Bellingham council accepts Keep Washington Working work group report, asks administration to schedule work session

The Bellingham City Council on May 18 unanimously accepted a final report from a Keep Washington Working Act (KWW) advisory work group and directed the administration to schedule a follow-up work session to discuss implementation. Council President Hannah Stone moved to accept the report; Council Member Skip Williams seconded and the motion passed 6–0 with one member excused.

The eight‑member work group — joined by city staff and ex officio members — reviewed local policies and data collection to assess whether city practices align with the 2019 state law that limits local participation in federal immigration enforcement. Eamon Bollinger, who led the group, said the review was prompted by notifications in 2022 about potential KWW violations and highlighted the city’s unique role because Whatcom 911 dispatch is operated by the city.

The report’s principal recommendations include: improving the federal contact data logs (recording agency/subagency, agent name when possible, location, follow‑up actions and outcomes); strengthening the Whatcom 911 interlocal agreement and improving language access (including text‑to‑911 translation); reviewing and clarifying Bellingham Police Department policies (including Policy 4.17 and related policies) and limits on data sharing; creating a more accessible complaints and commendations process; and adding active, scenario‑based training with regular audits and knowledge checks for dispatchers and officers.

Ian Garcinette, presenting the federal contact findings, said the work group reviewed 527 log entries and found that roughly 3% involved immigration matters while more than 25% lacked enough detail to determine relevance. "The system of collection between federal agencies and the city does not provide enough detail to evaluate compliance with Keep Washington Working," he said, urging more consistent fields and an annual audit guided by the state attorney general’s model policy.

Dispatch and training recommendations included expanding language and translation capabilities for 911, adding public‑facing messaging to reduce fear about calling emergency services, and introducing active learning and knowledge checks so staff can better identify which federal contacts must be recorded. "We recommend incorporating scenario‑based training specific to Keep Washington Working," Abby Sanutti said.

Catalina Hope urged the city to follow up with the Washington Criminal Justice Training Commission on a statewide KWW training curriculum and recommended third‑party audits and ongoing follow‑up training for officers. Paul Knox, the contracted facilitator, praised the work group’s process and said the members pushed for substantive products and engagement with ex officio staff.

Council members praised the report’s specificity and asked the administration to identify "lighter lift" priorities the city can implement quickly. Administration representatives said some communication and complaints process changes are already under work and committed to returning with an implementation timeline and tiers of action.

The council’s acceptance does not itself change city policy; it formally receives the recommendations and requests staff to return with further analysis and proposed actions. The motion approved by the council asked administration to schedule a work session to review implementation steps and priorities.