📋 Committee Meeting
Whatcom County Council Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee
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Meeting Summary
The Whatcom County Council's Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee held its first meeting of 2026, focusing primarily on establishing committee leadership and advancing the long-awaited Behavioral Care Center project. In a brief 35-minute session, the committee appointed Barry Buchanan as chair and Elizabeth Boyle and Mark Stremler as vice chairs, then received a comprehensive update on the Behavioral Care Center planning process.
The Behavioral Care Center discussion dominated the meeting, as staff presented three location options with significant policy implications. The facility, a cornerstone of the Justice Project Implementation Plan, is designed to prioritize treatment over incarceration while maintaining public safety. Staff recommended proceeding with an out-of-custody model at the Division Street campus through new construction, estimating costs between $15-20 million depending on location and configuration.
Committee members expressed strong support for the Division Street new construction option, citing the ability to open the facility sooner and integrate it with existing behavioral health services. The timing question proved critical — the work release center renovation option would delay opening until after the new jail comes online, potentially pushing the facility's availability back significantly.
Three key decisions await the full Council in two weeks: affirming the out-of-custody model recommended by advisory committees, selecting between Division Street and LaBounty sites, and potentially amending interlocal agreements with cities that reference co-location with the jail. The Finance and Facility Advisory Board will weigh in on location recommendations at their January 22nd meeting.
Study Guide
## MODULE S1: STUDY GUIDE
**Meeting ID:** WHA-CON-CJS-2026-01-13
### Meeting Overview
The Whatcom County Council Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee met on January 13, 2026, to elect committee leadership and receive a detailed presentation on the proposed Behavioral Care Center. The meeting focused on key decisions about whether the facility should be an in-custody or out-of-custody model and where it should be located.
### Key Terms and Concepts
**Behavioral Care Center (BCC):** A proposed treatment facility designed to prioritize treatment over incarceration for people whose mental illness or substance use disorder drives their legal involvement. It would offer co-occurring inpatient treatment, crisis relief services, and psychiatric urgent care.
**Out-of-custody facility:** A treatment center where individuals are not technically incarcerated while receiving services, allowing for Medicaid and insurance reimbursement and reducing stigma associated with jail-based treatment.
**In-custody facility:** A treatment center located within or connected to jail facilities where individuals remain technically incarcerated during treatment, which limits insurance reimbursement options.
**Co-occurring inpatient treatment:** Licensed treatment for individuals suffering from both mental illness and substance use disorders, typically lasting 30-90 days with established reimbursement models.
**Crisis relief licensure:** A newer Washington State license allowing 24-hour outpatient facilities where people can stay up to 23 hours and 59 minutes for immediate stabilization, though financial viability is questionable.
**Psychiatric urgent care:** An alternative licensing model that covers similar needs as crisis relief but with better insurance reimbursement rates.
**Justice Project Implementation Plan:** Whatcom County's comprehensive plan for justice system reform that prioritized the Behavioral Care Center as a key facility.
**Sequential intercept model:** A framework for intervening at various points in the criminal justice process to divert people with mental illness away from incarceration and toward treatment.
### Key People at This Meeting
| Name | Role / Affiliation |
|---|---|
| Barry Buchanan | County Council Member, elected Committee Chair |
| Elizabeth Boyle | County Council Member, elected Vice Chair |
| Mark Strimler | County Council Member, elected Vice Chair |
| Ben Elenbaas | County Council Member |
| Kaylee Galloway | County Council Member |
| Jessica Rienstra | County Council Member |
| John Scanlon | County Council Member |
| Kayla Schott-Bresler | Deputy County Executive |
| Hannah Fisk | Whatcom County Health and Community Services Project Manager |
| Adam Johnson | Project Manager from STV (owner's representative) |
| Satpal Sidhu | Whatcom County Executive |
| Jill Nixon | Council Office staff |
### Background Context
The Behavioral Care Center has been a high priority in Whatcom County's Justice Project Implementation Plan, designed to address the intersection of mental health, substance abuse, and criminal justice involvement. The facility represents a significant shift toward treatment-based rather than punishment-based responses to behavioral health crises.
A Behavioral Care Center workgroup spent six months analyzing different models and made key recommendations about the facility's design and operation. The group included diverse perspectives from health care, criminal justice, and law enforcement, reflecting the complex coordination needed for this type of facility.
The project faces important policy decisions about custody status and location that will affect both operations and community acceptance. The timing of these decisions is crucial because they impact when the facility can open and begin serving the community's needs.
### What Happened — The Short Version
The committee started by electing Barry Buchanan as chair after he defeated Mark Strimler in a 5-2 vote. They then elected Elizabeth Boyle and Mark Strimler as vice chairs unanimously.
The main business was a presentation by Deputy County Executive Kayla Schott-Bresler on the Behavioral Care Center planning process. She explained that the workgroup recommends an out-of-custody model because in-custody facilities can't receive Medicaid reimbursement and carry stigma that conflicts with treatment goals.
Three location options were presented: remodeling the existing work center at Division Street, building new at Division Street, or building new at La Bounty (near the planned jail). The Division Street new construction option emerged as the staff recommendation because it can open sooner and connects to other behavioral health services.
The committee concluded by unanimously approving four-year staggered terms for Justice Project Oversight and Planning Committee members, following the same structure as other county advisory bodies.
### What to Watch Next
• January 22nd Finance and Facility Advisory Board meeting will make a location recommendation
• January 27th special County Council meeting to make final decisions on custody model and location
• Upcoming presentations from the Prosecutor's Office on how they would use the facility for diversion programs
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