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Home My WebLink AboutFinance October 16 1989WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL FINANCE AND PERSONNEL COMMITTEE October 1.6, 1989 Council member Dan Warner called the meeting to order at 1:00 p.m., with Emily Jackson, Marvin Vanderpol, Shirley Van Zanten, and Tom Sutberry present. In the audience were Barbara Cory, Treasurer, Roger DeSpain and Leslie Clark of Parks, Shirley Forsloff, Auditor, Nat Dickinson of the Purchasing Department, G. M. Christie of the A.P. Bulletin (Pt. Roberts), and Stephanie Griggs, Chris Lowery, Tina Lowe, and Lisa Soya, all students. 1. WHATCOM COUNTY PARKS BOARD - DEDICATED FUNDS (REQUESTED BY ROGER DESPAIN) Roger DeSpain introduced Leslie Clark of Parks. She e that this issue had come up because the levy passed in June to fund park maintenance had not been projected upon t] population growth and rising construction prices in the cov said the capital maintenance fund needed supplementing. Van Zanten said that this would make Parks a special case a bad precedent, suggesting that a percentage of revenues in by Parks itself (camping fees, etc.) would be more app to use for emergency maintenance. Warner asked why Parks plan the fund into the budget. Van Zanten answered that discouraged this. She did not want to manage Parks differen the rest of the county; no other department has capital f aside except for County Supply (for copiers) and ER & R. that this policy keeps excess monies out of circulation, goes back into the general fund. If a capital fund were t up it should be county -wide, she said, although she could the idea of saving some capital out of funds generated by department. She stated that if finances became tight as t been in the past, money in such funds would be tied unavailable. Emily Jackson brought up the specific i interest accruing from the 188 levy. She mentioned t {plained of 1988 ie rapid my. . She Shirley and set brought - opriate did not she had tly than ands set She said it all be set support :he same iey have up and ssue of hat the passage of the levy indicated public support for park maintenance. Van Zanten explained the context of levies and ordinances pertain- ing to designated funds. She said she thought that the interest should not accrue to Parks. Warner said he felt that such interest did seem logically to accrue to Parks. JACKSON MOVED TO SPLIT INTEREST ON THE 1988 LEVY, 50 PERCENT INTO A RESERVE CAPITAL MAINTENANCE FUND, 50 PERCENT INTO A CONTINGENCY FUND FOR LEVY EXPENSES. Jackson went on to say that if parks has "too much money" at the end of the year as Van Zanten feared, then the council does not have to fund them further. Tom Sutberry said that there were many difficulties with multiple funds. Van Zanten said an amendment to a pertinent ordinance as to which funds have interest accruing to This item was moved to a 10/18 meeting at 5:45 p.m. 4. BID AWARD RECOMMENDATION FOR THE SUPPLY OF TRAFFIC CONTROL SIGNS TO THE LOW BIDDER, ZUMAR INDUSTRIES, FOR A TOTAL SIX - MONTH ESTIMATED EXPENDITURE OF $18,217. PLUS TAX Nat Dickinson gave a summary of the bids. JACKSON MOVED TO RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF BID AWARD. Motion carried. 6. RECONSIDERATION OF INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT ESTABLSHING A MENTAL HEALTH REGIONAL SUPPORT NETWORK FOR ISLAND, SAN JUAN, SKAGIT, SNOHOMISH AND WHATCOM COUNTIES This discussion was deferred to a later meeting. 7. REQUEST FOR APPROVAL OF A FORMULA TO SET CONTRACT AMOUNT FOR HEALTH DEPARTMENT SERVICES TO THE CITIES IN WHATCOM COUNTY Van Zanten said that there was no adequate database for projecting the budget for these services. She advised that the amount paid by cities currently should be increased by percentage the next year rather than by devising a more elaborate formula. Sutberry urged that the cities be notified soon either way so that they could anticipate the possible 37 percent increase. Van Zanten said that increased cost went hand in hand with the public expectation of Health Department performance. Sutberry said that records management improvements were of the highest priority and required funds. Jackson asked whether at some point there might evolve a cooperative Health Dept. - What -Comm formula to address both costs. Warner said this could be reviewed at a joint city - county finance committee meeting. WARNER MOVED TO FORWARD REQUEST TO THE CONSIDERATION OF THE FULL COUNCIL. Motion carried. 8. RESOLUTION TO SELL PROPERTY ACQUIRED BY COUNTY ON TAX FORECLOSURE, REQUEST NO. 22 Barbara Cory described the property foreclosures leading to the resolution to sell. Jackson asked why the mineral rights were not reserved, as was the County right. Corey said that they assumed the property was unsaleable without the mineral rights. Jackson mentioned that the market had changed recently. Van Zanten said that the Council had passed a resolution as to which proper- ties can be sold without mineral rights, and that it could be reviewed. JACKSON MOVED TO RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THE RESOLUTION. themselves would solve that problem, but that significant erosion of an important revenue source may occur if this particular precedent is set. Vanderpol said that it seemed to be a case of pay 'em now or pay 'em later, and that everything was already set up to pay 'em later. Clark made a final statement and noted that it made particular sense to use interest for the basis of a dedicated fund since a kind of public mandate is behind it; also that Parks has an enormous number of structures to maintain, perhaps unlike other departments, and that it would then not be dipping into the general fund for such upkeep. JACKSON MOVED THAT THE INTEREST FROM THE 1988 PARK LEVY BE ALLOWED TO ACCRUE IN A FUND UNTIL IT IS NEEDED OR ADEQUATE FOR CAPITAL EXPENDITURE. Warner said that he would vote against it this time but is willing to reconsider after further discussion. Vanderpol spoke in favor of capital funds in general but not specificly for parks and voted against the motion. Warner asked that additional discussion about capital expense needs be initiated at another meeting, and that final consideration be deferred until then. No action was taken on the motion. Van Zanten asked to move on to item 5. 5. REQUEST FOR AUTHORIZATION TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT WITH ZERVAS GROUP ARCHITECTS FOR WORK ON THE REMODELLING OF THE BELLINGHAM SENIOR CENTER DeSpain described the remodeling needed at the Senior Center. JACKSON MOVED TO RECOMMEND THAT AUTHORIZATION BE GIVEN. Motion was carried. 2. REQUEST FOR APPROVAL OF BIDDERS LIST FOR THE SUPPLY OF TRUCK TIRES AND SERVICE, FIRM PRICES FOR THE PERIOD 11/1/89 TO 10/31/90 Nat Dickinson explained why the bid was necessary. JACKSON MOVED TO RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF REQUEST. Motion was carried. 3. BID AWARD RECOMMENDATION FOR RID 10, CONSTRUCTION OF HORTON ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE FROM THE WESTERLY BOUNDARIES OF CORDATA PARK TO THE EASTERLY BOUNDARIES OF THE GUIDE MERIDIAN (NOTE: BIDS TO BE OPENED ON 10/18, SO PAPER WORK WILL BE AVAILABLE ON 10/19, AND THIS WILL BE CONSIDERED AT A SPECIAL CONTINUA- TION OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING SCHEDULED FOR 5:45 P.M. THAT SAME DAY) Motion carried. 9. CONSIDERATION OF MEETING SCHEDULE FOR REVIEW AND DISCUSSION OF THE 1990 BUDGET Warner offered a framework schedule. There was some concern that the public should be informed and enabled to respond to the budget before it was finalized. Van Zanten said that a public hearing was necessary on the executive's proposed budget. Warner inserted a date for the hearing on October 26th. Fully detailed schedules are available in the Council Clerk's office. OTHER BUSINESS: none. Warner adjourned the meeting at about 4:35 p.m. ATTEST: LOPRAINE BONIFACI, CLERK II WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON IA, f v lJi. DANIEL M. WARNER, COUNCIL MEMBER