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HomeMy WebLinkAboutFinance November 12 20081 WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL 2 Finance and Administrative Services Committee 3 4 November 12, 2008 5 6 Committee Chair L. Ward Nelson called the meeting to order at 11:00 a.m. in the 7 Council Chambers, 311 Grand Avenue, Bellingham, Washington. 8 9 Present: Absent: 10 Sam Crawford None 11 Bob Kelly 12 13 Also Present: 14 Barbara Brenner 15 Carl Weimer 16 Seth Fleetwood 17 18 19 COUNCIL "CONSENT AGENDA" ITEMS 20 21 1. REQUEST APPROVAL FOR THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE TO ENTER INTO A LEASE 22 AGREEMENT BETWEEN WHATCOM COUNTY AND SANITARY SERVICE 23 COMPANY FOR THE CEDARVILLE AND BIRCH BAY LANDFILL FACILITIES IN 24 THE AMOUNT OF $50 PER MONTH PER SITE FOR A FIVE -YEAR TERM 25 (AB2008 -381) 26 27 Crawford moved to recommend approval to the full Council. 28 29 Motion carried unanimously. 30 31 2. RESOLUTION ORDERING THE CANCELLATION OF UNCOLLECTIBLE 32 ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE MORE THAN A YEAR OLD (AB2008 -382) 33 34 Brenner asked why they don't send these to a collection agency. 35 36 Brad Bennett, Administrative Services Department, stated the collection agency 37 won't take these small amounts. 38 39 Kelly moved to recommend approval to the full Council. 40 41 Motion carried unanimously. 42 43 3. RESOLUTION ORDERING THE CANCELLATION OF WARRANTS MORE THAN A 44 YEAR OLD (AB2008 -383) 45 46 Crawford moved to recommend approval to the full Council. 47 48 Brad Bennett, Administrative Services Department, stated banks generally won't 49 cash a check six months after the check was written. Generally they are considered stale. 50 They are writing these off. If people request the money, the staff will issue a new check. 51 52 Weimer asked if the check to Lummi Commercial from the ferry fund is for parking 53 lot rental. He's surprised they lost track of $11,000. Finance and Administrative Services Committee, 11/12/2008, Page 1 Eric Schlehuber, Public Works Department, stated they contacted Lummi Commercial last week about the check. Motion carried unanimously. 4. REQUEST APPROVAL FOR THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE TO ENTER INTO A LEASE AGREEMENT BETWEEN WHATCOM COUNTY (PARKS AND RECREATION) AND BIRCH BAY LIONS CLUB FOR 7467 GEMINI STREET, BLAINE, FOR THE OPERATION OF A HOSTEL FACILITY (AB2008 -384) Crawford moved to recommend approval to the full Council. Motion carried unanimously. S. REQUEST APPROVAL FOR THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE TO AWARD BID #08 -88 TO LOW BIDDER BRIM TRACTOR FOR A REPLACEMENT ROTARY HEAD BOOM MOWER IN THE AMOUNT OF $41,159.40 (AB2008 -385) Nelson asked about the cost. Eric Schlehuber, Public Works Department, stated the cost includes the head and the boom. The boom is the substantial part of the total $41,000. The one they are replacing has been used for 14 years. Rather than continue to build up the deck, it will be more cost - effective to replace it. Kelly moved to recommend approval to the full Council. Motion carried unanimously. 6. REQUEST APPROVAL FOR THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE TO ENTER INTO A GRANT AGREEMENT BETWEEN WHATCOM COUNTY AND THE DEPARTMENT OF ECOLOGY FOR REIMBURSEMENT OF COSTS RELATED TO THE DIESEL RETROFIT OF HEAVY -DUTY EQUIPMENT IN THE AMOUNT OF $17,818 (AB2008 -386) Crawford moved to recommend approval to the full Council. Motion carried unanimously. 7. REQUEST APPROVAL FOR THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT AMENDMENT FOR SERVICES WITH WILSON ENGINEERING, LLC IN THE AMENDED AMOUNT OF $31,850 FOR THE PURPOSES OF COMPLETING SURFACE MINING RECLAMATION PERMIT APPLICATIONS, PLANS, AND RECORD SURVEYS FOR THE WHATCOM COUNTY ABEL GRAVEL PIT (AB2008- 387) Kelly moved to recommend approval to the full Council. Crawford asked the location. Eric Schlehuber, Public Works Department, described the location. They use it for stockpiling. The pit has an active mining permit with the State Department of Ecology Finance and Administrative Services Committee, 11/12/2008, Page 2 (DOE) and State Department of Natural Resources (DNR). They are not actively mining the pit, but they are maintaining the permit for the future. The cost includes updating the reclamation plan, which the DNR requires, but is out -of -date. They are also jointly doing the aerial flight to save on up -front costs with the control points with the two adjacent property owners. Their reclamation plans all have to match. Motion carried unanimously. S. REQUEST APPROVAL FOR THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE TO ENTER INTO AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN WHATCOM COUNTY AND THE CITIES OF WHATCOM COUNTY FOR THE PURPOSE OF COOPERATIVE WORK TOWARDS COMPLIANCE WITH THE GROWTH MANAGEMENT ACT (AB2008 -388) Crawford moved to recommend approval to the full Council. Motion carried unanimously. COMMITTEE DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL 2. RESOLUTION ELECTING TO RECEIVE NATIONAL FOREST RELATED SAFETY - NET PAYMENTS UNDER P.L. 106 -393 AND 110 -343 (AB2008 -393) Crawford moved to recommend approval to the full Council. Weimer asked if this is included in the 2009 -2010 Budget. Dewey Desler, Deputy Administrator, stated he anticipates a bit more money from payment in lieu of taxes (PILT) payments. They are also expecting other adjustments to interest income. Weimer asked about the 80/20 split. He asked why they don't take the full 85 percent allowed, which would generate more money for the road fund, which is in need of it. Desler stated it will be a little more money in the road fund and for school districts, but money from PILT is reduced. This is the method they've used since the second year to now. This is the way to maximize funding from this program. It has been renewed for the next four years. Nelson stated this isn't the total new money. Desler stated this is a complicated law. They will phase it out over the next four or five years, depending upon appropriations. It may drop about nine percent per year. They budgeted $400,000 in revenue for road fund. Now they will receive $778,000. Kelly asked how much the Resource Advisory Committee administered last year. Desler stated the amount was approximately $300,000 from Whatcom County's portion, to administer projects upriver. Motion carried unanimously. 3. RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING SALARIES FOR EXECUTIVE BRANCH ELECTED OFFICIALS, EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2009 (AB2008 -121G) Finance and Administrative Services Committee, 11/12/2008, Page 3 Crawford moved to recommend approval to the full Council. The general thought was to increase the Executive's salary by 6.6 percent per year, based on the fact that he only received a higher wage for half the year this year. Therefore, take that amount, add 6.6 percent per year for the next two years, and come up with his salary. This formula follows the Council's intent expressed in June. The Executive is no longer at 101 percent of the Prosecuting Attorney's salary. This falls fairly close to the concept discussed last Tuesday, to keep the County Executive salary at approximately $141,000 for 2009 and 2010. This allows the Executive to follow the increases. By the end of 2010, the amount will be close to what they discussed. This makes more sense from the perspective of aligning his salary to the increases of the other elected officials. Brenner stated she doesn't support a 6.6 percent increase for elected officials in this economy. She asked if the realignment of 4.3 percent is in addition to 6.6 percent. Don't base Whatcom County salaries on the salaries in other counties. Wendy Wefer - Clinton, Administrative Services Department, stated the realignment language is very specific. The 4.3 percent realignment is in addition to the 6.6 percent. Crawford stated the Sheriff salary he recommends for 2009 is $111,768, which is in line with the Council's intent stated earlier in the year. Wefer - Clinton stated they've never used the realignment provision. The provision allows Whatcom County the opportunity to be competitive. It also maintains the positions in comparability to the people who report to them. Brenner stated they should freeze salaries of elected officials and those who make more than $100,000. Crawford stated this proposal is for a salary for the Executive of $137,676 for 2009. For 2010, the salary proposed would be $147,024. Wefer - Clinton stated they don't know if the State will increase the Prosecuting Attorney's salary in 2009 or 2010. Nelson asked the County's match for the Prosecuting Attorney's salary. Wefer- Clinton stated the County matches half the salary. The numbers are indicated. The County can change its match for 2009 and 2010. Nelson stated he would rather have it match the Executive's salary, and reduce the County contribution. He has a problem with the head of the County having a lower salary than anyone else. Brenner stated the only requirement to be a county executive is to be a citizen. A county prosecutor must be an attorney. They have a higher burden to meet. Kelly stated he would prefer the County Executive to make a little more than the staff underneath him. Nelson stated he will work with Ms. Wefer - Clinton on language to propose to the Council so the Executive would have a slightly higher salary than the Prosecutor for 2009 and 2010. Crawford amended his motion and moved to approve the resolution as presented, except amend the matrix in section 1.0 for the Prosecutor, so the County portion is changed to an amount that allows the Executive salary, as presented, to represent 101 Finance and Administrative Services Committee, 11/12/2008, Page 4 1 percent of the Prosecutor's total salary for both years 2009 and 2010, by adjusting the 2 County's contribution to the Prosecutor's salary if possible. If they can't adjust the 3 Prosecutor's salary to that level, keep the 2009 salary at the same level as 2008, and then 4 make that adjustment for 2010. 5 6 Motion carried unanimously. 7 8 Crawford moved to recommend to the full Council to rescind the resolution 9 approved at the last meeting, Resolution 2008 -072, which was to make the Executive repay 10 the amount. This item will fix the issue. 11 12 Weimer stated that would have an effect on what they just did. The Executive would 13 receive the same overall wage adjustment on the increase the Council mistakenly gave the 14 Executive in July. 15 16 Brenner stated the mistake that occurred was retroactive to January 1, 2008. 17 Wefer - Clinton stated the elected officials had a four percent retroactive pay to January 1, 18 2008. 19 20 Weimer asked if they would build the 6.6 percent on top of the mistaken amount, if 21 they rescind the resolution. The Prosecuting Attorney's increase was not retroactive. 22 23 Nelson stated that rescinding that resolution is a part of this resolution, so they don't 24 need to take a separate vote. 25 26 Crawford withdrew his motion. 27 28 Kelly stated that this action is consistent with the Council's intent in the past, which 29 was that all the elected officials get the same increase. 30 31 1. RESOLUTION APPROVING A SALARY SCHEDULE AND POLICIES FOR 32 UNREPRESENTED WHATCOM COUNTY EMPLOYEES, EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 33 2009(AB2008 -361A) 34 35 Nelson moved to recommend approval to the full Council. 36 37 Motion carried unanimously. 38 39 Nelson asked if they added a step to the matrix. 40 41 Wendy Wefer - Clinton, Administrative Services Department, stated they added steps 42 to the matrix in July 2008, and dropped off other steps. They were hiring at the next to the 43 top step. People were topped out in a year. 44 45 Nelson asked if the Council could remove that step increase for 2009 and 2010. 46 47 Brenner stated it's not right that the people at the top are getting six percent and 48 the people at the bottom are getting two percent. 49 50 51 OTHER BUSINESS 52 53 There was no other business. Finance and Administrative Services Committee, 11/12/2008, Page 5 1 2 3 4 5 6 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 ADJOURN The meeting adjourned at 11:45 a.m. Jill Nixon, Minutes Transcription e`���tIN lllilll /ICI ATTE` �• • � ....... �'�� J., H n r�o..�,� 0:0 COUNTY - • �' r . Dana Beb - Dams;, (4p ncil Clerk °. SHIt4 • WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON L. Ward Nelso , Cor&nittee Chair Finance and Administrative Services Committee, 11/12/2008, Page 6