HomeMy WebLinkAboutFinance October 30 1992WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
FINANCE AND PERSONNEL COMMITTEE
October 30, 1992
The meeting was called to order at 9:35 a.m, in the Council Chambers, 1000 N.
Forest St., 2nd floor, by Marge Laidlaw, Chairperson.
Also present:
Bob Imhof
Ken Henderson
Absent:
Council staff present: Bob Woods, Budget Analyst; Barbara Brenner, Council Member.
INFORMATION SERVICES
George Reid was present to answer questions. The target date for the AS400 is mid -
93; it's to be accomplished as the departments move into the new building. Those outside
the Courthouse will be connected as time permits. A central records program is an on -going
project; the Executive's department is the current project. The development of the program
and the standards are completed; it's just a matter of getting them out to the departments.
The Record Center was established in June of 1992. More records are being added weekly.
The space is being leased on an annual basis. The Forms Management Operation is being
working on by Purchasing and by Records; the purpose is to standardize as much as possible
all the forms throughout the County.
Henderson was concerned about the cost for upgrade to the computer system. The
costs seem low. He asked if there other options available that would save the cost of
upgrading the AS400. Reid said basically there weren't. The AS400 is currently not used for
word processing or E -mail. It's used for tax records, accounting, etc. The upgrade is needed,
basically, because of growth, and Info Services is out of room in the computer. Henderson
and Reid discussed the upgrading and use of PC's and future demand on computers,
including the use by Title Companies.
Laidlaw asked about the 5 -year goals for record management; the Finance
Committee would like to have copies of that. Reid agreed.
Laidlaw complimented Reid on the goals and the information provided. She did
request that guesstimates and estimates of completion dates be included in the future.
Imhof asked about response time to service calls within the county considering the
increase in the number of PC's in use in the County. Reid said he expected 1993 to be a
very difficult year because of the increase in the number and the use, because of the loss
of a computer tech to illness, because of the moving, because of lack of space for storing
parts, and because of the level of service they try to provide.
Laidlaw asked about the two employees currently out on disability. One will not be
able to return until her doctor is certain she has a safe environment. The other is a disabled
worker who will probably be back. Info Services is working with personnel and legal to see
if the first worker can be replaced.
Woods asked about the AS400 and its capacity. Reid reminded the Committee that
he had asked for money to upgrade the system in 1992 because of the J.D. Edwards system.
The two further discussed the system, its applications, and critical files.
Woods asked about phone systems. Reid said some phones are still on the old system
such as the departments at DIS, the Health Department, Northwest Regional Council, and
Developmental Disabilities. Plans are to convert them to the new system during 1993.
Henderson expressed concern about the strain on the department caused by the
increasing number of PC's. Networking will not ease the problem; Reid's personnel is
currently spending about 90% of the time of two persons administering to networks.
PUBLIC WORKS:
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Brad Bennett presented graphs on the overhead to detail the budget breakdowns and
a comparison of revenue expenditures from 1986 to projected 1993.
Woods asked about what was driving the 1993 revenue up. Bennett said there was
an increased amount of building and an increased fee schedule. John Tyler, Director of
Buildings and Codes, substantiated this.
Laidlaw complimented B &C on the increased specificity in the goals and objectives.
Questions ensued on which goals have been met. Tyler commented that their goal of
reducing the turn around time in residential fees to 15 days has been exceedingly difficult
because of increased demands on the department staff. They are attempting to develop
resources beyond their staff and have found two very capable firms to handle overflow. The
CAO, the energy code requirements instituted last year, the fire district codes regarding
roads, the demand for radon and other testing have all served to increase demands on their
time. The goals for turn around time were worked out in conference with the real estate
people and the developers in the community.
Imhof asked if there was a way to move the system along by allowing people to do
some of the work as the building progresses rather than before by tying these requirements
to the occupancy permit rather than to the building permit. Tyler said they have been
allowing "early start" and working on some of this, particularly in connection with the CAO
requirements. He further discussed some of the problems they are facing and that builders
are facing, and what they are doing to alleviate the problems.
Finance Budget Minutes, 10130192, Page 2
Laidlaw directed the topic back to the goal of turn around time for permits, asking
why the time had been increased from 14 to 20 days. Taylor said the commercial hasn't
changed because they have a person who does only that. But on the residential, what takes
time is the limited personnel and the added requirements before a permit is granted. There
are extremely high volumes of work in that office.
Laidlaw asked about the status of completing the addressing grid system. Tyler said
that with the reduction in their budget in 1992 for consultants, they haven't been able to get
the project completed. Addresses are issued as the permits are issued, even on new plats.
The addressing turn around now matches the building permits. They have not been able to
pursue any further endorsements of the cities and the fire departments. Bellingham is not
interested, Ferndale and Everson were waiting and seeing. The fire districts are hot or cold,
depending on the chief is talked to.
Brenner asked about the addressing system and how it works. Tyler explained how
the streets were named.
Brenner asked about training and cross - training of staff, citing complaints about B &C
staff apparently not doing anything while the public stands in lines waiting for service. Tyler
said often this appears to be what's happening, but it's staff waiting to copy, to get into the
files, or something. Brenner suggested perhaps staff members could be trained to answer
questions and help with the counter to service the public. Tyler said that one of their goals
was to cross - train; they're working on it. The clerks who answer the phones, however, are
so busy answering the phones and directing calls that they are unable to work the counter
at all.
Laidlaw asked about the status of computerized processing issues that were supposed
to be completed by January, 1992. Tyler said the computerized tracking system has been
functional since April and is being steadily enhanced. Since the end of July the department
can produce reports that are based on fire district, school district, etc. The initiation of the
GIS system is extremely expensive; B &C doesn't currently have one, though they have bits
and pieces. The department can now generate their reports in two days after the end of the
month. They do have the capability of interfacing with the GIS.
Laidlaw asked about the microfilming of old records. Tyler said they are done up to
1991, then the employee in charge of that got sick and her doctor is permanently retiring
her.
Henderson asked if Tyler expected GIS to speed up their permit time. Tyler
explained how the GIS would work for their department. Henderson asked Tyler to identify
the current and near future bottlenecks experienced in accomplishing their task. Tyler said
that the increase in activity when everyone had predicted a decrease, so it boils down to
money for personnel. Henderson went back to the numbers, which show a decrease in
permits, but an increase in inspections. Are the permits taking more time to process? Tyler
Finance Budget Minutes, 10130192, Page 3
said there must be a mistake; the number of permit applications are increasing. The
estimates were not accurate. Experts the department relied on for estimates expected the
building in the county to decrease; it has, in fact, increased. There was some discussion on
"values" versus "numbers" and the nature of the projects. Tyler said he is expecting a 10%
turn down in the number of permits applied for in 1993.
Henderson asked how much of the work load is a direct result of the regulations
imposed by the Council such as the CAO. Tyler said that they've added probably 2 to 3
weeks in turn around time as a result of dealing with the changes, some of which came from
the state. B &C, however, is developing ways of paralleling this by using other services to
alleviate the strain in the office. Henderson asked about the permit tracking system. Tyler
said those things were working quite well; the inter- departmental cooperation is quite good.
Laidlaw asked about consolidating land use functions. Tyler said space and space
limitations has kept this from being done.
Laidlaw asked about wetlands etc. which had a March, 1992, deadline. Tyler said they
had worked with the Corps, which wasn't particularly interested in single family dwellings,
so that was working quite well until the CAO. Galvin has put together an update detailing
where that process is; he will have it for the Council on Tuesday.
The two positions are the critical areas people who were in the executive's budget
last year. Tyler is planning to combine several aspects of the permitting, such as the land
alterations people, to streamline services. The review for land disturbance is longer than the
CAO reviews; the streamlining of these services has not yet been done. They are finding
that a relatively small number of projects, approximately 5 %, are being impacted by the
CAO.
Laidlaw asked when the development standards would be coming back to the Council
for review. Tyler said by mid- December and detailed what they've done. They've hired a
typist to merge and form the final document. Laidlaw asked about the citizen's review of the
draft. Tyler said that would be mid- November. Henderson said he thought that there was
something already done - -was that really only in bits and pieces? Tyler explained the issue.
The standards are being separated from the "has to's" to make the document more
functional and readable.
Laidlaw asked about the position of B &C manager. Is this a new position? Tyler said
this was to replace Jerry Mixon who was Tyler's assistant and land use person. This position
has now been upgraded; the new person will take over managing B &C under Tyler. Laidlaw
asked if it was a reclassification of a vacant position, which she thought had to come back
to the Council. Tyler said he couldn't answer that; he had assumed it was a function of the
administration. Henderson asked if that meant Tyler's job was redefined. Tyler said no, he
supervised three divisions. B &C was only one.
Finance Budget Minutes, 10130192, Page 4
Tyler said nearly all the permits which don't require review, such as burn permits,
have an almost immediate turn around. Tyler suggests that a fee be implemented for burn
permits.
Laidlaw asked if there was a work plan for the new Environmental Review Division.
Tyler said they are working on that; right now there is considerable overlapping of work.
Tyler is hopeful to have it ready when they move to the Nor -Bell facility. Laidlaw asked for
a copy of the work plan.
Henderson returned to the "bottleneck" in the permit process. Tyler said it was from
a numbers point of view. Henderson asked about planning workloads and projects to deal
with the cyclical workload of the permit applications. Tyler said they have been looking for
firms to alleviate the workload by contracting out to them the plans for checking. Henderson
suggested that a permit be assigned to a person who would take the responsibility for
tracking and following that permit from beginning to end. Tyler said that was part of the
plan for operating when they get to their new space at Nor -Bell.
Henderson asked about the road grid system, acknowledging that funds haven't been
allocated to it and that it's a hot political football so no one has been willing to deal with
it. Henderson suggested turning it over to a citizen's group. Tyler said they have been
working on it. He mentioned a consultant. Henderson objected to having a consultant do
it; it should be a public process with the consultant available for information only. Tyler
acknowledged that people don't want to be numbers. Henderson, Tyler, and Imhof discussed
the grid system.
BUELDING MAINTENANCE
Bennett said that some technical corrections on the figures were coming through and
explained. Shirley Van Zanten clarified. It involves utilities and the ending fund balance.
Laidlaw asked about quantitative measurements with estimated completion dates.
This department has considerable room for improvement in this area of their narrative.
Imhof returned to restructuring of the Parts Department and their inventory. Van
Zanten said that combining the inventories of the various departments has not been
discussed.
The deletion of the rent at Cordata has resulted in a budget reduction.
Imhof asked about the square footage in cleaning, was part of it being left unclean?
Bennett said he didn't catch that figure to change it. Van Zanten explained how the
janitorial services were figured. With all the moving and changing going on, it has turned
out to be a hard figure to set. After everyone is finally moved and settled, they will be able
to figure accurately the square footage for charges. The rate charged per square footage has
Finance Budget Minutes, 10130192, Page 5
gone up from $6.60 to $7.30.
Laidlaw asked about the public area in the basement of Nor -Bell in the original
plans. Tyler said the plan had changed and there would not be public access to the
basement, only upstairs.
Imhof said he would like to have building maintenance and park maintenance
department merger explored.
PUBLIC WORKS ADMINISTRATION
Bennett indicated a typo on the bottom of the budget figures; some zeros had been
dropped. He handed out a corrected page.
Laidlaw complimented the department on the significant improvement in the goals.
Laidlaw raised the issue of consolidating all the accounting functions together and
consolidating all purchasing departments in the county. Bennett said that this is not a black
and white issue. The detail work their clerks do, for instance checking invoices, is better
done on a "local" level. This is also true in grant processing. The J.D. Edwards system would
allow more of the best of both worlds, keeping the work that needs to be departmental in
the department, while keeping the general ledgers centralized. The department currently has
two full time positions dealing with invoices, another dealing with payroll and inventory.
Laidlaw asked about the added accountant's position. Bennett said that things like payroll,
inventory, purchasing, and grant fund tracking needs to be kept departmental and the
department needs accounting support.
Henderson asked if basically data entry was what was being done in the department.
Bennett said three positions could be considered that. Two positions deal with contract
details and grant monies and the documentation required for these. One position deals with
ER &R accounting and supports Bennett's position. They just don't have enough people to
deal with the work that is coming in, let alone dealing with some of the problems they know
exist. Henderson pointed out that these are the functions that really belong to the auditor
and somehow it doesn't seem as if this is under her control. Bennett said the auditor is
responsible for meeting the statutory requirements, but not to meet the day to day paper
work. Bennett said that when things get to the auditor from his office, everything is done
except the actual check issuing. Henderson and Bennett discussed the roles of the Auditor
and the accountant in Public Works Administration and some overlapping of these roles.
Woods asked about the classification of the clerks. Bennett said that one had been
reclassified.
Laidlaw asked about the electronic mail installation. Bennett said that the bridge was
up and running, but went when M &O's computer went down, the bridge quit functioning
Finance Budget Minutes, 10130192, Page 6
and hasn't been reinstalled. They now have the new software, but it hasn't been installed
yet. They are working with Info Services to get them on line by spring.Laidlaw asked about
the money budgeted last year for a gateway that was spent elsewhere. Bennett said they're
working on the gateway to connect up, but it's Info Services' project. The benefits will be
great for the department when it's done and records can be accessed interdepartmentally.
Henderson was concerned that it was considered important enough to have been budgeted
in 1990, so it should be higher priority than it was. There was discussion about budgeted
amounts last year for software and discretionary spending. Woods suggested that Bennett
get the E -mail up and running in terms of the personnel hours it would save in traveling
between departments.
Laidlaw asked about the clarification of the definition of the authority between
Engineering, Building and Codes, and Maintenance and Operation. Paul Rushing, Director
of Public Works, said that in the later part of 1990 or early 1991 they re -did the ordinance
dealing with those departments so that it dealt with the relationships between the
departments. At the same time they had an executive order dealing with the situation.
Laidlaw asked about the completion of the goal regarding roadside drainage
management. Rushing said that five people have been hired to accomplish this goal and they
are working on a year round basis, but they did other things for about half the year.
Laidlaw asked about the computer enhancement of payroll to generate sick leave and
vacations referenced in the State Auditor's management letter. Bennett said that was
scrapped when they committed to J.D. Edwards. Bennett said they have a system to handle
their records; it's accurate and posted. It just isn't on the computer yet, and that State audit
is not applicable here.
CAPITAL PROJECTS
Laidlaw asked Rushing for a status report on the projects expected to be completed
in 1992. Tyler said the storage tanks problem was that they hadn't had time to get the paper
work done to complete the contract to remove the tanks. The courthouse tanks have been
dealt with, except for two which will be coming out in 1994. The City of Everson is taking
responsibility for two of the tanks out there, leaving only one for us to deal with. Tyler said
that December, 1993, is the, state deadline for removing the other tanks; they will be
removed. Tyler explained how the tanks are being handled until removal- -all fuel has been
removed from the tanks and they've been filled with water so that no more leakage will
occur.
Laidlaw asked about the fencing at Central Shops. Tyler said the security fencing was
completed. The fencing for the road area tanks is in this year's budget.
Tyler said the improvements for venting and heating etc. at juvenile should be
completed by December or January. This is a temporary system that will be taken out and
Finance Budget Minutes, 10130192, Page 7
disposed of when the facility is no longer used. The $64,000 for the system is cheaper than
transporting the juveniles to Skagit County or other options they explored. There is a
problem with some window for the facility, so these dates aren't set in concrete.
Laidlaw asked Van Zanten about the double bunking in the jail and the possible
need for increased staffing. Van Zanten said that one staff member had been added, but
there hasn't been the money available for added staffing. She feels that if additional monies
are found, the staff at the jail should be top priority. The double bunking has not .yet been
installed in the jail. It is a possibility that this bunking cannot be used until additional
personnel has been hired. She was unsure about what the law says about staffing standards,
suggesting perhaps the sheriff should answer the question. She felt that probably 4 staffers
would be needed if the 64 extra bunks were added. There was discussion about the source
of funds; using road funds would probably be considered a diversion. Henderson asked
about diversion of housing or an alternate facility for work - release prisoners. Evidently the
sheriff is exploring these options. Van Zanten said she thinks he has 3 or 4 proposals for the
Council, but she is unclear about how many beds would be freed up by this program. The
bunking was discussed among Henderson, Tyler, and Van Zanten.
Laidlaw asked about chemical storage at the garage. Tyler said the plans were
drafted and will be going out to bid this year.
Laidlaw asked about inventory storage at the shop. Woods said that is the fence.
Tyler said that the piping and bridge materials would be inside the fence.
Laidlaw asked about the phone lease. She thought we paid cash for that. Van Zanten
said it was a five-year lease /purchase originally, but since that time it has been paid for. Van
Zanten explained the phone system and plans for installing it. Laidlaw asked about
adjustments to the budget because of the purchase. Van Zanten said that that lease figure
will have to be corrected as a technical correction, and the project description will be
changed.
As information for the Committee, Imhof brought up the question of what funding
they thought might be left over to use on Slater Road and the rock. Rushing said at the
moment he had no- idea.
Laidlaw asked about the radio tower on the Courthouse. The old tower is gone, Tyler
said, and the new one is being constructed. Laidlaw asked about the additional $6,000. Tyler
explained that it is for installation and replacement of wires.
Laidlaw asked about the stainless steel shower liners. Tyler said two phases have
been done. At the request of the jailer, there are more showers to do. Laidlaw said that the
two -year forecast seems to have been lengthened and will take more years than projected
even in the six-year plan. The plan should be made more realistic. Van Zanten explained
why the showers requests have been coming in pieces rather than being projected out.
Finance Budget Minutes, 10130192, Page 8
Laidlaw asked about the County morgue. Van Zanten said this is a piece that will
probably be in the bond issue. It will have to go out to bid. It appears that an entire facility
could cost as little as $100,000.
Laidlaw asked about the $75,000 for furnishings at Nor -Bell. Van Zanten said this
is for window coverings, work stations, and so on. The work stations at DIS are being rented
as part of the lease and need to be replaced. Van Zanten said these, too, were going to be
rolled into the bond issue. Laidlaw asked about the companies that deal in first -class used
furniture. Van Zanten said that was still being explored. She said the estimate was based
on new costs.
Woods asked about the unpaved triangle in the parking lot outside the Council office.
Rushing said that would be completed in early November.
Henderson clarified the request that the numbers from B &C be updated and
forwarded to the committee. Tyler said yes.
Because there was no further business, the meeting was adjourned.
ATTEST:
Nancy, Cobn, Assistant Clerk
FINANCE & PERSONNEL COMMITTEE
lem ya't'v
Marge 4dlaw, Chairperson
Finance Budget Minutes, 10130192, Page 9