Whatcom County Council Public Works & Health Committee

The Whatcom County Council Public Works & Health Committee met for a brief but substantive 25-minute session focused entirely on flood recovery efforts from the recent Nooksack River flooding. The meeting demonstrated the county's multi-pronged approach to disaster response, addressing both immediate family assistance and long-term infrastructure planning. The committee received updates on three critical flood-related initiatives. Health and Community Services reported progress on deploying $750,000 in Healthy Children's Fund dollars for vulnerable families, with two organizations already selected for funding through an expedited application process designed to bypass typical bureaucratic delays. Public Works provided a comprehensive briefing on the February 2nd Floodplain Integrated Planning (FLIP) meeting involving 65 partners, which reviewed the Nooksack River Integrated Floodplain Action Plan combining early action projects with long-term construction needs across all river reaches. The committee unanimously approved a resolution calling on Washington State officials and the congressional delegation to pressure federal agencies to release hazard mitigation grant funds that have been stalled at the Department of Homeland Security for six months. The resolution addresses approximately $100,000 in approved but unobligated funds for home elevations and property acquisitions, with Council Member Scanlon noting the "ridiculous" nature of requiring cabinet-level approval for such amounts. The meeting highlighted significant challenges facing the county's flood response efforts. The five-year early action infrastructure plan carries an estimated $182 million price tag, while the county has requested only $15 million from the state legislature, creating a massive funding gap that will require coordinated federal and state advocacy. Technical modeling has revealed that historic levees and sediment accumulation have reduced the Nooksack River's capacity, lowering the threshold for water to overtop and flood Everson, Nooksack, Sumas, and areas extending into Canada.

**AB 2026-129** - Resolution requesting federal hazard mitigation grant release: **APPROVED 7-0** - Calls on Washington State officials and congressional delegation to pressure DHS to release approved HMGP funds - Addresses funds stalled at cabinet level for six months - Council Member Scanlon will coordinate with congressional delegation and governor's office **AB 2026-150** - Healthy Children's Fund disaster assistance update: **REPORTED** - $750,000 allocated for vulnerable families with children affected by flooding - Two organizations selected for funding through expedited RFP process - Rolling weekly application deadlines continuing through February **AB 2026-149** - Public Works flood response update: **REPORTED** - Briefing on February 2nd FLIP meeting with 65 partners - Review of Nooksack River Integrated Floodplain Action Plan - Full flood update scheduled for February 24th Council meeting

**Council Member Jon Scanlon**, on federal grant delays: "I think it's ridiculous that $100,000 in spending is on that desk. To me, that's micromanagement that is not needed." **Public Works Director Elizabeth Kosa**, on decision-making for flood projects: "Public Works is not going to make that decision. Policy should be making that decision, and so we're going to be bringing what that looks like, and if it's not palatable, then we need to have those answers of what mechanism would you like us to follow next." **Council Member Jessica Rienstra**, on the urgency of flood mitigation: "I think as many others, very antsy to get the work started, but I appreciate the safety and all that goes into making sure those plans are appropriate." **Sarah Simpson**, on the expedited assistance process: "We have intentionally designed a faster and more flexible process than our typical multi-page RFP process for the Healthy Children's Fund storm recovery dollars." **Council Member Jessica Rienstra**, on compounding flood trauma: "The funding for recovery for the 21 flooding that didn't come through from constituents that I've had a chance to learn from would have prevented the recurrent damage that they have now seen from 25." **Ann Beck**, on contracting challenges: "Our systems are not built for speed as we know, right?"

# Whatcom County Council Public Works & Health Committee — A Morning of Recovery Planning and Federal Frustrations ## Meeting Overview The Whatcom County Council Public Works & Health Committee convened at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, February 10th, 2026, in the county courthouse's hybrid chamber. Committee Chair Elizabeth Boyle led six of seven council members present (Mark Stremler stepped away briefly at the start), focusing on three critical items: disaster assistance funding for flood-impacted families, an update on comprehensive flood response planning, and a resolution to pressure federal officials to release long-stalled hazard mitigation funds. The 25-minute meeting reflected a county still grappling with the cascading effects of repeated flooding, particularly the devastating impacts on the Nooksack River corridor communities of Sumas, Everson, and Nooksack. What emerged was both progress and frustration — rapid mobilization of children's fund resources contrasted sharply with federal bureaucracy that has left approved disaster grants sitting untouched for months. ## The Rapid Response: $750,000 Children's Fund Mobilization Sarah Simpson, supervisor for Children and Family Programs within Whatcom County Health and Community Services, opened with what she called her "first visit with you all of the new year" — though it felt like much longer given the emergency response work underway. Her update revealed a department working to break its own bureaucratic patterns in service of flood recovery. "We have intentionally designed a faster and more flexible process than our typical multi-page RFP process for the Healthy Children's Fund storm recovery dollars," Simpson explained. Rather than the usual three-to-six-week timeline, they created a simple online application with rolling weekly deadlines, aiming "to get proposals in within the first week, not weeks later, so we could move more resources out as quickly as possible." The approach appears to be working. Simpson reported receiving four applications so far, with two moving toward approval. The decision-making committee — herself, Amy Rydell, and Emergency Management's Matt Klein — meets every Friday to review submissions and advance funding decisions in parallel with due diligence questions. Council Member Ben Elenbaas pressed for specifics about the funding distribution. Simpson noted they planned "a big hunk for one of those organizations" that could serve "a real wide swath of the families," while a second organization would receive smaller funding to serve "a much higher need family with appropriate with some trained social workers and therapists to do some more intensive supportive services." The language coverage and intensity of services seemed well-matched to needs, Simpson suggested, though she acknowledged gaps might emerge as more applications arrived. Mark Stremler asked about deadlines. "So what we decided to do was a rolling deadline so we could start reviewing applications immediately," Simpson responded. "Typically with an RFP process we have to wait three to six weeks. We didn't want to do that." Applications would continue in weekly cycles through February, with funding continuing "until all the money is spent or we feel like the need has been met." But when would families actually see help? Simpson acknowledged uncertainty about contract timelines — "our systems are not built for speed as we know, right?" — before Anne Beck, Community Health and Human Services Manager, provided more concrete estimates. "Because we are it was kind of all this was put out during the emergency declaration period. We don't have to follow the usual protocols," Beck explained. "That being said, we're being very... It's the first time money, this money has gone towards emergency response in this way. So we're trying to be thoughtful." Beck estimated contracts could be written within one to two weeks, then would require review by finance, legal, and the executive's office — likely meaning "two to three weeks before I think anything's there." However, she noted existing emergency contracts with North Sound ACH and Whatcom Long-Term Recovery Group were already funding some community work, providing immediate capacity while the Children's Fund contracts developed. Council Member Jessica Rienstra asked about public access to information about funded programs. Simpson indicated they would likely post updates on the main Healthy Children's Fund webpage and coordinate with communications staff to ensure families knew where to access resources. The presentation revealed a department learning to move faster while maintaining accountability — a balance many local governments struggled with during disaster response. ## The Comprehensive Challenge: Flood Planning Across the Basin Public Works Director Elizabeth Cosa followed with an update from the February 2nd "flow split meeting" — a gathering that demonstrated both the complexity of flood management and the breadth of partnerships required to address it. The meeting brought together over 65 people representing small cities, the Nooksack Indian Tribe, diking districts, the governor's office, and state and federal representatives. "The purpose of the Tuesday meeting was to review the Nooksack River Integrated Floodplain Action Plan, which we are calling the Integrated Action Plan," Cosa explained. This comprehensive plan "combines early action and long-term construction projects for all reaches and forks of the Nooksack River with basin-wide strategies like land use policies, acquisitions, and home elevations." The meeting focused particularly on the "flow split reach" — the critical area connecting three river segments from Deming to Everson (reach 4), Everson to the Guide Meridian (reach 3), and Everson to Sumas (reach 5). This intersection point has become central to flood management challenges affecting multiple communities. The group acknowledged sobering realities. Recent flooding "placed almost 600 families in need of assistance with over 50% of those being located in the Sumas area," with many still recovering from 2021 flooding. Technical modeling confirmed that "historic levees and sediment accumulation have narrowed the channel, lowering the threshold for water to overtop at the Everson overflow and flood Everson, Nooksack, Sumas, and even into Canada." Perhaps most challenging was the recognition of "downstream effect trade-offs" — that "increasing river capacity near Everson may inadvertently increase flood risks for downstream communities towards Bellingham Bay." This finding from recent modeling highlighted how flood management involves complex hydraulic relationships where helping one community might harm another. Cosa noted that partners acknowledged "the plan currently lacks sufficient measures for Sumas," with the county and city now "co-developing specific infrastructure projects to bridge that gap." The plan remained incomplete, with the FLIP team seeking feedback on additional needed projects. A major focus involved "sequencing and determining which projects must happen first to avoid negative downstream impacts." The "widen the Everson corridor" emerged as an identified early action, currently in phase one conceptual design to create side channels near the Everson bridge for increased flow capacity. Council Member John Scanlon raised critical questions about coordination with comprehensive planning. "A lot of this, in my mind, is linked to the comprehensive plan," he noted, asking whether potential infrastructure like ring dikes aligned with cities' urban growth area plans. "I think this is really important to make sure that we're aligning those plans with the flood mitigation plans," Scanlon emphasized. Cosa couldn't answer immediately, noting Scanlon had sent detailed questions just the day before, but promised follow-up information for the February 24th meeting. Jessica Rienstra pressed for implementation timelines. Cosa explained they were still in early phases, with key decisions ahead about scope and downstream impacts. "Policy should be making that decision," she emphasized, noting Public Works would bring options to council members about acceptable trade-offs and next steps. The funding challenge was stark: while the county requested $15 million from the state legislature, the total five-year early action project need approached $182 million — "a significant funding gap" requiring "a unified push by all local, tribal, and state partners to secure this federal or state funding." Council Member Mark Stremler requested that when the plan became public, it should include information about which organizations were involved in the process — a transparency measure for such a complex multi-jurisdictional effort. ## Federal Frustration: The Stalled Hazard Mitigation Grants The meeting's final substantive item addressed a different kind of flooding challenge — bureaucratic rather than hydraulic. Committee Chair Boyle introduced a resolution requesting Washington state officials and congressional delegation help secure release of approved Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funds that have been stalled at the federal level since summer. Julie Anderson from Public Works, appearing remotely, explained the situation. The county had two HMGP grants that were already awarded and nearly spent down, including an elevation grant. But two additional grants — another elevation grant and an acquisition grant — had been "awaiting award and obligation since summer." "We have been pushing and trying to get information periodically from our partners at Washington EMD," Anderson reported. The state emergency management division had done its part, submitting final applications to FEMA promptly. But then "FEMA had to forward everything up to the DHS secretary for approval. And so that has been taking the most amount of time. That's what we've been really, where it's been stalled for the past six months." The resolution aimed to highlight that "Whatcom and Washington EMD have done everything they can. And the ball is actually sitting with DHS and FEMA." Boyle thanked constituent Elliot Sweeney for initiating the resolution request, demonstrating how individual advocacy could translate into official action. The council's discussion revealed active engagement with federal officials. John Scanlon reported reaching out to the congressional delegation and governor's office, plus getting a contact in the state attorney general's office through Jeremy in the governor's office. "I think it's ridiculous that $100,000 in spending is on that desk," Scanlon stated. "To me, that's micromanagement that is not needed. And this money's been sitting there now for a few years and impacts folks." Kaylee Galloway suggested coordinating with other counties to engage additional Congress members, noting that "demonstrating the sort of statewide impact of these sorts of things can go a long way." Jessica Rienstra connected the delays to ongoing community harm. She had learned from constituents that "the funding for recovery for the 21 flooding that didn't come through from constituents that I've had a chance to learn from would have prevented the recurrent damage that they have now seen from 25." This illustrated how bureaucratic delays compound disaster impacts, leaving families vulnerable to repeated flooding that could have been prevented. The motion to recommend the resolution passed unanimously 7-0, reflecting council frustration with federal processes that seem disconnected from local emergency needs. ## Closing & What's Ahead The meeting adjourned at 11:25 a.m. with several follow-up commitments in place. Director Cosa promised to email a summary of the flood planning update and return February 24th with comprehensive information on early action projects, including "prioritization, pre-construction, design, fundraising, and permit needs." The resolution would move to full council for final approval, while council members continued federal advocacy efforts to unlock the stalled hazard mitigation funds. The overall tone reflected a local government working both to innovate rapid response mechanisms and to navigate complex multi-jurisdictional challenges — while battling federal bureaucracy that seemed indifferent to local urgency. The contrast between the Health Department's week-long application cycles and federal grants sitting stalled for months captured the tension between local responsiveness and distant oversight that often characterizes disaster recovery. As the county continued planning for long-term flood resilience while managing immediate recovery needs, the meeting demonstrated both the complexity of the challenge and the determination of local officials to find solutions despite systemic obstacles.

## MODULE S1: STUDY GUIDE **Meeting ID:** WHA-CON-PWH-2026-02-10 A structured study guide helping readers understand the meeting's content and context. Written for a general civic audience — assume no prior knowledge of the issues. ### Meeting Overview The Whatcom County Council Public Works and Health Committee met on February 10, 2026, to receive updates on flood recovery assistance for families and discuss federal grant funding delays. The committee focused on disaster response activities following recent flooding in the Nooksack River area. ### Key Terms and Concepts **Healthy Children's Fund:** A county program that provides grants to organizations serving children and families, which was redirected to provide $750,000 in emergency disaster assistance after recent flooding. **Request for Proposal (RFP):** The normal lengthy process organizations must complete to apply for county funding, which was streamlined for flood recovery to speed up assistance. **Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP):** Federal grants through FEMA that help communities reduce future disaster risks through projects like home elevations and property acquisitions. **Nooksack River Integrated Floodplain Action Plan (FLIP):** A comprehensive plan combining early action and long-term construction projects for all areas of the Nooksack River system. **Flow Split:** A critical area of the Nooksack River system connecting three reaches from Deming to Everson, Everson to Guide Meridian, and Everson to Sumas. **Department of Homeland Security (DHS):** The federal agency where approved HMGP grants have been stalled for six months awaiting the secretary's signature. **UGA/UGA Reserves:** Urban Growth Areas and reserves - designated areas where cities plan future development, which may conflict with flood mitigation infrastructure needs. **Ring Dikes:** Protective levees built around communities to prevent flood damage, mentioned as potential infrastructure for Everson and Nooksack. ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Elizabeth Boyle | Committee Chair, County Council | | Sarah Simpson | Supervisor, Children and Family Programs, Health and Community Services | | Anne Beck | Community Health and Human Services Manager | | Elizabeth Kosa | Public Works Department Director | | Julie Anderson | Public Works Department (participated remotely) | | Barry Buchanan | County Council Member | | Ben Elenbaas | County Council Member | | Kaylee Galloway | County Council Member | | Jessica Rienstra | County Council Member | | Jon Scanlon | County Council Member | | Mark Stremler | County Council Member | ### Background Context Whatcom County has experienced repeated flooding, most recently in early 2026 following significant flooding in 2021. The recent flooding placed almost 600 families in need of assistance, with over 50% located in the Sumas area. Many families are still recovering from the 2021 flood, creating compounding trauma and financial hardship. The county has been working on both immediate disaster assistance and long-term flood mitigation planning. However, federal bureaucracy has created delays in getting approved funding to homeowners who need help elevating their homes or relocating. Meanwhile, the county is wrestling with how flood mitigation infrastructure might conflict with cities' growth plans. ### What Happened — The Short Version The committee received three main updates. First, county staff explained how they're speeding up the process to get $750,000 in emergency aid to flood-affected families through a streamlined application process rather than the usual lengthy bureaucratic procedures. Four organizations have applied so far, with two moving forward. Second, the Public Works Director briefed the committee on a recent meeting of 65 partners working on the comprehensive flood plan for the Nooksack River. This plan combines immediate projects with long-term solutions, but faces a major funding gap - they've requested $15 million from the state but need $182 million total over five years. Third, the committee unanimously approved a resolution asking state and federal officials to pressure the Department of Homeland Security to release already-approved grant money that has been sitting on the secretary's desk for six months. This delay prevents homeowners from getting help to elevate or relocate their flood-prone properties. ### What to Watch Next - The committee will receive a full flood update with specific project details on February 24th - Staff will continue reviewing disaster assistance applications on a rolling weekly basis through February - The comprehensive flood action plan will be made public, though no specific date was given ---

## MODULE S2: FLASH CARDS **Meeting ID:** WHA-CON-PWH-2026-02-10 **Q:** How much money has the county allocated for disaster assistance to families with children? **A:** Up to $750,000 from the Healthy Children's Fund for disaster assistance for vulnerable families with children. **Q:** Who makes the funding decisions for the disaster assistance applications? **A:** Sarah Simpson, Amy Rydell, and Matt Klein - the same three people who created the application process. **Q:** How many families were placed in need of assistance from the recent flooding? **A:** Almost 600 families, with over 50% located in the Sumas area. **Q:** What is the total estimated cost for the five-year early action flood projects? **A:** Approximately $182 million, creating a significant funding gap since the county has only requested $15 million from the state. **Q:** How many partners attended the February 2nd flood planning meeting? **A:** Over 65 partners, including officials from small cities, the Nooksack Indian Tribe, diking districts, governor's office, and state/federal representatives. **Q:** Where have the approved HMGP grants been stalled for six months? **A:** At the Department of Homeland Security, awaiting the secretary's approval after FEMA forwarded the applications. **Q:** What is the "flow split" area in flood planning? **A:** A critical area connecting three reaches: Deming to Everson (reach 4), Everson to Guide Meridian (reach 3), and Everson to Sumas (reach 5). **Q:** How did the county speed up the disaster assistance application process? **A:** They created a simple online application with rolling weekly deadlines instead of the typical multi-page RFP process that takes 3-6 weeks. **Q:** What concern did Council Member Scanlon raise about flood infrastructure? **A:** Whether potential flood infrastructure like ring dikes align with cities' Urban Growth Area plans and reserves. **Q:** Who initiated the resolution about federal grant delays? **A:** Constituent Elliot Sweeney brought the issue to the council's attention. **Q:** How many disaster assistance applications have been received so far? **A:** Four applications, with two moving forward for funding approval. **Q:** When will the council receive a full flood update with project details? **A:** February 24th, 2026. **Q:** What is FLIP in the context of flood planning? **A:** The Floodplain Integrated Planning team working on the Nooksack River Integrated Floodplain Action Plan. **Q:** What agencies are already helping with emergency contracts? **A:** North Sound ACH and Whatcom Long-Term Recovery Group have emergency response contracts in place. **Q:** What was the unanimous vote result on the HMGP resolution? **A:** 7-0 in favor, with all committee members voting yes. **Q:** How long have the HMGP elevation and acquisition grants been awaiting approval? **A:** Since summer 2025, approximately six months. **Q:** What challenge does increasing river capacity near Everson create? **A:** It may inadvertently increase flood risks for downstream communities toward Bellingham Bay. **Q:** What timeline did staff estimate for families to start receiving disaster assistance? **A:** Two to three weeks for contracts to be finalized, though they're working to expedite the process. **Q:** What agencies were mentioned as already serving flood-affected families? **A:** Lydia Place and the Opportunity Council, which receive ongoing county funding for housing assistance. ---