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Whatcom County Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee

WHA-CJS-2026-03-24 March 24, 2026 Public Health & Safety Committee Whatcom County 39 min
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The Whatcom County Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee received a comprehensive update on the Justice Project, which includes both a new jail facility and Behavioral Care Center (BCC). Deputy Executive Shot Wrestler and staff provided process updates, financial parameters, and timelines for upcoming reports that will inform final budget decisions expected by late April. The most significant development was the confirmation of a preliminary budget ceiling of $225 million for the combined project — $205 million for the jail and $20 million for the BCC. This ceiling is contingent on Whatcom County cities extending their financial contributions through 2035, which would provide an additional $23-24 million to the project. A March 16th letter from all city mayors indicates their willingness to make this extension. Several council members expressed comfort with proceeding at this budget level, contingent on conservative revenue projections and receipt of pending reports. The discussion revealed growing consensus around building both facilities concurrently, with Council Member Kaylee Galloway stating she supports "setting a budget cap that includes both the BCC and the jail build concurrently." Council Member Ben Elenbaas emphasized the interconnected nature of the facilities, saying he believes "we have to have the right size jail to fully implement all the behavioral health plan." Two critical reports are expected within the next two weeks: a jail capacity analysis (delivered to staff that morning) and a behavioral health analysis from Aaron Persky and Associates. These reports will provide data on facility sizing, operational costs, and service models that council members have been requesting. The meeting highlighted ongoing tension around fiscal conservatism, with multiple council members advocating for zero to 1% growth assumptions for sales tax revenue rather than the higher projections previously used. Treasurer Steve Oliver emphasized the need to set

**No formal votes were taken** — this was an informational briefing and committee discussion. **Key Information Presented:** - Budget ceiling established at $225 million total ($205M jail, $20M BCC) - $11.2 million in state funding for BCC confirmed as more flexible for capital costs - Jail capacity analysis delivered to executive's office the mor…

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**Budget Ceiling and Financial Framework:** The discussion centered on establishing a firm budget ceiling that would provide the design-build team with clear parameters. Deputy Executive Wrestler and Jed Holmes outlined how the $225 million figure was derived, incorporating city contributions extended through 2035. Treasurer Oliver provided the lending framework comparison, explaining that with approximately $12 million annually in combined tax revenue, the county could support roughly $200 million in bonding capacity using a 6:1 ratio. Multiple council members emphasized the need for conservative revenue projections, with Council Members Galloway and Scanlon specifically advocating for zero to 1% growth assumptions rather than 3% or higher. **Concurrent Construction of Both Facilities:** The executive's office reaffirmed their commitment to building both the jail and Behavioral Care Center simultaneously. Deputy Executive Wrestler outlined how this approach leverages state and federal funding, enables operational planning for diversion programs, and fulfills the locally-driven pilot project goals. Council Member Rienstra referenced ordinance 2023-0…
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**Deputy Executive Shot Wrestler** outlined the executive's office commitment to concurrent construction, data-driven capacity decisions, and building with future needs in mind. She emphasized providing "improved access to an array of services" in the jail facility including medical care, behavioral health treatment, and modern design features. **Treasurer Steve Oliver** emphasized fiscal prudence and the need to establish clear budget parameters soon. He stressed that financial modeling will continue up until actual bond issuance in approximately one year, allowing for adjustments based on economic conditions and new funding sources. **Council Member Barry Buchanan** (Chair) focused on technical details, asking about the reduction in state BCC funding from $14 million to $11.2 million and clarifying medical services cost projections. **Council Member Ben Elenbaas** emphasized the total project approach, stating he is "more worried about what our total budget is going to be than just like what the jail is going to cost and what the beha…
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**Treasurer Steve Oliver, on the need for budget decisions:** "We're really at a point where we need to kind of pick a number in regards to the level of capital expenditures that we think that we can comfortably take on." **Deputy Executive Shot Wrestler, on concurrent facility construction:** "The jail is something we are required to do and the behavioral care center is something we are choosing to do here locally." **Council Member Ben Elenbaas, on total project approach:** "I am more worr…
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**Within One Week:** Public release of behavioral health analysis report from Aaron Persky and Associates, including service models, operational costs, staffing assumptions, and insurance reimbursement expectations. **By End of Week (March 28):** Public release of jail capacity analysis report with data on classification needs, specialized housing, length of stay patterns, and diversion impacts. **Next Two Weeks:** Joint memo from treasurer and executive's office outlining financial risks, mitigation measur…

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**Budget Framework Solidified:** The preliminary $225 million budget ceiling moved from theoretical to operational, with cities confirming willingness to extend contributions and treasurer validating borrowing capacity. **Report Timeline Clarified:** Two major analytical reports moved from "pending" to specific delivery dates within the following week, providing council with concrete information timelines. **State Funding Flexibility Achieved:** The $11.2 million state allocation for crisis relief center gained flexibility to be applied toward BCC capital costs rather than being restricted to specific crisis services. **…
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**Meeting ID:** WHA-CON-CJS-2026-03-24 ## Meeting Overview The Whatcom County Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee convened on Tuesday, March 24th, 2026, at 11:21 AM in Council Chambers for a hybrid meeting. All seven council members were present: Elizabeth Boyle, Barry Buchanan, Ben Elenbaas, Kaylee Galloway, Jessica Rienstra, Jon Scanlon, and Mark Stremler. The meeting was called to order by Chair Barry Buchanan, and the session was focused entirely on one critical agenda item: an update from the Executive's Office on the Justice Project process, financial outlook, and timeline for delivery of additional reports. This was a pivotal meeting in the ongoing Justice Project deliberations, with county officials attempting to provide clarity on budget parameters, facility programming, and decision-making timelines as the project moves through what Deputy Executive Shot Wrestler described as a "validation phase." The Justice Project encompasses both a new county jail and a Behavioral Care Center, representing one of the most significant capital investments in Whatcom County's history. ## The Justice Project Update — Setting Budget Caps and Moving Forward Deputy Executive Shot Wrestler began the presentation with an acknowledgment of the extensive community engagement that has characterized the Justice Project process. "It feels like every other day I'm in a discussion around this project," Wrestler said. "And so it's really good to see how active the community is. I certainly feel like no one can say they're gonna be able to, they've missed the opportunity to weigh in or that they didn't know these decisions were occurring this spring." The deputy executive outlined several advisory groups continuing to provide input: the Finance and Facility Advisory Board, the IPRTF (Incarceration Prevention and Reduction Task Force), J-POP (Justice Project Oversight Panel), and the JAW (Justice Advisory Workgroup). While no formal recommendations have emerged from these committees, Wrestler noted they are "certainly informing our work as we proceed during this validation phase." A significant development was the March 16th letter from Whatcom County city mayors, attached to the agenda bill, expressing willingness to extend their fin…
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Budget & Finance Public Safety Government Operations AB 2026 240 Aaron Persky Associates Ann Deacon Center City Bellingham Department Commerce Executive Office Finance Facility Advisory Board Health Community Services Pfm Stv Stv Construction Whatcom County Aaron Persky Barry Buchanan Ben Elenbaas Elizabeth Boyle Hannah Fisk Jed Holmes Jed Holmes Jessica Rienstra John Scanlon Kaylee Galloway Mark Stremler Shot Wrestler Steve Oliver Behavioral Care Center Behavioral Health Bond Financing Budget Finance Classification Design Build Diversion Interlocal Agreement Interlocal Agreements Jail Capacity Justice Project Operational Costs Revenue Projections Sales Tax State Funding