HomeMy WebLinkAboutPublic Works June 20 2006I WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
2 Public Works and Safety Committee
3
4 )une 20, 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.
8
9 Present: Absent:
10 L. Ward Nelson None
11 Sam Crawford
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13 Also Present:
14 Carl Weimer
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16
17 COMMITTEE DISCUSSION
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19 1. DISCUSSION REGARDING A PROPOSED ORDINANCE AMENDING WHATCOM
20 COUNTY CODE 10.34, FERRY RATES, AND AMENDING THE WHATCOM
21 COUNTY 2006 UNIFIED FEE SCHEDULE (AB2006 -260)
22
23 Jeff Monsen, Public Works Department Director, submitted a substitute version of the
24 proposed ordinance for introduction to the full Council this evening (on file). Changes
25 reflect comments made during the last committee meeting. He did not change the cash
26 fare amount for pedestrians or car and drivers. He applied a different discount rate.
27
28 Brenner asked if the changes are the difference in the amount for the multi - rides.
29 Monsen stated they are.
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31 Also, he created a different format for showing the current and proposed rates. He
32 read the changes from the cover memo to the substitute ordinance.
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34 Crawford asked the reason for not having a multi -ride ticket for a motorcycle and
35 driver.
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37 Ken Richardson, Public Works Department, stated the County didn't sell enough to
38 pay for the price of printing the tickets.
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40 Monsen stated his suggestion for addressing those with a financial need is to not
41 have a published financial need rate, but to have a specific program where a person applies
42 for an additional discount or financial support.
43
44 Brenner asked if seniors and disabled who are already receiving senior and disabled
45 discounts can apply. Monsen stated that a question for the committee is whether or not a
46 financial need discount will be applied to those who don't qualify as senior, student, or
47 disabled. An alternative is an additional discount on any number of products. Decide what
48 type of discount and who qualifies. Apply it on top of the published rates so they can
49 continue to develop the program.
50
51 Brenner stated use the same program other organizations use. Monsen stated that
52 would be appropriate. Another question would be to which products the discount would
53 apply if financial need is demonstrated.
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Public Works and Safety Committee, 6/20/2006, Page 1
Brenner stated use the Assessor's Office formula or another existing formula. She's
not comfortable with all these different possibilities. Richardson stated the administration of
some of this can be onerous. There are other agencies, such as the State Department of
Social and Health Services, that qualify people for other services. If a person comes to the
County with information that shows they qualify for a DSHS discount, the question becomes
what discount to apply. If someone qualifies for no other discounts and is low income
according to DSHS, they would get the discount equivalent of a senior, student, or disabled
person. Avoid selling the ticket by a process that must verify income.
Brenner stated there should be several ways to qualify for the ferry rate discount.
Richardson stated that if people truly qualify, they are willing to go to the qualifying agency
to get what is necessary to get the ferry rate discount. They don't have a wide variety of
qualifying processes. In the past, they've used Medicaid eligibility.
Brenner stated there may be very low- income people who are working, and who
don't want to go on DSHS.
Crawford asked why the County is offering discounts in the first place.
Brenner stated some discounts would be need - based.
Crawford stated those residents already get a break on their taxes, which is what
pays for this system anyway.
Brenner stated those who apply for the discount may not be homeowners.
Crawford stated the County has a fixed cost. They already get a reduction in their
property taxes. This is a road that is paid for by property taxes. He asked why have all the
discounts if the County is trying to meet 55 percent of the operating cost for this special
road.
Brenner stated multi -ride tickets are more efficient. The County saves money in the
efficiency of selling those tickets.
Richardson stated staff agrees.
Brenner stated any discount should be based on need only because they are a
benevolent society. Not many people new to living on the island will use the discount. No
matter what, the island will become gentrified by attrition. At this point, people shouldn't
have to be kicked off the island.
Crawford asked if the County is obligated by law to give discounts. Monsen stated
he heard that if the County uses federal money in the system, there is some obligation to
provide a discount. Discounts are a common practice in the industry.
Crawford stated he respects cultural and historical traditions. The proposed
ordinance seems very reasonable. They would cause more angst in the community than it's
worth to overhaul the system. If they give aid, they need to know the value of that aid
rather than discounting the cost up front.
Richardson stated one option was to have a funding source that a person can go to
for a voucher to purchase products. That was one way to handle a needs -based program.
Public Works and Safety Committee, 6/20/2006, page 2
Brenner asked if that is more work. Monsen stated they would find an existing
agency that can implement such a program and can deliver a voucher.
Richardson stated that's how Whatcom Transportation Authority (WTA) works today.
Monsen stated the recommended language in the ordinance allows all those options
to occur.
Brenner stated there will be more and more seniors on Lummi Island. Young people
are not going to Lummi Island. She asked who will pay for the ferry.
Monsen stated a 50 percent discount is applied only to the senior passenger of a car
and driver. Historically, the senior discount was applied to both the passenger fare and car
fare. This is a substantial increase if the only criterion is being over 65. Seniors used to
receive substantial discounts if they drove a vehicle. This eliminates the special discount for
the vehicle. It -only applies to the person. He continued to read the changes proposed in
the substitute ordinance.
Brenner asked where they make up for the discounts being provided. Monsen stated
he put the combination of fares together to end up with the same bottom line. The majority
of the increase was to the big trucks. A high .percentage of ferry use revenue is a typical
walk -on passenger or a typical vehicle with driver. Changes in those two fares is where the
real money is.
Crawford asked the weight of trucks such as those driven by UPS. He asked if UPS
charges more to deliver to Lummi Island. Richardson stated UPS charges by delivery zone.
Most of those delivery vans are falling in rate categories that are over 8,000 and under
20,000 pounds.
Fred Kinney, 4164 Legoe Bay Road, Lummi Island, stated an independent contractor
contracts with several delivery services to deliver to Lummi Island.
Crawford stated this rate increase will have an impact on some delivery people.
Kinney stated there are more and more businesses in Bellingham that refuse to
deliver to Lummi Island because of the time it takes. Others are charging surcharges for
wait time. Once the fares for commercial vehicles get to extreme, even fewer people will go
out there.
Crawford asked if this is almost incidental to that overall cost, and doesn't mean
much. Kinney stated he doesn't know about that. Some places refuses to deliver, including
delivery services.
Brenner stated it is a question of the number of spaces they take up. If a big truck
takes up two spaces, it should pay the cost of two vehicles. Kinney stated it should be in
proportion.
Michelle Luke, 3342 Sunrise Cove, Lummi Island, stated the water delivery trucks
used to deliver twice per month, but changed to monthly because of the wait time.
Brenner stated that is supposed to change if they have continuous service at certain
times. She asked about continuous service. Richardson stated continuous operations will
allow a few more vehicles to move, but it won't affect the cost of operating the system.
Public Works and safety Committee, 6/20/2006, Page 3
1 They are going to run one or two extra runs, but the only extra cost will be fuel. There is a
2 crew cost to do that. It is factored into the fares.
3
4 Nelson stated he prefers that the per -trip cost of the 10 -ride tickets be the same as
5 the 25 -ride tickets. Some people can't afford a large ticket with 25 rides. It is more of a
6 convenience item.
7
8 Brenner stated make the discounts for both 20 percent. Monsen stated that
9 occasional ferry users will buy the 10 -ride ticket, instead of one -time cash sales, if the high
10 discounts were the same. The County won't benefit from those cash sales, which is
11 significant.
12
13 Nelson stated the County will benefit if the user only uses five of the ten rides.
14
15 Brenner stated just have a 10 -ride ticket with a 20 percent discount. Richardson
16 stated that people who use the ferry like to buy more rides at a higher discount. If the
17 County were to sell 10 -ride and 25 -ride tickets at the same price, people will buy one or
18 more 10 -ride tickets at a time. The administrative costs climb per transaction. Every time
19 they sell one 10 -ride ticket instead of one 25 -ride ticket, they have to do it 2.5 times.
20
21 Crawford asked if the passes are good indefinitely. Richardson stated they are good
22 until used up. In the past, they have expired with a rate change.
23
24 Brenner stated she doesn't see how it's more work to sell three 10 -ride tickets than
25 one 25 -ride ticket. Richardson stated the person selling tickets have other things to do. If
26 that person spends more time selling tickets, fewer things get done.
27
28 Brenner stated she doesn't see that difference being much, after the initial printing.
29
30 Monsen stated the question today is the proposed ordinance.
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32 Brenner moved to have a 10 -ride ticket only, not a 25 -ride ticket, with a 20
33 percent discount. Printing up different tickets is more costly.
34
35 Crawford stated he won't support eliminating the 25 -ride ticket.
36
37 Motion failed 1 -2 with Brenner in favor.
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39 Richardson stated the cost associated with selling a punch card includes more than
40 the time it takes to conduct the transaction. They also have to account for what happens
41 with the card and reconcile accounting for the ticket. Each of those cards are an asset in
42 the system. It is more expensive for each transaction because they are handled as
43 individual items.
44
45 Weimer asked if the senior and disabled discount cards are only available in the 25-
46 ride tickets. Richardson stated they are.
47
48 Weimer stated someone with a need is buying tickets may need to have smaller
49 tickets available. If they are going to have a 10 -ride ticket, allow a discount for those who
50 are needy.
51
52 Nelson asked why they have to track the tickets. He doesn't understand that
53 administrative need.
54
Public Works and Safety Committee, 6/20/2006, Page 4
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Brenner stated she agreed.
Crawford stated leave it the way it is. The Public Works Department is saying it's
easier for them. Accept that.
Brenner stated this committee is not to let the administration run the show. She
wants to know how it's such a big deal.
Richardson stated this is not a huge financial issue. However, if they go from selling
10 -ride and 25 -ride tickets to selling just 10 -ride tickets with a high discount rate, the
operating costs will be higher.
Nelson stated either eliminate the 25 -ride ticket or change the discounts to have the
same percentage.
Kinney stated he agrees with the Public Works Department. It is inconvenient to
have to buy a ticket from a crew member. It's better to keep the 25 -ride ticket as
proposed.
(Clerk's Note: End of tape one, side A.)
Brenner asked if Mr. Kinney would buy a 10 -ride ticket or a 25 -ride ticket if they
both had a 20 percent discount. Kinney stated he would buy the 10 -ride ticket. The Public
Works Department has this right. He supports the proposal.
Nelson stated the administration is uncomfortable with it. The public is
uncomfortable with it. He will go along with the administration.
Brenner withdrew her motion.
Crawford stated he endorses the substitute version of the proposed ordinance.
OTHER BUSINESS
There was no other business.
ADJOURN
The meeting adjourned at 2:25 p.m.
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Public Works and Safety Committee, 6/20/2006, Page 5