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HomeMy WebLinkAboutFinance November 13 1989WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL Finance and Personnel Committee November 13, 1989 The meeting was called to order by Council Member Dan Warner at 3:50 p.m. Also present were County Executive Shirley Van Zanten and Council Members Emily Jackson and Marvin Vanderpol. In the audience were Mary Chisholm, Nat Dickinson, Tom Sutberry, Barbara Cory, Marge Laidlaw, N.F. Jackson, Sharon Robinson, John Ostlund, Don Hansey, and Gerald Wood. 1. 2. 3. APPROVAL OF BIDDERS' LIST TO ASSURE A CONVENIENT AND READILY AVAILABLE SOURCE AND SUPPLY OF ASPHALTIC MIXES AT THE LOWEST COST FOR ROAD PROJECTS THROUGHOUT THE COMING YEAR Council Members made a quick review of the list. WARNER MOVED TO APPROVE BIDDERS' LIST. Motion carried. APPROVAL OF BIDDERS" LIST FOR A CONVENIENT AND READILY AVAILABLE SOURCE AND SUPPLY OF RIPRAP ROCK AT THE LOWEST COST FOR ROAD PROJECTS THROUGHOUT THE COMING YEAR WARNER MOVED TO APPROVE BIDDERS' LIST. Motion carried. BID AWARD RECOMMENDATION FOR THE COUNTY COUNCIL CHAMBERS SOUND SYSTEM TO PIONEER SOUND SERVICE CO. IN THE AMOUNT OF $12,108.23, INCLUDING TAXES. Warner asked whether this was a goose -neck appliance. Nat Dickinson said that it was. There was some discussion of whether a platform would be better suited to the purpose. Warner promised to look into making a substitution if necessary. WARNER MOVED TO APPROVE RECOMMENDATION. Motion carried. 4. APPROVAL OF CONTRACT WITH SHARON ROBINSON FOR MONITORING AND AUDITING SERVICES FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE SERVICES IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $15,000 Shirley Van Zanten reviewed the professional services contract involved and gave a history of Ms. Robinson's work with the county. Warner asked how the money was allocated. Van Zanten explained that the money for the rest of 1989 was in the existing budget, and that the money for 1990 was part of the Combined Services Treatment budget, coming from the state grant fund. JACKSON MOVED TO APPROVE CONTRACT. Motion carried. Finance Minutes, 11/13/89, page 2 5. APPROVAL OF AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT FOR MICROFILM SERVICES WITH SKAGIT COUNTY FOR MICROFILMING THE AUDITOR'S RECORDS Van Zanten explained the previous contract was completed. This money has been budgeted to complete the entire project, but since the amount ($37,000) is over the $10,000 limit for executive allocation, it appeared on the agenda. WARNER MOVED TO APPROVE THE AGREEMENT. Motion carried. 6. RESOLUTION ADOPTING A SALARY SCHEDULE FOR UNREPRESENTED COUNTY EMPLOYEES FOR 1990 There was discussion as to whether this could simply be added to the budget package and passed as such. Van Zanten explained that the items concerning health benefits, differences in dollar figures, etc, would require resolutions to be recommended. Warner asked how these differences were set up - whether there was a system of regular increments and advancement which guided the pay scales of the newly hired and the experienced and relatively inexperienced. Sutberry said it was set up on a seven year model, starting from the bottom. Discussion followed about commissioners' salaries. Warner asked the clerk to add the issue of the newly hired court commissioners' salary advancement to the next finance committee meeting. He mentioned that the undersheriff's salary, as compared to the sheriff's, will also need review in time. VANDERPOL MOVED TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION. Motion carried. 7. ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING A PETTY CASH FUND FOR THE PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT WARNER MOVED TO APPROVE ORDINANCE. Motion passed. 8. ORDINANCE CREATING A PART TIME MENTAL HEALTH COMMISSIONER John Ostlund summarized the conditions which led to the request. He said that the proliferation of commissioners was creating a strain on his department as the attorneys appointed spent time at the hospital and at other courts. He said the situation indicated a critical lack of manpower. N.F. Jackson said that job descriptions has been juggled to cover the bases, and that he'd had to set limits on the number of hours to be devoted to mental health. He said that it came down to scheduling problems. Warner asked Jackson to clarify if this was a scheduling or legal conflict, given the three - commissioner limit. Vanderpol asked if he problem is the backlog of cases. Ostlund said it wasn't so much a problem of finishing with a backlog as of keeping up with their current caseload. Finance Minutes, 11/13/89, page 3 Jackson said that if there were scheduling conflicts that they should be worked out by the parties concerned, and that as presented she did not support the ordinance. N.F. Jackson said there would not be the efficiencies without another half -time Mental Commissioner. Emily Jackson said she thought these duties had been given to Chuck Snyder. N.F. Jackson said they had hoped it would work out but when one Commissioner starts a mental hearing, he needs to stay with it or it would eliminate efficiency. Warner said he feared that if this Commissioner were allowed there would suddenly be a request from the Prosecutor's office and the Public Defender's office for more staff as their workload would be increased. Vanderpol said he would like to see schematics. N.F. Jackson said there would not be an increase in the budget for this person but it could result in an increase if the Public Defender or Prosecutor need to add staff because of it. He said an alternative would be to authorize this for thirty days. WARNER MOVED TO AUTHORIZE A PART -TIME MENTAL HEALTH COMMISSIONER FOR THIRTY DAYS. Motion carried. 9. ORDINANCE REVISING THE 1989 CURRENT EXPENSE FUND, PLANNING DEPARTMENT APPROPRIATION THEREIN JACKSON MOVED TO RECOMMEND ADOPTION TO COUNCIL. Motion carried. 10. ORDINANCE REVISING THE 1989 N.W. WASHINGTON FAIR FUND APPROPRIATION FOR FAIR OPERATIONS VANDERPOL MOVED TO RECOMMEND ADOPTION TO COUNCIL. Motion carried. 11. RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION AND FINANCING OF A NEW FOUR -STORY ADDITION TO THE WHATCOM COUNTY COURTHOUSE TO PROVIDE FOR JUVENILE DETENTION FACILITY AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES Van Zanten said she recommended getting interim financing of $5 to $6 million to get started. Warner asked if that precluded spending money on this building. Van Zanten said it did not; the total project includes a facelift to this building. Van Zanten discussed different options such as general obligation bonds, voter approved bond or a levy lift request. She recommended councilmatic general obligation bonds. VANDERPOL MOVED TO RECOMMEND APPROVAL TO COUNCIL. Motion carried with Jackson abstaining. Finance Minutes, 11/13/89, page 4 12. REVISION TO THE 1989 CURRENT EXPENSE FUND, NON - DEPARTMENTAL APPROPRIATION THEREIN FOR HEALTH DEPARTMENT ASSET DIVISION This will place $113, 615 in a fund to pay the City for their share of the assets if they agree to this amount. VANDERPOL MOVED TO RECOMMEND APPROVAL TO COUNCIL. Motion carried. Meeting adjourned at 4:50 p.m. Bar ara Maher, C rk WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON Daniel M. Warner, Member