HomeMy WebLinkAboutFinance October 31 1995 two1 WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
2 Finance and Administrative Services Committee
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4 1996 BUDGET HEARING
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6 October 31, 1995
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8 The meeting was called to order at 10:10 a.m. by Committee Chair Alvin
9 Starkenburg in the Council Committee Room, 311 Grand Avenue.
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11 Also Present: Absent:
12 Ward Nelson None
13 Marlene Dawson
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15 Other Council Members Present:
16 Ken Henderson
17 Larry Harris
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19 BUDGET REVIEW OF THE 1996 WHATCOM COUNTY BUDGET FOR
20 THE FOLLOWING DEPARTMENTS: COMBINED TREATMENT,
21 DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES, HEALTH, PARKS
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23 Those speaking from Combined Treatment Services were:
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25 Marcia Gunning, Mental Health Coordinator
26 John Hooper, Substance Abuse Coordinator
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28 Gunning called attention to the 1995 -96 budget changes (handout provided).
29 Hooper noted there is a 37% overall decrease in funding for substance abuse. He
30 proposes to not decrease any funding, as the programs are efficient and necessary.
31 Gunning noted that the total reduction for mental health is 5 %.
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33 A question and answer period followed. Topics discussed included: objectives;
34 their Current Expense Fund; fundings received; substance abuse focus - -is it too narrow ?;
35 prevention of potential problems; service fees; contracting out services; substance abuse
36 service accounts; Regional Network Support involvement and the mental health budget;
37 and fee for no -show appointments.
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39 Starkenburg closed this portion of the hearing.
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41 Carl Allen, Developmental Disabilities, gave a short presentation. He called
42 attention to the number of people and services dependent on his department. He stated
43 his budget for 1996 is status quo. Allen also reviewed next year's goals and objectives.
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Budget Minutes, 10/31/95, Page 1
1 A question and answer period followed. Topics discussed included: increase in
2 employment services; sheltered employment program; monies generated by these
3 programs; programs not contracted; and waiting list (pool).
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5 Starkenburg closed this portion of the hearing.
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7 (Clerk's Note. A five- minute break was taken.)
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9 Dr. Frank James, Health Department, reviewed his 1996 budget, which is a 16.2%
10 decrease in funding (approximately $800,000). The WIC (Women, Infants and Children)
11 and Maternal Health Programs were discussed. The same level of service will be
12 received by the public. The actual amount needed to decrease his budget was $246,000.
13 The Public Health Improvement Plan is mandated. One part of that Plan is to transfer
14 some of the services to the private sector; the other is to do primarily community health
15 data assessment work, thus allowing the Health Department to be an organization doing
16 assessment, assurance and policy development with community partners. Due to the
17 impacts to the public services, there will be fewer jobs in his department. The WIC
18 Program will be effective, functioning and providing services outside the Health
19 Department. The Well Child Clinic will be eliminated and transferred to private
20 physicians. The proposed Health Department's reorganization will allow for more
21 efficiency. He expects a significant increase in TB in the next ten years.
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23 A question and answered period followed. Topics discussed included: objectives
24 (handout provided); Jail Health Program moved to Visiting Nurse ($245,066); Well Child
25 Clinic ($483,00 total; $250,000 moved to the WIC Program); various grant monies; fees
26 for services; salary and wages; epididemology position funding and application for a
27 grant; as the Health Department moves away from providing direct services, it must
28 coordinate with other agencies to take care of those services; direction of health care
29 generally regarding future prevention services; HIV care; personal health services
30 regarding violence and injury; community network on youth violence; family and
31 individual health section of the Health Department report; and community education
32 role in prevention.
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34 Betsy Pernato, registered dietician with WIC, spoke about the future of the WIC
35 Program. The Opportunity Council has been asked to take over the WIC program. If
36 the Opportunity Council must cut its budget next year, the WIC Program may be cut.
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38 Starkenburg closed this portion of the hearing.
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40 (Clerk's Note. A five- minute break was taken at 12:05.)
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Budget Minutes, 10/31/95, Page 2
1 Roger DeSpain, Parks Department, introduced his staff members and members of
2 the Parks and Recreation Commission who were present. DeSpain gave his presentation
3 on the Parks 1996 budget. The dollar value reductions for 1996 is $200,000 or 10% of
4 the operating budget. Another $200,000 was taken out of Capital Items. Cuts were
5 made in both the Parks and Senior Services divisions. A total of 3.5 FTEs (full time
6 employees) were cut. That was one full-time position, the park manager at Semiahmoo,
7 and several seasonal positions. He reviewed the impacts to the park side of the budget
8 reduction. The gift shop and museum at the park would close. Day -to -day operation
9 would not be the same; however, restrooms would remain open. Beach closure may take
10 place due to a sewage spill. Other major programs at Semiahmoo would be cancelled.
11 Birch Bay beach maintenance would cease. Seasonal cuts would cut $26,000 to various
12 employment positions in the parks, including lifeguards, maintenance, and emergency
13 response teams. There would be no overtime and travel allotments except for those
14 mandated. Professional services formerly used for preparation of grant requests would
15 not be used.
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17 Rob Bennett, Senior Services Supervisor, noted his area's efforts for last year and
18 1995 would be to maintain services at all existing locations. He discussed reduced
19 funding impacts. Three full-time senior centers would be operating, which serve over
20 75% of County seniors. These centers are in Bellingham, Lynden and Blaine. Five
21 other centers would be open part-time. Senior centers provide human services as well as
22 recreation. They also serve other community programs not necessarily relating to
23 seniors. The number of hours has been reduced in the smaller centers. Existing
24 managers are supervising multiple centers instead of only one. Volunteers will have to
25 play an increasing role in the senior centers, but those volunteers need adequate
26 supervision. There will be a need to increase fundraisers.
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28 Larry Simkins, Supervisor of Operations, discussed the levy fund and the 1996
29 capital improvement list. On this list is the repair, the replacement, and the
30 refurbishment of existing facilities. Rental and land lease agreements are comparable
31 with private sector rentals. The Semiahmoo facility was turned into a day care to best
32 generate income from the facility. Bellingham Senior Center is being rented out on
33 Sundays, which produces income. Hydrobikes were purchased from the Paddle Boat
34 Fund and has already generated sufficient income to pay for half the purchase price.
35 One of the park's employees, David Smith, was awarded professional of the year at the
36 International NW Parks & Recreation Association Conference.
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38 DeSpain discussed the percentage of Current Expense for parks, recreation, and
39 seniors. Graph dates from 1985 to 1996 show the declining percentage of the Parks
40 Department from the total Current Expense Fund for the entire County. Staff levels are
41 dropping as well, from 42 FTEs in 1986 to the current 30 FTEs. Attendance at the
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Budget Minutes, 10/31/95, Page 3
1 Whatcom County Parks facilities has, conversely, been on the increase, serving almost
2 723,094 people in 1995. Revenue for the County has also been on the increase to a
3 current $510,000 projected for 1995.
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5 A question and answer period followed. Topics discussed included the percentage
6 of the $200,000 cut that fell on the senior services.
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8 Mary Lou Jones, Accountant, Parks & Recreation, discussed the cuts to the senior
9 centers versus the Parks division. Most of the cuts -- approximately 80 %- -were taken by
10 the Parks division.
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12 The question and answered period continued. Also discussed was: the choice of
13 Semiahmoo to receive the budget cuts; where the $200,000 cuts, in actual dollars, came
14 from; and the role of the Parks Department as a necessary service provider to the
15 community.
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Starkenburg concluded this portion of the hearing pertaining to the Parks
Department.
Glen Hallman, representing the County Council on Aging, discussed the value of
going to the voters every few years for a levy. Council on Aging funding is being cut.
Their senior programs are just as large and valuable as the Parks Department's senior
services. They service a great deal of low- income seniors. Hallman asked why the
County doesn't operate more like a business and put money away for known future
expenses.
ADJOURN
The meeting was adjourned at 12 :55 p.m.
z '
Eli&beth Bennett, Recording Secre%ry
Jill Nixon, Recording Secretary
ATTEST:
D.
WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON
Budget Minutes, 10/31/95, Page 4