Whatcom County Council Special Committee of the Whole

The Whatcom County Council held its annual reorganization meeting to allocate leadership positions and committee assignments for 2026, continuing the collaborative approach established following the council's expansion to seven members. Council Member Kaylee Galloway was reappointed as Council Chair, Jon Scanlon as Vice Chair, and Barry Buchanan as Executive Pro-Tempore after a competitive vote. The most significant change this year was the introduction of alternate appointments for nearly all external committees, a proactive measure designed to ensure consistent representation when primary appointees cannot attend meetings. The reorganization process revealed the council's emphasis on continuity and expertise-based appointments. Chair Galloway retained most of her regional leadership roles, including the Washington State Association of Counties positions and various environmental committees. Council Member Buchanan continued his focus on justice and behavioral health committees, while other members secured positions aligned with their professional backgrounds and interests. The meeting highlighted ongoing challenges with inactive committees, particularly the Local Emergency Planning Committee, Public Defense Advisory, and Multi-Agency Coordination Group, which reportedly have not met recently. Council members committed to proactive outreach to ensure these committees resume regular operations, recognizing their importance for county emergency preparedness and public safety coordination. One appointment was deferred until February 3rd when the Council will convene as the Health Board. The council chose to handle the Health Board chair and potential vice chair appointments during that meeting to ensure proper procedural compliance and allow more time for members to consider vice chair roles. The session demonstrated efficient collaborative governance, with most appointments handled through consensus or friendly competition. The introduction of systematic alternate appointments reflects the council's maturation as a seven-member body committed to reliable inter-jurisdictional participation.

**Leadership Positions:** - Council Chairperson: Kaylee Galloway (7-0) - Council Vice-Chairperson: Jon Scanlon (7-0) - Executive Pro-Tempore: Barry Buchanan (5 votes) vs. Mark Stremler (2 votes) - Health Board Chair: Deferred to February 3rd Health Board meeting (7-0) **Major Committee Appointments:** - Council of Governments: Jessica Rienstra and Jon Scanlon to full council, Rienstra as Transportation Policy Board lead with Scanlon as alternate - Lake Whatcom Policy Group: Kaylee Galloway and Jessica Rienstra (7-0) - Joint Advisory Workgroup for Justice Project: Barry Buchanan, Kaylee Galloway, Mark Stremler (7-0) - Whatcom Transportation Authority: Barry Buchanan (5 votes) and Jessica Rienstra (4 votes) **Competitive Appointments:** - Intergovernmental Tribal Relations: Jon Scanlon (6 votes) and Jessica Rienstra (5 votes) over Ben Elenbaas (3 votes) - Northwest Clean Air Agency: Kaylee Galloway (4 votes) over Ben Elenbaas (3 votes) **Innovation:** Introduction of alternate appointments for most committees to ensure consistent county representation when primary appointees cannot attend.

**Council Chair Kaylee Galloway, on committee alternates:** "I suppose if there's interest of council, we could also move with appointing an alternate proactively. So in the event that the lead council member isn't able to make a meeting, that the alternate would be somebody who could step in their place." **Council Member Ben Elenbaas, on Northwest Clean Air Agency appointment:** "There's no one on this council that's more knowledgeable in air compliance. There's no one on this council that has more experience in, in the area. And, you know, if we're trying to put folks in positions that can be helpful, there's probably no one on the council that would have more insight into, again, what good looks like when it comes to clean air, regulatory type of situations." **Council Member Jon Scanlon, on tribal relations:** "This is an area where we really need some leadership from the executive's office. I mean, I hate to, like, call this out, but I think we should. And I think this is an area where I know last year I think it was or was it 24? The executive said he'd be putting together I think it was an annual convening." **Council Member Ben Elenbaas, on emergency planning expertise:** "The reason I want to do it is because I have a lot of training in emergency response and so I tend to want to be involved in things that I can be helpful. And this is something that I'm not only trained in, but I have a lot of relationships in the area and I think I've also been involved in a lot of responses." **Council Member Jon Scanlon, on ferry coordination:** "The other thing I'll just add on this, the other meetings I started attending recently was, This started in a conversation in Swiss, the Skagit, Whatcom Island, Snohomish, San Juan meetings, and there's gonna be a launch of a county ferry caucus." **Council Member Ben Elenbaas, on the Nooksack Tribe letter:** "I also think it's very incredibly, the letter that the Nooksack tribe put out yesterday is incredibly encouraging and I think bodes well for having this group come together."

## Meeting Overview On the morning of January 13th, 2026, all seven members of the Whatcom County Council gathered in the Council Chambers for their annual reorganization meeting. This Special Committee of the Whole session, held in hybrid format starting at 9:17 a.m., represented one of the most fundamental procedural responsibilities of any governing body: organizing itself for the year ahead. Council Chair Kaylee Galloway opened the meeting by acknowledging the new accessibility requirements for 2026, asking members to turn on their cameras for better public access. What followed was an hour and fifteen minutes of methodical work through dozens of committee appointments, leadership positions, and intergovernmental assignments. While reorganization meetings can appear routine, this one revealed the complexity of modern county governance — Whatcom County Council members serve on more than 50 different committees, boards, and regional bodies. The council was working from a "Committee Preferences" document that members had apparently filled out in advance, indicating their desired appointments. The meeting would test the diplomatic skills of council members as they navigated competing interests for the same positions while trying to ensure broad participation across the council's work. ## Leadership Positions: Continuity and Consensus The first order of business was selecting the council's leadership team for 2026. Chair Kaylee Galloway was unanimously reappointed to serve another term as council chairperson. The position carries significant responsibility beyond presiding over meetings — the chair also serves on the Law Library Board, the SWISS Executive Committee, and the County Finance Committee. "I've got myself council member Galloway who would like to serve again," Galloway said, asking if anyone else wished to be considered. Seeing no other nominations, Council Member Barry Buchanan quickly moved to nominate Galloway, with Jessica Rienstra providing the second. The 7-0 vote reflected the council's satisfaction with Galloway's leadership in what appears to have been her first term as chair. The vice chair selection was equally straightforward. John Scanlon had nominated himself, and with no other candidates, Mark Stremler moved to confirm the appointment. Scanlon's selection as vice chair was also approved unanimously. The Executive Pro Tempore position — which cannot be held by someone serving on the Council of Governments — generated more interest. Three members initially sought the role: Barry Buchanan, John Scanlon, and Mark Stremler. However, Scanlon withdrew, leaving a contest between Buchanan and Stremler. After some clarification about voting procedures — "we would move to a point both, but then we'd only vote for one, and the highest vote getter would be the person who moves into that position" — the council voted. Buchanan prevailed with five votes (from Galloway, Rienstra, Scanlon, Boyle, and himself) while Stremler received two (from himself and Ben Elenbaas). There was a brief delay as Elenbaas entered the room late but confirmed his vote for Stremler. ## The Alternate Appointment Innovation One of the more interesting developments was Chair Galloway's suggestion to appoint alternate members to various committees. "I suppose if there's interest of council, we could also move with appointing an alternate proactively," she explained. "So in the event that the lead council member isn't able to make a meeting, that the alternate would be somebody who could step in their place, somebody who's included on the emails, can attend the meetings if they wish, can kind of follow along." This represented a shift from past practice, where historically only one council member was appointed to each external committee. The idea sparked a brief discussion about voting rights and bylaws, with Scanlon noting that some entities have different rules about whether alternates can vote in the primary member's absence. "My question would be in some of these, we are ex officio and we don't have a vote and some we do have a vote," Scanlon said. "So I just want to make sure if we do have an alternate present and there's a vote for council that they would be able to... that may involve looking through code and bylaws and some things." Despite these procedural questions, the council embraced the alternate approach for most appointments, allowing broader participation in the county's committee work and providing backup coverage for busy members. ## Climate and Natural Resources Appointments The Lake Whatcom Policy Group appointment demonstrated the council's new approach to broader participation. Both Galloway and Rienstra sought appointment to this committee, which requires its members to also serve on the Climate Action and Natural Resources Committee. Rienstra noted this requirement for clarification: "Just a point of clarification, these two members both must be on the Climate Action and Natural Resources Committee." With the new seven-member committee structure, any council member was now eligible. The motion to appoint both members passed unanimously, reflecting the importance of lake management in the county. The Climate Impact Advisory Committee appointment went solely to Galloway, who noted, "I'm pretty good about attending these ones, but I would also always welcome a partner in that work." No one else stepped forward for this three-year, non-voting position, and Galloway was appointed unanimously. ## The EMS Oversight Board Negotiation One of the more complex negotiations involved the EMS Oversight Board, where both Galloway and Elenbaas expressed strong interest. The discussion revealed ongoing concerns about emergency medical services in the county. "I almost wish all three of us could serve on these ones," Galloway said, including Rienstra in her comment about the value of multiple perspectives on emergency services oversight. Elenbaas made his case: "I do like the EMS oversight committee and I feel like we have some unfinished business there. So I kind of want to stay involved in that one... And I think you should too. This is what I'm trying to tell you, because I think we have some unfinished business there." Eventually, they worked out an arrangement where Galloway would serve as the representative with Elenbaas as alternate, though Rienstra withdrew from consideration after initially expressing interest. ## Northwest Clean Air Agency Contest The most contentious appointment involved the Northwest Clean Air Agency, where both Galloway and Elenbaas sought the position. Elenbaas made an impassioned case based on his professional expertise: "For the last six years, air compliance is my job. It's what I do. There's no one on this council that's more knowledgeable in air compliance. There's no one on this council that has more experience in the area. And if we're trying to put folks in positions that can be helpful, there's probably no one on the council that would have more insight into, again, what good looks like when it comes to clean air, regulatory type of situations." However, Scanlon raised a potential conflict of interest concern: "Councilor Elenbaas, in your work, are you regulated by this agency in your work?" When Elenbaas confirmed that yes, he was regulated by the agency, Scanlon expressed reservations: "So that's the only thing that gives me pause. And I would say that for anybody else... this one particularly because it is a regulatory agency that does give me pause." Elenbaas pushed back, noting that industry representatives commonly serve on such bodies: "You don't think that industry has representatives on there too. It's not like it's unheard of." The vote was close, with Galloway receiving four votes (from herself, Rienstra, Scanlon, and Boyle) while Elenbaas received three (from himself, Stremler, and Buchanan). This was one of the few appointments where professional expertise wasn't the deciding factor, with conflict-of-interest concerns weighing more heavily. ## Intergovernmental Relations and Tribal Collaboration The Intergovernmental Tribal Relations Committee generated significant discussion about the county's relationship with local tribes. Four members initially expressed interest: Boyle, Elenbaas, Rienstra, and Scanlon, for two positions. Elenbaas spoke about his existing work in the area: "Council member Scanlon and I were on this committee last year and we've... We haven't done many official intergovernmental relations, but we have done a lot of unofficial work. And I think that this committee is going to be incredibly important over the next few years with adjudication, flooding, and coordinating solutions to those issues... I think that the work that I've put in to help build those relationships is beneficial and I'd love to continue to do that." Scanlon agreed about the importance but was critical of executive leadership: "And this group hasn't met... And I'm looking over deputy executive. I know the executive isn't here right now, but this is an area where we really need some leadership from the executive's office. I mean, I hate to, like, call this out, but I think we should... I think this is an area where the executive can take some leadership here." Galloway contributed context about other jurisdictions' approaches: "I've been in touch with San Juan County and they actually, I believe last year or so developed a framework for government to government relations with their area tribes... I think that might be a good starting point is to develop something a little bit more formal." Elenbaas also referenced current events: "I also think it's... incredibly, the letter that the Nooksack tribe put out yesterday is incredibly encouraging and I think bodes well for having this group come together." In the end, Boyle withdrew from consideration, and the vote between the remaining three candidates resulted in Scanlon (6 votes) and Rienstra (5 votes) being appointed, with Elenbaas receiving 3 votes. When Galloway suggested making Elenbaas an alternate, he declined: "We don't need to make stuff up to pretend like that didn't just happen." ## Justice Project Complexity Several appointments related to the ongoing Justice Project — the county's major jail and courthouse renovation effort. The Joint Advisory Workgroup for Justice Project Planning required three council members, with the Executive's Office specifically requesting diverse representation. Deputy Executive Kayla Schott-Bresler explained: "I think sort of a diverse representation of the Council body would be helpful to the executive as we work through these issues. We'd like to see... We'd like to be able to anticipate all the types of questions we may get from council members. And so hearing those questions during these work group meetings is helpful to us." The three appointees — Buchanan, Galloway, and Stremler — would meet every two weeks during the validation phase, with Schott-Bresler noting that meetings could come "fast and furious at times." Galloway expressed some concern about her legislative session schedule: "I just know that like I'm going to be in Olympia quite a bit this legislative session. So Q1 is going to be a little bit difficult for me." ## Ferry Advisory Committee and Regional Collaboration Scanlon's appointment to the Whatcom County Ferry Advisory Committee came with discussion of broader regional ferry advocacy efforts. He explained: "I started attending recently was... This started in a conversation in Swiss, the Skagit, Whatcom Island, Snohomish, San Juan meetings, and there's gonna be a launch of a county ferry caucus. So it's counties that run their own ferries, whether that be passenger vehicle ferries, and counties that have state ferry service." The initiative would involve coordinated legislative advocacy both in Olympia and potentially at the federal level, with San Juan County commissioners leading efforts for a nationwide county ferry caucus. ## Whatcom Transportation Authority Competition The Whatcom Transportation Authority appointment required selecting two council members from four candidates: Buchanan, Boyle, Rienstra, and Stremler. The voting was close, with Buchanan receiving five votes and Rienstra four, while Stremler got three and Boyle two. This appointment was notable because the executive had apparently delegated his seat to the council, making both positions council appointments rather than the typical one council member plus one executive appointee. ## Health Board Leadership Deferred In an unusual procedural move, the council decided to defer the Health Board Chair appointment until the first Health Board meeting on February 3rd. Scanlon, who had self-nominated for chair, suggested this approach: "I'm also wondering if we should just take that vote at the first health board meeting because I think technically we should take this action meeting as health board, which we could do right now." The decision also opened the possibility of appointing a vice chair, with Elenbaas expressing interest in that role. This deferral represented careful attention to proper procedural requirements and the Health Board's ability to organize itself. ## Scheduling Conflicts and Practical Considerations Throughout the appointments, practical scheduling concerns repeatedly surfaced. Elenbaas withdrew from the Drayton Harbor & Portage Bay Shellfish Protection Districts appointment due to meeting times: "This is probably with the date and time of this meeting. It's the hardest one for me to make. So I find that I miss it more than I want to... It's usually like a Thursday at 3 o'clock which I work every Thursday and so 3 o'clock is the worst if I work nights and it's the worst if I work days so it's just miserable for me." Scanlon good-naturedly asked, "Do they have oysters at the meeting?" When told no, he agreed to take the lead position with Elenbaas as alternate, promising to "call Terry" — apparently referring to Taylor Shellfish — and bring seasonal offerings to his first meeting. The Public Health Advisory Board's early meeting time also drew comment from Scanlon: "If you're going to be the alternate, you have to like 7 a.m. meetings." These scheduling realities highlighted how practical considerations often influence the complex web of regional governance participation. ## WSAC Leadership Continuity The Washington State Association of Counties (WSAC) appointments showed the value of continuity in regional leadership. Galloway continued as the alternate board member, noting "I have served in this capacity for the last four years and I am often the one attending and voting on behalf of the county and the board meeting." The Legislative Steering Committee appointment kept the same leadership team, with Galloway as lead and Rienstra as alternate. For the Timber Counties Caucus, Scanlon requested to serve as alternate, specifically mentioning ongoing work with the Department of Natural Resources: "I still have my bug in the ear at DNR for making sure Mount Baker School District is made whole. They told us a timeline on that when we voted on it in 24 and we are well beyond that timeline and that's something I want to keep working on with the school district." ## Committees That Don't Meet A recurring theme was committees that exist on paper but haven't been active. The Local Emergency Planning Committee prompted Elenbaas to note, "This has never met since I've been on it." The Public Defense Advisory Committee faced similar issues, with Elenbaas commenting, "I don't recall them scheduling a meeting either." Scanlon emphasized the importance of the Public Defense Advisory Committee given state-level funding issues: "This is another one that needs work, right? And we know what's going on at the state level. This is something that's impacting our finances severely so yeah gosh I I hope this group meets." These dormant committees represented one of the challenges in regional governance — maintaining engagement across dozens of entities with varying levels of activity and different organizational cultures. ## Closing and Next Steps The meeting concluded at 10:33 a.m., about 18 minutes past the planned adjournment time of 10:15. Chair Galloway efficiently moved to adjourn and transition to the next meeting: "With that, we're a little over time, but we've now concluded our annual reorganization of the Whatcom County Council for 2026. I will move to adjourn us here at 10:33 a.m. We will move into Whatcom County Council Finance and Administrative Services Committee, and we'll go ahead and give ourselves five minutes, so 10:38 a.m." Council Member Scanlon offered congratulations: "Congrats, Chair." The reorganization represented more than administrative housekeeping. With assignments to over 50 different committees, boards, and regional bodies, Whatcom County Council members committed to hundreds of additional meeting hours beyond their regular council duties. The appointments reflect the reality of modern county governance — successful local government requires extensive regional collaboration on everything from emergency planning to ferry advocacy to tribal relations. The introduction of alternate appointments throughout most committees suggests a maturation in the council's approach to its regional responsibilities, providing both backup coverage and broader member engagement in specialized policy areas. Whether this innovation will improve the county's effectiveness in regional forums will likely become clear over the coming year as the new appointments take effect.