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Whatcom County Council Committee of the Whole

WHA-CON-CTW-2025-12-09 December 09, 2025 Committee of the Whole Whatcom County
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The Whatcom County Council Committee of the Whole held a brief but substantive meeting on December 9, 2025, advancing three significant governance items while skipping comprehensive plan discussions due to time constraints. The 39-minute meeting focused on structural changes to council operations, environmental protection measures, and routine tax certification. The most debated item was AB2025-779, which would expand all standing committee memberships from three to seven members (all council members). This passed 4-3 after a spirited amendment process that added provisions for up to two vice chairs per committee. Council Member Jon Scanlon successfully argued that having chair and two vice chair positions would maintain focused leadership while allowing all seven members to participate. The council also recommended AB2025-813, a resolution to strengthen Lake Whatcom watershed protections by aligning county phosphorus neutral development codes with Bellingham's standards. This environmental measure passed 5-2 despite concerns from some members about costs and effectiveness. The proposal includes expanded homeowner education and regular inspection of private stormwater systems. A routine property tax levy certification (AB2025-826) was approved 6-1, formalizing previously made budget decisions. Two comprehensive plan items were postponed due to time constraints, with the committee choosing to adjourn early for a longer dinner break before the evening council meeting.

**AB2025-779 - Committee Structure Reform:** RECOMMENDED FOR ADOPTION WITH AMENDMENT (4-3 vote) - Expands all standing committee memberships from 3 to 7 members - Amendment added provision for "up to two vice chairs" per committee - Staff recommendation aligned with council action - Creates succession planning and potential minority representation **AB2025-813 - Lake Whatcom Watershed Protection:** RECOMMENDED FOR APPROVAL (5-2 vote) - Dockets comprehensive plan amendments to strengthen phosphorus neutral development codes - Seeks alignment with City of B…

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**Committee Governance Reform (AB2025-779)** The most substantive discussion centered on fundamentally changing how council committees operate. The proposal would expand all standing committees from three to seven members, allowing all council members to participate in all committees. Council Member Scanlon argued this would enable better collaboration while maintaining focused leadership through chair and vice chair positions. The debate revealed philosophical differences about committee structure. Council Member Ben Elenbaas opposed the change, arguing that traditional three-member committees better divide workload and allow for actual committee function. He noted the irony that the council was expanding committees to seven members while simultaneously considering reducing the health board from seven to five members. Council Member Tyler Byrd questioned why committees would have more leadership positions than the full council body. However, supporters argued the vice chair structure would provide succession planning, minority party representation, and allow three core members to work together outside Open Public Meetings Act constraints. Prosecutor Kimberly Thulin clarified for the record that the intent was not to circumvent open meeting laws, with council members confirming they wanted to "work together without breaking t…
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**Council Member Jon Scanlon:** Led the committee structure reform, arguing that expanding to seven members while maintaining chair/vice chair leadership would improve collaboration without losing focus. Successfully amended the ordinance to allow "up to two vice chairs" per committee. **Council Member Ben Elenbaas:** Strongly opposed both major proposals. On committee structure, preferred maintaining three-member committees to actually divide workload rather than having everyone attend everything. On Lake Whatcom, questioned the scientific basis for phosphorus-neutral standards that exceed natural conditions. **Council Member Tyler Byrd:** Opposed committee expansion, questioning why committees would need more chairs than the full council. On Lake Whatcom, concerned about pushing through multiple changes without adequate discussion of each component. **Council Member Todd Donovan:** Co-sponsored the Lake Whatcom resolution as his "last hurrah" a…
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**Council Member Ben Elenbaas, on committee expansion:** "I would rather that we stick with committees to divvy the work up and stick to that concept, then go this route." **Council Member Jon Scanlon, on working groups:** "The difference here, in going to seven is those three folks could then meet and work on issues in ways that normal human beings work on issues when they're not subject to the OPMA." **Council Member Tyler Byrd, on committee leadership:** "The intention is that committees…
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**Immediate Actions:** - All three recommended items advance to evening council meeting for final votes - Cemetery District #7 levy added to evening agenda by revision - AB2025-883 added by revision to evening council meeting **Postponed Items:** - AB2025-513 (Comprehensive Plan EIS alternatives) - rescheduled for future meeting - AB2025-701 (Comprehensive Plan amendments) - rescheduled for future meeting **Ongoing Processes:** - Annual council reorganization appro…

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**Governance Structure:** Committee of the Whole recommended expanding all standing committees from 3 to 7 members with up to 2 vice chairs each, fundamentally altering council operations if adopted by full council. **Environmental Protection:** Advanced proposal to strengthen Lake Whatcom watershed protections through code alignment and enhanced stormwater system oversight, moving beyond current standards. **Process Ef…
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# Whatcom County Council Committee of the Whole Meeting — December 9, 2025 ## Meeting Overview The Whatcom County Council Committee of the Whole convened on Tuesday afternoon, December 9, 2025, for what would become a streamlined 39-minute session focused on three key policy decisions. All seven council members were present in the hybrid meeting format, with Chair Kaylee Galloway presiding from the Council Chambers in the County Courthouse. The meeting was deliberately shortened due to scheduling constraints. Two substantial agenda items — a comprehensive plan environmental impact statement discussion and comprehensive plan amendments — were postponed to ensure adequate time for three action items requiring committee recommendations to the full council. This efficiency-focused approach reflected the practical reality of governing bodies managing complex schedules while ensuring thorough deliberation on matters requiring formal votes. The atmosphere was collegial but focused, with council members demonstrating familiarity with the issues and comfort engaging in substantive policy debates. This was notably one of the final meetings for outgoing Councilmember Todd Donovan, adding a sense of transition to the proceedings. ## Committee Structure Reform: Seven-Member Committees and Vice Chairs The most procedurally significant item was an ordinance fundamentally restructuring how the county's standing committees operate. Currently, committees have three members each, but this proposal would expand all standing committees to include all seven council members while adding new leadership positions. Councilmember Jon Scanlon, who moved to recommend the ordinance, explained the rationale: "The idea is getting at the conversation we had when this was first introduced, that it is nice in our current format that you have three people who are dedicated to the issues of that committee. So we will still continue to have a structure where there's three people who are in the lead on that committee, so it'd…
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## Meeting Overview The Whatcom County Council Committee of the Whole met on Tuesday, December 9, 2025 for 39 minutes, skipping two comprehensive plan items due to time constraints and focusing on three action items that needed committee recommendations before going to the full council. ## Key Terms and Concepts **Committee of the Whole:** The full county council meeting as a committee to discuss and recommend items before formal council votes. All seven councilmembers participate. **Standing Committees:** Specialized council committees that focus on specific areas like public works, finance, or planning. Currently have three members each but this meeting discussed changing to seven members. **Open Public Meetings Act (OPMA):** Washington state law requiring government meetings to be open to the public. Limits how many officials can meet privately - three or more constitutes a "meeting" subject to public notice requirements. **Docketing:** Formally adding an item to the county's work plan for future consideration, particularly for comprehensive plan or zoning code amendments. **Lake Whatcom Watershed:** The area of land that drains into Lake Whatcom, Bellingham's drinking water source. Development in this area is subject to special environmental protections. **Phosphorus Neutral Development:** Environmental standards requiring new development to not increase phosphorus runoff into Lake Whatcom, which can cause harmful algae blooms. **Property Tax Levy Certification:** The annual process where the county formally submits its tax rates to the county assessor for collection the following year. **Comprehensive Plan:** Long-range planning document that guides county development and land use decisions, required to be updated every ten years. ## Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Kaylee Galloway | Council Chair, presiding over meeting | | Jon Scanlon | Council member, made motions on committee structure | | Todd Donovan | Council member, co-sponsor of Lake Whatcom item, leaving council soon | | Barry Buchanan | Council member | | Tyler Byrd | Council member | | Ben Elenbaas | Council member | | Mark Stremler | Council member | | Cathy Halka | Clerk of the Council | | Kimberly Thulin | Prosecuting Attorney's Office, legal counsel | | Aly Pennucci | Executive's Office staff | ## Background Context This was one of the final meetings before two new council members take office, creating urge…
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Government Operations Environmental AB 2025 513 AB 2025 701 AB 2025 779 AB 2025 813 AB 2025 826 AB 2025 883 Cemetery District Seven City Of Bellingham Executives Office Lake Whatcom Policy Group Planning Development Services Prosecuting Attorneys Office Aly Pennucci Barry Buchanan Ben Elenbaas Cathy Halka Jon Scanlon Kaylee Galloway Kimberly Thulin Mark Stremler Todd Donovan Tyler Byrd Cemetery District Committee Reform Committee Structure Comprehensive Plan Environmental Protection Lake Whatcom Watershed Open Public Meetings Act Phosphorus Neutral Phosphorus Neutral Development Property Tax Levy Stormwater Inspections Stormwater Management Vice Chairs