HomeMy WebLinkAboutSpecial Committee of the Whole November 7 2018WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
Special Committee of the Whole
November 7, 2018
CALL TO ORDER
Council Chair Rud Browne called the meeting to order at 3:37 p.m. in the Council
Chambers, 311 Grand Avenue, Bellingham, Washington.
ROLL CALL
Present: Tim Ballew, Barbara Brenner, Rud Browne, Barry Buchanan, Tyler
Byrd, Todd Donovan, and Satpal Sidhu.
Absent: None.
COMMITTEE DISCUSSION
1. BUDGET WORK SESSION — CONTINUED DISCUSSION AND FORMULATION OF
2019-2020 BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS (AB2018-305)
The following staff answered questions throughout the meeting:
• Jack Louws, Executive
• Tyler Schroeder, Deputy Executive
• Jeff Parks, Sheriff's Office
• Brad Bennett, Administrative Services Department
Louws submitted his recommendation for the Council's budget request (on file) and
gave a staff report on potential alternative sources of funds for the changes the
councilmembers approved at its meeting on November 6:
• Behavioral Health fund for Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services
(DVSAS) offender treatment
• Low -Income Housing fund for the Sean Humphrey House
• A grant for shorelines could offset the cost for the Climate Advisory
Committee in an amount of $50,000
• Conservation futures for the Purchase of Development Rights (PDR) Advisory
Committee
• Homeless Housing fund for the outdoor storage project
• Behavioral Health fund for youth and homeless identification
• Encourage the Sheriff to assign a deputy to east county with existing
allocated full-time equivalent (FTE) employees
• The remaining changes would be funded from the general fund
Councilmembers and staff discussed additional sheriff deputies; a grant to update
the shoreline management plan (SMP); alternative funding for the Climate Advisory
Committee; the possibility of incorporating the Parks Department into the Public Works
Department, eliminating Parks Department upper management, and retaining front line
staff; funding Sheriff deputies from the parks fund, behavioral health fund, and solid waste
fund; funding for outdoor storage for the homeless; additional investments in public safety;
Special Committee of the Whole, 11/7/2018, Page 1
increasing property tax by a half percent; potential alternative funding for a Sheriff deputy;
and the process for an area to become incorporated to a city.
Donovan moved to approve the change in funding source to the DVSAS.
The motion was seconded.
The motion carried by the following vote:
Ayes: Ballew, Buchanan, Brenner, Browne, Donovan and Sidhu (6)
Nays: Byrd (1)
Donovan moved to fund the Climate Committee in the amount of $50,000 with the
understanding it may go to $75,000 from the general fund, with the offset of a $75,000
grant from the Department of Ecology.
The motion was seconded.
The motion carried by the following vote:
Ayes: Ballew, Buchanan, Brenner, Browne, Donovan and Sidhu (6)
Nays: Byrd (1)
(Clerk's Note: Councilmember Buchanan left the meeting.)
Brenner moved to amend the Community Wildfire program to $25,000 per year.
The motion was seconded.
The motion carried by the following vote:
Ayes: Ballew, Brenner, Browne, and Donovan (4)
Nays: Byrd and Sidhu (2)
Absent: Buchanan (1)
Browne moved to fund outdoor storage from the homeless housing fund in the
amount of $20,000 for 2019.
The motion was seconded.
The motion carried by the following vote:
Ayes: Ballew, Brenner, Browne, Donovan, Byrd and Sidhu (6)
Nays: None (0)
Absent: Buchanan (1)
Browne submitted a handout (on file) and moved to remove the additional Sheriff's
deputy.
The motion was seconded.
The motion failed by the following vote:
Ayes: Browne, Donovan and Sidhu (3)
Nays: Byrd, Brenner, and Ballew (3)
Absent: Buchanan (1)
Special Committee of the Whole, 11/7/2018, Page 2
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Byrd moved that the additional Sheriff's deputy FTE be assigned as a neighborhood
program deputy who spends the majority, 51 percent or more, of the patrol hours in the
east county.
The motion was seconded.
The motion carried by the following vote:
Ayes: Byrd, Brenner, Ballew, Browne, and Sidhu (5)
Nays: None (0)
Absent: Donovan (out of the room) and Buchanan (2)
OTHER BUSINESS
There was no other business.
ADJOURN
The meeting adjourned at 5:05 p.m.
Theit6'6. 611approved these minutes on December 4
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Jill Nixon, Minutes Transcription
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COUNTY COUNCIL
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Special Committee of the Whole, 11/7/2018, Page 3