Whatcom County Council
The Whatcom County Council met for its first regular meeting of 2026 with all seven members present, processing a packed agenda that ranged from routine administrative business to urgent flood recovery advocacy. The meeting's most emotionally powerful moments came during public testimony, where flood victims from Sumas, Nooksack, and Everson delivered raw, desperate pleas for action on river management after repeated devastating floods. The technical work of the evening centered on numerous committee appointments, with the council appointing all 13 applicants to the Public Health Advisory Board and confirming 19 executive appointments to various advisory bodies. The council unanimously approved an ordinance allowing commercial food preparation on Lummi Island, responding to community advocacy from the operators of the Galley Cafe and the Gathering Place community center. This represented exactly how local government should work according to Council Member Scanlon—community identifies a zoning problem and brings it to council for resolution. The council also made a significant decision on the Justice Project Behavioral Care Center, voting 6-1 to proceed with an out-of-custody model at the Division Street location. The evening's most urgent testimony came from flood victims who spoke with increasing desperation about the lack of progress since the devastating floods of 2021 and the recent flooding in late 2025. Multiple residents described living in campers and RVs, eating from microwaves, watching their children suffer panic attacks, and facing the prospect of repeated flooding as waterway capacity appears to have diminished significantly. Jason Postma presented detailed data showing that river levels that historically never caused flooding in Sumas are now triggering major inundations, suggesting the community has lost approximately three feet of flood capacity. The meeting concluded with council members expressing determination to push for comprehensive flood so
**AB-2026-016: Lummi Island Food Preparation Ordinance** - Passed 7-0. Amends Rural Residential Island zoning to allow commercial food preparation for offsite consumption when located within an approved community center. Enables businesses like the Galley Cafe to use the Gathering Place's commercial kitchen for commissary purposes. **AB-2026-038: Justice Project Behavioral Care Center** - Motion approved 6-1 (Elenbaas opposed) to proceed with an out-of-custody model at the Division Street location for the new behavioral health facility. This represents a key milestone in the county's jail construction project. **Public Health Advisory Board Appointments** - All 13 applicants appointed unanimously, with Alison Fontaine receiving the partial term ending January 31, 2027, and Amelia Vader and Ben Twigg receiving partial terms ending January 31, 2028. *…
**Immediate (Next Week):** Multi-agency flood mitigation meeting bringing together cities, tribes, local, state and federal agencies to develop concrete recommendations. Council Member Scanlon indicated this could produce actionable advocacy agenda for flood victims. **February 3, 2026:** Health Board meeting at 10 a.m. featuring community-led health initiatives presentations, followed by Committee of the Whole with extended council member updates and comprehensive plan discussions for cities/UGA proposals. **February 10, 2026:** Public hearing scheduled for AB-2026-118 (outdoor entertainment ordinance). Six budget ordinances will move to final consi…