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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPublic Works March 25 2008WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL Public Works and Safety Committee March 25, 2008 Committee Chair Barbara Brenner called the meeting to order at 1:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers, 311 Grand Avenue, Bellingham, Washington. Present: Absent: L. Ward Nelson None Laurie Caskey- Schreiber Also Present: Sam Crawford Carl Weimer Seth Fleetwood COMMITTEE DISCUSSION 1. DISCUSSION REGARDING TWO ORDINANCE PROPOSALS THAT WOULD AMEND THE WHATCOM COUNTY CODE 10.34, FERRY RATES, AND CORRESPONDING FEES ESTABLISHED IN THE 2008 WHATCOM COUNTY UNIFIED FEE SCHEDULE (AB2008 -085A AND AB2008 -085B) Frank Abart, Public Works Department Director, submitted information (on file). There are two proposals, one each from Councilmembers and Weimer. Crawford stated his proposal takes away the truck discounts, provides a Whatcom County employee credit for employee trips, and includes fare increases in 2010. Other than that, he tried to model his proposal from Councilmember Weimer's proposal. The big difference is that Councilmember Weimer wants to make the 55 percent affect the total operating cost, less the fuel tax revenue, which the County has never done before. His proposal is to collect 55 percent of the total operating cost. Caskey - Schreiber asked if the State fuel tax revenue is to offset ferry fuel costs. Abart stated it is not specifically'. for ferry costs, just a ferry deficit. They assume that ferries operate at a deficit. Caskey- Schreiber stated Councilmember Weimer's proposal is to put that money toward the total ferry operating cost, which would reduce the 55 percent and 45 percent significantly. She's fine with that. It makes sense. They can't justify using it elsewhere. Crawford stated they will replace the difference with road fund revenue. Weimer stated his proposal includes a lower cost for multi -pass tickets for pedestrians. His proposal doesn't change from 2008 to 2010. The small and medium truck multi -fare rates he proposes are less. The large truck fares are the same. The big difference with his proposal is how the motor vehicle excise tax is treated. That's a tax the State provides to counties that operate ferries. Whatcom County is already splitting up the ferry expenses with the people. It makes sense to split that subsidy as well. That subsidy is based on operation and maintenance (O &M) expenses that counties spend. Those Public Works and Safety Committee, 3/25/2008, Page 1 operations and maintenance costs are included in the 55 percent reimbursement rate paid buy the riders. This helps counteract the maintenance and operations costs the ferry riders have already paid for. He submitted his most recent proposal (on file). The rates have gone up a good deal. The budget for the next five years adds about $750,000. As his proposal is structured, the deficit will disappear in five years. Caskey- Schreiber asked the reason for the added cost. Abart stated he received updated and more realistic cost information regarding fuel costs, maintenance costs, and bargaining unit agreements. Caskey- Schreiber stated costs would increase by ten percent with a new ferry. She asked if that 10 percent is of the current proposed fee structure. Abart stated all of these discussions and information do not include a new ferry. Caskey- Schreiber stated apply the State subsidy to the entire operating cost of the ferry. Don't apply it to just the County's 45 percent contribution to the operating costs from the road fund. Then, divide the balance between 55 percent and 45 percent. Abart stated the County is not collecting 55 percent from fares now. It is collecting 40 to 43 percent. Weimer stated both proposals include the ability for the County to recoup what it hasn't collected in the last two years. Crawford stated introduce and present both proposals for public hearings in two weeks. The Council can then vote on what it wants to do. Brenner stated she would rather have the committee make a recommendation. Nelson asked the intent of the State legislation to provide the ferry subsidy. Abart stated that funding is to reduce the impact of the ferry operation deficit. There is no State language that says how the county applies the subsidy. Whatcom County has used it to offset road fund expenditures related to the ferry. Whatcom County is following the formula in the County ordinance right now. They are not following the ordinance in terms of collecting 55 percent of the operating costs from the fare box. That's why this item is before the Council. Dewey Desler, Deputy Administrator, stated there is a tremendous demand on the road fund. Whatcom County's fare box recovery rate of 55 percent is one of the lowest in the state. Weimer stated that when the County changes the rates, it changes the way people ride the ferry. By the end of the summer, with the summer rates, they should know how well the rate changes are working. If it's not working, the Council will have to discuss it again. The motor vehicle tax is a $600,000 hit to the road fund over five years, through his proposal. However, the ferry to and from Lummi Island is a basic service. It's the only way people can get back to their homes. Other things on the road improvement plans aren't as high a priority. He doesn't have a problem with taking other things off the plans to make sure people can get back and forth from Lummi Island. Caskey- Schreiber stated that applying the State subsidy to the entire operating cost will be a hit to the road fund. However, these proposals aim to make the fare recovery a Public Works and Safety Committee, 3/25/2008, Page 2 1 true 55 percent. The County will hopefully see a reduction at some point in its cost for this 2 service. 3 4 Nancy Ging, 2386 Tuttle Lane, Lummi Island, stated the users can't make up for the 5 problems with the road fund. She supports Councilmember Weimer's proposal. Public 6 Works Director Abart will be able to get costs under control. These increases impact 7 peoples' lives. 8 9 Polly Hanson, 2781 West Shore Drive, stated the reality is that most people who live 10 on the island are not wealthy. They have lived there for a long time. The ferry fare has 11 gone up steadily for 25 years. It takes a bigger portion of income. The people on the island 12 have no control over that amount. There's nothing they can do other than move off the 13 island. The Council should consider what its doing to the people on the island. 14 15 Fred Kinney, 4164 Legoe Bay Road, Lummi Island, stated there are two sources of 16 revenue from the State. One source is the motor fuel vehicle tax. The other source is the 17 State deficit fund. They've been lumped together in Public Works presentations. 18 19 Brenner asked if the $160,000 is from the deficit fund. Abart stated that's correct. 20 21 Brenner stated she would like to know what the other source is. Kinney stated there 22 is another source that varies from year -to -year, depending on different factors. One source 23 is a fuel tax calculation from the State, and the other is about $1 million divided by four 24 counties. 25 26 Nelson moved to forward both proposals to the full Council for introduction and 27 public hearing. He needs more time to evaluate both proposals and to hear arguments for 28 and against both proposals. Impacts to the road fund is an issue. 29 30 Caskey- Schreiber stated she would support the motion, but favors Councilmember 31 Weimer's proposal at this time. She is willing to save $6 million in the road fund by 32 eliminating the Slater Road project. 33 34 Brenner stated she agrees that this is more than just a calculation and cost 35 comparison. It's the only way people have to get home and to work. With nearly every 36 other County project, people have other travel options. 37 38 Nelson stated that's a fair comment, but keep in mind this is the only travel route 39 that is subsidized. 40 41 Brenner stated the County subsidizes other things. 42 43 Motion carried unanimously. 44 45 Nelson stated he thanks Councilmembers Weimer and Crawford for their work on 46 these proposals. 47 48 49 OTHER BUSINESS 50 51 There was no other business. 52 53 Public Works and Safety Committee, 3/25/2008, Page 3 1 ADJOURN 2 3 The meeting adjourned at 2:13 p.m. 4 �.. 5 6 7 Jill Nixon, Minutes Transcription 8 9 10 ATTEST: 11 12 0%11111181101 14 15 16 a 'B APGM. Clerk TATE OF C f- ���l�ll��!�t10� WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON 410--- &- Barbara Brenner, Committee Chair Public Works and Safety Committee, 3/25/2008, Page 4