HomeMy WebLinkAboutSpecial Council June 14 20161
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WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
Special County Council Meeting
June 14, 2016
CALL TO ORDER
Council Chair Barry Buchanan called the meeting to order at 1:30 p.m. in the Civic
Center Garden Level Conference Room, 322 N. Commercial, Bellingham, Washington.
ROLL CALL
Present: Barbara Brenner, Ken Mann, Satpal Sidhu, Carl Weimer, Todd
Donovan, Rud Browne and Barry Buchanan.
Absent: None.
1. COUNCIL TO MEET WITH THE ADMINISTRATION TO SET PRIORITIES FOR
THE 2017 -2018 BIENNIAL BUDGET CYCLE (AB2016 -198)
Jack Louws, County Executive, introduced the budget process framework. He read
through the presentation (on file).
Brenner stated don't demolish the Northwest Annex. Also, she is having difficulty
with the new phone system. Migrate away from the guardian ad litem program to the
volunteer Court - Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) program. She asked for a description
of program -based budgeting. Louws described how the departments will identify their
individual programs and the associated costs and revenue.
Mann stated this process reminds him of how many programs the County runs and
how well the staff does. The larger fund balance helped the County survive the economic
downturn they recently experienced. He supports maintaining a larger fund balance for a
rainy day fund. He approves of the new program -based approach. Develop specific ways
for departments to measure their efficiency. Regarding the priority to recover costs,
sometimes the attempt to recover costs of a program results in a higher County cost, such
as the cost of electronic home monitoring versus housing someone in the jail. Louws stated
developing and implementing a performance metrics program is very time consuming and
difficult to do without the system tools they need to accurately track work outcome. He
described how he and the department heads develop their budgets.
Tyler Schroeder, Executive's Office, stated they could initially look at programs and
focus on benchmarking specific programs.
Browne stated performance measures are a priority for him. They can first extract
existing data from the technology. Benchmarking is just defining what was the actual
outcome. After that is done, figure out how to do better. The second level of benchmarking
is against other jurisdictions. He is also concerned about macroeconomic information and
Special County Council Meeting, 6/14/2016, Page 1
1 approves of maintaining a larger rainy day fund. Don't draw down the capital reserves.
2 Develop a more proactive process to draw in contract bidders. Identify people who could
3 apply, and make sure they are informed of available bids. Last, focus on economic
4 development issues to raise the community's average wage. Support existing employers
5 and bring in new employers. Funding for that activity should come from the economic
6 development investment (EDI) fund.
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8 Sidhu stated economic development efforts are very important. The County can
9 bring together all the existing economic development agencies and efforts in the county. If
10 the emergency medical services (EMS) levy passes, they can bond for $35 million with the
11 $2.3 million saved, which should go toward capital projects other than the jail. Invest more
12 in behavioral health services. He supports the pollution identification and control (PIC)
13 program, and would like it expanded to the farming community.
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15 Buchanan asked for information on the cooperation efforts among the Counties
16 through the North Sound Behavioral Health Organization (BHO). Schroeder described how
17 the BHO plans for and lobbies to the State legislature on behalf of all the Counties in the
18 Region.
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20 Buchanan asked about plans for better interface with the public via the County
21 website. Louws stated the GIS system will provide real -time information to the public.
22 Online permit systems also increase efficiencies.
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24 Donovan asked how long they want to continue to defer the capital improvements.
25 Louws stated they still need to do regular maintenance so infrastructure doesn't continue to
26 deteriorate. Energy requirements of renovation makes projects very expensive. In general,
27 government does a poor job with necessary ongoing maintenance, so they must make sure
28 they know what the six- and ten -year capital improvement programs will be. It will be
29 expensive. They plan to defer the big renovation projects and renovate the courthouse over
30 a ten -year period.
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32 Donovan asked how to fund operating costs for a crisis triage center. Schroeder
33 stated they are talking with the BHO about those commitments.
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35 Louws stated they can commit to build and operate a triage center but at the cost of
36 something else. He hopes they will get support from the State.
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38 Donovan stated they must begin discussing how to build a fund for replacing the
39 Lummi Island ferry.
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41 Weimer asked what is the sustainable fund balance for the general fund. Louws
42 stated he doesn't want it to go below $13 million. They must balance maintaining a fund
43 balance with putting the dollars into the community. It doesn't take much to tilt the
44 balance in the wrong direction.
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46 Weimer stated make it clear that the general fund money will be spent on public
47 safety if the EMS levy should pass. During the budget review process this fall, they should
48 invite the non - departmental agencies into the process to pitch their projects sooner rather
49 than later. Louws stated the County doesn't have a lot of extra money at this time, so he
50 won't advertise that money is available. People should learn to run their programs without
51 County contributions, in case another economic recession comes along.
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Sidhu stated consider the cost of leasing newer buildings rather than renovating the
older buildings the County has now. Louws described the timing of staffing needs for
square footage as they move staff around while they are renovating buildings.
Weimer stated take a serious look at the adequacy and equity of how the County
pays for stormwater costs. Have a discussion soon about creating a stormwater district.
Louws stated he prefers to get the capital infrastructure projects done first before creating a
new district. It will be a good discussion of how to handle all the issues surrounding the
stormwater costs and the flood fund. It's a Council policy issue.
Buchanan asked if Peace Health is still willing to partner with the County on a triage
center and if there is federal Medicaid money for a facility. Schroeder stated a
representative from Peace Health is involved in the Task Force.
Mann asked if the Executive anticipates changes to the property tax revenue. Louws
stated he doesn't have plans to change anything, but it's a Council decision. The banked
capacity is the safety net for future bonding.
Louws stated he will ask the Council to concur with the priorities and guidelines as
identified in the memo to Council dated May 9, 2016 at its evening meeting.
Brenner stated she would like information on whether there have been any programs
in which the costs are paid 100 percent from the fee revenue. Otherwise, that budget
priority seems vague and disingenuous. She's not comfortable with the guideline that
requires programs to recover their costs.
OTHER BUSINESS
There was no other business.
ADJOURN
The meeting adjourned at 10:55 a.m.
The County Council approved these minutes on July 26, 2016.
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FDanEr Brown - :avis, ou tcil Clerk
Jill Nixon, Minutes Transcription
WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
HATCOM COUNTY, WAS,JINGTON
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Nkfv $uchanari, Council Chair
Special County Council Meeting, 6/14/2016, Page 3