Whatcom County Communications (WatCom) and Prospect Administrative Board

## Meeting Overview The Whatcom Communications and Prospect 911 Administrative Board convened on September 25, 2025, for its regular quarterly meeting. The hybrid session brought together representatives from law enforcement agencies, fire districts, and municipal governments across Whatcom County to review budgets and receive updates on the new communications facility under construction. Board members present included Mayor Kim Lund from the City of Bellingham, Councilmember Dan Hammill, Sheriff Bill Tanksley participating remotely, and various fire chiefs and law enforcement officials. The meeting was led by Justin, who recently shed his "interim" title to become the permanent Deputy Director of Whatcom Communications, and Chief Bill Hewitt, who similarly dropped "interim" from his role as Director. Two major items dominated the agenda: approval of the 2026 budgets for both Whatcom Communications (WHATCOM) and the Prospect dispatch center, and a comprehensive update on the new $12 million emergency communications facility nearing the bidding phase. The meeting also featured discussion about potential governance changes to the board's composition. ## 2026 Budget Deliberations ### Whatcom Communications Financial Picture Justin opened the budget presentation by emphasizing the organization's conservative approach for 2026, focusing on limiting expenditures while addressing mandatory increases. "We've really, in 2026, taken the approach at Whatcom of limiting any sort of expenditures," he explained to board members. The primary cost drivers identified were staff wage increases already negotiated through collective bargaining agreements and the ever-rising benefits costs. However, a significant new expense emerged from the City of Bellingham's radio shop, which supervises Whatcom's radio communications equipment. Carol Rothkart from Public Works, who oversees the radio shop, explained that the city was implementing fee increases that had been deferred for years. "They're basically catching themselves up with fees that they've been eating as well for quite a few years, and trying to create a long-term, sustainable model for funding replacement equipment as we go along," Justin noted. The radio equipment itself presents ongoing challenges, becoming "more and more complicated the longer it goes on," as modernization needs continue to emerge. These radio charges represented one of the two largest areas of budget increases for 2026. Justin presented det…