Whatcom County Council

The retreat provided comprehensive briefings on council office functions, from Open Public Meetings Act compliance to travel reimbursement procedures. Staff presentations covered the agenda management system, Board of Equalization operations, advisory group oversight, and upcoming emergency preparedness documents. The session included significant discussion about streamlining the county's 54 advisory groups, with Council Member Elenbaas requesting recommendations for consolidation. A major portion of the day involved facilitated strategic planning led by Eric Johnson from Columbia Policy Advisors. Council members identified 24 strategic issues ranging from completing the comprehensive plan update to improving government transparency and trust. Priority areas included housing and homelessness, flood recovery and mitigation, business development, healthcare access, and the new justice center project. The retreat also addressed procedural matters including comprehensive plan review processes, meeting management, and the relationship between council and executive branches. Legal updates covered attorney-client privilege, executive session protocols, and the scope of legal representation for council members.

**Motion 1:** Hire an intern for the spring quarter **Vote:** Approved 7-0 **Details:** 15 hours per week, quarter-by-quarter basis, part-time temporary extra help position with budget flexibility **Motion 2:** Appoint Elenbaas, Stremler, and Rienstra to the hiring committee **Vote:** Approved 7-0 **Amendment:** Originally proposed Elenbaas and Stremler; amended to include Rienstra for North County representation **Timeline:** Applications to start immediately, interviews in March, position begins April through mid-June

"I think 54 is insane. I don't, I can't even fathom that it functions appropriately, or that you can even deal with that." **Cathy Halka, on OPMA compliance:** "Really anytime a quorum gets together to talk about anything county business related, it should be a properly noticed meeting." **County Executive Sidhu, on communication:** "We want councilmembers to reach out to the Administration, that councilmembers should reach out directly to department heads and copy the Executive's Office when they need information." **Council Member Buchanan, on timing:** "I personally find that very challenging, like the afternoon before a council meeting to receive, you know, a resolution." **Facilitator Eric Johnson, on strategic planning:** "Think about political, economic, social, technological, environmental, and legal realms and write down how the current operating environment and culture...is going to affect the work that you have coming up." **Council Member Boyle, on strategic issues:** "Housing and care (support) for our unstably- or under-housed individuals."

# A Day of Deep Governance: Whatcom County Council's 2026 Strategic Retreat ## Meeting Overview The Whatcom County Council convened for their annual strategic retreat on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, beginning at 9:33 a.m. in the council conference room. This was not your typical Tuesday morning meeting—Chair Kaylee Galloway had blocked out nearly seven hours for the council to dive deep into the mechanics of governance, strategic planning, and the operational foundations that support their work. All seven council members were present: Elizabeth Boyle, Barry Buchanan, Ben Elenbaas, Kaylee Galloway, Jessica Rienstra, Jon Scanlon, and Mark Stremler. The hybrid format allowed participation both in-person and virtually, though most of the substantive work required the face-to-face engagement that only happens when elected officials are in the same room, wrestling with the big questions of what they want to accomplish and how they'll get there. This retreat was designed as both a practical workshop on council operations and a strategic planning session. The morning focused on the nuts and bolts—public records, travel policies, advisory group management—while the afternoon turned to bigger questions about priorities, goals, and how the council wants to position itself for the challenges ahead. ## Council Office Operations: The Engine Behind Governance The retreat began with comprehensive presentations from council office staff, offering members both new and returning a detailed look at the administrative machinery that supports their work. Clerk of the Council Cathy Halka opened by highlighting the team's varied responsibilities and expertise. ### Open Public Meetings Act Compliance Halka reminded the council that the Open Public Meetings Act applies anytime a quorum meets to discuss county business. "Think of it as a collective intent to take action related to county business," she explained. With the council now at seven members, a quorum is four—up from the smaller committee quorums they were accustomed to. "Action is defined very broadly in RCW as the transaction of the official business of the public agency," Halka noted, emphasizing that this includes not just voting but "receiving public testimony, deliberations, discussions, considerations, reviews, evaluations, and then also final actions." The stakes are real: violations carry personal fines and attorney's fees. Tara Jackson, council office staff, manages the complex task of tracking council member attendance at community events where a potential quorum might attend. "Please respond to my emails, RSVP to the events," Jackson requested. "I'm tracking the attendance and then I coordinate with the clerk on noticing the events according with the OPMA requirements." ### Public Records in the Digital Age Lisa Bruner provided updates on public records management, noting that the county's email search system would be down for a month or two, complicating records requests. "Best practice is to just keep work issues onto your county email," she advised. "And then you don't have to worry about searching anywhere else." Bruner also manages the hearing examiner process, which has been unusually busy. "We currently have 11 hearings scheduled," she reported—two in February, five in March, two in April, and two in May. The uptick stems from code changes, available grant funds, and projects reaching fruition. ### Communications and Accessibility Jenna Gernand outlined the expanded communications support available to council members, from drafting talking points and speeches to creating PowerPoints and monitoring media. "Come talk to me if you have a communications need that you would like to have some help with," she offered. "I'm happy to work with you on just about anything." The council newsletter, launched last year with six issues annually, represents a new effort at public engagement. Gernand also highlighted the county's work to meet new federal web accessibility requirements, including adding captions to meetings and providing iPads on the dais so viewers can see who's speaking. ### Legislative Information Systems Kristi Felbinger walked the council through Granicus, the agenda management system with five interconnected components. The public-facing Legislative Information Center provides access to everything from current agendas to historical documents dating back to 1854. "The Commissioner Proceedings go back to 1854," she noted. "And those are very cool to look through. They're hard to read, some of them, and they're hard to search, but they're there." On travel reimbursements, Felbinger has digitized the process while maintaining the county's policy structure. Each council member has a $5,000 individual travel budget, with additional funds available from a general travel account. "If you use that $5,000, it doesn't mean you have to stop travel," she explained. "We'll just start taking from the travel other account." Buchanan, as the "guinea pig" for the new digital mileage reimbursement form, asked about submission frequency. Felbinger prefers monthly submissions to help with budget tracking, though she's willing to compromise on quarterly reports if needed. ## Property Tax Appeals and Flood Recovery Liia Bray and Janie Randall presented updates on the Board of Equalization, which handles property tax appeals. For the 2025 assessment year, they've received over 867 petitions—more than 2024 but fewer than the spike in 2023. The flood damage from December 2024 prompted an innovative response from the assessor's office. Rather than waiting for property owners to file damage claims, the assessor proactively inspected flood-affected properties and issued re-evaluations. "They actually went out and inspected and started issuing their own re-evaluations for people who are affected by the floods so that they won't have to go in and file their own property damage claims," Bray explained. The assessor expects to send out 820 flood-related re-evaluations, with property owners having 30 days to appeal if they disagree with the new values. The treasurer's office is holding tax statements for affected properties to allow the revaluation process to complete before taxes are due. Buchanan raised concerns about the assessor's office pursuing personal property taxes, particularly farm equipment. "When you have a $300,000 tractor that you need to feed your cows and all of a sudden the county shows up to tax it, it's just like kicking you when you're down," he said. ## Legislative Support and Best Practices The legislative team of Kirsten Smith and Kiana Oos outlined their support services, from research and memo writing to stakeholder coordination and ordinance drafting. "Feel free to reach out if you have any need in that arena," Oos encouraged. "You can come to any of us, it doesn't matter, we will sometimes shift projects based on our workload." For larger projects requiring significant staff time, they recommend going through Halka first for workload management. The team also provided guidance on best practices for developing legislation, including early outreach to colleagues for co-sponsors, researching how other jurisdictions handle similar issues, and engaging with staff and advisory groups. ### Emergency Preparedness Documents Smith announced two major documents in development: "Council Authority in Emergencies" and an "Emergency Council Office Operations Plan." The first outlines legal authorities available during emergencies, while the second addresses continuity of government in major disasters. "Think an earthquake destroys the courthouse. How do we operate as a Council?" Smith explained. The planning gets detailed, considering scenarios like council members being incapacitated or lack of internet access. "If you can't do it, but it must be recorded... it has to be either on the phone or on Zoom. So, there has to be audio access to the public." ### The Internship Decision The retreat included a decision point on resuming the council office internship program. Smith explained they haven't had an intern since late 2024, when they hired their last intern as a permanent employee. The program operates on a quarter-by-quarter basis, typically offering 15 hours per week. Scanlon moved to hire an intern for the spring quarter, with Boyle providing the second. The motion sparked discussion about recruitment—reaching out to Western Washington University, Bellingham Technical College, and Whatcom Community College, as well as opening applications to interested adults beyond students. The motion passed unanimously, 7-0. Elenbaas then moved to nominate himself and Stremler for the hiring committee, citing North County representation. Scanlon suggested adding Rienstra to the committee, creating a three-member hiring panel. That motion also passed 7-0. Buchanan noted his connection to WWU's internship program and offered to facilitate outreach. The timeline is tight—applications need to go out immediately to have someone start by early April. ## Managing 54 Advisory Groups Jill Nixon provided an overview of the county's extensive advisory structure—54 groups ranging from purely advisory bodies to those with inspection, enforcement, and appeals authority. About half are council-appointed, with the other half appointed by the executive and confirmed by council. The appointment process operates on two tracks: an annual cycle with all terms expiring January 31st (moved from December to allow new council members input), and ongoing mid-year appointments for resignations and unfilled positions. Nixon noted increased challenges with absenteeism, requiring use of the council's absentee process to remove non-participating members. She also emphasized the importance of adequate staffing for new advisory groups, noting that at minimum, staff time is required to meet OPMA posting requirements. Elenbaas raised questions about consolidation opportunities. "I think 54 is insane," he said. "I can't even fathom that it functions appropriately." He requested Nixon's input on "opportunities to simplify, consolidate, help make more efficient boards that don't function, haven't functioned in a decade, that we can maybe just do away with." When asked about council authority over advisory groups experiencing "drama," Nixon and County Attorney Kimberly Thulin emphasized reviewing each group's enabling statute to understand their specific role and powers. ## Agenda Management and Deadlines Halka outlined the council's agenda development timeline, emphasizing predictability and advance planning. Executive staff must submit items two Fridays before meetings, with final review by Tuesday at noon the week prior. That Tuesday deadline also applies to council member additions. "We try to minimize agenda revisions," Halka noted, though about one-third to half of meetings end up with revisions. "It's less clear for the public. It's more work for us, but I understand that it happens." For presentations, the ideal is inclusion at the initial two-week deadline, with an absolute deadline of Friday before the meeting. This gives council members weekend review time to develop thoughtful questions rather than responding on the fly. Buchanan raised concerns about receiving agenda items too close to meetings, citing a resolution delivered the afternoon before a council meeting in January. "I find that extremely challenging," he said, requesting sharper adherence to deadlines. ## Comprehensive Plan Process The retreat included detailed discussion of the comprehensive plan update timeline, with Oos outlining a sequential chapter review process. Rather than revisiting completed chapters, the council would work through chapters systematically with dedicated meeting dates through spring. The process includes special public comment periods at the beginning of each dedicated meeting, capped at 30 minutes with two-minute individual limits. Council members can propose amendments using a template system, with amendments tracked in a comprehensive chart and integrated into draft chapters using color coding—yellow for proposed amendments, green for approved ones. Scanlon emphasized community engagement: "Please invite them. It's not common that we have public comment during the day. So if you know people that are interested in speaking, make sure they're aware." The schedule targets April 28th for introduction and May 12th for the final public hearing, with the last opportunity for edits on April 14th. The first deadline for council amendments on chapters one, two, and three is February 23rd. ## Legal Framework and Executive Sessions County Attorney Kimberly Thulin introduced new Chief Civil Prosecutor Tom Seguine and reviewed the legal framework governing council operations. She clarified the scope of her office's representation of the council as a separate branch of government, distinct from the executive. On executive sessions, Thulin emphasized proper procedures and the narrow circumstances allowing closed meetings. "You have to state the purpose for the executive session," she explained, and sessions must be limited to the stated purpose with specific time estimates. The discussion touched on attorney-client privilege and the importance of maintaining confidentiality around legal advice, particularly when council members serve on outside boards or committees. ## Executive Office Collaboration After lunch, County Executive Satpal Sidhu and Executive Office staff Jed Holmes outlined their approach to council-executive relationships and shared administrative priorities. Holmes encouraged direct communication between council members and department heads, asking that the executive office be copied to maintain coordination. "We don't want to be a bottleneck," he said, while emphasizing the value of keeping everyone informed. The executive office highlighted several key priorities for 2026, including budget timeline adjustments with earlier submission deadlines, potential charter amendments for year-end financial reporting, and departmental focus areas from public safety to economic development. On planning department staffing, Holmes acknowledged ongoing challenges but expressed optimism about recent hires and the department's capacity to handle the comprehensive plan update and other major initiatives. ## Strategic Planning: Naming the Challenges The afternoon's strategic planning session, facilitated by Eric Johnson of Columbia Policy Advisors, began with council members identifying strategic issues facing the community. These weren't solutions or preferred outcomes, but rather the fundamental challenges requiring resolution. The issues ranged widely: **Immediate Governance Tasks**: Completing the comprehensive plan update, managing the budget, and performing core county functions effectively. **Community Needs**: Housing and care for unstably housed individuals, improving access to preventative health services, flood recovery and long-term mitigation planning. **Infrastructure and Development**: Opening the new justice and behavioral care center, encouraging business and industry growth, addressing water resources and permitting certainty. **Trust and Engagement**: Building community trust in government, creating transparency and accountability, engaging less-organized communities in unincorporated areas. **Regional Coordination**: Enhancing partnerships with other governments and community organizations, particularly on behavioral health services and economic development. Galloway contributed several issues including water resources, budget management, and developing economic impact statements for county investments. "What role government can play in the broader economic development strategy with the funds they spend," she explained. Elenbaas emphasized fundamentals: "Doing the basics (core functions of county government) well" and creating "certainty for permitting, water resources, business/industry growth." He also raised questions about government efficiency: "Determining if county government employment numbers have outpaced population." ## Envisioning Success Johnson led the council through an exercise projecting three years into the future, asking them to write what they would want to list as council or county accomplishments by 2029. While the specific responses weren't detailed in the transcript, the discussion that followed emphasized celebrating incremental progress rather than waiting for complete solutions. The council recognized the importance of communicating achievements to the public, even when addressing complex problems that may require years or decades to fully resolve. They discussed focusing not just on problems requiring significant funding, but also on identifying actions that could make meaningful differences without major budget implications. ## Environmental Context and Constraints The final facilitated exercise examined political, economic, social, technological, environmental, and legal factors that will influence the council's work. This environmental scan helped council members consider how external forces—from federal policy changes to technological developments to climate impacts—will shape their decision-making and constrain or enable their options. Johnson highlighted emerging themes from the day's discussions and outlined next steps for developing more detailed goals and objectives around the strategic issues identified. The work could continue with staff support or through additional facilitated sessions. ## Closing Reflections As the retreat wound down after nearly seven hours, council members and Johnson reflected on the day's process. The retreat successfully accomplished its dual mission: providing practical education on council operations while creating space for strategic thinking about the council's priorities and approach. The combination of operational briefings and strategic planning reflected the reality of local government—success requires both mastering the administrative machinery of governance and maintaining clear focus on community needs and goals. From public records compliance to flood mitigation strategy, from travel reimbursement forms to comprehensive plan timelines, the day illustrated how the mundane and the momentous interweave in effective governance. The decisions made—hiring an intern, appointing hiring committee members—were relatively minor in scope but reflected the council's attention to building capacity and maintaining continuity. The strategic discussions, while just beginning, laid groundwork for the more detailed priority-setting and goal development that will guide the council's work through 2026 and beyond. As Chair Galloway gaveled the meeting to a close at 4:26 p.m., the council had not solved Whatcom County's challenges, but they had created a framework for addressing them systematically and collaboratively. The retreat exemplified local democracy at work—messy, detailed, sometimes tedious, but ultimately focused on the practical business of serving community needs through effective governance.