Whatcom County task force hears final site, model trade-offs for behavioral care center as FAB readies decision

Whatcom County Executive Kayla Sidhu outlined three options for the county’s planned behavioral care center and said the county’s advisory work group is recommending an out‑of‑custody, treatment‑focused facility sited on the Division Street campus.

“The recommendation on that work group was to site at the Division Street campus,” Kayla said, explaining the choice favors upstream diversion, continuity of care and closer links with nearby behavioral health services at the Anne Deacon Center of Hope.

The county presented three alternatives: repurposing the existing Work Center (cheaper up front but constrained and with potential stigma); new construction on a vacant parcel at 2000 Division Street (allows therapeutic design but poses wetlands and space constraints); and new construction at La Bounty (more room and buffering but higher development and utility costs). Presenters gave high‑level construction cost ranges: approximately $22–26 million for Work Center repurpose; $29–34 million for Division Street new construction; and $29–36 million for La Bounty new construction.

Kayla framed the siting decision as a policy trade‑off: “Do you want this facility located near other behavioral health treatment facilities, or do you want this facility located near the jail?”

IPRTF members and local officials split on the priorities. Co‑chair Heather Flaherty and others urged opening the behavioral care center as soon as possible and maximizing prosecutorial diversion, arguing the facility should be accessible to community members who need treatment. Heather said the out‑of‑custody model could “be available to anybody in the community that needs behavioral health care or substance use treatment.”

By contrast, the county sheriff and some members stressed the need for robust treatment inside the jail as well. “We need to make sure that within the new jail that we have those services available,” the sheriff said, noting some people will remain in custody and require on‑site care.

Officials also highlighted operational questions that will affect cost and access: transportation for people released from booking if the site is off the jail campus; potential shared health‑service efficiencies on the Division Street campus; and wetlands and utility costs at La Bounty. Mayor Scott Cortez urged more complete operational cost estimates before committing to a location, saying running costs will determine feasibility.

Kayla said the county will begin debuting detailed scoping information in public meetings in mid‑February and expects to work with the Finance & Facility Advisory Board and the County Council toward design decisions by mid‑summer. She urged interested agencies and organizations to coordinate on a legislative request to allow more flexibility in state capital appropriations so crisis relief capital funds can be used for a hybrid behavioral care model.

Next steps: the Finance & Facility Advisory Board will hold a special meeting in January to review site analyses; public scoping information will be presented in mid‑February; and the County Council is likely to be asked to act in the coming weeks. The IPRTF was invited to weigh in prior to those bodies’ formal recommendations.