BELLINGHAM, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Whatcom County has hired a consultant to evaluate its human resources policies and procedures after drawing criticism from a settlement involving a former Public Works director.
The county council approved a $76,500 contract with Matrix Consulting Group at its meeting on Feb. 25.
It follows a report from Cascade PBS in April 2024 that revealed at least three different women reported being sexually harassed by Jon Hutchings while he was working as the director of Public Works. Members of the council expressed concern that they were not informed of a $225,000 settlement that the county paid to one of the alleged victims.
A council-led investigation that was presented last fall found multiple county employees claimed the human resources department was not accessible and lacked “humanity.” Some interviewees called sexual harassment training a “joke” and said leadership was not held to the same training standards as employees.
Several members of the council who led the investigation recommended hiring an outside consulting firm to find areas for improvement in the county’s handling of workplace harassment.
According to the contract, the four-month evaluation by Matrix will include interviews with HR, anonymous feedback from employees and a policy, procedure and training review. Its contract is set to expire on Aug. 31, 2025.
