Whatcom County Council roundup ....

The latest from Whatcom County Council ...

County applies for state grant for Birch Bay Beach Park

On June 4, Whatcom County Council unanimously approved a resolution to make a grant application to the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office for improvements at Birch Bay Beach Park.

The 4.1-acre property at 7954 Birch Bay Drive was purchased by the county in 2014, and funding for the first round of improvements was approved by council in 2021, but the park has remained underdeveloped.

Funding for a possible $500,000 grant would come from the state’s Aquatic Lands Enhancement Act Program, which provides funding to waterfront parks and other shoreline improvement projects.

Planned improvements to the park include 124 parking stalls, open fields, multiple pavement walkways, a 1,200-square-foot performance pavilion, six bathrooms, and various beautification projects. If awarded, this round of funding would go toward public restrooms, off-street parking, road frontage improvements, and day-use improvements.

County council approved a master plan for the park, but construction was mired by the pandemic and flooding during the fall of 2021, according to previous reporting by The Northern Light.

BBWARM public hearing set

On June 4, Council unanimously approved a resolution to create a public hearing for proposed rate increases and funding mechanism changes to the Birch Bay Watershed and Aquatic Resource Management (BBWARM) district.

BBWARM said rate increases are required due to inflation and a bevy of stormwater projects overdue in Birch Bay. The public hearing will be held at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, June 18 at the Whatcom County Council chambers, 311 Grand Street, Bellingham.

Council considers year-round homeless shelter

County council members Kaylee Galloway, Barry Buchanan and Jon Scanlon introduced a resolution on June 4 to ask county executive Satpal Sidhu to create a plan for a year-round homeless shelter, and create a homelessness and shelter subcommittee within the Whatcom Housing Advisory Committee.

According to the county’s January 26, 2023 point-in-time study, which is a single-day census of individuals experiencing homelessness, 1,059 people in Whatcom County were homeless. That is a 27 percent increase since 2022, and county staff have said point-in-time studies likely lead to undercounts.

Council did not vote on the resolution, but a vote to establish a year-round, county-operated homeless shelter will likely be scheduled for the July 9 county council meeting.

County hires childcare

startup to provide training

During the May 21 meeting, council entered into a $478,910 contract with childcare company Imagine Institute to assist in providing provide in-home childcare throughout the county. Access to quality childcare in Whatcom County, especially in rural areas, has been difficult to find in recent years, according to the county. With this contract, the county hopes more families in rural areas will be able to access childcare.

Imagine Institute will provide about 180 to 204 new licensed slots by providing home-based childcare businesses with training, licensure and funding for startup expenses so new businesses can go directly to homes to provide childcare.

Funding for the contract comes from American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars, pandemic-era federal relief, which is included in the county’s 2024 budget, according to a county memorandum. The contract will run through 2025 unless renewed.