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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCounty Council for November 13 1980qft WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL Minutes of special meeting November 13, 1980 The meeting was called to order at 7:40 p.m. All were present but McIntyre. Approval of minutes was deferred to the next meeting. FINAL CONSIDERATION OF ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS The Finance Committee reviewed the ordinance levying tax on bingo, raffles, social card games, punch boards and pull tabs; exempting charitable and non - profit organizations;designating revenue for law enforcement; author= izing collection by Whatcom County Treasurer; and repealing ordinances and resolutions in conflict herewith. Public hearing on the matter was held on November 10. Finance recommended approval of a substitute ordinance proposed by them. Hansey moved to accept the substitute ordinance. Motion carried. Roehl moved amendments as follows: 1) In the title, strike "Social Card Games" and "exempting charitable and non - profit organizations ". Amendment passed (Muenscher moved to table indefinitely. Motion was defeated.) 2) Strike section 3, and insert language as follows: "No such tax shall be imposed under this ordinance on bingo, raffles or amusement games when such activities or any combination thereof are conducted by any bona fide charitable or non - profit organization as defined in R.C.W. 9.46.020(3), which organization has not paid operating or management personnel, and has gross income from bingo, raffles or amusement games, or any combination thereof, not exceeding five thousand dollars per year, less the amount paid for as prizes." Amendment passed 3) page 7, section 11, strike entirely. Amendment passed 4) strike section 13, entirely, and renumber from section 11 forward. Amendment passed 5) page 6, line 14, Section 7, strike, "both" and "and a criminal" and lines 5 and 6, page 6, change the time period for penalty increments to 21 -30 and 31 -60 days. Amendments passed Hansey moved to add language, a new section 3, making non-profit organ- izations taxed at 507o of regular rate. Motion was defeated. The ordinance was passed on a 4 -2 (Johnson and Muenscher) vote. Hansey moved to accept the Finance Committee's recommended substitute resolution establishing Whatcom County ferry rates, drafted from the Lummi minutes of special Council meeting November 13 page two Island citizens committee proposal. Motion carried. Hansey moved to amend page 1, line 14 to change the rate for pedestrians from $1.00 to $1.25. Motion was defeated. Roehl moved to decrease the - ,rates- in the entire resolution by 10 %, stating that he felt the 75 -25% user /county ration should be modified, the County to pick up a larger portion of the costs. Motion was defeated. Letters from Paul Ritchie, Paul Davis, Lummi Sproutworks and a petition from seven Island residents was received. The resolution was passed on a unanimous vote. The resolution will be reviewed in June of 1981, in order to establish if the rates are coming close to meeting the 75/250 level. Muenscher commented that he agreed that the 75/25 level should be re- viewed by the Council. It might be that was an unrealistic amount to have the users of the ferry pay. The Council should address the matter in the future. Donnellan had introduced the resolution establishing business hours for the public in the Auditor, Assessor and Treasurer offices on 11116. It was brought again before Council. Letters were read from Joan Ogden, Auditor, against changing her business hours, and from Lewis Turner, Assessor, in favor of reducing his. Landy Bowen, Treasurer, spoke on the necessity of reducing the hours in his department, and answered Council questions. Vic Batteson' Deputy Asses- sor, also answered Council questions. Hansey moved to table the resolution indefinitely. Motion was defeated. Hansey moved to amend, deleting the Auditor from the title and line 12. Motion carried. Hansey moved to amend line 8, stike "cut to minimum ", and "to "., insert by the Treasurer and Assessor. Motion carried. Hansey moved `to change the business hours to 8:30 -5:00. Motion was defeated. Roehl moved to table the resolution until the second meeting in January, and have the Executive work with the Union and the departments to try to solve the problems - to maximize service to the public and to make the best use of staff. Donnellan feels the employees in the two departments should be consulted for their suggestions. Motion to defer passed. minutes of special Council meeting November 13, 1980 'ge three A resolution was added to the agenda, and Roehl introduced and moved for the passage of a resolution in the matter of expressing gratitude to Jon A. Donnellan for serving Whatcom County, and read it verbatim into the record. His motion for passage carried on a unanimous vote. Meeting adjourned at 9:20. Next meeting will be 11/19, public hearing on 1981 budget; copies of changes to be available 11/18 in the Council office.