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 Councilmembers discussed changes to internal procedures at the Annual Council Retreat on March 18.
County Council held their annual retreat on Tuesday, March 18. This meeting day is scheduled during the first quarter of each year in order to provide Council an opportunity to hear updates from staff, review internal procedures, and identify collective goals. The retreat also provides councilmembers with a rare opportunity to collaborate and brainstorm together outside of their regular meeting structure.
Efforts to modernize and streamline processes emerged as a core theme of this year’s retreat.
During the afternoon session, Deputy Executive Aly Pennucci provided councilmembers with an update regarding ongoing work to stabilize the county’s budget, which has experienced strain due to stagnant revenues, increasing costs, and funding requirements for upcoming major capital projects.
When discussing the biennial budget last fall, councilmembers spoke in favor of engaging in budget prioritization exercises and advocated for increased transparency and accountability in regard to the county’s finances.
At the retreat, Councilmember Jon Scanlon (At-Large Position B) reiterated the need for more clarity around the outcomes of county contracts. “I’d like to see a report back on how things are going. I want to hear what’s working and not working. That can help us make decisions," stated Scanlon.
Deputy Executive Pennucci outlined some of the initial improvements to processes intended to increase transparency, including additional briefings during Council’s Finance and Administrative Services Committee and changes to the format of supplemental budget requests to enhance accessibility and readability for the public. According to the Executive’s Office, additional changes to the county’s budget process and timeline are planned but have been somewhat delayed due to the implementation of a new financial system at the start of the year.
Deputy Executive Pennucci added that all county departments are being asked to identify strategies for absorbing cost increases into the current budget and update their service inventories in order to inform Council’s upcoming budget prioritization exercises.
Later in the retreat, councilmembers discussed changes to meeting procedures that could reduce the amount of time it takes for legislation to move from introduction to final approval. The Whatcom County Charter requires at least 13 days to pass between the introduction and adoption of an ordinance. Sometimes, this timeframe is further extended due to the need for additional discussions or changes requring reintroduction. Going forward, items scheduled for introduction at the Council’s evening meeting will now be discussed during committee that same day, rather than waiting until the next meeting in two weeks.
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 The sun sets over the water at Birch Bay.
At their evening meeting on March 25, Council approved a contract with Community Attributes Inc. (CAI) to study the feasibility of incorporating the Birch Bay Urban Growth Area (UGA). The contract advanced by a 4-2-1 vote, with Councilmembers Byrd and Stremler in opposition and Galloway abstaining.
Birch Bay is an unincorporated area of Whatcom County and receives local government services, such as policing and road maintenance, from the County. In 2020, the area’s reported population amounted to over 10,000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Last year, Council received a presentation from the Birch Bay Incorporation Association (BBIA), a group of Birch Bay residents formed in 2023 to explore the financial implications and potential benefits and drawbacks of creating a new City of Birch Bay. The BBIA requested that Council fund an update to an Incorporation Feasibility Study conducted in 2008 in order to determine incorporation’s impact on local taxes and levels of service today.
Now that the contract has been approved, CAI will provide analysis regarding the following:
- Framework and process of incorporation
- Birch Bay area baseline population
- Assessed value of property and special purpose districts (e.g. fire district)
- Operating revenues and expenses
- Capital improvements
- Projected start-up financing
- Comparative demographic and market assessment.
According to the contract, public engagement will be a key aspect of the study and will include a community event, a virtual public meeting, an online survey, and discussion with the BBIA. Information about how to participate will be shared on the Whatcom County website as soon as it is available.
State law (RCW 35.02) outlines the multi-step process for incorporation, which includes:
- Filing notice of proposed incorporation with the County Council
- Submitting a petition with the required number of signatures to the County Auditor
- Holding a public hearing before the Boundary Review Board
At the end of the process, the question of incorporation is posed to the area's voters, who have the final say at the ballot.
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 Charter Review Commissioners deliberate at their meeting on March 13 at the Blaine Library.
Since January, the Charter Review Commission has been holding meetings in libraries and community centers across Whatcom County in order to hear public input on potential changes to the county’s primary governing document, the Whatcom County Charter.
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Early in their process, commissioners decided to focus each of their meetings on a specific article of the charter, beginning in late February with Article 2, which covers the county’s legislative branch. County Councilmembers Mark Stremler (District 4) and Jon Scanlon (At-Large Position B) joined commissioners at their meeting in Deming to describe their day-to-day work, provide perspectives on the Council’s role within the structure of county government, and offer thoughts about potential charter amendments. |
 County Councilmembers Mark Stremler (District 4) and Jon Scanlon (At-Large Position B) speak to Charter Review Commissioners at their meeting in Deming on February 27.
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Subsequent meetings focused on the Executive Branch and Elections and featured presentations by County Executive Satpal Sidhu and Auditor Stacy Henthorn.
In addition to the deep dive into individual articles of the charter, commissioners have also been moving forward with consideration of proposed amendments.
- On February 13, the Commission approved by an 11-4 vote an amendment proposed by Jon Mutchler to require the commission’s convener to determine the rules for the Charter Review Commission’s initial meeting.
- At their next meeting on February 27, commissioners approved by a 10-4 vote a proposed amendment sponsored by Andrew Reding that would modify the signature requirements for charter amendments from the public, changing the necessary number of petition signatures from at least 15 percent of the number of votes cast in the county in the last gubernatorial election to the same percentage cast in the last regular county executive election.
Both proposals—and any others that eventually receive an affirmative vote from a supermajority of commissioners—will be transmitted to the County Council in July before ultimately making their way to the ballot in November for final consideration by voters.
 Clouds hover over Lake Whatcom.
The Annual Lake Whatcom Joint Councils and Commissioners meeting was held on Wednesday, April 2 and included participation from members of the Whatcom County Council, Bellingham City Council, and Lake Whatcom Water and Sewer District Board of Commissioners.
The Lake Whatcom Management Program (LWMP) is a partnership between Whatcom County, City of Bellingham, and the Lake Whatcom Water and Sewer District. The Joint Councils and Commissioners meeting is held each year to provide community members an opportunity to learn about the past year’s accomplishments and upcoming efforts to protect and preserve the Lake Whatcom watershed.
Staff highlighted accomplishments from the 2020-2024 work plan, including the City of Bellingham’s purchase of 607 acres of land for preservation, Whatcom County’s work on the Geneva Swale Retrofit and Media Study, and the nearly 300,000 square feet of private land improved by residential stormwater programs.
The meeting also included a presentation by Dr. Angela Strecker from the Institute for Watershed Studies at Western Washington University on the observed phosphorus and dissolved oxygen trends for the different basins of Lake Whatcom. Overall, Dr. Streker believes the data shows a “mixed bag” of progress for lake health.
“It depends on what you look at,” Streker said. “If you only looked at one thing, then it would not be a true story. Lakes are complicated. It takes a really long time, especially in a lake this large, to turn the ship around.”
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 Whatcom County Courthouse Rotunda
Four County Council seats are up for election this November as current councilmembers conclude their terms. The following positions will be on the ballot:
- District 1
- District 2
- District 3
- At-Large Representative Position A
Councilmembers representing a particular district are elected by voters within that district while the two at-large positions are chosen by voters from the entire county.
Candidate Filing Week begins Monday, May 5 at 8 a.m. and ends Friday, May 9 at 5 p.m. The Whatcom County Auditor’s Office encourages candidates to file their Declaration of Candidacy using the Online Candidate Portal. In-person, mail, and email filing options are also accepted if needed. Candidates are also urged to read the Candidate Filing Guide prior to submitting a Declaration of Candidacy in order to ensure a thorough understanding of all regulations and requirements.
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Councilmember Barry Buchanan (At-Large Position A) traveled to Washington D.C. in early March to present a resolution on food security at the National Association of Counties' (NACo) Legislative Conference.
Too many rural families live in "food deserts" with limited access to healthy food, forcing them to travel long distances to reach grocery stores and food banks.
Buchanan's resolution, which was based on a resolution approved by the County Council last year, urges Congress to re-authorize the Farm Bill and provide funding for counties and community-based organizations to boost emergency food supplies and implement local food systems plans.
NACo approved the Buchanan-sponsored resolution, and it is now a part of the organization's federal advocacy work. Council Chair Galloway and Councilmember Donovan also participated in the NACo event.
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 Mark your calendars!
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Regular County Council and Committee Meeting Dates:
- April 15 and 29
- May 13 and 27
- June 10 and 24
- July 8 and 22
- August 6 (Wednesday)
- September 9 and 23
- October 7 and 21
- November 5 (Wednesday) and 18
- December 9
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Special Committee of the Whole (begins at 9 a.m.)
Health Board
(begins at 10 a.m.)
- July 29
- September 16
- October 28
- December 2
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Thanks for reading the Council Newsletter. We are grateful for the opportunity to share our work and serve this community.
Email councilinfo@co.whatcom.wa.us with questions or feedback.
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