HomeMy WebLinkAboutCommittee of the Whole July 13 20041
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DISCLAIMER: This document contains the Whatcom County Council or Committee
minutes, as approved. However, unless an attested signature page is attached, they
are not the final approved minutes.
WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
Committee Of The Whole
July 13, 2004
Council Chair Dan McShane called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. in the
Council Committee Room, 311 Grand Avenue, Bellingham, Washington.
Present: Absent:
Barbara Brenner None
Laurie Caskey- Schreiber
Sam Crawford
Seth Fleetwood
Sharon Roy
L. Ward Nelson
1. DISCUSSION WITH CHIEF CIVIL DEPUTY PROSECUTOR RANDALL
WATTS REGARDING PENDING LITIGATION (AB2004 -018)
McShane moved to go into executive session to discuss this item.
Motion carried 5 -0 with Fleetwood and Nelson out of the room.
2. DISCUSSION REGARDING THE EMS INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT
(AB2004 -273)
Pete Kremen, County Executive, stated they're making progress on the
agreement. The current document is something the County can sign on to and feel
good about. There seems to be general buy -in. Much of it was crafted to satisfy
concerns from the small cities and districts. One major difference between this and
the original was that they changed the escalation in costs from 5.9 percent per
annum to a three year average of the consumer price index (CPI). That runs less
than three percent. There was a lot of opposition to that. It was a deal breaker for
some of the small cities and districts. They compromised during a meeting. There
seemed to be unanimous approval of this document. However, Frank Chmelik, the
facilitator, got confirmation from the Mayor of Bellingham about the change to the
CPI. At that time, the Bellingham Mayor said he would support it. Since then, the
City decided to not support it. It is unwilling to state a position at this time. Mr.
Chmelik thinks that the fire department personnel got to the Mayor and told him to
wait. The City will come around. This is the only option. He hoped the Mayor
would honor his commitment.
McShane asked if the administration is looking to the Council for guidance or
discussion. Kremen stated this document is something he will support. There may
be a few more tweaks. The City of Bellingham demanded that the County have this
Committee of the Whole, 7/13/2004, Page 1
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DISCLAIMER: This document contains the Whatcom County Council or Committee
minutes, as approved. However, unless an attested signature page is attached, they
are not the final approved minutes.
done by July 1. Now, the City of Bellingham is languishing on this. He would like to
see the County Council ratify this in a few weeks.
Caskey- Schreiber asked if this is good until 2010. Kremen stated it is. Mr.
Chmelik was talking about doing two two -year agreements, and let an independent
board decide what it wants to do the last two years.
Crawford stated he disagrees with Mr. Kremen that this is their only option.
This is not the County's only option. The County can take a leadership position with
the fire districts to come up with a system that is better than the current system.
In the past, they had an opportunity to provide a reasonable amount of
money that the County could scrape together. Now, they're locking themselves into
a higher amount they're currently paying, with continued increases. This whole
concept does not reflect his view of where Whatcom County government should be
with its general fund contribution to emergency medical services (EMS). It is a
priority. He made it clear he supports continued funding until they can come up
with a system that doesn't require the County to use general fund money.
However, moving forward with this is inappropriate. He won't support it.
Fleetwood stated page two of the agreement refers to a series of things that
will be worked out later. It seems those are the tough decisions that will be made.
Kremen stated this agreement will be good because it will be done without the City
of Bellingham having control. It will have input and some say, but it won't dictate
anything.
Fleetwood asked if the decisions that come out of the process defined in this
agreement would be made through another agreement or a revision of this
agreement.
Dewey Desler, Deputy Administrator, stated the City and County contributes
money to the EMS Authority, which would make the determination about providing
services for that amount of money. The service money is described in the funding
and reserve section of the agreement.
Kremen stated this is not the only option, but it is the only option available to
them on the table. He's not an expert on this. The people who are, the fire chiefs
and commissioners and the small cities, say this is the way they think they ought to
go.
Crawford stated not one of those groups have to contribute funding for the
system. Kremen agreed.
McShane stated they already have to provide more service than they used to
provide. The service level for EMS has already declined. The response times are
decreasing because the call load is increasing. That's what the fire districts say.
Some will provide more response than others. If the City says this isn't good
Committee of the Whole, 7/13/2004, Page 2
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DISCLAIMER: This document contains the Whatcom County Council or Committee
minutes, as approved. However, unless an attested signature page is attached, they
are not the final approved minutes.
enough, the County is going to have to figure out something else. That will be
chaotic for awhile.
Kremen stated there will be some service provided. It will probably be not as
good a service. It will take a couple of years to get the service close to the level it
is now.
Caskey- Schreiber asked the percentage of the consumer price index (CPI)
increases that will result. Kremen stated the cost is averaged for three years. It
won't be a huge increase.
Crawford stated 2.1 percent is stated.
Desler stated it will be about 2.5 percent.
Kremen stated the 5.9 percent is three times more the cost -of- living increase
that people get in their paychecks. They can't keep a straight face about a 5.9
percent increase.
Nelson asked about the technical advisory committee that would be created.
Desler stated it would be to assist the board in making decisions.
Nelson asked if the technical advisory committee would provide solicited or
unsolicited input to the board. Many boards have difficulty making a decision if a
technical advisory committee makes a recommendation. Kremen stated a technical
advisory committee can take up issues independent of the board.
Desler stated the board will make the decisions.
Nelson stated he hoped for a more transitional state. He hoped for a gradual
change away from the current EMS. If they are going to keep paying the money in,
there's no need for the fire districts to not support this agreement.
Kremen stated he told the group that his position is to spend a decided
amount of money, and that's it. He hopes the small cities will pick up the cost of
living increase.
McShane stated they should set a certain amount with no increase, so the
contract sunsets in 2010. Send that message. The fire districts are making an
effort to step up to make changes. They can't do it quickly.
Kremen stated they need an EMS. It shouldn't be funded from the general
fund, but that's what they have to do. Don't increase funding. The costs will go up,
but the costs that the County should continue to pay will stay the same. The
percentage paid will decrease through the years from half to one - quarter. In good
conscious, they can't eliminate the $1.4 million. They can't tell the people of the
County that this is less important than parks, for example. They can't get out of
Committee of the Whole, 7/13/2004, Page 3
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DISCLAIMER: This document contains the Whatcom County Council or Committee
minutes, as approved. However, unless an attested signature page is attached, they
are not the final approved minutes.
having to fund this program. If he had his way, the County would provide $1.4
million, and the fire districts and cities would have to come up with anything above
that amount. To get the small cities and districts in, there will have to be a couple
of years where it won't cost them money. If the City of Bellingham doesn't support
this agreement, the County will have to go to plan B in 2006. This agreement
brings everyone along the process. He believes the small cities and fire districts will
rise to the occasion, especially when the City of Bellingham doesn't control
everything.
Caskey- Schreiber stated she supports what Mr. Kremen is trying to do. The
problem with the last levy request was due to the rate of increase in funding. The
message never got to the voters that this service will go away if they don't support
the levy. That is a point they will have to get to the citizens. They have to support
funding or the service will change.
Desler stated they intend for the City and County to cap their contributions,
and the board of this new government will be responsible for figuring out what to do
next. The idea is that the districts would provide a rescue service and provide basic
level of life support response. (Inaudible.)
Kremen stated that when the small cities and fire districts need additional
monies, it would have to come from the districts, cities, or an EMS levy to run the
system. The County will stabilize at a certain level of funding. The legislature gave
the authorization for this method of generating revenue because counties have a
limited ability to generate revenue, EMS is a huge cost, and this service is not
mandated. The reason they are where they are today is because of the generosity
of the County and cities 30 years ago to provide EMS even before the legislature
authorized this method of generating funds for this service. Otherwise, they would
have an EMS levy and they wouldn't be dealing with this mess.
McShane stated he prefers no increase, but he is comfortable with this. It
draws in the fire districts and small cities. If they don't step up at all, the level of
service will decline. They can make a decision on whether they want to bring the
level of service up again.
McShane stated that if they go the six years, and there is an annual increase
in the cost to the County, they don't know what happens after that. He'd like to
send a stronger message. He'll support it, but he wants to see the County
participation to begin decreasing in 2010. These districts have to get together.
McShane stated that may tie the hands of 2010. He'd like to see it end in
2010. It would go either to the public or the fire districts.
Nelson stated he would support that. As long as the County is giving them
the money, there's no incentive for them to develop their own plan.
Committee of the Whole, 7/13/2004, Page 4
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DISCLAIMER: This document contains the Whatcom County Council or Committee
minutes, as approved. However, unless an attested signature page is attached, they
are not the final approved minutes.
McShane stated the message that could be delivered would be through a
County Council resolution, not in the agreement.
Kremen stated there isn't anything in the agreement about what happens
after 2010. The City of Bellingham had to include some positive language changes.
McShane stated this item is for discussion only. There seems to be Council
consensus to go forward with this agreement.
Nelson asked Mr. Kremen to pass along the message that the County Council
is lukewarm about the agreement.
McShane stated he was pleasantly surprised that the fire districts and small
cities supported their participation. Desler stated they don't want to continue to see
increases going into this service. They want to see some changes.
McShane stated the small cities and fire districts will not be able to step up to
providing the service if the service level is too high.
Kremen stated he doesn't have a definitive response from the City of
Bellingham yet. Everyone else has informally given their blessing of the agreement.
The fire commissioners had a unanimous vote of support for the agreement.
over.
Caskey- Schreiber stated they recognize they're not in a position to take it
Brenner stated they would be if they consolidated.
Kremen stated that will be part of the deal. There will be three or four
districts in stead of 17 districts.
ADJOURN
The meeting adjourned at 6:55 p.m.
Jill Nixon, Minutes Transcription
The Council approved these minutes on , 2004.
ATTEST: WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON
Committee of the Whole, 7/13/2004, Page 5
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DISCLAIMER: This document contains the Whatcom County Council or Committee
minutes, as approved. However, unless an attested signature page is attached, they
are not the final approved minutes.
Dana Brown - Davis, Council Clerk Dan McShane, Council Chair
Committee of the Whole, 7/13/2004, Page 6