Whatcom Executive Sidhu ready to advance these programs and initiatives delayed by COVID-19
Whatcom County is in a strong position as it emerges from the economic downturn and other effects of the new coronavirus pandemic, County Executive Satpal Sidhu told the County Council.
In his first State of the County address since taking office in January 2020, Sidhu said that “optimism is in the air” as more people are vaccinated against COVID-19 and business closures and social restrictions are eased.
“What a year 2020 was!” Sidhu told the council in prepared remarks at the start of an online Council meeting Tuesday, April 6.
“I think we are all glad that it is over, and we expect a better 2021, with schools, businesses, and restaurants open and a return to some normalcy in our personal and professional lives,” Sidhu said.
“At the same time, I can assure you that many changes brought about in our daily routines by COVID-19 are here to stay. The pandemic dramatically accelerated many processes, catapulting the world about 10 years ahead in many respects,” he said.
Sidhu canceled his first State of the County speech a year ago as Washington state joined the nation and the world in harsh restrictions on business operations and public gatherings amid growing fear and uncertainty about the pandemic.
“In spring of 2020, Whatcom County government was very focused on managing a multi-agency response to an emerging pandemic,” Sidhu’s office told The Bellingham Herald in an email. “It was a time for action rather than reflection. This spring is different. We are in a much better place to assess where we are today, identify priorities and lay out a roadmap to reach the goals set by county leadership.”
In a 33-minute address, Sidhu mentioned the flood of January-February 2020 that inundated Sumas and parts of Everson and Nooksack, as well as the December 2020 oil train derailment and fire in Custer and last summer’s marches and rallies calling for an end to systemic racial and social injustice.
He discussed the county’s response to the pandemic and praised the County Council and county employees for their efforts in what he called “an unprecedented challenge” posed by the resulting economic crisis.
And he also looked forward to advancing programs and initiatives delayed by year lost to the pandemic.
“We have accomplished many things on many fronts, and we are now focusing our attention on areas where progress has lagged. As you know, my major focus areas are: affordable housing, water for fish and farms, the Child and Family action plan, racial inequity, capital projects, and securing state and federal resources for county priorities.”
Sidhu summarized Whatcom County’s response to the pandemic, starting with the establishment of Whatcom Unified Command, a multi-governmental agency whose focus was pandemic response.
It used resources from almost every Whatcom County department — from the Sheriff’s Office, the Health Department and Emergency Medical Services to Human Resources and Information Technology, which helped employees work from home and provide online connections so elected officials could continue to meet.
Meanwhile, the Parks and Recreation Department saw a 22% increase in parks use as residents sought to exercise outside.
And the Auditor’s Office conducted two elections, including the November presidential race that had 88% voter turnout.
Further, property tax revenues were 99% of normal, sales tax revenues were 96.5% of normal, and general fund revenues were nearly $15 million — higher than originally forecast.
But at the same time, the courts and criminal justice system was hampered, Sidhu said.
“At the same time, it is important to recognize that the functioning capacity of the courts has been severely constrained, causing a significant backlog of unresolved cases. This impacts our entire justice system and the people it serves. It will require a special effort and resources to overcome this backlog and return to a properly functioning justice system,” Sidhu said.
Part of Whatcom County’s solid financial position is credited to the three federal stimulus measures passed by Congress since March 2020.
That includes $26 million to Whatcom County and its cities under the CARES Act, which helped fund pandemic response and vaccinations, grants to businesses and housing aid, among others.
But the American Rescue Plan recently signed by President Biden promises even more funding, Sidhu said.
“It is expected the combined total of $150 million is expected to be deployed to all Whatcom County governments, tribes, schools, WTA, child care, and other entities. We are waiting for guidance from Treasury and anticipating close to $45 million allocated to Whatcom County government over the next three years. We will use the lessons learned during this pandemic to deploy these funds in such a way as to have the greatest positive impact on our community,” Sidhu said.
Looking at this year and beyond, “we have a ferry to build, bridges to construct, policies to refresh and code changes to initiate,” he said.
“I am also hopeful that in the coming months we will see infection rates decline and vaccination rates increase to the point that can welcome the public back into county offices and provide more in-person services, as soon as it is prudent to do so. We will win the battle against COVID, and we will also make significant progress on other fronts — housing affordability, community health, a more inclusive society and a more prosperous county. I will continue to focus on our goals for 2021 and beyond and am fully committed to that end with your support.”
