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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCounty Council for November 24 19800 Vg1ATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL Minutes of meeting November 24, 1980 (continued to November 25, 1980) The meeting was called to order at 7:45 with all members present for roll. The minutes of November 6, 10 (4:00 p.m.), 10 (7:00 p.m.) and 13 were approved with a correction to the November 6 meeting, page one, third paragraph adding "motion carried." HEARINGS Hearing was opened on the ordinance revising and implementing ve- hicle and traffic codes. Paul Rushing addressed the Council on the ordinance. No one from the audience testified. The hearing was closed. Hansey moved to hold the .final decision until December 4, in view of the fact that references to prior county codes may be in err.or numeri- cally in the proposed ordinance. Motion to defer carried. McIntyre suggested the established speed limits of all county roads should also be i.ncornorated into the ordinance. Rushing indicated such an amendment will be coming from Public Works.. EXECUTIVE ITEMS Hansey presented the Executive item for Council approval - a trans- fer of $6,338.64 in the Prosecuting Attorney's budget. Finance recom- mended approval. Motion by Hansey to authorize the transfer carried. OTHER BUSINESS Hansey moved to approve the ambulance contract with the City of Bellingham as presented ". The Finance Committee had met with the City of Bellingham Finance Committee on November 11 to discuss the matter. The contract was approved on a 5 -1 (McIntyre)vote. Hawley abstained. The contract calls for quarterly payments, which McIntyre questioned. ' FINAL CONSIDERATION OF ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS Hansey moved the passage of an ordinance authorizing the diverting of a portion of a County Road Levy for use in the Current Expense Fund as provided in R.C.W. 36.33.220 and providing that diverted county road taxes shall be so designated in the County Current Expense budget under Account No. 311.20 and shall be used for the support of the County law enforcement services in the unincorporated areas of Whatcom County. Hansey moved to amend lines 23 and 24, changing; the ¢.200,000 amount to $400,000, and the levy ra=te accordingly. There..w.as considerable discussion on M A Minutes of Council meeting November 24, 1980 page two whether this should 'be done. R:oehl moved to table until after F.S.R. had been considered. Motion carried with the amendment to be on the floor when the ordinance is taken from the table. Hansey moved to accept a substitute ordinance for no. 2, entitled "an ordinance authorizing the abolition of the Tuberculosis Fund and the transferring of funds from the Tuberculosis Fund to the County Current Expense Fund ". Motion carried. Hansey moved passage of the ordinance. Finance Committee recommended "do pass." Ordinance passed on unanimous vote. Hansey moved to accept the substitute ordinance for no. 3 entitled "an ordinance authorizing the abolition of the Tuberculosis Hospital Fund, and the transfer of funds from the Tuberculosis IIospita.l Fund to the County Current Expense Fund ". Motion carried. Finance recommended "do pass" on the ordinance. Hansey's motion for passage carried on unanimous vote of Council. Hansey moved for passage, with Finance recommendation of "do pass" an ordinance relating to service fees and authorizing and agreeing to the City of Bellingham City Council amending Ordinance 8725 and amendments thereto relating to ambulance service charges so as to provide mileage from point of pick -up to point of delivery. Motion passed by unanimous vote. Hansey explained the procedures that would be followedlin handling the budget ordinance, and then moved to accept the Finance - proposed sub- stitute ordinance in the matter of the adoption of the final budget for the year 1981. Motion carried. 111ansey outlined the Finance Committee's proposed changes in the F.S.R. budget, and moved to so amend this part of the 1981 Budget. Hansey moved to amend the amendment by reducing the amount to Senior Services by $100,000, and adding $100,000 to the amount for Parks (with the understanding that appropriate adjustments would be made in the Current Expense section). The motion was defeated. There was considerable discussion on the Finance Committee's proposal, particularly the.shifting of money to the Road Fund and Road Fund money to Current Expense. M.u6ischer requested McIntyre to outline some of his proposals to balance the budget which he did (cuts in various line items, Sheriff's Department, Personnel, C.O.G., N.W. Regional Council,. Animal Control, Fire Marshall, Assigned Counsel). Hansey moved to defer further action on the F.S.R. portion of the budget until after the Current Expense portion was finalized. Motion carried. Hansey moved to recess until November 25 at 7:30 p.m., requesting all council members to be present at that time with their proposals on how to balance the budget. Motion carried. NOVEMBER 25, 1980 The meeting was reconvened at 7:35 p.m. with all members present. Final consideration of the budget was the matter on the floor. The Current; Expense Budgets were taken up. No changes were made to Advanced Expenditure. Hansey's motion to amend line items in Agrigultural Extention passed. Minutes of Council meeting November 24, 1980 page three Assessor's Office: McIntyre moved to reduce certain line items. Motion lost. Hansey's motion to reduce amounts in Professional Services and Communications passed. Hawley's motion to defer final action on this budget was defeated. Auditor's Office: Hansey moved the Finance Committee recommended changes. The Chair divided the question. Motion to strike a Clerk II position passed. motion to strike the Clerk of the Council position passed. Motions to add the Professional Services and Rentals passed. McIntyre moved to eliminate Extra Help and Overtime. Motion was defeated. Hansey moved to amend Bearing Examiner Budget by adding back the secretarial position and salary adjustment in the Medical Examiner budget. Motion passed. Board of Equalization, Civil Service Commission, Clerk, District Court, Horticultural Inspector, Juvenile Court and Planning had no changes. Hansey's motion to reduce the Jail Budget by $20,000 as per the recommendation from the Sheriff passed. Hansey's motion to amend the Prosecuting Attorney's budget by changing all salaries to current level, certain line item reductions and adding to capital outlay passed. Sheriff's Department: Hansey's motion to reduce by $40,000 per the line item recommendations from the Sheriff passed. McIntyre's motion to reduce extra help, overtime and add one deputy was defeated. No changes were made in Purchasing, State Examiner, Township Halls, Boundary Review, Executive, LEOFF,. Public Works Administration or Building and Codes. Hansey's motion to reduce the Superior Court Budget passed. McIntyre's motion to reduce Extra Help in the Treasurer's Office was defeated. Hansey' motion to increase Professional Services in the Personnel budget pass McIntyre's motion to cut the Personnel Director to a half time position lost. McIntyre's motion to abolish the Assigned Counsel Department and form a Public Defenders budget consisting of three attorneys, one clerk, and eliminate the Professional Services was defeated. Hansey's motion to increase Grants budget passed. Council budget: Hansey's motion to change one council salary passed. Hawley's motion to delete Confidential Secretary was defeated as was his motion to delete the Steno Clerk II. Non - Departmental: Hansey moved to change,the amount to go to Parks to $657,179. Motion passed. McIntyre's motions to delete money for WSAC and I °TACO dues and to reduce the contribution to N.W. Regional Council by $20,000 were defeated. Hansey's motion to reduce the amount for ambulance service by $10,000 passed. Hansey moved to increase Humane Society to $85,000. Motion passed. McIntyre moved to strike the entire categgry. Motion defeated. Hawley moved to reduce to $45,000 but withdrew his motion. Hansey's motion t.o add $5,000 for County Supply and $30,000 for Alcoholism passed. All other categories remained un- .hanged. Minutes of Council meeting November 24, 1980 page four Hansey moved to add a new budget Department - and have an undistributed After discussion, the motion passed on vote. to Current Expense - Finance amount of $30,000 in the budget. a 4 -3 (Hawley, Johnson, McIntyre) Hansey moved to adopt the proposed revenue changes as furnished by the Finance Committee. Motion carried by a unanimous vote. Hansey moved to transfer $400,000 from the Road Department to Current Expense. Motion carried on a 4 -3 (Johnson, McIntyre, Hawley) vote. Consideration of F.S.R. was as presented by Finance were up lete $50,000 of F.S.R. from the to Parks. Motion was defeated. The motion to amend the F.S a 4 -3 vote. taken from the table. The amendments for consideration. Hansey moved to de- Senior Services budget and add $50,000 R. as submitted by Finance passed on The independent funds were discussed next. Changes were made in. Parks revenue - $10,000 savings as a result of the September layoffs was added, $30,000 added from Current Expense, and $11,600 new revenue. Hansey moved to approve $918,874 as the revenue amount. Motion carried. Hansey moved to approve %285,912 as Senior Services budget apart from the Parks Department. Motion passed. Hansey moved to place $200,000 from F.S.R. into the Road Fund and reduce the property levy by $200,000. Motion carried. The independent funds were adopted as proposed by Finance. Hansey's motion to reduce the levy amount for Election Reserve by $46,005 and add that amount to cash carried forward passed. Hansey's motion to made the County's contribution $30,000 to Al- coholism and from Current Expense rather than F.S.R. passed as did his motion for minor adjustments to the Tort Fund. Hansey's motion to leave all the money in the Convention Center Fund in the ending fund balance passed. His motion to accept the re- vised and reduced Solid"Waste Management budget passed. Hansey moved to add $5,000 to County Supply for a postage meter with the proviso the items could be moved to the Purchasing Budget if that would be the proper place for it. Motion passed. Hansey's motions for minor changes in Building Maintenance and Central Services passed. Final vote on the ordinance for the 1981 budget as amended was 4 to 3 (Johnson, McIntyre, Hawley). The ordinance diverting a portion of a County Road Levy for use in Current Expense was taken from the table. The amendment changing the amount from $200,000 to $400,000 was on the floor. The amendment passed. The amended ordinance passed on a'4 -3 (Johnson, McIntyre, Hawley) vote. Hansey moved for adoption of the ordinance authorizing the levy of taxes for County and State purposes for the year 1981 pursuant to Home Rule Charter Section 6.10, and moved to amend that Exhibit "A" Minutes of Council meeting November 24, 1980 )age five must reduce Election Reserve by $46,005 and be adjusted to other amounts in accordance with what was adopted by vote of the Council in the Budget Ordinance. Amendment passed. The order of levy passed by a unanimous vote. The meeting adjourned at 12:05 a.m. :f R