HomeMy WebLinkAboutFinance October 19 19921 WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
2 FINANCE AND PERSONNEL COMMITTEE
3 Budget Review Session
4
October 19, 1992
5 The meeting was called to order in the Council Chambers, 1000 N. Forest, at 6:30
6 p.m. by Committee Chairperson Marge Laidlaw.
7 Also Present: Absent:
8 Bob Imhof None
9 Ken Henderson
10 Other Council Members present were Barbara Brenner and Larry Harris.
11 Department representatives were present from Superior Court/Clerk, District Court /Adult
12 Probation, Prosecuting Attorney, Sheriff /Jail, Public Defender, and Juvenile Probation.
13 SUPERIOR COURT: (Page 125 of the Budget Narrative notebook)
14 N.F. Jackson gave a presentation using the overhead projector. Topics discussed
15 during the presentation included some of the information provided in the Councils Budget
16 Narrative notebook, Whatcom County Superior Courts poor staffing levels (the lowest in the
"7 state of Washington), and the four positions being asked for in the 1993 budget (Customer
_d Service Deputy, Criminal Deputy Clerk, Records and Exhibits Clerk and Senior Secretary).
19 Also discussed were performance measure and the accomplished and unaccomplished goals
20 and objectives for 1992.
21 Laidlaw asked about 1993 goals, service objectives etc. and discussed with N.F. the
22 types of complications which can arise from understaffing in his Department.
23 Laidlaw asked if it would be possible to combine administrative services in District
24 Court and Superior Court in some areas. N.F. stated that they are currently doing this in
25 certain areas, including jury selection and Assigned Council.
26 Harris asked about cases filed averages.
27 Imhof asked about staff turnover and why the overtime and extra help money
28 allocated for 1992 has not been utilized to date.
29 Woods asked about bailiffs being on call and personnel services contracts.
30 Laidlaw again asked about performance measures and stated that this information
31 will be needed to help with future allocation of funds.
1 DISTRICT COURT /ADULT PROBATION (Page 94 of the Budget Narrative notebook)
2 Judge Ross commented on accounts receivable problems and some issues brought
3 forth by an Audit done last year.
4 Laidlaw asked about performance measures, objective and the training cost for the
5 new accounting system, "diskis ". Linda Gill, District Court Administrator, stated that she
6 does not plan to send her accounting staff to formal training courses, but rather plans to
7 send them to other courts to work with individual hands on users.
8 Gill also addressed the objective of sending clerks to other courts of similar size and
9 containing similar personnel to gather efficiency measures. She stated that she hopes to do
10 this in 1993.
11 Laidlaw asked about upgrading job descriptions. Gill stated that she hopes to
12 complete this process- by the end of 1993.
13 Laidlaw asked if old receivables will be collected by the end of 1992, Gill stated that
14 she feels they will.
15 Laidlaw asked if it would be possible to set a performance measure to measure the
16 time between court dates set and continuances. Gill thought it was possible.
17 Fred Thompson, Director, District Court Probation, stated that his Department is
is in great need of additional probation officers and clerical staff; his office should have one
clerical staffer per two probation officers. He also stated that Adult Probation clerical staff
20 has turned over 100% during 1992.
21 Laidlaw discussed the performance measures which were not met in 1992 with
22 Thompson.
23 Harris asked about the number of cases coming through the Adult Probation office
24 and why the projections for 93' are close to being the same as that of 92'.
25 Woods asked if the nature of the "customers" has changed over the years.
26 Thompson stated that close to half or at least half of the cases coming through their
27 office are drug and /or alcohol related.
28 PROSECUTING ATTORNEY (Page 110 in the Budget Narrative notebook)
29 Dave McEachran, Prosecuting Attorney, stated that his office is in dire straits
30 (business is very good). Felonies have increased most drastically of all the cases coming to
Minutes, 10/19/92, page 2
1 the Prosecutors office (charts were handed out to the Committee).
2 McEachran discussed the increase of violent crimes in Whatcom County and
3 addressed several statistics in his presentation.
4 McEachran stated that he would have been facing a staff cut of up to five employees
5 if the 10% budget cut had gone through for all departments. He is very happy that this did
6 not happen, however, the Prosecutors Office is very much in need of more people, more
7 space, and more equipment.
8 Objective of the Criminal Justice Group and how efficient they are with what they
9 have was discussed.
10 McEachran is asking for, most importantly, four attorneys and support staff.
11 However, he would settle for just one attorney who could type and a micro imaging system.
12 Specific efficiency goals for 1993 were asked for by Laidlaw. McEachran stated that
13 some great efficiency would come through the use of the micro imaging system.
14 Brenner asked what percentage of cases are dropped because of delays. She also
15 asked about the Victim /Witness fund and how much money comes to Whatcom County
16 from this fund. McEachran commented that the percentage varies.
17 Henderson asked about plea bargaining and how our County compares to others.
A Harris asked about time frames for catching up with other Counties as far as
19 efficiencies. McEachran stated that the greatest problem they have is the lack of adequate
20 legal and clerical staff.
21 Laidlaw asked about felony violations increases (page 111 of the Council Budget
22 narrative) and sharing information, equipment costs, etc. with other Criminal Justice
23 Departments in the rest of the County.
24 SHERIFF /JAEL
25 Dale Brandland, Whatcom County Sheriff, gave an introductory presentation.
26 Brenner asked Brandland about Block Watch programs in the County.
27 Laidlaw asked about data entry costs and why the extra help and overtime line item
28 funds have not been used to date. Brandland stated that since the date of preparation of
29 the Budget Narrative, they have hired two extra help personnel, using close to $8,000 from
30 this budget line.
Minutes, 10/19/92, page 3
1 Brandland commented that violent crimes have gone up 68% over the last ten years,
2 yet staff has gone up only 21 %.
3 The priority list presented by the Sheriffs office was discussed. Laidlaw asked about
4 the request for a management type lieutenant.
5 The 1992 goals for the jail were discussed, including electronic home detection, the
6 Airport Weekend Program, overpopulation in the jail and alternatives to D.W.I. sentencing..
7 Laidlaw asked why supplies for 92' have been over spent by such a large amount.
8 The Sheriff thinks it may be a typo and will check into it and report back.
9 Brandland handed out a document full of what the Council felt was very helpful
10 information (on file).
11 PUBLIC DEFENDER
12 John Oslund, Public Defender, began his presentation.
13 Laidlaw informed the Council that this Department has historically provided
14 excellent, straightforward information which is recognized and appreciated.
15 Laidlaw asked about goals for 1992 and projected goals for 1993. Oslund stated that
' 6 the primary goal for 1992 was to handle the expected case load without having to increase
I staff.
18 Oslund discussed statistics of increasing case loads and the importance of having the
19 investigative staff, attorneys, and clerical staff to handle this case load.
20 Oslund discussed additional services requests and the hiring of the extra help Clerk
21 H to a full time position or being allowed to carry this position as extra help in 1993.
22 JUVENILE PROBATION (Page 97 in the Budget Narrative notebook)
23 Gary Woods, Juvenile Court Administrator, gave his presentation. Topics discussed
24 included the Juvenile Probation Annual, program goals, and case loads.
25 Henderson asked Woods about the carrying forward of funds from one year to the
26 next.
27 Discussion ensued.
Minutes, 10/19/92, page 4
"N.-A'A'A M I0.) MCI
2 Laidlaw explained that this is a special revenue fund and asked the Shirley Van
3 Zanten, County Executive, if the residual equity transfer was for a computer for the law
4 librarian. Tom Sutberry, Deputy Administrator, and Van Zanten said they thought it was.
5 Other questions were asked about the ten to eleven thousand dollar difference and the fund
6 balance. Sutberry was not sure of the answer and will get back to the Committee.
7 The meeting was adjourned at 9:45 p.m.
8 ATTEST-
9 F
10
11 'Dana ro avr
12 Assistant Clerk
WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
TCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON
,r—
Marge T,�idlaw
Committee Member
Minutes, 10/19/92, page 5