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Whatcom County Council Public Works & Health Committee

WHA-CON-PWH-2026-02-24 February 24, 2026 Public Works Committee Whatcom County

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Executive summary

The Whatcom County Council Public Works & Health Committee addressed two critical infrastructure issues during their February meeting: securing state funding for public health services and advancing flood mitigation strategies in response to the December flood emergency. The committee unanimously approved a resolution calling on the state legislature to maintain foundational public health services funding, which represents $3.6 million annually supporting 30 positions across the Health Department. The majority of the meeting focused on an extensive presentation about river and flood early action opportunities, delivered by Public Works staff Paula Harris and Julie Anderson. The presentation revealed that the Nooksack River system has significantly lost capacity due to decades of channel narrowing caused by vegetation growth on gravel bars and sediment accumulation. What once required 45,000 cubic feet per second (CFS) to cause overflow at Main Street now occurs at approximately 30,000 CFS, with some recent recovery to 33,000-34,000 CFS after the December flood. The centerpiece of the flood discussion was a proposed "widen the funnel" project at Everson that would excavate channels upstream and downstream of the bridge to restore river capacity. However, the project faces a significant obstacle: a Trans Mountain pipeline that must be buried deeper before levee setbacks can occur, a process that could take five years. Staff proposed channel excavation as an interim solution that could be implemented sooner. The presentation outlined a comprehensive basin-wide strategy costing an estimated $474 million for long-term implementation, with early action projects totaling $182 million. Council members expressed strong interest in removing regulatory barriers and exploring emergency declarations to accelerate project timelines. The discussion revealed community frustration with permitting delays while flood risks remain high, with two major flooding events occurring in ju

Key decisions

**AB 2026-119 - Public Health Services Funding Resolution:** - **Vote:** Unanimously approved 7-0 (Boyle, Buchanan, Elenbaas, Galloway, Rienstra, Scanlon, Stremler) - **Staff Recommendation:** Support the resolution - **Council Action:** Aligned with staff recommendation - **Details:** Resolution calls on state legislature to recognize public health as essential and maintain $3.6 million in foundational public health services funding - **Impact:** S…

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Policy discussion

**Foundational Public Health Services Funding Crisis** The Health Department faces potential cuts to state funding tied to vapor tax revenue. Director Thomas Cuddy explained that recent legislative changes separating nicotine and non-nicotine vapor revenue reduced the funding pool for foundational public health services. While the proposed state budgets don't reflect the anticipated $50 million cut, the long-term funding source remains unstable. The committee's unanimous support for the resolution demonstrates alignment with other counties taking similar advocacy actions. **Nooksack River Flood Mitigation Strategy** Staff presented comprehensive analysis showing the river system has lost significant capacity over the past two decades due to channel narrowing. Between 1999 and 2023, vegetation growth on gravel bars has constricted river flow, reducing the threshold for overflow from 45,000 CFS to approximately 30,000 CFS. The December 2024 flood provided some natural channel migration that increased capacity to 33,000-34,000 CFS, but the system remains vulnerable. The proposed solution involves strategic corridor widening to restore natural river processes while protecting existing development. The "widen the funnel" project at Everson emerged as the priority early action, though it faces the obstacle of relocating a Trans Mountain pipeline. Staff modeling showed that restoring 2006 flow conditions would reduce overflow to Everson-Sumas from 20,000 CFS to 14,000 CFS during a 100-year flood, but would increase downstream impacts by 0.5 to 1 foot in wate…

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Stakeholder positions

**Council Members:** - **Elizabeth Boyle (Chair):** Focused on coordination with comprehensive planning processes, particularly regarding development proposals in Nooksack that could complicate berm construction - **Ben Elenbaas:** Most vocal advocate for aggressive use of emergency powers, interpreting county charter broadly to remove regulatory barriers - **Mark Stremler:** Emphasized funding challenges, questioning sources for the $474 million price tag and advocating for federal-level engagement - **Jon Scanlon:** Initiated the public health resolution based on concerns raised at Washington State Association of Counties meeting - **Barry Buchanan:** Focused on immediate actions, asking about removing barriers and summer implementation possibilities - **Jessica Rienstra:** Concerned about displaced families and communication with affected communities - **Kaylee Galloway:** Asked detailed questions about berm alignments and relocation costs **Staff:** - **Paul…

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Notable quotes

**Thomas Cuddy, on public health funding importance:** "For context for the public this is a significant portion of our operating budget roughly 3.6 million dollars that serves almost every department or program within our department with some exceptions." **Paula Harris, on river system management:** "We got into this as a society together how do we get out of it together... when you lock the river in place it's really becomes a managed system and if you don't manage it over time then it can…

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What’s next

**Immediate Actions (Next 60 Days):** - Legal analysis of emergency declaration powers and emergency ordinance options requested by Council - Continued twice-weekly modeling meetings to refine early action project scope - Preliminary engineering contract for berms feasibility study coming to next Council meeting - Selection of consultant for Sumas flood mitigation and resiliency planning study **Medium-term Projects (3-6 months):** - Final berm alignment determinations for Nooksack and Everson communities - Concept development for "widen the funnel" project at Everson - Communication plan implementation for community educa…

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What changed

**Policy Status Changes:** - Public health funding resolution advances to full Council with committee recommendation, strengthening county's legislative advocacy position - Emergency declaration discussion elevated from advisory committee recommendation to active Council consideration with legal analysis requested - Flood mitigation strategy shifted from long-term planning to immediate early action focus due to community pressure and recent flooding **Project Development:** - "Widen the funnel" project identified as priority early action despite Trans Mountain pipeline obstacle - Channel excavation approach selected over waiting for levee setbacks due to five-year p…

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Full meeting narrative

# Comprehensive Narrative: Whatcom County Council Public Works & Health Committee Meeting ## Meeting Overview The Whatcom County Council Public Works & Health Committee convened on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, at 10:46 a.m. in a hybrid format at the County Courthouse. Chair Elizabeth Boyle called the meeting to order with all seven council members present: Elizabeth Boyle, Barry Buchanan, Ben Elenbaas, Kaylee Galloway, Jessica Rienstra, John Scanlon, and Mark Stremler. The committee rearranged its agenda to address two significant items: a resolution supporting state funding for foundational public health services, and a comprehensive presentation on flood management and early action opportunities following recent devastating floods. The meeting reflected the urgent nature of both public health infrastructure needs and the ongoing flood crisis that has repeatedly impacted communities throughout Whatcom County. ## Foundational Public Health Services Funding Resolution The committee began with AB 2026-119, a resolution calling on the state legislature to recognize public health as essential and maintain foundational public health services funding. Councilmember Scanlon introduced the item, explaining its origins: "So this item came to my attention when sitting in on a WSAC meeting that our State Association of Counties given the concerns around potential cuts to the funding that comes from the state to support our local health department." Scanlon noted that other counties were taking similar actions to encourage the legislature to address funding concerns. "Our Whatcom County Health and Community Services found out that other counties were taking similar actions to encourage the legislature to make some fixes to those funds," he said. With the legislative session still in progress, Scanlon emphasized the timing was crucial for this budget-related advocacy. Director Thomas Cuddy from Whatcom County Health and Community Services provided context for the funding at stake. "For context for the public this is a significant portion of our operating budget roughly 3.6 million dollars that serves almost every department or program within our department with some exceptions," Cuddy explained. He emphasized that these funds support infrastructure critical to public health and safety across jurisdictions. The funding supports approximately 30 positions within the health department, spanning multiple divisions. "24-25 full FTEs, technical positions, administrat…

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Study guide

### Meeting Overview The Whatcom County Council Public Works & Health Committee met on February 24, 2026, to discuss a resolution supporting state funding for public health services and received a comprehensive presentation on flood mitigation strategies following the recent December 2025 flood event. ### Key Terms and Concepts **Foundational Public Health Services (FPHS):** State funding program that provides approximately $3.6 million annually to Whatcom County Health and Community Services, supporting about 30 positions across multiple departments to maintain basic public health infrastructure. **Vapor Tax:** A state tax on vaping products that funds public health programs. Recent changes separated nicotine and non-nicotine vapor revenues, reducing the funding pool available for FPHS and exposing it to potential cuts. **River Channel Migration:** The natural process where rivers move laterally across floodplains over time, reworking and transporting sediment downstream while creating habitat. This process has been largely stopped by levees and revetments. **Revetments:** Riprap (rock placement) along riverbanks that prevents lateral channel migration but contributes to channel narrowing by stopping natural sediment transport processes. **Flow Split:** The division of river flow at Everson where water either continues down the main Nooksack River toward Ferndale or overflows into the Everson-Sumas corridor during high water events. **Channel Narrowing:** The process where river channels become constricted over time as vegetation grows on gravel bars and traps fine sediments, reducing the river's capacity to carry flood flows. **FLIP Reach Team:** Flood, Land, and Integration Project team that conducts scientific analysis and develops flood mitigation strategies for different reaches of the Nooksack River system. **Levee Setbacks:** Moving existing levees further from the river channel to provide more room for natural river processes while maintaining flood protection for communities. ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Elizabeth Boyle | Council Chair, Public Works & Health Committee | | John Scanlon | Council Member who introduced the FPHS resolution | | Thomas Cuddy | Director, Whatcom County Health and Community Services | | Julie Anderson | River and Flood Manager, Whatcom County Public Works | | Paula Harris | Flood Management Staff, Whatcom County Public Works | | Barry Buchanan | Council Member | | Ben Elenbaas | Council Member | | Kaylee Galloway | Council Member | | Jessica Rienstra | Council Member | | Mark Str…

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Tags & Connections

Transportation & Infrastructure Public Safety Budget & Finance Government Operations AB 2026 119 AB 2026 161 City Of Everson City Of Nooksack City Of Sumas Fema Flood Control Zone District Health Community Services Lummi Nation Nooksack River Public Works State Legislature Trans Mountain Whatcom County Wsac Wsdot Barry Buchanan Ben Elenbaas Elizabeth Boyle Elizabeth Kosa Jed Holmes Jessica Rienstra Jon Scanlon Julie Anderson Kaylee Galloway Kimberly Delean Mark Stremler Paula Harris Roger Byma Thomas Cuddy Berm Construction Channel Excavation Community Displacement Comprehensive Planning Emergency Declarations Emergency Management Federal Funding Flood Mitigation Foundational Public Health Services Infrastructure Levee Setbacks Mineral Resources Permitting Pipeline Relocation Public Health Funding Regulatory Barriers River Capacity River Capacity Loss Sediment Management State Legislature Vapor Tax Vapor Tax Funding