HomeMy WebLinkAboutPublic Works June 6 20061 WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
2 Public Works and Safety Committee
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4 June 6, 2006
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6 Committee Chair Barbara Brenner called the meeting to order at 1:30 p.m. in the
7 Council Chambers, 311 Grand Avenue, Bellingham, Washington.
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9 Present: Absent:
10 L. Ward Nelson Sam Crawford
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12 Also Present:
13 Carl Weimer
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15
16 COMMITTEE DISCUSSION
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18 1. DISCUSSION REGARDING A PROPOSED ORDINANCE AMENDING WHATCOM
19 COUNTY CODE 10.34, FERRY RATES, AND AMENDING THE WHATCOM
20 COUNTY 2006 UNIFIED FEE SCHEDULE (AB2006 -260)
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22 Brenner asked why they list the multi -ride ticket for vehicles under 8,0001 pounds
23 more than once.
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25 Jeff Monsen, Public Works Director, stated these are five different products. One is
26 for a single passage. One is for a ten -ride multi -ride. One is a 25 -ride multi -ride. One is a
27 50 -ride multi -ride. One is a 100 -ride multi -ride.
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29 Brenner asked if oversized vehicles that take up more than one lane should be
30 charged twice, not 50 percent more. If a vehicle is taking up more than one lane, it is
31 taking up two lanes and should be charged for two lanes. Also, she would like all oversized
32 vehicles that are taking up more than one lane be charged 200 percent, not 150 percent.
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34 She has a problem with the blanket senior discount. Give a discount for low income
35 no matter what the age is. It will cover low- income seniors. If people want that kind of a
36 discount, they should prove somehow that they need assistance. If traveling on the ferry is
37 a hardship, the discount needs to be available for hardship reasons. Monsen stated
38 Whatcom County is the only ferry that doesn't have an age -based discount. He
39 recommends having an age -based discount. The previous need discount was based on car
40 and driver. There is now a discount only to the person driving, not the vehicle. They still
41 have to develop the program for financial need.
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43 Brenner stated she would like to have a discount for financial need only. It may or
44 may not cover seniors, students; and disabled. Make sure that alternative gets forwarded to
45 the hearing. Monsen stated the discount based on financial need is not a rate scheduling
46 matter. They create financial assistance rather than a published rate.
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48 Brenner stated have a discount card with the person's picture on it. It would be
49 simpler.
50
51 Nelson stated that would be an administrative nightmare. There is a cost to the
52 community for the Public Works Department to determine eligibility.
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Public Works and Safety Committee, 6/6/2006, Page 1
I Brenner stated do it the same way the Assessor does it. Monsen stated that is how
2 the Public Works Department is administering the discount now. People bring that
3 information forward to purchase a multi -ride card in advance.
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5 Brenner stated the discount should be on financial need only, not students or
6 seniors. There is already a system for it. She doesn't expect the Public Works Department
7 to investigate everything. Assume that people are telling the truth. If anyone questions the
8 determination of need, then there can be an investigation. There won't be that many
9 people. More discounts will be given out if there is a blanket discount for seniors.
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11 Monsen stated the discount is currently based on whether the person receives
12 Medicare or Medicaid. These discounts are not sold on the boat. These discounts would be
13 applied to the multi -ride products. He explained the eligibility for discounts that are
14 proposed in Exhibit A, section 10.34.020 (L). There may be a requirement to provide an
15 age -based discount if federal money is spent on the boat operations.
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17 Brenner stated the current method for determining need, through Medicaid, is a good
18 process.
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20 Brenner stated she would like to amend section 10.34.020(F), "...shall be charged a
21 50 100 percent surcharge... shall also be charged a -59 100 percent surcharge...." Monsen
22 stated those vehicles may consume more than a single lane, but not necessarily. Staff tries
23 to load vehicles so another vehicle can fit. It's not common to apply the surcharge.
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25 Nelson stated that would be an extra cost for construction on the island. The extra
26 cost would be passed onto the consumer.
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28 Brenner stated it would be passed on to someone on the island, one way or another.
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30 Brenner said there are scrivener's errors that need to be corrected. She read the
31 errors.
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33 Nelson stated he liked the idea of proving a need for a discount by showing a
34 Medicaid card. That's easy to administer.
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36 Brenner stated they should have their own rate. They are very big. Monsen stated
37 he would look into that option.
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39 Brenner stated amend section 10.34.005(E), "Ferry user fees means ... any and all
40 users of the ferry system...." Monsen stated there are fees that are zero.
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42 Nelson asked if the reference to post high school students means college students.
43 Monsen stated it does.
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45 Brenner stated most students have a need. Monsen stated there was not an age
46 clarifier for students in the past. The intent is to give a discount for full -time students,
47 whether it is high school or college.
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49 Brenner stated the student fee would be determined on need. If they live at home
50 and are dependents of their parents, the students are fine. She's open to discussion of that,
51 as long as it's based on need. One option would be for the student to prove need by
52 showing their student loans, grants, or a financial need scholarship. They can work out
53 something.
Public Works and Safety Committee, 6/6/2006, Page 2
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2 Weimer stated there is no discount for high school students driving the car back and
3 forth to school. Monsen stated the discount is for walk -on students. At one point, if a
4 student was driving the car, then the fee was free. That became a problem.
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6 Nelson stated the two favorite discounts were for seniors and students. There was a
7 lower interest in low- income and disabled discounts.
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9 Brenner stated they were going to talk about bumping up fares during the summer
10 season, except for residents with multi -ride tickets. Monsen stated there is a seasonal
11 number of cash fares during the season. They are trying to sell the multi -ride products.
12 The majority bf the fare increases are for cash fares and larger vehicles.
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14 Nancy Ging, 2386 Tuttle, Lummi Island, stated she disagrees with where the bulk of
15 the ferry rate increases are going. First, bicycles rates are triple. She has a problem with
16 the increasing the size of the discount for the larger multi -ride tickets. Have one discount
17 percentage for all multi -ride tickets, regardless of how many trips purchased. The impetus
18 to buy more trips at a time is convenience. Only wealthier people can buy 100 rides at a
19 time. Have the same 20 percent discount per single ride, for all multi -ride tickets. People
20 will buy the most rides they can afford.
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22 Monsen stated that the surcharge applies to regular users. The smaller the multi -
23 ride product, the more often periodic users will buy the product so the County won't receive
24 the benefit of the surcharge.
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26 Brenner asked the percent that would motivate people to buy multi - rides.
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28 Ging stated people will buy the biggest multi -ride ticket they can afford. Fifteen
29 percent would be an improvement. Her complaint was with the increased discount
30 percentage. Instead, have one discount percentage.
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32 Monsen stated (inaudible).
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34 Ging stated the cost of a 25 -ride ticket with a 15 percent is too high of a cost. It
35 would be $150.
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37 Monsen stated (inaudible).
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39 Brenner stated she liked the idea of not having a larger discount for the larger
40 number of rides per ticket. Also, have a bigger discount for ten rides.
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42 (Clerk's Note: End of tape one, side A.)
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44 Ging stated that the hardship discount would allow people to buy a 25 -ride ticket at
45 an affordable price. The low- income rate is important. A lot of people don't want Lummi
46 Island to become a gated community.
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48 Brenner stated it would evolve into that with the cost of things. Ging stated she
49 would like to have diversity on the island, and the low- income rate will allow for that.
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51 Rates have not been appropriately increased for larger vehicles. She saw a truck
52 that took up 8 cars.
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Public Works and Safety Committee, 6/6/2006, Page 3
1 Brenner stated have charges for vehicles that take up more than two spaces. If a
2 vehicle takes up more space, it needs to be charged more.
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4 They should not consider the fees penalty. A lot of the increase in ferry usage is due
5 to development. Development should pay it's fair share. When the trucks don't pay for the
6 spaces on the ferry that they take up, it's like a subsidy.
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8 Brenner asked Ms. Ging to bring her comments forward in writing.
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10 Monsen asked that this item not be introduced to the full Council tonight, and be
11 held in committee to allow for more work to be done in committee before the public
12 hearing.
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14 Brenner stated she agreed.
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16 Al Marshall, 2781 West Shore Drive, Lummi Island, stated part of the need for the
17 fare increase is due to the way operating costs have been calculated. Not long ago, the cost
18 of maintaining the dock was included. This year, administrative fees were included.
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20 Monsen stated the $65,000 administrative cost was to have a full -time ferry
21 manager and a full -time accounting clerk to move ticketing off -boat.
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23 Brenner asked why they need a full -time ferry manager. The part-time people were
24 doing it. Monsen stated the part-time people have not been doing it. They've expanded
25 dramatically. The level of effort to keep this boat running requires dedicated staff. The
26 predicted cost is not the full cost for those positions. For the last few years, the cost of
27 administering the boat has been subsidized, and not declared an operating cost.
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29 Brenner asked for information on what hasn't been calculated.
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31 Marshall stated $135,000 per year is spent on off -boat ticketing, in addition to the
32 $65,000. Monsen stated a fair amount of that is to get the system set up and maintain the
33 technology needed. A person is selling products during some hours. During other hours,
34 dispensing machines would handle cash fares.
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36 Brenner asked for a breakdown of those costs.
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38 Marshall asked if tickets could be sold on the island.
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40 Monsen stated he expects that will happen also. They are trying to provide the
41 easiest access possible to purchase the multi -ride tickets.
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43 Brenner stated the Island store could sell them. She'd rather pay them than hire
44 another employee to do it.
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46 Marshall stated he questions the way the operating costs are computed. See if the
47 need is really there for such an increase. The needy should receive the discounts. There is
48 no need for seniors to get a discount just because they are seniors. Also, he questions
49 whether Medicaid has broad- enough criteria to catch everyone who needs it. There are
50 ways to identify needy people. See what other organizations do. He is opposed to the
51 percentage of rate increase of the passengers, cars, and large trucks. He supports the
52 elimination of the quarterly pass. There should be a 60 -trip punch card.
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Public Works and Safety Committee, 6/6/2006, Page 4
Colleen Berg, 2109 Tuttle Lane, Lummi Island, stated they should postpone a
decision. She is concerned about not being notified about the public hearing.
Brenner asked where they would like the notice. Berg stated advertise in the Tome
and also have someone e-mail everyone.
The low- income people and the Land Trust prefer the quarterly pass. She agrees
with the needs -based discount. There is a 12 percent poverty rate on Lummi Island,
according to the 2000 Census. Another indicator is the school lunch program. Twenty -five
percent of the children are in the school lunch program. For people to qualify for housing
through the Land Trust, they have to be 80 percent or below of the medium income,
depending on the family size. That is an indicator the County could use. She agrees with
the space used up by the larger vehicles. There should be a displacement factor. If a truck
takes up the space of eight cars, the fare should be eight times the fare.
Brenner stated she is interested in getting this information in writing.
Berg stated that a 100 -ride ticket might be too much. Some people don't buy a 25-
ride tickets because sometimes passes are lost. The 10 -ride ticket is very reasonable. She
asked when the rates are going to go up again, for the new ferry.
Brenner stated they don't know.
Jim Dickinson, 2094 West Shore Drive, Lummi Island, stated he has watched the
ferry for 55 years. He has a problem with the whole process. The ferry's purpose is to
serve the community, not to employ crew and staff. It is not to impede or encourage
growth. The administration does not operate the ferry in the most efficient manner. It
adds overhead with no benefit to the public. The earlier ferry system worked well for many
yea rs.
The increase to the car fare is 75 percent. There is no added value. He asked the
island residents' contribution to the road fund.
Brenner stated the County only keeps 13 percent of property taxes. She asked the
percentage that goes to the road fund. Monsen stated six percent of the total property tax
bill goes to the road fund. He discussed the history of the ferry and island population, The
new proposed ferry is already obsolete. To run two ferries would double the fuel, crew, and
maintenance costs.
Brenner stated there are a lot more regulations and requirements than what used to
be there. It's not an equal comparisons.
Dickinson stated Lummi Island has no bridges. However, Whatcom County has tons
of bridges. For many reasons, the ferry docks were Lummi Island's bridges, and not in the
operating cost.
Brenner stated there is an upfront cost to a bridge, which equals the capital cost of
the ferry. That isn't what the ferry rates pay for. There is no comparison to the
maintenance and operation of a ferry.
Dickinson stated that when trucks are on the ferries, often there aren't any other
cars on the ferry. The trucks don't displace anyone. The ferry makes his logging operation
unprofitable. The huge increases make it more unprofitable. He can't afford to ship logs to
Public Works and Safety Committee, 6/6/2006, Page 5
Great Western. It takes three trips to get one loaded log truck off the island. He
fortunately has a way to get the logs off the island using a tug boat.
Go back to the previous ferry system for administration. Pay the captain more
money and, if necessary, hire part time help on the island. They don't need a complete
staff, especially people who are inexperienced with this ferry system. Instead of building a
new ferry, go buy a used ferry. They don't need off -boat ticketing. Make both crew
members, not just one, collect the fares.
Brenner stated that the duties of ferry crew are set by the administration, union, and
are subject to Coast Guard regulations. She agrees that they don't need another clerical
person to do off -boat ticketing. However, the County Council can't do some of those
administrative things. Dickinson stated the general feeling of the islanders and crew is that
the increase is to pay for administration. People don't like that. The union would approve
of the second crew person collecting fares if that crew person were paid more money. It
would be less expensive than locating someone off -site.
Put the crew services out to bid. If the County has a problem with ferry
administration, put together a volunteer ferry board.
Islanders have to pay just to go home. Most people don't have to do that. If there
is an exorbitant increase in fares, which this is, there will be a fewer non - affluent residents,
which affects the island services. Streamline this issue to make it work.
Monsen stated he will put together a revised version of the proposal for the next
meeting.
OTHER BUSINESS
There was no other business.
ADJOURN
The meeting adjourned at 3:00 p.m.
Jill Nixon, Minutes Transcription
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WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON
Barbara Brenner, Committee Chair
Public Works and Safety Committee, 6/6/2006, Page 6