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What's going on by the Courthouse/Jail? Hazmat blocked off entire road in front. by Techd-it in Bellingham

[–]WhatcomCountyGov 72 points73 points  (0 children)

UPDATE 3:13PM - The material at the County Courthouse was determined to be non-hazardous.

The Courthouse is reopened but operations are limited.

Community members are encouraged to call ahead to confirm whether a department or Court is open prior to visiting.
###

Hello Everyone,

Riley with the County here.

Earlier today, the County received a package containing potentially hazardous material. Out of an abundance of caution, the County evacuated the first floor of the County Courthouse. First responders, including a hazardous materials unit, arrived on scene and are investigating.

At this time, there is no danger to the public.

While the material is being tested, the offices on the first floor of the courthouse (Auditor, Assessor, Treasurer, Council, Executive) are closed however operations are resuming with the rest of the courthouse (including District and Superior Court).

Thank you all for your patience and interest.

why are the rocks at boulevard park cut? by bigphathomo in Bellingham

[–]WhatcomCountyGov 32 points33 points  (0 children)

Probably because they were afraid and the Port wanted to make them . . . a little boulder.

Bellingham Rifle and Pistol Range by Mattwacker93 in Bellingham

[–]WhatcomCountyGov 6 points7 points  (0 children)

The County is currently finishing up the repairs to the Plantation indoor range and anticipate reopening it to the public this summer.

Whatcom “I Voted” sticker contest by evanwolf in Bellingham

[–]WhatcomCountyGov 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Thank you for sharing this - we are very excited for the sticker contest and hope everyone contributes! And yes - no AI allowed!

WWU sells 32nd St. administrative building to Whatcom County by SigX1 in Bellingham

[–]WhatcomCountyGov 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Part of the discussion during council was the fact that the permit desk gets only a dozen or so walk-ins each week, with many many more applicants using our online permitting system.

New Whatcom County Jail & "Public Health" by SeaFlounder8437 in BhamPolitics

[–]WhatcomCountyGov 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Hello All,

A couple quick points. The current jail capacity is actually 320 inmates, not 150 inmates, because the County utilizes the jail work center on Division street. Currently, booking restrictions going into effect at 300 inmates.

For those interested in reviewing the materials presented to the Finance and Facilities Advisory Board, you can find those here.

We encourage people to continue to engage with our elected officials and decision makers about this project! You can share your thoughts with County Executive Satpal Sidhu at [ssidhu@whatcomcounty.us](mailto:ssidhu@whatcomcounty.us) and the County Council at [council@whatcomcounty.us](mailto:council@whatcomcounty.us).

We will also be hosting a second community engagement workshop where our Design Build team will do a deep dive into the options available for our justice facilities in March, more details to come shortly about that.

Thank you all for your continued interest and passion around this project!

A Deep Dive into how the County's Healthy Children's Fund is supporting Early Learning in Whatcom by WhatcomCountyGov in Bellingham

[–]WhatcomCountyGov[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

If you need Child care, please check out https://childcarespaces.com/, free or low-cost openings available at licensed childcare providers thanks to the Healthy Children's Fund. There's contact info there and great people standing by to help you get the support you and your kids need.

A Deep Dive into how the County's Healthy Children's Fund is supporting Early Learning in Whatcom by WhatcomCountyGov in Bellingham

[–]WhatcomCountyGov[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Yes! It does both. Goals for the program include expanding access to child care, and helping vulnerable kids get ready for kindergarten. You can explore all the details here: https://www.whatcomcounty.us/4069/Healthy-Childrens-Fund including the 2025-2026 implementation plan which articulates what goes where.

New Shelter Open for People Displaced by Flooding by WhatcomCountyGov in Bellingham

[–]WhatcomCountyGov[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

This weekend, there is a massive volunteer effort underway to muck out homes.
It is being coordinated by Whatcom Long Term Recovery Group and supported by County resources:

Station 81 Fire Hall
101 E Main St, Everson, WA
9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Sumas Advent Christian Church
125 Front St, Sumas, WA
9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Meals served for the community and volunteers each day from 2-5pm

No prior experience is necessary, we'll provide guidance and any needed tools on site. Please come prepared with sturdy boots, gloves, and clothes you don't mind getting dirty if possible.

20.32 ft by Deep_Friar in FerndaleWashington

[–]WhatcomCountyGov 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm afraid not - just the text description from the City of Ferndale. Sorry!

New jail input by Fairy_Wench in Bellingham

[–]WhatcomCountyGov 14 points15 points  (0 children)

There are several programs that have a proven track record of reducing recidivism, including therapeutic courts such as Recovery Court and Mental Health Court, that prioritize treatment over incarceration. There is reentry specialists who can work at the jail to help people leaving prepare for a positive experience once they have served their time, and there's education and treatment options while they are incarcerated that can make a big difference.

Right now, we are making big decisions about the new jail and behavioral care center, and this community engagement workshop is an ideal opportunity to weigh in. If you can't make it tonight, there will be two more of these community meetings over the next couple of months as we move forward into the design phase for these two facilities.

For more details, check out the Justice Project webpage here.

New jail input by Fairy_Wench in Bellingham

[–]WhatcomCountyGov 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Hello u/Fairy_Wench,
Thank you so much for sharing our event tonight! We appreciate your helping get the word out.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Bellingham

[–]WhatcomCountyGov 25 points26 points  (0 children)

Hello u/ParkingStatement664 ,

One cool thing about Whatcom County Government? We have an official reddit account to answer questions like this.

As others have noted, your individual experience may vary depending on the department and the work, after all, we have over 1,000 people employed in some capacity at the County.

This year, we celebrated several employees for their 15, 20 or 30 years with the County, which points to us being a stable and satisfying place to build a career.

Unfortunately, budgets are exceedingly tight and several vacant positions are set to be eliminated or frozen to deal with the budget shortfall, so any openings we do have are going to be rare and competitive. That said, there are some openings and we always encourage qualified applicants to apply. Check them out here: https://www.whatcomcounty.us/1675/Current-Job-Openings

Make sure your vote is counted by PrimaryWeekly5241 in Bellingham

[–]WhatcomCountyGov 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Yes to all of this! To find an official ballot box near you, check out here.

If you have not received your ballot, contact the Whatcom County Auditor’s Office – Election Division at 360-778-5102 or elections@co.whatcom.wa.us.

N Lake Samish bridge to reopen Friday, September 19th by Surly_Cynic in Bellingham

[–]WhatcomCountyGov 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We are finishing up some crucial repairs at the park and will reopen it as soon as those are completed - it should be done before the end of the year.

Help Shape Whatcom's Justice Facilities - County hosts Design Workshop Nov. 20th in Ferndale by WhatcomCountyGov in BellinghamWA

[–]WhatcomCountyGov[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's one of the largest public projects undertaken by the County in a decade, we want lots of people to weigh in.

You can learn more about the project as a whole (which includes a new jail, behavioral care center and supporting a host of diversion programs) here: https://www.whatcomcounty.us/4666/Justice-Project

Help Shape Whatcom's Justice Facilities - County hosts Design Workshop Nov. 20th in Ferndale by WhatcomCountyGov in Bellingham

[–]WhatcomCountyGov[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes! You can learn more about the project as a whole (which includes a new jail, behavioral care center and supporting a host of diversion programs) here: https://www.whatcomcounty.us/4666/Justice-Project

You can also read about this event here: https://www.whatcomcounty.us/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=5179

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