Whatcom County Council Finance and Administrative Services Committee

The Whatcom County Council Finance and Administrative Services Committee met for just over an hour on February 10, 2026, to consider a packed agenda of 22 action items totaling millions in county spending and policy decisions. The most contentious discussions centered on the county's $8.05 million purchase of a building at 333 32nd Street from Western Washington University to house Planning and Development Services, with Council Members Ben Elenbaas and Mark Stremler expressing strong opposition to the location as too far from the communities PDS serves. The committee recommended approval of 19 consent agenda items worth over $15 million collectively, including controversial funding for needle exchange programs and the Stewart Mountain Community Forest acquisition. Three items were pulled for separate discussion due to ethical concerns from some council members about harm reduction strategies and continued opposition to public land acquisition projects. Four ordinances were discussed for introduction at the evening council meeting, including a $1.8 million supplemental budget request that faces potential delays due to new charter amendment reporting requirements. Finance Director Randy Rydel warned that failure to meet quarterly reporting deadlines could block future budget appropriations, creating uncertainty around the county's financial planning process. The committee ultimately recommended six budget ordinances totaling over $7 million to the full council, with the most significant being capital facility investments including the WWU building purchase, jail facility improvements, and courthouse envelope repairs. Despite philosophical disagreements on some items, most passed with 5-2 or 6-1 margins, reflecting broad support for the county's capital improvement priorities while highlighting ongoing tensions about spending priorities and public service delivery locations.

**Consent Agenda (Items 1-5, 7, 9-10):** Passed 7-0 - $47,479 for emergency management grant programs with Snohomish County - $3 million for Port of Bellingham Fairhaven Marine Industrial Park improvements - $94,107 for What-Comm 911 equipment reimbursement - $50,000 county commitment for Whatcom Racial Equity Commission (city contributing $100,000) - $1,920,916 for Lummi Island Ferry federal funding - $725,761 for North Sound Behavioral Health participation - $20,000 for developmental disabilities training services - $13,540 for Van Zandt Community Hall electrical engineering **AB2026-117 (Needle Exchange Funding):** Passed 6-1 - $166,766 for public health services including needle exchange programs - Council Member Stremler voted no citing ethical concerns about "helping someone use drugs safely" **AB2026-123 (Stewart Mountain Forest):** Passed 5-2 - $665,402 pass-through grant funding for forest land acquisition - Elenbaas and Stremler opposed, citing concerns about taking productive forestland out of commercial use **AB2026-142 (WWU Building Purchase):** Passed 5-2 - $8,056,584 purchase of 333 32nd Street building from Western Washington University - Heated debate over location being too far from communities served by Planning and Development Services **AB2026-147 (WWU Building Lease-Back):** Passed 5-2 - $174,878 revenue from leasing space back to WWU for two years - Elenbaas opposed, calling the rent "too cheap" despite market-rate analysis **Six Budget Ordinances Recommended:** All passed with various margins - Total value over $7 million for capital improvements, facility acquisitions, and infrastructure projects

**Council Member Stremler, on needle exchange programs:** "I just believe helping someone use drugs safely is just ethically challenging for me." **Council Member Elenbaas, on the WWU building purchase:** "This building in my mind should not even ever enter the conversation of a viable option to house planning and development services... Now you're going to drive 2 hours round trip to get denied your permit." **Council Member Galloway, defending the building purchase:** "I do believe that building new construction is really expensive right now. So if I'm being given a choice between spending 8 plus a couple that's already been spent, seems a lot cheaper than 60 to 70 million dollars for phase 1." **Health Director Thomaskutty, on treatment engagement:** "We know that there's multiple typically that are needed before someone initiates recovery, and then we also often find that recovery isn't necessarily successful the first go around." **Council Member Elenbaas, on government land acquisition:** "I would never support taking viable land out of production to turn it into a park... two thirds of our counties that you know, national forest, and there's only so much commercial forest lands available." **Finance Director Rydel, on charter amendment complications:** "I don't know that this charter amendment considered the year-end reporting and the fact that things don't actually close until we just closed them the other day."

# Whatcom County Finance Committee Weighs Property Purchase, Debates Needle Exchange Program ## Meeting Overview The Whatcom County Finance and Administrative Services Committee convened on Tuesday morning, February 10, 2026, in the county courthouse to tackle a packed agenda including the controversial $8 million purchase of Western Washington University's property on 32nd Street for the county's Planning Department. Chairman John Scanlon called the meeting to order at 9:51 a.m., with all seven committee members present: Elizabeth Boyle, Barry Buchanan, Ben Elenbaas, Kaylee Galloway, Jessica Rienstra, and Mark Stremler joining him for what would become a spirited debate over county priorities, public service delivery, and the proper role of government. The meeting ran just over an hour, concluding at 10:54 a.m., but covered substantial ground including consent agenda items worth millions in contracts and agreements, plus significant budget discussions that would set the stage for future county operations and facilities. ## The Needle Exchange Program Debate The committee's most emotionally charged discussion emerged from what seemed like a routine consent item — a $166,766 amendment to a health services agreement with the Washington State Department of Health. Council Member Mark Stremler pulled the item for separate consideration, asking pointed questions about the needle exchange program it would fund. "During these needle exchange times, is the department there to connect with people who have come to participate in that in the way of conversation, perhaps seeing if they want some help with maybe issues they have?" Stremler asked Health and Community Services Director Champ Thomaskutty. Thomaskutty explained the dual purpose: "The attempt is twofold. One to get dirty devices off the street to reduce infectious disease transmission, but the larger goal is to establish communication trust and direction towards recovery services." He described how staff conduct multiple outreach touches across different settings to connect people struggling with substance use to clinical and therapeutic services. When Stremler pressed for specific data on program effectiveness — how many people participate, how many are offered help, and how many follow through — Thomaskutty acknowledged tracking limitations: "To a certain degree. Because we don't necessarily deliver all the care services, there's a gap between knowing necessarily if someone follow through on treatment, but we do track those engagements." Malora Christensen from Health and Community Services added context about the program's strategic location at the Way Station, which allows staff to connect participants to health services, hygiene facilities, medication-assisted treatment, overdose prevention services, and same-day medical appointments through Unity Care. The philosophical divide became clear when the committee voted. Stremler expressed his ethical struggle: "I just believe helping someone use drugs safely is just ethically challenging for me." Council Member Ben Elenbaas offered a conflicted perspective that resonated with the complexity many feel about harm reduction: "I would never say here, let me give you a clean needle son while you inject yourself. So I don't like doing this, but in the absence of the ability to do other things, it's an opportunity for us to make a connection." He continued with his reasoning: "Like I said, I don't like it. I would never do it. That wouldn't be my preferred method, but without other options, like if we had an abundance of treatment facilities and the laws in place to hold people accountable, I would vote no on this. But we don't have that and so it's like, well, I am holding my nose to vote yes for it." Council Member Kaylee Galloway defended the evidence-based approach: "I think having come from a similar mindset on harm reduction programs years ago, and then engaging and seeing how they really can save many lives, reduce overdose deaths by supporting access to naloxone and other life saving treatments... even like Scott County, Indiana, with former governor Mike Pence implemented this to stop and reduce an outbreak. These are public service and public health service methods that are really evidence based and proven." The item ultimately passed 6-1, with only Stremler voting no. The debate revealed the ongoing tension between different approaches to addressing substance use issues, even within a relatively small governing body. ## The Stewart Mountain Forest Purchase Controversy Another consent item that generated significant discussion involved $665,402 in pass-through grant funding for the Stewart Mountain Community Forest purchase. Both Elenbaas and Stremler requested separate votes, revealing deep philosophical differences about the county's role in land acquisition and forest management. Elenbaas laid out his opposition to the project: "It's commercial forestry land, historically been used to support the timber industry. And we're using public funds to make a private land public and I'm generally opposed to that. Two thirds of our county is, you know, national forest, and there's only so much commercial forest lands available." He questioned the county's expertise in forest management: "We're saying that we're going to manage it as a county and continue to harvest and it's just like, we're not in that business." Stremler echoed concerns about resource allocation: "I believe there's been some changes along the way of kind of the ownership model of this entire project, but back in the beginning, there were, you know, claims that well, the harvesting will eventually fund the maintenance that is needed up there. Well, there isn't any harvesting that would be available for years and years down the road, so just the thought of the county managing a property like this, it's just doesn't seem like a fundamental role of Whatcom County." Public Works' Gary Stoyka provided crucial clarification about the transaction: this was actually reimbursement for a purchase already completed in 2022. The county had used conservation futures funding to front the money while waiting for grant funds to be processed. "The purchase of that property is mostly for preservation, not for actual ongoing logging, although that has not completely been determined yet," Stoyka explained. Despite the clarification that this was essentially a bookkeeping correction rather than a new expenditure, Elenbaas acknowledged the awkward position: "What Gary just said is exactly why I said earlier, functionally, this is dumb for me to vote no on this, but it's just a general opposition to the entire project." The item passed 5-2, with Elenbaas and Stremler voting no. ## The $8 Million Property Purchase Decision The committee's most consequential debate centered on the county's proposed $8,056,584 purchase of Western Washington University's building at 333 32nd Street to house the Planning and Development Services department. The discussion revealed fundamental disagreements about government efficiency, public service delivery, and fiscal priorities. Elenbaas launched a sharp critique of the location choice: "This building in my mind should not even ever enter the conversation of a viable option to house planning and development services... It's South Bellingham, it's nowhere near any of the people or parcels or projects that it's serving." He drew parallels to previous county decisions about location importance: "I also think about our conversations that we had around the importance of the sheriff's department to be in a location accessible to the area that they serve. And I find it kind of interesting that in that conversation and in that search for the appropriate space, that was so vital. And then all of a sudden we just forget about that conversation with PDS." The council member painted a picture of bureaucratic indifference to public needs: "To me, this is kind of like people saying you know, man, you couldn't give us worse service than what you give us now. And that's going like, hold my beer. Now you're going to drive two hours round trip to get denied your permit because of a wetland studies that you paid for over the last four years, and we're still going to say no." Planning Director Mark Personius provided context about current service patterns, noting they receive "a couple of dozen walk-ins" per week, with many now using the electronic permitting system. He explained that most walk-ins aren't permit applicants but real estate agents and property researchers. The department also offers phone consultations, emails, Zoom meetings, and pre-application meetings as alternatives to in-person visits. Galloway made a strong case for the purchase, framing it as a fiscally responsible decision given the alternatives: "I do believe that building new construction is really expensive right now. So if I'm being given a choice between spending eight plus a couple that's already been spent, seems a lot cheaper than sixty to seventy million dollars for phase one... to fully build out a new Northwest Annex campus." She emphasized the building's advantages: "I'm looking at this facility and the specs on this facility look incredible. It's got great space... it'll really help us meet our future growth needs for PDS and other potential departments down the road. It's got access to parking, access to freeway... it's a professional building. It's got great access to IT. It's new and modern." Stremler cited public concerns: "The very first time that we heard about this project for myself, I was like, when the public, some of the public hears about this, there's, there might be some pushback and I have received communication with concerns for this." The debate continued with Elenbaas proposing alternatives and questioning priorities: "I could see a world where we can make do for a few years... I could see an option where we, in the public schools when they've outgrown their facility or it's not sufficient, you know, we can throw our kids in portables and that's fine. But here we have to have a state-of-the-art facility." Deputy Executive Kayla Schott-Bresler provided the administration's perspective on immediate needs: "I do want to also reiterate our previous discussions around immediate needs to invest in Northwest Annex, and sort of throw good money after bad in that facility for our Planning Department to stay. If this item is not approved, a very old building, old HVAC needs a new roof." She also highlighted the strategic benefits: "Although Planning and Development Services would be the first and immediate occupant in the new building, this is a key strategy and freeing up space in this courthouse moving Public Works Engineering, potentially other county departments to free up space in this courthouse to speed up our criminal justice process which I know is a priority for this Council." The purchase was approved 5-2, with Elenbaas and Stremler dissenting. The committee also approved a companion two-year lease agreement allowing Western Washington University to continue using part of the building for $174,878, though Elenbaas complained the rent was "too cheap" despite facilities staff confirming it was at market rate. ## Senior Center Funding and Relationships A seemingly routine discussion about establishing a fund for Ferndale Senior Activity Center improvements revealed the complex web of county relationships with senior centers across Whatcom County. Council Member Stremler expressed confusion about the varying arrangements: "Sometimes the relationship that the county has with senior centers is a bit fuzzy to me. I don't always understand how things are funded, how they're not, the connections and so forth." Parks Director Bennett Knox explained that each center has a different arrangement: "Ferndale is unique in that the City of Ferndale owns the grounds, but the county is responsible for maintenance of the building. That is in contrast to other centers where we may own the land and the building, or there are some centers like Blaine where the county does not have responsibility for the building." The discussion highlighted ongoing work to rationalize these relationships. Knox described a working group facilitated by Laura Welker from the Chuckanut Health Foundation that includes representatives from different agencies and cities to "examine the structure that we have in place for senior centers in the community and make some recommendations, do some benchmarking against other communities." Elenbaas shared a personal perspective that illustrated the value of these facilities: "My dad's pretty much, my dad would be what I would describe him as antisocial. And as he's aged and the amount of time and enjoyment he gets out of going to the senior center... I can't speak highly enough about the services that it provides, you know, seniors... I've done a 180 on how much I want to spend money in those locations." The committee agreed to wait for the working group's report in July before taking up broader questions about senior center relationships and funding equity. ## Budget Technicalities and Charter Complications Finance Director Randy Rydel briefed the committee on supplemental budget request number four, worth $1,804,963, but spent considerable time explaining a new complication created by recent charter amendments. The amendment imposed a six-week deadline for quarterly financial reports, with serious consequences for missing the deadline. "If I do not have the report to you guys, which the due date is, I believe, today, which I will not have it by the end of the day... then there are, with a few exceptions, no supplemental budget appropriations may be approved by the Council," Rydel explained. The finance director noted that year-end reports have historically been issued in mid-to-late April due to the complexity of closing county books: "This charter amendment added accountability to that section... I don't know that this charter amendment considered the year-end reporting and the fact that things that don't actually close until we just closed them the other day." Scanlon acknowledged this as a new requirement they'd need to evaluate: "This is something that we'll have to see how it works this year. What works, what doesn't work. And there are options to consider for a council." ## Criminal Justice and Infrastructure Progress Throughout the meeting, references emerged to the county's ambitious capital facilities program. Galloway took a moment to recognize the scope of current projects: "I do want to take this opportunity to thank our staff for the work in this entire effort. I know we've successfully in process of relocating the Sheriff's office, the IT office. We're building a new courtroom. We're doing this. We're building a new behavioral care center. We're building a new jail." The committee also approved continued funding for the courthouse building envelope project, a multi-year effort to address water intrusion issues that began in 2014. Facilities Director Rob Ney explained they should finish the project around 2029, though maintenance will need to continue: "This is really a forever type of project because it was for deferred maintenance for thirty years. So now we're trying to keep it on track so that we spend less each year." ## Routine Business and Future Planning The committee processed several other significant items with minimal discussion, including $3 million for Fairhaven Marine Industrial Park infrastructure improvements, $94,107 for 911 equipment expenses, and funding for the Whatcom Racial Equity Commission. They also approved funding for restroom improvements in Glacier, with Elenbaas noting similar facilities are planned for Birch Bay to ensure equity across districts. The meeting concluded with the committee having processed millions in expenditures and set the stage for future county operations, though not without revealing ongoing tensions about the proper role of government, the balance between efficiency and accessibility, and competing priorities for limited public resources. ## Closing & What's Ahead The meeting adjourned at 10:54 a.m., actually finishing ahead of schedule despite the substantial agenda. Chairman Scanlon noted they'd made up time, allowing the next committee to start promptly at 11 a.m. The committee's work would move to the full council that evening for introduction of ordinances and final consideration of the consent agenda items. The session highlighted the complex balancing act county commissioners face between fiscal responsibility, public service delivery, and competing community needs. While some decisions generated significant debate and split votes, the overall tone remained professional and focused on finding practical solutions to county governance challenges.