HomeMy WebLinkAboutFinance November 4 1991FINANCE COMNIITTEE HEARINGS
NOVEMBER 4, 1991
The meeting was called to order at 11:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers, 2nd Floor, 1000
N. Forest, by acting Chairperson Marge Laidlaw.
Also Present Absent
Marge Laidlaw None
Bob Imhof
Departments to be heard included the following: Planning, Auditor, Developmental
Disabilities.
Auditors
Shirley Forslof represented the Auditors. Forslof discussed the following with the
Committee and Council Budget and Program Analyst Bob Woods:
514.23.11.90 Extra Help. Question on the increase in the budget request for 1992.
Forslof stated that her office is basically run with extra help. They have not had a staff
increase in their office for quite some time. Rather than have additional staff, the Auditors
Office has extra help come in on an as needed basis.
Chief Deputy Accountant position. History: In the past, one person acted as the
Chief Deputy Accountant and Chief Accountant. This person worked an average of 12 -14
hours per day. Forslof does not expect her current Chief Accountant to work these long
hours and has been getting by with extra help. She would like to have the Chief Deputy
position filled.
514.23.41 Professional Services; Information services requested that the Auditors
budget $5,000 for Computech Programming for emergency work on their programs.
Communications and Rentals. Budget request increase for next year due to the need
to replace a photocopy machine in the Auditors vault.
Travel. Money budgeted in 1991 has not been spent as of yet. 1991 goal of sending
employees to various seminars did not take place. There are some seminars taking place
before years end that will be attended. This will use up some of the remaining funds.
Minutes, 11/04/1991, page 1
Additional staff requests. Account Clerk II for the Finance Department and a Clerk
III for Elections.
Additional Services requests. An AS400 Terminal. The Auditors office is currently
using a terminal on loan from Information services. Information services has asked the
them to put in a request for a new terminal in their 1992 budget which will replace the one
on loan.
Bob Woods complimented the Auditors Office on the great job they did on their
performance measures.
Finance Committee Requests: None
Planning
Dan Taylor represented the Planning Department. Taylor discussed the following
with the Committee and Bob Woods:
October 30,1991 memo sent by the Planning Department. Important points touched
upon included the fact that the Planning Department's mission ties very clearly to the
Building and Codes and Executive budgets. The two additional staff people requested in
B. & C. are just as important to Planning as their own staff requests. Also important to
Planning is the Capital Facilities Planner.
Taylor stated that Planning made an initial error in the way they handed in there
budget. This error was suppose to be corrected in the Executives office but was overlooked.
As it stands, they are in the hole $20,000 on base.
Goals and accomplishments for 1991: South Fork Valley subarea, complete;
Reservation Planning on Eliza Island, on hold; Urban Fringe update, expected to come to
Planning Commission in March, expect completion in 1992; Planner dedicated to Point
Roberts and Cordata, in progress; Nooksack River Study, slow moving; Coordinated Water
System Plan, moving forward; sensitive area studies; under way.
558.10.12 Overtime. 20% increase over last year because a great amount of overtime
is worked in Planning. In the past, this overtime was compensated with comp time. With
the new Union Contract, people are able to, and choosing to be paid instead.
Small Tools and Minor Equipment. The amount budgeted in this line item will
mostly be spent to purchase additional software for the Planning Department.
Minutes, 11/04/1991, page 2
Drafting Supplies. Planning is only requesting $3,600, last year was budgeted at
$4,600, and they are already over budget. It was stated by Taylor that the $3,600 is the
Executives request, not theirs. They are requesting $6,000.
The Planning Department is requesting a car this year - they do not have one. They
are sharing a car with Engineering and many times when they go to use the car, it has
already been checked out.
Laidlaw made the recommendation that Planning try prioritize their work load and
maybe cut back on the amount of new work they take on due to the immense amount of
time and effort taken up with growth management issues.
Woods asked what the impact will be on the Planning Department if the Council
does not grant the requests for additional staff. Taylor stated that his Department will not
be able to meet deadlines or they will meet them with a minimal effort, bringing forth token
pieces of work just to meet the deadlines.
Woods also asked Taylor for his opinion on the Water Resources Coordinator
position. Does this position warrant an extension? Taylor says definitely.
Additional comments were made by Jennifer Olson.
Developmental Disabilities
ABSENT
Laidlaw will send a note to Developmental Disabilities indicating their good work on their
budgeting and also ask a question about the start up emergency professional services line
item.
Juvenile Probation
Gary Wood represented Juvenile Court. Wood discussed the following with the
Committee and Bob Woods:
Wood stated that there will be a technical request coming forth from Terry Hinz
regarding numbers on some of the State funded grant pieces that were not transmitted
correctly in the proposed 1992 budget. These are pass through dollars.
Minutes, 11/04.1991, page 3
527.20.41.01 Diversion. Add $6,000 to this line. To equal $62,000.
527.41.31.01 Office and Operating Supplies. $11,250 should be $20,000, grant
money.
527.41.41.01 Professional Services. $125,000 should be $160,000, grant money.
527.41.43.01 Travel. $5,000 should be $13,000, grant money
527.41.93.01 County Supplies and Purchases Only. $2,000 should be $7,000.
Postage. $650 should be $1,000.
Clarifications needed for understanding performance measures:
Youth Diversion Activities Referral- minor offenders, having no more than three
misdemeanors, are contracted out to Catholic Youth Services.
Informations Filed- the number of legal charges filed by the Prosecutors Office.
Questions in the Counseling line items. Why is there such a great amount of surplus
in the Counseling areas? Wood stated that many of the bills for Counseling fee's have gone
directly to the State and the State is paying them. Beginning December 31, the State will
no longer be paying these bill and they will begin to be payed at the County level again.
Much of what looks like surplus at this time will be used up after the first of next year. The
Committee was reminded that Juvenile is run on a State fiscal year and must try to budget
against this. He stated that much of Juveniles budget is estimated because they do not know
what type of programs will come available during each year, how many kids they will be
dealing with, etc..
Discussion of contract limitations.
Discussion of the October escape from Juvenile Detention. Full scale staff meeting
was held in order to gather information on where safety measures need to be enhanced.
They came up with 12 issues that need to be dealt with as soon as possible, most of these
are physical changes that need to take place in the Detention Facility itself. Another big
issue that was addressed was the need to have three staff people in Juvenile Detention
during all shifts except graveyard. An additional request for $10,000 was brought forth to
cover the need for this added person per shift. Overtime funds are being used to cover the
need for extra people on various shifts at this time.
Residential Care and Custody - Office and Operating Supplies. The fund will be
used by the end of the year. Many bills have not come through yet and much of the
ordering of mattresses, blankets, toothbrushes, etc., will happen late in the year (October
and November).
Minutes, 11/04/1991, page 4
527.80.99.01 Interfund Distribution - Jail. This line deals with the food for the kids
in Juvenile. The Jail has been receiving the funds for the breakfast foods and milk supply
when these funds should have gone to Juvenile. This has been corrected and now these
funds are showing up in the Juvenile budget. This is the reason for the surplus in this area.
Addition comments were made by Detention Supervisor Bill Van Diest and
Accountant Trish Chomyn.
Finance Committee requests: None
ATTEST:
D6o
Nan4 Cohn, sting Clerk
FINANCE AND PERSONNEL
COMMITTEE:
Mary JVanderpol, Member
Minutes, 11/04/1991, page 5