### Meeting Overview The Whatcom County Council Committee of the Whole met on Tuesday, April 29, 2025, focusing primarily on community benefit agreements and project labor agreements (PLAs) for large public works projects. The committee also received updates on state legislative session outcomes, sexual and domestic violence commission work, and draft active transportation plans. ### Key Terms and Concepts **Community Benefit Agreement (CBA):** A contract between community groups and developers that requires specific community benefits like local hiring, living wages, and workforce development in exchange for community support of a project. **Project Labor Agreement (PLA)/Pre-hire Agreement:** A contract between employers and unions established before hiring that sets wages, benefits, and work rules for construction projects, requiring all workers to abide by union terms. **Experience Modification Rating (EMR):** A safety metric used in construction that affects insurance costs. An EMR below 1.0 indicates better-than-average safety performance; above 1.0 indicates worse performance. **Prevailing Wage:** The minimum wage rate that must be paid to workers on public works projects, typically set by collective bargaining agreements in the region. **Level of Traffic Stress (LTS):** A rating system (1-4) that measures how comfortable cyclists feel on different types of roads, with LTS 1 being suitable for all ages and abilities, and LTS 4 being high-stress routes only comfortable for experienced cyclists. **Open Shop vs. Union Contractors:** Open shop contractors employ workers who are not required to join unions, while union contractors employ workers represented by labor unions. In Whatcom County, approximately 87% of construction workers are open shop. **Women and Minority Business Enterprise (WMBE/DBE):** Certification programs that help small businesses owned by women and minorities compete for public contracts. ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Kaylee Galloway | Council Chair | | Tyler Byrd | Council Member, presentation co-sponsor | | Lance Callaway | AGC Northern District Manager | | Tiera Nipges | Pacific Facility Solutions CEO, WBE contractor | | Tim Rockwell | Rockwell Electric CEO, MBE contractor | | Megan Kalma | Axiom Construction General Manager | | Chris Comeau | Transpo Group Senior Transportation Planner | | Susan Marks | Sexual & Domestic Violence Commission Director | | Ryan Corley | Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee Chair | ### Background Context This meeting addressed a significant policy debate about how Whatcom County should approach large public works projects. Council members have been exploring whether to require community benefit agreements and project labor agreements for major county construction projects like the new jail. Proponents argue these agreements ensure fair wages, safety, and community benefits. Opponents, primarily local contractors, argue they would exclude most Whatcom County businesses and workers while driving up costs significantly. The transportation discussion reflects ongoing efforts to update the county's comprehensive plan to meet new state requirements for active transportation networks. With limited funding and challenging geography, the county is wrestling with how to create meaningful bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure that connects communities safely. ### What Happened — The Short Version Local construction industry representatives presented strong opposition to proposed community benefit/project labor agreements, arguing they would exclude 87% of local contractors and force workers into temporary union membership. Six contractors and the AGC representative detailed how such agreements would burden small businesses with excessive paperwork and costs while potentially displacing local workers with out-of-area union labor. The committee also received updates showing the 2025 state legislative session provided some funding for county priorities but created new challenges, particularly a potential 20% reduction in recovery navigator programs. Transportation planners presented draft standards for active transportation that would primarily use existing road shoulders as bicycle routes, which drew criticism from bicycle advocates who argued these high-stress routes would only serve experienced cyclists, not families and children. ### What to Watch Next - Whether council will proceed with any form of community benefit agreement ordinance given the opposition - Impact of state budget cuts on county recovery navigator and public health programs - Final approval of comprehensive plan transportation element and active transportation standards - Potential hiring of a multimodal trail planner position that was mentioned but may face budget constraints ---