HomeMy WebLinkAboutFinance October 30 1996WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
Finance and Administrative Services Committee
October 30, 1996
The meeting was called to order at 11:35 a.m. by Committee Chair Robert Imhof in the
Council Committee Room, 311 Grand Avenue.
Also Present:
Marlene Dawson
Tom Brown
Staff' Also Present.
Dave Wareing, Executive Office
Brad Bennett, Administrative Services, Finance
Pete Kremen, Executive Office
Keith Willnauer, Assessor
Roger DeSpain, Parks & Recreation
Dana Brown - Davis, Council Clerk
Absent:
None
BUDGET REVIEW FOR THE PROPOSED 1997 BUDGET: ASSESSOR; PARKS;
AND COUNCEUBEARING EXAMINER (AB96 -367)
Assessor. Dave Wareing, Executive's Office, stated that a real and a personal appraiser
were recommended as an addition to the budget due to the need for maintaining the integrity of
the system. Topics discussed included: vehicle fleet; cellular phones; and overtime and extra help
funding.
Keith Willnauer, Assessor, answered questions from Council members. Topics discussed
included: cellular phones; assessor's priorities in adding to the budget (technology; e.g.,
expansions in imaging; automated mapping); getting new construction on the tax roles quickly in
conjunction with building permits (working with Planning); state law in relation to new
construction and building permits; assessing travel trailers /mobile homes on wheels (1,387 travel
trailers were unable to be assessed by state law) and the effect of same; expenditures that were cut
(vehicle fleet reduced by four; software updates completed); and increases anticipated in revenue
by the proposed new appraisers (enforcement).
Imhof inquired of committee members how they wished to proceed. It was agreed to vote
on the budget at the end of all the meetings and forward the vote to the public hearing, which will
be held November 19.
Parks & Recreation. Wareing stated this budget is basically status quo. Included in this
budget were five areas where additional service was requested: the first area turned out to be an
Budget Minutes, 10/30/96, Page 1
I expected deficit and .a moot point; brochure printing with hotel/motel funds; computer equipment;
2 solid waste pickup funds (included in budget); and extra help unemployment for extra help
3 employees (included in budget). An issue that came up was an approximate $80,000 fund that
4 came from a special bond issue passed several years ago. The Executive's Office requested
5 DeSpain to provide a list of capital improvements that these monies could be directed towards for
6 1997.
7
8 Roger DeSpain, Parks & Recreation, answered questions from Council members. Topics
9 discussed included: senior citizen program reduction (a bookkeeping issue and not a reduction);
10 wish list: lifeguards at Samish Park and re- opening .Semiahmoo Park; continuing expanding role
11 but not maintaining existing services; use of volunteers; printing brochures advertising trails when
12 work has not yet been completed or has only been planned; right -of -way deeds; reasoning for
13 increase in outdoor recreation and cultural arts programs (a bookkeeping issue); parks
14 improvement fund; the trail system and parking lot at Squires Lake; and youth- oriented activities
15 (e.g., soccer, skateboarding).
16
17 County Council. Wareing spoke briefly. Dana Brown - Davis, Council clerk, answered
18 questions from Council members. Topics discussed included: Hearing Examiner services were
19 not budgeted for ($57,000, January to October) -- possible solutions to this situation (Imhof
20 wanted to move $51,000 from salary items to Professional Services); the overall trend in the
21 office regarding staff workload; staffing needs, specifically possibly more detailed minutes
22 (Council to look at in 1997); travel expenses ($500 per year per Council member); Brown's
23 suggestion of six town hall meetings (not regular Council meetings) in 1997; and confidential
24 material. Imhof gave direction to Brown -Davis regarding the Hearing Examiner services (take
25 out the amount of the contract).
26
27 Imhof closed the meeting with a brief discussion of future meeting format.
28
29 ADJOURN
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31 The meeting was adjourned at approximately 12:45 p.m.
32
33 (Clerk's Note: After the meeting was adjourned, Bennett and Wareing discussed the
34 Hearing Examiner's udget It was discovered that $60, 000 was included in that budget.)
35 � f
36 � ell
37 ElizAbeth Bennett, Recording Secretary -
38
39 ATTEST: WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
40 -- TCOM COUNT WASHINGTON
41 �'
42 (�
43 -Dan «,n -Da , Co Ro ert Imhof, Council mber
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