HomeMy WebLinkAboutFinance March 27 20071 WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
2 Finance and Administrative Services Committee
3
4 March 27, 2007
5
6 Committee Chair Sam Crawford 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 L. Ward Nelson None
11 Dan McShane
12
13 Also Present:
14 Barbara Brenner
15
16
17 COMMITTEE DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL
18
19 1. ORDINANCE AMENDING THE 2007 WHATCOM COUNTY BUDGET, THIRD
20 REQUEST, IN THE AMOUNT OF $1,223,888 (AB2007 -154)
21
22 Dewey Desler, Deputy Administrator, explained the requests.
23
24 Crawford asked about the $20,000 requested by the Council Office for legal services.
25 He would like more information on when the Council voted on the interlocal agreement
25 regarding the lawsuit.
27
28 Nelson stated have an executive session discussion as a full Council in Committee of
29 the Whole.
30
31 Crawford moved to recommend approval of the substitute version submitted
32 yesterday to the full Council.
33
34 Motion carried unanimously.
35
36
37 COUNCIL "CONSENT AGENDA" ITEM
38
39 1. REQUEST AUTHORIZATION FOR THE EXECUTIVE TO AWARD BID #06 -119 TO
40 THE LOWEST BIDDER, BLYTHE PLUMBING & HEATING, INC. FOR
41 REPLACEMENT OF THE AIR COOLED CHILLER AT THE COURTHOUSE, IN THE
42 AMOUNT OF $99,446.16 (AB2007 -161)
43
44 McShane moved to recommend approval to the full Council.
45
46 Motion carried unanimously.
47
48 2. REQUEST AUTHORIZATION FOR THE EXECUTIVE TO AWARD BID #07 -18 TO
49 THE LOWEST BIDDER, WHATCOM BUILDERS, INC. FOR ANNUAL HOT MIX
50 ASPHALT PRELEVEL PROJECTS, IN THE AMOUNT OF $507,975.30 (AB2007-
51 162)
52
53 Nelson moved to recommend approval to the full Council.
Finance and Administrative Services Committee, 3/27/2007, Page 1
Motion carried unanimously.
3. REQUEST AUTHORIZATION FOR THE EXECUTIVE TO ENTER INTO A
CONTRACT AGREEMENT BETWEEN WHATCOM COUNTY AND LAKE WHATCOM
CENTER TO SUPPORT THE ADMINISTRATIVE COST OF PROVIDING 40
SPONSOR BASED SHELTER PLUS CARE RENTAL UNITS FOR INDIVIDUALS
WITH MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS, IN THE AMOUNT OF $24,960 (AB2007 -163)
Crawford moved to recommend approval to the full Council.
Nelson asked the difference in daily bed costs between this contract the next
contract.
Dewey Desler, Deputy Administrator, stated Gary Williams, Health Department, can
provide that information later today.
Motion carried unanimously.
{Clerk's Note: Discussion of this item continued below, before Consent Agenda item
8.)
4. REQUEST AUTHORIZATION FOR THE EXECUTIVE TO ENTER INTO A
CONTRACT AGREEMENT BETWEEN WHATCOM COUNTY AND WHATCOM
COUNSELING & PSYCHIATRIC CLINIC TO PROVIDE ONGOING MENTAL
HEALTH PROGRAMS AND SERVICES, INCLUDING JAIL CASE MANAGEMENT
PROGRAM, ADMINISTRATION OF A HOUSING VOUCHER PROGRAM,
GLADSTONE HOUSE, AND PEER COUNSELOR OUTREACH PROJECT, IN THE
AMOUNT OF $121,778 (AB2007 -164)
McShane moved to recommend approval to the full Council.
Motion carried unanimously.
S. REQUEST AUTHORIZATION FOR THE EXECUTIVE TO ENTER INTO A
CONTRACT AGREEMENT BETWEEN WHATCOM COUNTY AND WHATCOM
COUNSELING & PSYCHIATRIC CLINIC TO PROVIDE ONGOING MENTAL
HEALTH PROGRAMS AND SERVICES, INCLUDING ELDER - GATEKEEPER
SERVICES AND AN ACTIVITY CENTER AT THE RAINBOW CENTER, IN THE
AMOUNT OF $118,809 (AB2007 -165)
Nelson moved to recommend approval to the full Council.
Motion carried unanimously.
6. REQUEST AUTHORIZATION FOR THE EXECUTIVE TO ENTER INTO A
CONTRACT AG_ REEMENT BETWEEN WHATCOM COUNTY AND CATHOLIC
COMMUNITY SERVICES OF WESTERN WASHINGTON NORTHWEST TO
PROVIDE CASE MANAGEMENT AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES TO FAMILIES
THAT ARE NOT ADDRESSED THROUGH EXISTING SYSTEMS, IN THE AMOUNT
OF $30,900 (AB2007 -166)
Crawford moved to recommend approval to the full Council.
Finance and Administrative Services Committee, 3/27/2007, Page 2
1
2 Motion carried unanimously.
3
4 7. REQUEST AUTHORIZATION FOR THE EXECUTIVE TO ENTER INTO A
5 CONTRACT AGREEMENT BETWEEN WHATCOM COUNTY AND SUN
6 COMMUNITY SERVICES TO PROVIDE SUPERVISED RESIDENTIAL BEDS FOR
7 MENTALLY ILL OFFENDERS, REFERRED BY THE JAIL DIVERSION PROJECT,
8 IN THE AMOUNT OF $90,000 (AB2007 -167)
9
10 McShane moved to recommend approval to the full Council.
11
12 Motion carried unanimously.
13
14 Nelson referenced Consent Agenda items three and four and asked the difference in
15 bed costs between the two contracts.
16
17 Gary Williams, Health Department, stated Lake Whatcom owns the housing, so their
18 administrative responsibility is less. Whatcom Counseling goes out and finds market rate
19 housing and secures it for the purpose. There is more responsibility to do that. Lake
20 Whatcom owns apartments in the community.
21
22 S. RESOLUTION AMENDING CRP NO. 999022 FOR PHASE II -- CABLE STREET
23 RECONSTRUCTION AND REQUEST AUTHORIZATION FOR THE EXECUTIVE TO
24 APPROVE AWARD OF CONTRACT TO COLACURCIO BROTHERS, INC. AS LOW
25 BIDDER IN THE AMOUNT OF $2,235,560.50 (AB2007 -168)
26
27 Crawford asked if this has anything to do with Wall Street,
28
29 Joe Rutan, Public Works Department, stated this request is for the second phase of
30 the project started last year. Part of this construction includes Wall Street,
31
32 Crawford asked if this incorporates the Council's recommendation to go with swales,
33 not vaults, for Wall Street. Rutan stated it does.
34
35 McShane moved to recommend approval to the full Council.
36
37 Crawford stated he is in favor of the motion, even though he is in favor of the vault
38 system over the swales.
39
40 Brenner stated the Public Works staff feels that there is equal benefit with either
41 system. The County does many projects, and must work with the people, without doing
42 things the people are opposed to. She is in favor of the vaults, not the swales. She asked
43 if the Council can bifurcate this item from the entire request.
44
45 Dewey Desler, Deputy Administrator, stated the project had three components. Wall
46 Street was one of the three components. The third portion may be negotiated to change
47 from swales to vaults.
48
49 Kirk Christensen, Public Works Department, stated that if the majority of the Council
50 is considering changing to the vault, they would move forward with the project and then do
51 a change order with the contractor to do the vault instead of the swales.
52
Finance and Administrative Services Committee, 3/27/2007, Page 3
Brenner stated she was told that this would be the appropriate time to make the
change.
Fleetwood stated he is the swing vote. A change to vaults is not an issue.
Nelson stated that it's an issue of working with the citizens. Only do swales if they
have evidence that the swales work much better. The County has been urging the public
for the fast ten years to help the County protect Lake Whatcom. He's worried the public will
decide not to comply if the Council doesn't work with the public. The Council doesn't want
to listen to the public on this issue.
McShane stated the community raised a concern about their basements flooding.
The County compromised already by lining the swale so there will not be infiltration. He
looked at the street. Another concern is with safety. He has some faith that the Public
Works Department would not do a project that creates an unsafe situation. Christensen
stated they have designed a one -foot shoulder on the swale side and a shoulder on the
other side of the street. It's a safe situation for cars to get by each other. Warner Webb
doesn't have any concerns about fire trucks navigating the road.
McShane stated the citizens' perceptions of what is safe can be different from the
engineers' designs. He asked if there are any other things that can be done to address
safety concerns, such as signage or parking on the shoulder that would block traffic.
Christensen stated they potentially could put no parking signs along the swale side, if
people park there.
Nelson asked which system would have a greater impact on the community when
maintenance is done. Christensen stated they are similar. The vaults may have less impact
because there is no mowing. They don't know the life expectancy of the swales. They will
test how well the soils absorb the phosphorus. It depends on how often, if ever, they will
have to put in new soils.
Nelson asked the guarantee of the liner not being penetrated. Christensen stated it
has a long life expectancy, at least 54 years.
Nelson stated there is no guarantee on the effectiveness of the liners. They are very
fragile.
Fleetwood stated this has been a difficult decision. Experts have gravitated to the
swale system over the vault system.
Don Shepherd, 4518 Wall Street, handed out information (on file). It's not okay to
narrow the street because it's not asphalt. They are narrowing the road and putting a ditch
in the middle of Grant Street. The residents of Wall Street ask the Council t4 not do this.
Kent Nelson, 4511 Wall Street, stated the residents have tried to voice their
concerns to the Council. The design doesn't work. Afire truck could not go down Wall
Street under the revised amendment that the Council chose not to follow from the County
staff. The citizens can accept the staff's recommendation, but the Council didn't accept it.
The solution is the staff's recommendation.
They have water runoff problems. They are stewards for the lake. If they are to
continue being stewards, the Council must care about the concerns of the residents, or else
Finance and Administrative Services Committee, 3/27/2007, Page 4
I the residents will organize against the Council if it has to. Do not go against the citizen's
2 request.
3
4 Crawford stated he doesn't support the swale. The majority of the Council have
5 approved the swale. However, he will support this contract because the work needs to get
6 done. For the Council to reconsider, someone who voted against the vault must make a
7 motion to reconsider.
8
9 Nelson asked if they can remove the Wall Street work altogether. Christensen stated
10 he believes they can move forward with the other two parts of the contract, which are the
11 water line and the Cable Street reconstruction.
12
13 Bruce Roll, Public Works Department, stated legal counsel says to amend the
14 contract at a later date.
15
16 Brenner stated it's better to amend this contract, and be done with it.
17
18 Weimer stated he heard from the experts that there is a slight benefit to the swales.
19 He will not change his vote to the vault system.
20
21 Nelson stated he would make a motion at the evening meeting to remove the Wall
22 Street portion of the contract.
23
24 Motion carried 2 -1 with Nelson opposed.
25
26 9. RESOLUTION TO SCHEDULE A PUBLIC HEARING CONCERNING ONE -WAY
27 DETOURS RELATED TO THE CABLE STREET RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT
28 (AB2007 -169)
29
30 Kirk Christensen, Public Works Department, stated the County Code requires a public
31 . hearing to do a one -way detour during construction. Such a detour is the safest and most
32 efficient. It will exist for three to four months.
33
34 Crawford moved to recommend approval to the full Council.
35
36 Nelson asked about the corner at Coronado Street. It has poor visibility.
37 Christensen stated there will be a flagger present during busy times. The fire department
38 has approved it.
39
40 (Clerk's Note: End of tape one, side A.)
41
42 Motion carried unanimously.
43
44 10. RESOLUTION TO SET HEARING TO DECLARE PROPERTY LOCATED AT 2158
45 SOUTH NUGENT ROAD, LUMMI ISLAND, AS SURPLUS (AB2007 -153)
46
47 Crawford moved to recommend approval to the full Council.
48
49 Colleen Berg, Lummi Island Community Land Trust, stated she asks that this public
50 hearing be rescheduled after her presentation to the Public Works Committee.
51
52 McShane asked if the general fund would have to reimburse the road fund if the
53 County decides to keep the house.
Finance and Administrative Services Committee, 3/27/2007, Page 5
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
Dewey Dester, Deputy Administrator, stated the road fund would have to be
reimbursed some way, unless the house were used for a road fund purpose.
Crawford stated he is in favor of the motion. The public hearing is properly set.
Weimer stated all the councilmembers should attend the Public Works and Safety
Committee meeting to clear up the confusion on this issue.
Motion carried unanimously.
OTHER BUSINESS
McShane stated a Planning Commissioner suggested that the Council consider health
benefits for Planning Commission members. Even though he may not be in favor of it, the
request warrants some sort of response. He asked if the committee is interested in having
a broader discussion about advisory committees. The Planning Commission work and time
is much greater than it used to be. He's concerned about attracting good people if the work
becomes too burdensome.
Nelson stated it was one commissioner who made the request. If it is a concern of
all commissioners, the commission should make the request in writing. Also, if the Council
does consider it, it must consider all boards and commissions. It would have to be a County
Charter amendment that goes to the public for a vote. It would have a fiscal impact to the
County.
McShane stated he agrees that there is no formal request from the entire
commission.
Crawford stated the policy is clear that this is a "non- compensated commission.
Councilmembers can contact this individual on their own. No formal proposal has come
forward, and no councilmembers propose a change. He would not be in favor of a change.
ADJOURN
The meeting adjourned at 12:00 p.m.
1
Jill NixonOlA ltoffnTianscription
AT
$.4j;-p %
0:
U.
Daifo6r60A!0 �V is -t ou
01/ ` / / * `����� ++r r i ti � �
Clerk
WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON
Finance and Administrative Services Committee, 3/27/2007, Page 6