Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutCommittee of the Whole September 28 1989►,� t V WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL .:. COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE September 28, 1989 The meeting was called to order at 7 p.m. by Council Chairman Don Hansey in the County Council Chambers. Other Council Members Present: Absent: Emily Jackson Corky Johnson Will Roehl Tom Burton Dan Warner Mary Vanderpol 1. LAKE WHATCOM WATERSHED MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE DISCUSSION County Executive Shirley Van Zanten said Deputy Public Works Administrator John Tyler, Planning Director Dan Taylor and Health Officer Dr. Frank James were present to answer questions, if needed. She said the issue of water quality and who should be responsible for it may be broader than the Lake Whatcom Watershed. In fact, it may need to encompass the whole County's water systems. However, the initial focus of any manager or manage- ment system should be the Lake Whatcom area. Van Zanten said she. met with Planing, Health Department, Buildings and Code and Engineering representatives, because they are the core members of any administrative action regarding the watershed. Other entities, such as Water District 10 and the City of Bellingham would be brought in to augment the system as needed, she said. The management structure would be under the direction of the County's Administration, and the County Council would need to commit to more funding for additional staff. She estimated it would take 18 months to specifically outline goals for the watershed and to come up with a legislative package to present to the Council. She said staff needed would include a full time project manager (or a part time manager) and clerical staff for drafting the package, within the four core offices. She said she did not have strong feelings about where the person should be located, but cautioned that physical space is not available in all of the four core groups. Warner asked for Van Zanten's reaction to placing the management structure under the Health Department. Because the Health Board Advisory Committee is already in place, representatives from the small cities and unincorporated areas of the county would have direct input to any changes the Council may be considering. Also, the Health Department already has a formula in place for assessing the cities for services rendered; the formula could be adjusted to reflect the needs of protecting and preserving the watershed. Van Zanten asked if the Council wanted to assume responsibility for doing this work or if it wanted the work accomplished in a timely fashion. Warner said the Council would merely be reviewing the work done by the administration. Van Zanten claimed that Warner was asking to insert another step into the process. Warner pointed out that a Council Committee always reviews legislation before the Council does. Hansey said the HBAC is a committee without staff, and that the legislative package could better be put together by the administration. Warner said he was not t suggesting that HBAC put the legislative package together, rather than it review whatever the administration had prepared prior to Council action. Van Zanten again said that the HBAC never sees legislation before the Council does. She said the Council sees it first, y then refers it to the HBAC. Warner said Van Zanten appeared to be misunderstanding his suggestion. Roehl said funding could be gained from the 'cities, regardless of which department the watershed manager is in, through the use of interlocal agreements. Van Zanten concurred. Jackson asked if the public would be able to comment on any proposed legislation. She also pointed out that the Lake Whatcom Watershed Committee felt the manager should be in the Health Department. There was discussion by Roehl and Vanderpol. WARNER MOVED TO RECOMMEND TO THE FULL COUNCIL THAT IT ADOPT THE ADMINISTRATION'S RECOMMENDATIONS [REGARDING THE LAKE WHATCOM WATERSHED MANAGEMENT], RESERVING THE QUESTION OF THE ASSIGNMENT TO WHICH SPECIFIC DEPARTMENT FOR NOW, AND THAT THE MATTER BE CONSIDERED A COUNTY -WIDE WATER RESOURCE ISSUE. Hansey asked if Taylor, Tyler or James would like to speak. Taylor pointed out that the Lake Whatcom Watershed is one of several watersheds of concern. He asked that the Council make sure that this is a county -wide issue. James said his department is very interested in watershed issues, and that he would welcome having the coordinator for these preservation efforts under his department. The coordinator's function would blend well with other activities within the Health Department. Warner asked if there is space available for the position; James said there will be, after the department offices finish the process of rearranging things. Computer and clerical support also would be available. Tyler said the Council should not decide on which department will house the coordinator until further analysis of the functions of that position is done. There could be a need for a separate department or division, he said. Hansey restated the motion. There was more discussion by Jackson and Warner. Vanderpol said it should be made more clear that the initial focus should be the Lake Whatcom Watershed. Warner said he would accept the following as a friendly amendment. THE INITIAL FOCUS SHALL BE THE LAKE WHATCOM WATERSHED. Motion carried. 2. DISCUSSION OF THE GOLTZ STUDY (PROPOSED JUVENILE DETENTION AND ADMINISTRATION BUILDING), AND RELATED FUNDING OPTIONS Van Zanten said she needs a commitment to the building of a juvenile jus- tice /administration building, and some idea of the funding, source the Council plans to use if it wants to pursue the plan. Roehl said additional space definitely is needed, and that the project should be done all at once, not incrementally. Warner suggested that Roehl make a motion to that effect. ROEHL MOVED THAT THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE RECOMMEND TO THE FULL COUNCIL THAT IT ENDORSE THE CONSTRUCTION OF AN ATTACHED BUILDING COMPLETELY BUILT AND FURNISHED, RESERVING THE RESOLUTION OF THE FINANCING ISSUE FOR DISCUSSION AT A LATER TIME. Warner said the project would create a Courthouse the community could be proud of, and that would be good for the community image. Roehl noted that someone once called the courthouse, "the pumpkin - colored mausoleum." Jackson said she would support the motion because government would only continue to expand in the coming years. Vanderpol agreed, but said the Council should be careful to consider this project along with the cost implications for salaries and landfill closure and construction costs. Haney agreed. Motion carried. Warner asked the Council staff to retrieve the funding option from the Council Office files, so Council members may review them. 3. DISCUSSION OF THE SALIK STUDY (PERSONNEL CLASSIFICATION STUDY) AS IT RELATES TO UNION NEGOTIATIONS It had been advertised that item 3 may take place in. executive session, as provide- d for in RCW 42.30.140 (4). ROEHL MOVED THAT THE COUNCIL GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DISCUSS UNION NEGOTIATION STRATEGY. Warner said the Council ought to be sensitive to the matter of going into executive sessions, noting that the manner in which Roehl phrased the motion seemed to make the decision appropriate. However, he said, discussion of salaries as they affect a class of employees must take place in open session, under state law. In order to qualify for entering into executive session, Warner said the County needed to be in the process of union negotiation. Van Zanten said negotiation are in progress. She said the Council would be reviewing a portion of the Salik study in executive session to ' determine if it would be part of the parameters for the negotiating process. Jackson said the law does not allow the Council to go into executive session under these circumstances, and said negotiation are not in progress. She did not support the motion, she said. Warner noted that Van Zanten had just pointed out that they were in progress. Roehl said the matter was not worth further discussion. A roll -call vote was taken; the motion carried, with Jackson in opposition. Haney said the Council would be in executive session for one hour, and that at 9:15 he would announce if the Council needed more time. �C Andy Norstadt, Bellingham Herald reporter, interjected that he would like to place an objection on the record. He said the executive session could not take place, according to RCW 41.30.110 (1) (g) [it is believed he intended to cite RCW 42.30.110 (1) (g)]• Randy Watts, Chief Civil Deputy Prosecutor, said the section cited by Norstadt specifically states that the conditions of that clause are subject to RCW 42.30.140 (4), the section used to justify the executive session in this case. That section in question states that a portion of a meeting may take place in executive session if the governing body is adopting a strategy to be taken in collective bargaining. The phrase "subject to" means that the exemptions listed in 42.30.110 take a back seat to the conditions. in 42.30.140. Hansey clarified that if the Salik study is to be adopted by the Council, that action will take place in a public meeting. If the strategy is being adopted, it may be done in executive session. Norstadt asked the Council to postpone the meeting until the Herald attorneys could reply to the comments made. Roehl said it would not be practical to delay the meeting, and said he didn't know who decided to raise "this tempest in a teapot," but that it seemed obvious to him that you don't set union negotiation parameters in a public meeting. He said the Council members involved and the Bellingham Herald should be embarrassed. Hansey recessed the meeting into executive session. At 9:12 p.m. Hansey announced that the Council would be in executive session until 9:45. At 9:40 p.m. Haney announced that the executive session had ended. The meeting was adjourned at 9:40 p.m. WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL ATTEST: WHATCOM COLINTY, WASHINGTON Ramona Reeves, Council Clerk