June 12, 2023 Dena Jensen

The Incarceration Prevention and Reduction Task Force (IPRTF)/Law and Justice Council approved a motion today to “endorse the Justice Project Implementation Plan as ultimately approved by the County Executive and County Council.” The vote was 17 yes with 4 opposed. (Link to the meeting recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywj7BNTQJqw&t=3927s )

IPRTF Members registering a No vote were:

Jason McGill, Health and Social Services, Executive Director at Northwest Youth Services

Heather Flaherty, Concerned citizen, Executive Director at Chuckanut Health Foundation

Arlene Feld, Concerned citizen, Member of the North Sound Behavioral Health Advisory Board

Maia Vanyo, Chief Deputy of the Whatcom County Public Defender Office

The version of the Justice Project Implementation Plan that was approved today was not included with the meeting materials packet, so the public did not have the opportunity to view this latest version. There were a few slides shown during the meeting and Whatcom County Council Chair Barry Buchanan went over apparent changes that had been made to the 5/31/2023 draft version of the plan up through June 9, 2023. 

A number of IPRTF members made some suggestions during the meeting of how to change the implementation plan further, along with making objections to the plan, particularly the financial plan that had been recently added and which delays funding for behavioral health services for several years – during which funds go to a new jail – and then only offers a cumulative amount over the next 25 years of approximately $50,000,000 as estimated by the County Executive (which translates to about $2,000,000 a year), compared to a new jail receiving at least in the neighborhood of $170,000,000, with around $105,000,000 being offered to a new jail in the next 6 years. No changes were made to the plan in response to those suggestions or objections that were made during the meeting.

The new implementation plan offers no specific size of the jail, with that decision being left to the County Council. But during the discussion by Task Force members today, there was a strong suggestion by the Sheriff that the 440 bed number that had been used for cost estimates which were included in the implementation plan, be increased. Additionally, all the Whatcom County Mayors have also already outlined to the County Council their plan for increasing the ultimate size chosen of any new jail facility based on a yearly assessment. 

Some Task Force members, which included the Bellingham Police Chief, asserted that a no vote against today’s motion would be a vote for the status quo, which of course would only be the case if everyone decided after such a vote to do nothing about taking action on implementing any of the many projects the Justice Project Needs Assessment had proposed or any other services that are urgently needed to serve community members in crisis. 

Most of the people who voted against the motion today voiced their desire to do more than what today’s version of the implementation plan included, and called for the plan to prioritize services which is what presentations by County Council Chair Buchanan had stated was a priority that had come through loud and clear during community listening sessions that preceded the Justice Project Needs Assessment process. 

These were given during the meeting as the next steps in Justice Project implementation planning: 

June 13 [tomorrow at 2:00 p.m.: County Council of the Whole workshop. [a 3 hour special meeting. Link to agenda: https://whatcom.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=A&ID=1107816&GUID=130E61F1-F045-480E-9CD2-AB0BCEBB170A ]

June 20: Gather final feedback from County

Council.

June 30: Final formatted Justice Proiect

Implementation Plan submitted to County

Council for July 11 meeting.

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Contact information for the Whatcom County Council:

Whatcom County Council:

Entire Council (for the record) <council@co.whatcom.wa.us>;
Barry Buchanan <bbuchana@co.whatcom.wa.us>; 

Todd Donovan <tdonovan@co.whatcom.wa.us>; 

Carol Frazey <cfrazey@co.whatcom.wa.us>; 

Kaylee Galloway <kgallowa@co.whatcom.wa.us>

Tyler Byrd <tbyrd@co.whatcom.wa.us>; 

Kathy Kershner <kkershne@co.whatcom.wa.us>; 

Ben Elenbaas <belenbaa@co.whatcom.wa.us>

Kaylee Galloway 

Phone: 360-489-9192 and 360-778-5023

Todd Donovan  

Phone: 360-483-8474 

Tyler Byrd

Phone: 360-778-5021

Kathy Kershner  

Phone: 360-220-7535 

Ben Elenbaas

Phone: 360-778-5025

Barry Buchanan  

Phone: 360-224-4330

Carol Frazey

Phone: 360-778-5024