The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink Aboutord2014-017 WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL AGENDA BILL NO. 2014-091 • CLEARANCES Initial Date Date Received in Council Office Agenda Date Assigned to: Originator: J E1, I-2(41 rt7 C {E A D 2/11/14 Introduction Division Head: J' EL 1.21.14 2/25/15 Hearing L FEB 0 4 2014 Dept.Head: I//7 Ao y 3/11/2014 Hearing Prosecutor: Oa 431141 WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL Purchasing/Budget: B 3PN Executive: '24 TITLE OF DO L T: Ordinance amending the 2014 Unified Fee Schedule ATTACHMENTS: Exhibit A 2014 Unified Fee Schedule SEPA review required? ( ) Yes ( X) NO Should Clerk schedule a hearing? ( ) Yes ( ) NO SEPA review completed? ( ) Yes ( X) NO Requested Date: SUMMARY STATEMENT OR LEGAL NOTICE LANGUAGE: (If this item is an ordinance or requires a public hearing,you must provide the language for use in the required public notice. Be specific and cite RCW or WCC as appropriate. Be clear in explaining the intent of the action.) Consideration of the attached ordinance that amends the 2014 Unified Fee Schedule to authorize the Ferry fund to absorb credit/debit card convenience fees associated with accepting electronic payments on single-ride Lummi Island Ferry fares sold aboard the Whatcom Chief and incorporate credit/debit card convenience fees on multi-ride Lummi Island Ferry passes sold aboard the Whatcom Chief. COMMITTEE ACTION: COUNCIL ACTION: 2/11/2014: Introduced 2/25/2014: Hearing continuted to March 11. 3/11/2014: Council Adopted 6-1, Brenner opposed Ord. 2014-017 Related County Contract#: Related File Numbers: Ordinance or Resolution Number: j Ord. 2014-017 Please Note: Once adopted and signed, ordinances and resolutions are available for viewing and printing on the County's website at: www.co.whatcom.wa.us/council. 1 2 PROPOSED BY: James Lee 3 SPONSORED BY: BY: Public Works 4 INTRODUCTION DATE: 2-11-2014 5 6 7 ORDINANCE NO. 2014-017 8 9 AMENDING WHATCOM COUNTY 2014 UNIFIED FEE SCHEDULE TO AUTHORIZE THE FERRY 10 FUND TO ABSORB CREDIT/DEBIT CARD CONVENIENCE FEES ON SINGLE-RIDE FERRY 11 FARES AND INCORPORATE CREDIT/DEBIT CARD CONVENIENCE FEES ON MULTI-RIDE 12 FERRY PASSES 13 14 15 WHEREAS, the Whatcom County 2014 Unified Fee Schedule addresses rate schedules, including 16 rates for passage on the county-operated ferry; and 17 18 WHEREAS, the Whatcom County Ferry, the Whatcom Chief, has an approximately five-minute 19 one-way ferry run time between Lummi Island and Gooseberry Point; and 20 21 WHEREAS, the pursers on the Whatcom Chief have to collect all single-ride ferry fares on the 22 Gooseberry Point to Lummi Island run within the approximately five-minute time frame; and 23 24 WHEREAS, there is not enough time for the purser to calculate and then add the credit/debit card 25 convenience fee on multiple transactions in that time frame; and 26 27 WHEREAS, the Whatcom County Council has also expressed interest in accepting credit/debit 28 card payments aboard the Whatcom Chief; and 29 30 WHEREAS, the state legislature through RCW 36.29.190 authorized county treasurers to accept 31 credit and debit cards for fees and rates; and 32 33 WHEREAS, state law also authorizes county treasurers to absorb fees charged by electronic 34 payment processing companies for electronic transactions (credit and debit cards)for nontax payments if 35 the county's legislative body finds that it is in the best interest of the county to do so; and 36 37 WHEREAS, the County Council desires to extend the logic of the state law pertaining to county 38 treasurers to charging or not charging convenience fees on money collected by the County's Public Works 39 Department for single-ride ferry fares; and 40 41 WHEREAS, on the Lummi Island to Gooseberry Point ferry run no single-ride fares are collected; 42 instead the purser is available to sell multi-ride ferry passes; and 43 44 WHEREAS, these are the same multi-ride ferry passes that are currently sold on the Lummi Island 45 Ferry website and over-the-counter at Public Works Administration, and 46 Page 1 1 WHEREAS, the customers who purchase these multi-ride ferry passes with a credit/debit card are 2 charged an associated convenience fee by the electronic payment processing companies for processing 3 these electronic transactions; and 4 5 WHEREAS, the volume for multi-ride ferry passes is significantly less than the single-ride fares 6 collected on the Gooseberry Point to Lummi Island ferry run; and 7 8 WHEREAS, charging the customers the associated convenience fee is consistent with the 9 convenience fee that is automatically calculated and charged by the electronic payment processing 10 company at Public Works Administration; 11 12 WHEREAS, charging the associated convenience fee on all multi-ride ferry passes will help offset 13 the loss of revenue to the Ferry fund that would otherwise occur; and 14 15 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED by the Whatcom County Council that the ferry fund will 16 absorb fees charged by electronic payment processing companies for electronic transactions (credit/debit 17 cards)for all single-ride ferry fares collected on the Gooseberry Point to Lummi Island ferry runs, and 18 19 BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED by the Whatcom County Council that the customers shall be 20 charged the associated convenience fee charged to the County by the electronic payment processing 21 companies on all multi-ride ferry punch cards sold on the Lummi Island to Gooseberry Point ferry runs, and 22 23 BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED that the Unified Fee Schedule be amended as set forth in the 24 attached Exhibit A to this ordinance, and 25 26 BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED that this change will become effective thirty(30)days after the date 27 of signature of this ordinance by the Whatcom County Executive. 28 29 30 ADQRNED' �Lh day of March , 2014 . 31 ...' *{ C a '/f 32 Qs\ ..•..•• � ff: 33 •I\1�A�C0 �i WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL 34 q'Tr k CON�Y WHATCOM COUNTY,WASHINGTON 35 ' i^' fir, - -� _ --.. 38 • }{1NG 39 Dar*Brown-Dayis,'Clerk of'the Council Carl Weimer, Council Chair 40 *. < ,,••. 41 ///,��>>riisii�++++�� 42 WHATCOM COUNTY EXECUTIVE 43 APPROVED AS TO FORM: WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON 44 45 46 47 -�� 48 49 Daniel L. Gibson, Chief Civil Deputy Prosecutor Jack Lou s, Cou xet utive 50 51 ( Jy4pproved ( ) Denied 52 53 Date Signed: 3/i 3//c f Page 2 Page 2 of 2 Exhibit A - 2014 Unified Fee Schedule Amendment Department Fees and Charges Public Works - Ferry & Docks UFS# Description 2013 Rate 2014 Rate Rate Basis Authorization Authority 15. 5057 Needs Based Vehicle W/Driver $ 36.00 $ 36.00 10 Round Trips WCC 10.34 Ordinance 2008-052 Senior/Disabled/Income ❑ Larger Vehicles 16. 5058 Vehicle W/Driver 8,001-20,000 lbs. $ 29.00 $ 29.00 1 Round Trip WCC 10.34 Ordinance 2008-052 ❑ 17. 5059 Vehicle W/Driver 8,001 -20,000 lbs. $207.00 $ 207.00 10 Round Trips WCC 10.34 Ordinance 2008-052 ❑ 18. 5060 Vehicle W/Driver 20,001-36,000 lbs. $ 65.00 $ 65.00 1 Round Trip WCC 10.34 Ordinance 2008-052 ❑ 19. 5061 Vehicle W/Driver 20,001 -36,000 lbs. $494.00 $494.00 10 Round Trips WCC 10.34 Ordinance 2008-052 ❑ 20. 5062 Vehicle W/Driver 36,001-50,000 lbs. $ 130.00 $ 130.00 1 Round Trip WCC 10.34 Ordinance 2008-052 ❑ 21. 5063 Vehicle W/Driver 36,001-50,000 lbs. $ 1040.00 $ 1040.00 10 Round Trips WCC 10.34 Ordinance 2008-052 ❑ 22. 5064 Trailer under 16 feet $ 15.00 $ 15.00 1 Round Trip WCC 10.34 Ordinance 2008-052 ❑ 23. 5065 Trailer 16-30 feet $ 31.00 $ 31.00 1 Round Trip WCC 10.34 Ordinance 2008-052 ❑ 24. 5066 Trailer over 30 feet $ 60.00 $ 60.00 1 Round Trip WCC 10.34 Ordinance 2008-052 ❑ 25. 5067 Over width Vehicle/Trailers > 1 Lane 50%Surcharge 50%Surcharge Surcharge WCC 10.34 Ordinance 2008-052 ❑ Special Trips 26. 5068 Special Trips after regularly $575.00 $575.00 Per trip surcharge WCC 10.34 Ordinance 2008-052 ❑ scheduled runs Surcharge 27. 5044 Per Trip Surcharge $0.00 $3.00 1 Round Trip WCC 10.34 Ordinance 2010-054 Additional Fees 28. 5069 Credit/Debit Card Convenience Fee $0.00 Current fee as set by Multi-Ride Ferry Passes RCW 36.29.190 Ordinance electronic payment processing company/Whatcom County contract Page 1 of 2 Exhibit A- 2014 Unified Fee Schedule Amendment Department Fees and Charges Public Works - Ferry& Docks UFS# Description 2013 Rate 2014 Rate Rate Basis Authorization Authority Pedestrians 1. 5043 Passenger/Pedestrian $ 4.00 $ 4.00 1 Round Trip WCC 10.34 Ordinance 2008-052 u 2. 5045 Passenger/Pedestrian-Multiride $40.00 $40.00 25 Round Trips WCC 10.34 Ordinance 2008-052 i I 3. 5046 Children under 12 W/Parent $ 0.00 $ 0.00 1 Round Trip WCC 10.34 Ordinance 2008-052 _i 4. 5047 Children 12 to Under 19 yrs- $ 0.00 $ 0.00 1 Round Trip WCC 10.34 Ordinance 2008-052 6. 5049 Needs Based Passenger/Pedestrian $ 17.00 $ 17.00 25 Round Trips WCC 10.34 Ordinance 2008-052 Ti (Senior/Disabled/Income) 7. 5050 Post-High School Full-time Students $ 23.00 $23.00 25 Round Trips WCC 10.34 Ordinance 2008-052 ❑ 8. 5051 Lummi Tribe W/ I.D. $ 0.00 $ 0.00 Foot Passage Only WCC 10.34 Ordinance 2008-052 ❑ Passenger Vehicles 9. 5052 Bicycle W/Rider $ 4.00 $4.00 1 Round Trip WCC 10.34 Ordinance 2008-052 10. 5053 Motorcycle W/Driver $ 5.00 $ 5.00 1 Round Trip WCC 10.34 Ordinance 2008-052 1 11. 5053PC Motorcycle W/Driver $80.00 $80.00 25 Round Trips WCC 10.34 Ordinance 2008-052 12. 5054 Vehicle W/Driver< 8,001 lbs. $ 10.00 $ 10.00 1 Round Trip WCC 10.34 Ordinance 2008-052 13. 5055 Vehicle W/Driver<8,001 lbs.-Multiride $ 72.00 $ 72.00 10 Round Trips WCC 10.34 Ordinance 2008-052 14. 5056 Vehicle W/Driver<8,001 lbs. -Multiride $ 160.00 $ 160.00 25 Round Trips WCC 10.34 Ordinance 2008-052