## Meeting Overview The Whatcom Communications and Prospect 911 Administrative Board convened on September 25, 2025, for its regular quarterly meeting. The hybrid session brought together representatives from law enforcement agencies, fire districts, and municipal governments across Whatcom County to review budgets and receive updates on the new communications facility under construction. Board members present included Mayor Kim Lund from the City of Bellingham, Councilmember Dan Hammill, Sheriff Bill Tanksley participating remotely, and various fire chiefs and law enforcement officials. The meeting was led by Justin, who recently shed his "interim" title to become the permanent Deputy Director of Whatcom Communications, and Chief Bill Hewitt, who similarly dropped "interim" from his role as Director. Two major items dominated the agenda: approval of the 2026 budgets for both Whatcom Communications (WHATCOM) and the Prospect dispatch center, and a comprehensive update on the new $12 million emergency communications facility nearing the bidding phase. The meeting also featured discussion about potential governance changes to the board's composition. ## 2026 Budget Deliberations ### Whatcom Communications Financial Picture Justin opened the budget presentation by emphasizing the organization's conservative approach for 2026, focusing on limiting expenditures while addressing mandatory increases. "We've really, in 2026, taken the approach at Whatcom of limiting any sort of expenditures," he explained to board members. The primary cost drivers identified were staff wage increases already negotiated through collective bargaining agreements and the ever-rising benefits costs. However, a significant new expense emerged from the City of Bellingham's radio shop, which supervises Whatcom's radio communications equipment. Carol Rothkart from Public Works, who oversees the radio shop, explained that the city was implementing fee increases that had been deferred for years. "They're basically catching themselves up with fees that they've been eating as well for quite a few years, and trying to create a long-term, sustainable model for funding replacement equipment as we go along," Justin noted. The radio equipment itself presents ongoing challenges, becoming "more and more complicated the longer it goes on," as modernization needs continue to emerge. These radio charges represented one of the two largest areas of budget increases for 2026. Justin presented detailed financial documentation spanning five years, demonstrating transparency about where cost increases had occurred. He promised the board a comprehensive presentation in January outlining his vision for the organization's future, including exploration of alternative funding sources and potential applications of artificial intelligence to serve as "a staffing multiplier." ### Prospect Budget: Status Quo Approach Chief Bill Hewitt presented the Prospect budget in the absence of Dan McDermott, who was on vacation. Like Whatcom, Prospect adopted a "status quo budget" approach, recognizing "the current economic climate and the general fund issues that everybody's having." One notable financial development involved a loan that Prospect had taken several years earlier to replace furniture and make technical upgrades. That loan, totaling approximately $175,000 annually, was set to conclude in 2025. Originally, the plan called for continuing to allocate that money toward infrastructure improvements. "Because of everything that's going on, we are not doing that this year or for 26," Chief Hewitt explained. "We're just using that to help offset the increase in cost for wages and benefits." He acknowledged this created future liability but deemed it necessary given current economic conditions. The chief emphasized that he and McDermott had "scrubbed every line item in the budget looking for savings," with the result that "everything that's there is purely off the wages and benefits. There's no increases to programs or services that have been added next year." ### Formula-Driven Revenue Disparities A concerning trend emerged during budget discussions when examining revenue requirements by jurisdiction. Councilmember Dan Hammill noted that total revenues were increasing by approximately $600,000 from 2025 to 2026, with the county bearing a disproportionate share compared to municipal increases. "Much more than the city's increase," Hammill observed, questioning the sustainability of this pattern. Julie, who handles the complex financial calculations, explained that the funding formula had been established around 2010 and involved multiple variables including call volumes, population, and number of sworn officers. "It really involves a lot of moving pieces regarding who holds what calls. It also factors in population of residents and number of foreign officers, and all of those obviously fluctuate throughout the years, and then produce some changes that are sometimes eye-popping and unexpected." The law enforcement formula specifically used: 25% incidents, 25% officers, plus 50% population. Fire and EMS services used a simpler formula based on a three-year rolling average of call volumes to avoid spikes from unusual incidents. ### Understanding the Revenue Structure The financial structure proved complex, with 911 tax dollars collected from cell phone and landline bills applicable only to call-receiving functions, not dispatching services. Julie explained the process: "What Julie does is she takes the money in from the state, and we break off, and we have a call receiving portion... We allocate the budget, we get all of our 911 tax dollars that we can, we apply it towards those call-receiving dollars. 60-40 split, and then whatever is not covered by those tax dollars gets rolled into the dispatching budget." This remaining amount then became subject to the 25-25-50 formula for determining each jurisdiction's contribution. Any changes to this formula would require action by the administrative board, though briefings would be provided to both city and county councils. ### Historical Cost Escalation Concerns Sheriff Bill Tanksley, participating remotely, raised a critical concern about long-term sustainability. Reviewing the Excel spreadsheet provided to board members, he noted that most agencies were paying approximately 100% more in 2026 than they had in 2020. "The question for me, and the question for Councilman Donovan, is... at what point does that trend plateau? Because if we're going to be, you know, the question is, are we going to be another 100% in 5 years?" Tanksley asked. "At some point, we're gonna price ourselves out of dispatching services." Mayor Kim Lund intuited that much of the cost escalation related to FTE (full-time equivalent) increases as Whatcom hired staff to address longstanding staffing shortages. Justin confirmed this analysis, explaining that in 2026, they expected to complete training and reach steady state for staffing levels. "It's this increase in FTEs that we've added, which, you know, have been a long time coming for Wacom. They, you know, we sat stagnant for a long time, staffing-wise, and we finally caught up," Justin said. "And that is expensive, and it's unfortunately timed with a lot of things, like a rapid increase in wages in the post-COVID world." However, he emphasized that major staffing increases would not continue indefinitely. "I don't foresee asking for near as many staffing increases in the coming years. I think we've reached a point where we're going to stabilize." ### Infrastructure Investment Context Chief Hewitt provided important context for the 5-year cost increases, noting that the 2015-2025 period included major infrastructure investments that historically occurred over much longer timeframes. "We replaced, or we purchased our second CAD system in the history of Wacom. That was a major investment that occurred in that time frame... We've replaced all of the consoles at both Prospect and Whatcom. Consoles are approximately $30,000 apiece. We've replaced the telephone system, radio system." These represented "30-year projects that were completed in that 10-year window," creating an unusually expensive period for infrastructure replacement. To address future equipment needs more sustainably, a equipment fund was established in 2023, explaining that year's 30% increase. "So that's a fund that is paid into it every year that goes into the reserves, so that we don't have those things, because those are big ticket items that are going to need to be replaced," Justin explained. "CAD systems don't last forever... Now we have a fund where we can make those responsible decisions." This approach meant that future major equipment replacements could occur without requiring additional funding requests to member jurisdictions. After discussion, the board unanimously approved both the Whatcom and Prospect budgets for 2026. ## New Emergency Communications Facility Update ### Project Timeline and Bidding Process Carol Rothkart from Public Works provided a comprehensive update on the new $12 million emergency communications facility, which was approaching the critical bidding phase. "The project is close to bidding. We anticipate bidding in middle of October," she announced. Early indications suggested strong contractor interest. "There's been a lot of good feedback from the contracting community that people are eager for this project, which is great. It could bode well for us on bidding day." The project timeline called for presenting the bid award to the Bellingham City Council on October 8th, with October 15th as a backup date. The goal was to have the contract approved before year-end, with the actual contracting process taking additional time to complete. ### Complex Four-Phase Construction Plan The facility construction would unfold in four distinct phases designed to maintain continuous emergency communications operations throughout the process. **Phase 1: Pre-construction and Procurement** involved the bidding process and contractor selection. **Phase 2: New Facility Construction** would create significant challenges for current operations. "These are very, very tight quarters," Rothkart explained, showing site plans. "Essentially, the full lower half of the site will be unavailable to the staff." During this phase, construction fencing would bisect the property, forcing staff to use a revised entrance through the kitchen area rather than the normal entry. All parking would shift to on-street locations for the project duration, creating what Rothkart diplomatically termed "some inconvenience." **Phase 3: Transition Period** would see both old and new facilities operating simultaneously. "Both facilities will remain operational. There will be a transition period once we get it fully operational in the new space. We'll then cut the ties, but we'll have access to both facilities for a period of time in order to ensure that there's continuity of service throughout this process." **Phase 4: Demolition and Final Landscaping** would remove the existing building and complete site work along Alabama Street. The entire construction schedule was estimated at 420 days, longer than typical due to the phasing requirements and need to maintain continuous emergency services operations. ### Facility Design Features The new facility was designed with significant capacity improvements and employee wellness considerations. The dispatch floor would accommodate 16 stations initially, with room for expansion to 20 stations in the future. This represented a doubling of capacity from the current 8 stations, which frequently experienced space constraints. "For the board's reference, we currently have 8 and are frequently out of space. So, this is going to be huge for our ability to serve the community," Justin noted. The building would include a dedicated boardroom equipped with modern technology, ending the need for board meetings in makeshift spaces. "These meetings won't have to happen in the fireplace room anymore," Rothkart observed with evident enthusiasm. Employee wellness received particular attention in the design, reflecting the high-stress nature of emergency communications work. The plans included a respite area off the kitchen designed for decompression after difficult calls. "It's meant to be calming, it's meant to be engaging for the people so they can decompress after difficult calls, things like that. We're really focused on making this space usable to the employees and to support employee retainage." ### Financial Structure and Debt Service The project maintained its $12 million budget through strategic use of incentives and careful financial planning. Forest from city finance explained that significant savings would come from direct-pay incentives applicable to the ground source heat HVAC system and photovoltaic installation. "Our adjusted maximum allowable construction cost after receiving these incentives is 10.6, which is on target with what we had presented back in January," Rothkart confirmed. The City of Bellingham would issue bonds to finance the project, with bond issuance planned for early 2026 following bid award. The city had already seeded a construction fund with $1.5 million from its general fund, which would be repaid from bond proceeds. However, 2027 would bring significant cost increases for member agencies. "Agencies will see pretty decent increase in your fees to pay that debt service, which will be around 800... we think around $850,000 a year," Forest explained. This debt service would be allocated according to the same formula used for operational costs. The reserve balance, projected at approximately $1.9 million, was earmarked for moving costs and ancillary equipment needs associated with the new facility, avoiding the need for additional funding requests. ### Employee Wellness and Retention Benefits Justin emphasized the connection between facility improvements and employee retention, particularly relevant given the high-stress nature of emergency communications work. As someone who had been with the agency for 30 years and knew that Chief Hewitt had originally worked as a dispatcher, he understood the conditions staff endured. "There is a direct correlation between retainage, employee retainage, and then subsequent cost," he noted. "There has been a lot of studies... showing that, you know, healthy workplaces, especially for folks that are in stressful environments like this, directly correlates to staff retainage, and turnover is incredibly expensive, especially in this line of work." The cost of turnover was substantial, particularly when factoring in the extensive training required for emergency communications personnel. "Depending on how far along they get in the process, we're looking well north of six figures," Justin explained, referring to training investments lost when employees leave. Beyond direct training costs, turnover generated expensive overtime requirements as remaining staff covered vacant positions. The new facility's wellness-focused design aimed to create "that happy and healthy environment for them that they deserve" while providing practical benefits through reduced turnover and overtime costs. ## Governance Structure Discussion ### Consultant Report Recommendation During the facility discussion, Councilmember Dan Hammill raised an important governance issue that had emerged from a recent consultant report on EMS and fire services. "Buried in there, there's a recommendation that Prospect be co-located with WatCom," he reported. "I am not advocating for this, I'm just saying that's what's out there." The consultant's report suggested that the new facility construction created "an ideal opportunity for Prospect to co-locate," presumably to reduce response time lags. However, Hammill noted that "there's no data in there about that" to substantiate the claimed benefits. This recommendation had appeared in similar studies "3 or 4 times in the last 10, 12 years" and seemed to be "thrown in there as, like, an afterthought" rather than a thoroughly analyzed proposal. The new facility was already designed with capacity to accommodate both centers if needed, particularly for emergency backup situations. ### Board Composition Reform Proposal The discussion evolved into a broader conversation about the board's governance structure. Several participants expressed interest in revising the board's composition, particularly regarding voting membership. Hammill noted that discussion had occurred on the Bellingham City Council about limiting voting membership to elected officials, though he acknowledged this had "kind of died down." The rationale centered on the fact that "this board does vote on budgets that the elected officials have to go back and find money for." However, he also expressed reservations about restricting participation too narrowly. "I don't know that that's appropriate for this board to just involve the people that are making the decisions and voting members, whether or not they're elected officials, because I think everybody that sits in this board has a lot of technical expertise." The current structure included both elected officials and technical experts, with the latter group including "Justin, Bill, Dan, and some of those guys... and you got the fire chiefs that are involved. They're all participants in the very end... the very end result." Hammill argued that limiting decisions to elected officials could "create an interesting environment" since the technical experts were "the ones that are working... and do the dirty work in the trenches and understand completely what's going on. We're just here to kind of listen and take their advice." ### Sheriff's Support for Reform Sheriff Tanksley, participating remotely, voiced support for governance changes when asked about his position. "I do personally support that," he confirmed, referring to the board composition discussion. The sheriff's support appeared to align with concerns about the board's current structure and decision-making processes, though the specific nature of the reforms he favored wasn't elaborated in detail. ### January Meeting Planning Given the complexity of the governance questions and the fact that some current board members would not be continuing in their positions, the group decided to defer detailed discussion until the January meeting. "I'm just thinking... in my mind, trying to figure out, timing-wise, because we had a... we don't need to discuss this now with a recommendation was looking at to potentially change the makeup of the board, so maybe that could be one large conversation in January," Hammill suggested. The timing seemed appropriate given that "the other council member who has been advocating for this will be gone," potentially changing the political dynamics around governance reform. The board formally voted to place board composition and membership discussion on the agenda for the January 2026 meeting, allowing time for thorough consideration of the various proposals and their implications. ## Personnel Updates and Administrative Matters ### Leadership Transitions The meeting included recognition of recent personnel changes within the organization. Justin had recently been promoted from interim Deputy Director to permanent Deputy Director, completing "a very robust and challenging selection process" where "he was by far the best candidate." Similarly, Chief Bill Hewitt had dropped the "interim" designation from his title, becoming the permanent Director of Whatcom Communications. These leadership transitions represented important stability for the organization as it approached the major facility construction project and continued growth in service demands. ### Meeting Logistics and Technology The hybrid meeting format, accommodating both in-person and remote participants, generally functioned well despite occasional audio issues at the beginning. Sheriff Tanksley's remote participation demonstrated the board's ability to include geographically dispersed members in discussions and decision-making. The new facility's boardroom would provide significant improvements for future meetings, equipped with modern technology and proper acoustics to support hybrid participation more effectively. ## Closing and Future Outlook The meeting concluded with unanimous approval of both budget proposals and clear direction for future discussions. The January 2026 meeting was positioned to address significant policy questions about board composition while providing updates on facility construction progress. Justin's promise to present a comprehensive organizational vision in January, including exploration of alternative funding sources and technology applications, suggested that 2026 would bring important strategic discussions beyond the immediate challenges of budget management and facility construction. The board faced the ongoing challenge of balancing service quality improvements with cost sustainability, particularly as Sheriff Tanksley's concerns about long-term affordability resonated across member jurisdictions dealing with their own budget pressures. With construction beginning soon on the new facility and governance questions pending resolution, the administrative board was positioned for a period of significant change and opportunity in the coming year. The combination of improved infrastructure, stabilized staffing levels, and potential governance reforms could provide a foundation for more sustainable operations and enhanced emergency communications services throughout Whatcom County. The meeting reflected the complex intergovernmental cooperation required to maintain essential emergency services, with representatives from multiple jurisdictions working through technical financial details and policy questions that would affect public safety operations for years to come.

### Meeting Overview The Whatcom County Prospect Administrative Board met on September 25, 2025, to discuss budgets for both WHATCOM 911 dispatch center and Prospect emergency communications center, receive updates on the new facility construction, and address board governance questions. The meeting focused primarily on financial matters and the ongoing construction of a new consolidated dispatch facility. ### Key Terms and Concepts **WHATCOM 911:** The primary Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) for Whatcom County that receives all 911 calls and dispatches for law enforcement, then transfers fire/EMS calls to Prospect. **Prospect Emergency Communications:** The secondary dispatch center that handles fire, EMS, and medical emergencies after calls are transferred from WHATCOM 911. **PSAP (Public Safety Answering Point):** The designated location where 911 calls are initially received and processed before being dispatched to appropriate emergency services. **Interlocal Agreement:** The legal contract between the City of Bellingham and Whatcom County that governs the joint operation of emergency communications services. **Equipment Fund:** A reserve fund established to set aside money annually for replacing major equipment like CAD systems, radio equipment, and dispatch consoles. **Call Receiving vs. Dispatching:** Call receiving is funded by 911 tax dollars, while dispatching services must be funded through user fees paid by participating agencies. **FTE (Full-Time Equivalent):** A measure of staffing that represents one full-time position, used to track personnel costs in the budget. **Ground Source Heat HVAC:** An energy-efficient heating and cooling system that uses underground temperatures, eligible for significant rebates. ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Justin | Deputy Director of WHATCOM 911 (recently dropped "interim" title) | | Julie | Finance staff member | | Carol Rothkart | Public Works supervisor | | Mayor Kim Lund | City of Bellingham | | Dan McDermott | Prospect staff (on vacation) | | Sheriff Tanksley | Whatcom County Sheriff | | Chief Hewitt | Fire Chief | | Adam Futzreiter | Architecture firm representative | | Forrest | Finance representative | ### Background Context The WHATCOM 911 and Prospect emergency communications centers serve all of Whatcom County, with costs shared among participating jurisdictions through a complex formula. Both centers have experienced significant cost increases over the past five years due to staffing expansion, wage increases, and major equipment replacements. The agencies are currently building a new consolidated facility to replace aging infrastructure and improve working conditions for dispatchers. The funding formula has been in place since around 2010 and allocates costs based on factors including call volume, population, and number of officers. Some jurisdictions are experiencing much higher cost increases than others, leading to concerns about long-term sustainability. ### What Happened — The Short Version The board approved budgets for both WHATCOM 911 and Prospect that focus on maintaining current service levels without major expansions. WHATCOM 911's budget includes negotiated wage increases and rising benefit costs, plus increased fees from the city radio shop. Prospect's budget uses savings from a completed loan payoff to offset wage and benefit increases rather than investing in infrastructure as originally planned. Board members received an update on the new facility construction, which is on schedule and budget. The project will go to bid in mid-October, with construction beginning after council approval. The facility will double dispatch capacity from 8 to 16 stations and include wellness spaces for staff. The meeting concluded with a motion to discuss board membership and governance structure at the January 2026 meeting, following recommendations in a recent consultant report. ### What to Watch Next • Facility construction bidding process in mid-October • City Council consideration of construction contracts • Debt service impact on agency fees starting in 2027 (approximately $850,000 annually) • January 2026 board meeting discussion on governance structure and membership • Long-term financial sustainability presentation planned for January ---

**Q:** Who recently became the Deputy Director of WHATCOM 911? **A:** Justin, who dropped the "interim" title after a robust selection process where he was deemed the best candidate. **Q:** What is the main difference between call receiving and dispatching services? **A:** Call receiving can be funded with 911 tax dollars, while dispatching services must be funded through user fees paid by participating agencies. **Q:** How many dispatch stations does the current facility have versus the new facility? **A:** The current facility has 8 stations and frequently runs out of space. The new facility will have 16 stations with room for 4 additional future expansions. **Q:** What is the annual cost of the debt service for the new facility? **A:** Approximately $850,000 per year starting in 2027, which will be split among agencies according to the existing formula. **Q:** When was the current funding formula established? **A:** Around 2010, approved by a committee that the administrative board put together at that time. **Q:** What does the law enforcement funding formula include? **A:** 25% incidents, 25% officers, and 50% population. **Q:** How much did Prospect save by completing a loan payoff this year? **A:** About $175,000 per year, which is being used to offset wage and benefit increases instead of infrastructure investments. **Q:** What major equipment replacements occurred during the 2015-2025 period? **A:** Second CAD system in WHATCOM's history, replacement of all consoles at both centers (about $30,000 each), telephone system, and radio system. **Q:** When is the new facility expected to go to bid? **A:** Mid-October 2025, with an anticipated construction timeline of 420 days. **Q:** What percentage increase have most agencies seen from 2020 to 2026? **A:** About 100% increase over the 6-year period, raising sustainability concerns. **Q:** What is the Equipment Fund designed to prevent? **A:** Large unexpected costs for equipment replacement by setting aside money annually for big-ticket items like CAD systems and radio equipment. **Q:** Which jurisdiction is seeing the largest cost increases in the current budget? **A:** Whatcom County is seeing much larger increases than the cities due to the formula-driven revenue allocation. **Q:** What is the projected reserve balance for 2026? **A:** Approximately $1.9 million, planned for use in moving costs and new facility expenses. **Q:** What energy-efficient features will reduce the new facility's costs? **A:** Ground source heat HVAC system and photovoltaic system, which qualify for significant rebates and direct pay incentives. **Q:** What governance issue will be discussed in January 2026? **A:** Board membership and voting structure, including whether only elected officials should be voting members. **Q:** Why is the construction timeline longer than typical projects? **A:** The phased approach requires the new facility to be fully operational before demolition of the old facility to maintain continuous emergency services. **Q:** What technology improvements is WHATCOM 911 exploring? **A:** AI and other technologies that could serve as staffing multipliers to help control costs without adding FTEs. **Q:** What was the total project budget set for the new facility? **A:** $12 million overall, with the city providing $1.5 million from general fund and bonding for the remainder. **Q:** Who supervises the city radio shop that's increasing fees? **A:** Carol Rothkart from Public Works, who attended the meeting to discuss the fee increases. **Q:** What happens during the facility transition period? **A:** Both old and new facilities will remain operational simultaneously to ensure continuity of emergency services before cutting ties to the old building. ---