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HomeMy WebLinkAboutFinance June 3 2008WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL Finance and Administrative Services Committee June 3, 2008 Committee Member Sam Crawford called the meeting to order at 11:00 a.m. in the Council Chambers, 311 Grand Avenue, Bellingham, Washington. Present: Bob Kelly Also Present: Carl Weimer COMMITTEE DISCUSSION Absent: L. Ward Nelson 1. DISCUSSION WITH THE ADMINISTRATION REGARDING 2009 -2010 BUDGET PREPARATION (AB2008 -227) Dewey Desler, Deputy Administrator, submitted a draft agenda for the meeting next week (on file). He read the proposed agenda. Crawford stated it would be helpful to start with an overview of County finances in general, and explain how it breaks down. Also present revenue projections for the next few years. Start with a presentation on the big picture to set the tone for the next few months. Desler stated he will plan to expand the presentation of agenda item five. Some of that information is in the current budget. Crawford stated at some point he would like a presentation on the status of the jail as a separate issue, possibly in the Public Works and Safety Committee. Desler stated he's happy to describe the status of the jail. Kelly asked for a list of budget objectives. Desler stated it's in the current budget document, in volume two. Kelly asked the process for arriving at those objectives. Desler stated the departments create the objectives. The administration review and includes the objectives. Crawford stated the administration is responsible for proposing a budget. The Council ratifies the budget. In that process, the Council may make changes. Kelly stated this Charter government isn't set up so the Council rubber- stamps what is put in front it. If the Council is going to make changes, it must justify those changes. To do that, they must be able to explain those objectives. If he proposes changes to the budget, he intends to be able to justify those changes with objectives. Desler stated he's worked with the Council for a number of years. The Council always makes changes to the budget. The last several years, the Council adopted the budget unanimously. There is a dialog back - and -forth about expectations, desires, and impacts of different options. They discuss the County's capacity and capabilities. He hopes they continue that communication so the budget process continues to be a success. Finance and Administrative Services Committee, 6/3/2008, Page 1 1 2 COUNCIL "CONSENT AGENDA" ITEM 3 4 1. REQUEST AUTHORIZATION FOR THE EXECUTIVE TO ENTER INTO A 5 COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT BETWEEN WHATCOM COUNTY AND THE UNITED 6 STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE TO PROVIDE FUNDS FOR A DEPUTY 7 TO PATROL THE MT. BAKE R-SNOQUALMIE NATIONAL FOREST, IN THE 8 AMOUNT OF $64,500 (AB2008 -218) 9 10 Kelly moved to recommend approval to the full Council. 11 12 Motion carried unanimously. 13 14 2. REQUEST AUTHORIZATION FOR THE EXECUTIVE TO ENTER INTO AN 15 INTERLOCAL COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY OF LYNDEN AND 16 WHATCOM COUNTY PARKS AND RECREATION TO LEASE THE LYNDEN 17 COMMUNITY CENTER AND DESIGNATED PARKING AREAS FOR USE AS A 18 SATELLITE SENIOR CITIZEN ACTIVITY CENTER (AB2008 -219) 19 20 Kelly moved to recommend approval to the full Council. 21 22 Motion carried unanimously. 23 24 3. REQUEST AUTHORIZATION FOR THE EXECUTIVE TO ENTER INTO AN 25 AGREEMENT FOR GRANT FUNDING BETWEEN WHATCOM COUNTY AND 26 WASHINGTON • SATE SALMON RECOVERY FUNDING BOARD TO RESTORE 27 SALMON HABITAT FOR ESA - LISTED EARLY CHINOOK AND OTHER SALMON 28 ALONG THE SOUTH FORK NOOKSACK RIVER, EAST OF ACME, IN THE 29 AMOUNT OF $838,240 (AB2008 -220) 30 31 Frank Abart, Public Works Department, stated he has a deadline. One issue has to 32 do with a matching grant in the amount of $150,000 through the Environmental Protection 33 Agency (EPA). That grant is no longer available or included in this project. If the Council 34 approves this project today, he will come before the Council again for an. amendment to 35 reduce the cost and change the scope. The County was unable to acquire the easements 36 needed from the property owners. If the Council does not approve this item, the salmon 37 recovery funds will be redistributed to other jurisdictions in the State. 38 39 Kelly stated there was information that they were close to an agreement for the 40 easements. Abart stated that's been his understanding for some time. However, to date, 41 they don't have legitimate easements at all. 42 43 Kelly stated the memo indicates that they are close to an agreement.. Mr. Abart's 44 tone indicates that they are not. Abart stated he's been hearing for a year that they are 45 close. He doesn't have the easements in his hand at this point. 46 47 Kelly stated he's not willing to give that money back to someone else at this point. 48 Those who worked on salmon recovery issues worked very hard to get to this basin. He 49 moved to recommend approval to the full Council. He would like Mr. Abart to keep trying 50 with the easements. Abart stated they are essentially out of time. If they take no action 51 today, the deadline would have already passed and the money goes somewhere else 52 anyway. He hasn't given up all hope, but he is ready to move on with alternatives for this 53 money so it doesn't go somewhere else. Finance and Administrative Services Committee, 6/3/2008, Page 2 Crawford asked the issue with the property owners. Abart stated it's very complicated. The property owners don't like to provide any easements, which would require control and access. They do need the easements to get on the land and put things in place. Crawford asked why the property owners don't think this is a great thing. The County is creating habitat and protecting their property from erosion. Abart stated no one likes to allow easements, in the first place. The owners don't like the migrating easement aspect. They have been using migrating easements for decades. No one has had an issue with it before, but it's a concern. Kelly stated the language in the easement is aggressive. The owners appear to be giving up a lot. Crawford stated it's an easement. They're not giving away any land. Abart stated this projects essentially gives away over $800,000 in public funds to assist and protect private property. There were a lot of habitat improvements. Work in this area provides a lot of public benefit. If there are no easements, there is no projects. Kelly asked if there is an option to keep the money from going back to the Salmon Recovery Funding (SRF) Board. Abart stated there is. The woody debris placements would go adjacent to a nearby roadway instead of private property. It would still provide habitat. They have an alternative. Kelly stated he is in favor of doing the alternative. Abart stated approving this item means he will begin to retain as much of this money as possible. Crawford asked if noncompliance with the Growth Management Hearings Board affects this funding. Abart stated it doesn't. David Stalheim, Planning and Development Services Director, stated it only affects the Centennial Clean Water Fund and the Public Works Trust Fund are statutorily limited by non - compliance. Motion carried unanimously. 4. REQUEST APPROVAL FOR THE EXECUTIVE TO AWARD BID #08 -38 TO LOW BIDDER CONTECH SERVICES, INC. FOR REPAIRS TO THE BASEMENT OF THE CIVIC CENTER BUILDING IN THE AMOUNT OF $66,005.84 (AB2008 -221) Kelly moved to recommend approval to the full Council. Motion carried unanimously. 5. REQUEST APPROVAL FOR THE EXECUTIVE TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT BETWEEN WHATCOM COUNTY AND THE WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY, TRADE & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR GRANT FUNDING FOR THE INITIAL CONSTRUCTION PHASE OF THE EAST WHATCOM REGIONAL RESOURCE CENTER PR03ECT, IN THE AMOUNT OF $1,000,000 (AB2008 -222) Kelly moved to recommend approval to the full Council. Finance and Administrative Services Committee, 6/3/2008, Page 3 1 Crawford asked the status of this project. 2 3 Dewey Desler, Deputy Administrator, stated this additional $1 million will create a 4 fund amount close'to $4 million that they have for this facility. They are currently involved 5 in constructing a couple of different options for the facility. One option will cost $5 million, 6 and the other option will cost $7 million. Those options will come before the Council. The 7 administration would like to move forward with the $5 million option, and request additional 8 legislative capital appropriation funding in the next legislative session, in the amount of $2.5 9 million. If they get the money, they will move ahead with design and engineering of the $5 10 million project. If they get the additional State money, they can adjust the project and 11 move forward with the larger project. This will be a multi -phase project either way. 12 13 Crawford asked if they are phasing the project in a way that it can expand. Desler 14 stated they are. 15 16 Crawford stated he is thinking of an eventual library use, if the Library Board 17 approves. Desler stated they can do that. The entire site of over six acres is being 18 designed for that expansion option. The initial existing services include the Head Start 19 Program and the Interfaith Clinic's medical and dental clinic, which have requested 20 expanding facilities. 21 22 They are talking to the Interfaith Clinic about getting the remainder of the money 23 through a bond, which would be paid off with rental funding from the Interfaith Clinic. 24 25 Crawford stated the library would have revenue sources, too, in case it designs to 26 locate on this site. 27 28 Motion carried unanimously. 29 30 31 OTHER BUSINESS 32 33 There was no other business. 34 35 36 AD30URN 37 38 - he meeting adjourned at 11:32 a.m. 40 41 Jill Nix f�MiitlutgS� �;a scription 43 Ca 45 ;�1HAT0-600 0 ,1 46 • 0 COUNTY �► • 47 • 48 = • 49 50 • 51 na BfeW - vi5, Co cil Clerk WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON LWO Sa Crawford, Con1nittee Member Finance and Administrative Services Committee, 6/3/2008, Page 4