On June 26, our Justice System Committee met with Sheriff Donnell Tanksley for some updates on his work, projects in progress, and hopes for the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO). Since coming into the office, Tank has made a number of changes that we’re excited to… Read More »Sheriff Tanksley already making positive changes
Two months ago, the Whatcom County Council voted unanimously to conduct an independent investigation into Whatcom County’s handling of sexual harassment reports involving their former Public Works Director, Jon Hutchings, which resulted in the County paying $250,000 to settle a lawsuit with the accuser. County… Read More »Demand transparency in county council investigation
On April 19, Cascade PBS reported on Whatcom County’s handling of sexual harassment claims against former Public Works Director Jon Hutchings that resulted in the County paying out $225,000 to settle these allegations. The article also reported that Hutchings resigned the day before a third… Read More »Whatcom County Council must investigate mishandling of sexual harassment allegations
Dear Mayor Lund, We appreciate the city’s efforts to set standards for advisory groups and believe the Expectations of City Advisory Groups document (pages 4-6 of City Council’s April 8, 2024 agenda packet) could set the stage for success of any volunteer advisory group member.… Read More »We provided feedback to Bellingham about its proposed advisory group standards
Below is the letter our Justice System Committee sent to Executive Sidhu and County Council members. April 8, 2024 Dear Executive Sidhu and County Council Members, The Riveters Collective Justice System Committee has followed the efforts of Whatcom County’s Justice Project with great interest. Voters… Read More »We want data and accountability for jail sales tax revenue
We encourage every Whatcom County resident to get involved in shaping our community by applying for any of these new positions: Whatcom’s Racial Equity Commission (WREC) will serve as a conduit for ongoing community collaboration, engagement, and education, within the broader context of diversity and… Read More »Get involved with important work in Whatcom County
Our Justice System Committee reviewed the Public Health, Safety, and Justice Facilities and Services Ordinance (full text) that the County will place on the November 2023 ballot. In the following table, we provide a summary of the main topics covered in the ordinance to help… Read More »Learn About the Jail Ordinance
For the first time, this year we used two positive designations for candidates: endorsed and recommended. We asked our Endorsement Committee to assign the “endorsed” designation to our true champions (i.e. candidates that we believe will work most effectively to advance our platform’s values). We used the… Read More »Riveters Collective 2023 Endorsements & Recommendations
On June 22, 2023, the Riveters’ Justice System Committee sent County Executive Satpal Sidhu and Councilmembers the letter below regarding the draft jail funding ordinance they intend to place on the November 2023 ballot. We recommend contacting these local officials to support these changes and… Read More »Read our recommendations for improving the County’s jail funding ordinance
On May 24, the County will hold a Town Hall Listening Session to discuss how they plan to improve our local justice system. The meeting agenda states they will provide background on the Justice Project and a 1.5-hour public comment period. We expect the presentation… Read More »Provide feedback about the County’s jail implementation plan