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HomeMy WebLinkAboutFinance November 10 1992WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL FINANCE AND PERSONNEL COMMITTEE November 10, 1992 The meeting was called to order at 4:25 p.m. in the Council Chambers, 1000 N. Forest St., 2nd floor, by Marge Laidlaw, Chairperson. Also present: Bob Imhof Ken Henderson Absent: 1. BID AWARD RECOMMENDATION TO MULTIPLE BIDDERS FOR THE SUPPLY OF ASPHALTIC MIXES FOR ROAD MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR AT THE LOWEST COST, IN QUANTITIES, FOR WORK DURING 1993 (AB92 -435) Topics discussed: Bidders; amount. Persons speaking: Nat Dickinson, Purchasing Manager; Laidlaw. IMHOF MOVED TO RECOMMEND APPROVAL. The motion carried unanimously. 2. REQUEST FOR AUTHORIZATION FOR THE EXECUTIVE TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT FOR PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES FOR THE DESIGN OF THE WICKERSHAM ROAD BRIDGE WITH ANDERSEN BJORNSTAD KANE JACOBS, INC. (ABKJ) FOR $53,029 (AB92 -436) Topics discussed: Background; reason for special request; configuration of Wickersham bridge. Persons speaking: Nasser Mansour, Engineering; Laidlaw; Imhof. IMHOF MOVED TO RECOMMEND APPROVAL. The motion carried unanimously. 3. BUDGET DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS New Appraiser II for Assessors Office is approved. Barb Cory, Treasurer: If Council is not going to pass the imposition of the admissions tax, the Treasurer does not need an additional full-time position. That amount could be reduced to $15,000 to contract the work for the gas tax and the gambling tax. This would be more cost effective. This will be the Committee's recommendation. Laidlaw complimented Cory on her willingness to work to save the County money. Bob Woods, Budget Analyst, clarified that the Court Facilitator is a grant position and limited for one year. The Internal Auditor, replace van for Auditor, mailing & postage expense for Council, technical correction - Public Defender, District Court Probation - Computer are approved. In Public Defender, the Deputy and Investigator funds come out of conflict funds in Superior Court funds. The legal secretary is part of the base. Therefore Superior Court - Court Investigations is reduced $80,000 rather than $103,742. Road fund money, transfers for a clerk and some deputies, amounts to approximately $250,000. Deleting the Public Works accountant is approved. Both the GIS funds for Planning and the Assessor are approved. There was discussion about whether the problem was an accounting problem or a management problem. Approved to take $35,000 out of Non - Departmental rather than $30,000. Both the Developmental Disabilities and Combined Treatment ending Fund Balance transfer reductions were approved. Under Revenues, the Public Defender and Additional Road Fund Transfer were approved. Terry Hinz, Financial Analyst, said that the law says the gambling tax can be increased through ordinance only, so it could not be increased through the budget process. Laidlaw indicated that the ordinance was being drafted right now. Reducing ER &R is the accountant deleted earlier and the REET transfer for GIS were both approved. The half time position request for Solid Waste is being denied. The additional grant funding received since the Budget process began in the Health Fund technical corrections sheet was not added now. It will come forward as a fourth quarter supplemental. The Building Maintenance $136,805 technical correction will come out of their Fund balance for 1993. Finance Minutes, 11110192, Page 2 Approved to delete the Public Works Accountant, the reconstruction of Lottie Street and the removal of Prospect St. Station for a total of $116,488. The reconstruction of Lottie Street and the removal of the station are scheduled for 1994. IMHOF MOVED TO DELETE ONE OF THREE NEW EXCAVATORS AND ONE OF THREE NEW TRUCKS REQUESTED AT A SAVINGS OF APPROXIMATELY $100,000 EACH, WHILE KEEPING THE BETTER OF THE TRUCKS SCHEDULED FOR SURPLUSSING. Imhof clarified that the intent is to contract out some of the work; the funds will be available for next year if that doesn't work. The motion carried unanimously. The recommendation is that the 3 FTE vacant positions from the Road Fund will not be filled, with the proviso that the 4th (Service Worker I) will not be filled if it comes vacant. The GIS funding for Engineering was approved. The new budget ordinance was presented. Hinz pointed out that the tax income will be about $275,000 less than that projected. Tom Sutberry said that had implications for the projected income for next year as well. Anticipated revenues need to be adjusted down another $175,000. Henderson asked about the structure of Purchasing. Those involved in purchasing that are outside the normal Purchasing Dept. should be assigned to the Purchasing Department under Dickinson. Brad Bennett, Public Works, said that the job descriptions need to be explored first because the "Purchasing Manager" is not really doing much purchasing as such. He's working off bid lists and distributing materials. The concern is that if those positions go out of ER &R, someone else will have to fill the position as coordinator. Bennett and Henderson discussed the work of the purchasers and the chain of command. Dickinson joined in to answer questions and give the background of the development of the County's Purchasing Department. Dickinson pointed out that if these people come into the Purchasing Department, it would require additional support personnel in the Purchasing Dept. HENDERSON MOVED THAT THE PURCHASING UNIT IN PUBLIC WORKS MOVE UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE PURCHASING DIRECTOR. Imhof questioned the ramifications and said he couldn't support it at this time. The motion carried two to one with Imhof against. Finance Minutes, 11110192, Page 3 The Committee continued to work through the Budget Ordinance, clarifying the additional changes to language and exhibits. LAIDLAW MOVED TO RECOMMEND ADOPTION OF THE ORDINANCE AS IT IS BEFORE THEM, RECOGNIZING THAT DOCUMENT C NEEDS TO BE VERIFIED BY THE DEPARTMENTS AND MAY NEED MINOR CHANGES. The motion carried 2 to 1 with Imhof against. Draft resolution: The Council is taking steps to insure the election of a charter review commission on the November 1993 ballot. Forslof acknowledged that there would be some costs, but they would be minimal. The resolution will be sent forth to the Council by consensus. Laidlaw pointed out that the Executive's budget ordinance was replaced by the ordinance accepted earlier in the meeting. 1993 levy ordinance will be sent forward by consensus. In the 1993 salary resolution, the medical examiner needs to be taken out so that the line which reads $1455 should read zero. Imhof and Woods will check out the amount for Council Members' salaries. LAIDLAW MOVED TO RECOMMEND ADOPTION OF THE 1993 SALARY RESOLUTION WITH THE AMENDMENT THAT THE MEDICAL EXAMINER IS DELETED. The motion carried unanimously. LAIDLAW MOVED TO RECOMMEND ACCEPTANCE THE 1993 LEVY OF TAXES ORDINANCE. The motion carried unanimously. Resolution for Capital Facilities Improvement Plan. This includes the previously adopted 6 -year road plan and the 1 -year projected road plan. The Committee reviewed the corrections made during the hearings. LAIDLAW MOVED TO RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THE RESOLUTION FOR CAPITAL FACILITIES IMPROVEMENT PLAN WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE COMMITTEE MADE SOME TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS AND THAT THERE IS A HEARING ON THE ROAD PLAN SCHEDULED FOR NOVEMBER 19. Finance Minutes, 11110192, Page 4 The motion carried unanimously. By consensus, the Committee approved Woods and Laidlaw to compose the letter of transmittal and send the budget recommendations forward to the Council. Hinz reminded the Committee about the car for the Assessor's Office, bumping their amount up to $50,000 from $36,556. Because there was no further business, the meeting was adjourned. ATTEST: FINANCE & PERSONNEL COMMITTEE iv Nancy Assistant Clerk Marge-lakaw, Chairperson Finance Minutes, 11110192, Page 5