkAboutPublic Works May 26 2026Whatcom County
Council Public Works & Health Committee
COUNTY COURTHOUSE
311 Grand Avenue, Ste #105
Bellingham, WA 98225-4038
(360)778-5010
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Committee Minutes - Final
Tuesday, May 26, 2026
1:30 PM
Hybrid Meeting - Council Chambers
HYBRID MEETING - ADJOURNS BY 2:15 P.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 Public Works & Health Committee Minutes - Final May 26, 2026
Committee
Call To Order
Roll Call
Committee Chair Elizabeth Boyle called the meeting to order at 1:34 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
1. AB2026-375 Update from the Whatcom Food Bank Network regarding funding and local food
insecurity data
Mike Cohen, Bellingham Food Bank Executive Director, read from a
presentation (on file) on the Whatcom Food Bank Network, their funding
history with Whatcom County and that the number of clients has grown
massively in the last few years (in 2021-2024 food bank visits tripled), that
they will again be seeking support from the County over the next biennium,
that hunger is a public health issue that spans the breadth of the county, the
demographics of those utilizing the food banks, and how the food banks
help the community.
Councilmembers and Cohen discussed the fact stated in the presentation
that 25 percent of Whatcom County residents are shoppers at the food bank,
if there are efficiencies of the food bank's operation that allow them to get
food to people cheaper because they can buy in bulk than if they were just
giving people cash, that there was a decrease in visits in 2025 compared to
2024 because there were some food banks in the network that had to cut
their programming, that it has been great working with the Healthy
Children's Fund dollars, and that the fund has improved lives in many
different ways.
Boyle stated she appreciated the quote from Cohen's presentation that they
have worked really hard to make accessing our food banks as "easy and
dignified as possible," and she also observed that when she toured the
facility.
This agenda item was PRESENTED.
Committee Discussion and Recommendation to Council
1. AB2026-389 Resolution establishing the existing Whatcom County Ferry Advisory Committee as
the Ferry Advisory Committee for the Ferry District [Council acting as the Whatcom
"alcom County Page !
Council Public Works & Health Committee Minutes - Final May 26, 2026
Committee
County Ferry District Board of Supervisors]
Roland Middleton, Public Works Department, briefed the councilmembers
and stated the recent changes in state law that allowed the ferry district to
be a vehicle ferry also had a provision with regard to a ferry advisory
committee. One of the things it stated is that if a county is transitioning
from a county owned ferry system to a ferry district, the existing locally
established ferry advisory committee fulfills the requirements of needing
an advisory body. It does not limit their action in the future to make
necessary modifications. Public Works plans to have a work session with
the Council in July to go through what the state law says because the county
is moving from an advisory committee that is talking about operations and
details to a ferry taxing district that is covering the entire county. They want
to make sure the entire county is represented in the appropriate way. After
the Council decides what they want, Public Works will draft an ordinance to
make any needed changes. This resolution just makes sure we are in
compliance with state law.
He and councilmembers discussed that the time sensitivity for this is just
that is has to be done "promptly," that the ferry advisory committee would
keep some of its existing work as those who ride the ferry and inform the
operations but that they would also advise the Council on the taxing aspect
of a taxing district, and that there are two vacancies right now on the
existing committee for those representing the unincorporated county.
Scanlon moved and Boyle seconded that the Resolution be
RECOMMENDED FOR APPROVAL.
Stremler stated without changing the makeup of the current advisory
committee, he thinks it would be a rough go, so he is looking forward to the
workshop and to working on the composition of the new advisory
committee.
Scanlon's motion that the Resolution be RECOMMENDED FOR
APPROVAL carried by the following vote:
Aye: 7 - Boyle, Buchanan, Elenbaas, Galloway, Rienstra, Scanlon, and Stremler
Nay: 0
Items Added by Revision
Other Business
There were no agenda items added by revision.
There was no other business.
"alcom County page 2
Council Public Works & Health Committee Minutes - Final May 26, 2026
Committee
Adiournment
The meeting adjourned at 1:58 p.m.
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WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
WHATCOM COUNTY, WA
Elizabeth Boyle -via email 6/3/2026
Elizabeth Boyle, Committee Chair
Meeting Minutes prepared by Kristi Felbinger
Whalcom County page 3