City Council - Public Health, Safety, Justice, and Equity Committee
City Council - Public Health, Safety, Justice, and Equity Committee
Mon, July 13, 2026
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Public Health, Safety, Justice, and Equity Committee — July 13, 2026
This was a single-item committee meeting chaired by Councilmember Dan Hammill, with committee members Skip Williams and Hollie Huthman also present. Council President Hannah Stone and Councilmember Michael Lilliquist participated with questions, though only committee members voted.
Interlocal Agreement with Whatcom County — Alternative Response Team Funding
The committee considered authorizing the mayor to enter into an interlocal agreement with Whatcom County to support continued operations of the Alternative Response Team (ART), a co-response program that dispatches behavioral health professionals — rather than law enforcement — to calls involving people in mental health crisis.
Deputy Chief Ty Elmendorf of the Bellingham Police Department and Mallory Christiansen, Response Systems Manager for Whatcom County Health and Community Services, presented the item. The ART program embeds behavioral health specialists with the Whatcom County dispatch center (WhatCom Communications Center) so that appropriate calls can be triaged and routed directly to the civilian team. In 2025, ART responded to 2,140 calls on behalf of Bellingham Police, with an average response time of about 15 minutes and an average time on scene of 45 minutes to an hour. Notably, only 3–5% of those calls required law enforcement to join on scene — the remainder were handled entirely by the civilian ART team. Christiansen noted that Bellingham is one of only two jurisdictions in Washington state, along with Seattle, that dispatches an alternative response team directly from 911.
The impetus for this agreement is a $200,000-per-year cut in state legislative funding, which has put the program's sustainability at risk. The Bellingham Police Department applied for a grant through the Criminal Justice Training Commission's ESHB 2015 public safety funding program and was awarded just over $688,000 over 25 months. Those funds will sustain 1.5 FTE behavioral health specialist positions and a 0.5 FTE data analyst. The interlocal agreement formalizes the mechanism for those grant dollars to flow to Whatcom County, which operates the ART team on behalf of the partnership.
Christiansen explained that ART is currently funded through five sources: a 50/50 cost-sharing agreement between the City of Bellingham and Whatcom County (supported by Whatcom's behavioral health sales tax), a contract with the Washington State Health Care Authority, a contract with the North Sound Behavioral Health Administrative Services Organization, the City of Bellingham's direct contribution, and now this new Bellingham Police Department grant. She was candid that this grant is one-time funding for 25 months. The existing 50/50 local split is expected to be adjusted slightly downward in 2027–28 to account for the grant revenue, but she acknowledged that if additional state or grant funding does not materialize, local partners will need to identify new revenue by July 2028.
Discussion touched on potential program expansion. Bellingham Police have asked about extending ART hours into the evening (currently the team operates Monday through Friday, roughly 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on a 4/10 schedule), with 10 p.m. being a possible target. Christiansen said the team is analyzing call data to determine optimal expansion timing, but stressed that no expansion is possible without additional funding — the current grant is solely about maintaining the existing six behavioral health specialists and one full-time supervisor.
Councilmember Hammill expressed enthusiasm for the program and the broader ecosystem of co-response services (ART, GRACE, LEAD, Street Medicine, and Mental Health Court), while noting his concern about long-term sustainability beyond the 25-month grant period. Councilmember Williams stated he had accompanied the team on calls and found the program to be a valuable community resource.
Vote: Councilmember Williams moved to authorize the mayor to enter into the interlocal agreement; the motion was seconded implicitly by committee. All three committee members voted in favor; no opposition, abstentions, or recusals. The item will be brought to the full Council for a vote that evening.
Key Takeaways
The ART program handles a significant call volume — 2,140 calls in 2025 — with only 3–5% requiring any law enforcement involvement, underscoring its effectiveness as a non-police response option.
A $688,000 grant will keep the program afloat for 25 months after the state cut $200,000 in annual legislative funding; the interlocal agreement routes those grant dollars from Bellingham Police to Whatcom County.
Funding is temporary. The grant covers through approximately mid-2028. The committee and staff acknowledged that a longer-term funding solution will be needed, and local sources may have to fill the gap if state funding does not return.
Expansion is desired but not currently funded. Bellingham Police have asked about extending evening hours; that will require additional investment beyond what this agreement provides.
Bellingham's dispatch-integrated model is rare — one of only two in Washington state — and has drawn significant state-level attention.
AI-generated summary from voice-to-text transcript. Not the official record. Verify important details with the source documents linked above.
What happened at this meeting
An interlocal agreement with Whatcom County for funding to maintain operations for the Alternative Response Team
# Summary: Interlocal Agreement with Whatcom County for Alternative Response Team Funding
Staff presented an interlocal agreement with Whatcom County providing $688,000 in ESHB 2015 public safety funding over 25 months to sustain the Alternative Response Team (ART), a co-response program that dispatches behavioral health professionals to mental health crisis calls. Deputy Chief Ty Elmendorf explained that the program lost $200,000 in annual state legislative funding, putting sustainability at risk despite strong performance—2,140 calls responded to in 2025 with 15-minute average response times, with 3-5% requiring police co-response and the remainder handled entirely by civilian staff. The funding will support 1.5 FTE positions and 0.5 data analyst roles, maintaining current operations of 50 hours per week (Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.). Councilmember Williams moved to authorize the mayor to enter into the interlocal agreement, and a committee member highlighted Bellingham's distinction as one of only two state jurisdictions directly dispatching alternative response teams from 911, though they noted concerns about long-term sustainability beyond the 25-month period. The motion carried unanimously, with the committee expressing strong support for the partnership and hope for future program expansion.
Staff presented an interlocal agreement with Whatcom County providing $688,000 in ESHB 2015 public safety funding over 25 months to sustain the Alternative Response Team (ART), a co-response program that dispatches behavioral health professionals to mental health crisis calls. Deputy Chief Ty Elmendorf explained that the program lost $200,000 in annual state legislative funding, putting sustainability at risk despite strong performance—2,140 calls responded to in 2025 with 15-minute average response times, with 3-5% requiring police co-response and the remainder handled entirely by civilian staff. The funding will support 1.5 FTE positions and 0.5 data analyst roles, maintaining current operations of 50 hours per week (Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.). Councilmember Williams moved to authorize the mayor to enter into the interlocal agreement, and a committee member highlighted Bellingham's distinction as one of only two state jurisdictions directly dispatching alternative response teams from 911, though they noted concerns about long-term sustainability beyond the 25-month period. The motion carried unanimously, with the committee expressing strong support for the partnership and hope for future program expansion.
Agenda items (1)
Procedural (1)
24984ProceduralAn interlocal agreement with Whatcom County for funding to maintain operations for the Alternative Response Team
Bellingham and Whatcom County are formalizing a funding agreement to keep the Alternative Response Team operating, which provides emergency response services in the community.
What happened
# Summary: Interlocal Agreement with Whatcom County for Alternative Response Team FundingStaff presented an interlocal agreement with Whatcom County providing $688,000 in ESHB 2015 public safety funding over 25 months to sustain the Alternative Response Team (ART), a co-response program that dispatches behavioral health professionals to mental health crisis calls. Deputy Chief Ty Elmendorf explained that the program lost $200,000 in annual state legislative funding, putting sustainability at risk despite strong performance—2,140 calls responded to in 2025 with 15-minute average response times, with 3-5% requiring police co-response and the remainder handled entirely by civilian staff. The funding will support 1.5 FTE positions and 0.5 data analyst roles, maintaining current operations of 50 hours per week (Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.). Councilmember Williams moved to authorize the mayor to enter into the interlocal agreement, and a committee member highlighted Bellingham's distinction as one of only two state jurisdictions directly dispatching alternative response teams from 911, though they noted concerns about long-term sustainability beyond the 25-month period. The motion carried unanimously, with the committee expressing strong support for the partnership and hope for future program expansion.
Additional votes recorded in minutes
Authorize mayor to enter into interlocal agreement with Whatcom County for ART funding
aye 1
voice voteaye
Verbatim transcript available
52 transcript segments indexed
Welcome back. So, we're going to move forward with the afternoon committee meetings. The next committee meeting is public health, safety, justice, and equity, and that committee is chaired by Councilmember Hammel.
City of Bellingham Public Health, Safety, Justice, and Equity Committee minutes July 13, 2026, 1:35 p.m. Chair: Daniel Hammill Phone: 360-778-8200 Members: Hollie Huthman, Edwin H. "Skip" Williams Email: ccmail@cob.org Web: cob.org/council City Council committee meetings Standing committee members receive reports and information, ask questions, and vote on a recommended action for consideration by the full Council at the regular meeting.
There is no public comment period during committee sessions. Call to order and roll call Council President Stone called the meeting to order at 1:35 p.m. Present: Committee Chair Daniel Hammill, Third Ward Committee Member Hollie Huthman, Second Ward Committee Member Edwin H.
So, I'll turn it over to him at this time. >> Thank you, President Stone. This afternoon, I'm joined by committee members Williams and Huffman. We have one [clears throat] item before us. That is an interlocal agreement with Whatcom County for funding to maintain operations for the alternative response team.
The Bellingham Police Department values the relationship with the alternative response team or ART. While applying [clears throat] for a grant through the criminal justice training center, known as the ESHB 2015 public safety funding program, the police department asked for just over $688,000 for a 25-month period to help maintain operations of the ART, retain trained personnel, analyze program data, and to preserve the unit's demonstrated benefit to the Bellingham community.
"Skip" Williams, Fourth Ward 24984 1. An interlocal agreement with Whatcom County for funding to maintain operations for the Alternative Response Team Summary: Ty Elmendorf, Deputy Police Chief, and Malora Christensen, Whatcom County Health and Community Services Response Systems Division Manager, presented the interlocal agreement (ILA) with Whatcom County, which funds the Alternative Response Team (ART) Program.
Council Members discussed the ILA and asked questions. Action: Edwin H. "Skip" Williams moved to authorize the Mayor to enter into the interlocal agreement with Whatcom County for the Alternative Response Team (ART) Program.
And looks like here to take us through uh our Deputy Chief uh Ty Elmendorf and Mallary Christianson from the Response Division over at Whatcom County. Welcome. >> Thank you, Council. Ty Elmendorf, Deputy Chief of Services of the Police Department.
I just want to elaborate on what uh Councilmember Hammel said about this program. Um we partner with the Whatcom County Health and Community Services Department to operate the alternative response team, which is a critical co-response program that enhances public safety through specialized behavioral health support.
The ART team is currently deployed during daytime hours, dispatched to calls involving individuals experiencing mental health crisis. These are situations where responses led by behavioral health professionals is often more appropriate and effective than traditional law enforcement approach.
The ART team members are embedded also with Whatcom, our telecommunications center, to ensure that real-time coordination and improved triage of incoming calls occurs. This integrated model has proven to be invaluable resource for the community, reduces unnecessary law enforcement involvement, improves outcomes for individuals in crisis, and strengthens overall service of delivery.
However, due to uh recent loss from the state of $200,000 in annual legislative funding, the sustainability program is at risk. Securing funding to close this gap is essential to maintaining current service levels, retaining trained professionals, and preserving the program's demonstrated benefits to this community.
The funding request directly aligns with the statutory priorities to support behavioral health professionals in co-response units, and represents a strategic investment in effective, compassionate, and community-focused public safety within the Bellingham Police Department's jurisdiction.
And I'd brought um, you know, Malora Christensen, who's the response systems manager for the ART team with me for any questions that you would have, but uh we would hope that you would authorize the mayor to enter into this interlocal agreement.
>> Thank you. Committee members. >> Oh, well, I don't have any comments, so. >> Councilor Hemphill. >> Could you uh Could you give us some sense of uh how much work is being done by the alternative response team, um how many calls they're responding to, how how long on average they spend per call, um anything that the council or the public might find interesting to know about uh thank this program.
>> Uh Malora Christensen, Health and Community Services Response Systems Manager. Um so, in 2025, the alternative response team went to 2,140 calls instead of Bellingham Police. Uh we anticipate those numbers to continue to grow as trust in the program and, you know, uh coordination at Whatcom Dispatch continues to uh work.
It is working. Um we are averaging about 15 minutes as a response time, but it's uh you know, we're responding in the full city jurisdiction, so we only uh respond in um uh the city of Bellingham right now.
Um the I I did not prepare any sort of like presentation for you all, but I would be happy to come back and do a full report out if if the council is interested in that. Um we probably I would say anecdotally from the data that I've seen, we're spending anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour on a call.
Um and that's much different than what you would expect from a traditional law enforcement call. We also provide transportation. And since the alternative response team is part of the response systems division, which also operates Grace, LEAD, Street Medicine, and Mental Health Court, uh we're also able to do kind of in-time coordination.
While the team is on the way to a call, they're able to pull up our electronic health record and see what program that person might be in, who the case manager is, maybe make some calls to have that person the support person join us on the call.
Um so, trying to streamline and improve the efficiency of showing up on scene and having all the tools available to us at that time. So, I don't know if that covered everything, but happy to provide more.
>> I could just build upon that real quick. Um this the funding that we're asking for is going to sustain a position and a half FTE as well as a 0.5 uh data analyst. So, we'll be able to see exactly what we're going to and uh look to as we continue to help build that program.
>> Always love the data analysis. Um and and sounds like uh definitely money well spent. Um and I hope to expand this program as a city at at some point. Um, currently it's operating 50 hours a week. Is that correct?
>> It's It's operating 40, so it's Monday through Friday. Um, I guess no, it is more. Yeah, 8:00 to 6:00. Yeah, so we have our staff on a a 4/10 schedule. Um, we have been asked repeatedly by Bellingham Police to consider expansion, but I'll be very honest that right now this funding is just allowing us to maintain our current operation, um, which is six behavioral health specialists and a full-time supervisor.
Um, City of Bellingham and Bellingham Police Department are uh two of five revenue sources that support this program. Um, the state legislature has been supportive in two biennial cycles, and we are very hopeful that even with the reduction we're experiencing this year that we would see that as a legislative priority going into the next session.
>> Committee, further questions? Councilmember, go ahead. >> I'm not a committee, but thank you. Uh, but if you don't mind I'll ask a question. Um, you know, in here under anticipated outcomes it mentions over 2,100 calls, and it has a target of at least 2,000 going forward, sure.
But it talks about either as co-response or art only responses. What percentage of the calls are co-responding response and what are art only responses? >> Yeah, we've been averaging about 3 to 5% where we're asking law enforcement to join us on scene.
So, the rest of the calls are being managed 100% by the civilian uh alternative response team. >> And that's And that's what's essential about having that um embedded employee in the Whatcom Center is to be able to triage those accordingly.
>> Council President. >> Um, thank you. So, just confirming this item's related to the interlocal agreement but not to the specific funding allocation. Is that right? I mean at a high level it's the coordination.
I'm just I guess my question is related more to just confirmation regarding the the funding sources. I believe you just mentioned so Bellingham and Whatcom County are two of five funding streams and so that's the city of Bellingham, Whatcom County, the state legislature.
>> Yeah, the Bellingham Police Department would be the other one through the House Bill grant. So, the county and the city are still partners and then this ILA for the Bellingham Police Department would be another revenue source through this grant.
>> Okay, and then is there a fifth one? >> Yeah, I'm happy to share it with that. So, um the the state legislative funding comes through the Healthcare Authority. So, we have a contract with the HCA. We also have a contract with the North Sound Behavioral Health Administrative Services Organization or the BHASO for co-response.
Um we have a agreement that is a 50/50 split between City of Bellingham and Whatcom County and that's for on our end we're using behavioral health sales tax funds for that. This is new revenue coming from the Bellingham Police Department that will allow us to sustain operations for the next 2 years.
>> Okay, through that grant funding specifically. >> Okay. >> Um because otherwise that 50/50 split with Bellingham and Whatcom that still remains unchanged and the funding from Whatcom County is unchanged.
>> Yeah, we are working with um the city right now on an updated interlocal agreement uh for that 50/50 split. We would anticipate that that number would be smaller in '27 and '28 because of this funding uh just with the acknowledgement that this is one-time funding.
We don't expect this this funding to continue. Uh so, if the legislature was not interested in funding alternative response team at the level they have, or we did not have other revenue, then we would be looking to local sources to maintain services going into starting in July of 2028.
So, just to be clear that this is this is a ban This is a This is a very helpful fix, and I didn't say this earlier, but we're just so grateful to the partnership with Bellingham Police and their willingness to write us into this grant.
Um, it really is an incredible reflection of the partnership that we built. >> Okay. Councilmember Williams. >> Well, I don't have anything to add other than than I have gone on a couple of trips with the with the team, and I see that as a valuable resource that we have to help uh, deal with the with these problems.
Uh, before I make a motion to authorize this, um, what's the discussion about expansion? Uh, because when I when I went out with the team and we talked about a little bit about expanding to a broader range other than the city, is is that ever in in the discussion phase of program growth?
>> Yes, I will say that we are interested in thinking about what expansion outside of the city could look like. I think part of the reason why the program has been so successful is because we're able to be expedient and respond quickly within the city and you know, act you know, take that off of BPD and the calls that they are trying to go to.
So, an expansion of the program would be a a redesign of the program, too. >> Mhm. >> I will say that the expansion in Bellingham that has been talked about is to expand to 10:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.
We are looking at the the the call data to see if we were going to expand when would we want to do that. Um and I think we'll continue to look at that without additional funding. I don't believe expansion is possible at this time.
>> Oh, yeah. I know I wasn't asking for a timeline. I was just asking if that it that it ever come up come up. So, based on all that I I would I would make a motion to authorize the mayor to enter into the interlocal agreement with Whatcom County.
>> Okay. >> Committee, further discussion? >> [clears throat] >> Um so, I I just want to add my my two cents. Um when I was reading the summary statement, it says the Bellingham Police Department values the relationship with the ART, and I I want to underscore that that um I value the relationship with the the Whatcom County Health Department and the Response Division that you that you head up.
I think the that partnership is really important, and the work that [clears throat] ART Grace and Lead um and our our street medicine program, I think that we've been we the [clears throat] broader community community has been a a leader um in these um these types of responses.
And when I read through this at first, I was a little concerned about you know, what happens after the 25 months and how do we make sure that we can sustain this program well into the future to meet the needs of the community.
So, that that is a concern that that I have. We don't have to answer that one today. Um just want to put that out there um that I'm a 100% supportive of the of the work, and I'll be voting in um the affirmative for for this motion.
>> Any further questions, discussion? Go ahead. >> [clears throat] >> I just think it's worth uh noting for all of you to know that uh we are only one of two alternative response teams that dispatches directly from 911 and the other jurisdiction is the city of Seattle.
So, it's um it's a pretty significant thing that we've taken on and has garnered a lot of of state attention. >> Also, I'd Okay, further discussion? Seeing none. All All those in favor signify by saying I.
>> I. >> Opposed? Abstentions? Recusals? Motion carries. I'll bring it forward tonight. Thank you for the presentation this afternoon. End of committee. >> Thank you very much. So, we will take a brief break.