📋 Public Health & Safety Committee

Whatcom County Council Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee

📅 March 24, 2026 ⏱ 39 min 📍 Hybrid Meeting - Council Chambers, County Courthouse, 311 Grand Avenue, Ste #105, Bellingham, WA 98225

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Meeting Summary

The Whatcom County Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee received a comprehensive update on the Justice Project, focusing on process developments, financial parameters, and upcoming deliverables for the combined jail and Behavioral Care Center (BCC) construction. Deputy Executive Shot Wrestler and staff outlined a preliminary budget cap of $225 million ($205 million for jail, $20 million for BCC), contingent on cities extending their funding commitments through 2035. Key developments include the state making $11.2 million in previously allocated Crisis Relief Center funding more flexible for BCC capital costs, and the completion of both a behavioral health analysis (delivered to the executive's office that morning) and jail capacity analysis (ready for public release this week). The executive's office is working with cities who have indicated willingness to extend their 75% contribution rate for an additional five years, potentially adding $23-24 million to the project. Council members expressed cautious optimism about the budget parameters while emphasizing the need for conservative revenue projections. Several members highlighted concerns about long-term fiscal sustainability, with calls for planning based on 0-1% growth rather than 3% growth in sales tax revenue. There was broad support for building both facilities concurrently, with recognition that they are "inextricably linked" rather than competing priorities. The discussion revealed ongoing tensions around jail capacity planning, with Council Member Scanlon raising concerns about the interlocal agreement's potential for cities to push future jail expansions with no upper limit. Treasurer Steve Oliver emphasized the need to set a budget cap soon to move the design-build process forward while acknowledging continued modeling will occur over the next year before actual bond issuance.

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Study Guide

### Meeting Overview The Whatcom County Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee met on March 24, 2026, to receive an update on the Justice Project, which involves building a new jail and behavioral care center. Deputy Executive Shot Wrestler and Jed Holmes provided updates on community engagement, financial projections, and upcoming reports on jail capacity and behavioral health needs. ### Key Terms and Concepts **Justice Project:** Whatcom County's initiative to build a new jail facility and behavioral care center to replace aging infrastructure and improve behavioral health services. **Behavioral Care Center (BCC):** A proposed 32-bed inpatient treatment facility for mental health, substance use, and co-occurring disorders, designed to divert people from jail into appropriate clinical care. **23-Hour Crisis Relief Center:** A short-term outpatient facility where people can stay up to 23 hours for crisis intervention, different from longer-term inpatient treatment. **Interlocal Agreement:** A contract between Whatcom County and its cities where cities contribute 75% of their criminal justice sales tax collections to help fund the jail project. **Design-Build Team:** The contractors (led by STV) responsible for both designing and constructing the jail and behavioral care center facilities. **Ann Deacon Center of Hope:** An existing county facility that provides medical detox and crisis stabilization services, offering shorter-term care than the planned behavioral care center. **Classification:** The process of determining what type of housing and security level inmates need in jail based on their charges, risk level, and other factors. **Diversion Programs:** Services and interventions designed to redirect people away from jail and into treatment, housing, or other community-based services. ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Barry Buchanan | Council Member, Committee Chair | | Shot Wrestler | Deputy Executive | | Jed Holmes | Public Affairs and Strategy Manager, Executive's Office | | Steve Oliver | Whatcom County Treasurer | | Elizabeth Boyle | Council Member | | Ben Elenbaas | Council Member | | Kaylee Galloway | Council Member | | Jessica Rienstra | Council Member | | Jon Scanlon | Council Member | | Mark Stremler | Council Member | ### Background Context This Justice Project has been years in the making as Whatcom County grapples with an aging jail facility and inadequate behavioral health services. The county passed a criminal justice sales tax in previous years to fund these improvements, with cities agreeing to contribute 75% of their collections. However, construction costs have escalated significantly, forcing difficult decisions about project scope and budget. The project represents a major shift in how the county approaches criminal justice, emphasizing treatment over incarceration where appropriate. The behavioral care center is particularly significant as a locally-driven pilot that goes beyond what counties are required to provide. Meanwhile, the jail component is necessary infrastructure that must be built to replace current facilities. Community engagement has been extensive, with advisory groups, public meetings, and city input all feeding into the decision-making process. The county is now at a critical juncture where budget caps must be set to allow the design team to move forward with detailed planning. ### What Happened — The Short Version The committee received updates on three main areas. First, community engagement is active with advisory groups meeting regularly and public forums drawing large crowds. Second, two important reports are nearly complete: a behavioral health analysis that will detail operating costs and service models for the behavioral care center, and a jail capacity study that will inform how many beds and what types of housing are needed. Third, budget discussions are focusing on a total cap of $225 million for both facilities - $205 million for the jail and $20 million for the behavioral care center. This assumes cities will extend their funding contributions through 2035, providing an additional $23-24 million. County Treasurer Steve Oliver emphasized the need to pick a budget number soon so the design team can move forward, while acknowledging that projections will be refined over the coming year before actual borrowing begins. Several council members expressed support for the combined approach but stressed the need for conservative revenue projections given recent volatility in sales tax collections. ### What to Watch Next - Jail capacity analysis report expected to be released later this week - Behavioral health analysis report to be publicly released within 1-2 weeks - STV design team memo on scenario development recommendations coming this week - Council decision on budget cap expected by end of April to keep project on schedule ---