Whatcom County Planning Commission
The Whatcom County Planning Commission held its annual business meeting on February 12, 2026, focusing on administrative matters following the completion of their comprehensive plan work. The commission elected new leadership, with Commissioner Daniel Dunne chosen as chair and Dominic Moceri as vice chair, marking a transition from longtime chair Kelvin Barton who recently completed his service. The meeting addressed procedural updates including new ADA compliance requirements for virtual meetings and amendments to business rules governing commission operations. The session began with an important department update from Director Mark Personius, who announced that the commission's 912-page comprehensive plan recommendation had been delivered to county council on Tuesday. Council has established a tentative three-to-four-month review schedule, with committee-of-the-whole sessions planned to examine the plan element by element, aiming for final adoption in May 2026. This represents the culmination of extensive work by the planning commission over the past year. Staff also provided updates on upcoming urban growth area proposals, noting that council took preliminary action supporting both the Everson and Sumas UG proposals consistent with planning commission recommendations, while making minor modifications. The commission also learned of council's consideration of their letter regarding Bellingham and Blaine affordable housing funding gaps, with Commissioner Dunne having represented the commission's perspective at the council meeting. Administrative business dominated the remainder of the meeting, with commissioners reviewing and updating their business rules to comply with new state ADA requirements. The most significant change requires commissioners participating remotely to have their video cameras on while speaking to accommodate lip-reading accessibility needs. The commission also voted to eliminate a provision requiring the chair to always vote last in roll ca
**Election of Officers (Passed by majority vote):** - Daniel Dunne elected as Chair for 2026 - Dominic Moceri elected as Vice Chair for 2026 - Two commissioners abstained from chair election **Amendment to Business Rules (Passed unanimously):** - Struck Section 1.5D requiring chair to vote last in roll call votes - Adopted new ADA compliance requirements for remote …
**February 26, 2026:** Next regular planning commission meeting with Blaine UG map amendments scheduled for review, including both comprehensive plan and zoning map changes. **March 12, 2026:** Open space application scheduled for commission review. **Late March/Early April:** Housing code amendments expected to come before commission, required for concurrent adoption with comprehensive plan due to state court decisions. **April 2026:** Final city UG and county z…