HomeMy WebLinkAboutFinance July 8 20031
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
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
Finance and Administrative Services Committee
July 8, 2003
The meeting was called to order at 11:05 a.m. by Committee Chair Sam
Crawford in the Council Chambers, 311 Grand Avenue, Bellingham, Washington.
Present: Absent:
L. Ward Nelson None
Sharon Roy
Also Present:
Barbara Brenner
Dan McShane
COMMITTEE DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL
1. ORDINANCE AMENDING THE 2003 WHATCOM COUNTY BUDGET,
SEVENTH REQUEST (AB2003 -239)
Nelson moved to recommend approval.
Crawford asked about the $25,000 increase for animal control services.
Dewey Desler, Deputy Administrator, stated the budget estimates for animal
control was about $285,000 for the year. Then, they developed a contract for
implementation of those services beginning this month and found that they need
an additional $25,000 for the last six months of 2003. The contract goes up to
$325,000 per year. The administration did not budget for any increases in the
animal control agreement, which runs from July 1 to June 30 of the following year.
Crawford stated he's disappointed they have not been able to figure out a
way to do animal control at the same or a less amount of money. Whatcom
County spends a lot of money on animal control compared to other counties. In
these tough budget times, passing an increase is frustrating. However, with the
administration's support, he discussed this contract with the vendor and the
challenges they will face. He will vote for the contract.
Brenner stated she attended a meeting of the Animal Control Advisory
Committee. The contractor has been working with the County Prosecutor to come
up with different wording and fee schedules that are more reasonable. One idea is
to charge people more for multiple impounding fees. That might help the County
reduce the contract amount next year.
Finance and Administrative Services Committee, 7/8/2003, Page 1
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
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.
Crawford stated he's concerned about increasing the licensing fee. That is
market - driven. At some point, they discourage people from licensing their dogs,
which creates problems.
Brenner stated one idea is licensing cats. The contractor spends more time
rounding up and caring for cats.
Nelson stated the increase is a reflection of a growing population. It
depends on how society lives with its neighbors and friends in the care of animals.
These costs won't go down as long as more and more people want these animals
handled. When he first came on this council, he got a lot of calls. Since this
contractor has been doing animal control, those calls have stopped. They have to
measure how much of this they want in the neighborhoods.
Roy asked about funding to provide administrative support for the Economic
Development Investment Program.
Crawford stated the money is for the Economic Development Council (EDC)
to administer the applications for rural sales tax.
Roy asked if the Council would be evaluating this program. Desler stated
the Council would get quarterly reports.
Motion carried unanimously,
COUNCIL "CONSENT AGENDA" ITEM
1. REQUEST AUTHORIZATION FOR THE EXECUTIVE TO AWARD BID
#03 -44 TO THE LOWEST RESPONSIVE BIDDER, JERRY CHAMBERS
CHEVROLET, FOR TWO REPLACEMENT CARGO VANS, IN THE AMOUNT
OF $61,520.36 (AB2003 -245)
Nelson moved to recommend approval to the full Council.
Crawford asked why the County only received one response.
Mary Green, ER &R Division Manager, stated she didn't know if others could
have bid on it. The bid was sent to others vendors. Sometimes when she bids
them this late in the year, it is on the cusp of the new year models coming out.
This bid is for a 2004 model.
Brenner stated she appreciated getting the information on the vehicles that
are being replaced. The big truck has over 400,000 miles, so she supports
replacing it. These trucks only had a little over 100,000 miles and are 1995
models. Green stated they get very hard use. On these trucks, the issue isn't
necessarily the mileage, but the heavy use and what the service becomes. Some
Finance and Administrative Services Committee, 7/8/2003, Page 2
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
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.
units have to be replaced because of their service records. They carry a lot of
weight. She starts looking at replacement at 100,000 miles. She tries for
replacement at 125,000 miles.
Motion carried unanimously.
2. REQUEST AUTHORIZATION FOR THE EXECUTIVE TO AWARD BID
#03 -47 TO THE LOWEST RESPONSIVE BIDDER, KENWORTH
NORTHWEST, FOR A REPLACEMENT DIESEL TRUCK, IN THE AMOUNT
OF $88,142.15 (AB2003 -246)
Nelson moved to recommend approval to the full Council.
Crawford stated they received three bids, and this was the lowest bidder.
Motion carried unanimously.
3. REQUEST AUTHORIZATION FOR THE EXECUTIVE TO ENTER INTO A
GRANT AWARD CONTRACT BETWEEN WHATCOM COUNTY AND THE
STATE OF WASHINGTON'S DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY, TRADE
AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, FOR A COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
BLOCK GRANT (PLANNING -ONLY GRANT) IN THE AMOUNT OF
$24,000 (AB2003 -247)
Dewey Desler, Deputy Administrator, stated the County received a grant to
support additional work on housing. They propose to use the Kulshan Community
Land Trust as the body that works with the Planning Staff to update the
Comprehensive Plan Housing component in the next few months. Planning
Department staff will manage the contract.
Crawford asked the purpose of the grant.
Sylvia Goodwin, Planning Division Manager, stated the point of the grant is
to provide data on housing in general. The current housing chapter needs to be
updated because it is seven years old. The information will be used to determine
what they can do to encourage affordable housing.
Crawford stated this is a much broader issue than the one mechanism that
the Kulshan Community Land Trust can provide through its land leasing program.
Goodwin stated this would provide a range of options of what the County should
do, not just what the Kulshan Community Land Trust program does. If the Land
Trust doesn't consider a wide range of options, the County won't pay them and the
Council won't adopt them.
McShane stated that the Kulshan Community Land Trust program results in
the person owning the house. The individual who lives in the house owns the
house and the land. The difference from other programs is the assistance the
Finance and Administrative Services Committee, 7/8/2003, Page 3
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
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.
owner receives in the beginning of the process. The owner has an agreement with
the Kulshan Community Land Trust that a portion of the increased value at the
point of a later sale would go back to the land trust. They have a good sense of
what the market is out there and the type of housing they can afford to buy.
Roy stated its great that they are looking at this. With the population
growth they are going to continue to experience and the desirable place this is
becoming to live, the costs are going to go up. She supports this request.
Nelson moved to recommend approval to the full Council.
Crawford asked how Kulshan Community Land Trust became involved.
Desler stated they participated in the formation of the grant application, and is
named on the grant as a sub - recipient. The Council held a public hearing on it.
The Council adopted a resolution that supported that grant application. When they
accepted the contract, they also accepted the partners the County put forward. On
that basis, they did not need to go through a normal purchasing process.
Motion carried unanimously.
4. REQUEST AUTHORIZATION FOR THE EXECUTIVE TO ENTER INTO A
SUB- RECIPIENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN WHATCOM COUNTY AND
KULSHAN COMMUNITY LAND TRUST, RESULTING FROM THE GRANT
AWARD CONTRACT FROM THE WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF
COMMUNITY, TRADE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, FOR A
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT (PLANNING -ONLY
GRANT) IN THE AMOUNT OF $24,000 (AB2003 -247A)
Roy moved to recommend approval to the full Council.
Motion carried unanimously.
S. REQUEST AUTHORIZATION FOR THE EXECUTIVE TO ENTER INTO AN
AMENDMENT TO A PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT BETWEEN
WHATCOM COUNTY AND THE WHATCOM CENTER FOR EARLY
LEARNING, TO PROVIDE EARLY INTERVENTION AND PARENT TO
PARENT SERVICES, IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $22,000
(AB2003 -248)
Nelson moved to recommend approval to the full Council.
Crawford asked if this is an ongoing contract.
Andy Byrne, Human Services Manager, stated it is. They added a statement
of work for this $22,000. It is funded through the State.
Motion carried unanimously.
Finance and Administrative Services Committee, 7/8/2003, Page 4
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
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.
OTHER BUSINESS
Roy asked if the request the Council made for the list of support provided to
advisory committees is an impossible task. She hasn't received it yet.
Dewey Desler, Deputy Administrator, stated he has a final draft. The idea is
to either send it out independently or send it out with the budget instructions to
the departments.
Crawford stated a constituent concern is that the water district rates went
up when a particular water district was changed, and there is no way to contact
this water association. He asked for administration to provide input on how these
water associations are supposed to be run and the County's responsibility. Desler
stated that if any junior taxing district is to fail, the County becomes the body that
takes over and protects the interest and ongoing operations.
Crawford asked if water districts and associations have publicly elected
board members. Desler stated they usually have a commissioner form of
government. A while ago, there was a report on all the services the County
provides to support those districts. The Auditor maintains the list of all the elected
officials. He didn't hear about a transfer of this public water district to a water
association.
McShane stated Paul Chudek from the Health Department would be the best
person to speak to.
ADJOURN
The meeting adjourned at 11:36 a.m.
Jill Nixon, Minutes Transcription
ATTEST:
Dana Brown - Davis, Council Clerk
WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON
Sam Crawford, Committee Chair
Finance and Administrative Services Committee, 7/8/2003, Page 5